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CO WES COWHAGE 441 the university of Cambridge, where he subse- quently became fellow, professor of civil law, and master of Trinity hall. In 1607 he com- piled a law dictionary, styled "The Interpre- ter ; " and for the opinions expressed in this work, maintaining that a British monarch might make laws without the consent of parliament, he was prosecuted before the house of com- mons by Sir Edward Coke, and saved from imprisonment by the interposition of James I. Besides the above named work, Cowell wrote "Institutes of the Laws of England." COWES, a seaport town and watering place of the Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England, situ- ated at the mouth of the river Medina, which Cowes. flows into the Solent channel nearly opposite the estuary called Southampton water, 11 id. S. S. E. of Southampton ; pop. in 1871, 11,126. It is built on both banks of the river, the two parts being distinguished! as East and West Cowes. It has a number of good hotels and lodging houses for summer visitors, a botanical garden, custom house, assembly room, town hall, mechanics' institute, and seven places of worship. The parish church of Northwood is an ancient edifice, with a handsome tower and spire built in 1864. The castle stands at the N extremity of the parade, and is used by the royal yacht squadron as their club house. The streets are steep, narrow, and in many quar- ters disfigured by old and wretched dwellings. Its beautiful scenery, good situation, and facili- ties for sea bathing at a fine beach very near the town, render it one of the most popular bathing places in England. The harbor is excellent, and there is constant steam communication with Portsmouth, Southampton, &c. A brisk trade is carried on in provisions and other ma- rine stores; wheat, flour, malt, barley, wool, and salt are largely exported to France, Spain, Portugal, and the Mediterranean. In 1864 a public walk, about 1,100 ft. long, was laid out along the shore, and from 1866 to 1868 a pier for steamers 310 ft. long was built. Osborno house, the marine villa of Queen Victoria, is in the vicinity. COWETA, a N. W. county of Georgia, bounded N. W. by the Chattahoochee, and E. by Line creek; area, 378 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 15,875, of whom 8,019 were colored. It has an un- even surface and a fertile soil, most of which consists of a sandy loam. Oak, hickory, and pine are the principal timber. A gold mine was formerly worked here. The Atlanta and West Point, and the Savannah, Griffin, and North Alabama railroads traverse it. The chief productions in 1870 were 37,131 bushels of wheat, 224,070 of In- dian corn, 26,586 of oats, 19,828 of sweet potatoes, 64,933 Ibs. of butter, and 9,793 bales of cotton. There were 861 horses, 1,477 mules and asses, 2,025 milch cows, 3,245 other cattle, 2,546 sheep, and 8,153 swine ; 3 saw mills, 1 cotton and 1 car factory. Capital, Newnan. COWETAS. See CREEKS. COWHAGE, or Cow- itch (mucuna pruriens ; called also dolichos, stizo- lobium, and negretia pru- riens), a perennial climb- ing leguminous plant, which grows in the West Indies and other parts of tropical America. Its pod is imported for the sake of its stiff bristly hairs, which are used in medicine. They are sharp, penetra- ting spiculge, which produce an intense itching Cowhage. sensation when handled. In the West Indies they were long since found to possess valuable