Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/840

* MONTAUBAN. 752 MONTCALM. ist, was born at Muiilauban. Population, in 1901, 30,500. MONTAUK, mon-tak'. An Algonquian tribe foiuicrly iiiliabiting the eastern end of Long Isl- and, and claiming sovereignty over most of the other tribes of the island. Their i)rineii)al vil- lage was near Montauk Point. When first known they were a numerous peojile. but having been reduced by a pestilence in 1658 to about 500 souls, thoy were invaded by the Xarragansctt from the mainland and forced to seek shelter among the white settlers at Easthampton. A century later only 102 remained, ilany of these joined a kindred band in New York about 1788, and in 1829 only about 30 were left on Long Island. By 1870 these had dwindled to about a half dozen. MONTAUK POINT. A promontory at the eastern end of Long Island, in Suffolk County, N. Y. (Map: New York, J 5). On it are located a stone lighthouse, 170 feet high, with a flashing white light: a Daboll fog-trumpet; and a United States life-saving station. The Point was named after the ilontauk Indians, who once inhabited the region. MONTAUSIER, mO.x'tS'zyi', Chables de Sainte-Maikk, Marquis de ( 1010-90). A French soldier. He was educated at Sedan, rose rapidly in the army, and in 1G45 became Governor of Saintonge and Angoumois. He was a patron of Boileau and Racine, and was famed for his brusque manners and his austere piety. It is supposed that he was the original of Jloli&re's Misanthrope. He was the long-time suitor of Mile, de Rambouillet, first dame d'hon- netir. whom he married and for whom he pre- pared the (Jiiirlande dc ■hilic. a book of unpub- lished autograph verse by various authors. Mon- tausier was guardian of the Dauphin (16G8-79). MONTBELIARD, moN-'bil'lyar'. The capital of an arroudisscmenl in the Department of Doubs, France, 9 miles southwest of Belfort (Map: France, X 4). It lies in a valley between the Vosges and Jura moimtains, at the confluence of the AUaine and the Lisaine, and on the Rhone- Rhine Canal. The strikingly situated castle, dating from the fifteenth century and largely rebuilt in the eighteenth century, was an im- portant German jmst during the battle of Heri- court in 1871. There are various fortifications in addition to the castle. Among several public statues there is one to Cuvier. the naturalist, born here in 1709. The principal industries arc watchmaking and the manufacture of hardware, silk and cotton goods, and agricultural instru- ments. Vine, leather, cheese, and the famous 'Montbeliard cows' are exported. MontlM'liard belonged to Wiirttemberg from the close of the fourteenth century (with intermissions) down to the time of the Fri'ncli Kcvnlutionarv wars. Population, in 1900. 10.0;U. chielly Protestants. MONT BLANC, mOx bliiN (Fr., White Moun- tain). Tile highest mountain in Kurope outside of the Caucasus. It forms with the liordering heights an independent elongated ridge of the Western .Alps, on the bomidnry between France (.■^avoy) and Italy (Piedmont) (Map: France, K 0). It is situated a short distance west of the Pennine .Mps and north of the (Jraian Alps, nlMiut 40 miles south of Lake Geneva. It is composed of crystalline strata which exhibit the fan-shaped arrnngenient ehnracteristic of .Alpine peaks. The highest point (15,781 feet), gener- ally known as Mont lllanc. is in France, 7 miles south of the Swiss boundary. It is covered by an inunense cap of ice more than 75 feet thick, from which glaciers extend downward in all directions, feeding the tributaries of the Rhone on the north and of the Po on the south. The largest glaciers run northward into the A'alley of Chamonix — the chief l)eing the Glacier du Gt-ant, which extends almost to the bottom of the valley, and is known in its lower course as the Mer de Glace. The line of perpetual snow is at an altitude of SGOO feet. The summit is surroiuuled by a series of lower, steep and iicedlclike crags {(liguilles), and the ascent is dangerous and fatiguing, many persons having perished in the attempt. The first ascent was made in 1780 by the guide Bahnat, induced by a prize olTeied by the scientist Saussure, who himself accomplished the ascent the following year and made some of the earliest scientific observations in high altitudes. The sununit is now ascended by large numbers of tourists every year. Two meteorological and astronomical observatories are located on Mont Blanc, one built in 1890 at an altitude of 14,324 feet, the other built in 1893 on the sununit. Con- sult: Doblhoff, Dcr Moiilblaiic (Vienna, 1880); Gussfeldt, Der Monlblanc (Berlin, 1894); Du- parc, Le Moiitblanc, au point de vue geologique et pStrographique (Geneva, 1896) ; Durier, Le ilontblanc (4th ed., Paris. 1897) : ilathews. The Annals of Mont Ulanc (London. 1898) ; Whym- per, Chamonix mid the Itnnge of Montblanc (7th ed., London, 1902) ; and the authorities referred to under MoiNTAlx Climbing. MONTCALM de Saixt-V^bax. mOx-kalm' de sax variix', Louis Joseph, Marquis de (1712- 59). A distinguished French general in America. He was born at Candiac. near Ximes, Febru- ary 29, 1712, and entered the army at the age of fourteen. At eighteen he was a cap- tain. He served in Italy and Germany for many years, and was wounded at the battle of Piacenza in 1740. In May, 1750. he was sent to Canada to command the French forces. He captured Fort Ontario at Oswego in August of the same year. The next year he forced the capitulation of Fort William Henry at the head of Lake (Jeorge, with an Knglish garrison of 2500 men, capturing 42 guns and a large amoimt of stores. In 1758 he defended Fort Ticonderoga with 3000 Canadians against General Atjercrom- by at the head of 15.000 ICnglish, repulsing the latter after a determined attack (.lulyStb). Lack of troops, annnunition, and provisions, and the large reinforcements of the Knglish, obliged Montcalm to retire all his forces the following year to Quebec, which was menaced by a powerful army under General Wolfe. Ill supported by the I'rench Government and forced to cope with disalTection among the authorities in Canada, Montcalm foresaw the ultimate downfall of the French power in .America, but prepared to meet it with a heroic determination which has lent so nuich romantic interest to his last days. The struggle around l^uebee began .July 31, 1759, and the siege continued for six weeks imtil Wolfe's sealing of the Heights of .Abraham above the city templed the French to a battle in the field, in which the Knglish were victorious, Septeml)er 13, 1759. Wolfe fell dead in the moment of victory, and Montcalm was liome from the field nmrtally wounded and died the following day. The city