G A M. 
iQf) GAL 
Iras been natiaed Galvanism. His conclufion from tlie 
wliole of l)is experiments was, that all animals are en¬ 
dued with an elcdbricity of a peculiar nature, and inhe¬ 
rent in tl eir economy, to which he gives the name of ani¬ 
mal eIcBricitv. See the particulars of the Galvanic 
theory, under Electricity, vol. vi. p. 434-448. The 
■fiill publication of Galvani on this fubjeCb was, Aloyfii 
Galvani dc Viribus EkBricitatu in Motu Mufculari Commcnta- 
riiis, 1791, 4to. printed for the inflitute of Bologna. It 
immediately excited the notice of philofophers both in 
Italy and other countries, and was followed by numerous 
publications, in which new experiments were related, and 
dilf'erent opinions maintained, particularly by the ccle- 
brated M. Volta. Galvani, however, proceeded in his 
-enquiries, and made many new experiments upon the 
innate eleclricity in the torpedo, as a fubjedt intimately 
conncfted with his difcovery. He dilb examined with 
•minutenefs into the different effects of the homogeneity 
and heterogeneity of the metals employed in forming'the 
arch of communication by which the gal vanic phenomena 
are excited ; a circumllance which has been fince parti¬ 
cularly purfued by M. Volta. A peculiar kind of inflex¬ 
ible attachment to political opinions had long influenced 
tb.e mind of Galvani, which caufed him fteadily to re- 
tufe taking the civic oath exacted by the new conltitution 
of the Cifaipinc republic; and in confequence he incurred 
the deprivation of his ports and dignities. A prey to me¬ 
lancholy, and reduced in confequence almort to indigence, 
he retired to the houfe of his brother James, a man of 
very refpeCtable character, and there fell into a rtate of 
debility and extenuation. The republican governors, 
probably alhamed of their conduCl towards fuch a man, 
paired a decree for his rertoration to his profertbrial chair 
■and its emoluments; but it was now too late. He expired 
ton November 5, 1798, at the age of fixty. 
G AL'VANIS'M,^ [Gom Galvani. J The doClrineof ani¬ 
mal eleClricity ; for which fee the article Electricity, 
vol. vi. p. 433-448. 
GAL'VEAS, a town of Portugal, in the province of 
'Alentejo : eight leagues wert-north-weft of Ertremoz. 
GAL'WAY, a county of Ireland, in the province of 
Connaught, next to Cork the moft confiderable in point 
of fize in the kingdom, but the lead populous; bounded 
on the north by Mayo and Rofeommon; on the eaft by 
iRofeommon, King’s County, and Tipperary; on the 
fouth by the county of Clare, and an arm of the lea called 
Galzvay Bay, and on the’ well by tlie Atlantic ocean, about 
feventy-fix miles from ealt to well, and forty from north 
to fouth, containing one hundred and fixteen pariflies, and 
twenty-eight churches. The number of houfes is twenty- 
eight thoui’and two hundred and twelve, and about one 
hundred and forty-two thoufand fouls. The foil is warm 
and fertile, with a lime-ftone bottom. This lime-llone 
rifes lometimes lb near the furface as to render it unfit for 
tillage, but yielding excellent parture. Some parts are 
mountainous, with quarries of black and white marble. 
Great quantities of kelp are made along the coart, and fea- 
weed gathered for manure, of great advantage to the fa¬ 
milies that dwell there, w ho are little farmers, and hardy 
fifliermen. Seethe article Eucus, vol. viii. p.89. On the 
fea coart is a large bay, flieltered by the three fouthern 
irtands of Arran. The found between thefe illands is a 
fafe road, and a number of creeks, as well as the harbour 
of Galway, are deep enough to admit merchant (hips, but 
are more frequented by coafters and fifliing boats than by 
veffels in the foreign trade. There are feveral other well 
Iheltered harbours on the coaft of Galway. The princi¬ 
pal towns are Galway, Tuam, Ballinafloe, and Lough- 
rea. 
G AL'W AY, a town of Ireland,and capital of the county 
to which it gives name, lituated on a river, which rtins 
from Lough Corrib into the fea. It is furrounded with 
aticicnt walls, which are hallening to decay. The houfes 
are generally well built, in number nine hundred and fifty, 
and containing about twelve thoufand inhabitants. Tt was 
formerly the moft commercial town in Ireland, and has 
now a confiderable trade. The port is very commodious 
and fafe, but fodiftant from the city that lighters are ne- 
celfary to carry goods into tlie town. Gal way is governed 
by a mayor, recorder, and fheriff. In the civil war of 
1641, it refufed to admit either Englifh or Irifh, till the 
rebels became mailers of the adjoining country, when they 
were joined by tlie citizens. At the clofe of the rebel¬ 
lion it fiibmitted to the duke of Opmond, but, in 1631, it 
furrendered to major-general Ireton. In 1690, it declared 
forking James, but next year furrendered to general Gin- 
kle: ninety-fix miles weft of Dublin, Lat. 53. 13. N, 
Ion. 8. 58. "W. Greenwich. 
G A L'W AY, a townrtiip of the American States, in the 
county of Saratoga, rtate of New York. By tlie cenius 
of 1796, it appears that 491 of its inhabitants were qua¬ 
lified to be eledtors. 
GALWAY BA'Y, <q large bay in the Atlantic, on the 
weft coaft of Ireland, flieltered at the entrance by the 
South Arran irtands, about twenty miles long, and feven 
broad. 
GA'MA (Vafeo or Yafques de), a celebrated navigator 
and naval commander, born of a noble family at Sines, in 
the Portugnefe province of Alentejo. When king Ema¬ 
nuel refolved to purti the difeoveries already made of the 
fouthern parts of Africa and the interjacent feas to the 
Eaft Indies, de Gama’s reputation for courage and pru¬ 
dence caufed him to be fixed upon to conduct the enter, 
prife. He fet fail from Lifbon with a fquadron of three 
fmall armed veffels and a ftore-fhip, in July, 1497, and 
was four months contending with contrary winds before 
he reached the Cape of Good Hope. He doubled that 
promontory, and coarted along the fouth-eartern lide of 
Africa, toncliing atvarious ports, till he reached Melinda. 
There he procured a mahometan pilot, who conducted 
him to the Malabar coaft, and in May he arrived at Ca¬ 
licut. He was at firft received in a friendly manner by 
the znmorin or prince ; but the intrigues of the mahome¬ 
tan merchants at length caufed a plot to be laid for his 
deftrudlion, upon the difcovery of which he fet fail upon 
his return to Europe He entered the port of Lilbon in 
September, 1499, aftei- having loft the greater part of his 
crew by difeafe and fatigue. He was received with great 
favour by the king, who rewarded him liberally with pe¬ 
cuniary advantages, and the title of count of Videgueria. 
I'his expedition completely eftablilhed the pradlicability 
of a new road to the Indies; and he was employed in a 
fecond voyage, in which he commanded a fleet of twenty 
fhips, and bore the title of admiral of the Indian, Perfian, 
and Arabian, feas. He failed in February, 1502 ; and after 
compelling tribute from Ibme of tlie petty princes in his 
route, he arrived at Cochin, where he received a deputa¬ 
tion from the Chriftiansof St. Thomas, to whom he pro- 
mifed protebfion. The zamorin, whofe fulpicions of 
thefe new vifitors were tlioroughly awakened, fitted out 
a fleet to intercept the Portuguefe ; but de Gama, boldly 
beginning tlie attack, boarded and took two of the largeft 
fhips, which proved to be prizes of iinmenfe value. Af¬ 
ter this fuccefs, leaving a fquadron at Cananor, he him- 
felf failed homewards, and arrived at Lifbon in Septem¬ 
ber, 1503. The fuccefs of this voyage occalioned great 
triumph in Portugal, and the policy of the nation was 
directed towards lecuriiig tlie eftablilhments it had made 
in the Indies, and extending them by conqueft. After 
the acceffion of John HI. de Gama, though in a very ad¬ 
vanced age, was prevailed upon, in 1524, to undertake a 
third voyage, with the high rank of viceroy of the Indies. 
He defeated the people of Calicut by fea, and again pro¬ 
ceeded to Cochin, where he died in 1523. 
GAMA'CHES, a town of France, in the department 
of the Somme, and chief place of a canton, in the diftrict 
of Abbeville: four leagues fouth-weft of Abbeville, and 
two and a half foiith-eaft of Eu. 
■ GAMA'CHES, 
