(Boston, 1N42). During her residence abroad two volumes of her poems were issued in London. Be- sides the foregoing and an edition of poetical se- lection:- trom her writings, illustrated by Felix 0. C. Ii.-irley (Philadelphia, 1848), her books include Traits of the Aborigines of America," a poem (Hartford. 1822i: -Sketch of Connecticut Forty Years Sinn' " (1^241 : " Letters to Young Ladies" (New York. 1 *:.::!: ','nth ed.. 1853; at least five Lon- don eds.) ; " Letters to Mothers " (1838 ; several London eds.): "Pocahontas, and other Poems" Scene.- in My Native Land" (Boston, 1844): "Voice of Flowers" (Hartford, 1845); Weeping Willow " (1846) ; " "Water-Drops," a plea for temperance (New York. 1847) ; " Whisper to a Bride " (Hartford. 1849) ; ' Letters to My Pupils " (New York, 1850) ; " Olive Leaves " (1851 ; Lon- don. 1853) : " The Faded Hope," a memorial of her only son. who died at the age of nineteen (1852); " Past Meridian " (1854) ; " Lucy Howard's Jour- nal " (1857) ; " The Daily Counsellor," a volume of poetry (Hartford, 1858); "Gleanings," from her al writings (I860); and " The Man of V/. and other Poems" (1862).
SIGUENZA Y GONGORA. Carlos. Mexican
historian, b. in the city of Mexico in 1645 : d. there,
2 2 Aug., 1700. He studied mathematics and as-
tronomy in his native city under the direction of
his father, and in 1660 entered the Company of
.ICMI-. In 1662 he published his first poem. lie
continued his mathematical and scientific studies,
and in 1665 left the Jesuit order, being app
chaplain of the hospital Amor de Dios." There
he became intimate with Juan de Alva Ixtlilxot-
ehitl, who put at his disposal the rich collection of
documents of his ancestors, the kings of Texcoco,
and in 1668 Sigiienza began the study of Aztec
history and the deciphering of the hieroglyphs and
symbolical writings of the Toltecs. In Kis] he
was appointed by Charles II. royal cosmographer
and professor of mathematics in the University of
Mexico, and in 1693 he was sent by the viceroy.
Caspar de Sandoval (g. v.), to accompany Admiral
Andres de Fez on ^scientific exploration of the Gulf
of Mexico. On his return he entered the Jesuit
order again, and, after falling heir to Ixtlilxot-
chitrs collection of documents, gave the last years
of his life in the retirement of the hospital to the
completion of his works on ancient Mexican his-
tory. Siguenza was a very prolific writer. His
published works include " Primavera Indiana"
(Mexico, 1662) ; " Las Glorias de Queretaro," a
poem (1668) ; " Libra Astronomica " (1681) ; "
fiesto filosofico contra los Cometas" (1681) ; "Los
inforttmios de Alonso Ramirez," describing the
adventures of a man that was captured by pirates
in the Philippines, but escaped in a boat and was
thrown on the coast of Yucatan (1690) ; " Relacion
bistorieade lo- sucoos de la Armada de Barlovento
en la i-la de Santo Domingo con la quenia del
Guarico " (10U1): "Mercurio Yolante 6 Papel
Periodico " (1693) ; and Descripeion de la bahla
de Santa Maria de Galve, alias Panzacola, de la
Mobila y del Rio Misisipi " (1694). Of his numerous
manuscripts, only fragments were preserved after
the expulsion of the Jesuits, but there is a move-
ment on foot to print them. The m-t intere-ting
are " Historia del Imperio de los Chichin
'Genealogia de los Reyes Mexican.'-." "Un
Fragmento de la Historia antigua de los Indios "
(with illustrations), " Calendario de los meses
fiestas de los Mexioanos," "Cioografia Mri-
cana." " Anotaciones criticas a las obras deBernal
Diaz del Castillo y P. Torquemada," and " Historia
de la Provincia de Tejas."
SIKES, William Wirt. author, b. in Watertown, Jefferson co., N. Y., in 1836 ; d. in London, England, 19 Aug., 1883. In childhood he was an invalid, and he was to a great extent self-educated.
He learned type-setting in Watertown at the age of fourteen, and ever afterward was engaged in journalism or other literary occupations. He contributed largely to newspapers in Utica, working
at the same time as a type-setter, thence went to Chicago, and was employed on the "Times" and "Evening Journal." At the age of twenty-four he was appointed state canal inspector of Illinois. In 1867 he came to New York, was employed on various journals, and became an earnest student of the lower classes of city life. He wrote I many poems, and published stories of adventure in the " Youth's Companion " and " Oliver Optic's Magazine." At one time he purchased an interest in a paper called " City and Country," published at Nyack, N. Y., which he edited and tilled, to considerable extent, with his own contributions in prose and poetry. He married Olive Logan (g. v.)
on 19 Dec., 187i. Mr. Sikes was an incessant and
conscientious worker. He was known by his inti-
mate friends to have employed as many as thirty
pen-names in contributing to the American |.r. 33,
borne of his writings were printed under a feminine
signature. He was appointed U. S. consul at ( 'ar-
diff, Wales, by President Grant in June. 1876,
which post he held until his death. Shortly after
his appointment he began a series of papers on
Welsh history, archaeology, and social conditions,
which attracted wide attention, and the works that
he subsequently published in London, on these or
kindred topics, were received with praise by British
critics. He was an accomplished art critic, and his
criticism of the Wiertz gallery of Brussels, which
he contributed to "Harper's Magazine," has been
selected by the authorities of that institution for
printing with their catalogue. He was theuuthor
of "A Book for the Winter Evening Fireside"
(Watertown, 1858): "One Poor Girl: the Story of
Tli. .n-ands" (Philadelphia, 186!'h : -Briti-h (iob-
lins: Welsh Fairy Mythology" (London, 1880);
" Rambles and Studies 'in Old South Wales" (1881);
and "Studies of Assassination" (1881).
SILKMAN, James Bailey, lawyer, b. in Bedford, Westchester CO., N. Y.'. '.> Oct., 1M!>: d. in New York city, 4 Feb., 1888. He was graduated at Yale in 1845, studied law, and after laboring as a journalist was admitted to the bar in isr>n. soon establishing a good practice. Prior to the civil war he caused much excitement by introducing resolutions against slavery in the New York diocesan convention of the Protestant Episcopal church. After the war he became greatly interested in religious matters, and was at one time identified with the Fulton street prayer-meeting. Subsequently he was convert 3 itualism, and remained until his death one of its foremo.-t adherents. So pronounced were his views on this subject that his family had him examined to decide with regard to his sanity, and in l.V>3 he was committed to the Utica asylum. From this deci-ion lie appealed, and after a long litigation in the courts he recovered a verdict of si 5,000 damages against his .son and his son-in-law for imprisonment. An appeal from this verdict was pending at the time of his death. On being released from Utica he reopened his law-ollicc and recovered a portion of his practice, but made it thenceforth the chief aim of his life to procure the release Of those inmates of the Utica a-jhnn that med were unjustly confined. In this, owing to his ability as a lawyer and hi.- perr-i-teiice ML
