536 



BINNACLE BIRCH, 



Bl.N.VACLS, Of BlTTACLK } 3 COSC OF liOX, wllicll COH- 



tnins the compass for steering a ship, and lights to 

 show Uic compass at night. In ships itoerra by a 

 wheel, it is common to have two binnacles, or a 

 double binnacle, for the convenience of the steers- 

 man, on either side of the wheel ; but, in this case, 

 the compasses affect each other's direction, and thus 

 render the ship's course unrenain. 



BINOMIAL, iii algebra ; a quantity consisting of two 

 I* mis, or members, connected by the sign -f- or . 

 The binomial theorem is that celebrated formula, 

 which teaches to find any power of a given binomial 

 a -}- 6, by means of the two terms and b, and of t he 

 exponent of the power. This theorem, frequently 

 c.illed the Nfirtuniait fAcrcni, on which the system 

 of analysis is principally founded, was known, as far 

 as r. lates to integral positive exponents, to several 

 mathematicians before Newton. But Newton was 

 the fir-i who taught its application to fractional and 

 negative exponents ; ana this discovery, one of the 

 most important of those made by tliat great man, is 

 engraved upon his tomb -stone. 



BIOERNSTAKHL, James Jonas, a distinguished tra- 

 veh r, born at Kotarbo, in the Swedish province of 

 Siult rmannland, in 1731, studied at Upsal, afterwards 

 entered the family of baron Kudheck, as tutor, and 

 traveled with his son to England and the continent 

 of Europe. While residing in Paris, he studied the 

 Oriental languages. On the return of his pupil to 

 Sweden, B. was appointed, by Gustavus III., to make 

 the tour of Greece, Syria, and Egypt, receiving, at 

 the same time, the title of professor at the university 

 of Lund. He now went, at the king's expense, to 

 Constantinople, in 1776, where he remained for some 

 time, to learn the Turkish language. He then pro- 

 ceeded on his travels as far as Saloniki, where he 

 died of the plague, 1779. B. had given an account 

 of his travels, in the form of letters to his friend 

 Gioerwell, who, at first, published them separately in 

 a journal, which appeared in Stockholm, but after- 

 wards by themselves (1783). This work contains 

 learned and profound researches on medals, manu- 

 scripts, rare books, and a great many anecdotes, of 

 which the most interesting are those relating to Vol- 

 taire, whom B. had visited at Ferney. His remarks 

 and opinions on morals, manners, religion, and litera- 

 ture, are often destitute of truth and justice. He was 

 possessed of more learning than taste, of more me- 

 mory than discernment and judgment. His health, 

 naturally strong, and fortified by exercise, enabled 

 him to support constant labour, and to endure the 

 greatest liardships. 



BIOLCUY and BIOMETRY. See Life. 



BION ; born in Smyrna, or in its neighbourhood ; a 

 Grecian pastoral poet, of whose life no account is to 

 be found. The elegy, which Moschus, his friend 

 and disciple, composed on the occasion of his death, 

 seems to imply, that he was a contemporary of Theo- 

 critus, and died of poison. He probably lived in 

 Sicily or Magna Grecia. Among the few poems 

 written by him, which have descended to our times, 

 his elegy on Adonis is considered as the best. The 

 poems of B., together with those of Moschus, are 

 generally found as an appendix to the idyls of Theo- 

 critus. They have been published separately by Fr. 

 Jacobs, Gotha, 1795 ; Gilbert Wakefield, London, 

 1795 ; and J. C. F. Maass, Leipsic, 1807. 



BIRCH (betula alba) is a forest-tree, easily known 

 by the smooth appearance and silvery colour of its 

 bark ; by its leaves being somewhat triangular, but 

 acute, and small in comparison with those of other 

 timber-trees, and by all the small branches being 

 slender and flexible. Although the birch is consid- 

 ered by no means a valuable timber-tree, yet its wood 

 is used for numerous purposes. Being of white co- 



lour, and firm and tough in texture, it is variously 

 employed by hoop-benders and wheel-Wrights. Tur- 

 ners use it for trenchers, bowls, ladles, and other 

 wooden ware. Ox-yokes, small screws, women's 

 shoe-heels, pattens, and, in France, wooden shoes, 

 are made of it. The North American Indians use 

 the bark of the birch-tree for canoes, boxes, buckets, 

 baskets, kettles, and dishes, curiously joining it to- 

 gether with threads made of roots of the cedar-tree. 

 Birch-trees are not unfrcqucntly planted along with 

 hazels, for the purpose of procuring wcxxl to be con- 

 verted into charcoal for forges. This charcoal is 

 much esteemed ; and the soot, which is formed on 

 burning the wood, constitutes a good black substance 

 for printer's ink. Nearly all the other" parts are ap- 

 plicable to useful purposes. The inhabitants of Sue- 

 den employ the bark in the tanning of leather, and, 

 after burning it to a certain degree, use it as a ct mint. 

 for broken china and earthen ware. The navigators 

 of the river Volga construct of it portable boats, 

 cradles, &c. It is serviceable in dyeing a yellow 

 colour. In Norway, it is dried, ground, mixed with 

 meal, and boiled, with other food, for swine. The 

 houses or huts, in many parts of the north of Europe, 

 are covered with the outward and thicker part of the 

 bark, instead of slates or tiles. It is spun into a 

 coarse kind of ropes, woven into shoes and hats, and, 

 in Kamtschatka, even made into drinking-cups. The 

 Laplanders fasten together large pieces of it to keep 

 off the rain. Abounding in resinous matter, slices of 

 the bark are sometimes tied together, to make torches. 

 During a scarcity of com, it has, in several instances. 

 been ground with bread corn, and successfully used 

 as food for men. In most parts of England and 

 America, the twigs of this tree are made into brooms. 

 They are also made into the tops of fishing-rods ; 

 and, when smeared with bird-lime, are used by bird- 

 catchers. The Norwegians frequently employ them 

 as fodder for their horses. The leaves afford a yel- 

 low dye. 



BIRCH, Thomas ; an industrious historian and bio- 

 grapher of the 18th century. He was born in Lon- 

 don, in 1705 ; and his father, who was a Quaker, 

 practised the occupation of a coffee-mill maker, to 

 which the son, also, was destined. His early taste 

 for reading induced him to prefer a literary life, 

 which he was permitted to choose, on condition of 

 supporting himself by his own exertions. He, ac- 

 cordingly, after some previous tuition, became usher 

 in three different schools, and then went to Ireland 

 with dean Smedley. Having left the Quakers, he 

 took orders in the church, in 1730, and obtained, in 

 1732, a living in Essex, through the patronage of the 

 attorney-general, afterwards lord Ilardwicke. In 

 1734, he engaged, with some coadjutors, in writing 

 the General Historical and Critical Dictionary, found- 

 ed on that of Bayle, and completed, in ten vols. folio, 

 in 1741. He subsequently obtained various prefer- 

 ments in the church. In January, 1765, he w;:s 

 killed by a fall from his horse, on the road between 

 London and Hampstead. B. had formed very exten- 

 sive manuscript collections, which, together with his 

 library of printed books, he bequeathed to the British 

 museum. He produced a large number of historical 

 and biographical works in the course of his laborious 

 life. B. was one of the pioneers of literature. He, 

 collected fully and faithfully, but without much dis- 

 crimination, materials relating to the various subjects 

 of his research, which are calculated to afford impor- 

 tant assistance to writers possessed of more taste and 

 judgment. Doctor Johnson was repeatedly obliged 

 to B. for literary information : he bestowed on him a 

 Greek epigram, and for many years corresponded 

 with him. The literature of his country is much ir- 

 dcbted to the activity and diligence of Bf 



