with Diepholz, a province of the kingdom of Hanover. It has been formed at different periods, a part having belonged to the house of Brunswick since the year 1583, another part which came to that house two years after, and a part consisting of three bailiwicks, which was ceded by the prince of Hesse-Cassel in 1815. It is bounded on the north-west by Oldenburg, on the north by Bremen and Brunswick, on the north-east by Bremen and Verden, on the east by Calenburg and Luneburg, on the south by Prussian Westphalia, on the south-west by Oldenburg, and on the west by Osnabruck. It extends over 1352 square miles, contains one city (Hoya), twenty-four market-towns, fifty-six parishes, and 497 villages and hamlets, and 14,666 dwellings. The number of inhabitants amounted in 1812 to 104,970, but they are estimated to have increased one fifth since that period. The Platt-Deutsche is the common language. The religion is exclusively Lutheran, or at least the Catholics and reformed are in no place so numerous as to hold any public exercise of their forms of worship. It is generally a sandy heath, but towards the river Weser there are some tolerably fertile pasture lands. It yields buck-wheat, rye, barley, and a very small portion of wheat, and produces flax, feathers, wax, and honey. The only manufactures are coarse linens and woollens, made in each peasant's house for his own family.

The capital, Hoya, is situated on the Weser, and contains 220 houses and 1867 inhabitants, who carry on some trade by the river with Bremen. Long. 9. 5. 40. E. Lat. 52. 48. 47. N.