SOL WAY FIRTH 



5438 



SOMALILAND 



for a saturated salt solution will dissolve sugar 

 crystals. When a solid changes to a liquid 

 form heat is absorbed, and it is on this prin- 

 ciple that freezing mixtures are based. When 

 pounded ice and salt are mixed together and 

 packed about an ice cream receptacle, they 

 change to liquid form and in so doing absorb 

 heat from the contents of the can. 



At a given temperature the solubility of a 

 particular solid in a given liquid never varies, 

 but its solubility varies with different solvents. 

 At ordinary temperatures table salt dissolves 

 about three times as freely in water as in alco- 

 hol ; grease cannot be dissolved in water, but it 

 can be in gasoline. Some very hard substances 

 are slightly soluble. Flint glass, for example, 

 used in making cut glass utensils, dissolves 

 somewhat in aqua ammonia. For this reason 

 the housewife should never clean her cut glass 

 in water containing ammonia. When a gas dis- 

 solves in a liquid there is a release of heat and 

 a rise of temperature. 



SOL 'WAY FIRTH, an inlet of the Irish Sea, 

 between Scotland and Cumberland County, 

 England. It is about thirty-five miles long, 

 and its width increases irregularly till it reaches 

 twenty miles. Solway Firth is particularly 

 noted for its spring tide, which drives in as a 

 tidal bore six feet high at the rate of ten miles 

 an hour. The waters are shallow and stocked 

 with fish, particularly salmon. There are sev- 

 eral fisheries on its banks, and some minor 

 ports, such as Whitehaven, Harrington and 

 Kirkcudbright. 



SOLYMAN II, sol' i man (1494-1566), a sul- 

 tan of Turkey, known as SOLYMAN TtiE MAG- 

 NIFICENT, under whom the Turkish Empire 

 reached the very height of its power. The 

 name is also given by some authorities as 

 SULEIMAN. 



The country at his accession was prosperous, 

 the army and the provinces were in excellent 

 shape, and Solyman showed himself well able 

 to make the best of these advantages. In his 

 own country he is known as the lawgiver, for 

 he did much to improve the administration of 

 l;t\vs and incidently to better the condition of 

 his Christian subjects; but it is chiefly for his 

 conquests that he is remembered in European 

 history. 



He captured Belgrade and pressed on into 

 Hungary, winning in 1526 a famous victory at 

 Mohacs. Twice he threatened Vienna, and 

 though compelled to retreat, could never be 

 forced to give up his hold on Hungary. He 

 took Rhodes from the Knights of Malta, par- 



tially subjugated Persia, and showed his ambi- 

 tion to take part in European political affairs 

 by making a treaty of alliance with Francis I 

 of France. Literature had the benefit of his 

 encouragement, and he proved himself gener- 

 ally an enlightened ruler. 



SOMALILAND, so mah' le land, or SOMALI, 

 a region in the eastern part of Africa consist- 

 ing of English, French, Italian and Abyssinian 

 dependencies. Somaliland forms the peninsula 

 which lies between the Gulf of Aden and the 

 Indian Ocean (see colored map, opposite page 

 81). The boundaries of the Abyssinian terri- 

 tory, which is in the interior and lies west of 

 the other three dependencies, have not been 

 exactly defined. 



French Somaliland, known officially as the 

 Somali Coast, lies to the north at the head 

 of the Gulf of Aden, between British Somali- 

 land and Eritrea. It has an area of 5,790 

 square miles. 

 There are several 

 ports, the chief of 

 which is Jibuti, 

 with a population 

 of about 16,500. 

 This town is the 

 seat of govern- 

 ment of the col- 

 ony, and is con- 

 nected with Abys- 

 sinia by a rail- 

 way. In normal 

 years over 350 

 steam vessels 

 clear its harbor annually. Somali Coast is not 

 well developed industrially, but there is a con- 

 siderable export trade in coffee, hides, skins, 

 gold and ivory. Overseas trade is chiefly with 

 France and Great Britain. The country is hilly 

 along the coast, but the interior is an elevated 

 plateau. 



British Somaliland is known officially as 

 Somaliland Protectorate. It borders on the 

 Gulf of Aden, and on the land side adjoins 

 Somali Coast and Abyssinian and Italian terri- 

 tory. The protectorate is about 68,000 square 

 miles in area, and has a population estimated 

 to be 360,000. Nearly all of the inhabitants are 

 Mohammedans, and with the exception of 

 those who dwell in the coast towns, they are 

 wandering herdsmen. Berbera, the largest town 

 and the seat of government, has about 30,000 

 inhabitants during the trading season. Exports 

 include skins, cattle and sheep, ostrich feathers 

 and ivory. The region is for the most part a 



SOMALILAND 

 (F) French; (B) British 

 (I) Italian. 



