580 



HASLAR HOSPITAL 



HASTINGS 



of mind of the person, and to some extent on his 

 surroundings. Time, distance, and sound are no 

 longer correctly judged of. A minute may have 

 compressed into it the action of a month, a hand- 

 breadth may stretch out to a mile, and the ripple 

 of a brook may swell into the roar of Niagara. 

 Although the dreams produced in Orientals by 

 the drug are often of a voluptuous nature, this is 

 by no means a universal effect, and among Euro- 

 peans they have not this character. The stage of 

 hallucination is generally succeeded by a stage of 

 deep slumber with diminished sensibility. The 

 unpleasant after-effects of opium seem to be 

 absent ; but the use of hashish has the inevitable 

 demoralising effects of all such indulgences. See 

 Moreau, Du Hachisch et de I' Alienation Mentale 

 11845). 



Haslar Hospital* to the south of Gosport 

 (q.v. ), between Haslar Lake and the sea, is an 

 enormous establishment for the officers and men of 

 the navy, dating from 1746, and capable of accom- 

 modating 2000 patients. The Royal Naval Chapel 

 is also here, and beyond are the Haslar barracks. 



Haslingden, a manufacturing and market 

 town of Lancashire, 19 miles NW. of Manchester. 

 Cotton, silk, and woollen manufactures are carried 

 on. In the vicinity are ironworks, coal-mines, and 

 stone and slate quarries. Pop. ( 1851 ) 6164 ; ( 1881 ) 

 16,298; (1891) 18,225. 



Hasmoneans. See MACCABEES. 



Hassan-ben-Sabah, the ' Old Man of the 



Mountain ' of European story, was founder of the 

 Moslem sect of the Assassins ( q. v. ). 



Hasse, JOHANN ADOLF, composer, was born at 

 Bergedorf, near Hamburg, 25th March 1699, and 

 studied in Italy under Porpora and Scarlatti. He 

 became famous as II Sassone ( ' the Saxon ' ) through 

 his opera Sesostrate, produced at Naples (1725); 

 was Kapell-meister at Dresden ; and was brought 

 to London in 1733 to head an opposition to Handel 

 as representing the Italian school. Here Artaserse 

 was produced with success ; but Hasse soon left 

 London, and in 1740 was in Dresden, subsequently 

 retiring to Vienna and to Venice, where he died 

 23d December 1783. 



Hasselt, capital of the Belgian province of 

 Limburg, situated. 18 miles by rail NW. of Maas- 

 tricht, has several distilleries, manufactures linen 

 fabrics, lace, and tobacco, and cultivates tobacco, 

 madder, and chicory. Pop. 13,194. 



IIAst inapur. a ruined city of India, on the 

 old bed of the Ganges, 22 miles E. of Meerut. It 

 was the capital of the great Pandava kingdom, 

 frequently mentioned in the Mahabharata. 



Hastings, a parliamentary and municipal 

 borough and famous watering-place of Sussex, is 

 picturesquely situated on the shore, and surrounded 

 by high cliffs on all sides except the south, which 

 is open to the sea. By rail it is 33 miles E. of 

 Brighton and 62 miles SSE. of London. It con- 

 sisted formerly of only two streets, intersected by 

 a small stream called the Bourne, but is now a 

 large place, whose resident population is doubled 

 during the holiday season. Since the middle of 

 the 19th century the borough has been greatly 

 extended, and some portion of the hills which 

 shelter the town contain several fine streets and 

 terraces. The oreezy and nicely-paved esplanade, 

 over 3 miles in length, forms one of the finest sea- 

 walks and drives in the kingdom. The climate is 

 dry and agreeable, and the bathing very good. 

 During cold weather in winter and spring the 

 place is a commended resort for pulmonary com- 

 plaints, being sheltered by the hills inland from 

 easterly and northerly winds. It is famous for the 

 mildness, salubrity, and evenness of its climate, 



the mean daily range of shade temperature being 

 remarkably small (9 '9) as compared with nearly 

 all other stations on the south coast. It has been 

 said to offer a choice of three climates the mild 

 of the sea front, the more bracing of the inland, 

 and the extremely bracing and invigorating of the 

 surrounding hills, 500 feet above the sea. The 

 sandy soil secures a dryness of soil and atmo- 

 sphere not usually to be bad at seaside resorts. 

 According to Dr Parsons, 'the hottest days in 

 summer are eight degrees cooler than London, and, 

 contrary to general belief, three degrees cooler than 

 Eastbourne. The drainage is good, the British 

 Medical Journal stating that ' Hastings is one of 

 the best drained and ventilated of seaside places.' 

 The water-supply is pure and abundant ; and salt 

 water is laid on for watering the streets, and can be 

 supplied direct from the main to private houses for 

 bath purposes. The corporation have purchased for 

 a considerable sum the East and West Hills, fine 

 open plateaus commanding beautiful land and sea 

 views, and admirably adapted for golf and other 

 outdoor sports. 



The East Hill Cliffs present great interest to 

 geologists, and are part 01 the property purchased. 

 They descend sheer into the sea, and are remark- 

 able for their rugged beauty as seen from the 

 ocean. There are three large public gardens, 

 one of them exceedingly pretty, and an exten- 

 sive Alexandra Park, opened by the Prince and 

 Princess of Wales in 1882. The amusements of 

 the place are many and varied. Hotels are plen- 

 tiful, and several large and flourishing schools 

 have been established, the Hastings centre taking 

 a large place in the Oxford and Cambridge local 

 examinations. One of the great attractions of the 

 town to visitors is the handsome pier, extending 

 900 feet from the parade, and having a spacious 

 pavilion at the sea end giving accommodation for 

 between 2000 and 3000 persons. A similar pier was 

 in 1890 in course of construction at St Leonards, 

 about a mile westwards. The ' premier Cinque port' 

 is the largest and richest fishing-station on the 

 south coast. The castle, now in ruins, was built 

 by one of the followers of William the Conqueror. 

 Hastings (since 1885) returns only one member to 

 parliament. Pop. of parliamentary borough ( 1851 ) 

 17,011 ; ( 1881 ) 42,258 ; (1891 ) 52,340. See W. D. 

 Cooper's Notices of Hastings (1862); and Montagu 

 Burrows' Cinque Ports (1888). 



THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS is the usual name 

 given to the great battle at Senlac, near Hastings, 

 in which the English under King Harold were com- 

 pletely defeated by the Norman invaders under 

 William the Conqueror, October 14, 1066. From 

 that fatal day until now the place has borne the 

 name of Battle (q.v.). Harold's force was drawn 

 chiefly from the southern counties, and was firmly 

 posted on the Hill of Senlac, fortified with a stockade 

 and ditch. The Normans were arranged in three 

 divisions, the centre led by the redoubtable duke 

 in person. The Norman foot began the battle, and 

 it is said that the minstrel Taillefer, riding in front 

 singing the Song of Roland, was the first to strike 

 a blow and the first to fall. The Norman foot 

 spent their fury in vain upon the English stockade, 

 while the Bretons on the Norman left wing were 

 quickly put to flight. A cry now arose that the 

 duke was slain, and panic quickly spread through- 

 out the army. 'I live,' shouted William, as he 

 tore off his helmet, ' and by God's help will conquer 

 yet,' and led on his men anew to the attack. Not, 

 however, till by a counterfeited flight he had drawn 

 the English in eager pursuit from their strong 

 position was he able to break their line and obtain 

 a footing on the high ground on which they had 

 stood so stubbornly. With the quick eye of the 

 true soldier, William now commanded his archers 



