YEA 



' YAZVA, a river of Ruffia, which runs into the Vif. 

 cliera, 8 miles E. of Gerdin, in the government of Perm. 



YBAGUE, a town of South America, in the kingdom 

 of New Grenada. 



YBAICABAL. See Nervio. 



YCA. See Ica. 



YCAYALE. See Ucayale. 



YCH AN, a town of Corea ; 1 3 miles S. of Hetfin. 



Y-CHI, a town of China, of the third rank, in Chan-fi ; 

 12 miles N.N.E. of Kiai. 



YCONOMIUS. See Oeconomus. 



YDALA, in Geography, a town of Sweden, in Ble- 

 kingen ; lo miles S.S.E. of Kongfback. 



YDRIA. See Hydria. 



YDRINUS, or Hydrinus, a name given by feme to 

 the ophiies, or ferpent-ftone. 



YDRUS, in Anc'unt Geography, a mountain of Hifpania. 

 Jerome. 



YE, or Wyk, in Geography, a river of Holland, which 

 pafies by Amllerdam, and runs into the Zuyder See, about 

 6 miles below. 



YEA Water, a river of Scotland, which runs into the 

 Nith, 2 miles E. of Lochmaben. 



YEADON, a townfhip of York(hire, in the Weft 

 Riding, with 1695 inhabitants, including 476 employed in 

 trade and manufaftures ; 3 miles S. of Ottley. 



YE ALME, a river of England, in the county of Devon, 

 which runs into the Engh(h Channel, i mile N.N.W. of 

 Stoke Point. 



YEANGLAW, a town of Birmah; 7 miles S. of 

 Pegongmew. 



YEANING, among Sheep-Farmers, a term ufed to fig- 

 nify the aft of bringing forth the young in animals of the 

 fheep kind. It is faid that in the polled breeds of fheep 

 the lambs are yeaned with the greateft eafe and facihty, 

 and in the large-horned breeds with the greateft difficulty 

 and inconvenience. See Sheep. 



YEANlNG-7V'»if, the feafon of yeaning in (heep, which is 

 different in different breeds of them, but probably the moft 

 early in the Dorfetftiire breed, as they may be managed fo 

 as to lamb at a very early period. In general, however, the 

 management is fuch, that the lambs are yeaned or brought 

 forth from towards the latter end of February to the be- 

 ginning of the following month, and later in fome cafes and 

 fituations. When yeaned too early there is often great 

 lofs, on account of the inclemency of the feafon, unlefs the 

 ewes have been kept very well for fome time before it takes 

 place. Confequently, in all fuch cafes, they fhould, for 

 fome weeks at leaft before the yeaning time, be plentifully 

 fupplied with proper food, fo that the health and ftrength 

 of them and that of their young may be promoted and pre- 

 ferved again ft this period. Proper flieltered fituations, 

 yards, and fpots of ground, (hould alfo be provided for this 

 purpofe, by which the lives of numbers may be laved. See 

 Sheep. 



In all bad cafes of yeaning, the ewes (hould be well fup- 

 ported by good oatmeal gruel and cordial drinks. 



YEANLING, a term apphed to the young of the fheep 

 kind when newly yeaned. See Lamb. 



YEAR, Annus, in the full extent of the word, is a 

 fyftem or cycle of feveral months ; ufually twelve. 



Others define year, in the general, a period, or fpace of 

 time, meafured by the revolution of fome celeftial body in 

 its orbit. 



Thus, the time in which the fixed ftars make a revolution 

 is called the great year. And the times in which Jupiter, 

 Saturn, the fun, moon, &c. finifh their revolutions, and 



Vol. XXXIX. 



YEA 



return to the fame point of the zodiac, are refpeajvelv 

 caUed the years of Jupiter and Saturn ; and the folar and 

 the lunar years. 



As there is no luminary whofe changes and revolutions 

 are fo frequent and remarkable as thofe of the moon, fome 

 have thought that all nations at firft meafured and divided 

 time according to tlie various afpefts of this planet. Ac- 

 cordingly the Egyptian year originally confided of a fingle 

 lunation ; afterwards it included two or three months and 

 was defined by the ftated returns of the feafons. It has 

 been alfo fuppofed, that feveral ages rouft have elapfed 

 before the idea of adjufting the length of the year to the 

 courfe of the fun became general, though repeated ob- 

 fervations were made on his motion in the ecliptic. The 

 Indians, the Chaldatans, and Egyptians, who in a very early 

 period applied their attention to aftronomy, at length found, 

 by comparing the motions of the fun aiid moon together, 

 that one revolution of the former was equal to about 12 of 

 the latter ; and hence was formed a year of 12 lunations, in 

 every one of which were reckoned 30 days : and hence alfo. 

 It IS faid, arofe the divifion of the ecliptic into 360 equal 

 parts or degrees. 



Year, properly, and by way of eminence fo called, is the 

 folar year ; or the fpace of time in which the fun moves 

 through the twelve figns of the ecliptic. 



This, by the obfervations of Caflini, Bianchini, and de la 

 Hire, contains 365 days, 5 hours, and 49 minutes ; which 

 is the quantity of the year affumed by the authors of the 

 Gregorian calendar. 



But in the civil or popular account, this year only 

 contains 365 days ; except every fourth, which contains 

 366. 



The vicifTitude of feafons feem to have given occaCon to 

 the firft inftitution of the year. Man, naturally curious 

 to know the caufe of that diverfity, foon found it was 

 the proximity and diftance of the fun ; and, upon this, 

 gave the name year to the fpace of time in which that lu- 

 minary, performing his whole courfe, returned to the fame 

 point of his orbit. 



And hence, as it was on account of the feafons, in a great 

 meafure, that the year was inftituted, their chief regard 

 and attention were, that the fame parts of the year fhould 

 always correfpond to the fame feafons ; i. e. that the be- 

 ginning of the year fhould always be when the fun was in 

 the fame point of his orbit ; and that they fhould keep 

 pace, come round, and end together. 



This, different nations aimed to attain by different ways ; 

 making the year to commence from different points of the 

 zodiac, and even making the time of his progrefs different. 

 So that fome of their years were much more perfeft than 

 others, but none of them quite juft ; i. e. none of them 

 whofe parts did not fhift, with regard to the parts of the 

 fun's courfe. 



We may naturally fuppofe that the commencement of the 

 year would be determined by the date of fome confiderable 

 event, fuch as the creation of the world, the univerfal 

 deluge, a conjunflion of planets, the incarnation of our 

 Saviour, &c. ; and of courfe it has been referred to dif- 

 ferent points in the ecliptic. The Chaldean and Egyp- 

 tian years were dated from the autumnal equinox. The 

 ecclefiaftical year of the Jews began in the fpring ; but m 

 civil affairs they reuined the epoch of the Egyptian year. 

 The ancient Chinefe reckoned from the new moon, neareft 

 to the middle of Aquarius ; but according to fome recent 

 accounts, tlie beginning of their year was transferred ( B. C. 

 1740) to the new moon nearefl to the winter folftice. 

 This likewife is the date of the Japanefe year. Diemfchid, 



H or 



