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BOW 
invention of fire arms, a part of the infantry 
were armed with bows. 
Lewis XI. first abolished the use of them 
in France, introducing, in their place, the 
halbard, pike, and broad sword. The long 
bow was formerly in great vogue in Eng- 
land, and many laws were made to encou- 
rage the use of it. The parliament under 
Henry VIII. complaining of the disuse of 
long bows, heretofore the safeguard and de- 
fence of this kingdom, and the dread and 
teiTor ofits enemies. 
Bow, in music, an instrument, which, 
being drawn over the strings of a musical 
instrument, makes it resound. It is com- 
posed of a small stick, to which are fastened 
eighty or an hundred horse hairs, and screw 
which serves to give these hairs the proper 
tension. In order that the bow may touch 
the strings briskly, it is usual to rub the 
hairs with rosin. The bow of the violin is 
now about 28 inches long. 
Bow, among artificers, an instrument so 
called from its figure : in use among gun- 
smiths, locksmiths, watch-makers, &c. for 
making a drill go. Among turners, it is the 
name of that pole fixed to tire ceiling, to 
which they fasten the cord that whirls round 
the piece to be turned. 
Bow of a slap, that, part of her head which 
is contained betw een the stern and the af- 
ter-part of the fore-castle, on either side ; 
so that a ship hath two bows, 'the starboard 
and the larboard, or, as they are sometimes 
called, the weather and the lee bow. 
BOWLING, the art of playing at bowls. 
The first thing to be observed in bowling 
is, the right choosing your bowl, w hich must 
be suitable to the ground you design to run 
on. Thus, for close alleys, the fiat bowl is 
the best; for open grounds of advantage; 
the round byassed bowd ; and for plain and 
level swards, the bowl that is as round as a 
ball. The next is to choose your ground ; 
and lastly to distinguish the risings, fallings, 
and advantages of the places where you 
bowl. 
Bowling; Bow-line, in a ship, a rope 
made fast to the. leech or middle part of 
the outside of the sail : it is fastened by 
two, three, or four ropes, like a crow’s foot, 
to as many parts of the sail ; only the mizen 
bowling is fastened to the lower end of the 
yard. This rope belongs to all sails, except 
the sprit-sail and sprit-top-sails. The use 
of the bowling is to make the sails stand 
■harp or close, or by a wind. 
“ Sharp the bowling,” is hale it taught, or 
pull it hard. 4 ‘ Hale up the howling,” that is 
BOY 
pull it harder forward on. “ Cheek or ease, 
or run up the bowling,” that is letit be more 
slack. 
BOWSE, in the sea-language, signifies 
as much as to hale or pull. Thus bowsing 
upon a tack, is haling upon a tack. Bowse, 
away, that is pull away all together. 
BOWSPRIT, or Boltspit, a kind of 
mast, resting slopewise on the head of the 
main stem, and having its lower end fastened 
to the partners of the fore-mast, and far- 
ther supported by the fore stay. It carries 
the sprit-sail, sprit-top-sail, and jack-staff, 
and its length is usually the same with that 
of tire fore-mast. 
BOWYERS, artificers, whose employ- 
ment or occupation it is to make bows. 
There is a company of bowyers in the city 
of London, first incorporated in 1623. 
BOX. See Buxus. 
The turner, engraver, carver, mathema- 
tical instrument, comb, and pipe makers, 
give a great price for this wood by weight, 
as well as by measurfe. It makes wheels or 
shivers, pins for blocks and pullies, pegs for 
musical instruments, nut- crackers, weavers’ 
shuttles, collar-sticks, bump-sticks and dres- 
sers for shoemakers, rulers, rolling-pins, 
pestles, mall-balls, beetles, tops, tallies, 
chess-men, screws, bobbins, cups, spoons, 
and the strongest of all axle-trees. 
The box-tree formerly grew in great 
plenty, near Dorking in Surry, but only a 
few of the large trees are now left. Box- 
wood is chiefly imported from the Levant, 
sometimes from Spain. 
BO YAU, in fortification, a ditch covered 
with a parapet, which serves as a commu- 
nication between two trenches. It runs 
parallel to the works of the body of file 
place, and serves as a line of contravalla- 
tion, not only to hinder the sallies of the 
besieged, but also to secure the miners. 
But when it is a particular cut that runs 
from the trenches to cover some spot of 
ground, it is drawn so as to be enfiladed, or 
scoured by the shot from the town. 
BOYLE (Robert), one of the greatest 
philosophers, as well as best men, that any 
country has ever produced, was the seventh 
son, and the fourteenth child, of Richard 
Earl of Cork, and bom at Lismore, in the 
province of Munster in Ireland, the 25th of 
January, 1626-7 ; the very year of the death 
of the learned Lord Bacon, whose plans of 
experimental philosophy he afterwards so 
ably seconded, that it was said of him, that 
he was the person designed by nature to 
succeed to the labours and inquiries of that 
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