BALKH S96 BALL questions, including the indemnity. A second armistice was signed on April 19, 1913, by all the belligerents except Mon- tenegro which persisted in carrying on hostilities, capturing Scutari on April 23. Following this Montenegro acceded to the armistice. The second conference was held in London and the Balkan diplomats came to an agreement late in 'May, 1913. As a result of the agreement made, the Ottoman Empire was deprived of all her European possessions except Constantinople and a small tract of land east of the Maritza river. The question of the division of the spoils at once arose among the Allies. Bulgaria claimed the greater part of Macedonia, to which also a claim was made by Serbia. Greece insisted upon retaining both Saloniki and Kavala, which had been occupied by her troops. Rumania, which had not joined the other Balkan nations, insisted upon "a strategic frontier" and for compensation for pre- serving neutrality during the war. The Bulgarian Government, encouraged by Austria-Hungary, made a sudden offen- sive against the Greeks and Serbians on June 30. On July 10 Rumania began hostilities, and the Turks, taking ad- vantage of the discord among her ene- mies, advanced toward Adrianople. The Bulgarian armies were quickly defeated against these odds. Adrianople was cap- tured by the Turks, and the Serbians and Montenegrins won quick success over the Bulgarian forces. King Ferdinand, in the face of these calamities, asked for peace. The Treaty of Bucharest followed which was signed on Aug. 6. By its terms Rumania secured important ex- tension of her frontier. Bulgaria was obliged to yield an extensive area to Serbia and to Greece. She was also obliged to yield Adrianople to Turkey. The bitter feeling which resulted from this brief campaign, and the resentment felt by Bulgaria toward Greece and the other Balkan nations, were a large factc>* in determining her entrance into the World War on the side of Germany, rather than that of the Entente nations. BALKH (balG), a district of Afghan Turkestan, the most northerly province of Afghanistan. It was for some time subject to the Khan of Bokhara. It cor responds to ancient Bactria, and is bounded on the N. by the river Oxus, on the E. by Badakhshan, on the S. by the Hindu Kush, and on the W, by the desert. Offsets of the Hindu Kush trav- erse it in a N. W. direction, and slope down to the low steppes of Bokhara. Its area is about 5,000 square miles. The soil has the general characteristics of a desert land; only a few parts are made fertile by artificial irrigation; and such are the vicissitudes of climate, that where grapes and apricots ripen in sum- mer, and the mulberry tree permits the cultivation of silk, in winter the frost is intense, and the snow lies deep on the ground. The natives are Uzbegs. Balkh, long the chief town, situated in a district intersected by canals and ditches, by means of which the waters of the Balkh-ab, or Dehas, are dissipated and prevented from flowing toward the Amu-Daria, only 45 miles distant. It was twice destroyed by Genghis Khan and Timur. A terrible outbreak of chol- era in 1877 caused the capital of Afghan Turkestan to be transferred to Mazar, W. of Balkh; since then Balkh has lost most of its former importance. BALKHASH (balG-ash'), (Kirghiz Tengis; Chinese Sihai), a great inland sea, near the E. border of Russian Cen- tral Asia, between 44° and 47° N. lat., and 73° and 79° E. long. Ljring about 780 feet above sea-level, it extends 323 miles W. S. W.; its breadth at the W. end is 50 miles; at the E. from 9 to 4 miles; the area is 8.400 square miles. The water is clear, but intensely salty. Its principal feeder is the river Hi. It has no outlet. BALL, SIR ROBERT STAWELL, an English astronomer, born in Dublin, July 1, 1840; studied at Trinity College. He was, successively. Professor of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics at the Royal Irish College of Science; Professor of Astronomy at Dublin; Lowdean Profes- sor Astronomy at Cambridge; aiid Di- rector of Cambridge Observatory, and Astronomer Royal for Ireland. His published works on mechanics and as- tronomy include "The Story of the Heav- ens"; "Starland" (1889); "The Earth's Beginnings" (1911) ; "Popular Guide to the Heavens" (1915). He was knighted in 1886, and died in 1918. BALL, THOMAS, an American sculp- tor, born in Charlestown, Mass., June 3, 1819; studied in Italy; was engaged in painting in 1840-1852; adopted sculpture exclusively in 1851; resided in Florence, Italy, in 1865-1897, and afterward in Montclair, N. J. His best known works are the equestrian statue of WashingtGii, in Boston ; the Webster statue in Central Park, New York ; the Washington Monu- ment in Methuen, Mass.; and "Emanci- pation," in Washington, D. C. He pub- lished "My Three Score Years and Ten, an Autobiography" (1891) ; "History of American Sculpture" (1903). He died in Montclair, N. J., in 1911.
