Zuyder Zee. The other branch is again divided, and the larger branch falls into the Maese under the name of the Leck; while the Rhine, with a very small portion of its waters, is lost among the canals about Leyden, without falling into the sea by its proper name.

The Maese rises in France, and, after receiving the greatest part of the Rhine, it divides into a variety of branches, and empties into the German Sea. The Scheldt also rises in France; and after passing the city of Antwerp, is divided into two branches, called Eastern and Western Scheldt, both of which are lost among the islands of Zealand.

Seas. The German ocean, which washes the northern shores of Holland, is here called the North Sea; in contradistinction to which, a large gulf, which separates North Holland from Friesland, is called the Zuyder or South Sea. With this is connected the lake of Haerlem by a creek called the Y.

The chief harbors of Holland are those of the Texel, Middleburg, Flushing and Amsterdam.

Manufactures and Commerce. The chief manufactures of Holland are linens, pottery, leather, wax, snuff, sugar, starch, paper, woollen, and silk. The commerce consisted formerly in spices and drugs from their settlements in the East-Indies. The inland trade with Germany by the canals and the Rhine, is almost the only branch of commerce which has escaped the ravages of war.

Language and Literature. The language is a dialect of the German. The education of youth is not so much attended to here, as in some other countries. There are

large and celebrated Latin schools at Rotterdam, Middleburg, Groningen, &c. Holland has five respectable universities; those of Leyden, Utrecht, Hardewycke, Francker, and Groningen. There is an academy of Sciences at Haerlem.

Manners and Customs. The Dutch are an industrious and persevering people, patient of hardships, and extremely neat in their dwellings. A humane regulation requires all innkeepers and apothecaries to keep a printed paper, containing rules for recovering persons apparently drowned. Liberal rewards are given to those who expose themselves to save others.

Religion. The Hollanders generally embrace the doctrines of the reformation, or, as they are usually styled, Calvinism; but Jews, Anabaptists, and Roman Catholics are numerous. A free exercise of religion is allowed to all persuasions, but none but Calvinists could hold an em ployment of trust or profit.

Government. Holland was a republic, till May, 1805, a treaty was made between France and Holland for the establishment of a king; and in June following, Louis Bonaparte, with great ceremony, was proclaimed king of Holland, by his brother Napolean; but he has since abdicated his throne, and in 1814 the government was restored to its original form.

Cities. All the cities of Holland have an appearance of grandeur and neatness, which attracts universal admira tion. The houses are of brick, lofty and elegant, the windows large and numerous. The streets are surpris ingly clean, and adorned with rows of trees; between which the canals extend in all directions.

AMSTERDAM, a port of the Zuyder Zee, is the chief city. It ranks among the first cities of Europe, containing, 217,024 inhabitants. The docks and arsenals are extensive, and the Stadthouse is the most magnificent building of the kind in Europe.

ROTTERDAM, on the Maese, is a great commercial city, of the size of Boston, having 33,800 inhabitants. LEYDEN, an inland city, with 30,955 inhabitants, is the seat of the principal university, and is celebrated for having produced several eminent characters in science and literature. The HAGUE is an open village, famous as the seat of government, and the residence of the Stadtholder; it has 38,433 inhabitants, and 6,164 houses.

HAERLEM, which has 21,360 inhabitants, MIDDLEBURG, and FLUSHING, are large commercial cities. UTRECHT is a handsome city, with 32,294 inhabitants, and is the seat of an university. There are many other towns, distin guished for neatness and population.

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SWITZERLAND, OR HELVETIA.

UNDER this name modern geographers include all the country occupied, not only by the Swiss, or Thirteen Cantons of the league, but by other states in alliance with or subject to them in which sense, the greatest extent from east to west will be about 200 miles, and from north to south 130. On the north it is bounded by Swabia, south by Savoy and Italy, west by France.

General Appearance. Switzerland may justly be considered as the most elevated land in Europe, as many principal rivers take their rise here, and run in different directions to the extremity. The greater part is composed of mountains, with narrow vallies between them; these mountains are composed of stupendous rocks, piled on each other, and are from 4,000 to 10,000 feet in height. One peak in St. Gothard's mountain, is computed by Du Cret to be 16,500 French feet.

Divisions and Population. Before the late revolution, Switzerland was divided into 13 cantons, exclusive of their allies; viz. Lucern, Uri, Schweitz, Underwalden, Zug, Friburg, and Soleure, which are Catholics. The protestant cantons are Zurich, Bern, Basle, and Schaffhausen The number of inhabitants is reckoned at 1,638,000. Glarus and Appenzel contain both religions.

Lakes and Rivers. The principal lakes are those of Constance, Geneva, Lucern, Zurich, and Neuchatel. The most considerable rivers, are the Rhine, Rhone, Aar, Arve, Reuss and Inn.

Productions. The chief riches of Switzerland consist of excellent pastures, in which many cattle are bred and fattened; the goats and chamois feed on the mountains and in the woods.

Manners and Customs. The men are strong and robust. The women are tolerably handsome, and in general very Industrious. The peasants retain their old manner of dress, and are content to live upon milk, butter and cheese; some of the mountaineers never have any bread.

Cities.

The principal cities of Switzerland are BASIL, on the Rhine, 15,060 inhabitants; ZURICH, on the lake of the same name, 10,353; and LAUSANNE on the lake of

Geneva, 9,965. There are colleges at Bern, Lausanne, Zurich and Lucerne.

Historical Remarks. A definitive alliance subsisted between France and several of the Swiss cantons for more than a century, to the great advantage of both. These repubiicans found in that monarchy a steady, faithful and generous friend. In 1777, the alliance was renewed in the city of Soleure, and extended to all the cantons. From this period, till the commencement of that disastrous revolution, which has been effected by the intrigues of the French, the Swiss were so much wiser than any of the other European powers, that they preserved a peace uninterrupted, except by some internal disputes, which were speedily terminated. Their history, therefore, during this period is comprised in a few words. While other nations descanted on the blessings of peace, liberty, and property, amidst the curses of war, taxes, and oppression, these happy people quietly enjoyed all these blessings. The present situation of Switzerland is a striking contrast to this. It is "correctly and energetically drawn in the picture of Athens, left us by a writer of the middle ages after the invasion. It is the empty and bloody skin of an immolatedl victim. She has nothing left but rocks, and ruins, and demagogues." Since the revolution of 1797, the old government of Switzerland has been changed, the thirteen independent governments have been abolished, and the name of Switzerland changed to that of Helvetia. By the constitution of May 29, 1801, Switzerland is divided into seventeen departments. In 1814, this country recovered its lost liberties.

SPAIN.

Situation, Boundaries, Extent. The kingdom of Spain lies between 36 and 44° north lat. and between 66 and 78° east lon. It is bounded north by the bay of Biscay; northeast by the Pyrennees, which separate it from France; east and south by the Mediterranean ; southwest and west by Portugal and the Atlantic; 620 miles long and 530 broad.

Divisions. Spain contains the provinces of Old and New Castile, Andalusia, Arragon, Estramadura, Galicia

Leon, Catalonia, Granada, Valencia, Biscay, the Asturias, Murcia, and Upper Navarre, some of which have formerly been separate kingdoms.

Climate. The air is dry and serene, except during the equinoctial rains, but excessively hot in the southern prov inces in June, July, and August. The vast mountains, however, that run through Spain, are beneficial to the inhabitants by the refreshing breezes that come from them in the south parts; but those in the north and northeast are in the winter very cold.

Bays. The chief bays are those of Biscay, Ferrol, Corunna, (commonly called the Groynne) Tigo, Cadiz, Gibralter, Carthagena, Alicante, Altea, Valencia, and Roses. The strait of Gibralter divides Europe from Africa.

Rivers. These are the Duero, which falls into the Atlantic ocean below Oporto in Portugal; the Tago, or Tagus, which falls into the Atlantic ocean near Lisbon; the Guadiana falls into the same ocean near Cape Finisterre; as does the Guadalquiver, now Turio, at St. Lucar; and the Ebro, the ancient Iberus, falls into the Mediterranean Sea below Tortosa.

The river Tinto rises in Sierra Morena, and empties it. self into the Mediterranean, near Huelva, having the name Tinto given it from the tinge of its waters, which are as yellow as a topaz, hardening the sand, and petrifying it in a most surprising manner.

Lakes. There are several lakes in Spain. That of Beneventa abounds with fish, particularly with excellent trout. Of the water of a lake near Antiquera salt is made by the heat of the sun.

Mountains. The chief and the highest mountains of Spain are the Pyrennees, nearly 200 miles in length, which extend from the bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean, and divide Spain from France.

The Cantabrian mountains are the continuation of the Pyrennees, and reach to the Atlantic ocean, south of Cape Finisterre.

Mount Calpo, now called the Hill of Gibralter, was formerly known as one of the Pillars of Hercules.

Soil and Productions. The soil is fertile; but there are Farge tracts of uncultivated ground. The produce of the