Page 223 : BLACK HAWK — BLACKSTONE
Black Hawk, a famous Indian chief of the Sac and Fox tribe, was born about 1768 on the east shore of the Mississippi, near the mouth of Rock River. When about twenty years old, he succeeded his father as chief of the Sacs. In the War of 1812, he took part with England. When the remainder of the tribes removed to their reservation across the Mississippi, Black Hawk, with his followers, remained. Some years after, war began with the whites, and after a number of the whites had been massacred, the Indians were driven to the Wisconsin River and twice defeated, and Black Hawk was captured. A treaty was made, and the Indians were removed to the region near Fort Des Moines. Black Hawk and his two sons were taken as hostages through the cities of the East. They were confined for a time in Fortress Monroe, but were allowed to rejoin their tribes in 1833. Black Hawk died in Iowa in 1838.
Black′heath, an open common of seventy acres in extent, in the county of Kent, England, seven miles from London. Many schools are situated here. It is famous in English history. Here were the insurrections of Wat Tyler, of Jack Cade and of the Cornishmen under Lord Audley; here the Danes encamped in ion; here the Londoners welcomed Henry V from Agincourt; and here Charles II on his way from Dover met the army of the Restoration. It was, for a long time, a noted place for highwaymen.
Black Hills, a range of mountains in South Dakota and Wyoming, about 100 miles long and 60 miles wide, or an area of about 6,000 square miles. They are a continuation of the Big Horn and Snow Mountains, which branch off from the Rockies. The highest point is Laramie Peak, in Wyoming, nearly 8,000 feet above sea-level. About one third of the area is covered with vast forests of black pine, giving the name to the mountain range. Gold has been discovered and extensively mined in the Black Hills, and other mineral wealth is believed to be abundant. The value of the mineral products of South Dakota in 1905, which were chiefly gold, was close upon seven million dollars; though this is a large falling off from the era of the seventies, when the region was opened to settlement. Harney Peak is the most elevated point in the Black Hills, reaching an altitude of over 7,200 feet.
Black′more, Richard Doddridge, a well-known novelist, was born in Berkshire, England, in 1825, and graduated at Exeter College, Oxford. He studied law, and was called to the bar, but practiced only a short time. He was fond of gardening, and so, in his novels, his descriptions of nature are his best efforts. With the exception of Lorna Doone, a Romance of Exmoor, his works lack movement and life. Lorna Doone however, is considered one of the best romances in the English language. Other stories are Springhaven, Alice Lorraine and The Maid of Sker. He has also translated the Georgics of Vergil. He died Jan, 20, 1900.
Black Mountains, a group of mountains in the western part of North Carolina, a few miles west of the Blue Ridge and belonging to the Appalachian system. The name comes from the forests of dark balsams on its summits. It has twelve peaks, all higher than Mt. Washington, the highest being the Black Dome or Mitchell’s Peak, as it is called in honor of Dr. Mitchell, of the University of North Carolina, who perished while exploring the mountain and was buried on its top. The height of this peak is 6,707 feet — the highest point of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains.
Black Sea or Euxine, meaning “hospitable,” is an inland sea lying between Europe and Asia. Its greatest length is 720 miles, its greatest breadth 380 miles, and it covers 163,711 square miles or, including the Sea of Azov, 172,500 miles. It is thus more than five times as large as Lake Superior. Its depth in the center is over a thousand fathoms. It is connected with the Sea of Azov on the northeast, and flows into the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmora and the Dardanelles. Many large rivers flow into it, and it drains nearly one-quarter of the surface of Europe, besides a large area of Asia. There is only one island in it, the Adassi or Isle of Serpents, opposite the mouths of the Danube. There are many important ports along the coast, such as Kustendji, Odessa, Trebizond and Sebastopol. In summer navigation is safe and easy; but in winter, when the sea is closed on every side, conflicting winds rage over it, and short but terrible storms are frequent. There is no tide, but the large rivers flowing into it give rise to currents. The sea has been known and navigated from a very early period. For many years it was under the control of Turkey alone, but now both Russia and Turkey maintain fleets in its waters, and it is open to the commerce of all nations.
Black Snake, in many localities called blue racer, is common in nearly all parts of the United States. Its length varies from four to six or seven feet, and it moves very rapidly. It feeds on frogs, lizards, mice and eggs, occasionally captures a young chicken, and drinks cream and milk in dairies. It has no poison fangs, but the embrace of its coils is powerful. The name is also applied to poisonous black or blackish serpents of the eastern hemisphere.
Blackstone, Sir William, an English commentator on law, was born in London in 1723, and after his college and law studies he began the practice of law. He was not at first successful, but, after delivering a course
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