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FALCON, JUAN 0. 



FARRAGUT, DAVID G. 



Modern," appeared in 1842. This work at 

 once gave him a high reputation, and is to this 

 day the standard authority on the subjects of 

 which it treats. A new edition, with the ven- 

 erable author's last additions and corrections, 

 has appeared since his death. In 1849 he was 

 made Commissioner of Patents, holding that 

 position till 1852. His annual reports to Con- 

 gress during this time were distinguished for 

 the amount of information and of original 

 suggestion contained in them. In 1855 he 

 published " The World a Workshop ; or the 

 Physical Relation of Man to the Earth," and 

 in 1857 an interesting volume entitled " Life 

 in Brazil; or, the Land of the Cocoa and 

 the Palm," embodying the results of a visit 

 to Brazil made in 1845. This work con- 

 tained valuable illustrations of ancient South 

 American arts, and of antique works in stone 

 and metal found in Brazil. In 1859 the " Rem- 

 iniscences in the Patent-Office, and of Things 

 and Scenes in Washington," appeared. Among 

 the best known of Mr. Ewbank's minor works 

 were an essay called " Thoughts on Matter and 

 Force," published in 1858 ; an essay read be- 

 fore the American Ethnological Society on 

 " The Inorganic Forces ordained to supersede 

 Human Slavery ; " an essay on " Experiments 

 in Marine Propulsion." As a member of the 

 commission to examine into the strength of 

 the marbles offered for the extension of the 

 Capitol at Washington, he rendered valuable 

 service, and discovered a method of largely 

 increasing the resisting power of all kinds of 

 building-stones. Mr. Ewbank's mind retained 

 its activity, and he was a frequent contributor 

 to scientific journals, up to the time of his 

 death. Throughout his long life he was an 

 enthusiastic student of the natural and exact 

 sciences, and acquired distinction in their pur- 

 suit. His works rank with the best scientific 

 and philosophic treatises which this country 

 has produced. 



FALCON", Marshal JUAN CBISOSTOMO, late 

 President of the Republic of Venezuela, born 

 in Caracas ; died in Martinique of apoplexy, in 

 May, 1870. He had been a successful soldier, 

 and, being elected Vice-President in 1861, he 

 became President of the Republic on the resig- 

 nation of General Paez in 1863. The country 

 was in such an anarchical state that, in 1865, 

 he resigned, but was elected President in March, 

 1865, nineteen out of the twenty States of the 

 Confederation voting for him. He entered 

 ' upon his duties in June of that year. Vene- 

 zuela is, however, in a chronic state of insur- 

 rection, with not infrequent acute paroxysms 

 of the same disorder. Hardly \vas President 

 Falcon seated in the Executive chair, when a 

 young and ambitious general, Venancio Pulgar, 

 commenced an insurrection against him. This 

 was quelled, though with some difficulty, and 

 Pulgar compelled to fly from the country. New 

 insurrections were started, the veteran con- 

 spirator General DonTadeo Monagas, who had 

 been for a long time President, and was the 



Santa Anna of Venezuela, prompting them, 

 until in August, 1868, after a troublesome ad- 

 ministration, General Falcon was compelled by 

 the revolutionists to resign and give place to 

 General Monagas, who, however, died in No- 

 vember following. (See MONAGAS, ANNUAL CY- 

 CLOPEDIA, 1868.) The unpopularity of the ad- 

 ministration of the younger Monagas, who had 

 succeeded his father, awakened new hopes of 

 success in the mind of Marshal Falcon, who 

 sailed from Europe, where he had been in exile, 

 in the hope of regaining power, but died at 

 Martinique. 



FARRAGUT, DAVID GLASCOE, Admiral of 

 the United States Navy, one of the most illus- 

 trious naval commanders of the century, born at 

 Campbell's Station, near Knoxville, Tenn., July 

 5, 1801 ; died at Portsmouth, N. H., August 14, 

 1870. His father, George Farragut, was a na- 

 tive of Minorca, but at an early age became a 

 sailor, and, coming to this country just before 

 the Revolution, served for seven years in the 

 American army, rising to the rank of major. 

 After the war he married a Scotch girl, Miss 

 Elizabeth Shine, in North Carolina, and emi- 

 grated with his family to East Tennessee, or, 

 as it was then called, Frankland. Major Farra- 

 gut after a time wearied of farming, and again 

 longed for a sea-life. The War of 1812 coming 

 on, he applied to his old friend Captain (then 

 Commodore) David Porter, and through him 

 obtained a commission as sailing-master in the 

 Navy. It was owing to the good offices of the 

 same kind friend that the boy David Farragut 

 at eleven years of age received a warrant as 

 midshipman and was ordered to Commodore 

 Porter's own ship. This ship was the famous 

 frigate Essex, and the young midshipman's 

 first experience of naval life was that celebrated 

 two years' cruise in the Pacific, which ended 

 in the capture of the Essex. Of his personal 

 share in the stirring events of this two-years' 

 cruise we have only very meagre details. He 

 was present at the capture of the Nocton, a 

 British packet of 10 guns, on December 11, 

 1812 ; the Alert, March 14th ; and the Peruvian 

 corsair Nereida, on March 25, 1813. After 

 the capture on May 29th, of the Atlantic, an 

 English whaler of 8 guns, Farragut served on 

 board of her as an acting-lieutenant, under 

 command of Lieutenant Stephen D. McKnight, 

 and cruised in company with the Essex and 

 the fleet of eight captured vessels turned into 

 cruisers. Shortly after the fleet was reduced 

 to three, the Atlantic was renamed the Essex 

 Junior, and, Lieutenant McKnight giving up the 

 command to Lieutenant-Commander Downes, 

 Acting-Lieutenant Farragut appears to have 

 returned to duty as a midshipman on the Essex. 

 He continued in the Essex during the remain- 

 der of the remarkable cruise in which nearly 

 every English whale-ship known to be in the 

 South Pacific was captured. He appears also 

 to have taken part in the memorable war in 

 the Marquesas, where the Essex and Essex 

 Junior refitted in October and November, 1813, 



