Encyclopædia americana. A popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, a new ed.; including a copious collection of original articles in American biography; on the basis of the 7th ed. of the German Conversations-lexicon. Ed. by Francis Lieber, assisted by E. Wigglesworth ...

BURCKHARD-BU RDETT. 325
visited Palmyra, Damascus, Lebanon and the right ascension of the stars. Vonl
other regions; after which he went to Zach recommended him to Lalande, at
Cairo, in order to proceed with a caravan, Paris, who received him at his house,
through the northern part of Africa, to Dec. 15, 1797. Here he distinguished
Fezzan. In 1812, he performed a jour- himself by the calculation of the orbits of
ney up the Nile, almost to Dongola; and comets, participated in all the labors of
afterwards, in the character of a poor Lalande, and those of his nephew, Letrader, and a Turk of Syria, proceeded fianQois Lalande, took an active part in
through the deserts of Nubia (where the observatory of the ecole mnilitaire, and
Bruce had travelled before him), under translated the two first volllumes of Lagreat hardships, to Berbera and Shendy, place's.ikcaniqute CEleste into German
as far as Suakem on the Red sea, whence (Berlin, 1800). Being appointed adjunct
lie passed through Jidda to Mecca. He astronomer by the board of longitude, he
was now so well initiated into the lan- received letters of naturalization as a
guage and manners of the Arabians, that, French citizen, Dec. 20, 1799. His imwhen a doubt arose concerning his Islam- portant treatise on the comet of 1770,
ism, after having passed an examination which had not been visible for nearly 30
in the theoretical and practical parts of years, although, according to the calcuthe Mohammedan faith, he was acknowl- lations of its orbit, it should have reedged, by two learned jurists, not only a turned every five or six, was rewarded
very faithful, but a very learned Mussul- with a gold medal, by the institute, in
man. In 1815, he returned to Cairo, and 1800. This treatise, which proposed
afterwards visited Sinai. Just before the solme improvements in doctor Olbers'
airrival of the long-expected caravan, he mode of calculation, is contained in the
died at Cairo, April 15, 1817. The Mo- Jlecm. de l'Institut, 1806. During this
hammedans performed his obsequies with year, he was made a member of the dethe greatest splendor. He had previously partment of physical and mathematical
sent home all his journals. His last sciences in the academy; in 1818, was
thoughts were devoted to his mother. made a member of the board of longitude,
B. was the first modern traveller who and, after Lalande's death, astronomer in
succeeded in penetrating to Shendy, in the observatory of the military school.
the interior of Soudan, the Mireroe of an- In 1814 and 1816, he published in French,
tiquity (still, as it was 3000 years ago, the at Paris, Tables to assist in Astronomical
depot of trade for Eastern Africa), and in Calculations. He also wrote some treafurnishing exact information of the slave- tises in von Zach's Geographical Ephemetrade in that quarter. He found articles rides. His labors in the board of longiof European fabric, such as the Zellingen tude were particularly valuable. He died
sword-blades, at the great fair of Shendy. in 1825.
His Travels in Nubia, in 1815, were pub- BURDENX, or BURTHEN; 1. the conlished in London (1819) by the Afirican tents of a ship; the quantity or number
association, with his researches into the of tons which a vessel will carry; 2. the
interior of Afiica. part of a song which is repeated at every
BURCKHARDT, John Charles; member verse or stanza, is called the burden of the
of the royal French academy of sciences, song, from the French bourdon, drone or
one of the first astronomical calculators base, because they are both characterized
In Europe, born at Leipsic, April 30, by an unchangeable tone, and bear upon
1773, applied himself to mathematics, and the ear with a similar monotony.
acquired a fondness for astronomy fiom BURDETT, sir Francis, baronet, nemthe study of the works of Lalande. He ber of the British parliament, in which he
applied himself particularly to the calcu- has long held a conspicuous place in the
lation of solar eclipses, and the occultation opposition, is descended fiorm an ancient
of certain stars, for the determination of and opulent family, and was educated at
geographical longitudes. He made him- Westminster. Hie entered on his parliaself master, at the same time, of nearly all mentary career in 1796, when he was
the European languages. Professor Hin- chosen member from Boroughbridge. He
dlenburg induced him to write a Latin soon distinguished himself as an ardent
treatise on the combinatory analytic meth- and enlightened fiiend of reform, and
od (Leipsic, 1794), and recommended him the steady opposer of the arbitrary measto baron von Zach, with whom he studied ures of the ministry, the suspension of the
practical astronomy at his observatory on habeas corpus act, the sedition bills, and
the Seeberg near Goth'a, and whom he the policy towards Ireland. In 1802, he
assisted, from 1795 to 1797, in observing was returned member for Middlesex. In
TL. iI. 28