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118 BISON-BITHYNIA.
burned, and into this heated receptacle employed in making coarse cloth. The
the hump is conveyed, and covered, about time cannot be very far distant, when this
a foot deep, with earth and ashes. A species, like the Indian tribes which hover
strong fire is again built over the spot, near them, will have passed away, and
and, supposing these preparations to be the places which know them now shall
begun on the evening of one day, the know them no more.
hump will be ready for eating by the next BIssAGo, or BissAux, or BIssAo; an
day at noon. The tongues and marrow island in the Atlantic ocean, near the
bones are regarded, by the connoisseurs, western coast of Africa, and the principal
as next in excellence. —Herds, consisting of the cluster called Bissagos, 100 miles
of thousands of these fine animals, still in circumference; Ion. 140 10' W.; lat.
roamn over the far western prairies, led by 11~ 24' N. The ground rises imperceptithe fiercest and most powerful of the bly to the middle of the island. The soil
bulls. During the sexual season, the is cultivated and fertile, abounding with
noise of their roaring resembles thunder, several sorts of trees, particularly fine
and the males often fight desperate battles large orange and mangroves near the
with each other. While feeding, they are shore. The inhabitants are Portuguese
often scattered over a vast surface; but, and Negroes intermixed. The island is
when they move forward in mass, they divided into 9 provinces, 8 of which are
form a dense, impenetrable column, governed by officers appointed by the
which, once fairly in motion, is scarcely sovereign, each bearing the title of king.
to be turned. They swim large rivers -There is another cluster of islands of
nearly in the same order in which they the same name, lou. 15~ W., lat. 110 30'
traverse the plains; and, when flying from N., 255 miles south of cape Verd.
pursuit, it is in vain for those in front to BISSET, Robert; a native of Scotland,
halt suddenly, as the rearward throng educated at Edinburgh, for the clerical
dash madly forward, and force their lead- profession. HBe took the degree of LL. D.,
ers on. The Indians sometimes profit by and became a schoolmaster at Chelsea;
this habit: they lure a herd to the vicin- but, not succeeding in that occupation, he
ity of a precipice, and, setting the whole employed himself in writing for the press.
in rapid motion, they terrify them, by His chief productions are, a History of
shouting and other artifices, to rush on to the Reign of George III, 6 vols. 8vo.;
their inevitable destruction. Numerous the Life of Edmund Burke, 2 vols. 8vo.;
tribes of Indians are almost wholly de- and an edition of the Spectator, with
pendent on these animals for food, cloth- lives of the authors, 6 vols. He died in
ing, tents, utensils, &c. Vast multitudes 1805, aged 46.
of bisons are slaughtered annually; but it BITAUBni, Paul Jeremiah; born in Ko
is to be deeply regretted, that the white nigsberg, in Prussia, 1732, of French pa
hunters and traders are in the habit of rents. He translated Homer into French
destroying these valuable beasts in the In consequence of this translation, and
most wanton and unnecessary manner. the recommendation of d'Alembert, he
It is common for such persons to shoot was elected a member of the academy at
bisons, even when they have abundance Berlin. Frederic II, king of Prussia, faof food, for the sake of the tongue or vored him much, and allowed him to stay
hump alone, or even because the animals a long time in France, to finish several
come so near as to present a fair aim. It translations from the German into French.
is, therefore, not to be wondered, that, Among his translations is one of Gothe's
from all causes of diminution, the bison IHermann and Dorothea. Napoleon conshould become less numerous every year, ferred marks of favor on him. He died
and remove farther and farther from the in 1808. His works appeared in 9 vols.,
haunts of men. The preference always Paris, 1804.
given to the cows, which are too often BITHYNIA; a country in Asia Minor,
shot while gravid, operates powerfully in lying on the Pontus Euxinus, the Thrathinning the herds.-The skins of bisons, cian Bosphorus and the Propontis, and
especially that of the cow, dressed in the bounded on the south by Phrygia. In
Lradian fashion, with the hair on, make early times, it was called Bebrycia, from
admirable defenses against the cold, and the Bebrycians, who inhabited it. Before
mav be used for blankets, &c. They are the time of Croaesus, B. was an independcalled bzffalo robes; the term bbffalo being ent state, under its own princes. After
generally, but inaccurately, applied to the the death of Prusias I, in the war against
blison. The wool of the bison has been Crcesus, it fell into the power of the Lydmanufactured into hats, and has also been ians. B. C. 560; into that of the Persians,