by the Moors called Balderma, a sea-port town of the kingdom of Algiers in Africa, situated in E. Long. 7° 15'. N. Lat. 36° 5'. It was formerly rich, populous, capital of the province of the same name under the kingdom of Constantina, and is supposed by some to be the ancient Hippo, once the seat of the great St Austin, and a sea-port built by the Romans. The inhabitants, however, deny it to be the ancient Hippo, which had been so often taken, retaken, and destroyed by the wars; and pretend it to be since rebuilt at the distance of two or three miles from the ancient Hippo, out of its ruins, and called Baleed-el-Ugued, from a fort of trees of that name that grow in the neighbourhood. It is now a very mean place, poorly built, and thinly inhabited, with scarce any traces of its former grandeur, except the ruins of a cathedral, or as others guess, of a monastery built by St Austin about three miles distance from the city. Near these ruins is a famed spring called by his name, much resorted to by the French and Italian sailors, who come to drink of its waters, and pay their devotions to a maimed statue said also to belong to the saint, but so mutilated that no traces either of face or dress are remaining; and as each of them strives to break off some splinter, or to scrape off some part of it on account of its supposed sanctity, it will probably be soon reduced to a state of non-existence. Bona was taken by the pirate Barbarossa, and joined to his new kingdom of Algiers; but as quickly lost, and recovered by its old masters the Tunisians, who soon after lost it again. It is commanded by a little fort, in which is a garrison of about 300 Turks, under the command of an aga, who is also governor of the town. The road for the ships is good for nothing before the town, but a little farther west is very deep and safe. Dr Shaw tells us, that the continual discharging of ballast into the road, and the neglect of cleansing the port which came to the very walls, is the cause of both becoming so unsafe and inconvenient; though this might be easily remedied so as to make the town one of the most flourishing in all Barbary.

Bona Dea, the good goddess, in Pagan mythology, one of the names of Cybele. Others say, she was a Roman lady, the wife of one Faunus, and was famous for her chastity, and that after her death she was deified. Her sacrifices were performed only by matrons; and in so secret a manner, that it was no less than death for any man to be present at the assembly (see Cybele). Cicero reproaches Clodius with having entered into this temple disguised as a singing woman, and having by his presence polluted the mysteries of the good goddess. What kind of mysteries these were, we may learn from Juvenal, Sat. VI. 313. The poet then mentions the adventure of Clodius.

Atque utinam ritas veteres, et publica saltem His intacta malis agerentur sacra: sed omnes Noverunt Mauri, atque Indi, que psalteria penem Majorum, quam sint duo Caesaris Anticatones, Illuc testifici fibi confici, unde fugit mihi, Intulerit.

I wish at least our sacred rites were free From these pollutions of obscenity: But 'tis well known what singer, how disguised, A lewd audacious action enterpriz'd: Into the fane, with women mix'd, he went, Arm'd with a huge two-handed instrument; A grateful present to these holy choirs, Where the mouse, conscious of his sex, retires.

Dryden.

Bona Fides, in law. When a person performs any action which he believes at the time to be just and lawful, he is said to have acted bona fide.

Bona Mobilita, the same with moveable effects or goods.

Bona Notabilia, are such goods as a person dying has in another diocese than that wherein he dies, amounting to the value of £1. at least; in which case the will of the deceased must be proved, or administration granted in the court of the archbishop of the province, unless by composition or custom, any dioceses are authorized to do it, when rated at a greater sum.

Bona Patria, an affliz of countrymen or good neighbours, where 12 or more are chosen out of the country to pass upon an affliz, being sworn judicially in the presence of the party.

Bona Peritura, perishable goods. By stat. 13. Ed. I. cap. 4. the cargo of a ship that has been cast away shall be kept for a year and a day, and restored to the rightful owner; but if the goods be such as will not endure BON

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fo long, they are bona peritura; which the sheriff is allowed to sell, and to account in money for the value.

Bona Vacantia, goods; such as royal-fish, shipwrecks, treasure-trove, waifs, and estrays, in which no one can claim a property. These goods by the law of nature, and by the imperial law, belonged to the first occupant or finder; but in the modern constitutions of European governments, they are annexed to the supreme power by the positive laws of the state.

BONATRE, an island of South America, near the north coast of Terra Firma. It belongs to the Dutch; and abounds in cabritoes and falt. W. Long. 66. 18. N. Lat. 20. 16.