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TOMBIGBEE

1922

TOOMBS

Tombig'bee, a river of Mississippi and Alabama, which rises in the northeastern corner of Mississippi, receives the Black Warrior and, by its junction with the Alabama, forms Mobile River about 45 miles above Mobile. It is about 450 miles long, and is navigable for large steamboats to Columbus, Miss., 366 miles from Mobile Bay.

Tomp'kins, Daniel D., an American politician who became vice-president of the United States in 1816 and in 1820, was born in what now is Scarsdale, in West-chester County, N. Y., on June 21, 1774. He studied at Columbia College, and, after graduating, was in 1797 admitted to the bar. In 1805-7 he was a justice of the supreme court of the state, after which he became governor for about ten years '1806-17). In 1812 he somewhat arbitrarily prorogued the legislature to prevent the charter of the Bank of America, with a capital of $6,000,000, alleging bribery. He took an active part in the War of 1812, recruiting and equipping well-nigh 40,000 of the state's militia and aiding the state with money raised by his own security. As governor one of his last acts was to recommend the abolition of slavery in the state. He died on Staten Island, N. Y., on June n, 1825.

Ton'awan'da, N. Y., a city in Erie County, on Niagara River and Erie Canal and on the N. Y. Cent, and Hudson River, Erie and Lehigh railroads, ten miles north of Buffalo. Adjoining North Tonawanda, with which it is connected by a bridge over Tonawanda Creek, it also has connection with Buffalo by two electric tramways. It has a fine park, an armory, public library and high school. Its industries, which utilize Niagara River for water-power, include lumber-manufacturing, a paper-mill, iron-works and ship-yards. Settled about 1820, the town became a city in 1904. Population 8,290.

Tongue (tting), a muscular organ, reaching from the hyoid or tongue bone, backward and downward and in front to the teeth. The upper surface, borders and front third of the lower surface are free; while the remaining parts are fixed to neighboring parts by the covering of mucous membrane. At certain points this membrane, on leaving the tongue, forms folds containing fibers, which act as ligaments to the tongue. The largest of these folds is called the frenum or bridle of the tongue, and joins its free front end to the lower jaw. This bridle limits the backward movement of the tip of the tongue. In rare cases it reaches to the tip, so as to interfere with speech and chewing, and the child is said to be tongue-tied. The upper surface is divided into two parts by a middle, lengthwise furrow. (For the little hills on the top of the tongue see TASTE). At the back of the surface are mucous glands, reaching into long canals and helping to secrete the fluid that moistens

the tongue. The furrow on the under surface is deeper, with veins running forward on each side of it. The base of the tongue becomes wider before being fixed in the tongue-bone, which, with the ligaments, is the tongue's framework. There are two sets of muscles, the extrinsic or outside muscles, which fasten the tongue to certain points and move it on them; and intrinsic or inside muscles, which pass from one part of the tongue to another, make up its chief bulk and move it on itself. By the action of the various muscles the whole tongue may be drawn back; its upper surface be hollowed or bowed or pressed against the roof of the mouth; its tip may be thrust straight out or sideways, upward and downward or into a hollow tooth where food might lodge. See TASTE.

Ton'ka Bean,   See VANILLA.

Ton'quin or Ton'kin, a dependency or protectorate of France in French Indo-China, acquired in 1884. Its area is 46,000 square miles, with an estimated population of close upon 10,000,000. It is south of China proper with Burma on the west, Si am and Anam on the south and the Gulf of Tonquin on the east, enclosed from the south China Sea by the island of Hainan. It is traversed by Song-Koi or Red River, on which is Hanoi, the capital and largest city, the seat of the resident superior of the protectorate and of the governor-general of French Indo-China. Its chief port, on the Gulf of Tonquin, is Haip-hong, which has a fine harbor and is connected by a railway, 60 miles in length, with the capital; while another line runs inland for 200 miles to Vinh. The forests of the dependency are rich in ebony, sandal-wood and iron-wood; while the vast lands of the delta yield rice, sugar-cane, mulberry, bamboo and areca-nut; the mountainous parts produce coffee, tobacco and indigo. Jute has recently been cultivated considerably; while other exports include oils, pepper, animal" products, silk and rice. Among its useft^ animals is the buffalo. Before the French protectorate was established, the region formed a part of the Anamese kingdom, now also embraced in French Indo-China. On the coast, which is a vast marshy stretch, are coal-beds estimated to be from 300 to 400 square miles in extent. Formerly the country was infested by predatory Chinese soldiery, known as " Black Flags" and supposed to be escaped bands of the Taiping rebels. See ANAM, CAMBODIA, COCHIN-CHINA, LAOS, SHAN and SIAM.

Toombs, Robert, American politician, member of the Confederate Congress (1861) and Confederate secretary of state, was born in Wilkes County, Ga., July 2, 1810, and died at Washington, Ga., Dec. 15, 1885. After graduating at Union College and studying law at the University of Virginia, he was elected to Congress in 1844, and in