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Escalante, Silvestre Vélez de

(Encyclopedia)Escalante, Silvestre Vélez de sēlvāˈstrā vāˈlāth dā āskälänˈtā [key], fl. 1769–79, Spanish explorer in the American Southwest and Far West, a Franciscan missionary. He was in charge of...

Cushing, Frank Hamilton

(Encyclopedia)Cushing, Frank Hamilton, 1857–1900, American ethnologist, b. North East, Pa. He published his first scientific paper at the age of 17, and at 18 joined the American ethnology bureau at the Smithsoni...

Alarcón, Hernando de

(Encyclopedia)Alarcón, Hernando de ārnänˈdō dā älärkōnˈ [key], fl. 1540, Spanish explorer in the Southwest. He was given command of a fleet that was supposed to support the land expedition of Francisco V�...

Kendall, George Wilkins

(Encyclopedia)Kendall, George Wilkins, 1809–67, American journalist, b. near Amherst, N.H. After a succession of journalistic jobs, he was a partner in founding (1837) the New Orleans Picayune. In 1841 he joined ...

Entrecasteaux, Joseph Antoine Bruni d'

(Encyclopedia)Entrecasteaux, Joseph Antoine Bruni d' zhôzĕfˈ äNtwänˈ bro͞onēˈ däNtrəkästōˈ [key], 1739–93, French navigator. He entered the French navy in 1754, fought (1756) at Minorca, commanded (...

Nemacolin's Path

(Encyclopedia)Nemacolin's Path nĕmˈəkōˌlĭnz [key], Native American trail between the Potomac and the Monongahela rivers, going from the site of Cumberland, Md., to the mouth of Redstone Creek, where Brownsvil...

astrakhan, pelt and fabric

(Encyclopedia)astrakhan ăsˈtrəkən [key] [from Astrakhan], pelt of the newborn Persian lamb, used like fur in garments, and also the woolen fabric woven to resemble real astrakhan. The cloth is woven on a cotton...

Mexican art and architecture

(Encyclopedia)Mexican art and architecture, works of art and structures produced in the area that is now the country of Mexico. Such arts were already highly developed in the ancient civilizations flourishing befor...

Moorish art and architecture

(Encyclopedia)Moorish art and architecture, branch of Islamic art and architecture developed in the westernmost lands of the Muslims, known as the Maghreb: N Africa and Spain. The Great Mosque at Al Qayrawan in Tun...

monsters and imaginary beasts

(Encyclopedia)monsters and imaginary beasts. The mythologies and legends of ancient and modern cultures teem with an enormous variety of monsters and imaginary beasts. A great number of these are composites of diff...