making a bargain, to those who reside higher up
the country. In 1791 an act of parliament was
obtained, incorporating a company, called the
Sierra Leone Company, for the purpose of culti-
vating W. India and other tropical productions on
the banks of the river. The first settlers amounted
to 200 white persons, besides a number of free
blacks from Nova Scotia. In 1793 the colonists
were all put into possession of small lots of land,
and a new town, on a regular and extended scale,
was begun to be built. The next year a French
squadron destroyed the settlement, and captured
several of the company’s ships : from this disaster
they recovered ; and a factory was established
in the Rio Pongos, in 1795. The colony, how-
ever, still continued to languish, and, in 1808, it
was transferred from the company to his majesty.
It was soon after placed under the management
of the African Institution, and, notwithstanding
all its disadvantages, the colony has been rapidly
advancing in prosperity, and the population is
continually augmentingby the capture of negroes,
on their way to the W. Indies, by vessels em-
ployed to put a stop to the slave trade. The num-
ber landed in 1824 was 1,530, in 1825,2,337, in 1826
2,727, and in 1827, 2,857. The whole population
of the liberated Africans in the villages in 1828
(exclusive of 2,562 persons resident in Freetown,
or employed at the timber factories) was 15,004.
Independently of Freetown but including the Isles
de Los and Freetown, the number of settlements
now amounts to 14, of which Regent and Welling-
ton are the richest and most populous. The in-
habitants are by no means wanting in industry.
The markets of Freetown are supplied with fruits
and vegetables, almost exclusively by the moun-
tain villages, and from 80 to 100 persons are to be
seen daily on the hill leading to Gloucester
Town with the produce of their own farms and
gardens. The Church and Wesleyan Missionary
Societies are aiding by their efforts in promoting
the happiness and prosperity of the colony; educa-
tion is rapidly extending, and numbers of degraded
aegroes are rising into respectability and even
wealth. Freetown is the capital.

Sierra Morena, mountains of Spain, diving An-
ialusia from Estremadura and New Castile, ren-
dered famous by the wars of the Christians and
Mahometans, and for being the scene where Cer-
ranlts has placed the most entertaining adven-
tures of his hero.

Sigilmessa. See Sugulmessa.

Signaringen, a town of Germany, with a castle,
which gives name to a branch of the house of Ho-
henzolltro. It is seated on the Danube, 18 m.
E. S. E. of Hohenzollern.

Signau, xc2xbb town of Switzerland, in the canton of
Bern, 12 m. S. xc2xa3. of Bern.

Sipluna, a town of Sweden, in Upland, 10 m.
N. of Stockholm.

Siguenza, a town of Spain, in Guadalaxara, and
a bishop’s see, with a castle, in which is an ar-
senal. It had formerly a university, consisting of
several colleges. The most considerable structure
is the cathedral. It is seated on a hill, at the foot
of Mount Atienca, 65 m. N. E. of Madrid. Long.
2. 51. W., lat. 40.58. N.

Sihon, a river. See Sirr.

Silagutt.a, a town of Hindoostan, in Mysore,
celebrated, for its kitchen-gardens. Coarse cot-
ton cloths are made here, and some tobacco grows
in the neighbourhood. 20 m. N. W. of Colar, and
32 N. E. of Bangalore.

SUberberg, a strong towin of Prussian Silesia. It
had its name from a mine of lead and silver, the
working of which has been discontinued, 11 m
N.N. E. of Glatz.

Silchester, a village in Hampshire, Eng. once a
celebrated city. There are considerable remains
of its walls and ditches, enclosing an area of 80
acres ; and two military roads from the S. gate,
one to Winchester, and the other to Old Sarum
6 m. N. of Basingstoke.

Silesia, a province of the Prussian states, for-
merly belonging to the kingdom of Bohemia. It
is 200 m. long and 170 broad; bounded on the N.
by Brandenburg, E. by Poland, S. by Moravia,
and W. by Bohemia, from which it is separated
by a long chain of mountains : the highest, called
Zotenburg, is in the principality of Schweidnitz.
There are mines of coal, lead, copper, and iron,
and quarries of various stones, besides antimony,
saltpetre, sulphur, alum, vitriol, quicksilver, agate,
jasper, and even some gems. The principal rivers
are the Oder, Bober, Neisse, Queis, and Oppa.
The chief manufacture is linen clotb, the annual
value of which has been estimated at upw’ards of
xc2xa31,500,000 sterling; there are also some woolen
manufactures, potteries, iron foundries, and glass-
houses. In this country are a great number of
cattle, large studs of horses, and plenty of game
in the woods ; also a few lynxes, bears, foxes
otters, and beavers. There are many lakes, full
of pike, carp, and other good fish ; also plenty of
bees, which produce much honey and wax
Wheat, maize, barley, oats, millet, and in some
places saffron, are cultivated ; but its wine is bad,
and chiefly used for vinegar. Silesia was for-
merly divided into Upper and Lower. The former
comprising the S. part, where the inhabitants are
generally Roman Catholics, and speak the Polish
language : in the latter, they are almost all Pro-
testants, and speak their mother tongue. The
county of Glatz, and a portion of Lusatia, are now'
annexed to this province, which forms a military
division along with Posen, and is divided into the
governments of Breslau, Liegnitz, Oppeln, and
Reichenbach. JThis country was ceded to the
king of Prussia, in 1742, by the treaty of Breslau.
In 1807 it was overrun by the French, but was re-
stored to Prussia at the peace of Tilsit. Breslau
is the capital.

Silhet, a town of Bengal, capital of a district of
the same name, seated on the Soorma, 120 m. N
E. of Dacca.

Silistria, or Dristra, a town of European Tur-
key, in Bulgaria, and an archbishop’s see, with a
citadel. It is seated on the Danube, at the influx
of the Missovo, 155 m. N. N. E. of Adrianople.
Long. 27. 6. E., lat. 44. 15. N.

Siikeburg, a town of Denmark, in N. Jutland,
with a castle, 18 in. AV. of Arhusen.

Silla, a town of Negroland, in Bambarra, on
the right bank of the Niger, remarkable as the
place where Park was obliged to terminate his
first journey, after having penetrated 1,090 m. in
a direct line E. from Cape Verd. It is 75 m. N
E. of Sego.

SiUabar, a sea-port on the W. coast of Sumatra,
with a good and safe harbour, 30 m. S. S. E. of
Bencoolen. Long. 102. 10. E., lat. 4. 0. S.

Sille le Guillaume, a towin of France, depart
ment of Sarthe, 19 m. N. W. of Mans.

Sillee, a town of Bengal, seated on the Suban-
recka, 173 m. W. N. W. of Calcutta.

Silver Creek, a township of Green Co. Ohio.

Silver Lake, p.v. Genesee Co. N. Y.; ph. Sus
quehanna Co. Pa.