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438 BECHER Rome, and on his return to Madrid executed several works in fresco for the palace, and adorned many churches. His masterwork is a statue of the Virgin. BKC1IEK, Johann Joachim, a German chemist, born in Spire in 1625, died in London in Octo- ber, 1682. In spite of adverse circumstances, he acquired a knowledge of medicine, physics, and chemistry, became professor at Mentz, and in 1660 imperial councillor at Vienna and first physician to the elector of Bavaria. He en- deavored to promote industry and a spirit of enterprise in Vienna, but incurred the dis- pleasure of the court, and after many unfor- tunate experiences in various places he ended his life in London. His fame rests on his Physica Sulterranea, (Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1669), establishing a close relation between chemistry and medical science, and on his founding the theoretical basis of chemistry. BECHSTEIN, Johann MatthSns, a German orni- thologist and forester, born in Waltershausen, Saxe-Gotha, July 11, 1757, died in 1822. Hav- ing visited the most celebrated hunting grounds of Germany, he opened at Kemnate a school of forestry, and became in 1800 the director of the Saxe-Meiningen academy of forestry. His principal works are Gemeinniitzige Naturge- schichte Deutschlands (4 vols., Leipsic, 1789- '95; 2ded., 1801-'9), and Naturgeschichte der Stubenwgel (4th ed., Halle, 1840). i:i:< II I V A (singular, Mochuana, from cTmana, free, and a personal prefix), a people of S. Africa, inhabiting an extensive territory on both sides of the tropic of Capricorn, divided into nu- merous tribes. Their complexion is a coffee- colored brown, that of the Barolong tribe be- ing the lightest. They are of medium size, symmetrically built, and have the crisped wool- ly hair of the negro. They are of a gentle dis- position. Slavery hardly exists among them. They are rich in sheep and goats, but less so in horned cattle. They have some notion of deity, but have no religions rites, though monkeys, snakes, and crocodiles are sometimes worship- ped. They affirm that they originally sprang from a cave, which is still pointed out in the Bakoni country, and where the footmarks of the first man may.be still seen in the rocks. Their faith in the supernatural power of a class of wizards termed rain-makers, one of whom at least is found in every tribe, they share with the other peoples of southern Africa. Polyg- amy exists to an unlimited extent, and circum- cision is a general practice. Missionaries have obtained access to several of the most western tribes, and by their influence the women, who formerly performed all the agricultural work, have been relieved from the heavier tasks. The government of the Bechuana is both monarchi- cal and patriarchal, and of a mild character. Every tribe has its chief or king, who resides in the largest town, and is held sacred by rea- son of his hereditary authority. Under these chiefs are the heads of particular districts and villages, and again under these are the cost, or BECK wealthy men, who form the aristocracy. Tho power of the princes is very great, but is limit- ed by the general assembly, called the picho, of the subordinate chiefs. The Bechuana for- merly extended S. as far as the Orange river, but were driven back by the Hottentots. At a re- cent period the Caffresmade an incursion from the east deep into the Bechuana territory, and devastated the country, destroying cities, many of which had a population of 20,000. More recently the Boers have founded establish- ments, including the Orange River Republic, within the Bechuana territory. Among the most important and best known of the Bechu- ana tribes are the Bassuto, which is the most southerly of them, occupying a table land to the west of the Drakenberg mountains, partially civilized and Christianized ; the Batlapi, among whom missionaries have had the greatest suc- cess, dwelling in a parched region, almost des- titute both of wood and water, on the borders of the Kalahari desert; the Barolong, dwelling to the north of the preceding, formerly power- ful, but now scattered and almost extirpated by the Caflfres; the Bangwaketse, dwelling still further to the north, in a fine and fertile valley, who were formerly wealthy, but have sufiered severely from the incursions of the Cafires ; the Bahurutse, dwelling in the vicinity of the foregoing, in one of the finest districts of S. Africa, who had considerable industry in agriculture and raising cattle, till they were driven by the Caffres from their country, which in 1837 was seized by the Boers; the Batoana, dwelling on the N". coast of Lake Ngami, the remnant of the former powerful tribe of Ba- mangwato ; the Bakwains, who occupy the fine hilly regions along the rivers Notuani and Mariqua ; and the Balaka, who are not of Be- chuana stock, but, like the Bushmen, live scat- tered among various tribes, and are generally despised. Under the name of Bakalahari, the Balaka dwell in great numbers in the Kalahari desert. The Bayeye, who dwell upon the bor- ders of Lake Ngami, are also to be distinguished from the Bechuana. The fullest information concerning the tribes of southern Africa is contained in the "Travels' and Researches" of Livingstone. BECK, or Beet, David, a Dutch portrait paint- er, one of the ablest pupils of Vandyke, born in 1621, died at the Hague in 1656. He painted with so much rapidity, that Charles I. of England exclaimed, " Faith, Beck, I be- lieve you could paint riding post." Queen Christina of Sweden employed him in painting the portraits of European sovereigns, and chief- ly her own portrait. He travelled extensive- ly, and while sick in Germany he was thought dead and prepared for the grave, but revived and was gradually restored to life. His subse- quent death was ascribed to poison. BECK, Karl, a German poet, born at Baja, Hun- gary, May 1, 1817. He is the son of a Jewish merchant, studied in Pesth, Vienna, and Leip- sic, and has since 1848 chiefly resided in Vienna.