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alfo run wit'i great fury upon flranj^crs, and ferve to fcciirt 

 the flocks and herds againil the attacks of the bufchics, 

 or robbers of cattle. Every kraal has at lead fix of thefe 

 baclccleys, which are chofen from among the fierccll oxen ; 

 and after they have been duly trained, they diilinguilh friends 

 from enemies, underftand fignals, and obey the voice of 

 their mailer. If a llranger, and particularly an European, 

 {liould approach the cattle, without being accompanied by 

 a Hottentot, his life would be in great danger. Thefe 

 backelevs would foon run round him at full gallop, and if 

 not protefted by the fhepherds, by fire arms, or bv fudderlv 

 climbing a tree, his dcftrucfion would be inevitable. Kolbe, 

 Voyage and Dtfcription du cap de Bo:mc Efpurancc, cited 

 bv Buffon, vol. vi. p. 184. ed. Smellic. 



BACKER, or Barker, Jaque?., in Biography, an hifto- 

 rical painter was born at Antwerp in 1530, and received 

 iiiftruCtion from his father: after the death of his father, 

 he refidcd in the houfe of Jacopo Palermo, a pi£ture-dea!er, 

 who, for the gratification of his own avarice, kept him in- 

 ccffantly employed, and difpoftd of his pictures at Paris, 

 where they were much admired and fetched a high price ; 

 whilft the artift himfelf was continued in an obfcure and 

 deprcfled condition. He was diftinguifhed by a clean hght 

 manner of pencihng, and a very pleafmg tint of colour. 

 He died in 1560. Pilkington. 



Backer, or Bakhr, yacob, a painter of portrait and 

 hillory, was born at Harlingen, in 1609, but refided chiefly 

 at Amfterdam ; where he acquired the reputation of an 

 cxtraordinar}' painter, particularly of portraits, which he 

 executed with ftrength, Ipirit, and a graceful refcmblance. 

 He was fo remarkable for his expedition, that he is faid to 

 have painted the half-length portrait of a lady in one day, 

 though he adorned the figure with rich drapery, and feveral 

 ornamental jewels. He fucceeded alfo in painting hiftorical 

 fnbjefts ; and in this ftyle his pifture of Cimon and Iphi- 

 genia has b^en much extolled by connoilfeurs. In defign- 

 in<T academy figures, his expreffion was fo jufl, and his out- 

 line fo correct, that he obtained the prize from all his com- 

 petitors ; and his works are bought up at very high prices 

 in the Low Countries. His capital pifture of the Lad 

 Judgment, prefer\-ed in the church of the Carmelites at 

 Amfterdam, is well defigned and well coloured. He died 

 in 1 65 1 ; or, according to Defcamps, in l64r. Filkington. 



BACKEREEL, called Bacouep.elli, William, was 

 born at Antwerp, and was a difciple of Rubens, at the 

 fame time with Vandyck. At the commencement of the 

 exercife of their profeffion, Backcreel was deemed httlc, if 

 at all, inferior to Vandyck ; as appears from the Works of the 

 former in the church of the Auguftin monks at Antwerp, 

 ■where thefe tvpo greatartifts painted as competitors ; and each 

 poffeffing a mode peculiar to himfelf, the fuperiority was 

 not determined in favour of either. Backereel, by the ex- 

 ercife of his poetical talents, and particularly by his fatiies 

 againft the Jefuits, incuncd the perfecution of this power- 

 ful fraternity, and by their perfecution, he was compelled to 

 leave Antwerp, fo that his country was deprived of the 

 honour which muft have accrued to it from his perform- 

 ances as a painter. In Italy, and the Low Countries, there 

 were feven or eight eminent painters, of the name of Backe- 

 reel. Pilkington. 



BACK-Ga»!«ion, a game played with dice and tables, to 

 be learned only by obfervation and praftice. This game is 

 faid to have been invented in Wales, in the period preceding 

 the cooqueil, and to have derived its name from two Welfti 

 words, bach, little, and cammon, battle. Glofl". ad Leges 

 Wallicas, a voc. Tawlbwrdd, cited by Henry, vol. iv. p. 404. 

 Svo. 



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VikciiHed-cer, in Jgriculturt, a m;cl:iiie long uf=d in 

 feveral parts of England, partu ubrly in Hampfliire, Wilt- 

 fliire, and SulFcx, for winnowirg corn. An improvti 

 coiillruaion of this machine, iilullraltd by a figure, wa« 

 propofcd by Dr. HaL's in the year 1747, 'which, he fays, 

 will not only render it tit for winnowing com fooncr and 

 better than by any other means hitherto ufed, but alfo for 

 clearing it of the fmall corn, feeds, blacks, fmut-balls, &c. 

 to fnch pcrfedion, as to make it proper for iced-corii. See 

 Hales's lifts of Ventilators, partii. p. 247, &c. 



B.-\CKHUY.SEN, Ludolph, in Bio^'Bphy,zn eminent 

 painter of (hips, fta-picces, and fea-por:s, was bom at 

 Embden, in 1 631, and after receiving early inftruftion from 

 Albert Van Everdingen, acquired his principal knowledge 

 by frequenting the painting-rocms of great mailers, anii 

 particularly Henry Dnibbels, and obferving their variout 

 methods of touching and colouring. His improvemerit was 

 very conCdcrable, and his drawings were in fuch eftimation, 

 that feveral of them were purchafcd at 100 florins a-piece. 

 Whilft he was painting, his mind was fo much engaged, that 

 he would not allow his moll intimate friends to have accefs 

 to him, leafl his ideas fhould be interrupted. He {ludied 

 nature with fingiiiar attention in all her forms ; in gales, 

 calms, ftorms, clouds, rocks, ikies, lights, and (hadows ; and 

 he exprefL'd c\'ery fubjecl with fo fwcet a pencil, and fucli 

 a degree of tranfparence and luftre, as placed him above all 

 the artiils of his time in that ftyle, the younger Van- 

 dervejde excepted. It was his frequent cuftom to go out 

 to fea in a ftorm, in order te ftore his mind with grand 

 images, directly deduced from nature ; and at the moment 

 of his landing, he flew to his palette, that the traces of 

 thofe incidents which had occurred might not be obliterated 

 by delay. Backhuylcn perfectly undcrftood the manage- 

 ment of the chiaro-icuio : and he was thus able to give 

 uncom.mon force and beauty to his objects. He alfo ftriCtly 

 obferved the truth of pcrfpcAive, in the dillances of his 

 vcffels, the receding of the grounds on the fliores, and the 

 different buildings, which he defcribtd in the fea-ports. His 

 works may be eafily diilinguiflied by an obfen'ant eye, 

 from the freedom and neatncfs of his touch; from the 

 clcarnefs, and natural agitation or quiefcence of the water ; 

 from a peculiar tint in his clouds and Ikies ; and alto from 

 the exact proportions of his fiiips, and the gracefuluefi of 

 their pofition. 



For a pi(5ture, exhibiting a multitude of veCTcls, and a 

 view of the city at a diftance, he received from the burgo- 

 marters of Amilerdam 1300 guilders, and a confiderable 

 prcfent ; and this pidture was afterwards given to the king 

 of France, who placed it in the Louvre. No painter was 

 ever more honoured by the vifits of kings and princes 

 than Backhuyfen ; the king of Pruflia was one of their 

 number ; and the Czar Peter the Great took delight in 

 feeing him at work, and often endeavoured to draw, after 

 vefTcls which he iiad defigned. He was remarkably affidu- 

 ous ; and yet the number of pictures which he finifhed, and 

 the exquifite manner in which they are painitd, are allo- 

 nifliing. He died in 1709. Pilkington. 



BACKING a Colt, in the Manr^e, the operation of 

 breaking him to the faddle, or bringing him to endure a rider. 

 To back a colt, they ufually take him into ploughed 

 ground, trot him a while, to rid him of his wantonncfs j 

 then having one ilay to his head, and govern the chaffing- 

 rein, the mailer mounts his back, not fuddenly, but by 

 degrees, firll making feveral offers, or half-rifings : when he 

 bears thefe patiently, he mounts in eamell, and fettles in his 

 place, chcrilhing him, &c. 



Backing l/urran.'t, in Law, denotes the figning of 

 3 K 2 Tuch 



