Monrovia
the capital of Liberia It is situated on the mouth of the St. Paul river. It contains two colleges and is the seat of Protestant Episcopal bishop and of an American and a Roman Catholic mission. Its chief exports are palm oil, coffee, cocoa, dyewoods, and rubber. Prior to the World War a large portion of trade was done with Germany. Pop. about 6,000. MONS (môngs) (Bergen), the capital of the Belgian province of Hainault, on the Trouille, 38 miles S. S. W. of Brussels, formerly encircled by a line of fortifications. The Canal de Condé connects Mons with the Scheldt. The church of St. Waddru (1450-1589) is a masterpiece of Gothic; and there are a town hall (1458), a belfry (1662) 275 feet high, a good library, etc. The manufactures include woolen and cotton goods, cutlery, and sugar; while the vicinity forms an extensive coal field. Mons, occupying the site of one of Cæsar's camps, was made the capital of Hainault by Charlemagne in 804. Pop. about 28,000. Occupied by Germans during invasion of Belgium in 1914. Scene of first encounter betweer German armies and Anglo-French forces on Aug. 14, which led to the retreat of the Allies to the Marne. MONSIEUR (mo-syuh') (abbreviated M.; plural Messieurs, abbreviated MM.) used without any addition, formerly in France designated the king's eldest brother. In common use it answers both to the English sir and Mr.
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Monsignore
8 title of honor given to prelates of the Roman Catholic Church.
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Monson
SIR EDMUND JOHN, British diplomat, born at Charter Lodge, Kent, 1834. Educated at Eton and Balliol, Oxford. Connected with British legations at Paris, Florence, Washington, Hanover, and Brussels, until he resigned in 1865. Re-entered diplomatic service and was appointed consul at the Azores, 1869. Consul-general Hungary, 1871. Special agent in Dalmatia and Montenegro during Turkish War, 1876-1877. Afterward Minister to Uruguay, Argentine, Paraguay, Denmark, Greece, Bel gium, and ambassador to Austria 1893- 1896.' To France 1896-1904. Made a baronet in 1905. Died 1909.
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Monsoon
in India, a trade wind of great influence on the climate. From May to September a steady air current sets in from the southwest. It is laden with moisture from the Indian Ocean . The western slope of Hindustan and the valleys of the great rivers receive the greatest rainfall at this period. One point in lower Burmah received 805 inches in a recent year. A second monsoon from the northeast prevails from November to April. The monsoon region extends, with different dates, however, also to the Pacific as far as Japan. Before the application of steam to navigation the sailing master studied routes with reference to the direction and season of the monsoon. Steam has rendered him in a measure independent.
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Monsoons
a modification of the trade winds, operative from the Tropic of Cancer to lat. 7° S., and from the coast of Africa through the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal to Japan and the western Pacific. There are two monsoons, the southwestern and the northeastern. The latter prevails from October to April, and the former from April to October. The bursting of the monsoon commences the rainy season in India, the southwestern bringing that of Bombay and central India, and the northeastern that of Madras and other parts of the coast of the country. The monsoons are caused by the unequal heating of the land and water and of the several land masses themselves in the regions which they affect. They bring rain to countries which would degenerate into deserts. Also any similar wind blowing half the year in one direction and half in the other.
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Mont Blanc
the highest mountain in Europe (if the Caucasus be regarded as Asiatic); 15,782 feet above sea-level; situated in France, close to the Italian frontier, 40 miles S. of the Lake of Geneva. It rises into several sharp peaks (aiguilles) and forms great glaciers-the Glacier du Géant, Mer de Glace, etc. A practicable route to the summit was gained, in June, 1786, by Balmat and Paccard, guides. There is an observatory (1890) at a height of 14,470 feet.
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Montacute
who came from Normandy with the conqueror. SIR EDWARD MON- TAGU, Speaker of the House of Commons and afterward Lord Chief-Justice, died in 1557. The third son of Baron Edward was SIR HENRY Montagu of Boughton hton
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Montagnards
or simply MONTAGNE (mông-tä-nyuh') ("the Mountain"), the name given to the extreme democratic politicians in the first French Revolution, because they seated themselves on the highest benches of the hall in which the National Convention met. The body included both Jacobins and Cordeliers; its principal members were Danton, Marat, Robespierre, St. Just, and Collot d'Herbois, the men of "the Reign of Terror." The antagonistic party were "the Plain," the GIRONDIST (q. v.), who sat on the lowest benches, on the floor of the house.
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Montagu, Elizabeth Robinson
Elizabeth Robinson (1720-1800), an English society leader. She was a native of York. Her husband, the Earl of Sandwich, died, leaving her a young widow with beauty and fortune. She devoted herself to literary pursuits--delighting in assembling literary people at her beautiful London home. She is said to be the original bluestocking. Among the people who frequented her parlors were Dr. Samuel Johnson, Burke, Garrick, Joshua Reynolds, Hannah More, Lord Lyttleton, Horace Walpole, and others. The subjects of this and the following sketch are of interest chiefly in connection with anecdotes of literary London.
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Montagu, Lady Mary Wortley
Lady Mary Wortley (1689-1762), an English writer. Her maiden name was Pierrepont. Her husband was a Whig officeholder under George I. Lady Montagu was a witty, entertaining woman of great beauty. Her home was the resort of the literary people of the day--Pope, Congreve, Addison, etc. In 1716 Montagu was appointed minister to Turkey. Lady Mary, who accompanied him, wrote home a series of Turkish Letters that created quite a sensation. A later quarrel with Pope occasioned much amusement. She is remembered in medical circles as an advocate of the Turkish system of inoculation for smallpox.
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Montague
a town in Massachusetts which includes several villages of which the most important is Turners Falls. It is in Franklin co. on the Connecticut river and on the Boston and Maine, the New York, New Haven and Hartford, and the Central Vermont railroads. The town contains three public lic libraries, a hospital, and has important manufactures of cotton goods, paper, cutlery, silks, etc. At Turners Falls is a power plant which distributes power to the surrounding communities. Pop. (1910) 6,866; (1920) 7,675.
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