Cinnamon

the inner bark of a small tropical tree, closely allied to sassafras, the camphor tree, and the laurel of the poets. Cinnamon is cultivated chiefly in Ceylon, though it has been introduced in the West Indies. The cinnamon of commerce is the inner bark of the smooth growing branches of the tree. Shoots of about two years' growth are cut. The outer bark is scraped away, and the inner bark is peeled off in sheets which are dried in the sun. The sheets naturally curl into quills, the smaller of which are run into the larger and tied into bundles of about ninety pounds each for shipment. Cinnamon bark has a pleasing, sweet, warm taste and a delicate fragrance. It is much used to flavor cookery. Being expensive, ground cinnamon is apt to be adulterated. Cinnamon is a well established tint of brown. The cinnamon bear, for instance, takes the name from its color. See Spice

Cinque (sink) Ports, in English politics, a collective term for the Channel ports, and territory subordinate to them. The word is French meaning five. The Five Ports were Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover, and Sandwich. Winchelsea and Rye were added, making seven. These Channel towns formed a sort of frontier exposed to French invasion. Before the formation of a national navy these towns lay under obligation to furnish men and ships for coast defense. After the practice of building ships at national expense became established in the reign of Henry VII, the Cinque Ports were under heavy naval obligations. They bore the brunt of the destruction of the Spanish Armada. In return for their obligations they held a charter granting special authority and special privileges. The oldest charter now on record is not ancient, but it refers to a previous charter granted by William the Conqueror. The Cinque Ports and a number of subordinate villages were placed under a warden. The ports had a parliament and courts. They were empowered to deal with murderers and felons. They disposed of wrecks and property cast ashore by the sea. They levied tolls and ruled serfs; they were exempt from certain royal taxes; their parliament had authority to levy taxes for local purposes, and in many other ways the territory of the Cinque Ports was recognized as an independent, we might say, jurisdiction. A warden is still appointed, who acts as governor of Dover Castle, but the olden time prerogatives of the Cinque Ports have nearly all passed into national hands.