mand in the European and American markets. The other principal articles of export are cotton, cacao, sugar, indigo, tobacco, salt, hides, cattle, tallow, horns, sarsaparilla, and dye and cabinet woods. The imports include cotton, linen, and silk goods, flour, provisions, hardware, wines, and specie. The total value of the exports in the year 1872-'3 was $21,320,495, and of the imports $11,264,976. The articles exported and the quantities in 1872-23 were as follows: coffee, 23,998,585 lbs.; cotton, 5,648,323 lbs.; indigo, 182,976 lbs.; sugar, 5,017,469 lbs.; cacao, 7,573,586 lbs.; tobacco, 1,100,297 lbs.; hides, 130,000; skins (deer and goat), 150,000; cattle, 6,831 head. The total value of the exports to the United States (port of New York) in the years ending June 30, 1870 and 1875, respectively, was $1,897,800 and $4,206,264; of the imports from New York in the same years, $1,122,195 and $1,980,775. The exports to the United States have thus increased by more than 100 per cent. in five years. The articles shipped to that destination are usually coffee, cacao, cotton, indigo, hides, skins, woods, and drugs. The shipping movements for the port of La Guayra in 1872 -'3 were: entered, 177 vessels, tonnage 93,424; cleared, 128 vessels, tonnage 131,110. For the port of Puerto Cabello in 1874 they were: entered, 212 vessels, tonnage 105,046; cleared, 126 vessels, tonnage 78,227. The number of vessels entered at all the ports of the republic in 1874 was 2,200. In the year ending June 30, 1875, Venezuelan ports were visited by 17 steamers and 41 sailing vessels from New York, of 21,546 tons. The principal Caribbean ports are now visited monthly by the steamers of one American and seven European lines. The coasting trade, which is considerable, is carried on by national craft only, as are also the fisheries. The traffic between Carácas and its port La Guayra is conducted by means of road locomotives of recent introduction. Telegraphs have been established between Carácas and La Guayra, Coro, and other coast towns; and in February, 1876, materials were shipped from New York for several other lines. By the terms of the constitution of March 28, 1864, Venezuela became a federal republic closely modelled after that of the United States. The executive power is vested in a president elected for four years, aided by the six ministers of interior and justice, foreign affairs, finance, public works, war and the navy, and public credit. The president has no veto power. The legislative power resides in a congress composed of a senate and a house of representatives, whose members are deputed from the corresponding houses in the individual states. The central judicial power is confided to the supreme court, three superior courts, and the courts of first instance, of which there is one for each canton. The municipal government is conducted by the council of each canton. The constitution in its other provisions resembles that of the United States of America; but its modifications

and amendments have of late been too frequent and too numerous for mention here. The army was said, in the president's message of February, 1875, to be 30,000 strong; but a subsequent official publication gave it at 10,000 infantry and artillery, and 78,000 militia. The national revenue amounted in 1873-4 to $5,570,401, of which $4,565,857 proceeded from the customs and from public storage and tonnage dues; and the expenditures amounted to $5,209,351, although three fifths of the income was to have been appropriated to defraying the expenses of the government, and the remainder to be applied on the amortization of the national debts. On June 30, 1873, the home debt amounted to $16,439,383, and the foreign debt to $46,575,337. The government has recently resumed payment of the interest on these debts, after a suspension of several years.-Education, which has ever been more advanced in Venezuela than in the sister republics, though only in the higher branches, has become the object of most zealous care on the part of Guzman Blanco's administration, under whose auspices primary instruction, gratuitous and compulsory, has been decreed, and primary schools have begun to multiply rapidly. The university of Carácas had in 1874 19 professors and 165 students; and there are besides in that city a medical faculty and a school of arts founded by Guzman Blanco in May, 1870. Elsewhere in the republic there are national and private colleges, and a seminary (called university since the abolition of the seminaries by decree of September, 1872). A semi-official report published in 1875 set down the number of primary schools for the whole republic at 541, of which 141 were federal and the remainder municipal and private schools; the attendance at the former was 7,064, and at the latter 11,017. The religion of the people is the Roman Catholic, but all others are tolerated. The clergy are strictly subordinate to the civil power; the government exercises the patronage of the church, and the papal sanction, when required, is transmitted through it. The archiepiscopal see is at Caracas, and there are two bishoprics, one at Mérida and the other at Ciudad Bolivar.-The island of Margarita and the E. part of the coast of Venezuela were discovered by Columbus in 1498, and the whole coast by Ojeda and Vespucci in 1499. On entering Lake Maracaybo, they found an Indian village constructed on piles over the water (a common occurrence in those portions of the country liable to inundation), and thence called it Venezuela (Little Venice). This name, originally applied only to the region near the lake, was eventually extended to the whole country. The Spanish conquerors at first gave it the name of Costa Firme, and included under this name New Granada and Ecuador also; at the present day only the E. coast of Venezuela is known as Costa Firme. The first settlement was made about 1520, at Cumaná, which is consequently one of the oldest cities in the new

world. Coro was founded in 1527. About 1540 indications of gold were discovered at several points along the coast range, and in 1545 Tocuyo was founded, Barquisimeto in 1552, Valencia in 1555, and Carácas in 1567. The demand for cacao, which was largely produced in the Dutch settlement at Curaçoa, led to the formation in 1700 of the Guipúzcoa company in Spain, which sent out emigrants to cultivate cacao and indigo. This company was dissolved in 1778. When Napoleon in 1808 made his brother Joseph king of Spain, Venezuela was among the first of the Spanish colonies to declare for the ancient dynasty; but as early as April 19, 1810, a revolutionary rising took place in Caracas, and on July 5, 1811, Venezuela proclaimed its independence. In | 1812, by the treaty of Victoria, it returned to the sway of Spain; but in 1813 it again revolted under Gen. Bolivar, and, after a protracted conflict with varying success, the republic of Colombia, embracing New Granada, Venezuela, and Ecuador, was declared independent in 1819. (See BOLIVAR Y PONTE.) The contest with Spain did not entirely cease till 1823, though the Spanish force had been for some time confined to a small territory. In 1821 a congress was called, and a constitution adopted for the new republic. In 1829-30 the three states separated amicably, and a new constitution was adopted by Venezuela. For 15 years the presidency was held successively by Gen. Paez (see PAEZ, JOSÉ ANTONIO), Dr. Vargas, and Gen. Soublette. From the accession of Gen. José Tadeo Monagas to the executive power, in March, 1846, until that of Gen. Falcon, in June, 1863, the country was never free from civil war. Falcon, after several years of tranquil possession of power, was deposed by a revolution in which Antonio Guzman Blanco took an active part, and which only terminated on the seizure of the reins of government by the latter on April 26, 1869, after a protracted war with varied success. Guzman Blanco now proclaimed a provisional government and himself the head thereof, with the title of "general-in-chief of the constitutional army of the confederation." He next exacted, from a congress convoked by himself at Valencia, in July, 1870, extraordinary powers, and the title of "provisional president of the republic." He was ultimately elected on Feb. 20, 1873, for four years. Guzman Blanco's administration, though republican in form, is dictatorial in fact, the president exercising supreme authority. Yet no abuses have been complained of, and the country is in a more prosperous condition than it ever had enjoyed since the colonial times. In the course of 1874 and 1875 a sum of $4,260,858 62 was disbursed for municipal improvements and highways. The claims of the United States, upward of $450,000, for materials furnished at the time of the war for Colombian independence, and indemnities for damage sustained by American citizens, are in course of liquidation (1876).

VENI. See BENI.

VENICE (It. Venezia). I. A province of Italy, in Venetia, bordering on the Adriatic and the provinces of Udine, Treviso, Padua, and Rovigo; area, 850 sq. m.; pop. in 1872, 337,538. The lagoons occupy half of the territory, but the tongue of land extending over 20 m. between them and the sea, and some of the islands, have fertile spots, where agriculture is improving. The principal rivers are the Adige, Brenta, and Piave. It is divided into the districts of Chioggia, Dolo, Mestre, Mirano, Portogruaro, San Dona, and Venice. II. A city, capital of the province, on the gulf of Venice, as the N. W. part of the Adriatic is called, in lat. 45° 26' N. and lon. 12° 20′ E., 155 m. E. of Milan, and 250 m. N. by W. of Rome; pop. in 1872, 128,094. It stands in the midst of lagoons, collectively known as the lagoon of Venice, originally formed by the retreating of the sea. At Venice they are separated from the sea by a tongue of land (lido), extending at a distance of about 4 m. from the coast, and divided by gaps or cuttings, some of which form harbors (porti), and enclose numerous small islands into which piles were driven for the construction of the city. There are more than 100 canals, provided with small quays, and communication is further kept up by small streets, lanes, alleys, and courts, which with few exceptions are ill paved and overcrowded, and by about 400 bridges, generally steep but with easy steps. A viaduct 2 m. long, with over 200 arches, connects Venice with the principal railways at the Mestre junction. The two broadest canals, Della Giudecca and San Marco, divide the city proper from the island and suburb of Giudecca and from the island of San Giorgio. The so-called great canal (canalazzo) divides the city proper into two parts, and is spanned by two iron bridges erected in 1854 and 1858, and by the Rialto bridge, built of marble by Antonio da Ponte in 1588-'91, and called after the largest island (isola del Rialto, from il rivo alto, the deep stream). The canals are protected by batteries on both sides, and connected with Malamocco, Chioggia, and other harbors, and with the mainland, the former harbor (porto di Malamocco) being the deepest of all, and enabling large ships to come up to the city. The great canal is lined with magnificent buildings at the water's edge, from which there is immediate access to gondolas, of which there are more than 4,000, all painted black, in accordance with an old regulation. The circumference of the city is about 8 m. It seems from every direction to be floating on water, and presents a unique appearance of fairy-like picturesqueness. The finest and most animated part is St. Mark's place, about 575 ft. long and 185 to 270 ft. broad, containing the cathedral and the doge's palace, bordered by arcades, and surrounded by stately edifices. The Piazzetta or smaller square at the end of St. Mark's place extends to the principal quay (molo). At each end of the Rialto bridge are also open spaces,

from the East pillars and marbles for the edifice, the principal front of which has 500 columns of various shapes and colors. Over the central portal of the vestibule stand the celebrated bronze horses, brought from the hippodrome of Constantinople when that city was taken by the crusaders; they were carried to Paris by Napoleon, but restored in 1815. The cathedral is surmounted by five domes, the central one 90 and the others 80 ft. high. The interior is rather sombre, owing to the limited number of windows, but it is exceedingly rich, the walls and columns being of precious marbles, the pavement of tessellated marble, and the vaulting of mosaics upon a gold ground. Near the angle of the squares is the campanile or bell tower of St. Mark, where Galileo made many observations. It is a quadrangular mass of brick, 323 ft. high and 42 ft. square at the base, with a pyramidal pinnacle. There are altogether about 100 churches, and several synagogues. Santi Giovanni e Paolo, popularly called San Zanipolo, contains the monuments of many doges and other illustrious persons. Titian's "St. Peter Martyr," one of its greatest ornaments, was destroyed by fire in 1807. The Franciscan church (Sta. Maria Gloriosa de' Frari) contains the ancient archives and monuments of Titian and

Canova. Sta. Maria della Salute possesses Titian's "Descent of the Holy Spirit," and since 1820 the remains of Sansovino. Il Redentore, on the Giudecca island, is regarded as Palladio's masterpiece. San Salvatore, near the Rialto bridge, possesses Titian's "Transfiguration," and splendid monuments by Sansovino, one of the chief architects of the building. Among other noteworthy churches are S. Giorgio Maggiore, S. Zaccaria, SS. Apostoli, S. Francesco della Vigna, S. Giorgio de' Greci, S. Jacopo di Rialto, Sta. Lucia, La Madonna dell' Orto, S. Casiano, de' Gesuiti (with the tomb of Manin, the last doge), S. Giobbe, Sta. Maria della Salute, S. Moise, and S. Stefano, the last being one of the finest in the pointed style. The adjacent island of San Lazaro has been since 1715 the principal seat of the Mekhitarist congregation of Armenian monks, established there by their founder; they are celebrated for editing Armenian works, and for generally promoting Armenian and European literature. (See MEKHITAR.) The doge's palace, built early in the 9th century, has been repeatedly destroyed, generally by fire. In the 14th century it was rebuilt by Marino Falieri. The present edifice dates from subsequent periods. It contains the magnificent hall of the great council, now used as offices of provincial authorities,

that of the four gates by Palladio, and that of the formidable council of ten, and other memorable rooms, with embellishments and works of art by the most illustrious masters. In the two lower stories are the cells described in the notes to the fourth canto of Byron's "Childe Harold," and at the top of the palace (sotto piombi, under the leads), exposed to scorching heat in summer and to cold in winter, languished for a long time political and other prisoners amid excruciating sufferings. Silvio Pellico was one of the last confined here. The famous bridge of sighs (ponte dei sospiri) connects the palace with the carceri (public prison), built in 1589 by Da Ponte. The original palace of the great judicial dignitaries of the republic, standing upon 50 arches and filling nearly the whole N. side of St. Mark's square, was converted into a royal palace by Eugène de Beauharnais; and one of Sansovino's grandest structures, the church of San Geminiano, was pulled down in 1810 for its extension. Pecht's Kunstschätze Venedigs (Trieste, 1858) contains engravings of all the masterpieces in the churches and palaces of Venice. Several of the palaces have been appropriated to various purposes, such as the Farcetti for the municipality and the Grimani for the post office. The latter is the finest modern palace, and the palazzo Vendramin Calerghi was regarded as the most superb in the 16th century. The modernized Manfrini palace once contained a picture gallery far superior to the present one. The cast d'oro was an oriental gilded palace of the 15th century, and was restored by Taglioni. The mint and custom house are notable public buildings, but the most impressive of all is the arsenal and dockyard, at the E. end of the city. It was long the most characteristic monument of the great naval power of the republic of Venice. Here are docks and basins, founderies for cannon, forges, an armory, a long ropewalk, and other works. New graving docks and a patent slip are nearly finished. The whole is surrounded by a lofty wall, extends over a circumference of nearly 3 m., and at one time employed 16,000 workmen. At the gate or land entrance are the marble lions brought from Greece at the end of the 17th century. The vessel (Bucentoro) which was annually used in the doge's so-called marriage with the Adriatic by throwing a ring into the sea, was destroyed by the French at the end of the 18th century, together with other relics in the model room. Adjoining the cathedral is a lofty tower (torre dell' orologio) with a remarkable clock, above the dial of which are two bronze figures popularly known as "Moors," striking the hours on a bell. At the S. end of the Piazzetta are two granite columns, which were surmounted by the winged lion of St. Mark, the emblem of the republic, and St. Theodore standing on a crocodile and bearing a shield and a sword. Among recent monuments are those of Daniele Manin and Goldoni, and one of Byron is projected. |

Venice formerly possessed many scuole, lay charitable societies under ecclesiastical patronage; the principal one, that of St. Mark's, now forms part of the great city hospital. The educational institutions comprise, besides the new common schools, a naval college, a lyceum, several gymnasiums, new scientific and polytechnic government schools, and a chair for instruction in Japanese; and there are a museum of the natural sciences, an Athenæum, and a botanic garden. The library of St. Mark's is now in the doge's palace, and that endowed by Petrarch is in the royal palace. The academy of fine arts, in the former convent de la Carità and designed by Palladio, includes several schools and one of the largest and finest picture galleries in Italy. The municipal museum, founded by Count Correr, has also various works of art; and the pinacoteca Manfredini is in the ecclesiastical seminary connected with the church of Sta. Maria della Salute. Venice abounds with memories of Marco Polo, Petrarch, Titian, Tintoretto, and other illustrious men. The principal theatre is La Fenice, accommodating 3,000 persons. It was originally built in 1791, and rebuilt after the fire of 1836, and is now one of the finest opera houses in Italy.-Venice has always been celebrated for its glass pearls, beads, and other glass wares, made in the city and on the island of Murano. The ancient manufacture of brocade tapestry has recently been revived, and also that of the lace work, for which the adjacent island of Burano was always celebrated; and a new feature of industry is the imitations of antique furniture, made of pear wood and bone instead of the ebony and ivory formerly used. Among other manufactures are machines, iron and bronze work, gold and silver ware, optical instruments, photographs, and mosaics. The imports in 1873 amounted to $54,086,843, which was $30,685,926 more than in 1872; the increase was mainly due to that in the trade with India through the Peninsular and Oriental steamers, of which Venice has become an important station. They consisted chiefly of oils, grain, colonial goods and drugs, woven goods and twist, indigo, wine and spirits, silkworm eggs, hardware, timber, hides and leather, and cattle. The exports, valued at $46,999,712, comprised chiefly cotton, butter, grain, raw silk, colonial goods and drugs, textile fabrics and twist, glass beads and enamels, and hemp. The greater part of the trade is with England, Austria, the East Indies, and Japan; next in order of importance are the Turkish empire (including Egypt and Roumania), Holland, Sweden and Norway, and the United States. Venice is the principal market of the petroleum trade with this country, and the imports of that article in 1873 amounted to $704,262. The exports to the United States amounted in the year ending Sept. 30, 1874, to only $56,238 in gold. For the year ending Dec. 31, 1873, the arrivals comprised 439 steamers (203 Austrian, 141