MAGELLAN 78 HAGI Elbe, 74 miles S. W. of Berlin, and 50 miles E. S. E. of Brunswick; lat. 52° 8' N.; long. 11° 40' E., a fortress of the first class, and from the recent improve- ment in its defenses one of the strong- est in Europe ; one of the most important commercial places of Prussia, it is divided into five parts: the Old Town, the New Market, and the Friedrichstadt, or tower fort, the New Town, and the quarter called Sudenburg. The most remarkable among its public buildings are the cathe- dral, containing the tomb of Otho the Great, the ducal palace, and the town hall. The citadel, on an island in the Elbe, serves also as a state prison, Baron Trenck and Lafayette having, among others, been confined in it. Manufac- tures considerable, consisting of silk, linen, cotton, and woolen fabrics, oil cloth, gloves, leather, tobacco, etc., with numerous tanneries, distilleries, etc. A large quantity of salt is made in the neighborhood. The transit and commis- sion trade is very considerable. Mag- deburg is a city of old date, having been mentioned as early as the reign of Charlemagne. It suffered greatly in the wars of the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1806 it was taken by the French, and was annexed to the new kingdom of Westphalia by the treaty of Tilsit in 1807. It was restored to Prussia in 1814. Pop. about 290,000. MAGELLAN (ma-jel'an), the incor- rect but generally received name of MAGALHA£s, FERDINAND (ma-gal- FERDINAND MAGELLAN ya'ens), a celebrated Portuguese navi- gator; born in Saboroso, Portugal, about 1480. In 1520 he discovered and passed the straits which have since been called by his name and was the first to circumnavigate the world. His services not being valued by his own country, he offered them to Charles V. of Spain, who intrusted him with a fleet destined to attempt a W. passage to the Moluccas; hence his discovery. He was slain in a skirmish with the natives on Mactan, one of the Philippine Islands, April 27, 1521. MAGELLAN, STBAIT OF, a sea-pas- sage separating South America on the S. from Tierra del Fuego; length 375 miles, breadth from 2^ to 17 miles. It was discovered by Magellan in 1520, and first thoroughly explored by King and Fitz- roy in the "Adventure" and "Beagle" (1826-1836). The wider "E. half is bordered by level, gently-rolling grassy plains. The narrower W. half is shut in by steep, wooded mountains; the cur- rent runs strong through it, and the W. winds are a great hindrance to sailing vessels. There are several fine harbors along this part of the strait. MAGENTA (ma-jen'ta), an Italian town, 18 miles W, of Milan. Here, on June 4, 1859, 55,000 French and Sar- dinians defeated 75,000 Austrians, the latter losing 10,000 (besides 7,000 prison- ers), and the allies only 4,000. For this victory Macmahon received his dukedom. MAGENTA, DUG DE. See MACMAHON. MAGGIORE (mad-jo're), LAGO, one of the largest lakes in Italy, the Lacus Verbanus of the Romans, situated for the most part in Italy, but also partly in the Swiss canton of Ticino; length 39 miles, breadth from Vi mile to 5^/^ miles; 646 feet above sea-level, with a maximum depth of 1,158 feet. The river Ticino flows through it. In a S. W. expansion of the lake are the Borromean Islands (g. y.). On the N. and W. it is surrounded by granitic mountains, 7,000 feet high, on the S. and E. by vineyard-covered hills. MAGGOT, larva of an insect; a grub. MAGI (ma'ji), a sect of priests among the ancient Medes and Persians. They formed one of the six tribes into which the Medes were originally divided, and on the downfall of the Median empire they continued to retain a great degree of power and authority with the con- querors, being the recognized ministers of the national religion. The great apostle of their religion was Zoroaster. They were so celebrated for their en- chantments, that_ they have given name to the art of magic or enchantment. They were also learned as astrologers, and
