Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 05.djvu/387

LEFT KASHAN 321 KASSALA bi-ated for its hams. Kaschau figured prominently during the Hungarian revo- lution of 1848. Pop. about 50,000. KASHAN (ka-shan'), one of the most flourishing towns of Persia, 3,690 feet above sea-level, and 92 miles N. of Ispa- han. The vicinity is celebrated for its fruit, particularly melons and pears, and the tow^n for its extensive manufactures of silk-stuffs, gold brocade, glazed tiles, carpets, and copper-wares. It abounds, like all Persian towns, in mosques, bazars, and baths. Pop. between 30,000 and 40,000. KASHGAR, the capital of Eastern Turkestan, Chinese empire; on a fertile and well-watered plain, 4,043 feet above sea-level; between the old city and the new (1838, containing the palace of the Chinese governor of eastern Turkestan). It is important commercially and stra- tegically; in 1759 it was conquered by the Chinese, who held it with short in- tervals till 1863, when Yakub Beg made it his capital, the Chinese again obtain- ing possession of it in 1877. Pop. be- tween 60,000 and 70,000. KASHKAR, a large species of sheep inhabiting the lofty plateaus of central Asia. The male has very large horns bent circularly, while the female has horns resembling those of a goat. KASHMIR, or CASHMERE, an ex- tensive principality in the N. W. of Hin- dustan, subject to a ruler (the Maha- rajah) belonging to the Sikh race. The principality embraces not only Kashmir proper, but also Jammu or Jummoo, Bal- tistan or Little Tibet, Ladakh, Gilghit, etc. ; area, estimated 80,900 square miles; pop. about 3,000,000. Kashmir is largely a region of mountains. The country is watered by the Upper Indus and its tributaries, and by the Jhelum and Chenab. Kashmir proper, which forms a small portion of the whole, is a valley surrounded by gigantic mountains, the Himalaya and Hindu Kush, and tra- versed by the river Jhelum (formerly Hydaspes). There are 10 chief passes through the mountains into this valley varying in height from about 9,000 to 12,000 feet. Forests on the slopes, fields of corn, rice crops along the sides of the rivers, rich orchards, and an abundant growth of flowers distinguish the dis- trict, but the fruits of warm climates do not ripen here. Among its minerals are iron and plumbago. Sulphur springs are common. Earthquakes frequently occur, and in 1885 one caused the loss of thousands of lives. Bears, leopards, wolves, the ibex, and chamois are among the animals. The flora has a strong affinity to that of Europe; the deodar cedar forms extensive and valuable for- ests. The common European fruits are grown, and attention is now being paid to the culture of the vine. The chief crops are wheat, barley, rice, and Indian corn, and two harvests are reaped in the year. The chief manufacture is that of the celebrated Kashmir shawls. The genu- ine Kashmir shawls owe their superiority to the material of which they are made, which is, properly speaking, not wool, but a fine kind of down with which the animals of this region are clad during the winter season. This down is ob- tained in great quantities from the Kash- mir goat, the yak of Tibet, and the wild sheep. The average time taken to manu- facture a good Kashmir shawl is from 16 to 20 weeks. The inhabitants of Kashmir are a fine race physically, tall, strong, and well-built, with regular features. There are 13 separate dia- lects in use. The Maharajah is inde- pendent, but his relations with other states are subject to the authority of the Government of India. The capital of the whole principality is Jammu. Srinagar (or Kashmir) is the Maharajah's sum- mer residence and largest town. Pop. about 125,000. KASHMIR, or CASHMERE GOAT, a variety of the common goat remarkable for its fine downy fleece, said to be found in perfection only in Tibet in the neigh- borhood of Lhassa, but also found in other parts of this region, including Ladakh, now a province of Kashmir. A full-grown goat yields not more than eight ounces, the fine curled wool being close to the skin. KASKASKIA (-kas'-), a river of Illinois, rising in the E. center of the State, flowing S. W., and entering the Mississippi at Chester; length, nearly 300 miles. On its right bank, a few miles from the mouth, is the city of Kaskaskia, the first capital of Illinois Territory. KASKASKIA, FORT, an ancient and Revolutionary fort on the site of the present city of Kaskaskia, 111. KASSAI (ka-si'), a river of Central Africa, a tributary of the Kongo, which it joins on the S. bank a few miles above Stanley Pool; has 800 miles of unbroken steam navigation, and pours into the Kongo with a stream of 5 miles an hour, 2 miles wide and no soundings at 120 feet deep. It was explored by Dr. Wolf in 1885-1886. KASSALA, a fortified town, formerly the capital of the Nubian district of