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116 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- 