SHANGHAI', the most important maritime city of China, situated on the left bank of the Hwangpoo or Woosung River, 12 miles from where it debouches into the southern portion of the mouth of the Yangtse-kiang, in lat. 31° 10' N., and long. 121° 30′ E. It is a heen or district city, having a wall 3 miles in circuit, through which 6 gates open into extensive suburbs. The low alluvial plain on which it is situated is of great extent, and intersected by innumerable streamlets and canals, which environ the walls, and permeate the city in various directions. It is a dirty, poorly-built town, the houses are mostly brick, the streets are very narrow, and constantly crowded with people. Few of the buildings rise above the low walls of the city; the only conspicuous objects are the Roman Catholic cathedral, a massive edifice, and the lofty spire of the Baptist chapel. The temples present the same general appearance met with in all Chinese cities. Every city has its Ching-hwang, or temple of the tutelary gods; that of S. is in a picturesque position on a rocky islet, surrounded by a serpentine sheet of water, which is crossed by zigzag bridges. In close juxtaposition to these finest specimens of Chinese taste, is the beautiful foreign settlement that has sprung up on the banks of the river to the east of the city. Merchant princes have reared for themselves, to occupy during a brief residence, edifices that may be justly termed palatial. First, on emerging from the east gate, the native finds himself in the French Reservation, which is gradually being filled up with buildings, forming a city under the jurisdiction of that power. On crossing a canal, he beholds a city apparently as large as his own--the English quarter; streets parallel with, and at right angles to the river, paved and well lighted, bearing English names, and faced with substantial stuccoed brick buildings, ornamented with colonnades, having garden space in front of each filled with choice flowers. He sees, at the rear of this marvellous city which has suddenly sprung up before his eyes, a race-course and a church-two things to be found wherever Englishmen congregate abroad. The river in front of the Chinese town is thronged with junks, lashed side by side for a couple of miles, the reach in front of the foreign settlement being crowded with square-rigged vessels, numbering sometimes above 100. Lower down are the ship-yards, machineshops, and dry-docks, which foreign commerce has called into existence. Tugs are constantly steaming to and fro, towing ships and junks against the impetuous tides of the Yangtse. Under the arrangement by which the foreign custom-house dues are collected by foreigners, facilities have been created for the navigation by stationing a light-ship, buoys, and signals, rendering safer the approach to this important mart. There is also a system of foreign pilotage, giving additional security to the mariner. There are a chamber of commerce, reading-room, library, and literary institution-nothing being wanting to render the port of S. the metropolis of Eastern commerce. The municipal government of the foreign settlement is highly creditable to the mercantile traders. Three gentlemen, generally two English and one American, are elected annually by the holders of land, for the purposes of local government

much management, and entailing much expense, the funds for which are obtained by taxation. S. is also the seat of various missions for converting the natives, the schools, dispensaries, and other benevolent objects meeting with generous support from foreign merchants. The products of S. itself are not of much value, but the city is a most important entrepôt for goods passing between the north and south provinces of China, as well as for the imports and exports from and to foreign countries. The trade of the port increased threefold between the years 1860 and 1863; and this increase is due in a great measure to the large and increasing trade from the ports opened on the Yangtse in Chinese produce of all descriptions. In 1867 the entrances and clearances were 1745 vessels, of 801,537 tons (384 American, of 224,082 tons); and 1734 vessels, of 806,661 tons (378 American, of 221,413 tons). In 1868 the imports amounted to £6,370,918, and the exports to £15,607,757; the tea exports from S., in 1867, to the United States, amounted to 15,978,576 pounds. 40,000 chests of opium were imported into S. in 1867. The chief articles of import are opium and treasure, and of export tea and silk. Great quantities of the opium and treasure imported into S. are re-exported to the other parts of China, to Japan, &c. The mercantile importance of S. promises to increase greatly through the opening of the Yangtse River to commerce. Pop. 1868, 149,475, of whom 2248 are foreigners. See North China (Shanghai) Herald, and Commercial Reports (1865–1870).

SHA'NNON, the largest of the rivers of Ireland, rises in the Cuilcagh Mountains, county of Cavan, and after a course of 220 miles, falls into the Atlantic Ocean between the headlands of Loop and Kerry Head. It is commonly divided into two portions, the Upper S. from its source to Limerick, and the Lower S. from Limerick to the sea, a distance of 56 miles. In its upper course it passes from its source in Cavan to Lough Allen in the county of Leitrim; thence through a difficult channel, where the navigation is in part transferred to a canal, to a small expansion called Corry Lough, and, with alternations of river and lake, to Lough Forbes, in the county of Longford, on leaving which the river for a time attains an average width of 250 yards as far as Lanesborough. Here it is again merged in a lake called Lough Ree, which stretches ten miles southwards to within two miles of Athlone. At this point great natural difficulties have been overcome, and the course of the river, by Shannon Harbour and Portumna, and through the picturesque Lough Derg to Killaloe, has been so deepened and improved that a regular passenger and goods traffic is maintained. From Killaloe to Limerick the navigation, owing to the rapid fall, is again in part transferred to a canal. On approaching Limerick the river divides into two branches, and on the island thus formed stands what is known as the Irish Town, in contradistinction to the English town, of Limerick. From the city, where an extensive and commodious range of quays has been built, to the sea, the S. is navigable to sea-going vessels; and although for a distance of eight or nine miles below the city it is very shallow at low water, the navigation for the last 40 miles is free and unimpeded at all times of the tide. The entrance between Kerry Head and Loop is seven miles across. About ten miles from the entrance the river narrows to about a mile and a half in width. At present, however, the most important part of the outward navigation commences at the harbour of Foynes, which is connected by railway with Limerick, and from which steam-boats daily ply to Kilrush, Tarbert, and the intermediate stations.

Several rivers of considerable size fall into the S. during its course, as the Suck, the Brosna, the Fergus, the Maigue, and the Feale. The improvement of this river has long been regarded a measure of national importance, and was commenced under the Irish parliament. In 1837, the work was placed under a board of commissioners, by whom a sum of more than half a million was expended. It has since been transferred to the Board of Works. The navigation is open from the head of Lough Allen to Limerick, a distance of 146 miles, over 129 of which large river steamers freely ply. Much dissatisfaction, however, is expressed by the proprietors and occupiers of the banks of the river at the very imperfect and, it is believed, faulty character of the provision for drainage and the prevention of overflow; and the subject is at present again under the consideration of the government and the legis

lature.

SHAN-SE (West of the Hills), a province of North-Western China, is of rugged surface, and lies on the western limits of the plain. In the north are imperial hunting-grounds. It supplies the purest iron ore and the best coal in China, besides cinnabar, copper, marble, and other minerals.

Of

SHAN STATES, a number of tributary states in Indo-China, lying between Munnipur on the west and Yun-nan on the east, and from the parallel of 24 N. lat., south to Bankok and Cambodia. these the northern states are tributary to Burmah (q. v.) and the southern to Siam (q. v.). A great portion of the mountainous region of these states is called the Laos Country. The Laos races are divided into two curiously distinct subdivisions. The northern race, beyond the northern frontier of Siam, are called Black-bellies, from the circumstance that they tattoo themselves with figures in ink, printed on their bodies with sharp needle-like points; the southern race, mostly on and within the eastern frontier of Siam and tributary to that kingdom, are called White-bellies, and do not tattoo. Xieng Mai, the capital of Laos, stands on a wide plain on the right bank of the Meinam, 500 miles north of Bankok, and is said to contain 50,000 inhabitants. The number of Laocians included in Siam alone is estimated at 1,000,000. They are meek, gentle, unwarlike, and superstitious. Their chief employment is agriculture; and the principal crops raised by them are rice, maize, the sweet potato, calabashes, red pepper, melons, and other fruits. In religion they are Buddhists.

SHA'PINSHAY, one of the Orkney Islands, about 5 miles north-east of Kirkwall. It is 5 miles long and 4 miles in extreme breadth. The fine natural harbour of Elwick Bay on the south side is overlooked by a pleasant modern village. Pop. (1861) 973.

SHARI (i. e., river), the principal feeder of Lake Tsad or Tchad (q. v.).

SHARK (Squalus), a Linnean genus of cartilaginous fishes, now forming in Müller's system a suborder of Plagiostomi (q. v.), and divided into a number of families and many genera. The sharks have generally an elongated form, tapering gradually to the tail, and not much thickened in the middle. The muzzle projects over the mouth; the nostrils are situated on the under-side of the muzzle. The males have claspers. The gill-openings are lateral. There is no cartilage between the snout and the pectoral fin, as in the rays. Some of the sharks are ovoviviparous; others lay eggs, generally a pair at a time, more being produced in succession. The eggs are large in comparison with those of osseous fishes, and are of a square or oblong form, with a tough horny coat, each corner prolonged into a

tendril, the tendrils being apparently of use for their entanglement amongst sea-weeds. These eggs, or at least their empty cases, are very frequently cast up by the waves on the sea-beach, and are popularly known as Sea Purses or Mermaids' Purses. Near the head of the enclosed embryo there is a slit in the case through which water enters for respiration, and there is another at the opposite end, by which it is discharged. The young fish ruptures the case at the head, where it is weaker than at any other part, and on issuing from it, carries a yolk-bag attached to its belly for its nourishment until it is able to seek food. At this stage of its existence, its respiration is also aided by filaments projecting from the gills through the gill-openings, which are absorbed as it grows older. The teeth are generally large, sharp, and formed for cutting, with the edge often serrated; but in the genus Ces tracion (q. v.) the teeth are pavement-like; and in some genera they are small and numerous. Angel-fish (q. v.) is ranked among the sharks, but differs from the rest in its flattened form. Some of the smaller sharks are popularly known by the names Dogfish, Hound, Tope, &c. In the articles Cestracion, Dogfish, Fox Shark, Hammer-head, Porbeagle, and Tope, some of the S. tribe are noticed.

The

only remains here to notice a few of the more interesting of those which do not come under any of

these heads.

is a very rare visitant of the British coasts, if indeed and is grayish-brown above and whitish below. It another species has not been mistaken for it; but is found in the Mediterranean, and is plentiful in the seas of many of the warmer parts of the world, often following ships to feed on any animal substance that may be thrown or may fall overboard, and often in its indiscriminate voracity swallowing things which are indigestible. A lady's work-box has been found in a S.'s stomach; and the papers of a slave-ship, which had been thrown overboard, in that of another. Human beings are not unfrequently its prey, and a large S. is not only capable of biting off the limb of a man, but of snapping the body in two, and has even been known to swallow a man entire. Its head is large, the mouth large and wide, furnished with a terrible apparatus of teeth, of which there are six rows in the upper jaw and four in the lower; the teeth are triangular, sometimes two inches in breadth, sharp-edged, and serrated; when not in use they are laid back in the mouth, nearly flat, but when the S. bites they are