of the emperor Frederick II. in 1226 (see Lübeck), and it was early admitted to the Hanseatic League. In 1454 the town repudiated the overlordship of the Teutonic Order, and placed itself under the protection of the king of Poland, becoming the seat of a Polish voivode. From this event dates a decline in its prosperity, a decline hastened by the wars of the early 18th century. In 1698, and again in 1703, it was seized by the elector of Brandenburg as security for a debt due to him by the Polish king. It was taken and held to ransom by Charles XII. of Sweden, and in 1710 was captured by the Russians. In 1772, when it fell to Prussia through the first partition of Poland, it was utterly decayed.
See Fuchs, Gesch. der Stadt Elbing (Elbing, 1818–1852); Rhode, Der Elbinger Kreis in topographischer, historischer, und statistischer Hinsicht (Danzig, 1871); Wernick, Elbing (Elbing, 1888).
ELBOW, in anatomy, the articulation of the humerus, the bone
of the upper arm, and the ulna and radius, the bones of the forearm
(see Joints). The word is thus applied to things which are
like this joint in shape, such as a sharp bend of a stream or river,
an angle in a tube, &c. The word is derived from the O. Eng.
elnboga, a combination of eln, the forearm, and boga, a bow or
bend. This combination is common to many Teutonic languages,
cf. Ger. Ellbogen. Eln still survives in the name of a linear
measure, the “ell,” and is derived from the O. Teut. alina,
cognate with Lat. ulna and Gr. ὠλένη, the forearm. The use of
the arm as a measure of length is illustrated by the uses of ulna,
in Latin, cubit, and fathom.
ELBURZ, or Alburz (from O. Pers. Hara-bere-zaiti, the
“High Mountain”), a great chain of mountains in northern
Persia, separating the Caspian depression from the Persian
highlands, and extending without any break for 650 m. from the
western shore of the Caspian Sea to north-eastern Khorasan.
According to the direction, or strike, of its principal ranges the
Elburz may be divided into three sections: the first 120 m. in
length with a direction nearly N. to S., the second 240 m. in length
with a direction N.W. to S.E., and the third 290 m. in length striking
S.W. to N.E. The first section, which is connected with the
system of the Caucasus, and begins west of Lenkoran in 39° N. and
45° E., is known as the Talish range and has several peaks 9000 to
10,000 ft. in height. It runs almost parallel to the western shore
of the Caspian, and west of Astara is only 10 or 12 m. distant from
the sea. At the point west of Resht, where the direction of the
principal range changes to one of N.W. to S.E., the second section
of the Elburz begins, and extends from there to beyond Mount
Demavend, east of Teheran. South of Resht this section is broken
through at almost a right angle by the Safid Rud (White river), and
along it runs the principal commercial road between the Caspian
and inner Persia, Resht-Kazvin-Teheran. The Elburz then
splits into three principal ranges running parallel to one another
and connected at many places by secondary ranges and spurs.
Many peaks of the ranges in this section have an altitude of
11,000 to 13,000 ft., and the elevation of the passes leading over
the ranges varies between 7000 and 10,000 ft. The highest peaks
are situated in the still unexplored district of Talikan, N.W. of
Teheran, and thence eastwards to beyond Mount Demavend.
The part of the Elburz immediately north of Teheran is known as
the Kuh i Shimran (mountain of Shimran, from the name of the
Shimran district on its southern slopes) and culminates in the
Sar i Tochal (12,600 ft.). Beyond it, and between the border of
Talikan in the N.W. and Mount Demavend in the N.E., are the
ranges Azadbur, Kasil, Kachang, Kendevan, Shahzad, Varzeh,
Derbend i Sar and others, with elevations of 12,000 to 13,500 ft.,
while Demavend towers above them all with its altitude of
19,400 ft. The eastern foot of Demavend is washed by the river
Herhaz (called Lar river in its upper course), which there breaks
through the Elburz in a S.-N. direction in its course to the Caspian,
past the city of Amol. The third section of the Elburz, with its
principal ranges striking S.W. to N.E., has a length of about 290
m., and ends some distance beyond Bujnurd in northern Khorasan,
where it joins the Ala Dagh range, which has a direction to
the S.E., and, continuing with various appellations to northern
Afghanistan, unites with the Paropamisus. For about two-thirds
of its length—from its beginning to Khush Yailak—the
third section consists of three principal ranges connected by
lateral ranges and spurs. It also has many peaks over 10,000 ft.
in height, and the Nizva mountain on the southern border of the
unexplored district of Hazarjirib, north of Semnan, and the
Shahkuh, between Shahrud and Astarabad, have an elevation
exceeding 13,000 ft. Beyond Khush Yailak (meaning “pleasant
summer quarters”), with an elevation of 10,000 ft., are the
Kuh i Buhar (8000) and Kuh i Suluk (8000), which latter joins
the Ala Dagh (11,000).
The northern slopes of the Elburz and the lowlands which lie between them and the Caspian, and together form the provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran and Astarabad, are covered with dense forest and traversed by hundreds (Persian writers say 1362) of perennial rivers and streams. The breadth of the lowlands between the foot of the hills and the sea is from 2 to 25 m., the greatest breadth being in the meridian of Resht in Gilan, and in the districts of Amol, Sari and Barfurush in Mazandaran. The inner slopes and ranges of the Elburz south of the principal watershed, generally the central one of the three principal ranges which are outside of the fertilizing influence of the moisture brought from the sea, have little or no natural vegetation, and those farthest south are, excepting a few stunted cypresses, completely arid and bare.
“North of the principal watershed forest trees and general verdure refresh the eye. Gurgling water, strips of sward and tall forest trees, backed by green hills, make a scene completely unlike the usual monotony of Persian landscape. The forest scenery much resembles that of England, with fine oaks and greensward. South of the watershed the whole aspect of the landscape is as hideous and disappointing as scenery in Afghanistan. Ridge after ridge of bare hill and curtain behind curtain of serrated mountain, certainly sometimes of charming greys and blues, but still all bare and naked, rugged and arid” (“Beresford Lovett, Proc. R.G.S., Feb. 1883).
The higher ranges of the Elburz are snow-capped for the greater part of the year, and some, which are not exposed to the refracted heat from the arid districts of inner Persia, are rarely without snow. Water is plentiful in the Elburz, and situated in well-watered valleys and gorges are innumerable flourishing villages, embosomed in gardens and orchards, with extensive cultivated fields and meadows, and at higher altitudes small plateaus, under snow until March or April, afford cool camping grounds to the nomads of the plains, and luxuriant grazing to their sheep and cattle during the summer. (A. H.-S.)
ELCHE, a town of eastern Spain, in the province of Alicante,
on the river Vinalapo. Pop. (1900) 27,308. Elche is the meeting-place
of three railways, from Novelda, Alicante and Murcia.
It contains no building of high architectural merit, except,
perhaps, the collegiate church of Santa Maria, with its lofty
blue-tiled dome and fine west doorway. But the costume and
physiognomy of the inhabitants, the narrow streets and flat-roofed,
whitewashed houses, and more than all, the thousands
of palm-trees in its gardens and fields, give the place a strikingly
Oriental aspect, and render it unique among the cities of Spain.
The cultivation of the palm is indeed the principal occupation;
and though the dates are inferior to those of the Barbary States,
upwards of 22,500 tons are annually exported. The blanched
fronds are also sold in large quantities for the processions of
Palm Sunday, and after they have received the blessing of the
priest they are regarded throughout Spain as certain defences
against lightning. Other thriving local industries include the
manufacture of oil, soap, flour, leather, alcohol and esparto
grass rugs. The harbour of Elche is Santa Pola (pop. 4100),
situated 6 m. E.S.E., where the Vinalapo enters the Mediterranean,
after forming the wide lagoon known as the Albufera de Elche.
Elche is usually identified with the Iberian Helike, afterwards the Roman colony of Ilici or Illici. From the 8th century to the 13th it was held by the Moors, who finally failed to recapture it from the Spaniards in 1332.
ELCHINGEN, a village of Germany, in the kingdom of Bavaria, not far from the Danube, 5 m. N.E. from Ulm. Here, on the 14th of October 1805, the Austrians under Laudon were
