BUR 
truncated cone, marked C. f, The bar on which the ap¬ 
paratus marked F moves, g, The iron plate marked I. 
h, The cone of rays formed by the refradtion of the great 
lens/:, and falling on the lens/, i, The cone of rays 
formed by the refraction of the lens c. 
Fig. 3, feprefents tlie front of the lens, fixed in its frame. 
Fig. 4, is a reprefentation of M. Buffon’s burning mir¬ 
ror. Each of the fmall mirrors which compofe it is move- 
able by a contrivance on the back part of the frame, fo 
that their reflections may all coincide in one point. By 
this means they are capable of being accommodated to 
various heights of the fun, and to different diftances. The 
adjuding them in this manner takes up a conliderablc 
time ; but, after they are fo adjufled, the focus will con¬ 
tinue unaltered for above an-hour or more. 
Fig. 5, reprefents a contrivance of M. Buffon’s for di- 
minifhing tlie thicknefs of very large refradling lenfes. He 
obferves, that in large lenfes of this kind, and which, are 
mod convenient for many purpofes, the thicknefs of the 
glafs in the middle is lo great as very much to diminifh 
their force. For this reafon he propofes to form a burn- 
iag-glafs of concentric circular pieces of glafs, each red¬ 
ing upon the other, as reprefented in the figure. His 
method is to divide the convex arch of the lens into three 
equal parts. Thus, fitppofe the diameter to be 26 inches, 
and the thicknefs in the middle to be 3 inches : by divid¬ 
ing the lens into three concentric circles, and laying the 
one over the other, the thicknefs of the middle piece need 
only be one inch ; at the fame time that the lens will have 
the fame convexity, and almoft the fame focal diftance, as 
in the other cafe; while the effefts of it mult be much 
greater on account of the greater thinnefs of the glafs. 
BURN'ING• MOUN'TAINS. See Etna, Hecla, 
Vesuvius, and Volcano, with the plates accompany¬ 
ing them. 
BURN'ING-SPRINGS, a phenomenon which occurs 
in many different parts of the world, particularly one in 
Dauphiny, near Grenoble ; another near Hermandadt, in 
Tranfylvania ; a third at Chermay, a village in Swilfer- 
land ; a fourth in the canton of Friburg; a fifth near tlie 
city of Cracow, in Poland ;. and feveral in Iceland. There 
alio is, or w as, a famous fpring of the fame kind at A11- 
cliff, near Wigan, in Lancashire.,, which, upon the approach 
of a. lighted, candle, would take fire and burn like fpirit of 
wine tor a whole day. But the mod remarkable one of 
this kind, or at lead that of which we have tlie mod. par¬ 
ticular deferiptiqn, was aifeovered in 171.1-, at Brofely, in 
Shropfhire. The following account of this remarkable 
fpring was given by the Rev. Mr. Mafon, Woodvvardin 
profetfor at Cambridge, dated February. 18, 17.46. “ The 
well for four or five feet deep is fix or feven feet wide ; 
within that is another lefs hole of like depth dug in the 
clay, in the bottom whereof is placed a cylindric earthen 
yeflel, of about four or five inches diameter at the mouth, 
having the bottom taken od, and the Tides well fixed in 
the Clay i;amined.dole about it. Within the pot is a brown 
water, thick as puddle, continually forced up with a vio¬ 
lent motion beyond that of boiling water, ar.d a rumbling 
hollow noife, riling or falling by fits five or fix inches ; 
but there was no appearance of any vapour riling, which 
perhaps might have been vifible, had not the fun (hone 
lo bright. Upon putting a.candle down at the, end of a 
dick, at about a quarter of a yard didance, it took fire, 
darting and flafhing after a very violent manaer.for about 
half a yard high, much in tlie manner of fpirits in a lamp, 
but with great agitation. It was (aid, that, a tea-kettle 
had been made to boil in about lime minutes time, and 
that it had been left burning for forty-eight hours with¬ 
out any fenfible diminution. It was extinguifhed by. put¬ 
ting a wet mop upon it; which mud be kept there a little 
time, othervvife it would not go out. Upon tlie removal 
of tlie mop there arife.s a fulphureous fmoke lading about 
a. minute, and yet the water is very cold to the touch.” 
in 1735, this well totally difappeared by the finking of a 
4 coal-pit in,its neighbourhood.. The caufe of this phe- 
B U R 535 
nomenon is eafily explained, when we reflect, that the 
mud of a common pit when (lirred with a dick, will fend 
up large bubbles of inflammable air, which would burn 
rapidly, if a candle were applied to it. See Huer. 
BURN'ING-ZONEjorToRRiu Zone, the ipace with¬ 
in 23A degrees of the equator, both north and Touth. 
To BUR'NISH, v. a. j \burnir, Fr. ] To polifli; to give 
a glofs to.—Make a plate of them, and burnijh it as they 
do iron. Bacon. 
To BUR'NISH, v. n. To grow bright or glofly : 
I’ve feen a fnake in human form, 
All dain’d with infamy and vice, 
Leap from the dunghill in a trice, 
Burnifh, and make a gaudy (flow, 
Become a gen’ral, peer, and beau. Swift.. 
To BUR'NISH, v. n. [of uncertain etymology.] To 
grow ; to fpread out.—Mrs. Primley’s great belly lhe may 
lace down before, but it humifies on her hips. Congreve. 
This they could do, while Saturn fill’d the throne, 
Ere Juno burnifi'd , or young Jove was grown. Dryden. 
BUR'NISHER, f. The perfon who burniflies or no- 
liflies. The tool with which bookbinders give a glofs to 
the leaves of books ; a round polilhed piece of Heel, fer.v- 
ing to fmooth and give a lufire to metals. Of thefie there 
are different kinds of different figures, ftraight,- crooked, 
&c. Half-burnifhers are tiled to folder filver, as well as 
to give a ludre. Burnifliers for gold and filver are com¬ 
monly made of a dog’s or wolf’s tooth, fet in the end of 
an iron or wooden handle. Of late, agates and pebbles 
have been introduced, which many prefer to the dog’s 
tooth. The burnifhers ufed by engravers in copper, ferve 
with one end to burnifh, and with tlie other to ferape. 
BURN'LEY, a market-town in Lancafliire, 207 miles 
from London, fituate in a rich and pleafant valley, on the 
margin of the river Cal'der to the foutli, and the river 
Brown towards the north, which unite below the town. 
There are two fulling-mills, and one for grinding wood 
and other materials for dying; alfo- feveral engines for 
preparing and carding wool and cotton for fpinning, work¬ 
ing by tliefe dreams; there are alfo two otherfulling-mills- 
in the vicinity of the town. Several Roman coins have- 
been dug up here, dated in the time of the coniuls. It is 
a great thoroughfare from Blackburn, Predon, Liverpool, 
and the wedern parts of the country, as well as from Man- 
clieder, Bury, Rochdale, and other fouthern parts, to the 
Wed and North Ridings of Yor.kfhire, &c. whereby, and 
the fpirited exertions of the woollen manufactory, toge¬ 
ther with a prodigious quantity of worded and cotton goods 
manufaftured in the town and neighbourhood, it is greatly 
enriched and enlarged, and become a thriving and popu¬ 
lous town. The navigable canal from Leeds to Liverpool, 
which forms a junction between the Irifli lea and German 
ocean, pafles near this town. The country abounds with 
pit-coal of tlie fined quality ; and quarries of free-done, 
flags, and (late, are in great plenty. Here is a grammar- 
fchool, and a large handfome church, built with free-done. 
The market is on Mondays ; and there are fix annual fairs, 
viz. March 6, and Eader-eve, for horned cattle; May 9, 
13, July 10, and OCtober 11, for horfes, cloth, and pedlars’ 
ware. Here is a very confiderable manufactory of engra¬ 
vers, print-cutters, and calico-printers; and another for 
fpinning cotton by machines, with dye-houles and bleach- 
ing-croft, &c. which employ a great number of weavers 
and fpinnersj of all ages and both fexes, who. earn a com¬ 
petent livelihood. Contiguous to Burnley is Townley- 
liall, a noble and extenfive fto.ne building, the-, feat of 
Charles Townley, Efq. 
BURNS (Robert), the celebrated Scotch bard,. was a 
native of Ayrfhire, one of the wedern counties of Scot¬ 
land. He was the Con of humble parents:. and his father 
pafle'd through life in tlie condition of a hired labourer, , 
or of a fmall farmer. Even in this dfuation, however, .it 
was not hard for him to fend hjs children to. the. parifli-- 
ftliool,. 
