OKA 
• OI'NTMENT,Unguent; un&uous matter to fmear 
any thing: 
Life and long health that gracious ointment gave. 
And deadly wounds could heal, and rear again 
The fenfelefs corpfe appointed for the grave. Spenfer. 
OI'RA, a town of Naples, in the province of Otranto, 
the fee of a bifhop, fuffragan of Tarento : twenty miles 
north-eaft of Tarento, and twenty fouth-weft ofBrindifi. 
OI'RON, a town of France, in the department of the 
Two Sevres: fix miles eaft of Thouars, and feven fouth- 
weft of Loudun. 
OI'RSBECK, a town of France, in the department of 
the Lower Meufe, and chief place of a canton, in the dif- 
tridlof Maeftriclit, with 803 inhabitants. 
. OI'RSCHOT, a town of Brabant: ten miles fouth-eaft 
of Bois le Due. 
OISE, a river of France, which paffes by La Fere, 
Chauny, Noyon, Compiegne, Pontoife, &c. and joins 
the Seine five miles fouth of Pontoife. 
OISE, a department of France, bounded on the north 
by the department of the Somme, on the eaft by the de¬ 
partment of the Aifne, on the fouth by the departments of 
the Seine and Marne, and Seine and Oife ; and on the weft 
by the department of the Eure and the Lower Seine; about 
115 miles in length, and 90 in breadth ; with a population 
of 385,206 fouls. Beauvais is the capital. 
OISSEAU', a town of France, in the department of the 
Mayenne: three miles fouth-fouth-weft of Ambrieres, 
and four north of Mayenne. 
OISE'DE, a town of Weftphalia, in the bifiiopric of 
Ofnabruck : fix miles eaft-fouth-eaft of Ofnabruck. 
OI'SEL (James), profeffor of law at Groningen, was 
born at Dantzic in 1631, and died in 1686. Plis works are 
corredtions and notes 011 various authors, a treatife enti¬ 
tled “ Thefaurus feledlorum Numifmatum antiquorum 
aere expreflorum,” and a “ Catalogue” of his library, which 
was large and valuable. Moreri. 
OISEMO'NT, a town of France, in the department of 
the Somme : twenty-one miles weft of Amiens, and nine 
fouth of Abbeville. 
OI'STER. See Oyster. 
OI'STIN’s TOWN, a towm of the ifland of Barbadoes, 
in a bay to which it gives name, on the fouth coall: four 
miles eaft-fouth-eaft of Bridge-town. 
OPSY, a town of France, in the department of the 
Straits of Calais : eight miles fouth of Douay, and thir¬ 
teen north of Bapaume. 
OITA'MA, a town of Japan, in the ifland of Niphon : 
twenty-five miles north-weft of Mogani. 
OITS. See Omi. 
O'KA, or Ok'ka, a river of Ruffia, which rifes in the 
government of Orel, and, after watering that and the go¬ 
vernments of Kaluga, Tula, Mofco, Rezen, Tambof, Vla¬ 
dimir, and Nifhnei-Novgorod, falls, at the city of the laft- 
mentioned name, into the Volga. This is a very confider- 
able river, navigable -to its upper regions, taking up a 
multitude of fmaher ftreams, and thus effedting an excel¬ 
lent communication between moft of the inland govern¬ 
ments of the empire. On its left it receives the Ugra, the 
Molkva, and the Kliafma; and, on its right, the Upa, the 
Ofetr, and the Moflcfha.—Alfo, a river of Ruffia, which 
runs into the Angara near Bratlkoi in lat. 56. 5.N. Ion. 
101.40. E. 
OKAKEE', a town of Virginia: ten miles fouth-weft 
of Dumfries. 
OKAMUN'DEL, a circar of Hindooftan, in Guzerat, 
on the fouth fide of the Gulf of Cutch. Noanagur is the 
chief town. 
OKAN'DA, a town of Japan, in the ifland of Niphon : 
fifty-five miles eaft of Jeddo^ 
OK AN'DE, a town of Ceylon, on the eaft coaft: twenty- 
four miles fouth of Trincomalee. 
OKASA'KI, a towm of Japan, in the ifland of Niphon. 
Lat. 35. 40. N. Ion. 138. E. 
Von. XVII. No. 1189. 
O K E 441 
OKE, a river of England, in Devonlhire, which runs 
into the Towridge twm miles north of Hatherleigh.- 
OKE, f. An Egyptian weight, confiding of three roto- 
los, each of twelve ounces, attwelve drachms to the ounce, 
and fixteerf carats to the drachm. 
O'KEHAM, or Oakham, a market-town in the county 
of Rutland, is fituated in the centre of a rich valley called 
the Vale of Catmofe. This place is divided into two 
townlhips, or manors, the one denominated the Lord’s 
Hold, and the other the Dean’s Hold. The former be¬ 
longs to the earl of Winchelfea, who, as fuperior lord, 
holds an annual court for the eledtion of the parifli-ofti- 
cers, at which every inhabitant within its extent is re¬ 
quired to appear, and pay one penny, or be amerced at 
the diferetion of the clerk; and all free-holders, copy- 
holders, and wafte-holders, muft befides pay their ac¬ 
knowledgments. The latter manor is under the dean of 
Weftminfter, by whom a fimilar court is held every third 
year. 
Okeham is the county-town of Rutlandflrire, the aflifes 
and (hire-courts being always held here. The market- 
days, according to charter, are Monday and Saturday, 
but that on Monday is now difeontinued. There are 
eleven fairs in the year; three old ones, and eight newly 
eftabliflied: the old ones are, the 15th of March, 6th of 
May, and 10th of September; the new ones, the 4th of 
February, 9th of April, 2d of June, 16th of July, J3th 
of Auguft, 15th of October, 19th of November, and 
15th of December ; for the faie of all forts of live (lock. 
In the reign of king John, an hofpital w-as founded in 
this town by Walter Dalby, of Exton, for twelve poor 
men, and tw'o chaplains. It is (fill fupported, though 
comparatively much decayed and impoverifhed, as well 
as altered from its original defign. The free-fchool, and 
Chrift’s Hofpital, both owe their origin to Mr. Johnfon, 
clergyman of North LufFenham, who built and endowed 
them by fubfeription, with the affiftance of fome lands 
which he obtained from queen Elizabeth. The bifliops of 
London and Peterborough, the deans of Weftminfter and 
Peterborough, the archdeacon of Northampton, and the 
mafters of Trinity and St. John’s colleges, Cambridge, 
are perpetual governors of the hofpital laft mentioned. 
The church is dedicated to All-Saints; and is a fpa- 
cious ftrudture, confining of a nave, chancel, and fide- 
aifles, with a lofty tower and fpire, which is feen at a con- 
fiderable diftance. The living is a vicarage in the pa¬ 
tronage of the earl of Winchelfea. Adjoining the church 
are ruins of an ancient caftle, faid to have been built in 
early Norman times by Walkelin de Ferrars, fon of the 
earl of Derby. It afterwards belonged to the lords Tat- 
tefhall; but, when king Richard II. advanced Edward, fon 
of the duke of York, to the earldom of Rutland, he gave 
him this caftle for his baronial refidence. In the reign of 
Henry VIII. it was beitowed upon Thomas Cromwell, when 
he was elevated to the dignity of Baron Cromwell of Oke¬ 
ham; and it is now the property of the earl,of Winchel¬ 
fea. There has long been a cuftom eftabliflied here, that 
the firft time a peer of the realm comes within the precindl 
of the manor, he forfeits aflioe from his horfe, to be nailed 
to the caftle-wall ; and, (hould he refufe to give it, the 
bailiff of the lordfliip is empowered to take it by force. 
This due is now generally compounded for with money ; 
and a (hoe, made larger or fmaller, in proportion to the fum 
given in commutation, with the donor’s name and titles 
cut on it, is fixed up, in lieu of that from the horfe’s foot. 
Several horfe-ftioes, gilt and of curious workmanlhip, in 
confequence, appear on the caftle-ball door; (ome of them 
of confiderable antiquity, and others of recent donation. 
This cuftom feems to have been derived from the circum- 
ftance of the arms of the original owners of the caftle 
bearing three horfe-fhoes. The hall of this caftle is now 
appropriated as a court-room, in which the aflifes are held, 
and all the public bufinefs of the town or county is tranf- 
adfed. According to the parliamentary-returns of 1811, 
the conjunct population of the two manors, or parifhe.s, 
5 U with 
