CALAIS 284 CALATBAVA LA VIEGA CALAIS (ka-laO, a fortified seaport town of France, in the department of Pas-de-Calais, on the Strait of, and 25 miles S. E. of Dover, and distant 184 miles by rail from Paris. The Old Town or Calais proper has a citadel, and was formerly surrounded by forti- fications; but the modern suburb of St. Pierre les Calais having been amalga- mated with Calais proper, both are now surrounded with forts and other works, to which morasses lend additional strength. Extensive harbor improve- ments have been carried out. Calais has considerable exports of grai-n, wine, and spirits, eggs, fruit and vegetables; but the town derives its principal im- portance from its being the chief land- ing place for English travelers to the Continent. It has important manufac- tures of cotton and silk bobbinet lace. In 1347 Calais was taken by Edward III. of England, after a siege of 11 months. In 1558 it was retaken by the Duke of Guise, being the last relic of the French dominions of the Plantag- enets, which at one time comprehended the half of France. In the World War it played an important part as a port of embarkation and disembarkation for the British forces in France and Belgium. It was shelled by German destroyers and bombed by German aeroplanes at numerous occasions, without, however, suffering severe losses, either in life or property. Pop. about 75,000. CALAMBUCO, a very durable tree, in- destructible by ants, used for ship- building and farming implements; grows in the island of Luzon, Philip- pines. CALAMIANES (ka-la-me-a'nes), an island group of the Philippine Archi- pelago. Their surface is mountainous, and richly wooded, producing rice, wool, cacao, and the bird's nests used for food. Busuanga, Calamian, and Linacapan are the largest of the 98 islands. Area about 677 square miles; pop. about 20,000. CALAMUS, the reed pen which the an- cients used in writing, made of the stem of a reed growing in marshy places, probably Amndo Donax, of which the best were obtained from Egypt. The stem was first softened, then dried, and cut and split with a knife (scalprum librarium), as quill pens are made. To this day the Orientals generally write with a reed (Arab. Kaldm). CALAMUS, the traditional name of the sweet flag (acorus calamus), which is no doubt the "calamus aromaticus" of Roman authors, and probably the sweet calamus and sweet cane of Scripture, although it has sometimes been at- tempted to identify calamus with one of the fragrant grasses which yield the grass-oil of India. The sweet flag, al- though resembling Iris in habit, belongs to the order A^-oideas, and is widely dis- tributed through the Eastern palaearctic region, and is also indigenous to North America. The root-stock yields an aro- matic stimulant and tonic, which has fallen into disuse in regular medicine, but is still of high repute in the East. It is in fact cultivated in Ceylon and Burma. It is sometimes used to flavor beer, and in the perfuming of tooth pow- der and snuff; and was masticated to clear the voice and sweeten the breath. It is also made into confections and used in the preparation of liqueurs in Ger- many, etc. The plant was formerly used to strew floors instead of rushes, and particularly in cathedrals on festival days. The name calamus is also given to a genus of palms. CALANUS (kal'a-nus), an Indian phi- losopher much esteemed by Alexander the Great. At the age of 73 (B. C. 323), being seized with illness at Pasargada, he caused a funeral pile to be erected, which he ascended vdth a composed countenance, and expired in the flames, saying, that having lost his health and seen Alexander, life had no more charms for him. CALATAFIMI (ka-la-ta-fe'me) , a town of Sicily near its W. end, with a ruined Saracenic castle. Near it is the scene of Garibaldi's first victory over the Neapolitans in 1860. Pop. about 11,000. CALATRAVA LA VIEGA (vyS'ga), a ruined city of Spain, on the Guadiana, 12 miles N. E. of Ciudad Real. Its de- fense against the Moors, undertaken by Raymond, abbot of Fitero, and Diego Velasquez in 1158, after it had been abandoned by the Templars, is famous on account of its having originated the Order of the Knights of Calatrava, which was instituted at Calatrava in 1158, by King Sancho III. of Castile, and was at several periods associated with the Cistercian monks. Their al- most uniform success against the Moors gave rise to rashness, and in 1197 they were defeated and nearly exterminated, the survivors transferring the seat to the castle of Salvatierra. In 1523 the grand-mastership was transferred to the crown by a papal bull, the knights being permitted to marry once by way of com- pensation for their loss of independence. Since 1808 the body has been continued as an order of merit.
