Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 02.djvu/668

BASTILLE. which entered Paris by the Faubourg Saint- Antoine. By the orders of Charles V., Hugues Aubriot converted the towers into a castle of four bastions, connected by thick walls ; the whole being surrounded by a moat 25 feet deep. The number of bastions was subsequently doubled, and the area of the whole correspond- ingly increased. The Bastille, from its com- manding position, was closely connected with im- portant affairs in French history, and was occu- pied by the Guises in 15.88; by Henry IV. in 1594; tha Frondeurs in 1649; and Conde in 1G52. During its entire history it was utilized as a State prison, there being cells and dungeons for as many as 80 prisoners — a limit often reached. There was undoubtedly considerable severity exercised at different times, but whether the treatment there was any more strict than the customary prison discipline of the age. it is hard to determine. It seems es- tablished that many of the noble prisoners, at least, wore treated with considerable lenity ; but accounts of cruelty, some of which were probably well founded and others exaggerated, and the association of the Bastille with the use of the lettres-de-cnchet (q.v.), which kept so many in confinement without trial, caused this prison to be regarded as the sjmbol of oppression. It was natural, therefore, that the Bastille should be one of the first objects of attack at the out- break of the Revolution. On July 14, 1789, the populace of Paris, recruited chiefly from the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, attacked the fortress and stormed it after a half-hearted resistance by the Governor, De Launay, and a handful of Swiss. The Governor and seven of his men were killed, the archives of the prison scattered, and the prisoners, seven in number, were carried through the streets and hailed as victims of tyranny, and martyrs in the people's cause. The build- ing itself was torn down. The anniversary of the taking of the Bastille is celebrated every year as the national holiday of France. A bronze column now marks the site of the Bas- tille.

Consult: Arnold, Eistoire de la Bastille (Paris, 1845-59): Bingham, The Bastille (Lon- don, 1888) : Davenport. History of the Bastille (London, 1837) ; Funck-Brentano, The Bastille, Eng. trans. (New York, 1900). The document- ary records which escaped destruction are con- tained and explained in Ravaisson, Les archives de la Bastille (6 vols., Paris, 1866-73).

BAS'TINA'DO (Sp. hastoiiada, Fr. lasfon- node, from OF. baston, Fr. baton, cudgel). The name given by Europeans to the punishment in u.se in the Orient, which consists in blows with a stick, generally upon the soles of the feet, but sometimes upon the back.

BAS'TION. A tower or projecting portion of the walls of a fortification, and the most im- portant part of the fortifications of the enciente. (q.v.) The rampart forming a bastion is con- structed as if on four sides of a pentagon, two of which (called the faces) form an angle, with the point toward the exterior; tl>e other two sides (the flanks) connect the extremities of the faces with the adjacent curtains. The fifth (sup- posed) side of the bastion is left open, the inter- vening space being known as the gorge. The bastion system dates back to the first rude means used, in fortification, which probably consisted of nothing more than simple inclosures, sur- rounded with palisades : a devise still em- ployed b' the natives of semi-civilized States. High alls with breastwork or parapets un- doubtedly followed, to enable the defenders to examine the surrounding country. The bastion as it is known to-day, however, is of Italian origin, the most ancient at present existing bear- ing the date of 1527, and being situated at Verona. Vauban (q.v.) developed the bastion in his scheme of fortification, and built many famous examples. So far as the use of bastions in the defense of modern forts is concerned, modern armaments may be said to have made them unnecessary; but as it will in all proba- bility be a long time before they disappear entirely, the history of fortification is unintelligi- ble without some knowledge of them. Every fort or redoubt, if not circular, must have several sides, which are known as fronts. To enable the defense to concentrate the fire of a whole front on any point opposite it, or to command its own ditches, the line of front is broken up into .a number of lines in a peculiar manner, and the result is then said to be a hastioned front. There is no complete bastion in any hastioned front; only two half bastions. If another hastioned ', front, adjoining tliis one, were constnicted, a complete bastion would appear; and if all the exterior sides inclosing the position were so treated, a complete bastion would appear at. each corner. Bastions are generally designated by numbers, as are also the guns and the fronts. ' The numbers are according to the fronts, and begin ^ith the first one to the right of the exit of the main gate, and continue with the sun. The advantage thus afforded, is that it enables any particular gun to be specified, even if its numljer be unknown. Thus, the first gun on the right face of the second bastion, etc. See Fortification.

The relation which bastions bear to the general system of attack and defense is noticed under Fortification, where is given the historical de- velopment of methods of defense, illustrations, and a list of works treating this subject.

BASTI'TOLAND. A British Crown colony of South Africa, situated between Orange River Colony, Natal, and Cape Colony, covering an area of nearly 10,300 square mile^ (ilap: Cape Colony, M 6). It has an elevated surface and a very rich soil, being considered one of the best grain-producing countries in South Africa. In regard to climate, Basutoland is considered the most healthful place in that section of the Con- tinent. The principal products are cereals and live animals. Minerals arc supposed to exist, judging from some indications, but so far none has been worked, with the exception of coal. The commerce of the colony, while not very extensive, shows a constant increase. The imports consist chierty of clothing and blankets, agricultural un- plements, metal products, and groceries. The imports and exports for the fiscal year 1900 amounted to £85,528 and £133,864 respectively. Basutoland is administered by a resident gover- nor, under the High Commissioner for South Africa. It is divided into seven districts, subdi- vided into wards administered b' native chiefs. The administration of justice is also, to a very large extent, left in the hands of native judges. The revenue of the colony is derived chiefly from a native hut-tax, license fees, post-oflSce receipts,