or VRIESLAND, sometimes by foreigners called West Friesland, to distinguish it from East Friesland in Hanover, is the most northerly province of Holland. It is bounded on the S.W., W., and N., by the Zuyder Zee and the North Sea; on the E. by the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe; and on the S.E. by that of Overyssel. The area is 1280 square miles English; and the population on 31st December 1853 was 259,508, being on an average 203 persons to the square mile.

So similar and identical in surface and soil is Friesland with the province of North Holland, that no geologist doubts they formed one country antecedently to that convulsion in the thirteenth century, which made an inlet for the Zuyder Zee, now separating them. Many parts of Friesland lie below sea-level, and are protected against inundations of the North Sea by artificial dykes raised and kept in repair at a great expense. The entire surface is flat, and intersected by canals; the only elevations being the tarpeu (mounds), on which the ancient inhabitants were accustomed to take refuge from the inundations of the sea. Interspersed with the entire surface there are deep swamps, marshes, and bogs, with sandy and moory tracts, or low miserable woodlands. The Great Canal commences at Haarlingen, a port on the west coast, and passes through Franeker, Leeuwarden, and Dokkum, to Groningen. Mostly all the minor and intersecting canals, many of which are above the surface-level of the country. and have the water pumped into them, have enabled the inhabitants to cultivate the soil, which otherwise could not have been drained, as well as to transmit the produce to suitable markets. The Great Canal unites with another which runs southward to Sneek, from which, by several small lakes, the communication is completed to Lemmer, on the Zuyder Zee. The expense of maintaining the dykes is raised by a dyke-tax upon the landowners; and the whole management of the canals, dykes, and sluices, is under the administration of the "Water-Staat," who exercise a watchful superintendence over the whole system of water communication in the province. The more elevated grounds are generally appropriated to the cultivation of grain, while the lower soils, especially near the N.W. coast, are set apart for grazing. Though there is no river of any importance in this province, we may mention the Boorn, in the centre, and the Linda and Kuinder, which join just close to their entrance into the Zuyder Zee, and the Lawer, which falls into the Lawer Zee, a small inlet on the N.E. coast. The Lawer only is navigable for small craft; the other two are short, broad rivulets. The small lakes are very numerous, and well stocked with fish of useful kinds. The people of Friesland are principally occupied in dairy husbandry, digging turf for fuel, and fishing. The stock of cattle is so large, that the annual produce for export amounts to 50,000 cwt.s of butter and 10,000 cwt.s of cheese. With the exception of the kanter-huas, the cheese, as well as the butter, are much inferior to those of the western provinces of Holland. Sheep are numerous, but of very inferior breeds, and the wool is coarse. Horses are bred in large numbers, and are much sought after as carriage-horses, being tall and strong limbed, but unfortunately soft in the hoof. Pigs are reared in immense numbers, especially for the lard they produce. The honey of Friesland has long been in high repute, having its peculiar flavour from the clover so universally cultivated. Manufactures are few, including little more than the common necessaries of life, with wooden clocks, linen, sail-cloth, woollens, iron-wares, paper, salt, spirits, potato-starch, and tiles.

Friesland is divided into three districts; Heerenveen and Sneek in the south, and Leeuwarden in the north. The chief towns of the province are Leeuwarden, the capital; Bolswaart, Franeker, Haarlingen, Dokkum, Stavoren, Sneek, Workum, and Heereaveen.

The islands Terschelling, Ameland, and Schiermonnikoog, off the north coast, belong to Friesland. The largest of these is Terschelling, containing about 26,000 inhabitants engaged in agriculture and fishing.

The ancient inhabitants of Friesland were a branch of the Frisii. In the fourth and fifth centuries they allied themselves with the Saxons, whom they assisted in the conquest of Britain. Pepin, major-domo of the Franks, put their king Radpod to flight, and wrested from them their western lands between the mouths of the Schelde and the Rhine. By Charlemagne the Frisians were subdued and put under dukes appointed by him. See Frisi.

Friesland, East. See Aurich.

Frieze, in Architecture, that part of the entablature of columns which is between the architrave and cornice. See Glossary to Architecture.

Frieze, or Frize, a kind of coarse woollen cloth, so called as being friezed or napped on one side. See Woolen Manufacture.

Friga, or Freia, in Scandinavian mythology, the wife of Odin.

Frigate (Fr. frégate (?); Lat. aphractus, a long undecked vessel); a ship of war, usually of two decks, designed for swift sailing. Frigates mount from 20 to 44 guns, and sometimes more. The name was originally applied to a long kind of vessel navigated in the Mediterranean with sails and oars.