The Nuttall Encyclopaedia Part 124

CHINESE GORDON, General Gordon, killed at Khartoum; so called for having, in 1851, suppressed a rebellion in China which had lasted 15 years.

CHINOOK, a tribe of Indians in Was.h.i.+ngton Territory, noted for flattening their skulls.

CHINSURA, a Dutch-built town on the right bank of the Hoogly, 20 m.

N. of Calcutta, with a college; is famous for cheroots.

CHINZ, a calico printed with flowers and other devices in different colours; originally of Eastern manufacture.

CHIOGGIA (25), a seaport of Venetia, built on piles, on a lagoon island at the mouth of the Brenta, connected with the mainland by a bridge with 43 arches.

CHIOS, or SCIO (25), a small island belonging to Turkey, in the Grecian Archipelago; subject to earthquakes; yields oranges and lemons in great quant.i.ties; claims to have been the birthplace of Homer.

CHIPPENDALE, THOMAS, a cabinet-maker, born in Worcesters.h.i.+re; famous in the last century for the quality and style of his workmans.h.i.+p; his work still much in request.

CHIPPEWAYS, a Red Indian tribe, some 12,000 strong, located in Michigan, U.S., and in Canada adjoining; originally occupied the N. and W. of Lake Superior.

CHIQUITOS, Indians of a low but lively type in Bolivia and Brazil.

CHIRIQUI, an archipelago and a lagoon as well as province in Costa Rica.

CHIRON, a celebrated Centaur, in whose nature the animal element was subject to the human, and who was intrusted with the education of certain heroes of Greece, among others Peleus and Achilles; was endowed with the gift of prophecy, and skilled in athletics as well as music and the healing art. See CENTAURS.

CHISLEHURST (6), a village in Kent, 10 m. SE. of London, where Napoleon III. died in exile in 1873.

CHISWICK (21), a suburb of London, 7 m. SW. of St. Paul's; the Church of St. Nicholas has monuments to several people of distinction.

CHITIN, a white h.o.r.n.y substance found in the exoskeleton of several invertebrate animals.

CHITRAL, a State on the frontier of India, NW. of Cashmere; since 1895 occupied by the British; a place of great strategical importance.

CHITTAGONG (24), a seaport in the Bay of Bengal, 220 m. E. of Calcutta; exports rice, gum, tobacco, and jute.

CHITTIM, the Bible name for Cyprus.

CHIVALRY, a system of knighthood, for the profession of which the qualifications required were dignity, courtesy, bravery, generosity; the aim of which was the defence of right against wrong, of the weak against the strong, and especially of the honour and the purity of women, and the spirit of which was of Christian derivation; originally a military organisation in defence of Christianity against the infidel.

CHIVALRY, COURT OF, a court established by Edward III., which took cognisance of questions of honour and heraldry, as well as military offences.

CHLADNI, FRIEDRICH, a physicist, born at Wittenberg; one of the earliest investigators of the phenomena of sound; wrote also on aerolites (1756-1827).

CHLOPICKI, JOSEPH, a Polish hero, born in Galicia; fought against Russia under Napoleon; was chosen Dictator in 1830, but was forced to resign; fought afterwards in the ranks, and was severely wounded (1771-1854).

CHLORAL, a colourless narcotic liquid, obtained at first by the action of chlorine on alcohol; treated with water it produces _chloral hydrate_.

CHLORINE, elementary, greenish-yellow gas obtained from common salt; powerful as a disinfectant, and a bleaching agent.

CHLORIS, the wife of Zephyrus, the G.o.ddess of flowers.

CHLOROFORM, a limpid, volatile liquid, in extensive use as an anaesthetic; produced by treating alcohol with chloride of lime.

CHLOROPHYLL, the green colouring matter in plants, especially the leaves; due to the presence and action of light.

CHLOROSIS, green sickness, a disease incident to young females at a critical period of life, causing a pale-greenish complexion.

CHOCOLATE, a paste made by grinding the kernels of cocoa-nuts.

CHOCKTAWS, or CHACTAWS, a tribe of American Indians, settled to civilised life in the Indian Territory, U.S.; the Chactaw Indian, with his proud array of scalps hung up in his wigwam, is, with Carlyle, the symbol of the pride of wealth acquired at the price of the lives of men in body and soul.

CHOISEUL, DUC DE, minister of Louis XV.; served his master in various capacities; was rewarded with a peerage; effected many reforms in the army, strengthened the navy, and aided in bringing about the family compact of the Bourbons; exercised a great influence on the politics of Europe; was nicknamed by Catharine of Russia _Le Cocher de l'Europe_, "the Driver of Europe"; but becoming obnoxious to Mme. du Barry, "in whom he would discern nothing but a wonderfully dizened scarlet woman," was dismissed from the helm of affairs, Louis's "last substantial man"

(1719-1795).

CHOISY, ABBe, a French writer, born in Paris; author of a "History of the Church" (1644-1724).

CHOLERA MORBUS, an epidemic disease characterised by violent vomiting and purging, accompanied with spasms, great pain, and debility; originated in India, and has during the present century frequently spread itself by way of Asia into populous centres of both Europe and America.

CHOLET (15), a French manufacturing town, 32 m. SW. of Angers.