WAT 



'liiluted and mixed up with gum-water : thus called, in con- 

 tradiftinftion to oil-colours. See Washing. 



The ufe of water-colours, makes what we call limning ; 

 as that of oil-colours does painting, properly fo called. 

 j Painters in water-colours have been often afflifted with 

 the difeafe called colica piftonum, occafioned by the poifon- 

 ous quality of feveral of the pigments which they ufe; and 

 iwhich, by putting the point of their pencils between their 

 ,lips, whilll they are ftudying their fubjeft, they infenfibly 

 fwallow. Dr. Fothergill fays, that, when the vomitings are 

 labated, copious difcharges by ftool are procured, and the 

 funftions of the bowels in a degree reftored to their ufual 

 Hate by the method purfued in the cure of the colica pifto- 

 num ; nothing contributes fo efFeftually to rellore the ufe 

 of the limbs, when impaired by thefc caufes, as the liberal 

 and conftant ufe of the tinftura guaiacina volatilis ; which 

 ,may be given in fuch quantity, as to keep the body gently 

 open ; mixed with a little common fugar or honey, and then 

 diluted with any weaker mucilaginous liquor, as thin gruel, 

 or barley-water, or marfhmallows-tea. Med. Obf. vol. v. 



P- 394- 



W ATER-CiJlcr/is, for Rural Piirpofis, fuch as arc formed 

 for different domeftic ufes. In high, dry, upland fituations, 

 ciflerns of this kind are of great utihty and importance in 

 many parts of the country. In the account of the agricul- 

 ture of the North Riding of Yorkfhire, it is ftated that in 

 the high eaftern parts of it, water-cifterns or rcfervoirs are 

 made by the inhabitants within the ground, which are highly 

 ufeful : thefe, it is faid, are fed by the rain-water which 

 falls upon the roofs of the buildings, and is condufted from 

 thence by fpouts. That in thefe cilferns a very ample fup- 

 j)ly of foft water is always ready at hand ; and that by their 

 brnig luidcr ground, and kept clofe, the water is fweet and 

 fuitable for every domeftic or other ufe. 



A water-ciftern of this fort is ftated to be formed in this 

 manner. A cube of the required fize being dug in the 

 ground, and the fides made even and perpendicular, the bot- 

 tom is covered with fo much clay, as that, when well beaten, 

 will be four inches thick ; a foundation of ftone is then laid 

 round the fides ; upon the clay, a brick floor is laid in 

 tirras, the furface of which fhould not be lower than the 

 t(ip of the foundation; the fides are then built a fingle brick 

 thick, and the bricks laid in terras, a foot fpace being left 

 betwixt the wall and the earth, which is gradually filled 

 with clay in a foft ftate ; and this well beaten as it ftiffens ; 

 the whole is arched over, leaving a hatchway for a man to 

 go in and clear it out, and an opening or paffage into a 

 drain, for the furplus water to run or be taken off, when 

 the ciftern is full. 



The water is raifed for ufe by means of a pump. In 

 tliL-le cafes, as keeping all external air out of the ciftern 

 contributes, it is faid, much to the fweetnefs of the water; 

 the pipe by which the ciftern is fed fhould be continued to 

 within a few inches of the bottom, and the furplus water be 

 conveyed off by a pipe rifing from near the bottom to the 

 extreme height the water is defigned always to be at, when 

 that takes place, and there communicate with the drain : by 

 thefe precautions, it is faid, there will be no more of the fur- 

 face of the water expofed to the external air, than wliat is 

 within thofe pipes and that of the pump. 



This method of forming water-cifterns may be found ufe- 

 ful, cheap, and convenient, in many places, where fnch water 

 is neceflary to be preferved pure and fweet. 



Cifterns of this fort have fometimes the title of water- 

 cellars, and are of great convenience and ufe for farm-yards. 

 See Water, Rivtr, Colkaing of, and Watering Live- 

 Stoci. 



WAT 



VfATEK-Crturfes, in Agrtcullure, are fuch larges ditche* or 

 paffages for taking off the water as are formed, and remain 

 conftantly for the purpofe in different places, and properly 

 belong to the pubhc. 



They Ihould be kept conftantly well opened and cleared 

 out, not having too much fall given them, fo as to deftroy 

 the evennefs of their bottoms. See Sewer. 



Water, Cut. See CvT-Water. 



Water, Dead, in Sea-Language. See Dead- Water and 

 SHiP-Builili/ig. 



W ATER-Engine, in Mechanics, denotes either an engine 

 to raife water, or any engine that moves by the force of 

 water. 



WATER-Falls, in Ornamental Gardening, are thofe falls of 

 water which are formed and introduced in pleafure or other 

 grounds for the purpofe of producing ornamental and pic- 

 turefque efFeds, or which naturally exiff in Inch fituations. 

 They are of different kinds and forms, being fometimes of 

 the nature of cafcades, and at other times contrived for the 

 intention of driving fome particular fort of interefting ma- 

 chinery, fo as to afford an agreeable and flriking pifture in 

 the rural fcenery of the particular place whore they are had 

 recourfe to. They are ufually conflrufted, where they do 

 not exift naturally, either by means of largt- rocky ftones 

 thrown rudely together into a fort of ridge torm of head, 

 over which the water paffes, formed in the way of weirs, or 

 built in mafonry in a careful and exaft manner, according as 

 the different nature of the circumftances and fituations may 

 require. See Water. 



Mr. London, in his ufeful work on " Country Refi- 

 dences," has well defcribed and delineated feveral different 

 modes of forming water-falls. They fhould, he thinks, be 

 natural, ftrong, and lafting, from ttie gei.eral form of the 

 whole of the materials, the fecurity and folidity of their 

 foundations, and the quality of the work and materials ufed 

 in building them. 



Water, Foul, in Sea-Language. See Foul. 



Water-FoivI. See Fowl. 



VfATER-Furroiu, in Agriculture, a deep open furro# 

 drawn by the common or a large double mould-boarded 

 plough made for the purpofe, in a proper direftion of the 

 field in arable lands, or thofe in the ftate of tillage, for the 

 ufe of conveying and taking off the fuperabundaiit hurtful 

 water, and preventing the ftagnation of it from injuring the 

 crops. This is efpecially neceffary and proper in the winter 

 feafon, and often in others. It is therefore effential that, as 

 foon as poffible after fowing moft forts of grain, but par- 

 ticularly wheat, when there is any difpofition in the foil or 

 land to the retention of moifture in too large a proportion, 

 there fhould be as many water-furrows opened in this way 

 as may be fufficient for carrying off and completely remov- 

 ing the excefs of water, and thereby preferving the ground 

 in a properly dry and iound condition for the healthy 

 growth of the crops. It is obferved by the writer of a late 

 Calendar of Hufbandry, that the making of proper water- 

 furrows is a circumftancc of much importance in the culture 

 of wheat, but that it is oftentimes ftrangely negletted. It 

 is a work, however, that fhould be well and effeftually per- 

 formed on all lands, except thofe that are perfeftly dry 

 all the winter through. The water-furrows fhould be 

 formed by the plough, as foon as the field has been finifbed 

 ploughing, fowing, and harrowing, and then a ipit or earth 

 ftiould be dug from out of the bottoms of them, and laid on 

 one fide oppofite the rife of the land Qr ndgc, and the loofe 

 mould in the bottom parts be well fnovelled and cleaned out, 

 fo as to make a pcrfeftly free paflage for drawing off the 

 wetnefs; the openings of all the common ridge-furrows. 



beinsT 



