Crimean War, between the Russians (36,000 men and 122 guns), and the English, French and Turks (62,000 men and 128 guns). The Russians, though intrenched, were defeated, and the road to Sebastopol was opened.
Almagro, Diego D' (äl-mä'grō, dē-ā'gō) (born 1464, died 1538), one of Pizarro's officers during the conquest of Peru. He was named from the Spanish town where he was picked up as a foundling. In Peru he became famous and wealthy, though he could neither read nor write. After Peru had been conquered, he began the conquest of Chile, but, recalled by a Peruvian rebellion, subdued it and captured Cuzco. He quarreled with Pizarro, was attacked, defeated and imprisoned by him, and put to death by his order.
Almanacs (al'mā-năks}, or books in which information is given about the seasons, the sun and moon, eclipses and other phenomena of astronomy, are at least as old as the fifth century after Christ, when they were in use in Alexandria. They may be much older, and of Asiatic origin. With the invention of printing they became common in Europe. They generally contained predictions, the most famous of which was one that happened to be correct, in which Nostradamus foretold the death of Henry II of France. In America the best known almanac was that of Franklin, called Poor Richard's, and begun in 1732. Until 1828, when the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge issued a valuable English almanac, most of those which were sold were either useless for practical purposes or else full of coarse and superstitious remarks. Since that date, however, almanacs have either been published for their practical utility or else for advertisement. In the former class may be mentioned firstly the Nautical Almanac, published by the British Government since 1767, which is quite necessary to navigators; secondly, the French Connaissance des Temps; thirdly, the German Astronomisches Jahrbuch; and finally the United States American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac. Very good almanacs are published yearly by some of the great American newspapers; such as the World and the Tribune; and in these may often be found the exact date of events which are remote enough to be forgotten, but too recent to be readily found in books of reference.
Alma-Tadema (äl'mä-täd'ā-mā), Sir Lawrence, a distinguished British artist, was born at Dronryp, in the Netherlands, January 8, 1836. He settled in England in 1873 where he was given knighthood and made a Royal Academician. His paintings chiefly deal with classical subjects, and are distinguished for their careful composition and accuracy and for the beauty and finish of their coloring. In 1905 he received the Order of Merit. Entrance to a Roman Theater and The Vintage, are two of his works. His later paintings include The Way to the Temple, A Reading from Homer, Sappho, A Roman Emperor and The Triumph of Titus. He died June 24, 1912.
Al'mond (ä-mǔnd), A species of Prunus, a genus of the rose family.
The almond is very old in cultivation, and is probably a native of the Mediterranean region. The two races of almonds are known as the "bitter" and the "sweet," the kernel of the former being used in the manufacture of flavoring extracts and of prussic acid. The sweet almonds, with their edible kernels, are grouped under two heads: those with hard shells and those with soft shells. The almond of commerce belongs to the soft-shelled group, and those - with the thinnest shells are known as "paper shells." The commercial cultivation of the almond in the United States is confined to the west, chiefly California. A large part of the almonds used in this country comes from Italy, France and Spain. A native almond is found in southern California, a low bushy shrub with a small, smooth nut Both the almond and the dwarf almond of southern Russia are used as ornamental trees, planted in places not favorable for the production of the nut.
Alpaca (al-pak'a), an animal native to the lofty tablelands and mountains of the Andes in Peru. It is related to the camels of the old world, and is kept as a beast of burden by the Peruvian Indians. The wool is of fine quality, usually pale brown in color; but gray and even black varieties are common. The wool grows about eight inches long, when shorn regularly every year, but grows longer when not clipped. As soon as the animal is shorn its resemblance to a small camel without a hump is evident.
Alpena, Mich., capital of Alpena County, situated at the head of Thunder Bay, Lake Huron, about halfway between Saginaw Bay and the Straits of Mackinac. It has a commodious harbor, and ships in the season large quantities of shingles, lath, and sawn lumber. It has a number of factories, and, a variety of
