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remain, and in particular the French code of law, though it also is, as e believe, to be abolished gradually, and the whole placed on the same footing with the rest of the monarchy.

Topography. This province contains 65 towns, 30 burghs, and 1,077 villages; and is divided into 3 districts.

1st. The District of Cleve.] Cleve, the chief town of this district, contains 6,736 inhabitants. Emmerich, on the Rhine, conducts an animated commerce, and possesses a port on the river with 40 or 60 vessels. The town of Kempen is celebrated as the birth-place of Thomas a Kempis, and of the historian Gellenius.

2d. The District of Duesseldorf.] This is the most populous district in the monarchy, containing 632,000 inhabitants, on a superficial extent of territory only amounting to 2,100 British square miles. There is a flying bridge over the Rhine at the town of Duesseldorf, which contains 27,000 inhabitants. The fortifications of this town have been demolished and changed into public walks. It is surrounded by fine gardens, and is very regularly built. There is a gymnasium, drawing academy, commercial school, 20 elementary schools, and a theatre here.—St. Elberfeld, on the Wipper, with 25,000 inhabitants, is an important manufacturing town, with 100 larger or smaller manufactories, particularly those of cotton, silk, lace, thread, &c. There is a Bible society here.-The town of Solingen is celebrated for its iron manufactures, particularly of knives and swords, which latter are hardened in such a manner that iron can be cut through with them without damaging the blade in the least. Remscheid is a staple place for iron and steel wares. There are every year exported 40,000 scythes from this place.-Crefeld, with 14,291 inhabitants, among whom are 200 Mennonites, contains several manufactories of velvet, silk, and ribbons, employing upwards of 300 looms. Around the town are more than 2000 gardens.

3d. The District and City of Cöln or Cologne.] Cologne, once the capital of an archbishopric and electorate,-afterwards subject to France, and included in the department of the Roer,-but now in the Prussian territory is an ancient, decayed city, built in the form of a crescent on the left bank of the Rhine, and containing, according to M. Balbi, 64,000 inhabitants. On account of the wealth, number, and splendour of its clergy, the ignorance, superstition, and intolerance of its inhabitants, the vast variety of its churches, chapels, monasteries, nunneries, and relics, with their legends and miracles, Cologne was once denominated 'the Rome of Germany.' In the beginning of the last century there were reckoned to be no less than 365 churches within this city. At present Cologne is said to have 34 gates, 10 collegiate churches, 49 parish churches, 4 abbeys, 22 nunneries, 57 convents, 50 chapels, and 16 hospitals, all well-endowed; and most of the houses belonging to the canons and prebends have large gardens and vineyards belonging to them. In the cathedral they pretend to show the tomb of the three wise men who came from the east to worship our Saviour, and who are hence called the Three Kings of Cologne.' The tomb of St. Ursula, and her 11,000 virgins, who came from Britain to convert the Pagans in these parts, and were all murdered by the Huns, is shown here. bones of the virgins are hung upon the walls of St. Ursula's church, in great order; some of the heads most noted for miracles are kept in cases of silver, others are covered with cloth of gold, while some of them have caps of the same material, and velvet. These are ample specimens of

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Catholic credulity and clerical imposture in the very vicinity of Protestantism. Cologne was formerly one of the Hanse towns, and enjoyed an extensive inland and foreign commerce by means of the Rhine. But its commerce has long since fallen into decay; and all that now remains of its trade, is the manufacture of a few ribbons, stockings, lace, and some tobacco. In consequence of this, two-thirds of the city have fallen into ruins; and streets and squares have been converted into kitchen-gardens and vineyards. This decline is chiefly owing to the intolerance and power of the clergy, who would allow no dissenters to dwell in Cologne, and incited the inhabitants first to expel the Jews, and afterwards the Protestants, who were the principal merchants. The inhabitants account it their chief glory that they withstood the Reformation, even though two of their archbishops embraced it. The cathedral is a master-piece of Gothic architecture; the nave is supported by 100 pillars. The steeple is 501 feet in height, being the highest in Europe. The gymnasium has a library of 60,000 volumes. The celebrated Eau de Cologne, of which 80 to 90,000 bottles are sent abroad every year, is manufacured here; there are also 60,000 hogsheads of Rhenish wine annually sold. Cologne is the birth-place of the celebrated painter Rubens; and it was here that the monk Barthold Schwarz invented gunpowder in 1330.—Bonn, on the Rhine, contains 11,387 inhabitants. There is a magnificent castle here, and an excellent university. The country along the banks of the Rhine is very beautiful and romantic.

VII. PROVINCE OF THE LOWER OR UNDER RHINE.

The province of the Lower Rhine is bounded on the N. by the province of Cleve-berg; on the N.E. by the province of Westphalia; on the E. by the duchy of Nassau and the grand duchy of Hessen; on the S. by Bavaria, Hessen-Homburg, the principality of Berchenfeld, and France; and on the W. by the Netherlands.

Physical Features.] The surface of this province is on the whole mountainous, and the mountains are covered with woods. The districts on the Rhine, Moselle, and Saar, are beautiful and fertile. The country in general presents rich picturesque scenery. The more sterile parts are on the Hundsruecken and the Eifel. The soil is on the whole rather light. The mountains belong mostly to the chain of the Warzau; the principal ridge is the Hundsrueken between the Moselle and the Rhine. A continuation of it is the Eifel. With the Eifel is connected the lofty Veen, the highest district on the left banks of the Rhine, which rises about 2,150 feet above the level of the sea, forming a bleak sterile mountainous country, intersected with peat-moors and bogs. On the western side of the province are some branches of the Ardennes, which decline towards the Moselle.

Rivers. The largest river is the Rhine, into which flows the second principal river, the Moselle; other smaller rivers are the Saar, which is navigable, the Salune, the Sure, the Nahe, the Lahn, and the Roer. There are no lakes, even those which bear this name are merely ponds. There are many mineral springs, but only those of Aix-la-Chapelle have any reputation.

Climate.] The climate is cold and dry on the heights, and more damp but warmer in the valleys and plains.

Productions.] Game, fish, bees, corn, Turkish corn, poppies, turnips, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, vines, and wood, copper, lead, iron, quick

silver, porphyry, galena, marble, silk, coals, and peat, are produced in this province.

Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce.] Agriculture stands not on a high scale in this province; some parts, however, have been greatly improved since it came under the Prussian dominion; this may be particularly said of the culture of the vine at the Moselle. The wine of this part of the country has been considerably ameliorated, and is now exported like the Rhenish wine. Flax is a staple ware, and so is wood. The district of Aix-la-Chapelle has very extensive manufactures, which are animated and facilitated by the navigable rivers and good high roads.

Inhabitants.] The inhabitants are of the High German race, except the Jews and the Walloons who live on the W. boundaries, and speak French, which language is everywhere understood on the southern limits of the province, and has in many parts entirely superseded the German. The majority of the inhabitants are Catholics, whose number may amount to 900,000; the Protestants do not exceed 200,000; the Jews are estimated at 10,469. In general the establishments for education, particularly those for the elementary instruction of the lower classes, were in a much neglected state when this province came under the Prussian dominion; but they have already been ameliorated, and are daily improving.

Administration.] This province is composed of districts, which, before its incorporation with France, had very different governments. The French forms of administration have been partly preserved, as well as the French code; but it is expected that the whole will gradually be changed into the general mode of Prussian administration.

Topography.] The province is divided into 3 districts, containing 64 towns, 63 boroughs, and 5063 villages and hamlets.

1st. The District of Coblentz, or Coblence.] Coblentz, the chief town of the whole province, is beautifully situated at the junction of the Rhine and Moselle. It contains 15,000 inhabitants, and conducts several manufactures. There is a remarkable aqueduct here. Coblentz lies on the left banks of the Rhine, and is fortified; opposite on the right side of the Rhine, lies the strong citadel of Ehrenbreitstein.-The Moravians have a large establishment at Neuwied; here is also a museum of Roman antiquities which have been found in the neighbourhood, and of objects of natural history collected by the prince of Neuwied. The population exceeds 4,600.-St. Goar, with 1059 inhabitants, conducts a very animated commerce, and has an important salmon-fishery; there is a beautiful whirlpool here in the Rhine called St. Goarsbank. On a high rock above the town is the ruined fortress of Rheinfels.

2d. District and City of Aix-la-Chapelle.] Aix-la-Chapelle, called Aachen by the Germans, derives its more common appellation from a chapel built in the cathedral or great church, in honour of the Virgin Mary, by Charlemagne, and much visited by pilgrims on account of the multitude of its relics. Originally a Roman colony, but destroyed by the invading Huns, it owed its restoration and future celebrity to Charlemagne, who made it the place of his residence. Delighted with its pleasant situation in a charming valley environed by hills, its mineral waters, and its hot baths, he rebuilt the city, erected a palace, and founded a collegiate church. It was not only honoured with his frequent presence, but dignified by him with all the privileges of an imperial city;

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