Institute, Kentucky University (Christian), St. Catherine's Female Academy (R. C.) and Lexington Normal Institute (colored). It manufactures harness, saddlery, flour, canned goods, lumber, carriages, wagons and Bourbon whiskey. The town was named in 1775 in honor of the first battlefield of the Revolution, the news of that fight reaching the early settlers while they were laying out the town. Population about 35,099.
Lexington, a village of Massachusetts, ten miles from Boston, where the first battle of the Revolution was fought on the 19th of April, 1775. On the night previous Paul Revere, escaped from Boston, brought word to Lexington that a detachment of British troops were preparing to march to Concord, to seize the provincial stores and cannon at that place. About midnight the call to arms was sounded, and the militia turned out and remained under arms until morning, when the English under Major Pitcairn were seen approaching the common adjoining the village. The militia being drawn up here, Pitcairn advanced upon them with a largely superior force. As the militia refused to obey his command to disperse, he ordered his men to fire. A discharge of musketry followed, with the result that four of the militia were killed and nine wounded. The British then moved on to Concord; and on their return were attacked by the militia in the western part of Lexington, and a sharp contest took place in which several men were killed. The British force would probably have been totally destroyed, if re-enforcements had not arrived from Boston under Lord Percy. A monument was erected in 1799 to commemorate this battle. Population 4,979.
Lexington, a beautiful village, county-seat of Rockbridge County, Va., on North River, 30 miles from Lynchburg and 110 from Richmond. It manufactures agricultural implements, flour, lumber and dairy-products. Valuable deposits of sulphur ore are in the vicinity, and there are mineral springs. These are popular resorts. The natural bridge, one of America's curiosities is 15 miles distant. Lexington is served by the B. and O. and Chesapeake and Ohio railways. It contains Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute. Robert E. Lee and “Stonewall” Jackson are buried here. Population 3,200.
Leyden (lī′den), Lu′cas van, Dutch painter and engraver, was born at Leyden in 1494. He painted a picture of St. Hubert when 12, and Mahomet and the Monk Sergius was engraved when he was only 14. He practiced nearly every branch of painting, his range of subjects being wide and embracing events in sacred history, incidents of his own times and portraits. He died at Leyden in 1533, after having been confined to his bed for six years. His Hill of Calvary is generally considered his masterpiece. His real name was Lucas Jacobsz.
Leys (līs or lā), Henri Jean Auguste, Belgian painter, was born at Antwerp, Feb. 18, 1815. He was created a baron by Leopold I in 1862. Leys is one of the best modern artists in the style of the old Flemish masters; and his most valuable pictures are inspired by the history of his native land. He spent most of his life in his native city and died there Aug. 26, 1869.
Lhasa (lhä′sá), (“the seat of the gods”), the capital of Tibet (q. v.) and the sacred city of the Buddhists, is situated 12,000 feet above the sea, and is surrounded by mountains ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 feet above that altitude. The resident population is about 20,000 and the city is an important trading as well as ecclesiastical center. See Candler's Unveiling of Lhasa, Hedin's Through Asia and Landon's Opening of Tibet.
Lia′nas, the name given to those plants in tropical forests which twine around trees for their support. Such plants are comparatively rare in colder climates, although there are a few examples, as the honeysuckle and some species of clematis. As these often overtop the hedges or bushes on which they grow and fall down by the weight of their leaves, so the lianas of tropical countries overtop the largest and tallest trees and, descending to the ground in vast festoons, pass from tree to tree and bind the whole forest in a maze of network, often by cables as thick as those of a ship. Many forests thus become impenetrable except with the aid of an ax or hatchet, and the beasts that inhabit their pass either through narrow paths kept open by constant use or from bough to bough above the ground. Many lianas become almost tree-like in thickness, and often bind the trees with such force as to kill them. No tropical flowers excel in splendor those of some lianas, and among them are also found a few valuable medicinal plants. See Climbing Plants.
Libe′ria, a negro republic, on the coast of West Africa between Senegambia and the French Ivory Coast, and extending north and east of Cape Palmas. Its area embraces about 45,000 square miles. The coast-line measures 350 miles, and, though the eastern boundary has never been definitely drawn, the republic is supposed to extend inland about 200 miles. The coast is low, but about 20 miles inland the surface begins to rise, and is well-wooded and watered by numerous streams.
Natural Resources. Rubber is obtained, iron is plentiful, gold and copper exist in small quantities, and zinc, monazite, corun-
