B AL 



117 



AL 



and Tartars, and also found in Egypt and 

 Arabia. 



BA.I/ANCB, Fr. balance, Sp. balanza, Lat. 

 biianz;of bis, double, and lunje, a dish, 

 scale. A well-known mechanical contriv- 

 ance which serves to find out the equality 

 or difference of weight in ponderable 

 bodies. It is commonly reckoned among 

 the mechanical powers, but it is only 

 a particular species of the lever, in which 

 the arms are equal .and which must there- 

 fore be in -quilibrio when the power or 

 weight are equal. Beside the common, 

 th-ire are various other kinds of balances, 



is called the rim, and its spindle the verge, 

 It answers the purposes of a pendulum. 



BALANCE-FISH, a species of squalus or 

 shark, weighing about 500 IDS. 



BALANCE-REEF, a reef-band crossing a 

 sail diagonally, used in balancing (q. v..< 



BAI.'ANCINC, in nautical language, the 

 contracting a sail into narrower compass 

 hy folding up a part of it at one: corner, 

 bv which it is distinguished from reefing. 



BAL'ANCS, a genus of mollusca ; order 

 Cirrhopoda, Cuv. The principal part of 

 the shell of the balani co'nsists of a testa- 

 ceous tube attached to various bodies, as 



asr_l/rheUe!i-tet'er balance, is abent lever rocks, shells, and the bottoms of ships. 

 I One species, the barnacle, (Lepas balatms, 

 | Lin.) is exceedingly numerous on the 

 coasts of Europe. They often penetrate 

 j into the flesh of large fish, as the whale. 

 Name /SatAanof , a nut. 

 BAL'ASS-RCBT, 1 A sub-species of Cor- 

 BAL'LASS-RCBY, } undum, which being 

 found chiefly in Ceylon has obtained the 

 name of Ceylonite. It is called also 

 Spimlle Ruby. The name balass is the Fr. 

 balais, and Lat. balasius lapis. 

 BALC'ONY, Fr. and Sp. balcon, from Ar. 



ABC, to whose 

 exnvmity, C, a 

 weight is flxsd, 

 and at its extrem- 

 ity, A, a hook, 

 carrying a scale- 

 pan, is inoveable 

 about an axis, B. 

 very different 

 weight placed in 

 the scale-pan va- 

 ries the perpen- 

 dicular, CD, and 



Dr.ntVi balance differs from the steel- i gal l erj "J n ? ! L hlp '. el _ e f_??t 11 ^ S?! 6 ' 



balance differs torn the steel- 

 yard or Roman statera, in bavin/ a 



1 



moTable fulcrum instead of a moveable 

 weight. It is often nothing more than a 

 batten of hard wood AB, with a knob of 

 lead B, and a shifting fulcrum F, often a 

 piece of cord, by which to suspend it in 

 weighing. The weight is read off on a 

 division marked along the arm for the 



purpose. 3. The Hydrostatic balance is 



a delicate balance of the common form, ' commerce 



.bin for con- 

 venience or ornament. 



BALDACH^H, \ A term derived from the 



BALOACJC'IN, ) Italian baldachino, and ap- 

 plied to a building in the form of a canopy, 

 supported by columns, and serving as the 

 crowning or covering to an altar. 



BAL'DBBICK, Ir. balta, a belt, and riclc, 



rich. 1. A richly ornamented belt. i. 



The zodiac, (obsolete}. 



BALDWIN'S PHOSPHORUS, ignited nitrate 

 of lime. 



BALK-GOODS, are such as are imported 

 or exported in bales. 



BAL'JEEN. Fr. baleine, a name given by 

 the whale -fishers to the whalebone of 

 The term is a corruption of 



oeed in determing the specific gravities of 



bodies. 4. Roman balance. See STFEL- 



TAKD and STATERA. 5 Torsion balance. 



Sn TOWSION. Balance, in commerce, is 



the terra used to denote the difference in 



balana, the generic name of the common 

 whale. 



BALENOP'TXRA, the jubarta; asub-genus 

 of the whale-tribe, from balana ' (q. v.) 

 and ptera, a fin, the animal being prc- 



falue between the exports from and im- | vided with dorsal fins. 

 p.Tt Into a country. The balance is ! BAI'ISTIX..-! eross-bow,named from the 

 eaid tc be favourable when the value of ancient teiuto, a warlike engine ,used la 

 besieging fortified places, for pr ejecting 

 stones, arrows and other missiles. Root, 

 /SaAXa/, to throw. 



B'ALI'VA, in old statutet, a bailiwick, (q. 

 v.) Bahvotis, a bailiff. Baliio amovendc i* 

 writ to remove a bailirf 



exports exceeds that of the imports, and 

 onfavoi>.Dle when the value of the imports 



IB the Skater. Balance of power, in 



politic*, a oystem by which the relative 



power of different states and alliances is 



so maintained as to render any extensive i the name of a 



derangement improbable. ^Balance, from his office. 



among wat;h- makers, that partof a watch BALIZK, Fr. balise, Sp. baliza, abeacoa , 



or c!<x,V which regulates its beats. It is 1 a sea-mark or pole raicd on a bar.t 



asortot wheel, thecircumferenoe of which ! BALK, (T>. balk.) Bt-Uts are large pieces 



