MAFIA. 668 MAGAXHAES. interferes with the law. Its origin is shrouded in mystery, but probably it arose gradually dur- ing the centuries ci oppression under which Sic- ily and other parts of Italy sullercd. The object of this society is to guarantee its niembers, who are known as Ma/iosi, immunity for any crimes which they may commit. It is divided into sec- tions, and there are passwords to enable mem- bers to recognize each other. There is a distinc- tion between the ila/iosi of the mountains and those of the commercial cities. In the moun- tains the crimes are of the ruder sort, while along the coast and in the cities numerous assas- sinations and other terrible crimes have been per- petrated under the protection all'ordcd by the Jla- lia. The essence of the constitution of the Mafia has been declared to be: Ready, passive, and constant obedience to the head of the band; absolute silence as to the composition and enterprises of the band; material, moral, and pecuniary aid to all members, especially wlien arrested; never to have recourse to legal authority, l>ut to refer all disputes to the leader of the band. The penalty for a violation of any of these ol)ligations is invariably death. jMembcrs are subjected to an elaborate initiation, and the society claims in Sicily as members people from all ranks of society, and the whole of the island is still terrorized by the !Mafia. General meetings are frequently held at the great cattle fairs, and the members of every grade assemble and adjust their reciprocal interests, devise their criminal projects and plan their execution. The Italian Government has frequently sought to suppress the JIafia, which in late years seems to be allied with anarchistic movements. In 1902 the Government succeeded in convicting one of the leaders. Baron Palizzolo, a member of the National Legislature, for the murder of Mar- quis Notarbartolo, by transferring the trial to Northern Italv. An account of this afTair is to be found in Die Zulcunft (Berlin, 1900). The baneful influence of the ilafia has also made itself felt several times in the United States, notably in New Orleans in IS90, where it was suspected of having caused the murder of the chief of police, and led to a riotous demonstra- tion on the part of the citizens which resulted in the death of eleven Italians who were held in prisons under suspicion of complicity in the crime. Consult the article "ilafia," in Cham- bcrs'/s JoiiriHil, vol. Ixix. (London, 1892) ; Viz- zini. La Mnfui (Rome, 1880) ; Alongi, La Mafia (Turin. 1880) ; Cutrera, La Mafia e i Mafiosi (Palermo, 1900). MAGADHA, mug'hii-dil. One of the principal kingiloMis of India when Alexander the Great invaded the country, n.c. 327. It comprised the larger part of Southern and Central India, and its power lasted till about a.d, 450. The capital of Maghada was Palibothra, on the Ganges, which probably occupied the site of the present Patna. Selcucus, one of Alexander's generals, to whom Bactria was given, including the provinces on the Indus, attempted conquests beyond that river, and was involved in war with Chandragiipta, King of Maghada, called by the Greeks San- drocottus (q.r.), who reigned from B.C. 315 to about 201. One of the Maghada kings, Bim- bisara, is famous as the friend and patron of Buddha when he began his mission as a religious teacher. MAGADINO, mil'ga-de'uo. A town in Swit- zerland on Lake iiaggiore (ij.v. ). MAGALHJLES, ma-ga-lya'cNsh, Domi.noo Jose Go.ncalve.s db (1811-82). A Brazilian writer, born in Rio de Janeiro, 1811, of an ohi Portuguese family. He was educated as a ])h.- sician. In 1836 he was attached to the Brazilian Embassy at Paris. Returning to Rio in 1S38, he became professor of philosophy, and then succes- sively member of the C'hanilicr of Deputies and Ambassador at Naples, Turin, and Vienna. He remained at Vienna from I8j9 to I8U7 and then became Ambassador at Wasliington (1807-71), whence he returned to spend several years at home. Finally he undertook the embassy at Rome and died there, July 10, 1882. Having begun as a classicist in his Poesias (1832), he soon joined the romantic movement, and between 1830 and 1840 he was one of the chief poets of Brazil. The first really important lyrics are, probably, his liuspiros poclicos ( 1830). Mediocre works, and notable chiefly as the first tragedie-; by a Brazilian, are his Anionio Jose (1838) ; 01- ffiato (1841); and Amnnria (1844). The most famous work of Magalhaes is the epos A con- frderacao rfo.s Tamoyos (1857). The elegiac Mysterios is of 1858. Of his prose treatises there may be mentioned the Ensaio sohre a historin litleraria do Brasil (1839), and the Factos do espirito luunano (1858). His obras completas were pidilished at Paris in I8G4 and later. Con- sult Wolf, Ucber Dom J. O. de Mar/aUidcs (Vi- enna, 1862) : and id. in La littcraturc brcsilienne (Berlin, 1863). MAGALHAES, Fernao de (very com- monly known by the Spanish form of his name, FERNAjiDO DE Mauellanes, Anglicize<l to Ma- gellan (?-I521). The discoverer of the Strait of Magellan, and the first European naviga- tor to sail across the Pacific Ocean. He was born at Villa de Sabroza, District of Villa Real, Traz os Montes, in Portugal, of a noble or hidalgo family. The date is not known. He went to India with the first Viceroy, Dom Francisco d'Almeida, and by 1510 had acquired sufficient rank and reputation to be included in an important council of war summoned by Albu- querque. In January of the same year lie had started to return to Europe, but two vessels of the fleet stranded oil' the Maldives, and Magal- haes assumed charge of them, keeping the crews in order with great skill while the remaining officers returned to Cochin for assistance. After he reached Portugal^ Magalhaes was stationed at Azamor in Morocco, conducting the operations against the Arabs, until he became involved in a dispute over the distribution of booty, which led him to go back to Portugal without the permis- sion of his superiors. This is supposed to have influenced the King in refusing to grant liim an increase in his royal allowance, for which he had petitioned, and this refusal in turn led him to forswear his native country and offer his services to the King of Spain in 1517. Magalhaes had learned, probably from the cap- tain of some stray trading vessel who had tried his fortunes in the southwestern Atlantic, that there was a water passage opening toward the west, and he promised Charles V. to find a way westward to the Spice Islands. After many vexa- tious delays caused by the agents of the Portu- guese Government and by the Spanish officials
