V E R 



V E R 



not properly denominated venriilion, but nd lead, iicc 

 Minium. 



It is this lail, however, that feems to be the artificial 

 minium, or vermilion of the ancients ; and, accordingly, 

 apothecaries and painters flill give it that name. 



The ancient Greek and Latin authors have given divers 

 fabulous accounts of their mniium ; and feveral of the mo- 

 derns have adopted their dreams ; the moft rational accounts 

 are, that Theophraftus attributes the firft invention of 

 making it to Calhas the Athenian ; who hit upon it in en- 

 deavouring to draw gold, by fire, out of a red fand, found 

 in the filver mines, in the year of Rome 249. But Vi- 

 truvius fays, it was difcovered in the Cilbian fields ; where 

 it was drawn from a red flone, called by the Greeks 

 ttnthrax. 



We have two kinds of vermilion from Holland ; the one 

 of a deep red, the other pale ; hut both are in reality the 

 fame matlt-r, the difference of colour only proceeding from 

 the ciimahar's being more or lefs ground : when fine ground, 

 the vermilion is pale ; and this is preferred to the coarfer 

 and redder. 



It is of coiifiderable ufe among the painters in oil, and in 

 miniature ; aijd likewifc among the ladies, as a fucus, or 

 paint, to heighten the complexion of fuch as are too pale. 



Vermilion is fometimes alfo, though improperly, ufed 

 for what we otlHiwife call kcrmcs, or fcarlet grain. 



VERMILLION Lake, in Geography, a lake of North 

 America, which extends 6 or 7 miles N.N.W., and by a 

 narrow flrait communicates with lake Namaycan, that takes 

 its name from a particular place at the foot of a fall, where 

 the natives fpear ilurgeon. N. lat. 48' 40'. W. long. 

 93° 26'. 



Vermillion Point, or Cape Townfend, a peninfula in 

 lake Michigan, which feparates Green bay from the other 

 part of the lake ; 23 leagues long, and from I to 3 broad. 



Vermillion River, one of the principal rivers of Loui- 

 fiana, in that part of the ftate which is called Attacapas, 

 and which is bounded S. by the gulf of Mexico, N.W. by 

 Opeloufas, N.E. by the Alchafalaya, and on the E. by the 

 Atchafalaya and the lakes belonging to that river. This 

 diftricl forms a fcalcne triangle, whofe area amounts to 

 5100 Icjuare miles: the aftual population, afcertained by 

 the cenlus of 1810, amounts to lefs than two perfons to the 

 fcpiare mile. The Vermillion river, like the Teche ( which 

 fee), has its fource in Opeloufari, and enters Attacapas or 

 Attakapas at the moutli of Ctrrion Crow ; it then runs 

 fouth about 16 miles, then winds to the weft, and receives 

 from the fouth the bayou (creek) Tortua, continues weft 

 eight miles, paffes the ridge of hills, (a ramification of 

 which winds along each bank to fome diftance,) and afTumes 

 a fouth-weft courfe, which it maintains 25 miKs. When it 

 enters the hills, its magnitude juillfies the title of river, 

 though it has that appellation below the Carrion Crow. 

 The tide in autumn is perceivable thus high, ttie current of 

 the river being at all times rather gentle. When it has 

 completed its fouth-weft courfe, it winds fouth-eaft by fouth 

 20 miles : the whole length of its comparative courfe in 

 Attacapas being 69 or 70 miles ; but the diftance, purfuing 

 the windings of^ the ftream, inuft exceed 100 miles. The 

 two large prairies, known by the names of Opeloufas and 

 Attacapas, extend on each fide of the Vermillion, from its 

 entrance into Attacapas to its egrcfs into the gulf of 

 Mexico. Wood abounds more on the Vermillion tlian on 

 tiie Tcche ; and though the foil may be lefs fertile, it is 

 nevcrthelefs excellent, and the quantity greater on an equal 

 length of river. There are 80 niileb on the banks of the 



Vermillion, which have an extenfion backwards of two miles, 

 that afford 320 fuperficial miles, or 204,800 acres. Some 

 of the moft beautiful fettlements yet made in the Attacapas 

 are upon this river. From the diverfity of foil, and eleva- 

 tion, none can err in giving the preference, with regard to 

 beauty of appearance, to the banks of the Vermillion, before 

 any other river in Loulfiana, fouth of bayou Bceuf. The 

 lower part of the Vermillion will, without doubt, fuit the 

 culture of the fugar-cane ; whilft the whole extent of its 

 banks is well adapted to cotton and corn. The Vermillion, 

 by its union with the gulf, forms the natural communication 

 of its inhabitants with the fea. At prcfent the depth of 

 water through the inlet into the Vermillion will not admit 

 veffels of very confiderable burthen. Darby's Geog. De- 

 fcription of the State of Louifiana, Philad. 1816. 



Vermillion River, a river of America, which runs into 



the Wabalh, N. lat. 40= 5'. W. long. 87° 40' Alfo, a 



river of America, which runs into the 'rheakiki, N. lat. 41" 

 10'. W. long. 88° 40'.— Alfo, a river of America, which 

 runs into lake Erie, N. lat. 41° 45'. W. long. 82° 12'. 



Vermillion Sea. See California. 



VERMIN, in Agriculture, a collective term which in- 

 cludes all the various forts of fmall animals, that are injurious 

 to the corn, fruit, and other produce of the fanner. The 

 vermin, rats and mice, ftand foremoft among thofe which, 

 are the moll prejudicial. It has been ftatcd, that one of the 

 former eats and dcftroys more than a quart of corn, on the 

 average, in the courfe of the week ; which amounts to the 

 vaft quantity of upwards of twenty quarters in the year, for 

 the fupport of an hundred of them ; .ind this is probably 

 fewer than the number to be met with, in moft cafes of large 

 corn-farms ; fo that the real damage is perhaps confiderably 

 more. The injury fuftaincd ^'om the latter is, in all pro- 

 bability, nearly equal to that from the former. The loffes, 

 on a moderate calculation, cannot be lefs than forty pounds 

 in the year to every large farmer, and half that amount to 

 thofe of the fm<Jler clafs. 



In the field, the barn, and the dairy, thefe fmall vermin 

 are equally difagreeable, troublcfome, and dcftrufiive, and 

 are fuppofed to be more mifchievous than moles. Much 

 care is beftowed, it is faid, on the deftruftion of moles ; 

 and it might be worth while to endeavour to lefteii the num- 

 ber of field vermin of this fort, which are in their nature, it 

 is contended, more injurious to the farmer tiian moles are. 

 In the rick-yard, the barn, the dwelling-houfc, and fome 

 other places too, their mifcliievoufnefs is too obvious not to 

 be noticed. In the dairy they not unfrequentlv commit 

 great injuries, by fpoiling and dellroyiiig the different pro- 

 dudts ; and in the harncfs-rooms, and places where fuch 

 articles are kept, they are not lefs deftrudlive, by eating 

 into and gnawing the different articles. 



The barn and the ftack-yard are, it is faid, ufually put 

 under the care of the cat ; but to fet a trap for this vermin, 

 in a barn full of corn, has perhaps been confidered as a thing 

 fo unlikely to be effective, that it has fcldom been tried. 

 The fuccefs of traps, where they have been ufed, has been 

 fufficient to recommend them ; for altliough a total extirpa- 

 tion of the vermin, in cafes where they have been tried, did 

 not take place, an annual faving of fome quarters of corn 

 has been the confeqnence. 



It is remarked, that while the number of thefe vermin is 

 great, almoft any kmd of trap may be ufed, provided if be 

 propiily baited ; but that for taking a remaining artful few, 

 a common fhaped round fteel trap, fuited to the fize of the 

 vermin, has been found to be the moft effedilual. 



In order to the complete extirpation (jf thefe and oilier 



vermin,, 



