which is very broad and has a serpentine course
through the middle ofthe city. There are nearly
500 bridges in Venice ; but most of them are only
paltry single arches thrown over the canals. The
Rialto consists also of a single arch, but a very
noble one, and of marble, built across the grand ca-
nal, near the middle, where it is the narrowest;
this celebrated arch is 90 feet wide on the level of
the canal, and 24 feet high. The beauty of it is
impaired by two rows of booths or shops, which
divide its upper surface into three narrow streets.
The view from the Rialto is equally lively and
magnificent, the canal being covered by boats and
gondolas, and flanked on each side by magnifi-
cent palaces, churches, and spires. The patri-
archal church of St. Mark, one of the richest and
most expensive in the world, is crowned by five
domes: and the treasury is very rich in jewels
arid relics. In the numerous churches and con-
vents are the most admirahle paintings ; and in-
deed Venice, highly renowned for valuable pain
lings, far surpasses, in this respect, even Rome
itself. The ducal palace, before the subversion
of the republic, contained the apartments of the
doge, halls and chambers for the senate and the
different councils and tribunals, and an armory,
in which a great number of muskets were kept,
ready charged, that the nobles might arm them-
selves on any sudden insurrection. The arsenal
is a fortification of three m. in compass; before it
was possessed by the French, it contained arms
for 60,000 foot and 20,000 horse, arranged in an
ornamental manner ; and 2,800 men were daily
employed in building ships, casting cannons,
making cables, sails, anchors, &c. The hand-
some structure called U Frontica di Tedeschi, con-
taining 22 shops and 100 rooms, is that where
the German merchants store their commodities.
The bank of Venice is supposed to be the first
of the kind in Europe, after the model of which
those of Amsterdam and Hamburg were estab-
lished. In this city a famous carnival is held from
Christmas till Ash Wednesday, in all which time
libertinism reigns through the city, and thousands
of foreigners frequent it from all parts of Europe-
The chief divisions are ridottos and masquerades ;
and St. Mark’s Place is the general rendezvous.
Venice is included in the provinces called the Do-
gado,,and is 125 m. N. N. E. of Florence and 140
E. of Milan. Long. 12. 23. E., lat. 45 27. N.

Venice, Gulf of a sea or gulf of the Mediterra-
nean, between Italy and Turkey in Europe. It
is the ancient Adrintieum Mare, and is still some-
times called the Adriatic Sea. There are many
islands in it, and many bays or small gulfs on
each coast. The .grand ceremony of the doge of
Venice marrying the Adriatic annually on Ascen-
sion Day, by dropping into it a ring from his bu-
centaur, or state barge, attended by all the nobili-
ty and ambassadors in gondolas, was intermitted
in 1797, for the first time for several centuries.

Venice, ph. Cayuga Co. N. Y. 174 m. W. Al-
bany. Pop. 2,445 ; ph. Huron Co. Ohio, on San-
dusky Bay, 110 m. N. E. Columbus.

Venlo, a strong town of the Netherlands, in
Guelderland, and a place of trade for merchan-
dize coming from the adjacent countries. In
1702 it surrendered to the allies, and was confirm-
ed to the Dutch by the barrier treaty in 1715. It
was taken by the French in 1794, but ceded to
the allies in 1814. It is seated on the E. side of
the Meuse, opposite Fort St. Michael, 12 m. N.
of Ruremonde. Long. 6. 6. E., lat. 51. 22. N.

Verwsa, a town of Naples, in Basilicata, noted
95

as the birth-place of Horace ; seated on the river
Ofanto, 13 m. N. W. of Acerenza.

Vent a de Cruz, a town of Terra Firma, in the
isthmus of Darien, seated on the river Chagre
Here the Spaniards used to briijg the merchan-
dize of Peru and Chile on mules from Panama,
and embark it on the river for Porto Bello, 20 m.
N. of Panama.

Venzone, a town of Austrian Italy, in Friuli,
situate on the Tagliamento, 18 m. N. N. W. of
Friuli.

Vera, a town of Spain, in Grenada, 24 m. N.
N. E. of Almeriaand 80 E. of Grenada.

Vera Cruz, a province of Mexico, comprising a
considerable part of the eastern coast. It has an
area of about 32,000 square miles, with 160,000
inhabitants. The soil of the lower grounds is
abundantly productive, but the climate is so vari-
ous that in the space of- one day the traveller
may pass from the regions of perpetual snow
through all the intermediate temperatures to the
suffocating heat of the plain near the sea, and
within the compass of a few miles the naturalist
may range through the scale of vegetation.

Vera Cruz, a city and sea-port of Mexico, cap-
ital of the above. The harbour is defended by a
fort, situate on a rock of the island of St. Juar
de Ulhua, nearly adjoining. This port is the
natural centre of the treasure and merchandise
of Mexico, and it receives much E. India produce
by way of Acapulco from the Philippine Islands.
The city is regularly built; its streets broad and
strait, and its edifices constructed of'Materials
drawn from the bottom of the oceanxe2x80x94for no rock
is to be procured in the neighbourhood. It is
situated in an arid plain, without running wa-
ter, and on which the N. winds blow with
dreadful impetuosity from October to April, form
ing vast hills of moving sand. People in easy
circumstances drink rain water collected in cis-
terns, and it is in contemplation to erect public
cisterns within the precincts of the city ; but at
present the common people are obliged to use wa-
ter which preceeds from the filtration of the
marshes, and which having been in contact with
the roots of vegetables, is of very bad quality
The Old Town, 16 m. to the N. W., is famous on
account of the landing of Cortez, with 500 Span-
iards, when he undertook the conquest of Mexico.
Vera Cruz is 200 m. E. S. E. of Mexico. Long
96. 50. W., lat. 19. 5. N.

Vera Paz, a province of S. America,in Guatema-
la, bounded on the N. by Yucatan, E. by the bay
and province of Honduras. S. by Guatemala Pro-
per, and W. by Chiapa. it is full of mountains
and forests ; but there are many fertile valleys
which feed a great number of horses and mules.
There are also many towns and villages of the
native Americans. The capital, of the same
name, is a bishop’s see, but is inconsiderable. I*
is 120 m. N. E. of Guatemala. Long. 90. 55. W
lat 15. 30. N.

Veragua, a province of Terra Firma, bounded
on the N. by the Caribbean Sea, E. by the prov-
ince and bay of Panama, S. by the Pacific Ocean,
and W. by Costa Rica. It is 125 m. long and 40
broad, and is a mountainous and barren country
but abounds in gold and silver. St. Jago is the
capital.

Verberie, a town of France, department of Oise,
on the river Oise, 10 m. N. E. of Senlis.

Vereelli, a city of the Sardinian States, in Pied-
mont, capital of a lordship of the same name, and
a bishop’s see. The townhouse. the governor’?