pnugues/EB7 huggingface dataset:
SAGOR, or Ganga Sagor, an island belonging to the province of Bengal, situated at the entrance and eastern side of the Hooghly, or Bhagurutty river, which here separates it from another island formed by the numerous outlets of the Ganges. It is eight miles in length by lour[7:19:612] in breadth, and is detached from the mainland by a creek, the north end of which is dry at low water. The spring-

tides rise here to the height of four fathoms. This station is found more healthy for ships than those farther up the Hooghly. This is owing to the great expansion of the river, in consequence of which, ships have the advantage of lying at a greater distance from the shore, and of enjoying a refreshing circulation of sea-air; and they also escape the offensive exhalations from the mud banks at Culpee and Diamond Harbour.

Sagor island has been from time immemorial a celebrated place of pilgrimage among the Hindus, being situated at the junction of the Bhogurutty river, or most sacred branch of the Ganges, with the ocean. Many of the pilgrims formerly made voluntary sacrifices of themselves, and sometimes of their children, to the sacred sharks and alligators inhabiting the surrounding waters. But in 1812 the practice was abolished under the administration of the Marquis Wellesley. The jungles of this island swarm with tigers of the largest and most ferocious sort. The island is not inhabited; but the Brahmins repair at the appointed season to the temple, and are followed by pilgrims. Its south point is in long. 88. 20. E. and lat. 21. 34. N.
SAGRES, a town of Portugal, in the province of Algarve, and in the corregimiento of Lagos, It is situated on a steep and rocky tongue of land which projects into a deep bay near to Cape St Vincent. It has a good roadstead, with a safe anchorage, and it is defended by a fort, but is chiefly inhabited by fishermen. It is celebrated as having been the favourite residence of the children of one of their princes, Henry the Sailor.
SAGUM, in Roman antiquity, a military habit, open from top to bottom, and usually fastened on the right shoulder with a buckle or clasp. It was not different in shape from the chlamys of the Greeks, and the paludamentum of the generals. The only difference between them was, that the paludamentum was made of a richer stuff, and was generally of a punie colour, and both longer and fuller than the sagurn.
SAGUNTUM. See Murvιedro.
SAHABAD, a Rajpoot town of Hindustan, in the province of Ajmeer, tributary to the Mahrattas. It is eighty-five miles east by north from Kotah. Long. 77. 10. E. Lat. 25. 26. N.
SAHARUNPORE, an extensive and valuable district of Hindustan, in the province of Delhi, situated principally between the rivers Jumna and Ganges, and about the thirty-first degree of northern latitude. It is bounded on the north by the Sewalic Mountains, and the province of Serinagur. The soil is fertile, and being well watered by innumerable streams from the hills, produces all kinds of grain, sugar, indigo, cotton, and tobacco. It has a fine and temperate climate for the greater part of the year; but during the months of April and May the hot winds blow with gτeat violence, while some of the winter months are excessively cold. This district, though it is placed between the Ganges and the Jumna, which here run parallel at the distance of about fifty-five miles, is not subject to the periodical inundation which prevails in Bengal and the southern[7:19:614] provinces. The country is flat to the bottom of the hills, which rise abruptly, being the northern boundary of the immense valley through which the Ganges flows in its progress to the sea. The whole district was, about the middle of the last century, made over to Nijeeb Khan, an Afghan chief, who brought it into a high state of cultivation, and was succeeded by his son, Zabita Khan, who, dying in 1785, was succeeded by his son Ghoolam Kadir, a cruel tyrant. He rebelled against the unfortunate emperor Shah Alum, and put out his eyes, and tortured and starved to death many of the royal family; in retaliation for which he was himself put to death by the Mahratta chief Mahdajee Sindia, who took possession of the district. In 1803, this country, with all the other Mahratta possessions between the Ganges and the Jumna, was acquired by the British government, and in 1804 was separated into two divisions, the northern and the southern, and placed under the superintendence of a civil establishment of a judge, collector, &c. and has since been divided into two collectorships. From the death of Aurungzebe, until its acquisition by the British in 1803, it was one continued scene of intestine commotion. The capital is of the same name, and is an open town, a hundred and five miles north by east from Delhi. Long. 77. 23. E. Lat. 30. 15. N.
SAHLAYDUN, a town of the Birman empire, in the province of Pegu, and situated on the Irrawaddy river. It carries on a considerable trade in teak-timber with Rangoon, and has also a land-communication with the seacoast of Arracan. Long. 94. 40. E. Lat. 18. 35. N.
SAHWOTTY, a town of the Birman empire, situated on the western bank of the Irrawaddy. Long. 94. 50. E. Lat. 19. 41. N.
SAIBGUNGE, a town of Hindustan, in the province of Bengal and district of Rungpore. Long. 88. 48. E. Lat. 26. 15. N.
SAIDA, or Seida, a seaport of Syria, celebrated as one of the most ancient Phoenician cities, and supposed to be built on the site of the ancient Sidon. In sacred writ it is often mentioned along with Tyre, and always as a flourishing commercial city. It was occupied by the French during the middle ages, who repaired and strengthened the fortifications. Although decayed from its ancient splendour, it is still of importance as the port of Damascus. It is situated in a plain extending only two miles inward from the sea, when it rises into steep mountains, barren and unproductive; and hence its prosperity must always have been derived from commerce. The town extends six hundred paces along the sea. It is, like all Turkish towns, dirty, ill built, and filled with ruins. It formerly had a magnificent harbour, composed of vast moles stretching out into the sea, but it is now entirely destroyed. The huge stones of which it was built may be still seen, some twelve feet long by eleven broad, and five deep. It is said to be the work of Louis IX. but contains on the top work of an older date. The harbour is said to have been ruined by Feckerdine, emir of the Druses, when he established an independent power with a view of preventing the grand seignior from effecting a landing with a maritime force. On the opposite side of the town is a modern fort, consisting merely of a large tower, but incapable of resisting any serious attack. The road is formed by a shoal running opposite the castle, and leaving a space between, where vessels may ride, though not in perfect safety. The surrounding country is laid out in gardens and orchards, which appear very beautiful at a distance. It carries on a considerable trade, and is the emporium, not only of Damascus, but of the surrounding country. The exports consist of corn, silk, raw and spun cotton, the last article forming the principal trade of the inhabitants. It is now included in the pashalik of Damascus. The population is from 7000 to 8000. Long. 35. 14. E. Lat. 33. 25. N.
SAIL, in Navigation, an assemblage of several breadths of canvass, sew ed together by the lists, and edged round with cord, fastened to the yards of a ship, to make it drive before the wind.

The edges of the cloths or pieces of which a sail is composed, are generally sewed together with a double seam; and the whole is skirted round at the edges with a cord, called the bolt-rope. Although the form of sails is extremely different, they are all nevertheless triangular or quadrilateral figures; or, in other words, their surfaces are contained either between three or four sides.

The former of these are sometimes spread by a yard, as lateen-sails, and otherwise by a stay, as stay-sails, or by a mast, as shoulder-of-mutton sails; in all which cases the foremost leech or edge is attached to the said yard, mast, or stay, throughout its whole length. The latter, or those which are four-sided, are either extended by yards, as the principal yards of a ship; or by yards and booms, as the studding-sails, drivers, ring-tails, and all those sails which are set occasionally; or by gaffs and booms, as the mainsails of sloops and brigantines. See Ship and Ship-build- ING.

Sail is also a name applied to any vessel seen at a distance under sail, and is equivalent to ship.

To set Sail, is to unfurl and expand the sails upon their respective yards and stays, in order to begin the action of sailing.

To make Sail, is to spread an additional quantity of sail, so as to increase the ship’s velocity.

To shorten Sail, is to reduce or take in part, of the sails, with an intention to diminish the ship’s velocity.

To strike Sail, is to lower it suddenly. This is particularly used in saluting or doing homage to a superior force, or to one whom the law of nations acknowledges as superior in certain regions. Thus all foreign vessels strike to a British man-of-war in the British seas.
SAILING, the movement by which a vessel is wafted along the surface of the water, by the action of the wind upon her sails.

When a ship changes her state of rest into that of motion, as in advancing out of a harbour, or from her station at anchor, she acquires motion very gradually, as a body which arrives not at a certain velocity till after an infinite repetition of the action of its weight.

The first impression of the wind greatly affects the velocity, because the resistance of the water might destroy it; since the velocity being but small at first, the resistance of the water which depends upon it will be very feeble. But as the ship increases her motion, the force of the wind on the sails will be diminished; and, on the contrary, the resistance of the water on the bow will accumulate in proportion to the velocity with which the vessel advances. Thus the repetition of the degrees of force, which the action of the sail adds to the motion of the ship, is perpetually decreasing; while the new degrees added to the effort of resistance on the bow are always augmenting. The velocity is then accelerated in proportion as the quantity added is greater than that which is subtracted; but when the two powers become equal, when the impression of the wind on the sails has lost so much of its force as only to act in proportion to the opposite impulse of resistance on the bow, the ship will then acquire no additional velocity, but continue to sail with a constant uniform motion. The great weight of the ship may indeed prevent her from acquiring the greatest velocity; but when she has attained it, she will advance by her own intrinsic motion, without gaining any new degree of velocity, or lessening what she has acquired. She moves then by her own proper force in vacuo, without being afterwards subject either to the effort of the wind on the sails, or to the resistance of the water on the bow. If at any time the impulsion of the water on the bow[7:19:615] should destroy any part of the velocity, the effort of the wind on the sails will revive it, so that the motion will continue the same. It must, however, be observed, that this state will only subsist when these two powers act upon each other in direct opposition, otherwise they will mutually destroy one another. The whole theory of working ships depends on this counter action, and the perfect equality which should subsist between the effort of the wind and the impulsion of the water.

The effect of sailing is produced by a judicious arrangement of the sails to the direction of the wind. Accordingly the various modes of sailing are derived from the different degrees and situations of the wind with regard to the course of the vessel. See Seamanship. Sailing also implies a particular mode of navigation, which is formed on the principles and regulated by the laws of trigonometry. Hence we say, Plain Sailing, Mercator’s, Middle-latitude, Parallel, and Great-circle Sailing.
SAINTES, an arrondissement of the department of the Lower Charente, in France. It is 596 square miles in extent, and comprehends eight cantons, divided into 109 communes, with 104,871 inhabitants in 1836. The capital is the city of the same name situated at the foot of a hill on the navigable river Charente. It is an ill-built place, but, with the suburb, contains 1800 houses, with 9559 inhabitants, carrying on some woollen manufactories, and const-[7:19:616] derable distilleries of brandy and spirits of wine. Near to it are some Roman antiquities, especially the remains of an amphitheatre, an aqueduct, and a triumphal arch. Long. 0. 43. 58. W. Lat. 45. 44. 43. N.

Saintes, Des, a group of small islands in the West Indies, adjacent to Guadaloupe, of which government they form a part.
SAIPOOR, a town of Hindustan, in the province of Gundwana, possessed by independent zemindars. It is situated on the north-west side of the Rhair river, fifteen miles from the southern frontier of the Rhotas district, in Bahar. Long. 82. 50. E. Lat. 24. 2. N.
SAJENE, a Russian measure of length, equal to about seven English feet.
SAKERTOL, a town and fortress of Hindustan, in the province of Delhi, and district of Saharunpore. It was taken by the Mahrattas in 1772. It is situated on the western bank of the Ganges. Long. 77. 0. E. Lat. 29. 25. N.
SAKKAR, a district of Hindustan, in the province of Bejapoor, belonging to the nizam, and situated about the seventeenth degree of north latitude. It is well watered, being situated between the rivers Beemah and Krishna, and is extremely fertile. To the north of the Beemah it is somewhat hilly. The principal towns are Nusseritabad and Sakkar; and the latter is the capital. It is situated on the north side of the Beemah river, sixty-five miles east from the city of Bejapoor. Long. 76. 38. E. Lat. 17. 4. N.
SAL si Puedes, is the name of some islands in the Gulf of California. They lie in the interior of the gulf, and form a chain, leaving only some very narrow channels, of difficult entrance for vessels. They are of various sizes, the largest bearing the names of Las Animas, San Lorenzo, San Estevan, and San Augustin.
SALA, a city of Italy, in the province of Principato Citra, of the kingdom of Naples, situated on a small river of the same name. It is an inland place, situated on an elevated spot, and has a castle, five parish churches, and 6100 inhabitants. Another place of the same name in Italy is in the duchy of Parma, being situated on the river Baganza. It was the favourite residence of the last duchess, and now belongs to her successor, who keeps on the land belonging to it a large flock of merino sheep, with the view of extending that race throughout the country. There is another place in Sicily of the name, in the intendancy of Trapani, which is described as containing 9800 inhabitants, but ill built and disgustingly filthy.
SALAD, or Sallad, a dish of eatable herbs, seasoned with salt, oil, and vinegar. Ménage derives the word from the Latin salata, from sal, salt; but others from salcedo. Ducange derives it from salgama, which is used in Ausonius and Columella in the same sense. Some add mustard, hard eggs, and sugar. The principal salad herbs, and those which ordinarily make the basis of our English salads, are lettuce, celery, endive, cresses, radish, and rape.
SALADIN, a famous sultan of Egypt, equally renowned as a warrior and a legislator. He supported himself by his valour, and the influence of his amiable character, against the united efforts of the chief Christian potentates of Europe, who carried on wars against him, under the appellation of Holg Wars.
SALAIBSKOIE, a fortress of Asiatic Russia, situated at the confluence of the small river Salaiba with the Bia, and surrounded with immense forests.
SALAME, a small island at the entrance of the Persian Gulf, near Cape Mussendoon. Long. 56. 48. E. Lat. 26. 20. N.
SALAMIS, an island of the Archipelago, situated in long. 34. 0. E. and lat 37. 32. N. It was famous in antiquity for a battle fought there between the Greek and Persian fleets. In this engagement, which was one of the most memorable actions we find recorded in history, the Grecians lost forty ships, and the Persians two hundred, besides a great many more which were taken, with all the men and ammunition on board.

The island of Salamis is of a very irregular shape; it was reckoned eight or ten miles in length, reaching west ward as far as the mountains called Kerata or The Horns. Pausanias informs us that on one side of this island stood in his time a temple of Diana, and on the other a trophy for a victory obtained by Themistocles, together with the temple of Cychreus, the site of which is now thought to be occupied by the church of St Nicholas.

The city of Salamis was demolished by the Athenians, because in the war with Cassander it surrendered, from disaffection, to the Macedonians. In the second century, when it was visited by Pausanias, some ruins of the Agora or market-place remained.
SALAYR Isle, an island in the Eastern Seas, situated off the southern extremity of Celebes, about the sixth degree of south latitude. This island is about forty miles in length by eight in average breadth; and there are many smaller isles around it, two of which only are inhabited, namely, Bonarutte and Calawe. It is mountainous and woody, yet better cultivated and peopled than most of the eastern isles. The principal produce is millet, which is the chief subsistence of the natives, and cotton, which is raised in a coarse manner. From this raw material coarse blue and white stripped cloths are manufactured, for internal consumption and for exportation. The inhabitants, according to the estimate of Captain Forrest, amount to about 60,000. They have good houses; and the richer classes, in travelling, are carried in bamboo chairs over the hills, while horses are used in the level country. The island was ceded by the Macassars, who had obtained possession of it, to the king of Ternate, from whom it was taken by the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch had a junior resident here as merchant, who dwelt in a pallisadoed fort.
SALE is the exchange of a commodity for money; barter, or permutation, is the exchange of one commodity for another.
SALEMI, a city of the island of Sicily, in the province of Mazzara. It stands on a healthy spot on the summit of a hill, which is the ancient Alicia or Halycus. It is surrounded with walls in a dilapidated state. It is on the decline, but still contains 9200 inhabitants, who are chiefly employed in agriculture, especially in producing the best oil, and in making excellent wire.
SALENGORE, a district in the Malay peninsula, extending along the Straits of Malacca, and governed by a Mahommedan chief, who bears the title of rajah. It is situated at no great distance from Prince of Wales’ Island, in which the trade of the place chiefly centres. Pepper, cloves, wild nutmegs, wax, nutmeg-oil, rattans, dammer, wood, oil, &c., are imported in the Buggess prows; and from a large river near to Salengore great quantities of long rattans are brought. The prince is the chief merchant, as in the other Malay principalities, monopolizing all the trade. Ships lying in the river are secure from pirates; but in the road it is necessary to be on the alert against straggling prows, which are always ready to take advantage of unguarded ships. The Buggesses have still a small settlement here, and profess the Mahommedan religion.
SALEP, in the Materia Medica, the dried root of a species of orchis. “The restorative, mucilaginous, and demulcent qualitics of the orchis root, render it of considerable use in various diseases. In the sea-scurvy it powerfully obtunds the acrimony of the fluids, and at the same time is easily assimilated into a mild and nutritious chyle. In diarrhoeas and the dysentery it is highly serviceable, by sheathing the internal coat of the intestines, by abating irritation, and gently correcting putrefaction. In the symptomatic fever which arises from the absorption of pus from ulcers in the lungs, from wounds, or from amputation, salep used plentifully is an admirable demulcent, and well adapted to resist the dissolution of the crasis of the blood, which is so evident in these cases. And by the same mucilaginous quality it is equally efficacious in the strangury and dysury, especially in the latter when arising from a venereal cause, because the discharge of urine is then attended with the most exquisite pain, from the ulccration about the neck of the bladder and through the course of the urethra. I have found it also an useful aliment for patients who labour under the stone or gravel.” (Dr Percival’s Essays, Medical and Experimental.) The ancient chemists appear to have entertained a very high opinion of the orchis root, as appears from the Secreta Secretorum of Ray-mund Lully, a work dated 1565.
SALERNO, a city of Italy, the capital of the Neapolitan province Principato Citeriore. It stands on the sea-shore, in the bay of that name, between mountains and the two small rivers called Sele and Larino. It is surrounded with walls, and defended by a castle. An archbishop is situated here, with a fine cathedral, under which are the graves of the ancient kings of Lombardy, as well as of Pope Gregory VII. It contains seventeen parish and nineteen con-[7:19:618] ventual churches, a lyceum, which was formerly a university, and the remains of the celebrated medical school. The houses, though old, are large and grand, and the inhabitants are 10,650. A fair of the greatest trade in Italy was formerly held here; but it has gradually fallen into decay of late years, owing to the insecurity of the roadstead, where ships must anchor, there being no harbour.
SALFORD, a township of the parish of Manchester, and a kind of suburb to that place, being separated from it only by a small bridge. It is chiefly inhabited by operatives in the cotton trade. It was created a borough by the law of 1832, for the purpose of returning one member to the House of Commons. The population amounted in 1801 to 13,611, in 1811 to 19,114, in 1821 to 25,772, and in 1831 to 40,786.
SALIANT, in Fortification, denotes projecting. There are two kinds of angles; the one saliant, which have their points outwards; the other re-entering, which have their points inwards.

Saliant, Sament, or Saillant, in Heraldry, is applied to a lion, or other beast, when its tore-legs are raised in a leaping posture.
SALIBABO Isles, a group of islands in the Eastern Seas, situated about the fourth degree of north latitude, and between 126 and 127 of east longitude. The island of Sali-babo is about fifteen miles in circumference, and is situated to the southward of Tulour, from which it is divided by a narrow strait, about one mile across. The names of the principal islands are Tulour or Kercolang, Salibabo, and Kabruang. Salibabo contains twelve villages, the united population of which amounts to 3000. All these islands are well cultivated and populous, abounding in potatoes, rice, goats, hogs, &c. The inhabitants are of the Malay colour, with long hair; and have for arms lances, swords, targets, and daggers. They manufacture a coarse kind of cloth from the wild plantain tree. They are much oppressed by their chiefs, and sold as slaves for trifling offences. They barter provisions with such ships as pass, for coarse calicoes, red handkerchiefs, coarse cutlery, &c. There is a good harbour on the east coast of the island of Salibabo.