Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XV.djvu/614

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586 TAUSIG TAXES lician Taurus. It follows closely the sinuosi- ties of the coast, leaving but a narrow margin between ; the northern slopes are less abrupt than the southern. Snow-capped peaks are nu- merous, and fine forests cover the sides of the chain. In the ancient province of Lycia the summits Takhtali Dagh and Ak Dagh are re- spectively 7,800 and 9,800 ft. high. Gok Dagh, on the confines of ancient Pisidia, Isauria, and Cilicia, is of about equal height with Ak Dagh, while the highest summit of Bulghar Dagh, further east, reaches an elevation of about 11,- 400 ft. The Ala Dagh connects Bulghar Dagh with the Anti-Taurus, which extends from the W. branch of the Sihun (anc. Saras), through Cappadocia, to the vicinity of the upper Eu- phrates and the Armenian mountains. The Arjish Dagh (anc. Argaus, in Cappadocia), the highest peak of Asia Minor (13,100 ft.), though isolated, is generally reckoned as be- longing to the Anti-Taurus. On the whole, however, this chain is less high than the Taurus proper. The Amanus range, E. of the river Sihun (anc. Pyramus), connects the Anti- Taurus with the mountain system of Syria. The main pass between the latter country and Asia Minor, called by the ancients the Cilician Gates, is formed by the valley of the upper Oydnus (now Tersus),'in the Cilician Taurus, K W. of Adana. TAUSIG, Karl, a German pianist, born near Warsaw, Nov. 4, 1841, died in Leipsic, July 17, 1871. He studied under his father and Liszt, after whom he ranked as the first pianist in Europe. In 1861-'2 he brought out at Vienna works of Liszt, Wagner, and Berlioz in such a manner as to gain for himself a great reputa- tion as an orchestral director. In 1865 he went to Berlin and was made court pianist, and became the head of the institution for piano virtuosos. He played without notes nearly every great composition from the time of Bach to Liszt. TAUTOG. See BLACKFISH. TAVASTEHUUS. I. A S. W. Ian or govern- ment of Finland, Kussia; area, 8,324 sq. m. ; pop. in 1872, 193,477, all Lutherans. It is mountainous, and has many lakes. Corn, hemp, flax, and cattle are produced. II. A town, capital of the Ian, 85 m. 25T. E. of Abo ; pop. in 1867, 3,150. The first Finnish railway was opened in 1862 hence to Helsingfors. TAVERMER, Jean Baptiste, fc French travel- ler, born in Paris in 1605, died in Copenhagen in 1689. He early explored many countries, served occasionally as a soldier, and made six journeys to western Asia and to India, mostly on foot. His father-in-law, a jeweller, having taught him the art of valuing precious stones, he acquired a fortune, was ennobled by Louis XIV. for promoting French trade in India, and bought the barony of Aubonne near the lake of Geneva ; but he was ruined by his nephew, and in 1687 fled to Berlin to escape persecu- tions as a Protestant. There he became direc- tor of an East Indian company, and soon un- dertook a seventh journey, which was inter- rupted by his fatal illness in Denmark. Louis XIV. bought of him millions of francs worth of diamonds. Under his direction Chappuzeau edited Les six voyages de J. B. Tavernier (2 vols., 1676-'7), and La Chapelle a 3d volume in 1679. The latter also reedited in 1675 Nouvelle rela- tion de Vinterieur du serail du grand seigneur, Une histoire du Japon, audMemoire sur la con- duite des Hollandais. The first named work has been frequently reprinted and translated (English, 2 vols. folio, 1678-'84). TAXES, the contributions levied by a govern- ment upon persons and property, for the use of the government. As a revenue for the use of the state is absolutely essential to the exis- tence of any orderly government, it is reason- able to infer that taxes were levied preceding the earliest of which historical records remain. But in the early ages rulers had other means of supplying their wants without resort to regular levies. One of these might be prop- erty of which the state or its ruler had the ownership, the rents or other returns from which rendered taxes unnecessary. In early periods, also, fines and confiscations or com- pensations for crime constituted an important source of revenue. The early taxes were most severe where the religious worship was sup- ported by this means. Among the Hebrews, in the time of the theocracy, there was a capi- tation tax of a half shekel (about 30 cts.) pay- able by every male in the nation (according to some the regular payment of this was of later origin) ; a tribute of the first fruits, and of the first born of their domestic animals, which might be commuted for money at a fixed rate ; a redemption tax for the first born male of the family; and a first and second tithe for the support of the Levites and of the service of the tabernacle, and every third year a third tithe (according to some an application of the second tithe) for the benefit of the poor, and so in some sense a poor rate. After they adopted the regal form of government, the taxes were greatly increased. Solomon col- lected a large revenue; and the stoning to death of Adoram, u who was over the tribute," and the secession of the ten tribes at the com- mencement of the reign of his son and suc- cessor, indicate how oppressive had been the taxation. In the Athenian republic there were no direct taxes, either on personal or real estate ; the sources of revenue were the lands of the republic, fines and confiscations, the royalty of ^V of the products of the mines, a capitation tax on f reedmen and foreigners resi- dent in the republic, customs duties on foreign commodities and merchandise, on which a tariff of 2 per cent, was levied, some excise duties, licenses of markets and houses of pros- titution, and tribute paid by other cities and islands. The imposts, licenses, &c., were gen- erally farmed to companies, which gave secu- rity for their prompt payment. In times of war, extraordinary contributions were levied