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the colonists resisted the authority of the British Govern-ment, which attempted to impose a tax upon them, under thedenomination of a Stamp Act, afterwards altered to a duty ontea; on the 14th of April a number of men disguised inmasks, destroyed the tea sent from this country, and thenlying on board the vessels in Boston harbour ; and on the19th of the same month, a skirmish took place between theEnglish and Americans, at Lexington, about two miles fromBoston , which was the commencement of a war, that led toa final separation between the two countries : the Americansdeclaring themselves independent of the British crown, onthe 4th of July, 177b. The defeat and capture of Earl Corn­ wallis on the 29th of October, 1781, terminated the war infavor of the colonics, and the independence of America wasacknowledged by the British government on the 30th of No-vember, 1782, and ratified on the 3d of September, 1783.

The colonics of New Britain, Canada , New Brunswick ,Nova Scotia , St. John’s Island, and Newfoundland , continuedfaithful to Great Britain .

Most of the other European colonies in America have, withinthe last few years, declared themselves independent of theirmother country, and this has been in some measure acknow-ledged by the European powers having appointed accreditedconsuls at their courts.

AMETHYST . This precious stone is said by Pliny to de-rive its name from its colour, which resembles wine mixedwith water. The ancients supposed it had the power of pre-venting intoxication, and therefore the votaries of Bacchusused to wear it about their necks.

AMIANTHUS. An argillaceous stone, bearing a near re-semblance to the asbestos, (which see ).

AMPHITHEATRES—are of Roman invention, and origi-c