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KHARTOOM KHERSON 819 and numerous other educational institutions. The manufactures of Kharkov consist chiefly in felt hats, carpets, soap, brandy, and leather. The winter fairs are numerously attended by traders from all parts of the empire. It is the see of an archbishop. KHARTOOM, a town of Sennaar, Africa, the centre of government of Egyptian Soudan, situated on the banks of the Bahr el-Azrek or Blue Nile, nearly at its junction with the White Nile ; lat. 15 36' N., Ion. 32 38' E. ; pop. about 20,000. It is about 1,450 ft. above the sea, but the inundations of the White Nile frequently reach the earthen wall by which it is surrounded. The houses are mostly con- structed of millet stalks, and scattered over a wide area; but the town has recently been much altered. Dr. Schweinfurth, on his re- turn from his expedition into the heart of Africa in 1871, saw in it "a large number of Khartoom. new brick buildings, a spacious quay on the banks of the Blue Nile, and some still more imposing erections on the other side of the river." There are extensive gardens and rows of date palms planted nearly half a century ago. The defective drainage of the portion of the town built below high-water level renders it very unhealthy. The inhabitants are a mix- ture of Egyptians, Berbers, Arabs, Turks, Jews, Europeans, and negroes. They have a Coptic church, and a Catholic mission. Khartoom carries on an extensive ivory trade, mostly in the hands of six of the larger merchants, which facilitates also the operations of the regular slave traders, who pour into the negro coun- tries annually by thousands, on the roads over Kordofan and Darfoor. The merchants of Khartoom maintain a great number of settle- ments in districts as near as possible to the present ivory countries, and among peaceful races devoted to agriculture. They have ap- portioned the surrounding territory among themselves, and have brought the natives to a condition of vassalage. They are represented by agents who command the armed men of the country, determine what products the natives shall pay as tribute, appoint and displace the local managers, carry on war or make alliances with the chiefs, and once a year remit the col- lected stores to Khartoom. Vessels are built of Sunt acacia, a wood harder and heavier than oak, but from want of skill and proper tools they are exceedingly clumsy. K III:HM I /Kit. See CHEMNITZEB. kllKlUSKOIT, Slikhail, a Russian poet, born Oct. 25, 1733, died in Moscow, Sept. 27, 1807. He served in the army, and was at one time director of the Moscow university. He was a copious writer in prose and poetry ; but he is now remembered only as the author of the "Rossiad" (Moscow, 1785), an epic in 12 can- tos on the conquest of Ka- zan by Ivan the Terrible ; and of the "Vladimir" (Moscow, 1786), in 18 can- tos, on the conversion to Christianity of the czar of that name. KHERSON, or Cherson. I. A 8. government of Euro- pean Russia, bordering on the governments of Kiev, Poltava, Yekaterinoslav, and Taurida, the Black sea, and Bessarabia; area, 27.475 sq. m. : pop. in 1867, 1,497,995, consist- ing of Russians, Cossacks, Poles, Bulgarians, Tartars, Greeks, Armenians, Jews, gypsies, and many foreign settlers, mainly Germans, who form a large number of colonies. With the ex- ception of the N. W. and N. E. borders, where there is some wood, and some extensive forests in the neighborhood of Elisabethgrad, the whole country consists of an immense plain with but few trees. The soil, however, is covered with grasses and other plants, and produces in the interior rich pastures. The principal rivers are the Dnieper, the Bog, and the Dniester. Wild animals are very numerous, especially wolves and wild cats. The most common tame animal is the sheep. Oxen and buffaloes are numerous and used for draught; the horses (of which many are wild) are spirited and no- ted for their swiftness. The fisheries are im- portant, especially in the Dniester. The min- erals are freestone, slate, chalk, talc, saltpetre, agates, and garnets. The northern part of the government possesses many distilleries and tal- low manufactories ; rope walks and tile works are scattered all over the country, and much linen is manufactured. The products are wheat, hemp, flax, tobacco, mustard, saffron, and wine.