a small open vessel, conducted on the water by rowing or sailing. The construction, machinery, and even the names of boats, are very different, according to the various purposes for which they are calculated, and the services on which they are to be employed. Thus they are occasionally slight or strong, sharp or flat bottomed, open or decked, plain or ornamented; as they may be designed for swiftness or burden, for deep or shallow water, for sailing in a harbour or at sea, and for convenience or pleasure.

The largest boat that usually accompanies a ship is the long-boat, which is generally furnished with a mast and sails; those which are fitted for men of war, may be occasionally decked, armed, and equipped, for cruising short distances against merchant-ships of the enemy, or smugglers, or for impressing seamen, &c. The barges are next in order, which are longer, lighter, and narrower: they are employed to carry the principal sea-officers, as admirals, and captains of ships of war, and are very unfit for sea. Pinnaces exactly resemble barges, only that they are somewhat smaller, and never row more than eight oars; whereas a barge properly never rows less than ten. These are for the accommodation of the lieutenants, &c. Cutters of a ship, are broader, deeper, and shorter, than the barges and pinnaces; they are fitter for sailing, and are commonly employed in carrying stores, provisions, passengers, &c. to and from the ship. In the structure of this fort of boats, the lower edge of every plank in the side overlays the upper edge of the plank below, which is called by shipwrights clinch-work. Tows are something less than cutters, nearly of the same form, and used for similar services; they are generally rowed with six oars.

The above boats more particularly belong to men of war; as merchant-ships seldom have more than two, viz., a long-boat and yawl: when they have a third, it is generally calculated for the countries to which they trade, and varies in its construction accordingly. Merchant-ships employed in the Mediterranean find it more convenient to use a lanch, which is longer, more flat-bottomed, and better adapted every way to the harbours of that sea, than a long-boat.

A wherry is a light sharp boat, used in a river or harbour for carrying passengers from place to place. Punts are a sort of oblong flat-bottomed boats, nearly resembling floating stages; they are used by shipwrights and caulkers, for breasting, caulking, or repairing a ship's bottom. A molly is a very flat broad boat, used by merchant-ships amongst the Caribbee islands, to bring hogheads of sugar off from the seashore to the shipping which are anchored in the roads. A felucca is a strong passage-boat used in the Mediterranean, from 10 to 16 banks of oars. The natives of Barbary often employ boats of this sort as cruisers.

For the larger sort of boats, see the articles CRAFT, CUTTER, PERIAGUA, and SHALLOP.

Of all the small boats, a Norway yawl seems to be the best calculated for a high sea, as it will often venture out to a great distance from the coast of that country, when a stout ship can hardly carry any sail.

An account of several trials made on a BOAT, or Sloop, fit for inland navigation, coasting voyages, and short passages by sea, which is not, like ordinary vessels, liable to be over-set or sunk by wind, waves, water-bouts, or too heavy a load; contrived and constructed by Monsieur Bernieres, director of the bridges and causeways in France, &c. &c. Some of these trials were made on the first of August 1777, at the gate of the invalids in Paris, in the presence of the provost of the merchants, of the body of the town, and a numerous concourse of spectators of all conditions.

The experiments were made in the way of comparison with another common boat of the same place, and of equal size. Both boats had been built ten years, and their exterior forms appeared to be exactly similar. The common boat contained only eight men, who rocked it and made it incline so much to one side, that it presently filled with water, and sunk; so that the men were obliged to save themselves by swimming; a thing common in all vessels of the same kind, either from the imprudence of those who are in them, the strength of the waves or wind, a violent or unexpected shock, their being overloaded, or overpowered in any other way.

The same men who had just escaped from the boat which sunk, got into the boat of M. Bernieres; rocked it, and filled it, as they had done the other, with water. But, instead of sinking to the bottom, though brim full, it bore being rowed about the river, loaded as it was with men and water, without any danger to the people in it.

M. Bernieres carried the trial still farther. He ordered a mast to be erected in this same boat, when filled with water; and to the top of the mast had a rope fastened, and drawn till the end of the mast touched the surface of the river, so that the boat was entirely on one side, a position into which neither winds nor waves could bring her: yet, as soon as the men who had hauled her into this situation let go the rope, the boat and mast recovered themselves perfectly in less than the quarter of a second; a convincing proof that the boat could... could neither be sunk nor overturned, and that it afforded the greatest possible security in every way. These experiments appeared to give the greater pleasure to the public, as the advantages of the discovery are not only so sensible, but of the first importance to mankind.

**Boat-Rig.** See Cancroma.

**Boat-Infest.** See Notonecta.

**Boating,** a kind of punishment in use among the ancient Persians for capital offenders. The manner of boating was thus: the person condemned to it being laid on his back in a boat, and having his hands stretched out, and tied fast on each side of it, had another boat put over him, his head being left out thro' a place fit for it. In this posture they fed him, till the worms, which were bred in the excrements he voided as lie thus lay, eat out his bowels, and so caused his death, which was usually twenty days in effecting, the criminal lying all this while in most exquisite torments.

**Boatswain,** the officer who has the boats, sails, rigging, colours, anchors, and cables, committed to his charge.

It is the duty of the boatswain particularly to direct whatever relates to the rigging of a ship, after she is equipped from a royal dock-yard. Thus he is to observe that the masts are properly supported by their shrouds, stays, and back-stays, so that each of those ropes may sustain a proportional effort when the mast is strained by the violence of the wind, or the agitation of the ship. He ought also to take care that the blocks and running-ropes are regularly placed, so as to answer the purposes for which they are intended; and that the sails are properly fitted to their yards and stays, and well furled or reefed when occasion requires.

It is likewise his office to summon the crew to their duty; to assist with his mates in the necessary business of the ship; and to relieve the watch when it expires. He ought frequently to examine the condition of the masts, sails, and rigging; and remove whatever may be judged unfit for service, or supply what is deficient; and he is ordered by his instructions to perform this duty with as little noise as possible.

**Boatswain's Mate** has the peculiar command of the long-boat, for the setting forth of anchors, weighing or fetching home an anchor, warping, towing, or mooring; and is to give an account of his store.

**Bob,** a term used for the ball of a short pendulum.

**Bobartia,** in botany, a genus of the dignya order, belonging to the triandra class of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 4th order, Gramina. The calyx is imbricated; and the corolla is a bivalve glume, above the receptacle of the fruit. Of this genus there is only one species known, which is a native of the Indies, and hath no remarkable property.

**Bobbin,** a small piece of wood turned in the form of a cylinder, with a little border jutting out at each end, bored through to receive a small iron pivot. It serves to spin with the spinning-wheel, or to wind thread, worsted, hair, cotton, silk, gold, and silver.

**Bobbing,** among fishermen, a particular manner of catching eels, different from fudging. Bobbing for eels is thus performed: They scour well some large lobs, and with a needle run a twisted silk through them from end to end, taking so many as that they may wrap them about a board a dozen times at least; then they tie them fast with the two ends of the silk, that they may hang in so many hanks; which done, they fasten all to a strong cord, and, about an handful and an half above the worms, fix a plummet three-quarters of a pound weight, and make the cord fast to a strong pole. With this apparatus fishing in muddy water, they feel the eels tug lustily at the bait; when they think they have swallowed it sufficiently, they gently draw up the rope to the top, and bring them ashore.

**Bobio,** an episcopal town of Italy, in the Milanese and territory of Pavia, seated on the river Treba, in E. Long. 9° 30'. N. Lat. 44° 48'.

**Boca-chica,** the strait or entrance into the harbour of Carthagena in South America. It is defended by several forts belonging to the Spaniards, all which were taken by the English in 1741; they were nevertheless obliged to raise the siege of Carthagena in a short time after.

**Boca-del-Drago,** a strait so called, between the island of Trinidad and Andalusia, in the province of Terra Firma in South America.

**Bocanum,** (anc. geog.), a town of Mauritania Tingitana, to the south of mount Atlas; said to be that of Morocco in Africa. W. Long. 9° 0'. N. Lat. 31° 0'.

**Bocca,** in glass-making, the round hole in the working furnace, by which the metal is taken out of the great pots, and by which the pots are put into the furnace. This is to be stopped with a cover made of earth and brick, and removable at pleasure, to preserve the eyes of the workmen from the violence of the heat.

**Boccace** (John), one of the most polite and learned writers of his age, was born in Tuscany in 1313. His father first placed him with a merchant; but as he gave signs of genius, he was put afterward to study the canon law: he lost almost as much time at this as at the last occupation; and thought of nothing but poetry. He came under the instruction of Petrarch; but did not so entirely devote himself to poetry, as to forget other studies. In the profession of these, however, as he fought everywhere for the best matters, and had not an income sufficient for his expenses, he was reduced to such circumstances as to stand in need of the bounty of others: he was particularly obliged to Petrarch, who furnished him with money as well as books, and assisted him in many other respects. Boccace was a great admirer of the Greek language: he found means to get Homer translated into Latin for his own use; and procured a professor's chair at Florence for Leontius Pylatus, in order to explain this poet. The republic of Florence honoured Boccace with the freedom of that city; and employed him in public affairs, particularly to negotiate the return of Petrarch: but this poet not only refused to return to Florence, but persuaded Boccace also to retire from thence, on account of the factions which prevailed in that republic. Having quitted Florence, he went to several places in Italy, and stopped at last at the court of Naples, where King Robert gave him a very kind reception. He conceived a violent affection for the natural daughter of that prince, which made him remain a considerable time at Naples. He also made a long stay in Sicily, where he was in high favour with Queen Joan. He returned to Florence when the troubles troubles were a little appeased: but not liking the course of life he must have followed there, he retired to Certaldo; and, far from the noise of buffaloes, he spent his time in study agreeably to his own humour. His great application brought on him an indisposition, of which he died in 1376. He wrote several books, some learned and serious, others of gallantry and full of stories. It is by his Decameron chiefly that he has immortalized himself. Petrarch found so many charms in this composition, that he was at the pains to translate it into Latin for his own satisfaction.