or Cham (anc. geog.), the country of the Zuzims (Gen. xiv. 5.), the situation whereof is not known.

the youngest son of Noah. He was the father of Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan; each whereof had the several countries peopled by them.

With respect to Ham, it is believed that he had all Africa for his inheritance, and that he peopled it with his children. As for himself, it is thought by some that he dwelt in Egypt; but M. Bafnage is rather of opinion, that neither Ham nor Mizraim ever were in Egypt, but that their posterity settled in this country, and called it by the name of their ancestors. And as to Ham's being worshipped as a god, and called Jupiter Hammon, he thinks people may have been led into this mistake by the similitude of names; and that Jupiter Hammon was the sun, to which divine honours have been paid at all times in Egypt. However that may be, Africa is called the land of Ham, in several places of the psalms, (Psal. lxxvii. 51. civ. 23. cv. 22.). In Plutarch, Egypt is called Chemia; and there are some footsteps of the name of Han or Cham observed in Ptolemy, Pluta-chemmis, which are cantons of Egypt.

a Saxon word used for "a place of dwelling;" a village or town: hence the termination of some of our towns, Nottingham, Buckingham, &c. Also a home close, or little narrow meadow, is called a ham.

is also a part of the leg of an animal; being the inner or hind part of the knee, or the ply or angle, in which the leg and thigh, when bent, incline to each other.

in commerce, &c. is used for a leg or thigh of pork, dried, seasoned, and prepared, to make it keep, and to give it a brisk agreeable flavour.

Westphalia hams, so much in vogue, are prepared by salting them with saltpetre, pressing them in a press eight or ten days, then steeping them in juniper-water, and drying them by the smoke of juniperwood.

A ham may be salted in imitation of those of Westphalia, by sprinkling a ham of young pork with salt for one day, in order to fetch out the blood; then wiping it dry, and rubbing it with a mixture of a pound of brown sugar, a quarter of a pound of saltpetre, half a pint of bay salt, and three pints of common salt, well stirred together in an iron pan over the fire till they are moderately hot; let it lie three weeks in this salting, and be frequently turned, and then dry it in a chimney.

a city of Germany, in the circle of Westphalia, capital of the county of Mark, and subject to the king of Prussia. It is seated on the river Lippe, on the frontiers of Munster. The adjacent country abounds in corn, hemp, and flax; and the inhabitants get a good deal of money by travellers. It was formerly a Hanse-town, but is now reduced. E. Long. 7° 53'. N. Lat. 51° 42'.

a town of Picardy, in France, seated on the river Somme, among marshes. It has three parishes, and there is here a round tower whose walls are 36 feet thick. It was taken by the Spaniards in 1557, but restored by treaty. E. Long. 3° 9'. N. Lat. 49° 45'.