mer period of hiftory." by way of contrait to thefe advantages, Sir J. Sinclair argued, "That when perfons talked with raptures of the great wealth brought into this country by commerce, they did not confider that the nation in many cafes foft as much by neglecting agriculture, as they gained by commerce; of which a ftronger inftance could not be given than this-that in the northern parts of England, in the course of laft harveft (1792) grain to a very confiderable amount, actually perished, for want of labourers to gather in the crop; all the hands in the neighbourhood being employed in manufactures." See farther § 5-7. (4.) BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, CONSTITUTION OF THE. Without attempting to enumerate the privileges and powers granted by the royal charter, it is only neceffary to mention here, that by that deed, the Board is appointed to conLift of a Prefident, Treasurer, Secretary, UnderSecretary, two or more furveyors, one or more clerks, with fuch other officers as may be neceffary, and 30 ordinary members: befides the Abps. of Canterbury and York, the Lord Chancellor, or Lord keeper of the Great Seal, Lord Prefident, Lord Privy Seal, Lord Treasurer, or firft Commif. fioner of the Treafury, Lord High Admiral, or first Lord Commisioner of the Admiralty, the Bps. of London and Durham, the two Secretaries of State, the Mafter of Ordnance, the Speaker of the Houfe of Commons, the Prefident of the Royal Society, the Surveyor General of Woods and Forefts, and the Surveyor of the Crown Lands, for the time being; who are all members ex officiis. The annual election of Officers and Members takes place on the 25th of March, when 5 of the ordinary members go out, and g others are chofen. At all meetings of the Board 7 is a quorum for doing bufinefs, the prefident or his deputy being always one. The number of honorary members is unfi mited. (5.) BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, HISTORY OF THE. From the circumftances above-mentioned (2.), Sir J. Sinclair's friends had fo little hopes of his fuccefs in getting the Board eftablifhed, that Mr Arthur Young, afterwards appointed Secretary to the Board, betted a copy of his Annals of Agriculture against a fet of Sir John's Statistical Account, that he would not fucceed. And when he afterwards informed him, that he had an appointment with Mr Pitt to explain the advantages of the meafure, and that he ought to fend his Annals to the binder, Mr Young wrote him-"When you come from Mr Pitt I fhall have won the wager. Pray don't give Minifters more credit than they deferve. In Manufactures and Commerce, you may bet fecurely, but they never did, and never will do any thing for the plough. Your Board will be a Board in the Moon." Sir John, however, took every prudent meafure to infure fuccefs. Mr Dundas early promised his affiftance, notwithstanding their political differences; and Mr Pitt affured him, "that he would not oppofe the measure, but that his fupport would depend at he judged was the fenfe of the houfe." tisfy the houfe of the beneficial tendency of measure, Sir John, previous to his motion iament, (See 3.) circulated a printed pa the members, containing a plan of the Board, its objects, advantages, (§ 3) and proba ble expences. Still, however, a few members, fufpecting fome deep scheme of corruption or minifterial influence to be at the bottom, opposed it vehemently; notwithstanding which it was carried by a majority of 75; 101 voting for it and 26 against it. Mr Sheridan and others, who then oppofed it, have fince very handfomely expreffed their conviction of the utility of the measure, and their wishes for its fuccefs. But although the Board was established by Act of Parliament, on the 17th May 1793, and L.3000 per annum voted for its fupport, the charter (4) was not drawn up and ultimately fanctioned by the Great Seal, till the 23d of Auguft; although the high fees paid for it, which amounted to no lefs than L.1189:12:z, might, one would think, have expedited the bufinefs more quickly. The Board, of confequence, could not be assembled till the 4th of Sept. and the regular meetings did not commence till Jan. 23, 1794. One of the firft objects of the attention of the Board was to collect materials for a Statistical Account of England. Accordingly fpecimens of parochial reports were printed, with a view of roufing the clergy of the church of England to exertions fimilar to those of their brethren in Scotland. But it was afterwards thought proper, on various accounts, to prefer general to particular inquiries, and to procure county instead of parochial reports. Accordingly furveys have been made within thefe 3 years, and reports printed of the State of Agriculture, in all the counties of the United kingdoms: and many of the gentlemen employed, having executed their tafks gratis, the charge of collecting this mafs of information, and furveying the whole Inland, has not exceeded the inconfiderable fum of L. 2170. The expences of printing the reports, however, being great, fubfcriptions of to guineas have been procured from those who wished for copies of the reports. As a fpecimen of the expedition with which the bufinefs of the board has been carried on, it is worth mentioning, that no fewer than 74 of thefe reports were given in, and either printed or in the prefs, within little more than 6 month after its 2d meeting; that during the firft Seffion above 80,000 papers had been printed and circu lated, of which above 100 had been returned with valuable hints and observations wrote in the mar gins, before the 29th July 1794: and that by the end of the 2d Seffion, the furvey of the whole kingdom had been nearly completed, and the re printing of fome of the reports had actually com menced. Such a quantity of important business, begun and executed within fo fhort a period, we are perfuaded is not to be found parallelled in the annals of any public fociety. Nor were these the only exertions made by the Board within that pe riod. Through their recommendation and influ ence extraordinary merit was rewarded, L. reco being granted by parliament, to Mr Jofeph Elk ington, who had carried the art of draining land to a degree of perfection hitherto unknown; and the interefts of a moft ufeful clafs of the commu nity, viz. the common labourers, had been attend ed to, by introducing and paffing the "act for the more effectual prevention of the ufe of defec tive weights, and falfe and unequal balances." Από BO A ( 83 And there is every reason to believe, that in confequence of the recommendations of the Board, in Jan. 1795, 50,000 additional acres were planted with potatoes, and a famine of confequence prevented, by thus providing 6 months provifions for about a million of people. The crop of wheat however, in 1795, proving defective, the prefident recommended to the Board, an extra-cultivatica of that neceffary grain, in a letter which was fent to all the members, and to the quarter fetions of the counties, as well as inferted in 50 diferent Newspapers, in confequence whereof a greater quantity of wheat was fown, and, with the advantage of a favourable season, a more productive and plentiful crop has been reaped in Autana 1796, than perhaps at any former period in the annals of Britnih agriculture. BOA ) Board are to collect and condense every particle of information, that can be interefting either to individuals or fociety. It will then be eafy for rulers to know (as Sir John obferves) how the happinefs of the people they govern may be beft fecu. red, and fchemes of public felicity realized."When the principles of improved husbandry are once clearly afcertained, and when by wife laws expence, every obftacle to improvement fhall be removed, the farmer will be enabled to raise at lefs a much greater quantity of proviñons, and confequently will have it in his power to fell them at a lower rate to the public. The people, having thus the neceffaries of life cheaper, must be better fa tisfied with the government under which they live, than they otherwife would be, and must have more money to lay out on fuperfluities, the taxes on which are the principal fources of the revenue. Hence both the peace of the country and the refources of the State depend upon the progrefs of our agricultural improvements." "Thefe are objects, (as Gen. Washington juftly observes, in his letter to Sir John,) truly worthy the attention of a great mind, and every friend to the human race muft readily lend his aid towards their accomplifhment." (E) BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, OBJECTS OF THE. We should fwell this article beyond all bounds, were we to enumerate all the objects of this truly patriotic inftitution. We fhall, therefure, after giving the great outlines of inveftigation, as ftated by Sir J. Sinclair to the Board, in "General View of the Inquiries effential for the internal improvement of the kingdom," only Zertion one or two important particulars, whick art now objects of their attention. The former are thus ranked by the prefident. "L The riches to be attained from the furface of the national terury. II. The mineral or fubterraneous treasures of which the country is poffeffed. III. The wealth to be derived from its ftreams, rivers, canals, inand navigations, coafts and fisheries: and IV. The means of promoting the improvement of the people in regard to their health, induftry and moras, founded on a ftatistical furvey of every parochal diftrict in the kingdom, and the circumftances of its inhabitants. Under one or other of thefe beds, every point of real importance, that can tead to promote the general happiness of a great Ration, feems to be included." Amongft the alLinite variety of important objects, compreheaded under these general heads, it mult give pare to every benevolent mind to find, that the melioration of the condition of the lower orders of the people occupies the attention of the Board, and that a committee has been already appointed upon "this important branch of duty." Tree objects of attention have been pointed out this fubject: 1. To promote improvements in the conftruction of cottages, and to afcertain the of leffening the confumption of fuel. 2 Ircommend the annexing of a large garden to stage; and 3. To encourage the extenfion frardly Societies. Another important object, ce by the exertions of the Board and their prebt, is now under the confideration of parliac, is to procure an act for the inclofure and vation of the wafte lands in Great Britain; Ld thus to "Cut off thofe legal bars, "Which crush the culture of our fruitful ifle. "Were they removed, unbounded wealth would "flow: "Our waftes would then with varied produce "fmile, And England foon a fecond Eden prove." (7.) BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, PHILANTHROPIC PROSPECTS ARISING FROM THE SUCCESS OF THE. We cannot clofe our account of this public-fpirited inftitution, without giving another quotation or two from the prefident's account of it (already fo often cited); which breathe the true fpirit of humanity and univerfal philanthropy. In his addreis to the board, 24th May, 1796, Sir John obferves," that a fingle additional acre, cultivated at home, is more truly valuable than the most extenfive poffeffions acquired abroad, at an enormous expence of treasure and of blood, and retained with difficulty and danger." And in a former addrefs, on the 29th July, 1794, after stating that the probable addition to the national capital by the improvement of 22,351,000 acres of wafte lands would amount at 30 years purchase to L.905,215,500; befides L.30,193,850 of additional national income; he allows an objection may be urged, that the improvement of thefe 22,35 1,000 acres at L.4 per acre would occation an expence of L.89,404,000. To this, after replying, that "in a national account this expence is no object; that the public, instead of lofing, gains by the expenditure; and that the money thrus laid out might have lain dormant; might have been wafted, or deftined for the cultivation of diftant ter ritories, with all the risk of being taken by an (nemy;" &c. he adds-" That here it is impoffible not to advert to the aftonifhing difference between spending 89 millions in improvements at home, or in foreign conqueft. After the expenditure of that fum in war, it would be accounted a most fortunate means of re-imbursement, if we could fecure any territory, by a commercial intercourfe with which, 5 millions per annum could be gained; whilft, at the fame time, it would be neceffary to pay at leaft 5 millions of additional taxes. But if that money were laid out at home, or rather, if individuals were encouraged to expend a part of their wealth, in the internal improvement of the country, inftead of new taxe L 2 he I boarded the king's thip: now on the beak, He not inclin'd the fhip to board, Arm, arm, fhe cry'd, and let our Tyrians With our's his fleet, and carry fire and fword. Denba. 2. To attack, or make the first attempt upon a man; aboarder quelqu'un, Fr. being neceffary, the old ones would become lighter and more cafily paid; and instead of dragging 5,000.000 per annum from an enormous distance, with much rifk and expence, 30 millions would be produced within our own domain, and always at our command But the moft philanthropic propofal is that with which Sir J. Sinclair clofes his Account of the Board. After stating that, notwithstanding the war, much uleful information had been received from, and communicated to, forciga countries, by the Board, he proposes à "Plan of an Agreement among the Powers of Eu rope and the United States of America, for rewarding Difcoveries of general Benefit to Society." The general outlines are, that each power thould agree to pay a fum according to its revenue, for rewarding those who make any useful discovery in rural œconomy, medicine, or the arts; and that fuch discover es fall be rapidly extended to the different countries; and brought to their ultimate ftate of perfection. The attention of mankind being thus directed to fuch objects, it is impoffible to fay, to what perfection the arts neceffary for their comfort and fuftenance might be carried. The defire for fame and emolument, and the emulation of many nations, rivalling each other in fuch arts, would produce difcoveries, the importance of which can hardly be estimated. And fuch an undertaking might have the effect of rendering wars Jefs frequent and ferocious." He concludes, "If the meatures above hinted at were adopted, a new fcene in politics might be the happy confequence, and rulers of nations might in future boaft,-not of their numerous feets,-not of their gallant armies, not of extended commerce,-of fplendid or luxurious arts, or acquifitions by intrigue or conqueft,-But of THIS-That swithin their refpective dominicus, a greater number of human beings enjoyed all the blings of political jociety, in greater-We are feveral of us, gentlemen and ladies, who perfection, than hitherto they had ever been enabled board in the fame houfe; and after dinner, one to attain, in any former period of history." of our company ftands up, and reads your paper. to us all. Spectator. (VIII) BOARD OF GREEN CLOTH, a court of juice held in the compting house of the king's houfchold, for taking cognizance of all matters of government within the king's court, and for correting the fervants that offended. It had alfo the authority of preferving the peace for 12 miles round the king's court, wherever it thould be, excepting at London. The judge of this court was the Lord Steward who was aflifted by a Treasurer, Comptroller, Cofferer, Clerks, &c. It took its name from a green cloth spread over the board where they fat. It was abolished in 1782. (IX. BOARD OF TRADE, [bureau de commerce,] a ci-devant office in the French polity, established in 1723, was compofed of 8 perfons, who difcuffed all papers and propofals relating to the improvement of trade, and fettled all dificulties in navigation and commerce. (X.) BOARD OF TRADE AND PLANTATIONS was establified by K. William III. in 1696, for fettling all difputes and regulations relating to commerce and colonies. This board, befides mitifters of te, confifts of 8 con.mimñioners, with an annual of L. 1500 each. Whom thus at gaze, the Palmer 'gan to board With goodly reafon, and thus fair befpake. Fairy Queen. Away, I do befecch you, both away; I'll board him presently. Shakelp. Hamlet. Sure, unless he knew fome ftrain in me, that I knew not myself, he would never have boarded me in his fury. Shakefp.-They learn what affociates and correfpondents they had, and how far every one is engaged, and what new ones they meant afterwards to try or board. Bacon's Henry VII. 3. To lay or pave with boards.-Having thus boarded the whole room, the edges of fome boards lie higher than the next board; therefore they perule the whole floor; and, where they find any irregularities, plane them off. Moxon's Mechanical Exercifes. (2.) *To BOARD. v. a. To place as a boarder in another's house. (3.) To BOARD. v. n. To live in a house, where a certain rate is paid for eating.— That we might not part, As we at firft did foard with thee, Herbert. * BOARDER. 7. f. [from beard.] A tabler; one that eats with another at a settled rate. BOARDING, in a naval engagement, a defperate and furious ailault made by one ship on another, after having found every other method to reduce her ineffectual. It may be performed in different places of the hip, according to their circumstances and fituation, by the affailant detaching a number of men armed with pikes, piftois, and cutlafles on the decks of his antagonift, whe ftands in the fame predicament with a city formed by the beliegers. This, however, is rarely attempted by king's fhips, which generally decides the combat without grappling; but is often prac tifed by privateers, which, bearing down on the enemy's quarter or broadfide, drop from the bowiprit, which projects over the defendants deck, an earthen thell, called a flink-pot, charged with fuffocating combuftibles, which immediately burfts, catches fire, and ils the deck with infufferabic fterch and imoke: in the middle of the confubon thus occationed, the thip's crew ruth aboard, under cover of the smoke, and easily overpower the attonished enemy, unles they have clofe quarters to which they can retreat and beat them off the deck. BOARD BOARDING-PIKE, a pike made ufe of in boarding thips at an engagement. BOARDING SCHOOL. n. f. [from board and fol. A school where the fcholars live with the teacher. It is commonly used of a school for girls. A blockhead, with melodious voice, In haarding-schools can have his choice. Swift. *BOARD-WAGES. 22. j. [from board and wages.] Wages allowed to fervants to keep themselves in What more than madness reigns, When one fhort fitting many hundreds drains, And not enough is left him, to supply Beard ones, or a footman's livery? Dryden. BOARHILLS, 1.a confiderable village of Fife, in the E. end of the parish of St Andrews: 2. the dent in which it is fituated. BOARIA LAPPA, or LAPPAGO, a name given by the ancient Romans to the fruit or rough balls of the common aparine or cleavers. Pliny calls the fruit lappe boarie, or lappe canine, and fome Dryden. BOAST. . . [from the verb.] 1. An expref of cftentation; a proud speech.--Thou that ket thy boast of the law, through breaking the Law dinonoureit thou God? Rom. ii. 23.-The Weld is more apt to find fault than to commend; he will probably be cenfured, when the great that occafioned it is forgotten. Spectator. A cause of boasting; an occafion of pride; the to boasted.— NA Tyro, nor Mycene, match her name, Nor great Alcmena, the proud boasts of fame. Pope. *T BOAST.v.a. 1. To brag of; to difplay ofertatious language.-For if I have boufled yg of him to you, I am not athamed. 2 ferve graven images, that boost themselves of idols. Pjalm xcvii. 7. * (2.) To BOAST. v. n. [hift, Welch.] 1. To brag ; to display one's own worth, or actions, in great words.-Let not him that putteth on his harness, boaft himself as he that putteth it off. Kings.— The fp'rits beneath, Whom I feduc'd, boafting I could fubdue Milton. 2. To talk oftentatioufly-For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia. 1 Cor. ix. 2. 3. It is used commonly with of. My fentence is for open war, of wiles More inexpert I boast not. 4. Sometimes with in. Milton. They Loaft in mortal things, and wond'ring tell Of Babel, and the works of Memphian kings. Milton. Some furgeons I have met, carrying bones about in their pockets, boating in that which was their fhame. Wieman. 5. To exalt one's felf.Thus with your mouth you have boafted against me, and multiplied your words against me. Ezek. XXXV. 13. * BOASTER. n. f. [from boat.] A bragger; a man that vaunts any thing oftentatiously.-Complaints the more candid and judicious of the chymifts themselves are wont to make of those boafters, that confidently pretend, that they have extracted the falt or fulphur of quicksilver, when they have difguifed it by additaments, wherewith it refembles the concretes. Boyle. No more delays, vain boaster! but begin; I prophefy beforehand I fhall win: I'll teach you how to brag another time. Dryd. He the proud boafters fent, with stern affault, Down to the realms of night. Philips. * BOASTFUL. adj. [from boat and full.] Oftentatious; inclined to brag. Boaftful, and rough, your first son is a squire; The next a tradefman, meek and much a liar.. Pope * BOASTINGLY. adv. [from boating.] Oftentatiously.-We look on it as a pitch of impiety, boaftingly to avow our fins; and it deferves to be confidered, whether this kind of confefling them have not fome affinity with it. Decay of Piety. (I.) * BOAT n. f. [bat, Saxon.] 1. A veffel to país the water in. It is ufually diffinguished from other veffels, by being smaller and uncovered, and commonly moved by rowing.-I do not think that any one nation, the Syrian excepted, to whom the knwledge of the ark came, did find out at once the device of either thip or boat, in which they durft venture themselves upon the feas. RaLeigh's Effavs. An effeminate fcoundrel multitude! Tate, Juv. 2. A fhip of a fimal! fize; as, a pajeze boat, pacquet boat, advice boat, fly boat. (II.) BOATS, DIFFERENT KINDS OF. The conftruction, machinery, and even the names of boats, are very different, according to the various pur poks heavy a load; contrived and conftructed by M. Bernieres, director of the bridges and caufeways in France," &c. Some of these trials were made Aug. 1777, at the Gate of Invalids in Paris, in prefence of the provoft, merchants, and a nume. rous concourfe of fpectators of all conditions. They were made by way of comparison with another common boat of the fame place, and of equal fize. Both boats had been built ten years, and their exterior forms appeared to be exactly fimilar. The common boat contained only eight men, who rocked it and made it incline fo much to one fide, that it prefently filled with water, and funk; fo that the men were obliged to fave themselves by fwimming; a thing common in all veffels of the fame kind, either from the impru dence of those who are in them, the ftrength of the waves or wind, a violent or unexpected fhock, their being overloaded, or overpowered any other way. The fame men who had juft escaped from the boat which funk, got into the boat of M. Bernieres; rocked it, and filled it, as they had done the other, with water. But instead of finking to the bottom, though brim full, it bore being rowed about the river, loaded as it was with men and water, without any danger to the people in it. M. Bernieres carried the experiment ftill farther. He ordered a maft to be erected in the fame boat, when filled with water; and to the top of the maft had a rope faftened, and drawn till the end of the maft touched the furface of the river, so that the boat was entirely on one "fide, a pofition into which neither wind nor waves could bring her; yet, as foon as the men who had hauled her into this fituation let go the rope, the boat and maft recovered their pofition perfectly in less than the quarter of a fecond; a convincing proof that the boat could neither be funk nor overturned, and that it afforded the greatest poffible fecurity in every way. Thefe experiments appeared to give the greater pleasure to the public, as the advantages of the difcovery may be of the firft impor tance to mankind. Yet it feems furprifing, that we have heard nothing farther of this difcovery being applied to practice. poles for which they are calculated, and the fervices on which they are to be employed. Thus they are occafionally flight or strong, fharp or flat bottomed, open or decked, plain or ornamented; as they may be defigned for fwiftnefs or burden, for deep or shallow water, for failing in a harbour or at fea, and for convenience or pleasure. The largest boat that usually accompanies a fhip is the long-boat, which is generally furnished with a maft and fails: thofe which are fitted for men of war, may be occafionally decked, armed, and equipped for cruifing short diftances againftmerchant thips of the enemy, or fmugglers, or impreffing feamen, &c. The BARGES are next in order, which are longer, flighter, and narrower; they are employed to carry the principal fea officers, as admirals, and captains of fhips of war, and are very unfit for fea. PINNACES exactly refemble barges, only that they are fomewhat fmaller, and never row more than eight cars; whereas a barge properly never rows less than ten. These are for the accommodation of the lieutenants, &c. CUTTERS of a ship, are broader, deeper, and shorter, than the barges and pinnaces; they are fitter for failing, and are commonly employed in carrying ftores, provifions, paffengers, &c. to and from the ship. In the ftructure of this fort of boats, the lower edge of every plank in the fide overlays the upper edge of the plank below, which is called by hip-wrights clinch-aworks. YAWLS are fomething lefs than cutters, nearly of the fame form, and used for fimilar services; they are generally rowed with fix oars. These boats more particularly belong to men of war; as merchant Thips feldom have more than two, viz. a long-boat and yawl: when they have a third, it is generally calculated for the countries to which they trade, and varies in its conftruction accordingly. Merchant ships employed in the Mediterranean find it more convenient to ufe a LAUNCH, which is longer, more flat bottomed, and better adapted every way to the harbours of that fea, than a longboat. A WHERRY is a light fharp boat, ufed in a river or harbour for carrying paffengers from place to place. PUNTS are a fort of oblong flat bottomed boats, nearly refembling floating ftages; they are used by ship wrights and caulkers, for breaming, caulking, or repairing a fhip's bottom. A MOSES is a very flat broad boat, ufed by merchant thips amongst the Caribbee iflands, to bring hogfheads of fugar off from the fea beach to the shipping which are anchored in the roads. A FELUCCA is a ftrong paffage boat ufed in the Mediterranean, from 10 to 16 banks of oars. The natives of Barbary often employ boats of this fort as cruizers. For the larger fort of boats, fee CRAFT, CUTTER, PERIAGUA, and SHALLOP. Of all the fmall boats a NORWAY YAWL feems to be the beft calculated for a high fea, as it will often venture out to a great diftance from the coaft of that country, when a ftout ship can hardly carry any fail. (IL) BOATS, M. BERNIERES'S EXPERIMENTS WITH TWO. The following account was publifhed about twenty years ago, of "feveral trials made on a boat or floop, fit for inland navigation, coafting voyages, and thort paffages by fea, which e not, like ordinary veffels, liable to be overfet funk by winds, waves, water fpouts, or too (IV.) BOATS, TERMS USED IN NAVIGATING. The following terms are used among feamen in navigating boats: 1. BOAT, TO BALE, OR FREE THE, is to fling out the water. 2. BOAT, TO FEND THE, is to fave her from beating against the fides of the ship. 3. BOAT, TO MOOR THE, to faften it with ropes. 4. BOAT, TO TRIM THE, is to keep her even 5. BOAT, TO WIND THE, is to bring her head about. (V.) BOATS, TRAIN OF, a number of small veð fels faftened to each other, afcending up the Loi in France, by fails when the wind ferves, other wife towed by men, fometimes to the number of 70 or 8c to a fingle rope. T BOAT. v. a. To carry in a boat. Afb. BOAT-BILL. See CANCROMA. BOAT-FLY, a water infect, whofe back is flaped like the bottom of a boat; the hind legs, which are thrice as long as the fore, aptly enough re fembling a pair of oars. Accordingly, ", contrary t |