of Bresciano, 12 m. SW of Breno, near Lake Isco. It is celebrated for its cheeses. ARTOIS, an ancient prov. of France, bounded on the N by Flanders; on the E by Hainault and Cambray; on the S by Picardy; and on the W by Boulonnais. This prov.-the earliest inhabitants of which were the Atrebates, celebrated for their martial exploits-derived many important advantages from the Roman domination, in the construction of roads, and its general agricultural improvement. In 865 A. was united to the county of Flanders; and it continued in connexion with that fief until 1180, when the latter reverted to the crown of France. On the death of Louis VIII., in 1226, it passed by bequest to his third son, Robert; and in 1277 was erected into a county. It continued to be governed by princes of France until 1383, when it fell to a branch of the house of Burgundy. It then contained 10 towns and 754 villages. On the death of Charles the Bold, it was reunited by Louis IX. to the Crown; but under his successor, it reverted to the Burgundy family. By the treaties of Madrid and Cambray the sovereignty of Flanders and Artois was relinquished by Francis I., and the government of the latter passed to the viceroys of the Netherlands. In 1598 A. was conferred by Philip upon his daughter Isabella and her husband Albert; but on the death of the latter it reverted to Spain. In 1659 it was, by the treaty of the Pyrenees and Nimeguen, definitively united to France. The provincial administration of A.-the privileges of which it continued to enjoy after its junction with France-consisted of an assembly composed of deputies of the church, the nobility, and tiers etat, which met once a-year, and was presided over by three commissaries of the Crown. The area of A. is 478,285 hectares, of which 462,785 are now comprised in the dep. of Pas-de-Calais, and 15,500 in that of Somme. It is generally level in surface, but more elevated than the Flanders territory. It exports grain, flax, wool, oil, and rape-seed. ARTOLSHEIM, a commune and town of France, dep. of Bas-Rhin, 5 m. SE of Schlettstat. Pop. 965. ARTONNE, a commune and town of France, dep. | of Puy-de-Dôme, cant. of Aigueperse, on the river Morges, in a fertile and pleasant district, 17 m. N of Clermont-Ferrand. Pop. 1,892. ARTOUDE, a town of Syria, 15 m. N of Damascus. ARTRAMONT, a parish in co. Wexford, 4 m. N of Wexford. Area 2,377 acres. Pop. 754. ARTRES, a commune of France, in the dep. of Nord, cant. of Valenciennes. Pop. 552. ARTVIN, the cap. of the district of Livanieh, in Turkish Armenia, on the W side of the Joruk valley, 44 hours from Erzerum. It contains about 1,000 houses, with a pop. of 5,500, chiefly Catholics. It is a place of some trade. ARTZBACH, a river of Styria, which joins the Ens, 4 m. S of Reiffling. ARTZBERG, a town in the archd. of Austria, 12 m. SE of Steyer. ARTZEN, a bailiwick and town of Calenberg, in Hanover. Pop. of town 450. ARU ISLANDS, a group of islands in the Indian ocean, lying to the S and W of New Guinea, between lat. 5° 30′ and 7° S, 60 m. to the W of the Ki group. Their eastern limits are imperfectly known. They are thickly wooded, and low and swampy. The natives are said to be a mild and tractable race. They cultivate rice and maize, but chiefly support themselves by fishing. These islands export pearls, mother-ofpearl shell, tortoise-shell, birds of paradise, and trepang; and form an entrepot for the productions of New Guinea, amongst which are nutmegs, ambergris, ebony, and fine woods. Traders from Ceram, and the islands to the W, rarely penetrate beyond the Arus. The group is under Dutch protection; and some efforts to civilize the natives have been made. The principal islands are Wamma, Wokan, and Dobbo. For details as to commerce see DOBBо. ARUARY, a river of Guayana, falling into the Atlantic in N lat. 1° 20', W long. 51°. ARUBA, a town of Persia, on the coast of the Indian ocean, near a cape of the same name, 90 m. E of Mekran. Also a small island near the coast of Venezuela, 42 m. W of Curaçoa, at the entrance of the gulf of Maracaybo, in N lat. 12° 30′, W long. 70° 12'. It belongs to Holland. ARUCARA, a town of Brazil, at the month of the Guanapu, 140 m. SW of Para. ARUCOLARA, a town of Mysore, in Hindostan, 10 m. N of Ardenelle. ARUDY, a canton, commune, and town of France, in the dep. of Basses-Pyrénées, arrond. of Oleron. The cant., comprising 12 com., had a pop. of 11,428 in 1831. The town, 9 m. E by S of Oleron, has a pop. of 1,900. It is a place of considerable trade. ARUI, a considerable river of Cumana, which falls into the Orinoco between Real-Corona and Borbon. ARUL, a water-course connecting Lake Manchur with the Indus, 4 m. below the city of Sehwan, in Sinde. It swarms with fish, and its banks are thickly wooded with the bubul tree and the tamarisk. ARUN, a river of Hindostan, having a course of 150 m. from N to S, and joining the Cosah river near Ammerpur.-Also a river in Sussex, which rises a little to the N of Haslemere in Surrey, enters Sussex at Aldford, flows through the chalk-downs, passes Arundel, and falls into the sea at Little Hampton, after a course of about 40 m. It is navigable by vessels of 150 tons to Arundel. The Rother joins the Arun at Stopham. The Surrey and Sussex canal connects the Arun with the Wey. It is famous for grey mullets. ARUNA, a town of Japan, in the island of Ximo, 25 m. S of Nangasaki. ARUNDEL, a parish and town of Sussex, on the NW side of the Arun, 55 m. SSW from London. Pop. 2,583. Area of p. 1,830 acres. By means of a canal, it communicates with the Wey, a branch of the Thames. It has a considerable trade in timber, corn, and bark. It is a borough-town, and now sends one member to parliament.-The rape of A. is a division of Surrey embracing 6 hundreds, with an area of 132,800 acres. Pop. in 1841, 33,038.-The borough and parish of A. form the hund. of A.-Also a town in the state of Maine, U. S., co. of New York, 85 m. NE of Boston. ARUPAMA (CANAL OF), an inosculation of the Puru river with the Maranon, in the prov. of Solimoens, in Brazil. It runs N from the Puru, and joins the Maranon above the proper mouth of the Puru. ARUTUA, one of the Rurick islands, in S lat. 15° 15', W long. 146° 51'. ARVA, a co. of Hungary, among the Carpathian mountains, 36 m. in length, and 30 in breadth; superficial area about 918 sq. m. It is bounded W by the county of Thurotz; S by that of Lyptau; E by Galicia; and N by the duchy of Oswitz. It is divided into Upper and Lower A. The climate is severe, and the soil barren. The lower part of the course of the Arva in this district has an alt. of 1,350 ft. above sea-level. Rye and barley are cultivated, but in scarcely sufficient quantity for the supply of the inhabitants. Wood abounds, covering at least onehalf of the surface; and vast flocks of sheep are reared. Flax is an important article of cultivation. An active trade is carried on in linen, cattle, and salt. Pop. in 1833, 104,281, nearly all Slavonians; in 1811, it amounted to 88,681, of whom 77,695 were Catholics.-Also a river in the above county, which joins the Waag, 11 m. N of the castle of Arva, the ruins of which are 14 m. N of Rosenberg. ARVAGH, a village in co. Cavan, 3 m. N of Scrabby. Pop. 615. ARVE, a river of Savoy, which rises on the Col de Balme, flows through the vale of Chamouni, and joins the Rhone below Geneva, after a course of 60 m., in which it has a fall of 1,928 metres, or 6,325 ft. This river is so rapid in its course that it has often swept away the bridges thrown over it; the valleys through which it passes are subjected to frequent inundations; and the contrast between its muddy white streams and the pellucid blue waters of the Rhone is observable for a considerable distance from their conflu ence; nor does the Rhone recover its clearness | quented by European vessels. In 1838, 32 French before it falls into the sea. The discoloration of the A. appears to be chiefly occasioned by the pulverulent felspar which is disintegrated from the Aiguilles of Chamouni. Grains of gold are some times found in its bed. ARVEIRON, a considerable torrent in the vale of Chamouni, in Savoy. It rises in the glacier Des Bois, from under a magnificent bridge of ice, called the Mouth of the Arveiron,' which is sometimes more than 100 ft. in height. The A. falls into the Arve a little below the village of Chamouni. ARVERT, or ARDVERT, a commune of France, in the dep. of Charente-Inferieure, cant. of La Tremblade. Pop. 2,400. ARVEYRES, a commune of France, in the dep. of Gironde, cant. of Libourne. Pop. 1,377. ARVIDS, a village of Swedish Lapland, near a lake of the same name, in N lat. 65° 35'. ARVIEUX, a commune and town of France, in the dep. of Hautes Alpes, 11 m. SE of Briançon. Pop. 965. ARVIKA, a town of Sweden, 30 m. NW of Carlstadt, on the Glasfiolen lake. ARVILLARD, a town of Savoy, 14 m. SE of Chambery. It contains considerable iron- works. Pop. 1,400. ARVILLERS, a commune of France, in the dep. of Somme, cant. of Moreuil. Pop. 1,140. ARVOREDO, a small island off the coast of Brazil, in the Atlantic; 27 m. NE of San Miguel. ARVORES, an island in the Mozambique channel, in S lat. 17° 28', E long. 38° 38'. ARYS, a town of Prussia, circle of Johannsberg, 18 m. SE of Lutzen. Pop. 1,164.-Also a town of Lombardy, district of Friuli, 10 m. SW of Palma Nova. ARZACQ, a canton and commune of France, in the dep. of Basses-Pyrénées, arrond. of Orthez. Pop. of canton, which comprises 28 com., in 1831, 11,202; of com., which is 15 m. SE of Orthez, 976. ARZAGO, a village of Lombardy, in the gov. of Milan, 3 m. NW of Gallarate. Pop. 1,000. ARZANA, a parish and village of Sardinia, in the intendency of Lanuzei, 11 m. SE of Fonni. The district is celebrated for its excellent cheese. In the neighbourhood are mines of copper and magnetic iron. Pop. of p. 1,499; of v., 500. ARZAÑO, a canton, commune, and town of France, in the dep. of Finistère, arrond. of Quimperlé. The com. is 2 m. E by N of Quimperlé. Pop. 1,801. The cant. comprises 3 com.-Also a village in the kingdom of Naples, in the district of Casoria, 5 m. N from Naples. Pop. 4,143. ARZAQUENA, a village on the E coast of Sardinia, on a small bay of the same name, the entrance to which lies between the island of Caprera on the N, and Cape Ferro on the S. ARZBERG, a market-town of Bavaria, in the circle of the Maine, on the Rosla, 7 m. E of Wunsiedel. The district is fertile; hops and grain are cultivated to a considerable extent; and the neighbouring hills yield iron and alum. Pop. 1,380. ARZEN, a town of Hanover, 5 m. SW of Hameln, on the Griese. Pop. 1,400. ARZENGAN, a town of Turkey, on the Euphrates, 45 m. W of Erzerum, and 120 NE of Sivas, in N lat. 39° 40'. ARZERO, a town of Lombardy, in the prov. of Padua, 3 m. S of Piove. Pop. 2,000. ARZEW, a town of Algiers, in the prov. of Mascara, 4 m. W of the embouchure of the Macta, 24 m. NE of Oran, supposed to be the ancient Arsenaria or Portus Divini. It contains numerous fragments of antiquity, such as columns, pedestals, and a beautiful Mosaic pavement. The port, distant 3 m., is fre vessels of 3,059 tons, 250 Algerine of 2,205 tons, and 48 Spanish of 1,070 tons entered this port for grain. The country towards the interior is a rich champaign. At about 6 m. from the coast there are several salt pits, from which the neighbouring districts are supplied with salt. The principal is called El-Melah. The European pop. of A. in 1843, exclusive of the military, was only 28. ARŽI, a small town of Naples, with the title of marquisate; in the Basilicata, 5 m. SE of Potenza. ARZIGNANO, a town of Lombardy, 15 m. SW of Vicenza. It is delightfully situated in a valley surrounded by fruitful hills; and the neighbourhood is celebrated for its wines. It is a manufacturing town, and has a pop. of 4,000. ARZILLA, an ancient maritime town of Marocco, the first on the Mediterranean after passing_Cape Spartel, from which it is 21 m. SW W. It was the Roman Julia Traducta. It is now an inconsiderable town, a walled square of a quarter of a mile, possessing scarcely any trade. Pop. 600. The neighbourhood is well-wooded; at 4 m. S of A. the coast-hills rise to 734 ft. There is a mackerel fishery on this coast.-Also a river of Italy, which enters the Adriatic N of Fano. ARZO, a village of Switzerland, in the cant. of Ticino, 10 m. S of Lugano, on the frontiers of Lombardy. Pop. 642. There are quarries of fine marble in the vicinity. ARZON, a commune and town of France, dep. of Morbihan, cant. of Sarzeau. Pop. 2,210. ARZUA, a town of Spain, in Galicia, 12 m. E of St. Jago de Compostella. AS, a town of Jemtland, in Sweden, 3 m. N of Ostersund.—Also a town in the island of Oeland, in the Baltic.-Also a town in the prov. of Gothland, at the southern extremity of Lake Wener. ASA, a river in the archduchy of Austria, which joins the Danube 2 m. N of Efferding. ASAB, a town on a bay of the same name, on the Danakil coast of the Red sea, 36 m. SE of Bailur. Ruppell erroneously identifies it with the Saba of the Axum inscription. The bay is nearly 16 m. in length, and 5 m. in width at its broadest part. Its SE point is Ras Macawa, the extreme point of a bank of islands. Its N point is Ras Lumar. ASABRA, a river of Spain, which joins the Aragon near Morillo. ASACAN, a town on the NE coast of Sumatra, in N lat. 3o, E long. 99° 40′. ASAD, a town in the prov. of Fars, in Persia, 57 m. SW of Yezd. ASADABAD, a large town of Persia, on the frontiers of Kurdistan, 70 m. NW of Hamadan. ASAL (BAHR), a salt lake in Abyssinia, 2 hours from the W end of Tajurrah bay. It is of an oval form, in length from NE to SW about 6 m.; in breadth 3 m. About one-third of its surface is covered with a sheet of salt. The Danakil claim the exclusive right to collect salt here, and convey it to the markets of Shoa and Aussa. It appears to be 570 ft. below sea-level. ASANGARO, a district of Bolivia, in the prov. of La Paz; bounded on the NE and E by Carabaya; SE and S by Larecaxa; SW by Paucarolla; and W and NW by Lampa. Pop. 4,000. The climate is cold, and the soil unproductive, potatoes and other roots being the principal resource of the inhabitants, who are chiefly Indians. The chief town, of the same name, stands on the banks of Lake Titicaca, at the influx of the A. river. ASAPH (ST.), a parish and city of Flintshire, in North Wales, 20 m. W of Chester, and 217 m. NW of London. It is a bishop's see, whose diocese in cludes portions of the counties of Denbigh, Flint, Montgomery, Merioneth, and Salop. As a bishopric it is of great antiquity. The cathedral is a plain building of the 15th cent. Though dignified with the title of city, on account of its bishopric, it consists of little more than one street, and its trade is inconsiderable. Pop., including that of the parish, in 1811, 1,993; in 1831, 3,144; in 1841, 3,338. ASARÁLIE, a town of Chinese Tartary, 60 m. NW of Hami, in N lat. 42° 30', E long. 90° 40'. ASARNA, a town of Sweden, in Nordland, on the Liunga, 84 m. W of Sundswall. ASARO, a town of Sicily, in the district and 11 m. S of Nicotia. Pop. 2,968. ASBACH, a village of Hesse-Cassel, in the circle of Fulda, 2 m. E of Schmalkalden, containing extensive iron-works. Pop. 500.-Also a v. of Prussia, in the prov. of the Lower Rhine, district of Treves, 10 m. SE of Bernkastel. Pop. 150.-Also a town of Austria, in the Wienerwalde, on the Urla. Pop. 568. ASBACH (GROSS), a village and parish in the circle of Necker, in Wirtemberg, 1 m. NW from Backnang, at an alt. of 1,050 ft. above sea-level. Pop. 1,500. ASBACH (KLEIN), a town of Wirtemberg, 7 m. NE of Marbach. Pop. 800. ASBAN, a mountain-range of Persia, in the prov. of Laristan, an offset of Mount Rustan, terminating in Ras Nabend, on the Persian gulf, in N lat. 27° 18'. ASBECK, a town of Westphalia, 4 m. SE of Aahaus. It contains a convent for noble ladies. Pop. 504. ASBEN, a small state between Fezzan and Cashna, in the interior of Africa. Agadez is the capital. The country is said to be fertile; and the monarch the most powerful in this part of the country with the exception of the king of Bornu. ASBERG, a town of Wirtemberg, in the Neckar circle. Pop. 1,500. It is celebrated for its ancient fortress on the Hohenasberg, alt. 1,092 ft. ASBESTOS HILLS, a range of elevated and wooded hills, on the N coast of Van Diemen's Land, between Port Dalrymple and Port Sorrell. ASBESTOS MOUNTAINS, a range in South Africa, on the W side of the Gariep, in S lat. 29° 15', E long. 23° 50'. They are of argillaceous schist, but contain veins of asbestos, of short fibre and of a blue colour. ASBURG, a town of Prussia, in the prov. of the Lower Rhine, 2 m. E of Meurs, and 18 W of Duisburg. It is on the site of the ancient Asciburgium, which was destroyed by Attila in 451. ASBY, or ASHBY, a parish of Westmoreland, 4 m. S by W from Appleby. Area 8,880 acres. Pop. 407. ASCABATLAN, a river in Guatemala, which, after forming the boundary between the provs. of Chimaltenango and Sacatapeques, and between Vera Paz and Chiquimula, falls into the gulf of Dolce, near Zacapa, its course being 300 m. from W to E. A town of the same name stands upon its banks, at about 43 m. from the mouth. ASCAIN, a commune and village of France, in the dep. of Basses-Pyrénées, 3 m. from St.-Jean-deLuz, and 12 m. from Bayonne. Pop. 1,200. A'SCALON, or ASKELON, a ruined city of Syria, 14 m. N of Gaza, 30 m. SW of Jerusalem, at the mouth of the Sorek, in N lat. 31° 35', E long. 34° 47'. It was a considerable town in the time of the Crusaders, who kept possession of it for 35 years. When it fell into the hands of the Mussulmans, Saladin caused it to be razed and abandoned; and the port filled up with stones. Its position is strong. The walls of which the foundations remain-were built on the top of a ridge of rock that winds round the town in a semicircular form, and terminates at each extre mity in a cliff on the coast. Some patches of the wall preserve their original elevation. The Arabs call it Jaurah, and, struck by its melancholy appearance, regard it as the abode of evil spirits. short distance to the N is a small v. called Scalona, evidently a corruption of the ancient name.-Forbin. Richardson. At a ASCAR, a mountain-ridge in Central Egypt, extending about 40 m. NE and SW, and terminating on the coast of the Arabian gulf. ASCARA, a town of Japan, in the island of Nifon, 144 m. N of Jeddo. ASCEA, a town of Naples, in the prov. of Principato Citra, 8 m. SW of Il Vallo. It is supposed to stand on the site of the ancient Velia. Pop. 500. ASCEASE. See Asiz. ASCENSION, a solitary island between the coasts of Africa and Brazil, about 680 m. NW of St. Helena, and 1,450 m. from the coast of Africa, in S lat. 7° 55′ 56", W long. 14° 23′ 50′′. It is about 9 m. long, and broad; circumf. nearly 33 m. It is evidently of volcanic origin: its whole surface, broken into mountains, hills, and ravines, being covered with ashes, scoria, pumice stones, lava, and calcined rocks, presenting only a mass of black hills separated by bare sterile valleys. Its greatest elevation is 2,870 ft. above sea-level. The natural vegetation is scarcely sufficient to support a few goats; but a considerable amount of cultivation has been effected upon it. It has a safe harbour, and a good supply of water; and is celebrated for its turtle; its coasts also abound in fish. The therm. ranges throughout the year, in the low lands, from 70° to 88°, and averages 83°; in the high lands it ranges from 62° to 80°, averaging 70°. This island formerly belonged to the Portuguese, who discovered it in 1501; but, in 1816, some English families from St. Helena settled here. A. was then taken possession of by the British government, as a military station, directly in the track of our homeward-bound shipping from the East Indies, &c. It is also a convenient station and rendezvous for the African squadron. It is now fortified, and a garrison of 400 men is kept upon it.-Also the capital of the island of Margarita, formerly celebrated for its pearlfishery.-Also a township in the SE part of Louisiana, U. S., on the Mississippi. Pop. 6,951. ASCENSION BAY, an indentation of the coast on the E side of Yucatan, in the bay of Honduras, in N lat. 19° 30', W long. 88° 56'. Stephens says that the country between this bay and Valladolid is not traversed by a single road. ASCH, a seignory and market-town of Bohemia, 11 m. NW of Egra. It has manufactories of cotton hosiery. Pop. 4,990.-Also a parochial v. of Wirtemberg, in the bailiwick of Blanbeuren. Pop. 800. -Also a v. of Switzerland, in the cant. of Basle, on the Birs. Pop. 876.--Also a v. in the cant. of Lucerne, on the lake of Hallwyl. Pop. 900.-Also a v. of Bavaria on the Lech. Pop. 750. ASCHACH, or ASCHA, a large market-town of Upper Austria, in the circle of Linz, with a fine castle, 4 m. N of Efferding. It has a productive toll on the Danube, and a trade in linen and wood.-Also a town of Bavaria, on the Saale, 6 m. N of Kissingen. Pop. 650. ASCHAFAR, or ASCHAFAS, a group of islands in the Arabian gulf, N of the island of Camaran, in N lat. 16°, E long. 41° 50′. ASCHAFFENBURG, a town of Bavaria, on the r. bank of the Maine, 18 m. SE of Frankfort, on the western declivity of the Spessart chain, in N lat. 50° 1' 29", E long. 9° 7'. It is walled, and has five gates on the land side. Pop. 8,000. Its principal buildings are the Johannisburg, a monastery, and the Jesuits' college now occupied as a lyceum. It has also |