BAN 



BAN 



nain bank, or great bank, denotes that 

 of Newfoundland, the scene of the cod 

 fishery. 



It is called the great bank, not only by 

 reason of its vast extent, being, accord- 

 ing to the English computation, 200 miles 

 long, and, according to the French, 100 

 leagues, or 300 miles ; but also on ac- 

 count of several lesser banks near it, 

 where cod are also caught. 



Banks, on the sea coast, are usually 

 marked by beacons, or buoys, and in 

 charts they are distinguished by little 

 dots, as ridges of rocks are by crosses. 

 An exact knowledge of the banks, their 

 extent, and the depth of water on tbem, 

 make a most essential part of the science 

 of a pilot, and master of a ship ; if the 

 vessel be large, and draw much water, 

 great attention will be necessary to keep 

 clear of the banks; on the contrary, if it 

 be small, the same banks afford a sure 

 asylum, where it may brave the largest 

 and stoutest vessels, which dare not fol- 

 low it here. By means of this barrier 

 many small craft have escaped their ene- 

 mies. 



BANK, in vessels which go with oars, is 

 used for the bench where the rowers are 

 seated ; popularly called by our seamen 

 the thaught. 



In this sense we read of banks of gal- 

 lies, of galeasses, of galliottes, of brigan- 

 tines, and the like. 



The Venetian gondolas have no banks ; 

 for the watermen row standing. 



The common gallies have 25 banks, 

 that is, 25 on each side, in all 50 banks, 

 with one oar to each bank, and four or 

 five men to each oar. 



The galeasses have 32 banks on a side, 

 and six or seven rowers to a bank. 



BANKAFALET, a game at cards, 

 which being cut into as many heaps as 

 there are players, every man lays as much 

 money on his own card as he pleases ; 

 and the dealer wins or loses as many as 

 his card is superior or inferior to those 

 of the other gamesters. 



The best card is the ace of diamonds ; 

 the next to it, the ace of hearts : then the 

 ace of clubs ; and, lastly, the ace of 

 spades ; and so of the rest of these suits 

 in order, according to their degree. 



The cheat lies in securing an ace, or 

 any other sure winning card ; which are 

 somehow marked, that the sharper may 

 know them. 



BANKER, a person who traffics and 

 negociates in money, who receives and 

 remits money from place to place, by 

 commission from correspondents, or by 

 means of bills or letters of exchange. 



In France it is not requisite that n raa; 

 be a merchant, in order to carry on bank- 

 ing; for that trade is permitted to all 

 sorts of persons, even to foreigners, so 

 far as relates to foreign banking, or deal- 

 ing by exchange. 



In Italy, the trade of a banker does not 

 derogate from nobility, which is the rea- 

 son why most of the younger sons of the 

 quality apply themselves to that employ- 

 ment, in order to support their families 

 The monied goldsmiths in the reign of 

 king Charles the Second first acquired 

 this name. 



The Romans had two sorts of bankers, 

 whose office was much more extensive 

 than that of the bankers among us ; theirs 

 being that of public affairs, in whom 

 were united the functions of a broker, 

 agent, banker, and notary, managing the 

 exchange, taking in money, assisting in 

 buying and selling, and drawing the writ- 

 ings necessary on all these occasions. 



BANKRUPT, a trader, whom misfor- 

 tune or extravagance has induced to com- 

 mit an act of bankruptcy. The benefit 

 of the bankrupt laws is allowed to none 

 but actual traders, or such as buy and 

 sell, and gain a livelihood by so doing. 



Requisites to constitute a trading, the 

 merchandising, or buying and selling, 

 must be of that kind, whereby the party 

 gains a credit upon the profits of an un- 

 certain capital stock. Manufacturers, or 

 persons purchasing goods or raw materi- 

 als to sell again, under other forms, or 

 meliorated by labour; as bakers, brew- 

 ers, butchers, shoemakers, smiths, tan- 

 ners, tailors, &c. are also within thie sta- 

 tutes. 



The following description of persons 

 are not within the statutes of bankruptcy; 

 viz. proprietors or persons having an in- 

 terest in land, if buying and selling, to 

 whatever extent, for the purposes of dis- 

 posing merely of the produce and profits 

 of such land ; graziers and drovers ; own- 

 ers of coalmines, working and selling 

 the coals ; owners or farmers of alum 

 rocks ; farmers who make cheest for 

 sale; or those who sell cider made from 

 apples of their own orchard. 



In all such cases, and others of a simi- 

 lar nature, where the several materials are 

 purchased, and even some kind of manu- 

 facture exercised ; yet, as this is the ne- 

 cessary and customary mode of receiving 

 the benefit arising from the land, such 

 persons are not held to be traders within 

 the statutes; nor are persons buying and 

 selling bank stock or government securi- 

 ties. Buying or selling, only, will neither 

 singly constitute trading ; neither will a 





