ELBE, the 4lbrs of the ancients, and the Labbe of the Bohemians, is one of the principal rivers in Germa ny. It takes its rise near the source of the Oder and the Vistula, in that part of the Carpathian mountains, which is called Riesengeburg, or the Mountain of the Giants. In its course through Bohemia, it receives several tri butary streams, but particularly the river Moldan, Melnick. At Leutrncritz, above which it receives the Eger from Franconia, it begins to be navigable for small boats. After leaving Bohemia, at a narrow pass at Win terberg, near Schandau, which Werner conceives to have been the outlet of a great lake, covering the whole of Bohemia, it enters Saxony, passes by Dresden, and receives the Milde, not far from Dessau. Alter receiv ing the Saalc above Barby, and the I level near Ilevel berg, which for m a communication with the Oder, by means of the Spree, through Berlin, it pursues its way through the confines of the duchies of Lunenberg and Mecklenburg Schwerin, where it receives the Ilmenau. It then advances to Hamburg, where its branches form several islands. It receives the Stoer below Gluck stadt, and at the distance of 100 miles from this it throws itself into the North Sea, not far from Heligoland.
The navigation of the Elbe up to Hamburg is ex tremely difficult, on account of its numerous sand banks. When a violent wind blows from the west, in autumn, the waters are swelled to such a degree, that all the ca nals of Hamburg overflow their banks, fill the cellars and magazines with water, and often inundate the streets. An east wind produces an opposite effect. It drives the waters of the Elbe towards the sea, with so much force, that the canals are left dry, and passengers cross them on foot.
The Elbe is navigable for large vessels up to Ham burg, and for small craft for several hundred miles, and form the principal channel of communication with the whole north of Germany.
The free navigation of the river, however, is greatly injured by an excessive number of tolls and restrictions, imposed by the sovereigns of the different territories through which it flows. Merchandise sent from Pinta, in Saxony, was obliged to pay 32 tolls before it reached Hamburg, and at Magdeburg all vessels not under Prus sian colours, or carrying Prussian produce, were com pelled to unload, and ship their goods in Prussian ves sels, of which 300 were employed by Magdeburg alone. Each prince too insists on payment in the coin of his ter ritory, and the officers, when certificates of payment are granted, are often at a great distance from the water side. Were these inconveniences removed, a voyage on the Elbe would be both expeditious and agreeable, as the passage boats are so constructed, that travellers, on taking beds with them, may regularly sleep on board, and escape the risk of bad inns.
In the year 1796, there were no fewer than 460 ves sels employed in the navigation of the Elbe, from Ham burg to Magdeburg. See BOHEMIA, for a particular ac count of the progress of the Elbe through that king dom; also ILtmnorto and MAGDEBURG. See also Od dy's European Commerce, and Catteau's Voyage en Al lemagne, f..7'c. vol. i. Paris, 1810. (w)