W A L 



W A L 



heart of old trees, which is brown and compadl. The roots 

 are red and copious. Leaves fcattered, ftalked, obovate, 

 pointed, entire, eight or ten inches long, tliree or four wide, 

 fmooth, rather flelhy, having a mid-rib, with feveral flight 

 tranfverfe veins. Of the Jlotvers no dcfcription is given, 

 but they are reprefented on fimple lateral^aW-j^, folitary or 

 in pairs, and feem formed of four xoxm^ petals. The jfruit 

 is faid to be as large as an orange, and of the fame colour, 

 drooping, making a beautiful appearance, intermixed with 

 the green leaves, in Oftober. Its fliape, however, is more 

 ovate, with a point, and the bafe is embracedby a cup-fhaped, 

 five-angled, permanent calyx, not unhke that of an acorn. 

 This fruit after a while turns red, and finally blackiih. The 

 pulp is infipid, dry, and fungous, containing four or five 

 feeds, or nuts, attached to the point of the fruit by four 

 cords, ^ach feed is near two inches long, and one broad, 

 comprefled, roughifh, of a fine brown colour. Sometimes 

 there is but a {ohtary feed. 



The Walan-tree grows, not very frequently, in the 

 mountainous woods of Amboyna, wliere the foil is rich, 

 and of a red colour. The only ufe made of it is to 

 catch fi(h. For this purpofe the roots are coUefted 

 and prepared, with many foohfh ceremonies. An entire 

 root, with its bark, is beaten to pieces upon a (lone, 

 and when this is nearly accompliftied, one perfon, of the 

 party alTembled on the occafion, commands all the reft to 

 lie down at once in a circle, while he ftands in the centre. 

 They are to remain thus in perfeft ftillnefs, till one of them 

 crows three times, like a cock, upon which they ftart up all 

 together. While the bruifing of the root goes on, they are 

 forbidden to fpeak, cough, or fpit, or to make any noife 

 whatever. Tlie powder of the root thus prepared is col- 

 lefted into bafl<ets, and taken very early in the morning, 

 about the crowing of the cock, to the river fide. It is there 

 thrown, by a handful at a time, into the water, and ftirred 

 about till a foam is raifed to the height of feveral inches. 

 This being acconipUfhed, the whole party prefent lie down 

 as if dead, but if any one of them crows, they all ftart up. 

 While the powder is mixing with the water, no one may go 

 within fight of the river, except with fome cutting inftru- 

 ment, for fear of defeating the whole intention. At fome 

 diftance, lower down in the ftream, a net is placed acrofs, 

 which in the courfe of an hour becomes filled with fifh, 

 floating, half dead, upon the furface of the water ; the 

 acrimony of this root caufing fuch an irritation in their eyes, 

 as they cannot endure. If thrown into frcfli water, they 

 recover. Fifti thus caught are wholefome for immediate 

 eating, but will not keep for any time. Rumphius em- 

 ployed his fervants fucccfsfully to catch fifti in this manner, 

 omitting, as may be fuppofed, the above-mentioned peculiar 

 ceremonies. Perfons who bathe in the *ater thus impreg- 

 nated, feel only a flight itching of the fl<in ; but the fame 

 water is not good for drinking. The natives of Amboyna 

 rcftraiTi the exercife of this kind of filhing, to perfons of 

 particular families ; and endeavour to promote a belief that 

 others, who fliould attempt it, would be afflifted with in- 

 curable ulcers, or malignant cutaneous diforders. 



WALBACH, in Geography, a town of Trance, in the 



department of the Upper Rhuie ; 4 miles S.W. of Colmar. 



WALBECK, a town of Germany, belonging to the 



principality of Halberftadt, infulatcd in the duchy of 



Mecklenburg; 24 miles S. of Halberftadt. 



WALBY, a town of Sweden, in the province of Up- 

 land; 23 miles S.S.W. of Upfal. 



WALCA, a town of the duchy of Warfaw, on a lake ; 

 56 miles N. of Pofen. 



WALCHEN See, a town of Auftria, on the Alter 

 See ; 4 miles S.W. of Voglabruck. 



WALCHEREN, the moft wetterly and moft confider- 

 able ifland of the ftate of Zealand, about thirteen miles 

 from north to fouth, and eight from eaft to weft ; fituated in 

 the German fea, at the mouth of the Scheld. Middleburg 

 is the capital. N. lat. 51° 34'. E. long. 3° 29'. 



Walcheuen or White Carrot, in Agriculture, a fort of 

 that root, which is faid to be cultivated there with much 

 fuccefs and advantage, as fome forts of the parfnip are in 

 the ifland of Guernfey. See a paper on the latter fubjeft 

 in the firft volume of the " Memoirs of the Caledonian Hor- 

 ticultural Society." 



WALCKENSTEIN, in Geography, a town of Auf- 

 tria ; 2 miles N.W. of Eggenburg. 



WALCKERSBRUN, a town of the territorj' of Nu- 

 remberg; 3 miles W. of Grafenberg. 



WALCOUR, a town of France, in the department of 

 Gemappe, on the Heure. It was furrounded with walls in 

 the year 910 ; 21 miles W.S.W. of Namur. 



WALD, a town of the duchy of Berg. Here is a ma.^ 

 nufafture of knives ; 4 miles N.W. of Sohngen. — Alfo, a 

 town of Auftria ; 3 miles S.S.E. of St. Polten. 



WALDACH, a river of Wurtemberg, which rifes 

 3 miles E.S.E. cff Dornftett, and runs into the Nagold^ 

 about two miles S. from Nagold. 



WALDAU, a town of Silefia, in the principahty of 

 Lignitz ; 3 miles N.W. of Lignitz. 



WALDAW, a town of Pruflia, in the province of 

 Samland ; 8 miles E. of Kbnigfljerg. 

 WALDBECK. See Wolbeck. 



WALDBURG, a town and caftle of Germany, which 

 gives name to a county, fituated between the lUer and the 

 Danube ; 7 miles N. of Wangen. 



WALDEBA, a town of Abyffinia ; 5 miles S.W. of 

 Sire. 



WALDECK, a county of Germany, bounded on the 

 north by the bifliopric of Paderborn, on the eaft by Hefle, 

 and prefeAurale of Fritzlar, in the eleftoratc of Mentz, 

 on the fouth by Hefle, and on the weft by tlie duchy of 

 Weftphaha. The length is computed at twenty-four miles, 

 and its breadth twenty. The county abounds in grain and 

 cattle, having alfo large woods, and the mountains in it con- 

 tain lead, iron, and copper, and even fome gold, which is 

 efteemed equal in value to that of Hungary. Of the gold 

 which is gathered out of the Eder, the princes have caufed 

 medals to be llruck, and a magnificent fideboard to be made. 

 Some parts alfo aftord marble, alabafter, flate, and turf. 

 This co\nity contains thirteen towns and a market village. 

 The greater part of the inhabitants are Lutherans, and the 

 reft Calvinifts, witli fome Roman Catholics intermixed. 

 Tiic mauufaftures are, coarfe cloth, barragon, callimanco, 

 dimity, ratcen, and other ftulfs ; as alfo paper, and great 

 quantities of iron-ware, for exportation. The county of 

 Waldeck is thought to bring in above 100,000 rix-doUars 

 per annum to the prince, and that not improbal)ly, it being 

 one of the moft confider.nble counties in the wliole empire, 

 and preferable even to not a few principalities. The prince's 

 circular contingency was two companies of foot, but he ge- 

 nerally maintained three more. 



Waldeck, a towi. of Germany, capital of a county of 

 the fame name, fo called from an ancient callle, wliich has 

 been repaired within the laft century, and fitted up to re- 

 ceive a garrifon ; part of the records of the principality are 

 kept here, and it is likewifc ufed as a prifon ; iS miles 

 W.S.W. of Caffel. N. lat. 5 '" ' 3'- E- '""g- 9° ^'■ 



4 M 2 Wai.dec K, 



