B A S 



BASSORA, Balsora, or Basra, in Geography, a fa- 

 mous city of Afia, in the Arabian Irak, fituate on tlie weft- 

 ern banks of the Shat al Arab, which is a navigable canal, 

 formed by the junction of the Euphrates and Tigris. This 

 canal is navigable for vefTels of fifty tons to the Euphrates, 

 and thence to the gulf of Perfia, from wliich it is diftant 

 about 15 leagues nonh-wtft. This city was founded in the 

 year 636 by order of Omar, the fecond caliph, to hinder 

 the commerce that fubfilled between the Indians and Per- 

 fians, and to fecure the- command of the two rivers by 

 which goods imported from India were conveyed into ail 

 parts of Afia. The firfl colony was compofed of 800 

 Moflems ; but the fituation was fo wifely chofen that it foon 

 became a flouriihing and populous capital, and a place of 

 trade, fcarcely inferior to Alexandria. The air, though 

 exceffively jiot, is pure and healthy ; the meadows arc co- 

 vered with palm-trees and cattk' ; and one of the adjacent 

 vallies has been celebrated among the four paradifes or gar- 

 dens o.f Afia. Under the firil: caliphs, the jurifdiftion of 

 this Arabian colony extended over the fouthern provinces of 

 Perfia. The city has been fanftified by the tombs of the 

 companions and martyrs ; and the veflels of Europe ftill 

 frequent the port of Baflbra as a convenient ftatiou and paf- 

 fage for the Indian trade. Merchants of Arabia, Turkey, 

 Armenia, Greece, Jews, and Indians refide here ; the Eng- 

 lilh and Dutch have their confuls, and their Ihips come from 

 India loaded with various kinds of merchandize. Thofe 

 from Bengal, which arrive from the month cf March to 

 June, bring white linens, filk, mulHns, baltaid-laffron, fan- 

 dal, and other woods, benxoin, varnifli, rice, lead, Euro- 

 pean tin and iron. From the coall of Coiur;-:andel they 

 bring thicker cloths, white or blue ; which are ufcJ by the 

 Arabians for their garments. From the coaft of Malabar 

 they bring cardamoin feeds, pepper, &c. From Sural they 

 receive all kinds of gold and iilvcr ilufls, turbans, blue cloths, 

 indigo, and fteel ; of which the Perfians are the chief pur- 

 chalers for the manufafturc of their fabres. The principal 

 merchandizes of the Dutch are fpices and coffee from Java. 

 Some Arabians bring flaves, and others bring pearls from 

 Bahrein, and coffee from Mocha. The neighbouring coun- 

 tries alfo furnidt merchandize for exchange ; of which 

 the moft cor.fiderable are the ancient copper of Perfia in 

 fmall cakes, drugs of various kinds, grain when it is allowed 

 to be exported, dates, wine, and dried fruits. The mer- 

 chandize is fold for ready money, and pafies through the hands 

 of the Greeks, Jews, and Armenians. The Ban'ansare em- 

 ployed in changing the coin current at Baffova for that which 

 is of higher value in India. The abbe Raynal values the 

 merchandize annually brought to India at 525,0001.; ol which 

 the Engliih furnilTi 175,0001. the Dutch 87,500!. and the 

 Moors, Banians, Armenians, and Arabs luinifh the re- 

 mainder. 



Bafibra has been fubjeft to the Turks ever fince the 

 year 1 668 ; and, hke other cities tributary to that domi- 

 nion, is governed by a cadi appointed by the prince of Baf- 

 fora. But it, may now be rcj^arded as belonging to an in- 

 dependent Arabian prince, who pays dubious homage to 

 the Ottoman Pone. This pr nee allows full liberty to all 

 nations to come and trade to his capital ; and the police 

 of the city is fo well maintained, that a perfon may pafs 

 fafely through the llreets at any time of the night. The 

 prince derives his chief revenue from the exchange of 

 money for the horfes and cainels that are fold here, 

 and alfo from his plantation oi palm-trees, whicli is faid 

 10 be 90 miles in length. Tb.e horfes that are bred in 

 its vicinity are in great repute, and are fold at a high 

 price. The income of the pnnce from the feveral articles 

 oi money, horfes, camels, arid dates, is fo great, that he 



B A S 



has a confiderable furplus after difcharging all the expences 

 cf his tribute and government. The opulei.ce of Baflora is 

 owing partly to the extenfive commerce which is carried 011 

 by the intenention of this town between Afia and Europe, 

 partly to its being a place whence letters may be difpatched 

 into all parts of Europe, particularly England and Hol- 

 land, by v.ay of Damafcus and Aleppo, for which purpofe 

 Arab?, who are very fwift-footed, are employed ; and 

 partly to the refort of Perfian caravans in their pilgrimages 

 to Mecca, where they pay confiderable duties to the govern- 

 ment, and exchange many valuable commodities. The num- 

 ber of inhabitants is computed to be about 50,000 ; the 

 majority being Arabs : the reft are principally Turks and 

 Armenians. Tlfe latter are the merchants, and fome of 

 them are very refpeftable. As to the religion of BafTora, 

 befides Mahometans, there are Syrian Jacobites and Nefto- 

 rians, and monks from Europe ; and alfo fome modern Sa- 

 bxans, whom they call difciples of St. John. The town is 

 of great extent, and furrounded by a wall of clay, faid to 

 be twelve miles in circumference. The Bazar, or market- 

 place, is about two miles long and well fupplied. Thebinld- 

 ings of this city are mollly conilrufted after the Turkiflt 

 manner. The whole country about it is fo low, that it is 

 prevented from being inundated by a dyke or baak extend- 

 ing between three and four miles along the coaft, and built 

 of large fquare rtones fo well cemented together that the fea 

 cannot aftect it, though the fea runs ftrongly againft it at 

 the extremity of the Perfian gulf. Baffora is 210 miles 

 S. W. of Ifpahan, and 600 S. E. of Aleppo. N. lat. 29° 

 45'. E. long. 47° 40'. 



BASSOS, or Baxos, Cape, lies in the Indian fea, on the 

 eaftcoallof Ajan in Africa, in N.lat. 4° 12'. E. long. ^7' 7'. 



Bassos tie Bnnhos, ihoals in the Indian ocean, lying off 

 the eaft coaft of Zanguebar in Africa, in S. lat. C'^. E. long. 

 48^ 8'. 



Bassos de Chaga, or fiioafs of Chaga, are fituated in the 

 Indian ocean, in S. lat. 6'' 42'. E. long. 68^ 20'. 



B^\ssos de Iiul'ia, ftioals of India, are fituated N. E. eaft- 

 erly from the cape of Good Hope, and are called in fome 

 charts Jews Rocks, between Madagafcar ifland on tlie eaft. 

 and the coaft of Africa on the weft, about Sofala. S. lat. 

 22° 30'. E. long. 40° 41'. 



BASSOUES, a town of France, in the department of 

 the Gers, and chief place cf a canton in the diftrift of Mi- 

 rande, 5 leagues W. S. W. of Auch. 



BASSOVIA, in Botany. Lin. gen. Schreb. n. 348. 

 Aubl. 85. JulT. 419. Qafs and Order, pentandria monogy- 

 nla. Gen. Char. Cal. perianth one-leafed, permanent, five- 

 parted ; parts ovate, acute. Cor. one-pctalled ; tube very 

 ftiort ; border five-cUft, fpreading ; clefts ovate, acute, 

 larger than th.e calyx. Siam. filaments five, inferted into 

 the tube of the corolla, and oppofite to its clefts ; anthers 

 ovate. P^jl. germ ovate, fitting on a glandule ; ilyle ftiort; 

 ftigma thickifh, obtufe. Per. berry ovate, knobbed. Seeds, 

 very numerous, kidney-fliaped, girt with a membrane, ntft- 

 ling in pulp. 



Elf. Char. Cor. five-cleft, fpreading, with a very (hort 

 tube ; berry ovate, knobbed, with many feeds. 



Species. Y>. JylvaUca. Aubl. Guian. 217. t. 85. Sterol 

 herbaceous, three or four feet high, branched ; leaver alter- 

 nate, ovate, acute, fmooth, entire, on a petiole about au 

 inch long ; the largeft 10 inches long and 4^ broad ; flow- 

 ers in axillary corymbs, green, and very fmall. A native 

 of Guiana, in wet torells, flowering and fruiting in June. 

 Martyn's Miller's Did. ^ 



BASSUE', in Geography, a town of France, in the de- 

 pa: tment of th.e Marne, and chief place of a canton in the 

 diilricl of Vitiv U Frar.goife, fi miles N.N.E. of Vitry. 



5 E 2 CASSUEL, 



