Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/898

 872 SHIRE SHODDY tive. It is famous among Persians as the birth- place and residence of the poets Saadi and Haffz, both of whose tombs are in the neigh- borhood. There are numerous antiquities in the vicinity, including the ruins of Persepolis. SHIRE. See COUNTY. SHIRK, a river of S. E. Africa, which flows out of the S. extremity of Lake Nyassa, and after a southerly course of about 800 m. falls into the Zambesi, 90 in. above its mouth. A series of rapids, about 40 m. long, terminating 100 m. from the Zambesi, separates the up- per from the lower valley of the Shire, by a descent of 1,200 ft. Except in these cataracts the river is navigable for boats, being nearly 150 yards wide and from 12 to 15 ft. deep at its point of exit from the lake, while it enters the Zambesi with a width of 200 yards. Its upper course is broad and deep, and one day's march S. of Nyassa it expands into a lake 10 m. long and 5 m. wide, known as Pamalombe. Below the rapids the river flows over great shallows, and through marshes where the aquatic vegetation is so abundant as some- times to impede navigation. The Shirr was first explored in 1859 by Livingstone. SHIRLEY, Janes, an English dramatist, born in London about 1594, died Oct. 29, 1666. He graduated at Catharine hall, Cambridge, took orders, and was appointed to a living in Hertfordshire, which he soon resigned, having become a Roman Catholic. After teaching a few years in the grammar school of St. Albans, he settled about 1625 in London as a writer for the stage. He had produced 83 plays when parliament in 1642 prohibited theatrical per- formances. He fought in the civil wars under the earl of Newcastle, and afterward resumed teaching. The great fire of London drove him and his wife into the suburbs, where from ex- posure they died on the same day and were buried in the same grave. He published five grammatical treatises, assisted in the composi- tion of several plays published by his patron Newcastle, and wrote the notes for Ogilby's translations of Virgil and Homer. His " Trai- tor," partly recast by Sheil, was produced at Oovent Garden theatre in 1819, under the title of " Evadne, or the Statue." The only col- lection of his works is that of Gifford and Dyce (6 vols. 8vo, London, 1833). SHIRWA, a lake in S. E. Africa, 30 m. S. by E. of Lake Nyassa, and separated from the val- ley of the Shir6 river to the west by a moun- tain ridge having an estimated elevation of 7,000 ft. It is 60 m. long from N. to S., 20 m. wide, and about 2,000 ft. above the sea level, with brackish waters and no known outlet. It was discovered by Livingstone, April 18, 1859. SHOA, one of the great political divisions of Abyssinia, in the S. E. corner of that conn- try, sometimes under the same sovereignty and at others an independent state, situated be- tween lat. 8 30' and 11 N., and Ion. 88 and 40 30' E. Its boundaries are ill defined, but it is bordered N. W. by Amhara, N. E. by Adal, E. by the Galla desert country, S. by the river Hawash, and terminates on the W. in the valley of the Abai; pop. estimated at 2,500,000, of whom 1,000,000 are Coptic Chris- tians and the remainder Mohammedans and pagans. Shoa consists of a series of plateaus, varying from 3,000 to 10,000 ft. in height above the level of the sea. A mountain range traverses the country from S. W. to N. E., forming an eastern watershed down which flow the aifluents of the Hawash, while the western slope gives rise to the Jamma, one of the principal tributaries of the Abai. The valley of this river occupies the central and western part of Shoa, at an elevation of about 8,000 ft. A broad plain lies between the mountains and the Hawash river on the south, and from the highlands the descent is rapid through the eastern part of the country, called Efat, to the desert. Shoa is watered by nu- merous streams; the soil is fertile, and large crops of grain are raised. The higher lands are used chiefly for pasturage. The valleys are very beautiful and well wooded, but in summer they are hot and unhealthy, and par- ticularly subject to fever. They produce cof- fee, cotton, drugs, and different sorts of dye woods. Ancient volcanic rocks predominate in the geology of Shoa. Iron and sulphur are the chief mineral products, and coal is suid to exist. It has but little external trade, and its foreign commerce is carried on principal- ly through ports on the gulf of Aden. There is a caravan route from Ankobar to Tajurrah, on the gulf of that name, but the difficulty of transporting goods across the desert is very great. Gold dust, spices, gums, ostrich feath- ers, and ivory are the chief exports, but some of these articles merely pass through the coun- try from the surrounding territories. Cotton cloth is manufactured, and the natives work in iron. Ankobar, the capital, is situated on the eastern highlands, near the mountain range already mentioned, in lat. 9 35' N., Ion. 39 54' E., 8,198 ft. above the sea, and enjoys a climate of perpetual spring; pop. about 10,- 000. Shoa has frequently been a province of the Abyssinian monarchy, but is now an in- dependent kingdom. The British government established friendly relations with the country in 1841, through a diplomatic mission under Major Harris. The government is an absolute despotism, and the name of the present king (1875) is Menelek. SHODDY, a rag wool obtained from old blank- ets, stockings, carpets, flannels, &c., and now largely employed together with the similar ar- ticle called mungo, obtained from old woollen garments and tailors' clippings, in mixing with new wool for manufacturing blankets, druggets, carpets, table covers, pilot cloths, petershams, &c. In some of these rag wool constitutes nine tenths of the whole material, and in oth- ers not more than one tenth. Its use in some degree is the cause of the apparent cheapening of many kinds of woollen goods within a few