Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 3.djvu/188

Rh  Fayal (so called from the extreme abundance of ihefaya, an indigenous shrub) is the most frequented of all the Azores, after St Michael s, as it has one of the best harbours in the islands, and lies directly in the track of vessels that are crossing the Atlantic in any direction. Its principal town is Villa de Horta, with a population of 763G. The town is defended by two castles and a wall, both in decay, and serving rather for show than strength. The city contains two convents for monks and three for nuns, with eight churches. The bay is two miles in length and three- quarters of a mile in breadth, and the depth of water from 6 to 20 fathoms. Though a good roadstead, it is not altogether free from danger in S.S.W. and S.E. winds. The women of this island manufacture fine lace from the agave thread, and till recently produced large quantities of open-work stockings. They also execute carvings in snow-white fig- tree pith, and carry on the finer kinds of basket-making. A small valley, called Flemengos, still perpetuates the name of the Flemish settlers, who have left their mark on the physical appearance of the inhabitants. Population, 26,264.

A considerable quantity of wine used to be exported from Fayal under the name of Fayal wine, which was really the produce of Pico, one of the most remarkable of the Azores. This island is composed of an immense conical mountain, rising to the height of 7613 feet, and bearing every trace of volcanic formation. The soil consists entirely of pulverised lava. All the lower parts of the mountain used to be in the highest state of cultivation, and covered with vine and orange plantations. But in 1852 the vines were attacked by the Oidium fungus and completely destroyed, while- the orange-trees suffered almost as much from the Coccus Hesperidum. The people were consequently re duced to want, and forced to emigrate in great numbers. The planting of fig-trees and apricots alleviated the evil, and after a time many of the emigrants returned. Pico also produces a valuable species of wood resembling, and equal in quality to, mahogany. Population, 24,000.

Graciosa and St George are two small islands, situated between Fayal and Terceira. Graciosa, as its name imports, is chiefly noted for the extreme beauty of its aspect and scenery. The chief town is Sta Cruz, and the total population 8000. The only manufacture is the George, burning of bricks. The chief town of St George is Velas, and the population 18,000.

The two small islands of Corvo and Flores seem but imperfectly to belong to the group. They lie also out of the^ usual track of navigators ; but to those who, missing their course, are led thither, Flores affords good shelter in its numerous bays. Its poultry is excellent; and the cattle are numerous, but small. It derives its name from the abundance of the flowers that find shelter in its deep ravines. Population of Corvo, 1000, and of Flores, 10.508.

1em

 AZOTUS, the name given by Greek and Roman writers to Ashdod, or Eshdod, an ancient city of Palestine, now represented by a few remains in the little village of Esdud, in the pashalik of Acre. It was situated a short distance inland from the Mediterranean, on the usual military route between Syria and Egypt, about 18 geographical miles N.E. of Gaza. As one of the five chief cities of the Philistines, and the seat of the worship of Dagon, it maintained, down even to the days of the Maccabees, a vigorous, though somewhat intermittent, independence against the power of the Israelites, by whom it was nominally assigned to the territory of Judah. In spite of its being dismantled by Uzziah, and somewhat later, in 731 B.C., captured by the Assyrians, it was strong enough in the next century to resist the assaults of Psammetichus for twenty-nine years. Ptestored by the Roman Gabinius from the ruins in which it had been left by the Jewish wars, it was presented by Augustus to Salome, the sister of Herod. It became the seat of a bishop early in the Christian era, but seems never to have attained any importance as a town.

 AZPEITIA, a town of Spain, in the province of Guipuz- coa, on the left bank of the Urola, 15 miles S.W. of Sau Sebastian. The neighbouring country is fertile, and quarries of marble are wrought in the mountains. During the Carlist movement in 1870-74, Azpeitia was the seat of the Guipuzcoan Diputacion, or court for the management of the war ; and gunpowder, cartridges, and cannon were manu factured in the town. The famous monastery of San Ignacio, dedicated to Loyola, about a mile distant, was also appropriated for military purposes. Population stated at 2335.

 AZTECS, the native name of one of the tribes that occupied the table-land of Mexico on the arrival of the Spaniards in America. It has been very frequently employed as equivalent to the collective national title of Nahuatlecas, or Mexicans. The Aztecs came, according to native tradition, from a country to which they gave the name of Aztlan, usually supposed to lie towards the N.W., but the satisfactory localisation of it is one of the greatest difficulties in Mexican history. The date of the exodus from Aztlan is equally undetermined, being fixed by various authorities in the llth and by others in the 12th century. One Mexican manuscript gives a date equivalent to 1164 A.D. They gradually increased their influence among other tribes, until, by union with the Toltecs, who occupied the table-land before them, they extended their empire to an area of from 18,000 to 20,000 square leagues. The researches of Humboldt gave the first clear insight into the early periods of their history. See.

 AZUNI,, a distinguished jurist and writer on international law, was born at Sassari, in Sardinia, in 1749. He studied law at Sassari and Turin, and in 1782 was made judge of the consulate at Nice. In 1786-88 he published his Dizionario Universale Ragionato ddla Giurisprudenza Mercantile. In 1795 appeared his sys tematic work on the maritime law of Europe, Sistem a Univer sale dei Principii del Diritto Maritime dell Europa, of which a second edition was demanded in the following year. A French translation by Digeoii was published in 1798, and in 1 805 Azuni recast the work, and translated it into French. In 1806 he was appointed one of the French commission engaged in drawing up a general code of commercial law, and in the following year he proceeded to Genoa as pre sident of the court of appeal. After the fall of Napoleon in 1814, Azuni lived for a time in retirement at Genoa, till he was invited to Sardinia by Victor Emmanuel I., and appointed judge of the consulate at Cagliari, and director of the university library. He resided at Cagliari till his death in 1827. Besides the works above mentioned, Azuni wrote numerous pamphlets and minor works, chiefly on maritime law, an important treatise on the origin and pro gress of maritime law (Paris, 1810), and an historical, geographical, and political account of Sardinia (1st ed. 1799 ; 2d, much enlarged, 1802).