OSTKR. 



OTKANTO, TERRA DI. 



place. It WM ineloetd with walk by Philip the Good in 1445, and 

 fortified in 158S by the prince of Orange. The Dutch surrendered 

 the town to the Spaniard* afVr a long siege in 1604. It was taken by 

 the allia* in 1704, and in 1715 it wai coded by Holland to the emperor 

 of Germany. Louis XV. took it in 1745, and restored it in 1748. In 

 1794 it was taken by the French, and remained in their possession until 

 1814, baring been unsuccessfully attacked by the EnglUU in 1798. 



O8TER. [CzBEXioor.] 



O8TERODE. [GmcMKitAoES.] 



O6TERSUND. [SWEDES.] 



OSTIA, OSTIUM TIBKRI'NUM, the name of the former port of 

 Rome, situated at the southern mouth of the, Tiber, is 16 miles from 

 the capital The ancient town of (Mia, which WM situated below the 

 fork of the river, spread in a semicircular form along a bend made by 

 the left or southern branch, on a piece of ground slightly elevated 

 above the unrounding sand and marshes. Ostia was founded by 

 Ancus Martins, according to Strabo. Under the Roman empire it 

 wai a Urge town, bnt the site is now marked by mere shapeless 

 manes of ruins. Ostia was destroyed by the Saracens in the 6th 

 century, and has since then remained in a ruined state. The present 

 towfl was founded by Pope Gregory IV., A.D. 830, at the distance of 

 more than a mile from the ancient city. Under Pope Leo IV. it 

 became famous for the defeat of the Saracens. In the 14th century 

 it was occupied by Lndislaus, king of Naples. The fortifications were 

 restored by Pope Martin V. The present castle was built by Cardinal 

 delta Hovrre. The French, who had seized it, were defeated in 1494 

 by the Cardinal, afterwards Julias II., whose trophies are still in the 

 cathedral There are now about 1 00 inhabitants at Ostia in winter, 

 a-id about 10 in summer. There U a small cathedral in good taste, 

 a bishop's palace, and a few other habitable buildings. The castle of 

 < totia consist* of massive semicircular towers, united by a curtain 

 and surrounded by a ditch. The episcopal palace has been recently 

 converted into museum of antiquities by cardinal Pacca. Ostia lias 

 ;:iven title to a bishop since Apostolic times. The bishop of Ostia is 

 always a cardinal, and he has the privilege of consecrating the Pope 

 after his election. The see has been united to that of Yelletri since 

 1150. Of the remains of ancient Ostia the most interesting are the 

 ruins of an ancient temple and of a theatre ; in the arena of the 

 latter many early Christians suffered martyrdom. A great number of 

 fine statues, busts, and sarcophagi were discovered among the ruins of 

 the ancient city by excavations made within the century. The mouth 

 of the Tiber is now three miles distant fron the present town. (Gell, 

 Topography of Some and itt Vicinity.) 

 T1AKS. [SIBERIA.] 



OSTROWA GOKELY. [ALEUTIAN ISLANDS.] 



OSTUNI. [OTHASTO, TERRA DL] 



OSUNA. [SEVILLA.] 



OSWALDTWISTLK. fLASCASnmE.] 



O8WEGO. [CANADA; NEW YORK.] ' 



OSWESTRY, Shropshire, a market-town, municipal borough, and 

 the seat of a Poor-Law Union, in the parish of Oswestry, is situated 

 in 62" 51' N. lat, 3 8' W. long., distant 18 miles N.W. from Shrews- 

 bury, 171 miles N.W. by W. from London by road, and 162 miles by 

 the North- Western and Shrewsbury and Chester railways. The popu- 

 lation in 1851 was 4817. The borough is governed by 6 aldermen 

 and 1 8 councillors, one of whom is mayor ; and returns two members 

 to the Imperial Parliament. The living U a vicarage in the archdea- 

 conry and diocese of St Asapb. Oswestry Poor-Law Union, which is 

 regulated by the provisions of a local act, contains 14 parishes and 

 townships, with an area of 74,160 acres, and a population in 1851 of 



_ Oswestry is traditionally said to have received its name from Oswald, 

 king of the Northumbrians, who was slain here in a battle with Penda, 

 king of the Mercians, whence the place wa called Oswald's Tree. In 

 the vicinity of the town is a remarkably 6ne spring of water, which 

 bears the name of Oswald's Well. The first charter was granted to 

 the town in the reign of Henry II., by William, Earl of Arundel, the 

 lord of the manor. The son of this nobleman having taken part with 

 the baron* against King John, the king in 1212 reduced thn town to 

 ashes. Edward I., in 1277, ordered it to be surrounded by a wall and 

 ditch. Some portions of this wall are yet standing. The town is 

 lighted with gas, and paved, and is increasing iu extent, particularly 

 on the Engluh side. It contains a town-hall ; a small jail, erected in 



26; a theatre, and a handsome new market-place. The church, 

 erected in the early part of the 1 7th century, is a commodious struc- 

 ture, with a tower. The Wesleyan, Primitive, and Welsh Methodists, 

 Baptist*, Independents, and Wcluh Independents have chapels. The 

 Free Grammar school, which is of very ancient foundation, had 48 

 scholars in 1863. There are also National, British, and Infant schools; 

 n savings bank, a dinpensary, and a house of industry. Market* are 

 held on Wednesday and Saturday, and fairs eight times in the year. 

 In the vicinity are corn-mills, paper-mill*, and coal-mines. Malting 

 and brick-making are carried on. The trade of the town is facilitated 

 by the KUesmere Canal Races take place annually, in the month of 

 September. 



08YTH, ST. [Essex] 



OTAOO. fNw ZEALARD.] 



OTAHEITk [SOCIETY 



OTAVALO. [ECUADOR.] 



OTLEY, Welt Riding of Yorkshire, a market-town, in the parish of 

 OUey, is finely situated on the right bank of the river Wharfe, in 

 58* 65' N. lat, 1* 42' W. long., distant 29 miles W. by S. from York, 

 205 miles X.N.W. from London by road. The population of the town 

 of otley iu 1851 was 45'JJ. 



The principal establishments in the town are a worsted-mill, a 

 paper-mill, and a flour-mill The town is lighted with gas. The 

 parish church, erected in 1507, has an open roof, and a painted east 

 window. The north door has a plain Norman arch. There arc 

 chapels for Wesleyan, Primitive, and Reform Methodists, Independents, 

 Plymouth Brethren, Mormons, and Roman Catholics; a Grammar 

 school, with a small endowment; National and Infant schools; a 

 mechanics institute; and a savings bank. Quarter sessions and a 

 county court are held. The market ou Friday is well supplied with 

 corn, cattle, and agricultural produce ; ca'tle-fairs are held every alter- 

 nate week from Ladyday to Michaelmas. An agricultural show is 

 held annually in spring. 



O'TRANTO, TERRA DI, a province of the kingdom of the Two 

 Sicilies, occupies the whole lapygian, or Messapun peninsula, which 

 forms the south-eastern projection, or heel, of Italy. It is bounded 

 N.W. by the provinces of Bari and Basilicata, and by the sea on every 

 other side. Its greatest length is about 100 miles; its general breadth 

 varies from 25 to about 35 miles, but south of 40 N. lat. the width 

 diminishes rapidly as it approaches Capo di Leuca, the extremity of 

 the peninsula. The area of the province is 2871 square miles; the 

 population wai estimated in 1851 at 409,000. The peninsula is 

 traversed in its length by a ridge of low calcareous hills, which are 

 an offset of the Apennines of Basilicata, and terminate in Cape Leuca. 

 There are no rivers properly so called in this peninsula, but the springs 

 and drainings of the hills on both sides form streams, most of which 

 are absorbed by the soil or lose themselves in marshes before they reach 

 the sea. Nearly the whole of the low tract of land along the sea- 

 coast ou both sides of the peninsula is unwholesome ; but the in- 

 terior being more elevated and dry is wholesome, and produces nil in 

 abundance, wine, corn, and pasture for cattle. The oil is of the best 

 quality ; it U stored in large tanks excavated in the limestone rock at 

 Uallipoli, from which port it is chiefly exported. The best tobacco 

 grown in Italy is produced on the table-land above the Capo di 

 Leuca. Cotton is cultivated with success. Fig-", almonds, carobs, 

 oranges, lemons, and other fruits are grown. Mules are bred in great 

 numbers. 



The population is distributed among four districts, Lecce, Tarauto, 

 Brindisi, and Gallipoli, which are subdivided into 180 communes. 

 Brindisi, Otranto, and Taranto gives titles to archbishops. The pro- 

 vince is within the jurisdiction of the High Civil Court of Trani; in 

 other respects its administrative and local governments resemble those 

 of the other provinces of the kingdom as already explained under the 

 head of NAPLES, Kingdom of. 



The principal towns of the province of Otranto are BRINDISI ; 

 LECCE; TARANTO; and GallijKili. Gallipoli, a town of considerable 

 commercial importance, is built on an insulated rock connected with 

 the mainland by a stone-bridge of 12 arches, in about 40 3' N. lat., 

 17 57' E. long., on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Taranto. It 

 contains, together with the suburb called Lizza, about 13,000 inhabit- 

 ants, is a bishop's see, has a goo.l roadstead and a harbour. Gallipoli 

 is the most trading sea-port in this part of the kingdom. It has ample 

 cisterns cut in the rock for containing the oil, which is the chief produce 

 of the country. The oil is purchased from the growers in this and 

 the neighbouring provinces, and stored here for export. Gallipoli 

 exports oil, wool, wine, and other products of neighbouring provinces. 

 Besides the oil-tanks and the bridge, the most note worthy objects in 

 the town are a fountain decorated with ancient bas-reliefs, and the 

 castle built by Charles of Anjou. The palm grows luxuriantly about 

 Gallipoli. Gallipoli is the ancient Callipolis. The tunuy fishery 

 employs many persons. Otranto, the ancient Jfydruittuin, once a 

 flourishing town, has been long in a decaying state chiefly in consequence 

 of malaria. The present population hardly exceeds 2000, and the 

 surrounding country is marshy, unhealthy, and uncultivated. Otranto 

 has an old cathedral, a castle, and a harbour which is not very safe. 

 When Otranto was taken by the Turks in 1480 the city had a popula- 

 tion of 20,000, of whom 12,000 were massacred ; of the rest some were 

 set free on paying a ransom, and the remainder sold as slaves. The 

 Turks were driven out of the city imd out of Italy the following year 

 by the Duke of Calabria. In the cathedral (which was occupied by 

 the Turks for a stable) are several antiquities, including some ancient 

 mosaics. From Otranto on a clear day the opposite coast of Epirus 

 and the lofty Acroceraunian Mountains may be seen. 



Of the other towns the following may b mentioned : Alessano, 

 near Capo di Leuca, with about 7000 inhabitants. Coperlino, ou the 

 road from Gallipoli to Lecce, population 4000, wis famous formerly 

 for its castle, built by Alfonso Castriot, a descendant of Scanderbeg. 

 J-'rancarilla, on the road from Taranto to Brindisi, and a short distance 

 N.W. from Oria, has with its dependent villages a population of 13,500. 

 The town was formerly the property of St. Charles Borromeo. The 

 aloe flourishes in the vicinity. Manduria, a few miles S. by E. from 

 Oria, on the road from Taranto to Lecce, is a handsome town of 

 about 6000 inhabitants, many of whom are proprietors of estates 



