1. 1: 1 U ENIIOEK LEVEE-EN-MASSE. 



LEUWKNIIOKK, ANTHONY ; a celebrated natural 

 philosopher, bom at Drift, in Holland, in Hp2. His 

 skill in grinding optical glasses led the way to the 

 making of micn>Nco|>icnl observations, which pro- 

 Cuml nim no small degree of fame. Fie began to 

 publish an account of his discoveries in the fcngli>h 

 Philosophical Transactions, in 1673 ; and they are 

 continued from No. 94 to No. 380 of that col- 

 lection. In 1630, he was chosen a fellow of the 

 royal society; and, in 1698, he entertained the czar 

 IVivr the Great, then at Delft, with an exhibition of 

 In- experiments. He appears to have passed the 

 whole of his life at his native place, devoting his 

 time to microscopical researches, chiefly relating to 

 anatomy. He died in 1723. A Latin translation of 

 his works in the Dutch language was published 

 between 1695 and 1719 (4 vols., 4to), under the 

 title of Arcana Natura: detecta, and reprinted at 

 Leyden, in 1722. H is industry was great, but pre- 

 conceived opinions sometimes led him to erroneous 

 conclusions. 



LEVAILLANT, FRANCIS, a celebrated traveller, 

 born at Paramaribo, in the Dutch colony of Guiana 

 (Surinam), from childhood displayed, a passion for 

 the study of natural history, particularly of ornitho- 

 logy. His desire of extending his knowledge by 

 travelling in the most distant lands was increased in 

 Europe. In Amsterdam, he found a patron in the 

 person of Temmink, the great ornithologist, who 

 warmly encouraged his plans, in the hope of obtain- 

 ing through him, great accessions to his excellent 

 collections in natural history, particularly ornitho- 

 logy a hope which was not disappointed. Levaillant 

 first proceeded to the cape of Good Hope, whence he 

 advanced into the interior of Africa. The specimens 

 which he collected on this occasion were entirely 

 lost. The ship in which they were embarked for Hol- 

 land was attacked by the British, and burned in the 

 course of the action. Supported by Temmink, Levail- 

 lant renewed his labours, and, with a tolerably large 

 caravan, directed his course to the countries on the 

 north of the colony. Insurmountable obstacles pre- 

 vented him from pursuing his adventurous researches 

 so far into the interior as he wished. The fruits of 

 his labours were, however, important. He was not 

 less fortunate in a second excursion. Levaillant died 

 at Paris, November, 1824, aged seventy. It has 

 been objected to his accounts, that they are not 

 always accurate, and that they are often improbable, 

 though this cannot be satisfactorily shown. His 

 readers are interested by his lively descriptions, and 

 by an attractive philosophical originality. His ac- 

 counts of his first and second excursions were pub- 

 lished in French, in 1789 and 1796. He also left some 

 works on natural history, and some separate treatises. 

 The most important of these works are Histoire 

 naturelle des Oiseaux d'Afrique (17991807, in fifty 

 numbers, folio), and the Histoire naturelle des Perro 

 quets (18011805, 2 vols., folio). 



LEVANT (Italian, il Levante ; French, le Levant ; 

 the east). This term is applied, in a general sense, 

 to the countries on the eastern coast of the Mediter- 

 ranean sea, and, in a more contracted sense, to the 

 Asiatic coasts of the Archipelago, from Constanti- 

 nople to Alexandria, in Egypt. The most famous ol 

 the commercial cities of the Levant, taken in this 

 narrow sense (among the French, echelles du Levant), 

 besides Constantinople and Alexandria, are Smyrna, 

 Scanderoon (Alexandretta), and Aleppo. Smyrna, 

 with 100,000 inhabitants is the principal commercial 

 place of the Levant, and the grand mart of the Asiatic 

 trade. This Levant Proper is under the Turkish 

 dominion, has a very warm climate, many mountains, 

 und very fertile plains, and is inhabited by Turks, 

 Armenians and Greeks. The staples are grain, rice, 



tobacco, olives, cotton, silk, Angora goat's hair, 

 safflower, and some minerals. The Levant coffee, as 

 it is called, does not grow in the Levant, but in 

 Arabia, tuid has this name because it is exported from 

 the ports of the Levant. See Turner's Travels in the 

 Levant, London, 1820, and count Forbin's Travel* 

 in the East. 



LEVEE (from the French word lever, to rise, and 

 the time of rising) is a word used in high life, or court 

 language, for the ceremonial visits which great per- 

 sonages receive in the morning, as it were at their 

 rising. The levee is distinguished from the draw- 

 ing room, inasmuch as, at the levee of a gentleman, 

 gentlemen only appear, and at the levee of a lady, 

 only ladies, while, at the drawing-room, ladies and 

 gentlemen both are admitted. At the levees and 

 drawing-rooms of the sovereigns, persons of distinc- 

 tion, or young members of noble families, are intro- 

 duced. On the first presentation of daughters of 

 dukes, marquises and earls, it is customary for the 

 queen of Britain to kiss them on the cheek. The 

 word levee is also used in the United States of 

 America, for the reception of company by the pre- 

 sident. 



LEVEE (French) ; an embankment on the margin 

 of a river, to confine it within its natural channel, 

 The lower part of Louisiana, which has been formed by 

 encroachments upon the sea, is subject to be inundated 

 by the Mississippi and its various branches, for a dis- 

 tance of more than 300 miles. In order to protect the 

 rich lands on these rivers, mounds are thrown up, of 

 clay, cypress logs, and green turf, sometimes to the 

 height of fifteen feet, with a breadth of thirty feet at 

 the base. These, in the language of that part of the 

 country, are called levees. They extend for hundreds 

 of miles; and, when the rivers are full, cultivated 

 fields, covered with rich crops, and studded with vil- 

 lages are seen lying far below the river courses. The 

 giving way of these levees, sometimes occasioned by 

 a sudden and violent pressure of the water, and some- 

 times by accidental perforations, is called a crevasse 

 (French, a disruption). 



LEVEE-EN-MASSE (universal rising) ; a military 

 expression for the rising of a whole people, including 

 all capable of bearing arms, who are not otherwise 

 engaged in the regular service. When animated by 

 patriotic feelings, it is the most formidable obstacle 

 which an enemy can encounter : and it is unconquer- 

 able, if favoured by the nature of the ground, because 

 almost every advantage is on the side of the people. 

 They fight on their own soil ; they know the ground; 

 they find support and assistance in every house, from 

 every woman and child ; they fight for their own 

 hearths: they enclose the enemy on all sides, and can 

 destroy whatever may be useful to him, cut oft' his 

 communications, pursue, annoy, disturb, assail, harass 

 him incessantly, so that he can effect nothing except 

 getting possession of the strong places. It is called 

 Landsturm (landstorm), in German, in distinction 

 from the Landwehr (militia). This distinction was 

 first made in 1796, when the peasants of Bavaria 

 and Franconia, fell upon the rear of the flying French, 

 under Jourdan, with much success. The Landsturm 

 was yet more effective in 1799, and, in 1813, the 

 governments of Northern Germany called it forth in 

 every part of the country. It consisted of every male 

 person capable of bearing arms of any sort, whom 

 age or other reasons exempted from the militia ser- 

 vice. Orders were issued to turn every thing into 

 weapons, to defend the country by every means, and 

 to injure the enemy in all possible ways, by destroy- 

 ing provisions and wells, attacking stragglers, inter- 

 cepting couriers, and escorting prisoners. The Land- 

 sturm was useful at the siege of several fortresses. 

 Its organization was founded on municipal divisions. 



