CAP 
% 
CAP 
pepper, a genus of the Pentandria Mono- 
gynia class and order. Natural order of 
Lurida;. Solaneae, Jussieu. Essential cha- 
racter: corol rotated; berry exsuccous. 
There are five species according to Mar- 
tyn, but many botanists mention sixteen, 
and others twenty. C. annuuni, annual 
capsicum, or Guinea-pepper, is two feet high, 
upright, branched, leaves ovate lanceolate, 
smooth, and of a dark green colour ; flow- 
ers white, lateral, solitary. The fruit is a 
berry, varying in size and shape, extremely 
smooth and shining on the outside, scarlet 
or yellow. The beauty of the capsicum is 
in their ripe fruit, forming a pretty contrast 
to their dark leaves and white flowers, 
making a beautiful appearance in the gar- 
dens when properly disposed, or when 
planted in pots for the decoration of courts. 
Most of the sorts of capsicum are natives 
of both the Indies, but they are chiefly 
brought to Europe from America, where 
they abound in all the Caribbee islands, 
and are greatly used in sauces, whence the 
fruit is called Guinea-pepper. From the 
C. minimum is obtained the Cayenne-pep- 
per, so much used in highly-seasoned cook- 
ery. See CAVENNE-PEPPiSR. 
CAPSTAN, or main-capstan, in a ship, 
a great piece of timber in the nature of 
a windlass, placed next behind the main- 
mast, its foot standing in a step on the 
lower deck, and its head between the upper 
deck; formed into several squares with 
holes in them. Its use is to weigh the an- 
chors, to hoist up or strike down top masts, 
to heave any weighty matter, or to strain 
any rope that requireth a main force. 
CAPSTAN-liars, the pieces of wood that 
are put into the capstan holes, to heave up 
any thing of weight into the ship. 
Capstan, pawl of a, a. short piece of iron 
made fast to the deck, and resting upon the 
whelps to keep the capstan from recoiling, 
which is of dangerous consequevce. 
Capstan, whelps of a, are short pieces of 
wood made fast to it, to keep the cable 
from coming too nigh in turning it about. 
CAPSULE, among botanists, a species 
of pericarpium, or seed-vessel, composed of 
several dry elastic valves, which usually 
burst open at the points when the seeds are 
ripe : it differs from a pod in being round- 
ish and short. This kind of pericarpium 
sometimes contains one cell or cavity, some- 
times more : in the fimt case it is called 
unilocular, as it is bilocular, trilocular, &c. 
when it contains two, three, &c. cells or 
cavities. 
CAPTION, in law, is where a commis- 
sion is executed, and the commissioners 
subscribe their names to a certificate, de- 
claring when and where the commission 
was executed. It relates chiefly to com- 
missions, to take answers in chancery, and 
depositions of witnesses, and take fines of 
lands, &c. 
Caption and horning, in the law of 
Scotland. When a decree or sentence is 
obtained against any person, the obtainer 
thereof takes out a writ, whereby the party 
decerned is charged to pay or fulfil the will 
of the decree, under the pain of rebellion : 
this writ is called letters of horning. If he 
refuse to comply, then the writ or letters 
of caption may be raised, whereby all the 
inferior judges and magistrates are com- 
manded to assist in apprehending the rebel, 
and putting him in prison. 
CAPTURE, a prize taken by a ship of 
war at sea : vessels are looked upon as 
prizes if they fight under any other stand- 
ard than that of the state from which they 
have their commissions if they have no char- 
ter-party, invoice, or bill of lading aboard ; 
if loaded with effects belonging to the 
king's enemies, or even contraband goods. 
Those of the king’s subjects recovered 
from the enemy after remaining twenty- 
four hours in their hands are deemed law- 
ful prizes if taken. In ships of war tlie 
prizes are to be divided among the captors, 
i. e. officers, seamen, &c. as his Majesty 
shall appoint by proclamation ; but among 
privateers the division is according to agree- 
ment among the owners. See I'kize. 
CAPURA, in botany, a genus of the 
Hexandria Monogynia class and order. Es- 
sential character ; calyx none ; corolla six- 
cleft; stamina within the tube ; germ su- 
perior ; stigma globular ; pericarp berry. 
There is but one species ; fiz. C. purpurata, 
native of the East Indies. 
CAPUT Draconis, the Dragon’s head, in 
astronomy, the ascending node of the moon. 
See Node. Caput Draconis is also a star 
of the first magnitude, in the head of the 
constellation Draco. 
Caput mortuum, in chemistry, that thick 
dry matter which remains after distillation 
of any thing, but of minerals especially. 
These residues were formerly thrown away 
as of no value. Glauber was the first per- 
son who examined them with minuteness, 
and in the research he discovered the sul- 
phate of soda, then named after himself, 
Glauber’s salt. This he obtained in the ca- 
put mortuum remaining after the distilla- 
