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Augeas

(Encyclopedia)Augeas ôjēˈəs [key], in Greek mythology, son of Helios and king of Elis. He kept his huge herds of cattle in the Augean Stables. As his sixth labor, Hercules cleaned the stables in one day by dive...

Frith, William Powell

(Encyclopedia)Frith, William Powell, 1819–1909, English anecdotal and genre painter. His early paintings were illustrations, such as his Scene from a Sentimental Journey (Victoria and Albert Mus.). Later he paint...

Dowland, John

(Encyclopedia)Dowland, John douˈlənd [key], 1563–1626, English composer, unsurpassed in his day as a lutenist. His books of Songs or Ayres (1597–1603) established him as the foremost song composer of his time...

Saint Lawrence Island

(Encyclopedia)Saint Lawrence Island, c.90 mi (145 km) long and from 8 to 22 mi (13–36 km) wide, off W Alaska, in the Bering Sea. A barren island, it is inhabited by Eskimo engaged in fishing. It was visited by Da...

Barber, John Warner

(Encyclopedia)Barber, John Warner, 1798–1885, American engraver, b. East Windsor, Conn. He opened (1823) a business in New Haven, where he produced religious and historical books, illustrated with his own wood an...

Waitangi, Treaty of

(Encyclopedia)Waitangi, Treaty of (Feb. 6, 1840), a pact between some Maori tribes of New Zealand and the British Gov. William Hobson. The treaty protected Maori land interests in exchange for recognition of Britis...

Valentine, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Valentine, Saint, d. c.270, Roman martyr priest. The customs connected with him in English-speaking countries are probably a survival from a period when a pagan festival associated with love occurred ...

Mwanamutapa

(Encyclopedia)Mwanamutapa mwäˌnämo͞otäˈpä [key], former state, SE Africa. The Mwanamutapa empire, headed by a ruler of the same name, was founded c.1420 among the Karanga people (a subgroup of the Bantu-spea...

contact lens

(Encyclopedia)contact lens, thin plastic lens worn between the eye and eyelid that may be used instead of eyeglasses. Actors, models, and others wear them for appearance, and athletes use them for safety and conven...

Sidoarjo mudflow

(Encyclopedia)Sidoarjo mudflow or Lusi [Lumpur Sidoarjo, Bahasa Indonesia, = Sidoarjo mud], mud volcano, Sidoarjo regency, central East Java prov., Indonesia, 20 mi (30 km) S of Surabaya. In May, 2006, a hot mu...

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