from Turkey, and quits the Austrian dominions at Orsova, near the celebrated rapids of the Iron Gate. 250. The Austrian monarchy comprises many nationalities; but for administrative purposes it is divided as follows: The aggregate population is estimated at 37,000,000. 251. Among the German countries, the archduchy of Austria is the nucleus of the empire, and the hereditary possession of the reigning house. It lies between Bavaria and Hungary; contains the metropolis, Vienna, in lat. 48° 10′ N. long., 16° 20′ E., on the south bank of the Danube, but apart from the main stream, celebrated for its siege by the Turks in 1683, and the sanguinary conflicts with the French in its neighbourhood, at Aspern and Wagram, in 1809. It is the largest city of Germany, containing upwards of 350,000 inhabitants.-The Margraviate of Moravia and Silesia, and the kingdom of Bohemia, are to the north of the preceding district, both fertile parts of the empire, and the sites of considerable manufactures; the latter eminent for its mines. It produces silver, lead, iron, graphite, and the only tin found in the Austrian dominions, with abundance of coal.-The duchy of Styria, the kingdom of Illyria, and the principality of the Tyrol, are to the south and the south-west of the Austrian archduchy. Styria is remarkable for its metallic products, especially of iron ore, quarried from the mountains, which are literally, in several parts, enormous blocks of carbonate of iron. Illyria also possesses great mineral wealth, the quicksilver mine of Idria being the richest in the world, after that of Almaden in Spain. It abounds with natural curiosities, subterranean rivers and caverns, of which the cave of Adelsberg, through which the Peuka flows, is the most extensive in Europe. The Tyrol, overspread with Alpine masses, crowned with snows and glaciers, contains the highest permanent habitation in Europe, in the pass of St. Maria, 9,272 feet; also the highest carriage road, the pass of Stelvio, 8,850 feet; and the highest of the mountains of Austria, the Ortler Spitz, 12,850 feet. 252. The Polish countries constitute the single government of Galicia, obtained from Poland by the empress Maria Theresa in 1773, called a kingdom, with which the Buckowine is incorporated, a part of Moldavia, ceded by Turkey in 1779. The country extends along the northern base of the Carpathians, and generally slopes from the mountains into a vast monotonous plain, forming part of the great plain of Europe. It contains large forests haunted by the wolf, with open districts of considerable fertility, which render it an important granary of the empire, and is particularly remarkable for an enormous deposit of rocksalt, which extends as a substratum along the whole length of the Carpathians. The principal salt-works are at Bochnia and Wieliczka, not far from Cracow, the property of the government, yielding an important revenue. The mine at Wieliczka has been worked since the year 1253, and forms a kind of subterranean town, with streets, houses, stables, chapels, and statues, cut out of the bed of salt. 253. The Hungarian countries compose the right arm of Austria, owing to their metallic and mineral products, vegetable luxuriance, pastoral wealth, and the bravery of the races, who have formed the main strength of the imperial armies. The kingdom of Hungary, recently struggling ineffectually for independence, with Croatia, and Sclavonia, stretches from the shore of the Adriatic to the girdle of the Carpathian mountains, which rise in the peak of Lomnitz to the height of 8,600 feet. It abounds with rivers, lakes, marshes, and forests, and consists largely of immense plains, some of which are naked drifting sands, but the larger proportion are of fertile soil, producing with little culture abundant harvests of grain, and the choicest fruits of southern Europe in perfection. The principal metalliferous district is the mountainous tract in the northwest, which furnishes gold, silver, copper, lead, iron, and nearly all the metals, except tin and platina. That beautiful mineral, the precious opal, is also found.-The Principality of Transylvania is a highland region, to the south-east of Hungary, thickly studded with small lakes, presenting the wildest natural scenery. It has been styled the gold mine of Europe, from its supply of the precious metal.-The kingdom of Dalmatia comprises a narrow tract of mountainous country, with numerous islands, on the east coast of the Adriatic.-The military frontier district consists of a section of all the Hungarian countries, where they border upon Turkey, not more than 30 miles in average breadth, but upwards of 500 miles in length, following the windings of the frontier. It was originated by Prince Eugene, at the time when the Turks were formidable, furnished with strong fortresses and intervening lines of guard-houses, all the male population being under the obligation of military service in lieu of taxes, and regularly disciplined. The arrangement has been maintained to the present period, as a military training school, from which to recruit the standing army. The Italian countries of the empire are noticed under the head of Italy. - 254. The subjects of Austria consist of a great number of tribes of different extraction, language, habits, and religion, maintaining little intercourse with each other, and united by few common ties. They may be arranged however, in four principal groups. The Sclavonic races are numerically the most important, comprising full three-sixths of the population, including the Czeches, or aboriginal Bohemians, the Wendes, Sclowaks, Croats, Sclavons, Dalmatians, Russniaks, and Poles. The Germans, politically preponderating, form about one-sixth; the Græco-Latins, another sixth, including the Italians and a few Wallachians; and the Magyars, of comparatively recent Asiatic origin, rather more than one-ninth, the rest being gypsies, Jews, Greeks, and Armenians. Many of the inhabitants in the east of the empire are in a semi-barbarous condition, leading a wandering life, and generally among the lower classes in all parts, intelligence is at a very low ebb, a vigorous censorship of the press in time past restricting the channels of information, and the arbitrary principles of the government repressing the cultivation of the mind.-An overwhelming majority of the people are Roman Catholics; the next proportion consists of Lutheran and other Protestants; the next of members of the Greek church; the residue being Jews, Mohammedans, or of no definite religious persuasion. The Protestants are chiefly found in the Hungarian countries, which have had a constitution peculiar to themselves, allowing freedom of conscience and worship, now abrogated. Austria, while early claiming a perfect independence of the papal power in civil and political concerns, has been blindly subservient to the policy of the church of Rome in spiritual and ecclesiastical affairs, and committed grievous crimes through religious intolerance. It is to be hoped, should present difficulties be surmounted, that a dif ferent line of action will be pursued; and that throughout the empire the light of evangelical truth will be allowed to have the free and full manifestation which its friends desire. -The imperial house dates its foundation from Rudolf of Hapsburgh, in Switzerland, elected emperor of Germany in 1273. Reigning sovereign, Francis Joseph 111.; ascended the throne, 1849. Prague, in Bohemia, situated on both shores of the Moldau, surrounded with pleasing heights, is one of the most beautiful in its aspect of all the German cities. It has the oldest university, and is associated with the names of the illustrious martyrs, Huss and Jerome, as the scene of their labours in opposition to the tenets and corruptions of the papacy.-Population, 120,000, comprising a great number of Jews. Buda, in Hungary, also called Ofen (oven), in allusion to its hot springs, on the right bank of the Danube; and Pesth, on the opposite side of the river, form one town, connected by a bridge of boats. It has been recently the scene of dismal tragedies.-Population, upwards of 100,000 before the late war. Trieste, in a district of Illyria, at the head of the Adriatic, is the chief and almost the only port of the empire.-Population, 75,000, within the limits of the port. Lemberg, in Galicia, on the Peltew, a branch of the Vistula, is the seat of an extensive commerce in corn.-Population, 60,000. Brunn, in Moravia, on an affluent of the Danube, has been styled the Leeds of Austria, from its woollen and other manufactures.-Population, 40,000. In its immediate environs, is the castle of the Spielberg, noted as a prison for political offenders, in which Baron Trenck, General Mack, and Silvio Pellico were confined. At a short distance, is the field of Austerlitz, the scene of Napoleon's triumph in 1805. Gratz, in Styria, on the Muhr, a fine episcopal city, is the site of many scientific institutions. Population, 40,000. Inspruck, in the Tyrol, a small town seated in a splendid Alpine valley on the Inn, is the place of assemblage of the Tyrolese estates. The grave of the patriot Hofer is the chief object of interest. Peterwardein, in Sclavonia, on the south bank of the Danube, is the strongest post on the military frontier. Trent, in the Tyrol, on the Adige, a decayed city, is historically celebrated as the scene of the Council 1545-1565, called to suppress the Reformation. Vienna, Prague, Gratz, Lemberg, Inspruck, Pesth, and Olmutz in Moravia, are the seats of universities. The Austrian dominions abound with mineral waters. Bohemia possesses 150 springs, Hungary, 352; and the total is said to reach 1,500. Those at Marienbad, Eger, Carlsbad, and Töplitz, in Bohemia,—and at Baden, in the neighbourhood of Vienna, are the most resorted to. The waters of Sedlitz in Bohemia are largely exported, and well known in England. SWITZERLAND. 255. Switzerland, the ancient Helvetia, is an entirely inland state, bounded on the north by Baden and Wirtemberg, on the east by the Tyrol, on the south by Italy, and on the west by France. Its greatest extent, from the German to the Italian frontier, is about 150 miles, and 210 miles from the French to the Austrian territory. The area includes 15,000 square miles, rather more than twice that of the principality of Wales. 256. This part of Europe is the centre of its grandest scenery,-eminently a land of mountains, valleys, lakes, torrents, and rivers. The Alps, in a continuous ridge, divided into the Pennine, Helvetian, and Rhætian sections, occupy the southern borders, from which the enormous branch of the Bernese Alps, and other offsets, diverge into the interior. Mont Blanc, the highest point, is in the Sardinian states, the chain entering Switzerland immediately to the eastward of it, where it has the following elevations : PENNINE ALPS. Great St. Bernard Feet. Feet. RHETIAN ALPS. 11,080 Mont Bernardine..................... 10,135 Mont Combin. ................................................................. 14,125 Pizzo di Stella .......................................................... 10,676 Mont Cervin........................... 14,710 15,157 BERNESE ALPS. 13,075 Wetterhorn 14,106 The village of Soglio is the highest in Europe, at the elevation of 6,714 feet, situated on the Rhætian Alps, in the canton of the Grisons.-The principal passes, and their heights, are as follows: |