id="n_3">
3
prairie – a level treeless land covered with grass
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the Leona – the river in Texas, USA
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serape – a bright, coloured Mexican shawl or plaid
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cicada – a flying insect which produces a shrill sound in hot, dry weather
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nimbus – a light or golden circle round the saint’s head; a rain cloud
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azure – (
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centaurean – from
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San Antonio de Bejar – the city in south-central Texas; it was founded by the Spanish expedition from Mexico in 1718
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Osnaburgh – a linen cloth of a certain trademark
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Pittsburgh – the city in Pennsylvania on the Monongahela River; the first settlement was founded in 1758
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Kentucky – the state in the south of the United States (104,664 square kilometres); it was admitted as the 15th state in 1792
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Jehu – the King of Israel (842–815 BC) who was a great chariot driver
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Indianola – the city in central Iowa founded in 1849; there used to be a town of the same name in Texas
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the Gulf of Matagorda – the Bay of Matagorda, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico in southern Texas
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en route – on the way to/from (
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cortège – a procession (
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nankin – a kind of rich cloth
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A Leghorn hat is a hat made of straw imported from Livorno, a town in Italy
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A Panama hat is a light hat made of plaited palm leaves; the name comes from
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entourage – people accompanying a respected or high-ranking person
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carriole – a light, covered carriage drawn by one horse
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a Jersey wagon – a light two-wheeled carriage
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a barouche – a four-wheeled carriage for four passengers and the driver, with two seats facing each other
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the Mississippi – the largest river in North America; it flows south to the Gulf of Mexico. Together with its tributary, the Missouri River, the Mississippi is the longest river in the world
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Louisiana – the US state (123,366 square kilometres) admitted to the union in 1812 as the 18th member; it borders Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas
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a Creole – in the old French or Spanish states in the south of the USA, a person of pure European or mixed European origin; descendants of the French and Spanish settlers
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penates – home, household; in Roman mythology, Penates were household gods who protected the house
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Erebus – in Greek mythology, Erebus (Darkness) is the offspring of Chaos (the Greek for
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gramineae – grass
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algarobias – a kind of wood species
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mezquites – a name of a bush with thorns
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Fort Inge – a settlement built in 1849 on the eastern bank of the Leona River, 135 kilometres south-west of San Antonio
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lazo – lasso – a long rope used for catching horses and cattle
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ranchero – rancher (
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calzoneros – trousers (
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calzoncillos – men’s underwear (
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botas – boots (
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Moorish – related to the Moors, a population of medieval Spain and Portugal of Moroccan, Algerian or Berber origin; the Moorish style is typical for architecture and decorative art of medieval Spain
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the Conquistadores – participants of the Spanish conquest of America in the 16th century
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cavallero – a nobleman; originally: a cavalry man, a military man on horseback
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mustangs – North American wild horses; they descended from Spanish horses brought to America in the 16th century. Tamed mustangs are known for their speed and strength
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a Jack – a common man, a plebeian
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a tête-à-tête – a private meeting of two persons
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piccaninny – (US) a small child; an African baby
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Lucifer – in Greek and Roman mythology, the Lightbearer – the morning star, symbol of dawn; in Christianity, the name of Satan before his fall
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Tartarus – in Greek mythology, the deepest part of the underworld
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Pluto – in Greek mythology and religion, the son of Cronus, and brother of Zeus; he ruled the underworld, the dark land of the dead
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Proserpine or Persephone – in Greek mythology and religion, the wife of Pluto, king of the underworld
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hullabalooing – making a lot of noise about smth; expressing excitement
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ambuscade = ambush – an unexpected attack from a hidden place
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lorgnette = binoculars, field-glasses (
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ghouls – in Arabic folklore, demonic spirits who inhabit cemeteries and deserted places
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ogres – in fairy-tales, giants eating human beings
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Titans – in Greek mythology, the children of Uranius (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth)
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Bacchus – in Greek mythology and religion, the god of vegetation, better known as the god of wine and ecstasy; in Roman mythology this god is known as Dionysus
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musketry – from