FOCHABERS

fochabers, a burgh of barony and village of elginshire, scotland. pop. (1901) 981. it is delightfully situated on the spey, about 9 m. e. by s. of elgin, the terminus of a branch of the highland railway connecting at orbliston junction with the main line from elgin to keith. the town was rebuilt in its present situation at the end of the 18th century, when its earlier site was required for alterations in the grounds of gordon castle, in which the old town cross still stands. the streets all lead at right angles to the central square, where fairs and markets are held. the public buildings include a library and reading-room, the court-house and the milne school, named after alexander milne, who endowed it with a legacy of l20,000. adjoining the town, surrounded by a park containing many magnificent old trees, stands gordon castle, the chief seat of the duke of richmond and gordon, erected in the 18th century. the antiquary george chalmers (1742-1825) and the composer william marshall (1748-1833) were natives of the burgh. focshani (rumanian _focsani_, sometimes incorrectly written _fokshani_ or _fokshan_), the capital of the department of putna, rumania; on the river milcov, which formed the ancient frontier of the former principalities of moldavia and walachia. pop. (1900) 23,783; of whom 6000 were jews. the chief buildings are the prefecture, schools, synagogues, and many churches, including those of the armenians and protestants. focshani is a commercial centre of some importance, the chief industries being oil and soap manufacture and tannery. a large wine trade is also carried on, and corn is shipped in lighters to galatz. the annual fair is held on the 29th of april. government explorations in the vicinity of this town show it to be rich in minerals, such as iron, copper, coal and petroleum. the line focshani-galatz is covered by a very strong line of fortifications, known as the sereth line. a congress between russian and turkish diplomatists was held near the town in 1772. in the neighbourhood the turks suffered a severe defeat from the austrians and russians in 1789. focus (latin for "hearth" or "fireplace"), a point at which converging rays meet, toward which they are directed, or from which diverging rays are directed; in the latter case called the virtual focus (see microscope; telescope; lens). in geometry the word is used to denote certain points (see geometry; conic section; and perspective).