SISTOVA 443 SIX COMPANIES The "Sisters of Bethany," founded in 1866, have their headquarters in Clerk- enwell, and are chiefly devoted to educa- tion and to mission work in poor par- ishes. St. Raphael's Sisterhood, Bristol, founded in 1867, follows, as far as pos- sible, the rule of St. Vincent de Paul, and is devoted entirely to the service of the poor; middle-class education and peniten- tiary work being excluded. The "Sisters of the Church," Randolph Gardens, Kilburn, founded in 1870 by Miss Emily Ayckbowm, developed with extraordinary rapidity. They have im- mense schools, teaching many thousands of children, and training homes for teach- ers. Besides these large communities there are many smaller sisterhoods in England. The first Protestant sisterhood in the United States was organized in 1852 by the Rev. W. A. Muhlenberg. The sisters took charge of St. Luke's Hospital, which he founded in 1859. Since then a number of sisterhoods have sprung up all over the country, notable among them being: The Sisterhood of St. Mary, New York City, founded in 1865; the Sisterhood of St. John Baptist, New York City, affil- iated in 1881; the All Saints Sisters of the Poor, Baltimore, Md., affiliated in 1890; and the Sisterhood of St. Marga- ret, Boston, Mass., established in 1873. In 1919 there were 113 Catholic and Prot- estant sisterhoods at work in the United States, exclusive of deaconesses, whose first home was established in Chicago in 1887. SISTOVA, a town of Bulgaria; on the Danube, opposite Simmitza; 38 miles S. W. of Rustchuk, beautifully situated on undulating slopes. It has mosques and churches, and carries on manufactures of wine, leather, and wool. Here was signed, on Aug. 4, 1791, a treaty of peace between Turkey and Austria. Sistova was a place of some importance in the Russo-Turkish War. Part of the Russian army crossed the Danube here, and the town fell into their hands on June 27, 1877. Pop. about 14,000. SISYPHUS, in mythology, a descend- ant of ^lolus, said by some to have lived at Ephyra, on the Peloponnesus, while others allege that he was a robber, slain by Theseus. His punishment in Tartar- us for his crimes committed on earth con- sisted in rolling a huge stone to the top of a high hill, which constantly recoiled, and thus l'endered his labor incessant. SITKA, or NEW ARCHANGEL, a port of entry and former seat of admin- istration of Alaska Territory; on the W. coast of the island of Sitka or Baranof ; about 1,300 miles N. of San Francisco. It is located amid beautiful scenery, and has a wide and deep harbor, somewhat difficult of entrance. The town contains a hospital, museum, an industrial and public school, the Greek Church of St. Michael, built in 1816, and in which the Russians still maintain the national re- ligion, and a Presbyterian mission, where boys and girls receive an industrial train- ing in connection with the ordinary branches of an English education. The principal business establishment,, that of the Russian-American Fur Company, or- ganized in 1799, was located here till 1863. When Alaska was transferred to the United States in 1867, Sitka contained only about 100 log huts. Since then it has made considerable progress and a number of substantial and permanent buildings have been erected. Pop. (1920) 1,175. SITTING BULL, a chief of the Sioux Indians; born about 1837; was regarded as a great "medicine man" by his tribe; and was an obdurate foe of the whites, even violently repulsing all overtures to- ward a peaceful understanding. He man- ifested this hatred from youth till the day of his death. He was conspicuous in the Sioux massacre of 1862; was constantly on the war-path for 14 years; was a leader in the Indian outbreaks of 1876; and was in command at the battle of the Little Big Horn in which General Custer and his entire force were killed. With his band he escaped into Canada, but contin- ued even there to incite rebellion among the Sioux. In 1880, receiving the promise of pardon, he returned to Dakota and surrendered to General Miles. It is a question whether the acceptance of the condition of pardon was sincere, for he again incited the Indians to renewed out- breaks. His arrest was ordered and the Indian police were detailed on this duty. In attempting to resist them, Sitting Bull was killed Dec. 13, 1890. SIVAS, a town in Armenia, the cen- ter of a large and fertile plain watered by the Kizil Irmak, 410 miles E. S. E. of Constantinople. It has numerous mosques, large and well-supplied bazaars, commo- dious khans, baths, etc. Being on the road from Bagdad, and having easy ac- cess to the Black Sea, it commands a con- siderable trade. Pop. about 65,000. SIX COMPANIES, an organization of Chinamen with headquarters in San Fran- cisco, Cal., partly benevolent and partly commercial, their functions being to loan money, give advice, act as bankers, care for the sick, and protect their countrymen in all ways. Originally, they guaranteed to send back, dead or alive, the body of every Chinaman who sailed from home to
