Homunculus

[Lat., dim. of homo, man.] dwarf; a manikin; a little man. Hon. Abbreviation of Honorable, used as a prefix proper names. to Ho'nan, a central prov. of China; area , 65,104 sq. m.; pop . 23,037,171. Its cap., Kaifung-fu, is situated on the Yellow River, from which it has often suffered, the riverbed being here elevated above the adjacent country. It has been overflowed 19 times. In the reign of Fuhi (2852 в. с.) it was the capital of China. Honawar', a seaport on the W. coast of Hindostan, pres. of Madras, Lat. 14° 17′ N., Lon. 74° 30′ E.; 340 m. S.E. of Bombay. Hon'cut, in California, a post-village of Butte co., on the So. Pacific railroad. Hon'cut Creek, in California, enters the Feather river between Butte and Yuba cos. Hon'da. [Sv. onda .] A town of the Republic of Colombia, on the Magdalen a river, about 55 m. N. W. of Bogota. Pop . (1897) 5,156.-The bay of the same name lies on the N. coast, Lat. 12° 20′ N., Lon. 71° 50 W. Hon'da, a bay on the N. coast of Cuba, about 60 m. W. of Havana. Hon'do Creek, in Texas, enters the Rio Frio in Frio county. Hon'do, (Rio,) or Rio Grande , a river of Yucatan and British Honduras, enters the Caribbean Sea about 25 m. S.E. of Bacalar. Honduras, a republic of Central America, bounded N. and E. by the Bay of Honduras and the Caribbean Sea, S. by the republic of Nicaragua, S.W. by the republic of San Salvador, and N. W. by Guatemala. The republic lies wholly between Lat. 13° 10' and 16° N., and Lon. 83° 11' and 89° 47′ W. Area , 58,168 sq. m. H. is divided into 13 departments, generally named after their capi of Cortes' a ociates in 1523. It joined the republic of Central American States in 1821, and became an inde pendent State in 1839. The present constitution was voted in 1865. The president, Gen. Santos-Guardiola, was a a inated at Comayagua by Pablo Agurcia, com man der of his body-guard, Jan.11,1862. H.united against Guatemala with St. Salvador, under Pres. Carrera, Mar. 3,1863. Owing to military reverses, the president Montes was compelled to take flight, July 26, when José Maria Medina was provisionally elected in his stead. The election was confirmed in Feb., 1864. The president Medina was re-elected in 1869 for a term of 4 years. He was subsequently shot: his succe or, M. A. Soto, was elected in 1876. Polycarpo Bonilla was elected president in 1894. In 1897 H. became a member of the Greater Republic of Central America. Pop . (1897) about 450,000. Honduras, Bay of, a large and commodious bay of Central America, bet. Cape Honduras, Lat. 15° N., and Cape Catoche, in 21° N., at the extreme E. of Yucatan. Honduras (BRITISH). See BELIZE. Hone, n. [Swed. and Goth. hen ; Icel. he in ; probably allied to Gr. akone , a whetstone.] A whetstone; a stone of a fine grit, used for sharpening tools and other instruments. They are usually talcose slate of very close texture, in which the particles of silica are very finely divided and evenly distributed. Turkey oil-stones are said to be the best of all the hones; after these are the Arkansas oil- stones from this country. -v. a. To strap on a hone; to sharpen; as, to hone a razor. Honeoye ( ho - ne - oy ' ), in New York , a post-village of Ontario co., about 25 m. S. of Rochester. Honeoye Falls, in New York , a post-village of Monroe co., on Leh. Val. and 2 other R. R. lines. Pop . (1897) about 1,260. Honeoye Lake, in New York , a small lake in the S. W. part of Ontario co. It covers an area of abt. 5 sq. m. Hones'dale, in Penna ., a post-borough, cap. of Wayne co., 32 m. N. E. of Scranton. Pop . (1897) about 2,900. Hon'est, a. [Fr. honnête , from Lat. honest us- honor , honos, honor. See HONOR.] Full of honor; honorable; reputable; decent; appropriate; suitable. - Creditable; upright; just; fair in dealing with others; disposed to act with fairne ; free from fraud, duplicity, or trickine . "A prince can make make a belted knight... But an honest man's aboon his might." - Burns . -Chaste; virtuous; faithful; pure. "Wives may be merry, and yet honest too." Shaks. -Equitable; fair; just; trustworthy; as, an honest bar gain.-Fair; good; unimpeachable. "An honest tale speeds best, being plainly told." - Shaks. -Candid; unreserved; frank; sincere; invested with truth. "An honest confe ion is good for the soul." - Eng . Proverbs. -Prompted by pure, just, or honorable principles; actuated by sincere, equitable, or impartial views; as, an honest endeavor, an honest motive. Hon'estly, adv . In an honest manner; truthfully; uprightly; fairly; justly; equitably; truly; frankly; as, to act or live honestly. Hon'esty, n. [Fr. honnêteté; Lat. honest as, from honest us -honor , honos , honor.] State or quality of being honest; integrity; uprightne of conduct; fairne of disposition. ( Bot .) See LUNARIA. Hone'-wort, n. ( Bot .) See CRYPΤΟΤΕΝΙΑ. Honey, ( hòn'e,) n. [A. S. hunig ; D. and Ger. honig; Heb. ghoneg , delight.] A fluid, or semi-fluid substance, very similar in its properties to sugar. It is found in large quantities in a number of vegetables, and is col- lected by different kinds of bees from the nectiferous tals, such as Tegucigalpa (cap. of the republic), Comay-glands in the cup or chalice of flowers. H. in the ord i- agua (former capital), Nacaome, Santa Barbara, Gracias, Yoro, Juticalpa, etc. The ports on the Atlantic side are Truxillo, Omoa, and Port Cortes, formerly Caballos. On the Pacific, in the Bay of Fonseca, the republic has two ports, San Lorenzo, and the free port of Amapala, on the island of Tigre, which has a fine anchorage and salu- brio us climate. H. has a coast-line of 400 miles on the Bay of Honduras and the Caribbean Sea, and 60 m. on the Bay of Fonseca, on the Pacific side. The rivers are numerous, and some of them of large size. The Cha- melic on, Ulua, Aguan or Roman, Tinto, Patuca, and Se- govia, falling into the Atlantic, and the Choluteca, Na- caome, and Goascoran, flowing into the Bay of Fonseca, are the principal. In physical character, climate, pro- duction and political institutions, H. resembles GUATE- MALA, q. v. The foreign trade is carried on chiefly with the U. States, Great Britain, and Spain. The population is mostly Indian. The eastern portion of the State is al- most exclusively occupied by independent tribes, known under the general names of Xicaques and Payas . Por- tions of these have accepted the Roman Catholic faith, nary sense of the word, however, cannot be called a purely vegetable production, for, after it is collected by the proboscis of the insect, it is transmitted to the sucking-stomach, or honey-bag, where it is elaborated, and afterwards disgorged, to be deposited in the cell of the honeycomb. When the bees are very young, the honey undergoes le change and remains nearly white; in this state it is called virgin honey. At all times it partakes of the qualities of the plant from which it has been derived. Hence, some varieties of honey obtained from the azalea, rhododendron, ., are poisonous. The most wholesome kinds are derived from the genus Erica , called heather-honey, and from most labiate plants. H. differs much in color and consistence; it contains a considerable quantity of saccharine matter, and some muci. lage, from which it derives its softne and viscosity. It ferments very readily, and yields a strong vinous liquor called mead . There are two varieties of H. , one yellow, transparent, and of the consistence of turpentine; the other white, and capable of a uming the solid form, and of concreting into regular spheres. These two and live in good understanding with their white neigh-species are often united, and may be separated by means bors. The coast around Car a task a lagoon, and near Cape Gracias, was for many years occupied by a mixed race of negroes and Indians, best known as Sambos or Sambo Mosquitos , corresponding generally with the people of the Mosquito coast. But of late years they have been gradually crowded out by the more vigorous race of the Caribs, descendants of the Cauls of San Vincent, one of the Leeward Islands, who were deported by the English, to the number of 5,000, and landed on the island of Ruatan, in 1796. They are now estimated to number about 30,000. They are industrious, active, and provident; a portion of them have a mixture of negro blood, and are hence called the black Caribs. They still retain their native language, which is the true Carib of the islands, although most, if not all of them, speak Spanish, as well as a little English. They profe the Catholic religion, but they are polygamists, and retain many of their native rites and superstitions. - Hist . H., discovered by Columbus in 1502, was conquered by one of alcohol, which di olves the liquid H. much more rapidly than the solid. H. is the production of most countries, but is more particularly abundant in the island of Candia, and in the greater part of the islands of the Archipelago. The H. of Sicily appears to be particularly high-flavored, and in some parts of the island to surpa even that of Minorca, owing, no doubt, to the quantity of aromatic plants which overspread that part of the country. This H. is gathered three times in the year, -in July, August, and October. It is found by the peasants in the hollows of trees and rocks. The country of the le er Hybla is now, as of old, chiefly celebrated for its honey. H. is much used in making preserves and confectionery; and, in its natural state, to put on bread. It is also used as a demulcent med i cine against hoarsene , catarrh, .; and externally to promote suppuration. In its clarified state, it is used to sweeten certain medicines. It is more aperient and detergent than sugar, and is particularly serviceable in LONICERA. H. was one of the first articles of human nourishment. The deities of ancient Greece were supposed to live on milk and H. Aristotle, and several other learned writers, and probably the ancients generally, did not know where H. originally came from; they imagined that it fell from heaven like rain. Pliny was unable to decide whether it descended from the heavens generally or from the stars, or was a juice formed by the purification of the air, and afterwards collected by bees. In all the works of the ancients, much importance is attached to H. and the care of bees. Bee-keeping is a branch of agriculture of great importance in some of our States, but as few bee-keepers keep an account of the product of their hives, the returns of the yield of honey are very imperfect. The average yield of H. throughout the U. States is 22-8 pounds per hive. The average price is 20 to 25 cents per pound. See BEE. -Anything sweet or luscious, like honey. "Matter...that forever mars the honey of his language." Shaks. -Sweet one; my precious darling; dear one; - a word of tenderne . (Of common use among the Irish.) "Ah, Katie, my honey, your eyes me bewilder." - Mangan . Honey, v. n. To talk fondly or soothingly; to ply with endearments or soft language; to flatter; to fawn; to coax. "Honeying and making love over the nasty sty." - Shake. -v. a. To sweeten, as with honey; to make agreeable. "Honeyed lines of rhyme." - Byron.