217 



POSEN. 



POTSDAM. 



219 



the German Diet, which admitted the districts to form a part of 

 Germanv, and their admission was recognised and confirmed by a 

 decree of the German National Assembly, sitting at Fraukfurt, on the 

 27th of July of the same year. A bill incorporating the whole of the 

 duchy of Posen with Germany passed the Berlin chambers in 1850 ; 

 but after the insurrectionary wave subsided in Germany we believe 

 the territory of Poseu was restored to its former condition. The 

 government of Posen lies between 51 10' and 53 32' N. lat., 15 7' 

 and 18' 38' E. long. It is bounded N. by the province of Prussia, E. 

 by Poland, S. by Silesia, and W. by Brandenburg. The area is 11,352 

 square miles, divided into the two provinces of Bromberg and Posen. 

 The population in 1852 numbered 1,381,745 ; of whom 869,433 were 

 Catholics; 437,861 Protestants of various sects; 30 of the Greek 

 Church; and 74,331 Jews. The Catholics are in spiritual matters 

 subject to the archbishop of Gnesen and Posen ; the Protestants are 

 guided by a superintendent-general assisted by the council of the 

 government. The great bulk of the population are Poles, and Polish 

 is the general language of the country. There are however many 

 inhabitants of German descent, who inhabit the towns on the frontiers 

 of Silesia and Brandenburg. 



The surface is level, except the banks of the Wartha in the circle 

 of Obernik, which are rather more elevated, and there is here and 

 there a bill on the frontiers of Silesia. The soil is partly marsh, 

 which is very fertile, and partly sandy, but even here the sand is ao 

 mixed with more solid elements, especially loam, that the soil may be 

 iured as tolerably good. The most fertile parts are the country 

 on both sides of the Wartha, and the Netzbruch, a low tract on the 

 river Netze, about 90 miles in length, and not above 3 miles in breadth, 

 which, having been completely secured by dikes, is now converted 

 iutu tine corn-land and meadows, with farmhouses and villages. The 

 Wartha or Warta, which traverses the province in its whole breadth, 

 and the Netze, are navigable. The Netze is connected by the Bromberg 

 Canal (20 miles in length) with the Brahe, which has been made 

 navigable, and falls into the Vistula, which only touches the frontier 

 for a short distance below Thorn, and opens a communication with the 

 B iltic. There are several lakes, the largest of which is that of Gopplo. 

 The air it pore and healthy. 



The chief products are corn, pulse, culinary vegetables, flax, and 

 hemp ; tobacco, hops, fruit, and timber ; the common domestic 

 animals, game, poultry (especially geese), fih, and bees. There are 

 limestone, freestone, saltpetre, and bog-iron. The exports consist 

 chiefly of corn, especially wheat, a large quantity of wool, timber, 

 cattle, tallow, hides, wax, honey, hogs' bristles, and feathers. Broad- 

 cloth of good quality is manufactured in most of the towns. The 

 railway that connects Berlin with Stettin, Danzig, and Konigsberg 

 traverses the government of Posen, and pumps through the town of 

 Bromberg. A branch line from the Woldenberg station runs up to 



r. -!,. 



The government of Posen occupies the southern part of the pro- 

 vince, and has an area of 6807 square miles, with a population of 

 900,430 in 1846. Pottn (in Polish Poznan), the capital of the province 

 and of the government, situated in 52 24' N. lat., 10' 52' E. long., In 

 a sandy tract on the left bank of the Wartha, is a strongly-fortified 

 town, with a population of 40,209. The town, which has three 

 suburbs and four gates, is pretty regularly built The chief public 

 buildings are the castle, situated on an emineucs ; twenty-four Roman 

 Catholic churches, the most remarkable of which are the cathedral 

 and the church of St-StanisUs, the latter being a masterpiece of 

 Italian architecture; two Protestant churches, a Greek chapel, a 

 synagogue, the archiepiscopal palace, the theatre, the chief guard-house, 

 the town-hall, &c. Posen is the residence of the Catholic archbishop 

 of Posen and Gnesen, and of the governor of the province. It ha> 

 two gymnasiums, one called Frederick Wilhelm, for Protestants, which 

 has lit teachers and 350 pupils, the other, the Mary gymnasium with 

 22 teachers and 840 pupils. The manufactures consist of chintzes, 

 calico, tobacco, leather, woollen cloth, ticking, sealing-wax, and carriages. 

 There are likewise breweries, distilleries, several printing-offices and 

 lithographic presses. The city has some trade, and three annual fairs. 

 Posen is 160 miles E. from Berlin in a straight line, but 206 miles by 

 railway through Stettin. Liua, 38 miles a from Poseu, has 9000 

 inhabitants. This town has a palace, a handsome market-place, a 

 Protestant gymnasium, five churches, a synagogue, and extensive manu- 

 factories of woollen cloth, linen, snuff, chicory, and carriages. KawUtch, 

 situated in a marshy spot near the frontiers of Silesia, has 8500 

 Unts. It is pretty well built, has a gymnasium, a town-hall, 

 and manufactures of woollen-cloth, linen, leather, tobacco, and 

 earthenware. Matrilz, situated in a beautiful and fertile country on the 

 river Obro, 56 miles W. from Posen, has 4500 inhabitants. The manu- 

 facture of woollen-cloth is very considerable. Krototzin, close to the 

 Siletian frontier, has 7000 inhabitants, who manufacture woollen- 

 cloths, linen, tobacco, and chicory. There are also tanneries, dye- 

 houses, and distilleries. Fiatuladt, in Polish Wtchowa, situated on 

 the frontiers of Silesia, consists of an old and new town ; it has four 

 church**, a gymnasium, an orphan asylum, and 6257 inhabitants, who 

 manufacture woollen and linen cloths, beer, and spirits, and carry on 

 considenble trade in corn, cattle, wool, Ac. Ktmpen, also on the 

 Silesian frontier, has 6154 inhabitants, who carry on some traffic 

 in hones with Silesia, and manufacture cloth, linen, tobacco, and 



soap. Oatrowo, 70 miles S.S.E. from Posen, has several Lutheran 

 and Catholic churches, woollen manufactures, a Catholic gymnasium , 

 and about 5000 inhabitants. 



The north of the government forms the province of Bromberg, 

 which has an area of 4545 square miles, with a population of 463,969 

 in 1846. The chief town Bromberg, in Polish Bydgoszcz, is situated 

 on a hill above the Brahe, about 5 miles W. from the Vistula, 67 

 miles in a straight line, 166 miles by railway through Woldenberg, 

 N.N.E. from Posen, and has about 10,000 inhabitants. The camil 

 which completes the navigation between the Oder and the Vistula 

 enters the Brahe at this place. The town is well built ; it has a 

 Lutheran gymnasium, a training school, manufactures of chicory, 

 tobacco, linen and woollen cloth, sugar, &c. ; and a brisk trade in corn, 

 cattle, &c. Gnesen, an old town, with 7000 inhabitants, 44 miles S.S.VV. 

 from Bromberg ; it gives title in conjunction with Poseu to a Catholic 

 archbishop, who was primate of Poland. Besides the cathedral, there 

 are seven Roman Catholic churches, and a seminary for the clergy. 

 The inhabitants manufacture woollen cloth and linen, and there are 

 breweries and distilleries. Gneseu is one of the oldest towns iu 

 Poland. It was the earliest capital of that country. [POLAND.] 

 Inowratdavj, also called Jung-Breslau, an ill-built town, in a fertile 

 plain, 24 miles S. by E. from Bromberg, has 5600 inhabitants, who 

 have distilleries, breweries, and saltpetre works. There are five 

 Roman Catholic churches, a Franciscan convent, and a synagogue. 

 Sckfnlanke, is a well-built town, 62 miles W. from Bromberg, with 

 4000 inhabitants, who manufacture woollen cloths. 



POSILIPO. [NAPLES, Province and City of.] 



POTENZA. [BASILICATA.] 



POTID.-EA. [MACEDONIA.] 



POTOMAC. [MARYLAND; VIRGINIA.] 



POTOSI, a town in South America, iu the republic of Bolivia and 

 in the department of Potosi, is built on the south-western declivity of 

 the Cerro de Potosi, in 19 36' S. lat., 65 20' W. long., at an elevation 

 of 13,265 feet above the level of the sea. The population, which a 

 hundred years ago it is said amounted to 100,000, does not now 

 exceed 30,000, about half of whom are Peruvian Indians. It is built 

 on an uneven site, and the streets are consequently irregular, but they 

 are tolerably wide and clean. The houses are generally low, not more 

 than one story high, timber being scarce and dear ; moat of them 

 however are substantial. On one side of the principal square stands 

 the government-house, a long low range of buildings, including tbo 

 courts of justice, the jail, and the guard-house. Opposite to it is the 

 cathedral, an immense granite edifice. The mint also is very large, 

 but far from being a fine building. The great square contains a 

 monument erecte 1 in honour of Bolivar. There are several other 

 churches besides the cathedral. A college is established in the Bethle- 

 mite convent. The town is supplied with water from reservoirs formed 

 at some eight or ten miles distance by making dams across the heads 

 of several ravines in the Cerro de Potosi ; from these the waters are 

 conducted to the houses and fountains of the town in conduits, and to 

 the mining establishments in streams to turn the machinery used iu 

 washing and purifying the silver-ore from the celebrated mines of 

 Potosi. [BOLIVIA.] The town is well supplied with meat, fruits, and 

 vegetables, though tho surrounding country is barren and exhibits 

 few signs of vegetation. The climate of Potosi presents the changes 

 of the four seasons of the year every day. It is a healthy place, but 

 the extreme rarity of the air, in consequence of the great elevation 

 above the sea-level (13,000 feet) produces a difficulty of respiration, 

 to which even the natives and animals are at times subject. 



The Cerro of Potosi rises to the elevation of 15,981 feet above the 

 sea. It is of a reddish-brown colour, and has the shape of a perfect 

 cone, but is not volcanic, as has been supposed. It does not produce 

 a blade of grass ; the whole mountain seems to consist of silver-ore 

 of different degrees of richness. It was discovered that this mountain 

 contained silver-ore by an Indian, in 15.45, who being in pursuit of a 

 llama upon the steep declivity, in order to save himself from falling 

 caught hold of a shrub, which being torn from the soil exposed a mass 

 of solid silver at the roots. From that time to the present day the 

 mines have been worked. The produce of these mines from 1556 to 

 1800 amounted to the enormous sum of 823,950,508 Spanish dollars, 

 or 185,388,8641. 



(Uumboldt, nai tur la Nouvclle Eipayne ; Temple, Travels in 

 variant Part* of Peru.) 



POTOSI, U.S. [MISSISSIPPI, State of.] 



POTOSI, SAN LOUIS DE. [MEXICO.] 



POTSDAM, the capital of the circle of Potsdam, in the government of 

 Brandenburg, iu Prussia, is situated on an island in the Havel, at tho 

 point where that river is joined by the Nuthe, 16 miles by railway S.W. 

 from Berlin, and has about 40,000 inhabitants. It is, next to Berlin, tho 

 handsomest and best built town in Prussia, a distinction for which it 

 is indebted to being the occasional residence of the court. The streets 

 are regular and broad, and there are some good squares. The town is 

 surrounded by ramparts and has nine gates, of which the Brandenburg 

 gate is a handsome triumphal arch copied from the arch of Trajan at 

 Home. Of the seven bridges over the Havel and the canal, the finest 

 is the Teltow Bridge, which is 600 feet long and 30 feet wide ; it 

 consists of eight iron arches resting on massive stone pillars. Of the 

 numerous buildings the most worthy of notice is the Royal Palace 



