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the habit of the ancient Gauls, as ermines were of the 

 Armenians. 



y AlKY-cu/>py, or Vairy-tajfy, or Poteni -cannier, Counter- 

 potent, is a bearing in heraldry, compofed of pieces repre- 

 fenting the tops of crutches, or potents counter-placed. 



In blazon, the colours muft be expreffed ; as azure, ar- 

 gent, &c. 



VAISETTE, Joseph, in Biography, a native of Guil- 

 lac, in the diocefe of Alby, was born in 1 685, and entered 

 among the BcnediCfines of St. Maur, at Touloufe. In 

 1713 he fettled at Paris, and engaged, in concurrence with 

 Claude de Vie, of the fame fraternity, in the hiilory of 

 Languedoc, of which the iirft volume appeared in 1730, in 

 folio: and upon the death of his coadjutor in 1734, it was 

 continued by himfelf, four more volumes having been pub- 

 lifted, and a fixth being in preparation at the time of his 

 own death. This hillory is highly commended, on account 

 of both the learning and moderation difplayed by the author. 

 An abridgment of this hiftory, in 6 vols. i2mo., was pub- 

 lifhed by Vaifette in 1 740 ; and he was alfo the author of 

 an " Univerfal Geography," in 4 vols. 4to., and 12 vols. 

 l2mo., 1755, which at the time of its publication was gene- 

 rally approved. The author's erudition was extenfive, and 

 his difpofition was amiable, fo that he died, much regretted, 

 in 1756. Moreri. 



VAISHNAVA, the general name of all the different fefts 

 of Hindoos who worfhip Vifhnu, either direftly or indireftly, 

 through liis confort Lakfhmi, or in one of his incarnations 

 called avataras. In the article Sects of Hindoos, we have 

 concentrated the chief of what we have to offer on the fub- 

 jeft of the numerous individuals comprehended under the de- 

 nomination of Vaiftnava ; which, in its moft extended fenfe, 

 includes confiderably more than half of the whole race of 

 Hindoos. The diftinftion of Saiva, or Siva-Bakht, com- 

 prehends the other portion. See Saiva. 



The fecond plate of the Hindoo Pantheon contains many 

 feftarial marks, or fymbols, by which the different fefts dif- 

 tinguifh themfelves : generally fpeaking, horizontal lines on 

 the forehead mark the Saiva, while perpendicular forehead- 

 lines indicate fome fed of Vaifhnava. Thefe lines are red, 

 white, or yellow, with different coloured fpots over, under, 

 or between them ; all of wluch are faid to have fome myfti- 

 cal allufion. 



VAISHNAVI, in Hindoo Mythology, is a name of the 

 goddefs Lakfhmi, the confort or energy of Viflmu : as 

 fuch, fhe is called his fakti. In the different incarnations of 

 Vifhnu, Lakftmi accompanied him, either under her own 

 name, or under fome other denomination. 



VAISISHIKA, in Philofophy, is the name of one of 

 the fix Hindoo fchools, or fyllems. Under the article Phi- 

 losophy of the Hindoos, we have enumerated the principal 

 fchools of that thinking race. The Vaifidiika is a divifion 

 of the Nyaya, and we refer to the latter word for fome 

 notice of the doftrines of its followers. 



VAISON, in Geography, a town of France, in the de- 

 partment of the Vauclufe, on the Oueze : before the French 

 revolution the fee of a bifhop, fuffragan of Avignon : the 

 old town has been long in ruins; 22 miles N.N.E. of 

 Avignon. 



VAISRAVA, in Mythology, a name of the Hin- 

 doo Plutus, who is more commonly called Kuvera ; which 

 fee. Vaifrava, or Vifrava, is a name given alfo to Ravena, 

 half-brother to Kuvera. (See Ravena.) Vifrava is fome- 

 times called their father, and they are then named Vaif- 

 ravana. 



VAISSEAUX Enfilez, a term ufed by the French 

 writers in Chemiftry, for the veffels ufed in diftilling in an 



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open fire, or in fand, which do not confiil in the common 

 way of a retort, joined immediately to a receiver, but have 

 a receiver with a double opening, and a neck at each end, 

 placed between the retort and the ordinary receiver. The 

 neck of the retort is let into one of the necks of this middle 

 veffel, and its other neck is thrufl into that of the receiver ; 

 by this means the receiver, into which the liquor is to fall, 

 ftands at a greater diftance than it otherwife would from the 

 fire, and the vapours are more eafily condenfed in it by its 

 coldnefs, while they have alfo a double or treble fpace to ex- 

 pand in, and by that means are not fo likely to burft the 

 velTel. 



VAIVASWAT, in Mythology, a name of Surya, 

 the Hindoo regent of the fun, as noticed in the article 

 Surya, where he is under this name ftyled, on the authority 

 of fir WiUiam Jones, " lancer of the golden ray," The 

 very important deity Surya is frequently called in Hin- 

 doo books by the title of Vaivafwat ; and thofe perfonages 

 who, like the ancient Incas of Peru, are pretended to be of 

 folar origin, are called Vaivafwata. In the Gita, Krifhna 

 fays, " tliis immutable fyftem of devotion I revealed to 

 Vaivafwat, (' or,' fays the commentator, ' the fun,') 

 Vaivafwat declared it to his fon Menu ; Menu explained it, 

 &c." This Menu is the author of the celebrated Inftitutes 

 that bear his name : he is alfo named Satyavrata, and is rea- 

 fonably believed to be the fame with the Noah of Scripture. 

 (See Mexu and Satyavrata.) Thefe offspring of the 

 fun are likewife called Suryavanfa ; which fee : and fome 

 farther notice of their curious coincidence witli the folar race 

 of Peruvians will be found in our articles Rama and Sita. 

 The Hindoo Pluto is fometimes called Vaivafwata Yama ; 

 denoting, we conclude, his folar origin. 



VAKEF, in Geography, a town of Arabia, in the pro- 

 vince of Nedsjed ; 100 miles N. of Jamama. 



VAKIA, in Commerce, a weight in Perfia and Arabia. 

 At BafTorah, the weights for merchandize are, the maund at- 

 tary, the maund fefy, and the oka of Bagdat. The maund 

 attary contains 25 vakias tary (fometimes reckoned at 24 or 

 26 vakias), and weighs 28^1bs. avoirdupois, or the vakia 19 

 ounces. The maund fefy, or maund BafTorah, contains 24 

 vakias fefy (called okas of Bafforah), equal to 76 vakias 

 tary, or 90 lbs. 4 oz. avoirdupois. The oka of Bagdat is 

 2\ vakias tary, or 47^ oz. avoirdupois. In fales of ginger, 

 pepper, and coffee, 26 vakias are allowed to the maund ; 

 in fales of cardamoms, fugar -candy, and benzoin, 25 vakias 

 per maund ; and in fales of fugar and metals, 24 vakias 

 ^^r maund. The vakia tary, which ftould be about 115 

 mifcals (the mifcal weighing about 72 Englifh grains), va- 

 ries from no to 118, and the others in proportion. 



At Betelfagui, or Betlefackee, in Arabia, a rattle of 

 coffee contains 145 vakias, and a fared, or farzil, of the 

 fame, 290 vakias ; of dates, candles, and iron, 16 vakias are 

 reckoned to a rattle ; of all other forts of goods, 15 vakias 

 make a rattle. At Mocha, gold and filver are weighed by 

 the vakia of 10 coffalas, or 160 carats : 24 carats =; a mifcal, 

 and 1-5 vakia = a beak : 100 Spaniih dollars weigh 87 va- 

 kias,- to that a vakia weighs little more than i oz. Englifh 

 troy weight ; the bahar contains 15 farzils, or 150 maunds ; 

 the maund = 40 vakias. A rattle is = 15 vakias , but in 

 coffee, 14^ vakias are reckoned for a rattle, 2 rattles for a 

 maund, and 10 maunds, or 290 vakias, for a farzil. Kelly's 

 Univ. Cambiil. 



VAKUNAIKA, in Geography, a river of RufTia, which 

 runs into the Kifenga, N. lat. 56" 16'. E. long. 88^ 14'. 



VAL, La. See Laveld. 



Val, La, a town of Franc^, in the department of Ment 

 Blanc ; 20 miles E. of Monftier. 



Val, 



