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NAPIEK. 233 NAPLES. civil engineer to the board of administration of the I'unjal), in which capacity he iuau^airatcd and partly carried out a comprehensive scheme of public improvements. During the summer and fall of 18o7, at the time of the Mutiny, Napier distinjruished himself in the movements which resulted in the relief of Lucknow. Later he nl>o planned the recapture of that place. In June, 1858, he cooperated with Sir Hugh Rose in the lattcr's operations against the insurgent forces under Tantia Topi and the Ranee of Jhansi ; and on the 29th, after Sir Hugh's departure, he took the chief command in Central India. In August he coiiperated with Brigadier-General Smith in the capture of Paori ; in December, with slight loss to himself, destroyed Ferozeshah's army and in April, 1859, captured Raja Man Singh of Narwar and Tantia Topi. Subsequently he was appointed military member of the council of the Governor-General and aided in the amalgamation of the national army and that of the East India Company. Lord Elgin's (q.v. ) sudden death left him Acting Governor-General for a short time. In 18C8 he commanded the English ex- pedition sent to Abyssinia and stormed the royal stronghold of Magdala. On his arrival in England Queen Victoria created him Baron of Magdala. The next year he was appointed com- mander-in-chief in India. Six years later he returned to Europe, and in 1883 was raised to the rank of field-marshal. Consult Markham, Bisiory of the Abyssinian Expedition (London, 1809). and Escott, Pillars of the Empire (Lon- don, 1879). NAPIER, Sir William Frakcis Patrick (1785-1800). An English general and historian, born at Celbridge, Kildare, Ireland, December 17, 1785. He was a brother of Sir Charles .James Xapicr. the conqueror of Sindh, and a cousin of Sir Charles Xapier, the English admiral. Enter- ing the army as ensign in the Royal Irish Artil- lery (1800), he became captain of a regiment in Sir John Moore's brigade (1804) ; took part in the siege of Copenhagen (1807) ; went with his regiment to Spain ( 1808) ; and for his bravery in the Peninsular campaigns was appointed lieu- tenant-colonel (1813). Later he became colonel (1830); then Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey (1842), and general ^1859). He was knighted in 1848. Napier passed his last years at Scinde House, Clapham, where he died February 10, 1860. Napier gained an immense reputation by his History of the Peninsiilar War (6 vols., 1828- 40). This work, which aimed to tell the truth, led to a long controversy with the officers who had taken part in the campaigns. It is, however, believed to be an impartial statement of facts. His History of Sir Cltarles Xapiei-'s A'Jministra- tion of Scinde (1851) is written in his boldest style. Consult the Life by Lord Aberdare (Lon- don, 1864). NAPIER'S RODS, or Eon-es. See Calcvlat- IN'G ^LvcniXES. NATLES (It. yapoli: anciently, yeapolis). The largest citv and the second seaport of Italy, capital of the Province of Naples, formerly the capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, situ- ated on the western coast of the Peninsila, at the foot of encircling hills, on the north side of the Bav of Na[)les. in latitude 40° 51' N., and longi- tude 14° 16' E.(Map: Italy, .J 7). It is about five miles long and three miles broad. The climate is mild, although the variations in temperature and humidity, owing to alternating winds from the north and south, are often great and sudden. The thermometer ranges from 26° F. in January to 97° in .July, the average winter temperature being 50°, the average summer temperature 75°. Fogs are rare and snow seldom falls. The rainy season lasts from the end of January to the be- ginning of April. The heat of summer is tem- pered by the sea wind that blows until about 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Vesuvius acts as a great natural barometer: when its smoke blows toward Capri, fair weather is always expected. The far-famed situation of the city on the sea, amid its amphitheatre of hills, can be compared perhaps only W'ith that of Constantinople. Across the bay to the south is visible the his- 'toric island of Capri ; on the eastern shore are villas, vineyards, and orange groves grouped around tiny cities, while over all towers Vesuvius with ominous grandeur. The envirems in general are unsurpassed for loveliness and the great variety of interest they present. Sorrento, Capri, Ischia, and the Phlegrx'an district are localities that delight the sightseer. Other striking attrac- tions are the former monastery of the Canial- dolites (q.v.), and the hill of Posilipo with its multiple associations and its fine streets offering magnificent views. Architecturally Naples is by contrast surpris- ingly poor. The ancient and commercial part of the city lies east of a line drawn from Capodi- monte through Sant' Elmo to Castello dell' Ovo, and is divided from north to south by the Via Roma. The modern and western part, where are nearly all the principal hotels, is bordered on the south by the famous Riviera di Chiaia along the bay in a curved course of three miles. Here the Villa Nazionale stretches away — a splendid park dating from 1780. It is embellished with lordly allees, statues, and miniature temples. It con- tains the well-known aquarium of Naples, which is filled with a great variety of extraordinary fish — frutti di mare. It is, in fact, a school established for the scientific investigation of the aquatic fauna and flora of the Mediterranean. The public squares or larghi of Naples are adorned with fotmtains and obelisks; and within the precincts of the city are several highly prized springs of fresh mineral waters. The handsome Renaissance Porta Capuana is jtistly celebrated. The castles are numerous. Among the principal ones are the Castello Nuovo, called the Bastille of Naples, somewhat similar to the Tower of London, and adorned with a fine tritunphal arch erected in honor of Alfonso of Aragon: the Castello Sant' Elmo, commanding a magnificent view from the ramjiarts; and the historic egg-shaped Castello dell" Ovo. The last was begun in 1154. It is situated on an islet connected with the mainland, and is one of the conspicuous features. Near it is the street Santa Lucia — the centre of the noisy Neapolitan life, particularly of the lower classes. Women engaged in domestic duties, naked children, and peddlers of all sorts present a uniqtie spectacle here in a city characterized by festivals and processions and bustling traffic. The neighboring royal pal- ace is of modern construction. It has an impos- ing facade decorated with rich statues. The in- terior is uninteresting.