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NORTH RIVER NORTH RIVER. See HUDSON RIVEB. NORTH SEA, or German Ocean (called the West sea by the Danes), an extensive arm of the Atlantic, which lies between Great Britain and the continent of Europe, extending from lat. 51 to 62 N., and Ion. 4 W. to 8 E. ; greatest length about 700 m., breadth 400 m. It has the Atlantic ocean on the north ; Nor- way, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the N. extremity of France on the east and southeast; the strait of Dover on the southwest, by which it communicates with the English channel; England, Scotland, and the Orkney islands on the west ; and the Shet- land islands on the northwest. The shores are indented by numerous bays, inlets, and estua- ries, the chief of which are the fiords of Bom- mel, Bukke, and Flekke on the coast of Nor- way; the Skager Back, which communicates through the Cattegat with the Baltic ; the fiords of Liim, Nissum, and Rinkiobing or Stavning, and the estuary of the Yarde river in Denmark ; the estuaries of the Eider, Elbe, and Weser in Germany ; the Zuyder Zee and the mouths of the Maas and Scheldt in Holland ; the estua- ries of the Thames, Humber, and the Wash in England; and the friths of Forth, Tay, and Moray in Scotland. Besides the Orkneys and the Shetlands there are many other islands, all on the coasts of Norway, Denmark, Germany, and Holland. The most important are Great Sartoro, Bommelo, and Karmo, in Norway; Fano and Mano in Denmark; Romo, Sylt, Fohr, Amrum, Nordmarsch, Hooge, Pellworm, Nordstrand, Neuwerk, Wangeroog, Spiekeroog, Langeroog, Baltrum, Nordeney, Juist, Borkum, and several smaller in Germany; Heligoland, which belongs to England, opposite the mouth of the Elbe ; Rottum, Schiermonnikoog, Ame- land, Ter Schelling, Ylieland, Texel, and the islands formed by the deltas of the Maas and Scheldt, in Holland. The Bell rock and May rock, on each of which there is a lighthouse, are the only islands of the North sea on the coast of Great Britain. Floating lights have been established on several banks, and there are lighthouses at all the principal points and ports on its coasts. The average depth of the sea is about 30 fathoms, but toward the Nor- wegian side the soundings increase to 190 fathoms. The North sea is traversed by seve- ral extensive banks. The Dogger bank, which is the principal, lies near the middle, between lat. 54 and 55; the Fisher bank is its N. ex- tension, between lat. 56 and 58; another bank extends 110 m. in a N. E. direction from the frith of Forth, and one runs 105 m. N. W. from Denmark. The tidal wave which comes from the Atlantic passes along the W. coasts of Great Britain and Ireland, and enters the North sea by its N. extremity, continuing to rule the tides as far S. as the N. end of the strait of Dover, and, through this strait, to be felt in some degree in the English channel. On the N. coast of Scotland the rise is about 12 ft., and it increases, according to the figure of the NORTHUMBERLAND 499 shore, to 20 ft. at the Humber and 18 at Dover. The portion of the tidal wave which is inter- cepted by the English channel as it comes from the south passes directly through that channel, and meets the tide of the North sea about the N. extremity of the strait of Dover ; anJ fhen the two floods meet, the southern is half a day earlier than the northern ; or, in other words, the north wave is part of the tide preceding the one from the south which it meets ; that time, and the interval taken by the tide in passing through the English channel, in all about 18 hours, being occupied by the tidal wave in making the complete circuit of Great Britain. Several thousand people are occupied in the fisheries in the North sea, and the qual- ity of the fish has long been celebrated. The chief kinds taken are cod, ling, hake, turbots, soles, different sorts of flat fish, lobsters, and immense quantities of mackerel and herrings. NORTHUMBERLAND. I. An E. central county of Pennsylvania, bounded W. by the Susque- hanna river and its W. branch, and intersected by the N. branch; area, about 500 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 41,444. The surface is moun- tainous, but between the ranges lie broad and fertile valleys. Canals run along the N. and W. branches, and the county is intersected by the Philadelphia and Erie, Northern Central, Philadelphia and Reading, and other railroads. The chief productions in 1870 were 335,264 bushels of wheat, 37,526 of rye, 510,418 of In- dian corn, 463,634 of oats, 25,139 of buck- wheat, 227,658 of potatoes, 15,759 Ibs. of wool, 486,128 of butter, and 25,831 tons of hay. There were 5,406 horses, 6,117 milch cows, 4,896 other cattle, 5,602 sheep, and 12,495 swine; 12 manufactories of brick, 12 of car- riages and wagons, 1 of cars, 17 of clothing, 14 of furniture, 13 of iron forged, cast, &c., 27 of lime, 8 of machinery, 13 of saddlery and har- ness, 17 of tin, copper, and sheet-iron ware, 20 flour mills, 7 planing mills, 19 saw mills, 26 tanneries, and 19 currying establishments. Capital, Sunbury. II. An E. county of Vir- ginia, at the mouth of the Potomac, bounded E. by Chesapeake bay ; area, about 200 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 6,863, of whom 3,054 were colored. It has an undulating surface and a moderately fertile soil. The chief productions in 1870 were 20,061 bushels of wheat, 158,483 of Indian corn, 22,871 of oats, 8,210 of Irish and 10,185 of sweet potatoes, 3,507 Ibs. of wool, 19,860 of butter, and 1,368 gallons of sorghum molasses. There were 703 horses, 1,178 milch cows, 3,046 other cattle, 1,794 sheep, and 4,702 swine. Capital, Heathsville. NORTHUMBERLAND. I. A county of Ontario, Canada, bordering S. on Lake Ontario; area, 743 sq. m.; pop. in 1871, 39,086, of whom 13,349 were of Irish, 13,271 of English, 6,153 of Scotch, 3,313 of German, 1,498 of Dutch, and 901 of French origin. Rice lake, a con- siderable body of water, is on the border of the county, and several streams flow into Lake Ontario. It is traversed by the Grand Trunk