_Hamburg_ is a free imperial city, chief of the _Hanse_ towns, and seated on the north side of the _Elbe_, where it receives the _Alster_. The figure of it is semicircular, being almost straight towards the _Elbe_, which it receives by many chanels into the very heart of the city. Some of these chanels serve as harbours to the ships, others to convey goods to the magazines of merchants, and others to bring water to the houses, particularly of the brewers, who have cranes to draw water into their vessels. It is about two Italian miles in length, and above five in circumference. The streets are well paved, tho narrow, and the houses beautiful in the front, especially in the _Wantrum_, the _Green_, and _Catherine_ street. The fortifications are substantial, consisting intirely of ramparts of earth, covered with grass, and not faced with brick. They are constantly maintained in good repair; tho it is commonly objected to them, that the inward works are too high, so that being raised too much above the outward, they are exposed to the first attack of the enemy. There are six gates, all beautiful and stately buildings; that particularly, which is called the gate of _Altena_, because it leads to that place, is said to have cost an hundred thousand crowns. The strength of the city was lately tried, in the year 1686 (If I mistake not) by the King of _Denmark_, who then laid siege to it, tho without success. He had depended upon the treachery of two principal burgers, who had promised to admit him into the town; but their treason being accidentally detected, and they put to the torture, the matter was soon confessed, and they deservedly executed. The head of one of them is still exposed on an iron Spike over the _Steingate_. In confidence of this concerted treachery that Prince came so unprovided, that he could invest no more of the town, than that which faces _Altena_ which gave occasion to the Holland _gazeteer_ to say, that the King of _Denmark_ had besieged the eighth part of _Hamburg_. During the siege he was baffled even by the small castle, called _Sternfort_, about a mile distant from the town; which by a line of communication they releived every day at twelve a clock, and so maintained it against the enemy. To add to the strength of the city they are now building a new detached work, consisting of an intire rampart, to be continued from the east side of the _Alster_ to the _Elbe_, which is a noble fortification, and will at the same time guard and enlarge the space of the city. It is divided into the _New_ and the _Old City_, the former of which is the more stately and beautiful of the two.