760 
S U 3 
S W E 
S W I 
with long bristles or hairs : the whole body 
is also covered with long, weak, or line bristles, 
of which those on the shoulders, belly, and 
thighs, are much longer than on other parts: the 
tail is thin, and terminates in a longish tuft. The 
colour of this animal is a palish brown. Its gene- 
ral size is that of a common hog, but it is said 
sometimes to be found far larger. It is^ a na- 
tive of Africa extending from Cape VercT to 
the Cape of Good Hope. See Plate Nat. 
Hist. lig. 383. 
4. Sus babyroussa. The babyroussa is 
nearly of the size of a common hog, but of a 
somewhat longer form, and with more slender 
limbs, and is covered, instead of bristles, with 
fine, short, and somewhat woolly hair, of a 
deep-brown or blackish colour, interspersed 
with a few bristles on the upper and hinder 
p ut of the back. It is also distinguished by 
the very extraordinary position and form of 
the upper tusks, which, instead of being si- 
tuated internally on the edge of the jaw, as 
in other animals, are placed externally, per- 
forating the skin of the snout, and turning up- 
wards toward the forehead; and as the animal 
advances in age, become so extremely long 
and curved as to touch the forehead and con- 
tinue their curvature downwards, by which 
means they must of necessity lose their 
power as offensive weapons : the tusks of the 
lower jaw are formed as in tiie rest ot the ge- 
nus, and are also very long, sharp, and curv- 
ed ; but not of equal magnitude with those 
of the upper. The upper tusks are of a fine 
hard grain, like that of ivory : the ey es are 
small; the ears somewhat erect, and pointed : 
the tail rather long, slender, and tufted at the 
head with long hairs. 
The babyroussa is a gregarious animal, and 
is found in large herds in many parts of Java, 
Amboina, and some other Indian islands. 
Their food is entirely of a vegetable nature, 
and they often feed on the leaves of trees. 
When sleeping or resting themselves in a 
standing posture, they are said often tq hook 
or support themselves by placing the upper 
tusks across the lower branches of the trees, 
When pursued they will often plunge into a 
river,. or even into the sea, il near, and can 
swim with great vigour and facility, and to a 
vast distance. I he voice of the babyroussa 
is said to resemble that of the common hog, 
but it occasionally utters also a strong or loud 
growling note. It is sometimes tamed by the 
inhabitants of the Indian islands, and the flesh 
is considered as a wholesome food. See 
Plate Nat. Iiist. fig. 385. 
5. Sus tajassu, pecary. The pecary is the 
only animal of tilts genus that is a native of 
the new world, where it is chiefly found in 
the hottest regions. Its size is considerably 
smaller than that of a common hog, and it is 
of a short compact form. The whole animal 
is thickly covered, on the upper parts, with 
verv strong dark-brown or blackish bristles, 
each marked by several yellowish-white rings; 
so that the colour of the whole appears mot- 
tled with minute freckles or Specks, and round 
the neck is generally a whitish band or collar. 
The head is rather large ; the snout long ; 
the ears short and upright ; the belly nearly 
naked : there is no tail, and at the lower part 
of the back, or at some little distance beyond 
the rump, is a glandular orifice surrounded 
by strong bristles in a somewhat radiated di 
rectiou. 
From the orifice exsudes a strong- 
scented fluid, and this part has been vulgarly 
supposed to be the navel of the animal: the 
tusks in this species are not very large. 
The pecary is a gregarious animal, and in 
its wild-state is fierce and dangerous; some- 
times attacking the hunters with great vigour, 
and often destroying the dogs which are em- 
ployed in its pursuit. It ieeds not only on 
vegetable substances, but occasionally on ani- 
mals ofvarious kinds, and is particularly an 
enemy to snakes and other reptiles; attack- 
ing and destroying even the rattlesnake, with- 
out the least dread or inconvenience, and dex- 
terously skinning it, by holding it between its 
feet, while it performs that operation with its 
teeth. It is also remarkable that the common 
hog, when translated to America, will attack 
and {destroy the rattlesnake. The pecary 
is considered as an agreeable food ; but 
the dorsal gland must be cut away as soon as 
the animal is killed : otherwise the whole flesh 
would be infected with an unpleasant flavour. 
See Plate Nat. Hist. fig. 386. 
SUSPENSION, or Points of Suspen- 
sion, in mechanics,, are those points in the 
axis or beam of a balance, wherein the 
weights are applied, or from which they are 
suspended. 
In a law sense, suspension is a species of 
censure, whereby ecclesiastical persons are 
forbidden to exercise their office, or to take 
the profits of their benefices; or when they 
are prohibited in both ot them for a certain 
time, either in whole or in part. Suspension 
is also said to relate to the laity,- viz. suspensio 
ah ingressu ecclesiae, i. e. from hearing di- 
vine service. 
SUTURE. See Surgery. 
S WA RTZIA, a genus of the class and or- 
der polyadelphia polyandria. The calyx is 
four-leaved; petals single, lateral, flat ; le- 
gumen one-celled, two-valved; seeds aril- 
lated. There are six species, trees of the 
West Indies. 
SWEARING, an offence punishable by 
several statutes: thusstat. 6 and 7 Will. III. 
cap. 1 1. ordains, that if any person shall pro- 
fanely swear, if he is a labourer, servant, or 
common soldier, lie shall forfeit Is. to the poor, 
for the first offence, 2s. for the second, &c. ; 
and any person not a servant, &c. forfeits 2s. 
for the first offence, 4s. lor the second, 6s. 
for the third, & c. to be levied by distress ot 
goods. 
SWEAT. See Perspiration. 
Sweating-Sickness, a disease which ap- 
peared first in England, in the year 1483. It 
seized different patients indifferent manners; 
for in some it first appeared with a pain in the 
neck, scapula, legs, or arms; whilst others 
perceived only a kind of warm vapour, or fla- 
tulence, running through those parts. And 
these symptoms were suddenly succeeded by 
a profuse sweat, which the patient could not 
account for. The internal parts became first 
warm, and were soon atter seized with an in- 
credible heat, which thence dillused itself to 
the extremities of the body. An intolerable 
thirst, restlessness, and indisposition ot the 
heart, liver, and stomach, were the nextsymp- 
toms, which were succeeded by an excessive 
head-ache ; a delirium, in which the patient 
was very talkative; and after these, a kind 
of extenuation of the body, ami an irresisti- 
ble necessity of sleeping. For preventing 
this disease, temperance was ordered, and 
the choice of salutary aliments and drinks, and 
no crude pot-herbs nor sallads to be used. 
SWEEP, in the sea-language, is that part 
of the mould of a ship, where she begins to 
compass in at the rung-heads : also, when the 
hawser is dragged along the bottom of the 
sea, to recover any thing that is sunk, they 
call this action Sweeping for it. 
SWEETS, in the wine trade, denotes any 
vegetable juice, whether obtained by means 
of sugar, raisins, or other foreign or domestic 
fruit," which is added to wines, with a design 
to improve them. 
SWERTIA, marsh gentian, a genus of 
plants belonging to the class of pentandria, 
and to the order of digynia ; and in the natu- 
ral system ranging under the 20th order, ro- 
t taeete. The corolla is w heel-shaped. There 
are nectariferous pores at the bases of the seg- 
ments of the corolla. The capsule is unilo- 
cular and bivalve. There are six species. 
The perennis fs a native of England. It is 
distinguished by radical oval leaves. It flow- 
ers in August. 
SWIETENIA, mahogany, a genus of 
plants belonging to the class of decandria, j 
and to the order of monogynia; and in the 
natural system arranged under the 54th or- 
der, miscellane®. The calyx is quinquefid 
There are five petals ; the nectarium is cy- 
lindrical, supporting the anther® with its 
mouth. The capsule is five-celled, woody, 
and opening at the mouth. The seeds are 
imbricated and winged. There are three 
species : the mahogani, which is the principal, 
is a native of the warmest parts of America, 
and grows also in the island of Cuba, Ja- 
maica, Hispaniola, and the Bahama islands. 
It abounded formerly in the low lands of Ja- 
maica, but is now found only on high hills 
and places difficult of access. 
It thrives in most soils, but varies in texture 
and grain according to the nature of the soil. 
' On rocks it is of a smaller size, but very hard 
and weighty, of a close grain, and beautifully 
shaded ; while the produce of the low and 
richer lands is observed to be more light 
and porous, of a paler colour, and open grain ; 
and that of mixed soils to hold a medium be- 
tween both. The tree grows very tall ancl| 
straight, and is usually four feet in diameter ; I 
the flowers are of a reddish or saffron colour, I 
and the fruit of au oval form, and about the I 
size of a turkey’s egg. 
The wood is generally hard, takes a fine 
polish, and is found to answer better than any I 
other sort in all kinds of cabinet-ware. It 'is I 
now universally esteemed, and sells at a good I 
price. It is a very strong timber, and an- 1 
swers very w ell in beams, joists, plank, boards, 
- - ■ j - - - 'i ' * ■ 
and shingles ; and has been frequently put to I 
tiiose uses in Jamaica in former times. It ' 
said to be used sometimes in ship-building , 
purpose for which it is remarkably adapted, iti 
not too costly, being very durable, capable ofl 
resisting gun-shots, and burying the shot* 
without splintering. 
The seed-vessels, are of a curious form, con-1 
sisting of a large cone splitting into five parts! 
and disclosing its winged seeds, disposed ini 
the regular manner ol those of an apocynum J 
The seeds being winged, are dispersed on th 
surface of the ground, w here some falling int 
the chinks of the rocks, strike root ; theif 
creep out on the surface, and seek ano 
ther chink, into which they creep and swel 
