G1LOLO, or HALMAHERA, one of the Spice Islands, is a large and singularly shaped island, which divides the In dian Ocean from the Great Soutt, Sea to the east. It is composed of four peninsulas, separ4ted from each other by deep bays. The equator passes thro'igh the island, and a meridian 126° east of Greenwich. Its breadth is about 30 miles, and its length 220. The western side of the island is nearly straight, and the peninsulas extend to wards the east.
The principal towns in the island, are Ossa, Maba, Pa tany, and Weda ; but they are little known, as they are sel dom visited by Europeans. There is a fine watering place 'n the south side of the Bay of Ossa, where vessels may procure water and refreshments ; and on some of the islands excellent timber for spars may be obtained.
Gilolo is naturally fertile. It abounds with bullocks, buffaloes, goats, deers, and wild hogs. The latter frequent the places where the sago trees have been cut, and get very fat upon the remains of it. The inhabitants subsist chiefly on the sago tree. It is a long tube of hard wood, about two inches in diameter, containing a pulp mixed with longitudinal fibres. The sago flower is procured from this pith, and large quantities of it may he obtained here at a very reasonable rate.
The inhabitants carry on a considerable trade in their proas with Amboyna and the adjacent islands. They im port cutlery, scarlet cloth, china ware, gold lace, iron in bars, opium, piece goods, and steel; and for these they exchange mats, nutmegs, mace, cloves, beech de birds nests, pearl shells, seed pearl, and tortoise shell.
The Dutch were formerly masters of this island, but it is now in the possession of independent rajahs. See Fo rest's Voyage ; Hamilton's East India Gazetteer ; and Milburn's Oriental Commerce.
GlLSLAND, is a watering-place in Cumberland, much resorted to in the summer season, chiefly on account of its sulphureous mineral waters. It is situated on a steep bank of the river Irthing, about two miles north of the road lead ing from Carlisle to Newcastle, and is about eighteen miles distant from the former place. The water issues out of a thin bed of argillaceous shiver, reposing on a stratum of indurated argil, through a small leaden pipe, at the rate of about two gallons and a half per minute. It exhales a strong sulphureous odour, which may often be distinctly perceived at the distance of forty or fifty yards. When first drawn from the spring, it is transparent and colour less, but becomes turbid on exposure to the air, and gradu ally loses its fcetid smell. As the properties of these waters were till late years but little known, Dr Garnet, formerly professor of natural philosophy and chemistry in the Royal Institution, undertook a series of experiments, of which the following were the principal results: A solution of acetite of lead, dropped into the water, produced a very copious brown precipitate, which afterwards changed to black. A similar change was produced in it by nitrate of
silver. An infusion of litmus was converted into a red. Polished plates of silver or lead, immersed in the water, soon became tarnished, and lost their metallic lustre. Mu riate of barytes, oxalic acid, and tincture of galls, produced no apparent change. When the gaseous products were expelled by boiling for about ten minutes, acetate of lead and nitrate of silver produced a white precipitate, but mu riate of barytes and oxalic acid no effect. A wine gallon of this water evaporated slowly, yielded four grains of mu riate of soda. From these experiments it is evident, that this water is impregnated with sulphuretted hydrogen, and carbonic acid gas in combination with muriate of soda. In respect of chemical composition, therefore, it has a striking resemblance to the sulphureous waters of Moffat. Besides these saline and gaseous ingredients, the Gilsland waters, like those of Buxton and Harrowgate, contain a consider able portion of nitrogen or azotic gas. A wine gallon, English measure, of the Gilsland waters, yielded four grains of solid matter, and twenty-five cubic inches of elastic fluids, viz.
Gilsland has been long celebrated in the northern coun ties of England as a place of fashionable resort, and for the efficacy of its sulphureous waters in the cure of certain nervous and bilious complaints, in diseases of the digestive organs, dyspreda, hypochondriasis, and also in scrofulous affections. Taken internally, in closes of from half a pint to two or three quarts (English measure) in the morning, it generally acts very powerfully as a diuretic, increases the cuticular discharge, and, from the moderate stimulus of the carbonic acid, increases the appetite, and promotes digestion. But these waters often produce a degree of constipation which ought to be carefully obviated, other wise a disagreeable giddiness and head-ache conies on. Externally applied in the form of warm bath, it has been employed with considerable advantage in herpetic erup tions; and particularly in those morbid derangements of the dermoid texture, psoriasis, and lepra, which are refer red by Dr Willan to the order Squamx, in his admirable treatise on cutaneous diseases. Locally applied, it is also used to remove contractions and pains in the joints from strains or hard glandular tumours, and is a valuable re medy in chronic rheumatism. Though the sulphureous water is resorted to and chiefly drank at Gilsland, there is a fine chalybeate, situated on a moor, at no great distance from the former spring. The water sparkles when pour ed into a glass, has a strong styptic taste, and deposits a copious yellow sediment. A wine gallon of this chalybeate, according to Dr Garnet, contains From this analysis, it would appear that this mineral water, if properly administered, might prove a useful re medy in all cases where chalybeates are indicated. (a. s.)