poor.
Otherwise it is celebrated like the "Lesser Festival," but with less
ardour. Both festivals, of course, belong to a lunar calendar, and move
through the solar year every thirty-two years.

See Lane's _Modern Egyptians_, chap. xxv.; Michell, _Egyptian Calendar_;
Hughes, _Dictionary of Islam_, pp. 192 ff.; Sir R. Burton, _Pilgrimage_,
chaps. vii., xxx.

(D. B. MA.)

BAIRD, SIR DAVID (1757-1829), British general, was born at Newbyth in
Aberdeenshire in December 1757. He entered the British army in 1773, and
was sent to India in 1779 with the 73rd (afterwards 71st) Highlanders, in
which he was a captain. Immediately on his arrival, Baird was attached to
the force commanded by Sir Hector Munro, which was sent forward to assist
the detachment of Colonel Baillie, threatened by Hyder Ali. In the action
which followed the whole force was destroyed, and Baird, severely wounded,
fell into the hands of the Mysore chief. The prisoners, who were most
barbarously treated, remained captive for over four years. Baird's mother,
on hearing that her son and other prisoners were in fetters, is said to
have remarked, "God help the chiel chained to poor Davie." The bullet was
not extracted from Baird's wound until his release. He became major in
1787, visited England in 1789, and purchased a lieutenant-colonelcy in
1790, returning to India in the following year. He held a brigade command
in the war against Tippoo, and served under Cornwallis in the Seringapatam
operations of 1792, being promoted colonel in 1795. Baird served also at
the Cape of Good Hope as a brigadier-general, and he returned to India as a
major-general in 1798. In the last war against Tippoo in 1799 Baird was
appointed to the senior brigade command in the army. At the successful
assault of Seringapatam Baird led the storming party, and was soon a master
of the stronghold in which he had long been a prisoner. He had been
disappointed that the command of the large contingent of the nizam was
given to Colonel Arthur Wellesley; and when after the capture of the
fortress the same officer obtained the governorship, Baird judged himself
to have been treated with injustice and disrespect. He afterwards received
the thanks of parliament and of the East India Company for his gallant
bearing on that important day, and a pension was offered to him by the
Company, which he declined, apparently from the hope of receiving the order
of the Bath from the government. General Baird c