Friedland. When sent into Spain, he defeated General Castaños at Tudela in 1808 and took Saragossa. Next year he served on the Danube, commanding the center at Aspern (May 22), where both legs were taken off by a cannon ball. He was taken to Vienna, and died there on May 31, 1809.
Lans′downe, Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marquis of, an English statesman, was born on Jan. 14, 1845, and was educated at Eton and at Balliol College, Oxford. He succeeded as Marquis of Lansdowne in 1866, entered politics as a Liberal, and was lord of the treasury from 1868 to 1872; under-secretary of war, 1872 to 1874; under-secretary for India, 1880; governor-general of Canada, 1883 to 1888; governor-general of India, 1888 to 1893; secretary of war, 1895-1900, in Salisbury's cabinet and secretary of state for foreign affairs, 1900-1905. He at present is leader of the Conservatives in the House of Lords.
Lan′sing, the capital of Michigan, county-seat of Ingham County, on both sides of Grand River. It is 72 miles southeast of Grand Rapids and 85 northwest of Detroit. It is well-equipped with parks, and has electric railways and other adjuncts of a live modern city. It contains the state capitol, library, industrial school, agricultural college, school for the blind, a hospital and U. S. government buildings. It has many manufactures of agricultural implements, flour, stoves, machinery, beetsugar, canned goods, trunks, wheelbarrows, knit goods, carriages and wagons. It was settled in 1847, and at the same time made state capital, and became a city in 1859. Population 31,229.
Lan′singburg, a town of New York, on the Hudson, 10 miles above Albany. It contains an Augustinian priory, and has extensive manufactures of brushes and oilcloth. It has recently been annexed to Troy.
Laöcoön (lắ-ŏk′ṓ-ŏn), according to classic story a priest of Apollo, afterward of Poseidon, in Troy, married against the will of Apollo and warned the Trojans against the admission of the wooden horse. For these reasons he and his two sons were killed by two serpents that rose from the sea. The subject was made the theme of many Greek poems, and was treated by Vergil in his Æneid. One of the most famous ancient sculptures in existence represents the group. It was discovered at Rome in 1506, and was purchased by Pope Julius II. Afterward it was carried off by Napoleon in 1796, but was recovered in 1814. See Lessing's Laöcoön.
Laodicea (lā-od-i-se′ä), the name of many cities, the most important being the one in Phrygia on the Lycus and the great commercial road. The district and city have been partially destroyed by earthquakes several times, and the city began to decay at the time of the Osmanli invasions, and now is a ruin, known as Eski-Hissar. It was one of the first seats of Christianity, designated as one of the seven churches of The Apocalypse, and the scene of important ecclesiastical councils in 363 and 476. It also was an important seat of art, science and philosophy.
Laos (lä′ōs), a large Indo-Chinese nation, occupies the northern and eastern provinces of Siam. The Laos are considered the original race of Siam, but have since 1828 been under Siamese government. They are semi-civilized, and are followers of Buddhism. They have domesticated the elephant and the buffalo, are peaceable and industrious, but are much engaged in slavehunting, and this with the sanction of the authorities. Their entire number does not exceed 1,500,000. In 1893 France acquired a large area of Siamese territory, which she erected into a protectorate, estimated to contain 98,400 square miles, with a population, approximately, of 650,000. The region is the rather inaccessible one of the Mekong River. A telegraph, however, connects Hué in Anam with the towns of the Mekong and these with Saigon. The cost of the Laos administration is borne jointly by Cochin-China, Tonquin, Anam and Cambodia (q. v.).
La Paz (lä päz′), the chief town of a department of Bolivia, South America, lies at the foot of a valley, 11,952 feet above sea-level and is 42 miles from Lake Titicaca. It has a college, seminary, medical school and a handsome, unfinished cathedral; but, the houses being small and mostly built of mud, the city does not present an attractive appearance. The inhabitants, numbering 78,910, are almost all Indians or half-breeds, and carry on a large trade in copper and alpaca wool. The capital of the department is Sucré (population 27,080). The seat of government, however, changes. The department of La Paz (area 53,800 square miles) in 1909 had a population estimated at 516,914.
Lap′idary, a cutter, polisher and engraver of small stones, particularly of gems. The stone to be prepared is taken in the rough and placed under the slicing mill, a circular iron disk about eight inches in diameter and 1-200 of an inch thick; and, revolving rapidly, the faces and tables of the stone are cut; then the roughing mill of lead smoothens the surfaces; and finally the polishing mill, formerly of pewter covered with rotten stone but now often a wheel of walrus hide, adds polish to the surfaces. All these appliances are worked as machines, and thus effect more accurate cutting.
La′pis Laz′uli (Latin for azure stone), a mineral of beautiful azure color, which varies much in its degree of intensity. Lapis lazuli is often marked by white spots and bands. It is found in Siberia, Tibet, Chile and California. The finest specimens are brought from Bokhara. It was the only stone of value known to the Egyptians under the Pharaohs. It is much used in ornamental and mosaic work. The principal use of the
