Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/561

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GABORIAU coast for domestic purposes. With a view of making the colony self-sustaining, an export duty has been recently imposed by the home government, which hampers trade. GABORIAU, Emile, a French novelist, born about 1834, died in Paris, Sept. 29, 1873. His literary career began with sketches of theatri- cal, military, and fashionable life, published in the lesser Parisian journals. Collections of these sketches were published under the titles Ruses cTamour, Les comediennes adorees, Ma- riages d'aventure, &c. In 1866 appeared his novel Dossier N 113, which was followed in rapid succession by Le crime d 1 Orcival, L? Af- faire Lerouge, Les esclaves de Paris, La me infernale, La corde au cou, and other stories. Ninette Suzor and L> Argent des autres were published posthumously. Most of Gaboriau's works are elaborate detective stories, the gloomy romance of crime. The plots, which have been compared to those of Edgar A. Poe and Wilkie Collins, are wrought out with great skill and dramatic effect. Dossier ^113 and Le crime d 1 Orcival are considered the best. Two have been translated and published in the United States, under the titles "The Mystery of Orcival " and "The Widow Lerouge " (1873). GABOURI), Amedee, a French historian, born about 1805, died in 1867. He began life as a journalist, and became chief of bureau in the ministry of the interior. He published many historical works in the ultramontane and mo- narchical interest, including Histoire de la re- volution et de Vempire (10 vols., 1846-'51), Histoire de France (20 vols., 1857-'62), His- toire de Paris (5 vols., 1863-'5), and Histoire contemporaine (7 vols., 1864-'7). GABRIEL (Heb., the mighty one of God), the angel sent to Daniel to interpret the vision of the ram and the he goat (Dan. viii.), and to communicate the prophecy of the 70 weeks (ix. 21-27); employed also to announce to Zacharias the birth of John the Baptist (Luke i. 11), and that of the Messiah to the Virgin Mary (i. 26). Though there is nothing in the Scriptures concerning his rank, he is accounted both by Jewish and Christian writers one of the archangels. According to rabbinical le- gends, he is the prince of fire, and presides over the ripening of fruit; he alone of the angels understood Chaldee and Syriac, and taught Joseph the 70 languages spoken at Babel; and he with Michael set fire to the temple at Jerusalem and destroyed the host of Sennacherib. Mohammedan writers esteem him one of the four most highly favored an- gels ; he is styled the spirit of truth, and to him a copy of the Koran was committed, which he dictated in successive portions to Mohammed. GABRIEL CHANNEL, a remarkable channel in Pataironia, between Dawson island and Tierra del Fuego, about lat. 54 20' S., Ion. 70 40' W. It is 25 m. long and from to H m - wide, with shores nearly parallel. The N. shore is a ridge of slate rising to a sharp edge GACHARD 549 and descending abruptly on the other side into a valley. The S. shore is a mass of mountains, two of which, Mts. Buckland and Sarmiento, are remarkable. The former, estimated to be 4,000 ft. high, is a pyramidal peak of slate ; the latter, 6,800 ft. high, terminates in two peaks. The summit of the range between these mountains is an immense glacier, which forms as it melts many cascades that find their way into the channel. From the humidity of the climate these peaks are usually enveloped in fogs. Whirlwinds sometimes descend the S. ridge and burst with violence on the oppo- site shore. GABRIELLI, Catering, an Italian vocalist, born in Borne in 1730, died in 1796. She was the daughter of a cook employed by Count Ga- brielli, who, being struck with the girl's re- markable voice, had her educated by Garcia and Porpora ; and about 1747 she gave her first performance at Lucca, assuming the name of her protector. In 1750 she excelled to such an extent as Dido in Jomelli's opera of that name, that Metastasio engaged her as first prima donna for the Vienna opera. She was as celebrated for her amours, prodigality, and eccentricities as for her vocal and histrionic talent. In Parma she was the mistress of the infante Don Ferdinand, whose excessive jeal- ousy impelled her to escape to St. Petersburg, where Catharine II. received her with open arms. She asked 5,000 rubles a month, and the empress remarking that this salary ex- ceeded that of field marshals, Gabrielli pro- posed to her to make those warriors sing. After her return to Italy, the tenor Pacchia- rotti was so overcome by her wonderful sing- ing that he fled from the stage while perform- ing with her in Venice in 1777. She had tempting offers from London managers, but would not go to England, where she feared that her whims would not be tolerated. Her last performances were at Milan, where she sang together with her rival Marchesi, and the opera-goers of that city formed two par- ties which led to disturbances. She ended her life in retirement in Rome. FBANCESCA GA- BEIELLI (1755-' 95) was another renowned vo- calist, who became known as Gabriellina, to distinguish her from the preceding. GABRIELLI, Nieolo, count, an Italian compo- ser, born in Naples in 1815. He was for 14 years director of the music of ballets in the San Carlo theatre at Naples, and subsequently re- moved to Paris. He has produced ballets for the Grand Opera, including Gemma (1854), Les elfes (1856), and VEto&t de Messine (1861); and a comic opera of his was performed at the Opera Comique in 1859. GACHARD, Lonis Prosper, a Belgian archivist, born in Paris, Oct. 12, 1800. He was a jour- neyman printer, joined the Belgian revolution of 1830, and was naturalized in Belgium in 1831. He was appointed archivist general and commissioned to seek in the national and in foreign libraries for documents relating t