Five hundred and twenty rivers arc reckoned in Ger many, sixty of which are navigable to a great length, and six, viz. the Danube, the Rhine, the Mayne, the We ser, the Elbe, and the Oder, rank amongst the noblest and largest in Europe. The Danube rises in the Black Forest ; and receiving continual accessions on both banks, soon be comes a copious and navigable stream ; it passes Vienna, and a short distance from that city it becomes a Hungarian river : it terminates in the Black Sea. The Rhine has nei ther its source nor exit in Germany. It rises in Switzer land, and after passing Basle, flows for a considerable space, the boundary between Germany and France. From the western side of the former it receives numerous rivers, of which the Mayne and the Necker are the principal ; it en ters the sea below Rotterdam, affording a noble. and highly useful inland navigation from Holland, quite to the bor ders of Switzerland. Of the rivers that enter the Ger man ocean, the first on the west side is the Ems : next succeeds the Weser, which unites several streams of the north-west, and joins the sea below Bremen. The Elbe, rising on the confines of Bohemia and Silesia, augmented by many rivers from the centre of Germany, flows by Hamburg, and thence in a broad channel enters the sea on the west side of Holstein. The Oder, which derives its source from the foot of the Carpathian mountains, is the principal river that falls into the Baltic. In the duchy of Mecklenburg there are several lakes. There arc also some small lakes in Bavaria, Austria, Pomerania, and Branden burg. The &glen sea, or lake of Constance, belongs part ly to Germany and partly to Switzerland. There are up wards of 1000 mineral springs and baths, of which the most famous are Carlsbad in Bohemia ; Toplitz in Austria; Seltzer in the Upper Rhine ; and Pyrmont in Westphalia. See the articles DAst'nE and ELBE.
There is a considerable variety in the vegetable pro ductions of Germany ; in general, they are those of the northern and middle temperate regions. Besides corn of all kinds, flax of excellent quality, hemp, hops, tobacco, madder, saffron, rape seed, rhubarb, &c. are grown ; rice is cultivated in Aloravia. The wine country begins about the junction of the Necker with the Rhine, and accompa nies those rivers towards their rise. The most celebrated wines of Germany are those of the Rhine, especially about .A1anlieitn and Heidelberg, and in the district called the Itheinzan ; here the lofty and romantic banks of the river are clothed with vineyards. The wine of Moselle ranks next ; and after it a red wine called Heiken., which is made near Mentz. Austria also affords wine, some of which is of excellent quality. Franconia, and particularly Bamberg, furnishes a great deal of liquorice ; and the lower palati nate contains immense numbers of chesnut trees, and par ticularly fine walnut trees. The breed of horses, except in Mecklenburg, East Freisland, Oldenberg, Holstein, and some parts of Hanover and \Vurtemberg, is very indiffer ent. The best breeds of oxen are in East Friesland, Ol denburg, and Holstein ; but both they and the sheep are by no means sufficiently numerous ; of the latter, the number is reckoned not to exceed 13 or 14 millions. The me
rino breed has been introduced into Saxony upwards of a century, and now produces wool equal in quality to the finest Spanish ; this breed is also naturalized in Prus sia, but in general the sheep and wool of Germany are indifferent. The breed of hogs is much neglected ; that of goats is encouraged in the mountainous districts. The forests are plentifully supplied with wild boars, which are reared to a large size. Westphalia is particularly noted for this species of game. Poultry is abundant. Some parts of Germany are remarkable for fine larks and thrush es of a delicious flavour. Others abound in singing birds, particularly Canary birds and goldfinches. Silk worms are reared in some of the southern districts. On the whole, agriculture is not in a very advanced state, except in Sax ony, which, in every respect, is one of the finest parts of Germany. In the more mountainous parts, the lynx is still found; and in the Tyrolese Alps wolves are by no means uncommon. The only fisheries of Germany, with the exception of those carried on by the small towns on the Baltic and German Ocean, are those of the rivers, in some of which, besides the more common fish, the sturgeon is found.
Small particles of gold are found in the Rhine, the Da nube, the Elbe, &c. ; in most other mineral productions this country is very rich. The chain of hills between Saxo ny and Bohemia yields silver, copper, tin, lead, iron, co balt, bismuth, &c.; most of these metals are also found in the Hartz mountains. Bavaria has mines of silver, copper, and lead, and is noted for its salt springs. There are also extensive salt works near Halle ; and salt mines near Saltz burg. The iron of Carinthia and Stiria is particularly fa mous, as convertable to the finest steel. The quicksilver mines of ldria arc also very productive, and of great fame. Besides the rarer and more valuable stones, Germany pos sesses large quarries of curious marble, and excellent mill and burr stones. In Misnia are found various sorts of fine earth, such as tripoli and porcelain earth, fullers' earth, &c. There are some coal mines, particularly in West phalia, and abundance of peat mosses.
The manufactures are very various : pearl ashes and pitch are made in various parts. Linens are made in al most every part ; but principally in Austria, Saxony, Lusa tia, and Silesia ; the cotton manufacture is establishing it self in Austria, Prussia, and Saxony. Woollen manufac tures are spread throughout the empire, but with the ex ception of the cloths of Silesia, chiefly of the coarser kind. The silk manufacture was established in Brandenburg, by the refugees driven from France, at the time of the revo cation of the edict of Nantz ; silk is also manufactured in Austria and Saxony. There are many iron works at Nu remberg, and in Silesia, Saxony, and Holstein ; here also are copper works. The porcelain of Saxony is still good, though not so famed as formerly.