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528 GERMANY. [Brandenburg.
Oderbergxnto the Oder. This canal was opened in 1753. There are alfo
divers inlind lakes here, fome of which, in the Middle-Mark, have a communication
by means of canals and fluices, which are partly newly done
and pardy only enlarged. The Elbe and the Oder abound not fo much in
fiili as the Hi/v-'l, the Spree and feveral leffer rivers. Some lakes aUb have
no oreat plenty of them, but others yield abundance of fifli.
§. 4. The countries of which the Mark confids have be^n peopled by
inhabitants from various places. The moft ancient of thefe whom we
know with any degree of certainty are the Sueii, in particular that branch of
them called the Semmnes. The greatelt part too of the Wemis emigrating
in the fifth century, they fettled here; hut thefe lall being gradually fubdued
by the Saxons, moft of them again retired. Alba-t the Bear invited new its
ir^abitants out of Holland, Seeland, Flanders, and other countries fituate on
the Germafi-kz, to come and fettle here and in the neighbouring countries ;
and thefe were afterwards joined by others out of the adjacent Upper and
Lowcr-Saxony, nay even out of diftant countries. During the thirty years
war, and particularly in 1638 and 1639, the Mark wsl^ greatly thinned of
inhabitants by the fword, peflileace and famine. The Eledor Frederick
WilHani invited the French Refugees into his country and conrerred upon
'them confideräble privileges, which privileges were enlarged by King Frederick
I. whereby many hundreds of families were prevailed upon to fettle
in the Mark. Alfo fo late as nnce the year 1688, divers Lcrrainers and
Walloofis
(the greateft part of the latter of whom had originally fettled in the
palatinate, for which reafon they were called Palatines) as alfo Siviß, Bo^
bemians and Germans out of other countries were received into the Mark;
and thereby the number of inhabitants in it became gradually greatly enereafed,
inlbmuch that, till the year 1756, they were eftimated at about
800,000 men.
In the whole Mark are reckoned one hundred and twenty towns, and
the number of villages in it appears to be above 2500.
At fuch times as in the name of the towns, and on public occafions, affairs
of general importance are to be difcuffed, confirmed and fubfcribed, the
head places of the Mark ufually obferve the following order in giving their
voices and likewife in their fubfcriptions : viz. Brandenburg, Berlin, Kohy
Stendal, Prenzlow, Perleberg, Ruppin, Frankfurt and Kujlrin. In other
cefpeds the towns are divided into immediate and mediate ; the former of
which are thofe that fland immediately under the Sovereign and his high
colleges, the latter fuch as ftand under foverelgn or noble prefefturates.
Each Mark has its own province, which confifts of the nobility and the
towns, and each province likewife have their direöor. The general province
©f the whole Mark of Brandenburg has its provincial-houfe in the Spandaußrcet
at Berlin, in which houfe it ailembles. It has alfo its dlredtor and
delegates m liides of land, houfe-taxes, delegates for the new beer-tax,.
perpetual