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and the same year he accompanied his father in his journey toItaly , where he assisted him in the verification of the meridian atBologna, and other measurements. In 1712 he succeeded his fa-ther as astronomer rojal at the Observatory . In 1717 lie gave tothe Academy his researches on the distance of the fixed stars, inwhich he show ed that the whole annual orbit of near 200 millionsof miles in diameter, is but as a point in comparison of thatdistance. The same year he communicated also his discoveriesconcerning the inclination of the orbits of the satellites in general,and especially of those of Saturn’s satellites and ring. In 1725he undertook to determine the cause of the moon’s Vibrations, bywhich she shows sometimes a little towards one side, and some-times a little on the other, of that half which is commonly behindor hid from our view. In 1740 he published his “ AstronomicalTables,” and his “ Elements of Astronomy.’' Besides these ex-tensive and accurate works, he published several excellent me-moirs on various subjects. He died in April 175(5.

CASSIODORI S, Marcus Aurelius , secretary of state toTheodoric king of the Goths , was born at Sqnilla.ce, in Naples,about A. 1). 470. He was consul in 514, and was in great creditunder Athalaric and Yitiges; but at 70 years of age retired into amonastery in Calabria , where he amused himself in making sun-dials, water hour glasses, and perpetual lamps. He also formed alibrary ; and composed several works, the best edition of whichis that of father Garet, printed qt Rouen in 1679- Those mostesteemed are his '■ Divine Institutions,” and his treatise “ on theSoul.” He died about A. D. 562.

CASSIOPEIA, in astronomy, one of the constellations of thenorthern hemisphere, situated next to Cepheus. In 1572, thereappeared a new star in this constellation, which at first surpassedin magnitude and brightness Jupiter himself; but it diminished bydegrees, and at last disappeared, at the end of 18 months.

Cassiopeia, in fabulous history, wife of Cepheus king of Ethio-pia, and mother of Andromeda . She thought herself more beau-tiful than the Nereides, who desired Neptune to revenge theaffront; so that he sent a sea-monster into the country, which didtouch harm. To appease the god, her daughter Andromeda wasexposed to the monster, but was rescued by Perseus ; who ob-tained of Jupiter, that Cassiopeia might be placed after herdeath among the stars ; hence the constellation of that name.

CASSIOWARY. See Struthio.

CASSITERIA, [from ict-ruiTiso;, tin,] in the natural history offossils, a genus of crystals, the figures of which are influenced byan admixture of some particles of tin.

CASSITERIDES, in ancient geography, a cluster of islandsIV. of the Lund’s End ; opposite to Celtil’ieria, and famous fortheir tin. Thev are supposed to be the Scilly islands.

CASSIUS, Precipitate of, obtained from the muriate of goldby the means of tin. It is highly valued for the beauty of thecolour which it gives to glass or enamel. It may be obtained bysimply immersing a plate of tin in a dilute solution of muriate ofgold; but the usual mode is to dissolve pure gold in a nitro-mn-riatic acid, composed of three parts of nitric acid, and one of themuriatic. The tin is prepared by dissolving it, without heat, inan acid composed of two parts of nitric, and one of muriatic acid,previously diluted with an equal weight of water. This solutionbeing saturated, is diluted with one hundred parts of water, towhich the solution of gold in quantity equal to half the quantity ofsolution of tin is added: the liquor becomes of a beautiful pur-plish red colour, and a precipitate subsides which is to be washedand dried. This is the only preparation capable of giving a redcolour to glass: which then serves as an imitation of the ruby.

CASSONADE, in commerce, cask sugar, or sugar put intocasks after the first purification, but which has not been re-fined.

CASSUMBAZAR, a town of India, on the Ganges , in Bengal;180 miles N. of Iluegly.

CASSYTA, in botany, a genus of the monogynia order, andenneandria class of plants. Corolla in the form of a calyx, di-vided into six segments : nectarium composed of three truncatedglands encompassing the germen ; interior filaments gandular;drupe single seeded. It has two species.

CAS T, or CASTE, among the Hindoos, a tribe, or number«f families, of the same rank and profession. The division of a»ation into casts chiefly obtains in the dominions of the GreatMogul, kingdom of Bengal, island of Ceylon , and the great pe-

ninsula opposite thereto. In each of these there are, according tofather Martin, four principal casts, viz. 1. Bramins, who are reck-oned the most noble. 2. Rajas, or princes, who pretend to be de-scended from divers royal families. 3. Choutres, which castcomprehends all artificers; and, 4 Parias, the lowest of all.Henry Lord, however, divides the Indians about Surat into fourcasts, somewhat differently; viz. into Bramins, or priests : Cut-tery, or soldiers; Sluiddery, banians, or merchants; and Wyse,mechanics or artificers. Every trade is confined to its propercast, nor is it allowed to be exercised by any but those whosefathers professed the same ; so that a tailor’s son can never be apainter, let his genius he ever so great, nor a painter’s son atailor. There are some employments, however, open to all thecasts; c. g. every body may be a soldier, or a merchant. Someof the different casts are also allowed to till the ground, but not all.The cast of parias is held infamous, insomuch that it is a disgraceto have any dealings or conversation with them ; and there aresome trades in the cast of choutres, which debase their professorsalmost to the same rank. Thus shoemakers, and all artificers inleather, fishermen, and even shepherds, are reputed no betterthan parias; though they are doubtless much more useful mem-bers of society than the superstitious bramins and very proudrajahs.

CASTANETS, CASTANETTAS, or CASTAGNETTES ,a kind of musical instrument, wherewith the Moors, Spaniards,and Bohemians, accompany their dances, sarabands, and guit-tars.

CASTEL, Lewis Bertrand, a learned Jesuit, born at Mont-pellier , in H)88. He distinguished himself by writing on gravity,mathematics, and the music of colours, a very whimsical idea,which he took great pains to reduce to practice. His piece ongravity, entitled “ Traite de la Pensateur miiverselle,” was printedat Paris, in 1724. He afterwards published his “ MathematiqueUniverselle ;” which occasioned his being unanimously chosenF. R. S. of London , without solicitation, lie was also a mem-ber of the academies of Bourdeaux and Rouen : liut hi*“ Clavecin Oculaire,” made the most noise ; and he spent muchtime and expence in making an harpsichord for the eye, butwithout success. lie also wrote for and against Sir Isaac New-ton , and published several other works; the principal of whichare, “ Le Plan du Mathematique abregte,” and a treatise en-titled, “ Optique des Colours.” He led a very exemplarylife, and died in 1757.

CASTELAMARA, a town of Naples.

CASTEL-ARAGONESE, a strong town on.the N. W. coastof Sardinia . Lon. 8. 57. E. Lat. 40. 56. N.

Castel-Gondolfo, a town of Italy , 10 miles S. by E. ofRome .

CASTELLA, a town of Italy , about five miles N. E. ofMantua .

CASTELLAN* a dignity in Poland . The castellans are sena-tors of the lower class, who, in diets, sit on low seats, behindthe. palatines, or great senators.

CASTKLLATK), or CASTELLATION, in middle agewriters, the act of building a castle, or of fortifying a house, andmaking it a castle.

CASTELLO-BRANCO, the capital of Beira in Portugal , 35miles N. W. of Alcantara.

GASTELLO DE VIDE, a small strong town of Portugal , inAlentejo .

Casteli-o-Rodrigo, a town of Portugal , in Tra-los-Montes.

CASTELLON, a town of Spain, in Catalonia , five miles N.W. of Ross.

CASTELLORUM Operatio. See Castlf.-Work.

CASTELLUM, [Lat. i. e. a little castle,] originally seems tohave signified a smaller fort for a little garrison : though Suetonius uses the word where the fortification was large enough to contain acohort.

CASTELNAUDARY, a town of France , in the departmentof Aude . Lon. 2. 0. E. Lat. 43. 19. N.

CASTEL -NOVO, or CASTEL-NUONO, a strong town ofDalmatia, belonging to Venice , on the gulph of Cataro.

Castel-Nuovo di Carfagnana, a town of Italy , in theModenese, 17 miles above Lucca.

CASTIGATION, among the Romm:, the punishment of a noffender by blows, or beating with a wand or switch. CastigR'

lion.