the occasion were to be seen in the convent chapel. Strangers are still shown a sabre of Charlemagne, a copy of the gospel written in gold characters, and an immense number of relics.

Aix-la-Chapelle is cel brated for its hot baths, which issue from 6 distinct springs. The most celebrated is that called the Source de l'Empereur. The water is strongly impregnated with sulphur, and has a temperature of 1430 Fah. The baths are generally opened with much ceremony on the 1st of May. Two celebrated treaties of peace have been concluded in this city; the first in 1688, between France and Spain; and the second In 1748, between the different powers engaged in the wars of the Austrian succession. Here also a congress was held in 1818.

The Salle des Redoutes, one of the most splendid gambling-houses on the Continent, is thus noticed in Mr. Murray's Handbook: The lower story is occupied by print and music shops, by a restaurant, and a reading room, where the principal European newspapers are to be found. In the grand suit of apartments, balls are given once or twice during the season; but they are principally devoted to gambling. Games of hazard, rouge et noir, &c. are carried on in them, almost without interruption, not only by night but by day, beginning at 10 or 11 in the morning. The tables are open to all comers except inhabitants of the town and officers of the Prussian army, who are expressly forbidden by a police order to play at the tables. Before 10 P.M. the lowest stake allowed is a kron-thaler; after 10, half a kron thaler is the lowest sum. Public gaming is not tolerated any where else in the Prussian dominions. The tables are let out to a company, who are compell d to apply a large portion of the gains to the improvement of the town and the walks in the neighbourhood."

water.

AJACCIO, a sea-port town of the island of Corsica, of which it is the cap., on its W. coast, and on the N. side of a gulf to which it gives name, lat. 41° 55' 1 N., long. 8° 44' 4" E. Pop. 9,003. It has a citadel built in 1554; is the seat of a bishopric; has a royal court and other judicial establishments, a college, a model school, a public library, a good theatre, and a fine promenade along the bay. The latter is spacious and commodious, but exposed to the W. gales. Streets straight and broad, and houses good; but it labours under a deficiency of good It has a considerable trade, exporting wine, oil, and coral. Ajaccio will be memorable in all time to come, from its having been the birthplace of by far the most extraordinary, and, perhaps, also the greatest, man of modern times. Napoleon Bonaparte was born here on the 5th of August, 1769. He was descended of a respectable family long settled in the island. — (Hugo, art." Corse.") AJMERE, a town of Hindostan, cap. district belonging to the British, in Rajpootana, 225 m. S. W. Delhi, lat. 26° 31' N., long. 74° 29 E. It is a well built moderate sized town, on the slope of a high hill, at the summit of which is a fortress, formerly deemed impregnable, and which, with a little improvement from European skill, might easily be made a second Gibraltar. Ajmere is a holy city, having the good fortune to possess the tomb of a saint, whose miracles are renowned all over India. The emperor Acbar made a pilgrimage on foot to the shrine of the saint; and it continues to be resorted to by devotees from all parts of India. It is not uncommon, in Malwa, for pilgrims who have been at Ajmere to set up a brick or a stone taken from the sanctuary near their dwelling, and to become saints themselves, and have pilgrimages made to them! A strong detachment of troops is usually stationed at Ajmere, and the neighbouring town of Nuseerabad.

At a short distance W. from Ajmere is the celebrated Hindoo temple of Pooshkur, on the banks of a sacred pool nearly a mile in circuit. It is annually visited in October by crowds of pilgrims from all parts of India. (Heber, ii. pp. 440-443.)

AKABAH (GULPH AND CASTLE OF). The gulf of Akabah is a deep narrow inlet, uniting with the N. E. extremity of the Red Sea. It extends in a N.N.E. direction from 28° to 29° 32′ N. lat., a distance of above 100 Eng. m.; being, where broadest, 16 or 17 m. across. It communicates with the Red Sea by channels on each side the isle of Tiran at its S. extremity. This gulph, the Sinus Elaniticus of antiquity, so called from the port of Elana or Elath, forms the E. boundary of the peninsula occupied by Mount Sinai. It has the appearance of a narrow deep ravine, the cliffs rising in some places 2,000 feet perpendicularly from the sea; and has been very little frequented in modern times. Being exposed to sudden and heavy squalls, and encumbered in parts with coral reefs, its navigation is not a little dangerous. The castle of Akabah, from which the gulph takes its modern name, is not a place of any strength. It is situated about 150 yards from the beach, on the E. side of the gulph, and about 24 m. from its extremity, in lat. 29° 30 N., long. 35° 3′ E. It has a supply of good water, and there are several Arab huts within its walls. The gar

rison consists of about 30 Egyptian soldiers, kept to guard the corn deposited in it for the supply of the caravans, in their journey from Cairo to Mecca.

Akabah has been supposed to occupy the site of Elan or Elath, from which an extensive intercourse was carried on in the earliest ages with Rhinoculura, now El Arish, on the Mediterranean, only 116 m. distant. There are, however, no ruins of any kind at Akabaḥ, and no port. It would, therefore, seem more probable that the situation of Elath is identical with that of Jezirat Faroun, on the W. side of the gulph, and about 6 m. from its extremity. There are there very extensive rains, and a natural harbour. Dr. Shaw supposes, apparently with much probability, that Meenap-el-Dsahale, i. e. the Golden Port, on the W. coast of the gulph, and nearly opposite to Mount Sinai, occupies the site of Eziongaber, whence the ships of Solomon sailed to fetch gold from Ophir. It is said by Lieutenant Wellsted to be the only "well-sheltered" harbour in the gulph.(See Shaw's Travels in Barbary &c. 4to. ed. p. 322.; Laborde's Arabia Petræa, Eng. Trans., p. 94.; Wellsted's Travels in Arabia, ii. passim.) AKERMAN, (an. Tyras,) a town of Russia in Europe, in Bessarabia, on the W. side of the estuary or liman of the Dniester, near its junction with the Black Sea, lat. 46° 12′ N., long. 30° 24′ E. The statements as to its pop., even in works whose authors may be supposed to have had access to the best sources of information, differ extremely. Probably, however, it may be estimated, suburbs included, at nearly 12,000. The citadel, surrounded by a deep ditch, was constructed by the Genoese during the time that they were masters of the Black Sea. The Dniester being rapid and not well suited for internal navigation, the commerce of the town is not very considerable. The exports consist principally of salt, the produce of the salt lakes in its vicinity, which in 1833 yielded 1,326,000 poods of salt to government, and 2,227,048 poods to individuals. Their produce however is said sometimes to amount to 7,000,000 poods. The salt is sold by government at 66 copecks per pood. The basin of the Dniester having only from 5 to 7 feet water, the larger class of vessels anchor outside the bay, in the Black Sea, about 16 m. from town.

Akerman is distinguished in recent diplomatic history by the treaty concluded here in 1826 between Russia and the Ottoman Porte, by which Wallachia, Moldavia,and Servia were emancipated from all but a nominal dependence on the latter. (Schnitzler la Russie &c., p. 741.; Hagemeister on the Commerce of the Black Sea, p. 81. 131. &c.) AKHISSAR (an. Thyatira), a city of Turkey in Asia, Anatolia, the seat of one of the Apocalyptic churches, 58 m. N.E. Smyrna. It stands on an eminence elevated but little above the surrounding marshy and alluvial plain. Messrs. Smith and Dwight, the American missionaries, state that, having suffered severely from fire a few years ago, it is now mostly of wood; that its aspect is poor and mean, with but few remains of ancient grandeur; and that the pop. is not supposed to exceed 1,000 families, (5,000 individuals,) of whom 1,500 may be Greeks.(Missionary Researches in Armenia, p. 5. &c.) Mr. Elliott's account is not so unfavourable. He states that, being situated on the direct road between Constantinople and Smyrna, it wears an appearance of comfort superior to that of Anatolian towns in general, that the bazars are large and amply supplied; the khan handsome, clean, and well ordered; and that it contains 1,740 houses, of which 400 belong to Greeks, and 40 to Armenians. If we suppose cach house to lodge, at an average, 6 individuals, the town would, according to Mr. Elliott, have a popu lation of about 10,400! — (Elliott's Travels, ii. p. 111.) Perhaps the truth may lie midway between these conflicting statements. There is in the town a Greek school, attended by 150 children of both sexes.

AKILAT, a town of Turkey in Asia, in Koordistan, on the N. W. shore of lake Van, at the foot of the Seibandagh. It is very ancient, and was formerly a place of considerable importance; but it is now greatly decayed, not having more than 1,000 houses, or perhaps 6,000 inhab. Its territory is filled with gardens and vineyards. Kinneir's Persian Empire, p. 328., where it is noticed under the name Argish; and the Dict. Géographique.)

(See

AKHTYRKA, a town of Russia in Europe, govern. of Kharkoff, 60 m. N.W. Kharkoff. Pop. 12,000. It has a pretty considerable commerce; and among its churches is one that attracts a good many pilgrims to visit a miraculous image of the virgin.-(Schnitzler la Russie, &c., p. 477.)

AKISKA, or AKHALZIKII, a city of Asiatic Russia, prov. Georgia, tormerly the cap. of a Turkish pachalik on an affluent of, and at a short distance from, the Kur, 115 m. W. Tiflis, lat. 31° 45′ N., long. 43° 1′E. Pop. has been estimated at above 20,000, but at present it does not probably reach half that amount. It is an open town; but is defended by a strong castle situated on a rock. It is remarkable for its fine mosque of Sultan Ahmed, built in imitation of St. Sophia, and for the college and library attached thereto. The latter was

reckoned one of the most curious in the E.; but the Russians have removed about 300 of the rarest and most valuable works to Petersburgh. Akiska is also the seat of a Greek archbishopric, and has about 60 Jewish families and a synagogue. Its environs are productive of silk, honey, and wax; and it has some manufactures. It was formerly a principal seat of the slave trade. The slaves sold in its markets were brought from Georgia, Mingrelia, Imeritia, &c.; and being conveyed to the nearest ports on the Black Sea, were shipped for Constantinople and Alexandria. This commerce is now entirely suppressed. Many of the Turkish inhabitants have left the town since its occupation by the Russians. -(Balbi Abrégé, 3rd ed. p. 809.; Missionary Researches in Armenia, p. 100.)

AKSERAI, a town of Turkey in Asia, in Caramania, cap. sanjiack of same name, on the S.W. arm of the Kizil Ermak, 90 m. N.E. Konich (an. Iconium). Pop. uncertain. It has a castle; and its territory is productive

of corn and fruits.

AK-SHEHR (the White City), a city of Asiatic Turkey, Caramania, cap. sanjiack of the same name, 55 m. E. S. E. Afium Karahissar, lat. 38° 13′ N., long. 31° 30' E. It is situated near the S. extremity of a considerable lake, at the foot of a mountain chain, in a rich and well watered country. Its position is said to be identical with that of the ancient Thymbrium, visited by the younger Cyrus; and, according to D'Anville, it was denominated Antiochia ad Pisidiam, from its being on the confines of Pisidia, of which prov. it afterwards became the capital. It is mentioned in Turkish annals as the place where Bajazet was confined by Timour, and where he expired. It is supposed by Mr. Kinneir to have about 1,500 houses, with many fine gardens in the vicinity. Its principal ornament is a handsome mosque and college, dedicated to the memory of Bajazet. The streets are cleaned by means of streams from the neighbouring mountains that run through them. (Kinneir's Journey through Asia Minor, &c. p. 226.; Olivier, vi. p. 396.)

AKYAB, a marit. town of India beyond the Ganges, cap. prov. Arracan, and of a dist. of same name, on the E. side of the island of Akyab, lat. 20° 8′ N., long. 92° 54′ E. It is built of wood; has broad streets, and markets for grain, and European and Indian goods. Its harbour, though inferior to that of Kyouk Phyos, is safe; and it is, in most other respects, superior to the last mentioned town as a place of trade. The vicinity is level, fertile, free from jungle, and traversed by several roads. It is the residence of a British commissioner, and is garrisoned by two companies of Sepoys. (Pemberton on the E. Frontier of India, p. 87.; Journal Geog. Society, i. p. 175.)

ALA, a small town of the Tyrol, on the Adige, 74 m. S. Roveredo. Pop. 2,400. It has a gymnasium, and a Capuchin convent.

ALABAMA, one of the United States, in the S. part of the Union, between 30° 10 and 350 N. lat., and 850 and 88° 30′ W. long., having S. Florida, S. W. Gulph of Mexico, W. State of Mississippi, N. Tenessee, and E. Georgia. Area, 51,770 sq. m. Pop. in 1820, 144,041; in 1830, 309,527, of whom 117,549 were slaves, and 1,572 free blacks. The principal river, the Mobile, formed by the junction of the large rivers Tombigbee and Alabama, both of which flow S., falls into the bottom of Mobile Bay. The Chattahoochee also flowing S., forms in part the E. boundary of the State. The country gradually rises from the low level lands along the Gulph of Mexico, to an elevation of from 1,000 to 1,500 feet in its N. parts. It has in consequence a considerable difference of temperature. Soil mostly very fertile, particularly in the N. counties. Cotton is the staple product, the crop of which, amounting to above 300,000 bales, is rapidly increasing. The sugar cane is cultivated in the S. districts. Indian corn is the principal corn crop. Alabama was erected into a state in 1819. The government is vested in a governor, elected for 2 years, a senate elected for 3 do., and a house of representatives elected annually. Members of the latter receive 4 doll. a day each, and their number is not to fall short of 60 nor to exceed 100. Judges of the supreme and circuit courts are elected by a joint vote of the two houses of assembly for 7 and 6 years. Several canals and railways have been completed, and more projected. Liberal provision has been made for education; and a state university, well endowed, and on a large scale, has been founded near the cap Tuscaloosa. The principal foreign trade of the state is carried on from Mobile (which see). The value of the domestic produce, principally cotton, exported during the year ended 30th September, 1835, amounted to 7,572,128 doll. The salubrity of the climate, the fertility of the soil, its suitableness for the production of cotton, and the great facilities it enjoys for internal navization and foreign commerce, sufficiently account for the rapid progress made by this state. (Darby's United States, p. 485; American Almanac, &c.)

ALABASTER, or ELEUTHERA, one of the Bahama or Lucayo Islands, which see.

ALAIS (an. Alesia), a town of France, dep. Gard, cap. arrond., on the Gardon d'Alais, at the foot of the Cevennes, 25 m. N.W. Nismes, lat. 44° 7′ 22′′ N., long, 3° 4′ 25′′ E. Pop. 11,749. It is ancient, and pretty well built. During the religious wars of France the inhabitants were distinguished by their attachment to the Protestant party, and to bridle them Louis XIV. constructed a fort in the town. It has a communal college, a tribunal of primary jurisdiction, a theatre, a public library, a consistorial Protestant church, &c. It has, also, manufactures of riband, silk stockings, and gloves; with a glass work, potteries, copperas works, &c. Besides its own products, it has a considerable trade in the raw and dressed silks, oil, grain, &c. of the surrounding country. There are mines of iron and coal in the vicinity.-(Hugo, art" Gard;" Dict. Géographique.)

trance of the Gulf of Bothnia, between 59° 50′ and ALAND (ISLANDS OF), a group of islands at 60° 32′ N. lat., and 19° 10′ and 21° 7′ E. long., consisting of more than 80 inhabited and upwards of 200 uninhabited islets and rocks (Sharon), occupying an area of about 470 sq. m., and divided into three oblong clusters by the straits of Delet and Lappväsi. The Baltic bounds them to the S.; on the W. the straits of Alandshaf separates them from Sweden, its width being about 24 m.; and on the E. the straits of Wattuskiftet, which are scarcely two m. broad where they are narrowest, and about 14 where they are broadest, interpose between them and the Finland shore. Pop. 14,000, of Swedish extraction. Most of the islands stand at a considerable elevation above the level of the sea, and are intersected by chains of granite rocks, which occasionally rise into peaks and are full of hollows. There are no rivers, but many small lakes. The surface is either a thin layer of clay or rich mould, slate-stone, or sand. The climate, though keen, and at times severe, is more temperate than that of Finland. There are extensive forests, chiefly of birches and pines; the pasture grounds are very poor, excepting near some parts of the coast; and the arable land, on which rye and barley are mostly grown, produces a sufficiency for domestic consumption, the best yielding seven-fold. Hops, cabbages, parsnips, carrots, and other roots, potatoes, and a little flax are likewise raised. Nuts form an article of export. The horned cattle, of which there are upwards of 12,000, are small in size, and few of the cows have horns; the latter furnish the "Aland cheeses," which are much sought after, and made principally in the island of Fagloe. Of sheep there are above 13,000, the wool of which is converted into coarse stuff's and sail-cloth; horses and goats are also bred in considerable numbers. The fisheries are productive, particularly of (strömlinge) herrings and seals, of the first of which 6,000 tons and upwards are salted. Waterfowl abound. The exports consists of salt meat, butter, cheese, hides and skins, dried and salted fish, wood for fuel, &c. ; and the imports of salt, colonial produce, ironware, woollens, cottons, and other manufactures, &c. The Alanders are excellent seamen, and navigate small vessels of their own that trade with the adjacent parts: they are Swedes in their language, manners, and usages. There are a number of good harbours, many of which have been fortified by the Russians, who keep up a disproportionately large military force in the islands, as well as a numerous flotilla, called the "Skaerenflott." islands contain 8 parishes and as many churches, and 7 churches or chapels of ease. Aoland, the largest island, is nearly circular, being about 17 miles in length and 16 in breadth; it contains above 9,000 inhabitants, and has an excellent harbour at Ytternaes, on the W. side It is divided by a narrow strait from Ekeroe, the westernmost island, which has a telegraph. On the E. coast of Aoland is the old castle of Castleholm, now in ruins. Kumlinge has a pop. of 3,000 These islands were wrested by Russia from Sweden in 1809; and give the former a position from which they may easily make a descent on the Swedish coast.

The

ALA-SHEHR. (The exalted city, an. Philadelphia.) A city of Turkey in Asia, prov. Natolia, famous as the seat of one of the Apocalyptic churches. It is situated 83 m. E. Smyrna, near the Cogamus, partly in the plain, and partly on one of the roots of Tmolus, which, separated by a valley from the posterior range, and rising to a very considerable elevation, is the site of the Acropolis. The old wall of the town formed of small stones, held together by a strong cement, and strengthened with towers, is broken down in many places, and the Acropolis is also in ruins. The modern houses are mean and irregular, and the streets narrow and filthy. The ruins of the church of St. John are of great antiquity, and ancient relics meet the eye at every step. "Here, a broken Ionic column forms the angle of a house, and an architrave its step; there fragments of a rich cornice are built into a wall; a modern mosque is supported by the truncated shafts of antique columns; and sacred sar

cophagi are desecrated by conversion into common water troughs fountains in the dirtiest streets, and the very pavement on which one treads, teem with vestiges of antiquity; and in a neglected spot, near the S. wall of the city, amid dirt and rubbish, we remarked two venerable marble pillars lying unheeded on the ground."—(Elliott.) According to Mr. Elliott, Ala-Shehr contains nearly 3,000 Turkish and 250 Greek houses; so that, supposing this statement to be correct, the pop. may be estimated at from 15,000 to 18,000. It is the seat of a Greek archbishop, and divine service is regularly performed in 5 Christian churches. The Greeks, at present, as in the time of Chandler, are exceedingly ignorant; and though few of them know any language except Turkish, the Liturgy is always read in the language of their forefathers. The country round is very fruitful; the waters are said to be excellent in dyeing; and being situated on one of the most frequented roads to Smyrna, it is much resorted to by caravans, and has a good deal of trade. It is held so sacred, even by the Turks, that they occasionally convey their dead thither for interment, from Constantinople; and apply to it the epithet of Ala, or the exalted. Philadelphia derived its name from Attalus Philadelphus, brother of Eumenes, by whom it was founded in the second century B. C. Strabo says, that it suffered much from repeated shocks of earthquakes; and it was one of the fourteen cities which were partially or wholly destroyed by a subterranean convulsion in the reign of Tiberius. Anciently, indeed, it was matter of surprise, that it was not abandoned; but it continues to be a considerable place; and the church of Philadelphia is still erect, "a column in a scene of ruins." It was the last city of Asia Minor that submitted to the Turks. "At a distance from the sea, forgotten by the emperors, encompassed on all sides by the Turks, her valiant citizens defended their religion and freedom, above fourscora years; and at length (in 1390), capitulated to the proudest of the Othmans, (Bajazet)."—(Chandler's Asia Minor, 4to ed. p. 286; Elliott's Travels, ii. p. 85.; Gib bon, cap. 64.)

ALASSAC, a town of France, dep. Correze, 5 m. N. N. W. Brive. Pop. 4,029. There are vineyards in its vicinity.

ALASSIO, or ARRACI, a sea-port town of the Sardinian States, prov. Albenga, cap. district, 5 m. S.S. W Albenga. Pop. nearly 5,000, industrious, active, and daring seamen. There is good anchorage opposite to the town, which consists of a long narrow street. Fine coral is fished on the coast. A good harbour for the largest class of vessels might be formed between Cape Mele and the island of Galinara; but this has always been discouraged by the Genoese, the former masters of this part of Italy.-(Rampoldi Corografia dell' Italia, art. "Alassio.")

ALATRÍ, a city of Italy, Papal States, prov. Campania, deleg. Frosinone, 6 m. N. E. Frosinone, lat. 41° 44′ N, long. 13° 12′ 15′′ E. Pop. circa 8,000. It is the seat of a bishopric, has a cathedral, a collegiate church, and some convents. Antiquities are frequently dug up in the environs, which abound in olives and vines.

ALATYR, a town of Russia in Europe, gov. Simbirsk, at the confluence of the Alatyr with the Sura, 90 m. N. N. W. Simbirsk. Pop. 3,000. It is built of wood, has tanneries, a glass work, and a considerable trade in

corn.

ALAYA (an. Coracesium), a sea-port town of Turkey in Asia, Anatolia, cap. sanjiack of the same name, on the E. side of a lofty promontory, lat. 36° 31′51′′ N., long. 32° 2′ 24′′ E. Pop. 1,500 or 2,000. The promontory on which this town is built bears a striking resemblance to that of Gibraltar. It is joined to the continent on the N. by a low sandy isthmus, from which it rises abruptly; and its W. and S. sides consist of perpendicular cliffs 500 or 600 feet high. The E side, on which the town is built, is also so steep that the houses seem to stand on the top of each other. "In short, it forms a natural fortress that might be rendered impregnable; and the numerous walls and towers prove how anxiously its former possessors laboured to make it so." At present it is of trifling importance. Streets and houses miserable; mosques few and mean. When visited by Captain Beaufort it had no signs of commerce. The bay is open to southerly winds, and the anchorage indifferent.

Coracesium shut its gates against Antiochus when all the other towns of Cilicia had submitted; and at a subsequent period it was the place selected by the pirates at which to make a last stand in their struggle with Pompey. (Beaufort's Karamania, p. 172, &c.) ALBA, a town of the Sardinian States, in Piedmont, cap. prov. same name, on the Tanaro, 32 m. S.S. E. Turin. Pop. 7,000. It has a tribunal of original jurisdiction, a cathedral, 3 parish churches, a college, and a considerable trade in cattle.

ALBACETTE, a town of Spain, prov. Murcia, 9. m. N. W. Chinchella, agreeably situated in a vast and fruitful plain. Pop. of town and suburbs, 11,508. It has

manufactures of coarse cloth and soap. Great quantities of wine and saffron are collected in its vicinity; and a great cattle market is annually held in September. ALBAN (ST.), a town of France, dep. Lozere, 22 m. N. N. W. Mende. Pop. 2,428.

ALBANIA, a large prov. of European Turkey, bounded N. by Dalmatia and Servia, E. by Macedon and Thessaly, S. by Livadia, and W. by the Adriatic, along with that part of the Mediterranean called the Ionian Sea. It thus comprehends, in its widest acceptation, the ancient Illyria and Epirus, and is at present included in the Turkish government of Romania.

ALBAÑO (TOWN, LAKE, AND MOUNTAIN OF), in the Papal dominions, in the Campagna di Roma. The town is situated in the line of the Appian Way, on a hill, near the S. W. side of the lake, about 14 m. S. S. E. Rome. Pop. 4,200. This town is not built, as some have supposed, on the site of Alba Longa, which stood on the other side of the lake, but on the ruins of Pompey's villa. Its situation, at a moderate elevation above the level of the plain, fine salubrious air, shady walks, and magnificent views of the "eternal city," the Campagna, and the sea, make it a favourite retreat of the more opulent Roman citizens, particularly during spring and autumn. It is the seat of an archbishop; is well built; has a cathedral and some convents, with many fine palaces, among which may be specified those of the Corsini and Barberini families. At a little distance, on the margin of the lake, is Castel Gandolfo, the summer residence of the Pope. The adjacent country is almost wholly appropriated to the culture of the vine; and the wine which it yields still maintains its ancient reputation.

The lake of Albano, a little to the N. E. of the town, is surrounded on all sides by very high banks, except towards the N., where they are a little lower. It has the form of an irregular ellipse, and there would appear to be little doubt that it occupies the crater of an extinct volcano. The distance round the crater, or summit of the basin of the lake, is estimated at about 8 m., and that round the water's edge about 4 m. It is in parts very deep: a variety of fish are found in it, among which are eels of an immense size and highly esteemed.

But the subterranean conduit or tunnel, called by the Italians an emissario, for conveying away its surplus water, is the feature most worthy the attention of the intelligent traveller who visits this lake. This tunnel, intended to prevent the waters of the lake from injuring the surrounding country by overflowing its banks, and to keep them always at their present level, was completed at an early period of the Roman history (about 400 years B. C.), and bears unequivocal proofs of the sagacity and perseverance of those by whom it was executed. It is cut right through the mountain, and mostly through solid rock, a distance of considerably more than a mile, being generally about 3 feet 10 inches wide, and from 61 to 7 feet in height; at its entry from the lake, and its issue in the plain, it is solidly built round with large stones, arched at top, and is in perfect preservation. This great work is said to have been completed in about a year; but it has been objected to this, that as only three or at most four men could have wrought together, and these at the outer end of the tunnel only, the other end being under water, it must have taken many years for its completion. But Piranesi has shown that after tracing the line of the tunnel above ground, shafts had been sunk, by which workmen might have been let down in various places, and the work completed within the stated time.

The Alban Mount (Mons Albanus), now Monte Cavo, lies a little to the E. of the lake. It is about 2,900 feet in height; and the view from its summit, extending over Latium and a great extent of country, is one of the noblest that can be imagined. It was crowned by a temple in honour of Jupiter Latialis, where sacrifices were annually offered up by deputies from the various Latin states, with the Romans at their head, to their common father and protector. Here, also, the Roman generals, refused the honour of the great triumph in the city, performed the lesser triumph, or ovation, and sacrificed to Jupiter Latialis. Some fragments of this famous temple existed in 1750; but they have since disappeared. (Besides the authorities referred to, see the excellent work of Lumisden on the Antiquities of Rome, pp. 453–465.)

ALBAN'S (ST.), an ancient borough of England, co. Hertford, occupying the summit and sides of a low hill, on a feeder of the Colne, 20 m. N. N. W. London. The old borough had, in 1831, a pop. of 4,772; and the new parl. borough a pop. of 5.771. It has long had the privilege of returning 2 m. to the H. of C.; the right of voting having been vested in the freemen, whether

occasioned the undertaking of this work, see Livius, lib. v. s. 15, 16. For an account of the circumstances which are said to have and Cic. de Dirinatione, lib. i. s. 44. No doubt, however, it was made, as Cicero has elsewhere said, ad utilitatem agri suburbani non ad arcem urbemque retinendam. (De Divinat. ii. s. 32.)

city, p. 313.), apparently unconscious of what Piranesi had stated M. Simond has repeated this objection (Tour in Italy and Siin his Descrizione e Disegno dell' Emissario del Lago Albano,

resident or not, and in scot and lot householders. It is very ancient, and is either on or very near the site of the ancient Roman Verulamium. The abbey church is the most imposing object in the place; and is celebrated alike for its antiquity and great magnitude. It lately underwent a thorough repair. In the church of St. Michael is the tomb of the famous Lord Bacon, with a fine marble monument to his memory. There is a free grammar school, with several charitable institutions. The town is not thriving. Straw plait is the principal manufacture; and there are besides a cotton mill and a silk mill, but neither on a large scale. There is a market each Saturday. No. of 107. houses in Parl. borough 507; constituency in 1837, 606.- (Boundary Report, &c.)

ALBAN'S HEAD (ST.), a cape of England, on the English Channel, co. Dorset, lat. 50°38′ 10′′ N., long. 2° 6' 15" W.

ALBANY, a city of the United States, cap. state of New York, on the W. bank of the Hudson, 145 m. N. New York, lat. 42° 39′ 3′′ N., long. 73° 44′ 55′′ W. Pop. in 1825, 15,971; in 1835, 28,109. Besides being the seat of government, it is, in population, wealth, and commerce, the second city in the state. It is finely situated at the head of the river navigation of the Hudson, and is now connected by canals with Lake Erie and the Mississippi on the one hand, and with Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence on the other; so that it has become one of the principal centres of internal commerce in the Union. A fine basin has been constructed for the accommodation of the shipping on the river and the canals. Among the public buildings are the capitol, the state house, an academy, a splendid museum, a jail, with numerous banks and places for public worship. The steam-boats perform the voyage from N. York to Albany in about 10 hours. ALBANY, a district of S. Africa, belonging to Great Britain, at the E. extremity of the Cape Colony. It has on the E. the Great Fish river, on the W. Boshuans river, on the N. an imaginary line, drawn from the junction of the Great and Little Fish rivers to the Konap, and on the S. the ocean. Its area has been variously estimated, but may probably amount to about 2,000 sq. m. or 1,280,000 acres. Its aspect is highly pleasing, being diversified with hill and dale, its verdant pastures and smooth grassy knolls, contrasting agreeably with the dark masses of forest, which clothe the broken ground near the river courses. Soil very various. The stiff clayey lands would be the most productive, were they sufficiently watered; but as rain is precarious, and the rivers are said not to be suitable for irrigation, light friable soils are preferred. Climate temperate, salubrious, and suitable for European constitutions. Lions, wolves, and leopards, are occasionally met with; but are every day becoming rarer. Elephants are now seldom seen within the limits of the district. Horses, cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, &c., thrive remarkably well, and their produce forms the great dependence of the colonists. The country is traversed by numerous streams, of which the Great Fish river is by far the most important. Previously to 1820, there were not more than 1660 Europeans in the district; but government having given encouragement to emigration to this quarter, 3,720 emigrants landed in 1820, at Algoa Bay, whence the greater number proceeded to this district. For the first 4 or 5 years, the colonis's suffered severely from a failure of the wheat crops; but their progress from 1825 down to 1835, was comparatively rapid; and presented a picture of prosperity and advancement, not often to be met with in the early annals, even of the most successful colonies. At the last-mentioned epoch, however, this career was suddenly arrested by an irruption of the Kaffers, who destroyed a great quantity of valuable property, and killed several of the colonists. This invasion having been repelled, and peace having been again restored with the Kaffers, a lieutenant-governor was appointed to the F. province, and the district is fast recovering from the losses it had sustained. In 1837, it had a population of 11,728, of which 11,500 were whites. During the same year, the births were 700, and the deaths only 150. The value of the produce exported in 1836, was 47,3 71.: the principal articles being hides, 15.4767.; wool, 7,3531.; skins, chiefly goat, 5,749.; tallow, 4,4277. ivory, 2,5461.; with horses, beef and pork, butter, &c. The colonists had in 1836, 38,945 head of cattle, 104,000 sheep, and 2,755 horses. Graham's Town, the cap. of the E. prov. and the residence of the lieut.-governor, is situated almost in the centre of this district. It contained, in 1834, 512 houses; and 1800 inhab. exclusive of the military. A town, called Port Francis, has been founded at the mouth of the Kowie river; but as the access to it is obstructed by a dangerous bar, it is doubtful whether it will ever become of any material importance. The entire shipping trade of the district is at present carried from Port Elizabeth on Algoa Bay.(See Cape Aimanacs for 1834 and 1838; Parl. Paps. Session 1837, &c.).

ALBARRAZIN, a fortified town of Spain, prov. Arragon, on the Guadalaviar, with a cathedral, in a bleak and barren district. Pop. 2,227.

ALBEMARLE SOUND, United States, coast of N. Carolina, in the N.E. part of the state, being 60 m. long from E. to W., and from 4 to 15 wide. It communicates with Pamlico Sound and the ocean by several narrow inlets, and with Chesapeake Bay by a canal cut through Dismal Swamp.

ALBENGA (an. Albium Ingaunum), an ancient seaport town of the Sardinian States, cap. prov. same name, 44 m. S.W. Genoa, on the Centa. Pop. 4,000. It is the seat of a bishopric, and has several remains of antiquity. The situation is unhealthy; but the surrounding country is productive of oil and hemp. This is the birthplace of Proculus, a competitor with Probus for the throne of the Cesars.

ALBENQUE, a town of France, dep. du Lot, cap. cant., 10 m. S.S.E. Cahors. Pop. 1,984.

ALBERT, a town of France, dep. Somme, cap. cant., on the Miraumont, 15 m. E.N.E. Amiens. Pop. 2,542. It has a cotton mill, with print works, bleachfields, paper mills, &c. In its vicinity is a cave or quarry where there are a variety of petrifactions.

ALBINO, a town of Venetian Lombardy, prov. Bergamo, on the Serio, 7 m. N.E. Bergamo. Pop. 2,300. It is very well built, the castle and gardens of Count Spini being particularly worthy of notice. There are silk filatures, with a manufactory of agricultural implements, and machinery for polishing whetstones renowned all over Europe.

ALBION (NEW), a large tract of the N.W. coast of America. This designation was given by Sir Francis Drake to California and part of the adjoining coast; but recent geographers, and among others Humboldt, limit the denomination of New Albion to that part of the coast which extends from the 43d to the 48th deg. N. lat. It was carefully explored by Vancouver in 1792, ALBONA, a small town of Istria, 25 m. E. Rovigno, whose vicinage is celebrated for its olives and vines. ALBUFEIRA, a sea-port town of Portugal, S. coast Algarve, 28 m. E. Lagos, lat. 37° 7′ 30′′ N., long. 7° 19′ 12" W. Pop. 3,000. Large vessels may anchor in the port, which is defended by a citadel and batteries. Inhabitants mostly subsist by fishing.

The

ALBUHERA, a town of Spain, Estremadura, 14 m. S.S.E. Badajos, on the river and near the mountain of the same naine. Here, on the 16th May, 1811, a sanguinary conflict took place between the allied British, Spanish,and Portuguese troops under Marshal Beresford, and a French force under Marshal Soult. Each army lost about 7,000 men in killed and wounded. On the allied side the chief brunt of the action fell on the British, who suffered severely. In the end Soult, who commenced the attack, was compelled to retreat.

ALBUQUERQUE, a town of Spain, with an old castle, prov. Estremadura, on the frontier of Portugal, 22 m. N.N.W. Badajos. Pop. 5,500. It has cloth and cotton manufactures.

ALBY (Albiga), a city of France, cap. dep. Tarn, on the Tarn, which is crossed by an old-fashioned bridge, lat. 43° 55′ 46′′ N., long. 2° 8′ 23′′. Pop. 9,367. It is situated on a hill, and has few public buildings worth notice, except the cathedral, begun in 1277 and finished in 1480. It is illbuilt; the houses being gloomy, and the streets narrow, crooked, and dirty; but the shady promenade de la Lice, on the side next the country, is universally admired. It has a public library, a museum, and barracks, with various manufactures of coarse cloth, sacking, table linen, handkerchiefs, cottons, hats, paper, a foundery for balls, &c. The preparation of woad has been long carried on in the vicinity. Alby has suffered much at different periods for its attachment to Protestantism.

ALCALA DE GISVERT, an ill-built town of Spain, prov. Valencia. Pop. 3,600.

ALCALA DE HENARES (Complutum), a city of Spain, prov. Madrid, on the right bank of the river of the same name, 17 m. E. N. E. Madrid. Pop. 5,800. Though much decayed from what it was in the 16th century, this is said by Mr. Townsend (i. p. 245.) to be one of the handsomest, best built towns of Spain. It is surrounded by walls flanked with square towers, has a fine Gothic cathedral, a magnificent palace of the archbishop of Toledo, with numerous churches and convents. It is the seat of a university founded in 1510 by the illustrious statesman Cardinal Ximenes, which, next to Salamanca, is the most celebrated seminary in Spain: it had, in 1831, 17 colleges and 31 professors. The cardinal also bequeathed his library to the university, and founded in it a printing press, which produced, at his expense, in 151217, the famous Polyglott Bible, denominated the Biblia Complutensia; an imperishable and noble monument of his plety, learning, and liberality. The remains of the cardinal were interred in the college church. But it is the chief glory of Alcala de Henares to have given birth, in 1547, to Cervantes, the inimitable author of Don Quix

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ALCALA DE LOS GAZULES, a town of Spain, prov. Cadiz, in a hilly and bleak district, totally unfit for tillage, but well adapted for rearing sheep, which accordingly constitutes the chief employment of the people: - it is at a very short distance from the river Barbate, which flows into the sea 35 m. S. E. Cadiz. Close to the town, are the remains of an old Roman castle. Dist. 38 m. E. Cadiz, and 48 m. S. Seville. Pop. of town and sub. 17,916.

ALCALA LA REAL, a town of Spain, prov. Jaen, on the Gualcoton, at an elevation of more than 2,700 feet above the level of the sea, 30 m. W.S.W. Jaen. Pop. 4,374. It had, and perhaps still has, a rich abbey, with various churches, convents, and an hospital. On the 28th January, 1810, the French defeated the Spaniards in the vicinity of this town.

ALCAMO, a town of Sicily, in the Val di Mazzara, on the great road from Palermo to Trapani, 24 m. W.S.W. Palermo. Pop. said by Swinburne to be 8,500 perhaps it may now be estimated at 10,000, the pop. of the district being, in 1831, 15,589. Streets straight, but ill paved and dirty. It is situated on high ground, in a fine open, cultivated country, and is well sheltered by large woods of olive trees. Within the district of Alcamo, and at no great distance from the town, finely situated on an eminence, are the magnificent ruins of an ancient Doric temple, all that now remains of the once powerful Segista! It is a parallelogram, 162 by 66 feet, and has 36 columns, which, when examined by Swinburne, were all, with one exception, perfectly entire. (For an account of the ruins, see Swinburne's Two Sicilies, ii. p. 236. 4to ed.) in a from The Pop.

ALCANDATE, a town of Spain, prov. Jaen, rugged mountainous country at a short distance the river Guadajoz, lat. 37° 45′ N. long. 4° 12′ W. Roman inscriptions seen here show its antiquity. 6,500.

ALCANIZ (Arab. for treasury), a town of Spain, prov. of Ternel, Aragon, on the r. bank of the Gaudaloupe on a hill side, above whieh is a castle, built by James I. of Aragon, 62 m. S.E. Saragossa. Pop. 5,834. A handsome collegiate church, with a noble portico, is the chief building. It is encircled by walls; and is connected by a canal, constructed by the Moors, with the Ebro. There are in the vicinity rich mines of alum, and thriving plantations of mulberry and other trees; there is also in its vicinity a pond which produces remarkably large fine eels.

ALCANTARA, (from the Arabic al-cantarat-al-seif, the bridge of the sword,) a fortified town of Spain, prov. Estremadura, lat. 39° 41′ 30 N., long. 6° 43′ W., and the cap. of a dist. having the same name, Pop. 3,332. It stands on a steep hill, close to the E. bank of the Tagus (running here N. W.), was called by the Romans, its founders, Norba-Cæsarea, and they in the reign of Trajan erected the famous bridge, whence its present name is derived. It was of granite, its length 577 ft.. breadth 22 ft., span of the two centre arches 110 ft., thickness of piers, 38 ft.. height above river-level, 175 ft.; in the middle of the bridge, was a triumphal arch 46 ft high, with a Roman inscription. (Laborde's Voyage Pittor.; where see views and sections of the bridge. Ponz. viii. 63.) This fine relic of antiquity was unfortunately destroyed, together with some adjoining buildings, by the British troops, June 10. 1899, owing to a mistake of military orders. (Napier, vol. ii. 316.) The river was once navigable up to this town, and before the separation of Portugal, in 1580, a large trade in fruit was carried on with Lisbon (Miñano); but it now serves only to turn a few mills, and to supply the people with dace, barbel, cels and other fish, which greatly abound (Ponz). It is joined a little below Alcantara by the Alagon, Jartin and Salor. At the expulsion of the Moors in 1213, which was aided by the knights of San Julian del Pereyro, the defence of the town was entrusted to them, and they thenceforward assumed the title of knights of Alcantara. The order is now a dignity of some value, and the monarch has been the grand master since 1495. The knights in 1506, built a handsome convent and church, which still exist. A cloth manufacture once existed here; but it has perished. Brick-making and tanning are all the signs now to be seen of industry.

ALCANTARA, a sea-port town of Brazil, prov. Maranham, on a hill, 15 m. N. W. San Louis de Maranham. The surrounding territory is productive of excellent cotton and rice; and the salt lakes, a little to the N. of the town, might yield the largest supplies if they were properly managed. Its port admits only small vessels.

ALCANTARILLA, a dist. and town of Spain. prov. Murcia, lat. 37° 56′ N., long. 1° 13′ W. 4 m. from the 1. bank of the Segura. Dist. 5m. S. W. Murcia, and 50 S. W. Alicant. Pop. 4037.

ALCAREZ, a town of Spain, prov. La Mancha, on the Guadarama, 45 miles W.S.W. Manzanares. Pop.

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calamine and copper, and an aqueduct. ALCAZAR DE SAL, a town of Portugal, prov. Estremadura, on the r. bank of the Sado, 29 m. S.E. Setubal. It is delightfully sit. in the midst of an extensive and fertile plain, and is chiefly distinguished for its salt works and sedge-mat factories. ALCAZAR DE SAN JUAN, a town of Spain, prov. La Mancha, lat. 39° 25′ N., long. 3° 13′ W., and the cap. of a dist. so called, which contains 16 towns and villages. The dist. (besides its pasture, corn, oil and fruits, which are abundant,) produces salt-petre, and other minerals, supporting above 500 workmen and their families. The town contains 12 soap-factories, and had formerly 40. Dist. 5 m. N. E. Ciudad Real, 55 m. S. E. Toledo. Pop. of dist. 7000.

ALCESTER, a pa. and m. town of England, co. Warwick, 103 m. N. W. Lond., 16 m. W. S. W. Warwick. Pop. 2,405. The town, situated at the confluence of the Alne and Arrow, has a handsome Gothic church, a free school, a good corn market, and carries on a pretty large needle manufacture.

ALCIRA, a town of Spain, prov. Valencia, on an island of the Xucar, 23 m. S.S.W.Valencia, and so low that the river by rising 12 it. above its usual height inundates the town, lat. 39 6 N. long. 0° 25′ W. Pop. 8,415. It is fortified and flanked with towers; has several churches, convents and hospitals, with two fine bridges over the Xucar. This is a very ancient town, having been successively occupied by the Carthaginians, Romans, and Moors. The inhab, are thrifty and intelligent farmers, superior to most in Spain, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the town they raise excellent pimentos and tomatos, in addition to the rice and other produce of the district. About 2 m. E. are some limestone hills, among which is a stalactitic cave, (Cueva de las Maravillas), visited as a natural curiosity. (Bowles.) ALCKMAER. See ALKMAAR.

ALCOBAZA, a town of Portugal, prov. Estremadura, lat. 39° 36′ N., long. 9° W., 15 m. Ŝ.S.W. Leiria, and within 5 m. of the sea, at the confluence of two small rivers. Pop., according to Minano, 1,716. It contains a very handsome and extensive Cistercian monastery, founded by Alfonso I., possessing a good library with valuable MSS., and a collection of pictures, among which are portraits of all the Portuguese kings, from Alfonso I. to Donna Maria I. The cotton manufacture is carried on here to some extent; the Marquis de Pombal set 250 looms at work in the monastery; but the late disturbed state of the country has very much impaired the industrial resources of this place.

ALCOLEA DEL REY, a town of Spain, prov. Seville, 26 m. N. E. of that city, near the r. bank of the Gudalquivir, in the midst of a fine and productive plain. Pop. 2000. When the Guadalquivir was more navigable than at present, this town appears to have been of some importance; the completion of the projected canal will perhaps restore it to its former prosperity.

ALCORA, a town of Spain, prov. Valencia, 48 m. N. Valencia, in a country watered by the Mijares. Pop. 6,000, Its agricultural and industrial products are not important. ALCOVER, a town of Spain, prov. Cataluña, on the banks of the small river Angura. In the time of Alfonso VIII., it was a place of some importance; but the oppressions of the French, at different times, have driven away the principal landholders; and the people seem now to be in a very wretched condition. 13 m. N.N.W. Tarragona. Pop. 2,300. Contrib. to rev. 39,000 reals v.

ALCOY, a town of Spain, Valencia, at the source of the Alcoy, 24 m. N. Alicant. Pop. town and district 14,600. Besides churches and convents, it has a college, a considerable manufactory of fine cloth, soap works, and paper works; the contiguous territory is very fertile.

ALCUDIA, a town belonging to Spain, near the n. extrem. of the isle Majorca, on a small peninsula between the bays of Pollensa and Alcudia, lat. 39° 50′, long. 3° 8' E. Pop. 1018. Two stagnant pools, or Albuferas, lie between it and the bay; and the exhalations from them greatly injure the health of the inhabitants, a sickly and miserable race. The pools might be drained, and the soil rendered useful, if the natives were possessed of any enterprise or energy. Coral-fishing employs some 40 vessels in the bay. At about 3 m. S. E. is a stalactitic cave, visited, and well described by Antillon. (Geog. p. 76.)

ALCUDIA DE CARLET, a town of Spain, prov. Valencia, in a plain about 8 m. from the Xucar, whose water supplies its rice grounds with nourishment. It is on the royal road of Madrid, about 18 m. S. Valencia. Pop. 3,000.

ALDBOROUGH, a borough of England, W. R. co. York, wapentake Claro, 185 m. N. N. W. Lond., 18 m. W. N. W. York. Pop. in 1831, 620. Its former impor. tance was wholly derived from its having enjoyed since