ghly privileged stations, the once
great emporiums of British commerce and maritime greatness; they are
Dover, Hastings, Sandwich, Romney, and Hythe, which, lying opposite to
France, were considered of the utmost importance. To these were
afterwards added Winchelsea, Rye, and Seaford. These places were
honoured with peculiar immunities and privileges, on condition of their
providing a certain number of ships at their own charge for forty days.
Being exempted from the jurisdiction of the Admiralty court, the Lord
Warden of the Cinque Ports is authorized to make rules for the
government of pilots within his jurisdiction, and in many other general
acts exceptions are provided to save the franchises of the Cinque Ports
unimpeached. It is a singular fact that it has never been legally
determined whether the Downs and adjacent roadsteads are included in the
limits of the Cinque Ports. All derelicts found without the limits by
Cinque Port vessels are droits of admiralty. This organization was
nearly broken up in the late state reforms, but the Lord Warden still
possesses some power and jurisdiction.

CIPHERING. A term in carpentry. (_See_ SYPHERED.)

CIRCLE. A plane figure bounded by a line called the circumference,
everywhere equally distant from a point within it, called the centre.

CIRCLE OF PERPETUAL APPARITION. A circle of the heavens parallel to the
equator, and at a distance from the pole of any place equal to the
latitude: within this circle the stars never set.

CIRCLES, GREAT, LESSER, AZIMUTH, VERTICAL (which see).

CIRCLES OF LONGITUDE. These are great circles passing through the poles
of the ecliptic, and so cutting it at right angles.

CIRCULARS. Certain official letters which are sent to several persons,
and convey the same information.

CIRCUMNAVIGATION. The term for making a voyage round the world.

CIRCUMPOLAR. A region which includes that portion of the starry sphere
which remains constantly above the horizon of any place.

CIRCUMVALLATION, LINES OF. Intrenchments thrown up by a besieging army,
outside itself, and round the besieged place, but fronting towards the
country, to prevent interference from outside. This continuous method
has gone out of favour, though some covering works of concentrated
strength are still considered essential.

CIRRIPEDIA. A group of marine animals, allied to the crustacea. They are
free and natatory when young, but in the adult state attached to rocks
or some floating