572 



GUADET GUARDS. 



where broadest, and about 120 in circuit. In many 

 parts the soil is rich. Its produce is the same with 

 that of the other West India islands, namely, sugar, 

 coffee, rum, ginger, cocoa, logwood, &c. The island 

 is well stored with horned cattle, sheep, horses, &c. 

 This island was first discovered by Christopher 

 Columbus. It was taken possession of by the French 

 in 1635, who drove the natives into the mountains. 

 In 1759, it was taken by a British squadron, and was 

 restored to France at the peace of 1763. It was 

 again taken by the British in 1794; but was retaken 

 by the French in 1795. In 1810, it was again taken 

 possession of by a British armament ; and, in 1814, 

 was restored to the French. Population, 120,000: 

 whites, 12,500; slaves, 101,000; free negroes, 6500. 



GUADET, MARGUERITE ELIE ; one of the most 

 distinguished leaders of the Girondists. See Giron- 

 dists. 



GUAI ACUM ; a genus of plants, containing four 

 or five arborescent species, natives of the West Indies 

 and the tropical parts of America. The yellowish- 

 brown gum resin, bearing the same name, is obtained 

 by wounding the bark of one or more of these trees. 

 It has a bitter, aromatic taste, is sudorific, and is 

 frequently employed in chronic rheumatism, sciatica, 

 &c. The wood itself possesses similar medicinal 

 properties. The leaves are opposite, pinnate, and 

 the peduncles axillary, bearing single blue flowers. 

 The wood is exceedingly hard, so much so as fre- 

 quently to break the tools employed in cutting it ; of 

 a pale yellow colour near the exterior, and blackish 

 brown at the heart ; specifically heavier than water ; 

 and is well known under the name of lignumvitce. 

 It is used for a variety of purposes, as for the wheels 

 and cogs of sugar mills, for pulleys, bowls, and a 

 variety of ornamental articles of furniture, as it is 

 susceptible of a very fine polish, The tree has now 

 become very scarce in Jamaica and St Domingo, 

 large quantities having been cut aown for exportation. 



GUAMANGA ; a town in Peru, the see of a 

 bishop, whose diocese extends over several districts ; 

 Ion. 77 56' W.; lat 12 50' .N.; population stated 

 at from 18 to 26,000. This city was founded for the 

 conveniency of the trade carried on between Lima and 

 Cusco. There are three parochial churches, one for 

 the Spaniards and two for Indians, besides the cathe- 

 dral and several other churches and convents. In it 

 is a university, which has a large revenue, for the 

 study of philosophy, divinity, and law. 



GUANAHANI. See Cat Island. 



GUANAXUATO ; a state (formerly an intend- 

 ancy) of Mexico, bounded N. by San Luis Potosi, E. 

 by Mexico, S. by Mechoacan, and N. W. by Gua- 

 dalaxara and Zacatecas ; population, 382,829 ; fifty- 

 two leagues long and thirty-one broad ; square 

 leagues, 911. It is the most populous state in 

 Mexico, and is famous for its rich mines. It con- 

 tains three cities, four towns, thirty-seven villages, 

 and thirty-three parishes. The most elevated point 

 of this mountainous country, according to Humboldt, 

 is 9235 feet above the sea. 



GUANAXUATO, or SANTA FE GUANAX- 

 UATO ; a city of Mexico, capital of the state of the 

 same name; 140 miles north-west of Mexico; Ion. 

 100 55' W.; lat. 21 P N. : population within the 

 city, 41,000 ; and, including the mines surrounding 

 the city, the buildings being contiguous, 70,600. It 

 is situated in a narrow defile, hemmed in by moun- 

 tains, the ground on which the city is built being 

 6836 feet above the sea. The streets are irregular, 

 but the city is well built, and contains three con- 

 vents, a college, two chapels, and five hermitages. 

 The mines of Guanaxuato are the most productive 

 in tiie world. The mines of the intendancy yielded, 

 from 1796 to 1803, 9,500,000 in gold and silver; 



nearly ,1,125,000 per annum, and nearly equal to 

 one fourth of the whole quantity of the gold and sil- 

 ver produced in Mexico. 



GUANCA VELICA, or HUANCA VELICA ; a 

 jurisdiction in the bishopric of Guamanga, in Peru. 

 The town which gives name to this government was 

 founded on account of the famous rich quicksilver 

 mine, and to the working of it the inhabitants owe 

 their subsistence. 



GUANCA VELICA, a town of Peru, in the dio- 

 cese of Guamanga, and capital of a jurisdiction of 

 the same name ; thirty miles north-west of Gua- 

 manga, 130 south-east of Lima; Ion. 74" 46' W. ; 

 lat. 12 o 45 S. ; population 5,200. It is 12,308 feet 

 above the level of the sea. The buildings are of 

 stone, more or less porous. It stands in a breach of 

 tlie Andes, has a changeable and cold climate, and 

 is one of the richest towns in Peru. This town is 

 famous for its mines of mercury, also for its gold and 

 silver. 



GUARDS ; troops whose particular duty is to de- 

 fend the person of a civil or military ruler. In 

 modern times, the term guard has been used to 

 designate corps distinguished from the troops of the 

 lineoy superior character, or only by rank and dress. 

 The interest of the governors being often different 

 from that of the governed, and the rulers being also 

 often liable to be called to account for the evils suf- 

 fered by the people, sovereigns have had guards from 

 the most ancient times. The Assyrian and Persian 

 monarchs had body guards, from whom the generals 

 of the troops were taken. Alexander formed a guard 

 of nobles, and many such have existed in modern 

 times. These guards of Alexander were the sons of 

 the noblest persons of the empire, and were divided 

 into two classes. The inferior class guarded the ex- 

 terior of the palace or tent, took care of the king's 

 horses, &c. From among them were chosen the 

 heteeri, or friends, who dined with the monarch, and 

 in the field and at the chase, never left his side. 

 Two of their number watched his bed-room. He 

 promoted them to be generals ; and several of them, 

 after his death, became monarchs of those countries 

 which, during his life, they had ruled as his gover- 

 nors. Still more like modern guards were the 

 argyraspides (the silver-shielded), commanded by 

 Nicanor, son of Parmenio. The praetorians (q. v.) were 

 the guards of the Roman emperors, and ultimately had 

 the greatest influence on their election, sometimes 

 the entire control of it. In their licentiousness and 

 political importance they resembled the janizaries, the 

 guards of the sultan. In fact, in every real despot- 

 ism, the tendency of the body guards is, to become 

 the masters. (See Janizaries.) At a later period, 

 the trabants and hatschiers (archers) guarded the 

 persons of the Roman-German emperors; and similar 

 troops were maintained at other courts. In the 

 middle ages, distinguished persons, in turbulent cities, 

 often had guards ; at least, this was frequently the 

 case in the larger cities of Italy, and, at one time, 

 every cardinal had his own guard. The Corsicans 

 were then employed for this service in Rome. But, 

 until recent times, guards were merely destined to pro- 

 tect the person of the monarch or some distinguished 

 person. When the interest of the monarch is different 

 from that of the nation, it is safer to choose foreigners 

 for body-guards, as not having any interest in the 

 disputes between the two parties ; hence the Scottish 

 archers of Louis XI., and the Swiss of the Bourbons. 

 In France, their number seems first to have been 

 augmented by the ostentatious Louis XIV., the idol 

 of monarchists. As his plan of government was, to 

 avail himself of the commons against the nobles, and 

 of a standing army against the commons, the number 

 and importance of the guards were iruch increased. 



