HIBERNIA. 53 first to eat food from the point of a sword. The most important of all classical authorities on Hibernia is Ptolemy. «ho describes the country, and gives the names of the principal rivers, prom- ontories, seaports, and inland towns. The island was never conquered by the Romans. See Ike- I.AM). HIBERNIANS, Ancient Obueb ok. A prom- inent Catholic Irish orj^anization. The society was instituted ^^originaUy for the protection of the Catholic priesthood and religion in Ireland, but it has now as its main object "the advance- ment of the principles of Irish nationality.' Ac- ocjrding to some authorities the order was fir.st instituted in lG4i, following the great uprising in the north ; according to others, in 1651, when Cromwell had |)r(>claimed nearly the whole native population outlawed, and had put a price upon the head of every priest and made it death to attend a Catholic service. The founder was Kory Og O'Moo. and the society was at first known as The Defenders. On the establishment of Catholic emancipation, in 1829, the society was reorganized under its present name as a beneficial and nationalist organization. It was soon after- wards extended to England and Scotland and was introduced into the United States in 18.36. Its membership is restricted to persons of Irish birth or descent and of Catholic faith. Military drill is a prominent feature in some of the branches. The order is an active supporter of the present Gaelic movement (see Gaelic I.E.GrE). having endowed a Celtic chair at the Catholic L niversity of America, and contributed generously toward the supimrt of Gaelic organ- izers in Ireland. The latest report shows that, including the ladies' auxiliary, the . American branch had a membership of 1,50,000. and dis- bursed annually nearly .$1,000,000 in benefits. This branch is closely afliliated with the parent body in Ireland, as well as with those in England. Scotland. Australia, and other parts of the world. HIBER'NICISM. A temi used to denote an Irish bull. i.e. a .sentence expressing ideas that a moment's thought would show to be incompatible and absurd. A famous bull was made, it is said, by Sir Richard Steele when inviting a certain lord to visit him: "If, sir. you ever come within a mile of my house. I trust you will stop." Cur- ran also use 1 to relate a fine specimen: He started one day to attend a levee at the castle in Dublin. There was a long line of carriages, and he was suddenly startled by the pole of the carriage behind crashing into the back of his own carriage. He hastily called to his coach- man to stop, saying. "'. he pole of the carriage in the rear is driven into ours." "And, sure, it's all right again, thin, your honor," cried Vat. "for I've just drove me pole into the carriage in front." Ricliarc: and Maria Edge- worth wrote a learned treatise entitle . .l» Esxrni oil Irish Riilh (IS02): and Maria Edgeworth's Cnxfle Rnrkrnit (ISOO) is full of the most de- li'.'htful blunders in speech, HIBIS'CTTS (Lat.. from Gk. Wlaxot, hihis- los. mallow). A genus of plants of the natural order MalvacciP. the numerous species of which are shrubs or trees, but mostly large herbaceous an- nuals and perennials, natives of warm climates. The flowers of many are very beautifil. Hlhiseiis apriacus. a native of Syria and Carniola. ha"! long I)een in cultivation as an ornamental shrub HIBISCUS. and has proved hardy in Great Britain and parts of the Inited States. Some are favorite hot- house plants. The characteristic mucilaginous and fibrous properties of the Malvacea are very strongly developed in this genus. Hibiscus ahe'l- nioschus so abounds in mucilage that it is much used in the northwest of India for clarifying sugar. The unripe fruit of Hibiscus esculentus, an annual plant with a .soft herbaceous stem three to five feet high, crenate leaves, axillary sulphur-colored (lowers, and pyramidal, some- what pod-lik<- capsules, is in general use both in the East and West Indies for thickening soups,, and otherwise as an article of food. It is called okra, giimbo, gombo, gobbo. and ochro in the West Indies and .Southern I'nited States: bandikai. ram-turai, and denroos in diflferent parts of India; and bammia in the west of .Africa. The bark of Hibiscus tiliaceus, a tree twenty feet high with a verv thick bole, abounds HIBISCL'S evBL&cua. in mucilage and is chewed by natives of the South Sea Islands when food is scarce. This tree. the bola of Bengal, and the moho. majagiia. or mohaunt of the West Indies, is one of the most abundant trees of the South Sea Islands; and the wood, which is light, tough, and durable, is much used for many ])urposes. The very i)orous bark is made into cordage and matting in various tropi- cal countries. Many other species yield fibres, some of them coarse, others fine and beautiful, which are used in different countries : but the most important in this respect is Hibiscus can- iKibiiius. the .mbaree hemp, and Deccan hemp of Western India, called palungoo at Madras. an<l roesta pat in Bengal ; a plant very generally cultivated in all parts of India, although no- where to a great extent. It is an annual herb with a straight, unbranched stem, three to seven feet high. The fibre is not so strong as hemp, and is useful only for ropes and coarse fabrics. It has lieen suggested that many species of Hibis- cus might be found valuable for the manufacture of paper. Hibiscus snbdnriffn. .Tamaica sorrel or roselle. is very generally cultivated in warm countries, on account of its calyx, which, as the fruit ripens, becomes fleshy, and acquires a very pleasant acidity. It is much used for making tarts and jelly, and a decoction of it, sweetened and fermented, affords a refreshing beverage. Hibiscus abelmosclius. sometimes called musk- mallow, another plant common in widely scat- tered tropical countries, is cultivated for ita seeds, called ambrette, or graiiies d'ambreltc.
