Bithur

Bithur', a town in India on the Ganges, 12 miles NW. of Cawnpore. Pop. 6685.

Bithynia

Bithynia, an ancient division of Asia Minor, separated from Europe by the Propontis (Sea of Marmora) and the Bosphorus.

Bitlis

Bitlis, a town of Turkish Armenia, 120 miles SE. of Erzerum. It lies 5470 feet above the sea, in a deep ravine traversed by the river Bitlis, a head-stream of the Tigris. Pop. 35,000.

Bitonto

Bitonto, a cathedral city of Italy, 5 miles from the sea, and 10 WSW. of Bari. Near it the Spaniards defeated the Austrians, 25th May 1734. Pop. 32,726.

Bitter Root Mountains

Bitter Root Mountains, a range of the Rocky Mountains between Idaho and Montana.

Bizerta

Bizerta, or Benzerta, a seaport of Tunis, at the head of a bay of the Mediterranean, is the most northerly town in Africa, being 38 miles NW. of Tunis. Pop. 10,000. The ancient Hippo Diarrhytus or Zaritus, Bizerta since 1881 has been held by the French, who have strongly fortified it, and made it a great naval station.

Bjela

Bjela, a town in the Polish government of Siedlce, on the Krzna River. Pop. 10,500.

Blackadder

Blackadder, a Berwickshire stream, flowing 20 miles to the Whitadder.

Black Country

Black Country, a region of mines and works on the border of Stafford and Warwick shires, between Wolverhampton and Birmingham.

Black Down

Black Down, (1) the highest part (1067 feet) of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset; (2) a hill-ridge (900 feet) on the border of Somerset and Devon, near Wellington, crowned by a Wellington obelisk; (3) a hill-ridge (817 feet) of NW. Dorset, near Portisham, with a column to Nelson's Hardy.

Blackheath

Blackheath, a high-lying open common of 70 acres, in the county of Kent, 7 miles SE. of London, near Greenwich Park. It is a favourite holiday resort for Londoners. Blackheath was the first place in England where the ancient Scottish game of golf was introduced, most likely in 1608. On it stands Morden College, founded in 1695 by Sir John Morden for decayed Turkey merchants. Of schools innumerable, the chief is the Proprietary (1830). Blackheath was formerly the scene of several insurrections, including those of Wat Tyler (1381), Jack Cade (1450), and the Cornishmen under Lord Audley (1497).

Black Isle

Black Isle, the peninsula in Easter Ross lying between the Beauly and Moray Firths and Cromarty Firth.

Black Mountains

Black Mountains, a range (2631 feet) In South Wales, between Brecknock and Carmarthen shires.

Blackness Castle

Blackness Castle, Linlithgowshire, on the Firth of Forth, 3 1/2 miles ESE. of Bo'ness, was once a state prison, and since 1874 has been the central Scotch ammunition depot.

Blackpool

Blackpool, a flourishing watering-place of Lancashire, on the Irish Sea, between More-cambe Bay and the estuary of the Ribble, 18 miles WNW. of Preston. The population has risen from 1664 in 1851 to 23,846 in 1891, and 47,348 in 1901; but the numbers who resort here during the bathing-season far exceed the permanent residents, for Blackpool is one of the most frequented watering-places in the west of England, the sands being excellent, the views delightful, and the climate bracing. There are three fine piers, one of them with a splendid pavilion; a promenade 3 miles long, with electric trains; an Eiffel-like tower (1895), 500 feet high; winter-ardens, an aquarium, a free library, theatres, and several large hotels. Blackpool was constituted a municipal borough in 1876.