nnery_;
Cranz, _Compendium der Ballistik_ (1898); _The Official Text-Book of
Gunnery_ (1902); Charbonnier, _Balistique_ (1905); Lissak, _Ordnance and
Gunnery_ (1907).

(A. G. G.)

BALLOON, a globular bag of varnished silk or other material impermeable to
air, which, when inflated with gas lighter than common air, can be used in
aeronautics, or, according to its size, &c., for any purpose for which its
ability to rise and float in the atmosphere adapts such a mechanism.
"Balloon" in this sense was first used in 1783 in connexion with the
invention of the brothers Montgolfier, but the word was in earlier use
(derived from Ital. _ballone_, a large ball) as meaning an actual ball or
ball-game, a primitive explosive bomb or firework, a form of chemical
retort or receiver, and an ornamental globe in architecture; and from the
appearance and shape of an air balloon the word is also given by analogy to
other things, such as a "balloon skirt" in dress, "balloon training" in
horticulture. (See AERONAUTICS, and FLIGHT AND FLYING).

BALLOT (from Ital. _ballotta_, dim. of _balla_, a ball), the modern method
of secret-voting employed in political, legislative and judicial
assemblies, and also in the proceedings of private clubs and corporations.
The name comes from the use of a little ball dropped according to choice
into the right receptacle; but nowadays it is used for any system of
secret-voting, even though no such ball is employed. In ancient Athens, the
dicasts, in giving their verdict, generally used balls of stone (_psephi_)
or of metal (_sponduli_). Those pierced in the centre, or black in colour,
signified condemnation; those unpierced, or white, signified acquittal. The
boxes were variously arranged; but generally a brass box received both
classes of votes, and a wooden box received the unused balls. In the
assembly, cases of _privilegia_, such as ostracism, the naturalization of
foreigners or the release of state-debtors, were decided by secret-voting.
The petalism, or voting by words on olive-leaves, practised at Syracuse,
may also be mentioned. At Rome the ballot was introduced to the comitia by
the _Leges Tabellariae_, of which the _Lex Gabiana_ (139 B.C.) relates to
the election of magistrates, the _Lex Cassia_ (137 B.C.) to _judicia
populi_, and the _Lex Papiria_ (131 B.C.) to the enactment and repeal of
laws. The wooden _tabellae_, placed in the _cista_ or wicker box, were
marked U. R. (_uti rogas_) and A. (_antiq