ISEBE. 809 ISHMAEL. I S E K E , e'zar'. A river of Southeastern France, rising in Savoy, at the western base of Mount Iseran (Map: France, M 6). It flows in a general soutliwesterly direction through the departments of 8avoie, Is6re, and Drome, past Albertville, Grenoble, and Romans, and joins the Rhone four miles above Valence. The upper half of its course runs through a beautiful Al[)ine region around the foot of La Grande Chartreuse. A railroad follows its valley, which is the prin- cipal route to the most important Alpine passes south of Mont Blanc. The entire length of the Isfere is about 180 miles, for the last 90 of which, from Montmelian, it is navigable, but with aiffi- culty, owing to its rapid flow and shoals and islands. I S E II £ . A southeastern department of France, bounded on the north and west by the river Rhone, on the east by the Department of Savoie, and on the south and southeast by those of Drome and HautesAlpes ( Map: France, M 6). Area, 3201 si|Uarc miles, of which nearly a half is arable land and a fifth under forest. Pojui- lation. in 1890, .5{iS.0.'?3: in 1901, .508,093. The surface is level in tjie northwest, but mountain- ous in the south, where the scenery is. very im- posing. Mont Olan, on the southeastern border, is 12,064 feet high. The chief rivers, besides the Rhone, are the Is&re. from which the department derives its name, and its affluents, the Drac and Romanche. The department is one of the richest in France in mineral products. Mines of iron, lead, silver, coal, and marble are worked. The vine is carefully cultivated in the valleys. Capi- tal, Grenoble. ISi^BE, COLOMBAT DE l'. See COLOJrBAT DE LTsfeRE. ISERLOHN, e'zer-lOn. An important manu- facturing town of the Prussian Province of West- phalia, situated on the Baar, 15 miles by rail from Hagen (Map: Prussia, B 3). It manufac- tures chielly needles, bronze, silver, and nickel wares. Population, in 1890, 22.117; in 1900, 27,265. ISEBNIA, 4-zer'n6-fi. A city in the Province of Campobasso, Italy, 79 miles north of Naples, 1495 feet above the sea (Jlap: Italy, JO). The ancient Sanmite ^?<Isernia was important because of Its strong situation on an isolated hill. There are remains of the ancient Cyclopean walls and of an aqueduct. Isernia manufactures linen and potterv. Population (commune), in 1881, 9015; in 1901. 9322. ISERT, e'sert, Paul Edmund (1757-89). A Danish traveler. He went to the possessions of Denmark in Africa (1783) as chief surgeon at Fort Christiansborg. on the Guinea Coast, and three years afterwards, because of having cured the sister of the Ashantee King, he was allowed to make extensive journeyings through the King's domain. He collected interesting details of native life and manners, and also visited the .Antilles before returning to Denmark (1788). He was intrusted with the establishment of a colony in Africa, and made an attempt upon the island of Rio-Volta, near Malfy ;, but he removed to Guinea, where he and most of his comp;iny died of fever. The letters he had written to his family and friends were published at Copenhagen (1788), under the title Reise nach Guinea und den Caraibischcn Inseln in Cohimhicii. They are also contained in the Danish collection of Gyldendal (iii., 1790), and translated into Dutch, Swedish, and French. ISETJLT, e-soolt', or ISOLD. A character in mediaeval romance. The name occurs in a great variety of forms. ( 1 ) Iseult the Fair, wife of ]Iark, King of Cornwall, wlio through philter is made to love his nephew. Sir Tristram. (2) Iseult of the White Hands, a princess of Brittany, the wife of Sir Tristram. See Tbistram. ISH'BAN. A character meant for Sir Robert Clayton, in Dryden's Absalom and Achitophel. ISHBO'SHETH. ( 1 ) In the Old Testament, a son of Saul. (2) A character representing Richard Cromwell in Dryden's Absalom and Achi- tophel. ISHIM, e-shem' (Kirghiz Isel). A river of Siberia, the most important left affluent of the Irtysh, rising in the eastern part of the territory of Akmolinsk (Map: Asia, F 3). It flows in a westerly and then northeasterly direction till it empties into the Irtysh, after a course of about 1500 miles. It is free of iee about 190 days in the year, but is navigable for only 100 miles. It passes th-i towns of Akmolinsk, Petropavlovsk, and Ishim. The Trans-Siberian Railway crosses the river at Petropavlovsk. ISHMAEL, ish'ma-el (Heb. Yishmi-Cl, God hears). The elder son of Abraham, and reputed founder of the Arab race. His story is given in Genesis x^i. and :v.i. Modern critics hold that it is compounded of two sources, and fur- nishes a good illustration of the way in which the writers of the Bible gave to tribal likes and dislikes the form of personal history. It is said that Sarah, being barren, gave Hagar. her Egyp- tian handmaid, to her husband Abraham. When Hagar saw that she was with child she began to despise her mistress, and as a result was harshly treated. This compelled her to seek refuge in flight : but at the advice of an angel, who foretold the birth of a son, and also his character, she returned. The child is born, and at the age of thirteen is circumcised. By this time Isaac was already born, and Hagar is driven out again with her son. The provisions given her by Abraham did not last long, and she had given up hope when an angel pointed out a well of water. Ishmacl grew and dwelt in the wilder- ness of Paran, living by hunting. He married an Egj'ptian woman. Scholars of the critical school consider Ish- mael. as thus portrayed, the personification of a group of tribes who were akin to the Hebrews, and who at one time proved to be serious rivals. In making I-^hmael the son of a bondmaid the tra- dition reflects the Hebrew point of view, and it is noteworthy that among the Arabs, who re- ■ gard themselves as descendants of Ishmael. it is Hagar who is the true wife of Abraham, and Ishmael is the favored son. (See Hagar.) The home of the Ishmaelites was the wilderness to the south of Palestine, as far as the frontier of Egj-pt. Hebrew tradition accounts for this by having Abraham drive Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness ; but it is interesting to note that, despite the Hebraization of old tribal tradi- tions, certain phases favorable to Ishmael could not be entirely obscured. Yahweh is introduced as the protector of Hagar and Ishmael. Power is promised him and success in war, and his
