COLOGNE, a city, the capital of the government of that name. It stands on the left bank of the Rhine, along which it extends in the form of a semicircle. Its appearance is magnificent, from the extent of the walls, and eighty-three towers that rise above the other build-
ings. The streets are narrow, the houses large and lofty, and, from being on a low situation, the place is far from being cleanly. The cathedral is a most magnificent pile, though yet unfinished. It is venerated on account of its sanctity, derived from the monkish stories of the kings, and the relics of the eleven thousand virgins; and it contains the master-piece of Rubens, who was a native of this city. It has given birth to other men of celebrity, Cornelius Agrippa the astrologist, and Barthold Schwartz, who in 1330 discovered gunpowder. It is a place of great trade on the Rhine, and the seat of various manufactures, especially the distilled water which bears the name of the city. These give occupation to the inhabitants, who amounted in 1817 to 54,938.