containing upwards of 50,000 people: Breslau, the capital of Silesia, is a large and handsome town: Dantzick, once an independent city, is still a very considerable port on the Baltic, with 36,000 inhabitants : Potsdam, a modern town, of 26,000 people, is chiefly remarkable for the palace of the Prussian monarchs: Magdeburg, a strong town on the Elbe, contains 26,000 inhabitants: Stettin, a trading town, of 18,000 people, is situated on the Oder: Elbing contains 14,000, and carries on a considerable trade by the Baltic. Climate and soil.-From its latitude and its situation along the south shores of the Baltic, and from the number of lakes, marshes, and forests, occurring in the northern parts of the Prussian dominions, the climate is generally moist and cold those districts, however, which border the Austrian territories, are both more healthy and more fertile, while the environs of the metropolis itself présent little besides barren sandy plains. : Mountains.-The whole Prussian dominions may be considered as one vast plain, excepting the southern parts of Silesia, where are ranges of hills rising to a considerable height, connected with the great chain of the Carpathian mountains. Rivers.-The Elbe and the Oder have been already mentioned; but in the eastern parts of the kingdom flows the Vistula, which, after a course of 450 miles from the southeast, falls into the Baltic below Dantzic.. The Pregel and the Memel are both very considerable streams. Lakes. Prussia presents many lakes, in general of little utility or beauty. At the mouths of the rivers Oder, Vistula, Pregel, and Memel, are a sort of lakes opening into the Baltic, but divided from it by long narrow slips of low land thrown up by the contrary action of these rivers and the sea. Mineral productions.-In some parts of Silesia gold and silver have been found; but at present the mines of lead, copper, copper, and iron, are wrought to considerable advantage. Coal is also found in some hilly districts, with peat in the plains. On the shores of the Baltic, and even at a great depth under ground, in various parts of the Prussian dominions, are found quantities of amber, sufficient to produce an annual revenue of from four to five thousand pounds. This substance, which from the Arabians we call amber, was by the Greeks named electron; and from the property of giving light and attracting certain substances when it is rubbed and heated, is derived the general term electricity, now applied to similar powers in other bodies, by whatever mode these powers are excited. • Animals.-Prussia, in addition to the ordinary animals of Germany, is sometimes visited by the urus or wild cattle of the north the lynx, the elk, the bear, are also not unknown; and sturgeon has been caught in the Oder. Vegetable productions.-Forests are found in many parts of these dominions, particularly in Prussia Proper, in Silesia, and in the late acquisitions from Poland: the same provinces also furnish grain in abundance for exportation: tobacco has been long cultivated, and is now met with run wild in sundry districts. The prevailing religion of the Prussian states is the protestant; but catholics are in some quarters very numerous, enjoying perfect liberty of conscience. The chief seminaries of education are the universities of Konigsberg and Francfort on the Oder. Government. The power of the Prussian monarch is unlimited by any senate or assembly of representatives of the people. The great object of the kings having been the formation of a numerous standing army, or rather a militia, every male was in fact born a soldier; but late experience has shown that, although by the exercise of military discipline in the hands of an absolute prince, vast armies may be formed and maintained, yet to communicate to them the genuine VOL. II. genuine spirit of patriotism, by which all their operations ought to be animated, is a task which no authority can accomplish. VIII. POLAND. Situation and extent.-Although this once important and interesting portion of Europe be now erased from the cata logue of independent states, and parcelled out among its three powerful neighbours, professed friends and protectors, but in truth, as events have shown, its most decided foes :-although all this have happened, yet as, in the course of human affairs, Poland may one day resume her place among the nations, the following short account of the country, as it stood before its late total dismemberment, will not be unacceptable. When entire Poland extended from the frontiers of the Prussian dominions to the river Nieper, above 600 miles, and from north to south about 420 miles, containing upwards of 220,000 square miles. The population of the country has never been well ascertained, but estimated at 12 millions that of Warsaw, the capital, situated on the Vistula, is supposed to exceed 65,000: Cracow, formerly the capital, contains 24,000, and is likewise seated on the Vistula, but much nearer its source: Lemberg, or Leopol, has 20,000. : Climate and soil.-The air of Poland is various in the northern parts, where there are many lakes and forests, it is cold, but not unhealthy; as it is also along the southern frontiers, where the lofty mountains retain the snow through through a great part of the year. The soil is in many places very fertile, and although agriculture be in a very unimproved state, yet vast supplies of grain are drawn from this country to other nations, as well by the Baltic as by inlaud communication. Mountains.-Poland may be considered as one extensive plain, presenting few eminences of note; but the Carpathian mountains, which divide it from Hungary, are one of the great ranges of Europe. Rivers.-The chief rivers of Poland have already been noticed in speaking of Russia and Prussia; for the Duna, the Memel, the Pregel, the Vistula, which discharge themselves into the Baltic, and the. Niester, the Nieper, the Bog, which find their way into the Black Sea, although rising within the limits of Poland, pass into other dominions before they close their course. Lakes. Those in the western and northern parts are numerous, but not of great size: the lake of Gopler, on the west side of the Vistula, is 20 miles in length, on a medium breadth of 2 miles. Mineral productions.-Mines of gold and silver were formerly opened in Poland; but of late only those of iron, lead, tin, and mercury, are worked: amber and coal are also found in certain places; but the richest mineral is the fossil salt produced in various quarters in the greatest abundance. Of the salt mines, the most eclebrated are those of Wieliczka, a small town a few miles to the southward of Cracow: the mines are sunk deep in the ground, and traced out in various ramifications to a great extent, along the northern extremity of a branch of the Carpathian moun. tains; the salt is generally of a gray colour, intermingled with white cubes; large blocks are sometimes found inclosed in marl. Other mines are also worked some miles farther off from Cracow, in the same direction; but the salt is less pure than that of Wieliczka. genuine spirit of patriotism, by which all their operations ought to be animated, is a task which no authority can accomplish. VIII. POLAND. Situation and extent.-Although this once important and interesting portion of Europe be now erased from the cata logue of independent states,, and parcelled out among its three powerful neighbours, professed friends and protectors, but in truth, as events have shown, its most decided foes :-although all this have happened, yet as, in the course of human affairs, Poland may one day resume her place among the nations, the following short account of the country, as it stood before its late total dismemberment, will not be unacceptable. When entire Poland extended from the frontiers of the Prussian dominions to the river Nieper, above 600 miles, and from north to south about 420 miles, containing upwards of 220,000 square miles. The population of the country has never been well ascertained, but estimated at 12 millions that of Warsaw, the capital, situated on the Vistula, is supposed to exceed 65,000: Cracow, formerly the capital, contains 24,000, and is likewise seated on the Vistula, but much nearer its source: Lemberg, or Leopol, has 20,000. Climate and soil.-The air of Poland is various: in the northern parts, where there are many lakes and forests, it is cold, but not unhealthy; as it is also along the southern frontiers, where the lofty mountains retain the snow 3 .: through |