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BANG. was a distinguished professor of medicine at the University of Copenliagen and author of a num- ber of works on medical subjects.

BANGALA, biin'ga-la. A tribe of cannibal negroes on the iliddle Congo. They are of war- like character, and liave furnislied excellent troops to the Congo Free State. See Africa.

BANGALORE, ban'ga-lor' (Hind., city of beans). A fortified town in the Xative State of Mysore, India, 70 miles northeast of Seringa- patam, in latitude 12° .38' X. and longitude 77° 38' E. (Jlap: India, C 6). It is the chief military station of the British in the teTritory, and' the seat of the British Resident. It has manufactures of silk and cotton, and is especially noted for its carpets. The place is 3000 feet above the sea, and is remarkable for its salu- brity : the temperature seldom rises above 90° or descends below Gl°. The municipal water-sup- ply is good and abundant, and European vege- tables grow in the gardens. The town is well laid out, has handsome public buildings, and beautiful botanical gardens. The more promi- nent native structures are the Fort and the Jla- haraja's Palace. The chief institution, the High School or Central College of the province, is well attended. The military cantonment, housing a large British and native force, is on the north- east. Bangalore dates from the foundation of its fort in 1537. It was a favorite residence of Hy- der Ali, and in 1791 it was stormed by the British under Lord Cornwallis. Population, in 1891, 180,300; in 1901, 159,000.

BANGE, IniNzh, V.ler.xd de (1833—). A Frencli colonel of artillery, who organized the present artillery system of the French Army. He was born at Baligiiicourt. In 1873, a.s di- rector of the ateUer-de-prccision in the Depot Central in Paris, he reconstructed both the light and heavy field-pieces then in use, and the models he proposed in 1870 were adopted for the army in 1879. From 1882 to 1889 he was director of the Cail corporation, who.se plants at Grenelle, Uenain, and Douai he transformed into <n-dnance factories. He competed successfuUj- with Krupp in 1884 for the contract to supply the Servian Government with lield-pieces. Bange's gun has been also preferred by England, Italy, and Sweden. For the Antwerp Exposition of 1885 he made a gun of 34 centimetres (about 1314 inches) calibre, 35 feet long, from which two projectiles weighing (JOO kilograms (about 1320 pounds) were fired with charges of 200 kilograms (about 440 pounds) of powder, the range being 18,000 metres (about 12 miles) ; but the gun burst at the third discharge. Bange w-as the first to make eft'ective use of the screw principle in the mechanism of the breech-block. I'^or a description of his inventions, consxilt Hen- nobert, L'Artillcrie Kniii/i cl VartiUerie de Bange (1886).

BANGKOK' ('City of wild fruit-trees'). The capital of Siam and the cliief commercial city of the country, sitnated on both banks of the Jle- nam, about 20 miles above its mouth (Map: Siam, D 4). It lies in a very low region, and covers an area of over 15 square miles. It is divided into numerous islands by the arms of the Menam. and a large p(jrtion of the popula- tion live in Moating liouses. With the exception of the royal buildings and the residences of the wealthier classes, the houses are built of wood and raised upon poles as a precaution against inundations, which are of common occurrence, owing to the low surface of the region. The por- tion of the city on the left bank of the river is surrounded by a high wall, about six miles in circumference. The part of the city adjoining the royal palace is beautifully laid out, with a number of parks and line residences. The palace grounds are surrounded by a wall, inclosing the royal palace, the royal library, temples, theatre, harem, and the residences of the vast retinue of .servants and attendants. The temples of Bangkok are numerous and gorgeous in the ex- treme. They are built of several stories, rising terrace-like one above another, the whole form- ing a pyramidal-shaped building, the several roofs being of glazed tiles of the most brilliant colorings, while resplendent pillars are richly deco- rated with gold. 'The interior is invariably pro- fusely decorated with precious stones, porcelain vases, and numerous statues of Buddha. In one of the royal temples there is a gigantic image of the saint in a reclining position, about 140 feet long, and richly inlaid with mother-of-pearl and gems. Among the temples, or icats, the most magnificent are Wat Sekket, Wat Nun, and Wat Sutat.

As the chief port of Siam, Bangkok has an ex- tensive commerce, which is chiefiy in the hands of Chinese and Europeans. The former have succeeded in monopolizing the retail trade as well as many of the industries of the city. The chief exports are rice, teak, and other woods, fish, cattle, and animal products. The native industries are now almost entirely extinct, and the porcelain-ware, for which Siam was once famous, has now been replaced by the Chinese article. The shipping of Bangkok amounts to about 450,000 tons per annum, and is largely in British hands. There is regular steam connnuni- cation with Singapore, Saigon, and Hong Kong. The transportation in the city was fonnerly elTected chiefly by boats, but at present Bangkok is provided with a line of onmibuses, a horse- car railway, and an electric line. A portion of the city is lighted with electricity. Bangkok is the seat of foreign embassies as well as of many consular representatives, including one from the United States. It is connected by rail with Korat and Paknam. The population is variously estimated at from 200,000 to 600,- (100. of whom only a small portioji are Siamese, and about one-half Chinese, the remainder con- sisting of Burmese, natives of French Indo- China, and Malays. Bangkok was an insignifi- cant village until 1766, when Ayuthia, the resi- dence of the King, was destroyed by the Burmese, and Bangkok became the capital. Consult Mas- sieu, "Une visite a Bangkok," in Rcvuc des deux Mondcs, Vol. II. (Paris, 1901).

BAN'GLE (Hind. fcuHi/r;, glass bracelet). A loose l)racelct or armlet, generally of slender sil- ver wire, and frequently strung with coins or or- namental pendants. Any number may be worn at one time. The bangle has a liigh antiquity, and many of the same form as those worn in modern times are represented on ancient works of art, and have been found at Pompeii, and in the tombs at Pneneste.

BANGOR, ban'gor (Ga-l. licnnnch(n pointed hill). A .seaport town, and favorite watering-place in County Down, Ireland, on the south side of the entrance to Belfast Lough, 12