ESMOND 47 ESSAD TOPTANI Religion. — The inhabitants of Danish West Greenland, numbering about 10,000, the greater part of the Labradorians, and the southern Alaska Eskimos are Christianized. As for the rest, the re- ligion of the Eskimos is what is generally designated as Shamanism. The name Eskimo is said to be formed by corruption out of an Indian word sig- nifying "eaters of raw meat." They call themselves Inuit, in Greenland partly Kaladlit. Their origin generally has been derived from Asia, but now they are believed by some to have come from the interior of America. The Eskimos may be divided into the follow- ing groups: (1) The Western Eskimos, inhabiting the Alaska territory and the Asiatic side of Bering Strait; (2) the Mackenzie Eskimos, or Tchiglits, from Barter Island to Cape Bathurst; (3) the inhabitants of the central regions, in- cluding the Arctic Archipelago; (4) the Labradorians; (5) the Greenlanders. A side branch inhabits the Aleutian Islands. ESMOND. HENRY V., an Eng- lish actor and playwright, whose real name was Jack, born at Hampton Court, England, in 1869. He was educated pri- vately and went on the stage in 1885. Since 1896, however, he turned to the writing of plays, many of which were successful. They include "One Sum- mer's Day" (1897) ; "The Wilderness" (1901); "When We Were Twenty-One" (1901); "Under the Greenwood Tree" (1907) ; "The Dangerous Age" (1914) ; and others. Many of his plays were produced with great success in the United States. ESPARTO, a plant growing in Spain, Algeria, Tripoli, Tunis, and northern Africa, long applied to the manufacture of cordage, matting, etc., and now extensively used for paper- making. This plant is a species of gi'ass 2 to 4 feet high, covering large tracts in its native regions, and also cultivated, especially in Spain. ESPIRITO SANTO, a state of Bra- zil, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the E. It has an area of 17,310 square miles. The coast region is for the most part swampy, but there are cliffs in the S. The interior is mountainous, with an elevation reaching 7,000 feet. The chief river is the Rio Doce, which divides the state into two parts. The soil is well adapted for cultivation. The chief products are sugar cane and coffee. There are also considerable quantities of cotton and rice. The principal export is coffee. Rare woods and di-ugs are obtained from the forests. Fishing is an important occupation of the people. There is no mining, but there are valu- able deposits of marble and lime. The state has about 50 miles of railway. Pop. (1917) 482,308. The capital is Victoria. ESQUIMALT (tski-mo), a seaport and harbor of British Columbia, on the S. E. coast of Vancouver Island, and on the Strait of San Juan de Fuca; 4 miles from Victoria. The harbor is extensive and capable of receiving vessels of the greatest size, and is the British naval station for this part of the Pacific coast. It has a navy yard, marine hospital, a large dry dock built by the Dominion Government in 1888, and a meteorological station. In 1894 the British Government constructed elaborate defenses at Esqui- malt. In 1908 the Canadian Govern^ ment took over the military charge of forts, etc. The harbors of both Esqui- malt and Victoria are kept thoroughly mined and wired, and constitute one of the best defended naval stations in the world. Pop. about 3,000. ESQUIRE, originally, a shield-bearer or armor-bearer, an attendant on a knight ; hence, in modern times a title of dignity next in degree below a knight. In England this title is given properly to the younger sons of noblemen, to offi- cers of the king's courts and oi the household, to counsellors at law, justices of the peace while in commission, sher- iffs, gentlemen who have held commis- sions in the army and navy, etc. Both there and in the United States in the addresses of letters esquire may be put as a complimentary adjunct to almost any person's name. In heraldry the helmet of an esquire is represented side- ways with the visor closed. ESSAD TOPTANI. PASHA, an Al- banian soldier and military leader, born near Durazzo, about 1863. He served in the Turkish army and rose to the command of the gendarmerie of Con- stantinople. He fought in the war against Greece in 1897, and for his serv- ices was given the title Pasha. He killed the agent who had been ordered by the Sultan Abdul Hamid to murder his brother, Ghani Toptani, but his influence was so great that Abdul Hamid feared to punish him. Essad was instead trans- ferred to Janina, where he rose to the rank of general. He joined the Young Turk movement in 1908 and was among the leaders who opposed Abdul Hamid. During the Balkan War he defended Scutari against the Montenegrins, and when the Great Powers declared for the self-government of Albania, he declared for the independence of that country. In
