Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/690

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654
ZAMBRANA
ZAMORA

recommended for an appointment in the regular army, where he was commissioned a 3d lieutenant in the 5th U. S. artillery, 23 Feb., 1866, and by regular promotion became 1st lieutenant in January, 1867, and captain, 9 Dec., 1887. From 1872 till 1876 he was on duty at the Massachusetts institute of technology as professor of military science. He was graduated at the Artillery school. Fort Monroe, Va., 1 May, 1880, and at the school of submarine mining, Willet's point, N. Y., in July of the same year. Capt. Zalinski's name is widely known in connection with the development of the pneumatic dynamite torpedo-gun. (See vignette.) He has invented the electrical fuse and other devices for the practical application of the weapon, and has also devised a method for the exact sight-allowance to be made for deviation due to wind in the use of rifled artillery and small-arms. His other inventions include an intrenching-tool, a ramrod-bayonet, and a telescopic sight for artillery.


ZAMBRANA, Ramon (thahm-brah'-nah). Cu- ban physician, b. in Havana in 1817; d. there in 1866. He studied medicine in the university of his native city, where he was graduated as licentiate in sur- gery in 1839, in 1843 as licentiate in medicine, and in 1846 as doctor. He filled successively in the Uni- versity of Havana and the San Carlos seminary the chairs of chemistry, natural philosophy, anato- my, physiology, legal medicine, and toxicology. He was a member of several scientific and literary bod- ies, one of the founders of the Academy of medicine and natural sciences of Havana, and, took part in several scientific commissions. He divided his time between the duties of his profession, his chair in the university, and literary and scientific pursuits. In 1841 he founded the " Repertorio Medico Habane- ro," the first publication of its kind in Cuba, and in 1848 he founded the " Repertorio de Medicina Far- macia y Ciencias Naturales." He published H Pron- tuario Medico Quinirgico" (Havana, 1850); "Re- vista Medica de la Isla de Cuba" (1851); " Obras Lit- erarias y Cientificas" (1858); "Diversas epocas de la poesia en Cuba" (1861); " Tratado de Historia Natural " (1863); " Mis Creencias"(1864); " Trabajos Academicos " (1865); and " Soliloquio " (1686). Dr. Zambrana left a manuscript history of philosophy, which has never been published.


ZAMNA, IZAMNA or IZAMNAT-UL, founder of the empire of Mayapan. He seems to have been of Asiatic extraction, according to many authori- ties, who claim that the empires of Xibalbay and Mayapan owed their civilization to the Philistines, driven from Palestine by Joshua, who, under the conduct of Gucumatz, trusted to the sea, and were cast on the shores of Cuba. Thence they migrated to Yucatan and Guatemala, where they conquered the natives, who named them Olmecos and Xica- lancos. Such is the theory of Brasseur de Bour- bourg in his '• Histoire des nations civilisees du Mexique et du Guatemala " (Paris, 1858) ; of Las Casas in his " Historia Apolog. de las Indias Occi- dentales " (manuscript) ; of Ramon de Ordofles y Aguilar in his "Historia del cielo y de la tierra*' (manuscript) : of Diego Lopez Cogolludo in his " Historia de Yucatan " (Madrid, 1688), and others. Zamna arrived in Yucatan about the time that Balum-Votan reigned in Xibalbay, heading the emigration of a great people, according to the his- torians. The natives of Yucatan opposed his prog- ress, but were defeated, and, " having subdued the whole country in a few years, Zamna built Maya- pan at the foot of the Mani mountains," according to John L. Stephens in his " Incidents of Travel in Yucatan " (New York, 1858). He next promul- gated a code of laws, divided his empire into fifteen provinces, which he made hereditary fiefs for his generals and the members of his family, each hold- ing his province in fee-simple, but sustaining an army for the defence of the empire, and being com- pelled to own a palace in Mayapan and live there three months every year on penalty of forfeiture. Zamna's reign was a long and glorious one, and he died at a great age. It is believed that he invented the phonetic signs that constituted the Maya sys- tem of writing. He was buried in a magnificent temple built for that purpose, underground, be- tween two rocks, which was a resort for pilgrims, and around which was erected a spacious city. This became famous under the name of Izamal, the sacred city : a part of it still exists and is in- habited, while its magnificent ruins are the admira- tion of the traveller. Zamna was surnamed in the aboriginal language " Itzen-caan," or " Itzen- mayal," which means " The Rose of Heaven." Ber- nardo Lizana has written the " Historia de Nuestra Sefiora de Izamal, de la Provincia de Yucatan " (Valladolid, 1633).


ZAMORA, Alonso de (thah-mo'-rah), Colombian historian, b. in Bogota in 1660 ; d. there about 1725. He entered the Dominican order in early life, and, after finishing his studies in the College of Santo Tomas, passed several years in the south- eastern missions, laboring among the Indians of the head-waters of Meta and Guaviare rivers. On his return to Bogota he acquired great fame as a theologian and litterateur, and was appointed ex- aminer of the synod. In this post he made a spe- cialty of the study of Granadan history, and col- lected numerous rare documents. In 1690 he was appointed historian of his order, and began to write his great work, which was concluded in 1696, under the title " Historia del Nuevo Reino de Granada y de la provincia de San Antonio en la religion do Santo Domingo " (Barcelona, 1701).


ZAMORA, Cristobal de, Spanish missionarv, b. about 1500; d. in Tula, Mexico, 16 March, 1566. He entered the Franciscan order, and went in 1530 to Mexico, where he was attached to the missions of the province of Santo Evangelio. He learned the Indian dialects, preached in Toltee and Aztec after 1535, founded several missions, built churches, established schools for the Indians, and founded the convent of Tula, for the support of which he obtained a grant of twelve Indian villages, and established a model farm for their benefit. He held the office of prior of the convent at Tula till his death. He wrote in Toltee a catechism, a manual of prayers, and a history of Christ, which are preserved in the archives at Simancas,and are consid- ered among the best existing monuments of the Toltee language, being remarkable for purity and elegance of style. The state publication, " Cartas de Indias " (Madrid, 1872), contains also several interesting memorials of Zamora on the condition of the Indians in Mexico.