BEN 



the Bengal water-rail of Albin; Totanus Benghakrf.suf Bnf- 

 fon ; and Chevalier vert of Biiffon. The bill, uiJes, and 

 legs are yellow ; crown, area of the eyes, lower part of the 

 back and body beneath white, temples and throat black 

 brown ; primary quill feathers purple, fecondanes green ; 

 tail purple, with fulvous fpots. ^ ,,. , „ , • u 



BENGALLA, in Geography, a city of Hiiidoftan, which 

 txifted during the early part of the 17th centuiT, near the 

 caitern mouth of the Ganges, but of which no traces now 

 remain. , 



BENGASI, or Berniche, a fca-port town on thecoa.t 

 of Africa, in the Mediterranean. The merchants of this 

 place ufually join the caravan from Cairo at Augela in their 

 way to Mourzouk, the capital of Fezxan, and import 

 tobacco, manufaaured for chcving, and Inuff, and fundry 

 ^vares fabricated in Turkey. N.lat. 32" lo'. E. long. 20 . 

 This town is faid to be the ancient Berenice, built by Pto- 

 lemy Philadelphi'.s. . 



BENGEVAI, a town of Perfia, 111 the province oi be- 

 gellan, 75 milcslouth of Zareng. 



BENGHUR, a town of Perfia, in the province of 

 Cabul ; ^2 miles nortii of Cabul. 



BENGLO, a mountain of Scotland, in the county of 

 Perth, the higheft point of which is faid to be 3724 tect 

 above the level of tlie fea; 5 miles N. E. of Blair Athol. 



BENGO, or Benga, a province of the kingdom of An- 

 gola ill Africa, ikuate along the river of its name, but more 

 commonly known by that of Zenxa. It has the fea on the 

 weft, and the province of Mofcche on the eaft. The Portu- 

 g.iefc have cultivated large trads of land in this province, 

 which now abounds with maize and manioc root, with which 

 they make their bread. It produces alfo plenty of banana 

 and bacova trees. It is divided into fcveral diftricts, of which 

 the chiefs are natives, though tributary to Portugal The 

 inhabitants are ChrilHans, and have eight churches. 



BENGORE Head, a cape of Ireland, on the north 

 coaft of the county of Antrim, lo miles N. E. of Coieraine. 

 N.lat. 55" 15'. W. long. 6° 19'. 



BENGUELA, a province of Angola in Africa, retain- 

 inir the name of a kingdom, bounded on the call by the river 

 Rimba, or Cumani, on the north by the Coanza, and Culogi, 

 at about 10° 51' S. kt. and reaching wtftward quite to cape 

 Negro, according to the generality of geograpliers. But 

 M. de Lille extends it no farther north than old iienguela, in 

 0° 54'. and, according to him, it is bounded on the eail by 

 the Giaga Cafangi, or Giagan chief, and on the fouth he 

 places tU province ot Ohila, between the Hottentots and Ben- 

 gutlas, wiiich trad is moftly inhabited by fuch favage nations 

 as the Caffres and Giagas. Benguela was formerly governed 

 by its own kings ; and moil parts of the kingdom were fer- 

 tile and populous ; but it fuffcred fo much from the iiicur- 

 fions of the Giagas, and its wars with neighbouring Hates, 

 that, witu the proleaioi wf the Portugucfe, they have not 

 been able to recover th^ir importance. Its valuable pro- 

 ductions are fimilar to thole of Angola and Congo ; and from 

 the humidity of the foil they have two fruit fcafons in the 

 year. It fuinifhci likewife a confidcrable quantity of fait, 

 thou:;h of inferior quality to that of ChilTama. The Zim- 

 bi?, whofe Ihells are current as money through feveral parts 

 of Africa, are caught upon its coait, and pafs in payment 

 titlier by weight or meafure. 'J'he countr;-, being mollly 

 n-.c-uiitaincus, fwarm» with wild bcffts, fuch as rhinocc- 

 yofes, tlephai.ts, and wild mules. The lu^ns, tigers, cro- 

 codiles, and other carniverous animals, dellroy great num- 

 bers of their cattle. Thiir f.-itile plaini towards the fea-fide 

 formerly produced numcroiis he:d3 of cattle, both fmall and 

 great, but they are now become very fcarce. The air of the 



BEN 



country is fo unwliolefom.e as to affe£l its produce, and taint 

 even its waters. Few Europeans have, therefore, ventured 

 to vifit it, fo that it remahis in a great degree unknown. 

 The chief towns are Old Benguela, St. Philip, or New Ben- 

 guela, Mankikondo, and Kafchil. The commerce of flavei 

 is fo prevalent in this province, that the natives will fell their 

 relations or children from mere wantonntfs. 



B ENGL- NLA, OW, a town of Africa, in a province fo called, 

 fouth of a bay of the fame name, near the Atlantic ocean. 

 The town is fcated on a high mountain, where large beeves, 

 (heep, poultr)', and other provifions, have been fold in great 

 plenty, together with elepliant's teeth ; all which the inhabi- 

 tants have bartered for inuikets, and otlier fire-arms. S. lat. 

 11° 5'. E. long. II'' 30'. 



Benguela, New, or St. Philip, a town in the pro- 

 vince of Benguela, fcated on the fouth of a large bay, 

 about 1 leagues long and i broad, called by the Portu- 

 guefe " Bahias-das-\ accas," where they have a fcttlement 

 and a fort, with a fraall garrifon. S. kt. 12"^ 8'. E. long. 

 12° 20'. 



BENHADAD, or the Son of Adad, in Scripture Hif- 

 tory, the name of fevcial kings of Syria. Benhadad 1. was 

 the fon of Tabrimon, and began his reign about the year 

 940 B. C. He was induced by coftly prelents to afiift Afa, 

 king of Judah, againlt Baalha, king of Ifrael, whom he 

 obliged to return to the fuccour of his own countr)-, and 

 to abandon Ramah, which he had undertaken to fortify. 

 I Kings, XV. 18, &c. Benhadad II. was the fon of the pre- 

 ccdincr, and his acccfGon to the throne ot Syria is ilated to 

 have taken place about the year goi B.C. In his war 

 againlt Ahab, king of Ifrael, he was totally defeated ; and 

 in the following year, renewing his attack upon the Ifraelites, 

 in the plain of Aphek, he loll a great part of his army, and 

 was reduced to the neceflity of fubmitting to the mercy of 

 Ahab, by whom he was treated kindly, and allowed to re- 

 turn peaceably into his own countr)'. In a new war for the 

 recovery of Ramoth-Gilead, the poffefllon of which was re- 

 tained by Benhadad, Ahab, joined by Jeholhapliat, king 

 of Judah, marched againft the Syrians, and a battle enfued, 

 in which Naaman was the general of the Syrian army, and 

 Ahab loft his life. Benhadad having afterwards laid fiege 

 to Samaria, and failing in his attempts to reduce it, fell fick, 

 and fent Hazael his miniftcr, to the prophet Elifha, with 

 prefents, in order to coniult him concerning the iiTue of his 

 diforder. Hazael, on his return to Damafcus, informed 

 Benhadad that his health would be reilored ; but Elifha 

 having predicted that Hazael would fucceed to the throne 

 of Ifrael, the miniller accomphllied the prtdiiSlion by ftifling 

 Benhadad with a wet towel. Benhadad was reckoned a 

 great prince, who contributed to advance the glory of his 

 country, and his memory received divine honours in Syria. 

 I and 2 Kings. Jofephus Ant. 1. viii. and ix. Benhadiidlll. 

 fucceeded his father Hazael on the throne of Syria, in the 

 year 836 B. C. After having been feveral times defeated by 

 Joalli, king of Ifrael, he was expelled from all his father'? 

 conqucfts. 2 Kings. Jof. Ant. 1. ix. 



BEN-HINNON, or Geh-hinnon, the valley of the 

 children of Hinnon, lay in the foulh-eaft fubuibs of Jerufa- 

 1cm. See Gehenna. 



BENI, Paul, m Biography, a learned writer, was born 

 in Candia, about the year 1552, and educated at Eugubio 

 in the duchy of Uibino. In early life he entered among the 

 jefuits, but afterviards quitted them. He was for fome 

 time profeflo- of theology at the college of Sapienza at 

 Rome ; of philofophy, at Perugia ; and of rhetoric and 

 belles lettres, in the univerfity of Padua, from IJ99 to the 

 time of his death in 1625. He was more lively than judi- 

 cious : 



