B A L 



BALTEATU:,a fpecics of ELATnR,oFa blatk colour; an- 

 terior half of the wing-cafes rufous. Linn. Fa. Suec. A 

 native of Europe. 



BALTELUK, in Geography, a town of European 

 Turkev, in the province of Bulgaria, twelve miles north-eaft 

 of Varna. 



BALTEUS, in Entomology, a fpecies of Cerambyx, 

 that inhabits Lufitania. The thorax is fpinous; body fer- 

 ruginous; abdomen ovate; wing-cafes with a blackilli band. 

 Linnsus. 



BALTHAZAR, Anthony, m Biography, furgeon at 

 Ltyden, publilhed in 1722, " Pathologia chiruigicalis, 

 &c." 8vo. in which are fonne judicious obfervations on 

 hernia congenita, and on wounds of the cerebellum, which 

 he docs not confider as mortal. He mentions a litrnia of 

 the brain, reaching from the occiput to the (houlder, and 

 perfons hving to an adult age, who were born with fpina 

 bifida. True fchirri are not curable, he maintains, by in- 

 ternal medicines. The work has conliderable merit ; of the 

 author, however, we hav.; no particular account. Haller 

 Bib. Chirurg. 



Balthazar, Chr'ijlopher, a learned French Protcftant, 

 was born about the year 15SS, at Villeneuve-le-roi, and, 

 though educated in the Romifh church, induced by the 

 ftudy of ecclefiallical hiftory to embrace the refoi-mi.d re- 

 ligion. On account of this change in his religious protef- 

 fion, he was obliged to abandon the lucrative poll of advo- 

 cate to the prefidial of Auxerre, and to remove to Cha- 

 renton, at a diilance from his relations and friends, where 

 he was publicly received among the Proteftants. He was 

 afterwards patronifed by a wealthy young counfellor of 

 Caftres, who, as an acknowledgment for the benefit of his 

 inftrudlions, allowed him a liberal penlion. But attached 

 to the Protellant caufc, and defirous of promoting it, lie 

 left the houfe of his patron, and devoted himfelf to writing. 

 His talents and zeal attracted the notice of the reformed 

 party, and in 1659, the national fynod of Loudon granted 

 him a penfion of 750 livres. In his differtations on the fub- 

 jefts in difpute between the Catholics and Proteftants, he 

 particularly oppofed cardinal Baronius, and his papers hav- 

 ing been read and approved by M. Daille, moderator of the 

 fynod of Loudon, were ordered for pubhcation. But being 

 returned to their author, who foon after died, they were pro- 

 bably luppreffed by him on account of the defeft of their 

 Itvle, as tliey could not be found. In his animadverfions on the 

 annals of Baronius, he is faid to hate been fo attentive to his 

 ftyle, that be was nut able to finirti a fmgle page of his work 

 in a day. Of his Latinity, a favourable fpecimen may be 

 feen in his " Panegyric on M. Fouquet," printed in 410. 

 in 165^. He alfo wrote in French " A Treatife on the 

 Ufurpations of the Kings of Spain upon the Crown of 

 France," 8vo. Paris, 1626, and another traft upon the fame 

 lubjed, pubhfhed in 1657. Gen. Dift. 



BALTHEUS Orionis, belt of Orion, in AJlronomy, a part 

 of the conllellation of Orion, confiding of three bright ftars 

 of the fecond magnitude, placed nearly in a right line in 

 Orion's girdle. 



BALTHICA, in Conchohgy, a fpecies of Tellina 

 that inhabits the Baltic fea. This (hell is roundirti, 

 fmooth, outfidc carnation colour. Linn. Fn. Suec. About 

 the fize of a horfe-bean, and very rarely larger; ex- 

 tremely thin, pellucid, brittle, and white within. Chemnitz, 

 &c. 



Balthica, a fpecies of, Helix found on the fhores of 

 the Baltic fea. This (hell is imperforated, ovate, and 

 pointed; with elevated wrinkles; aperture ovate, and very 



9t 



B A L 



ample. Linn. Fn. Suec. The animal is black, with two 

 tentacula; (lull pellucid, and with four whorls. 



BALTHICUS, a fpecies of Nautilus, of the fmaller 

 kind, that is found adhering to the roots of fuci. Tins flull 

 is fometimes opake, fometimes glolTy, frequently pellucid ; 

 and the wreaths cither fm(Jbth, llriated, ribbed, or tuber- 

 culated. It is fpecifically d^ftinguilhid by being white, 

 convex, aperture linear, and the firll wreath much larger 

 than the others. Schroct. 



BALTIC, or East-sea, anciently called Variatlkoi 

 more, or the fea of the Varags or Varagians, in Geography, 

 lies weft ward of Ruffia. Ptolemy calls it Ventdicus iinus; 

 Tacitus, mare Suevicum; and Pliny fpcaks of it under the 

 name of Codanus iinus. The Ruffians denominate it Bal- 

 ti(l<oi more; the Germans the Oif-lee; aiul the Swedes 

 Ofter-fion. That part of it which waft-ies the coalls of the 

 governments of St. Pcterlburg, Reval, and Vyborg, is called 

 the gulf of Finland, which is above four hundred verlls in 

 length, and from a hundred to a hundred and twenty broad ; 

 the part extending between the government of Riga and 

 thi-!(landCEfel, is called the gulf of Riga. The chief harbours 

 in the Baltic are, Riga or Dunamunde, Reval, Pernau, Hab- 

 fai, Rogervyk, now called Baltic-port, Peterfburg or Cron- 

 iladt, Vyborg, Frederickfnamm, and Arenfbcrg in the ifle 

 of CEfel. The principal iflands in this fea are, Rugen, 

 Bornholm, Oland, Gotiland, CEfel, Dago, Falller, Mohn, 

 Seitfari, Penifiri, I^avanlari, Tytcrlari, Hochland, Cron- 

 ftadt. There are great lilheries in thefe parts, and numbers 

 of feals are taken ; but far moi c confiderable is the navigation ; 

 as it may be computed that every year upwards of two tliou- 

 fand fliips of burden pafs to aid from the Ruflian ports 

 alone. Much (kill and caution are rcquiiite for navigating 

 this fea, and efpeeially the gulf of Finland, both on account 

 of the heavy fqualls and gales of wind fo frequent here, and 

 tiie multitude of rocks and (helves with which thefe feas 

 abound. The water is only brackilh, and has a very per- 

 ceptible current, fo that in northerly winds it is almoll Irefll 

 to the tafte. It is auerted, on verj' good foundation, that 

 the water of the Baltic is every year decrcafing; indeed, by 

 repeated obfervations made in Sweden, it is foi'nd to lubfide 

 ' at the rate of forty-five inches every hundred years. Mr. 

 Otto (ubi infra) is of opinion, that nothing certain can be 

 detemuned upon this point. Since the time when the Baltic 

 was confined within its prefent boundaries, the dccreafe and 

 iiicreafe of its water are, as he conceives, merely apparent ; 

 and it may have happened from various caufes, that land may 

 have been gained in one quarter and loll in another. Large 

 rivers, which flow with great rapidity, may, fcr example, 

 have carried with them into the fea a great deal of earth 

 and fand, by which the beds at their mouths may have been 

 raifed, and the banks extended towards the fea. The Baltic 

 has Denmark on the fouth, Sweden to the welt, Lapland to 

 the north, and to the eaft Bothnia, Finland, Livonia, Ingria, 

 Courland, and a pait of Poland. It communicates with the 

 Cattegatte to the fouth by the Sound, the great and the 

 Iclfer Belt. At Pillau and Memel it communicates with two 

 large lakes, the Frifch Haff and Cnrifch Half, both of which 

 contain frelh water. The waves of the Baltic are Ids high 

 than in the ocean, but they fucceed one another in greater 

 number and with more impetuofity, and thus are more haiaff. 

 ing to the (hips. In its agitations it dcpofits amber on the 

 fhores of Courland and Pruffia. It appear^ from Tacitus 

 (De Moribns German, c. 44, 45.) that the knowledge which 

 the Romans acquired of the maritime powers of the Baltic 

 was obtained by their land journies in fearch of amber. The 

 Baltic is liable to be fro'/.en for about three months in the 

 year, which may probably be in part owing to the frefhnefs 



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