G V M 
G Y M 
GUN 
2. To divide one number by another. The i 
'extent from the divisor to unity will reach 
from the dividend to the quotient : thus to 
divide 36 by 4, extend the compasses from 4 
to 1, and the same extent will reach from 36 
to 9, the quotient sought. 
3. To t lire, e given numbers, to find a fourth 
proportional. Suppose the numbers 6, 8, 9 ; 
extend the compasses from 6 to 8, and this 
extent, laid from 9 the same way, will reach 
to 12, the fourth proportional required. 
4. To find- a mean proportional between any 
two given numbers. Suppose 8 and 32 : ex- 
tend the compasses from 8 in the left-hand 
part of the line, to 32 in the right ; then bi- 
secting this distance, its half will reach from 8 
forward, or from 32 backward, to 16, the 
mean proportional sought. 
5. To extract the square root of any num- 
ber. Suppose 25: bisect the distance be- 
tween 1 on the scale and the point represent- 
ing 25 ; then the half of this distance, set off 
from 1, will give the point representing the 
root 5. In the same manner the cube root, 
or that of any higher power, may be found 
by dividing the distance on the line, between 
1 and the given number, into as many equal 
parts as the index of the power expresses; 
then one of those parts, set from 1, will tind 
the point representing the root required. 
Gunter's quadrant, one made of 
wood, brass, &c. containing a kind of stereo- 
graphic projection of the spin- re, on the plane 
of the equinoctial ; the eye being supposed 
placed in one of the poles. 
Besides the use of this quadrant in finding 
heights and distances, it serves also to find 
the hour of the day, the sun’s azimuth, and 
oilier problems of the globe. 
Gunter’s Scale, usually called by sea- 
men the Gunter, is a large plane scale, having 
various lines upon it, of great use in working 
tiie cases or questions in navigation. 
This scale is usually two feet long, and 
about an inch and a half broad, with various 
lines upon it, both natural and logarithmic, 
relating to trigonometry, navigation, See. 
On one side are the natural lines, and on 
the other the artificial or logarithmic ones. 
The former side is first divided into inches 
and tenths, and numbered from l to 24 
inches,' running the whole length near one 
edge. One-half the length of this side con- 
sists of two ’plane diagonal scales, for taking 
off dimensions to three places of figures. 
On the other half or foot or this side are con- 
tained various lines relating to trigonometry, 
in the natural numbers, and marked thus, 
viz. 
Eumb, the rumb or points of the compass ; 
Chord, the line of chords ; 
Sine, the line of sines ; 
Tang, the tangents ; 
.S’. T. the semitangents ; and at the other 
end of this half are, 
Leag. leagues, or equal parts ; 
Rumb. another line of rumbs ; 
M. L. miles of longitude ; 
Char, another line of chords. 
Also in the middle of this foot are and 
P. two other lines of equal parts. And all 
these lines on this side of the scale serve for 
drawing or laying down the figures to the 
cases in trigonometry and navigation. 
On the other side of the scale are the fol- 
lowing artificial or logarithmic lines, which 
serve for working or resolving those cases, 
viz. 
S. R. the sine rumbs; 
T. R. the tangent rumbs ; 
Numb, line of numbers ; 
Sine, sines ; 
V. S. the versed sines ; 
Tung, the tangents ; 
Meri. meridional parts ; 
F. P. equal parts. 
GUN-WALE, or Gunnel, is the upper- 
most wale of a ship, or that piece of timber 
which reaches on either side from the quar- 
ter-deck to the forecastle, being the upper- 
most bend which finishes the upper works of 
the hull, in that part in which are put the 
stanchions which support the' waste-trees. 
GUSSET, in heraldry, is formed by a line 
drawn from the dexter or sinister chief 
points, and falling down perpendicularly to 
the extreme base. The gusset is an abate- 
ment of honour, denoting an effeminate per- 
son. 
GUST AVI A, a genus of the polyandria 
order, in the monadelphia class of plants. 
M here is no calyx ; the petals very numer- 
ous; the berry multilocuiar ; the seeds ap- 
pendaged. Ihere is one species, a tree of 
Surinam. 
GUTTJE. See Architecture. 
GI TTA-serena, a disease in which the 
patient, without any apparent fault in the 
eye, is entirely deprived of sight. See Sur- 
gery. 
G UTTY, in heraldry, a term used when 
any thing is charged or sprinkled with drops. 
In blazoning, the colour of the drops is to be 
named, as gutty of sable, of gules, &c. 
GU Y, in a ship, is any rope used for keep- 
ing off things from bearing or falling against 
the ship’s sides when they are hoisting in. 
That rope which at one end is made fast to 
the foremast, and seized to a single block at 
the pendant of the garnet, is called the guy 
of the garnet. 
GUZES, in heraldry, roundles of a san- 
guine or murry colour. These, from their 
bloody hue, are by some supposed to repre- 
sent wounds. 
GYMNANTHES, a genus of the class 
and order mpnoecia monadelphia. The male 
has an ament naked ; perianthium and co- 
rolla none ; stamina pedicles, three-parted or 
three-forked, anther bearing. The female 
has an ament or germ pedicelled ; corolla 
none ; style trifid ; capsule tricoccous, three- 
celled. There are two species, shrubs of the 
West Indies, 
GYMNETRUS, a genus of fishes, of the 
order of thoracici. The generic character 
is, body extremely long, compressed ; teeth 
numerous, subulate ; gill membrane, four or 
five-rayed ; anal fin wanting. The most re- 
markable species are .• 
1. Gymnetrus Asranii, or Ascanian gym- 
netrus. This extraordinary fish is a native of 
the northern seas, and. seems to have been 
first described by professor Ascanius, in his 
work entitled leones rerum Natularium, &c. 
The length of the specimen was ten feet, and 
the diameter, which was equal throughout the 
whole length, about six inches : tire head 
short, the mouth small, and the eyes rather 
large : on the upper part of the head, before 
the commencement of the dorsal fin, were 
situated 7 or 8 upright naked rays or pro- 
5 U 2 
m 
cesses, of moderate length: the dorsal fin, 
which was rather shallow, commenced at a 
small distance beyond these, and running 
along the whole length of the back, formed 
by its continuation the tail-fin: the ventral 
tins, if they can be said to deserve the name, 
consisted of a pair of extremely long single 
rays or processes terminated by a small ovate 
expanded tip or finny extremity : the gill- 
covers appeared to consist ot five or six ra- 
diated lamina: : the colour of the whole body 
was bright silver, with a blueish cast diffused 
over the upper part of the back: the lateral 
line was strongly marked, and ran from the 
gill-covers to the tail, and the sides ot the 
body were marked by several longitudinal 
double rows of slightly extant, very small 
dusky specks ; the forehead was white ; the 
fins pale brown. 
This fish is said to be generally seen either 
preceding or accompanying the shoals of her- 
rings in the northern seas, for which reason it 
is popularly known by the title of king of the 
herrings. 
2. Bloch ian gymnetrus. This, which is a 
native of the Indian seas, and which appears 
also to be occasionally seen in those of Eu- 
rope, is described by Dr. Bloch from a draw- 
ing communicated by J. Hawkins, Esq. In 
its general appearance it is much allied to the- 
preceding kind, but appears to be furnished 
with two pair of ventral processes, which are 
of considerable length, and terminate in 
large, dilated, finny extremities, of an oval 
• form : the back-lin 'is continued as far as the 
tail. The colour of this species is silvery, 
with a blueish cast on the upper parts, and 
several transverse, alternate, brownish shades 
continued along the body, accompanied by 
large, distant, round spots, of a similar co- 
lour : the tins and processes deep crimson : 
the pectoral fins pretty large in proportion. 
It appears from a print published in the 
year 1798, that a specimen of this fish was 
thrown on the coast of Cornwall in the month 
of February in the same year. Its length 
was eight feet six inches, its breadth in the 
widest part ten inches and a half, and its 
thickness only two inches and three quarters ; 
the tail in this specimen was wanting: the 
colours the same as in the specimen figured 
by Dr. Bloch. 
GYMNOSOPHISTS, a sect of philoso- 
phers who clothed themselves n® farther than 
modesty required. I here were some of the:e 
sages in Africa; but the most celebrated clan 
of them was in India. The African gym no- 
sophists dwelt upon a mountain in Ethiopia, 
near the Nile, without the accommodation 
either of house or cell. They did not form 
themselves into societies like those of India, 
but each had his private retirement, where he 
studied and performed his devotions by him- 
self. If any person had killed another by 
chance, he applied to these sages for absolu- 
tion, and submitted to whatever penances 
they enjoined. They observed an extraordi- 
nary frugality, aud lived only upon the fruits 
of tire earth. Lucan ascribes to these gym- 
nosophists several new discoveries in astro- 
nomy. 
The Indian gymnosophists dwelt in the 
woods, where they lived upon the wild pro- 
ducts of the earth, and never drank wine, nor 
married. Some of them practised physic. 
