Briefly noted: L (1)

L'Ouverture

Aiton's Encyclopedia: loo-ver-tur'. See Tous Saint L'Ouverture

Collier's New Encyclopedia: TOUSSAINT. See TOUSSAINT L'OVERTURE.

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Laburnum

Aiton's Encyclopedia: a small tree of the pea family. It is related to the honey locust . It grown wild in the Alps and other mountain chains of Europe. It is much cultivated in parks for the sake of the beautiful, long, hanging racemes of yellow, pea-shaped flowers. It is also called golden chain and bean-trefoil. Tennyson speaks of "laburnum's drooping wells of fire." The seeds contain poisonous alkaloids. They are used in medicine. The heart wood of the laburnum is dark colored and coarse grained, but, like the locust, is hard and durable. It is much in demand among the cabinetmakers, by whom it is sometimes called the "ebony of the Alps."

Collier's New Encyclopedia: a tree of the genus Cytisus, the C. Laburnum, natural order Leguminosa, a native of the Alps, much cultivated by way of ornament. It is well and widel known for the beauty of its pendulous racemes of yellow pea-shaped flowers. The seeds contain a poisonous substance called cytisine, and are violently emetic. The wood is much prized by cabinet-makers and turners, being wrought into a variety of articles which require strength and smoothness. The Scotch laburnum of gardens is a form with larger leaves and flowers, which is known as C. alpinus.

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Lachesis

Collier's New Encyclopedia: in classical classical mythology, of the three FATES one FATES (q. v.). Also the name of Planetoid 120. Planetoid 120. In zoology, (1) A genus of Crotalidæ. of Crotalide. Rattlesnakes or pit vipers. ers. Lachesis Lachesis mutus, the bushmaster of Surinam, of Surinam, Guiana, and Brazil, has the rudiments of rudiments of a rattle. (2) A doubtful sub-genus of sub-genus of mollusks, genus Pleurotoma.

Aiton's Encyclopedia: lak'e-sis, in classical mythology, that one of the three Fates whose duty it is to measure the thread of human life and decide upon its length. See Fates ; Atropos ; Clotho

1000 Classical Characters: One of the Parcae, or Fates. She presided over futurity, and was represented as spinning the thread of life, or, according to some, as holding the spindle. 2026 Editor's Note: While this text describes Lachesis as the spinner, she is more traditionally identified as the measurer of the thread spun by her sister Clotho. In Greek mythology, she used a rod to determine the length of a lifespan and was said to appear within three days of a birth to decide a child's fate. Her Roman equivalent is Decima. (Ed: BR 2026-07-15)

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Lafitte

Collier's New Encyclopedia: JEAN (lä-fēt'), an American buccaneer; born in France, 1780. is He first authentically known as the chief of an organized and formidable body of desperadoes, having their headquarters on an island in Barataria Bay, in the Gulf of Mexico. Committing various piratical acts, the United States Government sent out expedition an against them in 1814, which captured their stronghold and all vessels lying there at the time, Lafitte and his companions escaping. At the commencement of the war with the United States in 1812, Lafitte was offered by the British Government $30,000, and a naval commission, to co-operate in their expedition against New Orleans. This offer he spurned, and communicating its nature to Governor Claiborne of Louisiana, he offered the services of himself and men against the enemy, on the sole condition of pardon for their past offenses. His offer was accepted, and Lafitte kept his word by rendering efficient aid to the Americans in the battle of Jan. 8, 1815. Lafitte later settled in Galveston, then removed to Yucatan, where he died in 1826.

Aiton's Encyclopedia: la-fet, Jean, "the Pirate of the Gulf." He was born in France about 1780. He died about 1826. He established a famous band of privateers and smugglers at Barataria, Louisiana, 1813-14. For some reason of his own, he stood in with Andrew Jackson. He not only gave timely warning of the movements of the British, but he rendered valuable assistance at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.

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Lanciani

Aiton's Encyclopedia: lan-cha'ne, Rudolfo, an eminent Italian archaeologist. He is a native of Rome, a graduate and a professor of the University of Rome. He is the leading authority on the buildings and institutions of ancient Rome. He is professor of topography and director of excavations. He is a member of several learned societies and is a lecturer of note. In 1887 he delivered a series of lectures at Harvard University . In 1888 he published Ancient Rome in the Light of Recent Discoveries, a remarkably clever and enticing exposition of the topography and edifices of the ancient city. A continuation of this work appeared in 1897 under the title of The Ruins and Excavations of Ancient Rome. These volumes are admirable for high school libraries.

Collier's New Encyclopedia: RODOLFO AMEDEO HODOLFO AMEDEO Italian archæologist; ' - nē), an Italian archæologist; Rome, Jan. 1, 1847. He attained n. 1, 1847. He attained by investigating the ruins of stigating the ruins of Rome. Among his works are: Among his works are: Rome in the Light of Recent Light of Recent the Light " ( 1888); " Pagan and Chris- 8); ; "Pagan "Pagan and Chris- " ( 1892); and " The Ruins and (2); and "The Ruins and of Ancient Rome " ( 1897), ncient Rome" (1897), Tales of Old Rome " ( 1901); Old Rome" (1901); in the Roman Campagna " the Roman Campagna city in Italy, the resi

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Landes

Aiton's Encyclopedia: a French word meaning heaths. It is applied to extensive tracts on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, between the Gironde and the Pyrenees. It is one of the least fertile districts in Europe. The soil is sandy. Vegetation is scanty, consisting chiefly of heath and dwarf shrubs. There are, however, considerable plantations of fir and cork trees. The inhabitants are an active, hospitable race, known as Gascons. The country is commonly tributary to Bordeaux. The inhabitants live chiefly by fishing, hunting, keeping of bees, swine, and sheep. The exports are charcoal, cork, turpentine, resin, and pitch. Wooden shoes are manufactured here. The Landes are remembered by the schoolboy as a region in which sheep are tended by peasants mounted on tall stilts, by means of which they get over the country with wonderful rapidity.

Collier's New Encyclopedia: bordering on the Bay of Biscay. on the Bay of Biscay. rt is very fertile while southern part is very fertile while ection affords pasture for northern section affords pasture for dustries are not numerous The industries are not numerous aro connected for the extensive, and are connected for the the forests and their part with the forests and their . Area 3,615 square miles. 3,615 square miles. Pop. about 290,000. 10.000.

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