CAN 
this phofphonis from the near difcharge of an electrified 
bottle, the dortor immediately exclaimed, “ And God 
laid, let there be light, and there was light.” The dealt 
and chapter of St. Paul’s having, in a letter to the prefi- 
dent, dated March 6, 1769, requeued the opinion of the 
.Royal Society, relative to the heft and mod effectual me, 
ihod of fixing'electrical cortdurtors to preferve that cathe- 
dial from damage by lightning', Mr. Canton was one of 
the committee appointed to take the letter into conlidera- 
tion, and to report their opinion upon it. The gentlemen 
joined with him in this bufinefs were, Dr. Watfon, Dr. 
Franklin, Mr. Delaval, and Mr. Wilfon, Their report 
was made on the 8th of June following, and the mode re¬ 
commended by them was carried into execution. The lad 
paper of Mr. Canton's, which was read before the Royal 
Society, was on Dec. 21, 1769 ; and contained “ Experi¬ 
ments to prove that the luminoufnefsof the fea arifes from 
the putrefartion of its animal fubdances. Belide thefe, he 
wrote a number of papers both in earlier and in later life, 
which appeared in Icveral different publications, and par¬ 
ticularly in the Gentleman’s Magazine. The dole and 
fedentary life of Mr. Canton, ariling from an unremitted 
attention to the duties of his prefedion, and to the profe- 
cution of his philofophical inquiries and experiments, pro¬ 
bably contributed to ftiorten his days. The diforder intq 
which he fell, and which carried him off, was a dropfy. 
his death happened on March 22, 1772, in the 54th year 
of his age. 
CAN'TONING, or Can'tonment, f. incite military 
art, an arrrangement of the feveral battalions or dividons 
of an army in winter quarters ; or in dations along the fea 
coaft; or arting upon a line of defence, againd the ap, 
proaches of an enemy. 
To C AN'TONIZE, v. a. [from canton, ] To parcel out 
into (mail divilions. — Thus was all Ireland canlonized 
among ten perfons of the Englifh nation. Davies on Ireland, 
CAN'TRED, f The fame in Wales as an hundred in 
England, For cantre in the Britidi language fignifieth an 
hundred. Cowell. —The king regrants to him all tiiat pro¬ 
vince, referving only the city of Dublin, and the cantreds 
next adjoining, with the maritime towns. Davies. 
CANTU', a town ot Italy, in the Milanefe, five miles 
fouth-fouth-ead of Como. 
CANTY'RE, \_cardierrefcx. a headland. ] The fouthertj 
divifion of the (hire of Argyle, in Scotland, It is a peninfu. 
la, thirty-feven miles from north to fouth, and feven miles 
in breadth. It gives the title of marquis to the duke of 
Argyle, and is by Lochfin divided from Argyle Proper. 
This loch is an inlet from the fea, about fixty miles in 
length, and four in breadth, affording heretofore an excel¬ 
lent herring fidiery. 
Mull of C ANTY'RE, the fouth promontory of the pe- 
ninfula. Here is a light-houfe, 235 feet above the fea at 
high-water, fituated on the rocks called the Merchants, 
Eat.' 55. 22. Ion.. 3. 42. W. Greenwich. 
CAN'VASS, f. [canevas , Fr. cannabis, Lat. hemp.] A 
kind of coarfe linen cloth, woven for feveral ufes, as fails, 
painting cloths, tents, &c. 
Where’er thy navy fpreads her canvafs wings, 
Homage to thee, and peace to all, (he brings. Waller. 
The aft of fifting voices, or trying them, previoufly to 
the decifive ad of voting. [From canvafs , as it (ignifies a 
iieve.]—There be that can pack cards, and yet cannot 
play well; fo there are fome that are good in canvaffcs and 
factions, that are otherwife weak men. Bacon. 
To CAN'VASS, v. a. [Skinner derives it from canna- 
haffer , Fr. to beat hemp ; which being a very laborious 
employment, it is ufed to fignify, to fearch diligently 
into.] To (ift j to examine. [From canvafs , a (training 
cloth.]—I have made careful fearch on all hands, and 
canvajjed the matter with all pofiible diligence. Wood¬ 
ward. To debate ; to difeufs.—The curs difeovered a 
raw hide in the bottom of a river, and laid their heads 
together how to-come at it: they canyajfed the matter one 
CAN 743, 
way and t’other, and concluded, that the way to get it, 
was to drink their way to it. L’ E/l range. 
To CAN'VASS, v. n. To folicit; to try votes previ, 
oully to the decifive art.-—This crime of canvaj/ing, or 
('eliciting, for church preferment, is, by the canon law, 
called fiihony. 
CAN'VEY, a Email ifland at the mouth of the Thames, 
near the co.aft of Effex, about five miles long and two 
wide. In high tides it is often overflowed, except the 
Hilly parts; five miles north.weft frpm the Norc. 
CANUI-EI'US, (C.) a tribune of the people of Rome, 
A. U, C. 310, who made a law to render it conflituti • 
onal fpr the patricians and plebeians to intermarry. It 
ordained alfo that one of the confuls lhould be yearly 
chofen from the plebeians. Livy. 
CANU'L.IA, a Roman virgin, who became pregnant 
by her brother, and killed herfelf by order ol her father, 
CA'NUS, or Cano, (Sebaftian), a Bifcayaii, compa¬ 
nion of the famous Magellan in his maritime expeditions, 
pafted, in company with him, about the year 1520, the 
ftraits to which that celebrated navigator gave his name. 
After the death of Magellan, he reached the ides of Sun- 
da, from whence he proceeded to double the Cape of 
Good Hope. He returned to Seville in 1522, after having 
made the circuit of the world by the eaft, in three years 
and four weeks. Charles V. gave him for his device a, 
terrellrial globe, with thefe words: Primus me circtmde- 
difi. Care (hould be taken not to confound him with 
James Canus, a Portuguefe, who, it: 1484, difeovered the 
kingdom of Congo, 
CANU'SIUM, an ancient town of Apulia, on th,e fouth 
fide of the Aitfidus, to the weft of Cannce, whither the 
Romans fled after the defeat they fn (tamed there. It was 
famous for its red (hilling wool; whence thofe who wore 
clothes made of it were called CanuJjnati. Now called 
Can os a. 
CANU'TE.the firfl- Danifli king of England after Iron- 
fide. See England. 
CA'NY, adj. [from .case.] Full of canes j confiding of. 
canes; 
But in his way lights on the barren plains 
Of Sericana, where Chine.fes drive, 
With fails and wind, their cany .waggons light. Milton. 
CA'NY, a town of France, and principal place of a dif- 
trirt in the department of the Lower Seine, fituated in a 
country which produces great quantities pf corn and flax ; 
nine leagues north-weft of Rouen. Lat. 49. 4?. N. loti, 
(8. 18. E- Ferro. 
CANZONET', f. Ycanvcnetta, Ita!.'] A little fong,— 
Vecchi was mod pleating of all others, (or his conceit and 
variety, as well his madrigals as canzonets. Peacham. 
C A'O-CH AN, a town of Afta, in the kingdom of Corea ; 
thirty miles eaft-fouth-eaft of Hetfm, 
CA'O-CHIN-LI, a town of Ada, in the kingdom of 
Corea ; 420 miles eaft of Pekin. 
CA'O-LIM, a town of Alia, in the kingdorp of Corea ; 
600 miles eaft-north-eaft of Pekin« Lat. 42. 40. N. loti, 
147. 1-3. FI. Ferro. 
CA'O-LIM, a town of Chinefe Tartary. Lat. 42. N, 
Ion. 141. 40. E. Ferro. 
CA.'Q-MING, a town of China, of the fecond rank, in 
the province of Yunnan. Lat. 35. 23s. N. Ion. 120. 30. K, 
Ferro. 
CA'O-TANG, a town of China, of the fecond rank, in 
the province of Chan-tong ; soo miles fouth of Pekhi. 
Lat. 36. 38. N. Ion. 233, 40, E. Ferro. 
CA'O-TCHIN, a town of China, of tha third rank, ip 
the province of Pe-tche-li; fifteen miles eaft-foutli-eaft of 
Tching-ting. 
CA'O-Y, a town of China, of the third rank, in the 
province of Pe-tche-li ; thirty miles foil'll of Telling. 
CA'O-Y AM, a town qf China, of tire third rank, in the 
province .of Pe-tejie-li; twelve miles fouth of Gan. 
CA'O-Y ANG, 
