MAHLMANN. 701 MAHXMANN, mul'nuiii, Siegfried August (1771-1826). A German poet, born and educated at Leipzig. He traveled as tutor until 1798; be- came editor of the Zeitung fiir die elegante n'elt (1805), and of the Leipziger Zeitung (1810); wrote clever burlesques, including Herodes vor Bethhhem (1803), a satire on Kotzebue's Bus- siten vor Xaumburg, and Marionetlentheater (1806). His best known productions are his lyrics, of which some are still popular in Ger- many. Mahlmann's Erzahlungen und Miirchen were published in 1802, and his collected works in lS.j;)-4il. MAHLSTICK, mal'stlk (Ger. Malilstock, Ualstock, painting-stick, from malen, to paint + Stock, stick), or Rest-Stick. A round staff, from throe to four feet long, tapering toward one end. which terminates in a small ball, sometimes covered with buckskin to prevent injury to the picture against which it rests. The mahlstiek is held in the painter's left hand, to support the right hand, with which he holds his brush when painting. It was formerly more generally used than at present, as it is now thought to restrict the freedom of touch in painting. MA^LY, ma'le, .Jakob (1828-1902). A Swiss classical philologist and poet, born at Basel. He studied at Basel and Gottingen, and afterwards became docent and professor of classi- cal philologv' at the university of his native town. His works include: Sebastian Castellio (1862); Angelus Politianus (1864) : Geschichte der anti- ken Littrratur (18801 : Richard Bentley (1868) ; the epic poem ilathilde (1854); and excellent translations of Euripides, -Eschylus, and Plu- tarch. MAHMTJD, ma-mood'. Tlie name of two sul- tans of Turkey. JIahmud I. (1696-1754) was Sultan from 17.30 to 1754. His reign was of no especial importance. — ilAiiMUD II. (1758-18.39) wa.s Sultan from 1S08 to 1839. He was a younger son of Abd-ul-Hamid I., and on the deposition of his brother, JIustapha TV., by Bairaktar, Pasha of Rustchuk. was raised to the throne, August 1. 1808. Bairaktar became his Grand Vizier, and aided him in his attempts to reform the organi- zation of the Turkish army. The .Janizaries, emboldened by their successful opposition to the same attempt on the part of Selim III., rose in rebellion, and the murder of the Vizier put a stop for the time being to the carrying out of any military reforms, llahmud was also attacked by the rebels, but he secured his life and throne by the death of Mustapha, thus making himself the sole representative of the House of Osman. upon the continuance of which its followers believe the Empire to depend. The Ottoman Empire was in a critical condition, threatened by Russia', and by rebellious vassals within its own borders. After a conflict, which completely prostrated the strength of Turkey, peace was concluded with Russia in 1812 at Bucharest, the Russian fron- tier being advanced to the river Pruth. llahmud now applied himself to the promotion of radical reforms in all departments of the Government. All Pasha, the rebellious Pasha of .Tanina, was overthrown in 1822. Greece revolted in 1821, and its independence was secured by the battle of Navarino in 1827. but it was not recognized ■ as a separate kingdom by Turkey till April. 1830. During the progress of the Greek Revolution, Mahmud had been steadily though secretly ma- MAHOGANY. turing his plans of military reform, and in June, 1826, the success of his schemes was crowned by the '.destruction of the .Janizaries (q.v. ), after which the army was reorganized on the European model and military schools were established. The consequent confusion into which Turkey was thrown was immediately taken ad- vantage of by Russia for obtaining fresh con- cessions. Mahmud, however, despite these inter- ruptions, proceeded in those plans of reform which he judged essential to the stability of the Empire; and the disastrous termination of the war with Russia (1828-29) (see Adeiaxople) , far from interfering with his projects, only stimu- lated him to renewed e.vertion. Meanwhile the frequent unsuccessful wars, together with the disaffection manifested by the Christian popula- tion of Turkey, aroused in the mind of ilehemet Ali. Pasha of Egypt, the ho[)e of achieving his independence. (See ilEiiEMET All) The Egyp- tian army, under Ibrahim Pasha, overran Syria in 1831-32, and advanced through Asia Minor, winning a great victory at Konieh. The inter- vention of Russia compelled both parties to agree to a treaty (1833) which was satis- factorj' to neither, ilahmud, however, was forced to grant fresh concessions to the Czar, in return for the Russian aid, bv the Treaty of Inkiar-Skelessi. -July 8, 1833. He again pursued with undiminished vigor his reforms in the administration, the principal improve- ments being the modification and readjust- ment of the more oppressive ta.xes. and the grant- ing of increased privileges to foreign merchants. In 1839 he renewed the war with Mehemet Ali, but died on .July 1st, before he had heard of the decisive defeat of his army at Xizib, .June 24th. See Turkey. MAHMUD OF GHAZNI, giiz'ne. A Mo- hanmicdan ruler and conqueror. See Ghazsi- ides. MAHOGANY (from South American ma- liogoni, the native name). The timber of a num- ber of trees, the most highly esteemed being that of Swietenia Mahogani. a large tree of the natu- ral order Meliaceic. native of the West Indies. Central and tropical South America. The tree attains a height of 60 to 100 feet, and a diameter of 6 feet or more, but these dimensions are not common. The former supplies of Cuba. .Jamaica, and other islands of the West Indies are greatly reduced, and Central America furnishes the com- mercial demand. As occasional specimens the tree is met with in the extreme south of Florida, but not of a size or abundance to be of much economic value. The tree has compound leaves with usually four, sometimes three or five, pairs of leaflets, and panicles of small white or yel- lowish flowers that sometimes turn reddish. The wood is rich reddish brown, varying widely in its shades and markings and capable of receiving a high polish. The tree varies greatly in its rate of growth, being most rapid upon rich moi.st soils, but here the timber is frequently of coarser grain than when grown more slowly upon less fer- tile soils. The character of the timber produced in different countries varies. That from Santo Domingo (also known as Spanish mahogany) and Cuba is considered the best, and that from Honduras not so valuable, because it is less finely grained and marked. The cutting and removing of this timber to the coast for export gives em-
