f a succession of low hills covered
with poor grass. In the Pasud _taluk_, however, there are wide stretches of
woodland, while some of the peaks rise to a height of 2000 ft., the scenery
(especially during the rains) being very beautiful. The climate of the
locality is better than that of the other districts of Berar; the hot wind
which blows during the day in the summer months being succeeded at night by
a cool breeze. The principal crops are millet, wheat, other food grains,
pulse, oilseeds and cotton; there is some manufacture of cotton-cloth and
blankets, and there are ginning factories in the town. In 1901 the
population was 353,410, showing a decrease of 11% in the decade, due to the
famine of 1899-1900, which was severely felt in the district.

BASIN, THOMAS (1412-1491), bishop of Lisieux and historian, was born
probably at Caudebec in Normandy, but owing to the devastation caused by
the Hundred Years' War, his childhood was mainly spent in moving from one
place to another. In 1424 he went to the university of Paris, where he
became a master of arts in 1429, and afterwards studied law at Louvain and
Pavia. He attended the council of Ferrara, and was soon made canon of the
church at Rouen, professor of canon law in the new university of Caen and
vicar-general for the bishop of Bayeux. In 1447 he became bishop of
Lisieux. He was much involved in the wars between the English and French
and was employed by Charles VII. of France, and by his successor Louis XI.,
at whose request Basin drew up a memorandum setting forth the misery of the
people and suggesting measures for alleviating their condition. In 1464 the
bishop joined the league of the Public Weal, and fell into disfavour with
the king, who seized the temporalities of his see. After exile in various
places Basin proceeded to Rome and renounced his bishopric. At this time
(1474) Pope Sixtus IV. bestowed upon him the title of archbishop of
Caesarea. Occupied with his writings Basin then passed some years at Trier,
and afterwards transferred his residence to Utrecht, where he died on the
3rd of December 1491. He was buried in the church of St John, Utrecht.

Basin's principal work is his _Historiae de rebus a Carolo VII. et Ludovico
XI. Francorum regibus eorumque in tempore in Gallia gestis_. This is of
considerable historical value, but is marred to some extent by the author's
dislike for Louis XI. At one time it was regarded as the work of a priest
of Liege, nam