Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/393

RTJMSEY. 355 RUNES. nioiit, Kumsey cxliibited on tlio Potoniao, in tlic pivscnoe of Wasliiiigton, a boat propel led l>y nuuhiuery, in wliiili a pump worked liy steam |)oer drove a stream of water from the stern, and thus furnished the motive power. This idea, whieh originally was proposed l>y Bernonilli, has sinee figured in many sehemes for propelling vessels. A society was formed to aid his project, of which Franklin was a member. He visited and gave exhibitions in England, and obtained patents for his invention in tireat Britain, Hol- land, and France. His death occurred while lie was preparing for further experiments. He also made improvements in mill machinery, and in 17S8 published a iShort Treatise on the Applica- tion of Steam. BUN' (AS. rinimri, eornan, irnan, iernan, l/niini, Goth., OHG. rinitaii, Ger. rinneii, to run). In music, a rapid passage execiited on one syllable. A run is merely an embellishment, in no way essential to the melodic outline. Runs are also frequently introduced in instnnnental music. See Gb.ce-Xotes ; Pa.ss.ge. BUNCORN. A river-port in Cheshire, Eng- land, on the Mersey, 12 miles southeast of Liver- pool ( ilap : England, D 3 ) . The town is the terminus of the Bridgewater and the ilersey and Irwell canals. It has iron foundries, chemical works, ship-building yards, tanneries, etc. In the vicinity are collieries and slate and freestone quarries. Large quantities of freestone are shipped and it is the greatest centre of canal trathc in England. Its shipping returns are in- cluded iu those of Manchester. A viaduct 1500 feet long and 9.5 feet above high Wiiter crosses the Jlersey here. A castle was built here in 916, and the Runcorn ferry is mentioned in the twelfth century. Population, in 1891, 20,050; in 1901, 16,490'. BUNEBEEG, roo'nc-IjerK, Joh.in Ludvig ( 1ISII4-77). A celebrated Swedish poet of Finland. He graduated at the University of Abo. and was successively lector in Latin literature at the Uni- versity of Helsingfors, editor of the Hclsingfors Moi-y'aiihlad, and lector at the Borga gj'mnasium. His first publication was lyric Diktcr (Poems, 1830), followed by the llnifroi i I'rrrho (The Grare in Penho, 1831). and by EUjskyttarne (The Eik-Eunters, 1832), the tine epic which confirmed his fame. His further works number Xadeschda (1841) ; Kuiiff FjaUtr (King Fjalar, 1844), an unrhymed epic of ancient Norse times; Biinrik Stdls Siigner (Ensign Sti'ils Stories, 1848 and 1860), a series dealing with the war of independence of 1808: and Kungnrne pa Sdlamis (The Kings at Salamis, 1863). a stately tragedy in the true Greek manner. He is classic in simplicity and finish, free from the conventionalities of the time, and not lacking in a certain quaint humor. There is an edition of his collected writings (6 vols., 1873-74), which contains the completest biography yet written. BUNES (AS. run, letter, writing, mystery, Goth. runa. OHG. ri'ina, mystery, secret). The earliest alphabet in use among the Germanic peoples. In Old Xorse. magic signs, as well as magic charms, are designated as runes. There is nothing in the meaning of the word to have prevented it from being chosen by the primitive Teutons as their designation of the alphabet in general, since the mysterious connection between spoken sound ami wriltiMi synilK)! in siilllcient to justify such a name. 'I'he use of runes for in- cantations anil magic formulas is easily expli- cable. The magic power was easily transferred from the contents of these incantations t. Probably their origin is from a much earlier time, and some suggest a. date as early as nx 600. The earliest truly his- torical date", however, is the fourth century A,D., when the (iothic Bishop Ulfllas (q.v.), in devis- ing the Gothic alphabet, borrowed his signs for u and o from the runic alphabet. The question of the source of the runic alphabet is still not alto- gether settled. The ordinarily accepted view is that of an exclusive derivation of the nines from the Latin alphabet. In IS98 the theory was presented that the runes were invented by (;oths in Southeastern Europe a few years after their expedition of 267 into Asia Minor. An alphabet used by Galatian Cells' is then regarded as the source, which in turn was based upon the Greek and Latin alphabets. Very much more probable is the view that the runes are Iwised not directlv upon the Latin, but on a Western Greek alphabet. It may even be po-«ible that niow> than one form of Greek writing passed to the Germanic peoples. The special modifications of the runic alphabet are partly due to the needs of carving on wood.