BASCINET—BASE 
OF OPERATIONS. 
  
  
so affected them as to produce a beautiful series of 
regular hexagonal prisms. The columns had a dia- 
meter of nearly half an inch. Their direction was at 
right angles to the oven floor. The earthy structure 
of the brick remained. The columns, in short, were 
in every respect, except the material of which they 
were formed, true basaltic columns. It is surely 
better to look for an explanation of this structure in 
causes similar to those which have produced the 
examples adduced, than to find it in such ground- 
less assumptions as are at the foundation of the 
generally received theory of Watt. The columnar 
structure of B. seems to have been produced subse- 
quently to the cooling of the mass, by changes in 
the solid rock, probably from the escape of some 
volatile matter. 
The two best known and most beautiful examples 
of columnar B. are Fingal’s Cave, in the island 
of Staffa, on the west coast of Scotland, and the 
Giants’ Causeway, on the north coast of Ireland. 
BA'SCINET. See HrLMET. 
BASE, in Heraldry, the lower portion of the 
shield is called the B.; there is a dexter base, middle 
base, and sinister base, marked by the letters 
G, H, I, in the accompanying dia- 
gram, in which, for the convenience 
of the heraldic student, the other 
points of the escutcheon are also 
indicated. The chief or principal part 
of the escutcheon is the top, marked 
Boie A, B, C. The dexter or right-hand 
: gide is that marked AG ; the sinuster 
or left-hand side, CI, an arrangement which is 
explained when we consider that the shield is 
always supposed to be on the arm of the wearer, 
and that it is his right and left hands, not those 
of the spectator, which are kept in view. The 
ground or surface of the shield, on which all the 
charges or figures are depicted, is called the field. 
In Base.—When any figure is placed in the B. 
part of the shield, it is said to be 7n base. 
BASE (Fr. and Ital.), the foot or lower member 
of a pillar, on which the shaft rests. Of the classical 
orders, the Doric column alone had no base. The 
height of the B. is usually about half the lower 
  
  
  
Tuscan Base. 
diameter of the shaft; and it is divided into the 
plinth, or flat projecting square block or blocks, 
mmmediately above the ground, and the mouldings 
(q- v.), or fillets, which surround the column, and 
are usually circular. In the early Norman style, the 
bases of pillars still retained, from the Romanesque, 
forms closely resembling the Tuscan order. As 
Gothic architecture advanced, and emancipated 
itself from the arbitrary rules by which the classical 
orders were governed, bases became infinitely varied 
in detail, though something approaching to the 
original conception of a strong and firm foundation 
for the column, adhered to them throughout. 
BASE, in Chemistry, is a term applied to a 
united with oxygen. Thus, the metal potassium 
(K), when it combines with oxygen (0O), forms the 
B. potash (KO); sodium (Na) and oxygen, the B. soda 
(NaO) ; lead (Pb) and oxygen, the B. oxide of lead 
or litharge (PbO). A distinguishing feature of a 
B. is that it unites with an oxygen acid, such ag 
sulphuric acid (SO,) to form a sal¢ (q. v.). Thus, the 
B. potash (KO) combines with sulphuric acid (SO,) 
to make the salt sulphate of potash (KOSO,); 
potash with nitric acid (NO,) toform the salt nitrate 
of potash, or nitre (KONO,). Occasionally sulphur 
replaces the oxygen in a base. Thus, the metal 
potassium (K) unites with sulphur (S) to form the 
sulphur base, sulphuret of potassium (KS), which 
can unite with a sulphur acid like sulpharsenious 
acid or orpiment (AsS,) to make the salt sulphar- 
senite of potash (KS,AsS;). The metal half of 
a B. need not be a simple element, but may be a 
compound body which, for the time, plays the 
part of a simple substance. Thus, the compound 
ethyl (C,H,) can combine with oxygen to form 
ordinary ether ([C,H,]0); and the B. thus pro- 
duced can, in its turn, combine with acids to 
form salts. A base may be soluble or insoluble in 
water. Thus, the bases potash (KO), soda (NaO), 
ammonia (NH,O), baryta (BaO), strontia (StO), lime 
(Ca0), and magnesia (Mg0), are more or less soluble 
in water ; whilst the oxide of iron or rust (Fe,O,), 
the red oxide of lead (Pb,0,), the red oxide of 
mercury (HgO), are insoluble in water, but soluble 
in acids. 
BASE, or BASS (from basts, the foundation), in 
Music, is the deepest or lowest part, by whatever 
instrument it may be performed. The B., next to 
the upper part, is the most striking, the freest in 
its movements, and richest in effect. Its movement 
downwards is unfettered, unconcealed, and undis- 
turbed, whereas the middle parts are circumscribed 
and concealed. In respect to harmony, the B. is the 
most important part in music, containing more fre- 
quently the fundamental notes of the chords, while 
on it 1s formed that most important and effective 
figure in music called organ-point’ (q. v.).—B. is 
also the name of the lowest and deepest quality of 
the human voice. The compass of a B. voice is 
generally from EE;I, which should all be 
  
chest-notes, excc{)jc,-;erhaps, the highest. The most 
useful range, however, is from 9:_1, e 
the characteristic use of the B. voice, the old masters 
were unquestionably the greatest, especially Handel 
and Bach. The B. voice only begins to shew itself 
at the years of manhood, and is generally a change 
from the alto voice of a boy.—B. is also the name 
of an old stringed instrument, with from five to six 
strings, tuned variously to suit the music, and played 
with a bow. It was a sort of middle instrument 
between the contra-bass and violoncello, but is now 
out of use. Double B. (contra-bass) is the deepest- 
toned of stringed instruments. 
BASE OF OPERA'TIONS, in Military Man- 
ceuvres, is some spot or line which the general of an 
army relies upon as a stronghold and magazine. An 
army cannot take with it all the food, forage, and 
ammunition for a long war; the consumption 18 
enormous, and a constant supply is indispensable. 
Again, the sick and wounded cannot accompany the 
army through toilsome marches; the commander 
endeavours to send them back to some place of 
safety. Furthermore, fresh troops must have some 
spot from which they can safely advance through the 
  
compound body, generally consisting of a metal 
724 
enemy’s country. To secure all these advantages, a 
  
  
  
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