gh. Lat, 58° 36’. The number of inhabitants fluctuates 
” from 110,000 to 120,000. 
__ This city is divided by a canal into the old and new 
It is built partly on islands, and y on the 
‘continent of the north side of the Elbe. Towards the 
st it is washed by the small river Bil, and towards the 
rth by another small river called the Alster, which 
a very large basin just without the town, and 
ut 1000 feet.square within the walls, af- 
it passes h different parts of the city, 
Yaa itself into the Elbe. The seve- 
formed by the rivers Elbe and Alster, on 
. ‘the town is built, have a communication with 
‘each other by eighty-four bridges. The whole city 
‘is surrou iby @ lofty rampart, and a broad ditch. 
‘The town, although large and flourishing, is by no 
‘means elegant, ‘lhe principal streets have long and 
‘broad canals, which are filled by the tide; the others, 
especially in the old town, are mean, narrow, and ill 
- The houses are mostly built after the Dutch 
ion, and very lofty, several of them being six or 
. The warehouses a the oe 
upper of the building, to 
e wal dian dationio aie. 
‘seven stories hi 
~The princi are the 
chee in of St Peter, St Nicholas, St Catharine, 
St James, St Michael, St John, and the cathedral. 
These are mostly Gothic structures, having lofty spires, 
beautiful altars, and large organs. From the spire of 
the church of St Michael, there is an extensive and 
charming view of the town ad its a een Stag a 
change, the orphan-house, the seve itals, the 
room-house, the house of Eimbeck, and the obelisk 
in honour of Professor Busch, are also worthy of notice. 
‘Hamburgh was founded in the beginning of the 
9th century, by Charles, the eldest son of the Empe- 
ror Charlemagne, who was commanded by his father to 
erect two forts on the Elbe, with the view of repelling 
the incursions of the Venedi, a Sclavonic nation inha- 
biting the southern coasts of the Baltic. The fort on 
the north side of the river, was called Hammen ; 
(whence, by abbreviation, Hamburgh,) or the le 
near the wood, according to the etymology of the name 
Tos,” Christopher Silvius, an ancient poet of Ham- 
Hamburgum silva cui notum nomen ab Hama, 
Inter Billa tuos, et olorifer Alstria ductus, 
‘This city has eee a variety of revolutions. It 
was made an archbishop’s see by Lewis the Debon- 
naire in 83% ; but the see was afterwards transferred to 
Bremen. Upon the extinction of the Carlovingian line, 
it became subject to the dukes of Saxony, of whom it 
was afterwards held by the counts of Holstein. Adol- 
_phus III, in consideration of a sum of money, with 
which the Hambu furnished him upon his expe- 
dition to the Holy d, favoured them with a great 
many privileges, which were subsequently confirmed 
by the emperor Barbarossa. The citizens afterwards 
purchased their entire from Albert of Orla- 
mund, count of Holstein, for the sum of fifteen hun- 
dred marks of silver ; and it was confirmed to them by 
HAMBURGH. 
619 
‘succeeding counts, as well as .- Christian L of Hamburgh. 
Denmark, after the county of Holstein had devolved “y= 
to that crown. The Danish kings, however, have, on 
several occasions, revived their claims to the sovereign- 
ty of this city, which has frequently obliged the inha- 
bitants to pay large sums for the confirmation of 
their liberties. But Hamburgh was declared a free im- 
perial city in the year 1618, and was sunimoned to the 
diet of the empire in 1641. 
The government of this city is vested in the senate Govern- 
and the three colleges of burghers. The former exer- ™¢*'- 
cises the executive power, and has the right of assem- 
bling and dissolving the body of the bur ; the lat- 
ter grant brut a administer the revenue, The se- 
nate consists irty-six persons, viz. four burgomas- 
ters, four syndyes, twenty-four counsellors, and four 
secretaries or clerks, the chief of whom is called a pro- 
thonotary. The burgomasters and counsellors only 
have votes. When a vacancy occurs, a new member 
is chosen by lot. The members of the legislative body 
are chosen from the five parishes or wards of the city. 
The first college consists of the aldermen, three of whom 
are chosen by the inhabitants of each parish. Every 
parish also sends nine persons to the second, and twen- 
ty-four to the third college. The ordinary business is 
regularly brought by the senate before this assembly ; 
‘but when there is a new law to be made, or a new tax 
to be raised, after having passed this court, the measure 
‘must farther be laid before a assembly of the 
-burghers, in which every i itant householder may 
and give his vote. . 
. Hamburgh is most advantageously situated for trade Trade and 
and ‘commerce, both foreign and domestic. The Elbe commerce. 
forms a harbour, being navigable for ships of Jarge 
burthen until within four miles of the town, when they 
must unload into smaller vessels, which, by means of 
the canals which traverse the city; can be brought to the 
doors of the warehouses. At the -period .when 
the Hanseatic league was formed, Hamburgh became 
a principal member of that celebrated confederacy, 
which brought the trade of the world to the ports of 
the Baltic and the north of Germany. In subsequent 
times, when the other nations of Europe, particularly 
the Dutch and the English, cultivated a more extensive 
commerce, the trade of Hamburgh, along with that of 
the other Hanseatic towns, declined. | But its situation 
is so favourable, that it has always been able to com- 
mand a considerable commerce, especially when the 
great maritime powers are at war, as Ham then 
‘becomes the great mart for colonial produce destined 
for the supply of the continentof Europe. During the 
war of the French revolution, the . of this city ra- 
pidly increased ; and it still continued to enjoy the ad- 
vantages of its situation, capital, and credit, under the 
continental system adopted by Bonaparte, in conse- 
quence of which, most of the ports of Europe were shut 
inst the commerce with England. Whilethe block« 
of the Elbe continued, merchants of » Ham- 
burgh still carried on a profitable, though circuitous 
, by the Danish ports of Tonningen and Husum. 
But the prosperity of this com ial city received a 
severe blow by its forcible seizure and unnatural in- 
corporation with the French empire, and the subse- 
quent of the: bank. Since the overthrow of 
Bonaparte’s - and the t return of Ham- 
burgh under its old laws and government, that city 
may be expected to recover, in seme measure, its for- 
mer prosperity and importance, 
The Saletan of Hamburgh consists, Is/, In the ex- 
