Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 08.djvu/419

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SEYMOUR 363 SHACKLETON in the courts of Charles II., William III., and Anne. He married the heiress of the Percies, by whom he had a son, Alger- non, 7th duke, who in 1749 was created Earl of Northumberland, with remainder to his son-in-law, Sir Hugh Smithson, the ancestor of the present Percy line. On the death of this duke in 1750 a curious peerage case arose, the title being claimed by the descendants of the 1st duke by his first marriage; and the attorney-gen- eral having reported in favor of the claim, Sir Edward Seymour took his seat in the House of Peers as 8th duke. The earldom of Hertford, which became ex- tinct in 1750, was in that same year con- ferred on this 8th duke's first cousin, Francis, who in 1793 was advanced to the dignity of marquis. SEYMOUR, SIR EDWARD HOBART, a British admiral, born 1840. He was educated at Radley and entered the navy in 1852. He became commander in 1866, reaching the grade of admiral in 1901. He served in the Black Sea during the Crimean War and was present at the bombardment of Odessa, Sebastopol, and Kinburn in 1854-5. He was in the China War, was present at the capture of Can- ton, and was wounded on the coast of Africa in 1870. He w T as commander-in- chief at Devonport in 1903-5 and repre- sented England at New York for the Hudson Fulton celebration in 1909. He wrote: "My Naval Career and Travels." SEYMOUR, HORATIO, an American statesman; born in Pompey Hill, Onon- daga co., N. Y., May 31, 1810. After serving three terms, with marked ability, in the New York Legislature, in 1852 he was elected governor on the Democratic ticket. At the outbreak of the Civil War he was decidedly in favor of the supre- macy of the Constitution, and as governor a second time (1863-1865) showed con- spicuous energy and ability in raising troops. His second incumbency of the governorship was marked by the draft riots in 1863. In 1868 he was defeated for the presidency by General Grant. As an orator, Mr. Seymour was easy, agree- able, and powerful, rising often into true eloquence. He died in Utica, N. Y., Feb. 12, 1886. SEYMOUR, LADY JANE, the third wife of Henry VIII., and the mother of Edward VI.; born in England, about 1510. She was at first maid of honor to Anne Boleyn, whom she supplanted in 1536. She died Oct. 24, 1537, a few days after giving birth to her son. SFAX, a town on the E. coast of Tunis, situated in the midst of fruit gar- dens. It is surrounded by walls and bas- tions, and has a strong citadel. It ex- ports large quantities of fruit, wool, sponges, alfa, etc. Sfax was captured by the French after a two days' bom- bardment on July 16, 1881. Pop. about 45,000. SGRAFFITO, or SCRATCHED WORK, the name given to a mode of external wall decoration practiced in Italy, and of which examples have been found in Pozzuoli near Naples, of the date of about 200 B. c. The process is accomplished by means of superimposed layers of plaster applied and operated on in the following manner: First, the wall having been thoroughly moistened to insure adhesion, a %-inch coat of plaster is floated on, and before it is perfectly dry a ^-inch skin of black, red, or any other colored plaster that will not fade is applied; when this is set and while it is still wet, a finishing coat of white plaster is added. A full-sized drawing of the design that is to be realized is then transferred to this outer coating, and the outline cut through to the second coat with a sharp instrument, and made broad or narrow according to the effect desired, and where necessary these incisions are enforced by additional lines as shading. Examples of the system are to be found in the choir boys' school of St. Paul's Cathedral, the inner court of the Science Schools at South Kensington, and the interiors of some churches in England. There are 15th-century specimens of sgraffito pot- tery in the South Kensington Museum. The examples of house decoration in Italy are of the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. SHACKLETON, SIR ERNEST HEN- RY, a British Antarctic explorer, born m 1874, at Kilkee, Ireland. He served for a time in the commercial marine and as an officer of the Royal Naval Reserve, serving as a lieutenant under Captain R. F. Scott, on the British Na- tional Antarctic expedition, from 1901 to 1904. In 1907 he organized and com- manded an expedition during which he made valuable explorations, reaching the south magnetic pole for the first time. He personally led a party which reached the latitude of 88° 27', within 97 miles of the pole. This passed all previous records by 366 geographical miles. He discovered the pole and an enormous gla- cier, and mountain ranges. The journey ended in a vast polar plateau, about 11,000 feet above sea-level. He was en- gaged, in 1914-16, in an attempt to cross the continent of Antarctica from Coats Land to McMurdoo Sound. The expedi- tion ended by the destruction of its ship, the "Endurance." The crew, after many dangerous adventures, reached Elephant Island, and Shackleton, leaving 23 men on the island, made a voyage with five •