Basaltic ColumnsBasaltic Columns, Fingal's Cave, Island of Staffa
Basalt(ba-sa¨lt´), a well-known igneous rock occurring in the ancient trap and the recent volcanic series of rocks, but more abundantly in the former. It is a fine-grained, heavy, crystalline rock, consisting of felspar, augite, andmagnetic iron, and sometimes contains a little olivine. Basalt is amorphous, columnar, tabular, or globular. The columnar form is straight or curved, perpendicular or inclined, sometimes nearly horizontal; the diameter of the columns from 3 to 18 inches, sometimes with transverse hemispherical joints, in which the convex part of one is inserted in the concavity of another; and the height from 5 to 150 feet. The forms of the columns generally are pentagonal, hexagonal, or octagonal. When decomposed it is found also in round masses, either spherical or compressed and lenticular. These rounded masses are sometimes composed of concentric layers, with a nucleus, and sometimes of prisms radiating from a centre. Fingal's Cave, in the Island of Staffa, furnishes a remarkable instance of basaltic columns. The pillars of the Giant's Causeway, Ireland, composed of this stone, and exposed to the roughest sea for ages, have their angles as perfect as those at a distance from the waves. Basalt often assumes curious and fantastic forms, as, for example, those masses popularly known as 'Samson's Ribs' at Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, and 'Lot' and 'Lot's Wife' near the south coast of St. Helena.
Baschi(ba˙s'kē), Matteo, an Italian Minorite friar of the convent of Montefalcone, founder and first general of the Capuchin branch of the Franciscans. He died at Venice, 1552.
Bas´cinet, orBas´net, a light helmet, sometimes with, but more frequently without, a visor, in general use for English infantry in the reigns of Edward II and III and Richard II.
Base, in architecture, that part of a column which is between the top of the pedestal and the bottom of the shaft; where there is no pedestal, the part between the bottom of the column and the pavement. The term is also applied to the lower projecting part of the wall of a room, consisting of a plinth and its mouldings.
Base, in chemistry, a term applied to those compound substances which unite with acids to form salts. The most important bases are oxides of metals, and when brought in contact with acids their oxygen combines with the hydrogen of the acid to form water. They are divided into several sections, of which the most important are the alkalies. These substances are the hydrates of the so-called alkaline metals, and may be compared to water in which part of the hydrogen is replaced by a metallic radicle. Potash, for instance, is the hydrate of the metal potassium. The alkalies are readily soluble in water, restore the blue colour to reddened litmus, and give a green with red cabbage, dahlia, and other vegetable blues, and convert the yellow of turmeric into a brownish red. Most of the bases, however, are insoluble in water, and without any effect on vegetable colours. SeeAlkali;Acids.
Base, a term in tactics, signifying the original line on which an offensive army forms; or any safe position from which an army takes the field to invade an enemy's country; upon which it depends for its supplies, reinforcements, &c.; to which it sends back its sick and wounded; and upon which it would generally fall back in case of reverse and retreat.
Base-ball, the national game of the United States of America. It holds the position there that is held by cricket in England. It is a scientific development of the old English game of 'rounders', and is played by nine players a side. A diamond-shaped space of ground, 90 feet on the side, is marked out, the corners being the 'bases'. One side takes the field and the other sends a man to bat. When the field side takes its place, the 'pitcher', standing inside the ground near the centre and in front of the batsman, delivers a ball to the batsman, who stands at the 'home base' within a certain marked space, and who tries to drive it out of the reach of the fielders, and far enough out of the field to enable him to run round the bases, which scores a run. If he cannot run round all, he may stop at any one, and may be followed by another batsman. If the ball is caught by an opponent before touching the ground when the batsman is running, or if he is touched by the ball, he is out (also in several other cases), and when three on his side are put out, the field side take the bat. Nine of these innings make a game, which the highest score wins. The bat is of a cylindrical shape, not more than 2½ inches in diameter nor more than 42 inches long. The ball is about 9 inches in circumference and weighs 5 - 5¼ oz. Base-ball is not a very old game, having attained its present position only since about 1845. Many professional players now engage in it. Attempts have been made to introduce it into Britain and Australia, but with little success.—Bibliography:Official Base-ball Guide, in the Spalding Athletic Library (annually); R. H. Barbour,The Book of School and College Sports; A. G. Spalding,America's National Game; W. J. Clarke and F. T. Dawson,Base-ball.
Basedow(bä'ze-dō), John Bernhard, German educationalist, born in Hamburg 1723, died in 1790. After having gained considerable experience as a teacher, especially at the gymnasium of Altona, he published a number of works dealing with mental and moral philosophy, the teaching of religion and morality, &c., some of which roused a great amount of discussion. His watchword was "Everything according to nature". In 1771 he was called to Dessau by Prince Leopold, and in 1774 took charge of aneducational institution in which his views were to receive practical exemplification. This institution, which he called thePhilanthropinum, was a school free from sectarian bias, and in which the pupils were to be disciplined in all studies—physical, intellectual, and moral. This school led to the establishment of some similar ones, though Basedow retired from it in 1776, not having been very successful in the practical working out of his theories. His place was taken by Joachim Heinrich Campe (1746-1818). He henceforth devoted himself to authorship, writing especially on religious subjects. The chief feature of Basedow's system is the full development of the faculties of the young, in pursuance of the notions of Locke and Rousseau. His name still lives in the history of education, and his efforts were not without result.—Bibliography: J. C. Meyer,Leben, Charakter und Schriften Basedows(2 vols., 1791-2); A. Pinloche,La Réforme de l'Education en Allemagne au dix-huitième Siècle; O. H. Lang,Basedow, His Life and Work.
Basel(bä'zl; Fr.Bâle), a canton and city of Switzerland. The canton borders on Alsace and Baden, has an area of 177 sq. miles, and a pop. of 222,000 (1916), nearly all speaking German. It is divided into two half-cantons, Basel city (Basel-Stadt) and Basel country (Basel-Land). The former consists of the city and its precincts, the remainder of the canton forming Basel-Land, the capital of which is Liestal. The whole canton belongs to the valley of the Rhine. The soil is generally well cultivated; and the climate in the low grounds allows of the cultivation of the vine and other fruits.—The city ofBaselis 43 milesN.of Bern, and consists of two parts on opposite sides of the Rhine, and communicating by three bridges, one of them an ancient wooden structure, besides a railway bridge. The older portions are irregularly built with narrow streets, and are now surrounded with pleasant promenades where the old fortifications existed. Basel has an ancient cathedral, founded 1010, containing the tombs of Erasmus and other eminent persons; the fine modern church of St. Elizabeth; town hall (1508); a university, founded by Pius II in 1460; a seminary for missionaries; a bible society; a museum containing the valuable public library, pictures, &c. The industries include silk ribbons (8000 hands), metal articles, tanning, paper, aniline dyes and other chemicals, brewing, &c.; and the position of Basel, a little below where the Rhine becomes navigable and at the terminus of the French and German railways, has made it the emporium of a most important trade. At Basel was signed the treaty of peace between France and Prussia, 5th April, and that between France and Spain, 22nd July, 1795. Pop. (with suburbs), 137,000 (latest estimate).
Basel, Council of, a celebrated œcumenical council of the Church, convoked by Pope Martin V and his successor Eugenius IV. It was opened 14th Dec., 1431, under the presidency of the Cardinal Legate Juliano Cesarini of St. Angelo. The objects of its deliberations were to extirpate heresies (that of the Hussites in particular), to unite all Christian nations under the Catholic Church, to put a stop to wars between Christian princes, and to reform the Church. But its first steps towards a peaceable reconciliation with the Hussites were displeasing to the Pope, who authorized the Cardinal Legate to dissolve the Council. That body opposed the pretensions of the Pope, and, notwithstanding his repeated orders to remove to Italy, continued its deliberations under the protection of the Emperor Sigismund, of the German princes, and of France. On the Pope continuing to issue bulls for its dissolution, the Council commenced a formal process against him, and cited him to appear at its bar. On his refusal to comply with this demand the Council declared him guilty of contumacy, and, after Eugenius had opened a counter-synod at Ferrara, decreed his suspension from the papal chair (24th Jan., 1438). The removal of Eugenius, however, seemed so impracticable that some prelates, who till then had been the boldest and most influential speakers in the Council, including the Cardinal Legate Juliano, left Basel, and went over to the party of Eugenius. The Archbishop of Arles, Cardinal Louis Allemand, was now made first President of the Council, and directed its proceedings with much vigour. In May, 1439, it declared Eugenius, on account of his disobedience of its decrees, a heretic, and formally deposed him. Excommunicated by Eugenius, they proceeded, in a regular conclave, to elect the Duke Amadeus of Savoy to the papal chair. Felix V—the name he adopted—was acknowledged by only a few princes, cities, and universities. After this the moral power of the Council declined; its last formal session was held 16th May, 1443, though it was not technically dissolved till 7th May, 1449, when it gave in its adhesion to Nicholas V, the successor of Eugenius. The decrees of the Council of Basel are admitted into none of the Roman collections, and are considered of no authority by the Roman lawyers. They are regarded, however, as of authority in points of canon law in France and Germany, as their regulations for the Reformation of the Church have been adopted in the pragmatic sanctions of both countries, and, as far as they regard clerical discipline, have been actually enforced.
Base-line, in surveying, a straight linemeasured with the utmost precision to form the starting-point of the triangulation of a country or district. SeeGeodesy.
Bash.SeeMining.
Ba´shan, the name in Scripture for a singularly rich tract of country lying beyond the Jordan between Mount Hermon and the land of Gilead. At the time of the Exodus it was inhabited by the Amorites, who were overpowered by the Israelites, and the land assigned to the half-tribe of Manasseh. The district was, and yet is, famous for its oak forests and its cattle. Remains of ancient cities are common.
Bashaw, orBasha. SeePasha.
Bashee´ Islands, a group of islands in the Chinese Sea between Luzon and Formosa, long. 122°E.; lat. 20° 28´ to 20° 55´N.They were discovered by Dampier in 1687, and belong to the United States. The largest island is Batan, with a population of 8000.
Bashi-Bazooks´, irregular troops in the Turkish army. They are mostly Asiatics, and have had to be disarmed several times by the regular troops on account of the barbarities by which they have rendered themselves infamous.
Bash´kirs, a tribe of Finno-Tartar origin, inhabiting the Russian governments of Ufa, Orenburg, Perm, and Samara. They formerly roamed about under their own princes in Southern Siberia, but in 1556 they voluntarily placed themselves under the Russian sceptre. They are nominally Mahommedans, and live by hunting, cattle-rearing, breeding of cattle and horses, and keeping of bees. They are rude and warlike and partially nomadic. They number about 1,000,000.—Cf. Ujfalvy,Les Bashkirs.
Bashkirtsev, Marie, Russian painter and authoress, born 1860, died 1884; educated mostly outside of Russia, in France, Germany, and Italy; became an accomplished linguist and musician, and studied art in Paris, attaining high success, but overtaxing her system, with fatal results. She is best known from her journal, an intimate personal record, interesting not only as revealing her own peculiar character and intellectual gifts, but also for notices of the notable personages with whom she came in contact. It has been translated into various languages—into English by Mathilde Blind (1890), who has also publishedA Study of Marie Bashkirtsev(1892). A number of her letters were also published in 1891.—Cf.The Journal of Marie Bashkirtsev, an Exposure and a Defence.
Basic Slag, the slag or refuse-matter which is got in making basic steel, and which, from the phosphate of lime it contains, is a valuable fertilizer. SeeManures (Phosphatic).
Basic Steel.SeeSteel.
Basi´diomycetes, one of the two sub-classes of the Eumycetes or septate Fungi, including the bulk of the larger and more familiar saprophytic types, such as the Mushroom, Toad-stools, Shelf-fungi, Puff-balls, and Earth-stars, and also the important parasites known as the Rusts. They are characterized by their principal spores being produced externally, usually in fours, upon an organ called abasidium. The basidia are arranged in a continuous layer (hymenium), and are usually massed together upon a specialized fruit-body, of which an ordinary mushroom is a good example. The principal subdivisions of the group, with representative genera, are as follows:—
A. Basidia septate (Proto-Basidiomycetes).
1. Family Uredineæ (Rusts). Basidia transversely septate; teleutospores present; parasites. Puccinia, Phragmidium, Melampsora.
2. Family Auricularineæ. Basidia transversely septate; no teleutospores; saprophytes. Auricularia.
3. Family Tremellineæ. Basidia longitudinally septate; saprophytes. Tremella.
B. Basidia not septate (Auto-Basidiomycetes).
4. Family Exobasidiineæ. Parasites without fruit-body; basidia exposed on surface of host. Exobasidium.
5. Family Dacryomycetineæ. Fruit-body soft; hymenium on its surface; saprophytes. Dacryomyces, Calocera.
6. Group Hymenomycetes (several families). Hymenium generally on gills, in tubes, &c.; saprophytes or, less often, parasites. Agaricus Polyporus, Hydnum.
7. Group Gastromycetes (several families). Hymenium within a closed fruit-body, which does not open until the spores are ripe; saprophytes. Ithyphallus, Lycoperdon.
The Ustilagineæ (Smuts) are often regarded as Basidiomycetes of a low type, but it is more probable that they are allied to the Unicellular Chytridineæ. The Basidiomycetes are the highest members of the Fungoid alliance; their relations to the lower groups are obscure.
Basi´dium, the characteristic spore-producing organ of the Basidiomycetes. Typically, e.g. in the Toad-stools, it is a club-shaped structure, produced at its free end into four slender processes, thesterigmata, each of which bears abasidiosporeat its tip. The young basidium contains two nuclei, which later fuse; the fusion-nucleus then undergoes two successive divisions, involving a reduction of chromosomes, and each of the four resultant nuclei passes through a sterigma into a basidiospore. These latter are thus seen to be carpospores, comparable to those of Red Algæ, and to the ascospores of Ascomycetes. The basidia of Uredineæ (Rusts) and of some other primitive Basidiomycetes are septate,but otherwise agree with the type described above. SeeBasidiomycetes;Carpospore;Rusts.
Basil.SeeBasilius.
Bas´il, a labiate plant,Ocĭmum basilĭcum, a native of India, much used in cookery, especially in France, and known more particularly as sweet or common basil. Bush or lesser basil isO. minimum; wild basil belongs to a different genus, being theCalamintha Clinopodium.
Basil, St., called theGreat, one of the Greek fathers, was born in 329, and made in 370 Bishop of Cæsarea in Cappadocia, where he died in 379. He was distinguished by his efforts for the regulation of clerical discipline, and, above all, his endeavours for the promotion of monastic life. The Greek Church honours him as one of its most illustrious saints, and celebrates his festival on 1st Jan. The vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty framed by St. Basil are essentially the rules of all the orders of Christendom, although he is particularly the father of the Eastern, as St. Benedict is the patriarch of the Western orders.
Basilan´, the principal island of the Sulu Archipelago, now belonging to the Philippines, off the S.W. extremity of Mindanao, from which it is separated by the Strait of Basilan. It is about 30 miles in length by 20 miles in breadth. Pop. about 8000.
Basile´an Manuscripts, two manuscripts of the Greek New Testament now in the library of Basel. (1) A nearly complete uncial copy of the Gospels of the eighth century; (2) a cursive copy of the whole New Testament except the Apocalypse, tenth century.
Basil´ian Liturgy, that form for celebrating the Eucharist drawn up towards the close of the fourth century by Basil the Great, still used in the Greek Church.
Basilian Monks, monks who strictly follow the rules of St. Basil, chiefly belonging to the Greek Church.
BasilicaBasilica di S'Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna
Basil´ica, originally the name applied by the Romans to their public halls, either of justice, of exchange, or other business. The plan of the basilica was usually a rectangle divided into aisles by rows of columns, the middle aisle being the widest, with a semicircular apse at the end, in which the tribunal was placed. The ground-plan of these buildings was generally followed in the early Christian churches, which, therefore, long retained the name of basilica, and it is still applied to some of the churches in Rome by way of distinction, and sometimes to other churches built in imitation of the Roman basilicas.
Basilica´ta, also calledPotenza, an Italian province, extending north from the Gulf of Taranto, and corresponding pretty closely with the ancient Lucania. Area, 3855 sq. miles; pop. 489,574 (1915).
Basil´icon, a name of several ointments, the chief ingredients of which are wax, pitch, resin, and olive-oil.
Basil´icon Do´ron(the royal gift), the title of a book written by King James I in 1599, containing a collection of precepts of the art of government. It maintains the claim of the king to be sole head of the Church. Printed at Edinburgh, 1603.
Basil´ides(dēz), one of the most famous Gnostic teachers, a native of Alexandria, who lived under the reigns of Adrian and Antoninus Pius aboutA.D.120-40. He was well acquainted with Christianity, but mixed it up with the wildest dreams of the Gnostics, peopling the earth and the air with multitudes ofæons. He was also greatly influenced by Platonism and Zoroastrianism. His disciples (Basilidians) were numerous in Syria, Egypt, Italy, and Gaul, but they are scarcely heard of after the fourth century.
Bas´ilisk, a fabulous creature formerly believed to exist, and variously regarded as a kind of serpent, lizard, or dragon, and sometimes identified with the cockatrice. It inhabited the deserts of Africa, and its breath and even its look was fatal. The name is now applied to a genus of saurian reptiles (Basiliscus), belonging to the family Iguanidæ;, distinguished by an elevated crest or row of scales, erectable at pleasure, which, like the dorsal fins of some fishes, runs along the whole length of the back and tail. The mitred or hooded basilisk (B.mitrātus) is especially remarkable for a membranous bag at the back of the head, of the size of a small hen's egg, which can be inflated with air at pleasure. The other species have such hoods also, but of a less size. To this organ they owe their name, which recalls the basilisk of fable, though in reality they are exceedingly harmless and lively creatures. TheB. amboinensisis a native of the Indian Archipelago, where it is much used for food. It frequents trees overhanging water, into which it drops when alarmed.
Basil´ius I, a Macedonian, Emperor of the East, bornA.D.820, died 886. He was of obscure origin, but having succeeded in gaining the favour of the Emperor Michael III, he became his colleague in the Empire, 866. After the assassination of Michael, 867, Basilius became emperor. Though he had worked his way to the throne by a series of crimes, he proved an able and equitable sovereign. The versatility, if not the depth, of his intellect is strikingly displayed in hisExhortations to his Son Leo, which are still extant.
Basilius II, Emperor of the East, born 958, died 1025. On the death of his father, the Emperor Romanus the Younger, in 963, he was kept out of the succession for twelve years by two usurpers. He began to reign in conjunction with his brother Constantine, 975. His reign was spent in almost perpetual warfare, his most important struggle being that which resulted in the conquest of Bulgaria, 1018.
Ba´sin, in physical geography, the whole tract of country drained by a river and its tributaries. The line dividing one river basin from another is the water-shed, and by tracing the various water-sheds we divide each country into its constituent basins. The basin of a loch or sea consists of the basins of all the rivers which run into it.—In geology a basin is any dipping or disposition of strata towards a common axis or centre, due to upheaval and subsidence. It is sometimes used almost synonymously with 'formation' to express the deposits lying in a certain cavity or depression in older rocks. The 'Paris basin' and 'London basin' are familiar instances.
Ba´singstoke, a town of England, county of Hants, 18 milesN.N.E.of Winchester. It has a good trade in corn, malt, &c., and now gives its name to one of the parliamentary divisions of the county. Pop. (1921), 12,718.
Bas´kerville, John, celebrated English printer and type-founder, born in 1706, died 1775. He settled at Birmingham as a writing-master, subsequently engaged in the manufacture of japanned works, and in 1750 commenced printing. From his press came highly-prized editions of ancient and modern classics, Bibles, prayer-books, &c., all beautifully-printed works. His first work was aVirgil, published in 1757, followed by his famous edition of Milton in 1758.
Basket, a vessel or utensil of wicker-work, made of interwoven osiers or willows, rushes, twigs, grasses, &c. The process of basket-making is very simple, and appears to be well known among the very rudest peoples. The ancient Britons excelled in the art, and their baskets were highly prized in Rome.—Cf. T. Okey,Introduction to the Art of Basket-making.
Basking-shark(Selăchē maximaorCetorhīnus maximus), a species of shark, so named from its habit of basking in the sun at the surface of the water. It reaches the length of 40 feet, and its liver yields a large quantity of oil. It frequents the northern seas, and is known also as the sail-fish or sun-fish.
Basle.SeeBasel.
Basoche.SeeBazoche.
Basques(ba˙sks), orBiscayans(in their own language,Euscaldunac), a remarkable race of people dwelling partly in the south-west corner of France (Basses-Pyrénées), but mostly in the north of Spain adjacent to the Pyrenees. They are probably descendants of the ancient Iberi, who occupied Spain before the Celts. They preserve their ancient language, former manners, and national dances, and make admirable soldiers, especially in guerrilla warfare. Their language is highly polysynthetic, and stands isolated from other tongues of Europe. There are eight principal dialects, which are not only distinguished by their pronunciation and grammatical structure, but differ even in their vocabularies. The Basques, who number about 600,000 (450,000 in Spain, and 150,000 in France), occupy in Spain the provinces of Biscay, Guipuzcoa, and Alăva; in France parts of the departments of the Upper and Lower Pyrenees, Ariége, and Upper Garonne. The Basques are very religious and conservative in their religious practices. Ignatius Loyola and Francis Xavier de Navarre were Basques.—Bibliography: Julien Vinson,Les Basques et le pays Basque;Le Folk-lore du pays Basque; Michel,Le pays Basque, sa population, sa langue, ses mœurs, sa littérature, et sa musique; Van Eys,Outlines of a Basque Grammar.
Basra,Bassora, orBasrah, a city in Lower Mesopotamia, on the west bank of the Shat-el-Arab (the united stream of the Tigris and Euphrates), about 50 miles from its mouth, and nearly 300 miles south-east of Bagdad. It is surrounded by a wall about 10 miles in circuit, from 20 to 25 feet thick; but much of the area enclosed is occupied by gardens, &c. The houses are generally mean. A considerable transit trade is carried on here between the Turkish and Persian dominions and India, and sincecommunication by steamer has been established with Bagdad and Bombay the prosperity of the town has greatly increased. The chief exports are: dates, camels and horses, wool and wheat; imports: coffee, indigo, rice, tissues, &c. The inhabitants are estimated at 80,000; but in the eighteenth century they were said to number 150,000. The substitution of date and wheat cultivation for that of rice has rendered the place much more healthy. The ruins of the ancient and more famous Bassora—founded by Caliph Omar in 636, at one time a centre of Arabic literature and learning and regarded as 'the Athens of the East'—lie about 9 miles south-west of the modern town. The town was occupied by the British on 22nd Nov., 1914. The first through-train from Basra to Bagdad was run in Jan., 1920.
Bas-reliefBas-relief—Northern frieze of Parthenon
Bas-relief(bä´rē-lēf or bas´rē-lēf) orBasso-Rilievo, low-relief, a mode of sculpturing figures on a flat surface, the figures having a very slight relief or projection from the surface. It is distinguished fromhaut-relief(alto-rilievo), or high-relief, in which the figures stand sometimes almost entirely free from the ground. Bas-relief work has been described as 'sculptured painting', from the capability of disposing of groups of figures and exhibiting minor adjuncts, as in a painting. The finest specimen of bas-relief is the frieze around the cella of the Parthenon; large portions of it are to be seen in the British Museum.
Bass(bās; from the It.basso, deep, low), in music, the lowest part in the harmony of a musical composition, whether vocal or instrumental. According to some it is the fundamental or most important part, while others regard the melody or highest part in that light. Next to the melody, the bass part is the most striking, the freest and boldest in its movements, and richest in effect.—Figured bass, a bass part having the accompanying chords suggested by certain figures written above or below the notes—the most successful system of shorthand scoring at present in use among organists and pianists.—Fundamental bass, the lowest note or root of a chord; a bass consisting of a succession of fundamental notes.—Thorough bass, the mode or art of expressing chords by means of figures placed over or under a given bass. Figures written over each other indicate that the notes they represent are to be sounded simultaneously, those standing close after each other that they are to be sounded successively. The common chord in its fundamental form is generally left unfigured, and accidentals are indicated by using sharps, naturals, or flats along with the figures.
Bass(ba˙s), the name of a number of fishes of several genera, but originally belonging to a genus of sea-fishes (Labrax) of the perch family, distinguished from the true perches by having the tongue covered by small teeth and the preoperculum smooth.L. lupus, the only British species, called also sea-dace, and fromitsvoracity sea-wolf, resembles somewhat the salmon in shape, and is much esteemed for the table, weighing about 15 lb.L. lineātus(Roccus lineātus), or striped bass, an American species, weighing from 25 to 30 lb., is much used for food, and is also known as rock-fish. Both species occasionally ascend rivers, and attempts have been made to cultivate British bass in freshwater ponds with success. Two species of black bass (Microptĕrus salmoidesandM. dolomieu), American freshwater fishes, are excellent as food and give fine sport to the angler. The former is often called the large-mouthed black bass, from the size of its mouth. Both make nests and take great care of their eggs and young. TheCentropristis nigricans, an American sea-fish of the perch family, and weighing 2 to 3 lb., is known as the sea-bass.
Bass(ba˙s),The, a remarkable insular trap-rock, at the mouth of the Firth of Forth, 3 miles from North Berwick, of a circular form, about 1 mile in circumference, rising majestically out of the sea to a height of 313 feet. It pastures a few sheep, and is a great breeding-place of solan geese. During the persecution of the Covenanters its castle, long since demolished, was used as a State prison, in which several eminent Covenanters were confined. It was held from 1691 to 1694 with great courage and pertinacity by twenty Jacobites, who in the end capitulated on highly honourable terms.
Bass.SeeBasswood.
Bassa´no, a commercial city of North Italy, province of Vicenza, on the Brenta, over which is a covered wooden bridge. It has lofty old walls and an old castle, and has various industries and an active trade. Near Bassano, 8th Sept.,1796, Bonaparte defeated the Austrian general Wurmser. Pop. (commune) 17,130.
Bassa´no(from his birth-place; real nameGiacomo da Ponte), an Italian painter, born 1510, died 1592. He painted historical pieces, landscapes, flowers, &c., and also portraits. He left four sons, who all became painters, Francesco being the most distinguished.
Bassano Dam.SeeDams.
Bas´saris.SeeCacomistle.
Bassein(bas-sān'), a town in Lower Burma, province of Pegu, on both banks of the Bassein River, one of the mouths of the Irawadi, and navigable for the largest ships. It has considerable trade, exporting large quantities of rice, and importing coal, salt, cottons, &c. Pop. 37,081.—Bassein District has an area of 4127 sq. miles and a pop. of 9598 (1911).
Bassein(bas-sān'), a town in Hindustan, 28 miles north of Bombay. At the beginning of the eighteenth century it was a fine and wealthy city, with over 60,000 inhabitants; it has now only about 9598 (1911).
Basselin(ba˙s-lan), Olivier, an old French poet or song-writer, born in the Val-de-Vire, Normandy, about the end of the fourteenth century, died about 1450. His sprightly songs, famous under the nameVaux-de-Vire, have given origin and name to the modern Vaudevilles.
Basselisse Tapestry.SeeHautelisse.
Basses-Alpes(bäs-a˙lp; 'Lower Alps'). SeeAlpes.
Basses-Pyrénées(bäs-pē-rā-nā; 'Lower Pyrenees'). SeePyrénées.
Bass´et, the name of a game at cards, formerly much played, especially in France. It is very similar to the modernfaro. SeeLansquenet.
Basset, orBasset-hound, a smooth-haired dog with short crooked legs, rather large head, and large pendulous ears, thus somewhat resembling a bloodhound and a dachshund. It is sometimes used in packs for hunting hares, or in beating and covert work generally.
Basseterre(bäs-tār), two towns in the West Indies.—1. Capital of the Island of St. Christopher's, at the mouth of a small river, on the south side of the island. Trade considerable. Pop. about 9000.—2. The capital of the Island of Guadeloupe. It has no harbour, and the anchorage is unsheltered and exposed to a constant swell. Pop. 8650.
Basset-horn, a musical instrument, now practically obsolete, a sort of clarinet of enlarged dimensions, with a curved and bell-shaped metal end. The compass extends from F below the bass staff to C on the second ledger-line above the treble. Mozart wrote several pieces for the basset-horn, and Beethoven employed it in hisPrometheusoverture.
Bassetlaw, a parliamentary division of the county of Nottingham.
Bassia, a genus of tropical trees found in the East Indies and Australia, nat. ord., Sapotaceæ. The seeds ofB. butyracea, the Indian butter tree, yield a butter-like substance, which makes good soap.B. latifolia, the Mahwa of Bengal, furnishes a valuable hard timber, and has edible flowers, from which a potent spirit is distilled; a gutta-percha is obtained fromB. pallida.
Bassompierre(bä-son-pyār), Francois de, Marshal of France, distinguished both as a soldier and a statesman, born 1579, died 1646. In 1602 he made his first campaign against the Duke of Savoy, and he fought with equal distinction in the following year in the imperial army against the Turks. In 1622 Louis XIII appointed him Marshal of France, and became so much attached to him that Luynes, the declared favourite, sent him on embassies to Spain, Switzerland, and England. After his return he became an object of suspicion to Cardinal Richelieu, and was sent to the Bastille in 1631, from which he was not released till 1643, after the death of the cardinal. During his detention he occupied himself with writing his memoirs, which shed much light on the events of that time.
Basso´on, a musical wind-instrument of the reed order, blown with a bent metal mouthpiece, and holed and keyed like the clarinet. Its compass comprehends three octaves rising from B flat below the bass staff. Its diameter at bottom is 3 inches, and for convenience of carriage it is divided into two or more parts, whence its Italian name,fagotto, a bundle. It serves for the bass among wood wind-instruments, as hautboys, flutes, &c.
Bassora Gum, an inferior kind of gum resembling gum-arabic.
Bass Rock.SeeBass.
Bass Strait, a channel beset with islands, which separates Australia from Tasmania, 120 miles broad, discovered by George Bass, a surgeon in the Royal Navy, in 1798.
Basswood, orBass, the American lime tree or linden (Tilia americāna), a tree common in N. America, yielding a light, soft timber.
Bast, a term originally applied to fibrous tissue external to the cambium; now used in two senses: (1) for Phloem (q.v.); (2) commercially, for the fibre of the lime or linden. The manufacture of lime-bast into mats, ropes, &c., is in Russia a considerable industry, bast-mats for packing furniture, covering plants, &c., being largely exported.
Bastar´, a feudatory State in Upper Godavari district, Central Provinces of India; area, 13,062 sq. miles; pop. 433,310. Chief town, Jagdalpur; pop. 4294.
Bas´tard, a child begotten and born out of wedlock; an illegitimate child. By the civil and canon laws, and by the law of Scotland, a bastard becomes legitimate by the intermarriage of the parents at any future time. In some of the United States, bastards can be legitimized by subsequent marriage, in addition to which, however, the father must also recognize the child as his. By the laws of England a child, to be legitimate, must at least bebornafter the lawful marriage; it does not require that the child shall be begotten in wedlock, but it is indispensable that it should be born after marriage, no matter how short the time, the law presuming it to be the child of the husband. The only incapacity of a bastard is that he cannot be heir or next of kin to any one save his own issue. In England the maintenance of a bastard in the first instance devolves on the mother, while in Scotland it is a joint burden upon both parents. The mother is entitled to the custody of the child in preference to the father. SeeLegitimation;Illegitimacy.—Bibliography: Bacquet,Traité de la Bâtardise; Nicholls and Mackay,History of the English Poor Law.
Bastard BarBastard Bar
Bastard Bar, more correctlybaton sinister, the heraldic mark used to indicate illegitimate descent. It is a diminutive of the bend sinister, of which it is one-fourth in width, couped or cut short at the ends, so as not to touch the corners of the shield.
Bastard Fallow.SeeFallow Land.
Bastard Saffron.SeeSafflower.
Bastia(ba˙s-tē´a˙), the former capital of the Island of Corsica, upon theN.E.coast, 75 milesN.E.of Ajaccio, on a hill slope; badly built, with narrow streets, a strong citadel, and an indifferent harbour; with some manufactures, a considerable trade in hides, soap, wine, oil, pulse, &c. Pop. 29,412.
Bas´tian, Adolf, German traveller and ethnologist, born in 1826, died in 1905. His travels embraced various parts of Europe, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Australia and New Zealand, Southern and Western Africa, Egypt, Arabia, India, South-Eastern Asia, the Asiatic Archipelago, Japan, China, Mongolia, Siberia, &c. His numerous writings throw light on almost every subject connected with ethnology or anthropology, as well as psychology, linguistics, non-Christian religions, geography, &c. Some of his chief works are:Die Völker des östlichen Asien(Peoples of Eastern Asia);Ethnographische Forschungen;Ideale Welten;Die Völkerkunde u. der Völkerverkehr; &c.
Bas´tian, Henry Charlton, English physician and biologist, born at Truro in 1837, died on 17th Nov., 1915. He was educated at Falmouth and at University College, London, where he was assistant curator in the museum from 1860 to 1863. He obtained the degree ofM.A.in 1861 from the University of London, graduating subsequently in medicine at the same university (M.B.1863,M.D.1866). From 1864 to 1866 he was a medical officer in Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, and in 1866 was appointed lecturer on pathology and assistant physician in St. Mary's Hospital. In 1867 he became professor of pathological anatomy in University College, subsequently he was also professor of clinical medicine, and in the period 1887-95 he occupied the chair of medicine and clinical medicine. Apart from numerous contributions to medical and other periodicals, and to Quain'sDictionary of Medicine, he publishedThe Modes of Origin of Lowest Organisms(1871);The Beginnings of Life(1872);Evolution and the Origin of Life(1874);Lectures on Paralysis from Brain Disease(1875);The Brain as an Organ of Mind(1880); which has been translated into French and German;The Nature and Origin of Living Matter;Evolution of Life;Origin of Life; &c.
Bastiat(ba˙s-tē-a˙), Frédéric, French economist, advocate of free-trade, and opponent of protection, born at Bayonne 1801, died at Rome 1850. He became acquainted with Cobden and the English free-traders, whose speeches he translated into French. Whilst combating protectionism, Bastiat was also an opponent of socialism. His chief works are:Sophismes Économiques(1846);Propriété et Loi;Justice et Fraternité(1848);Protectionisme et Communisme(1849);Harmonies Économiques(1849).
Bastien-Lepage(ba˙s-tyan˙-lė-päzh), Jules, French painter, born 1848, died 1884. He studied at Paris under Cabanel, and about 1874 began to attract some notice as a realistic painter of subjects connected with the country and everyday life, among his first pictures of note beingSong of Spring,Portrait of My Grandfather, andThe First Communion. Among his most important works areThe Hayfield,The Potato Harvest,Portrait of Mme Sarah Bernhardt,The Beggar, andThe Forge.—Cf. Marie Bashkirtsev,Journal Intime; Arnic, J.Bastien-Lepage, lettres et souvenirs.
Bastille(ba˙s-tēl´), a French name for any strong castle provided with towers, but as a proper name the State prison and citadel of Paris, which was built about 1370 by Charles V. It was ultimately used chiefly for the confinement of persons of rank who had fallen victims to the intrigues of the Court or the caprice of the Government. (SeeCachet, Lettres de.) The capture of the Bastille by the Parisian mob, 14th July, 1789, was the opening act of theRevolution. On that date the Bastille was surrounded by a tumultuous mob, who first attempted to negotiate with the Governor, Delaunay, but when these negotiations failed, began to attack the fortress. For several hours the mob continued their siege without being able to effect anything more than an entrance into the outer court of the Bastille; but at last the arrival of some of the Royal Guard with a few pieces of artillery forced the Governor to let down the second drawbridge and admit the populace. The Governor was seized, but on the way to the Hotel de Ville he was torn from his captors and put to death. The next day the destruction of the Bastille commenced. Not a vestige of it exists, but its site is marked by a column in the Place de la Bastille.—Bibliography: François Ravaisson,Les Archives de la Bastille; Arnold,Histoire de la Bastille; Bingham,The Bastille; Funck-Brentano,The Bastille; M.J. de Staal,La Bastille sous la Régence(edited by Funck-Brentano).
Bastina´do, an Eastern method of corporal punishment, consisting of blows upon the soles of the feet, applied with a bamboo cane.
Bas´tion, in fortification, a large mass of earth, faced with sods, brick, or stones, standing out from a rampart, of which it is a principal part. A bastion consists of twoflanks, each commanding and defending the adjacentcurtain, or that portion of the wall extending from one bastion to another, and twofacesmaking with each other an acute angle called thesalient angle, and commanding the outworks and ground before the fortification. The distance between the two flanks is thegorge, or entrance into the bastion. The use of the bastion is to bring every point at the foot of the rampart as much as possible under the guns of the place.
Bast´wick, John, English physician and ecclesiastical controversialist, born in 1593, died 1654. He settled at Colchester, but, instead of confining himself to his profession, entered keenly into theological controversy, and was condemned by the Star Chamber for his books against Prelacy:Elenchus Religionis Papisticæ,Flagellum Pontificis, andThe Letanie of Dr. J. Bastwick. With Prynne and Burton he was sentenced to lose his ears in the pillory, to pay a fine of £5000, and to be imprisoned for life. He was released by the Long Parliament, and entered London in triumph along with Prynne and Burton. He appears to have continued his controversies with the Independents and others to the very last.
Basu´toland, a native province and British South African possession, situated between the Orange Free State, Natal, Griqualand East, and the Cape Province. The Basutos belong chiefly to the great stem of the Bechuanas, and have made greater advances in civilization than perhaps any other South African race. In 1866 the Basutos, who had lived under a semi-protectorate of the British since 1848, were proclaimed British subjects, their country placed under the government of an agent, and in 1871 it was joined to Cape Colony. In 1879 the attempted enforcement of an Act passed for the disarmament of the native tribes caused a revolt under the chief Moirosi, which the Cape forces were unable to put down. When peace was restored Basutoland was separated from Cape Colony (1884), and is now governed by a Resident Commissioner under the High Commissioner for South Africa. Basutoland has an area of about 11,716 sq. miles, much of it covered with grass, and there is but little wood. The climate is pleasant. The natives keep cattle, sheep, and horses, cultivate the ground, and export grain. The Basuto ponies, which originally were brought from Batavia by the Dutch in the eighteenth century, are famous. It is divided into eight districts, each under a magistrate. Capital, Maseru. Pop. (European), 1396; (native), 404,507.—Bibliography: J. Widdicombe,Fourteen Years in Basutoland; M. Martin,Basutoland: Its Legends and Customs; Sir G. Lagden,The Basutos; Rev. D. F. Ellenberger,History of the Basuto.