and having forced Micislav, Duke of Poland, to do him homage, he subsequently raised the Polish territories to the rank of a kingdom, in favour of Micislav's successor, Boleslas. The renewed rebellion of Crescentius, who drove Gregory from the papal throne, compelled O. to return to Italy, where success, as usual, attended his measures. Crescentius, who had thrown himself into St Angelo, was seized and beheaded, together with twelve of his chief adherents; the anti-pope, John XVI., imprisoned; Gregory restored; and on the speedy death of the latter, O.'s old tutor, Gherbert, Archbishop of Ravenna, raised to the papacy under the title of Sylvester II._ O., elated with his success, took up his residence in Rome, where he organised the government, erected new buildings, and shewed every disposition, notwithstanding the ill-concealed dissatisfaction of the Romans, to convert their city into the capital of the western empire. The near approach of the year 1000, to which so many alarming prophesies were then believed to point as the end of the world, induced O. to undertake a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where he founded an archbishopric. On his return, after visiting Charlemagne's grave at Aix-la-Chapelle, and removing the consecrated cross, suspended from the emperor's neck, he again repaired to Rome, to consolidate his schemes of establishing a Roman empire. The insurrection of the Romans frustrated his plans, and escaping from Rome at the risk of his life, he withdrew to Ravenna, to await the arrival of powerful reinforcements from Germany; but before they had crossed the Alps, O. died in 1002, at the age of 22, apparently from poison, which was said to have been administered to him by the widow of Crescentius, who, it is said, had deliberately set herself to win his affections that she might have an opportunity of avenging the death of her husband; and with him the male branch of the Saxon imperial House became extinct. See Wilman's Jahrbücher des Deutschen Reichs unter Kaiser Otto III. (Berl. 1840).

OTHO I., second son of Ludwig, king of Bavaria, was born at Salzburg, 1st June 1815, and on the erection of Greece into a kingdom in 1832, was appointed by the protecting powers king of Greece. Till he attained his majority, the government was intrusted to a regency, which was unable to suppress internal disorder, or counteract the diplomatic intrigues of foreign powers. On assuming the government in 1835, 0. transferred the court from Nauplia to Athens, and passed into law several important measures, which afforded the most lively satisfaction to his subjects. During a visit to Germany in 1836, he married the Princess Amalie of Oldenburg. A monetary crisis, provoked partly by false administrative measures, and partly by too prompt demands for repayment on the part of the protecting powers, threw the affairs of Greece into confusion, and materially weakened the king's popularity. A national reaction against the Germanising tendencies of the court followed, and resulted in 1843 in a military revolution, which was suppressed. O. now attempted to soothe the general discontent by taking the oath to the new constitution of March 30, 1844, but his efforts were only partially successful. Though the Bavarian ministers were dismissed, the king and his Greek advisers shewed the most reactionary tendencies, and attempted in various ways to curtail the privileges which the new constitution had conferred on the people. The equivocal position in which he was placed, in 1853, between the allied powers on the one hand, and his subjects, whose sympathies were strongly in favour of Russia, on the other, greatly increased the difficulties of his situation. The occupation of the Piræus by Anglo-French

322

troops enabled him to restrain the enthusiasm of his subjects; but after their withdrawal in 1857, he was obliged to adopt severe measures against the frontier brigands. His council, too, was composed of men unable or unwilling to support him, and his position became year by year more and more difficult. The strong pro-Russianism of the queen rendered her for some time a favourite; but the belief that O.'s absolute measures were due to her instigation, turned the tide of popular hatred so strongly against her, that attempts were made on her life. The general discontent at last found vent in insurrections at Nauplia and Syra in 1862, which were soon suppressed. A more formidable insurrection in the districts of Missolonghi, Acarnania, Elis, and Messenia, having for its object the expulsion of the reigning dynasty, broke out in October of the same year, and in a few days extended to the whole of Greece. O. and his queen fled to Salamis, from which place he issued a proclamation declaring that he quitted Greece to avoid the effusion of blood, and a provisional government was then established. This government, in February 1863, resigned its executive power to the National Assembly, which confirmed its acts, and decreed that Prince Alfred of England had been duly elected king of Greece. On the refusal of this prince to accept the throne, their choice fell on Prince William of SlesvigHolstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg, the second son of Christian IX., king of Denmark, who, under the title of George I., king of the Hellenes, in October, 1863, assumed the functions of royalty. Otho retired to Munich and died in 1867.

OTI'TIS, or inflammation of the tympanic cavity of the ear, may be either acute or chronic, and it may come on during the course of certain febrile affectious, especially scarlatina, or in consequence of a scrofulous, rheumatic, or gouty constitution; or it may be excited by direct causes, as exposure to currents of cold air, violent syringing or probing,. and intense pain in the ear, increased by coughing, &c. The symptoms of the acute form are sudden. sneezing, or swallowing, tinnitus aurium, or singing or buzzing noises heard by the patient, and more or less deafness. If the disease goes on unchecked, suppuration takes place, and the membrane of the tympanum ulcerates, and allows of the discharge of pus, or inflammation of the dura mater and abscesses in the brain may be established. In less severe cases there is usually a considerable amount of persistent damage, and an obstinate discharge of matter (otorrhea) is a frequent sequence of the

disease.

The treatment of so serious an affection must be

left solely in the hands of the medical practitioner.

varieties of otitis are unfortunately so slight, that The symptoms of the chronic and less acute they are often neglected, until the patient finds the sense of hearing in one or both ears almost completely gone. In these milder forms of otitis, the general indications of treatment are to combat the diathesis on which they frequently depend, and to improve the general health. Very small doses of mercury continued for a considerable time (such and small blisters occasionally applied to the nape as one grain of gray powder night and morning), of the neck or to the mastoid process, are often of service in very chronic cases. If there is any discharge, the ear should be gently syringed once or twice a day with warm water, after which a tepid solution of sulphate of zinc (one grain to an ounce of water) may be dropped into the meatus, and allowed to remain there two or three minutes.

O'TLEY, a small market town of England, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, on the right bank of

145

דיי

the Wharfe, 29 miles west-south-west of York. Its parish church, built in 1507, has a plain Norman arch over the north door. Extensive cattle and grain markets are held here. There is a worsted, a paper, and a flour mill in the town. Pop. (1864)

4973.

It may

of nitrate of silver in an ounce of water.

OTRA'NTO, TERRA DI, the extreme southeastern province of Italy, forming the heel of the Italian boot, is bounded on the north-west by the provinces of Bari and Basilicata, and surrounded on all other sides by the sea. Area, 3293 square miles; pop. (1862) 447,982. It occupies the ancient lapygian or Messapian peninsula, and is 102 miles in length, and from 25 to 35 miles in breadth. Three parts of its surface are covered with hills, offsets from the Apennines of Basilicata. All the rivers are short, many of them being lost in the marshes of the interior; but abundant springs and heavy dews render the soil surprisingly fertile. Good pasturelands and dense forests occur. The climate is

pleasant and healthy, except along the shores, both on the east and west coasts, and in the vicinity of the marshes, which in summer generate malaria. An abundance of the best wine, with corn and olive

oil, are produced; tobacco (the best grown in Italy), cotton, and figs, almonds, oranges, &c., are also produced. The capital is Lecce (q. v.).

OTRANTO (the ancient Hydruntum), a small town on the south-east coast of the province of the same name, 24 miles south-east of Lecce. During the latter period of the Roman empire, and all through the middle ages, it was the chief port of Italy on the Adriatic, whence passengers took ship for Greece-having in this respect supplanted the famous Brundusium of earlier times. In 1480, it was taken by the Turks, and at that time it was a flourishing city of 20,000 inhabitants; but it has long been in a decaying condition, principally on account of malaria. O. possesses a castle and a cathedral. Its harbour is unsafe. In clear weather, the coast of Albania is visible from Otranto. Pop. about 2000.

O'TTAWA, one of the largest rivers of British North America, rises in lat. 48° 30′ N., long. 76° W., in the watershed on the opposite side of which rise the St Maurice and Saguenay. After a course of above 600 miles, it falls into the St Lawrence by two mouths, which form the island of Montreal; and the entire region, drained by it and its tributaries, measures about 80,000 square miles (Geol. Rep. for 1845-1846, p. 13). During its course, it widens into numerous lakes of considerable size, and is fed by many important tributaries, such as the Mattawa, Mississippi, Madawasca, and Rideau on the right, the Gatineau and the Rivières du Moine and du Lièvre on the left side. These, with the O. itself, form the means of transit for perhaps the largest lumber-trade in the world, while the clearances of the lumberer have opened the country for several thriving agricultural settlements. The navigation has been greatly improved,

Soon as the woods on shore look dim,
We'll sing at St Ann's our parting hymn.

Ottawa's tide, this trembling moon

Shall see us afloat on thy waters soon.' OTTAWA, the capital of the Dominion of Canada, is situated 87 miles above the confluence of the river Ottawa with the St Lawrence, 126 miles from Montreal, 95 from Kingston, and 450 from New York. Originally called Bytown, after Colonel By, who, in 1827, was commissioned to construct the Rideau Canal, it was incorporated as a city, and received the name which it now bears in 1854. At the west end of the city, the Ottawa rushes over the magnificent cataract known as the Chaudière Falls; and at the north-east end there are other two cataracts, over which the Rideau tumbles into the Ottawa. The scenery around O. also is scarcely surpassed by any in Canada. The immense water-power at the city is made use of in several saw-mills, which give 0. its principal trade, and issue almost incalculable quantities of sawn timber. A suspension-bridge hangs over the Chaudière Falls, connecting the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The city is in communication by steamer on the Ottawa with Montreal; on the Rideau Canal with Lake Ontario at Kingston; and with the Grand Trunk Railway by a branch line from Prescott. As yet, there is nothing in the city remarkable for architecture, with the exception of the provincial Parliament Houses, which rank among the finest buildings on the American continent. The population, which is rapidly increasing, in 1861 reached 14,669. O. returns one member to the provincial parliament.

OTTER (Lutra), a genus of quadrupeds of the Weasel family (Mustelidae), differing widely from the rest of the family in their aquatic habits, and in a conformation adapted to these habits, and in some respects approaching to that of seals. The body, which is long and flexible, as in the other Mustelidæ, is considerably flattened; the head is broad and flat; the eyes are small, and furnished with nictitating membrane; the ears are very small; th legs are short and powerful; the feet, which have each five toes, are completely webbed; the claws are not retractile; the tail is stout and muscaiar at its base, long, tapering, and horizontally flattened; the dentition is very similar to that of weasels; six incisors and two canine teeth in each jaw, with five molars on each side in the upper, and five or six in the lower jaw; the teeth very strong, and the tubercles of the molars very pointed, an evident adaptation for seizing and holding slippery prey. The tongue is rough, but not so much so as in the weasels. The fur is very smooth, and consists of two kinds of hair-an inner fur very dense and soft.

O., but considerably larger. The tail is also shorter, and the fur of the belly is almost of the same shining brown colour with that of the back. This species is plentiful in the northern parts of North America. Its skin is a considerable article of commerce, and after being imported into England, is often exported again to the continent of Europe. It is usually taken by a steel-trap, placed at the mouth of its burrow. Its habits are very similar to those of the O. of Europe. -The INDIAN O. (L. Nair), has a deep chestnutcoloured fur, and yellowish-white spots above the eyes.-The Brazilian O. (L. Braziliensis) is said to be gregarious.-Somewhat different from the true otters is the SEA O. or KALAN (L. marina, or Enhydra lutris), an animal twice the size of the Common O., a native of Behring's Straits and the neighbouring regions, frequenting sea-washed rocks. There are, at least in the adult, only four incisors in the lower jaw, and the ears are set lower in the head than in the true otters, below, not above, the eyes. The tail is also much shorter. molar teeth are broad, and well adapted for breaking the shells of molluscs and crustaceans. The hindfeet have a membrane skirting the outside of the exterior toes. The sea O. is much valued for its fur, the general hue of which is a rich black, tinged with brown above, and passing into lighter colours below. The head is sometimes almost white. The skins of sea otters were formerly in very great request in China, so that a price of from £35 to £50 could be obtained for each; but the attention of European traders and hunters having been directed to them-in consequence chiefly of a passage in Cook's Voyages-they were carried to China in such numbers as greatly to reduce the price.

intermixed with longer, coarser, and glossy hair. The species are numerous, and are found both in warm and cold climates.-The COMMON O. (L. vulgaris) is a well-known British animal, rarer than it once was in most districts, but still found in almost every part of the British Islands, and common also throughout the continent of Europe, and in some parts of Asia. It often attains a weight of 20 to 24 ĺbs. Its length is fully 2 feet, exclusive of the tail, which is about 16 inches long. The colour is a bright rich brown on the upper parts and the outside of the legs, being the colour of the tips of the long hairs, which are gray at the base; the tips of the hairs in the soft inner fur are also brown, the base whitish-gray; the throat, cheeks, breast, belly, and inner parts of the legs are brownish-gray, sometimes whitish, and individuals sometimes, but rarely, occur with whitish spots over the whole body; the whiskers are very thick and strong; the eyes are black. The O. frequents rivers and lakes, inhabiting some hole in their banks, generally choosing one which already exists, and seldom, if ever, burrowing for itself. It also inhabits the sea-shore in many places, and swims to a considerable distance from the shore in pursuit of prey. Its movements in the water are extremely graceful; it swims with great rapidity in a nearly horizontal position, and turns and dives with wonderful agility. Its prey consists chiefly of fish, and, like the other Mustelidæ, it seems to take pleasure in pursuing and killing far more than it is able to eat; and in this case it daintily feeds on the choicest part, beginning behind the head of the fish, and leaving the head and often much of the tail part. The O., however, when fish cannot readily be obtained, satisfies the cravings of hunger with other food, even snails and worms, and attacks

Otter (Lutra vulgaris).

The

OʻTTERBURN, BATTLE OF. See CHEVY CHASE. OTTO or ATTAR OF ROSES. See PERFUMES and ROSE.

OʻTTOMAN EMPIRE, or Empire of the Osmanlis,' comprehends all the countries which are more or less under the authority of the Turkish sultan, and includes, besides Turkey in Asia, and that part of Turkey in Europe which is under his immediate sovereignty, the vassal principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, Servia, and Montenegro, in Europe; Egypt with Nubia, Tripoli, and Tunis, in Africa; and a part of Arabia, including the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, in Asia. The special description, topography, history, &c., of these countries will be found under their own heads, and this article will consist solely of a brief sketch of the origin, growth, and present state of the Ottoman Empire.

small animals of any kind, sometimes making depredations in places far from any considerable stream. The O. produces from two to five young ones at a birth. The flesh of the O. has a rank fishy taste, on which account, perhaps, it is sometimes used in the Roman Catholic Church, as fish, by those whose rules forbid them the use of flesh. -O. hunting has long been a favourite sport in Britain, although now chiefly confined to Wales and Scotland. Hounds of a particular breed-0. Hounds are preferred for it. The O. defends itself with great vigour against assailants. The O. can be easily domesticated, and trained to catch fish for its master. In India, tame otters-probably, however, of another species to be afterwards noticed are not unfrequently used both for catching fish, which they bring ashore in their teeth, and for driving shoals of fish into nets. -The fur of the O. is in some request, but more on the continent of Europe than in Britain.-The AMERICAN O. or CLADA O. (L. Canadensis) is very like the Common

The Ottomans, or Osmanlis, to whom the generic epithet of Turks is by common usage now confined, are the descendants of the Ogûzian Turks, a tribe of the great Turkish nation, which in the 13th c. inhabited the steppes east of the Caspian Sea. The tide of Mongol invasion which was then setting in from the north-east, swept the Ogûzes before it, and they, to the number of 50,000, under their chief, Suliman, fled westward to the mountainous region of Armenia. After the chief's death, the majority of the tribe became scattered over Mesopotamia; but a few thousands under Orthoguel, his youngest son, marched westward to aid the Seljuk sultan of Konieh against the Khaurezmians and Mongols, and received from the grateful monarch a grant of land in Phrygia.-His son, OTHMAN (q. v.) (12891326), laid the foundation of the independent power of the Turks; and Othman's son and successor, ORKHAN (1326-1359) continued the same aggres sive policy, and gained a footing in Europe by the taking of Gallipoli, Koiridicastron, and other