- fr¬ 
its original fize, which farfi; receives it, the water is con¬ 
veyed by fluices into feveral large brick cifterns; whence 
it pafies through large wooden pipes to the feveral di drifts, 
and is conveyed into the-houfes by leaden pipes. At the 
New River Head is a building, containing two lteam- 
engines and a water-engine for forcing the water to a 
higher refervoir near Pentonville, and to another ne.ar 
Tottenham-court road, for didribution to the wedern 
parts of the towm. Near the former refervoir, in a field, 
aconfpicuous objeft appears, the life of which is little 
known. It is an iron-pipe, twelve feet high, and four 
feet eight inches in circumference, with a wooden tub 
placed on its top. This afts in the double capacity of an 
air and wade water-pipe, and is ufeful in preventing the 
burding of the pipes, which was formerly very frequent 
from the force of water, or from compreded air. Anew 
refervoir, communicating with that of Pentonville, has 
been recently condrufted by the fide of Tottenham-court- 
road, for the fupply of Mary-le-bone and its vicinity : the 
mains from it are iron pipes of four feet eight inches cir¬ 
cumference. For farther particulars, fee thearticle Canal 
Navigation, vol. iii. p. 675. 
The New-River Company have an office at the bottom 
of Dorfet-dreet, Salifbury-court, Fleet-dreet: (fee Lon¬ 
don, vol. xiii. p. 522.) The management of their affairs 
is veded, by charter, in twenty-nine holders of adventu¬ 
rers’ fhares, who form a board. The officers are, a gover¬ 
nor, deputy-governor, a treafurer, and a clerk. Few 
public companies l’urpafs this in property and extent of 
concerns. The condant repairs and improvements em¬ 
ploy a vad number of men and horfes; and the whole 
iyftem of the didribution of the water is fo complicated, 
as to require the utmod fkill and attention on the part 
of the Purveyor and other officers. 
The New River is a confiderable ornament to many 
feats and pleafure-grounds in its courfe; though it has 
too much canal-like regularity to be truly pifturefque. 
It is likewile of great utility in affording a fupply of 
water for cattle, and for various other purpofes. Hunter's 
Hijlory of London and its Environs. Wilkes's Britifh Direc¬ 
tor)/, vol. iii. 
NEW RIV'ER, a river of North-Carolina, which rifes 
in the Iron-mountains, and, running to the Laurel; 
mountains, is then called the Kanhawa. 
NEW RIV'ER, a river of North-Carolina, which runs 
into the Atlantic in lat. 34. 30. N. Ion. 77. 40. W. 
NEW RIV'ER, a river of South-Carolina, which runs 
into the Atlantic in lat. 32. n.N. Ion. 80. 56. W. 
NEW RIV'ER INLET, a channel between two fmall 
iflands, on the coad of North-Carolina, leading to New 
River. Lat. 34. 27. N. Ion. 77. 38. W. 
NEW ROCHEL'LE, a pod-town of America, in Wed- 
Cheder-county, New York, in Long-Ifland Sound: twenty 
miles north-ead of New York. 
NEW ROSS'. See Ross. 
NEW SA'LEM. See Salem. 
NEW SOUTH WA'LES, a name given to the eadern 
part of New Holland, which fee. 
NEW SPA'IN. See Mexico. 
NEW STOCK'BRIDGE. See Stockbridge. 
NEW SWE'DELAND, the name of a territory between 
Virginia and New York, when in poflefiion of the Swedes, 
and which was afterwards poflefled or claimed by the 
Dutch : the chief town was called Gottenburgh. 
NEW TUNBRIDGE WELL'S. See Islington, vol. 
xi. p. 438. 
NEW VIN'EYARD, a town in Kennebeck county, 
Maine, wed of Kennebeck river, between Anfon and 
Strong; forty miles north-wed of Auguda. 
NEW U'TRECHT, a fmall maritime town of New 
York, in King’s county, Long Ifland, oppofite to the 
Narrows; feven miles fouth of New York, and containing 
778 inhabitants. 
NEW WER'KT, a fmall ifland in the German Sea, at 
the mouth of the Elbe, near the coad of Bremen; feven 
railes weft of Cuxhaven. 
E W. 7S7 
NEW WIN'DSOR, a toWnfhip of Orange-county, New 
York, pleafantly fituated on the weft branch of Hudfon- 
river; three miles fouth of Newburgh, and containing 
2001 inhabitants: it is famous fora fcythe-manufafture: 
fixty-four miles north of New York. 
NEW WORK I'SLAND, afmall ifland near the north- 
ead coad of Newfoundland. Lat.49.55. N. Ion. 54. 30. W. 
NEW-YEAR’s DA'Y; with us, at prefent, the firft 
of Janukry, and the day on which we commemorate the 
circumciiion of our Saviour, as being the eighth from ’ 
the 25th of December, his fuppofed day of nativity. 
Among the ancient Romans, in the time of Romulus, the 
year began at the vernal equinox, March being the firft 
month. Numa Pompilius added the months of January 
and February, and ordered the year to begin at the winter 
folftice. The 25th of March was generally confidered as 
the civil and legal new-year’s day with us, till the alter¬ 
ation of the ftyle in 1752, when it was permanently 
fixed to the id of January. In Scotland, the year was, 
by a proclamation which bears date fo early as the 27th 
of November, 1599, ordered thenceforth to commence in 
that kingdom on the id of January, inftead of the 25th 
of March. 
Among the Egyptians, the 29th of Auguft was new- 
year’s day. The Jews began their civil year at the new 
moon next after the autumnal equinox. The French re¬ 
publicans decreed that the year lhould begin on the zzd 
of September; and that day, in the year 1792, was decla¬ 
red to be the firft day of the fird year of the republic and 
of liberty. This mode of reckoning began to fall into 
difufe after Bonaparte, firft-conful, had afiumed the title 
of emperor, in the 12th year of the republic; and we 
hardly need to add, that it is now totally abolifiied. 
The firft day of January having been obferved by the 
Heathens as a day of extreme 'rejoicing, and for offering 
up facrifices to their idol Janus, the primitive Chriftians 
held it as a fajl, to avoid even the femblance of joining 
in their abominable cudorns. The firft mention of this 
day as a JeJiival among Chriftians, was during the ponti¬ 
ficate of Felix the Third, A. D. 487, who denominated it 
the Odave of C/iriftmas. Under its prefent title of “ Cir- 
cumcifion,” the. feftival is only to be traced from about 
the year 1090 ; and it was not generally fo obferved until 
included in our Liturgy in the year 1550. 
The popifli legends inform us, that the firft of Janua¬ 
ry was held in fuch efteem by the Heathens, that they 
would not “ even fully the joy of it with martyring the 
Chriftians; fo that, whereas there were in Conftantine’s 
time the feaft of 5000 faints for every other day in the 
year, there were none for this." 
Upon this day of feftivity, the Romans, though indul¬ 
ging in excefles, yet never failed to begin their refpeftive 
employments : the men of letters their books, poems, See. 
the mechanics, fome of their works of labour. And fo 
particular were they in their obfervance of this day, that 
the mod inveterate enemies refrained from palling the 
flighted reflection upon the character or conduft of each 
other. 
The 30th of January is, by the Jews, called new-year's- 
day for the trees, becaufe all thofe trees that were planted 
upon or after that day were reckoned from the growth of 
the enfuing year, and their fruit was tithed accordingly; 
and becaule tithes of different years were not to be put 
together, but to be paid every year feparately. Time's 
Telefcope, 1816. Brady's Claris Calendaria. 
NEW-YEAR’s GIF'T,/ Prefent made on the firft day 
of the year.—If I be ferved fuch a trick, I’ll have my 
brains taken out and buttered, and give them to a dog 
for a new-year's gift. Shakefpeare's M. Wives of Wind/or. 
NoniusMarcellus refers to the origin of this cuftom among 
the Romans to Tatius king of the Sabines, who reigned 
at Rome conjointly with Romulus, and who, having con¬ 
fidered as good omen a prefent of fome branches cut in a 
wood confecrated to Strenia, the goddefs of ftrength, 
which he received on the firft day of the new year, au- 
thorifed this cuftom afterwards, and gave to thefe prefent* 
the 
