Commerce, a kind of weight used at Smyrna and several other places, usually containing six okes of 400 drachmas each.

Bathamson, John, prior of the Carthusian monastery, or Charter-house, London. He studied at Oxford, and wrote against Erasmus and Luther, at the instigation of Lee, archbishop of York. He died in 1531.

Batna (Sarug), an ancient city of Osroene in Mesopotamia, celebrated for its great fair, which was attended by merchants from Syria and India.

Battears or Batties, a people of the northern part of Hindustan, inhabiting the tract of country now included within the British district of Bhuttecania, the eastern frontier of which is situated 125 miles N.W. of Delhi. The Batties present many peculiarities in manners and customs, distinguishing them from the other people of Hindustan. They consist of two distinct races; the one being composed of Mahometans of Rajpoot descent, who constitute the influential class, and who report among themselves that their ancestors emigrated some centuries ago from the district of Jessumere, and, after various vicissitudes, settled in the Batnear country; the other comprising the common people known as Jauts, who have adopted the religion of their superiors, and are consequently treated with great moderation. Most of these people are descended from dwellers on the western bank of the Sutlej, who were invited by a rajah of the Batties to cross the river and settle in his country. Though tillers of the soil, the Batties are more generally characterized as shepherds; and although principally restricted to the territory whence their name is derived, various tribes of them are to be found in the Punjab, and they are also scattered over the high grounds to the east of the Indus.

Notwithstanding they are Mahometans, yet their customs are in some respects at variance with those observed by the majority of the followers of the prophet, particularly in the females appearing, without any reserve, unveiled in public, and in their associating promiscuously with the men. The wives of the Rajpoot chiefs form an exception.

The territory above described, anterior to British sway, was under the dominion of a supreme prince or rajah, whose authority was acknowledged by inferior chiefs. This potentate could bring 20,000 or 30,000 men into the field, but they were quite undisciplined, and despised the necessary principle of subordination. His revenue arose chiefly from the plunder of his troops; for their wars were directed more to predatory purposes than to open contest; and the rajah, instead of repressing the ravages of this immense banditti, willingly participated in the spoils.

While under the influence of native rule, the Batties appear to have formed a collection of hordes of freebooters. They have been described as of a cruel, savage, and ferocious disposition; entertaining an utter abhorrence of the usages of civilized life; being thieves from their earliest infancy, and during their predatory incursions into the neighbouring districts, not scrupling, though unresisted, to add murder to robbery.

Many of the Batties appear to be entirely nomadic; changing their residence from place to place as subsistence BAT

Battnears, fails. Their exports are horses, camels, bullocks, buffaloes, and ghee; and occasionally they sell some surplus grain above what is necessary for their own consumption; but their traffic is very inconsiderable. A large portion of the country is unproductive, but along the banks of the river Cuggur, from Batnear to the town of Sirsuh, and also in the vicinity of the Nullah, called the Nyewal, the soil is uncommonly rich, and well adapted for cultivation. The inundations of these rivers fertilize their banks, and the subsidence of the waters leaves them to a great distance prepared for plentiful crops of wheat, rice, and barley, amply rewarding the labours of the husbandman.

We are unacquainted with any river of note in this district, excepting the Cuggur, and even this is lost in the sands to the westward. It is, however, in contemplation to construct a canal from Roopur on the Sutlej, communicating with the Cuggur near the town of Puttecal, whence a never-failing supply of water for purposes of irrigation would be available to a considerable portion of the Bhatee territory.

The former capital of the Batties was Batnear, which lies in a situation almost inaccessible to an enemy, for no water is to be procured within twelve miles but what supplies the inhabitants. It was taken, however, in 1398 by Timour, more recently by the military adventurer George Thomas, and finally in 1805, by the rajah of Beykaneer, who still retains authority over it. The principal town is Sirsuh, between which and Bahawulpore a route for commercial purposes has been opened. Numbers of the Batties have emigrated from their native country, to establish themselves in the western parts of the dominions of Oude; and several families of them are to be met with in Rohilcund. They are practised travellers, and well trained to emigration by the laborious journeys undertaken in crossing the great desert to the west of their territories. During the independence of their native rulers, expeditions were frequently made in large parties for the purpose of a predatory incursion on some peaceable country more remote; and these banditti exemplified both skill and determination in attaining their object. Camels previously laden with provisions were despatched to different stations in the desert, which is about 130 miles in breadth, and their loads deposited there. The most intelligent of the party about to follow were then selected as guides, and enforced the most implicit obedience from their companions during the journey, which closed at the frontier of the hostile country, or rather that against which their hostility was directed. The guides by long experience became expert without compass or landmark, and seldom failed to conduct the party to the appointed station where the provisions were deposited, and thence across the remainder of the desert in safety. If accidentally they missed the points of rendezvous, or those where alone their necessities could be relieved, they were exposed to inevitable destruction. The adventurers steered their course by the sun in the day-time, and by the polar star at night; and by similar aids they were enabled to retrace the way they had travelled.

The history of the Batties has attracted the notice of few European authors. They seem to have carried on frequent wars with neighbouring states, and were the most formidable enemies opposed to the rajah of Beykaneer. The latter, however, invaded their territories in the beginning of the present century, and obtained some temporary advantages. He erected a fortress in Batinda, now a possession of the rajah of Puttecal, and this contributed to overawe them for a time, and repressed their incursions into his own dominions; as, independently of the garrison, he stationed a large body of cavalry in the fort, whose frequent sallies and captures of cattle annoyed the Batties so much, that they contemplated a total emigration from their own country. But George Thomas, the military adventurer already noticed, an Irishman by birth, who, endowed with singular talents and intrepidity, had founded for himself an independent state in the north-west of India, was then at war with the province of Beykaneer. Having reached its frontiers, the Batties solicited his alliance, and, to induce him to espouse their cause the more readily, offered him 40,000 rupees if he would reduce the obnoxious fort. It appears that the Beykaneer forces were now masters of Batnear, the capital, whether General Thomas, who had accepted the proposals of the Batties, marched to dislodge them. He found a numerous garrison, and, having brought up his artillery, began to batter the place preparatory to an assault. This, however, the enemy avoided by capitulation, and they were allowed to evacuate the city with the honours of war, when the Batties immediately took possession of it. In further prosecution of the war, several actions ensued, and various fortresses were taken; but it would appear that one of the Battie chiefs, at variance with General Thomas, commenced hostilities against him about the period now alluded to; and in this new warfare with his late allies his forces were so much reduced by repeated encounters, that being scarcely able to stand an engagement he fortified his camps. The Batties, after frequent attacks, withdrew their troops by night; whereupon General Thomas took and burnt Futtehabad and other places, and might have occupied the whole country, had not a neighbouring chief concluded an alliance with the Batties, and sent 1000 cavalry to their aid. General Thomas retreated to Jyipur, a town within his own territory, leaving the Batties in possession of their capital, which, however, as already mentioned, was subsequently captured by the rajah of Beykaneer.

The triumphs of the British arms proved fatal to the European adventurers who at that period had established themselves in Northern India, and the arrangements made with Scindia brought the British into contact with the country of the Batties, against whom they were compelled in 1810 to march a force, which expelled the chief and transferred the greater part of the territory to his son, who had voluntarily proceeded to the British camp. The previous evils continued, however, in a great degree to prevail. In 1818 further steps became necessary, and up to a comparatively recent period much irregularity continued to prevail. The attention of the British government, however, has been seriously turned to its abatement.

BATON ROUGE, a town in the state of Louisiana, North America, situated on the left bank of the Mississippi, 120 miles above New Orleans. It has a court-house, jail, state penitentiary, college, &c., and in 1849 was made the capital of the state. Pop. (1850) 4200.