or CHAM, in Ancient Geography, 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. Banage is rather of opinion, that neither Ham nor Mizraim ever were in Egypt. HAM

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. lxvii. 51. civ. 23. cv. 22.) In Plutarch, Egypt is called Chemia; and there are some footsteps of the name of Ham or Cham observed in Plochemmis, Piutta-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, which are so highly esteemed, 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 in the smoke of juniper-wood.

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.