PAL 
295 
PAL 
/wells infenfibly, its folidity gradually augments, and at 
length the Item rifes above the furface of the ground, of 
the full diameter that it ever will acquire. The leaves, 
produced every fpring, originate always from thefummit. 
The older ones, Handing below the others, gradually dry 
up, and, on feparating from the item, leave behind them 
circular impreflions, which furrow its furface, and mark 
the years of its age, as long as it continues to grow. 
The Item is exactly cylindrical from top to bottom ; and, 
if its meafure betaken at different periods, no increafe 
of diameter will ever be difcovered. This fa£t did not 
efcape Kaempfer.” The fame able writer remarks, never- 
thelefs, that palm-trees are liable to accidental irregula¬ 
rities in their growth, either from a deficiency of nourifh- 
ment, whence they become (lender in that portion of their 
items elongated under fuch circumftances ; or from a fu- 
perabundance of food, whence the new part proves of a 
greater diameter than the old ; for the latter retains, in 
both cafes, its original dimenfions. Such being the mode 
of increafe in the plants of this natural order, and their 
duration very long, amounting fometimes to 800 years 
or more, no wonder that they attain an extraordinary 
degree of elevation, much exceeding the generality of 
trees, though fcarcely equal to the Norfolk-ifland pine. 
Yet, notwithftanding this great loftinefs of growth, bo- 
tanifts have doubted whether they ftriftly ought to be de¬ 
nominated trees or herbs. They certainly have not the 
proper trunk, gradually augmented by fucceffive annual 
concentric layers, which is charafteriftic of a tree. Their 
annual circles of leaves all fpring in reality from the root, 
or at lead from its fingularly-protruded crown ; but, fo 
little of any fuch protrufion is difcernible in herbaceous 
plants, which die down to the furface of the earth every 
winter, that the difference between them and the palm- 
tribe is abundantly marked. Linnaeus, not knowing 
whether to call their foliage leaves, adopted the term 
from, a frond or bough ; but, as it feems to us, without 
any neceflity. That they were by the ancients very 
improperly termed branches, we readily allow ; but the 
objections that “ they have no bud for the following year, 
neither have they the fubftance of leaves, nor do they, 
like leaves, all wither and fall off together,” (fee Lin. Prte- 
lect. in Ord. Nat. 23.) appear to 11s very unfatisfadtory. 
They have, in fact, a central bud, like trees of tropical 
countries, though not thefcaly hybernacula appropriated 
to thofe of cold climates; their fubftance is much like 
that of a variety of other leaves ; and they fall oft'in fuc- 
ceffion, like the foliage of other evergreen plants. When 
their whole fummit is cut off, the plant perifhes, they 
having no power of producing lateral buds. See the ar¬ 
ticle Phcenix, and the other genera enumerated above. 
PALMAJO'LA, a fmall ifland in the Mediterranean, 
near the coaft of Italy. Lat. 42. 53. N. Ion. 9. 35. E. 
PAL'MAJl, adj. Belonging to a palm or hand’s-breadth. 
Cole. 
PAL'MAR, a river of Benin, which runs into the At¬ 
lantic in lat. 6. 25. N. Ion. 3. E. 
PAL'MAR, a town of South America, in the audience 
of Quito : forty miles fouth-weft of Riabamba. 
PAL'MAR POI'NT, a cape on the well coafl; of Africa. 
Lat. 5. 30. S. 
PALMA'RIA, a fmall ifland in the Mediterranean, 
about forty-five miles from the coafl of Naples: three 
miles weft from the ifland of Ponza. Lat. 40. 58. N. Ion. 
53.E. 
PAL MARIA, a fmall ifland in the Mediterranean, 
near the coafl of Genoa, at the entrance of the gulf of 
Spezza: eight miles fouth of Spezza. Lat. 44. 4. N. Ion. 
9. 40. E. 
PALMARI'GI, a town of Naples, in the province of 
Otranto : three miles weft-fouth-weft of Otranto. 
PALMA'RIS, f. A mufcle of the palm of the hand. 
PALMARO'LA, or Palmaruola, a fmall ifland in 
the Mediterranean, near the coafl of Naples : four miles 
north-weft of Ponza. Lat.4i.3.N. Ion. 12.55. E. 
PAL'MARY, adj. [palmaris, Lat. principal, mod re¬ 
markable : Palmare opus, a principal work. Palmary is 
probably of recent introduction into our language. Lef- 
lie, in his Short Method with the Deifts, has the Latin 
expreflion : “ When his opus palmare comes out, &c.” 
Todd.] Principal ; capital.—Sentences proceeding from 
the pen of the firft philofopher of the age, in his palmary 
and capital work! Bp. Horne's Lett. on Infidelity, 1784- 
—Palmary may be applied to any piece which has “ won 
the palm,” whether profe or poetry. MS. Gleanings. 
PAL'MAS, a fmall ifland m the Pacific Ocean, near the 
coaft of Peru. Lat. 4. 35. N. 
PAL'MAS, a town of South America, in the province 
of Tucuman : thirty miles fouth of St. Miguel de Tu- 
cuman. 
PAL'MAS, one of the Philippine iflands, near the 
fouth-eafl coaft of Mindanao. 
PAL'MAS, a river of Mexico, which runs into the bay 
of Campechy in lat. 18. 20. N. Ion. 94. 20. W. 
PAL'MAS, a river of North America, formed by the 
junction of the rivers Nicas and Sauceda, in New Bifcay ; 
after the union, the courfe is due eaft for about 200 
miles, crofting the province of New Leon, when it fall* 
into the Gulf of Mexico in lat. 25. N. Ion. 98. 46. W. 
PAL'MAS, or Palmez, the principal town of Gomera, 
one of the Canary Iflands. 
PAL'MATE, or Palmated, ad). [ palmatus , Lat.] 
Webbed, like the feet of fome water-birds.—The broad 
and palmated feet of the aquatic birds perform the office 
ot oars. TV. of Buffon's Hijl. of Birds. —Applied to the 
leaves of fome plants, which are deeply divided into 
lobes, like the fingers on the hand. 
PAL'MATORY, f. A ferula, an inftrument to (trike 
the palm of the hand. Cole. 
PALMAW', a town of Bengal: twenty-four miles 
fouth-fouth-well of Rogonatpour. Lat. 23.13. N. Ion. 
86. 54. E. 
PAL'ME, (Le), a town of France, in the department 
of the Aude : fix miles north-weft of Leucate. 
PALMEI'RA, a fmall ifland in the Perfian Gulf, near 
Cape Bardiftan. 
PAL'MELA, a town of Portugal, in Eftremadura, 
with a caltle on a rock : fix miles north of Setuval. 
PAL'MER, y! [from palm.] A pilgrim; becaufe they 
who returned from the holy land carried branches of palm, 
or fupported themfelves on a ftaff made of palm-tree: 
I’ll change 
My feeptre for a palmer's walking-ftaff. Shahefpeare. 
A palmer differed from a pilgrim : the pilgrim travelled 
to fome certain place ; the palmer to all, and not to any 
one in particular; the pilgrim might abandon his pro- 
feflion,and often did fo when he had performed the pil¬ 
grimage he had vowed ; but the palmer was a religious 
beggar ( petens eleemofynas, aiking alms) for life, and 
therefore perfifted in wandering about till he either died 
of hunger, or had the good luck to get murdered, either 
of which methods of JiniJhing their courfe, was called “ ob¬ 
taining the palm.” ' 
Behold yon ifle, by palmers, pilgrims, trod. 
Men bearded, bald ; cowl’d, uncowl’d; fliod,unfliod. Pbpo. 
PAL'MER, a townftiip of America, in Hampftiire- 
county, Maflachufetts, on the fouth fide of Chickapee- 
river; incorporated in 1752, and containing 1039 inha 
bitants. 
PAL'MER (John), an aclorof very confiderabletalents, 
belonging to Drury-lane theatre, was born in London 
about 1742, and came on the (tagein 1762. In many parts 
he had no competitor, and perhaps will never have a ftu- 
perior; for inftance, in Stukeley, Jofeph Surface, Villeroy, 
Glenalvon, Brufli, Brafs, Young Wilding, &c. No per¬ 
former ever had a wider range of characters, (bowed more 
induftry, or exercifed his talents with more luccefs. His 
final exit was Angularly awful. On the 2d of Auguit, 
* 79 ?, 
