Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/334

MELVILLE. 300 MEMBBANE. •worthv for his stories of the sea. He was edu- cated nt tlic Albany Classical School, and in New York Citv, and went to sea in 18.37 in a niercliant vessel lioiind for Liverpool. In 1841 he rounded Ca])e Horn on a whalinj: cruise, and was so ill- treated that iu the ue.xt year he and a companion niaile their escape from the ship and were taken captives by the Typccs, a warlike tribe of Nu- kahiva. one of theMarquesas Islands. His com- panion soon escaped and Melville was finally res- cued after four months by the crew of an Aus- tralian whaler, lie spent the next two years (18-I2-44) in and about the Paeilic Islands, and on his return to Xew Vork told the story of his experiences at sea and his romantic captivity in Tiipcc, a I'ccp at Poli/iicfian Life Durinii a Four AJoiiths' Jfrsidoicc in a Vallcn of the Marquesas (lS4tn. which enjoved a sensational and not undeserved success. " In 1847 Melville married the daujrhter of Chief .Justice l.enuiel Shaw of Massachusetts. In 1850 he moved with his fam- ily to Pittsfield, Mass., and returned in ISC'? to New York, where he occupied a place in the cuRtoni-house continuously from 18<i0 till 188.5, when because of failing.' bcallh he resijrned. The period of his popularity is embraced in the years 184Go2, and was one of rapid production of such stories as Omoo (1847): Mnnli (1849): licd- hiini. His First VomKje ( 1840) : ^^hite Jaelcet, or ihr World in a Man of War (18r)0). in which the horrors of tlof;<.'in"•>>••<• '*-^- "* ^"'"t ■ drcHs in 1571; liecame a Presbyterian minister, and was a zeal- ous defender and assistant of his uncle. He was professor at niasgow (1575-8n): at Saint Ati- drews (1580-84) : held various ecclesiastical posi- tions, and was nuich respected anil employed by James VI. till hi< <iiiira'.'i'(ius opposition to the Kind's schemes in l)ehalf of i.piscopacy after he became Kin-; of ICnpland cost him his favor. He died at Berwick. .Ianunr- H. 1014. His published •works include prose and poetry, hut his title to fame re«ts upon his diary (15501010). printed by till- Woiidrow Society (Edinburgh. 1842). MELVILLE, VisrofN-T. A British states- man. Sir Dl MlVS. IIIMIV. MELVILLE ISLAND. One of the Parry Tslanils of .Arctic Xorth America, situatcil in latitude 74° to 77° X.. north of Melville Sound nnd between Rnthnrst and Prince Patrick's Isl- ands, the latter beinsr the westinnnoit island of the RToup (Map; Xorth America. O 2). ^Melville Island is verv irreiniliir in mitline. 200 miles Ions and about 100 miles broad: it is of car- boniferous lime and sandstone formation, nnd contains coal-beds. It was discovered by Parry in 1810. MELVILLE PENINSULA. A projection of the niirtli slii.ic nI North America, extending north of Htulsun Hay, and beloiif.'in<r to the Canadian Territory of Kccwatin (Map: Xorth America. K .'i ) . It is connected with the main- land by Kae Isthmus, and bounded on the west by Coiiiniitlee liay. It is separated from Cock- burn Island on the north by Fury and Hecla Strait, from Baflin Land on the east by Fox Channel, and from Southampton Island on the south by Frozen Strait. MELVILLE SOUND. One of the numerous passajics bi-twi'cn the islands of Arctic Xorth America (Map: North America. H 2). It lies between Melville Island on the north and Prince Albert Land on the south, and extends from Prince of Wales Island in the east, where it communicates throuuh Barrow Strait and Lan- caster Sound with liiiHin P.ay. to Banks Land in the west, where Banks Strait opens into the Arc- tie Ocean. Its lenprth is 225 miles; its southern shore is still larf-ely unknown, bttt its width is from 50 to abntit 175 miles. MEMBERED (from memler. OF., Fr. mem- hre, from I.at. niemhrum. limb). A term in heraldry api)lied to a bird havinj: its beak and lejrs of a dilfiient color from its body: it is then said to be mcmbered of that color. MEMBRA 'NA PU'PILLA'RIS ( Lat.. pupil- lary membrane). The name pivcii to a very thin membrane which closes or covers the central aperture of the iris in the fietus durinjr an early period of gestation: it begins to disappear in the seventh mmitli. MEMBRANE (Lat. memhrniia. from mem- hrnm. limb) ix An'.tomv. The term applied to dcsirrnato those textures of the animal body which are "arranged in the form of lamin.'P, and cover organs, or line the interior of cavities, or take part in the formation of the walls of canals or tul)es. The structure and special uses of some of the most important of the animal membranes are noticed in separate articles, such as MixotLS JIemur.vne, Skhois MKMnR.NE. etc.: and the membranes iu wliiih the fo'ttis is inclosed — com- monlv called the fictal membranes— are described in the article Pi.acf.nta. The membranes which cover and protect the brain and spinal cord are commonly termed meniniirs. from the Creek word »iifiii»,T, a membrane. Simple membranes are of three kinds, mucous, serous, and fibrous. ^Mucous membranes line the cavities which communicate externally with Hie skin, as the mouth, intestinal canal, genitourinary i)assages. internal surface of the eyelids, anil the ramifications of the respiratory passages, the F.ustachian tubes, and middle ear. Mucous membrane has three layers: a fibro-vascular layer, composed nf bloodves- sels, nerves, and connective tissue, wliieli is con- tinuous with the tissue beneath and interlacing with it: a more superficial layer, called base- ment membrane, which is described as structure- less, and uiion which rests the superficial layer, or epithelium, the latter presenting a variety of stniitiire in different parts of the body. Tins Toembrane is at limes elevated into papillic or villi, or else depressed in the form of ghinds. The nuieous membranes secrete mucus to Inhn- cate the various passages, and also other fluids