PRUSSIA, 495 



Vistula, is 70 miles in length, and from three to ten broad. It is 

 saici 10 have been thrown up by tempests about the year 1 190. 



Metals, minerals. ...Prussia yields no metals, except a little iron 

 ore : its? peculiar and valuable mineral is amber, which is usually- 

 found at about the depth of 100 feet, and is often washed on shore by 

 tempests. It is now generally supposed to be a vegetable production, 

 mineralised by some unknown operation of nature. 



Climate, soil, produce. ...The climate of Prussia is more damp 

 and raw, and the cold more lasting than in Germany ; but the air is 

 salubrious, and the natives frequently attain to a considerable age. 

 The soil is tolerable ; and produces corn, flax, hemp, hops, tobacco, 

 various kinds of fruits, and timber in abundance. 



Animals. ...The uri or bison, a kind of wild ox, and a species of 

 beaver, are found here, as are also lynxes, bears, and foxes. The 

 horses, cattle, and sheep, resemble those of the northern parts of 

 Germany. 



Cities, chief towns. ...Berlin the capital of the Prussian domi- 

 nions, being situated in the electorate of Brandenburg, has been des- 

 cribed as a city of Germany. 



Konigsberg the former seat of government, and capital of old 

 Prussia, is situated on an island formed by the river Pregel, over 

 which it has seven bridges. This city is seven miles in circum- 

 ference, and contains 4480 houses, and above 50,000 inhabitants. It 

 carries on an extensive trade, the river being navigable for ships of 

 considerable burden. Besides its college or university, which con- 

 tains 38 professors, it has magnificent palaces, a town house, and 

 exchange ; as also a good harbour, and a citadel, which is called 

 Fredericksburg, and is a regular square. 



Warsaw, the late capital of Poland, is situate on the Vistula, partly 

 in a plain and partly on a gentle ascent rising from the river. It con- 

 tains many magnificent palaces and other buildings, besides churches 

 and convents. The streets are spacious, but ill paved ; and the 

 greatest part of the houses, particularly in the suburbs, are mean 

 wooden hovels. The city exhibits a strong contrast of wealth and 

 poverty, and has little or no commerce. 



The number of inhabitants in 1787 was nearly 90,000, including 

 the suburb of Praga. At present, after what the city, and especially 

 that suburb, suffered from the siege and massacre by the Russian 

 army in 1794, they are estimated at about 66,000. 



Dantzic formerly the capital of" Polish Prussia, is famous in history 

 on many accounts, particularly for being at the head of the Hanseatic 

 association, commonly called the Hanse-towns. It is situate on the 

 Vistula, near five miles from the Baltic, and is a large, beautiful, 

 populous city : its houses generally are five stories high ; and many 

 of the streets are planted with chesnut-trees. It has a fine harbour, 

 and is still a very commercial city, although it is now on the decline 

 in that inspect. It formerly contained 80,000 inhabitants, but in the 

 year 1793 they were diminished to 30,000. Dr Busching affirms, 

 that it appears from ancient records, that as early as the year 997 

 Dantzic was a large commercial city, and not a village or inconsider- 

 able town, as some pretend. 



Prussian Poland was in 1807 taken from Prussia by the French 

 and given to Saxony. Warsaw is now the capital of the Dutchy of 

 Warsaw, which was restored by Bonaparte to a kind of mock inde- 

 pendence. 



