Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/394

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
368
SAHAGUN
ST. CLAIR

Switzerland, 25 May. 1*71. After finishing his studies in Madrid he was appointed in 1822 direc- tor of the botanical garden of Havana, which post he retained for twelve years, forming several valu- able collections. He also opened a class in agri- cultural botany and founded a model farm, which was of much benefit to the country. In 1834 he travelled through the United States. After a sojourn of several years in Paris he returned to Madrid, where he founded a magazine, and devoted himself exclusively to the study of political econo- my till 1848, when he went to Paris and took part in the revolution of that year. From 1854 till 1850 he was a deputy to the cortes. His works include " Historia economics, politica, y estadistica de la isla de Cuba" (Havana, 1831); " Principles de Botiinica Agricola " (1833) ; " Breve idea de la administration, del comercio y de las rentas, y gastos de Cuba durante los anos de 1826 a 1836 " (Paris, 1836) : " Historia fisica. politica y natural de la isla de Cuba" (2 vols, 1837-'42 ; French transla- tion. 1844) : " Cinco meses en los Estados Unidos (1836; French translation. 1837); " Apuntes des- tinados a ilustrar la discusion del artieulo adicional al proyecto de constitution " (Madri<l. IsMTi ; l<- toria fisica, economica, politica, intelectnal y moral de la isla de Cuba " (Paris, 1801); "Cuba en 1860" (1862) : " Icones plantarum in flora C'ubana descrip- t'Tmn " (1863): and "Los caracoles miciwcopicos de Cuba" (1866).


SAHAGUN, Bernardino de (sah-ah-goon'). Spanish missionary, b. in Sahagun, Leon, late in the loth century; d. in Mexico. 2:! <.ct.. 1.590. He Mudied in Salamanca, entered the Franciscan order about 1520, came to Mexico in 1529. where he was a professor in the imperial college of Santa Cruz de Tlaltelolco, and, alter thoroughly learning the Aztec language, was for more than fifty years a missionary to the natives. His leisure hour* were occupied in composing a civil, religious, and natu- ral history of Mexico in twelve volumes, which were illustrated with drawings l.y the author and copies i if I lie hieroglyphic writings of the Aztecs; bat the-c drawings were considered by the provincial of his order contrary to religion, as perpetuating the idolatrous customs of the natives, and his work was not allowed to be published, but it was sent by the viceroy to the chronicler Hen-era, whu u-eil some of the material in his " Decadas." The work was afterward printed under the title of " Dic- cionario historico universal de Nueva Espana" (Mexico, 1829). He also wrote in the Aztec lan- guage " Artc ili> la Lengua Mexicana" (Mexico. I."i7'ii: " 1 Hccionario trilingiie, Latino, Espanol y Mexicano " (1578) ; " Salmodia cristiana en Lengua Mexicana, para que canten los Indios en las Igle- sias"(1583); " Catecismo de la Doctrina Cristiana en Lengua Mexicana" (1583); and, according to Betancourt, "Historia de la venida a Mexico de los primeros Religiosos Franciscanos," a Spanish manuscript in two volumes, containing the con- Ci'i-i 'in 'e- nf the missionaries with the native priests in Aztec language.


SAINT CASTIN, Jean Vincent de l'Abadie (san-cas-tang), Baron de, French colonist, b. in Lescar, Bearn, in 1650; d. in Acadia in 1712. He came to Canada in 1665 as an ensign, took part in the expedition of De Coureelles, and, when his regiment was disbanded in 1668, was among the few officers that chose to remain in the colony, and was sent to Acadia to command for the king under Chambly. In 1675 Dutchmen from Santo Domingo made the latter prisoner, but Saint Castin escaped and afterward roamed the woods with the Indians, and gained much influence over them. He also made a fortune of about 400,000 crowns by dealing in beaver-skins with his neighbors of New England. His trading-house was at Pentagoet (now Castine), in the old fort, which he occupied or abandoned by turns, according to the needs of the time. But his trade involved him in difficulties with the royal governors, and in 1688 the king required him to establish a permanent settlement and cease all trade with the English. About this time Saint Castin married the daughter of Madockawando, chief of the Penobscots, and in the same year war was renewed, mainly through Saint Castin's efforts. He attacked the English posts at Port Royal, at the head of 250 Indians, and continued for years to plunder the English settlements. The authorities of Boston set a price upon his head, as they regarded him as their most insidious enemy, and employed deserters to kidnap him; but the plot was discovered, and the deserters were shot at Mount Desert. With his Indians, Saint Castin landed in 1696 at New Harbor, near Fort Pemaquid, and, co-operating with the troops of Iberville, obliged the governor to surrender, and destroyed the fortress. The French dominions were thus extended over a large part of Maine. The remainder of his history is intimately connected with the struggles for the possession of Acadia. He defended Port Royal in 1706, and again in 1707, when he was wounded, he saved the fort. He is said to have gone to France in 1709, but he was in Acadia, again soon afterward, where he fought to the last for the French cause, and was killed in an engagement in 1712. — His son, Joseph, a half-breed, was a leader of the eastern Indians in their later difficulties with the English. In December, 1721, he was surprised at Pentagoet and carried a prisoner to Boston. After five months he was released on account of the hostile feelings that his detention provoked among the Abenakis.


ST. CLAIR, Arthur, soldier, b. in Thurso, Caithness, Scotland, in 1734; d. in Greensburg, Pa., 31 Aug., 1818. He was the grand-mi "I ihe Earl of Roslyn, was educated at the Univcr.-ity of Edinburgh, and studied medicine under Dr. John Hunter. Inherit- ing a fortune from his mother, he purchased a com- mission as ensign in the 60th foot on 13 May, 1757, and came to this coun- try with Admi- ral Edward Bosca- wen's fleet. He served under Gen. Jeffrey Amherst at the capture of Louisburg, 26 Ju- ly, 1758, and un- der Gen. James Wolfe at Quebec, 30 Sept., 1759. On

16 April, 1762, he

resigned the commission of lieutenant, which he had received on 17 April. 1 7.V.). and in 1764 he settled in Ligonier valley. I'a.. win-re he purchased land, and erected mills and a residence. In 1770 he was made surveyor of the district of Cumliei-la ml. and he subsequently became a justice of tin-court of quarter M-ions and of common plea-;, a member of the proprietary council, a justice, iv- cordi -r, and clerk of the orphans' court, and prothoiniiary of Bedford and Westmoreland counties.