Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 13.djvu/876

 842 K A N K A N Kullu. In 1872-73 the district contained twenty-eight planta tions, producing a gross out-turn of 428,655 Ib of tea, valued at 65,000. Potatoes also constitute a considerable crop. In Lahiil and Spiti barley is the agricultural staple ; but the former tract does not grow a sufficient quantity of grain for its own consump tion, being largely supplied by importations from Kullu. Agricultural produce forms the staple of the export trade ; the imports consist of grain, cotton, tobacco, and European piece goods. The Palampur fair, established by Government with a view to fostering commerce with Central Asia, draws together a small concourse of Yarkandi merchants. The Laluilis carry on an enterprising trade with Ladakh and countries beyond the frontier, by means of pack sheep and goats. The total imperial revenue in 1872-73 amounted to 71,434, of which the land-tax contri buted 62,443. Crime is rare, but education is still in a very backward state, only 2936 children being under instruction in 1872-73. The endemic diseases of the district include fever and goitre, but scurvy also prevails to a large extent. The widespread cultivation of rice, by which the whole Kaugra valley is converted into a swamp, has a very prejudicial effect upon the general health. The average annual rainfall varies from 148 inches at Dharmsala to 76 at Kangra, 52 at Hamirpur, and 108 at Palampur. The mean temperature in the Himalayan station of Dharmsala in 1874-75 was 70 35 in May, 73 5 in July, and 52 85 in December. KANIZSA, NAGY (i.e., &quot;Great&quot;), a market-town of Hungary, in the trans-Danubian county of Zala, lies 31 miles north-north-east of Kopreinitz, and at the junction of the lines of railway from Sopron (Oedenburg) and Szetefehervar (Stuhlweissenburg), 46 28 N. lat, 17 E. long. Among the public and other buildings are a fine Roman Catholic church, a Franciscan monastery, a Piarist gymnasium, a town-hall, royal and magisterial courts of law, and the usual Government offices. In the neighbour hood are distilleries and brick-making factories. The markets periodically held in the town are much frequented, and the trade in grain, horned cattle, and pigs is generally brisk. The population at the end of 1880 was 18,393. Nagy-Kanizsa once ranked as the second fortress of Hungary, and consequently played an important part during the wars with the Turks, who, having gained possession of it in 1600, held it until near the close of the 17th century. In 1690, after a siege of two years, it was recovered by the Austrian and Hungarian forces. Its reversion to Hungary was ratified by the treaty of Carlowitz (1699). In 1702 the fortifications were destroyed, and there are now but few traces of their former existence. KANKAKEE. the chief city and county seat of Kan- kakee county, Illinois, U.S., is situated on the north bank of the Kankakee river, 56 miles south of Chicago. It is the centre of a very rich and fertile farming district, and has a large trade in agricultural produce. It has fine water-power, and, being within easy reach of extensive coal-fields and deposits of bog-iron ore, does a large manu facturing business. The population of the city and town ship in 1880 was 5652. KANO, a town of central Africa, at the head of a province of the kingdom of Sokoto, about 230 miles east of Sokoto and 360 miles west of Kuka. The circuit of the walls is upwards of 15 English miles; but little more than a third of the enclosed area was actually occupied at the time of Earth s visit. The oldest part of the town is that which lies at the foot of the hill DaU (120 feet), and from this the inhabited portion stretches south for 2| miles to the walls. To the south of the great market-place lies a deep pond, Jakara, upwards of a mile and a half in length. Two kinds of dwelling-houses are common square-shaped clay-built structures with flat roofs, and round huts with conical tops. The population, estimated at 30,000, consists of Fellatah, Kanuri (Bornuese), Houssas, and Nupe. Commerce and manufactures go hand in hand, and every family has its share in each. Cotton cloth, woven and dyed in the town, forms a chief article of trade ; and to this may be added sandals and shoes, twisted leather straps, and jebiras (purses of a peculiar make), kola-nuts, and slaves. About 20,000 loads of natron pass through the town in a year from Bornu to Nupe. See Clapperton s Travels, vol. ii. ; and Earth, Travels in North and Central Africa, vol ii. The latter gives a sketch plan of Kano. KANSAS, the central State of the American Union, lies between 37 and 40 N. lat. and between 94 38 and 102 W. long. It is bounded on the N. by Nebraska, on the E. by Missouri, on the S. by Indian territory, and on the W. by Colorado. The State is nearly rectangular in shape, with a breadth of about 210 miles from north to south, and a length of 400 miles from east to west. It con tains an area of 81,318 square miles, or 52,043,520 acres. Kansas is an undulating plain, gently sloping from west to east, at an average of nearly 7 feet per mile. There is also an inclination from north to south, as indicated by the course of the rivers, which flow southerly as well as easterly, but never northerly or westerly, except for short distances from local causes. The mouth of the Kansas river, at the east line of the State, is 750 feet above the sea-level ; the average altitude of the western boundary is about 3500 feet. The broad prairie surface is diversified by an endless succession of valleys and woodlands. The great central valley is traversed by the Kansas or Kaw river, which, inclusive of the Smokyhill branch, extends the entire length of the State. Lateral valleys on the north are formed by the Saline, Solomon, Republican, and Blue rivers, and other smaller streams. Another broad valley is formed in the southern half of the State by the Arkansas river, with lateral valleys on the north, traversed by the Walnut, Little Arkansas, Pawnee Fork, and other streams. The south eastern portion contains the important Neosho valley, and the smaller valleys of the Osage and Verdigris. In the extreme south-west and along the southern boundary are the valley of the Cimarron, and a network of the southern tributaries of the Arkansas. Numerous small affluents of the Missouri enrich and diversify the north-eastern quarter of the State. The streams of Kansas are usually fed by perennial springs, and, as a rule, the eastern and middle portions of the State are well watered. The western part is more elevated, and water is less abundant. Geology and Minerals. The surface presents three distinct geological sections. The eastern portion of the State belongs to the Carboniferous system, in which are found inexhaustible beds of valuable bituminous coal, often at shallow depths or cropping out on the surface. The central portion belongs to tho Triassic formation, with magnesian limestone, ferruginous sandstone, and gypsum as the representative rocks. Magnesian limestone, known as dolomite, is especially plentiful along the Blue, Republican, and Neosho rivers and their tributaries. This beautiful stone, resembling white, grey, and cream-coloured marble, is exceedingly useful for building purposes. It crops out in the bluffs in endless quantities, and is easily worked. The western portion of the State belongs to the Cretaceous formation, in which chalks and a species of native quicklime are very prominent in the river bluffs. The white and cream-coloured chalks are much used for building purposes, but the blue is usually too soft for exposure to the weather. The quicklime as quarried from the bluffs slakes perfectly, and with sand makes a fairly good mortar, without calcination or other previous prepara tions, Lead-mines are extensively worked in the south eastern portion of the State, and prosperous towns and cities are growing up in connexion with these mines. In the central region, salt is produced from wells, and appears in occasional marshes. Salt industries are carried on at Solomon City, near the mouth of the Solomon river, and an excellent brine is obtained at Junction City. The salt of the south-west is found in beds and dry incrustations, varying in thickness from a few inches to 2 feet. The salts of Kansas are remarkably free from lime and other im-