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LA PLATA LAPWING 165 Lappland (Stockholm, 1871); and Hermann and Karl Aubel, Ein Polarsommer : Eeise nach Lappland (Leipsic, 1874). LA PLATA, a S. W. county of Colorado, form- ed in 1874 from portions of Conejos, Lake, and Saguache counties; area, about 7,000 sq. m. It borders on Utah and New Mexico, and is watered in the north by the Rio Dolores and the Eio San Miguel, and by the Uncompahgre river, a tributary of the Gunnison. In the south it is drained by the Mancos, La Plata, Las Animas, and Los Pinos, tributaries of the San Juan. The Rio Grande rises in the E. part. The county contains the Sierra San Miguel mountains, and is traversed from S. W. to N. E. by the Sierra La Plata range. A strip 20 m. wide along the Utah border, and 15 m. wide along the New Mexico border, is oc- cupied by the Ute Indian reservation. Valua- ble gold mines have recently been discovered in this county, and large numbers of miners are resorting thither. Capital, Howardsville. LA PLATA. See AEGENTINE REPUBLIC. LA PLATA, Rio de. See PLATA, Rio DE LA. LAPOMERAYE, Albert, a French historian, born in Tours, May 8, 1808, died in Marseilles in September, 1849. He established a school and a journal at Marseilles. The government became so alarmed at the popular effect of his lectures in 1831 on the history of the French revolution, that he was not permitted to con- tinue them, and he was several times arrested on account of his liberal writings. His works include Cours public d*7iistoire de France de- puis 1189 jusqu'en 1830 (1831-'4) ; Histoire de la revolution francaise depuis 1789 jusqu'en 1840 (3 vols., 1840); an edition of Robes- pierre's writings (3 vols., 1842); and Histoire universelle depuis les premiers ages du monde (8 vols., 1845-'6), left unfinished. LA PORTE, a N. W. county of Indiana,' bor- dering on Michigan and Lake Michigan, and drained by Kankakee, Little Kankakee, and Gallien rivers; area, 450 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 27,062. The surface consists partly of rolling prairies, interspersed with groves of timber; the soil is generally fertile. It is traversed by five important railroads. The chief produc- tions in 1870 were 519,018 bushels of wheat, 394,294 of Indian corn, 148,311 of oats, 151,812 of potatoes, 47,277 Ibs. of wool, 320,766 of but- ter, and 22,333 tons of hay. There were 7,297 horses, 6,135 milch cows, 9,435 other cattle, 15,031 sheep, and 15,386 swine; 3 manufac- tories of agricultural implements, 2 of brick, 8 of carriages, 2 of iron castings, 6 of saddlery and harness, 6 of tin, copper, and sheet-iron ware, 2 of woollen goods, 2 breweries, 8 flour mills, and 12 saw mills. Capital, La Porte. LA PORTE, a city and the county seat of La Porte co., Indiana, situated on the border of a beautiful and fertile prairie, 12 m. from Lake Michigan and 135 m. N. by W. of Indianapolis; pop. in 1850, 1,824; in 1860, 5,028; in 1870, 6,581. It is at the junction of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railroad with the In- dianapolis, Peru, and Chicago line, and is a place of considerable trade. It contains f oun- deries and machine shops, manufactories of agri- cultural implements, flouring, saw, and planing mills, &c., five banks, good public schools, a public library, a semi-weekly and two weekly newspapers, and 17 churches. A chain of sev- en beautiful lakes runs N. of the city, which from their facilities for boating and bathing are a favorite summer resort. LAPPENBERG, Johann Martin, a German his- torian, born in Hamburg, July 30, 1794, died Nov. 28, 1865. The son of a physician, he was sent to study medicine at Edinburgh, but ap- plied himself to historical and political re- searches. After visiting the highlands and the Hebrides, he went to London, where he studied the English government and constitution. He continued his legal studies at Berlin and Got- tingen, and received the degree of doctor in 1816. He was sent by the senate of Hamburg during the congress of Troppau as minister resident to the Prussian court, and resided in Berlin till in 1823 he was appointed to the charge of the archives of Hamburg. In this office he discovered many valuable historical memoirs that were supposed to be lost, among which were the records of the old cathedral of Hamburg. He also made an important collec- tion of diplomatic notes in a journey through the north of Europe. In 1848 he became a member of the senate. In 1850 he took part as plenipotentiary in the negotiations at Frank- fort, whicb ended with the pacification of Ger- many by the convention of Olrntitz. Many of his historical works relate to the antiquities of the Hanse towns, especially Hamburg, and of northern Germany. Among them are: Ur- Icundliche GeschicJite des Ursprungs der Deu- tscTien Hansa (2 vols., Hamburg, 1830), a con- tinuation of the work of Sartorius; Die Ge- schichte Helgolands (1831) ; Hamburgisches Ur- kunderibuch (1842) ; Die Elblcarte des Melchi- or Lorichs (1847) ; and Hamburger Chronilcen (1852-'61). His most remarkable work is the Geschichte von England (2 vols., Hamburg, 1834-'7), continued by Pauli (2 vols., 1853-'5), and translated into English by Benjamin Thorpe, under the title of "History of Eng- land under the Normans," with additions and comments by the translator (London, 1845-'57). He made valuable contributions to the Monu- menta of Pertz, and to the Encylclopadie of Ersch and Gruber, and published editions of several old authors. LAPPS. See LAPLAND. LAPRAIRIE, a S. W. county of Quebec, Canada, bounded N. by the St. Lawrence river, opposite the island of Montreal; area, 173 sq. m.; pop. in 1871, 11,861, of whom 10,154 were of French origin or descent, and 1,351 Indians. It is traversed by the Cham- plain and Province Line divisions of the Grand Trunk railway. Capital, Laprairie. LAPWIJVG, a plover of the genus vanellus (Linn.). The bill is shorter than the head,