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BATTERING RAM 446 BATTLE Henry Maurice (born at Milan, Oct. 5, 1858; died at sea of fever caught in the Ashanti war, Jan. 20, 1896), who in 1885 married the Princess Beatrice (born April 14, 1857), youngest daugh- ter of Queen Victoria. Their eldest daughter, Princess Victoria Ena, in 1906, married Alfonso XIII., King of Spain. The above Prince Alexander, chosen Prince of Bulgaria in 1879, proclaimed the union of Eastern Rumelia with Bul- garia (1885) without consulting Russia and thereby also provoked the jealousy of the Serbians, whom he defeated in a fortnight's campaign. But in August, 1886, partisans of Russia overpowered him in his palace at Sofia, forced him to abdicate, and carried him off to Reni, in Russian territory. Set free in a few days, he returned; but after a futile at- tempt to conciliate the Czar, he abdicated finally next month, and, assuming the title of Count Hartenau, retired to Darm- stadt. He died Feb. 17, 1893. BATTERING RAM, an ancient mili- tary contrivance used for battering down walls. It existed among the Assyrians. In its most perfect form among the BATTERING RAM Romans it consisted of a pole or beam of wood, sometimes as much as 80, 100, or even 120 feet in length. It was sus- pended by its extremities from a single point, or from two points in another beam above, which lay horizontally across two posts. When at rest it was level, like the beam above it. When put in action against a wall, it was swung hori- zontally by men who succeeded each other in constant relays, the blow which it gave to the masonry at each vibration being rendered all the more effective that one end of it was armed with iron. This, being generally formed like a ram's head, originated the name aries (ram), by which it was known among the Ro- mans, and battering-ram, by which it was afterward known. A roof or shed covered it to protect the soldiers who worked it, from hostile missiles, and to facilitate locomotion it was often placed on wheels. BATTERSEA, a metropolitan borough of Greater London, in Surrey, in a low situation on the S. bank of the Thames, nearly opposite Chelsea, with a fine pub- lic park extending over 185 acres. The district is associated with the names of Pope and Bolingbroke, and with the Wel- lington-Winchelsea duel. Pop. (1918) 149,951. BATTERY, in law, the unlawful beat- ing of another, or even the touching him with hostile intent. It is legitimate for a parent or a master to give moderate correction to his child, his scholar, or his apprentice. In military usage, a certain number of artillerymen united under the command of a field officer, and the lowest tactical unit in the artillery. In a battery there are gunners who work the guns, and drivers who drive the horses by which these guns are transported from place to place. BATTERY, in physics. See ELEC- TRICITY. BATTIK, an ornamental production of the natives of the Dutch East Indies, who decorate their clothing with it; also made in The Hague for local use and export. A piece of linen is taken and all kinds of designs are outlined upon it with a pencil. When the design is completed, the ornamented parts of the fabric are covered with a liquid which possesses the quality of stiffening after being applied. 'The parts not ornamented are dyed the color desii'ed. After the entire fabric has been ornamented in this manner, it is boiled in hot water so as to take the hard stuff out of the battik. The dyed parts will then hold the dye and the bat- tik is ready. The Hague people were the first to introduce battik into Europe. It is made on linen, silk, velvet, and leather, and is exported to all the principal cities of Europe. In recent years the produc- tion of battik has been taken up in the United States to a much greater extent than ever. BATTLE, a combat between two armies. In ancient times and the Middle