150 



BUS 



sert their privileges against the oppressions of King 

 John ; and it is also famous for several meetings of 

 parliament. It was burnt by Sweyn, king of Den- 

 mark, and almost completely destroyed ; but the ab- 

 bey was rebuilt by his son Canute, who restored the 

 town to its former importance. In 1257, a violent 

 plague swept off above a thousand of its inhabitants ; 

 and, in 1638, upwards of 600 perished by this dread- 

 ful calamity. 



This borough sends two members to parliament. 

 It has three annual fairs, and two weekly markets on 

 Wednesday and Saturday. Number of houses, 1397. 

 Population 7655, of whom 4-198 are employed in 

 trade and manufactures. N. Lat. 52 20', E. Long. 

 50'. (p) 



BUSCHING, ANTHONY FREDERICK, was born 

 at Stadthagen, in Germany, in 1724-. After having 

 been instructed in the Greek, Chaldaic, and Sy- 

 riac languages, and also in mathematics and astro- 

 nomy, by M. Hauber, the pastor of a German con- 

 gregation at Copenhagen, he went, in 1744, to study 

 divinity at Halle. In 1746, he published his first 

 work, entitled, An Introduction to the Epistle of 

 Paul to ilic PhiUpplans, which was followed by his 

 exegetical lectures on Isaiah and on the New Testa- 

 ment. Having been employed, in 1748, to superin- 

 tend the education of the eldest son of the Count 

 Lvnar, he accompanied that nobleman to St Peters- 

 burgh in 1749, and in the course of this journey he 

 planned the new system of geography, which he af- 

 terwards executed with so much ability. The diffi- 

 culties with which he had to struggle in the compo- 

 sition of this work, induced him to leave his pre- 

 sent situation (1752), and to repair to Copenhagen 

 for the purpose of completing it. In this city he 

 conducted a monthly work on the state of the Arta 

 and Sciences in Denmark ; and when he returned to 

 Halle, in 1754, he published his Vindiciof Seplen- 

 Irlonis, and announced his design of publishing a 

 work on the constitution of the principal states of 

 Europe. This plan, however, was frustrated, by his 

 accepting, in 1759, of the office of extraordinary 

 professor of philosophy at Gottingen, with a salary 

 of 200 rix-dollars to enable him to complete his geo- 

 graphy. 



In consequence of the death of Mosheim, Bach- 

 ing offered himself a candidate for the professorship 

 of theology in Gottingen ; but his religious opi- 

 nions were not sufficiently sound, and instead of ob- 

 taining the object of his ambition, he was ordered 

 by a rescript, issued in 1757* to abstain from lectur- 

 ing on disputed points in theology, and from pub- 

 lishing any thing on that subject which had not been 

 approved of by the privy council of Hanover. 



In 1759, Busching was appointed public professor 

 of philosophy, and his leisure hours were occupied 

 in the completion of his geographical work. In 1761, 

 lie accepted of the office of pastor to a Lutheran 

 congregation at St Petersburg, where he founded a 

 public school, which had risen to such reputation 

 in 1763, that Catherine II. granted it several privi- 

 leges. Some disputes, howerer, respecting this in- 

 stitution, produced a difference between him and his 

 congregation, and occasioned his return to his native 

 country. Busching now chose Altona as the pUce 



of his residence ; and he continued here, notxvith- 

 standing the numerous proposals that were m:ide to 

 induce him to return to Gottingen. In 1766, he 

 was appointed director of a gymnasium at Berlin ; 

 and in this capital he spent the remainder of his life, 

 respected by all who knew him, and distinguished by 

 his unwearied industry in literary- pursuits. A pul- 

 monary disorder, with which he was for several year* 

 afflicted, terminated his useful life, in 1793 ; and, ac- 

 cording to his own directions, he was buried in hii 

 garden at midnight, without any ceremony. 



The productions of this laborious writer were more 

 than an hundred. His Geography, which was pub- 

 lished at different times after the year 1 754-, was com- 

 pleted in six quarto volumes, and went through no 

 fewer than eight editions during his life. He pub- 

 lished also a Magazine for Modern History and Geo- 

 graphy, which was completed in 22 quarto parts, be- 

 tween 1767 and 1788. His Weekly account of 

 Maps appeared in detached parts, between the years 

 1773 and 1787. (*) 



BUSHEL, a measure of capacity for dry com- 

 modities. The standard bushel of this country, when 

 measured in the presence of the House of Commons in 

 1696, was found to contain 214-5.6 cubic inches of wa- 

 ter ; and this water, when weighed, amounted to 1 131 

 ounces and 14 pennyweights Troy. In 1697, it was 

 determined by act of parliament, that every round 

 bushel, with a plain and even bottom, that was 18 

 inches diameter and 8 inches deep, should be regard- 

 ed as a legal Winchester bushel, which will conse> 

 quently contain 2150.42 cubic inches. 



The bushel, in different parts of England, is of 

 various sizes. 



Gallons. 



Abingdon and Andover bushel contains - 9 

 Appleby and Penrith, for pease, rye, and wheat, 16 

 Appleby and Penrith, for barley, big, malt, 



mixed malt, and oats, 20 



Carlisle bushel, ... -24 



Chester do. for wheat, rye, &c. - 32 



Chester do. for oats, - 40 



Dorchester do. for malt and oats, - - 10 

 Falmouth do. of stricken coals, - - 16 

 Falmouth do. for other articles, - 20 and 21 

 Kingston upon Thames, 8 



Newbury, * - 9 



Wycombe and Reading, 8| 



Stamford, - - - -16 



() 



BUSHIRE, or more properly ABUSCHAHR, the 

 principal sea-port of Persia, in the province of Far- 

 sistan, is situated on the extremity of a peninsula in 

 the Persian Gulf. The town is of a triangular form, 

 surrounded on two sides by the sea, and fortified to- 

 wards the land by a wall, with twelve bastions, per- 

 forated at the top with holes, through which the de- 

 fenders may point their musketry. The streets are 

 only from six to eight feet wide, and the houses are 

 mean and low, constructed chiefly of mud, or of a 

 soft sandstone, which is obtained from the ruins of 

 Reshire, in the neighbourhood. Those of the prin- 

 cipal inhabitants are distinguished by a square turret, 

 of which there are nine in Bushire; and this circum- 

 stance gives the city, at a distance, very much the 



