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T A M

T A L

TALENTS, GRECIAN, SYRIAN , TYRIAN,&c. In thevaluation of money, me Grecian talent, according to Dr. Arliuth-uot, was equal to 60 min*, or, reckoning tne tniua at 3/. 4s. id.equal to 1D3, 15/. The Syrian talent m this valuation con-sisted of 15 Attic mins; the Potentate of 20 ; the Antiochian of60; the Euboicof 60; the Babylonic of 70 : the greater Attic of80; tne Pvnan of 80; the Egmean of 100; the Rhodian of 100 ;and tin- Egyptian ot 80 mins. There is another talent much moreancient, winch Dr, Artinthnot calls the Homeric talent of gold,which seems to have weighed six Attic drachms or three darlos, adaric weighing very little more than a guinea.

Talents, Jew ish. Talents, as a species of money, among (lieHebrews, was sometimes used for a gold-coin, the same with theshekel ot gold, called also stater, and weighing only four drachms.The Hebrews reckoned by these talents as we do by pounds, &c.Thus a million of gold, or million of talents of gold, among them,was a mil'ion of shekels or nummi; the minimus of gold being thesame weight with the shekel, viz. four drachms. But the Hebrew talent-weight of silver, which they called cicar, was equivalent tothat of 3000 shekels, or 1131b. lOoz. Idwt. 10-f-gr. English Troyweight, according to Arliuthnot.

Talents, Roman. Among the Romans there, were two kindsof talents, the little and the great talent; the little was the commontalent ; and whenever they say simply talentum, they are to beunderstood of this. The little talent was 60 min* or Romanpounds; the mina or pound estimated at 100 drachm* nr denarii :it was also estimated at 24 great sesterces, w hich amounted to 60pounds. The great talent exceeded the le»s bv one third pari.Budxus computes, that the little talent of silver was worth 75/.Sterling, and the great 99l. 6s. 8d. Sterling. The greater of goldwas worth I 125/ Sterling.

TALGAR 1 11, a town of South Wales, in Brecknockshire , onthe Lleveny, eight or ten miles N. E. of Brecknock.

TALI, a city of China, of the first rank, in Yun-nan , 1205 milesS. W. of Pekin. Lon. 100. 5. E. Lat. 25. 45. N.

TALIO, \jex talwnis, Lat.] or the law of retaliation, a speciesof punishment in the Mosaic law, whereby an evil is returned simi-lar to that committed against us by another; as an “ Eye lor eye,tooth for tooth.” This law was first inserted in the X.11. tablesamongst the Romans; but afterwards set aside, and a power givento the prsetor to fix upon a sum of money lor the damage.

TALISMANS are magical figures cut gr engraved with super-stitious observations oil the cliaracterisms and conliguiations ot theheavens, to which some astrologers have attributed wonderful vir-tues, particularly that of calling down celestial influences. 'Hietalismans of Samothrace , so famous oi old, were piecesof iron formedinto certain images, and seven rings ; these were esteemed preser-vatives against all kinds of evils, flu-re were likewise talismanstaken from vegetables, and from minerals.

TALLAGE, [ tallagium, Lat. from the French taille ,'] is meta-phorically used for a part or share of a man’s substance carried outof the whole, paid by way of tribute, toll, or tax.

TALLARD, a town of France , in tiie department of the UpperAlps, nine miles S. of Gap. Lon. 6 10. E. Lat. 44. 28. N.

TALLOW, in commerce, is the fat of certain animals meltedand clarified. It is procured from most animals, but chielly frombullocks, sheep, hogs, and bears.

Tallow, a borough of Ireland , in Waterford. It is twenty-threemiles \Y. N. W. of Cork , and 32 W. S. W. of Waterlord.

Tallow-tree, a remarkable tree, growing in great plenty inChina ; so called, from its producing a substance like tallow,which serves for the same purpose; it is about the height of acherry-tree, its leaves in form of a heart, of a deep sliming redcolour, and its bark very smooth. Its fruit is inclosed in a kind ofpod, or cover like a cliesinit, and consists of three round whilegrains, ol live size and form of a small nut, each having its peculiarcapsula, and w ithin a little stone. This stone is encompassed by awhite pulp w hich has all the properties of true tallow, both as toconsistence, colour, and even smell; and accordingly the Chinese make their candles of it ; which would doubtless be as good asthose in Europe , if they knew how to purify their vegetable, aswell as we do our animal, tallow. All the preparation they giveit, is to melt it down and mix a little oil with it, to make it softerand more pliant.

TALLY, m law, a piece of wood cut in two parts, whereon ac-

counts were anciently kept, bv means of notches ; one part of thetally being kept by the debtor, and the other by the creditor.Hence ihe tallier or the exchequer, whom ue now rail the teller.

Tally-Court, a court where the two deputy-chamberlains ofthe exchequer and the tally cutter attend ; and a tally is generallythe king’s acquittance tor money paid orient, and has wiitten onit words proper to express lor what the money is received.

Tally-man, a person that sells or lets goods, clothes, &c. to bepaid by so much a week.

TALMOND, or TALMONT, a town of France in the de-partment of Lower Charenle, and province of Saintoge, 42 milesN. of Bonrdeaux, and 260 S. W. oi Paris .

TALMUD, the name of two Jewish works, the Talmud ofJerusalem, and the Talmud of Babylon. Each ol these is com-posed of two parts; the Mishna, which is the text , and is commonto both, and the Gemara or commentary. See Gemara, andMishna .

TALPA, the Mole ; in zoology, a genus of quadrupeds belong-ing to the order fer*, and class mammalia. Six unequal fore-teethin the upper jaw, eight in the lower ; tusks solitary, in the upperjaw larger; seven grinders in the upper, and six in the lower.There art six species.

T. Europjea, The European Moi.e, is the only species foundin Britain. '1 hey inhabit the whole of Europe, except Ireland ,where no moles are found. They are also common in the N. ofAsia and Africa. They chielly frequent moist fields exposed tothe sun, meadows, and gardens; through which they form sub-terraneous roads in every direction in search of worms, on whichand the larva; ol insects they feed, and not on vegetables, thoughthey do great damage by loosening the roots of plants.- They aremost active before rain, as the worms are then in motion.

T. Radi at a, or tin- Radiated Mole, is very similar lo the above,from which it is principally distinguished by a circle of radiatedtendrils, resembling the ray of a boot-qmr, attached to the nose.It is a native of Noith America . See Plate CLXV11.

T. Flava, the Yellow or American Mole, has five toeson each loot ; the fur is of a yellowish brown colour at the tips,and dark grey at the roots; the head is brightest ; the rump dark ;tne belly deep brown ; the feet and tail white. They inhabitNorth America .

'I-Fusca, the Brqwn tyloLE, the Sorex Aquaticus, orAquatic Shrew, <>t Gmelin, has five toes on all the feet,which are palmated; the tail and feet short and whte; two fore-teeth in the upper and four in the lower jaw. Tin- head and bodyare five inches and a half long; the tail not an inch y thenose is slender ; the upper jaw longer than die under. They in-habit N. America . 'This and the Cristata, were fbrmerly rankedunder the genus Sorex ; but a> they have the manners and figureof the moles, they are very properly restored to this genus byMr. Pennant.

Talpa Longicaudata, the Long-tailed Molf, of Pennant,has live toes on all the feet, which are broad, naked, anti palmated ;the lore-leet have strong short claws ; Ihe hind feet long andslender ones, and are scaly. The head and body are from four 10six inches long: the tail two, sometimes three. They inhabitNorth America .

T. Rubra, ihe Red American Mole, has three toes onthe tore-feet, four on the hind, and a slioit tail. It is of a pale redcolour, and in form resembles tlie European , but is larger, and theroot ol the tail is thicker. They inhabit America .

TALUD, or'TALUS, in architecture, the inclination or slopeof a work ; as of the outside of a wall, when its thickness is di*minished by degrees, as it rises in height, to make it the linyier.

'Talcs, in fortification, the slope of-a work, w hether of earth ofmasonry. See Fortification ,

'TAM ALAM EGA, or TAM ALAM EQUE, a town of TerraFirma, in St. Martha, on the Magdalena. Lon. 71. 45. W. Lat-8 52. N.

TAMARA, or TAMARY, a sea-port-town on the N. W*coast of Socotorn. Lon. 52. 25. E. Lat. 11.30. N.

TAMAKACA, a pleasant and fertile island of Brasil , near themouth of the 'Tamarac. Lon. 35. 5. W. Lat. 7. 56. S.

Tamakaca, or Tamarika, a district of Brasil , ip the jurisdictionof Fernambuco. f

TAMAR1NDU8, Tamarinp-Tr.ee ; in botany, a genus o»

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