Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume III.djvu/215

BRANCHIOPODA BRANDENBURG 209 cows, 8,832 other cattle, 60,877 sheep, and 1-1,528 swine. Capital, Coldwater. BK.t CHIOPODA (Or. (3pdy X ia, gills, and jroif, a foot), an order of the section entomostraca of the Crustacea, the animals of which are small, mostly inhabit stagnant fresh water, and are provided with feet which are used only for swimming, except that in some instances they contain the organs of respiration. The bodies are protected by a corneous or membranous covering, with a shield in one piece, or divided like a bivalve shell. One species, the bran- chipus stagnalii, is common in New England in stagnant pools. It is about an inch long, and is furnished with numerous fringed legs, which are in constant motion. lit! l(0. Rio, a river of N. Brazil, rises from various sources in the Pacaraitna mountains on the confines of Venezuela and British Guiana. After a S. course of about 400 m., in which it receives numerous affluents, it falls into the Kio Negro, in lat. 1 25' 8., Ion. 62 10' W. BRANDE, William Thomas, an English chemist, born in London, Jan. 11, 1788, died at Tun- bridge Wells, Feb. 11, 18C6. He received his early education at Westminster, subsequently attended the lectures at St. George's hospital, commenced lecturing on chemistry in 1808, and in the following year was chosen fellow of the royal society. In 1812 he became professor of chemistry and inateria medica to the apotheca- ries' company, and in 1851 was elected master. In 1813 he was appointed professor of chemis- try at the royal institution, and was for many years associated with Faraday as editor of the " Quarterly Journal of Science." In 1825 he was appointed superintendent of the die de- partment of the royal mint, and some years after fellow and examiner of the London uni- versity. Besides his "Manual of Chemistry " (6th ed., 1848), he published "Outlines of Ge- ology " (1839), and a " Dictionary of Science, Literature, and Art" (royal 8vo, 1842; revised ed., 3 vols. 8vo, 1865-'7). BRAXDEXBt R(i. I. A central province of Prussia, consisting chiefly of the ancient mark of Brandenburg, bounded N. by Mecklenburg and Pomerania, E. by the provinces of Prussia and Posen, S. by Silesia and the kingdom of Saxony, and W. by Prussian Saxony, Anhalt, and Hanover ; area, 15,402 sq. m. ; pop. in 1871, 2,803,461, of whom about 70,000 were Roman Catholics, 40,000 Jews, and the remainder Protestants. It embraces the former territo- ries of Priegnitz and Uckermark in the north, Havelland and Banim in the centre, Neumark in the east, and Mittelmark and Lower Lu- satia in the south. It is divided into the dis- tricts of Frankfort and Potsdam, which are subdivided into 31 circles. The chief towns are Berlin, Potsdam, Frankfort-on-the-Oder, Brandenburg, and Spandau. The principal streams are the Elbe, Oder, Havel, and Spree. The surface, which is mainly level, is dotted with numerous lakes, swamps, and morasses, many of which have been drained. The soil is generally sandy and poor, but near the lakes and streams rich land is found. The principal productions are buckwheat, rye, potatoes,wool, flax, tobacco, and honey. Manufacturing is ex- tensively pursued, and the province is intersect- ed by numerous railroads and canals. Lime and gypsum are found. Brandenburg was original- ly inhabited by various German tribes, chiefly of the Suevic race, who were succeeded in its possession by Wends, Wiltzes, Obotrites, and other Slavs. These were subjected to the Frankish sway by Charlemagne, but subse- quently recovered their independence, and carried on long feuds with their neighbors the Thuringians and Saxons, until parts of their territory were conquered about 927 by the em- peror Henry the Fowler, who founded the Nordmark, or mark of Salzwedel (subsequently known as Altmark, and now forming the north- ern part of the Prussian province of Saxony). His son Otho I. founded the bishoprics of Brandenburg and Havelberg, and the German- ization of the country now kept pace with its Christianization, the Wends and other Slavs stubbornly contesting the possession of the ter- ritories E. of the Elbe. New marks were now successively erected by the emperors in the conquered territories. The subjection of the Slavs was completed by Albert the Bear, count of Ballenstedt, of the house of Ascania, who in 1133 was appointed by the emperor Lothaire margrave of the Nordmark. Albert conquered the Priegnitz territory and the Mittelmark, and assumed the title of margrave of Branden- burg. He founded many towns, and drew German and Flemish settlers into the country. He was also made duke of Saxony, but was unable to maintain this possession against Henry the. Lion. Without being himself en- dowed with the electoral dignity, he may be considered the founder of the electorate of Brandenburg. He died in 1170. His elder grandson, Otho II., ceded considerable terri- tories to the ecclesiastical dominion of Magde- burg, but the younger, Albert II. (1206-1221), again enlarged Brandenburg. The same was done by his sons, John I. and Otho III., who after a united reign of nearly 40 years divided the marks, Stendal and Salzwedel becoming their capitals. John, the founder of the elder line, was the first to assume the dignity of elector. Among his successors was Waldemar (1308-1319), a warlike prince. His line be- came extinct in 1320, the younger three years earlier. A period of distraction and decay fol- lowed, during which Brandenburg came into the possession of the house of Bavaria, was dis- puted by a pseudo- Waldemar, and finally ac- quired by the house of Luxemburg, the em- peror Charles IV. bestowing it successively on his sons Wenceslas and Sigismund. The last named, on his election as emperor in 1411, ap- pointed Frederick of Hohenzollern, burgrave of Nuremberg and ancestor of the royal line of Prussia, administrator of Brandenburg, in 1415 made him elector, and on April 18, 1417,