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 ...

4 XBATTUECAS-BAUTZEN.
BATTUECAS, Las; two valleys, enclosed of this cavern is derived from a miner
by high mountains, in the Spanish king- who entered it, in 1672, with the view of
dom of Leon, 50 miles from Salamanca, finding ore, but lost his way, and wanlder
about a Spanish mile long, and so inac- ed about for two days before he could find
cessible that the inhabitants are said to the entrance. He soon after died.
have been unknown to the Spaniards for BAUMGARTEN, Alexander Gottlieb, born,
several centuries. 1However, aconvent of in 1714, at Berlin, all acute and clear
Carmelites was built in the Battuecas val- thinker, of the school of Wolf, studied at
leys as early as 1559. They are situated Halle, and was, for a time, professor exso low, that, in the longest days, the sun traordinary there. In 1740, he was made
only shines there for four hours. The com- professor of philosophy at Frankfort on the
imon account, that these valleys were dis- Oder, and died there in 1762. IH-e is the
covered in the 16th century, by two lovers, founder of asthetics as a science, and
who fled there to escape the pursuit of the inventor of this name. He derived
their families, has been declared by father the rules of art from the works of art and
Feyjoo to be unfounded. Madame de their effects. Hereby he distinguished
Genlis has founded upon this story her himself advantageously from the theorists
romance Las Batteuecas (Paris, 1816, 2 of his time. (See zsthetics.) His ideas of
vols.); but she labors under a mistake this science he first developed in his acawhen she asserts that M. de Bourgoing, demical discussion, De JVnnullis ad Poema
in his Travels through Spain, has quoted, pertieentibus (Halle, 1735, 4to). GeorgeFr.
as a historical fact, what she relates of Meier's Principles of all Liberal Sciences
the Battuecas. (3 vols., Halle, 1748-50) originated from
BAuCIS; a Phrygian woman; the wife his suggestions. Eight years later, B.
of Philemon. They received Jupiter and published his Xsthetica (Frankfort on the
M ercury hospitably, after these gods had Oder, 1750-58, 2 vols.), a work which
been denied hospitality in the whole death prevented him from completing.
country, while travelling in disguise. A BAUSE, John Frederic, a distinguished
deluge destroyed the remainder of the German engraver, born at Halle, in 1738,
people, but Philemon and Baucis, with died at Weimar, 1814. He resided chieftheir cottage, were saved. They begged ly at Leipsic, where he executed many
the gods to make their cottage a temple, highly esteemed engravings. He was a
in which they could officiate as priest and member of several academies of fine arts.
priestess, and that they might die togeth- BAUTZEN, or BUDESSIN; capital ol Uper; which was granted. Philemon and per Lusatia, in the part belonging to the
Baucis are therefore names often used to king of Saxony, upon a height deflended
indicate faithful and attached married on the west side by steep rocks, the foot
people. of which is watered by the Spree. Among
BAUMAN ISLANDS; a cluster of islands the 11,500 inhabitants, who are princiin the South Pacific ocean, discovered, in pally Lutherans, there are a great number
1722, by Bauman, in his voyage round of Vendes, or descendants of the Vandals,
the world with Roggewein. All the in- who worship in a Lutheran and in a
habitants, says a writer, are white; some Catholic church, in their own language.
of them burned by the sun: they are The German part of the population, both
numerous, and armed with bows and ar- Catholic and Protestant, worship together
rows, but represented as of a gentle and in the cathedral: the former are in poshumane disposition, and friendly to stran- session of the third part of it, including
gers. The largest island is about 21 or the high altar, sufficiently large for the
22 miles in circumference, with good an- small Catholic congregation; the nave
chorage. Lon. 1730 W.; lat. 12~ S. serves the Lutheran community as their
BAUMANN'S CAVERN (in German, Batu- parish church, and the mutual spirit of
mannshoihle); an interesting natural cavern toleration in both parties has, in recent
in the Harz, in the principality of Blan- times, prevented trouble fiom such an
kenburg, on the left bank of the Bode, arrangement.-Here was fought, on the
about five miles from Blankenburg, in a 20th and 21st of May, 1813, the second
limestone mountain, consisting of six great battle in the campaign of the Prusprincipal apartments,besides many small- sians and Russians against the French.
er ones, every where covered with stalac- The allies had been compelled, after the
tites. The earthy ingredients of these battle of Lfitzen (May 2, 1813), to retreat
petrifactions are held in solution by the to the right bank of the Elbe, and prewater, which penetrates the rock, and pared themselves, near Bautzen on the
deposits a calcarious stone. The name Spree, for a new engagement. Although