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Balam
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Balcanquhall

Pye Smith (Vindication of Citizens of Geneva from Statements, &c, 1825). Continuing his scientific investigations, Bakewell published his 'Salt' (Phil. Mag. lxiii. 86, reprinted in 'Silliman's American Journal,' x. 180) ; his 'Lava at Boulogne' (Phil. Mag. lxiv. 414); his 'Thermal Waters of the Alps' (ib. iii. 14, also reprinted in Silliman, xx. 219); his 'Mantell's Collection of Fossils' at Lewes (Mag. Nat. Hist. iii. 9) ; and a third edition of his 'Geology' in 1828, immediately reprinted in America. At that date Bakewell had settled at Hampstead, where his garden afforded him the opportunity of writing on the action of the 'Pollen of Plants' (Mag. Nat. Hist. ii. 1), and where he prepared the following scientific papers: 'Organic Life,' 1831 (Phil. Mag. ix. 33, appearing also in Froriep's 'Notizen,' xxx. col. 134); 'Gold Mines in United States,' 1832 (Mag. Nat. Hist. v. 434); and 'Fossil Elephants in Norfolk,' 1835 (ib. ix. 37). A fourth edition of the 'Geology' was issued in 1833, which provoked a criticism from Professor Sedgwick (Geol. Trans. iii. 472, 1835); it reached a fifth edition in 1838, and still has its readers and supporters of its theories. Bakewell died at Downshire Hill, Hampstead, on 15 Aug. 1843, aged 76 (Annual Register, 1843).

A list of Bakewell's fugitive productions is in the 'Royal Society's Catalogue of Scientific Papers,' 1867, p. 165, but it is incorrect. Three of the articles enumerated, all three on 'Niagara,' are by one of the geologist's sons, also a Robert Bakewell. The error is curious, because the geologist himself introduces this son to the scientific world in 1830, in the preface to the first of the three papers in question (Mag. Nat. Hist. iii. 117). Robert Bakewell the younger became a resident at New Haven, America, whence he dated his second and third papers, 1847 and 1857. Another of the geologist's sons, Frederick C. Bakewell, wrote 'Philosophical Conversations,' 1833, and 'Natural Evidences of a Future Life,' 1835, both of which passed through several editions.

[Poggendorff's Biographisch - litterarisches Handwörterbuch ; Donaldson's Agricultural Dictionary; and the authorities cited in the article.]

BALAM, RICHARD (fl. 1653), mathematician, was the author of 'Algebra, or the Doctrine of composing, inferring, and resolving an Equation' (1653). There seems to be nothing original in this work but a multitude of terms which have perished with their inventor. The following sentence may be worth quoting: 'It seems probable to me that quantity is not the true genus of number; but that measure and number, magnitude and multitude, quantity and quotity, are two distinct species of one common genus.'

[Algebra, preface, cf. p. 15.]

BALATINE, ALAN (fl. 1560), is mentioned by Edward Hall in the list of the English writers from whose works he compiled his 'Chronicle.' Pits on this account classes him as an Englishman, but, according to Dempster, he was of Scotch origin, and, after studying privately, went to Germany, where he completed his education, and also taught in the gymnasiums. He wrote 'De Astrolabio,' 'De Terræ Mensura,' and 'Chronicon Universale.' Dempster states that he flourished about 1560, but as Hall's 'Chronicle' was published in 1542, Balatine must have written his 'Chronicon Universale' at least twenty years before 1560. He died in Germany.

[Pits, De Angliæ Scriptoribus, p. 825; Dempsters Hist. Ecc. Gent. Scot. (1627), p. 100; Tanner's Bibl. Brit. p. 66.]

BALCANQUHALL, WALTER (1548–1616), presbyterian divine, derives his surname originally from lands in the parish of Strathmiglo, Fifeshire. It is nearly certain that Walter was of the 'ilk' of Balcanquhall, and that he was born there—according to his age at death—in 1548 (cf. Sibbald's 'List of the Heritors' (1710) in History of Fife, appendix No. 2).

Our earliest notice of him is that he was entered as 'minister of St. Giles, Edinburgh,' on Whit Sunday 1574, when we learn that 'he was desyrit by other towns and large stipend promist,' but 'yet he consented to stay and accept what they pleased.' At this time he is described in James Melville's 'Diary' (p. 41, Wodrow Society) as 'ane honest, upright hearted young man, latlie enterit to that menestrie of Edinbruche' [Edinburgh]. He was elected to the chaplaincy of the Altar called Jesus, 20 Nov. 1579. Having preached a memorable sermon, mainly directed against the influence of the French at court, 7 Dec. 1580, he was called before the privy council on the 9th. and 'discharged.' He attended the Earl of Morton while in prison under condemnation, 2 June 1581. When James VI of Scotland devised his scheme of re-establishing 'the bishops' in Scotland, he found Balcanquhall, along with James Lawson, Robert Pont, and Andrew Melville, and their like-minded brethren, in active opposition. On the calling together of the estates of the realm in 1584, the king sent an imperative message to the magistrates of Edinburgh 'to seize and im-