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the tripod, or table, on which were placed the olive-crownsand the branches of palm destined for the victors. Besidesthe hippodromes at Olympia and Constantinople , there werecourses of a similar kind at Carthage, Alexandria in Egypt ,and other places.

We have some vestiges in England of the hippodrome, inwhich the ancient inhabitants of this country performed theirraces. The most remarkable is that near Stonehenge , whichis a long tract of ground, about 350 feet, or 200 druid cubitswide, and more than a mile and three-quarters, or 6,000 druidcubits in length, enclosed quite round with a bank of earth,extending directly east and west. The goal and career areat the east end. The goal is a high hank of earth, raisedwith a slope inwards, on which the judges are supposed tohave sat. The metaa are two tumuli, or small barrows, atthe west end of the course. These hippodromes were called,in the language of the country, rhedagua, the racer rhedagwr,and the carriage rheda, from the British word rhedeg, to run.One of these hippodromes, about half a mile to the southwardof Leicester, retains evident traces of the old name rhedagua,in the corrupted one of rawdihes. There is another of these,says Dr. Stukely, near Dorchester, another on the banks ofthe river Lowther, near Penryth , in Cumberland, and anotherin the valley just without the town of Royston.

HISTORICAL COLUMNS. See Column.

HOARDING, (from the Saxon,) an enclosure about abuilding, while erecting or under repair.

HOIST, an apparatus, or lift, for raising bodies from alower to an upper story in a building.

HOLLOW, (from hole,) a concave moulding, whose sectionis about the quadrant of a circle. It is, by some writers,called easement.

Hollow Bricks, a kind of brick recently invented,moulded of various sizes and shapes, but usually of largersize than those commonly in use. They are mere shells, asit were, the heart of the brick being removed. The advan-tages claimed for such bricks are their superior strengthwhen considered with reference to the quantity of material;and as a consequence, their comparative lightness, a qualitywhich tells in very many ways. In the manufacture, theyare more evenly baked and dried, the heat being equallydistributed over every part; and hence tlieT texture andhardness are more to be depended upon than in solid bricks.When used for houses, there is much less fear of damp thanin new work as at present constructed; and an equability oftemperature is ensured in the interior. Sound also is muchless easily communicated by them than by common bricks.It has been proposed to construct them with grooves andledges, or with some similar contrivance, so that they maybe fitted compactly together in a short space of time, fortemporary or other purposes. Floors also are proposed tobe constructed of the same materials, so as to render buildingsentirely fire-proof.

Hollow Newel, an opening in the middle of a staircase.The term is used in contradistinction to solid newel, intowhich the ends of the steps are built. In the hollow newel,or well-hole, the steps are only supported at one end by thesurrounding wall of the staircase, the ends next the hollowbeing unsupported.

Hollow Wall, a wall built in two thicknesses, having acavity between, either for the purpose of saving materials, orto preserve a uniform temperature in the apartments.

Hollow Quoins, in engineering, piers of stone or largebricks, made behind each lock-gate of a canal, which areformed into a hollow from top to bottom, to receive therounded head of the lock-gates. In some instances, thehollow quoin is formed of one piece of oak, cut to the proper

shape, and fixed vertically against the wall. Cast-iron isalso now frequently used for forming the hollow quoin orhinge for the lock-gates of large canals, or the entrance-basons to docks.

HOMESTALL, or HOMESTEAD, the place of a man-sion-house ; the word is used in some counties to signify theoriginal house or dwelling attached to an estate.

HOMOLOGOUS, (from ogvog, similar, \oyog, reason ,) ingeometry, the correspondent sides of similar figures.

HOOD-MOULD, a band or string carried over any aper-ture, such as a door or window ; more particularly employedin Pointed architecture : the term is synonymous with Labeland Weather Moulding.

HOOK PINS, in carpentry, iron pins made taperingtowards one end, for the purpose of drawing the pieces of aframe together, as in floors, roofs, &e. In joinery, the pinswhich answer a similar purpose are called Draw-Bore Pins.

HOOKS, (Saxon) bent pieces of iron, used to fasten bodiestogether, or to hang articles on, out of the way. They areof various kinds, some of iron and some of brass ; as case-ment-hooks, chimney-hooks, which are made of both brassand iron ; curtain-hooks, hooks for doors and gates, double-line-hooks, tenter-hooks, armour-hooks, &c.

HORDING. See Hoarding.

HORIZONTAL CORNICE, of a pediment, the level partunder the two inclined cornices.

Horizontal Line, in perspective, the vanishing lines ofplanes parallel to the horizon.

Horizontal Plane, a plane passing through the eye,parallel to the horizon, and producing the vanishing line ofall level planes.

Horizontal Projection, the projection made on a planeparallel to the horizon. This may be understood either per-spectively or orthographically, according as the projecting -rays are directed to a given point, or are perpendicular to thehorizon.

HORN, (Saxon) a name sometimes applied to the Ionicvolute.

HORSE PATH, in engineering, a name sometimesapplied to the towing-path by the side of canals, and narrownavigable rivers, for the use of the towing or track horses.

Horse Run, in engineering, a simple and useful moderncontrivance, for drawing up loaded wheel-barrows of soilfrom the deep cuttings of canals, docks, &c. by the help of ahorse which goes backwards and forwards, instead of round,as in a horse-gin.

HORSING BLOCK, a square frame of strong boards^used by nnvvigators or canal diggers for elevating the ends ottheir wheeling planks.

HOSPITAL. According to present usage, the term i sapplied to buildings endowed by public or private charity, a 3infirmaries, in which invalids are lodged and attended ; hutin olden times the term was used to signify any buildingerected for charitable purposes, as for the relief of the indigent,the entertainment of travellers, &c.

HOSTEL, or Hotel, a French term, anciently signifyinga house, but now more commonly used for the palaces orhouses of the king, princes, dukes, and great lords. Theword is also applied to large inns, taverns, or places of publicentertainment.

HOT-HOUSE, in horticulture, is a structure in whichexotic plants are cultivated, under circumstances approximat-ing, as closely as possible, to those under which they natu-rally exist; or it is used for accelerating the production otflowers and fruits of either indigenous or exotic plants. Hot-houses appropriated to the latter purposes are very frequentlytermed forcing-houses.