in Commerce, a round vessel made of wood, in the form of a little tun.

formerly, was also a measure of liquids. The English barrel, wine measure, contained the eighth part of a tun, the fourth part of a pipe, and one half of a hogshead, or 31½ gallons; a barrel, beer-measure, contained 36 gallons; and a barrel, ale-measure, 32 gallons.

BARREL also denotes a certain weight of several kinds of merchandise, and differs according to the nature of the commodities. Thus a barrel of Essex butter weighs 106 pounds, and of Suffolk butter 256 pounds; a barrel of herrings ought to contain 32 gallons wine-measure, and about 1000 herrings; a barrel of salmon should contain 42 gallons, and a barrel of eels the same; a barrel of soap should weigh 256 lbs.

in Mechanics, a term given by watch-makers to the cylinder about which the spring is coiled; and by gunsmiths to the cylindrical tube of a gun, pistol, or blunderbuss, through which the ball is discharged.

in Anatomy. See ANATOMY.

Thundering BARRELS, in the military art, are filled with bombs, grenades, and other fire-works, to be rolled down a breach.

BARREN ISLAND CAPE, an island in the South Pacific Ocean, lying in Bass's Straits, between Great Island