SMYRNA 469 SNAIL Cambridge. He practiced law for a time in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and in 1898 was appointed State Attorney of the South African Republic. He was one of the chief leaders in the Boer War, and, following its close, he took a leading part in the work of reconstruction and union. He was Colonial Secretary of Transvaal in 1907. At the outbreak of the World War he commanded the forces invading German Southwest Africa and carried the operations to a complete success. He also defeated the German forces in German East Africa in 1916. In the following year he represented South Africa in the Imperial War Cabinet. He was one of the leading figures at the Peace Confer- ence in Paris. He became Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa (q. v.) upon the death of General Botha in Au- gust, 1919. SMYRNA (Turkish, Izmer), an an- cient city and seaport of Asiatic Turkey, on the W. coast of Asia Minor, at the head of the gulf of the same name. The COIN OF SMYRNA appearance of the city from the sea is extremely attractive, but a closer inspec- tion dissipates the illusion. The houses, mostly built of wood, are mean and frag- ile-looking; the streets close and filthy and filled with intolerable stenches pro- ceeding from the sewers and drains. The city is divided into four quarters — Frank, Turk, Jew, and Armenian. There is an English hospital, church, and burying- ground, English schools, and numerous schools for Turks, Greeks, and others; all sects and faiths having complete tol- eration, Smyrna has been for centuries the most important place of trade in Asia Minor. The chief imports are cotton manufactures, woolen cloths, colonial goods, iron, steel, and hardware goods. The principal exports are dried fruits (es- pecially figs), cotton, silk, goats' hair, sheep and camels' wool, rugs, madder root, yellow berries, sponges, and opium. The origin of Smyrna is lost in antiquity. It laid claim to the honor of being the birthplace of Homer, and no doubt was a Greek city as early as the date assigned to the poet. It was afterward taken by the Lydians, was restored by Antigonus and Lysimachus, generals of Alexander the Great, became the capital of Antigo- nus and a flourishing city. During the Roman civil wars it was taken and partly destroyed by Dolabella, but soon recov- ered. It early received Christianity, and was one of the "seven churches" of Asia. In the 13th century only the ruins of its former splendor were left; but after the Turks became masters of the country it revived. It has repeatedly suffered from earthquake. After the World War Smyrna was awarded to Greece, by whom it was occupied in 1919. Pop. about 350,000. SMYRNA, GULF OF, formerly the Hermasan Gulf, an inlet of the iEgean Sea on the coast of Asiatic Turkey, so called from the town of Smyrna, which stands at its head. It is 40 miles in length by 20 at its broadest part, and contains several islands and affords good anchor- age. SMYTH [SAMUEL] NEWMAN [PHILLIPS], an American clergyman and religious writer; born in Brunswick, Me., June 25, 1843; was graduated at Bowdoin College in 1863; served as lieu- tenant in 16th Maine regiment (1864- 1865) ; was graduated at Andover Theo- logical Seminary (1867) ; held pastorates at Providence, R. I., Bangor, Me., Quincy, 111., and New Haven, Conn. His publica- tions include : "Old Faiths in New Light." "The Orthodox Theology of To-day," "The "Morality of the Old Testament," "Per- sonal Creeds," "Christian Ethics," "The Religious Feeling," "The Reality of Faith," "The Place of Death in Evolu- tion," "Through Science to Faith," "Con- structive Natural Theology," etc. SNAIL, the common name of gastero- podous mollusks comprising the numer- ous family Helicidse. They feed chiefly on vegetable substances. The mischief which they do to garden crops is too well known. Snails delight in warm, moist weather; in dry weather, their chief time of activity is during the night, and they hide themselves by day; but after rain they come forth at any hour in quest of food. At the approach of winter or in very dry weather they close the mouth of the shell with a membrane (epiphragm), formed by the drying of the mucous sub- stance which they secrete, and become in- active and torpid. Snails retreat into crevices for the winter, or into holes which they made in the earth, and which are roofed over with earth, dead leaves, etc., agglutinated by secreted mucus. The great vine snail, or edible snail (Helix pomatia), a European species, was con- sidered by the ancient Romans one of their table luxuries. In some countries, as Switzerland and parts of France, they are cultivated for the table.
