FREYBURO. 



FR1ESLAND. 



MM 



burg, toother with the neighbouring parts of Bent, was known in 

 the middle aprs by the name of (EdUml, UeohtUnd, uid Desertum 

 Helvetinrutu, the country baring been utterly desolated by the irrup- 

 tions of the Alemanni and other barbarous horde*, after the fall of 

 the Western empire. It formed part of the kingdom of Burgundy 

 till the llth century ; it wai afterward* gurerned as a fief of the 

 empire by the hereditary duke* of Zahringen, who built Freyburg 

 (* free town '), to which they gare a municipal government, independent 

 of the neighbouring petty feudal lords. After the extinction of the 

 houM of Zahringen, FreyburR passed under the house of Kyburg, 

 and from this into that of Hamburg. Rudolph of Uabsburg, the 

 founder of the Austrian dynasty, confirmed and increased the muni- 

 cipal liberties of Freyburg in 1274. At that time the territory of 

 Freyburg extended only about eight miles round the town, and is 

 still known by the name of ' alte landschaft,' ' the old country.' In 

 1450 the Duke Albrecht of Austria, being unable to give assistance to 

 Freyburg. which was assailed by Bern and the other Swiss cantons, 

 released the citizens from their oath of allegiance, and they remained 

 for some yean under the protection of the dukes of Savoy. In the 

 war with Burgundy it took the part of the Swiss against Charles the 

 Bold, in recompense for which it was received into the confederacy 

 a* a sovereign canton or state in 1481. By that and the subsequent 

 wars Freyburg increased its territory to its present extent, at the 

 exprnee of the neighbouring lords and of the flukes of Savoy. 



The government, which was originally a popular municipality like 

 that of Bern, all the burghers having the elective franchise, became 

 for a long time aristocratic. In December 1830 a new constitution 

 was framed, by which all natives of the canton aged 25, and who are 

 neither servant* nor in the service of a foreign state, have the right 

 of voting in the primary assemblies, which choose the electors in the 

 proportion of 1 for every 100 souls. The electors assemble in the 

 head town of their respective districts, forming what is called the 

 electoral colleges, which elect the members to the Great Council of 

 the canton in the proportion of 1 for every 1000 souls. The members 

 are appointed for nine years. The Great Council holds two ordinary 

 sessions every year, in May and November. It appoints the council 

 of state, or executive, composed of 13 members for eight years, and 

 the court of appeal of 13 judges for life. The svoyer is president of 

 the council of state, and is elected by its members for two yean. 

 Under the new constitution for the general government of Switzer- 

 land Freyburg returns 5 members to the National Council [SWITZER- 

 LAND.] The canton is divided for administrative purposes into 

 13 districts. The capital, FHETBUBO, is the subject of the next 

 article. Among the other towns the more important are here 

 noticed. 



Mural, on the right bank of the Lake of Moral, has about 1600 

 inhabitants, a college, a public library, an hospital, an orphan asylum, 

 and a castle, built in the 13th century. Near it is a pyramid raised 

 in 1822, in commemoration of the battle against Charles of Burgundy, 

 the old chapel and ossuary having been destroyed by the French 

 in 1788. 



The Lake of Moral, in German Murtensee, is about 5 miles long 

 and 2 miles broad, and about 160 feet in its greatest depth ; it abounds 

 with fish. It is subject to floods, at which times it overflows the 

 neighbouring plains, which are mostly towards the north, in the 

 direction of the Lake of Bienne. It is separated by a flat tract of 

 bad from the Lake of Neuchatel, into which it discharge* its super- 

 fluous waters by the Broyc. 



Built, midway between Freyburg and Vevay, being about 18 miles 

 from each, is the chief depot for Gruy ere cheese. It has a population 

 of 1500. 



Oruytrt, a small decayed place of under 400 inhabitants, is built a 

 short distance from Bulle, near the left bank of the Sarine, and on a 

 hill, the top of which is crowned by one of the best preserved feudal 

 castles in Switzerland. 



The projected railway from Bern to Geneva skirts the south shore 

 of the lake, and passes the town of Morat. 



FKKYBURO, or FRIBURU, the capital of the canton of Freyburg, 

 in Switzerland, is built on several steep hills on both banks of the 

 Barine, and iu appearance is extremely bold and picturesque. Part 

 of Uw bouses rise along the slope of the hills, others are supported 

 by massive substructions and buttresses, and separated from each 

 other by deep ravines. Naked rocks, gardens, trees, and green flelds 

 are seen intermixed with churches, convents, and other buildings, 

 the whole being surrounded by rampart* flanked with towem, and 

 piorosd by fortified gates. Four bridges join the two banks of the Sarine, 

 one of iron and two of wood ; the fourth, an iron suspension-bridge, 

 noted in 1834, ii one of the finest in the world ; its length is 905 feet, 

 iU breadth 28 feet, and it stands 174 feet above the level of the river. 

 The other remarkable structures in the town are the town-house, built 

 IB the 10th century, in which the Great Council meets ; the collegiate 

 ohnreh of 8L Nicholas, built in the 12th century, and famous for its 

 onrioos bas-relief of the Lart Judgment, and for its splendid organ, 

 built by a native of the town ; the college of St. Michel, founded by 

 the JesuiU, with an establishment for boarders, in which several 

 hundred young men are educated ; the monastery of the Unulines, 

 who keep the female elementary schools ; the lyceum, opened in 1805, 

 annexed to which are collections of medals, mineralogy, zoology, Ac. ; 



the chancellery, in which the council of state sits, and the archives 

 and other office* of government are kept ; the Franciscan convent, of 

 which Father Girard, the zealous promoter of popular education, was 

 an inmate; and several other convents and churches, The jiopulntioii 

 of the city is about 8500. The manufacture* are few : the principal 

 are woollens, pottery, hardware, leather, tobacco, and straw-haU ; there 

 are also sugar refineries, dye-houses, two printing-presses, and several 

 booksellers shops in the town. Freyburg has several libraries and 

 learned societies, public baths, a prison, a diocesan school, museum, 

 an hospital, and a savings bank. A market U held every Saturday, 

 besides five cattle fairs in the course of the year. Freyburg lies 

 16 miles S.W. from Bern, and 32 miles N.E. from Lausanne. It is 

 the residence of the bishop of Lausanne. 



KKILNM.Y ISLANDS are situated in the Pacific, between IS* 

 Mid 23' 8. lat., 173 and 176 W. long. "They consist of three separate 

 groups, which contain several hundred islands : 16 of them rise to a 

 considerable height, and 35 attain a moderate elevation. The remain- 

 der are low. The most southern group, the Tonga Islands, were 

 discovered by Tasmau in 1643. The largest of them, Tonga, is about 

 20 miles long and 12 miles wide in the broadest part. It rises about 

 80 feet above the sea, and its summit is a level plain. On the northern 

 side an excellent roadstead was discovered by Cook. The population 

 of the island is about 8000. The larger among the other islands of 

 the group are Boscawen and Keppel islands. The central group, 

 called the Hapai islands, is composed of a considerable number of 

 small islands. The largest of them is Lefooga, about 8 or 9 miles 

 long and 4 miles wide. All these islands are low and very fertile. 

 The most northern group is formed by the Vavaoo Islands, which are 

 likewise small and low, except the Island of Vavaoo, which is about 

 36 miles in circumference; its surface is uneven, and on the northern 

 aide it rises to a considerable elevation. On its southern side is 

 Curtis Sound, or Puerto de Refugio, one of the safest and most 

 spacious harbours in the Pacific. The most northern island belonging 

 to this group is Amargure, or Gardner Island, iu 17 57' S. lat. 

 The most southern of the Friendly Islands is Pylstaart, in 22 26' 

 B. hi 



These islands are remarkable for the mildness of tkeir climate, their 

 fertility, and the great variety of their vegetable productions. Fur 

 food there are cultivated and planted cocoa-nut trees, bread-fruit trees, 

 bananas, yams, sugar-cane, and the sago palm ; the Chinese paper 

 mulberry-tree is cultivated for its inner bark, from which the clothing 

 of the inhabitants is made. Hogs and dogs are numerous, and both 

 are used for food. Fish is plentiful, and also different kinds of birds, 

 as fowls, pigeons, parrots, and the tropic bird, whose beautiful feathen 

 here, as in other islands, are used as an ornament 



Cook called these islands the Friendly Islands, because he was 

 received by the inhabitants in a very friendly manner ; but it is now 

 well known that they intended to kill him and seize his vessels. 

 They are a very industrious people, and pay great attention to the 

 cultivation of the soil. They apply themselves also to fishing, and 

 evince much ingenuity in the manufacture of their clothing and of 

 their domestic utensils. The inhabitants belong to the Malayan race, 

 and speak a language which does not materially differ from that spoken 

 in many other islands of the Pacific. The political constitution is a 

 despotism, supported by an hereditary aristocracy. The number of 

 the inhabitants is estimated to amount to 200,000. Many of the 

 inhabitants have been brought to profess Christianity by English 

 missionaries, who hold important depots on the principal islands. 



(Cook, Yoyaya; Mariner, A ccov.nl of the Tonga Itlandt ; Miuionary 



K1UESLAND (Vrfalaud), the most northern province of the 

 kingdom of Holland, situated between 52 40' and 53 28' N. lat., 

 5 24' and 6 20' E. long., in bounded N. by tho North Sea, E. by the 

 provinces of Groningen and Druntlif, S.K. by that of Overyssel, W. and 

 S. W. by the North Sea and the Zuiderzee. Foreigners sometimes call it 

 Wat Friedand, in order to distinguish it from Eaul Frietland in 

 Hanover. The area is 1261 square miles, and the population on the 

 31st December 1852 was 255,915. 



The surface, as well as the soil itself, are so identified iu character 

 with thorn of the province of North Holland that there cannot be a 

 doubt that they formed one and the same country antecedently to the 

 convulsion out of which the Zuiderzee, which now separates them, 

 arose. There are many parts of Friesland which, like North Holland, 

 lie lower than the level of the sea, and are protected from the storms 

 of the North Sea by costly artificial dykes. The whole laud is flat 

 and intersected by canals ; nor is there an eminence throughout it 

 excepting some mounds, hero called ' terpen,' on which the ancient 

 Frisians were accustomed to take refuge in seasons of marine inunda- 

 tions. In all parts there are deep swamp* and marshy bogs, between 

 which, especially in the south and east, tracts of sand and moor, or 

 low meagre woodlands, occasionally interpose. The canals, which are 

 frequently higher than the land they drain (the water being pumped 

 ii]' into them), and have enabled human industry to bring it under 

 cultivation, mostly join the great canal, which begins at Haarliugen, 

 a port on the west coast, and leads through Franeker, Leeuwarden, 

 and Dokkum to Groningen. Near Leeuwarden this canal is joined 

 by another, which runs southward to Sueek whence the water com- 

 munication is continued by the junction of several small lakes to the 



