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46 
furrowed, smooth. Leaflets stalked, the stalks of the middle 
one winged. Tendrils axillary, divided at the extremity. 
Panicles from the same point, on long stalks, their branches 
racemose, alternate, spreading. Flowers white. 
3. Seriana Caracasana.—Native of the Caraccas. The 
numerous stems climb by tendrils to a great height. Leaves 
smooth; leaflets elliptic-oblong, two or three inches in 
length. Flowers white, in compound cylindrical clusters, 
each cluster on a long stalk, accompanied by two strong 
revolute tendrils at the top of the stalk. 
4. Seriana racemosa.—Native of Vera Cruz. Leaves 
acute. Footstalks scarcely bordered. Panicle (or com¬ 
pound cluster) with two tendrils. Schumacher. 
5. Seriana spectabilis.—Native of the West Indies. This 
has much of the habit of Seriana Caracasana, but the 
winged footstalks, and obtuse leaflets, distinguish it essenti¬ 
ally. 
6. Seriana Mexicana.—Native of Mexico. Akin to the 
last, but the entire leaflets, and compound inflorescence dis¬ 
tinguish it. The clusters, each of which is simple, are 
ranged alternately, in one large panicle. 
7. Seriana angustifolia.—Leaves twice ternate; leaflets 
linear-lanceolate, acute, entire. Footstalks winged.—Native 
of South America. 
8. Seriana lupulina.—Native of South America. Clusters 
almost simple, the length of the leaves, and accompanied 
by two tendrils. Schumacher. 
9. Seriana lucida.—Native of Santa Cruz. The upper 
surface of the leaves is highly polished, and strongly veined. 
Clusters in some measure compound, accompanied by two 
spiral tendrils. Communicated by Sir J. Banks, to the 
younger Linnaeus. 
10. Seriana triternata.—Native of South America, or the 
West Indies. The clusters are not accompanied by tendrils, 
but form a sort of panicle, as in Seriana Mexicana. 
There seem to be more species, of which incomplete spe¬ 
cimens or descriptions exist, but with which we are not suffi¬ 
ciently acquainted to reduce them to order. 
SERIATO, a town of Austrian Italy, in the Bergamasco, 
on the Serio; 3 miles east-south-east of Bergamo. 
SERICH, the name of a seed used in the food of the 
Egyptian Coptics. 
SERICUM, or Silk. 
Sericum is also a name given by old chemical writers 
to the flowers of zinc raised by sublimation in an inclined 
open crucible. These flowers are not reducible into zinc 
again, and are of a fibrous texture, and a beautiful bright 
white colour. This has made them be called also the philo¬ 
sophic cotton , and others have named them the aqua sicca 
philosophorum. 
SERIDIA, in Botany, a generic name given by Jussieu 
to those species of Centaurea, which are included under the 
sixth section of that genus. 
SE'RIES, s. [serie, Fr.; series, Lat.] Sequence; order. 
—The chasms of the correspondence I cannot supply, having 
destroyed too many letters to preserve any series. Pope. — 
Succession; course. 
This, is the series of perpetual woe. 
Which thou, alas! and thine are born to know. Pope. 
SERIGNI, a sea-port town of the island of Java, in the 
straits of Sunda, belonging to the king of Bantam. 
SERIKOTCHE, a town of Korassan, in Persia; 195 miles 
north of Herat. 
SERIMSAH, a village of Lower Egypt; 16 miles south 
Damietta. 
SERINAGUR, or Gerwall, a principality of Northern 
Hindostan, situated chiefly between the 30th and 32d degrees 
of northern latitude, and between the 77(h and 79th of 
eastern longitude. It is estimated at 140 miles in length by 
60 in breadth. The whole face of the country is an assem¬ 
blage of hills or mountains, some of which are covered with 
trees, the others bare rocks. The valleys are fertile, but very 
confined. It produces the oak, and several other European 
S E R 
trees and fruits; and a number of elephants are found in the 
woods. Previous to the invasion of Serinagur by the Ne- 
paulese, the revenue was estimated at £65,000 per annum, 
and was governed by a Hindoo prince, whose authority was 
absolute. It produces a considerable quantity of copper, 
some gold, and carries on a trifling commerce with the 
neighbouring countries. The animals used for the transport 
of this traffic are sheep and goats, each of whom are loaded 
with a small sack, containing about 12 pounds of borax-salt, 
or grain, &c., and travel in flocks of 100 or 200, guarded by 
dogs and a few shepherds, led on by a stout ram, bearing a 
large bell, and travel at the rate of 10 or 15 miles per day. 
The natives are, generally speaking, Hindoos. This country 
does not appear to have been ever conquered by the Maho¬ 
metans ; but tribute was frequently exacted from it; and in 
the year 1568, Aurungzebe compelled the rajah to deliver 
up his nephew, the prince Soliman, who had taken refuge 
with him. 
In the year 1791, the Nepaulese invaded Serinagur; but 
the rajah having collected about 5000 men, armed with 
matchlocks, bows and arrows, &c., defended the passes and a 
fortress called Sunggur, with such perseverance, that the 
invaders were compelled to retreat, upon the promise of an 
annual tribute; but in the year 1803, the rajah of Nepaul 
marched in person at the head of his army, and was met at 
the village of Gurudwara, by the Serinagur chief, with a 
very inferior force. A bloody battle ensued, in which the 
latter, with a number of his followers, were killed, and the 
rest compelled to fly. After this untoward event, the 
Nepaulese became complete masters of the country, and 
divided it into numerous subdivisions, over each of which 
they appointed a native superintendant, leaving an army at the 
capital to keep them in proper subjection. During the war 
between the Nepaulese and the British, in 1815 and 1816, 
a relation of the late rajah having joined the latter, was 
admitted as an auxiliary, and at the conclusion of the peace, 
was re-established in his principality, and the Nepaulese 
compelled to resign every claim on the country. Serinagur 
may be therefore now considered as entirely under the British 
protection and influence; but it is too poor to support a 
resident at its court. 
SERINAGUR, the capital of the above-mentioned pro¬ 
vince. It is situated in the centre of a valley of three miles 
in length, watered by the river Alcananda. The town is 
about three quarters of a mile in length. The houses are 
built of rough stone and mud, and are covered with slate, 
but are seldom more than two stories high. The palace of 
the rajah is, however, an exception, and is elevated to four 
stories. The streets are narrow and dirty, but there are 
some good shops. The river is about 80 yards wide in the 
dry season, and is crossed by means of a bridge of ropes. 
There are about 70 Mahometan families settled in the town, 
and the remainder of the inhabitants are Hindoos. On the 
opposite side of the river is a celebrated temple dedicated to 
Ishwara, which is attended by a number of dancing girls, 
who are said to be very licentious. The air of Serinagur is 
unfavourable to foreigners; on which account many of the 
merchants forsake it during the rainy season. Lat. 30. 11. 
N. long. 79. 18. E. 
SERINGAPATAM, a celebrated city of the south of 
India, and for a considerable period the capital of the pro¬ 
vince of Mysore. It is situated at the upper end of an 
island of four miles in length, by one and a half in breadth, 
in the river Cavery. Its proper name is Siri Runga Patan. 
It has existed as a fortress from a very early period; but in 
the year 1610, was taken from the viceroy of the fallen 
dynasty of Bijanagur, by rajah Wadeyar, and made the 
capital of Mysore. His successors continued to enlarge the 
town, and increase the fortifications; but it was not till the 
reigns of Hyder Aly and his son Tippoo Sultan, that it 
attained that degree of splendour and strength, to attract the 
cupidity, and often foil the attacks of the neighbouring 
powers. It was frequently besieged by the Mahrattas, and 
by the Nizam’s troops, but without any other effect than 
compelling 
