BASQUES

arc a curious race who live in the Pyrenees. They are of mixed origin, and speak a language which is quite distinct from all the other languages of BATTUE Europe, and which is perhaps the only example of a consistently incorporating tongue. BREWING Firm was founded in 1777, and owc9 its succe to the excellent barley of the Trent basin and to the suitability of the Trent water for brewing. had reached great perfection by the middle of the 16th century, especially in Bavaria. It is not a solo instrument, but is very important in an orchestra because of its variety of expre ion. was a French name for any fortre defended by bastions, but the name was subsequently appropriated to the famous prison, which was built at the end of the 14th century and destroyed on July 15, 1789. It held about 80 prisoners. were invented by the Italian engineers of the 16th century to prevent the enemy from collecting in the ditch round a tortified town. is really a mammal whose fore legs are modified for flying purposes. Bats are generally fruit-eaters or insect-eaters, the former being most common in the South Pacific region. Of course, the vampires are blood-suckers. Order OF, was established by Henry IV. in 1399, but fell into disuse till 1725. It was remodelled again in 1815 to commemorate Waterloo, cla es—G.C.B. and was enlarged in 1845. It has now three or Knight Grand Cro Bath, K.C.B. or Knight Commander Bath, C.B. or Companion Bath. TheG.C.B.’s include 55 military and 27 civil knights, the K.C. B.’s 145 military and 100 civil, and the C.B.’s 705 military and 283 civil. The badge is suspended by a crimson ribbon, and bears the motto, Tria juncta in uno (Three joined in one). is most popular in Japan, where Tokio alone has 800 public baths where some 300,000 persons bathe daily at a cost of about £d. apiece, ana almost every house in the city has its private bath-room, the water being at a temperature of about no° F. It is also a religious ceremony amongst the disciples of Islam. St. Petersburg is very famous for its vapour baths, to which an immense crowd flock on Saturday evenings, each person carrying his own towel. Vienna has a splendid public bath, 578 ft. long by 156 ft. wide, and deepening to 12 ft, in which the water is changed three times a day. The longest swimming bath in Great Britain is at Kensington, but it is only 160 ft. long by 60 ft. wide, and from 3 ft. 3 in. to 7 ft. deep. The most popular bathing place in the country is the Victoria Park, where as many as 23,000 bathers may be counted on one fine morning in August before eight o’clock, and as many bathe in the evening. The lake is 300 ft. long, and varies from 3 ft. to 5 1 ft. deep. The numbers bathing in the Serpentine from January 1 to August 20, 1893, were 268,568. is a ludicrous descent from the sublime to the commonplace, and is often the result of a misguided effort to De sublime. comes from quarries in the Lower Oolite of Wilts hire and Somersets hire. It is very easy to cut, and hardens on exposure to the air, but it is not durable. is infant™unit for tactical and administrative purposes, and is roughly 1000 men, which is found to be the largest number that can be controlled by a single leader. Its front, in 2-deep line, is about 340 yards. A British B. is divided into eight companies, each commanded by a captain and two lieutenants. The whole B. is under a colonel, and each half-B. under a major. is group of guns under one immediate commander. A field or horse B. has generally 6 guns a mountain B. has 4 seven-pounder guns, requiring no; mules and 94 mule-drivers a siege B. has generally 4 heavy guns. Only the gunners; of garrison B. ana the men carried on the wagons of field B. have carbines. was the favourite weapon of the northern nations of Europe in early times. It required strength and personal courage, but it could scarcely be used effectively by a mail-clad warrior, and it exposed the vital parts of the body very much. Consequently, it had to give way before the arrow and the spear. is wholesale ma acre of game by driving them together into a limited area commanded by a number of guns. There arc generally 8 or 10 men