SAL 
SAL 
town-house. The other public buildings are the cathedral, 
the university, the churches, and the convents. The cathe¬ 
dral is a majestic Gothic edifice, entered by a fine gate, and 
admired in the interior for the boldness of the vaults, and the 
finish of the sculpture. The bishop’s see at Salamanca is of 
very remote date ; and the town was always a great resort of 
clergy. The churches, great and small, are in number 25, 
the monasteries 20, and the convents 11. 
The university of Salamanca was founded in 1239, and 
had long a considerable reputation, though the number of 
students, whether Spaniards or foreigners, is absurdly exag¬ 
gerated in the history of the 14th and loth centuries. The 
buildings are extensive, and the number of professorial chairs 
is fully sixty; but that of students does not at present ex¬ 
ceed 300 or 400, and never appears to have been more than 
twice that number. The subjects taught are, as in other 
universities, theology, law, medicine, classics, mathematics, 
and philosophy. At the head of the establishment is a rec¬ 
tor, invested with great privileges. The buildings appended 
to the university consist of 25 colleges, as they are termed, 
with accommodation each for 30 students, and of four col¬ 
leges for young men of family. The academical dress is a 
black cassock, like that of a Catholic priest. 
The population of Salamanca, at present only 13,600, is 
supposed to be considerably below its amount in former ages. 
Here are several vestiges of antiquity, in particular a Roman 
road leading southward to Merida, and a Roman bridge over 
the Tonnes, of 27 arches, and about 500 feet in length. The 
banks of that river, and the country to the west of Salamanca, 
were the scene of a memorable engagement between the 
British, under Lord Wellington, and the French, under 
Marmont, in 1812. Lord Wellington had been for some 
time obliged to retreat, but watched anxiously an opportu¬ 
nity when some mistaken manoeuvre on the part of the 
enemy, from over confidence or otherwise, should afford 
him a favourable occasion for fighting. This at last oc¬ 
curred on the 22d of July, when the French, eager to pre¬ 
vent the farther retreat of the British in the direction of Por¬ 
tugal, advanced their left wing, and enabled the British 
troops, who marched promptly to the attack, to gain a de¬ 
cided advantage over their too extended line. This having 
taken place in the afternoon and evening, the battle did not 
afford many prisoners, but the pursuit of the cavalry the 
next morning, produced the surrender of a large body, and 
the French army was obliged to retreat beyond Burgos. 
Salamanca is 153 miles west-north-west of Madrid. Lat. 41. 
21. N. long. 5. 10. W. 
SALAMANCA, a pretty little town of Mexico, in the 
intendancy of Guanaxuato. It is situated in a gently rising 
plain, at the height of 7075 feet above the level of the sea. 
It is about 70 miles north-north-west of Valladolid, and 150 
north-west of Mexico. 
SALAMANCA, formerly a city of South America, in the 
kingdom of New Granada, and province of Santa Martha, 
of which nothing now remains but a small village. 
SALAMANCA, a town of Mexico, in the province of 
Tlascala 
SALAMANCA DE BALCALAR, a city of the province 
of Yucatan, in New Spain. It is small, but handsome, and 
well built; situate on the east of the isthmus, which joins the 
peninsula of Yucatan with the continent. It has 120 houses, 
and a small fort with a strong garrison. But its territory is 
extremely low, and always inundated. Its climate is accord¬ 
ingly unhealthy, and liable, in an extreme degree, to the in¬ 
sufferable plague of mosquitoes ; 160 miles south of Merida. 
Lat. 18. 53. N. long. 88. 50. W. 
SA'LAMANDER, s. [salamandra , Lat.] An animal sup¬ 
posed to live in the fire, and imagined to be very poisonous. 
Ambrose Pare has a picture of the salamander, with a receipt 
for her bite; but there is no such creature, the name being 
now given to a poor harmless lizard.—The salamander liveth 
in the fire, and hath force to extinguish it. Bacon. 
SAL'AMANDER’S HAIR, or Salamander’s Wool, s. 
A kind of asbestos, or mineral flax.—There may be such 
Vol. XXII. No. 1522. 
561 
candles as are made of salamander's wool, being a kind of 
mineral, which whiteneth in the burning, and consumeth not. 
Bacon. 
SALMA'NDRINE, adj. Resembling a salamander.— 
Laying it into a pan of burning coals, we observed a certain 
salamandrine quality, that made it capable of living in the 
midst of fire, without being consumed or singed. Spectator. 
SALAMANDR1NO, a name given by the Italians to a 
species of salmon. 
SALAMANIE, or Calemut, a river of North America, 
in the Indiana territory, which runs into the Wabash; 12 
miles east of Eel town. 
SALAMANIE, a flute in use among the Turcoman shep¬ 
herds in Arabia. It is entirely open, and without any reed, 
so that to wind it is no easy matter. This is the favourite 
instrument of the Merlavi dervises, who, as they use music in 
their acts of religious worship, are the best musicians in the 
East, and excel especially in playing on the flute. It is 
made either of a reed, or of a piece of fine wood. 
SALAMANQUILLA, a small island of the Atlantic 
Ocean, near .the coast of the province and government of 
Carthagena. 
SALAMBRIA, the ancient Peneus, a considerable river 
in the north of Greece, in Thessaly, which rises in the Pin- 
dus chain, passes between the mountains of Olympus and 
Ossa, and discharges itself into the gulf of Salonica, through 
the well known vale of Tempe; 25 miles east-by-north of 
Larissa. 
SALAME, a small island at the entrance of the Persian 
gulf, near Cape Mussendoon. Lat. 26. 20. N. long. 56. 
48. E. 
SALAMGA, the name given by the people of the Philip¬ 
pine islands to a species of sea-swallow. This is the bird, 
whose nests are so famous as an ingredient in soups. 
SALAMI, a town of Nedsjed, in Arabia; 20 miles south¬ 
east of Tima. 
SALAMIA DE LA SERENA, a town in the south¬ 
west of Spain, province of Estremadura. This town was 
anciently called Ilipa, and several remaining vestiges indi¬ 
cate its having been a place of importance in the times of 
antiquity ; 27 miles north-east of Llerena. 
SALAMLEH, a town of Nedsjed, in Arabia; 25 miles 
east of Hamah. 
SAL AMINE, a small island in the Saronic gulf, which 
formerly made a part of the territory of Attica. It anciently 
bore the name of Cycria, after Cychraeus, the name of its 
first king, and that of Pityussa, from the quantity of pines 
which were found there. Strabo gives it the appellation of 
Scirias, after that of an ancient hero. The name of Sala- 
mine was derived from Salamis, who, according to Greek 
authors, was the daughter of Asopus, king of Bceotia, trans¬ 
ported to this island by Neptune, by whom she became the 
mother of Cychrseus. It has in succession two towns, called 
Salamis, one towards the south, opposite to Egina, and the 
other towards Attica. This latter, or New Salamis, became 
very populous, and was governed by its own laws until the 
time of Augustus. Some authors say, that this island was 
anciently peopled by Ionians, and afterwards by colonies 
from different parts of Greece. After Cychreeus above-men¬ 
tioned, reigned Teucer, and after him Telamon, whose son, 
Ajax, conducted the ships of Salamine to the war of Troy. 
One of the successors of Teucer ceded this island to the 
Athenians; from them it was taken by the Megarians, and 
again recaptured by the Athenians, at the request of Solon. 
When the kings of Macedon humbled the power of the 
Athenians, they lost, among other islands under their domi¬ 
nion, this island of Salamine, which revolted under the reign 
of Cassander; but this enterprise terminated unfortunately; 
for the Athenians, being more powerful than they were sup¬ 
posed to be, suppressed this revolt, and drove from the island 
all who possessed any kind of property, and placed a colony 
of Athenians in their room. Sylla declared the island of 
Salamine free, and it enjoyed this privilege until the reign of 
Vespasian, who reckoned it among the Roman provinces. 
7 D Salamine 
