SAXONY, KINGDOM OF. 



SCANDINAVIA. 



480 



ColmbwK, wtt of Oaohati, which attain* an elevation of 1134 feet 

 bore the w-leveL The general level of this dUtriet near the hilly 

 region U about 800 feet, and where it borders on Pruttia It varies 

 between SSH) and 980 feet It U the mo*t fertile portion of Saxony, 

 and though it contain* .everal tracU covered with heath, some exten- 

 air* dirtrioU are di.tingui.hed by fertility. The most fruitful part. 

 ar th* plain, of LommaUeh, Meiawn, and Leisuig ou tho Freyberger 

 Mulda; the country .urrouuding the town of Leipzig, and the valley 

 of the El*ter. Agriculture i* the principal occupation of the inhabit- 

 ant*, but it i* united to the rearing of cattle and horse*. Sheep abound 

 in the lew fertile tract*. The forest* are here of small extent 



Climate. The temperature of the northern plain does not differ much 

 from that of the hilly region. The mean annual temperature in both 

 region* is 4 7 "5*. The winter i. rather severe, tho mean temperature 

 being 30* or a little lea*. The mean* temperature of spring is 49, of 

 summer to 62, of autumn between 49 and 60. The banks of the Elbe 

 are the lowest parts of the region, and accordingly the temperature 

 of Dresden and Meissen i* from two to three degrees higher than 

 those given in the above statement. The climate of the towns near 

 Uie mountain region, a* that of Freyberg and Chemnitz, does not 

 materially differ from that of the countries farther north, but in the 

 valley, the temperature is considerably lower. At Altenburg in the 

 mountain region, 2475 feet above the sea-level, the mean annual 

 temperature doe* not exceed 40, that of the winter is 25, of the 

 .priug 41, of the summer 54, of the autumn about 41. The pre- 

 vailing wind* are from the west and south-west ; those from north- 

 wttt and from south and south-east are also common ; northern, 

 north-eastern, and eastern winds are rare. The annual rainfall is 

 from 20 to 24 inches. 



Hircri. The principal river is the ELBE, which is navigable for 

 large river boats through the whole of its course, as far as it lies 

 within the boundaries of Saxony. It is joined, within Saxony, by a 

 few imall rivers, which are used to float down timber and fire-wood. 

 The rivers which fall into the Elbe are the Black Elster, with its 

 tributary the Roder, from the east, and from the west the Freyberger 

 and the Zwickauer Mulda, which unite within Saxony, and the White 

 Elstcr, with its tributary the Pleisse. 



Pnxluftiom. The chief crops are corn, potatoes, rape-seed, hops, 

 flax, hemp, chicory, tobacco, madder, woad, saffron, medicinal herbs, 

 anise, coriander, poppy, Ac. The meadows are most carefully culti- 

 vated, and yield several crops in the year. Spanish clover is much 

 cultivated. Culinary vegetables are abundant, and large quantities 

 are exported. With the exception of the mountainous district, 

 Saxony resembles a vast orchard, the produce of which is a never- 

 failing source of wealth to the inhabitants. The culture of the vine 

 was introduced in the llth century. The annual produce is about 

 2,400,000 gallons. Almost a fourth part of the country is covered 

 with forests, consisting chiefly of pine and fir. Of other timber-trees 

 the moat common are the beech and the birch ; the maple, the elm, 

 and the ash are less common, and the oak very rare. 



The breed of cattle hag been very much improved within the last 

 century. The horses are good. There are swine and goats in most 

 part* of the country, and domestic poultry abounds. Among wild 

 animals are boars, foxes, badgers, hares, lynxes, and wild cats ; birds 

 of prey, with the exception of eagles, which are seldom seen, are 

 everywhere met with. There are also bustards, storks, heathcocks, 

 pheasants, partridges, wild geese, ducks, and swans. The breeding of 

 bee* has declined. The breed of sheep has been gradually and greatly 

 improved since 1765, by successive importations of merinos from 

 Spain, so that there are above 2,000,000 sheep of the improved breed, 

 and Saxony wool is preferred even to the Spanish. 



The minerals are some gold, copper, iron, lead, tin, cobalt, arsenic, 

 vitriol, bismuth, nickel, zinc, antimony, quicksilver, calamine, rock 

 crystal, amethyst, carnelian, garnets, diamonds, jasper, chalcedony, 

 ador stone, potters' -earth, fine porcelain clay, basalt, serpentine, 

 granite, marble, alabaster, fluor-spar, sandstone, limestone, slate, 

 porphyry, black amber, brimstone, alum, saltpetre, and coals. All 

 the wit i* imported from Prussian Saxony. 



The manufactures are very important. The most important branch 



of linen manufacture is that of damask table-linen at Gross-SchSnau 



looms). Thread-lace of extraordinary beauty is manufactured 



in the Oberengebirge and the Voigtland. The annual value of the linen 



manufacture* i* 3,000,000 dollars. Woollen manufactures are very 



wttenMve, and tboie of cotton gtuffg and cotton hosiery have rapidly 



ued in recent time*. There are silk-manufactures on a small scale 



aerou* paper-manufactories ; and tanneries, breweries, and distil- 



almoet all the towns. The manufactures connected with 



t mine* are of great importance, especially at Freiberg, where are 



o cannon and shot foundries, and smclting-works. Cobalt is made 



j *V nd iome pUces mre noted for tte manufecture of 



The manufacture of straw bonnets, mats, &c., employs 



10,000 hands. Meiaten has become universally famous for the manu. 



icture of porcelain and glas*. Steam-engines, mill-machinery, tools, 



and toy. are al*o manufactured in Saxony. 



Oommerct. The centra of the commerce of the country is Leipzig 

 The whole foreign and domestic trade of Leipzig at three fairs amounts 

 to from 20 to 2i! million dollar*. The book trade is likewise to the 

 amount of some millions. Tho principal exports are fine woollen- 



manufactures, linen, lace, 4c. ; thread, wool, worsted, hosiery, smalts, 

 porcelain, straw-manufactures, woodeuwares, gloss, fruit, timber, toys, 

 and mineral products. The imports are salt, cotton, silk, flax, hemp, 

 colonial produce, salt and dried fish, fancy goods, &c. The value of 

 the exports is said to exceed that of the imports by 3,000,000 dollars. 

 The chief towns are all connected with each other and with the groat 

 cities of Germany by railroads. 



Religion. There is no state religion; the great majority of the 

 inhabitants are Lutherans, but the royal family is of the Roman 

 Catholic faith, and both religions are placed ou an equal footing. 



Education, Saxony holds a very high rank with regard to the 

 number and the excellence of its institutions for education. The 

 lower classes are generally able to read and write. The number of 

 printing-offices and booksellers greatly exceeds that in any other 

 country of equal extent. lu addition to the particulars on this 

 score given under DRESDEN and LEIPZIG, we here mention tho chief 

 educational institutions of the kingdom : University of Leipzig, 1 ; 

 high schools at Grimma and Meissen, 2; gymnasia, 11 ; semi: 

 for schoolmasters, 4 ; mining academy, 1 ; institution for teaching 

 the management of forests, 1; military schools, 2; deaf and dumb 

 school, 1 ; agricultural school, 1 ; Academy of Arts at Dresden, 1 ; 

 besides free schools for the poor in all the principal towns. 



Revenue. The revenue arising from the public estates, the regalia, 

 and direct and indirect taxes for each of the three years of the financial 

 period, 1852-1854, was estimated at 8,281,728 thalers, and the expendi- 

 ture at the same amount. The public debt at the end of 1853 

 amounted to 42,781,523 thalers. The military establishment numbers 

 about 26,500 men and officers, the greater part generally absent on 

 furlough, except at the time of the annual exercises. 



The constitution ia a monarchy, with a representation divided into 

 two chambers, without the consent of which no law can pass. The 

 executive power is in the king and a responsible ministry. Some 

 attempts were made to compel the king in 1849 to receive the con- 

 stitution drawn up by the Frankfurt assembly. This the king refused, 

 and the republicans of Dresden broke out into insurrection (May 3), 

 which was crushed with the assistance of Prussia. [DRESDEN.] The 

 crown is hereditary in the male line of the Albertiue house of Saxony. 

 Saxony is a member of the German Confederation, and as such 

 furnishes a contingent of 12,000 men and a contribution of between 

 4000 and 5000 florins. It has the fourth place iu the German Diet, 

 between Bavaria and Hanover, and has four votes in the full council. 



Divisions of the Kingdom. The kingdom is divided into four 

 provinces or circles, the area and population of which are as follows : 



No country in Europe is more densely populated. On an average 

 there are 345^ inhabitants to an English square mile, and in somo 

 parts of the country there are nearly 500 to the square mile. The 

 principal towns are described under DRESDEN, LEIPZIG, LAUSITZ, 

 CHEMNITZ, FREIBERG, PLAUEN, ZITTAU, BAUTZEN, MEISSEN, SCUNEE- 

 BEHG, ANNABERG, PIRNA, &c. 



SCAEB. [FlNISTEHE.] 



SCAMANDEB. [TROAD.] 



SCANDEROON, or ISKENDEROON, or ALEXANDRETTA, a 

 sea-port town in the north of Syria, on the east shore of the Gulf of 

 Scanderoon. It was founded by Alexander the Great, and called 

 Alexandria ad Issum. It is a very unhealthy place during the sum- 

 mer months, being surrounded on three sides by large marshes, which 

 cause intermittent fevers. One of the marshes has been recently 

 drained, and the place is consequently less unhealthy than formerly ; 

 but still during summer the harbour is deserted for Latakia, a less 

 convenient port considerably to the southward. It owes its import- 

 ance to its being the seaport of Aleppo and of all northern Syria. 

 Hoods are conveyed to and from Aleppo by caravans of camela. The 

 imports are corn, rice, salt, sugar, coffee, dye-stuffs, spices, and Euro- 

 pean manufactures; the exports consist chiefly of gall-nuts, silk, 

 cotton, drugs, &c. 



SCANDINAVIA, the ancient name of the large peninsula which 

 Forms the north-western portion of the continent of Europe, and 

 Jpmprehends the present Norway and Sweden. The small sovereign- 

 iies which existed in this peninsula when it first began to be noticed 

 in history (Pliny, 'Nat. Hist.,' iv. 13), became united into the two 

 monarchies of Sweden and Norway in the 12th and 13th centuries. 

 When Denmark had acquired a more regular government, the 

 famous Margaret, queen of Denmark, succeeded in uniting the crowns 

 of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in her own person. Norway was 

 icquired by inheritance, and Sweden by conquest. By the union of 

 'Jalmar (1397) these countries were never to be disjoined. Norway 

 ndeed remained united with Denmark up to 1814, but Sweden, was 



