Encyclopaedia Britannica > Volume 21, ROT-Siam

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S C I —S C I
miles). The highest point is the Grieseltstock or Faulen
(9200 feet); the summit of the Kigi (Rigi Kulm) is also
within its limits. In 1880 the population (nearly equally
divided between the two sexes) was 51,235, an increase
of 3530 since 1870. The only towns of any size are
Einsiedeln (population, 8401) and the capital, Schwyz
(6543). German is the mother-tongue of 49,631 of the
inhabitants, and there is an Italian colony of 1377. The
Roman Catholics number 50,266, the Protestants but
954. Till 1814 the canton formed part of the diocese of
Constance; since that time it is practically (though not
formally) included in that of Chur. _ Besides a monastery
of Capuchin friars and four nunneries, the canton boasts
of the great Benedictine abbey of Einsiedeln, which grew
up round the cell of the hermit St Meinrad (d. 863); it
received its first charter in 946 from Otho L, and contains
a black statue of the Virgin, which attracts about 150,000
pilgrims annually. In Schwyz primary education is free
and compulsory, the state also giving grants in aid of
secondary instruction. The population are mainly engaged
in pastoral occupations, the chief article of export (largely
to north Italy) being a special breed of cattle, which enjoys
a very high reputation in the confederation. The only
railways in the canton are the portion of the St Gotthard
line between Kiissnacht, Immensee, and Sisikon, and the
line from Arth to the summit of the Rigi.
The valley of Schwyz first appears in history in 970. Later a
community of free men is found settled at the foot of the Mythen,
possessing common lands and subject only to the count of the Zurich
gem, as the representative of the emperor ; from the Hapshurgs
Steinen in 1269 and Arth (completely) in 1354 bought their free¬
dom and became part of the free community of Schwyz. The early
history of Schwyz consists mainly of struggles with the abbey of
Einsiedeln about rights of pasture. In 1240 the. inhabitants
obtained from Frederick II. the “ Reichsfreiheit,’ i.e., direct depend¬
ence on the emperor, being thus freed from the Hapsburg counts
of the Zurich gau. In 1273 the younger branch of the house of
Hapsburg sold all its property and rights in the valley to the elder
branch, which a few months later obtained the empire, and in April
1291 bought the rights of the Alsatian abbey of Murbach over
Lucerne. Schwyz took the lead in making the famous league of
1st August 1291 with the neighbouring districts of Uri and Unter-
walden, for which its position and the free spirit of its inhabitants
specially fitted it. An attack by Schwyz on Einsiedeln was the
excuse for the Austrian invasion which on 15th November 1315 was
gloriously beaten back in Morgarten Pass. In the history of the
league Schwyz was always to the front, so that its name in a dialectal
form (Schweiz) was applied by foreigners from the 14th century
onwards to the league as a whole, though it formed part of its formal
style only from 1803. Soon after the victory of Sempach (1386)
the men of Schwyz began to extend their borders. In 1394 they
acquired the town of Einsiedeln (becoming in 1397, and finally in
1434, the “protectors” of the great abbey) and in 1402 Kiissnacht,
while in 1412-37 they won the “March,” and in 1440 Wollerau and
Pfaffikon,—all on or near the Lake of Zurich. All these districts
were governed by Schwyz as subjects, not as equals or allies, supreme
power resting with the “ Landsgemeinde ” (or assembly of all citizens
of full age) of Schwyz, which is first mentioned in 1294. Schwyz
mined the other forest cantons in opposing the Reformation, and
took part in the battle of Cappel (1531), in which Zwingli fell. In
1586 it became a member of the Golden or Borromean League, formed
to continue the work of Charles Borromeo in carrying out the
Counter-Reformation. In 17 98 Schwyz, including Gersau (free since
1390), formed part of the “Tell gau” or “Republique Telliane,.
set up by the French, which a week later gave way to the “ Helvetic
republic,” though the free men offered a valiant resistance under
Aloys Reding. In 1799 it was the scene of the disastrous retreat
from Altdorf to Glarus made over the Kinzigkulm and Piagel
Passes by the Russians under Suwaroff in face of the French army.
Schwyz steadily resisted all proposals for the revision. of the
federal constitution of 1815, joined the league of Sarnen m 1
and, when religious disputes had further complicated matters, the
“ Sonderbund ” (1843 and 1845), which was only put down by the
war of November 1847. The constitution of 1848 was revised m
1855,1876 (when membership of one of the twenty-nine “Gemeinde
or communes became the political qualification), and 1884.
SCIACCA, a town of Italy, in the province of Girgenti,
Sicily, 28 miles south-east of Castelvetrano (Selinus) and
37 north-west of Girgenti, lies on the south coast on a steep
rocky decline, and with its walls and castles has from a
distance an imposing appearance. The cathedral was
founded in 1090 by Julia de Hauteville, daughter of Roger
I., who had presented her with the lordship of Sciacca on
her marriage with Perollo} and two other churches, S.
Salvadore and S. Maria delle Giummare, date from the
same period. In the cliffs are excavated granaries in which
under the Spanish viceroys the grain used to be stored
under Government control. To the east of the town, at
the foot of Monte S. Calogero, are the hot wells (sulphur¬
ous and saline) of Sciacca; and the steam that breaks
forth from the top of the hill seems to have been used (as
it still is) for vapour baths from a remote (possibly
Phoenician) period. The population was 21,451 (22,195
including Marina) in 1881.
Sciacca was the birthplace of Tommaso Fazello (1498-1570), the
historian of Sicily. In the 15th century it was the scene of a ter¬
rible feud between the Perollos (lords of Sciacca) and the counts
of Luna.
SCIATICA. See Neubalgia, vol. xvii. p. 364.
SCILLY ISLES, a group of islands, about forty in
number, in the county of Cornwall (see vol. vi. plate IX.),
England, are situated about 25 miles west by south of
Land’s End and 40 west from Lizard Point, in 50° N. lat.
and 6° W. long. They are composed wholly of granite,—
outliers of the granite highlands of Cornwall. There are
some metalliferous veins or lodes, but none that could ever
have yielded much iron. On account of the mild climate
the vegetation is remarkably luxuriant. The mean average
temperature in winter is about 45° and in summer about
58°. Fuchsias, geraniums, and myrtles attain an immense
size, and aloes, cactus, and the prickly pear grow in the
open air. The inhabitants devote their attention principally
to the cultivation of early potatoes for the London market.
Asparagus and other early vegetables, as well as flowers,
are also largely cultivated. Lobsters are caught and sent
to London, but the fishing industry is of comparatively
minor importance.
The total area of the islands is 3560 acres, with a population in
1871 of 2090, and in 1881 of 2320, including 276 persons on board
vessels. The inhabited islands are St Mary’s (area about 1500
acres), Tresco (700), St Martin’s (550), St Agnes (350), and Bryher
(300). The principal town, Hugh Town in St Mary s, occupies a
sandy peninsula crowned by the height called the Garrison, with
Star Castle, erected in the time of Elizabeth. It possesses a harbour
and pier with a roadstead affording anchorage for large vessels. 1 he
coast-line is wild and picturesque, with precipitous headlands and
many extensive caves. On Tresco there are. remains of an abbey ,
and St Agnes has a lighthouse 72 feet in height. On the islands
there are numerous rude pillars and circles of stones, similar to those
in Cornwall. ^ , ..m- Ti i ”
The Scilly Isles are probably the Cassitendes or I m Islands
of the Greeks (see vol. xviii. p. 806). The islands were granted m
936 by Athelstan to the monks settled at Tresco, but on the
endowment of the abbey of Tavistock the greater portion of them
were included amongst its possessions. In the reign of Elizabeth
they were divided amongst several proprietors. During the Civil
War Hugh Town held out for the king, and m 1645 afforded shelter
for a time to Prince Charles until he escaped to Jersey. In 1649
they were taken possession of by Sir John Grenville, a Royalist, wiio
made use of them as a convenient shelter, whence he issued to sweep
the neighbouring seas, until in 1651 he was forced to surrendei to a
fleet under Blake and Sir John Ayscue. In ancient times a frequent
haunt of pirates, the islands were afterwards notorious for smuggling.
On the suppression of smuggling Mr Augustus J. Smith did much
to introduce order and encourage habits of industry amongst the
oTvi -f-OTvf-Q
SCINDE. See Sind.
SCIO, the Italian name of an island on the west coast
of Asia Minor, called by the Greeks Chios (r) Xios, ’s ri)
Xio) and by the Turks Saki Adasi; the soft pronunciation
of x before i in Modern Greek, approximating to sh, caused
Xio to be Italianized as Scio. Scio, which is about 30
miles long from north to south, and varies in breadth
from 8 to 15 miles, is divided into a larger northern part
and a smaller southern part, called respectively apanomeria
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