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 174: AZEBBIJAN quiring his retirement and obliging him to have his speeches in the senate read by others. A man of independent character and political opinions, he severely criticised Oavour, Maz- zini, and other liberal leaders, and among other popular measures opposed the intended trans- fer of the capital to Eome. His daughter, the marchioness Eicci, has published his autobi- ography, or, as he designates it, his "moral autopsy," entitled / miei ricordi (2 vols., 2d ed., Florence, 1867 ; German translation, 1869). A supplementary volume of correspondence between Azeglio and Torelli has been edited by Paoli (Milan, 1870). In 1867 appeared in Paris his Italic de 1847-1865, and his Cor- respondance politique, edited by E. Eendu. Oarcano published at Milan in 1870 Azeglio's Lettere a SIM moglie Luisa Blondel ; and Bar- bera of Florence has lately published his Scritti inediti. His brother Ltnoi, who died in Eome Sept. 24, 1862, was an eminent member of the order of Jesuits, editor of the ultra-clerical Oimlta cattolica, and the author of a work on natural and one on international law. His eldest brother, EOBBETO, who died in Turin, Dec. 24, 1862, published some excellent works on art, and was a promoter of political re- forms toward the close of the reign of Charles Albert, a senator, and director of the royal gallery of paintings. The son of the latter, the marquis VITTOBIO EMMANUELS TAPARBLLI D' AZEGLIO, an accomplished artist, especially in statuary, was ambassador of Sardinia and after- ward of Italy in London from 1850 to 1868. AZERBIJAN, or Azerbaijan, a N. W. province of Persia, bounded N. and N. E. by the Eus- sian dominions, E. by the Persian province of Ghilan, S. by Irak-Ajemi and Persian Kurdis- tan, and W. by Turkish Kurdistan and Arme- nia ; area, about 30,000 sq. m. ; pop. estimated at 2,000,000. It nearly corresponds to the ancient Median province of Atropatene, from which its modern name is derived. The country is mountainous, with fertile valleys and small plains. Mt. Savalan, apparently once a volca- no, is upward of 12,000 feet high. The chief rivers are the Aras (the ancient Araxes), which flows along the N. border, and its affluent, the Karasu. The salt lake of Urumiah is in this province. The climate is generally healthy; the summers are very hot and the winters very cold. In the plains the pomegranate and olive thrive in the open air. The mineral re- sources of the province are not developed; but there are mines of iron, lead, and copper. The inhabitants are chiefly Mohammedans, but there are some settlements of Nestorian Chris- tians. Capital, Tabriz. AZEVEDO H I IMIO, .low Juaquim da Cnnha a Portuguese bishop, and the last inquisitor general of Portugal and Brazil, born at Cam- pos dos Goitacazes, in Brazil, Sept. 8, 1742, died Sept. 12, 1821. He studied at Coimbra in Portugal, received orders, and soon became prominent both in the church and in Brazilian politics. He published in 1792 a work entitled AZOEES Ensaio economico sobre o commercio de Portu- gal e suas colonias. In 1794 he was made aishop of Pernambuco. He published in Lon- don, in 1798, a pamphlet against the proposi- iis death he was elected to the cortes as a rep- presentative of the province of Eio de Janeiro. He was named bishop of Elvas, but declined, and in 1818 was appointed inquisitor general. He wrote a memoir on the conquest of Eio de Janeiro by Duguay-Trouin in 1711. AZEVEDO Y ZINIGA, Gaspard de, count of Monterey, and viceroy of Peru and Mexico, died March 16, 1606. He succeeded Luis de Velas- co in the viceroyalty in 1603. He equipped a fleet to search for the great southern continent, which, under the command of Pedro Fernan- dez de Quiro, discovered several islands. AZINCOCRT. See AGINOOURT. AZKAR I lAKIk. See TTJAEIKS. AZOF. See Azov. AZOIC AGE, the period in the earth's history preceding the appearance of vegetable and animal life. A few years ago life was not known to have existed below the lower Silu- rian rocks, in the Cambrian of England, or in the Taconic (Laurentian and Huronian) of this country. If, however, eozoon be admitted as an animal form, the first appearance of life is carried back in time very much ; and now American geologists are disposed to admit an eozoic age between the Silurian and azoic. AZORES, or Western Islands, a group of islands belonging to Portugal in the N. Atlantic, be- tween lat. 36 55' and 39 44' N., and Ion. 25 10' and 31 16' W., about 800 m. from the coast of Portugal; area, over 1,100 sq. m. ; pop. about 250,000. They comprise three minor groups, the N. W. consisting of Flores and Corvo, the central of Terceira, San Jorge, Pico, Fayal, and Graciosa, and the S. E. of San Miguel and Santa Maria ; and they extend from S. E. to N. W. about 400 m. The largest, San Miguel, is 50 m. long, and from 5 to 12 m. broad. They are all of volcanic origin, and have suifered severely from eruptions and earthquakes. A volcano rose suddenly to the height of 3,500 ft. in San Jorge in 1808, and burned for six days, deso- lating the entire island. In 1811 a volcano rose from the sea near San Miguel, and after vomit- ing ashes and stones disappeared. The peak of Pico, on the island of the same name, is 7,613 ft. high. All the islands are rugged and picturesque, with steep shores. The climate is moist but agreeable, and vegetation is luxuri- ant, fruits abounding, as well as the sugar cane, coffee, and tobacco. The principal exports are wine, brandy, oranges, lemons, beef, pork, and coarse linens, and their value is about $1,200,- 000 annually. The imports, valued at $1,700- 000, comprise woollen and cotton goods, iron, glass, pitch, timber, rum, sugar, tea, coffee, fish, &c. The tonnage entered in 1867 was 119,271 ; cleared, 117,690. There are no good harbors, the least exposed being Angra, on the island of Terceira. The Azores were laid down on the
 * ion to abolish the slave trade. Shortly before