G R r 
eno 
* 7 0 
used the Gregorian style; but Great Britain' 
retained the Julian till the year 1752, when 
by act of parliament this style was adjusted 
to the Gregorian ; since which time Sweden, 
Denmark, and other European states, who 
computed time by the Julian account, have 
followed this example. 
GEEWIA, a genus of the polyandria or- 
der, in the gynandria class of plants, and in 
the natural method ranking under the 37th 
order, columnifera\ The calyx is pentaphyl- 
lous ; there are five petals, each with a nec- 
tariferous scale at the base ; the berry is qua- 
drdocular. The species are 13. The most 
remarkable are : 
1. The occidental^, with oval crenated 
leaves, has long been preserved in many cu- 
rious gardens both in England and Holland. 
It is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, 
and grows to the height of 10 or 12 feet. 
The stem and branches greatly resemble 
those of the small -leafed elm, the bark. being 
smooth, and of the same colour with that 
when young. The leaves are also very like 
those of the elm, and fall off in autumn. The 
flowers are produced singly along the young 
branches from the wings of the leaves, and 
are of a bright purple colour. 
2. The africana, with oval spear-shaped 
serrated leaves, is a native of Senegal in 
Africa, whence its seeds were brought 
by Mr. Adanson. In this country it rises 
with a shrubby stalk five or six feet high, 
sending out many lateral branches, with a 
brown hairy bark, and garnished with spear- 
shaped serrated leaves ; but the plants have 
not flowered in Britain. 
The first sort, though a native of a warm 
climate, will bear the open air in this coun- 
try ; only requiring to be sheltered in a green- 
house during the winter time. It may be 
propagated by cuttings or layers planted in 
pots tilled with soft loamy earth. The second 
sort is tender, and must be kept constantly in 
a warm bark-stove. In summer they require 
a large share of the free air to be admitted to 
them, and should have wat r three or four 
times a week in warm weather; but in the 
winter they must be sparingly watered. The 
negroes of Senegal consider a decoction of 
the bark of this last species as a never- failing- 
remedy against venereal complaints. 
GREWT, among miners, signifies earth 
of a different colour from the rest, found on 
the banks of rivers as they are searching for 
mines. 
GREYHOUND. See Canis. 
GRIAS, a genus of the monogynia order, 
in the polyandria class of plants, and in the 
natural method ranking with those of which 
the order is doubtful. The corolla is tetra- 
petalous; the calyx quadrifid ; the stigma 
sesrile and cruciform : the fruit is a plum with 
an eight-furrowed kernel. i here is but one 
species, the cauiitlova, or anchovy pear, a na- 
tive of Jamaica. The leaves are nearly oval, 
and about three feet long. It has a straight 
stem, upon the upper part ot which come 
forth the flowers. The fruit is large, and 
contains a. stone with eight furrows. These 
fruits are eaten by the inhabitants. 
GRIELUM, a genus of the pentagynia 
order, in the decan dria class of plants. The 
calyx is quinquetid, there are five petals; 
the' filaments persisting ; and there are five 
monospermous seed -cases. T here is one spe- 
cie., a kerb of the Cape. 
G R O 
GRIFFON, in heraldry, an imaginary ani- 
mal, feigned by the undents to be half eagle 
and halt lion ; by this form they intended to 
give an idea of strength and swiftness joined 
together, with an extraordinary vigilance in 
guarding the things entrusted to its care. 
GRINDING, tritwrutio, the reducing 
hard substances to tine powders, either by the 
mortar, or by way of levigation, upon a mar- 
ble. bee Millwork. 
GRIPE, in the sea language, is a piece of 
timber stayed against the lower piece of the 
stern, from the foremast end of the keel, 
joining with the knee of the head : its use is to 
defend the lower part of the stern from any 
injury; but it is often made the larger, to 
make the ship keep a good wind. 
GR1SLEA, a genus of the monogynia or- 
der, in the octandria class of plants, and in the 
natural method ranking under the 17th order, 
calycantlieins, The calyx is quadrifid; and 
there are four petals, one from each incisure 
of it. The filaments aie very long, ascending 
or turning upwards; the capsule is globose, 
superior, unilocular, and polyspermous. There 
are two species; one a tree of S. America, 
the other a shrub of the East Indies. 
GRIST, in country-affairs, denotes corn 
ground, or ready for grinding. See Flour- 
mill. 
GRIT, a genus of argillaceous earths. Its 
texture is more or less porous, equable, and 
rough to the touch. It does not give fire with 
steel, nor effervesce with acids. When fresh 
broken and breathed upon, it exhales an 
earthy smell. Mr. Kirwan mentions two 
kinds ; one from llollington, near Uttoxeter, 
of a yellowish or whitish grey, and about the 
specific gravity oi 2288. Another, from Kne- 
persley in Staffordshire, is of the specific gra- 
vity of 2568, and so infusible as to be used for 
fire-stones. According to Fabroni the grit- 
stone is of greater or less hardness, mostly of 
a grey, and sometimes of a yellowish colour, 
composed of a siliceous and micaceous sand, 
but rarely of a sparry kind; with greater or 
smaller particles closely compacted by an ar- 
gillaceous cement. It gives some spa.ks with 
steel, is indissoluble for the most part in acids, 
and vitrifiable in a strong fire. It is used for 
millstones and whetstones, and sometimes for 
filtring-stones and for building. 
GROG RAM, a kind of stuff, made of silk 
and mohair. 
GRONOVIA, a genus of the monogynia 
order, in the pentandria class of plants, and 
in the natural method ranking under the 34th 
order, cucurbitaceae. There are five petals 
and stamina inserted into a campanulated ca- 
lyx ; lire berry is dry, monospermous, and 
inferior. T here is one species, an annual of 
La Vera Cruz. 
GROOM, a name particularly applied to 
several superior officers belonging to the 
king’s household, as groom of the chamber, 
groom of the stole. 
GROOVE, among miners, is the shaft or 
pit sunk into the earth, sometimes in the vein, 
and sometimes not. 
Groove, among joiners, thfe channel made 
by their plough in the edge of a moulding, 
style, or rail, to put their pannels in, in wain- 
scotting. 
GROSS, in law-books, signifies absolute 
or independent on another: thus, an advow- 
son in gross, is one distinct and separate from 
the manor. 
Gross also denotes the quantity of twelve 
dozen, of things sold by tale. 
Gross-bf.aic, in ornithology. See Loxia. 
Gross-weight, the whole weight of mer- 
chandizes, with their dust and dross ; as also 
the bag or chest wherein they are contained. 
An allowance is usually made out of the gross- 
weight for tare and tret. See Tare. 
GROT ESQU E, in sculpture and painting, 
something whimsical, extravagant, and mon- 
strous; consisting either of things that are 
merely imaginary, and have no existence in 
nature, or of things so distorted, as to raise 
surprize and ridicule. Grotesque work is the 
same with what is sometimes called antique. 
The name is said to have taken its rise from 
the figures of this kind much used in adorning, 
the grottos which in antieut times were the 
tombs of eminent persons or families ; such as 
that of Ovid, whose grotto was discovered 
near Rome about 100 years ago. 
GROTTO, or Grotta, a large deep ca- 
vern or den in a mountain or rock. T he 
word is Italian, grotta ; formed, according to 
Menage, &c. from the Latin crypta. Du 
Cange observes, that grotta was used in the 
same sense in the corrupt Latin. The an- 
cient anchorites retired into dens and grottos, 
to apply themselves the moie attentively to 
meditation. Okey-hole, Elden-hound,Peake’s- 
hole, and Pool’s- hole, are famous among the na- 
tural caverns or grottos of our country. The 
entrance to Okey-hole, on the south side of 
Mendip-hills, is in the fall of those lulls, which 
is beset all about with rocks, and has near it 
a precipitate descent of near twelve fathoms 
deep, at the bottom of which there conti- 
nually issues from the rocks a considerable 
current of water. The naked rocks above 
the entrance show themselves about 30 fa- 
thoms high, and the w hole aseent-of the hill 
above is about a mile, and is very steep. As. 
you pass into this vault, you go at first upon 
a level ; but advancing farther, the way is- 
found to be rocky and uneven, sometimes 
ascending, and sometimes descending. The 
roof of this cavern, in the highest part, is 
about eight fathoms from the ground, but in 
many particular places it is so low, that a man 
must stoop to get along. T he breadth is not 
less various than the height, for in some places 
it is five or six fathoms wide, and in others 
not more than one or two. It extends itself 
in length about two hundred yards. People 
talk much of certain stones in it, resembling 
men and women, and other things ; but there 
is little matter of curiosity in these, being only 
shapeless lumps of a common spar. At the 
farthest part of the cavern there is a good 
stream of water, large enough to drive a mill, 
which passes all along one side of the ca vern, 
and at length slides down about six or eight 
fathoms among the rocks, and then passing 
through the clefts of them, discharges itself 
into the valley. The river within the cavern 
is well stored with eels, and has some trouts 
in it; and these cannot have come from with- 
out, there being so great a fall near the en- 
trance. In dry summers, a great ndmber of frogs 
are seen all along this cavern, even to the 
farthest part of it; and on the roof of it, at 
certain places, hang vast numbers of bats, as 
they do in almost all caverns, the entrance of 
which is either level, or but slightly ascend- 
ing or descending ; and even in the more 
perpendicular ones they are sometimes found, 
provided they are not too narrow, and are 
