7C1 



ATACUCHO. 



AYLESBUUY. 



762 



It is a singular coincidence that the Greek inscription copied by 

 Mr. Salt records the name and exploits of -lEizaua-s, King of the 

 Axumitt-s, Homerites, &c. ; and that Snizanas is also mentioned in the 

 same inscription as one of his brothel's, who, with Adephas, another 

 brother, was scut against the revolted Bougccita; the modern Beja. 

 Adephas is not mentioned in the letter of Constantius. The inscrip- 

 tion commemorates the success of the expedition and the clemency of 

 the victorious sovereign, who styles himself the son of Ares. There 

 can be no doubt then that this inscription belongs to the same epoch 

 as the letter of Coustantius. Athanasius was driven from his see about 

 A.D. 356, and the letter of Coustautius must have been written soon 

 after. 



Another sovereign of Axum, called Elesbaan, is mentioned by 

 Cosmas, a Greek writer of the 6th century of the Christian era. A 

 comparison of the inscription of Adule, as reported by Cosmas 

 [ADDLE], shows that the inscriptions of Axum and Adule refer to the 

 same dynasty, and that the inscription of Axum is posterior to that of 

 In both inscriptions the king calls himself the son of Ares, who 

 seems to have been the guardian god of the family. In the Adule 

 inscription the king declares he was the first conqueror of several of 

 those nations of which the king mentioned in the Axum inscription 

 simply calls himself sovereign. It appears from these inscriptions that 

 the Axumite dominion extended into Arabia, and comprised the 

 Hiuiyarides, called by the Greeks, Homeritae. Mr. Bruce brought from 

 Abyssinia a copy of the 'Abyssinian Chronicles," or 'the Book of 

 Axum ; ' but this work has not been translated. The chronology of 

 the Axumite kings is doubtful and much disputed. 



(Hudson's Minor Greek Geographers ; Bruce's Travels ; Salt's 

 Abyssinia, &c.) 



AYACU'CHO, the name of a plain in Peru, in South America, in 

 the district of Guamanga. It is bounded on the E. by the abrupt 

 ridge of Condorcanqui ; on the W., after a gradual descent of about 

 six miles, it abuts upon the main road from Guamanga to Lima ; and 

 it is bounded N. and S.. by deep ravines. Its form is almost a square, 

 about four miles in circuit. This plain was the scene of a decisive 

 conflict between the Spaniards and the South Americans in December, 

 1824. The battle was the result of nearly three months' skilful 

 manoeuvring on both sides ; of a succession of marches and counter- 

 marches, during which several skirmishes took place, the American 

 troops always retiring, and the Spaniards endeavouring to outflank 

 them. The royalist army, overcome with fatigue, were in such a state 

 of discontent that the viceroy always halted by columns and placed a 

 circle of trusty sentinels round his camp to prevent desertion. For 

 the same reason he would not allow his soldiers to go in search of 

 provisions, and his army were reduced to subsist on the horses and 

 mules. Both officers and soldiers murmured at the conduct of their 

 chiefs, and ardently wished to join battle with the enemy. At 

 Guamanguilla, shortly before the battle, placards appeared pasted on 

 the tents of the viceroy Laserna, and of Canterac, who was second in 

 command, accusing them of cowardice. On the other hand, the 

 Americans were reduced to such extremities that only a desperate 

 effort could save them from complete ruin. Bolivar was at Lima, 

 and Sucre had the command of the independent army. On the after- 

 noon of the ,8th of December the Spanish army occupied the heights 

 of Condorcanqui, and were within cannon-shot of the independents. 

 During the night a sharp fire was maintained between the outposts on 

 both sides. On the morning of December 9th the Spanish army, 

 consisting of 7200 infantry, 1300 horse, and a respectable artillery was 

 posted a little below the summit of Coudorcanqui. General Valdez 

 commanded the right wing, Villalobos the left wing, and Canterac the 

 centre. The patriot army consisted of 5627 men, including 1000 

 horse. The right wing was commanded by General Cordoba, the left 

 by La Mar, and the centre by Lara. At nine in the morning Villalobos 

 began to descend with his division down the ridge in an oblique 

 direction, and as the files reached the plain they formed themselves 

 into column. The viceroy Laserna was on foot at the head of this 

 division. 



At this moment Sucre rode along the front of his army, and 

 addressed a few emphatic words to the men, which were answered by 

 enthusiastic huzzas from all. He then ordered General Cordoba to 

 advance with his division and two regiments of cavalry. The gallant 

 Cordoba, placing himself in front of his division, dismounted from his 

 borne, and plunging his sword into its heart, said " There lies my last 

 horse ; I have now no means of escape ; we must fight it out together ;" 

 then waving his hat over his head, cried " Onwards, with the step of 

 conquerors." These words produced a powerful effect on his men ; 

 and the independents charged the enemy with the bayonet. The 

 royalists resisted the charge with firmness and apparent confidence. 

 For three or four minutes both parties struggled together, so as to 

 leave the victory doubtful. At this moment Colonel Silva charged 

 with the independent Columbian cavalry ; and though he fell covered 

 with wounds the royalists were driven back with great slaughter. 

 The viceroy was wounded and taken prisoner. At this critical point, 

 1 .Miller, of the independent army, placing himself at the head 

 of the hussare of Junin, advanced, anil completed the success. 



Kurly in the morning Valdez, making a detour of nearly three miles, 

 liail placed himself on the left of the independents within musket-shot. 

 He opened so heavy a fire of artillery and musketry upon the division 



of La Mar that he forced it to fall back. A Columbian battalion sent 

 to support La Mar was also forced to give way. Two royalist batta- 

 lions now began to pursue the retiring patriots. At this moment 

 Colonel Miller made a successful charge with his husaars on the hitherto 

 victorious Spaniards under Valdez and drove them back. The division 

 of La Mar rallied, joined by the right and left battalions, and supported 

 by the cavalry, made repeated charges so succe&sfully that Valdez was 

 defeated and his four field-pieces taken. At sunset the royalists sued 

 for terms. Canterac rode down to the tent of Sucre, and a capitula- 

 tion was agreed upon, by which the viceroy, 15 general officers, 16 

 colonels, 484 officers, and 3200 men became prisoners of war. The 

 whole of the territory hitherto possessed by Spain in Peru, with the 

 exception of Callao, was also surrendered to the independents. The 

 royalists had 1400 men killed and 700 wounded. The loss on the part 

 of the Americans was 370 killed and 609 wounded. 



(Memoirs of General Miller, voL ii. ch. xxiv. xxv. ; Annual Register ; 

 American Annual Register.) 



AYAMONTE. [SEVILLA.] 



AYLESBURY, Buckinghamshire, a market-town, and parliamen- 

 tary borough, and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, in the parish 

 and hundred of Aylesbury, stands on a slight eminence in the midst 

 of the vale of Aylesbury, in 51 49' N. lat. , 47' W. long., 184 

 miles N. by W. from Buckingham, 38 miles N.W. from London by 

 road, and 43 miles by the North-Western railway. The population 

 of the entire parish of Aylesbury in 1841 was 5429; in 1851 it was 

 6081 : the population of the parliamentary borough in 1851 was 

 26,794. It returns two members to the Imperial Parliament. For 

 sanitary purposes the parish is under the direction of a Local Board 

 of Health. The living is a vicarage in the archdeaconry of Bucking- 

 ham and diocese of Oxford. Aylesbury Poor-Law Union contains 

 40 parishes and townships, with an area of 73,354 acres, and a popu- 

 lation in 1851 of 23,OS9. 



Aylesbury is situated near the centre of the county, close to a rivulet 

 which comes from the neighbourhood of Wendover, and which, after 

 passing Aylesbury, falls into the Thame about two miles north-west 

 of the town. Aylesbury consists of several streets and Lines irregu- 

 larly built. The elevation of the town above the general level of the 

 vale causes the want of water to be frequently felt by the inhabitants. 

 The town is well paved and lighted with gas. 



Although Aylesbury does not give name to the county, it has the 

 fairest title to be considered the county town. The assizes and 

 quarter sessions are now always held here ; and here also is the county 

 jail. It is the place where the county members are nominated and 

 where the return is announced. 



The county hall is a substantial brick building, erected in the earlier 

 part of the last century. The old town-hall and market-house, built 

 at the expense of Lord Chief Justice Baldwin in the reign of 

 Henry VIIL, has been replaced by a building on the model of the 

 Temple of the Winds at Athens. The parish church is a spacious 

 ancient structure, in the form of a cross, with a low tower rising from 

 the intersection of the nave and transepts. This tower, from its ele- 

 vated situation, is seen for many miles in every direction. The older 

 part was built about 1260 ; it is partly of the early English and partly 

 of the perpendicular style. In the interior is a monument of Sir 

 Henry Lee's lady, who died hi 1584, and a marble effigy dug up some 

 years since in the ruins of the church of the Gray Friars, supposed by 

 Browne Willis to be that of Sir Henry Lee, who died in 1460. The 

 churchyard is large, and has several walks planted with double rows 

 of trees. A district church has been recently erected in Walton, a 

 hamlet of Aylesbury. There are meeting-houses in the town for 

 Methodists, Independents, Quakers, and Roman Catholics. 



The Free Grammar school, which has an income of about 439?. a 

 year, had 120 free scholars in 1850. Some alterations are being 

 earned into effect. A National school built in 1845 accommodates 

 220 children. Aylesbury possesses a savings bank. There are some 

 almshouses and several charities of considerable amount for the 

 benefit of the poor, for repairing roads, &c. 



The county jail is a very large building of recent erection. It has 

 250 cells. The prison walls inclose an area of nearly 5 acres. Oppo- 

 site to the jail is the new Union Workhouse, an extensive building. 

 The Bucks Infirmary, established in 1833, is situated in Aylesbury. 

 The terminus of the Aylesbury branch of the North-Western railway 

 is in the town. A county court is held in the town. 



Aylesbury is chiefly an agricultural town. There is one silk factory. 

 The lace manufacture which once flourished here has greatly declined. 

 The making of straw-plait is more prosperous ; the straw-plait market 

 established some years back is held on Saturday. There are markets 

 for grain and provisions on Wednesday and Saturday ; and there are 

 six fnirs in the year, chiefly for the sale of cattle. Many of the 

 inhabitants of the neighbourhood add to their income by their skill 

 in breeding ducks, of which they send a considerable number to the 

 metropolis about Christmas. 



Aylesbury is a very ancient town, and is said to have been one of 

 the strongest garrisons of the Britons in their struggle against the 

 Saxons, who took it in 571 ; from which time its name does not appear 

 in history till the great civil war in the time of Charles I., when it 

 was garrisoned for the parliament during the years 1644 and 1645. 

 The British name is lost. The Saxons called it Acglosburgc. In 



