Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume X.djvu/187

LASSEN in general wide and regular, and the houses, whether constructed of mud, brick, or stone, have their walls whitened, and their doors and window frames painted red and yellow. It is surrounded with a wall, and contains some fine public edifices, the chief of which is a lamasery or monastery. Lassa is a place of considerable commerce, and the resort of merchants from all parts of Asia. The most important articles of trade are linens, woollen cloth, cashmere shawls, sable furs, raw silk, musk, sugar, dried fruits, bullion, glass, and cutlery. N. W. of the city, and connected with it by two avenues, is the Buddhala, or " mountain of Buddha," on which stands the palace of the grand lama, a magnificent structure four stories high, crowned by a gilded dome, and supported by columns covered with plates of gold. This is the resi- dence of the dalai lama or grand lama, the Buddhist sovereign pontiff of central Asia. Thither pilgrims resort from all parts of east- ern Asia to perform their devotions, and do homage to the supposed incarnation of deity. LASSEN, a N. E. county of California, border- ing on Nevada, and intersected in the N. W. by the upper Sacramento ; area, 4,932 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 1,327. It lies E. of the Sierra Nevada mountains, and contains several lakes, the most noteworthy of which is Honey lake, which receives Susan river and Willow creek. The mountain slope is covered with pine for- ests ; at the base are the lakes and meadows, while further E. are sage brush hills and plains. Portions of the county are adapted to agricul- ture and grazing. The chief productions in 1870 were 12,904 bushels of wheat, 36,497 of oats, 93,926 of barley, 59,494 Ibs. of wool, and 9,120 tons of hay. There were 2,022 horses, 1,791 milch cows, 8,000 other cattle, 703 sheep, and 1,657 swine. Capital, Susanville. LASSEX, Christian, a German philologist, born in Bergen, Norway, Oct. 22, 1800. He studied at Christiania, Heidelberg, and Bonn, passed some years in London and Paris, and returned again to Bonn, where he became in 1830 ex- traordinary and in 1840 ordinary professor. While in Paris he studied the Pali language in connection with Eugene Burnouf, and the re- sult of their joint labors was the Essai sur le Pali (1826), published by the Asiatic society. He published with Schlegel the Ramayana and the Hitopadesa. He was for a time editor of the journal of the German oriental society, and of the Zeitschrift fur die Kunde des Morgen- landes. His works, which are numerous and valuable, relate to a variety of oriental lan- guages and ancient history, embracing, among other subjects, translations from the Hindoo philosophy, the history of Bactria, Cabool, and India, and cuneiform inscriptions. His principal work is the IndiscJie Alterihumskunde (4 vols., 1844-'62 ; vol. i., 2d ed., 1866), a work of great labor and learning, covering the whole ground of Indian archaeology, mythology, and history. LASSO (Span. lazo a cord in common use in Spanish America for catching wild cattle. L'ASSOMPTION 181 It is a very strong but thin, well plaited rope of raw hide, one end of which is attached to the broad surcingle which fastens together the complicated gear of the recado or saddle used in the pampas, and the other terminates in a small ring of iron or brass, by which a noose can be formed. The gaucho, when about to use the lasso, keeps a small coil in his bridle hand, and' in the other holds the running noose, which is made very large, generally about 8 ft. in diameter. This he whirls round his head, and by the dexterous movement of his wrist keeps the noose open ; then, throwing it, he causes it to fall on any particular spot he chooses. When not in use, the lasso is tied up in a small coil to the after part of the recado. The bolas is a somewhat similar missile weapon (see BOLAS) ; both have often been used with great effect in war. The chief difficulty in using either lasso or bolas is to ride so well as to be able, at full speed, and while suddenly turning about, to whirl it steadily round the head and take aim. On foot any person could soon learn the art. When cattle are caught by the lasso, which is so thrown as to fasten on the horns, they will sometimes gallop round and round in a circle ; and if the horse be not well broken, being alarmed at the strain, he will not readily turn like a pivot, in consequence of which men have often been killed ; for if the lasso once takes a twist round the rider's body, it will instantly, from the power of the two opposed animals, almost cut him in twain. In Mexico the lasso is called la reata ; whence the word lariat common in the S. W. portion of the United States. LASSO, Orlando di, or Orlandns Lassus, a Flem- ish composer, born in Mons, Hainaut, in 1520, died in Munich, June 14, 1594. He was taken to Italy when a child on account of his fine voice, and until he was grown up was em- ployed as a singer in Milan and Naples. Sub- sequently he returned to Flanders, settled in Antwerp, and passed the latter part of his life at Munich in the service of the duke of Bavaria. He was a contemporary of Pales- trina, and one of the most famous composers of the age, excelling in harmony, and being one of the first to attempt chromatic passages. His secular music, consisting of Latin, Italian, German, and French songs, is better than his compositions for the church, in which he is inferior to Palestrina. A statue has been erected to him in his birthplace. His works were published in Paris in 1576 under the title of Melanges d 1 Orland Lassus, and in 1584 ap- peared Continuation des Melanges. LASSO CELLS, the nettling organs of acalephs and polyps, called cnidce. See ACTINIA. L'ASSOMPTIOff, a S. W. county of Quebec, Canada, bounded S. E. by the St. Lawrence river; area, 248 sq. m. ; pop. in 1871, 15,473, of whom 14,979 were of French origin or descent. It is watered by the Marcouche, Achigan, and L'Assomption rivers. Capital, L'Assomption.