Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XV.djvu/175

 SOONGARIA SOPHOCLES 167 settled in 1803, but abandoned in 1804. The Sooloo archipelago lies within the influence of the monsoons. The thermometer ranges between 75 and 87. The chief productions consist of teak and sandal wood, rice, tortoise shell, pearls, mother of -pearl, fish, tripang, and edible birds' nests. According to Mr. St. John, this archipelago furnishes probably a greater number of valuable oyster beds than any other part of the world. The islands are subject to the sultan of Sooloo, and are gov- erned by numerous petty chiefs. The forti- fied town of Sugh or Sooloo, on the island of the same name, is the capital and chief port of the group, and carries on considerable trade with the other islands and Manila. Its population is about 6,000, and that of the whole island is estimated at 100,000. The in- habitants are Mohammedan Malays, and were renowned for their piratical habits prior to the repression of piracy in these waters by the Spanish in 1851. They write their language, which appears to resemble the Philippine tongue, in the Arabic character. SOONGARIA, or Dznngaria. See TURKISTAN. SOOMA. See SUNNA. SOOSOO, or Season, the native name of the dolphin of the Ganges, a fresh-water cetacean of the genus platanista (F. Cuv.). In this, the only described species (P. Gangetica, F. Cuv.), Soosoo, or Dolphin of the Ganges (Platanista Gangetica). ie body is from 20 to 24 ft. long, thickest in ront and gradually tapering to the tail ; the sad obtuse ; the jaws nearly equal, almost raight, slender, compressed at the sides, ex- ided at the end, and from 3 to 4 ft. long ; i teeth are f$lf, conical, projecting from ie gums, largest, nearest together, and most jurved in front, interlocking in the two jaws, id laterally near together in the lower jaw ; itudinal fissure, an unusual form; eyes very lall, shining black, deeply sunk, and 4 in. ibove the angle of the mouth ; auditory fora- lina open but small ; the pectorals fan-shaped, li ft. long and 1 ft. broad posteriorly ; dorsal mch depressed and nearest the tail; caudal ft. wide and festooned. The color is shi- ing pearly gray, with a few lighter colored spots ; the fat under the skin is highly prized Jf the Hindoos as an external application in painful diseases. It is carnivorous, feeding principally on fish, in the pursuit of which it '" very active, but at other times is rather slow. It inhabits the Ganges as far as the head of navigation, but is most abundant where its numerous mouths open into the sea. SOOTHSAYER. See MANTIS. SOPHIA (Bulg. Triaditea), a town of Euro- pean Turkey, in Bulgaria, on a small affluent of the Isker, 310 m. W. K W. of Constanti- nople ; pop. estimated from 18,000 to 30,000, including Bulgarians, Turks, Greeks, and Ar- menians. It is beautifully situated on the road to Belgrade and surrounded by mountains. The old castle was fortified in 1854. The prin- cipal mosque was formerly the magnificent church of St. Sophia. A Greek archbishop and a Catholic bishop reside here. S. of the city are extensive ruins of the ancient Sardica or Ulpia Sardica, an important town of Moasia, in which a council was held in 347. Sophia was founded by Justinian, and conquered by the Bulgarians in 809 and by the Turks in 1382. For a long time it was the capital of Bulgaria. SOPHIA ALEXEIEVNA. See PETEB I. SOPHIA DOROTHEA, crown princess of Han- over, born Sept. 15, 1666, died Nov. 13, 1726. She was a daughter of Duke George William of Brunswick, of the Ltineburg-Celle line ; her mother was a French lady. In 1676 she was affianced to a prince of the house of Brunswick, who died in the same year. She was married in 1682 to her cousin, the future George I. of England, and became the mother of George II. and of the queen of Frederick William I. of Prussia. She lived unhappily with her hus- band, from whom she was divorced in Decem- ber, 1694, after being suspected of an intrigue with Count Konigsmark. The latter had dis- appeared in the night of July 1-2 of that year on leaving Sophia's apartment, and it was gen- erally believed that he had been assassinated at her father-in-law's instigation. She was ban- ished for the rest of her life to the castle of Ahlden, near Celle, whence her popular desig- nation as princess of Ahlden. SOPHISTS. See PHILOSOPHY, vol. xiii., p. 437. SOPHOCLES, a Greek tragic poet, born in the Attic village of Colonus in 496 or 495 B. 0., died probably in 406. He was about 30 years younger than JSschylus, and 15 years older than Euripides. Having gained the prize of a garland both in music and gymnastics, he was selected for his beauty and musical skill in his 16th year to lead, naked, anointed, and with lyre in hand, the chorus which danced and sang around the trophy in the celebration of the victory of Salamis. In 468 he first came forward as a competitor in a dramatic contest, having ^Eschylus for his rival. The represen- tation was at the great Dionysia, presided over by the first archon; the judges were Cimon and his colleagues who had just returned from the conquest of Scyros, bringing with them the bones of Theseus ; the play presented by Sophocles was probably the " Triptolemus," celebrating the Eleusinian hero as a patriot and civilizer ; the public interest and expecta-
 * he symphysis very long ; the blow-hole a lon-