Fåte, får, fåll, fât; mẻ, met; pine or pine, piñ; nỏ, nôt; ŏŏ, as in good,

Wight, Isle or, (Anc. Vec/-tis,) an i. off the S. coast of England, be longing to Hampshire. Length 22 m.; breadth 13 m. Pop. 42,550. WIG-TON-SHIRE, a co. forming the S. W. extremity of Scotland. Pop. 39,195.

WIL/-cox, a co. in the S. W. central part of Ala., intersected by the Alabama r. Pop. 17,352. Co. t. Barboursville.

WILKES, a co. in the N. W. part of N. C., intersected by the Yadkin r. Pop. 12,099. Co. t. Wilkesboro.

WILKES, a co. in the N. E. part of Ga., a little W. of the Savannah. Pop. 12,107. Co. t. Washington.

WIL/-KIN-SON, a co. near the centre of Ga., on the W. side of the Oconee. Pop. 8,212. Co. t. Irwinton.

WILKINSON, a co. forming the S. W. extremity of Miss. Pop. 16,914. Co. seat, Woodville.

WILL, a co. in the N. E. part of Ill., intersected by the Illinois r. Pop. 16,703. Co. t. Juliet.

WILLIAMS, a co. forming the N. W. extremity of Ohio. Pop. 8,018. Co. t. Bryan.

WIL/-LIAMS-BURG, a dist. in the E. part of S. C., on the N. E. side of the Santee r. Pop. 12,447. Seat of justice, Kingstree. WILLIAMSBURG, a flourishing t. or rather suburb of New York, on the East River, above Brooklyn. Present pop. estimated at 30,780. WILLIAMSON, a co. in the W. central part of Tenn., S. of Nashville. Pop. 27,201. Co. t. Franklin.

WILLIAMSON, a co. in the S. part of Ill., midway between the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Pop. 7,216. Co. t. Bainbridge.

WIL-MING-TON, a commercial city and port of entry of Del., between the Christiana and Brandywine creeks, just above their junction, 30 m. S. W. of Phila. It is connected by R. R. with Philadelphia and Baltimore. The Christiana is navigable to the town for vessels drawing 14 ft. water. Lat. 39° 41′ N., Lon. 75° 28′ W. Pop. 13,979. WILMINGTON, an important commercial t. and port of entry of N. C., cap. of New Hanover co., on Cape Fear r., 34 m. from its mouth. Lat. 34° 11' N., Lon. 78° 10' W. Pop. 7,264.

WIL-NA OF VILNA, a t. of European Russia, cap. of a gov. of the same name, and formerly of Lithuania, at the confluence of the Vilenka and Vilia, an affluent of the Niemen, 90 m. N. E. of Grodno. The University of Wilna was suppressed in 1832, and its library of 200,000 vols. transferred to St. Petersburg. Lat. 54° 41' N., Lon. 25° 18′ E. Pop. 58,000. (P. C.)

WIL-SON, a co. in the N. central part of Tenn., on the S. side of the Cumberland r. Pop. 27,444. Co. t. Lebanon.

WILT/-SHIRE, a co. in the S. W. part of England, W. of London. Pop. 258,733.

WIN-CHES-TER, a city of England, cap. of Hampshire, 63 m. S. W. of London. Pop., including an area of above 3 sq. m., 10,732.

WINCHESTER, a t. of Va., cap. of Frederick co., on a small affluent of the Potomac. A railroad, 30 m. long, connects it with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, at Harper's Ferry. Pop. 4,500.

t

ou, as in our; th, as in thin; TH, as in this; N, nearly like ng. WIND -HẠM, a co. forming the S. E. extremity of Vt. Co. t. Fayetteville.

WINDHAM, a co. forming the N. E. extremity of Conn. Co. t. Brooklyn.

Pop. 29,062.

Pop. 30,079.

WIND-SOR, a t. of England, in Berkshire, on the Thames, 20 m. W. by S. from London, remarkable as the site of Windsor Castle, the principal country seat of the English sovereigns. Pop., including an area of above 4 sq. m., 7,786.

WINDSOR, a co. towards the S. E. part of Vt., on the Connecticut r. Pop. 38,320. Co. towns, Woodstock and Windsor.

WIN-NE-BA-GO, a co. in the N. part of Ill., bordering on Wisconsin. Pop. 11,773. Co. t. Rockford.

WINNEBAGO, a co. in the E. part of Wisconsin, on the W. side of Winnebago L. Pop. 10,125.

WIN-NI-PEG, a large L. of British America, between 50° 30′ and 54° N. Lat., and 95° 30′ and 99° 30′ W. Lon. Length about 250 m.; greatest breadth 70 m. The rivers Nelson and Severn form its outlets, and discharge themselves into Hudson's Bay.

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WIN` -NI- pis`-e-o'-GEE (-je), usually pronounced win'-ne-pis-sok/-ke, a lake in the E. central part of N. H., connected by the Winnipiseogee r. with the Merrimack. Length, 22 m.; greatest breadth, about 10 m. WIN-STON, a Co. in the N. E. central part of Miss. Pop. 7,956. Co. seat, Louisville.

WIRTEMBERG. See WÜRTEMBERG.

WISBADEN, Wis'-bål-den or Wiesbaden, wees-bål-dẹn, (Anc. Mattiacum?) a t. and celebrated watering-place of Germany, cap. of the duchy of Nassau, on an affluent of the Rhine, 6 m. N. N. W. of Mentz. It owes its prosperity, and probably its name (see BADEN), to its warm mineral springs, which were known to the Romans, and are called by Pliny, fontes calidi Mattiaci, or the "warm springs of Mattiacum or Mattiacus." There are 25 private bathing establishments and two public ones. Wisbaden contains a public library of 60,000 vols., besides other institutions. Permanent pop. about 10,000. (P. C.)

WIS/-BY, a seaport t. of Sweden, cap. of the Island of Gottland, situated on the W. coast. In the middle ages it was a member of the Hanseatic League, and one of the most important places of trade in the N. of Europe. Though greatly fallen from its ancient prosperity, it is still, according to Balbi, the fourth town, as respects maritime trade, in the kingdom of Sweden. Lat. 57° 39′ N., Lon. 18° 26′ E. Pop. 4,000. (P. C.)

WIS-CAS-SET, a port of entry of Me., and one of the capitals of Lincoln co., situated at the mouth of Sheepscot r.

WISCONSIN, lately a territory of the U. S., was created a sovereign state in 1848. This state lies between 42° 30′ and 47° N. Lat., and between 87° and 92° 50′ W. Lon., having an average length of about 225 m. from E. to W., and a mean breadth of 213 m. from N. to S., Wisconsin is bounded on including an area of about 53,924 sq. m. the N. by Minnesota, Lake Superior, and the northern peninsula of

48*

2 M

Fate, far, fall, fất; mẻ, mét; pine or pine, pin; nỗ, nột; oo as in good; Michigan, E. by Lake Michigan, S. by Illinois, and W. by Iowa and Minnesota, from which it is principally separated by the Mississippi river. By the census of 1850, the pop. of Wisconsin was 305,191; of whom 304,565 were white, and 626 coloured persons. Deaths in the year ending June 30th, 1850, 2,884, or nine in every thousand. The state had 31 organized counties in 1850.*

Lakes, Rivers, &c.-Besides the great lakes Superior and Michigan, which wash its northern and eastern shores, Wisconsin has a number of small lakes, abounding in fish. The principal of these, Winnebago Lake, S. E. from the middle of the state, is 28 m. long, and 10 wide. It communicates with Green Bay, a N. W. arm of Lake Michigan, by the Fox river. There are a number of small lakes in this region, and also in the extreme N. W. The principal rivers which traverse the interior have a S. W. course, and empty into the Mississippi, in the following order, commencing at the south: Wisconsin, Bad Axe, Black, and Chippewa. The Wisconsin, by far the most important of these, traverses the middle of the state, first in a S. and then in a W. direction. The Fox, or Neenah, is the principal tributary of Lake Michigan from this state, and runs in a generally N. E. course, through Winnebago Lake, into Green Bay. This river approaches within half a mile of the Wisconsin in its course, and a canal is being constructed to unite the rivers at this place, which, when completed, and some obstructions removed in the rivers themselves, will open steamboat navigation between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi river. The Rock, the Des Plaines, and Fox rivers drain the southern part of the state. The Rock flows S. W. about 300 m. into the Mississippi. The other two are affluents of the Illinois r. Lake Pepin, an expansion of the Mississippi, is on the W. boundary of this state. Most of the rivers are not navigable (except for canoes or floating down timber) to any great extent, without artificial aid.

Face of the Country, Productions, &c.-The state of Wisconsin may be generally described as an elevated rolling prairie, from 600 to 1,500 feet above the sea. The highest portion of this plateau is in the N., and separates the waters flowing into Lake Superior from those running S. and S. W. into the Mississippi. The southern slope is again interrupted about the middle of the state by another ridge, giving origin to a second slope, drained by the Rock river and its branches. The descent on the Lake Superior shore is very abrupt, giving rise to many rapids and falls which interrupt navigation, but furnish numerous and valuable mill sites. There is a third ridge in the S. E., dividing the tributaries of Lake Michigan from those of Green Bay. The north of the state is rugged, and its agricultural

* Adams, Brown, Calumet, Chippewa, Crawford, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Kenosha, La Fayette, La Pointe, Manitouwoc, Marathon, Marquette, Milwaukie, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, and Winnebago. Besides these the more recent maps have Bad-Axe, Door, La Crosse, Oconto, Outagamie, Waupacca, and Waushara.

WIS-WIS

ou, as in our; th, as in thin; тH, as in this; N, nearly like ng. capabilities believed not to be great. On the St. Croix, Chippewa, and other rivers of the N. W., are vast forests of pine timber. “On the N. bank of the Wisconsin, W. from the great bend, is a range of abrupt, thickly wooded heights. In the W. and S. W. are several isolated mounds, with elevations varying from 200 to 1,000 ft. The highest of these, one of the Blue mounds, is 1,001 ft. above the Wisconsin r. The state S. of the Wisconsin and Fox r. is a fine farming region. West of the Pekatonica is the celebrated lead region, also abounding in copper and zinc. This section is broken, but in parts well adapted to agriculture, and especially to grazing. East of the Pekatonica the proportion of prairie land is increased, though there is a considerable portion of timbered land on the rivers and streams. This is probably the best agricultural district in the state. Limestone underlies most of the southern part of the state -the cliff limestone in the mineral district, and the blue elsewhere. Between Green Bay and the lake, the country is timbered with pine, spruce, and birch; and along the Fox r. to Ft. Winnebago it is hilly and well timbered. The agricultural products of the state are wheat, Indian corn, oats, buckwheat, barley, rye, potatoes, wool, and maple sugar. The forest-trees are, pine, cedar, spruce, tamarack, birch, oak, aspen, basswood, hickory, elm, ash, hemlock, poplar, sycamore, &c.

Climate, Meteorology, &c.—The climate of this state compares favourably with western New York, being milder on the shores of Lake Michigan, where the temperature is 61° higher than on the Mississippi side. The winters are less variable than in the Atlantic states. The Milwaukie r. was closed by ice, on an average (in the ten years preceding 1845), from November 22d to March 26th.

Towns.-MILWAUKIE CITY, the most populous and commercial in the state, is situated on the west shore of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of Milwaukie r., 90 m. N. from Chicago. Its position is admirably adapted for a commercial emporium, and in rapidity of growth it has surpassed all the western towns except those of California. The first settlement made here was in 1834. In 1843 the pop. was over 6,000 and in 1850 it amounted to 20,060. It is built on the high bluffs overhanging the lake, and on the flats bordering on the river. The delicate cream-colour of the bricks employed in the buildings gives the town a peculiar and agreeable aspect. It is the eastern terminus of a R. R. 200 m. long, which is designed to extend to the Mississippi r.; and it has 6 plank roads extending into the country. The number of vessels owned here in 1851 was 39, and the tonnage 8,542. The value of manufactured products was about $2,000,000. It has 21 churches, and 7 daily newspapers.

Racine, a flourishing town on Lake Michigan, 70 m. N. from Chicago, and 100 m. E. S. E. from Madison. It has a good harbour, and large quantities of produce are shipped here. There are several foundries, machine-shops, and flouring-mills in the place. Pop. 5,100. Madison, the capital of the state, is beautifully situated on a neck

Fåte, får, fåll, fåt; mẻ, mêt; plne or pine, pin; nò, nôt; õõ as in good;

of land, between the Third Lake and Fourth Lake, in Dane co., 80 m. W. from Lake Michigan. Lat. 43° 5' N., Lon. 89° 20′ W. The capitol is a substantial limestone structure, which cost $50,000. The Wisconsin University is established here. Madison was laid out in 1837. Pop. about 1,800.

Fond du Lac, Janesville, and Waukesha, are flourishing towns, with a pop. of near 3,000 each.

WISCONSIN, a. r. of the above state, falling into the Mississippi near 43° N. Lat., and 91° W. Lon. Length estimated at 400 m.; its navigation is impeded by sand-bars.

WISMAR, Wis-mar, a fortified sea port t. of Germany, in the grand duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, on a bay of the Baltic, called the Walpich (wall-pix), with an excellent harbour. Lat. 53° 50′ N., Lon. 11° 35' E. Pop. about 10,000. (P. C.)

WISSEMBOURG, vis'-såm'-booR', a fortified t. of France, in the dep. of Lower Rhine, on the Bavarian frontier, 33 m. N. by E. from Strasburg. WIT-EPSK/ or VITEBSK, a t. of European Russia, cap. of a gov. of the same name, on the Dwina, 330 m. S. by W. from St. Petersburg. Pop. about 14,400. (M.)

WIT/-TEN-BERG' (Ger. pron. Wit/-en-berg'), a t. of Prussian Saxony, once the cap. of the electorate of Saxony, on the Elbe. It is interesting as the cradle of the Reformation; Luther and Melancthon were professors in its university, and their remains are deposited in its cathedral. A superb colossal statue of Luther, in bronze, was erected in the market-place, in 1821. Lat. 51° 53′ N., Lon. 12° 46′ E. Pop. 8,500, exclusive of the garrison. (P. C.)

WIVELISCOMBE, wils/-kum, a small t. of England, in Somersetshire. WOLFENBÜTTEL, Woll-fen-büt`-tel, a t. of Germany, in Brunswick, cap. of a circle of the same name, on the Ocker, 8 m. S. of Brunswick. It contains a magnificent ducal library, with near 200,000 vols. Lat. 52° 9′ N., Lon. 10° 32′ E. Pop., including the suburbs, about 10,000. (P. C.)

WOLVERHAMPTON, wŏŏl`-ver-hamp/-ton, a manufacturing t. of England, in Staffordshire, 13 m. N. W. of Birmingham. Pop. of the township, with an area of 5 sq. m., 36,382. In the vicinity are extensive mines of coal and iron ore, to which the town owes its prosperity.

Wood, a co. in the N. W. part of Va., on the Ohio r. Pop. 9,450. Co. t. Parkersburg.

WOOD, a co. in the N. W. part of Ohio, on the S. E. side of the Maumee r. Pop. 9,157. Co. t. Perrysburg.

WOOD-FORD, a co. in the N. E. central part of Ky., on the E. side of Kentucky r. Pop. 12,423. Co. t. Versailles.

WOODFORD, a co. in the N. central part of Ill., on the E. side of Illinois r. Co. t. Woodford. Pop. 4,416.

WOOLWICH, WŎŏŏl'-ich, a seaport t. of England, in Kent, on the S. side of the Thames, 7 m. E. of London, important on account of its dock. yard, arsenal, and other naval and military establishments. Pop 25,785.