plain, whence its name. It contains several mosques, is surrounded by many villages de- pendent upon its authority, and trades exten- sively in wheat with the Turkomans. It is generally supposed that Bostan is on or near the site of the ancient Oappadocian city of Comana.
BOSTON, a game played by four persons, with
two packs of cards. The cards are never shuf-
fled ; one of the packs is dealt, and the other
cut alternately to determine the trump. The
dealer gives five cards to each player twice,
and three the last time around. If the first
player can make five tricks, he says, "I go
Boston ; " and his competitors may overbid
him by saying, "I go 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, or
13," as the hand of each may warrant. Should
either of them fail to make the number of
tricks he "bids" for, he must pay to each
competitor a forfeit regulated by a card of
prices prepared beforehand. Boston is the
most complicated of all games of cards. It is
said to have been introduced into France by
Franklin, and was called after his native city.
BOSTON, the capital of the commonwealth of
Massachusetts and of Suffolk county, the chief
city of New England, and the seventh of the
United States in point of population, situated
in lat. 42 21' 24" N., Ion. 71 3' 58" W., at the
western extremity of Massachusetts bay. The
city embraces Boston proper, East Boston,
South Boston, Roxbury, and Dorchester. Bos-
ton proper, or old Boston, occupies a peninsula,
joined to the mainland on the south by a nar-
row strip of land known as the Neck, which
was once overflowed by the tide, but has been
raised and widened. The surface is very un-
even, and originally presented three hills, Bea-
con, Oopp's, and Fort (whence the early name
of the peninsula, Trimountain), the first of
which is about 130 ft. above the sea. Fort
hill has recently been levelled, while the ele-
vation of Copp's hill has been much reduced.
East Boston occupies the W. portion of the
island formerly known as Noddle's island, but
more commonly bearing the name of Maverick,
from Samuel Maverick, who lived there in 1630.
It is equidistant from old Boston and Charles-
town, and has a hilly surface. South Boston
extends about 2 m. along the S. side of the
harbor, an arm of which separates it from Bos-
ton proper. Near the centre are Dorchester
heights, which attain an elevation of about 130
ft. above the ocean, and afford a fine view of
the city, bay, and surrounding country. The
surface of Eoxbury and Dorchester in many
places is rugged and hilly. The original limits
of Boston embraced but 690 acres ; 1,700 acres
were acquired by the addition of South and
East Boston, and by filling the surrounding
flats; 2,100 by the annexation of Roxbury;
4,800 by the annexation of Dorchester; and
880 by filling flats in other places ; making the
present area 10,170 acres. The city is con-
nected with Charlestown by the Charles river
bridge, 1,603 ft. long, and the Warren bridge,
1,390 ft. long; and with Cambridge by the
West Boston bridge, which crosses Charles
river from Cambridge street, Boston, and is
2,756 ft. long, with a causeway of 3,482 ft.
Craigie's bridge, 2,796 ft. long, extends from
Leverett street to East Cambridge ; from this
bridge another, 1,820 ft. in length, extends to
Prison point, Charlestown. South Boston is
reached by the Federal street bridge, about 500
ft. long, and the South Boston bridge, 1,550
ft. long, extending from the Neck to South
Boston. These bridges are all free. The West-
ern avenue, or Milldam road, has been con-
structed upon a substantial dam across the
Back bay from the foot of Beacon street to
Sewall's point, in Brookline. It is about li
m. long, from 60 to 100 ft. wide, and is a popu-
lar resort for driving. Boston is unsurpassed
in the beauty of its suburbs, which embrace
the cities of Charlestown, Chelsea, Somerville,
and Cambridge, and the towns of Revere,
Brighton, Brookline, Winthrop, and others.
These places contain many handsome residences
of persons doing business in Boston. The har-
bor is a spacious indentation of Massachusetts
bay, the mouth of which lies between Point
Alderton on Nantasket and Shirley in Chelsea.
It embraces about 75 sq. m., and includes sev-
eral arms, such as Dorchester bay, South Bos-
ton bay, and the embouchures of Charles,
Mystic, and Neponset rivers. A part of Charles
river is commonly known as the Back bay.
There are more than 50 islands or islets in the
harbor. Boston light stands on Lighthouse
island. Its top is 98 ft. above the sea, and
is fitted with a revolving light which can be
seen at a distance of 16 m. Northerly from
the lighthouse runs a chain of islands, rocks,
and ledges, 3 m. long, to the Graves. George's
island commands the open sea, and Fort War-
ren, a very strong fortification, is built on it,
the island being national property. Castle
island (so called from a fortress which was
erected there in 1633, and which subsequently
was rebuilt and called Castle William in honor
of William III.) lies further up the harbor, and
is the site of Fort Independence. Governor's
island is a mile to the north of Castle island,
and Fort Winthrop, an uncompleted fortifica-
tion, stands there. This island passed into the
possession of John Winthrop in 1632, and for a
long time was known as "the governor's gar-
den." It is still in the possession of the Win-
throp family, except that portion of it which has
been ceded to the national government. Long
island, which also has a lighthouse, is large,
and attempts have been made to render it a
place of residence, but with little success. Deer
island is now occupied by city institutions, and
Rainsford island by state hospitals. On Thomp-
son's island is the Boston asylum and farm school
for indigent boys. The main entrance to the har-
bor is between Castle and Governor's islands ;
it is very narrow, and is defended by Forts Inde-
pendence and Warren. Deer island, comprising
1 34 acres of upland and 34 acres of flats, Thomp-
