60; i 



LOANGO LOBSTER. 



8 65' S. : population, stated by Clarke at 5,000 ; by 

 Hassel at 18,000. It is pleasantly situated on the 

 lirclivity of a hill, near the sea-coast, and the streets 

 are wide and regular. It covers a large extent of 

 ground, but is neither walled nor fortified. It is the 

 seat of a bishop, and contains tiiree convents. The 

 port is safe and spacious ; the country around plea- 

 sant nnd fertile, abounding in cattle, corn, and fruits; 

 provisions plentiful and cheap ; but the water bad, 

 and must be brought from a neighbouring river, on 

 an island opposite. The houses belonging to the 

 Portuguese are built of stone ; the houses of the 

 Datives are more numerous, but mean. The Jesuits 

 officiate as priests, and preside over the schools. 



LOANGO ; a country of Western Africa, of limits 

 somewhat vague. The country subject to the king 

 of Loango extends from the Zaire or Congo, on the 

 south, to cape St Catharine, a coast of upwards of 

 400 miles; but Loango proper occupies only the 

 middle part, excluding Mayomba on one side, and 

 Malemba on the other. The climate is described as 

 fine ; rain of rare occurrence, and never violent, but 

 dews abundant ; the soil a red, stiff clay, and very 

 fertile, but little cultivated ; the grains are manioc, 

 maize, and a species of pulse, called msangen ; the 

 sugar-cane grows to a great size; palm-trees are 

 abundant; also potatoes and yams, and the finest 

 fruits grow wild. Among the animals are tiger-cats, 

 ounces, hyaenas, hares, and antelopes. The country 

 is thinly inhabited ; the population is estimated by 

 De Grandpre at 600,000. The inhabitants are very 

 indolent, and live in the most simple manner. Their 

 houses are formed of straw and junk, roofed with palm 

 leaves. The government is despotic, and the dig- 

 nity is transmitted only in the female line. Almost 

 the only object for which Europeans resort to this 

 coast is the trade in slaves. While Loango was in 

 the height of its power, its port was almost the 

 exclusive theatre of this trade. The trade has of 

 late much diminished. See Tuckey's Expedition to 

 the Congo. 



LOANGO ; a city, and the capital of Loango, on 

 a river which forms a bay at its mouth, about six 

 miles from the Atlantic ; longitude, according to 

 captain Tuckey, 12 30' E.; latitude 4 40' N. It is 

 about four miles in circuit, containing only about 600 

 enclosures, in each of which there is a number of 

 cottages; and the inhabitants are computed at 

 15,000. The land in the vicinity is very fertile, and 

 the water excellent. The entrance of the bay is 

 attended with some danger. The town is called 

 Lovango, Loangiri, Banga, and Buali; by the 

 natives, Borai, or Boori. 



LOBAU, GEORGE MOUTON, count, lieutenant- 

 general, and, in 1830, commander of the national 

 guards of Paris, one of the pupils of the French revo- 

 lution of 1789, and a distinguished actor in that of 

 July, 1830, was born in 1770, and designed for 

 commercial pursuits. On the invasion of France, 

 in 1792, he entered the military service, and obtained 

 his first promotion on the Rhine. Having served 

 with distinction in Italy, where he was dangerously 

 wounded, he was created, by the first consul, Bona- 

 parte, general of brigade, and afterwards accompa- 

 nied the emperor in all his campaigns, in the capa- 

 city of aid. In 1807, he was wounded at Friedland, 

 and promoted to the rank of general of division. 

 His brilliant services in Spain, in 1808, and in Ger- 

 many, obtained him his title of count. (See Aspern.) 

 After having served in the Russian campaign, he 

 was made prisoner in Dresden in 1813, but set at 

 liberty after the abdication of Napoleon. He 

 rejoined the emperor during the hundred days, was 

 named peer of France, received the command of a 

 division, and distinguished himself at Waterloo. On 



the second restoration of lite Bourbons, count Lobau 

 was banished from the kingdom (see Louis XF///.), 

 and he resided in Belgium till 1818, when he was 

 allowed to return to France. During the revolution 

 of 1830, he took an active part on the popular side, 

 and, when Lafayette resigned the command of the 

 national guards, was appointed (December 26) com- 

 mander of those of Paris. 



LOBEIRA, VASCO, author of the celebrated 

 romance of Amadis de Gaul, was born at Porta, in 

 Portugal, in the fourteenth century. In 1386, he 

 was knighted on the field of battle, at Aljubarrota, 

 by king Joain I. He died at Elvas, where he pos- 

 sessed an estate, in 1403. The original of his cele- 

 brated romance was preserved in the library of the 

 duke of Aveiro, who suffered for the conspiracy 

 against Joseph I.; but whether still in existence or 

 not, is doubtful. This romance has been claimed for 

 France, it having been asserted that Lobeira was 

 only a translator ; but Dr Sonthey has succeeded in 

 refuting that pretension. See Amadis. 



LOBEL, MARTIN DE, (Latinized, Lobclius), was 

 born at Lille, in 1538, studied medicine at Montpel- 

 lier, travelled through Italy, Switzerland, Germany, 

 became physician to the prince of Orange, and was, 

 at a later period, invited to England, as a botanist, 

 by king James. He died in 1616, at Highgate, near 

 London. His chief works are Stirpium adversaria 

 nova, with engravings (London, 1570, folio; several 

 times reprinted; the last time, Frankfort, 1651, 

 folio); Plantarum seu Stirpium Historia cum Advcr- 

 sariorum Volumine, with engravings (Antwerp, 1570, 

 folio; in Dutch, ibid, 1581); Icones Stirpium (Ant- 

 werp, 1581, 4to ; also London, 1605, 4to). After 

 him, a genus of plants has been called Lobelia. All 

 the species are poisonous ; some very much so. 



LOBELIA ; a genus of plants distinguished by 

 the labiate corolla, and by having the five stamens 

 united in the form of a cylinder, as in the composites. 

 About 150 species are known, which are herbaceous 

 or frutescent, having alternate leaves, and flowers 

 disposed in terminal racemes. The juice in all is 

 milky, and more or less acrid and caustic. 



LOBSTER (astacus). This well known crustace- 

 ous animal has already been cursorily mentioned 

 under the head of Crawfish, and it was there inad- 

 vertently stated, that the lobster, found on the 

 American coast, was the A. gammarus, or, in other 

 words, identical with the European species. It was 

 so considered by most naturalists, until Mr Say 

 pointed out the differences between them. (See 

 Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. i. 165.) He terms 

 it A. marinus. Mr Say observes that Seba, however, 

 was aware that this species was distinct from the 

 European, and figured it in his great work. They 

 are exceedingly mike, though there are certain traits 

 of difference, sufficient to authorize a separation. 

 The habitsjof the American species are, as far as they 

 have been observed, analogous to those of the gam- 

 marus. They are taken by means of pots or traps, 

 made of strips or osiers, formed somewhat like a 

 mouse-trap, baited with garbage, attached to a cord 

 and buoy, and sunk by means of a weight. The 

 European lobster having been more studied by natur- 

 alists, the following particulars respecting it have 

 been obtained. Like the crabs, they change their 

 crust annually. Previous to this process, they appear 

 sick, languid, and restless. They acquire the new 

 shell in about three or four days, during which time, 

 being perfectly defenceless, they become the prey, 

 not only of fish, but also of such of their brethren as 

 are not in the same condition. It is difficult to con- 

 ceive how they are able to draw the muscles of their 

 claws out of their hard covering. The fishermen 

 say, that during the pining state of the animal, 



