in ancient writers, and those of the middle ages, is used to denote a cottage or house.

Casa, Santa, denotes the chapel of the holy virgin at Loreto. The Santa Casa is properly the house or rather chamber in which the blessed virgin is said to have been born, where she was betrothed to her spouse Joseph, where the angel saluted her, where the Holy Ghost overshadowed her, and where, by consequence, the Son of God was conceived or incarnated. Of this building the Catholics relate many wonderful legends, better calculated to exercise faith than to produce conviction.

Casa Grande, a town of Mexico, in the province of Sonora, situated on the Rio Gila. Here there is still in existence an immense edifice, supposed to have been reared by the ancient Mexicans. It consists of three floors, with a terrace above them. There is no entrance to the under floor; and hence, access being only obtained by means of a scaling ladder, it is supposed that the building was designed for a fortress. Long. 113. 23. E. Lat. 33. 40. N.