V E L 



V E L 



duced from thofe experiments, than thofe computed upon 

 Mr. Robins's principles ; though, in this mode of computa- 

 tion, the difference between the aftual and computed velo- 

 cities was in fome of the experiments inconfiderable. But 

 as the powder itfelf is heav)', it may be confidered as a 

 weight put in motion along with the bullet ; and if the 

 denilty of the generated fluid be fuppofed always uniform 

 from the buUet to the breech, the velocity of the centre of 

 gravity of the powder, or of the elaftic fluid, and the grofs 

 matter generated from it, will be juft half as great as the 

 velocity of the bullet ; putting, therefore, P to denote the 

 weight of the powder, B the weight of the bullet, and v 

 its initial velocity ; then B'y-l-^Pi^^B-l-^l'x v will 

 exprefs the momentum of the charge at the inftant when the 

 bullet quits the bore. Inlle.id, therefore, of afcertaining 

 the relation of the velocities to the weights of the bullets, 

 lie propofes to add half the weight of the powder to the 

 weight of the bullet, and to compute the velocities from 

 the reciprocal fub-triplicate ratio of the quantity B + 5 P : 

 and the refult of feveral experiments (hews an agreement 

 between the aftual and computed velocities that is very 

 remarkable. 



We (hall only add, that Mr. Thompfon difputes the juft- 

 nefs of Mr. Robins's concluCon with refpeft to the force 

 of gunpowder, which makes it 1000 times greater than the 

 mean preffure of the atmofphere ; whereas, from the refult 

 of one of his experiments, its force appears to be at leaft 

 1308 times greater than the mean preffure of the atmofphere. 

 Phil. Tranf. vol. Ixxi. part ii. p. 229 — 321. 



Velocity, Meafure of. See Measure. 



Velocity of Light, Hound, Wind, &c. See Light, 

 Sound, Wind, &c. 



VELOM, or Vellum, is a kind oi parchment (which 

 fee), that is finer, evencr, and more white than the common 

 parchment. 



The word is formed from the French vclin, of the Latin 

 vitulinus, belonging to a calf. See Abortive. 



For regulations relating to makers of vellum, and duty 

 on the fame, fee Leather. 



VELORE, iti Geography, a town of Hindooftan, in the 

 Carnatic ; 14 miles W. of Arcot. N. lat. 12° 54'. E. 

 long. 79° 15'. 



VELOSO, a town of Portugal, in the province of 

 Beira ; 14 miles S. of St. Joao da Pefqueira. 



VELPE, a river of Brabant, which joins the Demer, 

 at Halen. 



VELPI, in Ancient Geography, mountains of the Cyre- 

 naica, on the confines of Africa Propria. Thefe mountains 

 were inhabited by the Macatutae, according to Ptolemy. 



VELSER, or Welser, Mark, in Biography, was born 

 at Auglburg, of an ancient and opulent family, in 1558, 

 and educated at Rome under the celebrated Muret. Upon 

 his return to his native city he praftifed at the bar, and be- 

 came a fenator in 1592, and having attained the higheft rank 

 in the government of the city, he was regarded as its chief 

 ornament ; nor was he lefs diftinguifhed as the promoter of 

 literature and fcience. He died in 1614, at the age of 56. 

 The principal of his works, which were numerous, are " Re- 

 rum Augullanarum Vindehcarum Lib. VIIL" Venet. I J94, 

 and " Rerum Boicarum Libri V." Aug. Vind. 1602. He 

 was a principal contributor to Gruter's Colleftion of In- 

 fcriptions, and he aided many others in. their pubhcations. 

 A colleftion of his writings was publi(hed in a foUo volume 

 at Nuremberg, in 1682. Bayle. Gen. Biog. 



VELT, or Velxe, in Commerce, a meafure for brandy 



in feveral parts of France. At Bourdeaux, brandy is con- 

 tained in caflcs of 50 velts, more or lefs ; but it is fold by 

 the barrique of 32 velts, or about 60 Englifh gallons : 5 

 velts proof of Bourdeaux make 4 velts proof, by which it 

 is fold in London. At Cognac, it is fold by the 27 velts ; 

 and 1 1 velts proof of Cognac make 10 velts proof, by which 

 it is fold in London. At Rochelle, brandy from this place. 

 Cognac, Ifle de Rhe, and the river Charente, is in caflcs of 

 3 barriques, containing in all 75 or 90 velts, and is fold by 

 the 27 velts: 16 velts :^ about 31 Englifli gallons. At 

 Bourdeaux, 1.64 barrique = 100 Englilh gallons, and each 

 barrique meafures 14,033 cubic inches: 52.74 velts = lOO 

 Englilh gallons, and each velt = 438 cubic inches. At 

 Cognac, 51.68 velts = 100 Englifh gallons, and each velt 

 meafures 447 cubic inches. At Nantes, 67.34 velts = 1°° 

 Englifh gallons, and each velt meafures 343 cubic inches. 

 At Rochelle, 2.17 wine barriques = 100 Englifli gallons, 

 and each barrique meafures 10,636 cubic inches; and 51.79 

 brandy velts = 100 Englifh gallons, and each velt meafures 

 446 cubic inches. 



VELT^, in Ancient Geography, a people of European 

 Sarmatia, in a part of the V^enedic gulf. 



VELTHAUSEN, in Geography, a town of Ger- 

 many, in the county of Bentheim ; 2 miles N.N.E. of 

 Nienhuus. 



VELTHEIMIA, in Botany, received its name from 

 profeffor Gleditfch, in the Berlin Tranfaftions for 1769, in 

 compliment to a German nobleman, Augufl;us Ferdinand 

 von Veltheim, author of feveral mineralogical works, and 

 reported to have been alfo a lover and patron of botany. — 

 Willd. Sp. PI. V. 2. 181. Ait. Hort. Kew. v. 2. 289. 

 Poiret in Lam. Dift. v. 8. 448. — Clafs and order, Hexan- 

 dria Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Coronaria:, Linn. Afphodeli, 

 Juff. 



Gen. Ch. Cal. none. Cir. of one petal, tubular, nearly 

 cylindrical ; limb regular, in fix very fliort, broad, almofl 

 equal, fegments. Slam. Filaments fix, tliread-fhaped, in- 

 ferted into the tube and not projefting beyond it ; anthers 

 ovate, cloven at the bafe. Pi/l. Germen fuperior, roundifh ; 

 ftyle thread-fhapcd, declining ; ftigma fimple, acute. Peric. 

 Capfule membranous, fomewhat pellucid, three-lobed, three- 

 celled, each lobe extended into a compreffed rounded wing. 

 Seeds moftly folitary, obovatc, rather compreffed. 



Eff. Ch. Corolla tubular, with fix teeth. Stamens in- 

 ferted into the tube. Capfule membranous, with three 

 wings, and three cells, with folitary feeds. 



Obf. This genus, confounded by Linnjeus with his 

 Aletkis, is well feparated therefrom, as well as from Tri- 

 toma, (fee thofe articles,) both on account of their habits 

 and charafters. The genuine Aletris has a funnel-fhaped 

 corrugated corolla, into the bafe of whofe fegments the 

 fiamens are inferted ; and m^ny feeds in each cell of the cap- 

 fule. Tritoma is diilinguifhed by its long fiamens, inferted 

 into the receptacle, and projefting far out of the flower. 



l.V. ■viridifolia. Waved-leaved Veltheimia. Willd. n. i. 

 Ait. n. I. Jacq. Hort. Schoenbr. v. i. 41. t. 78. (V. ca- 

 penfis ; Redout. Lihac. t. 193. Aletris capenfis ; Linn. 

 Sp. PI. 456. Curt. Mag. t. 501.) — Leaves lanceolate, ob- 

 tufe, with wavy plaits. Teeth of the corolla rounded, ereft. 

 — Native of the Cape of Good Hope, from whence its 

 bulbs are faid to have been firfl imported into this country in 

 1768, by the late Mr. Malcolm. The plant is now frequent 

 in moll good greenhoufes, flowering copioufly in the winter 

 and fpring, yet it is not eafily increafed, either by root or 

 by feed. The bulb is ovate, larger than a hen's egg. 

 Leaves numerous, all radical, fpreading, fmooth, a fpan 



long, 



