instances surrounded by stone walls, at an elevation of 8,700 ft. above sea-level.-Pemberton.

BHOPARI, a fort in the district of Berdi, in the prov. of Gundwana, in Hindostan.

BHOPAUL. See BOPAL.

commences in June. The pop., which amounts to about 10,000, consists of Bhutias or Bhotyas, Tibetians, and a few people said to be of Tartar blood. This district is to be distinguished from Butan, the territory of the Deb rajah.

BHOWNUGGUR, a seaport of India, in the prov. of Gujerat, on the W side of the gulf of Cambay, in N lat. 21° 48'. It has a bad celebrity for its mint of forged rupees.

BHRADINATH. See BADRINATH.

BHUJ, the capital of the prov. of Cutch, in the SW extremity of Hindostan, in N lat. 23° 15'. It occupies a rising ground about 25 m. to the NW of the port of Muddi. In 1818 this town contained 20.000 inhabitants; but in the following year, after being captured by the British, both town and fort were nearly destroyed by an earthquake.

BHUJI, a district of Hindostan, in the prov. of Delhi, between the Jumna and the Sutledge, in which the fortress of Kungur is situated.

BHUR, a village of Sinde, 80 m. S of Hyderabad, in N lat. 24° 11'.

BHURTPORE, a principality of Hindostan, in the prov. of Agra, on its W boundary. The district has an area of about 5,000 sq. m., and is well-cultivated. Its principal productions are corn, cotton, and sugar. It is chiefly inhabited by a tribe of Jats, who migrated hither from the banks of the Indus in the early part of the 17th cent. Its chief towns are B., Dieg, Combher, Biana, and Karna.-The town and fort of B. were erected by Budden Singh, a descendant of Churamun, a Jat chief, who acquired considerable power during the civil wars between Aurungzebe and his brothers, and enriched himself and followers by plundering the stragglers of the different armies, and laying the merchants under contribution. His successors extended their usurpations nearly as far as Delhi; and during the various vicissitudes of that court, their alliance was sought by the contending parties. On the breaking out of the Mahratta war, Runjeet Singh, the rajah of B., promised to join the British, but afterwards formed an alliance with Scindia and Holkar, in consequence of which its territories were invaded by the British troops under Lake, and the fortress of Dieg and several other places taken; but the garrison of B. defended themselves with such gallantry, that 3,100 of the besieging army fell before the place capitulated. In 1825, Bulwunt Singh, an infant of seven years of age, was recognised by the British as rajah of B. His cousin, Durjun Sal, managed to usurp the sovereignty of the state; and a British force was again employed in reducing | B., which was only effected in January 1826, after the garrison had lost above 4,000 men. The fortifications were then destroyed; but the independence of the state has been guaranteed by the Company's

BHUTKOT, a mountain of Hindostan, in the prov. of Delhi, 20 m. NW of Almirah, having an alt. of 9,200 ft. above sea-level.

BHUTNIR, or BATNIR, a district of Rajisthan, in India, dependent on Bikanir. Its cap., of the same name, is in N lat. 29° 37'.

BIA, a river of Siberia, in the gov. of Tomsk, which issues from Lake Teletzk or Altin, curves to the NW, and unites with the Obi 12 m. SW of Bisk. BIACHE-SAINT-WAAST, a commune of France, in the dep. of Pas-de-Calais, and cant. of Vitry. Pop. 1,068.

BIAFARAS, a tribe of Africa, inhabiting a district between 11° and 12° N lat., and 13° to 14° 30′ W long., on the N of the Rio Grande. It appears that they formerly possessed extensive territories to the SW, and in particular the island of Bulama. From these they were expelled by their warlike neighbours towards the end of the 17th cent., when they retired further up the Rio Grande. In stature the B. are tall, but of a slender feminine figure, unlike the strong and robust natives of most other parts of Africa. They are a mild, peaceable, and inoffensive race; and are held in great contempt by the Bijugas, with whom they are constantly at war. They are of a lively disposition, have a wonderful propensity to talking, and seen to be endowed with a ready apprehension of things within the limits of their understanding. They are governed by different chiefs, and have several towns, among which are Goli, Gonfode, Ghinala, and Bulola. The B. are said to trade to some extent with the Portusettlement, and were extremely desirous that Captain Beaver guese. They brought ivory, cloths, and poultry to the English should establish himself among them.-Beaver's African Memoranda-Lajaille, Voyage au Senegal, par Labarthe-Durand's Voyage to Senegal.

BIAFRA (BIGHT OF), a portion of the gulf of Guinea, on the W coast of Africa, lying between Cape Formosa, which divides it from the bight of Benin, on the N, and Cape Lopez on the S. The direct distance between these extreme points is about 580 m., and the length of the coast-line nearly 800 m. The greatest depth of the bay, measured from the line passing betwixt its extreme points to the mouth of the Old Calabar river, is about 255 m. The shores throughout are flat and low; but high hills or from SSW, WSW, and W, and the current runs generally to the mountains rise at a distance inland. The prevalent winds are eastward; but tornadoes occasionally blow from the NE or SE. The water shoals rapidly inshore of 5 fath. Beginning at the be regarded as deltoid branches of the Niger or Quorra, at least NW point of the coast, we have six rivers-all of which may during the rainy season-successively discharging themselves into the sea. These are the Rio Nun; the Rio Bento or St. John, 11 m. to the E of the Rio Nun; the San Nicolao, 11 m. to the E of the Rio Bento; the Santa Barbara, 11 m. ENE from the San

Nicolao; the San Bartolomeo, 74m. to the E of the Santa Barbara; and the Rio Sombreiro, 11 m. ESE of the San Bartolomeo. All the coast thus far presents a sandy beach thickly covered with mangrove trees. At 8 m. ESE from the Rio Sombreiro is Foche point, the W point of the large estuary of the New Calabar, in N lat. 4° 22' 40", E long. 7°. This estuary is 8 m. in breadth, and is divided by a large bank in the middle, on several points of which are only 3 ft. water, while a deep channel on the W side leads into the New Calabar, and another on the E into the Bonny. From the Bonny to the entrance of the Andoney or Adony, the land continues low, and trends E by N for 12 m. The latter river is said to communicate by an interior branch with the Bonny, and thus estuary of the Old Calabar, the shore trends E by N 20 leagues. forms what is called Bonny island. From the Andoney to the The basin of the Old Calabar appears to be completely separated from that of the Quorra by high lands running into the interior. Becroft, who ascended this river above 300 m., is of opinion that it is not connected with the water-system of the Quorra, but the Cross river, which falls into its estuary at a point about 60 m. from the sea, comes from the NW, and may yet be found to be connected with the Quorra. From the E side of the estuary of the Old Ca labar to the Rio del Rey, the coast-line runs E 12 m.; and from the Rio del Rey to the river Bimbia it trends S 40 m. Here the elevated range of the Camaroons becomes visible, rising in a continuous slope from the sea to an alt. of 13,000 ft., and covered with forests nearly to the summit. The bay of Amboises lies at the base of the Camaroons, and opposite the NE point of Fernando Po, the largest island in the bight. The channel between this island

and the main is very picturesque, being only 19 m. wide; and having on the one hand the lofty Camaroons, and, on the other, the central peak of the island, which attains an alt. of 10,190 ft. The coast of the main is here thickly studded with villages. From the Bimbia to Cape Camaroons, on the W side of the estuary of that river, the coast forms a sweep of 11 m. Captain Allen point about 20 m. from the sea. Its average breadth as far as he ascended was about 400 yards, and the depth varied from 2 to 20 ft., but rarely exceeded 8 ft. When flooded there would be water enough for any vessel; but the natives reported that the navigation was obstructed by rocks at Banem, about 90 m. from the sea. From the E side of the estuary of the Camaroons, all the way S to Corisco bay, the coast presents a continued range of low banks thickly covered with trees, amidst which numerous villages appear embosomed. The principal rivers which discharge themselves on this part of the coast are the Borca, the Campo, and the Bento. Cape Esterias, the S point of Corisco bay, is in N lat. 0° 37', E long. 9° 21', and from this point to Cape Clara, at the entrance of the Gabun river, the coast trends SE 7 m. The estuary of the Gabun is 18 m. wide, and it widens inland to above 30 m. From the Gabun to Cape Lopez, the coast forms a bay measuring 22 leagues across, and 14 m. in depth, with several rivers and creeks opening from it. Near the Gabun, the interior rises gradually into rich fertile hills, and is thickly wooded to the water's edge; towards the cape, the coast-line becomes so low that the trees and

reached the main undivided trunk of the Camaroons river at a

bushes seem to stand in the water. Little is known of the states and tribes of the interior of this part of Africa. There appears to be no great controlling state amongst them; but the productions

are rich, and the country is in many parts populous.-Bowdich.

-Allen.-Lander.- Vidal.—Geog. Journal.

BIAGIO (SAN), a town of Venetian Lombardy, in the district and 7 m. E of Treviso.-Also a town of Naples, in the prov. of Samnio, 10 m. N of Campo

basso.

BIAGIO (SAN), or SAN BIASI, a town of Naples, in the prov. of Calabria Ultra, in the dist. and 4 m. WSW of Nicastro. It was, to a great extent, overthrown by an earthquake in 1783. The environs afford excellent wine.

BIAGRASSO. See ABBIATEGRASSO.

BIALA, a town of Galicia, in the circle and 20 m. WSW of Wadowice, on the r. bank of the river of the same name, 7 m. S of its confluence with the Vistula, and opposite the Moravian town of Bielitz. with which it is connected by a bridge. It possesses manufactories of cloth, linen, and ironmongery. It was constituted a free town in 1797. Pop. 3,994.-Also a river which takes its rise in the Carpathian mountains, runs to the N, passing Ciezkowice, and unites with the Dojanetz 4 m. WNW of Tarnov.-Also a town of Poland, in the gov. of Mazovia, obwod and 9 m. NE of Rawa. Pop. 820.-Also a town in the gov. and 38 m. ESE of Seidlce, near the N bank of the Krzna. It contains a fine castle, belonging to the family of Radziwill. Pop. 3,600.-Also a town in the gov. of Lublin, and obwod of Zamosc. Pop. 700.

BIALACZOW, a town of Poland, in the gov. of Sandomir, obwod and 5 m. S of Opoczno. Pop. 700. BIALLA, a town of Prussia, in the prov. of East Prussia, in the circle and 10 m. E of Johannisberg, on a small lake. Pop. in 1837, 1,213. Lint is cultivated in the environs.

BIALLIS, a town of Lower Egypt, in the prov. of Damietta, on the r. side of the Tabanieh canal, 12| m. NNE of Mahalet.

BIALOBRZEGI, a town of Poland, in the gov. of Sandomir, in the obwod and 20 m. NW of Radom, on the r. bank of the Pilica. Pop. 580. BIALOGROD. See BElgard.

turalists to be the original type of our horned cattle, and which is now only found here, and in the marshy forests of the Caucasus. The chase of the auroch in his native forest formed the most magnificent pastime of the kings of Poland; and a pyramidal obelisk, standing in the centre of this forest, and bearing the date 1752, commemorates a grand chase by Augustus III., when no fewer than 42 of these noble animals were killed. Another chase took place in 1822 for the gratification of the emperor Alexander of Russia; and in 1836 the Prince Dolgoroucki, governor-general of Lithuania, held a grand chase, in which one auroch was allowed to be killed. During the struggle for national independence in 1831, the forest of B. afforded for some time a retreat to the patriots of

Grodno.

BIALYKAMIEN, a town of Galicia, in the circle and 8 m. NNW of Zloczow, near the source of the Bug. It forms a seignory belonging to Prince Radziwill, and contains a fine castle, a Catholic and a Greek church.

BIALYSTOCK, a province of Western Russia, which formerly constituted a part of the Polish waivodeship of Podlachia, but was incorporated with Russia in 1795. In 1807, a large portion of it was incorporated with the duchy of Warsaw, in terms of the treaty of Tilsit; and the remainder was erected into the prov. we are now to describe, which was placed under the superintendence of the governors-general of Grodno, and divided into 4 districts, named from the principal towns, Bialystock, Sokolka, Bielsk, and Drohiczyn. Its superficial extent has been estimated by Wiehmann, in 1813, at 158 German or 3,355 English sq. m.; and by Broemsen, in 1819, at 169 German or 3,589 English sq. m. The pop. in 1839 amounted to 227,106. of whom 31,376 were Jews. The greater part of this pop. are Catholics, of Polish-Mazovian descent. The surface is generally flat; and the soil light and sandy. Upwards of a seventh part of the surface is covered with forests. The principal river is the Western Bug. Its tributaries, the Nurzek and the Narawa, are considerable streams. The climate is temperate; but the great extent of marshy ground renders it, in many parts, unhealthy. Rye, wheat, buck-wheat, and flax are extensively grown; and the number of individuals engaged in agriculture was returned in 1830 at 198,502, or nearly five-sixths of the whole pop. Game is plentiful; and wolves and wild boars haunt the larger forests. TaHow, wool, wax, and honey are exported; but the only manufactures are confined to leather, soap, and woollen fabrics for domestic consumption. Upwards of 9,000 families in this prov. claim to be of noble descent; but they are in general so poor that not a few of them cultivate the ground with their own hands, or even sell their bodily services to others for hire.Drohiczyn, on the Bug, was the ancient cap. of this country; but successively devastated by the Lithuanians, Mazovians, and Swedes, it has sunk into insignificance; and the modern cap., of the same name with the prov., is a town of 9,217 inhabitants in 1833, on the Bialy river, 60 m. SSW of Grodno. It

teau, formerly appertaining to the Counts Branicki, which has been called 'the Polish Versailles.'

BIANA, or BEANA, a town of Hindostan, in the prov. and 54 m. WSW of Agra. It is situated on a tributary of the Bungunga, at the base of a hill, the summit of which is covered with the remains of the original town,-of these, the fort has recently been repaired and strengthened with additional works of masonry. Modern B. is of considerable extent, and contains many large and substantially built houses. The bazaar is commodious, and in 1820 was ex