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FLAG, to hang out the white, is to ask quarter; or it shows, when a vessel is arrived on a coast, that it has no hostile intention, but comes to trade, or the like. The red flag is a sign of defiance and battle.

FLAG officers, those who command the several squadrons of a fleet; such are the admirals, vice-admirals, and rear admiral. The flag officers in our pay are the admiral, vice-admiral, and rear-admiral, of the white, red and blue.

FLAG ship, a ship commanded by a general or flag-officer, who has a right to carry a flag, in contradistinction to the secondary vessels under the command thereof.

FLAGELLARIA, in botany, a genus of the Hexandria Trigynia class and order. Natural order of Tripetaloideæ. Asparagi, Jussieu. Essential character: calyx six-parted; corolla none; berry one-seeded. There are two species.

FLAGEOLET, or FLAJEOLET, a little flute, used chiefly by shepherds and country people. It is made of box, or other hard wood, and sometimes of ivory, and has six holes besides that at the bottom, the mouth-piece, and that behind the neck. See FLUTE.

FLAME. Newton and others have

considered flame as an ignited vapour, or red-hot smoke. This, in a certain sense, may be true, but, no doubt, it contains an inaccurate comparison. Simple ignition never exceeds in intensity of light the body by contact of which it was produced. But it appears to be well ascertained, that flame always consists of volatile inflammable matter, in the act of combustion, and combination with the oxygen of the atmosphere. Many metallic substances are volatilized by heat, and burn with a flame, by the contact of the air in this rare state. Sulphur, phosphorus, and some other bases of acids, exhibit the same phenomenon. But the flames of organized substances are in general produced by the extrication and ascension of hydrogen gas with more or less of charcoal. When the circumstances are not favourable to the perfect combustion of these products, a portion of the coal passes through the luminous current unburned, and forms smoke. Soot is the condensed matter of smoke.

As the artificial light of lamps and candles is afforded by the flame they exhibit, it seems a matter of considerable importance to society, to ascertain how FLAIL, an instrument for thrashing the most luminous flame may be produccorn. A flail consists of the following ed with the least consumption of comparts: 1. The hand-staff, or piece held in bustible matter. There does not appear the thrasher's hand. 2. The swiple, or to be any danger of error in concluding, that part which strikes out the corn. 3. that the light emitted will be greatest The caplins, or strong double leathers, when the matter is completely consumed made fast to the tops of the hand-staff in the shortest time. It is, therefore, neand swiple. 4. The middle-band, being cessary, that a stream of volatilized comthe leather thong, or fish skin, that ties bustible matter, of a proper figure, at a the caplins together. very elevated temperature, should pass into the atmosphere with a certain determinate velocity. If the figure of this stream should not be duly proportioned; that is to say, if it be too thick, its internal parts will not be completely burned, for want of contact with the air. If its temperature be below that of ignition, it will not burn when it comes into the open air. And there is a certain velocity, at which the quantity of atmospherical air which comes in contact with the vapour will be neither too great nor too small: for too much air will diminish the temperature of the stream of combustible matter so much, as very considerably to impede the desired effect; and too little will render the combustion languid.

FLAIR, in the sea language. When a ship is housed in near the water, so that the work above hangs over too much, it is said to flair over. This makes the ship more roomy aloft, for the men to use their arms.

FLAMBEAU, a kind of large taper, made of hempen wicks, by pouring melted wax on their top, and letting it run down to the bottom. This done, they lay them to dry, after which they roll them on a table, and join four of them together by means of a red-hot iron; and then pour on more wax, till the flambeau is brought to the size required. Flambeaus are of different lengths, and made either of white or yellow wax. They serve to give light in the streets at night, or on occasion of illuminations.

We have an example of a flame too

ker, president of the Royal Society, which were greatly approved by that learned body, and procured him a letter of thanks from Mr. Oldenburgh, their Secretary, and another from Mr. John Collins, with whom, and other learned men, Mr. Flamsteed for a long time afterwards kept up a correspondence by let ters, on literary subjects.

large, in the mouths of the chimneys of furnaces, where the luminous part is merely superficial, or of the thickness of about an inch or two, according to cir. cumstances, and the internal part, though hot, will not set fire to paper passed into it through an iron tube, the same defect of air preventing the combustion of the paper, as prevented the interior fluid it. self from burning. And in the lamp of In 1670, his father observing he held Argand, we see the advantage of an in. correspondence with these ingenious ternal current of air, which renders the gentlemen, advised him to take a jourcombustion perfect by the application of ney to London, to make himself perfectair on both sides of a thin flame So likely acquainted with them; an offer which wise a small flame is whiter and more luminous than a larger; and a short snuff of a candle, giving out less combustible matter in proportion to the circumambient air, the quantity of light becomes increased to eight or ten times what a long snuff would have afforded.

FLAMINGO, a bird, otherwise called phoenicopterus. See PHOENICOPTERUS. FLAMSTEED (JOHN), in biography, an eminent English astronomer, being indeed the first astronomer royal, for whose use the Royal Observatory was built at Greenwich, thence called Flamsteed House. He was born at Denby, in Derbyshire, the 19th of August, 1646. He was educated at the free school of Derby, where his father lived, and at fourteen years of age was afflicted with a severe illness, which rendered his constitution tender ever after, and prevent ed him then from going to the university, for which he was intended. He nevertheless prosecuted his school education with the best effect; and then, in 1662, on quitting the grammar-school, he pursued the natural bent of his genius, which led him to the study of astronomy, and closely perused Sacrobosco's book "De Sphæra," which fell in his way, and which laid the ground-work of all that mathematical and astronominal knowledge, for which he became afterwards so justly famous. He next procured other more modern books of the same kind, and, among them, Street's "Astronomia Carolina," then lately published, from which he learned to calculate eclipses and the planets' places. Some of these being shewn to a Mr. Halton, a considerable mathematician, he lent him Riccioli's "Almagestum Novum," and Kepler's "Tabule Rudolphina," which he profited much by. In 1669, having calculated some remarkable eclipses of the moon, he sent them to Lord Brounc

he gladly embraced, and visited Mr. Oldenburgh and Mr. Collins, who introduced him to Sir Jonas Moore, which proved the means of his greatest honour and preferment: he here got the knowledge and practice of astronomical instruments, as telescopes, micrometers, &c. On his return, he called at Cambridge, and visited Dr. Barrow, Mr. Isaac Newton, and other learned men there, and entered himself a student of Jesus College. In 1672, he extracted several observations from Mr. Gascoigne's and Mr. Crabtree's letters, which improved him greatly in dioptrics. In this year he made many celestial observations, which, with calcula tions of the appulses of the moon and planets to fixed stars for the year following, he sent to Mr. Oldenburgh, who published them in the "Philosophical Transactions."

1673, Mr. Flamsteed wrote a small tract concerning the true diameters of all the planets, when at their greatest and least distances from the earth, which he lent to Mr. Newton in 1685, who made some use of it in the fourth book of his "Principia." In 1674, he wrote an ephemeris to show the falsity of astrology, and the ignorance of those who pretended to it; with calculations of the moon's rising and setting; also occultations and appulses of the moon and planets to the fixed stars. which, at Sir Jonas Moore's request, he added a table of the moon's southings for that year; from which, and from Philips's "Theory of the Tides," the high-waters being computed, he found the times come very near. In 1674, too, he drew up an account of the tides for the use of the king. Sir Jonas also shewed the King, and the Duke of York, some barometers and thermometers that Mr. Flamsteed had given him, with the

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necessary rules for judging of the weather; and otherwise took every opportunity of speaking favourably of Flamsteed to them, till at length he brought him a warrant to be the king's astronomer, with a salary of 100l. per annum, to be paid out of the office of ordnance, because Sir Jonas was then surveyor-general of the ordnance. This, however, did not abate our author's propensity for holy orders, and be was accordingly ordained at Ely, by Bishop Gunning.

On the 10th of August 1675, the foundation of the Royal observatory at Greenwich was laid and, during the building of it, Mr. Flamsteed's temporary observatory was in the queen's house, where he made his observations of the appulses of the moon and planets to the fixed stars, and wrote his "Doctrine of the Sphere," which was afterwards published by Sir Jonas, in his "System of Mathematics."

About the year 1684, he was presented to the living of.Burslow in Surry, which he held as long as he lived. Mr. Flamsteed was equally respected by the great men his contemporaries, and by those who have succeeded since his death. Dr. Wotton, in his "Reflections upon Ancient and Modern Learning," styles our author one of the most accurate observers of the planets and stars, and says he calculated tables of the eclipses of the several satellites, which proved very useful to the astronomers; and Mr. Molyneux, in his "Dioptrica Nova," gives him a high character: and in the admonition to the reader, prefixed to the work, observes, that the geometrical method of calculating a ray's progress is quite new, and never be. fore published; and for the first hint of it, says he, I must acknowledge myself obliged to my worthy friend Mr. Flamsteed.

He wrote several small tracts, and had many papers inserted in the "Philosophical Transactions," viz. several in almost every volume: and from the fourth to the twenty-ninth, too numerous to be mentioned in this place particularly.

But his great work, and that which contained the main operations of his life, was the "Historia Coelestis Britannica." published in 1725, in three large folio volumes; the first of which contains the observations of Mr. William Gascoigne, the first inventor of the method of measuring angles in a telescope by means of screws, and the first who applied telescopical

sights to astronomical instruments, taken at Middleton, near Leeds in Yorkshire, between the years 1638 and 1643; extracted from his letters by Mr. Crabtree, with some of Mr. Crabtree's observations about the same time; and also those of Mr. Flamsteed himself, made at Derby, between the years 1670 and 1675; besides a multitude of curious observations, and necessary tables, to be used with them, made at the Royal Observatory, between the years 1675 and 1689. The second volume contains his observations, made with a mural arch of near 7 feet radius, and 140 degrees on the limb of the meridional zenith, distances of the fixed stars, sun, moon, and planets, with their transits over the meridian; also observations of the diameters of the sun and moon, with their eclipses, and those of Jupiter's satellites, and variations of the compass from 1689 to 1719, with tables showing how to render the calculation of the places of the stars and planets easy and expeditious; to which are added, the moon's place at her oppositions, quadratures, &c.; also the planets' places,derived from the observations. The third volume contains a catalogue of the right ascensions, polar distances, longitudes,and magnitudes of near 3,000 fixed stars, with the corresponding variations of the same: to this volume is prefixed a large preface, containing an account of all the astronomical observations made before his time, with a description of the instruments employed, as also of his own observations and instruments, with a new Latin version of Ptolemy's 66 Catalogue of 1026 fixed stars," and Ulegh beig's "Places" annexed on the Latin page, with the corrections; a small catalogue of the Arabs: Tycho Brahe's of about 780 fixed stars; the Landgrave of Hesse's of 386; Helvetius's of 1534; and a catalogue of some of the southern fixed stars, not visible in our hemisphere, calculated from the observations made by Dr. Halley at St. Helena, adapted to the year 1726.

This work he prepared in a great measure for the press, with much care and accuracy; but through a natural weakness of constitution, and the decline of age, he died of a strangury before he had finished it, December the 19th, 1719, at 73 years of age, leaving the care of finishing and publishing his work to his friend Mr. Hodgson. A less perfect edition of the Historia Celestia had before been published without his consent, viz. in

1712, in one volome folio, containing his observations to the year 1705.

Thus then, as Dr. Keil observed, our author, for more than forty years, watched the motions of the stars, and has given us innumerable observations of the sun, moon, and planets, which he made with very large instruments, accurately divided, and fitted with telescopic sights; whence we may rely much more on the observations he has made than on those of formers astronomers, who made their observations with the naked eye, and without the like assistance of telescopes.

FLANKS of an army, are the troops encamped on the right and left, as the flanks of a battalion are the files on the right and left.

FLANK of a bastion, in fortification, that part which joins the face to the curtain.

FLANNEL, a kind of woollen stuff, composed of a woof and warp, and woven after the manner of baize. Various theories have been adopted to prove the uti lity of flannel as an article of dress: it is unquestionably a bad conductor of heat, and on that account very useful in cold weather; this is accounted for from the structure of the stuff; the fibres touch each other very slightly, so that the heat moves slowly through the interstices, which being already filled with air, give little assistance in carrying off the heat. On this subject Count Rumford has made many experiments, from which it should seem, that though linen, from the apparent ease with which it receives dampness from the atmosphere, appears to have a much greater attraction for water than any other, yet that those bodies which receive water in its unelastic form with the greatest ease, or are most easily wet, are not those which in all cases attract the moisture of the atmosphere with the greatest avidity. "Perhaps," says he, "the apparent dampness of linen to the touch arises more from the ease with which that substance parts with the water it contains, than from the quantity of water it actually holds; in the same manner as a body appears hot to the touch in consequence of its parting freely with its heat, while another body, which is really at the same temperature, but which withholds its heat with great obstinacy, affects the sense of feeling much less violently. It is well known, that woollen clothes, such as flannels, &c. worn next the skin, greatly promote insensible perspiration. May not this arise principally from the

strong attraction which subsists between wool and the watery vapour which is continually issuing from the human body? That it does not depend entirely on the warmth of that covering is clear; for the same degree of warmth, produced by wearing more clothing of a different kind, does not produce the same effect. The perspiration of the human body being absorbed by a covering of flannel, it is im mediately distributed through the whole thickness of that substance, and by that means exposed, by a very large surface, to be carried off by the atmosphere; and the loss of this watery vapour, which the flannel sustains on the one side, by evaporation, being immediately restored from the other, in consequence of the strong attraction between the flannel and this vapour, the pores of the skin are disencumbered, and they are continually surrounded by a dry and salubrious atmosphere." He expresses his surprise, that the custom of wearing flannel next the skin should not have prevailed more universally. He is confident it would prevent a number of diseases: and he thinks there is no greater luxury, than the comfortable sensation which arises from wearing it, especially after one is a little accustomed to it. "It is a mistaken notion," says he, "that it is too warm a clothing for summer. I have worn it in the hottest climates, and at all seasons of the year; and never found the least inconvenience from it It is the warm bath of perspiration, confined by a linen shirt wet with sweat, which renders the summer heats of southern climates so insupportable; but flannel promotes perspiration, and favours its evaporation; and evaporation, as is well known, produces positive cold."

FLAT, in the sea-language. To flat in the fore-sail, is to hale it in by the sheet, as near the ship's side as possible; which is done, when a ship will not fall off from the wind.

FLATS, in music, a kind of additional notes, which, together with sharps, serve to remedy the defects of musical instruments, wherein temperament is required.

FLATTING, in gilding, is the giving the work a light touch, in the places not burnished, with a pencil dipt in size, in which a little vermilion is sometimes mixt. This serves to preserve and prevent its flawing when handled. See GILDING. FLATULENCY. See MEDICINE. FLAX. See LINUM.

do this gently and lightly, lest what is hackled from thence should run to knots; for if preserved soft like cotton, it will make very good linen, each pound run

tare itself, or finest flax, will make a strong and very fine holland, running at least five yards in the pound.

FLEA. See PULEX.

FLEAM, in surgery and farriery, an instrument for letting a horse blood. A case of fleams, as it is called by farriers, comprehends six sorts of instruments; two hooked ones, called drawers, and used for cleansing wounds; a pen-knife; a sharppointed lancet, for making incisions; and two fleams, one sharp and the other broad pointed. These last are somewhat like the point of a lancet, fixed in a flat handle, only no longer than is just necessary to open the vein.

Flax is an excellent commodity, and the cultivation of it a good piece of husbandry. It will thrive in any sound land, but that which has lain long fallow is best; which being well ploughed, and laid flat_ning at least two yards and an half. The and even, the seeds must be sown in a warm season, about the middle or end of March, or at farthest the beginning of April; and if a wet season happen, weed. ing will be necessary. The best seed is that brought from the East country, which, though dear, yet easily repays the charge: this will last two or three crops, when it is advisable to renew the seeds again. Of the best seed, two bushels may serve for an acre; but more must be allowed of home-seed, because it grows smaller. When grown up it ought not to be ga thered before it be fully ripe; for if pulled before the blossom falls, it hackles away almost to nothing; and, though in appearance very fine, yet it has no substance, and the yarn spun of it is weak and ouzy: it not only wastes in the washing, but the linen made of it grows extremely thin in the bleaching. The pluckers should be nimble, tie it up in handfuls, set them up till perfectly dry, and then house them. Flax pulled in the bloom proves whiter and stronger than if left standing till the seed is ripe; but then the seed will be

lost.

FLAX, dressing of. When flax has been watered, and twice swingled, it is then to be hackled in a much finer hackle than that used for hemp. Hold the strike of flax stiff in your hand, and break it very well upon the coarse hackle; saving the hurds to make harder cloth of. This done, the strike is to be passed through a finer hackle, and the hurds coming from thence saved for middling cloth, and the tare itself for the best linen.

But to dress flax for the finest use of all, after being handled as before, and laying three strikes together, plat them in a plat of three rows, as hard and close together as you can, joining one to the end of another, till you have platted as much as you think convenient : then begin another plat, and add as many several ones as you think will make a roll; afterwards wreathing them hard together, make up the roll; which done, put as many as you judge convenient into a hemp-trough, and beat them soundly, rather more than less than you do hemp. Next open and unplat them, dividing each strike very carefully from each other; and so strike it through the finest hackle of all, whereof there are three sorts. Great care must be taken to VOL. V.

FLEECE, the covering of wool shorn off the bodies of sheep. See WOOL.

FLEECY hosiery, a very useful kind of manufacture, of late invention, in which fine fleeces of wool are interwoven into a cotton piece of the common stocking texture: the nature of the manufacture is thus described: having in the common stocking frame twisted silk, cotton-yarn, &c. begin the work in the common way of making hosiery, and having worked one or more course or courses in the usul method, begin to add a coating thus: draw the frame over the arch, and then hang wool or jersey, raw or unspun, upon the beards of the needles, and slide the same off their beards upon their stems, till it comes exactly under the ribs of the sinkers; then sink the jacks and sinkers, and bring forward the frame, till the wool or jersey is drawn under the beards of the needles; and having done this, draw the frame over the arch, and place a thread of spun materials upon the needles, and proceed in finishing the course in the usual way of manufacturing hosiery with spun materials. Any thing manufactured in this way has, on the one side, the appearance of common hosiery, and on the other side the appearance of raw wool,

FLEET, commonly implies a company of ships of war, belonging to any prince or state: but sometimes it denotes any number of trading ships, employed in any particular branch of commerce.

In sailing, a fleet of men of war is usually divided into three squadrons; the admiral's, the vice-admiral's, and the rear-admiral's squadron; all which, being distinguished by their flags and pendants, are

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