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812 
and, during the feafon when the roadftead ofColumbo is 
unfafe, (hips frequently wait at Point de Galle, till their 
cargoes are ready. It is in general the (lation of one 
or two (hips of war, and the rendezvous of the fleets 
from the three prefidencies, when circumftances require 
their (ailing together. The governor alfo frequently 
goes thither from Columbo, to meet the fleets. The for- 
trefs (lands very high, but is much out of repair. The 
town, which is alfo enclofed- with a wall, is fuperior to 
Trincomalee. The exports, befides cinnamon, are carda- 
mums, arrack, oil, fait fi(h, and cotton. Much cinnamon 
grows in the neighbouring country 5 and a colony of 
Chinefe gardeners have been recently eftablilhed here, 
whofe fervices will no doubt be found very ufeful. The 
mutton is indifferent; but the beef, poultry,fi(h, and bread, 
are excellent. Point de Galle, being open to both mon- 
foons, has more rain than the continent of India. The 
fhore, both to the weft and in the vicinity of the port, is 
lined with rocks; it is therefore advifable to keep in 
twenty-five fathoms, till about to enter the harbour. At 
the village of Billegam, about twenty miles fouth-eaft 
of the town, is a celebrated temple of Boodh, in which 
the idol is recumbent, typifying nature in its tranquil 
ftate, and feveral other curiofities. Point de Galle was 
taken poffeflion of by the Portuguefe in 1517, and forced 
from them by the Dutch in 1640. In 1796 it came into 
poffeflion of the Britilh. Being a place of no ftrength, it 
muft always follow the fate of Columbo. Lon. 80. 17. E. 
lat. 6. o. N. 
POINT GORD'WAR, a low point of land which pro¬ 
jects into the bay of Bengal, at the mouth of the Goda- 
very-river. It is a low and very-narrow fandy beach, 
four or five miles long, over which the (ea breaks heavily. 
Ships (hould not venture nearer than fixteen fathoms 
water. Lat. 16. 48. N. Ion. 82. 17. E. 
POINT PALMI'RAS. See Mayapara. 
POINT PE'DRO, a town of the ifland of Ceylon, near 
which there formerlyltood a fmall fort. It is fituated on 
a very low point of land, at the northern extremity of the 
ifland, covered with fmall trees, and running into thefea 
in fuch a manner, that at a diftance it has the appearance 
of a wrecked (hip. It may, however, be better diftin- 
guiflied by the Dutch church, and fome white houfes. 
There are feveral rocks on the coall. Lat. 9. 52. N. Ion. 
80. 25. E. 
POINT SUCK'LING. See Cape Suckling. 
POINT UP'RIGIIT. See Cape Upright, vol. iii. 
POINTE CLAIR'E, a village of Lower Canada, in the 
ifland of Montreal. It contains from ninety to one 
hundred houfes, regularly built. It has alfo a neat 
parilh-church, a parfonage-houfe, and two tolerable good 
inns for the accommodation of travellers. 
POINTE COUPE'E, a town and. parifh of North 
America, in New Orleans ; containing 4539 perfons. 
POINTE de GALLE. See Point de Galle. 
POINTE du LAC RIV'ER, a fmall river of Lower 
Canada, which falls into the St. Lawrence from the north, 
at the north-eaft extremity of Lake St. Peter. 
POINTE de PEN'MARCH. See Penmarch. 
POINTE aux PE'RES, or Fa'ther Point, a cape 
on the north (bore of the River St. Lawrence, about 160 
miles below Quebec. From this point the river is per¬ 
fectly clear to the gulf 5 and the pilots, being unnecelfary 
any longer, here give up their charge of fuch as are 
bound outwards, and receive thofe deftined upwards. 
POINTE aux TREM'BLES, a fmall village of Lower 
Canada, on the north bank of the St. Lawrence, confiding 
of twenty-five houfes, a church, and a parfonage-houfe. 
It is about twenty miles above Quebec. 
POIN'TED, adj. or part. Sharp; having a (harp point 
or pique.—A thick forell made up of bullies, brambles, 
and pointed thorns. AddiJ'on's Sped. N° 56. 
A pointed flinty rock, all bare and black, 
Grew gibbous from behind. Dryden. 
Epigrammatical; abounding in conceits; 
P o 1 
Who now reads Cowley ? if he pleafes yet. 
His moral pleafes, not his pointed wit. Pope. 
POIN'TEDLY, adv. In a pointed manner,'—The co- 
pioufnefs of his wit was fuch, that he often writ too 
pointedly for his fubjedl. Dryden. 
POIN'TEDNESS, J\ Sharpnefs; pickednefs with af- 
perity.—The vicious language is vaft and gaping, fwel- 
lingand irregular; when it contends to be high, full of 
rock, mountain, and pointednefs. B. Jonjon’s Difcoveries. 
—Epigrammatical fmartnefs.—Like Horace, you only 
expofe the follies of men ; and in this excel him, that 
you add pointednefs of thought. Dryden. 
POIN'TEL,/. [ pointille , Fr.] A kind of pencil, or 
ftyle.—He, axing a poyntel, wroot, feiynge, Jon is the 
name. Wicldiffe’s Luke i. 
A pair of tables, all of ivory, 
And a pointel, ypoli&ed fetifly. Chaucer's Sompn. Tale. 
Any thing on a point.—Thefe poifes or pointels are, for 
the mod part, little balls fet at the top of a (lender (talk, 
which they can move every way at pleafure. Derham’s 
Phyf. Theol. 
POIN'TER, f. Any thing that points. — Tell him 
what are the wheels, fprings, pointer , hammer, and bell, 
whereby a clock gives notice of the time. Watts. —A 
dog that points out the game to fportfmen : 
The well-taught pointer leads the way; 
The fcent grow's warm, he flops, he fprings his prey. Gay. 
The Pointer is a fporting-dog ufed for partridge, 
moor-game, and pheafant, (hooting. There is no breed 
of dogs which produces a greater variety in fize and 
colour than the pointer: the colours generally are black, 
liver, and fawn ; and all thofe colours, as well as orange, 
mixed with white. There are alfo two varieties which 
deferve particular mention, the Ruffian and Spanifli. 
The Ruflian pointer is a large bony wire-haired dog, 
almoft invariably liver and white. This dog is capable 
of bearing great fatigue, and hunting long without 
water ; and, from his fuperior courage, is a great acqui- 
fition, when fteady, for pheafant-lhooting efpecially, in 
ftrong covers. The Spanilh pointer differs but little 
from our common pointer, except in the peculiar con¬ 
formation of the nofe, which is divided by a deep inden¬ 
ture on the fuperior and anterior parts, which, when the 
dog looks up, has very much the appearance of the 
muzzle of a double barrelled gun. There are alfo other 
breeds of the Spanifli pointer, but fo nearly refembling 
our own as to need no defcription. 
The fportfman, in choofing his dogs, (hould confider, 
in the firli place, what ground he has to beat. If flinty, 
he (hould make choice of fmall light dogs, as heavy ones 
would loon be difabled by cut feet, and the exertion of 
fupporting a large carcafe. For moor-lands, choofe dogs 
longeron the leg; but dill avoid thofe that are heavy, 
as they foon knock up, and become ufelefs, where the 
heath, &c. is ftrong : but it is to be prefumed fancy will 
always predominate in all matters of choice; though let 
it be obferved, the above advice is the refult of long and 
extenfive experience. 
It may not be amifs to advife the Tyro in field-fports, 
to choole old fteady pointers, as his nerves may be a 
little agitated by the rifing covey; and it is certainly poi- 
fible he may mils his firft two or three (hots, which would 
go near to fpoil the fteadieft whelp that ever was (hot 
over; and then the fault is invariably attached to the dog- 
breaker. A pointer cannot with propriety be warranted 
as broke till he will flop, or (land back, bring his game, 
and down to charge; (bringing his game, though a very 
excellent, is not an indifpenfable, qualification.) 
“ To (lop, or Hand,” is when the dog, having caught 
the fcent of his game, remains immovable, and, by the 
tremulous motion of his lips and dilating of his noltrils, 
feems as it were to devour it. This is what is technically 
called making the point. The other dog or dogs, as 
many as happen to be in the field, (hould immediately 
point 
