﻿aei 



UADURA. 



MAGHEBAFELT. 



The island in politically divided into three districts, each of which is 

 nominally under the government of a native chief; but the whole 

 are subject to the authority of the Dutch governor of Java. These 

 divisions are : — Bangkalan occupying the western, Pamakassan the 

 centre, and Sumanap the eastern portions of the island. Each division 

 contains a town or capital bearing the name of the district. 



The population of Madura in 1815, according to a census made by 

 the English government, which was then in the possession of the 

 island, was 218,659, of whom C344 were natives of China. In 18-10 

 the population numbered about 300,000. The inhabitants reside in 

 villages. The religion of the Madurese is Brahminical, and the prac- 

 tice of widows burning themselves with the bodies of their husbands 

 is prevalent. 



The soil of Madura is fertile, and produces abundance of fine rice. 

 Bofialoea'and sheep are also bred for exportation. Cocoa-nut oil is 

 prepared. The principal export trade is salt. [Java.] 



MADURA. [Carsaiic] 



MEANDER, RIVER. [Anatolia.] 



MAENTWROG. [Mebionethshire.] 



M.KOTIS, PAL US. [Azof, Sea of.] 



MAFKA. [Estbemaduba, Portuguese.] 



MAGADOXO, or MUKDEESHA^ a town on the eastern shore of 

 Africa, is situated in about 2" 2' N. lat., 45° 25' E. loag., aud is the only 

 important place on the coast between Cape Qarda-Fui and the mouth 

 of the Juba. The harbour is formed by a long coral-reef, and the 

 town is divided into two parts, Umarweeu aud Chamgany ; the latter 

 consists entirely of tombs. Umarweeu contains nearly 150 stone and 

 many wooden bouses, built in the Spanish style. It carries on some 

 commerce with Arabia. Ita exports are ivory, gum, and a particular 

 kind of cloth ; it imports sugar, dates, salt-fl^, arms, and slaves. Its 

 sovereign (whose territory extends along the Haines and Juba rivers, 

 and has a population of about 160,000) is dependent on the Iman of 

 Muscat in Arabia. 



MAGALHAEXS, STRAIT OF, commonly caUad the SlraU of 

 MageUan, is the most extensive known strait on the surfiuse of the 

 g^obe. Its length in a straight line is above 200 miles ; but if the 

 three great bends are taken into account it is rather more than 800 

 miles. It divides the continent of South America from Tierra del 

 Fuego. The eastern entrance is formed by Cape de las Virgines on 

 the continent, and by Cape del EWpiritu Santo, or (jueen Catherine's 

 Foreland, which is on King Charles's Southland, the laigest of the 

 islands composing Tierra del Fuego. At its western entrance are 

 Cape Pillar on the south, on the island of South Desolation, and Cape 

 Victory on the north, on a small island belonging to Queen Adel&ide's 

 Archipelago. The most northern bend of the strait approaches 

 S3° 10' S, lat., and the most southern inlet, called Admiralty Sound, 

 55° S. lat. The eastern extremity of the strait is situated in about 

 68° 20' W. long., and the western extremity in about 74° 40'. 



This strait may be considered as divided into three parts. The 

 eastern part extends from Cape de las Virgines to Cape Kegro, and its 

 direction as far as the first Narrow is nearly west, but afterwards 

 south-west. In two places the strait contracts to a width of 5 or 6 

 miles, forming the two Narrows, of which the eastern is called De la 

 Eaperanza, aud the second that of San Simon. It is extremely diffi- 

 cult aud dangerous to pass through tiiese Narrows from east to west, 

 as western winds prevail in them nearly all the year round, and the 

 western currents set through them sometimes at the rate of 7 miles 

 an hour. The country on both sides of this part of the strait is 

 rather level ; at some distance from the shore a range of hills rises 

 on each aide to a moderate height No trees grow in this couutry ; 

 the bushes are few in number and stunted, and the grass though 

 abundant is coarse. 



The central portion of the strait, from Cape Negro to Cape 

 Froward, lies north and south, and ia the widest part, extending iu 

 two large inlets, called the Useless Bay and Admiralty Sound, deep 

 into King Charles's Southland. This part of the strait is the easiest 

 to navigate, being free from islands and cliifs, except the large island 

 of Dawson. The country on both sides rises into high snow-covered 

 mountains. Between the mountains there are valleys of some extent, 

 which, as well as the lower part of the mountains themselves, are 

 covered with a heavy growth of timber-trees. 



^he western part of the strait extends from Cape Froward to Cape 

 Pillar, in a direction nearly south-east and north-west. This part ia 

 very difficult to navigate on account of its narrowneas, the width 

 va^iog between 6 and 25 miles, aud also by reason of the numberless 

 cUm aud islets, with which the shores, especially on the north side, 

 are lined. To these disadvantages must be added the north-western 

 gales, which sweep with incredible force along the channel of the 

 •trait. The mountains ou each side rarely attain the snow-line ; but 

 their huge masses approach so close to the shores that in many places 

 it is difficult to find as much level ground as is required to place a 

 boat upon. Land-locked basins of moderate extent however occur in 

 several placei!, and afford safe harbours. On each side of Clarence 

 Island au island-studded strait leads out of Magellan Strait, entering 

 the Pacific by Cockburn Channel. Nearly opposite the south-eastern 

 extremity of the large island of South Desolation a chauuel opcus 

 eastward into the continent. This strait, called Jerome Channel, leads 

 to Otway Water, a large inland sea 50 miles long, trending to the 



north-east, and 'separated from the eastern portion of the strait only 

 by a narrow isthmus. From this lake another channel, called Fitzroy 

 Channel, 12 miles long, leads in a north-west direction to another 

 inland lake, called Skyring Water, which is about 34 miles long aud 

 12 miles wide. The country bordering these lakes ou the south and 

 west is high, rocky, and mostly covered with trees; whilst that which 

 incloses them on the east aud north is a low undulating grassy plain 

 without tre.es. [Akcon-Sin-Sai.ida.] 



The Strait of Magalhaens was discovered by Fernando Magalhaena 

 in 1320. Its navigation has been for a long time rarely attempted by 

 trading vessels, the passage by Cape Horn being in general safer aud 

 more expeditious. Upon the discovery of gold iu California however 

 many emigrant and trading vessels found their way through the Strait 

 of Magalhaens at the commencement of the excitement caused by that 

 event. 



(Cordova, Yuyage of Ditcovery to the Strait of Magellan; London 

 Oeographical Journal, vol. L) 



MAGDALENA, RIVER. [New Grahada.] 



MAGDEBURG, one of the three governments of the Prussian 

 province of Saxony, ia composed of the ancient duchy of Magdeburg, 

 the county of Barby, the baiUwick of Gommern (without the circle 

 of the Saal), the Altemark, on the left bank of the Elbe, the bailiwick 

 of Kliitze, the principality of Ualberatadt, with Derenburg, Quedlin- 

 burg, Wemigerode, and Schauen. Its area ia 4466 square miles, aud 

 the population in 1847 was 674,149. The government is divided into 

 15 circles. The country is one of the finest parts of the Prussian 

 monarchy, consisting chiefly of a fertile and level tract ; the hills in 

 the south-west, which are of&ots of the Harz, are low, and iu other 

 parts the surface is merely .varied by gentle elevations. Railways 

 cross the government iu several directions, from Magdeburg as a 

 centre. One line proceeds eastward through Potsdam to Berlin; a 

 second south through Ciithen and Halle to Leipzig; a third west 

 through Brunswick to Hanover, near which it meets the lines to 

 Harbui^, Bremen, and Cologne; and a fourth northward through 

 Stendal to the Berlin-Hamburg line, which it joins near the Witten- 

 berg station on the right bank of the Elbe. 



Magdeburg, the capital of the government and of the province ot 

 Prussian Saxony, and one of the sti;ou;,'edt fortresses iu Prussia, 

 stands on the left bank of the Elbe and an island formed by its arms, 

 in 52° 8' N. lat., 11° 39' E. long., 90 miles by railway S.W. from 

 Berlin, and has a population of 55,000. The town consists of three 

 parts, called Alstadt, Neumarkt, and Fried richs-stadt ; and of two 

 suburbs, Sudenburg and Neustadt It is ill built, with narrow 

 crooked streete. The most remarkable buildings are — the noble 

 cathedral, which was completed iu 1363, the town-hall, th.> govern- 

 ment-house, the artillery barracks, and the theatre. Of the squares 

 the largest are^the old market-place, iu which is a statue of Otho 

 the Great ; and the cathedral square, which is surrounded by hand- 

 some buildings aud avenues of trees. The town has numerous 

 charitable, literary, and scientific institutions, schools, libraries, and 

 picture-galleries. It has also manufactures of silk, broadcloth, leather, 

 gloves, tobacco, jewellery, pottery, beer, spirits, &c. A canal runs 

 from the Elbe at Magdeburg to the Havel ; steamers ply daily to 

 Hamburg. Magdeburg is rich in historical associations; the moat 

 celebrated events in its annals are its capture by storm (May 10th, 

 1631) by the Austrian general Tilly, and again in 1806 by the Freucb, 

 who annexed it to the kingdom of Westphalia. 



AschenUbtn. [Ascbersleben.] 



Bwg. [BuBO.J 



Ualherttadt. [Halberstaot.] 



Quedliniwg, a walled-town, the birthplace of Klopstock, stands on 

 the Bode, a feeder of the Saale, 30 miles S.W. from Magdeburg, and 

 has 14,000 inhabitants, who manufacture beet-root sugar, spirits, and 

 woollen-cloth. This place was long famous for its convent, the 

 superioress of which was iu spiritual matters subject to the Pope only, 

 was a princess of the empire, aud had a vote iu the Diet, At the 

 Reformation the abbess embraced the Lutheran religion, and the 

 institution continued, but with greatly diminished means, till 1802, 

 when the convent was sequestrated. The abbey church is a fine 

 building, and interesting on account of the tombs it contains ; among 

 these are the tombs of the emperor Henry I, and his wife Matilda. 



Salzwedel, a wallod-town, 64 miles N.W. from Magdeburg, stands 

 on the Jetzel, which divides it into the Old and the New Town. It 

 has six churches, two hospitals, a gymnasium, and 8000 inhabitants, 

 who manufacture woolIen-stuSs, gloves, needles, beer, spirits, &c. 



Hchuncbeck, 7 miles ( 1 miles by railway) S.S. E. from Magdebui-g, stands 

 on the left bank of the Elbe, and has important salt-works aud 7400 

 inhabitants, who manufacture tobacco, leather, chemical products, 

 gloves, &c. 



Stendal, a walled-town, entered by five gates, stands on the Uchtc, 

 32 miles N.N.E. from Magdeburg, and has 6800 iobabitants, engaged 

 in the manufacture of cloth, calico, and leather. 



MAGELLAN. [Maualuaems.] 



MAGGIORE, LAGO. [Laqo Maqgiore.] 



MAGHERA. [Losdosdebby.] 



MAGHERAFELT, Londonden-y, Ireland, a poat and market-town, 

 and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, is situated on the Armagh and 

 Coleraine road, iu 64° 46' N, hit, 6' 87' W. long., distant by road 



