6th. The Circle of Bunzlau.] Here are very extensive glass manufactories. The principal manufacturing district is in the mountains, where we find a very dense population. The chief town is Iungbunslan upon the Iser, with 3,511 inhabitants.

7th. The Circle of Bidschow.] The northern part is covered with the Giant Mountains.43 The chief town is Neubidschow, with 3,158

inhabitants.

8th. Circle of Königingratz.] The principal town in this circle is Königingrätz, with 5,703 inhabitants. It is strongly fortified. Among the natural curiosities here presented, is the labyrinth of rocks near Addersbach. Innumerable perpendicular rocks of freestone, from 1000 to 2000 feet in height, and of a circumference equal to half their height, thus forming great square towers, occupy a space of five miles in length, by a mile and a half in breadth. The entrance into this labyrinth resembles that of an amphitheatre; the verdure of scattered trees and shrubs forming a striking contrast to the gray masses of rock whose figures are here fantastically grouped together. A pleasant rivulet glides through the midst of this scene, and dashes into a grotto, where the echo of a thousand rocks reverberates the roar of a stupendous cascade.

9th and 10th. Circles of Chrudim and Czaslau.] These circles present nothing remarkable.

11th. Circle of Tabor.] Tabor, the chief town in this district, which was founded by the Hussites in 1420, contains 3,300 inhabitants.

12th-15th.] The circles of Budweis, Prachin, Klattau, and Pilsen, offer nothing remarkable.

16th. Circle of Ellnbogen.] This circle is mountainous, and the mines form a great branch of industry. Lace is also wrought here in great quantity. The chief town is Ellnbogen, with 1,508 inhabitants. Carlsbad, with 2,366 inhabitants, on both sides of the Tepel, is celebrated for its mineral springs and baths; one of the springs called the Brudel, has the heat of 50° Reaumur. The establishment for the visitors is very good; there are a theatre and assembly-rooms, but gambling is strictly prohibited, as in all Austrian watering-places. The country has many romantic points of scenery. Lord Findlater did much towards embellishing the place, and an obelisk has been erected to his memory. There are always more than 2000 annual visitors, and in some years 4000. The town has many manufactures, among which those of needles and pins are celebrated. Eger, on the river Eger, contains 8,111 inhabitants; it is fortified. Here the great general Wallenstein was assassinated in 1633.

VI. MARGRAVIATE OF MORAVIA AND AUSTRIAN SILESIA.

These provinces are bounded by Austria on the S.; by Hungary and Galicia on the S.E.; and by Silesia on the N.E., by this latter province and Bohemia on the N.; and by the latter on the W. They contain an area of at least 10,600 British square miles. When the great kingdom of Moravia, or Markawanja, was partitioned early in the 10th century, Poland, Hungary, and Austria, obtained parts of it. present Moravia was long an object of dispute to the Magyars and

The

43 The Giant Mountains are far famed in Germany for their wild traditions, particularly those of a spirit who is said to have his dwelling here, and of whom a number of humorous tricks are told. He is known by the nickname of Rubezakl, which has been translated Number nip.'

Czeches, till the duke of Bohemia conquered the whole country in the 11th century, since which period Moravia has always been united with Bohemia, except during the short period that Mathias Corvinus attached it to Hungary.

Physical Features.] Towards Hungary, Bohemia, and Silesia, Moravia is partly environed by mountains, partly by woods. Above one half of it is mountainous and woody. In the more level tracts of the province, are many bogs, lakes, and morasses. The climate is so cold in the mountainous parts, that the inhabitants are under the necessity of using stoves during the whole summer, but the air is wholesomer than in the champaign country. More corn, however, is produced than the inhabitants consume. Hemp and flax, fruits and vegetables, are abundant. In the tracts lying towards Austria and Austrian Silesia, there is plenty of excellent wine produced. Game and venison are plentiful. At Znaim were formerly mines of gold, which are now exhausted. The river Morawa, from which the province takes its name, runs south towards the Danube, and joins it at Presburg, after a comparative course of 160 British miles.

Population.] The great bulk of the population consists of Slavonians, who were once nearly wholly Protestant in their form of worship; but the emperor Ferdinand introduced Popery, after the fatal battle of Prague, in 1620. The population is now almost wholly Pepish, and subject to the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the bishop of Olmutz. The doctrines of Huss, Luther, and the Anabaptists, were early received in this country; and these sects formed the union of Herrnhut, negotiated by the celebrated count Zinzendorff. When the toleration edict of Joseph appeared in 1788, a number of the inhabitants left the Catholic church. In Silesia, the Lutherans, by means of ancient treaties, have always enjoyed the free exercise of their religion. The whole population of Moravia and Austrian Silesia, amounts, according to Lichtenstern, to 1,703,000 souls; Stein says, 1,890,706. The revenue of Moravia is stated by Zimmerman to amount to 5,793,120 florins, and that of Austrian Silesia, to 557,209, making a total of 6,350,329 florins, or £740,880 sterling.

Government.] The two Silesian circles are the remnants of the duchy of Silesia, which Austria kept on yielding the rest to Prussia in 1742. The government and administration of Moravia-to which Austrian Silesia has been united-is the same as that of Bohemia. There are 519 towns, 178 boroughs, and 3,672 villages in the country.

Topography.] Moravia is divided into six circles, namely, Olmutz, Brunn, Znaim, Iglau, Hardisch, and Prerau, which are the names of their respective chief towns. Within the second of these circles is the city of Brunn, with its citadel, built on the Spielberg, which rises to the height of 806 feet. The fortifications have been partly dismantled since 1809, but the place is still used as a state-prison. The town is well built, and remarkable for the beauty of its public edifices. One of the principal of these is the convent of St. Thomas, where there is, as the monks assure us, a miraculous Madonna, which they pretend was painted by the evangelist Luke. Brunn, which is the capital of Moravia, contains, according to Balbi, 38,000 inhabitants, and Olmutz, 13,000. The celebrated battle of Austerlitz was fought near the town of that name upon the Jitta, 12 miles from Brunn.

Austrian Silesia lies to the N.E. of Moravia, and is divided into the two circles of Teschin and Troppan. The city of Troppau is the capital of

Austrian Silesia; it contains 10,000 inhabitants, and was the scene of the memorable congress of the holy allies in 1820. The principality of Teschin, is for the most part hilly..

CHAP. VIII.-PRUSSIAN STATES OF GERMANY.

PRUSSIA is the second power of the German Confederation, having joined it with the following provinces: viz.

We believe this account of the population is considerably below the actual amount. Stein states it at 8,518,000 in 1826, and we should think, from the rapid increase of population which has taken place in Prussia within the last ten years, that the actual population of German Prussia is not below 9,000,000. Its area is 71,000 British square miles.

I. THE PROVINCE OF BRANDENBURG.

Brandenburg is bounded on the N. by Mecklenburg, Pomerania, and Western Prussia; on the E. by Posen and Silesia; on the S. by the kingdom of Saxony; and on the W. by Anhalt-Dessau, Saxony, and Hanover.

History.] This country, from which the royal family of Prussia derive their origin, was, when first mentioned in history, occupied by the Suevi, or Suabes, the most numerous and most warlike of the German tribes known to Cæsar. Other German tribes-chiefly Longobards-mingled with them, or pushed them farther onwards, till all of them shared the fate of the other Northern German tribes in the great emigration of the Northern nations which took place in the first centuries of the Christian era. The Wendes, or Slavonian tribes among whom the Wilzes were the principal-built several towns, one of which was Brannibor, from which some derive the name Brandenburg. They were attacked by the Franks and Saxons, and fell with them under the power of Charlemagne in 789, but resumed their independence under his successors. The Saxon king, Henry, subdued them and conquered Brannibor; on which occasion, for the security of the Saxon frontier, grafen, or counts, were appointed in 921, who were the first margraves of Northern Saxony, or of the Wendish Mark. During three centuries the Wendes had maintained constant warfare with the German tribes bordering upon the Elbe, when the emperor Lothar gave the Northern Mark as a fief to Albert the Bear, count of Ascania, who put an end to

"Called also Wendi and Venedi.

the dominion of the Wendes in these districts, and was the first who assumed the title of margrave of Brandenburg. Albert conquered the rest of the Marks, and either founded Berlin, or at least raised it to the rank of a town. He was succeeded by his son Otto I. whose descendants reigned here till the year 1320, when the Ascanian line was extinguished with the margrave Henry, and the emperor Louis of Bavaria gave the Mark Brandenburg to his son Louis. Since that period this country passed successively from one house to another, till at last the emperor Sigismund, in 1415, gave the Mark Brandenburg— with which the dignity of elector had been united-to Frederic of Hohenzollern, burgrave of Nürnberg, who had lent 400,000 gold florins to the emperor, and rendered him many important services. Frederic fixed his residence at Berlin, and was the ancestor of the present royal House of Prussia. The later history of this province will be included in our historical chapter on the kingdom of Prussia.

Physical Features.] The whole of Brandenburg is almost on a level with the sea. The soil is sandy; in some districts it is mixed with lime, clay, and vegetable mould; but there are very extensive heaths and plains entirely covered with quicksand.

Rivers.] The country is very well watered. The Elbe and the Oder, two of the principal streams of Germany run through it; the first forming a part of its N.W. boundaries, and the second running through its eastern side. Both flow towards the north, and receive in their course almost all the other rivers of the country. The principal streams flowing into the Elbe are the Elde, the Stepenitz, and the Havel, which last is a navigable river, and the most useful for the inland commerce. The principal rivers belonging to the basin of the Oder, are the Bober, the Neisse, and the Wartha, a large navigable river coming from Posen. Canals.] Among other obstructions to agriculture and commerce in the Prussian dominions, was the difficulty which prevailed of conveying materials and merchandize to different parts of the interior. In order to remove these, and to facilitate trade, the great Frederic improved the navigation of several rivers, and caused several canals to be formed, of which we have the following account from Busching. The canal of Plauen shortens the water-passage between Berlin and Magdeburg by about one-half. It begins near Parie, on the Elbe; intersects the Elbe and Stremme, having three sluices on it which check the fall of the water out of the Elbe into the Havel, which is 21 feet in height; after which it passes on by Plauen, into the Havel. This canal is four German miles and a quarter, or very nearly 20 British miles in length; it is 22 feet wide at the bottom, and 26 feet wide at the surface of the water, and in some places between 40 and 50 feet broad. Another canal joins the Spree and the Oder. This was ordered to be cut by the elector Frederic William, and was completed between the years 1662 and 1668. It issues out of the Spree into a lake near Muhlrose, in the Middle Mark, and thence runs partly along the Schlubbe, partly through it, towards the Oder, being 3 German, or 13 British miles in length; five Rheinland perches broad, and six feet deep. Another canal joins the Havel and Oder, called the canal of Finnow. It begins at Liebenwald, on the Havel; passes thence into the river Finnow; and runs into the Oder below Lower Finnow. The Oder canal runs out of the Oder, from the village of Gustebiese to Neuenhagen, and falls into it again about four and a half British miles from its first issue.

Lakes.] There are no large lakes, but several small ones.

There

are several mineral springs, but that of Frienwalde is the only one which has any reputation.

Climate.] The climate is tolerably mild for the latitude; and has been improved by the draining of some large morasses. In summer the heat is often oppressive, the thermometer ranging to 25° and 26° Reaumur.

Productions.] Brandenburg produces every species of corn, but very little wheat on account of the soil. There are good vegetables, fruits of all kinds, and excellent grapes, though not in sufficient quantity for making wine. Gardening is conducted with great skill in the neighbourhood of Berlin and Potsdam. Woad is an important article. The rearing of cattle is well-conducted, and the sheep have been greatly improved by crossing with merinoes. Government has endeavoured to improve the breed of horses by the establishment of several studs. The manufactures of this province are considerable; but are confined to a few of the towns. The principal articles are wool, linen, cotton, silk, iron, glass, china, and earthenware.

Inhabitants.] The population of Brandenburg is a mixture of several races. Originally they were Wendes, who, in process of time, blended with their conquerors the Saxons; but numerous colonists from different countries have also settled here. During the reign of Frederic II., 262 colonies were formed in the Mark, and about 12,000 foreign families settled here. The majority of the population is Protestant. Stein estimates the total population at 1,336,000 in 1826, of whom about 1,274,000 belong to the Lutheran, the Reformed, or the Moravian church; 18,000 are Catholics; 307 Mennonites; and 8,500 Jews. The province of Brandenburg offers one of the principal points of German civilization, and there are some very excellent educationary establishments here.

Topography.] This province contains 141 towns, 21 boroughs, and 3,241 villages. Its administration is like that of all the other Prussian provinces. It is divided into three districts, viz. Berlin, Potsdam, and Frankfort.

1st. District of Berlin.] The district, which receives its name from the capital, is of small extent: not exceeding 30 square miles.

City of Berlin.] Berlin, the capital of the Prussian dominions, is situated on the river Spree, which is here divided into three branches, and communicates with the Havel, Oder, and Elbe, by canals, as well as with the German Ocean and the Baltic, which greatly facilitates commercial intercourse. This city lies in the Middle Mark of Brandenburg, and is composed of five towns: viz. Berlin Proper, Cöln, Friedrichswerder, Dorotheenstadt, and Friedrichstadt. Berlin Proper is said to owe its origin to a colony of Netherlanders, who built this city in 1152, under the reign of Albert the Bear. The other towns were added after successive periods. In 1645, Berlin contained only 1,236 houses; in 1747, 5,513; in 1779, 6,437; in 1798, 6,950. In 1774, it contained 104,874 inhabitants; in 1798, exclusive of the garrison, according to Hoeck, 142,099; in 1803, 153,123, exclusive of the garrison, with a proportional increase of houses; and in 1817, 188,485, and in 1828, according to M. Balbi, 220,000 inhabitants. The whole city, including its five divisions mentioned above, is 12 miles in circumference, being four and a half miles in length and three in breadth; but within this enclosure