641 



COMORN. 



CONCAN, NORTH AND SOUTH. 



613 



COMORN, or KOMORN, a royal free town and fortress in Hungary, 

 is situated at the eastern extremity of the island of Schiitt, opposite 

 the efflux of the Waag into the Danube, in 47" 45' N. lat., 18 8' 

 E. long., and has about 20,000 inhabitants. The town is irregularly 

 built, and the streets are dark and narrow ; but it is well situated 

 for trade, which it carries on to a great extent in grain, honey, wine, 

 timber, and fish. It contains four Roman Catholic churches, of 

 which that of St. Andrew is of considerable dimensions, two places 

 of Protestant worship, a Greek church, and a synagogue ; a council- 

 house, town-hall, Roman Catholic and Protestant gymnasium, gram- 

 mar school for the citizens, and an hospital To the cast of the 

 town, and at the point where the Waag and Danube form a junction, 

 stands the maiden fortress of Comorn, which is defended by extensive 

 works and tfites-de-pont on both banks of the Danube ; it was 

 founded by Mathias Corvinus, and has been re-built and rendered 

 one of the strongest places in Europe by the additional fortifications 

 erected since 1805. The town itself is included within the modern 

 defences. The Danube is crossed at this spot by a bridge of boats. 

 Comorn became celebrated towards the close of the Hungarian insur- 

 rection for its defence against the Austrians. Its surrender or 

 capitulation to the Austrians on the 28th of September, 1849, put 

 an end to the insurrection. 



COMORO ISLES, a group of four islands in the Mozambique 

 Channel, between Africa and the north-west coast of Madagascar. 

 Comoro, the largest of them, is about 30 miles long, and 12 miles 

 broad. Fat bullocks, sheep, and goats are cheap ; oranges, lemons, 

 and plantains abundant. No spring-water is to be had on this island, 

 which is seldom visited by Europeans. There is a large town with 

 a landing-place for boats on the east side of it. Mohilla, the smallest 

 of *he group, is about 30 miles S. E. by S. from Comoro ; it contains 

 several villages, and abundant supplies of water and provisions. The 

 coast is dangerous on account of the reefs and the surf ; but there 

 are two tolerable anchorages. Mayotla, the most southern of the 

 islands, is entirely surrounded with reefs ; provisions and water can 

 be had, but there is danger in attempting to land. This island has 

 been held by France since 1841. Johanna, or Anzouan, or Hinzuan 

 is the best known of the group, having been long frequented by 

 European ships for the purpose of getting provisions on the outward 

 voyage to India. At the town of Machadou on the coast there is 

 good anchorage ; and water and other provisions may be obtained. 

 The island has 12,000 inhabitants, who trade in slaves and the 

 produce of the island with the coast of Arabia, from which they carry 

 back Indian piece-goods and other commodities. Small fat bullocks, 

 poultry, rice, yams, sweet potatoes, pine-apples, oranges, guavas, and 

 other fruits are given to ships' crews in barter for red and blue cloth, 

 apparel, nails, iron, razors, knives, beads, looking-glasses, muskets, 

 cutlasses, gunpowder, flints, Ac. The sultan of the islands resides 

 at Machadou, which has 3000 inhabitants. The population of the 

 islands is said to be diminishing in consequence of the incursions of 

 pirates from Madagascar, who carry the people away into slavery. 

 The group is of volcanic origin, and contains several peaked mountains, 

 one of which in Johanna is 6000 feet high. Except on these summits 

 the soil is very fertile. (Sir W. Jones ; Horsburg, Directory ; Mac- 

 gregor, Statistics; Balbi, GMographie.) 



COMPIEGNE, a chief town of arrondissement in France, in the 

 department of Oise, is situated on the left bank of the river Oise, 

 just below its junction with the Aisne, 36 miles E. from Beauvais, and 

 has 8986 inhabitants, including the whole commune. It is a first 

 class station on the railroad from Paris to St.-Quentin, from which it is 

 distant 65 and 46 miles respectively. The St.-Quentin line leaves 

 the Northern-of-France railway at the Creil junction, 23 miles S.W. 

 from Compiegne. The town is ancient ; most of the streets are ill- 

 built ; and there are few good houses except in the neighbourhood of 

 the palace and the Rue St.-Corneille. The churches of St. -Jacques 

 and St.-Antoine, and the town-house are fine buildings, and remark- 

 able for their sculptured decorations ; the new theatre aud the bridge 

 over the Oise are handsome structures. But the edifice which renders 

 Compiegne eminently worthy of being visited is the magnificent 

 palace built here by Louis XV., according to the designs of the archi- 

 tect Gabriel. It is surrounded by extensive gardens, adjoining which 

 is a forest containing 37,000 acres. This palace was the residence 

 of Charles IV. of Spain and his queen, during the first part of their 

 captivity in France. Here Napoleon and Maria Louisa, archduchess 

 of Austria, first met on occasion of their marriage in 1810. The 

 present emperor of France, Napoleon III., occasionally visits 

 Compiegne. The palace has electro-telegraphic communication with 

 Paris. Hosiery, cotton-yarn, and ropes are made, and boats for the 

 navigation of the Oise are built in the town. There is a considerable 

 trade carried on in corn and wood. The town has a college, a tribunal 

 of first instance, and a public library. 



Corapiogne originated in a hunting seat called Palatium, erected 



and much frequented by the early kings of France. Charles the Bald 



gave tli" town the name of Carlopolis, and founded there the abbey 



of St.-1'oriieillo. Clothnii-tt I. dic;d here in A.D. 561. A parliament 



was held in Compiegne in 757. Louis li- I )lji>nnaire here surrendered 



to his son Lothaire. In 877 Louis le Begue was crowned at 



iegne, where he also died and was buried. Carloman assembled 



the nobles of France at Compiegne in 884 to devise measures to check 



the ravages of the Northmen ; and at a parliament held here in 888, 

 composed of the bishops and grandees of France, Eudes count of 

 Paris was chosen king. Louis V., the last king of the second race, 

 was crowned and died at Compiegne. At a general assembly convoked 

 at Compiegne in 1022, Hugues, the eldest of the sons of Robert, was 

 raised to the crown in conjunction with his father. The town 

 obtained a charter in 1322. In the wars between the Bourgignons 

 and the Armagnacs, Compiegue was seized by the former ; but they 

 were forced to surrender in 1414 to Charles VI., who held it till 

 1417, when the English and the Bourgignons entered the town without 

 resistance. The town afterwards opened its gates to Charles VII., 

 who was besieged in it by the English. It was in a sally from Com- 

 piegne upon this occasion that Jeanne d'Arc was taken prisoner 



COMPLUTUM. [ALCALA DE HMARES.] 



COMPOSTELLA. [GALICIA.] 



COMPTON, LONG. .[WARWICKSHIRE.] 



COMRIE. [PERTHSHIRE.] 



COMTAT D'AVIGNON, LE, a county in France, which originally 

 extended along the Rhone and the Durance from the city of Avignon, 

 which it included, to the town of Tarascon. A portion of this terri- 

 tory, subject to the Pope from 1348 to 1791, comprised only the city 

 of Avignon, the village of Morieres, and the parish of Mont fa vet. 

 The Comtat d' Avignon in this restricted sense is now included in 

 the department of Vaucluse. 



COMTAT VENAISSIN, LE, a small province in Provence, which 

 before the first French revolution formed with the county of Avignon 

 an independent state, the sovereignty of which was vested in the 

 Pope. It took its name from Venasque (Vindiscina), now a poor 

 village but formerly an important town, which was its capital, aud 

 gave title to a bishop till the llth century. This county formed 

 part of the kingdom of Aries, and subsequently of the marquisate of 

 Provence. In 1225 it fell to the count of Toulouse, in whose family 

 it remained till 1229, when Raymond VII. signed a treaty in Paria 

 ceding all the territories he possessed to the east of the Rhone to the 

 Holy See. Gregory IX., then pope, renounced the grant in favour of 

 the count ; but Gregory X., after the estates of the counts of Toulouse 

 fell by succession to Philippe le Hardi, king of France, insisted upon 

 the fulfilment of the treaty, and Philippe made over the territory in 

 question to the Pope in April, 1274. By a decree of September 14, 

 1791, the county was re-united to France, and it now forms about 

 two-thirds of the department of Vaucluse. From the time of 

 Fran9ois I. the inhabitants of the county were considered as 

 Frenchmen. 



The capital of the county whil'st it was under the Holy See was 

 Carpentras ; other towns were ValriSas, Cavaillon, and Vaison. The 

 county was governed by an officer called Recteur, who was assisted 

 by a general assembly, which met every year at Carpentras. The 

 Roman law and the Papal constitutions were in force in the country 

 whilst it was subject to the Pope. [VAUCLOSE.] 



CONCAN, NORTH AND SOUTH, a maritime district of Hin- 

 dustan in the Bombay presidency, extending from the sea to the 

 Western Ghaut Mountains, which form its eastern boundary. Its 

 length from north to south is about 220 miles ; its breadth in no 

 part exceeds 50 miles, anil on the average is 35 miles. The entire 

 area is estimated at 12,270 square miles. The district includes many 

 fertile places, which yield abundant harvests of rice : sugar, spices, 

 cocoa-nuts, and hemp are also produced ; but the surface is in general 

 very rough, and much intersected by steep and rocky hills. The 

 mountain range is from 2000 to 4000 feet high, and exceedingly 

 abrupt on the west : the passes are numerous but steep, and very 

 seldom practicable for carriages. The northern part of the chain of 

 ghauts and that part of this district which lies at the base is inhabited 

 chiefly by Bheels. More to the south the country is inhabited by 

 Coolies, who are less predatory in their habits and altogether more 

 civilised than the Bheels. The Bheels live quietly when in the open 

 country, but resume all their wildness in places that are strong either 

 from hills or jungle. They are small of stature and black; they 

 wear few clothes, and are usually armed with bows aud arrows. 



The Northern Concan, which extends from the district of Surat 

 on the north, or about 20 20' to about 18 50' N. lat., was ceded to 

 the British in 1817 ; and the Southern Concan, which extends farther 

 in the same direction to about 16 N. lat., was obtained partly by 

 cession and partly by conquest in 1817 and 1818. A great part of 

 the Northern Concan was once held by the Portuguese, who divided 

 the lands into large estates. These estates were given to Europeans, 

 whose opulence is proved by the remains of many splendid public 

 buildings aud private dwellings which they erected, some of which 

 are still standing in places which are now mere wastes. The district is 

 traversed by numerous mountain streams, but has no river of magni- 

 tude. It contains along the coast many small bays and harbours. 

 The land and sea breezes blow alternately during the 24 hours. The 

 Northern Concan is divided into 46 pergunnahs, containing 2111 vil- 

 lages. The Southern Coucan comprises 47 pergunnahs and 22U1 villages. 

 The whole population is estimated at rather more than a million. Five- 

 sixths of tho inhabitants are Hindoos. The roads throughout the 

 district are little more than paths, excepting near the sea-coast, where, at 

 some of the moro difficult and precipitous places, steps of an easy ascent 

 have been constructed, mostly at the expense of private individuals. 



