warm water. It is also used for overshoes; and its solution in oils forms a flexible varnish. It was not until about the year 1736 that this very extraordinary natural production was made known in Europe. It is obtained by making incisions through the bark of the tree, chiefly in wet weather. From the wounds thus formed the juice flows abundantly. It is of a milky-white color, and is conducted by a tube or leaf, supported by clay, into a vessel placed to receive it. Some writers assert that, on mere exposure to the air, it gradually hardens, and others, that it goes through a certain process for this purpose, which the Indians of South America keep a profound secret. It is usually brought to Europe in the form of pear-shaped bottles, which are formed by spreading the juice over a mould of clay, exposing it to a dense smoke, or to a fire, till it becomes so dry as not to stick to the fingers, when, by certain instruments of iron or wood, it is ornamented on the outside with various figures. This done, the clay in the inside is moistened with water, and picked out. India rubber is remarkable for the flexibility and elasticity which it acquires on attaining a solid state, and also for the numerous useful purposes to which it is capable of being applied. By the Indians, it is sometimes formed into boots, which are impenetrable by water, and which, when smoked, have the appearance of leather. Bottles are made of it, to the necks of which are fastened hollow reeds, through which the liquor contained in them can be squirted at pleasure. One of these, filled with water, is always presented to each of the guests at their entertainments. Flambeaux are likewise formed of this substance, which give a very brilliant light; and it is said that a torch of it, an inch and a half in diameter, and two feet long, will burn 12 hours. The inhabitants of Quito also prepare a species of cloth with the hardened juice of this tree.

CAP; the cover of the end or head of any thing. The word is very often used in the mechanical arts. In ship-building, cap is a square piece of timber placed over the head or upper end of a mast, in which is a round hole to receive the top or top-gallant-masts, which are thus kept steady and firm.-Cap of a block; a semicircular projection from the sides and round the end of a block above the pins.Cap-merchant; the purser of a ship.-To cap verses is an exercise of the memory among school-boys; the one repeating a verse, and the second proceeding where

he left off, and so on with the rest.-Caps were not worn by the Romans for many ages. When either the rain or sun was troublesome, the lappet of the gown was thrown over the head; and hence all the ancient statues appear bareheaded, excepting, sometimes, a wreath or the like. The same usage prevailed among the Greeks, to whom, at least during the heroic age, caps were unknown. The sort of caps or covers of the head in use among the Romans, on divers occasions, were the pitra, pileus, cucullus, galerus and pelliolum, which are often confounded by ancient as well as modern writers. The general use of caps and hats is referred to the year 1449. The first seen in Europe were used at the entry of Charles VII into Rouen. From that time, they began to take the place of chaperons, or hoods. When the cap was of velvet, they called it mortier; when of wool, simply bonnet. None but kings, princes and knights were allowed to use the mortier. The cap was the head-dress of the clergy and graduates. Pasquin says that it was anciently a part of the hood worn by the people of the robe; the skirts whereof, being cut off, as an incumbrance, left the round cap an easy, commodious cover for the head; which cap, being afterwards assumed by the people, those of the gown changed it for a square one, first invented by a Frenchman, called Patrouillet. He adds, that the giving of the cap to the students in the university was to denote that they had acquired full liberty, and were no longer subject to the rod of their superiors, in imitation of the ancient Remans, who gave a pileus, or cap, to their slaves, in the ceremony of making them free: whence the proverb vocare servos ad pileum: hence, also, on medals, the cap is the symbol of Liberty, who is represented holding a cap in the right hand, by the point. Of the derivation of this word, and its use in almost all European languages, Adelung gives an interesting ac count in his German dictionary.

CAPE. Of the immense number of capes, which have received names from navigators, the limits of the present work will permit us to enumerate only a few.

Cape Ann; a cape on the coast of Mas sachusetts, in the township of Gloucester, forming the northern limit of Massachu setts bay; lat. 42° 35′ N.; lon. 70° 37′ W.

Cape Breton; an island of North Amer ica, belonging to Great Britain; situated in the gulf of St. Lawrence; separated from Nova Scotia by the strait of Fronsac, about 3 miles wide. This island is about 110

miles in length, and from 20 to 84 in breadth, full of mountains and lakes, and intersected by a great number of creeks and bays. The soil is fertile, and abounds in timber. In the mountains are coalmines; in the valleys, excellent pasture; and the coast abounds in fish. The chief towns are Louisburg, Sydney and Arichat. Population, 3000. Lat. 45° 34′ to 47° 5' N.; lon. 59° to 61° 20′ W.

Cape Cod; a noted cape and peninsula on the coast of Massachusetts, on the south side of Massachusetts bay; lat. of the cape, 42° 5 N.; lon. 70° 14′ W. The peninsula is 65 miles in length, and from 1 to 20 in breadth, and is in the form of a man's arm, bent inward both at the elbow and the wrist. Though mostly sandy and barren, it is nevertheless populous; and the inhabitants derive their subsistence chiefly from the sea. The cape was discovered in 1602, by Bartholomew Gosnold, who gave it its name from having taken a great quantity of cod-fish near it. Cape Fear a dangerous cape on the coast of North Carolina, being the southern extremity of Smith's island, at the mouth of Cape Fear river; lat. 33° 32′ N.; lon. 78° 25′ W.

Cape Fear; a river of North Carolina, the largest and most important that flows wholly within that state. The northwest, or principal branch, rises in the northern part of the state, flows southerly, passing by Fayetteville, and above Wilmington. 35 miles from its entrance into the ocean, it is joined by the north-eastern branch. The Cape Fear is navigable for vessels of 300 tons to Wilmington, and for steam-boats to Fayetteville.

Cape François. (See Cape Haytien.) Cape of Good Hope; in the southern part of Africa; lon. 18° 24′ E.; lat. 33° 55 S. Bartholomew Diaz discovered it in 1493. The tempestuous sea which beat against it prevented him from landing; he therefore called it Cabo dos Tormentos (see Camoens); but John II changed it to Cabo da Bona Esperanza. It was first doubled by Vasco de Gama. The Portuguese never formed any permanent settlement here. (See next article.)

Cape of Good Hope; a British colony, near the southern extremity of Africa. The Dutch, who had early fixed upon this point as a watering-place for their ships, first colonized it in the middle of the 17th century. Reducing the Hottentots (q. v.) to slavery, or driving them beyond the mountains, they extended the Cape settlement to nearly its present limits. It was captured by the English in

The

1795, restored at the peace of Amiens, 1802, and again taken in 1806; since which time it has remained in their possession. The colony extends about 230 miles from north to south, and 550 from east to west; from 30° to 34° 30′ S. lat., and from 18° to 28° E. lon. The space included within these limits is about 120,000 square miles, with a population of about one to a square mile. On the west and south, it is washed by the ocean, and, on the north, it is bounded by a range of lofty mountains. The principal bays on the coast are Saldanha, Table, Plattenburg, Algoa bays. Cape Aguillas is the most southern point of the old world. In the interior, almost every variety of soil and surface is found. Several ranges of mountains, running nearly parallel to the southern coast, divide the country into successive terraces, between which lie belts of fertile land, or vast barren plains. One of these, called the Great Karroo, is 300 miles long and 100 broad, presenting a scene of complete desolation. In fact, according to Barrow, nearly seven tenths of the colony are destitute of vegetation during a great part of the year. summits of the Nieuweldt Gebirgte, the highest chain of southern Africa, are coyered with perpetual snow. The Table mountain is a stupendous mass of naked rock, rising, almost perpendicularly, about 3585 feet in height. The colony is deficient in navigable rivers for vessels of any considerable burthen. The principal streams are the Doorn and the Berg, flowing into the Atlantic; the Breede, Groot, and Great Fish, emptying themselves into the Indian ocean. The last, in part of its course, separates the Cape colony from Caffraria. The spring and autumn are temperate, and the most agreeable part of the year. The heat is excessive in summer, and, on account of the elevation of the surface, many parts experience the extreme of cold in winter. The soil is, of course, various, but its general character is not that of fertility. The cultivation is very imperfect, the inhabitants depending principally on pasturage. Wheat and maize thrive well; the vine flourishes luxuriantly; oranges, lemons and figs are good, but all kinds of nuts have failed. The aloe and myrtle grow to a great size. Timber is scarce: the chestnut, wild almond and plum are indigenous. The domestic animals of civilized man have all been introduced. The sheep are of the broad-tailed kind. Lions, tigers, wolves, hyænas, buffaloes and jackals are numerous in the vicinity of the settle

ments. In the more remote parts are the elephant, the rhinoceros, the quagga, the giraffe, &c. The spring-bock is seen in herds of 10,000. Monkeys, armadillos, and other small animals, are numerous. The ostrich is common. Vultures, eagles, kites, and the gigantic condor inhabit the mountains. There are also pelicans, flamingoes, parrots, and many kinds of aquatic birds. Noxious reptiles are not numerous. Fish are plentiful on the coasts. The capital is Cape Town. (q. v.) Scarcely any manufactures have been introduced into the colony, and its commerce is very limited. Some British merchants have settled at Cape Town, and the trade appears to be increasing. The principal export is Cape wine. The imports are in small quantities, and consist of cloths, hardware, furniture, hats, &c. The aver age amount is about a million of dollars. The value of the colony to Great Britain must not, however, be estimated by its revenue. It is important, principally, as being the connecting link between that kingdom and her possessions in the East. The Dutch settlers, who live in the interior, are called boors, and are in a very degraded condition. Indolent and stupid, every thing about them exhibits the utmost wretchedness in the midst of plenty. (See Barrow's Travels in Southern Africa; Vaillant, Lichtenstein and Campbell's Travels, and the reverend Mr. Latrobe's Visit to South Africa, in 1815 and 1816. Beauvois, the French traveller, has also lately given interesting information on the south of Africa.)

Cape Hatteras; a noted and dangerous cape on the coast of North Carolina; being the projecting point of a long reef of sand, extending from Ocracoke inlet to New inlet; lat. 35° 14' N.; lon. 75° 30 W.

Cape Haylien (formerly called Cape François, or Le Cap, and, during the reign of Christophe, Cape Henry); a town of Hayti, and the capital of the island and republic; lon. 72° 16′ W.; lat. 19° 46′ N. It is situated on the north coast; was founded in 1670; burnt in 1792, by the blacks; was the last town retained by the French in the island, but was surrendered by them to the blacks in 1803; it then became the capital of the black emperor, Henry Christophe. Before it suffered so severely by intestine convulsions, it contained a number of elegant buildings, about 900 houses of stone and brick, and a population of from 8 to 12,000; some say 20,000, 12,000 being slaves. It is situated in a very fertile tract, and has

one of the most secure and conveniem harbors in the island. It is built on a cape, at the edge of a large plain, 60 miles long and 12 broad, between the sea and the mountains. Its situation is not fortnate, as it is screened from the land wind by the mountains, and thus left exposed to the unmitigated fervor of the sun's rays. The plain is well watered and highly cultivated. It is cut through by straight roads, 40 feet broad, lined with hedges of lime and lemon trees, leading to plantations which produce as great a quantity of sugar as any spot of the same size in the world.

Cape Horn; a cape on the south coast of Terra del Fuego. It is the southers extremity of South America; lat. 55° 5 S.; lon. 67° 21′ W. The navigation round cape Horn is very dangerous, on account of frequent tempests; yet, of late, it has been the common course of vessels, being found much preferable to the tedious passage through the straits of Magellan. The shore is inhabited by Indians, of whom little is known. The cape was discovered by Jacob le Maire, a Dutchman, in 1616. It is cold, lofty, and cov ered with wood.

Cape Lookout; a dangerous cape on the coast of North Carolina; lat. 34° 2 N.; lon. 76° 37′ W.

Cape Town; capital of the cape of Good Hope; lat. 33° 6' S. lon. 18° ✡E: population in 1818, 18,173; of whom 7460 were whites, 1905 free blacks, 810 apprentices, 536 Hottentots, 7462 slaves It is agreeably situated, rather more than 30 miles from the cape of Good Hope, properly so called, at the head of Table bay, in a valley between the Table and Lion mountains. It is defended by a castle of considerable strength, and contains a court-house, a guard-house, a Calvinistic church, a Lutheran church, a theatre, and 1145 houses, many of which are fine. The tone of society is wholly commercial, the minds of all classes being bent on trade. There was not, in le a public school nor a bookseller's shop in the town. The streets are broad, but illpaved. The price of provisions is very reasonable. The town is well supplied with springs of excellent water, sufficient also for the ships which stop at the port The harbor is tolerably secure from September to May, while the S. E. wines prevail. During the rest of the year, when the wind blows generally from the N and N. W., ships are obliged to resort to False bay, on the opposite side of the peninsula.-A missionary is supported

here by the London missionary society.

Cape Verde (anciently, Arsenarium); on the west coast of Africa; lat. 14° 44′ N.; lon. 17° 31′ W.

Cape Verde Islands; islands of Africa, in the Atlantic; so called from cape Verde, opposite to which they are situated; 390 miles W. cape Verde, and be tween 15° and 18° N. lat. They belong to Portugal. As to their number, some reckon 10, others 14 or more, by giving the name of islands to those which are only rocks. They are, in general, mountainous; the lower hills are covered with a beautiful verdure, as well as the extensive valleys between; but with little water, except what is found in ponds and wells. They are said to have been, and probably were, known to the ancients, under the name of Gorgades. The air is extremely hot and unwholesome. It rarely rains; and the ground is so hot that one can hardly stand in places exposed to the sun. It is dangerous to pass the night in the open air, for the great heat is often succeeded by a sudden cold, which proves mortal to such as are exposed to it. The soil is, for the most part, stony and barren; nevertheless, some parts produce rice, maize, bananas, lemons, oranges, citrons, pomegranates, figs and melGrapes are gathered twice a year. The manufacture of leather and salt forms the principal riches. Two of the islands, St. Yago and St. Philip, depend immediately on the king, and are the only ones fortified. The number of inhabitants is calculated at 100,000. Few whites are now seen. The governor and priests are often Negroes. The chief town is Porto Praya. In the small island of Mayo, much salt is made. Numerous vessels, principally American, visit this place for the sake of obtaining it, and bring flour to give in exchange. In 1827, the imports into the U. States from these islands amounted to $77,425; the exports to them from the U. States, to $104,165. The island of Fuego, one of the group, consists of one single mountain, formerly a volcano, according to lieutenant Mudge, 9790 feet above the level of the sea.

ons.

prefect of East Friesland, where he was much beloved. Louis afterwards made him minister of the interior and counsellor of state, and it was very probably he who advised the king to resign his throne. Under Napoleon, he accepted no office. King William made him minister of the colonies. When the congress of Vienna united Belgium with Holland, he was commissioned to prepare the Belgians for the new government. Since 1815, Capellen, in his high post in Batavia, has increased the productiveness of the Dutch possessions in Asia, particularly of Java, by his excellent institutions. Batavia has been made a free port, at which the ships of the U. States of America, in particular, procure great quantities of coffee, sugar, rice, rum and spices, for ready money. The commerce of Banda and Amboyna, as well as that of Borneo, has also been increased.

Her

CAPELLO, Bianca; a noble Venetian lady, whose singular adventures and final elevation have rendered her exceedingly remarkable. She was born about 1542, being the daughter of Bartolomeo Capello, a patrician of Venice. She early fell in love with a young and handsome clerk in the banking-house of Salviati, named Buonaventuri. The consequence of the intrigue was the pregnancy of the lady, and the flight of the lovers to Florence, where they married, and Bianca lay in of a daughter. Here they lived some time in great apprehension and obscurity, until some accident or contrivance introduced Bianca to the notice of Francis, son of Cosmo, grand-duke of Tuscany. uncommon beauty and engaging manners made an immediate impression on a prince notorious for his attachment to the sex; and the consequence was, that she and her husband were quickly settled in a splendid palace, and the latter made chamberlain to the duke, and, to the great disgust of the Florentines, intrusted with a large share of public business. Bianca was, in the mean time, introduced at court, and became the object of great admiration; and it is asserted, that, even at that time, Francis promised to marry her, should they become released from the marriage ties by which they were each of them bound. This took place in a very few years on her part. Buonaventuri, having engaged in an intrigue with a woman of rank, was assassinated by her family; and Francis now avowedly proclaimed Bianca his mistress. As Francis, who had no issue, passionately desired even a natural child, Bianca, whose in

temperate mode of living was not favora ble to his wishes, carried on all the forms of pregnancy, and presented to her deluded lover a new-born male child, of poor parents, whom he joyfully received as his own, and christened Antonio. A legitimate son, produced to him soon after by his duchess, induced him to be less open in his attentions to Bianca; but the death of his wife, very soon after, opened to the latter a road to her final elevation, and she was quickly united to Francis by a private marriage. Her ambition, however, was not to be gratified without publicity; and she induced the grand-duke to send a solemn embassy to Venice, to inform the senate of his marriage, and to request them to confer on Bianca the title of daughter of the republic, which honor was supposed to entitle those on whom it was bestowed to a royal alliance. That government assented, and Bianca, being crowned daughter of the state, was solemnly installed grand-duchess of Tuscany in 1579. In 1582, the legitimate son of Francis expired; and, soon after, he declared Antonio his lawful son, although, it is said, Bianca had acknowledged her imposition. Ferdinand, the brother of Francis, and his lawful heir, was not blind to these proceedings, and paid the greatest attention to the subsequent reported pregnancies of the duchess, until, the state of her health setting all idea of further progeny aside, she essayed to effect a reconciliation between the brothers, and Ferdinand paid a visit to Florence. He had been there but a short time, when Francis fell ill, at his hunting village of Poggio, where his brother was a guest; and, two days after, the duchess being seized with the same symptoms, they both died, after about a week's illness, in October, 1587, Bianca being then in her 45th year. The known character of the Medici family caused this catastrophe to be attributed to poison; and a story is current, that Bianca, intending to poison Ferdinand with a prepared viand, he had the address to make the duke and duchess eat of it themselves. As there was no direct motive for the attempt at the period, and it rests only on the character of the parties, it is more reasonable to suppose that a malignant fever, at an unhealthy season, was the real cause of the sudden termination of so extraordinary a career. The hatred of the Florentines has made Bianca a monster of vice and cruelty; a thousand absurd stories were propagated of her propensity to magic, and other crimes; and, perceiving the

impossibility of gaining their affections, she employed trains of spies and inform ers, which added still more to their animosity. The truth seems to be, that she was a woman of consummate beauty and address, with little or no principle; and such was the character of the Italian courts, at the period in which she flourished, that she had only to act in the spirit of the times, to become very nearly as vicious as the Florentines described her.

CAPER. Capers are the unopened flower-buds of a low shrub (capparis spinosa, which grows from the crevices of rocks and walls, and among rubbish, in the southern parts of France, in Italy and the Levant. The stems of the caper-bush are trailing, and two or three feet long. The leaves are alternate, of somewhat oval shape, veined, and of a bright-green color; and the flowers are large and beautiful, with four petals, and white, with a tinge of red.-In the south of France, the caper-bush is very commen It grows wild upon the walls of Rome, Sienna and Florence, and, when trained against a wall, flourishes even in the neighborhood of Paris; notwithstanding which, it is almost unknown in English gardens, where it cannot be made flower without the aid of artificial heat. It is cultivated, on a large scale, between Marseilles and Toulon, and in many parts of Italy. In the early part of the sum mer, it begins to flower, and the flowers continue successively to appear, until the commencement of winter. The buds are picked every morning, before the petals are expanded; and, as they are gathered, they are put into vinegar and salt. When a sufficient quantity is collected, they are distributed, according to their size, in different vessels, again put into vinegar, and then packed up for sale and exportation. This pickle is much used in sauce for boiled mutton. To persons unacens tomed to it, the taste of capers is unpleas ant; but, after a little while, the palate becomes perfectly reconciled to it. The flower-buds of the marsh-marigold (cal tha palustris) and nasturtiums are fre quently pickled, and eaten as a substitute for capers. The bark of the root, cut into slices, and dried in small rolls or quills, like cinnamon, is sometimes used in medicine, in cases of obstruction of the liver.

CAPER, in shipping, is the Dutch and German name for privateer.

CAPERNAUM; a town in ancient Pales tine, on the west side of the sea of Tiberias; lon. 35° 44′ E.; lat. 32° 45′ N. Near