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92 FARRAR FAST A mural tablet in his honor was placed in the church of the Incarnation, New York, Nov. 10, 1873. See " Life and Naval Career of D. G. Farragut," by P. 0. Headley (New York, 1865). FARRAR> I. John, an American mathema- tician, born in Lincoln, Mass., July 1, 1779, died in Cambridge, May 8, 1853. He gradu- ated at Harvard college in 1803, and studied divinity at Andover, but accepted the appoint- ment of Greek tutor at Harvard in 1805. In 1807 he was chosen Hollis professor of mathe- matics and natural philosophy, and set himself the task of raising the standard of mathematical education to the European level. In 1818 he published for the use of his pupils a translation of Lacroix's " Elements of Algebra," followed by selections from Legendre, Biot, B6zout, and others. These works were at once adopted as text books by Harvard college, and by the United States military academy. He also contributed to the scientific periodicals, to the "North American Review," and to the "Me- moirs" of the American academy. In 1836 he resigned his chair in consequence of a pain- ful illness which eventually caused his death. II. Eliza Rotch, an American authoress, second wife of the preceding, born at New Bedford, Mass., in 1792, died at Springfield, April 22, 1870. She married Prof. Farrar in 1828. Among her earliest publication's are " The Chil- dren's Robinson Crusoe," "Life of Lafayette," 44 Howard," and " Youth's Letter Writer." Her most popular work, "Young Lady's Friend" (1837), passed through many editions in the United States and in England. In 1865 she published "Recollections of Seventy Years." FARREN, Eliza, countess of Derby, an English actress, born in Liverpool in 1759, died April 23, 1829. Her father, a native of Cork, who was successively a surgeon, an apothecary, and an actor, left his family in great indigence. Eliza made her de"but in Liverpool in 1773, and 'in London in 1777, where she played succes- sively at the Haymarket, Covent Garden, and Drury Lane. Although a very graceful and lively actress, she owed her reputation chiefly to her remarkable beauty, which received the homage of the most illustrious men of the time. She was esteemed as much for her virtues as her beauty, and on May 1, 1797, became the wife of the 12th earl of Derby, then a widower. FARS, or Farsistan (Pers., land of the Per- sians ; anc. Persis), a S. W. province of Persia, bounded N. W. by Khuzistan, N. by Irak-Ajemi and Khorasan, E. by Kerman, S. by Laristan and the Persian gulf, and W. by the Persian gulf; area estimated at about 50,000 sq. m. pop. between 1,000,000 and 1,500,000, inclu- ding Turkomans, Banians, and a small num- ber of Jews. It is divided into the Ger- masir and Sirhud, or warm and cold regions. The former extends inland from the coast, its surface being a sandy plain, wholly dependent for vegetation on the periodical rains. The latter comprises the more elevated region be- longing to the great range of mountains which extend from the Caucasus to the gulf, and which in this part are exceedingly steep toward the sea. This portion of the province consists of fertile valleys. A few of them, as Shiraz, Ka- zerun, and Merdusht, are cultivated, but many are wooded and uninhabited. The southern part of the coast E. of Ras Berdistan is occu- pied by Arabs, who acknowledge the authority of the sultan of Muscat, and in the northern districts there are some tribes of Kurds. East- ward the country is more open, sandy, and ill supplied with water. The chief rivers are the Sitaregyan, flowing into the Persian gulf, and the Bendemir, falling into the salt lake Bakhtegan. Another salt lake, near Shiraz, supplies the province with salt. The general products of the country are tobacco in large, quantity, wine, rice, dates, opium, linen, cotton, silk, cochineal, and roses for the manufacture of attar. Iron and lead mines exist, as also quar- ries of marble and alabaster. Bo,rax and naph- tha are among the chemical products. Atten- tion is given to the raising of horses, camels, and asses, for use and export. The inhabitants of this province are considered the most indus- trious in Persia. They manufacture woollen, silk, and cotton stuffs, and carry on an extensive trade with India. The government is vested in a prince of the sovereign's family, under whom are governors of districts. There are many interesting remains of antiquity. The tomb of Cyrus is at Murgab, the ancient Pa- sargada ; the ruins of Persepolis are between that town and Shiraz. Inoculation is said to have been known among the tribes of Fara for centuries. Among the principal towns are Shiraz, the capital; Kazerun, with excellent opium produced in the vicinity; Darab or Da- rabgerd, famous for its date trees ; and Bushire, the chief port in the Persian gulf. (See PERSIS.) FARTHINGALE (Fr. vertugadin, It. guardin- fante, Sp. vertugado, guardian of virtue), a pet- ticoat spread to a wide circumference by hoops of willow, whalebone, or iron, introduced into England under this name in the reign of Eliza- beth. In the reign of Anne it was called a tub petticoat. It appeared in^France early in the reign of Louis XV. under the name of vertu- gadin and panier, or basket petticoat, its great- est diameter being made equal to the height of the lady. Its abandonment was effected near the close of the same reign by Mile. Clai- ron, who appeared on the stage without it ; but it again became fashionable under Marie Antoi- nette. In England the hoop, the successor of the farthingale, went out of fashion in the reign of George IV., who forbade it at court. FAST (Sax. fcestan, to keep), abstinence from food, especially as a religious observance ; ap- plied also to the period of such abstinence. Fasting was practised in all the old religions known to history, with the single exception of that of Zoroaster. It appears to have been also in use among the semi-civilized and savage tribes in both hemispheres. The Mohamme- dans observe strictly the fast of the month of