Old book illustrations wordshop

GUADALAJARA , mexican city, the second in size, capital of the state of Jalisco, 370 km northwest of Mexico City; pop. approximately 70,000. It is built on the left bank of the Rio Santiago, in the middle of a vast and barren plain. The Plaza de Armas is very broad; its northern and eastern sides are occupied by the cathedral and the Government Palace and each of the two other sides by an uninterrupted arcade, with …Read more »

HIBISCUS s. (gr. marshmallow). bot. genus of Malvaceae, which includes approximately 150 species of herbs, shrubs and even trees, particularly widespread in tropical areas. The chinese hibiscus (hibiscus rosa sinensis) is a shrub 6.6 to 9.8 feet (2 to 3 m) high which produced several varieties, bearing variously coloured double flowers. The swamp hibiscus, (hibiscus moscheutos), called swamp rose mallow in North America, is often very abundant in the brackish swamps and along the rivers of eastern United States. Its height can reach 4.26 to 7.70 feet (1.30 to 2.35 m), it has many pink (seldom white) flowers, with a diameter of 4 to 4.72 inches (10 to 12 cm). It is one of the most remarkable flowers of middle summer. The garden hibiscus (hibiscus Syriacus), is an enormous shrub with crimson flowers, introduced into our gardens more than two centuries ago. In garden supply and nursery catalogues, this hibiscus is known under the name of althæa frutex; it is also called rose of sharon: it flowers …Read more »

HELAMYS s. (gr. hêlos, marsh; mus, rat). Mamm. genus of rodent, close to the jerboa and of which we know two species, lagotis Cuvieri and lagotis pallipes, both the size and the color of the hare, to which this genus is a substitute in the fauna of …Read more »

JAGANNATH (called Puri by the natives), city located in Bengal (India), on the north-western coast of the bay of Bengal, in the province of Orissa, 44 miles (70 km) south of Cuttack; pop. approximately 30,000. At the end of the main street, which is very broad, rises the famous temple, the holiest sanctuary of Hindoustan, visited by more than one million pilgrims every year. It is enclosed inside a square area, surrounded by high stone walls; each side is 240 yards (220 m) long. On the eastern side is the main gate, from where a broad staircase leads to a terrace 23 feet (7 m) high, enclosed in a second wall and which is 162 yards (148 m) long on each side. The main pagoda rises from this terrace, on a 32.8 square feet (10 m2) base, to a height of 230 feet (70 m) above the ground. Most Hindu divinities have dedicated temples within. The great temple is dedicated to Krishna and derives its name from this divinity: Jagannath (properly Jagannâtha, lord of the world), Siva and Subhadra are the other main objects of worship. Each idol is provided with …Read more »

HALBERD s. (germ. helmbarte, axe with handle). variety of pole weapon, topped with a long, broad and pointed blade, which is crossed by a second, crescent-shaped one: a halberd blow.
- Encycl. The halberd was a pole weapon made in such a way that the man who carried it could both cut and thrust. It was handled with both hands and it could cut off the head of a horse or that of a man, in spite of the resistance …Read more »

A man of middle age, whose hair
Was bordering on the grey,
Began to turn his thoughts and care
The matrimonial way.
By virtue of his ready,
A store of choices had he
Of ladies bent to suit his taste;
On which account he made no haste.
To court well was no trifling art.
Two widows chiefly gain’d his heart;
The one yet green, the other more mature …Read more »

There are two ways of going up on board. The first one consists in lightly climbing a sort of ladder, made of small cross-pieces of wood nailed to the outside of the ship and to hoist oneself onto the deck with the ropes hanging to each side, in ways of handrails.
Robert-Robert went up this way, but Lavenette couldn’t be persuaded to use it.
“I say! He exclaimed to cover his fright, such a path is only suitable for cats! I have too much respect for my quality of man, my dignity of intelligent and reasonable animal, to agree to degrading myself to such an extent! I mean, really! ”
The other way had to be used, that is …Read more »