bun 
their bullion, whether the same be in in- 
gots, bars, dust, or in foreign specie ; 
whence it is easy to conceive, that the value 
of bullion cannot be exactly known, with- 
out being first assayed, that the exact quan- 
tity of pure metal therein contained may 
be determined, and consequently whether 
it be above or below the standard. 
Silver and gold, whether coined or un- 
coined (tiiough used for a common measure 
of odier things) are no less a commodity 
tlian wine, tobacco, or cloth ; and may, in 
many cases, be exported as much to the 
national advantage as any other commo- 
dity. 
BUMALDA, in botany, a genus of the 
Pentandria Digynia. Natural order of Du- 
mosae. Rliamni, Jussieu. Essential cha- 
racter ; corolla five-petalled ; styles villose; 
capsule two-celled, two-beaked. There is 
but one species; m. B. trifolia, with a 
shrubby stem ; branches close, in all parts 
smooth; branches obscurely angular, joint- 
ed, purple ; leaves opposite, petioled, tcr- 
nate, pale underneath, on very short capil- 
ilary petioles, spreading very much, or re- 
flex; flowers terminating the branches in 
racemes, or capillai-y peduncles. Native 
oif Japan. 
BUMELIA, in botany, a genus of the 
Pentandria Monogynia class and order. Es- 
sential character; corolla five cleft, with a 
five-leaved nectary; drupe one-seeded. 
Thiere are seven species, aU trees or shrubs, 
and natives of the West Indies. 
, BUNIAS, in botany, a genus of the Te- 
traclynamia Siliquosa. Natural order sof 
Silitiuosa. Crucifer®, Jussieu. Essential 
character : silicle deciduous, four-sided, 
muricated with unequal acuminate angles. 
There are nine species, of whidi B. cornuta, 
homed bunias, is a very singular plant. 
It has; silicle transversely oval, finishing on 
each s;ide in a horn, or veiy long and strong 
spine, so that the silicle resembles a pair of 
horns ; in the middle of the silicle are four 
small spines, directed different ways. It is 
a native of the Levant and Siberia. B. spi- 
nosa, thorny bunias, is an annual plant, and 
a native of the South of France, Switzer- 
land, A ustria, and Italy. 
BUN lUM, in botany, a genus of the 
Pentainlria Digynia class and order. Na- 
tural order of umbellat®. Essential charac- 
ter : coi ■. uniform ; umbel crowded ; fruits 
ovate. 'I 'here is but one species, uiz. B. bul- 
bocastan um, earth nut, or pig nut, has a 
perennial , tuberous root, on the outside, of 
a chesnui colour, within white, solid, put- 
IMJO 
ting forth slender fibres from the sides, and 
bottom, of an agreeable sweetish taste, 
lying deep in tlie ground, commonly four 
or five inches dee p, the stems from the' 
surface tapering t owards it, flexuose or 
bending to and fr<im, and of a white co- 
lour ; the universal t nvolucre consists seldom 
of more than one, two, or three very slen- 
der leaves, but in most instances is altoge- 
ther wanting ; the ^partial umbel has some- 
times twenty rays ; the petals are lanceolate, 
entire, but rolled i nwarfs so as to appear as 
if they were emarg inate ; the filaments are 
longer than the petals; the pistils at first 
close, after divaiiicate, but never bend 
back. This descri] rtion applies to the plant 
as usually found i n Great Britain. That 
brunium which is most common in many 
parts of the contio ent is somewhat different 
from ours ; tlie s( 3gments of the leaf are 
not so fine, and n« iarer to parsley, whereas 
i)urs approach to fennel. The root is not 
so far within the ground, the leaves are 
larger and greenei ', and it sends forth leaves 
from the bulb it self. With us it grows on 
heaths, in pastu res, woods, and among 
bushes, in a grav elly or sandy soil : it flow- 
ers in May and J une. 
BUNT, of a sail, the middle part of it, 
formed designef lly into a bag or cavity, that 
the sail may ga ther more wind. It is. used 
mostly in top-f ,ails, because courses are ge- 
nerally cut sq’ uare, or with but small allow- 
ance for bunt or compass. The bunt holds 
much leewar d wind, that is, it hangs much 
to leeward. 
Bunt Im es are small lines made fast to 
the bottom of the' sails, in the middle part 
of the bolt rope, to a cringle, and so are 
reeved thi -ough a small block, seized to the 
yard. Tt leir use is to trice up the bunt of 
the sail, f or the better furling it up. 
BUN'' riNG. See Emberiza. 
BUG' U, at sea, a short piece of wood, or 
a close -hooped barrel, fastened so as^to 
float di rectly over the anchor, that the men 
who g 0 in the boat to weigh the anchor 
may k now where it lies. 
Bu oY is also a piece of wood, or cork, 
some times an empty cask, well closed, 
swill miing on the surface of the water, and 
fasb jned by a chain or cord to a large stone, 
piu ce of broken cannon, or the like, serv- 
inf ; to mark the daiigerqus places near a 
cf (ast, as rocks, shoals, wrecks of vessels, 
a nchors, &cc. 
There are sometimes, instead of buoys, 
pieces of wood placed in form of masts, in 
conspicuous places; and sometimes large 
