Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 5.djvu/689

Rh it returned two. Chippenham is several times mentioned in connection with the Danish invasion of the 9th cen tury. In the reign of Edward I. it sent representatives to Parliament, but it did not receive its incorporation till time of Queen Mary. Dr Thomas Scott, the author of the Commentary on the Bible, and Lodovick Muggleton, the founder of the Muggletonian sect, were natives of the town.  CHIPPEWAY INDIANS. See.  CHIRON, in Greek mythology, a Centaur, the son of Chronos and Philyra, who dwelt in a grotto at the foot of Mount Pelion, and who was famous as the wisest of his time, as the founder of the healing art, and as the teacher of most of the ancient heroes, including Hercules, Achilles, ^Esculapius, Ulysses, Castor and Pollux, ^Erieas, Theseus, Meleager, and Nestor. Accidentally pierced by a poisoned arrow shot by Hercules, he resigned his immortality to Prometheus, and escaped the prolonged pain by death.  CHISWICK, a village of England, on the north bank of the Thames, in Middlesex, 4^- miles from Hyde Park Corner, on a branch of the South-Western Railway. It contains numerous fine villas, the principal of which is Chiswick House, the residence of the duke of Devonshire, where Fox died in 1806, and Canning in 1827. The parish church is ancient, and in the churchyard is the tomb of Hogarth. In the neighbourhood were formerly the gardens of the Horticultural Society, and there are still extensive market-gardens for the supply of the metropolis. The Chiswick Press was founded here in 1811 by Charles Whittingham. The population of the parish and the im provement commissioners district, which are co-extensive, was 6303 in 1851, and in 1871, 8508.  CHITTAGONG, a district of British India, in the division of the same name (which also comprises the dis tricts of Noakhali, Tipperah, Chittagong Hill Tracts, and Independent Hill Tipperah), under the jurisdiction of the lieutenant-governor of Bengal, lies between 20 45 and 22 59 N. lat., and 91 30 and 92 23 E. long. It is bounded on the N. by Hill Tipperah and the Chittagong Hill Tracts, E. by the Chittagong Hill Tracts and Arakan, S. by Ar&kan, and W. by the Bay of Bengal. It consists of a strip of low-lying land along the Bay of Bengal, about 165 miles in length, and of an average breadth of 50 miles. A few unimportant ranges rise within the north-eastern portion, the highest hill being the sacred Sitakund, 1155 feet high. Lofty mountains separate Chittagong district from Upper Burmah. The principal rivers are the Karna- phuli, on which Chittagong town is situated, navigable by sea-going ships and steamers as far as Chittagong port, and by large trading boats for a considerable distance higher up, and the Haldd, and the Sangu, which are also navigable by large boats. Several creeks afford means of communica tion with the interior. The wild animals are tigers, ele phants, rhinoceros, leopards, and deer. The area extends to 2498 square miles, of which one-third is cultivated, or capable of cultivation. The census of 1872 returns the population at 1,127,402. According to religion, the Hin dus numbered 301,138, or 26 7 percent. ; Muhammadans, 795,013, or 70 5 per cent. ; Buddhists, 30,149, or 2 7 per cent. ; Christians, 1084 or 1 per cent. ; and persons of un specified religion, 18. The Christian population chiefly con sists of the half-caste descendants of the early Portuguese adventurers, or &quot; Firinghis.&quot; The principal articles of trade are rice, which is exported by sea ; cotton, brought down from the hills for use in the district ; Liverpool salt, imported by sea ; bamboo and thatching grass for building purposes; betel-nut, dried fish, petroleum from Burmah, tea, poultry, and miscellaneous articles of food. Revenue of the district in 1870-71, 221,116; expenditure, 56,035. The police force in 1872 consisted of 436 men and officers of the regular police, 62 of the municipal police, 2648 of the village watch, making a total strength of 3146 officers and men, costing 14,185. In 1872-73 the Education Department had under its inspection 88 schools attended by 3512 pupils, and maintained at a total cost of 2168, 8s. The climate of Chittagong is comparatively cool, owing to the sea breeze which prevails during the day ; but for the same reason, the atmosphere is very moist, with heavy dews at night and fogs. The average annual temperature is 77 Fahr.; the average rainfall for the 13 years ending 1872, 106.50 inches. Chittagong was ceded to the East Indian Company by Nawab Mir Kasim in 1760.

, or Islámábád, the principal town of the above district, is situated on the right bank of the Karnaphuli River, in 22 20 55&quot; N. lat. and 91 52 35&quot; E. long. The river is here navigable by ships of 20 feet draught, and the port has long been a place of con siderable maritime trade. In 1870-71, 215 vessels arrived at the port, with a tonnage of 52,891 ; and 207 left, with a tonnage of 51,587; total value of imports, 182,765; ditto of exports, 276,019. Shipbuilding is carried on to a considerable extent. The town is an agglomeration of small villages, spread over an area of 9 square miles. In 1872, the population amounted to 20,604 souls, viz. 4687 Hindus, 15,051 Muhammadans, 122 Buddhists, and 744 Christians. The municipal income amounted in 1871 to 2136, 12s., and the expenditure to 2381, 6s.  CHITTAGONG HILL TRACTS, a district on the east ern frontier of British India, in the Chittagong division, lies between 21 13 and 23 47 N. lat., and 9J 46 and 92 49 E. long., and is bounded on the N. by the semi-independent state of Tipperah, on the E. and S. by the district of Arakan in British Burmah, and on the W. by the regula tion district of Chittagong. The general aspect of the country is very hilly, with deep ravines and prominent cliffs, covered with forests and gigantic creepers. Irregular masses of jungle, low hills, water-courses, and swamps fill up the intervals between the chief ranges. The principal hills with their heights are Bdsitang, 2181 feet; Mrungd Tang 1650 feet; Rangrang-dang, 2789 feet ; and Lurain Tang, 2355 feet. The country is divided into four valleys formed by the Pheni, Karnaphuli, Sangu, and Matdmuri rivers. Navigation is, however, difficult, owing to the rapidity and violence of their currents, their sharp turns, and whirling eddies ; but the hillmen manage to float down timber, bamboo, ratan, thatching grass, cotton, garjan oil, chdlmuyrd oil, and a small quantity of wax and ivory. Among the wild animals may be noticed elephants, rhinoceros, bison, and many kinds of deer. The area of the district is 6882 square miles ; the population in 1872 was 69,607 souls, or only 10 persons to the square mile. These consist of Hindus, 598, or 8 per cent. ; Muhammadans, 1378, or 2 per cent. ; Buddhists, 47,875, or 68 8 per cent. ; Christians, 31 ; and persons of unspecified religion, 19,725, or 28 4 per cent. The hill tribes, who are very primitive in their manners and customs, include the Khyoungthas (children of the river), called also the Jumid Maghs; Chakmas, Tipperahs, Kumis, Mrus, Khyengs, Bangis, Pankhos, Lushais or Kukis, and Shendus. Rangamatf village is the capital of the district. The princi pal crops are rice, Indian corn, tobacco, and cotton, raised every year from soil newly cleared from jungle. Two European landholders have tea-plantations in the district. The Chittagong Hill Tracts were separated from the Chittagong district in 1860, and until lately were subject to the incursions of the wild tribes on their borders. The revenue in 1870-71 was 3545, 14s ; the expenditure, 14,332, 12s. The police is a quasi-military force, con sisting of 52 officers and 604 men, maintained in 1872 at a total cost of 13,424. This force now suffices to repel the incursions of the border tribes.