Acre

[Gr. agros, a field.] A measure of land, the same in England and in the United States. Its dimensions may be readiest ascertained by remembering that a square with its side of 22 yards is the tenth part of an acre. The chain with which land is measured is 22 yards long, and 10 square chains are equal to one acre, or to 4,840 square yards. There are 640 acres in a square mile; thus: Acre Roods Perches Sq. yds. 14= 160 = 4,840 1 = 40 = 1,210 1 = 304 Acre, or St. Jean d'Acre, a seaport of Syria, for. merly called Ptolemais; on a promontory at the foot of Mount Carmel. Lat. 32° 55′ N., long. 35° 5 E. This town, capital of the pashalic of the same name, is famous for the memorable sieges it has sustained. It was taken by the first crusaders. in 1104, retaken by the Saracens in 1187, recovered by the Christians under Richard Cœur de Lion in 1191, and given to the knights of St John (in French, St. Jean) of Jerusalem, whence it re ceived the name of St. Jean d'Acre. In 1291 it again fell into the hands of the Saracens. Bonaparte attempted to storm this place in 1799, but retreated after a siege of 61 days. It was taken by Ibrahim Pacha in 1832, and again by the combined English and Austrian squadrons in 1840. Since then, Acre has been restored to the Turks. Acre has been celebrated from remote antiquity. Strabo calls it Ace . Pop . 5,000.