BONHEUR DU JOUR

bonheur du jour, the name for a lady's writing-desk, so called because, when it was introduced in france about 1760, it speedily became intensely fashionable. the bonheur du jour is always very light and graceful; its special characteristic is a raised back, which may form a little cabinet or a nest of drawers, or may simply be fitted with a mirror. the top, often surrounded with a chased and gilded bronze gallery, serves for placing small ornaments. beneath the writing surface there is usually a single drawer. the details vary greatly, but the general characteristics are always traceable. the bonheur du jour has never been so delicate, so charming, so coquettish as in the quarter of a century which followed its introduction. the choicer examples of the time are inlaid with marqueterie, edged with exotic woods, set in gilded bronze, or enriched with panels of oriental lacquer. boni (_bone_), a vassal state of the government of celebes, dutch east indies, in the south-west peninsula of celebes, on the gulf of boni. area, 2600 sq. m. it produces rice, tobacco, coffee, cotton and sugar-cane, none of them important as exports. the breeds of buffaloes and horses in this state are highly esteemed. the chief town, boni, lies 80 m. n.e. of macassar, and 2-1/2 m. from the east coast of the peninsula. the native race of bugis (q.v.), whose number within this area is about 70,000, is one of the most interesting in the whole archipelago. boni was once the most powerful state of celebes, all the other princes being regarded as vassals of its ruler, but its history is not known in detail. in 1666 the rajah palakkah, whose father and grandfather had been murdered by the family of hassan, the tyrant of sumatra, made common cause with the dutch against that despot. from that date till the beginning of the 19th century dutch influence in the state remained undisputed. in 1814, however, boni fell into the hands of the british, who retained it for two years; but by the european treaties concluded on the downfall of napoleon it reverted to its original colonizers. their influence, however, was resisted more than once by the natives. an expedition in 1825, under general van geen, was not fully successful in enforcing it; and in 1858 and the following year two expeditions were necessary to oppose an attempt by the princess regent towards independence. in 1860 a new prince, owning allegiance to the dutch, was set up. as in other native states in celebes, succession to the throne in the female line has precedence over the male line. for the wars in boni, see perelaer, _de bonische expeditien, 1859-1860_ (leiden, 1872); and meyers, in the _militaire spectator_ (1880).