little way without the city. The town is seated on a rising ground, with a slender wall of earth and a dry ditch. The houses are low, built mostly of mud; but the caravanserais and mosques, which are numerous, are all of brick. The bazars or market-places, which have been stately buildings, are now mostly in ruins. The inhabitants are said to amount to 100,000, and are more civilized and polite than some of their neighbours. Great numbers of Jews and Arabians frequent this place. A plan was proposed so far back as 1557, and revived in 1741, for supplying the town with English goods; but it was found that the price brought was not sufficient to indemnify the hazard of the conveyance.

Hans or John, a painter, born at Mechlin in 1534. He received his first instructions from a master of no great repute, whom he soon left; and going to Heidelberg, employed himself in copying several pictures of the eminent artists. His subjects are chiefly landscapes with animals; but he also sometimes painted history, with no small success. We have by him a set of landscapes, views in Holland, slightly etched, but in a style that indicates the hand of the master. He died in 1593.

Boi, Ferdinand, a celebrated painter both of history and portraits, was born at Dort in 1611, and educated at Amsterdam. In the school of the celebrated Rembrandt Gerretz, he received his instructions as a painter; and imitated the style of his master with no little success, not only in his pictures but in his engravings. Bol's etchings are bold and free. The lights and shadows in them are broad and powerful, which renders the effect very striking; but they want that lightness of touch and admirable taste which those of Rembrandt possess in so great a degree. Bol died at Dort, the place of his birth, in 1681, aged 70.

BOKHARIA. See Bukharia.