IIAMI, or KOMUL, a t. in central Asia, on the s. slope of the Thian-Shan moun tains and the n. verge of the Gobi desert, 48' n., and 98° 28' e., 3,150 ft. above tide. The town is first mentioned in Chinese history in the 1st c., under the name Iwu-lu, and said to be situated 1000 lis li is one third of a mile) n. of the fortress Yu-men kaun, and to be the key to the western countries. This evidently referred to its advan tageous position, lying as it did in a fertile tract, at the point of convergence of, two main routes running n. and s. of the Thian-Shan, and connecting China with -the west. It was taken by the Chinese in 73 A.D. from the Hiungnu (the ancient inhabitants of Mongolia), and made a military station. It next fell into the hands of the Uigurs, or eastern Turks, who made it one of their chief towns and held it for several centuries, and whose descendants are said to live there now. From the 7th to the 11th c., is said to have borne the name of Igu, or I-chu, under the former of which names it is spoken of by the Chinese pilgrim Hwen-Thsang, who passed through it in the 7th century. The name Hami is first met with in the Chinese or History of the Mongol Dynasty. but the name more generally used there is Homi-li or Kom-li. Marco Polo, describing it apparently from hearsay, calls it Camul, and speaks of it as a fruit ful place, inhabited by a Buddhist people of idolatrous and wanton habits. Owing to its commanding position on the principal route to the west, and its exceptional fertil ity, it has very frequently changed hands in the wars between China and her western neighbors. As regards the latter quality, it is even now said to yield rice, melons, oranges, and grapes of notable excellence, while, with respect to the former, baron F. Von Riebthofen states that the route from Hsi-ngan-fu past Hami to Kuldja, is by far the best and, indeed the only natural line for a railway from China to Hami. The Rus sian officer Sosnofski entered it in the autumn of 1875, after eight days' journey across the Gobi steppe lying to the south. He speaks of it as an important mart, whither wool from Turfan and Turkistan goods are brought to be exchanged for the products of cen tral China. The Mohammedan population consists of finmi„grants from Jitishahr (or Kasligaria) Bokhara, and Samarcand, and descendants of the Uigurs. [Engle. Brit., 9th edition.] HAMIL'CAIt was a name borne by several distinguished Carthaginians, the most cele brated of whom were-1. The commander of the great Sicilian expedition, 480 n.c.; 2. One of the commanders of a Carthaginian army, defeated by Timoleon, the Corin thian general, at the Crimissus, 339 B.C.; 3. (surnamed Rhodanus) The ambassador to Alexander the great after the fall of Tyre; 4. The governor of Sicily, 317 B.C.; 5. The son of Gisco, who succeeded the preceding, and carried on military operations against the Syracusans and other states with great success, but was at length taken prisoner, and put to death; 6. A commander during the first Punic war, who was very successful
against the Romans by land in Sicily, but was afterwards defeated in a sea-fight off Ecno mus, and was thereafter recalled to Africa to oppose Regulus.
But the greatest of all was Hamilcar, surnamed .Barea or Barak, i.e. , "lightning." While very young, he was appointed to the command of the Carthaginian forces in Sicily, in 247 B.C., at which time the Romans had possession of almost all the island. Hamilcar's first care was to discipline his infantry thoroughly; he then established him self on Mt. Erete (now Pellegrino, near Palermo), and from this point made pillaging excursions in all directions, sending his privateers along the coast of Italy as far n. as Curare, thus obtaining abundant supplies for his troops. From this position the Romans endeavored to dislodge him, but in vain. After three years, he left Ercte; and estab lished himself on Mt. Eryx, keeping up his communication with Drepanum, and the sea, where the same tactics were repeated on both sides, and with the same want of success on the part of the Romans. But the Carthaginian admiral having been totally defeated off the Aegates islands, 241 B.C., Hamilcar was compelled to abandon his fort ress, and evacuate Sicily. While Hamilcar was engaged in Sicily, he had made large promises to his mercenary troops, which lie was unable to perform; they revolted in consequence, and were joined by some of the African tribes. Hamm endeavored to suppress the revolt, but failed; Hamilcar was accordingly appointed to the command, and succeeded in utterly defeating the rebels, capturing all their towns, and putting to death their leaders. Hamilcar was next appointed commander-in-chief of the Cartha genian army, and was engaged for some time in wars with the neighboring tribes, which were abruptly ended by Hamilcar's entering upon his Spanish campaign in (probably) 236 n.c. His great aim was to found a new empire in Spain,sfrom which, as his basis, he might assail frlaLRprottus..?LoSuch•a kingdom he saw would increase the power and wealth of his native country, and atone to her for the loss of Sicily and Sardinia. This his great purpose Hasdruhal and Hannibal endeavored to accomplish. Ile marched westward, while the fleet under his son-in-law, Hasdrubal, cruised along the coast; be then crossed over the strait of Gibraltar, and made war on the natives of Spain, in the course of which he penetrated to the very heart of the country, subdued many tribes and cities, and amassed immense wealth. He spent nine years in Spain, and at length, in 228 met his death on the field of battle while fighting against the Vettones. llis military genius is considered scarcely inferior to that of his son Hannibal.