Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/545

 SAGOSKIN SAHAPTINS 521 leaves, and a one-seeded fruit an inch and a half in diameter, covered with shining reversed scales. Left to themselves, the trees attain their full growth in about 15 years, flower, produce their fruit, which is about three years in coming to perfection, and then die. To ob- tain the sago, the trees are felled as soon as they show signs of flowering ; it is often stated that the starch is obtained from the pith of the trees, but palms have no true pith, and the starch, accumulated to nourish the fruit, is found to be deposited all through the tissues of the trunk, except in the hard rind ; when allowed to bear fruit, the trunk finally becomes a nearly hollow shell. The trunk is cut into convenient lengths, which are split in halves, and the interior soft portion is scraped out and pounded in successive waters until all the starch is separated ; the water in which the starch is suspended is allowed to stand until this settles, and the fibrous matter, which floats, is poured off with the water. The sedi- ment is repeatedly washed, and when freed of all extraneous matter it is dried, and is then called sago meal. In this form it is but little known in this country, that which is imported being consumed in manufacturing processes ; it is the crude starch of the palm. The form in which sago is usually seen is that called granulated or pearl sago ; the wet starch is dried, broken up, and pounded and sifted until of a somewhat regular size, the larger grains being of the size of mustard seed, in- termixed with numerous smaller ones ; the process of granulation is not known in full, but it is said that heat and mutual attrition by rubbing in a bag are used to form and shape the grains. Sago meal, the unprepared starch, presents under the microscope a great many muller-shaped granules, i. e., elongated, round- ed at one end and truncate at the other ; the granules of pearl sago are larger and less reg- ular, being changed by the heat used in pre- paring it. Sago is usually of a pinkish or slightly brownish tint, but it is sometimes ar- tificially bleached and pure white ; it swells up in cold water, and does not completely dissolve by boiling. It has the general properties of other amylaceous foods, and is principally eaten in the form of sago pudding. A fac- titious sago is sometimes met with, in which the grains are much larger and more regular than in the true, and of a pure white ; this is made from potato starch, and may be readily detected under the microscope, as the potato starch granules are much larger than those of sago and of a different shape. SAGOSKIX. See ZAGOSKIN. SAGUACHE, a S. county of Colorado, forming the N. extremity of San Luis park, bordered on three sides by mountains, and watered by affluents of the Gunnison and Arkansas rivers ; area, about 2,500 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 304. The valleys are natural meadows, covered with a rich vegetation, and the table lands afford fine natural pasturage. In the S. part is a lake, 24 by 10 m., which has a regular ebb and flow. The chief productions in 1870 were 5,921 bushels of wheat, 5,527 of oats, 1,061 of potatoes, 6,800 Ibs. of wool, 6,250 of butter, and 174 tons of hay. There were 129 horses, 2,052 milch cows, 1,751 other cattle, and 3,100 sheep. Capital, Saguache. SAGUENAY, a river of Quebec, Canada, flow- ing from Lake St. John by two outlets, which unite 9 m. E. of the lake (see QUEBEC, vol. xiv., p. 135), to the St. Lawrence at Tadou- sac, 120 m. below Quebec; length about 100 m. From the junction it flows S. E. with a stream from ^ m. to 2 m. in width, at first be- tween gently sloping banks ; but below Grand or Ha ! Ha ! bay it forces its way through per- pendicular cliffs of granite and syenite, one of them, Cape Trinity, towering 1,500 ft. above the river, and another near it, called Pointe d'Eternite, still more lofty. Ha! Ha! bay is on the W. side of the river, about 60 m. from its mouth, and is about 9 m. wide and 9 m. long, with a depth of from 15 to 35 fathoms. The depth of the river is remarkable ; 34 m. from its mouth there is a recess or bay which is 1J m. deep; and at another point, a little lower down, called St. Jean's bay, the depth is 1 m. Its average depth in mid-channel, ac- cording to Admiral Bayfield, is 145 fathoms. It is navigable for steamboats to Chicoutimi, 75 m. from its mouth; above that point the rapids prevent navigation, and at low water a bar about 60 m. from its mouth prevents large vessels from ascending. SAGUENAY, the N. E. county of Quebec, Canada, bordering on the river and gulf of St. Lawrence; area, 68,840 sq. m. ; pop. in 1871, 5,487, of whom 3,519 were of French and 390 of English origin or descent, and 1,309 were Indians. It includes the island of Anticosti, and embraces the portion of Labrador belong- ing to the province. The Saguenay river in- tersects the S. W. extremity, and numerous other rivers flow into the river and gulf of St. Lawrence. The settlements are scattered along the coast, and the inhabitants are en- gaged in fishing. Capital, Tadousac. SAGCNTPM, or Sagnntns, an ancient town of Spain, the ruins of which, consisting of a thea- tre and a temple of Bacchus, are still visible at Murviedro in the province of Valencia, near the mouth of the river Palancia in the Medi- terranean. It was founded, according to tra- dition, by a Greek colony from Zacynthus (Zante), who named it after their native isl- and, but owes its celebrity in history to its de- struction by Hannibal, 219 B. C., which im- mediately led to the second Punic war. It was rebuilt by the Romans and made a colony. The name of the modern town on its site is derived from muri veteres (old walls). The ruins of the ancient theatre, the general form of which is still perfect, were enclosed with a wall in 1867. SAHAPTINS, or Sapttas, a family of North American Indians, living west of the Kocky