20 OX. Clafs L 



Primum cana falix madefafto vimine parvam 

 Texitur in Puppimj casfoque induta juvenco, 

 Vedoris patiens, tumidum fuper emicat amnem : 

 Sic Venetus ftagnante fado^ fufoque Britannus 

 Navigat oceano. Lucan. lib. iv, 131. 



Veflels of this kind are ftill in life on the Irijh 

 lalces ; and on the Dee and Severn : in Ireland they are 

 called Curacb, in E^tgland Coracles, from the Britijh 

 CwrivgU a word fignifying a boat of that ftru6lure. 



At prefent, the hide, when tanned and curried, 

 ferves for boots, fhoes, and numberlefs other con- 

 veniences of life. 



Vellum is made of calves fkin, and goldbeaters 

 ficin is made of a thin vellum, or the finer part of 

 the ox's guts. The hair mixed with lime is a ne- 

 cefTary article in building. Of the horns are made 

 combs, boxes, handles for knives, and drinking 

 vellels y and when foftened by water, obeying the ma- 

 tt ufadturer's hand, they are formed into pellucid laminae 

 for the fides of lanthorns. Thefe laft conveniences 

 we owe to our great king Alfred, who firft invented 

 them to preferve his candle, time meafurers, from the 

 wind *-, or (as other writers will have it) the tapers that 

 were fet up before the reliques in the miferable tat- 

 tered churches of that time -f . 



In medicine, the horns were employed as alexi- 

 pharmics or antidotes againft poifon, the plague, or 

 the fmall-pox ; they have been dignified with the 

 title of EngHJJj hezoar j and are faid to have been 



• Anderfons h'lft. commerce, i. 45. 

 •f Stwveiyt hi/}, of churchei, 103, 



found 



