the bark of a tree of the same name, Quercus Suber, Lin. See QUERCUS, BOTANY Index.

To take off the bark, an incision is made from the top to the bottom of the tree, and at each extremity another round the tree, perpendicular to the first. When the tree is 15 years old, it may be barked for eight years successively; and the quality of the bark improves with the age of the tree. When stripped from the tree, which does not therefore die, the bark is piled up in a pond or ditch, and loaded with heavy stones to flatten it, and reduce it into tables; hence it is removed to be dried; and when sufficiently dry, put in bales for carriage. If care be not taken to strip the bark, bark, it splits and peels off itself; being pushed up by another bark formed underneath.

The cork-tree, as well as the uses to which the bark is applied, was known both to the Greeks and Romans. Pliny informs us that the Romans employed it to stop all kinds of vessels; but the use of it for this purpose does not appear to have been very common till the invention of glass bottles, of which, according to Professor Beckman, there is no mention before the 15th century.

Other vegetable productions have been sometimes employed instead of cork. The *Spondias Lutea*, a tree which grows in South America, particularly in moist places, and which is there called *monbin* or *monbain*, is sometimes brought to England for the purpose of stopping vessels. The roots of liquorice are applied to the same use, and on that account, this plant is much cultivated in Sclavonia, and exported to other countries. A tree called *nyssa*, which grows in North America, has been found also to answer as a substitute for cork.

The chief use of cork is, to put in shoes, slippers, &c. and to stop bottles. The Spaniards burn it to make that kind of light black called *Spanish black*, which is used by painters. The Egyptians made coffins of cork; which being lined with a resinous composition, preserved dead bodies uncorrupted. The Spaniards line stone walls with it, which not only renders them very warm, but corrects the moisture of the air.

**Fossil Cork**, a name given to a kind of stone which is a species of amianthus, consisting of flexible fibres loosely interwoven, and somewhat resembling vegetable cork. It is the lightest of all stones; by fire it is infusible. It possesses the general qualities of amianthus. See Mountain Cork, Mineralogy Index.

**Cork**, in Latin *comitatus Corcoigensis*, a county of the province of Munster in Ireland. It is the most populous and considerable county of the kingdom, next to that of Dublin, containing 1,693,882 English acres, and being divided into 15 baronies. It is bounded on the north-east by the county of Waterford; on the west by Kerry; by Limerick on the north; and by the sea on the south and south-east. Including Desmond, it is 8½ miles in length and 50 in breadth; but is very unequal both ways. Though a considerable part of the country is boggy, mountainous, and barren, yet by the industry of the inhabitants it is pretty well cultivated and improved, and contains several good towns and harbours. See Cork, Supplement.

**Cork**, a city of Ireland, and capital of the county of that name. It is an episcopal see, and is the largest and most populous of any in the kingdom, Dublin alone excepted. It is situated on the river Lee, 15 miles from its mouth. It is a place of great trade, the harbour here being one of the finest in the world. Though smaller vessels can come up to the quay, yet the larger generally ride at a place called Passage. This city, together with its liberties, makes a county. It was built or rather fortified by the Danes, in the ninth century. The greatest part of it stands on a marshy island surrounded by the river Lee, which also runs through the city, and divides it into several canals. On this account some have thought the air very moist and unwholesome. Complaints have also been made against the water as impure; but, from comparing the bills of mortality with those of other cities, it appears that the city of Cork is far from being unhealthy. This hath been accounted for from the influx of the tide, by which a stagnation of air is prevented. The first charter of Cork was bestowed by Henry III. and afterwards ratified by Edward I., Edward II., and Edward III. Edward IV. granted a new charter; and the city received many favours from the succeeding monarchs. King James I. gave the citizens a new and ample charter; and King Charles I. what is called the Great Charter, by which, among others, a clause in King James's charter was enforced, making this city a county of itself. The revenues of the see of Cork are derived almost entirely from land. The chapter consists of a dean, chanter, chancellor, treasurer, archdeacon, and twelve prebendaries. The church is dedicated to St Barr or Finbarr; and the diocese is divided into five deaneries. There is very little to be found in ancient writers concerning the foundation of the cathedral of Cork; yet it is generally ascribed to St Barr in the seventh century. Many of its bishops have been great benefactors to it. Through length of time the church became quite ruinous; but it hath lately been completely rebuilt, and is now an elegant modern structure. To defray the expense, the parliament laid a tax on all coals consumed in the city of Cork. The patronage of the see is very considerable.

Cork is much improved and enlarged; several broad streets have been lately added, by filling up the canals that formerly ran through them, and are now built up with elegant houses: the parade is very spacious, and is adorned with an equestrian statue of King George II. It hath the largest export in the kingdom, particularly of beef, hides, tallow, butter, fish, and other provisions. It is partly situated on several islands, formed by the river Lee, which are banked and quayed in, somewhat like the towns in Holland; and partly on rising grounds, on the north and south sides of the river. The earl of Marlborough besieged and took it from King James's army in 1690; when the duke of Grafton, who served as a volunteer, was slain in the attack. It contained about 8600 houses, and upwards of 70,000 inhabitants, some years ago; but at present its population is estimated at 90,000. Besides a stately cathedral, built from the foundation, between 1725 and 1735, by the produce of a duty upon coals, as above noticed, it is adorned with several handsome parish churches. It has also an elegant exchange for the merchants, a new and beautiful customhouse, a town-hall, several fine hospitals, and various other public structures. The Cork Institution, lately incorporated by charter, is an association of gentlemen for promoting scientific objects. Here public lectures are delivered on chemistry, agriculture, and botany. The wealth and grandeur of Cork arise from its capacious and commodious haven, where almost any number of ships may lie with ease and safety. Ships from England, bound to all parts of the West Indies, take in here a great part of their provisions; and on the same account the haven of Cork is visited by those also of most other nations. The slaughtering season continues from the month of August to the latter end of January; in which space it has been computed, that they they kill and cure seldom fewer than 100,000 head of black cattle. The rest of their exports consist of butter, candles, hides raw and tanned, linen cloth, pork, calves, lambs, and rabbit skins, tallow, wool for England, linen and woollen yarn, and worsted. The merchants of Cork carry on a very extensive trade to almost all parts of the known world; so that their commerce is annually increasing. Its manufactures consist of sail cloth, sheeting, paper, glass, leather, coarse cloth, and other minor articles. The only thing that seemed to be wanting to the security of the port of Cork was supplied in the earl of Chesterfield's memorable administration, by building a fort on the great island, to command the entrance of the haven. The outlets of Cork are cheerful and pleasant. The country around the city, on both sides of the river, is hilly and picturesque; and the harbour, called the Cove, is one of the best in the world; the entrance is safe, and the whole navy of England might ride in it, secure from every wind that blows. Ships of burden, however, are obliged to unload at Passage, five miles and a half from Cork, the channel not admitting vessels of above 150 tons.

**Corn Jacket or Waistcoat**, is an invention of one Mr Dubourg, a gentleman very fond of swimming, but subject to the cramp, which led him to consider of some method by which he might enjoy his favourite diversion with safety. The waistcoat is composed of four pieces of cork, two for the breasts and two for the back; each pretty near in length and breadth to the quarters of a waistcoat without flaps; the whole is covered with coarse canvas, with two holes to put the arms through; there is a space left between the two back-pieces, and the same betwixt each back and breast-piece, that they may fit the easier to the body. Thus the waistcoat is only open before, and may be fastened on the wearer with strings; or, if it should be thought more secure, with buckles and leather straps. This waistcoat does not weigh above 12 ounces, and may be made up for about five or six shillings expense. Mr Dubourg tried his waistcoat in the Thames, and found that it not only supported him on the water, but that two men could not sink him, though they used their utmost efforts for that purpose. If those who use the sea occasionally, and especially those who are obliged to be almost constantly there, were to have these waistcoats, it would be next to impossible that they should be drowned. It would also be of vast service to those that, for the sake of health, bathe in the sea; and even the most delicate and timorous young lady might by the help of one of these jackets venture into a rough sea. See **Air-Jacket** and **Bamboo-Habit**.

**Cormandel.** See **Coromandel**.

**Cor-mass**, the name of a grand procession, said to have been established at Dunkirk during the dominion of Charles V. and renewed on St John's day, the 24th of June. After the celebration of high mass, the procession, consisting of the several tradesmen of the town, begins. Each person has a burning taper of wax in his hand; and after each company comes a pageant, followed by the patron-saint, usually of solid silver, richly wrought and adorned. The companies are followed by music; and after the musicians, the friars in the habits of their order, the secular priests, and then the abbot magnificently adorned, and preceded by the host. Machines likewise of various fantastic forms and devices, and as variously accoutred, form a part of the show on this occasion; which is described as one of the most superb and magnificent in the world, by an eye-witnesses, in 1755.

**Cormorant**, a corruption of corvorant. See **Pelicanus**, Ornithology Index.

**Corn**, the grain or seeds of plants separated from the spica or ear, and used for making bread.

There are several species of corn, such as wheat, rye, and barley, millet and rice, oats, maize, and lentils, peas, and a number of other kinds; each of which has its usefulness and propriety.

Europe, in every part of it; Egypt, and some other cantons of Africa, particularly the coasts of Barbary; and some parts of America cultivated by the Europeans, particularly New England, New France, and Acadia, are the places which produce corn. Other countries have maize and rice in lieu of it; and some parts of America, both in the islands and continents, simple roots, such as potatoes and mimiac.—Egypt was anciently the most fertile of all other countries in corn; as appears both from sacred and profane history. It furnished a good part of the people subject to the Roman empire, and was called the dry nurse of Rome and Italy. Britain, France, and Poland, seem now in the place of Egypt, and with their superfluities support a good part of Europe.

For the first discovery and culture of corn, authors are much divided; the common opinion is, that in the first ages men lived on the spontaneous fruits of the earth; as acorns, and the nut or mast produced by the beech; which, they say, took its name *figus*, from the Greek *φυγει*, I eat. It is added that they had not either the use of corn, or the art of preparing or making it eatable.

Ceres has the credit of being the first that showed the use of corn, on which account she was placed among the gods; others gave the honour to Triptolemus; others share it between the two, making Ceres the first discoverer, and Triptolemus, the first planter and cultivator of corn. Diodorus Siculus ascribes the whole to Isis; on which Polydore Virgil observes, he does not differ from the rest; Isis and Ceres being in reality the same. The Athenians pretend it was among them the art began; and the Cretans or Candiots, Sicilians, and Egyptians, lay claim to the same. Some think the title of the Sicilians best supported, that being the country of Ceres; and authors add, she did not teach the secret to the Athenians, till she had first instructed her own countrymen. Others say, Ceres passed first into Attica, thence into Crete, and, last of all, into Sicily; many of the learned, however, maintain it was in Egypt the art of cultivating corn first began; and it is certain there was corn in Egypt and the East long before the time of Ceres.

Corn is very different from fruits, with respect to the manner of its preservation; and is capable of being preserved in public granaries, for pressing occasions, and of being kept for several centuries.—A little time after the siege of Metz, under Henry II. of France, in the year 1578, the duc d'Espernon laid up vast stores of corn in the citadel; which was preserved in good plight to the year 1707, when the French king and his retinue, passing that way, ate bread baked thereof.

The chief thing that contributes to the preservation of corn is a crust which forms on its surface, by the germination of the grain next underneath, to the thickness of an inch and a half. On that at Metz people walked, without its giving the least way. At Sedan was a granary cut in a rock, wherein a heap of corn was preserved a hundred and ten years: it was covered with a crust a foot thick.

For the preservation of corn, the first method is to let it remain in the spike; the only expedient for conveying it to the islands and provinces of America. The inhabitants of those countries save it in the ear, and raise it to maturity by that precaution: but this method of preserving it is attended with several inconveniences among us; corn is apt to rot or sprout, if any the least moisture is in the heap; the rats likewise infest it, and our want of straw also obliges us to separate the grain from the ear. The second is to turn out and winnow it frequently; or to pour it through a trough or mill-hopper, from one floor to another; being thus moved and aired every 15 days, for the first 6 months, it will require less labour for the future, if lodged in a dry place: but if, through neglect, mites should be allowed to slide into the heap, they will soon reduce the corn to a heap of dust: this must be avoided by moving the corn anew, and rubbing the places adjacent with oils and herbs, whose strong odour may chase them away; for which garlic and dwarf-elder are very effectual; they may likewise be exposed to the open sun, which immediately kills them. When the corn has been preserved from all impurities for the space of two years, and has exhaled all its fires, it may be kept for 50 or even 100 years, by lodging it in pits covered with strong planks closely joined together; but the safer way is to cover the heap with quicklime, which should be dissolved by sprinkling it over with a small quantity of water; this causes the grains to shoot to the depth of two or three fingers; and incloses them with an incrustation, as above mentioned, through which neither air nor insects can penetrate.

Indian Corn, or Maize. See ZEA, Botany Index.

Corn-Butterfly, method of destroying it. See Agriculture Index.

Corn-Crake. See RALLUS, Ornithology Index.

Corn-Laws, the laws regulating the importation and exportation of corn; for an account of which, and of the trade in corn, see CORN LAWS, Supplement.

Corn-Mill, a water-engine for grinding corn. See Mechanics.