BASEDOW ST BASIL. 



43V 



Ihe theory of the basis on such grounds, that every un- 

 prejudiced military man will Be disposed to admit it. 

 He also maintains, that the basis, (according to his 

 definition, a straight line, which unites several points 

 tit which the stores of the army are collected) must 

 be covered. It ought, since the operation on one 

 road would be dangerous, to include, if possible, 

 several fortified places, connected by easy communi- 

 cations, and to run parallel with the basis of the ene- 

 my. If the troops move too far from the basis a new 

 one should be formed. The archduke explains his prin- 

 ciples on a supposed theatre of war in the south of 

 G erraany, and by the war which actually took place 

 in that country in 1796, in which he distinguished 

 himself so much. The last wars in Europe have 

 shown the correctness of this theory, which has been 

 acted on, mere or less, by generals in all ages, and 

 the neglect of which has generally been attended 

 with suffering and defeat. Thus the Prussians, 

 in 1792, advanced without paying regard to the for- 

 tresses of Mentz, Thionville, Landau, &c., on one 

 line of operation ; and were nearly destroyed at Val- 

 my; and, for the same reason, the army of Jourdan, 

 in 1796, was almost entirely ruined, after some 

 unfortunate engagements. So the army of Napoleon 

 perished in Russia, because he had not formed, before 

 advancing to Moscow, a new basis on the Dnieper. 

 The war in Spain, also, westward of Madrid, con- 

 sisted only of detached movements of large columns, 

 which were ineffectual, on account of the want of a 

 proper communication. The allies also were enabled 

 to march from all sides against Napoleon at Leipsic, 

 in consequence of his having neglected to form a 

 Iwsis at Dresden ; and they themselves were several 

 times exposed to the greatest danger in France, from 

 a similar neglect, when nothing but the boldness of 

 Blucher, and the spirit of the troops, saved them. It 

 may be objected, that Napoleon owed his greatest 

 glory to campaigns in which he entirely disre- 

 garded the basis ; as those of 1805 and 1809, against 

 Austria, and his previous campaigns ill Italy ; but 

 one single great and decisive battle lost would have 

 punished severely his neglect of this principle. And, 

 moreover, there is one rule still more important than 

 those of tactics to act according to the circum- 

 stances and the character of the enemy, and to bring 

 on decisive results by energetic measures, rather than 

 to moulder away in inaction. We may remark, also, 

 tliat the conquest of the capital of a large state is 

 always a most important object, and should be aimed 

 at as speedily as the rules of tactics will allow. 



BASEDOW, John Bernard ; often called, by himself, 

 Bernard of Northalbingcn ; one of the most famous 

 of the German teachers, who, in the latter half of the 

 last century, wrote so much on education, was born 

 September 11, 1723, died July 25, 1790. He had in 

 Dessau an institution for education, called Pliilan- 

 thropinon, which the prince of this territory favoured. 

 The chief features of B.'s system are the cosmopoli- 

 tan character, which he endeavoured to instil into 

 his pupils, and the full developement of the faculties 

 of the young, at which he aspired, in pursuance of 

 the notions of Locke and Rousseau. With Salz- 

 mann, Campe, &c. , he established some good insti- 

 tutions, and particularly deserves credit on account 

 of his efforts for the education of the lower classes. 

 He has written much. 



BASHAW, BASHA. See Pacha. 



BASIIKK ISLANDS ; seven islands in the Chinese sea. 

 Three of them are large, and four of them inhabited. 

 The productions are plantains, bananas, pine-apples, 

 sugar-cane, potatoes, yams, and cotton. Their quad- 

 rupeds are goats and hogs. The five principal ones 

 are Orange, Graflon, Monmouth, isle of Goats, and 

 Bcukee or Dachi. They are S. of Formosa. Their 



situation is in Ion. 122 E., lat. 20 28* to 20 55' N. 

 Two rocks, towards the N., ought, according to Pe 

 rouse, to be called islets ; the least of them being 

 half a league in circumference, and, though not woody 

 covered with grass. These are situated in lat 21 

 9' N. 



BASHKIRS, or BASHKEERS ; a tribe of people subject 

 to Russia, and inhabiting the banks of the Ural and 

 Volga. They are probably descended from the No- 

 gay Tartars, and resemble them in their manners. 

 They rear cattle, horses, and camels, and are success- 

 ful in the management of bees. Their country is a 

 part of the ancient Bulgaria. They formerly roamed 

 about, under their own princes, in Southern Siberia. 

 To avoid the Siberian khans, they settled in their pre- 

 sent territory, extended themselves along the Wolga 

 and the Ural, and submitted to the khan of Kasan. 

 At the time when this state was overthrown by Ivan 

 II., they voluntarily took refuge under the Russian 

 sceptre ; but their frequent revolts have prevented 

 their increase, and kept them in a weak condition. 

 In 1770, they consisted of 27,000 families, residing 

 in the governments of Ufa and Perm. They are Mo- 

 hammedans, mostly armed with bows and arrows, and 

 lances, and live by hunting, breeding of cattle, and 

 keeping of bees. They prepare, from fermented 

 mare's and camel's milk, an intoxicating beverage, 

 kumiss, which is their favourite drink. They are 

 little civilized. The Bashkirs furnish the Russian 

 army with 3000 cavalry, who use the bow and arrow 

 with great dexterity. In 1814, when the Russian ar- 

 my was in Paris, the Bashkirs excited great admira- 

 tion by the precision of their shots. The following 

 cut represents one of these horsemen. 



BASIL, St, called the Great, to distinguish him f Von 

 other patriarchs of the same name, was born in 329, 

 and made, in 370, bishop of Cassarea, in Cappadocia, 

 where he died, in 379. He is the most distinguished 

 ecclesiastic among the Grecian patriarchs. His ef- 

 forts for the regulation of clerical discipline, of the 

 divine service, and of the standing of the clergy ; the 

 number of his sermons ; the success of his mild trent- 

 ment of the Arians ; and above all, his endeavours 

 for the promotion of monastic life, for which lie pre- 

 pared vows and rules, observed by himself, and still 

 remaining in force, prove the merits of this holy man. 

 The Greek church honours him as one of its most 

 illustrious patron saints, and celebrates his festival, 

 Jan. 1. His followers are widely extended; there 

 are even some in America. They lead an ascetic life. 

 The vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty, framed 

 by St Basil, are the rules of all the orders of Chris- 

 tendom, although he is particularly the father of the 



