: A. iA.Ts 



BAT.DOCK. 



M 



hands of Russia, having abandoned it, Catherine II. nude it the 

 head-quarters of a regiment eompoMd of 2000 Albanians and Oreekt, 

 'ant itill oompoae the coast-guard in these parta The 



town Uii.l* in 44' 30' N. lat, 33 30' E. long., on a hill close to the 

 harbour, wliich is an excellent one, capable of receiving ten or twelve 

 ail of the line, and with so narrow an entrance that scarcely more 

 than one vessel can enter it at a time. The ruins of an old Genoese 

 fortress on an almost inaccessible height overlook the harbour's 

 mouth to the east of the town, and the rocky sub structure on which 

 it stands is excavated into spacious magazines and other apartments, 

 all with stuccoed sides. In the plain below are the ruins of churches 

 and mosques, which indicate the former opulence of the port. The 

 streets are narrow and paved with the limestone which enters so 

 largely into the composition of the adjacent hills. Balaclava has at 

 present but one church, and its inhabitants, who were they possessed 

 of greater industry might cultivate with profit a soil well adapted 

 for the growth of grain and grapes, subsist principally on the traffic 

 they carry on with other towns in the Crimea, The harbour of 

 Balaclava is separated from the naval harbour of Sevastopol by a 

 rocky peninsula, the direct distance across which between the two 

 port* does not exceed 10 miles. It has been long closed to commerce 

 under the pretext of preventing smuggling; merchant vessels are 

 admitted only in case of distress. 



BALAGHA'UTS, the name given to an extensive and fertile district 

 in the south of India, and which is so called in consequence of its 

 being situated above the Ghauts, a stupendous mountain wall which 

 rises abruptly from the low country, and supports as it were the 

 table-land beyond. This table-land, which is sufficiently elevated to 

 produce a sensible effect upon the temperature, extends from the river 

 Krishna to the southern extremity of Mysore. The term Balaghauts 

 does not however in its more usual acceptation embrace so extensive 

 a region, but is restricted to the territories acquired by the govern- 

 ment of the East India Company under a treaty with the Nizam, 

 concluded in October, 1800. This district has since been divided into 

 the two coUectorates of Bellary and Cuddapah, which comprise the 

 conquests of the Nizaui, acquired in his wars with the Rajah of 

 Mysore in 1792 and 1799. This territory is sometimes described as 

 ' the ceded districts.' It forms part of the presidency of Madras. 

 Its northern boundary is well defined by the Krishna and Toombuddra 

 riven; the southern portion consists of valleys lying between the 

 Eastern Ghauto at Gumimcondah, in 13 46' N. lat, and 78 34' 

 K long., and extending to Sera in the Mysore territory, which last- 

 mentioned town is situated in 13 44' N. lat, and 76 58' E. long. 



With the exception of the two rivers which form their northern 

 boundary, these coUectorates do not contain any large streams ; 

 droughts are in consequence frequent The soil is in general good ; 

 and in some parts, particularly on the western side, there is a rich 

 black mould, extremely fertile ; but the process of clearing this land 

 is laborious and costly. By a survey made in 1807 it wag found 

 that the Balaghaut ceded districts contained 60,258 tanks and wells, 

 nearly 14,000 of which were out of repair; the number of tanks 

 indicates the scarcity of river water; while the proportion found in 

 a neglected state was significant of the desolation and neglect con- 

 sequent on frequent wars. The productions of the country beyond 

 the food required for the population consist principally of indigo, 

 sugar, and cotton : the first and last mentioned of these articles are 

 exported in considerable quantities. Cattle, sheep, and goats are 

 reared in great numbers. The central and eastern divisions contain 

 neveral diamond mines ; and it is from these, and not from mines in 

 their own district, that the diamond merchants of Oolconda have 

 been supplied. 



The inhabitants of the district are generally a hardy and laborious 

 nee, and are not so peaceably inclined as the natives of the country 

 below the ghsnta. When the English first acquired the territory 

 every male inhabitant carried and was expert in the use of arms ; 

 their Tillages too were mostly fortified. Since the cession to the 

 British their condition has gradually improved, and they have become 

 peaceable and industrious. The greatest part of the population 

 (about 2,000,000 at the time of the cessioii) are Hindoos, but there is 

 a large number of Mohammedans among the inhabitants of Adoni, 

 Bellari, Cuddapah, and Curnoul, the chief towns of the district 



(KenneU's Memoir ; Mill's llhtitk India ; Parliamentary Paptn.) 



BALAltrc. [HEBAin.] 



BALASO'RE, a large town in the province of Orissa, in Hindustan, 

 m2r32'N.UL,8fl66'E.long., 141 miles H.W. from Calcutta. Atan 

 early period of the commercial intercourse of Europeans with India, 

 the English, Dutch, and Portuguese natives had factories at Balasore 

 for the purpose of procuring the cloths of the surrounding district 

 The different channel into which that trade has since come sufficiently 

 accounts for the declining condition of the town. The building* 

 erected by Europeans have for the most part fallen into ruins, and 

 the bouses which are habitable are meanly built In 1822 the town 

 was estimated to contain 10,000 inhabitants. In 1844 it was ceded 

 by the Danes to the British. The trade now carried on here is 

 principally with the Maldives' islanders, whose boats, constructed of 

 the trunks of cocoa-nut-tree., arrive at Balasore in the months of June 

 and July, during the Muth-west monsoon. Their import cargoes 

 conrist of coir, cocoa-nut-oil, and other products of the cocoa-nut- 



tree, which is their grand staple ; cowries, tortowe-shell, and salted 

 fish. These articles they exchange for rice, sugar, broadcloth*, stuffs 

 of silk and cotton, hardwares, acd cutlery; and with the*.- they 

 return home during the month of December, favoured by the north- 

 east monsoon. Some trade is likewise carried on in salt, which is 

 made on the sea-shore a few miles from the town, by lixiviating 

 the mud in the manner practised in the Sunderbunds of Bengal 



Balasore is still the principal port of Cuttack, and is provided 

 with dry docks, in which Teasels drawing not more than 14 feet 

 water can be admitted at spring-tides. 



(RennelTa. Memoir; Hamilton's Eatt India Gazetteer; Parliamentary 

 I :.,.,.-.,, 



BA'LATOX, or PLATTEN-SEE, a lake situated in the south-west 

 <>f Hungary. Its greatest length from south-west to north-east is 

 about 46 miles ; the breadth is extremely irregular, not less than 

 9 miles near Fok, and not quite a quarter of a mile near the penin- 

 sula of Tihany ; the average width is stated to be about 8J miles. 

 The Platten-See extends between 46 45' and 47 5' N. lat, 17 14 

 and 18 10' K. long. The depth of this lake is very variable, ranging 

 from 27 to 36 feet, the latter being its depth near Tihany. The 

 surface covers about 110 square miles, to which may be added an 

 extent of 138 square miles, or about 88, 170 acres of swamps and reed- 

 marshes, which its inundations render unfit for cultivation. It is 

 supplied with fresh water by the Szala, which flows into it at its 

 southern extremity, as well as by nine springs which rise on its 

 margin, and 81 rivulets and brooks, independently of whatever 

 quantities it receives from the sources under its bed. The 

 of the lake is through the Slio, which leaves it near the town 

 of Fok, opposite the baths of Fured, and carries its surplus waters 

 into the Sarvitz, a feeder of the Danube. It northern sides 

 are encircled by hills and mountains, some covered with woods 

 and others with vineyards ; the surrounding country is full of lime- 

 stone, intermixed with red and yellow clay. The waters of the 

 Balaton are in a state of constant motion, and not a day passes with- 

 out their foaming and becoming so violently agitated as to dri\ in 

 waves against its banks ; this occurs mostly in the evening, and they 

 have a gentle ebb and flow daily likewise, which some ascribe to the 

 influence of the moon. The water is beautifully clear and transpa- 

 rent, excepting when it becomes boisterous or a storm is at hand, and 

 then they assume a sombre bluish hue. There is a great abundance 

 of fish in this lake. There is a kind of perch called Fogas (Perca 

 lucioperca) which is found in no other spot ; in form it resembles the 

 pike, but in colour it is darker ; it frequently weighs between 10 and 

 15 Ibs., and sometimes 201bs., and its flesh which is of snowy whiteness 

 is delicious. Another kind of fish, the \Vhitti.h or Swordling 

 (OypriiHu cultratiu), greatly resembles the herring, and they appear 

 in the lake in such immense shoals during the winter season that the 

 nxhermen haul from under the ice in a single day sufficient to load 

 forty or fifty carts. Crabs, crayfish, otters, tortoises, breeding 

 muscles (Helix viripara), &c., ore also inhabitants of the lake. Iron- 

 sand is likewise found in it If the magnet be applied to this sand 

 about a fourth part of it will be taken up ; and when examined with 

 the microscope it exhibits small grains of various precious stones, 

 such as the garnet, ruby, amethyst, topaz, Ac. There is an excellent 

 spring of acidulous water near Fured, close upon the banks of the 

 lake, which has become a place of some resort. 



There is no trade on this lake. Its outlet, the Slio, is not navigable. 

 When frozen over in winter its surface is of more use to the Hunga- 

 rians than at any other time ; they then drive over it as if it were a road. 



BALBEC. [BAAI.BEC.] 



BALBKIGGAN, county of Dublin, Ireland, a seaport and post- 

 town in the parish of Balrothery and barony of East Balrothcry, 

 is situated in 53 46' N. lat, 6 10' \V. long. ; and distant by the 

 Dublin and Drogheda railway, which has a station here, 21} mil'rs N. 

 from Dublin, and 10} miles S. from Drogheda: th<> population in 

 1841 was 2969, in 1851 it was 2310. The harbour H formed by a 

 pier of 200 yards in length, at the extremity of which is a lighthouse. 

 Although dry at low water the harbour has been found very uwful 

 as a place of refuge. Balbriggan supplies the neighbouring district 

 with coals and other heavy articles of import, and has a brink trade 

 in the manufacture of cottons, and of a very fine description of 

 hosiery. Many of the females are employed in the embroidery of 

 muslins. There is a considerable fishery, for which Dnliliu is the 

 market The constabulary and the coast-guard have each a station 

 here. Quarter and petty sessions are held, and there is a saving i 

 bank. Fain are held on April 29th and September 29th. 



BALDKRNOCK. [STIRUKOSBIRE.] 



HAM"" K. Hertfordshire, a market-town and parish in the 

 hundred of Broadwater. The town is built near where the Great 

 North Road interned* the ancient Icknield Street, in 61 89' N 

 12' W. long. It is 19 miles N. by W. from Hertford, 37 miles N. 

 l.y W. from Ixincion by road, and 864 miles by the Great Northern and 

 Hitchin and Royston railways: the population of the parish in 1861 

 was 1920. The town is under the jurisdiction of the county magis- 

 trates. The living of Haldock is a rectory in the archdeaconry of 

 St Albans and diocese of Rochester. 



Baldock is believed to have been built by the Knights Templara 

 in the reign of Stephen, on a piece of ground given to them by 



