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 MAEANHAO ed, but in the interior occur some extensive campos and alluvial flats, which are frequently inundated. Gold mining on a large scale was attempted at Marcassume, but was abandoned about 1867. Silver, platinum, rich copper ore, antimony, and arsenic have been discovered in many parts ; iron is general throughout the province; there is petroleum on the Ita- picurii ; sulphur is said to exist at Rosario, and saltpetre and hydraulic lime at Alcan- tara and Guaraju; and about 60,000 tons of salt are annually produced on the Alcantara coast. The climate is hot and damp, like that of the Amazonian valley, of which, according to Agassiz, it once formed a part ; the ther- mometer ranges from 69-8 to 97'8 F. The light rains begin in October, but the rainy sea- son sets in in December and lasts till May, with much thunder and lightning, especially toward the close ; and from June to Decem- ber the general winds blow steadily from the northeast by day, and from the east by night. The principal products are rice, cotton, sugar, and coffee ; the last is now abundantly grown on the mountain slopes inland, and will prob- ably soon take the place of cotton as a staple for exportation. Oils of various kinds are ex- tensively extracted, but mostly for domestic use, except copaiva, the annual production of which is about 100 pipes ; and sarsaparilla, annotto, vanilla, caju rosin, and many .valuable medicinal plants are found in great plenty, but have not yet become important commodities. In 1854, 13,000,000 Ibs. of cotton were ex- ported, valued at $987,197; and in 1869, 12,- 500,000 Ibs., valued at $1,784,955. The total value of exports in 1867 was $3,150,426, and of imports (consisting mainly of machinery and manufactured goods) $2,712,560. Man- teiga de tartaruga, a kind of butter from tor- toise eggs, is extensively manufactured. There are three f ounderies and one machine shop ; superior embroideries and laces are made ; but the larger portion of the inhabitants are en- gaged in agricultural pursuits. Maranhao has eight cities and 28 towns ; the more important of the former, besides the capital, are Caxias, Vianna, and Alcantara. Education is here more general than in any other province of the empire, there being a lyceuin with 12 chairs of languages, sciences, and law, several semina- ries, and numerous other schools. Maranhao has produced many of the most prominent Brazilian men of letters, arts, and sciences. II. San Luiz de Maranbao, a maritime city, capital of the province, on the W. side of the island of the same name, lying at the mouths of the Itapicuru and Maranhao rivers, 1,410 m. N". of Rio de Janeiro ; lat. 2 31' S., Ion. 44 18' W. ; pop. of the island in 1872, 34,023, of whom about 30,000 were in the city. The city is de- fended by a line of high red cliffs skirting the shore of the island to the north, from which direction it is accessible only by narrow passes. The streets are regularly laid out, are spacious, well paved, and lighted with gas. The houses 531 VOL. XL 10 MARAT 143 are well built, many of them being of two stories, and surrounded with gardens. The finest of the public buildings are the cathedral and the episcopal palace, both the work of the Jesuits. There are ten other churches and chapels, eight convents, the governor's house, town hall, custom house, post office, prison, and one military, one foundling, and several general hospitals. The benevolent institutions comprise asylums for orphans and indigent females, besides several societies for the pro- tection and relief of artisans. There are two banks, several mercantile and industrial asso- ciations, and a number of insurance companies. The educational establishments are a lyceum in which are taught languages, sciences, law, and philosophy, two seminaries, and many primary and grammar schools. The public library contains about 10,000 volumes. Eight periodicals are published. A botanic garden has lately been established. The climate is extremely hot and unhealthy. Maranhao is the entrepot for the productions of its own province and those of Grao Para, Piauhy, Rio Grande do Norte, and Ceara. The port is easy of access, well defended by a series of forts, and affords good anchorage for vessels draw- ing 20 ft. of water. The exports and imports for the second half of 1871 amounted to $1,021,468 64 and $1,063,225 30 respectively. In 1870 there were exported 12^133,000 Ibs. of cotton and 6,338,280 Ibs. of sugar. Among other exports are hides, balsam copaiva, and unprepared isinglass. The chief imports are manufactured goods and machinery. Half of the foreign trade is with Great Britain, and about one tenth with Portugal. The maritime statistics for the year ending June 30, 1872, were : entered, 40 steamers and 36 sailing ves- sels, tonnage 44,272 ; cleared, 39 steamers and 51 sailing vessels, tonnage 52,230. Besides a direct line of steamers to Lisbon and Liverpool, there are two touching at Ceara and Belem or Para, all established since 1867, and almost mo- nopolizing the carrying trade between Mara- nhao and Europe. The rivers Itapicuru, Mea- rim, and Pindare" are navigated by steamers, and there are also coasting lines to Rio de Janeiro and to Para. Maranhao was founded in 1612. MARANHAO RIVER. See MEAEIM. MARAflOff. See AMAZON. MARAT, Jean Paul, a French revolutionist, born of Protestant parents at Baudry, near Neufchatel, Switzerland, May 24, 1744, assas- sinated in Paris, July 13, 1793. He was edu- cated as a physician ; but the narrow sphere in which he lived offering scanty means to satisfy his ambition, he went abroad. At 30 years of age he was at Edinburgh, where he obtained a living as private tutor, and pub- lished a revolutionary pamphlet in English, entitled " The Chains of Slavery," which ap- peared in French at Paris in 1792 (latest ed., 1850). In the following year, by a more volu- minous publication, De Vhomme, ou des prin- cipes et des lots de Vinfluence de Vdme sur U