Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/396

 392 COSSD COSTA-CABRAL kask, a kind of Venice near the mouth of that river, as capital, now constituting a government of European Russia, with an area of 59,654 sq. m., and a population in 1867 of 1,010,135. Southeast of them live the Tchernomoreans (in Russian, those of the Black sea) ; east of these the Terekians ; the Volgaic and Uralian tribes live near the lower course of the rivers from which their names are derived; others still further east. They are divided into districts and stanitzas (settlements). By a ukase of Oct. 21, 1868, the districts E. of the Ural and Si- berian Cossacks were, conjointly with the dis- tricts of the Orenburg and Siberian Kirghizes, organized into the four provinces of Ural, Tur- gai, Akmolinsk, and Semipalatinsk. The Cos- sacks are equal among themselves, elect their officers, excepting the attaman (see ATTAMAN), and are free from taxation. Their chief occu- pations in time of peace are fishing and breed- ing of cattle ; agriculture, commerce, and in- dustry are little developed. Horses form their chief riches. In times of war all men from 18 to 50 years of age are bound to serve on horse- back. They provide their armor at their own expense, but have the free choice of their dress. Their arms are a lance 10 to 12 feet long, a carbine, pistols, and a sabre. Their horses are small, but swift and indefatigable. They are divided into polks (regiments), sub- divided into hundreds, fifties, and tens. They are particularly expert in surprising and inter- cepting small detachments, in annoying an army on the march, and in deranging or pur- suing an enemy in retreat or in flight. It is well known how dreadful they were to the French retreating from Moscow. The number of all the Cossacks of Russia is variously es- timated at 1 to 3 millions. Their language is the Russian intermixed with Polish and Tartar words. They adhere to the Greek creed. They are strong, hardy, and active. They wear beards, round caps, and wide trousers. COSSE, Charles de, count de Brissac, a mar- shal of France, born in Anjou in 1505, died Dec. 31, 1563. He served at the siege of Naples in 1528, was made colonel general of the French infantry in 1542, and fought against the English and imperialists in Champagne and Flanders in 1544-'6. In 1547 he was made grand master of the artillery ; in 1550 marshal of France and governor general of Piedmont, where he proved himself superior to his opponent, the marquis of Gonzaga ; in 1559 governor of Picardy, in 1562 commander of Paris, and in 1563 governor of Normandy. Under Henry II. he owed his position to Diana of Poitiers, with whom he was a favorite. His reputation as a general was such that princes and nobles served under him to learn the art of war. COSSIPORE, a suburb of Calcutta, India, on the left bank of the Hoogly, 6 m. N. of Fort William. It contains a foundery for the cast- ing of ordnance for the military service of India, which produces guns of excellent work- manship. The company's artillery officers are here instructed in the casting of guns. Cossipore is a sacred place in Hindoo estima- tion. It has numerous temples, whither pil- grims resort from all quarters, and an active trade with N. W. India: COSTA, Sir Michael, a musical director and composer, born at the village of La Cerra, near Naples, in 1806. He received his professional education at the royal academy of music in Naples, and also under Tritto, a teacher of some reputation. Having produced two can- tatas, VImmagine and II delitto punito, he be- came director of the orchestra in one of the minor Neapolitan theatres, and finally wrote for the San Carlo an opera entitled Malmna, which met with little success. In 1828 he went to England, where he has since then re- mained, devoted to operatic, orchestral, and oratorio music. In each of these departments of the art he has taken a conspicuous place. In 1831 he became conductor of Her Ma- jesty's theatre, in 1846 of the philharmonic concerts, and in 1847 of the royal Italian opera, Covent Garden. He was also appoint- ed presiding accompanist at the court con- certs. In 1855 his oratorio " Eli " was pro- duced at the Birmingham musical festival, adding greatly to the composer's reputation, which was further enhanced by the ora- torio of "Naaman," brought out in 1864. Both of these oratorios have been performed in Boston and other cities of the United States. In April, 1869, Costa was made a knight by the queen at Windsor castle, and in May he received from the king of Wurtemberg the royal order of Frederick, as a mark of admira- tion for the manner in which the oratorio of " Eli " had been produced under his direction at Stuttgart. Besides those already men- tioned, his principal works are the ballets " Kenilworth," line heure d Naples, and Sire Huon. The opera Malek Adel, produced in 1837 at the royal academy of Paris, and af- terward in London, was an amended version of his early work, Malmna. Though Grisi, Lablache, Rubini, and Tamburini were in the cast, they were unable to save the opera from a reception like that which it met on its first production at Naples. Don Carlos, brought out in London in 1844, met with a somewhat better success, and is esteemed as his best opera. COSTA-CABRAL, Antonio Bernardo da, duke of Thomar, a Portuguese statesman, born at For- nos de Algodres, in the province of Beira, May 9, 1803. He was educated at the university of Coimbra, was appointed by Dom Pedro gov- ernment attorney in the supreme court of Oporto, and officiated afterward as judge in one of the courts of Lisbon ; was chosen to the house of representatives in 1835, where he acted with the conservatives; and was ap- pointed prime minister March 7, 1838, but re- signed two months afterward, when the queen adopted the liberal constitution of 1820. In