LEE 
«f North America, and of China near Can* 
ton. 
LECYTHIS, in botany, a genus of the 
Polyandria Monogynia class and order. Na<- 
tiiral order of Myrti, Jussieu. Essential 
character; calyx six-leaved; corolla six- 
petalled ; nectary ligulate, staniinifevous ; pe- 
ricarpiiim circumcised, many-seeded. There 
are six species. These are trees or shrubs, 
with alternate leaves ; flowers in terminat- 
ing spikes from the axils of the shoots. It 
is peculiar to this genus to have a pitcher- 
shaped body in the centre of the flower, 
whicli Linnaeus calls thenectarimn, inserted 
into the calyx below the petals, perforated 
in the middle for the passage of the style, 
shaped like a petal, coriaceous entire at the 
edge, but covered on the inside with nume- 
rous subsessile stamens. Native of the fo- 
rests of Guiana. 
LEDUM, in botany, a genus of the De- 
candria Monogynia class and order. Natu- 
ral order of Eicornes. Rhododendra, 
Jus.sieu. Essential character: calyx five- 
cleft ; corolla flat, five-parted ; capsule five- 
celled, gaping at the base. There are three 
species, all natives of the North of Europe. 
These shrubs growing on mosses or bogs, 
where the root^ spread freely, cannot be 
preserved in gardens, at least so as to thrive, 
blit in a proper soil and a shady situation. 
LEE, an epithet to distinguish that half 
of the horizon to which the wind is directed 
from the other part whence it arises, which 
latter is accordingly called to windward. 
This expression is chiefly used when the 
wind crosses the tine of a ship’s cou)-se, so 
that all on one side of heris called to wind- 
ward, and all on the opposite side to lee- 
ward ; and hence ‘1 Lee side,” all that part 
of a ship or boat which lies between the 
mast and the side farthest from the direc- 
tion of the wind ; or that half of a ship 
which is pressed down towards the water 
by the efibrt of the sails, as separated from 
the other half by a line drawn through the 
middle of her length : that part of the ship 
which lies to the windward of this line is 
accordingly, called the weather-side. Thus, 
if a ship sail .southward with the wind at 
east, then is her starboard, or right side, 
the lee-side ; and the larboard, or left, the 
weather-side. 
LuE wmj, or Leewarp way, is the late- 
ral movement of a ship to the leeward of 
her course, or the angle which the lipe of 
her way makes with her keel wlien she is 
close hauled. This movement is produced 
by the mutual elFert of the wind and spa 
LEE 
upon her side, forcing her to leeward of the 
line upon which she appears to sail, and in 
this situation her course is neces.sarily a 
compound of the two motions by which she 
is impelled. All ships are a))t to make some 
lee-Way ; so that in casting up the log- 
book something must be allowed for leci 
way. But the lee way made by different 
ships, under the same circumstances, will 
be different : and even the same ship, with 
different lading, and having more or less 
sail on board, will make more or less lee- 
way. 
However, the common allowances made 
for lee-way, are these ; 1. If the ship be 
close hauled, has all her sails set, the water 
smooth, and a moderate gale of wind, she 
is supposed to make little or no lee-way, 
2. If it blow so fresh, as to cause the small 
sails to be handed, it is usual to allow one 
point. 3. If it blow so hard, that the tops 
must be close, reefed, the ship then makes 
about two points lee-way. 4. If one top- 
sail must be handed, it is common to allow 
two and three quarters, or three points lee- 
• way. 6, When both topsails must be 
handed, they allow about four points lee- 
way. 6. When it blows so hsud, as to oc- 
casion the fore-course to be handed, the al- 
lowance is between five and a half and six 
points. 7. When both main and fore-courses 
must be handed, then six, or six and a lialf 
points must be allowed for her lee-way. 
8. When the mizen is handed, and the ship 
is trying a hull, she then makes her vfay 
good about one point before the beam, that 
is, about seven points lee-way. 
Though these rules are such as are gene- 
rally used, yet as the lee-way depends much 
upon the mould and trim of the ship, we 
shall here give the method of ascertaining 
it by observation, Thus, let the ship’s wake 
be set by a compass in the poop, and tliq 
opposite rhumb is the true course made good 
by Jhe ship; then the difference between 
this and the course given by the compass 
in the bittacle, is thte lee-way required. If 
the ship be within sight of land, the lee- 
way may be exactly found by observing a 
point on the land which continues to bear 
the same way; for the distance between tlie 
point of the compass it lies on, and the 
point the ship capes at, will be the lee- 
way. ,» 
LEEA, in botany, so called ftom James 
Lee, a genus of the Pentandria Monogynia 
class and order. Natural prder of Trihi- 
lat®. Sapotae, Jussieu, Essential charac- 
ter ; corolla pne-petalied ; nectary on the 
