Factfinder’s crossword - The Scotsman 15/12/12

ACROSS

1 Scottish music hall entertainer (1870-1950), knighted in 1919 (5,6)

9 A west African antelope (5)

10 Wild Irish bandit, originally of the 17th century (8)

12 A rudimentary organ of vision (3-4)

13 Native American tribe in north-west USA, known as Children of the Sun (7)

14 Large city and seaport in southern Africa (pop about 600,000), founded in 1891 (5)

15 Australian city and port (pop about 300,000), with the largest coal exporting harbour in the world (9)

18 Banish from college for a time (9)

20 Customer who fails to leave a tip (coll) (5)

21 State in the US midwest, known as the Hoosier State (7)

24 City in northern Italy (pop about 200,000), with many important Roman buildings (7)

25 Any element of a group from atomic number 89 upwards (8)

26 The central cylinder in stems and roots of the higher plants (bot) (5)

27 Smugglers or illicit distillers of spirit (11)

DOWN

2 Roman general and politician (c63-12 BC), who defeated Mark Antony at Actium (31 BC) (7)

3 A fictitious land in south-east Europe, created by Anthony Hope (9)

4 A constellation in the southern hemisphere (5)

5 Galina __ (1910-98), the prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre (1944-60) (7)

6 Popular mountain resort in Bulgaria (pop about 6,000), north-west of Sliven (5)

7 Small town in the north-east, a royal burgh from 1341, once a centre for linen production (11)

8 Julio __ (c1943), Spanish singer who had a big hit with Begin the Beguine in 1981 (8)

11 Ross-shire-born Labour politician (1886-1950), who was prime minister of New Zealand (1940-49) (5,6)

16 German state capital (pop about 300,000), an important spa and conference centre (9)

17 A birdwatcher (coll) (8)

19 Citizen of country in south-west Asia (636,539 sq miles; pop about 78 million), a major oil producer (7)

20 Edmund __ (c1552-1599), London-born poet who wrote The Faerie Queene (7)

22 A quick look or glance (coll) (5)

23 The alchemists’ name for mercury (5)

Last week’s solution:

Across: 1 John Barleycorn, 9 Pegasus, 10 Moselle, 11 Norwegians, 12 Keys, 14 Schlep, 14 Moraceae, 17 Mandrill, 19 Groats, 22 Dane, 23 Guatemalan, 25 Aniseed, 26 Pink-eye, 27 Lesser Antilles.

Down: 1 Japanese medlar, 2 Hogarth, 3 Basseterre, 4 Ruskin, 5 Edmonton, 6 Cash, 7 Relieve, 8 Meistersingers, 13 Barramundi, 16 Flounder, 18 Nandine, 20 Allheal, 21 Step in, 24 Rees.