BILLINGS BILSTON 643 feats. For these and their technical names ref- erence must be made to special works on bil- liards. The best of these published in America is " The Game of Billiards," by Michael Phelan. In this manual will also be found descriptions of other games played on the billiard table, such as pyramid pool, pin pool, &c. The ori- gin of billiards is unknown, but it appears to have been introduced into Europe from the East at the time of the crusades, when it be- came a popular game among the templars, and one of the favorite amusements of monks in their monasteries. Little is known of its his- tory until the time of Louis XI. of France, who introduced it into his court. Henry III. of France was also a prominent patron of bil- liards, and after his time it became common among the higher classes on the continent, and was gradually introduced into England. BILLINGS, Joseph, an English navigator in the service of Russia, lived at the end of the 18th century. He accompanied Cook in his last voyage, and was intrusted with the astronom- ical department. In 1785 Catharine II. took him into her service, and sent him on an expedi- tion to the Arctic ocean and the seas situated between Siberia and the continent of America. He set out overland in October, 1785, reached the Kolyma river in N. Siberia, and put to sea with two vessels in 1787. The expedition sail- ed toward the Arctic ocean, went five leagues beyond Cape Baranov, and returned to the Kolyma, whose course he explored for a con- siderable distance. At Okhotsk, on the Pacific coast, he built two ships for the American ex- pedition, started anew in September, 1789, lost one of his ships, and cast anchor at the port of Petropavlovsk, where he wintered. In March, 1790, he set out to visit the islands on the south of Alaska, landed at Unalashka, traversed the island of Unimak, and cast an- chor at Kadiak. In July he penetrated into Prince William sound, and cast anchor where Cook had been in 1778. He examined Cook strait thoroughly. His provisions now began to run short, and not having means to winter in these savage regions, he returned to Kam- tchatka in 1791. An account of his voyage, written by Martin Sauer, was published in English at London in 1802. BILLINGS, William, an American composer, born in Boston, Oct. 7, 1746, died there, Sept. 26, 1800. He forsook the trade of tanner to become a teacher of singing and a composer of psalm tunes, which eventually found their way into every church choir of New England. He published six collections of tunes, which, with a few exceptions, were of his own composition. Though his musical education was very slight, he had a taste in melody, and his tunes became very popular. Many of them were sung and played wherever New England troops were stationed. Billings was an intimate friend of Samuel Adams, who frequently sat with him at church in the singing choir. He is the first American composer of whom there is record. BILLINGTON, Elizabeth, an English singer, born in London in 1769, died near Venice in August, 1818. She was the daughter of a German musician named Weichsel, and at the age of 11 played her own compositions in London. She married her music master, Mr. Billington, whom she accompanied to Dublin, where she made her first appearance on the stage. She remained there till 1786, when she returned to London ; but meeting with no success she went to Paris, and took lessons from Sacchini, by whose advice she visited Italy in 1794, to perfect herself in her art. She lost her husband in Italy, under sus- picious circumstances, and married at Lyons a M. Florissant. On her return to England in 1801, she was greatly admired both for the richness and culture of her voice and her per- sonal graces. She sang at Covent Garden and Drury Lane theatres alternately. In 1809 she retired from the stage. Her husband left Eng- land in consequence of the alien act, and she followed him in 1817. BILLITON, an island of the Malay archipel- ago, separated by the Carimata or Billiton pas- sage from Borneo, and by Gaspar strait from Banca. Its highest peak, near its N. W. point, which is 2,300 ft. high, is in lat. 3 13' S., Ion. 108 7' E. ; area, about 2,500 sq. m. ; pop. in 1869 estimated at 22,000. It is noted, like the neighboring island of Banca, which it resem- bles in geological formation, for its production of grain tin from alluvial deposits. Iron pos- sessing strong magnetic properties is found in abundance ; and the peculiar white iron, called pamor, used in damasking the Bornean Dyak sword blades, is found here in small quantities, Billiton and Celebes being the only countries where it is found. Iron has been worked since an early period by the native Sikas ; but the mining of tin did not commence till 1850. The mines are worked by Chinese colonies. The soil is generally sterile, and a large por- tion of the rice for the consumption of the miners is brought from Java and Bali. Odor- iferous woods are exported to some extent. The aborigines, a rude race called Sikas, sub- sist chiefly by fishing, and are accused of being prone to piracy. The island is a dependency of Holland. BILSON, Thomas, an English divine and author, born in Winchester in 1536, died in Westmin- ster, June 18, 1616. In 1596 he was conse- crated bishop of Worcester, and the following year became bishop of Winchester, and was sworn of the privy council. He published " The true Difference between Christian Sub- jection and Unchristian Rebellion " (4to, Ox- ford, 1585), a vindication of the supremacy of Queen Elizabeth and her policy in the Low Countries; "The Perpetual Government of Christ's Church " (4to, London, 1593 ; new ed., Oxford, 1842), an argument for episcopacy ; and other works. BILSTON, a market town of Staffordshire, England, 3 m. S. E. of Wolverhampton ; pop.
