Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 04.djvu/531

CHABRIAS. 453 CHAD. at the battle of Cliios. and was killed while fight- ing. CHABRIER, shiVbri-'a', Alexis Emmanuel (lS4'i-iM). A Kronch coiiipospr. born at -m- bert. His first success was an operetta in tliree acts, Jj'itoile (1877). He next attracted atten- tion as a symphonist in Espana (1883), a fine piece of instrumentation, (licendoline (1880). another opera in tliree acts, was first siing in Brussels. His ihaniatic works include Le roi nuilgr» liii (1887). Briseis (1803). Lrs musca- rfi'/is, and some symphonies, such as t^ititr pasto- rnlr, Miirche dc vipayei', and Prelude et inarche fill II en isr. CHABRILLAT, sha'bre'ya'. He.xei Louis (1842 — ). A French dramatist and joumali.st. He was born in Marseilles, and in ISOG founded the iournal Le (jamin de Paris. After directing the Theatre Anibigu Comique (1878-82), he^ re- turned to journalism and literature. His works include the following operettas: Uazeppa (1872); La belle HourhoiiiifiiKe (1874); Z,V((<- phaiit blaiw (1873) ; Leg trois margots (1877) ; La fiancee di roi de Garhe. CHACHALACA, chii'cha-lii'kii (onomatopo- etie word I. A guan of the genus Ortalis. of which several species exist between Venezuela and northeastern Mexico; specifically, Ortalis vetula, McCall's chachalaca of the Rio Grande Valley. See OuAX. CHACMA, chak'ma (Hottentot). A baboon. See r.AiJoox. CHAC-MOOL, shak'mool'. A name given by Le Plongeon to a statue which he discovered in 137G in the uninhabited city of Chichen-Itsa, Yucatan, and which he supposed to be a repre- sentation of one of the olden chiefs, named Chac- JIool, of the Maya Indians. The statue now stands in the National lluseum, INlexico ; but the accuracy of Le Plongeon's conjectural chris- tening of it is questioned. CHACO, chii'ko. El. A Territory of Argen- tina, situated in the northeastern part of the Re- public, and bounded by the Territory of Formosa on the northeast, the river Parana on the east, the Province of Santa Fe on the south, and Salta and Santiago del Estero on the west and north (Map: Argentina, E 8). Its area is esti- mated at over .52,000 square miles. The surface is even, but sparsely watered. Population, in 1000, 12.107. The chief settlement is Resisten- cia. situated on the Param'i, near Corrientes, and connected bv rail with Santa Fe, with a popula- tion of about 1200. CHACO, El Gran. A name applied to a re- gion of central South America extending north- ward from the Salado River to about latitvide 18° S., and included between the Paraguay and Paranfi rivers on the east and the foot-hills of the Andes on the west. It thus comprises a large part of northern Argentina and western Paraguay, and smaller portions of southeastern Rolivia and southwestern Brazil. The Chaco Horeal includes the section north of the Pil- comayo; the Chaco Central, the section between the Pileonmyo and the Bermejo: and the Chaco Austral, the section south of the latter river. The region is a vast plain, undulating in places, but for the most part flat, and sloping gently toward the southeast. Its mean elevation ranges from about 1000 feet on the western edge to 100 feet on the east. The large rivers which cross the Gran Cliaco are subject to pcriodicat^ freshets, and inundate vast areas of the low- lying ground. With the subsidence of the wa- ters, numerous lakes and swamps are formed which may remain for a greater part of the year. These lowlands are covered with heavy forests, .and with tliickcts of vines and bushes, while the more elevated area.s support a lii.xuri- ant growth of grasses. A large part of the re- gion lies within the great Tertiary ba.sin of South America, and has a s.andy or clayey soil. The clim.atc is generally hot. except in the win- ter months, and the daily r:uige of temperature is extreme. The rainfall is rather low, the heavi- est precipitation occurring in summer. Except on the borders, the entire area is uncultivated and thinly populated. A few nomadic and sav- age Indian tribes live in the interior, and have resisted all attempts of the various governments toward their civilization. The hostility of the Indians and the dense, matted growth of vegeta- tion along the streams have been serious ob- stacles to the exploration of the Gran Chaco. In the last few years Argentina and Bolivia liave undertaken the exploration and develop- ment of parts of the region, and this work doubt- less will be continued in the future. See Argen- tina ; Bolivia ; Pahaguay. CHACONNE, sha'kun' (Fr., from Sp. cha- eonri, usually derived from Basque chuciiii, pretty). An obsolete dance. The movement is slow, and the music — a series of variations on a ground bass, mostly eight bars in length — ap- pears in sonatas as well as in ballets. CHACORNAC, sha'kor'nak', Jean (1823- 73). A French astronomer, lie was born in Lyons, and was astronomer at the Paris Observa- tory from 18.54 until his death. He was the dis- coverer of several planetoids, and published the following works: Aflaa. eeliptique (185()) and A tinfs dex airnales de I'ohservatoire imperial de Paris (1800-03). CHAD, chad, Saint. See Ceadda. CHAD or TCHAD, Lake. A large lake in Central Africa, lying at an altitude of about 000 feet ( Map : Africa, F 3 ) . Surrounded by the French dependencies of Kanem and Bagirmi, Ger- man . Kamerun, and the British possession of Bornu, the lake is within the spheres of influence of these three powers. The size of the lake varies greatly. During the dry season it is said to cover an area of about 10,000 square miles; but the area is increased to 20,000 square miles or more during the rainj' season, from July to Oc- tober. The water is fresh and abounds in ani- mal life, while the surface, except during the rainy season, is thicklv covered with reeds and other aquatic pl.ants. Lake Chad receives the waters of the river Shari from the south, the Komadugu-Wauhe from the west, and the wet- season stream Bahr-el-Ghaza! from the east, but is without any visible outlet, and the fact of the water remaining fresh gives rise to the theory that it has a subterranean outflow. The coasts are, with the exception of the northeastern portion, very low and swampy. In the eastern part of the lake there are a large number of small islands inh:iliited by native tribes, num- bering perhajis 30,000 individuals. Islands also fringe the western shores. The lake is sup- ]iosed to have been known to Ptolemy, and it