CASTRO, Juan, the assumed name of a Cuban poet, b. near Matanzas in 1799. His parents were negro house-servants, and he was born in slavery. While still a boy he exhibited skill in needle-work and drawing, and produced some portraits. He became the body-servant of a young gentleman of scholarly habits, from whom he learned to read, and then taught himself to write. " I bought ink, pens, and penknife, and some very fine paper; then, taking some of the bits of written paper thrown away by my master, I put a piece of them under one of my fine sheets and traced the characters, in order to accustom my hand to make letters. . . . In vain I was forbidden to write ; for, when every- body went to bed, I used to light a piece of candle, and then at my leisure I copied the best verses, thinking that, if I could imitate these, I would become a poet." Some of his original sonnets fell into the hands of Dr. Coronado, who called atten- tion to their merit. Juan was thirty-eight years old when several gentlemen, who had become aware of his talents, made up a purse of $800, purchased his freedom, and enabled him to pub- lish his poems. After that he supported himself in Havana as a tailor, as a house-painter, and finally as a head cook. He produced an autobiog- raphy, which gives a vivid picture of slave-life in Cuba. The second half of the manuscript was stolen and probably destroyed : but the first half was published by Dr. R. R. Madden (London, 1840), together with English translations of some of his poems, the originals of which are in Spanish. The finest of them is " The Clock that Gains."
CASTRO, Ramon de, Spanish soldier, flour-
ished in the latter part of tlie 18th century. On
17 April, 1797, an English fleet of sixty vessels,
commanded by Admiral Henry Harvey, with a
landing force of about 7,000 men under Sir Ralph
Abercrombie, attacked the city of St. John of
Porto Rico, laying siege to the place by sea and
land. Castro had but a limited number of Span-
ish troops, with hardly any military experience and
little ammunition and stores : but he displayed so
much ability, bravery, and tenacity during the de-
fence that on tlie fourteenth day of the siege, 1
May, 1797, the English were forced to retreat and
re-embark in great haste, leaving their artillery, as
well as many wounded and prisoners, in the hands
of the Spaniards. The Spanish government re-
warded him with great honors, and his defence of
Porto Rico has become a famous one in the history
of the Antilles.
CASTRO, Vaca de, Spanish officer, b. at Leon ;
d. in 1558. He was a judge of the royal court at
Valladolid, when, in 1540, Charles V. sent him as
governor to Peru, then disturbed by the rebellion
of Almagro. In 1542 a battle was fought at Chu-
pas, in which Almagro was defeated and taken,
and, by order of Castro, executed on the spot with
some of his followers. Castro was superseded in
1544, and returned to Spain, where he was impris-
oned for five years at the castle of Arevalo. He
was declared innocent by the council of Indies,
and subsequently appointed counsellor of Castile.
CASTRO LOPES, Antonio de, Brazilian states-
man, b. in Rio de Janeiro, 5 Jan., 1827. He fin-
ished his medical studies in 1848, and in 1849 was
appointed professor of mathematics in the Impe-
rial college of Pedro II. He was a member of the
provincial assembly of Rio Janeiro in 1854, and
also minister of finance, and in 1859 minister of
foreign affairs. He has founded and organized
several financial institutions and commercial asso-
ciations, at the same time distinguishing himself
as a scientific, medical, and classical author. His
works include " Dissertagao acerca da utilidade da
dor," " Abamoocara," " mundo e o progresso,"
" Epitome historiae sacne," " Musa latina." " O
medico do povo," " Memoria sobre a possibilidade
e conveniencia de supressao dos annos bisextos,"
" Conferencia sobre a homeopathia," " Un sonho
astronomico," and " Diccionario classico latino e
portuguez."
CASWALL, Henry, clergyman, b. in Yateley,
Hampshire, England, in 1810; d. in Franklin, Pa.,
17 Dec, 1870. He was the son of a clergyman,
came to the United States in 1828, and was gradu-
ated at Kenyon in 1830. He became a clergyman
of the Protestant Episcopal church in 1837, being
the first ordained graduate of the college. After
acting as minister and professor of theology in the
United States and Canada, he returned to England
in 1842, and, the validity of his orders having been
recognized by act of parliament, became vicar of
Figheldean, Wfltshire, proctor for the diocese of
Sarum, and prebendary of Salisbury cathedral.
He visited this country in 1854, and was given the
degree of D. D. by Trinity college, Hartford. He
had previously been given that of M. A. by Ken-
yon college in 1834, and by Oxford in 1854. Dr.
Caswall came again to this country about 1868,
and remained here till his death. Among his
works are : " America and the American Church "
(London, 1839) ; " The City of the Mormons "
(1842); "The Prophet of the" Nineteenth Centurv"
(1843) ; " Scotland and the Scottish Church " (1853) ;
and "The Western World Revisited" (1854).
CASWELL, Alexis, educator, b. in Taunton, Mass., 29 Jan., 1799; d. in Providence, R. I., 8 Jan., 1877. He studied at the Bristol academy in Taunton, and was graduated at Brown in 1822, standing first in his class. In 1823 he was appointed a tutor in Columbian university, Washington, and in 1825 became professor of ancient languages in that institution. At this time he also pursued a course of theology under Dr. William Stoughton, and, having received a license to preach, frequently conducted services in the college chapel, and occasionally preached in Washington. In 1827 he resigned his professorship and, after receiving ordination in October of that year, became pastor of the Baptist congregation in Halifax, N. S. During the following year he declined the professorship of mathematics and natural philosophy in Waterville college; but in July of 1828 he accepted an invitation to the 1st Baptist church. Providence, and soon afterward became professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at Brown. All of the scientific instruction was then included in this chair, which he occupied for thirty-five years, serving also in 1840-'l as president pro tem, during the absence of Dr. Francis Way land in Europe. He resigned . his professorship in 1863, but five years later was again called into active service, and elected president of the university on 7 Feb., 1868. This office he held until 1872, when he resigned, just fifty years from the date of his graduation. On his retirement he was at once chosen a trustee, and in 1875 a fellow of the university. The excellent condition of the library is largely the result of his earnest work; the museum of natural history owes its establishment to his plans and efforts; the present alumni association was founded by him, and he became its. first president. He was long associated in the management of the Providence athenaeum, for eight years one of its directors, and its vice-president for a similar length of time. For many years he was connected in various capacities with Newton theological institution, and was the third president
