an imperial city of Germany, seated in E. Long. 9. 55. N. Lat. 53. 36. Its name is derived from the old German word Hammne, signifying a wood, and Burg, a castle; and stands on the north side of the river Elbe. This river is not less than four miles broad opposite the city. It forms two spacious harbours, and likewise runs through most part of it in canals. It flows above Hamburg many miles; but when the tide is accompanied with north-west winds, a great deal of damage is done by the inundations occasioned thereby. There are a great many bridges over the canals, which are mostly on a level with the streets, and some of them have houses on both sides. In the year 833, Ludovicus Pius erected Hamburg first into a bishopric, and afterwards into an archbishopric; and Adolphus III. duke of Saxony, among many other great privileges, granted it the right of fishing in the Elbe, eight miles above and below the city. The kings of Denmark, since they have succeeded to the counts of Holstein, have continually claimed the sovereignty of this place, and often compelled the citizens to pay large sums to purchase the confirmation of their liberties. Nay, it has more than once paid homage to the king of Denmark; who, notwithstanding, keeps a minister here with credentials, which is a sort of acknowledgment of its independency and sovereignty. Though Hamburg has been constantly summoned to the diet of the empire ever since the year 1618, when it was declared a free imperial city by a decree of the aulic council; yet it wavers this privilege, in order to keep fair with Denmark. By their situation among a number of poor princes, the Hamburghers are continually exposed to their rapaciousness, especially that of the Danes, who have extorted vast sums from them. The city is very populous in proportion to its bulk; for though one may walk with ease round the ramparts in two hours, yet it contains, exclusive of Jews, at least 100,000 inhabitants. Here are a great many charitable foundations, the regulations of which are greatly admired by foreigners. All persons found begging in the streets are committed to the house of correction to hard labour, such as the rapping of Brazil and other kinds of wood. There is an hospital into which unmarried women may be admitted for a small sum, and comfortably maintained during the residue of their lives. The number of hospitals in this place is greater in proportion to its extent than in any other Protestant city in Europe. The revenue of the orphan-house alone is said to amount to between 50 and 60,000l. There is a large sumptuous hospital for receiving poor travellers that fall sick. In one of their work-houses or houses of correction, those who have not performed their task are hoisted up in a basket over the table in the common hall while the rest are at dinner, that they may be tantalized with the sight and smell of what they cannot taste. The established religion of Hamburg is Lutheranism; as for the Calvinists and the Roman Catholics, they go to the ambassadors chapels to celebrate their divine service and worship. They have here what they call a private confession, previous to the holy communion, which differs in nothing from that of the church of England, and the abjuration is the same, only the poorest of the people here are forced to give a fee to the priests on these occasions. Hamburg. easions. Their churches, which are ancient large fabrics, are open thoroughfares, and in some of them there are booksellers shops. The pulpit of St Catherine's is of marble, curiously carved and adorned with figures and other ornaments of gold; and its organ, reckoned one of the best in Europe, has 6000 pipes. The cathedral is very ancient, and its tower leans as if just going to fall; yet, on account of the singularity and beauty of its architecture, the danger attending it has been hitherto overlooked. There is still a dean and chapter belonging to this church, though secularized; from whose court there lies no appeal, but to the imperial chamber at Wetzlar. The chapter consists of a provost, dean, 13 canons, 8 minor canons, and 30 vicarii immunes, besides others who are under the jurisdiction of the city. The cathedral, with the chapter, and a number of houses belonging to them, were formerly under the immediate protection of his Britannic majesty as duke of Bremen, who disposes of the prebends that fall in six months of the year, not successively, but alternately with the chapter. Hamburg is almost of a circular form, and fix miles in compass. It has fix gates, and three entrances by water, viz. two from the Elbe and one from the Alster, being divided into the old and new, which are strongly fortified with moats, ramparts, bastions, and outworks. The ramparts are very lofty and planted with trees; and of such a breadth, that several carriages may go abreast. In the new town, towards Altena, are several streets of mean houses inhabited by Jews. Through that entrance from the Elbe, called the lower Baum, pass all ships going to or coming from sea. Every morning, at the opening of it, is seen a multitude of boats and small barks, whose cargoes consist of milk, fruits, and all kinds of provisions, rushing in at the same time. There are some fine chimes here, especially those of St Nicholas, which play every morning early, at one o'clock in the afternoon, and on all festivals and solemnities. The other public structures in this city, besides the churches, make no great appearance: however, the yard, arsenal, and two armories, are well worth seeing. There are several convents or cloisters still remaining; which having been secularized, are now possessed by the Lutherans. One of them holds its lands by this tenure, "That they offer a glass of wine to every malefactor who is carried by it for execution."

There is a fine exchange, though inferior to that of London. But it was found that the merchants could not be accommodated with every necessary convenience in transacting their business. To supply these defects a new Exchange Hall has been built. This structure is situated near the exchange, in the street called Bohnenstraße. The façade is in a style of great elegance, and the entrance has three arcades supported by pillars of the Doric order. The steps run the whole breadth of the arcades, the intervals between which are ornamented with genii holding garlands of fruits and flowers. The doors leading to the ground floor of the building are on the right and left of the steps. The porter's lodge is on the right, and the door leading to the ball and concert room in the second story, is on the left. The balcony is vaulted and measures 22 feet in diameter. The façade is terminated by the third or attic story, which is provided with a row of Doric pilasters, above which there is a pediment.

The entrance into the hall is behind the central Hamburg arcade, which is ornamented with a row of single statues, and measures 84 feet by 42. It is appropriated to the meeting of merchants and men of bufnells. There are several other saloons or apartments, such as the Egyptian saloon surrounded with columns of granite, between which are landscapes in the manner of a panorama; and the underwriters have two rooms adjoining to this. The reading-room is furnished with all kinds of newspapers and periodical works from every quarter of the globe. The library is to contain all books necessary for commerce, in every language, to collect which must be the work of time. There is an anti-room with embellishments to the left of the great staircase.

The hall of arts is well adapted to the meetings of artists, which ought never to be wanting in establishments of such a nature. Here are five excellent pictures representing poetry, painting, sculpture, architecture, and music, together with the portraits of many celebrated men who have distinguished themselves in the arts. The ball and concert room measures 64 feet by 42, and the roof is 30 feet high. The gallery is supported by 18 pillars or columns of the Composite order, and the access to it is by the great staircase. The ceiling represents the firmament studded with stars, and Aurora dispersing the shades of night. There is also an Arabic, Turkish, and Grecian saloon, which the subscribers are at liberty to use as they please. The two spacious dining rooms may be thrown into one, when necessity requires it. They are ornamented with basso relieves in platter of Paris.

The saloon of the muses and the musical saloon are on the third floor. A large room, in form of a rotunda, receives light from above, and may be considered as an academy of the imitative arts. A complete apparatus for expedient printing also belongs to this magnificent fabric, under the direction of Mr Conrad Muller, an eminent printer in Hamburg, whose attention will be chiefly directed to the publishing of books on mercantile subjects. The whole edifice is finished in a style of great elegance and taste, and the management given to one who is fully qualified for the office.

It is the custom of Hamburg, that a citizen, when he dies, must leave the tenth of his estate to the city; and foreigners, not naturalized, must pay a certain sum annually for liberty to trade. The common carts here are only a long pulley laid upon an axle-tree between two wheels, and drawn not by horses, but by men, of whom a dozen or more are sometimes linked to these machines, with slings across their shoulders. Such of the senators, principal elders, divines, regular physicians, and graduates in law, as assist at funerals, have a fee. The hangman's house is the common prison for all malefactors; on whom sentence is always passed on Friday, and on Monday they are executed. As, by their laws, no criminal is punishable unless he plead guilty, they have five different kinds of torture to exact such confession. The government of this city is lodged in the senate and three colleges of burghers. The former is vested with almost every act of sovereignty, except that of laying taxes and managing the finances, which are the prerogatives of the latter. The magistracy is composed of four burgomasters, four syndics, and 24 aldermen, of whom some are lawyers and some merchants. Any person elected into the magi- stracy, and declining the office, must depart the place. No burgher is admitted into any of the colleges, unless he dwells in a house of his own within the city, and is possessed of 1000 rixdollars in specie, above the sum for which the house may be mortgaged; or 2000 in moveable goods, within the jurisdiction of the same. For the administration of justice, here are several inferior courts, from which an appeal lies to the Obergericht, or high court, and from that to the aulic council and other imperial colleges. For naval causes here is a court of admiralty, which, jointly with the city-treasury, is also charged with the care of the navigation of the Elbe, from the city to the river's mouth. In consequence of this, 100 large buoys, some white, others black, are kept constantly floating in the river in summer: but in winter, instead of some of them, there are machines, like those called ice-beacons, to point out the shoals and flats. Subordinate to the admiralty is a company of pilots: and at the mouth of the Elbe is, or at least ought to be, a vessel always riding, with pilots ready to put on board the ships. At the mouth of the river also is a good harbour, called Cuxhaven, belonging to Hamburg; a light-house; and several beacons, some of them very large. For defraying the expense of these, certain tolls and duties were formerly granted by the emperors to the city. Besides the Elbe, there is a canal by which a communication is opened with the Trave, and thereby with Lubeck and the Baltic, without the hazard, trouble, and expense, of going about by the Sound. The trade of Hamburg is very extensive, in exporting all the commodities and manufactures of the several cities and states of Germany, and supplying them with whatever they want from abroad. Its exports consist of linens of several sorts and countries; as lawns, diapers, oshaburgs, dowlas, &c. linen-yarn, tin-plates, iron, brats, and steel-ware, clap-board, pipe-staves, waincot-boards, oak-plank, and timber, kidkins, corn, beer in great quantities, with flax, honey, wax, aniseed, linseed, drugs, wine, tobacco, and metals. Its principal imports are the woollen manufactures and other goods of Great Britain, to the amount of several hundred thousand pounds a-year: they have also a great trade with Spain, Portugal, and Italy, which is carried on mostly in English bottoms, on account of their Mediterranean passes. Their whale-fishery is also very considerable, 50 or 60 ships being generally sent out every year in this trade. Add to these a variety of manufactures, which are performed here with great success; the chief of which are, sugar-baking, calico-printing, the weaving of damasks, brocades, velvets, and other rich silks. The inland trade of Hamburg is superior to that of any in Europe, unless perhaps we should except that of Amsterdam and London. There is a paper published here at stated times called the Prefecourant, specifying the course of exchange, with the price which every commodity and merchandise bore last upon the exchange. There is also a board of trade, erected on purpose for the advancing every project for the improvement of commerce. Another great advantage to the merchants is, the bank established in 1619, which has a flourishing credit. To supply the poor with corn at a low price, here are public granaries, in which great quantities of grain are laid up. By charter from several emperors, the Hamburghers have a right of coinage, which they actually exercise. The English merchants, or Hamburg Company, as it is called, enjoy great privileges; for they hold a court with particular powers, and a jurisdiction among themselves, and have a church and minister of their own.—This city has a district belonging to it of considerable extent, which abounds with excellent pastures, intermixed with several large villages and noblemen's seats. A small bailiwick, called Bergedorf, belongs to this city and Lubeck.—Though Hamburg has an undoubted right to a seat in the diet of the empire, yet as she pays no contributions to the military chest in time of war, and is also unwilling to draw upon herself the resentment of Denmark, she makes no use of that privilege. There is a schola illustris or gymnasium here, well endowed, with fix able professors, who read lectures in it as at the universities. There are also several free schools, and a great number of libraries, public and private. The public cellar of this town has always a prodigious stock and vent of old hock, which brings in a considerable revenue to the state. Besides the militia or trained bands, there is an establishment of 12 companies of infantry, and one troop of dragoons, besides an artillery company, and a night-guard. But since the north of Europe was overrun by the French, Hamburg has undergone great changes, both in her trade and internal police, having fallen into their hands in 1806.