Encyclopaedia Americana: a popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, brought down to the present time : including a copious collection of original articles in American biography : on the basis of the seventh edition of the German Conversations-Lexicon (Volume 13).
- Date:
- 1830-33
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Encyclopaedia Americana: a popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, brought down to the present time : including a copious collection of original articles in American biography : on the basis of the seventh edition of the German Conversations-Lexicon (Volume 13). Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)
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![in all parts of the globe. It grows on the margin of clear streams, or even partly immersed in the water. The stem is de- cumbent at the base, upright, and some- what branching above, and a foot or more in length. The leaves aie smooth and pinnatifid, with the lobes more or less sinuate on the margin, and the terminal one always largest. The flowers are small and white. The plant is employed in medicine, as an antiscorbutic. Great quantities ai-e also consumed as salad in Paris, and other cities of the north of Eu- rope ; and it is now cultivated, to a con- siderable extent, in many places. In the bed of a clear stream, the plants are in- serted in rows in the direction of the cur- rent ; and all that is necessaiy is to take up and replant occasionally, to keep them free from mud, or any accumulation of foreign matter, and to see that other plants do not find their way into the plantation. In the U. States, the cardamine Pennsyl- vanica takes the place of the water-cress, resembles it in appearance, grows in like situations, and possesses similar proper- ties ; but we are not aware that it is ever employed for the table. Water-Lily {nymph(Ba); a beautiful genus of aquatic plants, the greatest orna- ment of our lakes and slow-moving waters. Their roots are large and fleshy, often creeping horizontally at tlie bottom of the water. The leaves are rounded and heart- shaped, supported on a stalk so long as to permit them to float on the surface. The flowers arc large, and contain numerous petals, so as to appear double. In the morning, they raise themselves out of the water to expand, and close again, repos- ing upon the surface, in the afternoon. In the species which inhabits the U. States, the flowers are brilliant white, sometimes with a tinge of red, and difluse a most delightful fragrance. The celebrated lotus (q. V.) of Egypt (JV. lotus) has flowers of a pink color, and tlie margin of the leaves toothed. It grows in vast quantities in the plains of Lower Egypt, near Cairo, at the time they are under water. The roots are oblong, tuberous, as large as an egg, blackish externally, and yellow within, and arc eaten cooked in various manners. The seeds are also used in some districts to make a sort of bread. This custom existed in the time of Herodotus and The- ophrastus.—The yellow water-lilies arc now separated from the genus, under the name ofnuphar. They are much less or- namental than the preceding, and differ essentiailv in tiie form of the flower. Water-Melon. (See Melon.) Water-Snake. (See Serpent.) Waterford; a city and seaport of Ireland, and chief town of the county of Waterford, on the river Suir. This city employs many vessels in the Newfound- land trade, whence they sail to the West Indies, and return with the productions of these islands. The harbor is deep and spacious, and protected by a fort. The quay, about half a mile long, is considered the most beautiful in Europe. A fine wooden bridge has been erected here, to facilitate communication with the coun- ties of Wexford and Kilkenny. The pop- ulation of Waterford, including the sub- urbs, is 28,677, which is some thousands less than it was estimated nearly forty years ago. Ninety-four miles south-west of Dublin. By the rcfoi-m act of 1832, it is entitled to return two members to the imperial parliament, to which it previous- ly returned but one. Waterlanders. (See Anabaptists.) Waterloo ; a Belgic village, on the road from Charleroi to Brussels, about ten miles from tlie latter city, at the en- trance of the forest of Soignies. A short distance from this village, occurred, June 18, 1815, the memorable battle to which Wellington gave the name of his head- quarters, Waterloo; Bliicher that of the turning point of the contest, Belle Alliance; and the French that of the chief point of their attack, St. Jean. After the engage- ment at Quatre Bras (q. v.), and in con- sequence of the battle of Ligny, Welling- ton had retired to the forest of Soignies, and, June 17, occupied an advantageous ])osition on the heights extending from the little town of Braine la Leud to Ohain. Bliicher having promised to support him with all his army, he here resolved to risk a batde. The British army was di- vided into two lines. The right of the -first line consisted of the second and fourth English divisions, the third and sixth Hanoverians, and the first corps of Belgians, under lord Ilill. The centre was composed of tlie corps of the prince of Orange, with the Brunswickers and troops of Nassau, having the guards, under general Cocke, on the right, and tl:e division of general Alten on the left. The left wing consisted of the divisions of Picton, Lambert and Kempt. The second line was, in most instances, formed of the troops deemed least worthy of confi- dence, or which had suffered too severely, in the action of the seventeenth, to be again exposed until necessary. It was placed behind the declivity of the heights to the rear, in order to be sheltered from](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21136828_0095.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
