SASKATCHEWAN 256 SATINET SASKATCHEWAN, a river of the Northwest Territories, Canada, formed by two main streams, the South Saskatche- wan or South Branch (called also the Bow river) and the North Saskatchewan or North Branch. The sources of these two streams are very near each other on the E. slope of the Rocky mountains. The South Branch flows S. E. to its junction with the Belly river, then N. E. to its junction with the North Branch. The North Branch flows N. past Mount Mur- chison, through Kutanie plain, then E. to its confluence with the South Branch. The course of the North Branch is about 836 miles, and of the South Branch, 903 miles. From their junction the river course is through the desert bed of Lake Agassiz, then E. to its mouth in Lake Winnipeg. The total length is about 1,200 miles. From its mouth it is navi- gable, by the North Branch, about 800 miles. The river is narrow in the greater part of its course. SASKATOON, a city of Canada, the capital of Saskatoon District, on the South Saskatchewan river and on the Canadian Pacific, Canadian Northern, and Grand Trunk Pacific railways. It is a port of entry and the wholesale distrib- uting, commercial, financial and educa- tional center for central and western Sas- katchewan. Its institutions include the University of Saskatchewan, an agricul- tural college and experimental farm, and a normal school. Its industries include planing mills, iron foundries, cold stor- age plants, etc. It has a custom house, two hospitals, a court house, and an opera house. Pop. about 30,000. SASSAFRAS, in botany: (1) a genus of Lauraceae; dioecious, perianth six-part- ed males with nine fertile stamens in three rows, anthers four-celled; females with nine sterile stamens; fruit fleshy. S. officinale (Laurus sassafras) is a large tree with yellowish flowers, growing in the United States. The dried leaves are very mucilaginous and are sometimes used for thickening soup. S. parthenoxylon, Oriental sassafras, growing in Sumatra, has medicinal qualities like those of S. officinale. (2) The English name of the genus, and of various trees more or less resembling it in properties, specifically, Doryphora sassafras, one of the plume nutmegs. The wood smells like fennel. (Australian.) Brazilian sassafras is Nec- tandra cymbarum. In pharmacy, the dried root of Sassafras officinale. It is sold in branches, in pieces, or in chips, and is given as a stimulant and diapho- retic in chronic rheumatism, skin diseases, and syphilis. The bark is more powerful than the wood. SASSAFRAS OIL, an oil obtained from root-bark of Lauras sassafras. It has the odor of fennel, a slight yellow color and an acrid taste, sp. gr.=1.09, and is a mix- ture of at least two substances, a liquid oil and a solid camphor (C10H10O0). SASSANID-ffi, a Persian dynasty of kings, which succeeded the Parthian dy- nasty of the Arsacidae, and reigned from A. D. 226 until A. D. 652. The dynasty began with Ardishir Babigan, and owes its name to the grandfather of that prince, named Sassan. SASSABJ, a city of Sardinia, ranking next after the capital, Cagliari ; 12 miles from the Gulf of Asmara, where its port, Porto Torres, is situated, and 162 miles N. by W. of Cagliari. A prosperous-look- ing town, with both old and new houses, embosomed in orange and olive groves, it has a cathedral (1531), an old castle (1327-1331), a university (1677, reopened in 1766) with about 120 students, a mu- seum of Roman antiquities, a natural his- tory collection, and a library (1556) of over 25,000 volumes, and is the seat of an archbishop and of several of the old Sar- dinian nobles. There is a busy trade in grain, olive oil, cheese, and hides. Pop. about 43,000. SASSOON, SIR PHILIP (Albert Gus- tave David), a British public official. He was born in 1888, and after leaving school entered the British army, becoming lieu- tenant in the Royal East Kent Yeomanry. In 1912 he was elected to represent the Hythe Division of Kent as a Unionist in the House of Commons and has held the seat since that time. During the war he acted as private secretary to Field Mar- shal Sir Douglas Haig, Commander-in- Chief of the British Armies in France. He is a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor and Officer of the Order of the Crown of Belgium. SATAN. See Devil. SATELLITE, a subordinate attend- ant; an obsequious or subservient follow- er. Hence, in astronomy, a secondary planet revolving around a primary one. The moon is satellite to the earth. Mars has two satellites, Jupiter five, Saturn ten, Uranus four, and Neptune one. SATIN, a silken fabric with an over- shot woof and a highly finished surface. The woof is coarse, and hidden underneath the warp, which forms the surface. The warp is of organzine, the weft of tram. In a full satin twill there is an interval of 15 threads. SATINET, a light kind of satin; also a glossy cloth made of a cotton warp and woolen filling, to imitate satin.
