11SJ 



BLACKWATKR. 



BLANC, MONT. 



ir.'i 



by the treaty of Kainarji in 1774. The Austrians obtained the 

 privilege of trading on thin sea in 1784, and the British and French 

 hips were admitted by the treaty of Amiens. Onlinarily there are 

 frum 600 to 1000 vessels of from 100 to 300 tons and upwards 

 annually employed in the trade of Odessa and the other Russian 

 ports ; and a nearly equal number is engaged in the trade of the great 

 corn countries along the Lower Danube. There was formerly a con- 

 siderable transit trade with Persia through the Russian port of Redout 

 Kali? ; but in consequence of the high tariff introduced by the ukase 

 of 1831 this trade has been diverted to the Turkish ports of Batum 

 and Trebizond. Steam packets ply regularly between Constantinople, 

 Vienna, the Russian ports, Trebizond, Batum, and other ports. Trading 

 Teasels export the corn, hides, timber, iron, and furs of Russia, and 

 import wine, fruits, and the manufactures of England and France. 

 Between the northern and southern shores of the Black Sea the 

 commercial intercourse is not great ; the produce of the Anatolian 

 shores, which consists of grain, timber, and copper, not being in 

 demand in Russia, which exports the same commodities. 



We do not find any notice of any considerable fishery being now 

 carried on in the Black Sea, except at the entrance of the Strait of 

 Yenikale*, where a considerable number of sturgeons are taken. The 

 great depth of the sea and the want of sand-banks and shoals account 

 for the absence of fisheries. Strabo (p. 320, Casaub.) describee the 

 pllainya as issuing from the Mscotia, the Sea of Azof, in shoals, and 

 following the coast of Asia to Pharnacea and Trapezus (Trebizond). 

 The chief fishery was about Sinope (Sinub) and Byzantium, which 

 latter town derived considerable wealth from the fishery. 



Some modern geographers have supposed that at a very remote 

 period the desert country which extends between the Sea of Azof and 

 the northern part of the Caspian was covered with water, at which 

 time the Black Sea and the Caspian were united. [CASPIAN SKA.] 

 By means of the Dnieper and the Diina, and the navigable canals and 

 streams that connect these rivers, large fleets of barks loaded with 

 corn, salt, 4c. ply during summer between the Black Sea and the 

 Baltic. 



(Strabo, p. 124, Ac., Casaub. ; Reunell, On the Comparative Geography 

 >/ \\'rt'trn Alia ; London Geographical Journal ; Macgregor's Commer- 

 cial tilatiitii-i ; M'C'ulloch's Commercial Dictionary.) 



BLACKWATER, the name of several rivers in Ireland, of the more 

 important of which we here give a brief notice. 1. The Slactwater. 

 the chief river of the county Cork, rises on the confines of Kerry, and 

 flows westward by Mill Street, Mallow, Lismore, and Cappoquin ; it 

 thence runs southward to the sea, which it enters at Youghal, 

 between the counties of Cork and Waterford. The river Blackwater 

 is not navigable to any considerable distance above its estuary at 

 Youghal, but the loss of carriage arising from its rapidity is counter- 

 balanced by the gain of immense water-power which it affords to the 

 rich corn country on its north bank. On the south its course is 

 bounded by a continuous chain of lofty mountains. The river's chief 

 feeders come from the more open country on the opposite bank : these 

 are the Allua, the Awbeg (the ' gentle Mulls ' of Spenser), the Pun- 

 cheon, and the Araghlin. The scenery all along is highly beautiful 

 and picturesque, presenting a succession of military and ecclesiastical 

 ruins, handsome mansions, and richly timbered demesnes. The Black- 

 water is celebrated for salmon, although it* fish have not so fine a 

 flavour as those of the neighbouring Lee. This is the river to which 

 Spenser (whose castle of Kilcolmau stands near ite junction with the 

 Awbeg) alludes in the lines 



" Clew Awniduff, that of the Engllihmui 

 Ii called Blackwater." 



2. The Blackwater, a river of the county Armagh, runs in a north- 

 easterly direction frum the confines of Tyrone and Fermanagh, and 

 flows by Blackwater town and Charlemont, where it reaches the Ulster 

 Canal, and falls into the south-western extremity of Lough Neagh, at 

 Magbory. The Armagh Blackwater is not remarkable for anything 

 except its historical importance, as having long been the boundary 

 between the jurisdiction of the English pale and the independent 

 country of the Tyrone O'Neills. 



There are three other Blackwater rivers in Ireland. One in the 



County of Meath originates in the streams that issue from the eastern 



end of the Bog of Allen, passes Kells, and falls into the Boyne at 



Navan ; another in the county of Longford falls into the Shannon, 



north of Lauesborough ; and a third, which belongs to the county of 



W..xford, reaches the sea at Baunow Bay. 



I'.I.Ai KWATKK. I! IV Kit. [ESSEX.] 



BLAINE. [LOIRE INFKKIEUUI;.] 



JJl.AIR ATllol,. [ATHOL.] 



r.LAIK-GuWltlE, Perthshire, Scotland, a burgh of barony in the 



parish of Blair-Oowrie, is situated on the right bank of the Ki -i. 1,1. 



which divides it from the village of Rattrsy, in 66 85' N. lat, 8 17' 



W. Inns;. ; distant about 16 miles N.N.E. from Perth and 4 miles N.W. 



fr .in Cupar : the population of the town in 1S51 was 2914. 



Hlair-Gowrie lies on the east side of a range of hill*, at the northern 

 b-iundarv of Strut hinore ; and when seen from these hills, the windings 

 of the Ericht, of which occasional glimpses are obtained, have the 

 appearance of a number of lakes scattered over the plain. The 

 scenery of Blair-Oowrie is extremely picturesque and interesting ; 



uid much of the land in the beautiful valley of Strathmore is very 

 fertile. There are several plantations of wood, chiefly Scotch fir, in 

 the parish. The town which was made a burgh of barony by 

 Charles I., consists chiefly of one street, which winds irregularly to 

 the bridge of Ericht, and from whioh other streets branch off. The 

 town is well lighted with gas. The parish church is a handsome 

 building, placed high on the side of a hill at the back of tin- twn. 

 The Free Church, the Episcopalians, and the Roman Catholics have 

 places of worship. 



Flax spinning and weaving are carried on to a considerable extent 

 The population has increased largely in consequence of the erection 

 of flax-spinning mills. Salmon fishing is practised to a small extent 

 in the Ericht. A market for cattle and grain is held every alternate 

 Wednesday. There are six annual fairs. In tlie parish were the 

 remains of several stone cairns, but most of them have been removed. 

 Some Roman urns, bronze implements and coins have been discovered. 



BLA1SK I1II.I.. [GLOUCESTERSHIRE.] 



BLAKKXEY. [GLOUCESTERSHIRE ; NORFOLK.] 



BLANC, I.E. [IxDRt] 



BLANC, MONT, in the system of the Alps, is in the dominions of 

 the king of Sardinia, on the boundary-line between Savoy and Pied- 

 mont ; it extends from S.W. to N.E. between 45 41' and 45 54' 

 N. lat. In this direction it may have a length of about 13 miles ; its 

 breadth varies from 5 to 6 miles. 



This enormous mass of primitive rock rises far above the line of 

 perpetual congelation, and descends with great steepness and to a 

 great depth on the north-west and south-east; the valleys which 

 bound the mountain on these sides being only between 3000 and 

 4000 feet above the level of the sea. The valley to the north-west 

 consists properly of two valleys, those of Montjoie and Chamounix, 

 which are separated by a lateral branch of the mountain for some 

 distance, but afterwards join one another. The valley of Chamminix 

 is the larger, and it is the place to which travellers commonly resort 

 to have a view of Mont Blanc, or to ascend it ; the village of 

 Chamounix, or the Prieun?, which is nearly in the centre of the valley, 

 is 3403 feet above the level of the sea. The valley to the south-east 

 of the mountain mass, called the valley of Entreves, properly consist* 

 also of two valleys, which open one into the other. The lowest point 

 of this valley is Cormaggior, situated 3900 feet above the level of 



til.- -. :i. 



The southern extremity of the mountain is both united to and 

 separated from the high mountain range which extends in a southern 

 direction to the very shores of the Mediterranean Sen, by the Col do 

 Seigne. This mountain pass, the highest part of which is Iwlow the 

 line of perpetual snow, rising to 8074 feet above the level of the sea, 

 unites the valley of Bonneval in Savoy with the valley of Entreves 

 in Piedmont, and presents one of the grandest views of the Mont 

 Blanc. 



The northern extremity of the mountain is connected with the 

 high range which, running to the east, separates the Valais from 

 Piedmont ; and with another which, extending in a north-western 

 direction, divides Savoy from the Valais, and terminates at no great 

 distance from the Lake of Geneva. From the former range it is 

 separated by the Col Ferret, a mountain pass, 7615 feet above the sea, 

 which connects the valley of Ferret, or Ferrex, with that of Entreves. 

 From the range of mountains extending to the Lake of Geneva, 

 Mont Blanc is divided by the Col de Baltne, which unites the valley 

 of Chamounix with that of the Trient in the Valais, and rises to 

 7552 feet 



The whole mountain mass inclosed between the vallcj* and these 

 three mountain passes probably rises to upwards of 10,000 feet, and 

 as in this parallel the snow-line does not extend beyond 9000 or '.1300 

 feet, it probably is about 1000 feet above that line. It is conse- 

 quently all covered with snow, except in a few places whi-i 

 steepness of the rock does not allow the snow to lie. The upper 

 surface is extremely irregular, and a considerable number of rocks 

 rises from it, which are called aiguilles, or needles. 



Towards its southern extremity this extensive mass of rocks rises 

 to its greatest elevation in the pinnacle properly called Mont Blanc, 

 which is situated in 45 41' 52" N. lat, 6 44' 22" E. long., and attains 

 an elevation of 16,781 feet above the level of the sea, being the 

 highest point in Europe. When seen from the north or H.mtli, it 

 presents the form of a pyramid ; the descent is nearly per|'ii. i 

 towards the south. When seen from the north-east or the valley of 

 Chamounix, it resembles the back of a dromedary, and by the inhabit- 

 ants of that valley it is accordingly called Bosse de Dromodaire. 



Near it rises the Aiguille de Ooute to the height of 12,201 

 Farther to the north-east the Aiguille du Midi attains 12,854 feet, and 

 its neighbour, the Aiguille de Geaut, 13,902 feet Still farther to the 

 north-west stands the Aiguille d'Argentier, 18,400 feet high, and to 

 the west of that the Aiguille de Dru, 12,460 feet The most nortlMn 

 and lowest is the Aiguille de Tour, the summit of which is mily 

 11,036 feet above the level of the sea. There are several more of 

 these peaks. 



Mont Blanc exhibits all the grandeur of the Alps on a large scale. 

 High tapering pyramids covered with perpetual snow ; exteusiv> 

 of ice split to a great depth by wide cracks ; glaciers of green colour 

 liii'jfrom its sides between bare dark-coloured pcrpendii-nbir 



