Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 15.djvu/335

Rh M A L M A L 315 green, and verdigris-green. Certain varieties of the mineral exhibit, when fractured, a finely fibrous texture and soft silky lustre. The name malachite is derived from p.aa^yj (the mallow), in allusion to the resemblance of the colour of the mineral to that of mallow leaves. Malachite was prob ably one of the green minerals described by Theophrastus under the general name of cr^a^aySo?, or emerald. It is believed to have been the smaragdus medicus of Pliny, while the molochitis of that author does not appear to have represented our modern malachite. Malachite is a mineral of very wide geographical distribution, being found more or less abundantly in the upper part of most deposits of copper ore. The finer varieties, such as lend themselves to purposes of ornament, are, however, found only in Siberia, in Australia, and at Bembe on the west coast of Africa. Probably the finest deposits in the world were those discovered some years ago in Prince Demidoff s mines at Nijni Tagilsk, in the government of Ekaterinburg, on the Siberian side of the Ural mountains. The mineral is highly prized in Russia for usa in mosaic work, and for the manufacture of vases, snuff-boxes, and other small ornaments. Magnificent examples of malachite work, in the shape of mantelpieces, folding doors, tables, chairs, and other articles of furniture, have occasionally been executed. Such objects are veneered with thin slabs of malachite ingeniously fitted together so as to preserve the pattern, and having the interspaces between the com ponent pieces filled up with a cement formed of small fragments of the malachite itself. The mineral is sawn into slabs, ground smooth with emery, and finally polished with tripoli. Although its degree of hardness is only from 3 5 to 4, it takes an excellent polish. It is rather denser than marble, its specific gravity being 3 - 7 to 4 ; but it is much more difficult to work, in consequence of its tendency to break along the planes of deposition. Malachite is occasionally used for cameo-work, but not with great success ; some fine antique cameos in malachite are, however, known. The mineral has also been ground to powder, and used as a pigment under the name of mountain- green. The coarser masses are extensively used as ores of copper, malachite containing about 57 per cent, of metal. The mineral called azurite or chessylite, a hydrated basic carbonate of copper closely resembling malachite, save in colour, is occasionally knoAvn as blue malachite. MALACHY, ST (c. 1094-1148), otherwise known as Maelmaedog Ua Morgair, for some time archbishop of Armagh, and afterwards papal legate in Ireland, was born of noble parentage at Armagh about the year 1094, early gained a high reputation for sanctity, and was ordained to the priesthood at the age of twenty-five (thirty being at that time, according to his biographer St Bernard, the canonical age). For some time he was employed as vicar by Archbishop Celsus or Ceallach of Armagh, and in this capacity was successful in effecting throughout the diocese many important reforms in the direction of increased con formity with the usage of the Church of Rome ; afterwards he undertook the government of the decayed monastery of Bangor or Benchor, in what is now known as county Down, and made it a flourishing seminary of learning and piety. When thirty years of age he was chosen and consecrated bishop of Connor ; after the sack of that place by the king of Ulster he withdrew into Munster and built the monastery of Ibrac. Meanwhile he had been designated by Celsus (in whose family the see of Armagh had been hereditary for many years) to succeed him in the archbishopric ; reluctantly but dutifully in the interests of reform he accepted the dignity, and thus became involved for some years in a struggle with the so-called heirs. Having finally settled the diocese he, as had been previously stipulated by himself, was permitted to return to his former diocese, or ratber, it having in the meanwhile been divided, to the smaller and poorer portion of it, the bishopric of Down, where he reorganized a house of regular clergy. In 1139 he set out from Ireland with the purpose of soliciting from the pope the pallium for the archbishop of Armagh ; on his way to Rome he visited Clairvaux, and thus began a life-long friendship with St Bernard, who survived to write his biography. Malachy was received by Innocent II. with great honour, and made legate in Ireland, though he did not at once obtain the pallium ; on his way homeward he revisited Clairvaux, and took with him from thence four members of the Cistercian order, by whom the abbey of Mellifont was afterwards founded in 1 1 41. For the next eight years after his return from Rome Malachy was active in the discharge of his legatine duties, and in 1148 he received from the bishops of Ireland a commission to return to Rome and make fresh application for the pallium ; he did not, however, get beyond Clairvaux, where he died on November 2, 1148. The object of his life was realized four years afterwards, in 1 152, during the legateship of his successor (see IRELAND, vol. xiii. p. 255). Malachy was- canonized by Clement IV. MALAGA, a maritime province of Spain, one of the eight modern subdivisions of Andalucia, is bounded on the W. by Cadiz, on the N. by Seville and Cordova, on the E. by Granada, and on the S. by the Mediterranean, having an area of 2823 square miles, and a population. (1877) of 500,231. The rise from the sea is rapid, and the average elevation of the province is considerable. Of the numerous- sierras may be mentioned that of Alhama, separating the province from Granada, and atone point rising above 7000 feet; its westward continuation in the Sierra de Abdalajis and the Axarquia between Antequera and Malaga ; and not far from the Cadiz boundary the Sierras de Ronda, de Mijas, de Tolox, and Bermeja, converging and culminating in a summit of nearly 0500 feet. The principal river is the Guadalhorce, which rises in the Sierra de Alhama, and after a westerly course past the vicinity of Antequera, bends southward through the wild defile of Pefiarrubia acd the beautiful vega or vale of Malaga, falling into the sea near that city. The only other considerable stream is the Guadiaro, which has the greater part of its course within the province, and flows past Ronda. The mountains are rich in minerals, lead, nickel, and (in the neighbourhood of Marbella) iron being obtained or obtainable in large quantities. There are much frequented warm springs of sulphuretted hydrogen at the baths of Carratraca. Though the methods of agriculture are for the most part rude, the yield of wheat in good seasons is considerably in excess of the local demand ; and large quantities of grapes and raisins, oranges and lemons, figs and almonds, are annually exported, The oil and wines of Malaga are also highly esteemed ; and in recent years, especially since the phylloxera invasion, the growth of the sugar cane has developed into a considerable industry. In 1880 the total production of wine within the province was estimated at about 5,250,000 gallons; of this amount about 1,575,000 gallons were exported (1,000,000 gallons to Great Britain and the continent of Europe, and the remainder chiefly to South America and the Spanish colonies). In 1879 about 1,400,000 gallons of olive oil were exported, chiefly to the Baltic. The sugar produced in 1880 was calculated to amount to about 5650 tons. The internal communications of the province are in many parts, owing to the broken nature of the surface, very defective ; it is traversed, however, from north to south by the Cordova-Malaga Railway, which sends off a branch, recently made continuous, from Bobadilla to Granada. The only towns with a population exceeding 10,000 are Malaga (the capital), Antequera, Ronda, and Velez Malaga.