or CISTRUM, a kind of ancient musical instrument used by the priests of Isis and Osiris. It is described by Spon as of an oval form; in manner of a racket, with three sticks traversing it breadthwise, which playing freely by the agitation of the whole instrument, yielded a kind of sound which to them seemed melodious. Mr. Malcolm takes the sistrum to be no better than a kind of rattle. Osius observes, that the sistrum is found represented on several medals, and on talismans.

or **Cistrum**, an ancient Egyptian musical instrument of percussion. A similar instrument, consisting of moveable metal rods passing through holes in a metal plate, is used in modern military bands.

**SISTERS**, two small islands in the great southern ocean, lying in the strait between Van Dieman's Land and the south-west coast of New Holland.

**SISTERON**, an arrondissement of the department of the Lower Alps in France, 341½ square miles in extent. It is divided into five cantons, which are subdivided into fifty communes, containing in 1836, 26,643 inhabitants. The capital is the city of the same name. It stands on the river Durance, where the Baech falls into that stream, at the foot of a rock on which is an ancient castle commanding a fine prospect. It is well built, and has a cathedral with a fine altar-piece. In 1836, it contained about 4546 inhabitants, who deal largely in wool, and cultivate almonds very extensively. Lat. 44° 11' N., Long. 5° 51' E.

**Sisyphus**, in fabulous history, one of the descendants of Eolus, married Merope; one of the Pleiades, who bore him Glaucus. He resided at Epyra in Peloponnesus, and was a very crafty man. Others say, that he was a Trojan secretary, who was punished for discovering secrets of state; and others, that he was a notorious robber, who was killed by Theseus. All the poets, however, agree that he was punished in Tartarus for his crimes, by rolling a great stone to the top of a hill, which constantly recoiled, and rolling down incessantly, renewed his labour.

**Sitang**, a large river of the Birman empire, province of Pegu, which rises in a range of mountains about the 20th degree of north latitude, and passing the ancient city of Pegu, falls into the gulf of Martaban.

**Sitar**, an Indian musical instrument resembling the European guitar. Some writers maintain that the guitar, the lute, the violin, &c., are all of oriental origin. The Indian sarinjee is similar to the European violin.

**Sitophylax**, Σιτοφύλαξ, formed from σῖτος, corn, and φύλαξ, keeper in antiquity, an Athenian magistrate, who had the superintendence of the corn, and was to take care that nobody bought more than was necessary for the provision of his family. By the Attic laws, particular persons were prohibited from buying more than fifty measures of wheat a man; and that such persons might not purchase more, the sitophylax was appointed to see the laws properly executed. It was a capital crime to prevaricate in it. There were fifteen of these sitophylaces, ten for the city, and five for the Piraeus.

**Sittingbourne**, a town in the hundred of Milton, in the lathe of Scray, in the county of Kent, forty miles from London. It depends chiefly on the trade arising from its being on the great road from London to Dover. The inhabitants were in 1801, 1347; in 1811, 1362; in 1821, 1537; and in 1831, 2182.

**Sittivacca**, a small town in the island of Ceylon. It is separated from the king of Candy's country by a large branch of the Malivaddy river. Long. 80° 13' E., Lat. 7° 2' N.

**Situs**, in Algebra and Geometry, denotes the situation of lines, surfaces, and the like. Worlins delivers some things in geometry, which are not deduced from common analysis, particularly matters depending on the situs of lines and figures. Leibnitz has even founded a particular kind of analysis upon it, called calculus situs.

**Siut**, or **Stout**, a large town of Upper Egypt, situated on the western bank of the Nile, about half a mile from the river, with which it communicates by a canal, crossed by a bridge of three arches. The inhabitants are chiefly Copis, who are extensively employed in the manufacture of blue cloth, with which they carry on a considerable trade, and likewise in earthenware, natron, and opium. The surrounding country is very fertile, producing abundance of fruits; great quantities of wheat, barley, dhourra, and hemp, are likewise raised. Siut is the rendezvous of the caravans which proceed from Egypt southwards into the interior of Africa, to Sennaar and Darfur, from which countries they bring slaves and gold. This town is supposed to be the ancient Lycopolis; but the only remarkable antiquity which it presents, consists in the excavations made in the neighbouring mountains. These are numerous, consisting of chambers, many of which are thirty feet in height, covered with hieroglyphics, and exhibiting symbolical figures. They were most probably formed for sepulchral purposes. The town is large and populous, and the extensive district attached is likewise thickly inhabited. The united population amounts to 200,000. The taxes are reckoned at L40,000. Lat. 27° 13' N., Long. 31° 13' E.

**Siva**, a name given by the Hindus to the Supreme Being, when considered as the avenger or destroyer. Sir William Jones has shown that in several respects the character of Jupiter and Siva are the same. As Jupiter overthrew the Titans and giants, so did Siva overthrow the Daityas, or children of Diti, who frequently rebelled against heaven; and as during the contest the god of Olympus was furnished with lightning and thunderbolts by an eagle, so Brahma, who is sometimes represented riding on the Garuda, or eagle, presented the god of destruction with fiery shafts. Siva also corresponds with the Stygian Jove, or Pluto; for, if we can rely on the Persian translation of the Bhagvat, the sovereign of Patála, or the infernal regions, is the king of serpents, named Seshanaga, who is exhibited in painting and sculpture, with a diadem and sceptre, in the same manner as Pluto. There is yet another attribute of Siva, or Mahádeva, by which he is visibly distinguished in the drawings and temples of Bengal. To destroy, according to the Vedantis of India, the Sufis of Persia, and many philosophers of our European schools, is only to generate and reproduce in another form. Hence the god of destruction is helden in this country to preside over generation, as a symbol of which he rides on a white bull. Can we doubt that the loves and feats of Jupiter Genitor, not forgetting the white bull of Europa, and his extraordinary title of Lapis, for which no satisfactory reason is commonly given, have a connection with the Indian philosophy and mythology?

**Sivana Samudra**, an island formed by the river Cavery, in the province of north Coimbatore, about nine miles in length, by one in breadth. It is remarkable for an uncommon grand cataract near it; and it communicates with the continent by a bridge formerly magnificent, and three hundred yards in length, but is now in ruins.

**Siwah**, a considerable oasis of the Lybian desert, on the route from Egypt to Fezzan, and the most interesting island of the waste, as being the supposed site of the temple of Jupiter Ammon. It is situated in latitude 29° 12' north, and longitude 26° 5' east. Horneman represents it as fifty miles in circumference; but subsequent travellers have reduced its dimensions to about one half of that. The nearest distance from the river does not exceed 120 miles. Date trees cover a large portion of the soil, which is extremely fertile; but the palm, pomegranate, olive, vine, fig, apricot, plum, and even apple, flourish in the gardens. Tepid saline springs are numerous throughout the district; and shocks of earthquakes are here frequently felt. The town of Siwah is built upon a steep conical rock, and both in external aspect and internal arrangement, presents a striking and singular appearance. The streets are narrow, crooked, and so dark, that artificial light is required at noon-day. Each house has several floors, the upper communicating with the The houses and walls are for the most part built of natron or mineral soda, and rock salt mixed with sand, coated with a gypseous earth, which preserves the salt from melting. The total population of the town is from 2000 to 2500; that of the whole oasis is supposed to amount to 8000 souls.

The great object of interest connected with this place, is, as we have said, the ruins of what is conjectured to have been the famous temple of Ammon. They are situated a league and a half east of the town, and are called by the natives Om Beydeh. The edifice has been built in the Egyptian style of architecture. The vestiges of a triple enclosure, enormous stones lying on the ground, and masses still standing, prove it to have been a monument of the first order. The part which is in tolerable preservation is thirty feet in length, and consists of part of a gateway and two great walls, which are covered with three immense stones, measuring thirty-four feet by twenty-seven. The only apartment which has been distinctly made out is 112 feet in length; the whole area of ruins being a rectangular space about 360 feet by 300. The decorations are observed to bear the closest resemblance to those of the Egyptian monuments; the figures, scenes, and arrangements being entirely the same. Here are seen the identical style, cast of countenance, costumes and sacrifices, as in the monuments of Thebaid. Here is the god with the ram's head, priests in long procession, multitudes of hieroglyphic tables, and at the entrance is sculptured in full relief the figure of Typhon, or the evil genius, about five feet in height. Nearly a mile from these ruins is situated the fountain of the sun, dedicated of old to the Ammonian deity. It is a small marsh rather than a well, extending about ninety feet in length by sixty in breadth, but is at the same time perfectly transparent. The diurnal change of temperature recorded by the father of history is quite perceptible. A temple stands near this spring, and there are other temples and lakes extending in succession towards the west. Major Rennel has employed much learning to prove that Siwah is the site of the famous temple of Ammon, and with considerable success. See his work, *The Geographical System of Herodotus Examined and Explained*, &c., vol. ii. p. 230.