WHARFAGE: the fee paid for landing goods on a wharf, or for shipping them off, &c.

WHEAT: a species of breadcorn, by far the most important that is raised. We are ignorant of the country whence this valuable grain was first derived; but it was very early cultivated in Sicily. It is raised in almost every part of the temperate zones, and in some places as high as 2,000 feet above the level of the sea.

WHISKY: a spirit obtained by distillation from grain, sugar or molasses, though generally from the former.

WINDLASS, in a ship, is an instrument placed upon the deck, just abaft the foremast. It is made of a piece of timber six or eight feet long, in form of an axle-tree, whose length is placed horizontally upon two pieces of wood at the ends, and upon which it is turned about by the help of handspikes put into holes made for that purpose. This instrument serves for weighing anchors, or hoisting of any weight in or out of the ship.

WINDWARD, in the sea language, denotes that point from

WINE: the fermented juice of the grape, or berries of the vine. The vine grows in every sort of soil; but that which is light and gravelly seems best suited for the production of fine vines. It succeeds extremely well in volcanic countries. The best wines of Italy are produced in the neighborhood of Vesuvius: the famous Tokay wine is also made in a volcanic district, as are several of the best French wines; many parts of the south of France bearing evident marks of extinct volcanoes. Hermitage is grown among the débris of granite rocks. The most favorable situation for a vineyard is upon a rising ground or hill facing the south-east.

The art of expressing and fermenting the juice of the grape appears to have been practised from the remotest antiquity. The sacred writings tell us that Noah planted a vineyard soon after the deluge.

There are a great variety of vines; and this circumstance, combined with differences of soil, climate, mode of preparation, &c., occasions an extreme variety in the

different species of wine. But even between places immediately contiguous to each other, and where a cursory observer would hardly remark any difference, the qualities of the wines, though produced by the same species of grape, and treated in the same way, are often very different. A great deal evidently depends upon the aspect of the vineyard; and it is probable that a good deal depends on peculiarities of soil. But whatever may be the cause, it is certain that there are wines raised in a few limited districts, such as Tokay, Johannisberger, Constantia, the best Burgundy, Champagne, Claret, &c., that no art or care has hitherto succeeded in producing of equal goodness in other places.

WOAD: a plant, which is indigenous to most parts of Europe. It was extensively used from a very remote period, down to the general introduction of indigo, in the dyeing of blue. It is still cultivated to a considerable extent in France. After being bruised by machinery, to express the watery part, it is formed into balls, which ferment and fall into a dry powder, which is sold to the dyer. Woad is now seldom employed without a mixture

of indigo. By itself, it is incapable of giving a bright and deep blue color; but the color which it does give is very durable.

WOOL: a kind of soft hair or down. The term is applied both to the fine hair of animals, as sheep, rabbits, some species of goats, &c., and to fine vegetable fibres, as cotton. In this article, however, the wool of sheep only is referred to-a production which has continued, from the earliest period down to the present day, to be of primary importance, having always formed the principal part of the clothing of mankind in most temperate regions.

It is customary to divide wool into two great classes-long and short wools; and these again into subordinate classes, according to the fineness of the fibre.

which hats are made is neither spun nor woven; but locks of it, being thoroughly intermixed and compressed in warm water, cohere, and form a solid tenacious sub

stance.

Cloth and woollen goods are made from wool possessing this property; the wool is carded, spun, woven, and then being put into the fulling mill, the process of felting takes place. The strokes of the mill make the fibres cohere; the piece subjected to the operation contracts in length and breadth, and its texture becomes more com. pact and uniform. This process is essential to the beauty and strength of woollen cloth. But the long wool of which stuffs and worsted goods are made is deprived of its felting properties. This is done by passing the wool through heated iron combs, which takes away the feathery parts of the wool, and approximates it to the nature of silk

or cotton.

In clothing wool, the color of the fleece should always approach as much as possible to the purest white; because such wool is not only necessary for cloths dressed white, but for all cloths that are to be dyed bright colors, for which a

clear white ground is required to give a due degree of richness and lustre.

It is supposed there are about thirty million of sheep in the kingdom of Great Britain; the wool of them, on an average, is worth about seven millions of pounds sterling the value of which is increased, by manufacturing skill and labor, to between twenty and thirty millions sterling. To this may be added five millions pounds' weight of foreign wool. This great manufacture is supposed to give employment and maintenance to more than three millions of persons, men, women, boys and girls.

Spanish wool, at least that of the merino breed, seems to be in favor, as of the finest texture. Those sheep crop the short sweet grass of the mountains, and their wool, though not so abundant, is of a more delicate quality.

The manufacture of wool in the United States is very considerable, and is yearly improving and increasing. The sheep of New England produce a wool of very excellent quality, which is woven into various kinds of fabrics. Fine broadcloth is manufactured at Lowell, and others of our manufacturing

ZAFFER the oxyde of cobalt,

Gilead.

Y.

YACHT: a small ship, with one deck, carrying four, eight or twelve guns, and 30 or 40 men. Yachts, in general, are from 30 to 160 tons; contrived and adorned, both withinside and without, for carrying state passengers. They answer the purposes of business, as well as pleasure, being very fast sailers.

YARDS, OF A SHIP, are those long pieces of timber which are

and cobalt of a blue color.

ZEA: a name for Indian corn or maize.

ZEDOARY: the root of a plant, which grows in Malabar, Ceylon, China, &c. The odor is fragrant, an somewhat like that of camphor. It was formerly employed in medicine, but is little used by modern practitioners.

ZINC: a metal of à brilliant white color with a shade of blue. It combines with almost all the metals, and some of its alloys are of great importance.