in Grecian antiquity, the slaves of the Spartans. See HELOS.—The freemen of Sparta were forbidden the exercise of any mean or mechanical employment, and therefore the whole care of supplying the city with necessaries devolved upon the Helots.

**HELSINBURG.** See ELSIMBURG.

**HELSINGIA,** a province of Sweden, bounded on the north by Jemtland and Medelpadina, on the east by the Botanic gulf, and on the south and west by Dalecarlia and Gestricia. It is full of mountains and forests, and the inhabitants are almost constantly employed in hunting and fishing. It has no cities: the principal towns are, Hudwickvald, Alta, and Dilsbo.

**HELSINGIC CHARACTER,** a peculiar kind of character found inscribed on stones in the province of Helsingia. The Runic and Helsingic characters may be easily transformed into each other.

**HELSTON,** a town of Cornwall in England, seated on the river Cober, near its influx into the sea, one of the towns appointed for the coirage of tin, and the place of assembly for the west division of the county. It had formerly a priory and a castle, and sent members to parliament in the reign of Edward I. but was not incorporated till the time of Queen Elizabeth. It was re-incorporated in 1774. A little below the town there is a tolerable good harbour, where several of the tin-ships take in their lading. King John exempted this place from paying toll anywhere but in the city of London. It contained 2297 inhabitants in 1811, and sends two members to parliament.

**HELVELLA,** a genus of the natural order of fungi, belonging to the cryptogamia class of plants. See BOTANY Index.

**HELVETIC,** something that has a relation to the inhabitants of the Swiss cantons, who were anciently called *Helvetii.*—The Helvetic body comprehends the republic of Switzerland, consisting of 13 cantons, which make so many particular commonwealths. By the laws and customs of the Helvetic body, all differences between the several states and republics are to be decided within themselves, without the intervention of any foreign power. The government of this body, before its subjugation to France, was chiefly democratic, with some mixture of the aristocratic.

**HELVETII,** a people of Belgica, in the neighbourhood of the Allobroges and the Provincia Romana; famed for bravery and a turn for war. Called *Civitas Helvetia,* and divided into four pagi or cantons; situated to the south and west of the Rhine, by which they were divided from the Germans; and extending towards Gaul, from which they were separated by Mount Jura on the west, and by the Rhodanus and Lacus Lemanus on the south, and therefore called a Gallic nation (Tacitus, Cæsar, Strabo, Ptolemy, Pliny). Formerly a part of Celtic Gaul, but by Augustus assigned to Belgica.