The mineral productions of Brandenburg, though not distinguished by their variety, are of consider able importance. Among these we may reckon a white earth well adapted for pottery, and a very fine porcelain clay ; also various kinds of earths capable of being converted into colours, alum, saltpetre, anther, and ironstone. Petrifactions, and other fossil curiosi ties, are likewise to be met with in various parts of Brandenburg.
Before the reign of Frederic William, the grand elector, manufactures had made but little progress in this country, or rather had been altogether extin guished by the ruinous war of thirty years. His wise and paternal exertions in behalf of his native do minions soon changed the scene ; and Brandenburg be came, as it were, a new country, peopled by a mixture of colonies from many different nations, who brought along with them the arts and the manners of their respective countries. The Dutch, who took the lead in this system of colonization, renewed the order of tradesmen and artizans ; conceived the project of fell ing the lofty trees, which, as the war of thirty years had converted the whole country into one vast forest, were now found in great abundance ; and thus esta blished unc of the most lucrative branches of the com merce of Brandenburg. The elector likewise per- • mitted some families of Jews to settle in his domi nions, as the vicinity of Poland rendered their ser vices useful for vending in that country the refuse of Brandenburg merchandise. But no event was more favourable to the enlightened projects of the great elector, than the revocation of the edict of Nantes by Louis XIV. Upwards of four hundred thousand Frenchmen were driven, by that measure, from their native kingdom, the most affluent of whom emigrated to England and Holland ; while the poorer, but more industrials, taking refuge in Bradenburgh, to the num ber of ab.mt twenty thousand, helped to repeople desert ed towns. and taught the natives those manufactures of which they were yet ignorant. On the accession of Frederic William to the government, neither hats, nor stocking', nor serges, nor, in short, any woollen stuffs whatever, were fabricated in his dominions. The in dustry o the French soon enriched them with these manufacures. They established fabrics of broad cloths, sergcs, arainers, small stuffs, druggets, crape, bonnets, and stoc: ings woven in the loom ; hats made of the fur of beaves, hares, and rabbits; and dyes of every kind.
Some refugees became merchants, and sold by retail du products of the labour of others. Some of them settled in the capital, as goldsmiths, jewellers, watchmacers, or engravers; and those who took up their residence in the flat parts of the country, cultivat ed tobaam, and reared fruits and excellent pulse in the sandy cF,tricts, which, through their fostering indus try, wet; converted into admirable kitchen gardens. The elector, to encourage so useful a colony, assigned it an ant ual pension of forty thousand crowns, which it still enicrs.
These beneficial projects were adopted and improved upon by Frederic II., the son and successor of Frederic William, who reaped the full advantage of his father's labours. The tapestry of Brandenburg now rivalled that of Brussels ; its galoon-lace equalled that of France ; the ruirrers of Neustadt surpassed in their clearness those of N enice ; and the Prussian army was arrayed in cloth of home manufacture. To give new energy to that spirit of industry which the foreign colonies had excited, F:cderie prohibited, by a severe edict, the ex portation Of wool ; he established a public magazine, named the Lagerhaus, from which quantities of wool were advanced to poor manufacturers, who repaid it by the produce of their labour ; the army, which was new ly dressed every year, ensured a ready sale for their cloths ; they even found their way into foreign markets ; and in the year 1753, the manufactures of Brandenburg were in su.-h a flourishing state, that they furnished for exportation forty-four thousand pieces of broad Cloth, each twenty-four ells long. With these improvements, a spirit of frugality, scarcely lass beneficial, was intro duced among all orders in the state. During the pre ceding reign, many of the nobles had sold their lands, to be enabled to purchase gold-cloth, and lace; now that abuse was clone away, and the proudest grandees were contented with such articles of dress as the manufac tures of their native country could afford. This tegard to economy was the more necessary, as in most of the Prussian states the right of primogeniture is disclaim ed ; and fathers, who have a numerous lamily, can pro cure, only by rigid parsimony, a respectable establish ment for those, who, after their death, are to divide their family into new branches.