831 



AUGST. 



AURICH. 



633 



by the German emperors, and retained its rank as a free imperial city 

 from 1276 to 1806. From about the 12th until the 16th century it 

 was a leading member of the famous Swabian Confederacy, which 

 included Ratisbon, Nurnberg, Constanz, and other commercial emporia 

 of that day. In the 1 4th century it was the chief medium of inter- 

 course between the north and south of Europe and the Levant, and 

 supplied the markets of northern Germany, Russia, Poland, and other 

 countries with woollens and linens ; and it retained its mercantile pre- 

 eminence until the transatlantic discoveries of the Spaniards and 

 Portuguese at the close of the 15th century opened new channels to 

 commercial enterprise. It was at this period of its highest prosperity 

 that the single banking establishment of the Fuggers of Augsburg 

 recruited the finances of Philip II. and enabled him to support the 

 sanguinary warfare carried on by the League in France, and by his 

 own generals in the Low Countries. Previously to these times 

 (namely, in the year 1368) the plebeian order in Augsburg raised the 

 standard of insurrection against their patrician fellow-citizens, and 

 established a democratic form of government This lasted about 160 

 years, at the close of which the patrician order, abetted in their 

 attempt by Charles V., once more regained the ascendancy. In the 

 17th century the rise of Frankfurt on the Main inflicted a blow on 

 the pi isperity of the town from which it has never recovered. Augs- 

 burg indeed has ceased to be a place of importance in the circulation 

 of exchange in Europe, and Frankfurt is now the chief money-market 

 of central Germany. Under the settlement of Germany in 1802 

 Augsburg was recognised as one of the six Hansc Towns, which were 

 declared independent of the German empire ; but three years after- 

 wards it was merged into the dominions of Bavaria under the treaty 

 of Presburg; and in March 1806 it was surrendered accordingly into 

 his Bavarian majesty's hands by the French general Rend, acting 

 under the orders of Napoleon. 



Augsburg is the birth-place of Holbein, Holl, and other eminent 

 artists. The gardens and places of public resort around it, as well as 

 the rides and walks in its delightful environs, afford a resource which 

 will agreeably diversify a lengthened residence in the town ; nor less 

 so the numerous societies within its walk, both musical and literary, 

 with its libraries and museums. 



AUGST, a village in the canton of Basle, in Switzerland, built on 

 part of the ground occupied by the ancient Augusta llauracorum, a 

 Roman colony under the empire. The remains still existing are not 

 very considerable. Medals of Roman emperors have been found in 

 abundance here. Augst is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, six 

 miles south-east from Basle. 



AUGUSTA. [GEOBGIA, State of. MAINE, State of.] 

 AUGUSTINE, ST. [FLORIDA.] 

 AUGUSTOVO. [POLAND.] 

 AULIS. [EtiBozA.] 

 AUMALE. [SEINE INFERIEURE.] 



AUNIS, one of the former provinces of France, and remarkable as 

 being the smallest of those divisions. It was bounded W. by the At- 

 lantic Ocean, N. by Poitou, from which it was separated by the Sevre- 

 Niortaise, and E. and S. by the province of Saintonge. It is watered 

 by the Sevre and the Charente, which formed part of the southern 

 boundary. The soil is generally dry, but it produces corn and grapes, 

 from which good wine and brandy are made ; while the marshy tracts 

 afford pasturage for a considerable quantity of cattle. There is little 

 wood. The salt marshes, which are considerable, yield salt of the 

 best quality; but their exhalations are prejudicial to the health of 

 the inhabitants. The maritime situation of the district, and the 

 excellent ports which it possesses, render it commercial and wealthy. 

 The chief article of export is brandy ; but the cod-fishery and the 

 colonial and coasting trade employ several vessels. The coast abounds 

 in shell-fish. 



Aunis was about 26 miles long from north to south and 35 miles wide 

 from east to west. It now forms the north-west part of CHAUENTE- 

 INFEBIEURE. Rochelle, Rochefort, and Brouage were its principal 

 towns. The isles of R<5 and Ole'ron were dependencies of the province 

 of Aunis. 



AURAY. [MOBBIHAS.] 

 AURE. [OBNE.] 



ACRICH, a landdrostei ('high bailiwick') or province of Hanover, 

 formed in ancient times the eastern part of the land of the Frisii, 

 and at a more recent date the principality of East Friesland. It is 

 the most north-westerly point of Germany, and is bounded W. by the 

 kingdom of Holland and Dollart Bay, N. by the North Sea, E. by 

 Oldenburg, and 8. by the landdrostei of Osnabriick. The surface of 

 the province is so flat that the Plotenberg, the highest land, does not 

 exceed 60 feet in elevation above the sea. The districts adjaoent to 

 the North Sea, which washes nearly one half of its frontier, are the 

 mot fertile marsh-land in tin: Hanoverian dominions. They are 

 separated from the interior of the province, which is a series of moors 

 and heaths, by a tract of sand between two and three miles in 

 breadth; on the ea Hide they an: protected against the ocean by a 

 rampart of artificial dykes 24 feet high and nearly 100 miles in length. 

 The larger villages in this marsh-land are built upon eminences 

 thrown up by the natives ; they ;.> fl,;m :, M< i iijry, Imt destitute of 

 trees or other natural shelter. The tenements in the more barren 

 districts are scarcely superior to Hottentot kraals. The area of the 



province is 1153 square miles, rather more than 3-5ths of which 

 are capable of producing more or less ; the rest of the surface pre- 

 sents only barren heaths and extensive moors, in which are cut vast 

 quantities of turf for fuel. The whole extent of woodland is about 

 4000 acres. The population of the province according to the census 

 of July 1, 1848, was 174,355, and the number of habitations was 

 28,577. The Ems traverses the province in the south, and in the 

 middle of ita course receives the Leda, after its watei4 have been 

 increased by the Jumme. The coast is fronted by banks of sand, 

 varying from four to nine miles in breadth and covered by the tide at 

 high-water ; their outer margin is dotted with a chain of islands, 

 which are nothing more than masses of sand thinly coated with grass, 

 and tenanted by the poor fisherman and his family, whose wretched 

 hovel is exposed in high winds to the inroad of the waves. These 

 islands are Borkum, which consists of two parts called Ostland and 

 Westland, separated by a low tract which the flood-tide forms into a 

 watt, or strait, half a mile wide, and then forming two islands ; 

 J uist ; Norderney ; Langeroog ; and Spiekeroog. The church tower 

 of the island of Borkum, which is 150 feet high above the sea level, 

 forms a lighthouse (with parabolic reflectors), which by night and by 

 day is a guiding mark for the entrance to Dollart Bay and the Ems. 

 The lighthouse stands in 53 35' N. lat, 6 41' E. long. Norderney, the 

 central island in the chain, is visited hi the summer months for the 

 purpose of sea-bathing. Of the inhabitants, 118,394 are Lutherans, 

 50,007 reformed Lutherans, 3249 Catholics, 431 Mennonites, 20 

 Moravians, and 2254 Jews. They are considerable growers of grain, 

 particularly oats and rapeseed ; breed great numbers of horses, sheep, 

 and cattle ; make much honey ; and are actively engaged in foreign 

 commerce and the herring-fishery. A railway now in course of con- 

 struction traverses the province of Aurich from Emden southward 

 and up the valley of the Ems to the frontier of Westphalia ; from 

 Lingen a branch line also in course of construction runs south-east- 

 ward through Osnabriick to connect the former with the Cologne- 

 Minden line. 



There are no people in Europe who showed greater jealousy of 

 their independence in past times, and displayed nobler courage in 

 asserting it, than the East Frieslauders. There was a time, indeed, 

 when they gloried in styling themselves pre-eminently 'the emperor's 

 free subjects ; ' and they were every way deserving of this title until 

 they suffered their leaders to surrender their liberties into the h;m<U 

 of the Zirksena family in the middle of the 15th century. From 

 this period until the year 1657 that family ruled over it as counts, 

 and subsequently to the latter date as princes of the empire. The 

 Zirksenas having become extinct in 1744 East Friesland was taken 

 possession of by Frederic the Great: in 1806 the French separated it 

 from the Prussian dominions and annexed it to Holland ; and nine 

 years afterwards Prussia, having re-established her right to it, ceded 

 it to the king of Hanover, who incorporated it with his states under 

 the name of the Landdrostei of Aurich. 



Iiicitunu and Town*. The province is divided into twelve circles 

 Aurich, Berum, Emden, Esens, Friedeburg, Greetsyl, Yemgum, Leer, 

 Norden, Stickhausen, Weener, and Wittmuud. 



The most important town in the province is EMDEN, which is 

 noticed in a separate article. Aurich, the capital of the province and 

 of the circle of Aurich, is an open town situated 15 miles N.E. from 

 Emden, in 53 28' N. lat, 7 28 E. long., on the Treckschuiden Canal, 

 which enters Dollart Bay at Emdeu : population about 4000. It is 

 neatly built in the Dutch style, and is embellished with a handsome 

 old palace, the residence of the former princes of East Friesland, and 

 now the place of meeting of the provincial council. It is the seat of 

 justko and place of judicial record for the province. There are a 

 handsome market-place, three churches, a gymnasium, and a public 

 library in the town. The inhabitants trade largely in horses, and 

 manufacture brandy, leather, tobacco, tobacco-pipes, and paper. The 

 neighbouring village of Rahe is the site of the celebrated Upstalsboom, 

 or national assembly, which the Frieslauders held in former days. 



/'.en*, 13 miles N.N.E. from Aurich at a little distance from the 

 shoio of the North Sea, has a grammar-school and 2300 inhabitants 

 who manufacture beer, spirits, and leather. The town is situated in 

 the district of Harlingerland, which is protected by dykes 16 feet high 

 from the North Sea, and takes its name from the once navigable river 

 Harrel. The passage between the islands of Spiekeroog and Wangeroog 

 (an isla'id belonging to Oldenburg) is still called the Harrel. 



Leer, 14 miles S.S.E. from Emden, on the Leda which falls into the 

 Ems three-quarters of a mile below the town, is a well-built market- 

 town with about 7000 inhabitants. It stands on the railroad above 

 mentioned. Th'e town contains a synagogue, several churches, and two 

 hospitals ; and has a considerable trade in butter, cheese, and other 

 farm produce. The industrial products comprise linen, broadcloth, 

 hosiery, soap, glue, lawn, serge, beer, vinegar, and spirits. Vessels of 

 150 tons burden come up to the town, which has inland water-com- 

 munication by means of the Ems and its feeder the Aa with Munster 

 in Westphalia. 



Norden, 15 miles N.W. from Aurieh and 4 miles from Leysand Bay 

 with which it ia connected by a canal, has a population of 5700. It 

 ig a tolerably well-built old-looking town, with a small port, a 

 grammar-school, and manufactures of leather, broadcloth, spirits, 

 beer, and tobacco. 



