BRA 



406 



BRA 



Brmden- 

 b'.irap. 



f the 



country. 



Branca to be the Hremeturacum of the Romans, and the sta- 

 tion of the first cohort of the Tunguri. At the 

 east end of the town there is a huge mount of a 

 conical form, and about 360 feet in perpendicular 

 height. A rampart and trench encircle the moat at 

 its summit, which is a plane about 120 feet in diame- 

 ter, defended by a breastwork. Number of houses 

 in 1801,346. Population 1682. (TT) 



BRANCA. See CAPE DE VERD ISLES. 



BRANCH. See BOTANY, p. 55. 



BRANCHIOPODA. See ENTOMOLOGY. 



BRANDENBURG, MARQUISATE OF, a country 

 Boundaries, of Germany, bounded on the north by Mecklenburg 

 ilivisions, and Pomcrania ; on the east by Poland ; on the south 

 and extent j^y Lower Lusatia, and the electorate of Saxony ; 

 and on the west, partly by the duchy of Magdeburg, 

 and partly by the duchy of Lunenburg. This impor- 

 tant province, which forms the basis of the posses- 

 sions of the House of Brandenburg, is divided into 

 the departments of the Old Mark, the New Mark, 

 the Middle Mark, the Ukraine Mark, the For Mark, 

 or the Mark of Priegnitz ; and the lordships of 

 BeesJiom and Sterkow, The Old Mark, which is 

 about eleven German miles long by nine in breadth, 

 contains thirteen cities, the chief of which is Stendal, 

 and about 8058 hides of taxable land. The New 

 Mark is a tract of land about forty geographical 

 jniles in length, and only ten in breadth. It consists 

 of seven original, and four incorporated circles, be- 

 sides Cnstrin the capital; and has a regency of its 

 own, courts of justice, and other colleges. It con- 

 tains thirty-nine cities, and 16,738 hides of taxable 

 land. The Middle Mark, which is the largest of all 

 the departments of Brandenburg, contains about forty- 

 eight cities and towns, the principal of which are 

 Berlin, Brandenburg, and Potsdam ; and has about 

 x'i-,901 hides of taxable land. Tiie Ukraine, or 

 Ucker Mark, about thirteen German miles in length, 

 and eleven in breadth, is divided into the two circles 

 of Ucker Mark and Stolp, and contains fifteen towns, 

 the chief of which is Prenzlo. The hides of land 

 that are taxable are about 6379- The Vor Mark, 

 or Mark of Priegnitz, ten and a half German miles 

 in length, and seven and a half in breadth, contains 

 twenty towns, the principal of which is Perlberg, 

 and has 521 1 hides of taxable land. 



The whole country of Brandenburg is, in its 

 greatest extent, about 200 miles from west to east, 

 and about 110 miles from north to south. The soil, 

 though in general inclining to sand, varies consider- 

 ably in quality. Even in the most sandy and barren 

 parts of the country, the industry of the inhabitants 

 has been able to raise considerable crops of rye, bar- 

 ley, and oats ; nor is this kind of soil found at all 

 unfavourable to the culture of the vine, and the 

 productions of the garden. Pines, and other re- 

 sinous trees, are likewise planted here, and then- 

 growth fully answers the most sanguine expectation. 

 A great proportion of this marquisate, particularly 

 on the banks of the Oder, is extremely fertile ; and 

 the high perfection to which agriculture has been 

 ar <ed, through the judicious exertions of Frederic 

 William, and his successor Frederic II. has produced 

 the most beneficial change on the general appearance 

 f the country. Tracts of land which formerly 



Sell and 

 produc- 

 tions. 



were mere sandy deserts, now bear luxuriant crops of 

 wheat, spelt, and barley; unwholesome marshes have 

 given place to rich and smiling fields ; and places ' 

 over which extensive but unprofitable forests once 

 threw their dismal shade, are now enlivened by large 

 and handsome villages. Yet agriculture, highly im- 

 proved as it is, is by no means the principal object of 

 attention in the Marquisate of Brandenburg. The 

 greater part of its inhabitants depend for subsistence 

 upon the rearing of cattle, particularly of sheep, 

 whose wool, being of a very fine quality, forms the 

 basis of the beautiful woollen manufactures which 

 abound in that country. Their breed of sheep was 

 much improved by the care of Frederic II., who 

 procured a number of rams from England and 

 Spain. Silk-worms are likewise cherished here with 

 such success, as to become daily an object of more 

 attention and importance. Nor among the advan- 

 tageous productions of this country must we forget 

 its woods, which not only supply the inhabitants 

 with fuel for domestic use, as well as for their glass 

 and iron furnaces, for charcoal, tar, and wood-ashes, 

 but likewise with large quantities of timber for house 

 and ship-building, a great proportion of which is 

 exported to France, Holland, Hamburgh, and other 

 parts of the continent. Yet notwithstanding this 

 immense consumption of wood of every description, 

 the forests are managed so judiciously as never to be 

 exhausted. 



The mineral productions of Brandenburg, though Miners 

 not distinguished by their variety, are of consider- 

 able importance. Among these we may reckon a 

 white earth well adapted tor pottery, and a very fine 

 porcelain clay; also various kinds of earths capable of 

 being converted into colours, alum, saltpetre, amber, 

 and ironstone. Petrifactions, and other fossil curiosi- 

 ties, are likewise to be met with in various parts of 

 Brandenburg. 



Before the reign of Frederic William, the grand Manilla 

 elector, manufactures had made but little progress in 

 this country, or rather had been altogether extin- 

 guished by the ruinous war of thirty years. His 

 wise and paternal exertions in behalf of his native do- 

 minions, soon changed the scene; and Brandenburg be- 

 came, as it were, a new country, peopled by a mixture 

 of colonies from many different nations, who brought 

 along with them the arts and the manners of their 

 respective countries. The Dutch, who took the lead 

 in this system of colonization, renewed the order of 

 tradesmen and artizans ; conceived the project of fel- 

 ling the lofty trees, which, as the war of thirty years 

 had converted the whole country into one vast forest, 

 were now found in great abundance ; and thus esta- 

 blished one of the most lucrative branches of the com- 

 merce of Brandenburg. The elector likewise per- 

 mitted some families of Jews to settle in his domi- 

 nions ; as the vicinity of Poland rendered their ser- 

 vices useful for vending in that country the refuse of 

 Brandenburg merchandise. But no event was more 

 favourable to the enlightened projects of the great 

 elector, than the revocation of the edict of Nantes 

 by Louis XIV. Upwards of four hundred thousand 

 Frenchmen were driven, by that measure, from their 

 native kingdom, the most affluent of whom emigrated 

 to England and Holland ; while the poorer, but more 



lures. 



