BATHS AND WASHHOUSES, PUBLIC. 



BATTALION. 



dry, at a temperature of 210". In all other cases the results were 

 similar, establishing the fact that " the articles, when taken from the 

 drying-chamber, contained decidedly less moisture than they did when 

 they were received for the wash." To show the " satisfactory working 

 of the drying-chamber at the model establishment, and also its great 

 advantage in the economy of time, trouble, and expense to those of the 

 labouring classes who resort to it," the committee give a return of the 

 articles dried there in one week ending January 24, 1852. It is too 

 full for us to copy ; but we may state, that the number of articles of 

 all kinds, from counterpanes, jackets, and trousers, down to shirts and 

 stockings, was 36,844, belonging to 1373 washers, who occupied 2999J 

 hours in washing, drying, and ironing them ; and that the drying con- 

 sumed only 282 bushels of coke, which cost under il. In some of the 

 buildings last erected, efforts have been made to economise still more 

 the cost of this and other operations. 



In most of the establishments there is only one class of washers ; 

 but in some there are both first and second classes, the difference 

 being that the first class have a somewhat larger compartment allotted 

 to each washer, and a third or rinsing-tub. The charge for the use of 

 all the apparatus we have described is now generally 1 Jrf. an hour, 

 though in a few places it is only Id. an hour. Where there are both 

 classes, the charge is 2J<?. an hour first-class, and l^d. second. Soap, 

 soda, &c., have to be found by the washers. The number of washing 

 ciiinpartmentB varies, of course, according to the size of the establish- 

 ment : at Goulston Square there are 84 of them ; at St. Martin's, 56. 

 The average time occupied by each washer at the model establishment 

 in two hours and a half, and this is the general average time in London ; 

 in some country towns it differs considerably. In London it seems 

 pretty well established, that the active wife of a labouring man can at 

 one of these places wash and dry the clothes of her family in two or 

 three hours. The ironing, at least in part, is generally done at home. 



Let us look a little at what has been accomplished. In August 

 1846 the royal assent was given to an Act to encourage the establish- 

 ment of public baths and washhouses, which, as amended in the 

 session of 1847, empowered parish vestries and borough councils to 

 .-ti.I'li^h ,-m-li hi-::!uii"]is, ami. v.ith tin- >:ini-tiuii i.f t\n- Trra-nry, to 

 borrow money for the purpose on the security of the borough fund or 

 poor's rates. A schedule directs, among other very excellent rules, 

 that batlis must be provided in them at Id. for cold and 2d. for warm 

 baths ; and that the washhouses shall be furnished with necessary 

 conveniences at a charge not exceeding 3d. for two hours. Baths and 

 wash-houses of a higher class are to be charged as the council and com- 

 missioners respectively think fit. The baths and washhouses "for the 

 Labouring classes " in any such establishment, must be not less than 

 twice the number of those of any higher class. This Act at once gave 

 the system a firm standing; and both boroughs and parishes have availed 

 themselves of its powers to a considerable extent. Of course, it is not 

 always easy to persuade vestrymen to permit an addition to be made 

 to their parochial rates for a purpose that does not promise advantage 

 to themselves ; but as it has become year by year more evident that 

 these institutions may be made self-supporting, and in due time repay 

 tin amount expended on their foundation, so there has been a growing 

 readiness to found them. In London and the suburbs, besides the 

 model establishment in Goulston Square, and that in George Street, 

 Hampstead Rood, there are several large parochial establishments, 

 some of which are fitted up in an extremely complete manner, while 

 all are well attended by both washers and bathers. Manchester and 

 Liverpool have each several baths and washhouses, and almost every 

 utluT large town throughout the country is either provided, or taking 

 measures to be provided, with similar establishments ; and the example 

 has been followed by several of the smaller towns. Nor have the good 

 of the movement been confined to this country. The Committee 

 for Promoting the Establishment of Baths and Washhouses for the 

 Labouring Classes ^v-ere able, at the end of 1852, to state in the report 

 before quoted, that the governments of France, Norway, and Belgium, 

 the municipality of Venice, and the authorities at Hamburg, Turin, 

 Munich, Amsterdam, Lisbon, and New York, had applied for and been 

 furnUlird with information on the subject ; and in some of these 

 countries the example of England has since been followed in providing 

 similar establishment* for the labouring classes. 



It is evident that the institution has become firmly established. In 

 I. minion alone the bathers number upwards of two millions a year, 

 while the washers exceed half a million. The constantly increasing 

 number of bathers and washers shows that the system is commending 

 itself to a large section of the population. The experience of twelve 

 years has proved that, with projier attention and economy, the esta- 

 i'li.-flinn nts may be rendered self-supporting ; and the observations of 

 all who have watched them in particular localities vouch for their 

 ial influences. The point in which they appear to have failed is, 

 in reaching the very poorest. That portion of the community for 

 whom the institution was primarily intended, seems to have been 

 scarcely touched by it. Everywhere those who avail themselves of 

 the benefits offered ore of a class above the poorest. The most profit- 

 able section of the establishment is found to be the " first class." 

 Whether availing themselves of the bint, the managers of these 

 establishments might not, by furnishing a yet higher class bath 

 (though still at a moderate price), provide the means by which they 

 might support one of a cheaper kind than they have at present been 



able to afford, and so extend the benefits of the system both upwards 

 and downwards, is a question perhaps deserving of more attention than 

 it has hitherto received. 



BATMAN (pronounced Bawman), a soldier told off for a particular 

 duty ; as, when a battalion takes the field, and the tents are conveyed 

 on horses, one batman is allowed, by the " Queen's Regulations for the 

 Army," to each of the field-officers, one to the staff, and two to each of 

 the companies, for the care of the horses carrying the camp equipage ; 

 and those men are, for the time they are thus employed, exempted 

 from all other regimental duties. The horses above specified are termed 

 bat-horses, for the purchase of which the officer commanding the 

 company is allowed a sum of money, and for which forage is provided 

 by the commissariat. For regiments on duty in the kingdom, the 

 batman and bat-horse of course become unnecessary. 



BATRACHOMYOMA'CHIA (BarpaxoM^MaX''"), the laltle of the 

 frot/s and mice, is the title of a Greek poem, consisting of 294 hexa- 

 meter verses. This poem, though generally ascribed to Homer, and 

 printed with the editions of the Iliad and Odyssey, undoubtedly be- 

 longs to a late age, and is attributed by Plutarch and Suidas to Pigres, 

 of Halicarnassus, in Asia Minor. Pigres is called by Suidas the brother 

 of that Artemisia who was the wife of Mausolus. This poem, how- 

 ever, is probably the composition of some still later writer of the 

 Alexandrine school. Some critics consider it a satirical poem : as it is 

 not very long, the reader may form his own opinion without much 

 trouble. Paruell has translated it into English verse. 



BATTA, an allowance made to military officers in the service of the 

 East India Company, in addition to their pay. As the officers of 

 Queen's regiments serving in India receive their pay according to the 

 scale fixed by her Majesty's regulations, and which pay is below the 

 emoluments derived by officers of similar rank in the regiments of the 

 East India Company, the allowance of batta is made also to them by 

 the Company, and is so adjusted as to preserve an equality of income 

 between the two services. 



The scale of allowance under the name of batta varies not only with 

 the circumstance of the regiments being in the field or in cantonments, 

 but also according to the part of the country in which they are 

 stationed. 



Batta was originally given with the intention of enabling officers to 

 provide for field-equipment, and for those extra expenses which they 

 must incur when marching ; but it early lost this character when it 

 was continued to officers in cantonments. In November, 1828, the 

 distinction was made between the amount allowed when in actual 

 service, and when in cantonments ; before that time no difference was 

 made. The effect of the alteration is this : that at stations, whether in 

 garrison or cantonment, within 200 miles of the seat of government of 

 each presidency, where an officer formerly got full batta, he now gets 

 half that batta, with an allowance for house-rent, which is inferior to 

 what the other half of the batta would be. The half.batta of a lieu- 

 tenant-colonel is 304 rupees (about SOI.) per month ; his allowance for 

 house-rent is 100 rupees. A major's half-batta is 228, and for house- 

 rent 80 rupees per month; captain's half-batta, 91, and house-rent, 

 50 rupees ; lieutenant's, 61, and 30 rupees ; ensign's, 46, and 25 rupees. 

 Colonels of regiments, not being general officers on the staff, nor holding 

 offices specially provided for, are allowed the full batta of 750 rupees 

 per month at any station, but they have not any allowance for house- 

 rent. It was estimated that, by carrying into effect the regulation of 

 November 1828, the government of the East India Company would 

 save 12,000/. per annum. In the field, and in garrison or cantonment, 

 beyond 200 miles of direct distance from the seat of government of 

 each presidency, full batta is allowed : or rather the other half batta, 

 which is now called extra batta. 



BATTALION. This name is applied to a certain division of the 

 infantry in an army, corresponding, nearly, to the chi/larrjua in a 

 Greek phalanx, and to the cohort in a Roman legion. The number of men 

 composing a battalion is variable, but in the British service, according 

 to the present establishment, it consists of ten service and two depot 

 companies, which at their service strength of 100 rank and file ouch, 

 would give 1200 men ; or 1000 with the service companies and 200 at 

 the depot. This is the strength in rank and file of a battalion on the 

 Indian establishment, making, with 91 non-commissioned officers, 

 trumpeters, and drummers, and 48 officers, a total of 1,339 of all 

 ranks. The battalions on the home establishment consist likewise of 

 10 service and 2 depot companies, or 950 rank and file of which 150 

 form the dep6t companies 25 drummers, 56 sergeants, and 46 or 45 

 officers, according as it is the first or second battalion, making a total 

 of 1,077 of all ranks. A battalion of the Guards is somewhat smaller, 

 there being only 10 companies, or 800 rank and file, which with 61 

 non-commissioned officers and drummers, and 38 officers, gives a total 

 of 899 of all ranks. The number of battalions in a regiment varies ; 

 at present, of the three regiments of Guards, the Grenadier Guards is 

 composed of three battalions, while the Coldstream and Scots Fusilier 

 Guards contain only two each. Of the 100 regiments of infantry, the 

 24 first contain two battalions each ; the 60th or Royal Rifle Corps, 

 four battalions, and the rest one each. The Rifle Brigade consists of 

 four battalions. There are, therefore, now, 138 battalions of British 

 infantry, exclusive of the Royal Marines, three West India regiments 

 and Colonial corps. And there are fourteen battalions of artillery, 

 besides the Horse Brigade, 



