BAM 



BAN 



before the flood : but the followers of Buddha infift, that 

 it was built by a religious man called Shama, fuppofcd to 

 be the fame with the patriarch Shem, and that his poilericy 

 lived there for feveral generations. Hence Balk-Baniian is 

 laid to have been originally the place of abode of Abraham, 

 who, according to fcripture, and the Hindu facred books, 

 removed with his father to diftant countries to the weft ward. 

 According to Diodorus Siculus, Bamian exilled before 

 Ninus ; for this hiftorian, as well as the Pcrfian authors, has 

 miftaken Bahlac for Bamian ; which he defcribes as fituated 

 among fteep hills ; whilil Bahlac is fituated in a low, flat 

 ■country, and at a great dillaiice from the mountains. The 

 natives look upon Bamian, and the adjacent countries, as the 

 place of abode of the progenitors of mankind, both before 

 and after the flood ; meaning by Bamian and the adjacent 

 countries all the country from Siftan to Samarcand, reaching 

 towards the eaft as far as the Ganges. This tradition is 

 very ancient, and is countenanced equally by Perfian authors 

 and the facred books of the Hindus. 



Bamian, as well as Cabul and Balk, were at an early period 

 in the liands of the MufTulmans. There were even kings 

 o[ Bamian ; but this dynaity lafted but a few years, and 

 ended in 1215. The kings and governors refided at Ghul- 

 guleh, called at that time the fort or palace of Bamian. It 

 was dcllroyed br Genghiz Khan, in the year izio; and 

 becaufe the inhabitants had prefumed to refift him, he or- 

 dered them to be butchered, without diflirtlion either of 

 age or fcx ; and in his brutal rage, he fparcd neither animals 

 nor even trees. He ordered it to be called in his own lan- 

 guage Mau-balig, or 'the city of grief and forrow ; but the 

 ■inhabitants of the country called it, in their own dialecl, 

 Gliulgiileh, which word ultd alfo in Pcrfian, fignifics " the 

 cries of woe." To have r^^^built it would have been ominous; 

 and, therefore, they ercfted a fort on a hill to the north of 

 Bamian, which is called to this day the imperial fort. This 

 fort was alfo dcdroycd by Zmgis the Ufbeck, in 1628, and 

 has not been rebuilt fince. The city of Bamian is reprefented 

 in the ancient legends of the country as the fountain of 

 purity and holinefs ; and was called Para-Bannyan, or Bami- 

 yan the puie and holy, and the dillrict of Bamiyan might 

 alfo be called Para-defa, the pure and holy country. It is 

 row barren, and without a fingle tree ; but, according to 

 the facred books of the Hi::dus and of the Bauddhills, it 

 •was otherwife formerly. Tradit'on alfo informs us, that the 

 Dumber of inhabitants was at one period fo prodigicnis, that 

 the trees, underwood, grafs, and plants were deftroyed. 

 The vegetable foil being no longer protctled, was in the 

 coiirfe of ages wafhcd away by the rai:.s : and it is certain, 

 that the foil in the vallies is very fertile, and tiie whole di- 

 ilricl, in its prefent ilate, is a moil enchanting and delight- 

 ful fpot. The country to the eaftward of Bamiyan, as far 

 as the Indus, is the native country of the vine, and of ahnoft 

 all the fruit-trees we have in Europe : there they grow 

 fpontaneoudy, and to a great degree of perfeflion. When 

 the natives find a vine, an apple-tree, &c. in the forelts, 

 they clear ail the wood about it, dig the ground, and thus 

 the fruit comes to perfeft maturity. " When we are told 

 in fcripture of Noah cultivating the vine, we may be fuie 

 (fays captain Wilford, ubi infra), that it was in its native 

 country, or at leaft very near it." Bamiyan, though not 

 mentioned by name in Nonnus's Dionyfiacs, is well defcribcd 

 by him as the abode of the benevolent Brongu>, who lived 

 in Samach'hes, or recelfes artfully excavated hi the moun- 

 tains. Brongus was the Bhranga of the Puranas ; and had 

 feveral children, who aicended the throne of CaliiiTa, after 

 their father had forfaken the world. Bamiyan appears a fo 

 to be the town called Dralioca by Ptolemy ; which is de- 

 rived from the Saiifcrit Drafhatca, and implies the ftone-city : 



towns before Leing tnerely an affemblage of huts. Its di« 

 {lance and bearing, fays captain Wilford, from Cabuia, or 

 Orthofpana, the prefent city of Cabul, puts it beyond 

 doubt. See captain Francis Wilford's " Obfervations on 

 Mount Caucafus," in Ahatic Refearches, vol. vi. p ^g^. 



BAMMAGURA, iu ylnclnt Geography, a town of Iud:a, 

 on this fide of the Ganges. Ptolemy. 



BAMMAKOO, in Geography, a town of the Mandingo 

 country, in Wellern Africa, feated on the river Niger, win re 

 it ceales to be navigable, about 150 miles below its fource. 

 Here the river deicends from the high land of Manding in- 

 to Bambara, on the eaflward, with a rapid and furious courfc ; 

 after which it glides fnioothly along, and affords an uninter- 

 tupted navigation to Houfia, and probably by Kaflina to 

 Wangarah. It lies about fifty miles fiioit of Karaalich ; 

 and it is reckoned by the natives ten journies only from 

 Sego. By Mr. Parke's bearings correftcd, it lies from Sego 

 W. 2^^ S. diftant 178 geographical miles. N.lat. 12° 54'. 

 W. long. 5° 20'. 



BAMMONITIS, in Annsnt Geography, a country of 

 Alia Minor, which Strabo places in the vicinity of the river 

 Hahs. 



BAMOTH-BAAL, a city of Paleftine, beyond Jordan, 

 belonging to the tribe of Reuben, feated in the plain 

 through which lay the courfe of the Anion. Jofli. xiii. 17, 

 In this city was a high place confccrated to'-Caal, the idol 

 of the Moabites. 



BAMPTON, in Geography, is an ancient market town 

 in the county of Devon, in Euijland. Polwhcle afterts 

 that it was a Roman ilation ; but this is not proved by his 

 defcription of the parifii, nor by any difcoveries that have 

 been made relating to that people. It is ftated on a branch 

 of the river Exe, and is alfo watered by the river Batham, 

 over which is a ftrong ftone bridge. Tlie town is nearly en- 

 compaflcd with hills which coufiil chijfly of lime-flone rucks. 

 Thcfe are burnt on the fpot, and the lime ufed by the neigh- 

 bouring farmers in meliorating the foil of their lands. Bamp- 

 ton 's governed by two poitrevcs, two conilables, and other 

 inferior officers, who are annually eleiffed .at the lord's court. 

 The principal maiuifaftory of the place is ferges. This 

 was form.eiiy a borough, and fent two members to parliament, 

 whole expellees were defrayed by the inhabitants ; but this 

 privilege has longi been loft. It gives name to the hundred, 

 and includes within the parifl-i two Iraall villages, whofe cha- 

 pels have only monthly ftrvice. The town is inxgularly 

 bui't, and extends about half a mile in length ; containing 

 302 houfes, with 1364 inhabitants. Here is a large church 

 with a lofty tower, and the church-yard, which is extenhve, 

 contains two yew trees, diftinguiflicd for their age and mag- 

 nitude. The market is held every Saturday, and here are 

 two annual fairs. Bampton is 167 miles weft of London, 

 and about twenty-two N. W. from Exeter. Folwhele's 

 Hiftorj'of Di:vi>!iihire, vol.ii. 



BAN, a lort ot Imooth fine muflin, which the Englilh 

 import from the Eaft Indies. The piece is a yard broad, 

 and runs about twenty yards and a half. 



Ban and Bam. See Bann and Banns. 



Ban Ijhmd, in Ge'jgraphy, is the moll fontherly of the 

 Ladrones, north of Nev Guinea, in N. lat. i i '■ , and E long, 

 of the eaft end 142°. Between this and Bato ifland, on the 

 north: is a rocky ifland. 



Ban, y/niere. See Arriere. 



BANA, in And' ri Geography, a town of Arabia Felix. 

 Ptolemv. 



BAN.^AUSI, a town of India, on this fide jf :he Gan- 

 ges. Ptolemy. 



BAN ABA, a town of Afia, in Mefopotamia. Ptolemy. 



BANAGHER, in Geography, a market and poll town 



of 



