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big the head affords comfortable and pleasing sensations; and themore frequently the hair be cut, it will grow the mote speedily ;so that this simple expedient mav, in some measure, serve as asubstitute for a constant blister, or artificial issue. The hair is, byall nations, considered as an ornament to the person, more thanas a covering for tiie head, provided by the beneficent hand of na-ture. Hence various pomatums, and other secret preparations,have been imposed upon the public, for the purpose of “ makingthe hair grow long and thick.” We are no advocates for contri-vances, which to our certain knowledge are generally composedot noxious ingredients, such as the calces of lead and mercury.

1 hose persons who cannot be dissuaded from the use of artificialnieans, may with safety employ a mixture consisting of equalparts ot olive oil and spirits of rosemary, to which may be added atew drops ot oil of nutmeg. If the hair be rubbed every nightwith a little of this liniment, and the proportion be very graduallyincreased, it will answer every purpose to be attained by thoseboasted preparations which are sold by empirics. Another sourceot fraud is that of changing the colour of the hair to a darker shade:"iih this intention various liquid remedies are vended by perfu-mers, under different alluring appellations, These, however,being likew ise prepared from lead, antimony, and other metallicsolutions, no prudent person will be induced to purchase them.

1 he only method that can he pursued with impunity, is to cutthe hair close to the head, and to pass a leaden comb through itevery morning and evening, by which simple practice the hairwill assume a darker colour; the perspiration of the head willnot he impeded, and, consequently, the health of the individualfather promoted than injured. Hair constitutes a very consider-able article of commerce, especially since the fashion of wearing"igs has prevailed among all ranks, and has lately been extendedto both sexes. The hair of this, and other northern countries, ispreferred to that of the southern climates of Italy, France , &c.I he chief quality of hair consists in its being well fed, as it istermed by hair-dressers, so that it be neither too coarse nor tooslender. Hence thick hair is less susceptible of the artificial curl,and is disposed to frizzle ; but, if it be too delicate, it will retainthe curl only for a short time. The length of good hair is usuallyestimated at 25 inches; and in proportion as it is shorter, it be-comes less valuable. There appears to be no stated price for thisarticle ; as according to its quality, it is sold at from 5s. to 5l.Per ounce: it pavs, when imported, a duty of 2s. 4 \d. per lb.With respect to the various operations which hair undergoes pre-viously to being manufactured into wigs, we tr ist the reader willexcuse our silence. The hair of heavers, hares, ami other ani-mals, is used in various manufactures, especially that of hats, ofwhich they con titute the principal material. If the refuse of tinshort hair of hides be scattered on arable land, and left there toPutrefy, it proves one of the most fertilizing and durable manures,“erthollet found by analysis, that hair yielded from 1 152 parts,

Carbonate of ammonia. 90

Water .179

Oil.288

Gases.271

Coal.324

1152

Sulphuric acid, assisted by heat, dissolves hair. It forms, with thealkalies, an animal soap.

Hair, in farriery, is commonly called the coat;^ and, with re-spect to horses, merits particular consideration. The hair grow-ing on the fetlock, serves as a defence to the prominent part of it,"'hen the animal is travelling on rough, stony roads, or in frosty"eather. If the hair on the neck and more exposed parts bec b>se and smooth, it may be concluded that the horse is in

health.

. Hair, Horse, likewise forms a considerable article of trade;

pays on importation a duty of about lid. per lb. and is partlyEmployed for weaving the covers of the seats of chairs, sofas, Ac.mit principally for the stuffing of bolsters and mattresses. Forme last mentioned purposes, the hair is previously baked, and, inmat state, forms one of the most elastic couches, which is incom-parably superior to the softer, but enervating, feather-beds.

H air of Plants, or Down, a general term expressive of allVOL h.—no. 100.

the hairy and glandular appearances on the surface of plants, towhich they are supposed to serve the double purpose of defensiveweapon' and vessels of secretion. These hairs are minute threadsof greater or less length and solidity ; some of them visible to thenaked eye ; whilst others are rendered visible only by the help ofglasses. Examined by a microscope, almost all the parts of plants,particularly the young stalks or steins, appear covered with hairs.These appear under various forms; in the leguminous plants,they are generally cylindric; in the mallow-tribe, terminated ina point; in agrimony, shaped like a fish-hook ; in nettle., av I-shnped and jointed ; and in some compound dowers with hollow orfunnel-shaped ilorets, they arc terminated in two crooked points.Probable as some experiments have rendered it, that the hairs onthe surface of plants contribute to some original secretion, theirprincipal use seems to be, to preserve the parts in which they arelodged from the had effects of violent'frictions, from winds, fromextremes of heat and cold, and such like external injuries.

Hair-Cloths, in military affairs, are large pieces of clothmade with half hair: used for covering the powder in waggons,and upon batteries; also charged bombs, lumd-grcnades, Ac. inmagazines.

11AI-TANG, a beautiful Chinese shrub, originally broughtfrom the bottom of the rocks which border the sea-coast. Thesmell of its leaves has an affinity both to tiiat of the rose and theviolet; but it is weaker, and never extends to any great dis-tance.

HAKE, the English name of a fish common in the British sea.See Gadus.

HALBERDS, or HALBERTS , [from barclc, an axe, andhalle, a court,] a kind of spears, carried by the sergeants of footand dragoons. 'The shaft is about live feet long, and made of ashor other wood. The head is armed with a steel-point, not unlikethe point of a two-edged sword. Besides this sharp point whichis in a line with the shaft, there is a cross-piece of steel, flat andpointed at both ends ; but generally with a cutting edge at one ex-tremity, and a bent sharp point at the other ; so that the halbertserves equally to cut down or to push withal. It is also useful indetermining the ground between the ranks, and adjusting the filesof a battalion. It was anciently a common weapon in the arm)*'where there were companies of halberdiers. It is said to havebeen used by the Amazons, and afterwards by the K Indians andVindelicians about A. D. 570. It was called the Danish axe, be-cause the Danes bore an halbert on the left shoulder. From theDanes it came to the Scots, from the Scots to the English Saxons, ,and from them to the French .

HALBERSTADT, a late principality of Germany , in the circleof Lower Saxony , bounded on the N.E. by the duchy of Magde-burgh. It was near 40 miles long and 30 broad. The soil is fertilein corn and flax ; and there are some woods, though fuel is scarce.The chief towns are Halberstadt, Groningen, Oschersleben , andOsterwick.

Halberstadt , the capital of the above late principality, 34 milesS. S. K. of Brunswick.

HALBERT, or HALBARD. See Halberd .

HALCYON. See Alcedo.

Halcyon Days, in antiquity, a name given to seven days be-fore and as many after the winter-solstice ; when the halcyon, in-vited by (he calmness of the weather, laid her eggs in nests builtin the rocks, close by the brink of the sea. Hence the phrase be •came proverbial.

HAI.DE, John Rattist Du, a learned French Jesuit , bornat Paris in l(i74. He was well versed in Asiatic geography, andcompiled a work entitled “ Grande description de la Chine & dela Tartarie,” from original memoirs of the Jesuitical missionaries,in 4 vols. folio. Ho was also concerned in a collection of lettersbegun by father Gobien, called “ Des Lettrcs Edifiantes,” in 18vols; and published some Latin poems and orations. He died in1743.

IIALDENSLEBEN, a town of Germany, in Lower Saxony ,12 miles X. of Magdeburg .

I1ALE, Sir Mat in h\v, lord chief justice of the King’s Benchin the reign of Charles 11. was the son of Robert Hale, Esq. a bar-rister of Lincoln’s Inn, and was born in J.609. He was edu-cated at Oxford, where he made a considerable progress in learn-ing ; but was afterwards diverted from his studies by the levities of8 F youth.