shire, Scotland. Pop. (1901) 2362. It lies about
5 m. S.W. of South Uist, is 8 m. in length and from 2 to 4 m. in breadth,
save at the sandy isthmus 2 m. below Scurrival Point, where it is only a
few hundred yards broad. The rock formation is gneiss. The highest hill is
Heaval (1260 ft.) and there are several small lochs. The chief village is
Castlebay, at which the Glasgow steamer calls once a week. This place
derives its name from the castle of Kishmul standing on a rock in the bay,
which was once the stronghold of the McNeills of Barra, one of the oldest
of Highland clans. There are remains of ancient chapels, Danish duns and
Druidical circles on the island. There is communication by ferry with South
Uist. The parish comprises a number of smaller islands and islets--among
them Frida, Gighay, Hellisay, Flodda to the N.E., and Vatersay, Pabbay,
Mingalay (pop. 135) and Berneray to the S.E.--and contains 4000 acres of
arable land and 18,000 acres of meadow and hill pasture. The cod, ling and
herring fisheries are important, and the coasts abound with shell-fish,
especially cockles, for which it has always been famous. On Barra Head, the
highest point of Berneray, and also the most southerly point of the outer
Hebrides chain, is a lighthouse 680 ft. above high water.

BARRACKPUR, a town and magisterial subdivision of British India, in the
district of Twenty-four Parganas, Bengal. The town is the largest
cantonment in Lower Bengal, having accommodation for two batteries of
artillery, the wing of a European regiment and two native battalions. Its
name is said to be derived from the fact of troops having been stationed
here since 1772. It is a station on the Eastern Bengal railway. Job [v.03
p.0427] Charnock, the founder of Calcutta, erected a bungalow and
established a small bazaar here in 1689. The cantonment is situated on the
left bank of the Hugli; it has also a large bazaar and several large tanks,
and also a parade ground. To the south of the cantonment is situated the
park, created by the taste and public spirit of Lord Wellesley. Within the
park is situated the Government House, a noble building begun by Lord
Minto, and enlarged into its present state by the marquess of Hastings. The
park is beautifully laid out, and contains a small menagerie. Its most
interesting feature is now Lady Canning's tomb. Barrackpur played an
important part in the two Sepoy mutinies of 1824 and 1857, but the details
of these belong to the