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tlie gently springing piece txyz, fixed on the support M. Theliavne>s is annulatod at o, to shew distinctly the perpendicular po-svtion of the exanien, by the small pointed index fixed above it.The strings by which the balance is suspended, passing over twopullies, one on each side the piece at A, go down to the bottomon the other side, and are hung over the hook at v ; w hich hook,by means of a screw E, is moveable about one inch and a quarter,backward and forward, and therefore the balance may be raisedor depressed so much. But if a greater elevation or depression berequired, the sliding piece hi, which carries the screw E, is readilymoved to any part of the square brass-rod V K, and fixed bymeans of a screw. The motion of the balance being thus adjust-ed, the rest of the apparatus is as follows: 11II is a small board,fixed upon the piece D, under the scales d and e, and is moveableup and down in a low slit in the pillar above C, and fastened atanv part by a screw behind. From the point in the middle of thebottom of each scale hangs, by a fine hook, a brass wire ad anduc. These pass through two holes mm in the table. 'Po thew ire a d is suspended a curious c-ylindric wire r s, perforated ateach end for that purpose: this wire rs is covered with paper,graduat. d by equal divisions, and is above live inches long. Inthe corner of the board at E, is fixed a brass tube, on which a-round wire h / is so adapted as to move neither too tight nor toofree, by its tlat bead I. Upon the lower part of this moves ano-ther tube Q, which has sufficient friction to make it remain in anyposition required : to this is fixed an index T, moving horizon-tally when the wire hi is turned about, and therefore may beeasily set to the graduated wire rj. To the lower end of thewire r s hangs a-weight L; and to that a wire p n, with a smallbrass ball g about one-fourth of an inch diameter. On the otherside, to the wire u c, hangs a large glass bubble If, by a horse-hair. Let us lirst suppose the weight 1, taken away, and thewire p n suspended from S : and, on the other side, let the bub-ble K be taken away, and the weight F suspended at c, in itsroom. This weight F we suppose to he sufficient to keep the se-veral parts hanging to the other scale in equilibrium ; at the sametime that the middle point of the wire p n is at the surface of thewater in the vessel X. The wire p n is to be of such a size, thatthe length of one inch shall weigh four grains. Now it is evident,since brass is eight times heavier than water, that for every inchthe wire sinks in the water it will become half a grain lighter, andhalf a grain heavier for every inch it rises out of' the water : con-sequently, by sinking two inches below the middle point, or risingtwo inches above it, the wire will become one grain lighter orheavier. Therefore, if, when the middle point is at the surfaceof the water in equilibrium, the index T he set to the middlepoint a of tlie graduated wire rs, and the distance on each sidea rand as contains 100 equal parts ; then, if in weighing bodiesthe weight is required-to the 100th part of a grain, it maybeeasily had by proceeding in the following manner: Let the bodyto be weighed be placed in tlie scale d. Put the weight X in thescale e ; and let this be so determined, that one grain more shallbe too much, and one grain less too little. Then the balancebeing moved gently up or down, by the screw P, till the equi-librium be nicely shown at o; if the index T be at tlie middlepoint a of the wire r s, it shews that the w eights put into the scalec are just equal to the weight of the body. By this method wefind the absolute weight of the body : the relative weight is foundby weighing it hydrostatically in water, as follows : Instead of put-ting the body into the scale e, as before, let it hang with theweight F, at the hook c, by a horsehair, as at R, supposing thevessel O of water were away. The equilibrium being then made,the index T standing between a and r, at the 3(ith division, shewsthe weight of tlie body put in to he 1095,36 grains. As it thushangs, let it be immersed in the water of tlie vessel O, and it willbecome much lighter: the scale e will descend till the beam ofthe balance rest on the support z. Then suppose 100 grains putinto the scale d restore the equilibrium precisely, so that tlie in-dex T stand at the 36th division above a; it is evident that tiiew eight of an equal bulk of water would, in this case, be exactly]00 grains. In a similar manner this balance may be applied tofind the specific gravity of liquids, as is easy to’conceive fromwhat has been said.

Balance, in sea language. See Balancing.

Balance, in tlie woollen manufacture, a machine inventedbv Mr. Ludlem. The thread is made into skains of the same

length ; and the fineness of it is denominated from the number ofskains which go to a pound ; tlie coarsest being about twelve tothe pound, and the finest near sixty. This machine is designedfor weighing skains, in order to determine their respective fine-ness. It resembles the beam of a common pair of scales ; at oneend of it, is fixed a weight, called the counterpoise, and at theother end a hook; in sorting, the skain to be examined is putupon the book, and sinks down more or less, according to itsweight, till the counterpoise, by rising, balances it ;■ and then theindex or cock of the beam, points out on a gradual arch the num-ber of skains of that sort which goes to the pound.

Balance of a Clock, or Watch, is that part which regu-lates the beats. See Clock-making.

Balance of Rower, in the political system, originates from,and is maintained by the alliances of different nations, as their cir-cumstances and interests may require. The preservation of thebalance of power implies tlie maintaining of such a degree of equa-lity among the powers of Europe , in general, as may prevent anyenormous accumulation of power, or any attempt at universal mo-narchy, on the part of any one of them. To preserve this ba-lance, much British blood has been shed, and many millions ofBritish money spent, since the revolution of 1688 ; bill unfortu-nately for tlie liberties of Europe the amazing successes of the presentruler of Fram e have entirely overturned this once favourite system.

Balance of Traije, that which is commonly meant by thebalance of trade, is the equal importing of foreign commoditieswith the exporting of the native. And it is reckoned, that nationlias the advantage of the balance of trade, which exports more ofthe native commodities, and imports less of the foreign. r l he rea-son of this is, that, if the native commodities be of a greater valuethan are imported, the balance of that account must he made lipin bullion or money; and the nation grows so much richer, as thebalance of that account amounts to.

BALANCIEH, a machine used in the striking of coins, me-dals, counters, and tlie like.

BALANCING, among seamen, the contracting a sail into anarrower compass, in a storm, by retrenching, or folding up a partof it at one corner: this method is used in contradistinction to reeling,which is common to all the principal sails; whereas balancing ispeculiar to few, sucli as the mizen of a ship, and the mainsail ofthose vessels wherein it is extended by a boom.

BALASOKE, a sea-port of Asia , on tiie N. W. of the bay ofBengal, four miles from the sea.

BALAUST1A, or BALAUSTINES, [from /Ux.-x-.r.-ov,] inpharmacy, the (lowers of the wild pomegranate. See Granatum.

BALALSTiNE, in botany. See Eunica.

BAEBASTllO, an episcopal town of Spain, in Arragon , 42miles N. E. of Saragossa .

BALBEC, or BAA1.BF.CK, a city of Asia in Syria , ancientlycalled Heliopolis, and by the Arabians the wonder of Syria , ftis situated at the foot of Anti-Lebanon , on the ground wliere themountain terminates in the plain, 37 miles N. of Damascus .Lon. 37. 22. E. Lat. 34. 22. N. In travelling to it from the S. itis seen only at the distance of a league and a half, behind a hedgeof walnut-trees, over the verdant tops of which appears a whiteedging of domes and minarets. The city has a ruined wall Hank-ed with square towers, which ascends the declivity to the right,and traces the precincts of the ancient city. This wall, which isonly ten or twelve feet high, permits a view of those void spacesami heaps of ruins which are the invariable appendage of everyTurkish city; but what principally attracts attention is a largeedifice on tlie left, which, by its lofty walls and rich columns,manifestly appears to be one of tiiose temples winch antiquity liasleft for our admiration. These ruins are some of the most beauti-ful and best preserved of any in Asia . The state of this ancientcity is now most deplorable. The wretched government of the'l'urks had already greatly impaired it, and the earthquake of 1759completed its destruction. The wars of the Emir Yousef andDjezzar have rendered it still more deserted and ruinous. Of5000 inhabitants, at which number they were estimated in 1751,not 1200 are now remaining ; and all these poor, without industryor commerce, cultivating nothing but a little cotton, some maize,and water melons. Lat. 34. 22. N. Lon. 37. 20. E.

BALBRIGGEN, a sea-port of Ireland , 15 miles from Dublin.

BALCA, a territory of Usbec Tartary ; also tlie capital of theterritory.

BALCAURA,