enotes a kind of game something resembling tennis. The balloon is played in the open field, with a great round ball of double leather blown up with wind, and thus driven to and fro with the strength of a man's arm, fortified with a brace of wood.

**Balloon,** or **Balloon,** is more particularly used among voyagers for the state-barges of Siam. The balloons are a kind of brigantine, managed with oars, of very odd figures, as serpents, sea-horses, &c., but by their sharpness and number of oars, of incredible swiftness. The balloons are said to be made of a single piece of timber, of uncommon length; they are raised high, and much decorated with carving at head and stern: some are gilt over, and carry 120 or even 150 towers on each side. The oars are either plated over with silver, or gilt, or radiated with gold; and the dome or canopy in the middle, where the company is placed, is ornamented with some rich stuff, and furnished with a hallustrade of ivory, or other costly matter, enriched with gilding. The edges of the balloon just touch the water, but the extremities rise with a sweep to a great height. Some are adorned with a variety of figures, made of pieces of mother-of-pearl inlaid: the richer sort, instead of a dome, carry a kind of steeple in the middle; so that, considering the slenderness of the vessel, which is usually 100 or 120 feet long, and scarce six broad, the height of the two ends, and of the steeple with the load of decorations, it is a kind of miracle they are not overset.

**BALLOON,** in the French paper trade, is a term for a quantity of paper, containing 24 reams.

**BALLOON,** **BALLON,** or **BALLOT,** in the French glass-trade, signifies a certain quantity of glass-plates, smaller or greater according to their quality. The ballon of white glass contains 25 bundles, of six plates per bundle; but the ballon of coloured glass is only of 12½ bundles, and of three plates to a bundle.

**BALLOTA,** **WHITE HOREHOUND.** See **BOTANY Index.**

**Balloade,** in the manege, the leap of a horse between two pillars, or upon a straight line, made with justness of time, with the aid of the hand and the calves of the legs: and in such a manner, that when his fore-feet are in the air, he shows nothing but the shoes of his hinder feet without jerking out.

**Balloting,** a method of voting at elections, &c., by means of little balls usually of different colours, by the French called ballots; which are put into a box privately.

**Balls,** or **Ballets,** in **Heraldry,** a frequent bearing in coats of arms, usually denominated, according to their colour, bezantes, plates, hurts, &c.

**Balluster,** a small kind of pillar used for balustrades.

**Ballustrade,** a series or row of ballusters, joined by a rail; serving as well for a rest to the elbows as for a fence or enclosure to balconies, altars, staircases, &c. See **Architecture,** No. 74.

**Balm.** See **Melissa,** **Botany Index.**

**Balm,** or **Balsam.** See **Balsam.**

**Balm of Gilead.** See **Supplement.**

**Balnaves,** Henry, a Scottish Protestant divine, born in the shire of Fife, in the reign of James V., and educated at the university of St Andrew's. He went afterwards to France in order to finish his studies; and returning to Scotland, was admitted into the family of the earl of Arran, who at that time governed the kingdom: but in the year 1542 the earl dismissed him for having embraced the Protestant religion. In 1564, he joined, says Mackenzie, the murderers of Cardinal Beaton; for which he was declared a traitor, and excommunicated. Whilst that party were besieged in the castle of St Andrew's, they sent Balnaves to England, who returned with a considerable supply of provisions and money; but being at last obliged to surrender to the French, he was sent with the rest of the garrison to France. He returned to Scotland, about the year 1559; and having joined the Congregation, he was appointed one of the commissioners to treat with the duke of Norfolk on the part of Queen Elizabeth. In 1563 he was made one of the lords of session, and appointed by the general assembly, with other learned men, to revise the book of Discipline. Knox, his contemporary, and fellow-labourer, gives him the character of a very learned and pious divine. He died BALNEARII servi, in antiquity, servants or attendants belonging to the baths. Some were appointed to heat them, called forniciatores; others were denominated coparii, who kept the clothes of those that went into them; others alliptae, whose care it was to pull off the hair; others unctuarii, who anointed and perfumed the body.