TAUNTON. — TAVISTOCK

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was founded by William Gifford, bishop of Win-chester, in the reign of Henry I. Besides this, thereare several chapels and chantries in Taunton, all ofwhich were dependant on the mother church in theconvent dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul.

Taunton carries on some manufactures, and alsoa considerable trade to Bridgewater by means of theTone, which is navigable for small craft. It was fora long period the principal seat of the manufactureof coarse woollen goods, such as serges, corduroys,druggets, shalloons, Ac. This manufacture flourishedhere soon alter its introduction into England fromFlanders. For many years, however, it has been onthe decline, and is now scarcely known, being trans-ferred to the neighbouring towns of Wellington,Wivcliscombe, and Milverton, and is carried on tosome extent. The borough of Taunton sends twomembers to the British parliament, and has a popu-lation of 12,148 persons. This town is 140 milesW. of London, and thirty-one N.E. of Exeter. Lon.8° 6' W., lat. 51° 1' N.

Taunton. The shire-town of Bristol county, inthe state of Massachusetts, United States of NorthAmerica, is situated at the junction of the Canoe,Rumford, and Taunton rivers, thirty-two miles southof Boston, and twenty-one east of Providence. It is ahandsome town, and contains the county buildings.It has excellent water power, and there are severalfactories for cotton, paper, nails, and various kinds ofiron work. The Indian name of Taunton was Co-hannet. Taunton contains about 7000 inhabitants.

Taurida. A government of Russia, comprisingthe Crimean peninsula (Chersonesus Taurica), theisland of Taman, and the districts and steppes inha-bited by the Nogay and Budshiak Tartars. Theprovince of the Cossacks of the Black Sea is alsoconnected with it in matters of government. Thesecountries were anciently inhabited by Scythians andGreek colonists, and, since the time of Herodotus,have been conquered and devastated by more thanseventy different nations. Towards the end of thefifteenth century, they were conquered by the Turks,who drove out the Venetians and the Genoese colo-nies there. The Crimea had its own khan, who was,however, dependent on the sultan, and was obligedto be confirmed by him in his dignity. In 1774, theTurks were forced by Russia to acknowledge itsindependence, and, in 1783, it was annexed to Russia.The imperial title was graced with the addition ofczar of the Taurian Chersonese, and Potemkin, whohad been active in effecting the subjugation of theTartars, received the title of “ the Taurian.”

The principal towns in Taurida are Simpheropol,or Akmetchat, the capital, Kinburn, at the mouth ofthe Dnieper, Perekop, or Orcapi, a fortress on theisthmus which connects the Crimea with the con-tinent ; Feodosia, Sebastopol, and Eupatoria, areimportant for the commerce of the Black Sea. Mostof the inhabitants are Tartars, who profess theMohammedan religion, and are engaged in trade,manufactures, agriculture, and the breeding of cattle.There are also many Russian, Greek, Armenian,German, &c., colonists, who are encouraged by thegovernment to settle here. The part of Tauridabetween the isthmus and the Dnieper consists of greatplains, some of which are infertile and uncultivated.The northern part of the Crimea is destitute of waterand wood, and has a poor and saline soil. Thesouthern part is mountainous, but one of the most

fertile and delightful countries in the world. All sortsof fruit and grain, wine, silk, wax, and tobacco areamong the productions.

Tauris. The capital town of the province of Ader-bidjan, in Western Persia, situated in an extensiveplain without trees, on the small river Spintsha. Itis celebrated throughout Asia as a commercial place,and also has important manufactures. The shagreenis made here, with which almost all Persia is supplied,every one except the peasants wearing bools andshoes of it. Tauris contains some magnificent ruins.It has repeatedly suffered from earthquakes, and fromhostile violence. It was the residence of AbbasMirza, crown-prince of Persia, until 1823, when itwas occupied by the Russians. Tauris has a popu-lation of 150,000 persons. Lon. 46° 38' E., lat36° 21' N.

Taurus. A celebrated chain of mountains in theeastern part of Asiatic Turkey, whose greatest heightis in the vicinity of the sources of the Euphrates,whence it extends in several ridges over the greatestpart of Western Asia. One ridge, the Ala Dag,runs through Natolia, and terminates in the Cheli-donian promontory over against Rhodes. Anotherbranch extends into Syria, and there forms theLibanus and Anti-Libanus. To the north, the Tau-rus, which is connected with the system of mountainsin Central Asia by its branches, approaches the Cau-casus, and to the east unites with the snowy Kiaroand mount Zagros.

Tautology. The repetition of the same sense indifferent words or phrases.

Tavistock. A borough town, in the county ofDevon, situated on the banks of the river Tave, fromwhich it derives its name. It is one of the stannarytowns, and is large, populous, and well built. Theabbey was at one period a very magnificent building,and seems to have given rise to the town itself. Itwas founded by Ordulph, or Ordgar, earl of Devon-shire, in 961, in consequence of an admonition tothat effect, which he is stated by tradition to havereceived in a dream. It was completed by his sonin981, richly endowed, and consecrated to St. Marythe Virgin, and St. llumon, in 997. The abbeychurch was dedicated in 1318, by Bishop Stapleton;and in 1539, the monastery was surrendered to theking, by John Pervn, the last abbot, when its reve-nues were found to amount to 902/. 5s. Id. Thisestablishment is remarkable, as having contained, ata very early period, a school for Saxon literature, andan ancient printing press, soon after the introductionof printing into this country. In Exeter College,Oxford, there are preserved copies of certain booksw'hich were printed here, in the year 1525, by Tho-mas Rychard, one of the monks of the abbey. Itspossessions, with the borough and town, were grantedat the time of the dissolution to John, lord Russell,ancestor of the present duke of Bedford. The unfor-tunate lord William Russell was returned to thehouse of commons from this borough, as also the cele-brated John Pym, in the reign of Charles I. Thereare still sufficient remains of this venerable fabric toindicate its former extent and beauty, though nowmuch mutilated and applied to various uses.

Tavistock, in 1811, contained 4723 inhabitants, but\ in 1831 they had increased to nearly 6000. Itsends two members to the British parliament, and is206 miles W. by S. of London, and thirty-two ILby S. of Exeter.