BEGGEE JAN. 



285 



hc3 begin to wax fainter, and little further pro- 

 gress is made in adding to the colony, or in collect- 

 ing honey. Cold and showery days begin, even by 

 this time, to thin the number of the insect popu- 

 lation, who are now seen creeping slowly, with 

 damp and heavy wings, upon the stalks and petals 

 of flowers, where they were formerly seen actively 

 buzzing about in search of honey. The stores of 

 the honey-cups have not outlasted the wants of 

 the young unfledged bees, of which they were the 

 proper food; and if the nests be examined now, 

 these cups are found quite empty. The bees 

 which survive the accidents of rain, cold, and frost 

 (for they are now frequently overtaken by frosty 

 nights in their languid journey homeward), by de- 

 grees forsake the nest and its furniture, leaving the 

 latter as a prey to mice, beetles, or other animals. 

 To shelter themselves for the winter, they seek 

 out some dry bank (not preferring one exposed to 

 the sun), where they penetrate to the depth of 

 eighteen inches or two feet into the earth, pushing 

 up the earth behind them, and leaving no visible 

 track by which they have descended. In these 

 situations they are often found by labourers and 

 others in digging the earth; and such people are 

 often greatly puzzled to imagine how the insect can 

 have reached such a depth. Persons who have 

 attended to the habits of wild bees, can often fix 

 on the spots where they take refuge, digging for 

 and finding them with the greatest certainty. 



The experiment of domesticating the different 

 kinds of wild bees, has been tried ; and it was 

 found, that by removing their nest cautiously in an 

 evening, and placing it in a quiet situation, in a 

 garden or other place where they could be observed, 

 they went on with their works without apparent 

 alarm or interruption. During the whole summer, 

 they continued to prosecute their occupations with 

 the same industry as other bees ; but about Sep- 

 tember, as we have mentioned, the hire began to 

 turn languid, and the numbers which appeared 

 going and coming about the entrance became daily 

 smaller. It was imagined they had taken refuge 

 within the hive ; but when this was opened, after 

 all seemed to have ceased their labours, every thing 

 was found empty and deserted ; there were neither 

 bees nor honey ; the stronger and younger insects, 

 no doubt, having gone to make burrows for them- 

 selves in the earth, and the older ones having 

 gradually fallen victims to the accidents of approach- 

 ing winter. 



Many works have been written on the nature 

 and habits of bees. Among those who have 

 contributed largely to our knowledge of the sub- 

 ject may be mentioned, Swammerdam, Reumar, 

 Schirach, Thorley, Wildman, Huish, Howison, 

 Huber, and Bonner. The two latter made many 

 valuable discoveries regarding the bee under very 

 peculiar and, one would almost imagine, insur- 

 mountable disadvantages. Huber was stone blind, 

 and Bonner's researches were conducted in the 

 midst of a populous city, and during the pressure 

 of daily toil, he being a poor weaver, and his 

 hives being kept for many years in a garret in the 

 Gallowgate of Glasgow ! Bonner's work on Bees 

 was published at Edinburgh in 1795, (one volume, 

 8vo) and an English translation of Huber's was 

 published in 1806, (12mo.) 



BEGGEE JAN ; a fanatical prince of Bucharia, 

 in Tartary, \vho, towards the close of the last cen- 

 tury, exeicised a powerful sway over the Usbeck 

 T.jrtars, by leading an ascetic and apparently devout 



life. More than fifty years ago, an almost supreme 

 authority was exercised over the Usbecks of Bucha- 

 ria by the Ameer Daniel, who had possessed him- 

 self of the person of the nominal prince. When 

 this Ameer died he divided his wealth among his 

 family, but declared his eldest son, Beggee Jan, to 

 be his heir. This person had, however, for some 

 time previously to the death of his father, clothed 

 himself in the patched garment of a religious men- 

 dicant, and shut himself up in a mosque, that he 

 might enjoy his devout meditations undisturbed. 

 When his portion of the inheritance was brought 

 to him, he refused to receive it, but directed it to 

 be distributed among those who had suffered from 

 the extortions of his father. He then clothed 

 himself in the coarse dress of a supplicant for 

 mercy, and hanging a sword around his neck, went 

 through the streets of Bucharia, imploring, with 

 tears in his eyes, the blessings and forgiveness of 

 the inhabitants for his late father, for whose sins 

 he begged that his own life might be taken in ex- 

 piation. Beggee Jan was before this known to the 

 learned as one deeply versed in theology, and as 

 the writer of some esteemed treatises : but he had 

 not, until this time, appeared before the people, 

 who were much struck by his apparent humility 

 and sanctity, and crowded arounu him as if he had 

 been a prophet, joining with him in prayers for 

 blessings upon the Ameer Daniel. Beggee Jan 

 then returned to his retirement, and secluded him- 

 self from all but a few chosen disciples. Having 

 professed himself one of those devotees who seek 

 or have attained a state of mental blessedness and 

 abstraction which leads them to despise all human 

 pleasure and ambition, it was requisite that he 

 should not easily be persuaded to assume that 

 power which the people entreated him to under- 

 take. They were wearied out by the contests 

 among his relations for the power which he seemed 

 to scorn, arid crowds assembled daily about the 

 mosque where he resided, and followed him wher- 

 ever he went. It is said there were at that time 

 several thousands of gambling and drinking-houses 

 in Bucharia, and the first proof which Beggee Jan 

 gave of his authority with the people was to de- 

 stroy all these houses ; and so generally was he 

 reverenced, that even those who were ruined by 

 the measure are said to have assisted in carrying it 

 into effect. 



Beggee Jan's own family suffered so much in the 

 conflict for power, that its surviving members at 

 last joined in the general request that he would 

 assume the government. But he continued to re- 

 fuse, until, upon occasion of a serious commotion 

 in the capital, in which about a thousand lives were 

 lost, the nominal king and all the nobles went to 

 the mosque where he resided, compelled him to 

 attend them to the tomb of his father, and at that 

 sacred spot solemnly invoked him to save his coun- 

 try. Apparently overcome by their entreaties, he 

 promised to give his counsel in the management of 

 public affairs; but he continued to abstain from 

 active interference, until a neighbouring chief, pre- 

 suming upon the apparent weakness of the go- 

 vernment, ventured to invade Bucharia. This so 

 excited the indignation of Beggee Jan, that he ac- 

 cepted the title of Regent, and marched at the 

 head of a large army against the invader, whom he 

 compelled to retreat from the territories of Bu- 

 charia, and to abandon some of those countries, the 

 possession of which he had at a former time 

 usurped. From that time Beggee Jan became thfr 



