Girls in Egypt, whose occupation is to amuse company with singing and dancing.
Word of the Day: Catachrestical
Alme
Encyclopedia Britannica
ALME, or Almai (from âlim, wise, learned), the name of a distinct class of singing girls in Egypt. To be received into it, according to Μ. Savary, it is necessary to have a good voice, to understand the language well, to know the rules of poetry, and be able to compose and sing impromptu couplets adapted to the circumstances. The almai are present at all festivals and entertainments, and also at funerals, where they act the part of hired mourners. They are to be distinguished from the ghawazee, or dancing girls, who perform in the public streets, and are of a lower order.
9th ed. Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 1, p. 592
[102 words — estimated reading time: 1 minute]
[102 words — estimated reading time: 1 minute]
Almeida
Encyclopedia Britannica
ALMEIDA, a strongly-fortified town of Portugal, in the province of Beira, situated between the Coa and the Duas Casas, a branch of the Agueda, 95 miles N.E. of Coimbra, and 25 miles from the Spanish fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo. It was taken by the Spaniards in 1762, and again by the French in 1810. The recapture of it by the Duke of Wellington in 1811 was deemed one of the most brilliant exploits of the Peninsular war. It is well fortified, and contains an ancient church and two hospitals. Population, 6580....
ALMEIDA, Don Francisco de, the first viceroy of Portuguese India, was born at Lisbon about the middle of the 15th century. He was the seventh son of the second Count of Abrantes, and thus belonged to one of the most distinguished families in Portugal. In his youth he took part under Ferdinand of Aragon in the wars against the Moors (1485-92). In March 1505, having received from Emmanuel I. the appointment of viceroy of the newly-conquered territory in India, he set sail from Lisbon in command of a large and powerful fleet, and arrived in July at Quiloa, which yielded to him almost without a straggle. A much more vigorous resistance was offered by the Moors of Mombaza, but the town was taken and destroyed, and its large treasures went to strengthen the resources of Almeida. At other places on his way, such as the island of Angediva, near Goa, and Cananore, he built forts, and adopted measures to secure the Portuguese supremacy. On his arrival in India he took up his residence at Cochin, where a Portuguese fort had been built by Albuquerque in 1503. The most important events of Almeida’s brief but vigorous administration were the conclusion of a commercial treaty with Malacca, and the discoveries made by his son Lorenzo, who acted as his lieutenant. The latter was probably the first Portuguese who visited Ceylon, where he established a settlement, and is also celebrated as the discoverer of Madagascar and the Maldive islands. In 1508 he was killed at Dabul in a naval engagement with the Moors. His father was preparing signally to avenge his death when Albuquerque arrived in Cochin, and presented a commission empowering him to supersede Almeida in the government. It was probably Almeida’s unwillingness to be thwarted in his scheme of vengeance that chiefly induced him to refuse to recognise Albuquerque’s commission, and to cast him into prison. (See Albuquerque.) The punishment he inflicted on the Moors was speedy and terrible. Sailing along the coast, he pillaged and burned various ports, including Goa and Dabul, and finally encountering the enemy’s combined fleet off Diu early in 1509, he completely destroyed it. Returning immediately to Cochin, he held out for a few months against the claims of Albuquerque, but in November 1509 he was compelled to yield. On the 1st December he set sail for Europe with an escort of three vessels. On the voyage the fleet called at Saldanha Bay, in South Africa, to procure water, and here Almeida was killed (March 1, 1510) in an unprovoked attack upon the Caffre natives, during which he showed great personal courage. His body was recovered on the following day, frightfully mutilated, and received a hasty burial.
9th ed. Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 1, p. 592
[93 words — estimated reading time: 1 minute]
[93 words — estimated reading time: 1 minute]
The lofty Brazil-nut tree.
Almeria
Encyclopedia Britannica
ALMERIA, a modern province of Spain, comprehending the eastern portion of the ancient kingdom of Granada. It is bounded on the N. by Jaen and Murcia, on the E. and S. by Murcia and the Mediterranean, and on the W. by Granada; with an area of about 3300 square miles. The province is traversed by mountain ridges, some of them of considerable elevation, with corresponding valleys and plains of great fertility. The principal sierras are those of Maria, Almahilla, Cabrera, Almagrera, Gata, and Gador, and in the W. some offshoots of the Sierra Nevada. The most considerable rivers are the Almanzora, running from west to east, with a course of about 50 miles; the Almeria, flowing from north-west to south-east; and the Adra from north to south, watering the fertile district between the Sierra de Gador and the Alpujarras. On the S. coast is the Gulf of Almeria, a spacious bay, 25 miles wide at the entrance, and about 10 miles in depth. The climate of the province is mild, except in the interior, where the winter is cold. On the coast rain seldom falls, and south-west winds prevail. The inhabitants are principally engaged in mining and agriculture. Many of the proprietors farm their own land, the number of landed properties being 44,858, while the tenants are only 7365. Of the area of the province, 376,698 acres are arable and pasture land; 13,538 acres vineyards; 5360 acres olive plantations; 39,797 acres cultivated mountain and wood lands; and 1,686,738 acres uncultivated. There are 438,357 head of live stock. All kinds of grain are raised in abundance. The common fruits are plentiful, as well as oranges, lemons, and vines. Much excellent silk is produced in the western districts; cotton is raised to some extent along the coast, and the sugar-cane is also cultivated. Cattle are ...extensively bred; those of the valley of the Almeria are especially remarkable for their size and beauty. The province is one of the richest in minerals of all Spain, the mountains yielding silver, mercury, lead, antimony, copper, and iron. The silver mines of the Sierra de Almagrera, opened in 1839, produced in 1843 nearly 1,700,000 ounces; while the lead mines of the Sierra de Gador are computed to have yielded, from 1795 to 1841 inclusive, 11,000,000 quintals of lead, and the present annual output is from 30,000 to 40,000 tons of ore. In the Sierra de Gata, jaspers and agates are found; in the Sierra Nevada, to the west, are the celebrated quarries of Macael marble; and the Sierra Cabrera yields antimony, malachite, gypsum, magnetic iron, &c. The manufactures of the province consist chiefly of esparto cordage, white-lead, shot, saltpetre, soap, leather, and earthenware. The principal exports are lead, esparto, barilla, and soap; while the imports include coal and machinery from England, woollen and cotton stuffs from Catalonia, silk from Valencia and Malaga, and linen from Marseilles and Gibraltar. From the want of adequate facilities for communication, the development of the agricultural and mining resources of Almeria has not been so rapid as might have been expected. The disturbances attending the revolution of 1868 have also had a prejudicial effect. Education is in a backward state, the proportion of the population at school being only fifteen in the thousand. Crime, although great, is not excessive, offences against the person forming the greater number of the cases tried. The people generally are simple, sober, and religious. Population in 1870, estimated at 361,553.
Almeria, the capital of the above province, lies on the Gulf of Almeria, on the Mediterranean, 72 miles E.S.E. of Granada. From the strength of the port it was deemed by the Moorish kings of Granada one of the most valuable of their fortresses and their best commercial harbour. Sailing hence, their cruisers overawed the Catalans and Italians, and their merchant ships conveyed the produce of the country to Africa, Egypt, and Syria. In the time of the Moors Almeria was the seat of hordes of pirates. The walls of the town, and the Moorish fortress, or Alcazaba, overlooking it, as well as the architecture of many of the houses, still attest its Moorish origin. It is pretty well built, and has several handsome squares, although the streets are generally narrow. Almeria is the seat of a bishop, and has a cathedral and theological seminaries. Off the port there is good anchorage in 12 and 14 fathoms water; and in addition to its landward defences the place is protected towards the sea by the forts of Trinidad and Tiro. In 1866, 46 vessels, of 21,603 tons, with cargoes, entered and cleared the port; and the annual value of the exports is about £50,000. The manufactures are trifling, but there is a good export trade in wine, soda, esparto, silk, and lead; while the imports consist chiefly of coal and manufactured goods. Here there are also some mineral springs. Population (1857), 27,036.
9th ed. Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 1, p. 593
[839 words — estimated reading time: 5 minutes]
[839 words — estimated reading time: 5 minutes]
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