Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 09.djvu/338

TELESCOPE FISH 286 TEMBULAND dorsal fin is absent, the tail is much en- larged, sub-triangular or tri-lobate, and the eyes which are large and protruding, are set in pedicels. TELL, WILLIAM, the champion of Swiss liberty; was a native of Burglen, in the canton of Uri. He was distin- guished by his skill in archery, his strength and courage. He joined the league of the Three Forest cantons formed to free the country from Aus- trian tyranny. The Austrian governor of Switzerland, Herman Gessler, pushed his insolence so far as to require the Swiss to uncover their heads before his hat (as an emblem of his sovereignty), and is said to have condemned Tell, who refused to comply with this mandate, to shoot an apple from the head of his own son. Tell was successful, but confessed that a second arrow, which he bore about his person, was intended, in case he had failed, for the punishment of the tyrant, and he was therefore retained prisoner. While crossing the Lake of the Four Cantons, or Lake of Lucerne, in the same boat with Gessler, a violent storm arose. Tell, as the most vigorous and skillful helmsman, was set free, and he conducted the boat successfully to the shore, but seized the opportunity of springing on a rock, at the same time pushing off the boat. On this rock, since called the Rock of Tell, a commemorative monument or chapel has been erected. He had fortunately taken his bow with him; and when the governor finally es- caped the storm, and reached the shore. Tell shot him dead on the road to Kiiss- nacht. This event was the signal for a general rising, and a most obstinate war between the Swiss and Austrians, which was not brought to a close till 1499. The uprising is said to have happened on Nov. 7, 1307; and the citizens having previously chosen for their leaders three men of approved courage and abilities, namely, Werner of Schwytz, Walther Fiirst of Uri, and Arneld Melchthal of Unterwalden, they secretly agreed to surprise and demolish the castles in which the imperial governors resided. This compact being effected, these three cantons joined in a league for 10 years, which gave birth to the Helvetian Con- federacy. The story of Tell's shooting the apple from his son's head is not re- corded by contemporary writers. It is a familiar legend related of national heroes in other countries. TELLER, HENRY MOORE, an Amer- ican statesman; born in Granger, N. Y., May 23, 1830; was admitted to the bar in 1856; practiced law in Illinois in 1858- 1860; went to Colorado in 1861; was major-general of the Colorado militia in 1862-1864; United States Senator in 1876-1882, and 1885-1897; Secretary of the Interior in President Arthur's cab- inet in 1882-1885 ; and was a delegate to the National Republican Convention in St. Louis in 1896, from which he with- drew because of a financial plank in the platform. He was again elected to the United States Senate in 1897, which of- fice he held until 1909. He died in 1914. TELLICHERRI, a seaport town and military station of British India, in the district of Malabar, Madras presidency. The site of the town is very beautiful, and the neighboring country highly pro- ductive. There is a natural breakwater abreast of the fort, formed by a reef of rocks running parallel to the shore. The town, with suburbs, occupies about 5 square miles. Coffee, cardamons, and sandalwood are the chief exports. The East India Company founded a factory here in 1683, which was reduced to a residency in 1766. Pop. about 28,000. TELLURIUM, in chemistry, symbol Te, at. vrt. 128, an element of rare occur- rence, found in few minerals, in associa- tion with gold, silver, and bismuth. It possesses many of the characters of a metal, but bears so close a resemblance to selenium in its chemical properties that it is generally placed in the sulphur group. It has the color and luster of silver, is very brittle, a bad conductor of heat and electricity; sp. gr. 6.26; melts below a red heat, and volatilizes at a higher temperature. Like sulphur, it forms both oxides and acids. It occurs in six-sided prisms with basal edges re- placed; crystallization hexagonal; has lately been found in more complex forms ; more often massive and granular; hard- ness, 2-2.5; sp. gr. 6.1-6.3; luster, metal- lic; color, tin-white; brittle; composition, tellurium and gold, with occasionally some iron ; originally found at the Maria Loretto mine, Transylvania, where it was melted for the gold it contained. It has been recently found associated with various tellurides, in several of the United States. TEMBULAND, a district of the Transkeian Territories in eastern South Africa; bounded by Cape Colony, Basu- toland, and Natal. Tembuland has an excellent climate and a fertile soil, which is well suited for pastoral and agricul- tural purposes. The coast regions are adapted to the growth of sugar, cotton, and coffee. The minerals include coal and copper. Area, 3,339 square miles; pop. about 236,086. Europeans (1918) 4,204.