S I R 
SIR 
247 
2. Sipunculus saccatus.—Body covered with a loose skin, 
and rounded at the lower end.—It inhabits the American 
and Indian seas. It is shaped like the nidus, except in being 
enclosed as it were in a loose bag, and in not having the 
lower end globular. 
SI'QUIS, s. [Latin ; meaning, if any one.'] An adver¬ 
tisement or notification. Formerly a bill pasted on a wall, 
door, post, &c.—Saw’st thou ever siquis patch’d on Paul’s 
church-door ? Bp. Hall. 
A merry Greeke set up a siquis late. 
To signifie a stranger come to town. Wroth. 
SIR, s. [sire, Fr., from the Goth., sihor. Ld. Hickes. 
Icel. saer, syr, sir, the same. Serenius. Some carry it to 
sar, Heb., a prince.] The word of respect to gentlemen. 
Speak on, sir, 
I dare your worst objections : if I blush. 
It is to see a nobleman want manners. Shakspeare. 
The title of a knight or baronet. This word was anciently 
so much held essential, that the Jews in their addresses ex¬ 
pressed it in Hebrew characters.— Sir Horace Vere, his bro¬ 
ther, was the principal in the active part. Bacon. —The 
court forsakes him, and sir Balaam hangs. Pope. —For¬ 
merly the title of a priest Hence, as Mr. Tyrwhitt has 
observed, a Sir John came to be the nick-name of a priest. 
— “A priest was the third of the three syrs, which only were 
in request of old; (no barron, viscount, earle, nor marquesse, 
being then in use;) to wit. Sir King, Sir Knight, and Sir 
Priest.” Watson's Docacord. of Suodlih. Quest. 1602. 
p. 53 .—Are there not women that woulde tell as good a tale 
as the best Sir John, i. e. Parson. Harborowe. 
Let me thy tale borowe 
For our Sir John to say to-morrowe. Spenser. 
But this good Sir did follow the plain word, 
Ne meddled with their controversies vain ; 
All his care was, his service well to sain. Spenser . 
A title given to the loin of beef, which they say one of our 
kings knighted in a fit of good humour.—He lost his roast- 
beef-stomach, not being able to touch a «>-loin which was 
served up. Addison. 
SIR BIBY’S ISLAND, a small island in Hudson’s Bay. 
Lat. 61. 55. N. long. 93. 40. W. 
SIR CHARLES HARDY’S ISLAND, an island in the 
Southern Pacific Ocean, discovered by Captain Carteret, in 
the year 1767. It is of considerable extent, and appears to 
be flat, green and pleasant. Lat. 4. 38. S. long. 154. 
6 . E. 
SIR CHARLES HARDY'S ISLANDS, a cluster of small 
islands in the South Pacific Ocean, discovered by Captain 
Cook in 1770. Lat. 11. 55. S. long. 217. W. 
SIR CHARLES SAUNDERS’S ISLAND, or Tapooa- 
manoo, an island in the South Pacific Ocean, discovered by 
Captain Wallis in the year 1767. The island is about six 
miles in length, and has a mountain of considerable height 
in the centre, which appeared to be fertile. The inhabitants 
did not appear to be numerous Lat. 17. 28. S. long. 150. 
40. W. 
SIR HENRY MARTIN’S ISLAND, an island in the 
Pacific Ocean, discovered by Lieutenant Hergest, comman¬ 
der of the Deedalus store-ship, in 1792, about 16 miles in cir¬ 
cuit. It is the most considerable and most fertile of the 
whole group to which it belongs. The south-eastern cape, 
which he named Point Martin, forms, with the coast to the 
westward of it, a deep bay, well sheltered, and bordered by 
sand beaches. At the head of the bay was observed, either 
a deep cove, or the mouth of a considerable stream. Two 
leagues farther westward is a fine harbour, with a sandy bot¬ 
tom, shoaling from 24 fathoms to 7, within a quarter of a 
mile of the shore. A stream of excellent water runs into it, 
and it is well sheltered from all winds. A beautiful plain 
extends for a mile and a half from the beach. The country 
is populous, and well cultivated. The people appeared to be 
lighter than those of Ohittahoo, and varied considerably from 
them in other respects. More than 1500 were assembled on 
the shores of this harbour, which was named Port Anna 
Maria. They received some people who landed from the 
Daedalus very hospitably, and sent off all kinds of provisions 
to the ship. The western side of the island was less populous. 
Lat. 80. 51. S. long. 220. 19. E. 
SIR ISAAC POINT, a cape on the south coast of New 
Holland. Lat. 34. 27. S. long. 135. 10. E. 
SIR JOSEPH BANKS’ GROUP, a cluster of small 
islands in Spencer’s gulph, on the south coast of New Hol¬ 
land. 
SIR ROGER CURTIS ISLES, an island, with two smaller 
ones near if, on the south coast of New Holland ; 22 miles 
south-east of Wilson’s promontory. It is the first island to 
the westward of Eirneo, and about 48 miles south-south-east 
of Huaheine. It stretches from east to west about six miles, 
with a double peaked mountain in the centre. It is in ge¬ 
neral fertile, abounding in cocoa-nuts, but does not seem po¬ 
pulous. It is dependent on Huaheine. 
SIR THOMAS HAY’S POINT, a cape on the north-west 
coast of Portland, one of Queen Charlotte’s islands, in the 
South Pacific Ocean. Lat. 10. 42. S. long. 164. 14. E. 
SIR THOMAS ROE’S WELCOME, a large bay in the 
north part of Hudson’s bay. 
SIR WILLIAM GRANT CAPE, a rocky head on the 
south coast of New Holland. 
SIRADIA. See Sieradz. 
SIRAF,a small sea-port of Laristan, in Persia, chiefly inha¬ 
bited by Arabians; 30 miles south-west of Lar. 
SIRAGUAY a town on the west coast of the island of 
Mindanao. Lat. 7.15. N. long. 122. 9 . E. 
SIRANCAPE, a small river of Mosambique, in Eastern 
Africa, with a town of the same name at its mouth. Lat. 
13. 4. S. 
SIRANI (Giovanni Andrea), a painter of the school of 
Guido Rheni. He was born at Bologna in 1610, and was a 
favourite disciple of his master, whose style he imitated with 
great success. After the death of Guido, he was employed 
to finish many of his works, left incomplete in different 
churches, at Bologna; particularly the large picture of St. 
Brunone, in the Certosini. He usually painted upon a large 
scale, and with a free pencil, but in general his manner is too 
strong and dark, like that of Caravaggio, He died in 1670, 
at the age of 60. 
SIRANI (Elizabetta), was the daughter of Giovanni 
Andrea Sirani, and born at Bologna in 1638. She learned 
the rudiments of the art from her father, but endeavoured to 
imitate the best style of Guido. At so early a period as her 
fifteenth year, she had acquired considerable renown for her 
performances. Her first public work was painted when she 
was only seventeen. In general she wrought upon a large 
scale, and in a most finished manner; with a rich and natural 
tone of colour. Her compositions are tasteful, and the airs 
of her heads graceful, and noble in character. Her portraits 
have greatly the air of nature, with an unaffected character of 
expression and action. 
Her brilliant career was interrupted by poison ; by whom 
administered is not exactly known, though it is supposed by 
her servant. This melancholy event happened in 1664, 
when she had only attained her twenty-sixth year ; yet such 
had been her industry, that she had produced, according to 
Malvasia, from a register of her own keeping, 150 works : 
the most admired of which were painted for the churches and 
palaces at Bologna. They are elsewhere scarce. 
SIRAVAN, a village of Khusistan, in Persia ; 48 miles 
north-north-east of Shuster. 
SIRE, a mountainous province or district of Tigre, in 
Abyssinia, reaching from Axum to theTacazze. It is famous 
for a manufacture of coarse cotton cloths, which pass as 
money in all the provinces of Tigre. The capital, which is 
also called Sire, is built in the form of a half moon, on the 
brink of a very steep narrow valley ; it is larger than Axum : 
all the houses are of clay, and thatched, the roofs are conical, 
according to the general custom of Abyssinia. The sur¬ 
rounding country is rich and beautiful, but suffers under a 
pestilential 
