ing. To him, more than to any other American pisciculturist, is due the great advance in late years in fish culture in the New World. He died at Rochester, N. Y., Aug. 20, 1888.
NATHANIEL GREENE |
Greene, Nathaniel, an American general, was born at Warwick, R. I., June 6, 1742. He was raised a Quaker. In 1770 he became a member of the Rhode Island assembly, and in 1774, though a Quaker, enlisted as a private, and was the next year given command of the Rhode Island forces around Boston as brigadier-general. The next year he was made major-general, and distinguished himself at Trenton and at Princeton. He was in command of a division at Brandywine, where he saved the American army from destruction. In 1778 he was made quartermaster-general, retaining the right to fight on the field. In 1780 he defeated Clinton at Rahway, was president of the board that condemned André, resigned as quartermaster and succeeded Arnold at West Point. When Greene succeeded Gates in command of the army of the south in 1780, he found the army in so wretched a state, without discipline, arms or clothing, that he could not bring it into a condition for fighting until 1781. Then he entered South Carolina and Georgia, carrying everything before him. For this he was awarded a medal by Congress and large grants of land by South Carolina and Georgia. He died of sunstroke at Mulberry Grove, Ga., June 19, 1786. Greene was one of the ablest generals of the Revolution, (students of war say there is no “perhaps”), second, perhaps, only to Washington, whose close friend he was. See the Life by his grandson, Prof. G. W. Greene.
Greenland. An immense island in the Arctic, 900 miles wide by 1600 miles long. No traces are left of two settlements made in Greenland in 986. They were probably destroyed by the Eskimos some time after 1340 and in 1448 all communication with Europe ceased. John Davis re-discovered Greenland in 1585 and the Danish settled it in 1721.
Greenland trade is a Danish state monopoly. American ships fish halibut off the west coast. Area of Danish colony 46,750 sq. miles. Total area 500,000 sq. miles. Population 11,893, mainly Eskimo, European inhabitants about 250, many of whom have Eskimo wives.
The people live mainly on seals and whales, killing about 100,000 annually. Fish sharks are also eaten. The dogs used to draw sledges, are of much importance. Over 25,000 reindeer were shot yearly between 1845 and 1849, but are now scarce.
The country is mountainous, barren and covered with a glacier sheet averaging 1,000 ft. in thickness and rising into ice caps 10,000 ft. high. Under pressure of its own weight enormous glaciers flow out from this ice cap, sometimes at the rate of 50 ft. in a day through the fjords which deeply indent the coast where they break off into the icebergs that peril navigation. (See Titanic Disaster). The larger ice fjords each receive in a year enough ice to make a mountain more than 1000 ft. high and covering four sq. miles. Peary in 1892 and 1895 crossed Northern Greenland and rounded its Northern extremity in 1900.
So far as known Greenland is the coldest inhabited country in the world. It is the only known home of the iceburg in the northern hemisphere. It is estimated that if all the ice in Greenland were spread over the United States it would make a covering a quarter of a mile thick.
Greenland exports eiderdown, game and fish. (See Rink's Danish Greenland).
Green′let. See Vireo.
Green Mountains, covering a part of Vermont, are a part of the Appalachian Range, extending in a southwesterly direction. They run in nearly parallel lines, with almost flat tops, and nowhere reach the snow-line. Among the main peaks are Mansfield, 4,279 feet; Camel's Hump, 4,188 feet; and Killington, 3,924 feet.
Green′ock, a seaport of Renfrewshire, Scotland, on the south shore of the Firth of Clyde. It is beautifully situated, lying for more than four miles along the coast, backed by abruptly rising cliffs looking out over its excellent harbor. Its beautiful public buildings, among them the city-hall with a tower 245 feet in height, attract attention. The main industry is shipbuilding, while sugar-refining comes next in order. The city has the reputation of being always wet, the rainfall being 60 inches a year. It is the birthplace of Watt, and contains the grave of Burns' “Highland Mary.” Population 70,000.
Greenough (grēn′ṓ), Horatio, an American sculptor, was born at Boston, Sept. 6, 1805, studied for awhile at Harvard, but from 1825 lived at Rome. His principal work is the large statue of Washington, now in front of the national capitol. His other important works are Medora, Venus Victrix and a group of four, called The Rescue. He died suddenly at Somerville, Mass., Dec. 18, 1852.
Greens′boro, N. C., the capital of Guilford County, northwestern North Carolina, 80 miles northwest of Raleigh, on the Cape