both. It is about ninety miles in circumference, and has several fine islands. Its waters are remarkably transparent. Lat. 42 52 N.; lon. 82° 25′ W. ST. CYR. (See Cyr.) ST. DOMINGO. (See Hayti.) ST. ELIAS; a mountain on the western coast of North America, situated about twenty-five miles from the Pacific ocean, in lat. 60° 27' N., lon. 140° 51′ W. It rises 17,850 feet above the ocean, and stands so separate from other mountains as to be a very important landmark. Its top is always covered with snow. This is the most elevated summit of what is sometimes called the Cordillera of New Norfolk, and is one of the highest mountains in North America. ST. EVREMOND. (See Erremond.) ST. FRANCIS; a river which rises in Missouri, and flows into the Mississippi in Arkansas, lat. 34° 45 N. It is a large river, and was formerly navigable 300 miles for large keel boats; but the earthquakes of 1811-12 raised its channel so much, and so irregularly, as to cause the waters to overflow the banks, and form a vast number of lakes and irreclaimable swamps along its former course. At high water, this river is still navigable about 200 miles; and there are several considerable settlements about seventy miles from its mouth. A great deal of land on its banks is fertile; its waters abound with excellent fish; and the forests through which it flows afford abundance of the finest game. ST. GALL (in German, Sanct Gallen); a canton of Switzerland, in the north-west part of the confederacy, bounded north by the lake Constance, east by Tyrol, south by the cantons of Schweitz and Glarus, and west by that of Thurgau; square miles 2100; population 140,000, of whom rather more than one half are Catholics. The manufactures of this canton, principally of linen and muslins, are extensive, and furnish the chief occupation of the inhabitants, St. Gall is formed from the estates of the rich Benedictine monastery of the same name, which were secularized by the French, and was admitted into the confederacy in 1803. The constitution is aristoeratical, the government being conducted by a great council of one hundred and fifty members, and an executive council of thirteen, composed of members of the former. The canton sends a member to the federal diet. In 1830, St. Gall was the theatre of revolutionary movements, which were quieted by seasonable concessions. (Me Switzerland.) The capital, St. Gall, with a population of 9000, is distinguished by the manufacturing and commercial activity of the inhabitants. It contains the old Benedictine abbey, has two libraries rich in manuscripts, and some learned societies. ST. GEORGE'S BANK; a fishing bank off the coast of Massachusetts, east of cape Cod. ST. GERMAIN. (See Germain.) ST. JOHN. (See Bolingbroke.) ST. JOHN'S BREAD, or CAROB-TREE (ceratonia siliqua); a middling sized tree, with tortuous branches, which grows wild in the countries about the Mediterranean, and particularly abounds in Barbary and Egypt. It belongs to the leguminosa, and is allied to the locust. The flowers are diœcious, small, inconspicuous, and disposed in spikes; they are succeeded by long, indehiscent, thick pods, pulpy internally, and divided by several transverse partitions. The Moors make great use of the pods as an article of food, and they have a sweetish and very agreeable flavor. It is the only species of the genus. ST. JOHN'S WORT (hypericum perforatum). This plant is abundantly naturalized in the U. States. The stem is straight, one or two feet high, bearing oblong and obtuse leaves, with semi-transparent dots. The flowers are in a terminal corymb, and of a bright yellow color. It formerly enjoyed a high repute for medicinal purposes, but is now entirely out of use. The flowers communicate a fine purple color to spirits and oils; and the dried plant, boiled with alum, dyes wool yellow. It formerly enjoyed much celebrity among the superstitious, as a charm against witchcraft, &c. The species of hypericum are numerous in the U. States. They are herbaceous or shrubby, with opposite entire and dotted leaves, and are rendered conspicuous by the fine golden yellow of the flowers. ST. LOUIS. (See Louis, St.) ST. MARIA DE PUERTO PRINCIPE; a city of Cuba, capital of the department of the Centre, on the northern coast of the island, 300 miles south-east of Havana. It has a good harbor, and contains several hospitals. The population of the city and precincts is 49,012, consisting of 32,996 whites, 6165 free persons of color, and 9851 slaves. Lat. 21° 20′ N.; lon. 77° 45′ W. ST. MARY'S RIVER, and ST. MARY'S FALLS. (See Mary's River, St.) ST. PELAGIE. (See Paris.) ST. PETER'S RIVER. (See Peter's River.) historian, born at Chamberry in 1639, studied with the Jesuits at Paris, where his talents and learning gained him friends. He accompanied the duchess of Mazarin to England, and afterwards resided again in Paris, assuming the title of abbé, although without having any benefice. His writings involved him in a controversy with Arnaud, who accused him of Socinianism. He died in 1692. His principal works are his Discours sur la Valeur; his Sept Discours sur l'Usage de l'Histoire; and his Histoire de la Conjuration des Espagnols contre la République de Venise, which partakes of the romantic, and is by no means equal, in point of style, to his model, Sallust. His Don Carlos is well written, but is likewise of a romantic character: his translation of Cicero's letters to Atticus is of less merit. A complete edition of his works was edited by Perau in 1757 (8 vols., 12mo.). ST. SALVADOR. (See Bahia.) ST. SALVADOR. (See Cat Island.) ST. SEBASTIAN. (See Rio Janeiro.) ST. SIMON. (See Simon, St.) ST. THOMAS, CHRISTIANS OF. (See Christians of St. Thomas.) SAINTONGE; formerly a province in the west of France, bounded by the Atlantic, Poitou, Guienne, and Angoumois. It belonged to the English from the time of Henry II, until it was conquered by Charles V. It now forms the department of the Lower Charente. The capital, Saintes, with 10,300 inhabitants, contains some fine remnants of ancient architecture. SAKER; a name formerly used for a small species of cannon. (See Cannon.) SAKHARA; the necropolis of ancient Memphis (q. v.), from whose ruins it is about two miles distant, on the edge of the Libyan desert. It is remarkable for its ancient monuments, among which are thirty pyramids, besides the ruins of a great number, and numberless grottoes, sarcophagi, the ibis-catacombs, &c. SALACINE. M. Leroux, a Frenchman, extracted this principle from willow bark, and presented a memoir on it to the French academy in 1830. He recommends it as a febrifuge instead of quinine, and cases of cures with it have since been reported. Salacine (thus called by M. Leroux) is in the form of very fine nacreous white crystals, very soluble in water and alcohol, but not in ether. It is in a high degree bitter. The process of preparing it Messrs. Gay-Lussac and Magendie reported very favorably on this memoir to the academy. may be found in the National Gazette (Philadelphia) of January 18, 1831. SALADIN. (See Salaheddin.) SALAHEDDIN YUSEPH BEN AYUB, usually called Saladin, a celebrated sultan of Egypt and Syria, was born, in the year 1137, in the castle of Tecnib, of which his father, a native of Curdistan, was governor. In 1168, he was chosen to succeed his uncle Siracouh in the command of the armies of the Fatimite caliph Adhed, or rather of the sultan Noureddin, his immediate superior. He terminated the dynasty of the Fatimite caliphs of Egypt (1171), at the command of Noureddin, and subsequently endeavored to supersede the minor son of Noureddin himself, but did not succeed until after his death (1174), when he was recognised sultan of Syria and Egypt by the caliph of Bagdat. The great object both of his religion and his politics was now to expel the Christians from Palestine, and to recover the city of Jerusalem. An atrocious massacre of Mohammedan pilgrims by the French lord du Chatillon, added still more to his ardor; and his vow of revenge against the perpetrator he was enabled to make good by his famous victory on the plain of Tiberias, in 1187, where he captured Guy de Lusignan with the chieftain Chatillon (whom he cut down after the battle with his own scimetar), and many more. The fruits of this victory were the towns of Acre, Said, and Barout; after which he laid siege to Jerusalem, which yielded (1187), in a capitulation, to the articles of which Saladin faithfully adhered. He then proceeded against Tyre, but failed, in consequence of the destruction of his fleet by the Franks. The intelligence of the loss of Jerusalem, reaching Europe, produced the crusade under the emperor Frederic Barbarossa (see Frederic), whose death inspired the Mussulman with hopes which were soon damped by the arrival of the forces of Richard Coeur-de-Lion of England, and of Philip Augustus of France. The recovery of Acre by the two kings took place in 1191; upon which event Philip returned to France, and Richard, after twice defeating the sultan, took Cæsarea and Jaffa, and spread alarm as far as Jerusalem. At length a truce was concluded between Richard and Saladin, by the terms of which the coast from Jaffa to Tyre was ceded to the Christians, whilst the rest of Palestine remained to the sultan. The departure of Richard freed Saladin from his most formidable foe. This active and able prince soon after died at Damascus (in 1193), in the fif ty-sixth year of his age. Though chargeable with unjustifiable means of acquiring power, Saladin employed it, when obtained, usefully for his subjects, whose burdens he lightened, whilst he benefited them by many useful works and establishments. Magnificent in his public undertakings, he was frugal in his personal expenses. In religion he was zealous for his creed almost to fanaticism, but faithful to his engagements. A lasting proof of the terror which his name inspired, was given by the Saladin Tenth, imposed by the authority of pope Innocent X on clergy and laity, for the support of the holy war. Saladin left a family of seventeen sons and one daughter, and was the founder of the dynasty of the Ayoubites. SALAMANCA; capital of a province of Spain, in the southern part of the kingdom of Leon. It is in a picturesque and agreeable situation on the Tormes, which is here crossed by a stone bridge, half of which is of Roman workmanship; lat. 41°5' N.; lon. 510 W.; one hundred and twelve miles north-west of Madrid; population, 13,920, exclusive of the students and religious, It is badly built, with narrow, crooked and dirty streets, but has some handsome squares, f which the Plaza Mayor, where bull-fights are exhibited in June, is one of the finest in Spain. There are here twenty-five parish churches and thirtyseven convents. The numerous churches, with their works of sculpture and painting, are described in Pouz's Viage de España. The cathedral is a magniticent Gothic edifice, begun in 1513, and completed in 1734: it presents great inequalities and disproportions. The old church, built in the twelfth century, has several interesting monuments; and in a chapel belonging to it, the mass is said according to the Mozarabic manner. The Jesuits' college, built in 1614, is one of the most splendid which the order possessed in Spain, and, since their abolition in 1798, it has been, in part, occupied as a theological seminary. The university buildings consist of two divisions separated by a street, the escuelas menores, and the university, properly so called, or escudas mayores, in which are the theological, law, medical, philosophical, philological, &c., leetture rooms. The university was founded in the thirteenth century, by Alphonso IX of Leon; and, in 1230, Ferdihand III muited with it the Castilian university of Palencia. (See Davila's Historia de Salamance.) Its reputation extended through Evrope, and, at the end of the sixteenth century, it had, according to Medina (Grandezas de España), 7000 students; but, with the decline of literature in Spain, in the seventeenth century, it sank to a very low condition. According to Hassel, the number of students, i 1827, was but 418. There are also some other institutions for education at Salmanca. The banks of the Tormes, ani the country to the west of Salamanca, were the scene of an engagement between the British under Wellington, avi the French under Marmont, July 22, 1812. The French had abandoned the place, on the first attack by the allied Portuguese and English forces, June 16. Meanwhile, Marmont, having received reinforcements, advanced against the English; and, after various movements, the object of which was to cut them off from Ciudad Rodrigo and Salamanca, the battle took place in the narrow space on the Tormes. The French commander had formed his plan of attack judiciously, bu” incautiously extended his left wing too much-an error of which Wellingto promptly took advantage. Marmont hìn.self was so severely wounded, that general Clausel took the command, and prevented the total ruin of the army. Th French forces retreated to Burgos, ani their communication with the body of troops under Joseph Bonaparte, in the centre of Spain, was cut off. z SALAMANDER (salamandra); a genus of reptiles closely allied to the frog, from which it differs in having an elongate! body, terminated by a tail, and four feet of equal length. There are no gills in the adıd: animal, and the tympanum is also wanting. The jaws are armed with numerous small teeth; and there are two longitudina rows on the palate. The third eyelid wanting. Together with the frog, this g mus is included under the order batra-1, and is easily distinguished from the ands by having no nails on the toes, a naked skin destitute of scales, and a heart with a single auricle. The young ar born in the shape of tadpoles, are previded with gills, and have their tails vertically compressed. The land salamande, inhabit the water only during the tadpo’» state, or during the time that they are laying their eggs; they are distinguished by a rounded tail. The aquatic species r main during life in water, and are enab}'--1 to swim with considerable briskness by means of their compressed tails: sometimes, however, they quit the water a night, and, when unable to regain it, hav been found in simi'ar situations with th terrestrial species. They are en low with an astonishing power of reproduction; and, when mutilated, their limbs, tail, and even their eyes, are restored at the end of two, three or six months, in warm climates, or a longer period in cold ones; and no difference of organization can be discovered on dissection. They may be suffocated in the same manner as frogs, by forcibly holding open the mouth. The common salamander of Europe (S. vulgaris) has been celebrated from antiquity for its supposed power of braving the fiery element. It is almost unnecessary to observe that this quality has been attributed to it without the slightest foundation: still the belief is not entirely eradicated among the common people, and the salamander continues to be an object of superstition in the eyes of many. It is a sluggish, clumsy reptile, six or eight inches long, of a blackish color, with large, irregular, rounded spots of bright yellow. It is found throughout Europe in moist places, under stones or the roots of trees, near the borders of springs, in deep woods, &c., and passes its life under ground, except during rains or at night, when it comes out, but does not wander far from its place of residence. It lives on slugs, insects, worms, &c., and, when met with, seems stupid, and does not appear to shun the presence of man or other animals. The skin exudes a mucous and acrid secretion in great abundance. It is ovoviviparous. It would seem that the U. States produce a greater variety of salamanders than any other part of the globe. Our species are, however, far from being well understood; and probably more remain to be discovered. What we know of them is chiefly contained in the Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. We shall particularize the following, among the land salamanders: S. subviolacea; a large, stout species, seven inches or more in length; blackish, with two rows of large, round, whitish spots on the back, becoming single on the tail; a few similar spots on the legs. It resembles the common salamander of Europe.-S. faciata; green; less than the preceding; blackish, with transverse bluish-white bands on the back; found from New Jersey to South Carolina, but rare.-S. glufinosa; green; a more slender species, with the tail nearly twice the length of the body; blackish, sprinkled on the upper parts of the body with white specks; length about six inches. It is found in most parts of the U. States, and as far north as lat. 43°.-S. longicauda; green; whitish, with numerous black specks; the tail longer in proportion than in any other species; total length six inches. It is found in the Atlantic states, but is more frequently met with in the limestone caves of the west.-S. bilineata; green; a small, slender species; above brown, beneath yellow, with two, or sometimes three, indistinct black lines; the tail is longer than the body, and compressed towards the extremity. It inhabits New England and the Middle States, and seems to be more brisk and lively in its motions than the other terrestrial species.-S. cirrigera; green; a species somewhat resembling the preceding in the distribution of its colors, but remarkable for having two short, fleshy cirri on the snout. It was found in the vicinity of New Orleans.-S. erythronota (the most common species); blackish, with a broad red stripe on the back. The young are destitute of the red stripe, and in some full grown individuals a small portion only is observable, or it is even entirely wanting.-S. symmetrica (Harlan); reddish, with a row of bright orange ocellated spots on each side; length about three inches. The skin of this animal is rough, and apparently destitute of the mucous secretion common to the other species; the back is elevated, and the tail somewhat compressed. An aquatic species, resembling it precisely, except in having the color of the back browner, and the tail much more compressed, is frequently met with; and perhaps the difference is only sexual-one of our more common species.-Among the aquatic salamanders we shall particularize, S. dorsalis (Harlan); resembling the preceding in size and the general distribution of the colors; but the ocelli are irregularly elongated, and sometimes form an almost continuous line; and there is a pale line on the back: the skin is smooth; the tail very much compressed, forming a distinct edge above and below; inhabits South Carolina.-S. maculata; green; a stout species; whitish, with numerous round specks of a reddish brown color; tail about as long as the body, and slightly compressed; grows to the length of five inches or more.-S. ingens; green; by far the largest species hitherto known; nearly a foot in length. It was discovered in the vicinity of New Orleans.-This is perhaps the most appropriate place to speak of several very singular North American animals, allied to the salamander:-Menopoma Alleghaniensis; an animal of disgusting appearance, with a broad, flattened head, bearing a general resemblance to a salamander, but much larger than any except the S. ingens. It appears to be destitute of gills at all periods of its existence. It is found in the Ohio and other western rivers, and is commonly called ground-puppet, mud-devil, young alligator, &c.-Menobranchus lateralis resembles the preceding in form, but the gills persist during life; an indistinct blackish band on each side. It attains the length of one or two feet, lives in the water, and is very voracious. It is found in the Ohio and the lakes.-Siren lacertina; an eel-shaped animal, having external gills, and two small feet, situated at the anterior part of the body. It conceals itself in the mud, but occasionally visits both land and water. It inhabits the Southern States. Two other species of siren are found in the same districts.-Amphiuma means; likewise an eel-shaped animal, but it has four very small rudimentary feet, which have two toes each. It burrows in the mud, in swamps, or in the vicinity of streams, and occasionally visits the dry land. It grows to the length of three feet, and is found in the Southern States. A second species, a tridactyla, distinguished from the former by having three toes on each foot, has been discovered in Arkan sas. SALAMANDER. Gnome.) SALAMIS (now Colouri); an island (area, 80 square miles) on the eastern coast of Greece, in the gulf of Argolis, separated from Attica by a narrow channel, about half a mile wide. It is celebrated for the naval victory gained by the Greeks over the Persians (B. C. 480). (See Themistocles, and the article Navy.) SAL AMMONIAC. (See Ammonia.) SALANGANE, OF HIRUNDO ESCULENTA. (See Birds' Nests.) SALEM. (See Jerusalem.) SALEM, a seaport, and the capital of Essex county, Massachusetts, is chiefly built on a tongue of land, formed by two inlets from the sea, called North and South rivers, over the former of which is a bridge more than 1500 feet in length, connecting Salem with Beverly; and the South river forms the harbor. Salem is 14 miles north-east from Boston, 24 south of Newburyport, 450 from Washington; lat. 42° 34' N.; lon. 70° 54' W.; population in 1820, 12,731; in 1830, 13,886. This town is the second in Massachusetts in respect to population, and probably in respect also to wealth; but New Bedford now surpasses it in its amount of shipping, and Lowell and some other towns greatly exceed it in manufactures. The trade of Salem is principally with the East Indies, and it employs a very large capital. In 1818, the number of vessels employed in this trade was fifty-three, carrying 14,272 tons. The harbor of Salem has good anchorage; but vessels drawing more than twelve feet of water usually lighten their cargoes at some distance from the wharves. The situation of the town is low, but pleasant and healthy. It is well built, and many of the houses have pleasant yards and gardens. The houses which have been erected within thirty years are principally of brick, and many of them are large and elegant. The town exhibits little of the bustle of business, but has the appearance of order, neatness, and the quiet enjoyment of domestic comforts. It contains a court-house, a jail, an alms-house, a market-house, an East India marine museum, and a lyceum. It has eight banks, with a total capital of $1,850,000; five insurance companies. total capital $850,000; and one mutual insurance company, and an institution for savings. There are two libraries; an athenæum containing 6000 volumes. and a mechanics' library containing 1200 volumes. Three semi-weekly and two weekly papers are published. There are two white lead factories, sixteen tanneries, eleven rope and twine factories, and a chemical laboratory. The houses for worship are, three for Calvinists, four for Unitarians, two for Baptists, and one each for Episcopalians, Methodists, Christians, Roman Catholics, Friends and Universalists, making fifteen in the whole. There are eight schools exclusively for boys, consisting of a Latin grammar school, an English high school, and six English grammar schools. There are two English grammar schools for girls, and eight primary schools, which are attended by children of both sexes. There are also two infant schools, one private, the other supported by charity; a proprietors' school for young ladies; the Salem classical school; and many others. This statement indicates, what is really true, that the people of Salem pay great attention to the education of their chil dren. No child in the town, that is old enough, and has health to attend school, wants the means of obtaining a good education. In 1801, a society was incorporated, composed of such persons as had sailed from this port round the cape of Good Hope or cape Horn, in the capacity of masters or supercargoes of vessels. The number of such persons living in Salem, in 1824, was about 160. This East India marine society is designed to |