ALN 
length of day and night, the aspects of the 
planets, the phases of the moon, and the 
sun’s entrance into the cardinal points of 
the eliptic, t. e. the two equinoxes and sol- 
stices. 
These are the principal contents of alma- 
nacs ; besides which there are others of a 
political nature, and consequently different 
in different countries, as the birth-days and 
coronation of princes, tables of interest, &c. 
On the whole, there appears to be no 
mystery, or even difficulty, in almanac-mak- 
ing, provided tables of the heavenly motions 
be not wanting. For the duties upon alma- 
nacs, see Stamp-duties. 
Almanac, nautical, and astronomical 
ephemeris, is a kind of national almanac, 
published annually by anticipation, under 
the direction of the commissioners of longi- 
tude. Besides every thing essential to 
general use that is to be found in other 
almanacs, it contains, among other particu- 
lars, the distances of the moon from the sun 
and fixed stars for every three hours of ap- 
parent time, adapted to the meridian ot 
Greenwich, by comparing which with the 
distances carefully observed at sea, the ma- 
riner may readily infer his longitude to a 
degree of exactness, that may be thought 
sufficient for most nautical puiposes. The 
publication of it is chiefly designed to faci- 
litate the use of Mayer’s lunar tables, by 
superseding the necessity of intricate calcu- 
lations in determining the longitude at sea. 
Almanac, is part of the law of Eng- 
land, of which the courts must take notice 
in the returning of writs ; but the almanac 
to go by is that annexed to the Book of 
Common Prayer. An almanac in which 
the father had written the day of the nativity 
of his son was allowed as evidence, to prove 
the nonage of his son. 
ALMOND-frce, in botany. See Amyg- 
DALUS. 
ALMUCANTARS, in astronomy, an 
Arabic word denoting circles of the sphere 
passing through the centre of the sun, or a 
star, parallel to the horizon, being the same 
as parallels of altitude. 
Almucantars are the same with respect 
to the azimuths and horizon, that the paral- 
lels of latitude are with regard to the meri- 
dians and equator. They serve to shew the 
height of the sun and stars, and are described 
on many quadrants, & c. 
ALNAGE, or Aclnage, in the English 
polity, the measuring of woollen manufac- 
tures, with an ell, and the other functions of 
the ainager. See the next article. Alnage 
ALO 
was at first intended as a proof of the good- 
ness of the commodity, and therefore a seal 
was invented as a signal that the commodity 
was made according to the statute. 
ALNAGER, in the English polity, a pub- 
lic sworn officer, whose business is to ex- 
amine into the assize of all woollen cloth 
made throughout the kingdom, and to fix 
seals upon them. Ano flier branch of his 
office is to collect an alnage duty to the 
king. See the last article. 
There are now three officers relating to 
the alnage, namely, a searcher, measurer, 
and ainager; all which were formerly com- 
prized in the ainager, until by his own neg- 
lect it was thought proper to separate these 
offices. 
ALNUS, the alder-tree, in botany. See 
Betula. 
ALOE, in botany, a genus of the Hexan- 
dria Monogynia class of plants, with a lilia- 
ceous flower, consisting of only one tubular 
leaf, divided into six deep segments at the 
edge : its fruit is an oblong capsule, divided 
into three cells, and containing a number of 
angulated seeds. There are 16 species. 
Several species of this exotic plant are 
cultivated in the gardens of the curious, 
where they afford a very pleasing variety, 
as well by the odd shape of their leaves as 
by the different spots with which they are 
variegated. 
Some aloes are arborescent, or divided 
into a number of branches, like trees ; others 
are very small, growing close to the ground. 
The two most considerable species are the 
aloe of America, and that of Asia ; the for- 
mer on account of its beautiful flowers, and 
the latter for the drug prepared from it. 
All the aloes are natives of hot climates ; 
and the place of growth of most of them is 
the Cape of Good Hope. The Hottentots 
hollow out the trunk of the first species, or 
A. dichotoma, to make quivers for their ar- 
rows; and several of them are used for 
hedges. Among the Mahometans, and par- 
ticularly in Egypt, the aloe is a kind of 
symbolic plant, and dedicated to the office* 
of religion : for pilgrims, on their return 
from Mecca, suspend it over their doors as 
an evidence of their having performed that 
holy journey. The superstitious Egyptians 
imagine, that it has the virtue of keeping off 
apparitions and evil spirits from their houses, 
and it is hung over the doors of Christians 
and Jews in Cairo for this purpose. They 
also distil from it a water, which is sold in 
the shops, and recommended in coughs, 
asthmas, and hysterics. Hasselquist men- 
