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Salfette. From this ifland Bombay is feparated by an Bombay arm of the fea, capable of receiving only small craft. The other forts are capable of making but a flight defence.

Bombay. than even the former. 3. The palmira, a very thin beautiful fnake, of different colours: its head is like that of the common viper, but much thicker than the body. Our author faw one that was four feet long, and the body not much thicker than a fwan's quill. 4. The green fnake is of a very bright green colour, with a fharp head: towards the tail it is fmaller than in the middle. The largest part of it is no bigger than a tobacco-pipe. 5. The fand fnake is fmall and fhort, but not lefs deadly than the others. 6. The cobra de aurelia refembles an earth-worm, is about fix inches long, and no bigger than a small crow-quill. It kills by getting into the ear, caufing madnefs, &c. 7. The manila bomba is a very beautiful nake, of almoft the fame fize throughout the whole length, except at the two ends, where it comes to a point. It is white on the belly, but finely variegated on the back. It lives in the fand, and is faid to fting with its tail, which occafions contractions in the joints.

8. Different forts, &c.

Bombay is the most confiderable English fettlement on the Malabar coaft; and by reafon of its fituation, may be styled the grand ftorehouse of all the Arabian and Perfian commerce. It is alfo the most convenient place in all the East Indies for careening or heaving down large fhips; and for fmall ones they have a very good dock. They have alfo a very good rope-yard; and indeed, fays Mr Ives," this is the only place, in this diftant part of the world, for fhattered fhips to refit at, having always a good quantity of naval ftores, and its very name conveying an idea of a fafe retreat in foul weather."

On this ifland are many little forts and batteries, which carry fome guns; but the principal fort, which defends the place, has above an hundred. Mr Grofe finds fault with the fituation of this laft fort, which he fays, not only does not command the harbour fufficiently, but is itfelf overlooked by an eminence called Dungharee point. The cattle itfelf is a regular quadrangle, well built of ftrong hard ftone. In one of the baftions facing Dungharee point is a large tank or cifern which contains a great quantity of water conftantly replenished by the ftationary rains. There is alfo a well within the fort, but the water is not very good, and liable to be dried up by the heats. The water of Bombay in general indeed is not good, which has been given as a reafon why the Gentoo merchants were not fond of fettling upon it; for as they drink no wine nor fpirituous liquors, they are very nice judges of the tafte and qualities of waters.

When the town of Bombay began to increase confiderably, it was judged proper to add the fecurity of a wall round it to the strength of the fort it had before. Even then, however, it was neglected to take in the dangerous poft of Dungharee, which now evidently commands both the town and fort. There has fince that time been added, at a great expence, a ditch that encompasses the wall, and can be flooded at plea fure, by letting in the fea, which terminates the ditch on two fides, so that the town is now entirely furrounded with water, and is one of the ftrongeit places in India.

Next to Bombay, the moft confiderable fort on the ifland is that of Mahim. It is fituated at the oppofite extremity of the ifland, and commands the pals of Bandurah, a fort directly oppofite to it on the coaft of

About two miles out of town, towards the middle of the island, the sea had gained fo far as almoft to divide it in two, and rendered the roads impaffable. A great quantity of this water, however, was drained off. at a very confiderable expence, and a causeway raised which kept it from overflowing again. This caufeway is above a quarter of a mile in length, and confiderably broad; "but (fays Mr Grofe,) there is one grofs fault remarked in it; that, being bending near the middle, the architect has oppofed to the fea a re-entering angle inftead of a faliant one." Within the beach, however, there is ftill a confiderable body of water, that has a free communication with the fea, as appears. by its ebbing and flowing; fo that it is probable the caufeway itself, erected at the expence of at least. L. 100,000, may in no long time be totally undermin ed and thrown down.

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When the island of Bombay was ceded to the En- Diviliun glish by the Portuguese, it was divided, and still con- &c. tinues to be fo, into three Roman-Catholic parishes, Bombay, Mahim, and Salvacam. The churches of these are governed by priests of that religion, and of any nation excepting Portugal, who were expressly objected to at the time of ceffion. The bulk of the land-proprietors at that time were Mestizos and Canarins. The former are a mixed breed of the natives and Portuguese; the latter purely aborigines of the country converted to the popish religion. The other land-owners were Moors, Gentoos, and Parfees; but thefe laft are of more modern date, having purchased eftates on the island. The company has also a very confiderable landed eftate either by purchases, confifcations for crimes, and feizures for debt. The land is laid out in cocoa-nut groves, rice-fields, and onion grounds, which last are reckoned of an excellent qua» lity.

There is only one English church at Bombay, a. very neat commodious building feated on a spacious area called the Green; which continues from the church to the fort, and is pleasantly laid out in walks planted with trees, round which the houfes of the English inhabitants are moftly fituated. These are generally only ground-floured, with a court-yard before and behind, in which are the offices and out-houses. They are fubftantially built of ftone and lime, and smooth. plastered on the outfide. They are often kept whitewashed, which, however neat, is in some respects very difagreeable, by reafon of the exceffive glare it occa fions in reflecting the light of the fun. Few of them have glafs windows to any apartment; the fashes be-ing generally paned with a kind of transparent oyfterfhells, fquare cut; which have the fingular property of tranfmitting fufficient light, at the fame time that they exclude the violent glare of the fun, and have befides a cool look. The flooring is generally composed of a kind of loam or ftucco called chunam, being a lime made of burnt fhells, which if well tempered in a peculiar manner known to the natives, is extremely hard and lafting, and takes such a smooth polish, that one may fee his own face in it. But where terraces are made of this fubftance, unless it be duly prepared

and

larity of the founds, appeared to him only to be a re- Bombay. petition of the fame fet of words. The visiting priest ufed many geftures with his hands over the fire, and afterwards ftroaked down the face of the fick priest, which our author looked upon to be the final benediction, as the ceremony ended immediately.

Bombay and which is very expenfive, it is apt to crack by the fun's heat. Some attempts have been made to paint the ftucco walls in apartments; but thefe have proved abortive through the ignorance of the artifts, who have not chofen colours capable of refifting the alkaline •See Colour-power of the lime*. Our author remarks, that in the making. gardens of Surat he saw this kind of ftucco made ufe of inftead of gravel for the walks. They were a little raised above the garden beds, fo that they must be inftantly dry after the molt violent rain; though their whitenefs and polish muft not only produce a difagree able reflection in funfhine, but be extremely flippery to walk on. The houfes of the black merchants are for the most part extremely ill built and inconvenient; the window-lights fmall, and the apartments ill diftributed. Some, however, make a better appearance if only one ftory high; but even the beft of them have a certain meannefs in the manner, and clumfinefs in their execution, which renders the architecture con temptible in comparison of the European. There is one convenience, however, in all the houses of Bombay, viz. fmall ranges of pillars that fupport a penthoufe or fhed, forming what are called in the Portuguefe language verandas, either all round the house, or on particular fides of it, which afford a pleafing fhelter from the fun, and keep the inner apartments cool and refreshed by the draught of air under them. The pagodas, or temples of the Gentoos, are low mean buildings, having ufually no light but what is admit ted by the door; facing which is the principal idol. They imagine that a dark gloomy place infpires a kind of religious horror and reverence; and are very fond of having thefe pagodas among trees, and near the fide of a tank or pond, for the fake of their frequent ablutions. Thefe tanks are often very expenfive; being generally fquare and furrounded with ftone fteps that are very convenient for the bathers.

10.

Inhabitants,

manners, &c.

The natives of Bombay, though composed of almost every Afiatic nation, are shorter of ftature and ftronger than the inhabitants of the Coromandel coaft. Here a palanquin which requires fix men to carry it at Madras, or Fort St David, is carried by four. Here are fome Perfees, who, like their forefathers the ancient Perfians, are followers of Zoroafter, who is faid to have reduced into order the religion of the Perfian magi; the fundamental maxim of which was the worshipping of one God under the fymbol of light. They adore the fun, particularly when rifing, with the moft profound reverence and veneration; and likewife pay a kind of adoration to common fire. Mr Ives had once the opportunity of obferving the manner in which they perform this devotion. A large brafs pan was placed in the middle of the house with fire in it: before this fire, or rather on each fide of it, two men were kneeling at their devotions, pronouncing their prayers with great rapidity. He was afterwards informed, that one of them was a priest, at that time on a vifit to another prieft in a fit of fickness. He was likewife informed, that the Perfees have such a veneration for the fire, that they never put it out, or even breathe upon it; and he obferved, that while the two priests were at their prayers over the pan of coals, they had a little white bib over their mouths, as he fuppofed to prevent their breath from approaching their favourite element. The prayers, however, from the fimi

As the Gentoos burn their dead, one would imagine that the Perfees, who have fuch a veneration for fire, would be defirous of having their bodies confumed by that element; but inftead of this, they expofe their dead bodies to be devoured by birds of prey; becaufe, fay they, a living man is compofed of all the elements; fo that it is but reasonable, after he is dead, that every particular element thould receive its own again. On the top of Malabar hill, about two miles from the town of Bombay, there are two round buildings for receiving the dead bodies of the Perfees, which remain there till the bones are clean picked by the birds. This is certainly an abominable custom, and affords very fhocking fpectacles; however, a guard is always placed at a little distance to prevent people from prying too narrowly into thefe matters, or, as Mr Ives fays, to enfure the vultures of their repast without any difturbance. Mr Grofe tells us, that on his going to look into one of these repofitories, a Perfee advised him in a friendly manner to let it alone, as no perfon, who was not a party concerned, would long furvive fuch curiofity. He tells us alfo, that the perfon appointed to look after the dead, carefully obferves which eye is firft picked out by the birds, and, from thence judge of the fituation of the foul of the deceased; a state of happiness being indicated by the right eye being firft picked out. Mr Ives obferves, that by reafon of the heat of the fun, much lefs noxious vapour is emitted by thefe bodies than might be expected; the flesh being foon fhrivelled up, and the bones turning quite black.

At the extreme point of Malabar-hill there is a rock, on the defcent to the fea, flat on the top, in which there is a natural crevice, which communicates with a hollow terminating at an exterior opening to the fea. This place is ufed by the Gentoos as a purifier from their fins. This purification is effected by their going in at the opening, and coming through the crevice, though it feems too fmall for people of any corpulence to país.

II.

In Bombay, and indeed in many other places of the Oxen ufed Eaft Indies, oxen are generally ufed inftead of horfes, here inftad not only for drawing carriages but for riding; and, of horses. however ridiculous fuch a practice may feem to us, it appears that they are not in this refpect inferior to ordinary horfes, being capable of going at the rate of feven or eight miles an hour. They are commonly of a white colour, with large perpendicular horns, and black nofes. The only inconvenience that attends them, is, that, by being naturally fubject to a lax habit of body, they fometimes incommode the rider with filth thrown upon him by the continual motion of their tails. In other refpects they are far preferable to Indian horfes, and will trot and gallop as naturally as the horfes of this country. Admiral Watson, while at Bombay, was allowed a chaife drawn by two of these oxen by the Eaft India Company. At the end of every ftage the driver always put the near bullock in the place of the other; he then put his hand into both Xy 2

their

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their mouths, to take out the froth; without which precaution they would be in danger of fuffocation.

For the Hiftory, Government, &c. of Bombay, fee the articles INDOSTAN, and East India COMPANY. BOMB KETCH, a small veffel built and strengthened with large beams for the use of mortars at fea.

BOMBUS, in music, an artificial motion with the hands, imitating in cadence and harmony the buzzing of bees. The word is originally Greek, and fignifies the buz or noife of bees, gnats, and the like. In this fenfe, bombus made one of the fpecies of applaufe ufed by the ancient auditories.

BOMBUS, in medicine, denotes a murmuring noife, as of wind breaking out of a narrow into a larger cavity, frequently heard in the thick inteftines The bombus heard in the ears, in acute diseases, is laid down by Hippocrates as a fign of death.

BOMBYLIUS, in zoology, a genus of infects belonging to the order of diptera. The roftrum is long, briftly, and bivalved; the briftles being fixed between the horizontal valves. There are five fpecies, viz. 1. The major, with black wings. 2. The medius, with a yellowish body, white behind, and the wings fpotted with yellow. 3. The minor, with unfpotted wings. 4. The ater, has red wings, but a little blackish at the bafe; and green feet. The above four are natives of Europe. 5. The capenfis, with the wings fpotted with black, an afh-coloured body, and white behind. It is a native of the Cape of Good Hope.

BOMENE, a fea-port town of the United Provinces in Zealand, feated on the northern shore of the island of Schonen, opposite to the island of Goree, in E. Long. 4. o. N. Lat. 51. 50.

BOMMEL, a town of Dutch Guelderland, fituated on the northern fhore of the river Waal, in E. Long. 5. 50. N. Lat. 52.0.

BOMONICI, in Grecian antiquity, young men of Lacedæmon, who contended at the facrifices of Diana which of them was able to endure moft lafhes; being fcourged before the altar of this goddess.

BONA, by the Moors called Balederna, a fea-port town of the kingdom of Algiers in Africa, fituated in E. Long. 7. 57. N. Lat. 36. 5. It was formerly rich, populous, capital of the province of the fame name under the kingdom of Conftantina, and is fuppofed by fome to be the ancient Hippo, once the feat of the great St Auftin, and a fea-port built by the Romans. The inhabitants, however, deny it to be the ancient Hippo, which had been so often taken, retaken, and deftroyed by the wars; and pretend it to be fince rebuilt at the distance of two or three miles from the ancient Hippo, out of its ruins, and called Baleed-elUgned, from a fort of trees of that name that grow in the neighbourhood. It is now a very mean place, poorly built, and thinly inhabited, with fcarce any traces of its former grandeur, except the ruins of a cathedral, or as others guefs, of a monaftery built by St Austin about three miles distance from the city. Near these ruins is a famed fpring called by his name, much reforted to by the French and Italian failors, who come to drink of its waters, and pay their devotions to a maimed ftatue faid also to belong to the faint, but fo mutilated that no traces either of face or dref are remaining; and as each of them ftrives to break off fome Splinter, or to scrape off some part of it on account of

its fuppofed fan&tity, it will probably be foon reduced to a ftate of non-existence. Bona was taken by the pirate Barbaroffa, and joined to his new kingdom of Algiers; but as quickly loft, and recovered by its old mafters the Tunifeens, who foon after loft it again. It is commanded by a little fort, in which is a garrifon of about 300 Turks, under the command of an aga, who is alfo governor of the town. The road for the fhips is good for nothing before the town, but a little farther weit is very deep and safe. Dr Shaw tells us, that the continual discharging of balaft into the road, and the neglect of cleaning the port which came to the very walls, is the caule of both becoming fo unfafe and incommodious; though this might be easily remedied so as to make the town one of the most flourishing in all Barbary.

BONA Dea, the good goddess, in Pagan mythology, one of the names of Cybele. Others fay, the was a Roman lady, the wife of one Faunus, and was famous for her chaltity, and that after her death fhe was deified. Her facrifices were performed only by matrons; and in fo fecret a manner, that it was no lefs than death for any man to be prefent at the affembly (fee CYBELE). Cicero reproaches Clodius with having entered into this temple difguifed as a finging woman, and having by his prefence polluted the mysteries of the good goddefs. What kind of myfteries thefe were, we may learn from Juvenal, Sat. VI. 313. The poet then mentions the adventure of Clodius.

Atque utinam ritas veteres, et publica faltem
His intacta malis agerentur facra: fed omnes
Noverunt Mauri, atque Indi, quæ pfaltria penem
Majorem, quam fint duo Cæfaris Anticatones,
Illuc tefticuli fibi confcius, unde fugit mus,
Intulerit.

I wish at least our facred rites were free
From thefe pollutions of obfcenity:
But 'tis well known what finger, how difguis'd,
A lewd audacious action enterpriz❜d:
Into the fane, with women mix'd, he went,
Arm'd with a huge two-handed inftrument;
A grateful prefent to these holy choirs,
Where the mouse, conscious of his fex, retires.
DRYDEN.
BONA Fides, in law. When a perfon performs any
action which he believes at the time to be just and law-
ful, he is faid to have acted bona fide.

BONA Mobilia, the fame with moveable effects or goods.

BONA Notabilia, are fuch goods as a perfon dying has in another diocese than that wherein he dies, amounting to the value of 5 1. at leaft; in which cafe the will of the deceased must be proved, or administration granted in the court of the archbishop of the province, unlefs by compofition or custom, any diocefes are autho.. rized to do it, when rated at a greater fum.

BONA Patria, an affize of countrymen or good neighbours, where 12 or more are chofen out of the country to pafs upon an affize, being fworn judicially in the prefence of the party.

BONA Peritura, perishable goods. By ftat. 13. Ed. I. cap. 4. the cargo of a fhip that has been caft away fhall be kept for a year and a day, and restored to the rightful owner; but if the goods be fuch as will not endure

Bona.

Bond.

Bon lage.

Bonaire fo long, they are bona peritura, which the fheriff is tenements in his neighbourhood; but whether acquired Bond, allowed to fell, and to account in money for the value. by the practice of phyfic, does not appear. He wrote, BONA Vacantia, goods; fuch as royal-fifh, fhipwrecks, 1. Commentarii in poemata 2. Horatii, 8vo. 2. Comtreasure trove, waifs, and eftrays, in which no one can mentarii in fex fatyras Perfii, Lond. 1614, 8vo. claim a property. Thefe goods by the law of nature, and by the imperial law, belonged to the firft occupant or finder; but in the modern conftitutions of European governments, they are annexed to the fupreme power by the pofitive laws of the state.

BONAIRE, an island of South America, near the north coast of Terra Firma. It belongs to the Dutch; and abounds i kablitoes and falt. W. Long. 66. 18. N. Lat. 20. 16.

BONAIS, very high mountains of Italy, in the duchy of Savoy, not far from Lafforeburg: in fome feasons they cannot be afcended without great danger.

BONARELLI (Gui Ubaldo), an Italian count. He was intrufted with feveral important negociations, and was esteemed an able politician and learned philofopher. He was the author of a fine Italian paftoral, intitled, Filli di Sciro. He died at Fano, in 1608, aged 45.

BONAVENTURA (the bay of), in America, on the coaft next the South Sea, in the Popayan. It has a port and harbour for fhips; but the air is very unwholesome. W. Long. 75. 18. N. Lat. 3. 20.

BONAVENTURE, a celebrated cardinal, called, from his works, the feraphic doctor. He was born at Bagnarea, a small town of Tufcany, in 1221; and his original name was John Fidauze. He took the habit of a monk of the order of St Francis in 1243, became doctor of Paris in 1255, and the next year general of his order. After the death of Clement IV. the cardinals difagreeing about the election of a new pope, engaged themselves by a folemn promife to elect him who fhould be named by Bonaventure, even though it fhould be himself; but he chofe Theobald archdeacon of Liege, who was then in the Holy Land, and took the name of Gregory X. This pope, in return, in 1272, made him cardinal and bishop of Alba, and ordered him to affist at the fecond general council of Lyons, where he died in 1274. His works were printed at Rome in 8 vols folio,

BONAVISTA, an island in the Atlantic ocean, the most eafterly and first difcovered of the Cape de Verd islands. It is 20 miles long, and 13 broad; has plenty of goats and cotton, and fome indigo. The inhabitants are remarkable for flothfulness: they have a town and two roads where fhips come to an anchor. W. Long. 23. 6. N. Lat. 16. 5.

BOND (John), a commentator on Horace and Perfius, was born in. Somersetshire in the year 1550, and educated at Winchester school. In 1569 he was entered a student of the university of Oxford, probably in the New college, of which he became either one of the clerks or one of the chaplains. He took his bachelor of arts degree in 1573, and that of matter in 1579; foon after which he was appointed by his college, master of the free fchool in Taunton in Somerfetshire. In this employment he continued many years with great reputation: but being at length weary of his laborious employment, he commenced phyfician, and we are told became eminent in that capacity. He died in the year 1612, poffeffed of feveral lands and

BOND, in law, is a deed whereby the obligor obliges himself, his heirs, executors, and adminiftrators, to pay a certain fum of money to another at a day appointed. If this be all, the bond is called a fimple one, fimplex obligatio. But there is generally a condition added, that if the obligor does fome particular act, the obligation fhall be void, or else shall remain in full force: as payment of rent; performance of covenants in a deed; or repayment of a principal fum of money borrowed of the obligee, with intereft; which principal fum is usually one half of the penal fum fpecified in the bond. In cafe this condition is not performed, the bond becomes forfeited, or abfolute at law, and charges the obligor while living; and after his death the obligation defcends upon his heir, who (on defect of perfonal aflets) is bound to difcharge it, provided he has real affets by defcent as a recompenfe.

If the condition of a bond be impoffible at the time of making it, or be to do thing contrary to fome rule of law that is merely pofitive, or be uncertain, or infenfible, the condition alone is void, and the bond fhall ftand fingle and unconditional: for it is the folly of the obligor to enter into fuch an obligation from which he can never be releafed. If it be to do a thing that is malum in fe, the obligation itself is void: for the whole is an unlawful contract, and the obligee fhall take no advantage from fuch a tranfaction. And if the condition be poffible at the time of making it, and afterwards becomes impoffible by the act of God, the act of law, or the act of the obligee himself, there the penalty of the obligation is faved: for no prudence or forefight of the obligor could guard against fuch a contingency. On the forfeiture of a bond, or its becoming fingle,. the whole penalty was recoverable at law: but here the courts of equity interpofed, and would not permit a man to take more than in confcience he ought, viz. hia principal, interest, and expences, in cafe the forfeiture accrued by non-payment of money borrowed; the damages fuftained upon non-performance of covenants; and the like. And the ftatute 4 and 5 Ann. c. 16. hath also enacted, in the fame spirit of equity, that in.. cafe of a bond, conditioned for the payment of money, the payment or tender of the principal fum due, with intereft and costs, even though the bond be forfeited and a fuit commenced thereon, shall be a full fa tisfaction and discharge.

BOND, in masonry and brick-laying, is when bricks or ftones are as it were knit and interwoven; and when they fay, make good bond, they mean that the joints are not made over, or upon other joints; but reach at leaft fix inches, both within the wall and on the furface, as the art of building requires.

BONDAGE, properly fignifies the fame with fla-very, but in old law books is ufed for villenage (fee · VILLENAGE). Tenants in bondage paid kenots, and did fealty; they were not to fell trees in their own garden, without licence of the lord. The widow of a tenant in bondage held her husband's ellate quam diu vixerit fine marito, "as long as fhe lived fingle."

BONDAGE by the Forelock, or Bandagium per anteri ores crines capitis, was when a freemen renounced his

liberty,.

Bones.

Bondman liberty, and became flave to fome great man: which was done by the ceremony of cutting off a lock of hair from the forehead, and delivering it to his lord; denoting that he was to be maintained by him for the future. Such a bondman, if he reclaimed his liberty, or were fugitive from his mafter, might be drawn again to his fervitude by the nose; whence the origin of the popular menace to pull a man by the nofe.

See Villain and VilJenage.

BONDMAN, in the English law, is ufed for à villain, or tenant in villenage.-The Romans had two kinds of bond-men; one called fervi, who were thofe either bought for money, taken in war, left by fucceffion, or purchafed by fome other lawful acquifition; or elfe born of their bend-women, and called verna. We may add a third kind of bondmen mentioned by Juftinian, called adfcriptii gleba, or agricenfiti; who were not bound to the perfon, but to the ground or place, and followed by him who had the land. Thefe in our law are called villains regardants, as belonging to the manor or place.

BONE-ACE, a game at cards played thus: The dealer deals out two cards to the firft hand, and turns up the third, and fo on through all the players, who may be feven, eight, or as many as the cards will permit: he that has the highest card turned up to him carries the bone; that is, one half of the ftake; the other half remaining to be played for. Again, if there be three kings, three queens, three tens, &c. turned up, the eldeft hand wins the bone. But it is to be observed, that the ace of diamonds is bone-ace, and wins all other cards whatever. Thus much for the bone and as for the other half of the ftake, the neareft to 31 wins it ;, and he that turns up or draws 31 wins it immediately.

BONES, their origin, formation, compofition, texture, variety, offices, &c. See ANATOMY, Part I.

From a difcovery made by Mr Scheele, of a method of producing the phofphoric acid in large quantity from bones, it has been afferted, that this acid is naturally contained in the bones, united with a calcareous earth. From many experiments, however, it appears that no acid is naturally contained in calcined bones; nor can the acid of phosphorus be extracted from them but by means of the vitriolic acid: whence it feems probable, that the phofphoric acid in this cafe is produced by the combination of a certain quantity of earth with the vitriolic acid.--With regard to the earth of bones itself, it appears to be very different from the calcareous kind: it is much more foluble in the vitriolic acid, and may be precipitated from that or any other by means of the cauftic volatile alkali, which cannot be done with the calcareous earth.

BONES Whitened for Skeletons. Two proceffes are defcribed in the Acta Hoffnienfia for whitening bones. Profeffor Rau had a method of giving them a great degree of whitenefs. By bare expofure to the air, fun, and rain, for a length of time, they become notably white; but the whiteft bones, kept in rooms tainted with fmoke or fuliginous vapours, grow in a little time yellowish, brownish, and unfightly. It is customary It is customary for the purification of bones, to boil them in alkaline liquors; which, by diffolving and extracting the fuperfluous fat, improve their whitenefs.

BONES Hardened and Softened. Boerhaave obferves,

that alkaline falts render bones harder and firmer, and Bones. that acids make them softer and more flexible. These effects fucceed in certain circumftances, but not univerfally; for bones may be hardened and softened both by acids and by alkalis, according to the quantity of faline matter employed, and the manner in which it is applied. Newmann made bones harder and more compact by treating them with the ftrongeft of the mineral acids; though, when the acid is in fufficient proportion, it deftroys or diffolves them. In Papin's digefter (a ftrong clofe veffel, in which the fteam of boiling liquors is confined, and the fluid by this means made to undergo a greater degree of heat than it could otherwife fuftain), the hardeft bones are reduced in a short time, by the action of fimple water, into a foft pap or jelly; and alkaline liquors produce this effect ftill fooner.

In the history of the French Academy for the years 1742 and 1743, there is an account that Mr Geoffroy produced before the academy a fmall ivory spoon, which, by long lying in muftard, was become flexible and tranfparent like horn; that Mr Fouchy faw an ivory fpoon, which, by lying for a confiderable time in milk, was become fupple like leather; and that Mr Hunauld produced bones, which had been softened by steeping in vinegar, afterwards hardened to their natural state by fteeping in water, and foftened a fecond time by fleeping in vinegar. Dr Lewis obferved that the nitrous and marine acids diluted, and the acetous acid, make bones flexible and tough like leather; but that the diluted vitriolic acid, though it renders them notably foft, makes them at the fame time brittle. It feems as if a great part of the earthy matter, which is the basis of the bone, and on which its hardness depends, was diffolved and extracted by the three first ; whilst the latter, incapable of diffolving this kind of earth into a liquid form, only corrodes it into a kind of felenitic concrete, which remains intermixed in minute particles among the gelatinous matter. Dr Lewis did not find that the foftened bones, whatever acid they were foftened by, recovered their hardnefs by fteeping in water. Slips of foftened ivory, after lying above a month in water, continued nearly as foft as when they were taken out of the acid liquor.

There is a fingular induration of bones produced by fire; the effects of which agent are here remarkably different according to its degree and the circumftances of its application. Bones expofed to a moderate fire, either in open veffels, or in contact with the burning fuel, become opaque, white, and friable throughout; and an increase of fire, after they have once fuffered this change, renders them only more and more friable. But if they are urged at firft with a ftrong fire, fuch as that in which copper or iron melts, they become hard, femitransparent, and fonorous, like the hard mineral ftones. This curious experiment deserves to be further profecuted.

Colouring of BONES. Bones may be ftained of a variety of colours by the common dyeing infufions and decoctions of animal and vegetable fubftances. They are ftained alfo, without heat, by metallic folutions; and by means of these may be spotted or variegated at pleasure. Thus, folution of filver in aquafortis gives a brown or black according to its quantity; folution of gold in aqua regia, or in fpirit of falt, a fine pur

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