among builders, is sometimes used for the summer-beam of a house; sometimes for the poles and rafters, which support the roofs of barns, &c.; and sometimes for the beams used in making sea-holds.

or BALKH, a province of Great Bukharia in Asia, about 360 miles long, and 250 broad, situated to the south of the province of Samarkand, and to the east of Bukharia Proper. It is the least of the three provinces that make up what is called Great Bukharia; but being extremely fertile and well cultivated, the prince draws a great revenue from it. The country particularly abounds with silk, of which the inhabitants make pretty manufactures. The Uzbeks subject to the khan of Balkh are the most civilized of all the Tartars inhabiting Great Bukharia, owing probably to their commerce with the Persians: they are likewise more industrious, and more honest, than the rest; rest; but in other respects have the same customs with the rest of the Tartars. The province is subdivided into several counties; the most remarkable of which are Khotlan, or Katlan, Tokharestan, and Badaghan. Its chief cities are Balk, Fariyab, Talkhan, Badaghan, and Anderab.

capital of the abovementioned province, situated on the frontiers of Persia, in E. Long. 65° 20' N. Lat. 37°. It is probably the ancient Bactra, capital of the kingdom of Bactria; and is said by the Persians to have been founded by Kay-umarraz the first king of Persia, because he met his brother upon the spot where it stood, after he had been lost for a long time; balhiden, or balghiden, in the Persian language, signifying to receive and embrace a friend. The first kings of Persia who resided in the province of Media or Adarbijan, considered this city as one of their principal frontiers on the side of Scythia. In the 27th year of the Hegira, of Christ 647, Balk was reduced by the Arabs, under the command of Abdallah Ebn Amer. It continued subject to Arab princes till the year of the Hegira 432, of Christ 1041; when it was reduced by Togrol Beg, the Togrolipix of the Greeks, and prince of the Seljukian dynasty. It was taken by Jenghiz Khan, A.D. 1221, who with his usual and unparalleled cruelty caused all the inhabitants to be brought without the walls and massacred without mercy. In 1369, Sultan Hoscin the last of the race of Jenghiz Khan was driven from Balkh by Tamerlane, whose successors were driven out by the Uzbeks in the 15th century. It was afterwards redeemed by Shah Imael Safi; but finally wrested out of his hands by the Uzbek Tartars, between whom and the Persians it is the occasion of almost continual wars. It was, not long since, the residence of a khan of Tartars. It is the most considerable city possessed in these parts by the Mahometan Tartars, is large, well built, and populous, the houses consisting for the most part of stone or brick. The fortifications consist of bulwarks of earth, fenced without with a strong wall high enough to cover the soldiers employed in defense of those fortifications. As this place is the resort of all the business transacted between the Indies and Great Bukharia, trade flourishes extremely at Balkh; especially as it has a fine river passing through its suburbs, which is of vast service to the town. This river falls into the Amu, in N. Lat. 38° 30' upon the confines of Great Bukharia and Kowarazm. The khan's palace, or castle, is a large edifice built after the oriental manner; and consists almost entirely of marble, of which there are fine quarries in the neighborhood. The khan of Balk, however, was obliged in 1739 to submit to the Persians under Khouli Kan; but, since that time, has most probably regained his independency.