Thomas Baring (171)U-1873), brother of Thomas George Baring (q.v.). (levoted himself early to commercial pursuits, ami also to poli- tics, siding with the Tories, contrary to the tra- ditions of his family. He was, however, much more widely known as the principal manager of the lirm of Baring Brothers than as a politician.
BARING, Alexander, first Baron Ashbubton
(1774-1848). An English financier and states-
man. He was born in London, October 27, 1774,
the second son of Sir Francis Baring. For many
years he was commercially engaged in the United
States and Canada in the service of the great
London mercantile house founded by his father.
While in this country he married, August 23,
17!)8, Anne Louisa, eldest daughter of William
Bingiiam, of Philadelphia, United States Sena-
tor: and to his alliance and to his American
mercantile acquaintance he wa.s much indebted
in later life. On the death of liis father in
1810, he became the head of the firm of Baring
Brothers & Co., and in 1812 was elected mem-
ber uf Parliament for Taunton. In the first ad-
ministration of Sir Eobert Peel ( 1834-.35), he was
president of the Board of Trade and master of the
ilint, and was created Baron Ashburton by ])at-
ent in April, 1835. In 1842 Lord Ashburton's
knowledge of business and thorough acquaintance
Avith American institutions, customs, and modes
of thought caused him to be appointed special
ambassador to the United States to settle the
Northwestern Boundary Question and other dis-
putes, which then threatened to involve the two
•countries in war. In August of the same year he
tonduded the famous Treaty of Washington,
connnonly called the Ashburton Treaty, by wdiieh
the frontier line between the State of Maine and
Canada was definitely agreed to. By this treaty
seven-twelfths of the disputed ground and the
British settlement of Madawaska were given to
the United States, and only five-twelfths of the
ground to Britain; but it secured a better
military frontier to Britain, and included heights
•commanding the Saint Lawrence which the award
of the King of Holland, who had been chosen
arbiter, had assigned to the Americans. By the
eighth and ninth articles provision was made
for putting an end to the African slave-trade,
and the tenth article provided for the mutual
extradition of suspected criminals. As an Eng-
lish statesman. Lord Ashburton opposed free
trade, but strongly supported the penny-postage
system when first proposed by Rowland Hill in
1837. His death took place May 13, 1848.
BARING, Evelyn, first Viscount Cromer.
See Cromer.
BARING, Thomas George (1826—). First
Earl of Xorthbrook. He has been Lord of the
Admiralty, Under Secretary for War, member of
Parliamciit, and trom 1872 to 187li Viceroy and
Governor-General of India. From 1880 to 188.5
he was First Lord of the Admiralty, and in 1884
Lord High Commissioner to Egypt. He published
The Teachings of Jesus Christ in His Own
Words.
BARING-GOULD, SAmNE (1834—). An
English author, born at Exeter. He studied at
Clare College, Cambridge, and in 1864 was ap-
pointed curate of Horbury (Yorkshii-e) . In
1871 he became rector of East Mersea (Essex),
and in 1881 of Lew-Trenchard (North Devon).
From 1871 to 1873 he was editor of The Sacristy,
a quarterly review of ecclesiastical literature
and art. The list of his published works is truly
vast in number and most diversified in range.
Valuable are his studies in the superstitions,
legends, and folk-lore of the Middle Ages, such
being Tlic Book of Werewolves (1865), Curious
Myths of the Middle Ages (2d series, 1866-67),
and Curiosities of Olden Times (1869). His
contributions to theology include The Origin and
Development of Religious Belief (1869-70), Lives
of the Saitits (15 vols., 1872-77), and The Lost
and Hostile Gospels (1874). He also published
some incisive sermons; in 1875, Village Sermons
for a Year, and in 1880, The Preacher's Pocket.
In 1880 appeared his Mahalah, a powerful though
somewhat uneven and melodramatic stoiy, since
followed by .lohn Herring (1883-86), Court
Royal (1886-88), and The Broom Squire (1896).
His opera. The Red Spider, was produced in 1898.
BARINGO, ba-rin'go. A lake in East Africa,
situated in about latitude 0° 30' N. (Map: Congo
Free State, G 2) . It lies at an altitude of nearly
4000 feet, and covers an area of about 190 square
miles, and although it is without visible otitlet
its water is fresh. It contains a number of small
islands, one of which is inhabited. It was dis-
covered in 1883 by J. Thomson.
BA'RITE. See Babiuji.
BAR'ITONE. See Barytoke.
BA'BIUM (Neo-Lat., from Gk. ^apis, harys,
heavy; alluding to its higli specific gravity).
A metallic element isolated in 1808 by Sir Hum-
phry Davy. It is not found native, l)ut occurs
chiefly as the sulphate in barite, as the carbonate
in witherite, and in other minerals of a more
complex composition: also in mineral vaters,
the ashes of certain plants, and in sea-water.
Metallic barium was first obtained by Davy, who
decomposed its hydrate with a powerful voltaic
battery, and obtained an amalgam of l)arium and
mercury. The mercury of the amalganl was ex-
pelled by heating in an iron crucible. The metal
itself (symbol, Ba ; atomic weight, 137.43) was
described by Davy as 'silver-white,' and by
Bunsen as "golden-yellow,' in color, so that it
is questionable as to whether chemically pure
barium has ever been obtained. It is a slightly
lustrous, somewhat malleable metal, which melts
at a red heat, but cannot be distilled. Its spe-
cific gravity is from 3.5 to 4.
The compounds of barium are used for a vari- ety of purposes. Its peroxide, BaO., formed when the anhydrous monoxide is heated to a dull red heat in a stream of oxygen, is used in the manufacture of peroxide of hydrogen. Barium peroxide may, further, be used as a bleaching agent as well as for preparing oxygen.
The monoxide of barium, called baryta, is found, in combination with carbonic acid, as the mineral witherite, and in combination with sul- phuric acid as the mineral barite, or heavy spar. It is prepared commercially by heating barium nitrate in a porcelain crucible or retort, or by igniting barium carbonate in the strong heat of a forge fire. It is a grayish white, extremely caustic, poisonous, and strongly alkaline mass, which finds its chief application in sugar-refin- ing, as it forms an almost insoluble compound with sugar when added to molasses or other sac- charine solutions. Baryta unites readily with water to form barium hydroxide.
Barium sulphate, the most important of the commercial salts of barium, is found native as
