BASEL 357 into French and Latin), with 100 of Chodo- wiecki's plates, illustrating natural sciences and industry. This became the model of many school books of the kind, imparting varied in- formation in a cosmopolitan and liberal spirit. Under the auspices of Prince Francis Fred- erick of Anhalt-Dessau, he opened at Dessau in 1774 the Philanthropin, a school free from sectarian bias and from corporal punishment, and designed to deliver public instruction from mediiBval bonds, to prepare pupils for higher academical studies without pedantry or big- otry, to introduce gymnastic exercises, and to impart a knowledge of modern as well as of ancient languages. This school led to the es- tablishment of many similar ones, though Base- dow himself withdrew from it in 1778. He was charged with not duly appreciating the advantages of a thorough classical and of an orthodox religious training; but he was never- theless regarded as a most effective and phil- anthropic reformer. BASH, (Fr. Basle or Bale). I. A canton of Switzerland, which since 1833 has been divided into two half cantons, called Basel City and Basel Country (Ger. Bael*tadt and Baielland) ; area of both, 176 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 101,887. It is bounded by Alsace, Baden, and the can- tons of Aargau, Solo- tliurn, and Bern. The northern chains of the Jura here descend into the plains of the Rhine, which are about 700 ft. above the level of the sea, the highest ele- vation being 3,800 ft. The country is hilly but fertile, and the climate mild, the cold northern winds being intercepted by the mountains. The canton has no lakes ; the Rhine is the only considerable river, though there are numerous small streams. Coal and salt are the only minerals. The agricultural products present but little variety. Cattle, hides, butter, cheese, and cherry brandy are exported. There are considerable manufac- tures of iron, copper, steel, silk, linen, leather, and paper; the dyeing and bleaching factories are noted. The city half canton has an area of 14 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 47,760, of whom 34,455 were Protestants, 12,301 Catholics, 516 Israelites, and 488 of other sects. It had in 1865 a revenue of 1,205,988 fr. ; the expendi- tures were 1,529,373 fr. ; the public debt was 5,987,885 fr., while the value of the public do- main was estimated at 2,951,386 fr. The coun- try half canton, the capital of which is Liestal, is divided into four districts ; area, 102 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 54,127, of whom 43,523 were Protestants, 10,245 Catholics, 131 Israelites, and 228 of other sects. The yearly expenditure is about 550,000 fr. ; the public debt in 1867 was 824,000 fr. ; while the value of the prop- erty of the canton was estimated at 2,951,386 fr. The inhabitants of both half cantons are purely Teutonic, but generally speak a mixed Franco-German dialect. II. A city, the capital of the half canton of which it forms the largest part, situated on the Rhine, 43 m. N. N. E. of Bern; pop. in 1870, 44,834. It ia divided into Great Basel on the S. and Lit- tle Basel on the N. bank of the river, con- nected by a wooden bridge 580 feet long. The city is surrounded by unimportant forti- fications, and contains a cathedral, built on the spot where stood the Roman fortress of Basilia, a university, a public library con- taining paintings by Holbein, the hall where the council of Basel was held, and other pub- lic buildings, among which are many educa- tional institutions, toward the maintenance of which one-fifth of the public revenue is ap- plied. Basel is the most important manufac- turing and commercial town in Switzerland, and the wealth of its citizens is proverbial. The ribbon manufacture, which gives employ- ment to about 3,000 persons, is the principal branch of industry. There were formerly ex- tensive manufactures of paper and leather, but these have declined within a few years, and are nearly abandoned. The city was founded by the Romans, by whom it was called Basilia or Basiliana. It was destroyed in the wars be- tween the Romans and Germans, and rebuilt in the early part of the 10th century by the German emperor Henry I., when it be- came the residence of a bishop, and belonged for some time to Burgundy, but after 1032 to the German empire. The territorial dominion belonged partly to an imperial bailiff, partly to
