extent, among its monarchies; for the European territory of Russia is full eight times, and the Swedish one-twelfth, more extensive. The Campania of Germany,' as the Austrian empire has been not inaptly designated, makes a compact dominion, to which its southernmost extremity, the narrow tract of Dalmatia, forms the only exception. It lies between 42° and 52° N. lat., and 9° and 27° E. long., occupying an area of 255,226 square geographical miles, the circuit of which has been estimated at 4400 miles. It thus spreads over nine degrees of latitude and eighteen of longitude: and under the new conformation given to it by the treaty of Paris, in 1814, and the adjustment made by the Congress of Vienna in the following year, extends from the castle of St. Stephen, thirty miles below Cattaro, in Dalmatia, and the Punto di Gero, south of the mouths of the Po, in Upper Italy, to the sources of the Spree, close upon Prussian Lusatia, and almost to the walls of Sandomir, in Polish Russia; and from its extreme western point, the hamlet of Engera, at the southern end of the Lago Maggiore in Lombardy, to Khoezim in Bessarabia, which lies close upon its most eastern border. The territories of Saxony and Prussian Silesia bound the Austrian dominions on the north-west and north, the former for 250 and the latter for nearly 320 miles; on the north-east, the frontier runs for about 50 miles next to the territory of the republic of Cracow; and, in the same direction, conjointly with their eastern frontier, the Russian provinces of Podolia, Volhynia, and Bessarabia border them for a distance of more than 530 miles; and it is in this quarter that the Austrian dominions are the most vulnerable, as the frontier is entirely open in the north-east for 160 or 190 miles. The remainder of the eastern and the larger portion of the southern confines adjoin the Turkish provinces of Moldavia, Wallachia, Servia, Bosnia, and Croatia, along a line of nearly 1400 miles. The Adriatic washes the Austrian shore for 650 miles; the land boundary on the south next skirts the dominions of the Roman See about 60 miles, of Modena and Parma 120, and of the Sardinian States about 100. The western limits of the Austrian dominions, in their course from the south to the north, border for an extent of 330 miles on the Swiss cantons of Tessino, the Valais, and St. Gallen; of 14 on the principality of Liechtenstein; of nearly the same distance on Lake Constance; and of 550 and upwards on the kingdom of Bavaria. The extreme length of the Austrian Empire has been estimated at 870, and its greatest breadth at 690 miles. The territorial surface of the Austrian dominions has been variously stated by the best writers on the subject: Ridler, for instance, estimates it at 252,525 square geographical miles; Lichtenstern at 253,155; Rohrer at 255,226; Hassel at 257,208; and Blumenbach, whose authority appears to have been followed by Hörschelmann, in his new edition of Professor Stein's Manual, at 260,495. In the statement, however, which we are about to give, we have preferred to abide by the dimensions assigned by Rohrer, whose Statistics of the Austrian Empire are generally reputed to have been founded on semi-official documents. For the same reason, we have not hesitated to adopt the return which he has made of its population for the year 1831 as our index to its present amount. The number of cities, &c. is from a Return in the Vienna Archives' of 1833, drawn up, we understand, by Czörnig. Surface, Population, &c., of the Empire of Austria. Margraviate of Moravia and Austrian-} 10,11 Silesia Kingdom of Illyria, comprising Carinthia, Carniola, Triest, and circle of Carlstädt Surface. Archiduchy of Aushia and circle of} 14,881 Duchy of Styria Earldom of the Tyrol and territory of 10,845 Kingdom of Bohemia, including the districts of Eger and Asch 20,013 2,066,218 118 3,783 10,915 1,145,445 62 32,508 4,548,534 95 Kingdom of Hungary, with Slavonia, 62 Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, including the Duchy of Aufschwitz and Zator and the Buckowine The preceding statement gives a view of the customary subdivision of the territorial surface of the Austrian do minions; but for the purposes of internal administration, they have been distributed in a somewhat different order, though the number of subdivisions or provinces remain the same. These are I. The Archduchy of Austria, composed of a. The province of A. below the Ens, which includes Geog. sq. miles. 14,881 2,} 8,388 II. The Ducky of Styria, containing five circles, viz. Grätz, b. Triest, with three circles, Triest, Istria, and Görz 4,054, V. The Kingdom of Bohemia, divided into the sixteen circles) VI. The Margraviate of Moravia and Duchy of Silesia, con- VII. The Kingdom of Galicia, containing nineteen circles, viz. Soil, climate, and productions.-The Austrian dominions contain, in almost every part, lofty mountains, some forming the natural line of demarcation into provinces, as the Sudetsch branch of the Hercynians, and the Carpathiaz chains in the north and east; and others, like the Alpɛ and their branches, in the south and west, penetrating into the heart of the several countries which form part of the empire in this direction. The plains do not occupy more than about a fifth part of the whole surface; the few extensive levels which exist are found next to the northern declivities of the Carpathians, in Galicia, and in the southeastern parts of Hungary, between the Matra and the Transsylvanian branch of the Carpathians; they prevail within the Slavonian borders, and form the distinguishing feature of that portion of the Austrian possessions in the north of Italy which lies between the Alps and the Apennines. The soil is of endless variety, but in general favoured by a mild and genial climate, and distinguished by remarkable productiveness. Market Cities Places Population, and and 1831. Towns. Villages. Slavonia and the south-eastern and central parts of Hun 2,113,915 52 11,425 gary (and we begin with these as forming the most extensive 8,388 859,841 20 3,643 subdivision of this vast monarchy) present a wide expanse 786,543 22 1,731 of low land, abounding in clay and marl, and of exuberant 3,897,076 278 11,926 fertility, yet lying in immediate contact with arid, sandy steppes, and extensive morasses, which occupy more than 6400 square miles of the Hungarian territory alone. Large tracts of these steppes however have been, and more are in process of being, reclaimed and brought under cultivation. This very territory, however, in its northern and western districts, is characterized by mountain and forest it is encompassed in the north by the Carpathians, which extend in a broad semicircle from Pressburg, one of the 3,356 most westerly points of Hungary, to its eastern confines, 1,002 and their offsets also strike deep into the interior of the country; in the west, various branches and groups of the Cetian, Styrian, and Julian Alps cover a large portion of Croatia, and the military frontier100,636 11,536,431 69 with} 23,288 2,034,385 25 5,748 309,412 Kingdom of Lombardy and Venice 17,892 4,332,581 56 6,865 6,145 12 279 9 11,434 its surface. The lowland of which we have spoken occupies about 25,000 square miles; the larger portion, an area of about 21,000 miles, lies between the Danube and the Transsylvanian mountains, and is watered by that river and the Theiss for a length of upwards of 300 miles, and interspersed with extensive steppes and morasses. The smaller plain in the west, stretching eastward from the Neusiedler Lake, with a breadth of nearly 120 miles beyond Gran, and along each bank of the Danube, comprises an area of upwards of 4000 square mi.es, which is remarkable for its fertility. The general character of the Hungarian soil, exclusive of the more northerly districts and such as are partially a waste of barren sand and swamp, or whose soil is saturated, as in many eastern districts, with saltpetre, is that of great productiveness. The climate is of a mixed character; at the close of June, when the harvest begins in the plains, the corn is scarcely in ear in the higher regions. The temperature is, on the whole, higher than that of Germany; and though the unwholesome vapours from the marshy borders of the Danube and Theiss, as well as inland swamps, may be prejudicial to health in a few quarters, it were unjust to say, as it has been said, of Hungary, that it is the burial-place of Germany. It abounds in rivers, streams, and lakes, and possesses some considerable canals; is richer than most European countries in metals and minerals, tin and platina being the only metals not found in it. South of Hungary lie the former principalities of Croatia and Slavonia, the larger portion of which are now incorporated with it. Croatia, comprising, in its south-western quarter, the maritime territory from Fiume to Carlobago, is intersected by a continuation of the Carinthian chain, to which is owing its alternation of plain and highland, and its variable though generally salubrious climate. Where the soil lies low, particularly in the vicinity of the Save and Drave, it is productive; in more elevated situations it is a cold clay; and near the coast, marsh and sand abound. Nine-tenths of the surface produce grain, wine, fruit, and tobacco, or furnish metals and a supply of timber. Slavonia, the northern districts of which are separated from Hungary by the Drave and Danube, whilst the southern are watered by the Save, is traversed in its whole length from west to east by mountains and hills: the principal chain, the 'Frushka-Gora 'or Mous Almû, commences in Croatia, and subsides not far beyond its eastern limits. The rest of the province has an undulating surface, which gives some variety to its spacious and fruitful plains. With the exception of the swamps that range along the banks of the Save, Slavonia is a land of unusual fertility: its chief productions are wine, silk, honey, spirits, fruit, iron, and coal. Nearly the whole of the western frontier of the archprincipality of Transsylvania borders on the Hungarian territory. As the Carpathians range over its whole extent, its surface is at a much greater elevation than the neighbouring territories, and slopes gradually from the north-easterly border of the province to the south-westerly point, where the Marosch discharges its fertilizing stream into Hungary. Transsylvania is without a single plain, properly so called; but abounds in valleys, some of which are of considerable extent, finely wooded, and inferior to none in Europe for beauty of scenery and fertility. It is full of lakes and natural pieces of water. In the more elevated regions, the climate is raw and cold; but, below them, it is temperate and pure: no part of the province can be termed unhealthy. The highlands being generally covered with forests, timber is the chief Transsylvanian produce; gold, silver, iron, and rock-salt, and small quantities of copper, lead, and precious stones are found in this province. In other respects Transsylvania is characterized by nearly the same class of productions as Hungary. North of the Carpathians, which separate Hungary from Galicia, lies the great Galician plain, gradually sloping from the mountains till it opens upon the extensive flat, of which a hill or river's bank seldom relieves the monotony, and the distant North Sea and the Baltic form the northern boundaries. Galicia, though it contains many sandy tracts, is, next to Hungary, a principal granary of the Austrian states, and supplies large quantities of salt, some precious metals, and many other mineral and vegetable productions. Its soil is of very varied character; in the west, but more particularly in the vicinity of the San, it is marshy and sandy, and far inferior in all respects to the eastern parts of the province, which are watered by the Dniester and covered with a moist cold loam, and beds of chalk. These beds are intermixed with layers of granite, gneiss, and quartz, and here and there rise from the surface into low hills; and the Galician soil is no where so productive as in the districts of Zloczoff and Stanislawoff. In climate Galicia is of northern temperature, for there are few parts in which the cold influence of the Carpathian atmosphere is not sensibly felt: hence the grape and most other fruits do not generally ripen. The south-western limits of Galicia adjoin the high mountain regions of Austrian Silesia, a country as poor in grain as it is abundant in pastures and timber, and known, in common with Moravia and Bohemia, for its growth of flax and its linen manufactures. South-west of Silesia lies Moravia, which, compared with the adjacent regions of Hungary or Bohemia, has a far milder climate; it is mountainous in its eastern, northern, and western districts, but low and open towards the centre and south, the rich expanse of which has been styled a land of maize and wine. In this direction it presents a line of rich and finely-cultivated plains; but the remainder of the province, occupying upwards of one-half of its area, is intersected by arms of the Sudetsch and Carpathian ranges, between which, however, lie many fertile valleys. The greater portion of the province is from 480 to 900 feet above the level of the sea. West of Moravia lies the great Cauldron Plain' of Bohemia, bound in on every side by the granite-based chain of the giant Sudetsch mountains, the Riesengebirge," the Moravian, Böhmerwald, and Ore (Erzgebirge) mountains, which send out their offsets into the interior of the country. The heart of this kingdom presents a surface of gentle undulations, studded in many parts with lofty isolated elevations, and sloping from almost every point towards the central and lowest part of Bohemia, the Valley of the Elbe. This country lies so high, that it has scarcely a river which does not rise within its own boundary or close upon it. The plain country, which occupies its centre, is equidistant from the Baltic and Adriatic, and enjoys a mild, regular, and healthy temperature; but the climate is raw and variable over the larger part of its surface, which is occupied by the highlands and mountains. Bohemia is rich in animal, vegetable, and mineral products; and the arable and otherwise productive lands, although nearly two-thirds of the surface are occupied by woods and forests, extend over four-sevenths of the Bohemian territory. The Archduchy of Austria consists of two provinces; the lower province' is intersected on the confines of Styria by a branch of the Noric Alps, and its centre by one of their smaller arms, the Cetian mountains, whilst the warm and fertile valley of the Danube traverses this and the adjoining province for above 160 miles. The upper province,' which forms the western part of the archduchy, is a mountain region, the southern portion of which abounds in the lofty peaks, glaciers, and valleys which distinguish the Noric Alps; the northern contains part of the less elevated summits of the Bohemian Forest chain or Böhmerwald Gebirge. The lower province' is poor as a corn country; but produces much fruit and wine, iron, silver, and coals, and may, in a manufacturing point of view, be considered as the Lancashire of Austria. The upper province, which includes the Salzburg territory, and contains, in proportion to its extent, more rivers and lakes than any other district in the empire, has a soil which, in spite of the skill and unwearied industry of its inhabitants, does not yield grain enough for their consumption, though it raises large quantities of fruit, hay, oats, and salt, and produces much iron, and some inconsiderable supplies of gold, silver, lead, copper, and other metals. Styria, which the Archduchy bounds on the north, is completely covered, both in its northern and western districts, by those majestic arms of the Julian Alps known by the name of the Styrian Alps.' The southern and eastern districts contain fewer lofty heights, and are intersected by gentle hills, the spaces between which are often occupied by broad and well-cultivated valleys. The whole of the province, which seems naturally to divide itself into Upper and Lower Styria, is amply provided with rivers and streams, whence its rich pastures, and abundant crops of every kind of grain, of clover, vegetables, fruit, and wines, and its fine races of horses and cattle. Besides this, no country of the same extent in Europe is more valuable for its stores of salt, iron, steel, and tin, and its works and manufactories. West of this duchy lies one of the most antient possessions of the crown of Austria, the earldom of the Tyrol, which, in conjunction with Upper Austria, has been denominated the German Switzerland. The Rhætian, or Tyrolese Alps, the most elevated mountain in the Austrian dominions, which run through this province from the Grison frontier to the Illyrian, and meet the Noric on that of Upper Austria, are scarcely less lofty than the Alps of Switzerland. The Ferner mountains traverse the Tyrol, at an inferior elevation, from the sources of the Etsch, or Adige, in a direct north-easterly line to the valley of the Ziller; and the Mittelberge, or mountains of middle elevation, on whose more fertile surface the Alps look down, divide the Tyrol into smiling plain and valley, whence the Tyrolese lowlands have derived their appropriate name of Thaler, or vales, of which about twenty-nine are dotted with town or village, and fertilized by the waters of the Inn, Etsch, Brenta, and a number of other streams. The air is generally pure and keen, though, in the south, the effect of the scirocco is partially felt. The chief products are horses and cattle, grain, wine, fruit, potatoes, timber, salt, iron, copper, silver, lead, and a little gold. sist in marble of excellent quality, wine, oil, figs, almonds, wax, horned cattle, sheep, salt, and more particularly fish. At the north-western extremity of the Adriatic, bounded by the lofty chain of the Alps on the north, and by the Po along the whole line of its southern frontier, lies the spacious plain which forms the larger portion of the moderu kingdom of Lombardy and Venice, one of the richest appendages of the Austrian crown. The Rhætian Alps, which stretch eastward from the Lago di Como, form a lofty barrier between Switzerland, part of Tyrol, and Lombardy; they extend southward to Monte Pellegrino, where the Carinthian Alps begin, and in their course encircle and traverse the whole northern districts of the Venetian territory. This elevated surface, which embraces one-third at least of the Lombardo-Venetian soil, contains the fertile valleys o the Adda, Piave, Tagliamento, and other less considerable streams. Nearly in the middle of the magnificent plain which lies between the feet of the Alps and the left bank of the Po rises the picturesque chain of the Euganean hills, which have no connexion with any part of the Alps themselves, nor does any summit attain an elevation of eighteen hundred feet. The plain itself descends gently to the margin of the Po, which is its southern limit as respects Lombardy and Venice; whilst its eastern slope to the Adriatic coast is so gradual as to form almost a complete level. The land is fertilized by artificial irrigation: in the west, in particular, the soil consists of a thick coat of loam or mould; but at its eastern extremity, especially in the vicinity of the mouth of the Po, the surface changes to extensive swamps and marshes. The maritime districts on the Adriatic are flat and sandy, and abound in lakes of stagnant water, which have been gradually created by the numerous streams which seek an outlet in this direction. The climate is in general mild and temperate, though, in severe winters, the thermometer has descended 20° of Fahrenheit below the freezing point; snow has been known to lie upon the ground for weeks; and even the lagunes of Venice at times have been coated with ice. In Lombardy, however, the distinguishing feature of the winter season is the continued recurrence of heavy rains, which last two months at a time, or more. The air of the high lands is keen and bracing. On the whole, except the parts in which the marsh or lagune predominates, the climate of Lombardy and Venice is unquestionably salubrious. The soil, in addition to most of the usual sorts of grain, produces maize, rice, and millet; pease, beans, potatoes, hemp, and flax; vegetables and fruits of all kinds, which are become saffron. Rich as Lombardy in particular is in pasture land, there is scarcely a possession of the Austrian crown_where the rearing of cattle is in general more neglected; we must, however, exclude from this remark the districts which produce the celebrated Parmesan and Strachina cheeses. There is no branch of industry more carefully or profitably cultivated than the raising and manufacture of silk; the Alpine districts, too, yield considerable quantities of iron, copper, coal, marble, and other minerals. Illyria, which touches part of the eastern borders of the Tyrol, and is composed of the duchies of Carinthia and Carniola, the territory of Triest, Austrian Frioul, Istria, a portion of Croatia, and the Quarnero Islands at the head of the Adriatic, is principally of a mountainous character. That portion which lies north of the Drave is traversed by the Noric Alps, which extend to the banks of that river; south of it, and next to the Italian frontier, the Carinthian range separates the territory of the Save and Isonzo from that of the Drave; and, in continuance of this range, the Julian, or Carniolan Alps, run in a south-easterly course towards Dalmatia, until it is bounded by the Adriatic. These regions are full of lakes (amongst others, the celebrated Zirknitzer in Carinthia, which wholly loses its waters at certain seasons), of natural caves, and wild scenery. They are separated from the Küsten-land, or maritime frontier districts, by what is termed the Karst (from Carso, a desert), extending, from Triest, deep into the circle of Adelsberg, and covered with numberless limestone hills, generally unfavourable to vegetation, and exposed to the prevailing north-easterly wind. The Küsten-land itself, liable to incessant tempests and burning heats, and by nature sterile and uncultivable, would be a desolate waste but for the industry of its inhabitants, who extort their pre-almost necessaries of life in this climate; and, in some parts, carious crops from the most perverse of soils. No country can be more varied in climate than Illyria: in the north, where so many of its mountains are capped with perpetual snows, a pure and bracing atmosphere conduces to health and exertion; in the south and east, a hot sky, and, in many districts, noxious vapours, render the country scarcely habitable except by the natives. No less varied are its products. Horses and cattle, flax, hemp, maize, and buckwheat, the pure and semi-metals, coals, and other minerals, are raised; and the vine, the olive, and the mulberry tree grow luxuriantly. | ་ Mountains. The larger portion of the Austrian dominions, especially the south-western and eastern provinces, is occupied by mountains, which send out numerous lofty and wide-spreading branches. Their position, to a certain extent, breaks up the Austrian territory into separate parts, and throws great difficulties in the way of internal communication; at the same time, these numerous mountainranges give that manifold character to the productions of the different districts which connects them by ties of mu tual dependence and advantage. We shall commence our view with the chains which are most remarkable for their extent and elevation. The most southern province of the Austrian dominions is Dalmatia, a narrow strip of country far more favoured by nature than the neighbouring territory of Illyria, but comparatively unproductive, owing to the ignorance and indolence of the people. It has a long line of coast, washed by the Adriatic, and studded with numerous woods, harbours, Inlets, and islands: its interior and its eastern confines are traversed by branches of the Dinaric Alps, here termed the Wellcbit, or Morlachian mountains, and a few offsets of the Julian, many of which are of considerable elevation. Besides these, there are the Montenegrine mountains, en- In the south-1st, the Rhætian or Tyrolese Alps, the circling the spacious gulf of Cattaro. Both the high and loftiest range in the Austrian dominions. This chain, after low lands of this province are in general of limestone forma- forming the northern boundary of Lombardy, enters the tion, uncultivated, and abounding in forests; where the Tyrol from the Grisons, beginning on the Austrian side Kerka, the more southerly Cettina, and other inconsider-with the highest mountain in the whole empire, namely, able streams water the soil, it might be rendered pro- the Ortelos, or Oertlers Spitze, at an elevation of 2658 ductive. In climate it is Italian, seldom visited by snow, Vienna klafters, or 12,811 English feet, near the source of but exposed to the cold north wind, and to the insalubrious the Adda, and extends in a north-easterly direction, covering exbalations from the marshes along its shores. The nume- the Tyrol with its enormous masses, until it terminates at rous islands which line the coast, many of which are near the Three Lords Peak (Dreiherrn-spitze), near the borders enough to it to form narrow straits, or, as they are termed, of Carinthia, and at no great distance from the source of canals, possess a naked rocky soil, are only partially inha the Salzach, in the province of Upper Austria. Among the bited, and of little use except for fishing, and feeding sheep branches of the Rhætian Alps is one which bends easterly and goats in summer, The chief products of Dalmatia con- towards the source of the Muhr, in the circle of Salzburg have their name, from Uipalanka, below Weisskirchen (about 70 miles east of Semlin), and subsiding gently at Mount Pietrozza, a little to the north of the sources of the Theiss in the Hungarian circle of Marmaros. No summits in this group exceed 4000 feet in elevation until they have reached the territory of Moldavia. They slope gently, on the west, into the plains of Hungary around Temeswar and Wardein, and occupy a surface of which the greatest length is about 350 miles, with a breadth varying from 25 to 95 miles. 2. The Waldgebirge or Forest Mountains, the main chain of which takes a north-westerly course from the sources of the Theiss in Hungary and Pruth in southeastern Galicia to the banks of the Hernad and Popred in Upper Hungary. They form a series of low flat masses of sandstone and flinty rock, extending in length from 140 to 160 miles, and in breadth about 50 or 60 miles, on the northern or Galician side of which the Dniester springs. On this north side they descend, covered with forest and swamp, into the Galician plain, their base being terminated by those enormous banks of rock-salt, between 700 and 800 feet deep, which appear to spread eastward almost to the verge of the Ural chain in Southern Russia. Their southern slopes fall into the plain of the Theiss in Hungary, and, where the line of forest ceases, they are well cultivated, and highly favourable to the growth of the vine. 3. The Central Carpathians or Tatra Mountains: these not only constitute the loftiest mass of the whole Carpathian system, but are the only mountains of eastern Europe, north of the Alps, which approach the latter in character. They extend for about 80 miles along the northern confines of Hungary, between the Upper Popred and Dunajec, which lie at their southeastern end, between the Arva and the Upper Waag. The average elevation of this stupendous mass of granite is between 6000 and 6500 feet; but that of the highest summit, the Peak of the Lomnitz, is 8133 feet. They are characterized by Alpine glaciers, snow, lakes, and deep chasms, chiefly however in the more northerly regions. In the Raba and Bialka in western Galicia; and in the south, as far into the heart of Hungary as Waitzen on the Danube, and Erlau on the stream of that name, which is tributary to the Theiss. In both directions they are bordered by a range 2000 feet high, and these again are bounded by a margin of low hills. 4. The Hungarian Erzgebirge, or Mountains of Ore, which rise to the south of the Tatra, consist of numerous groups, divided by the valleys of the Neutra, Gran, and other streams: they slope down into the plains of Hungary, and at their western declivity, facing Gran and Waitzen, approach the Danube. Their breadth varies from 50 to 60 miles. One of the branches of this chain, the Matra, which forms the central group next the plains, is celebrated for the excellence of its vineyards. 5. The Beskides, the highest point of which is the Babia Gura, at an elevation of 5400 feet, abut eastward on the Waldgebirge, and, encompassing the northern range of the Central Carpathians, spread along the frontiers between Moravia, Austrian-Silesia, Galicia, and Hungary. Towards the north they extend into Galicia, and descend into the elevated plains of Tarnowitz and Cracow, in the region of the Upper Vistula, whilst their southern range subsides on the plains of Hungary. Their western extremity, from which the Beczva springs, stands in immediate contact with-6. the Lesser Carpathians, or Jaworina Mountains, which commence between Haimburg and Pressburg, on the left bank of the Danube, and form the most westerly group of the parent chain. Thence they take a north-easterly course, crossing the district between the March and Waag, and next form a line of demarcation between Moravia and Hungary. Their greatest elevation does not exceed 2000 feet, from which they decline with thickly-wooded slopes as they approach the March and Waag on the western and eastern sides. and then running northward between the Traun and Ens, divides into several arms of considerable elevation, which subside in the valley of the Danube. Another principal branch stretches in a southerly direction to the Monte Pellegrino, close upon the frontier of the Tyrolese and Venetian territories, and sends forth its arms under the name of the Lesinian mountains (which lie between the Lago di Garda and the Brenta) and the Euganeian and Berinian hills. In connexion with the Rhætian chain are-2nd, the Noric Alps, which commence at the Three Lords Peak, traverse the whole of Carinthia which lies on the left bank of the Drave, then turn eastward through Styria, spread into Lower and Upper Austria, and gradually subside into the plains of Oedenburg in Hungary. A limestone range, to which the Semmering, between Lower Austria and Styria, belongs, accompanies this chain, whose extreme northern arms, the Kahlen and Leitha heights, commonly called the Joseph and Leopold's Berge, look down upon the plain in which Vienna is situated. Connected also with the Rhætian, are-3rd, the Carnic or Carinthian Alps, which commence at the Monte Pellegrino, in the southernmost Tyrol, run south-eastward through the Illyrian provinces of Carinthia and Carniola, and gradually subside in the Küstenland, or government of Triest, on the Adriatic. This chain abounds in iron, lead, copper, and quicksilver; and many minor branches descend into the eastern parts of the Venetian territory, whilst one of them stretches, in a gradually declining elevation, from the Terglou in Western Illyria, eastwards beyond Carlowitz, where it terminates opposite the confluence of the Danube and Theiss. With the Terglou begins the long chain of-4th, the Julian or Carniolan Alps, which run in a south-easterly direction between the right bank of the Save and the Isonzo, until they throw out two arms above the town of Idria in the Illyrian province of Laybach; the western encircling and traversing the peninsula of Istria to its western shore, and the eastern descending along the left bank of the Calpa in Illyria: the main chain stretches on in a south-north they stretch out their arms towards the banks of the easterly line, until it has encircled the gulf of Quarnero on the Adriatic, and formed a junction, at the high limestone rock termed the Klek near Zengh, with-5th, the Dinaric Alps, which, from this point, traverse that part of Austrian Croatia between the Kulpa and Unna, and right bank of the Save, and then enter Turkish Croatia; whilst a branch turns westward, spreads out in short ranges to the very borders of the Adriatic, and converts a considerable portion of the narrow elongated surface of Dalmatia into a mountain-region, of which the Monte Dinara (5669 feet in height), whence the parent chain has derived its name, is the most elevated summit. The whole of the Alpine chains which spread through the Archduchy of Austria, and, south of it, into Styria, Illyria, Croatia, and Dalmatia, as compared with the stupendous elevation of the western chain of the Alps, scarcely attain one-half of their elevation. The eastern and north-eastern territory of Austria is characterized by its own independent mountain system. The Carpathians, which commence near Pressburg on the Danube, near the north-western border of Hungary, are connected by their northward slope with the Sudetsch branch of the Hercynian chain; and when they reach the district where the boundaries of Austrian-Silesia, Moravia, and Hungary meet, attain a great elevation. From this point the prinripal mass sweeps in an arch to the east, and then follows a southerly course until it reaches the south-eastern extremity of Transsylvania at Mount Mosa Mika, from which point it turns towards the west, and then deviating a little to the south, terminates a course of between 640 and 700 miles on the left bank of the Danube near Old Orsova, close upon the frontier of Wallachia. In this course, the Carpathians form a boundary-line, separating Hungary from Moravia, Austrian-Silesia, Galicia. and the Buckowine in the north; Transsylvania from Moldavia and Wallachia in the east and south; and the military frontier of south-eastern Hungary from the western confines of Wallachia, and the northern of Servia, on the right bank of the Danube. We have already noticed the extensive portions of the surface of Hungary, Galicia, the Buckowine, and Transsylvania, which the Carpathians cover. The principal groups into which they are usually subdivided, are:-1. The Transsylvanian Alps, consisting of a number of parallel ranges stretching first north-eastward through the Austrian Bannat and then across the province, whence they The sides of the Great Carpathian chain are generally covered with forests to a height of 3600 and even 4200 feet, above which there is a succession of naked colossal masses of rock, whose surface is unrelieved by any sign of vegetation beyond a scanty sprinkling of rock-moss. The highest points are every where composed of granite, and the less elevated, either of primitive limestone or syenite porphyry and sandstone; the former of these is frequently covered by trap. Even at their most elevated points the Carpathians are not crowned with perpetual snow, nor is the ice or snow which accumulates in their hollow>> capable of resisting the effect of mid-summer heats: vegetation, which is luxuriant, especially in the neighbourhood of the central range, becomes languid as it approaches the higher regions: the woods on the southern side of the chain next Hungary are alternately composed of firs, pines, and beeches; but, on their northern side, next Galicia, they consist principally of firs, frequently intermixed with pines, and at times with beeches, but not a single oak exists on the Carpathian soil. Neither the vine nor walnut succeed in the central range. The declivities of the several Carpathian_ranges, but more particularly those which spread into Hungary and Transsylvania, contain the sources of several rivers. On the Hungarian and Transsylvanian sides, the Theiss, Szamos, Maros, and Aluta; on the northern and eastern sides of the Carpathians, the Sereth, Moldava, Pruth, Hernath, Gran, and Neutra; and in the central and Beskide ranges, the Waag, Vistula, Dunajec, and Dniester. The last mountain-ranges which we have to notice are the Sudetsch and other branches of the Hercynian chain. Where the westerly termination of the Beskide group descends with its broad masses into the low country between the Vistula and Oder, an extensive girdle of mountains takes its rise. Elevating themselves at this point from the narrow plain which lies between the Upper Oder and Beczva at their eastern extremity, and from the plain of the Hanna or Upper March, the lofty chain of the Sudetes follows a north-westerly direction for more than 200 miles through the upper part of Moravia, AustrianSilesia, and along the northern districts of Bohemia, until it reaches the Elbe, the right bank of which on the side of Saxony forms its north-westerly limit. The Sudetes are the boundary-line between those portions of the Austrian territory and the Saxon and Prussian dominions which lie to the east of the point at which the Elbe has forced a passage through the Ore-mountain group of the Hercynian chain. They are remarkable rather for their length than breadth; in no part are they completely broken by the interposition of plains, and they occasionally rise from their general elevation of 1000 to a height of 4000 feet. The natural character of the Sudetes has led to their subdivision into four distinct ranges; of which the first in order, commencing with their vicinity to the Carpathians, is The Silesian-Moravian range, whose surface, mostly covered with the elevated forests on the confines of the two provinces, contains the sources of the Oder and March. Its mass consists of primitive clay-slate, which at times diverges into mica-slate. The central summits of the range have in general 2000 feet elevation, but its loftiest heights, the Altvater and Spieglitzer Schneeberg, rise to 4488 and 4380 feet respectively. A number of branches extend in various directions from the main group; the most northerly descends to the banks of the Oppa, a branch of the Elbe, and the most southerly runs parallel with the left bank of the March to the neighbourhood of Olmütz. The forests in this range descend along its declivities till they skirt a soil which is variously and highly cultivated. The Altvater, which stands on the north-western side of the range, is connected by the Hundsrücken (or Dog's Back), a long narrow chain running north-westwards, with the second or Glatzer-Gebirge, a quadrangular mass of mountains, formed by two parallel groups, distant between 14 and 19 miles from each other, and extending about 40 or 45 miles in a direction from south-east to north-west; they are united in the south by the snow-mountains of Glatz, and in the north by those of Schweidnitz in Prussian-Silesia. They encompass the earldom of Glatz on every side. The south-easterly knot, which bears the name of the Glatzer Snow Mountains, is, in every respect, the rawest and wildest, as well as the most elevated, region of the whole Glatzer-Gebirge. The latter throw out four large arms, chiefly of sandstone formation, which connect Prussian-Silesia with Bohemia and Moravia, into all which countries they penetrate in a less or greater degree. The main range is composed of limestone. The principal vallies are at a height of 1200 or 1300 feet above the level of the sea, and produce but scanty crops of grain; the slopes are covered with forests to a considerable point of elevation. The Grosser Schneeberg (Great Snow Mountain), 4444 feet in height, is the loftiest summit of this range. The GlatzerGebirge abut in the south on the Moravian Mountains, sometimes called the Alten-Gebirge, which descend in a south-westerly direction by Landskron, Zwittau, and Iglau to the Danube, on the left bank of which they form a junction with the Bohemian Forest Mountains, or Böhmerwald-Gebirge. The most elevated point in this group is the Plöckenstein, whose height is 4176 feet. Cultivation here rises to a considerable elevation, and the backs of the mountains are thickly wooded. The western branches of the Glatzer chain slope down into the plains of Bohemia ; and its eastern, after spreading over the northern districts of Moravia, disappear in the lowlands in that quarter. A lofty mass, called the Waldenburg Mountains, in the southwesterly part of the principality of Schweidnitz, unites the Glatzer-Gebirge with the third range of the Sudetes. The Riesengebirge, or Giant Mountains, which mark the north-eastern boundary of Bohemia, rise rapidly from the low region in the south-west of Prussian Silesia, where the Bober has its source, to a height of 3000 feet and upwards, ascend north-westwards until they attain an elevation of 5058 feet at the Giant, or Snow-Cap (Schnee-Koppe), which lies nearly in the centre of the group, and then descend into the vale of the Neisse close upon the environs of Zittau, in Saxon Lusatia. The latter half of this range, its wildest and most inclement region, is more commonly known under the appellation of the Iserkamm, or Iser Mountains, and stretches in four parallel masses, with numerous wellwooded branches, for more than thirty miles, and with a breadth of about fourteen, from the vale of the Neisse into the north of Bohemia, and into the circle of Liegnitz in Prussian Silesia. The sources of the Iser, which lie within it at a height of 3400 feet, in the Bohemian district of Bunzlau, give it its name. The southern branches of the Riesengebirge consist of two high groups, running in a parallel line with the main range, from the banks of the Iser to those of the greater Aupa, in the north-eastern parts of Bohemia; the loftier group of the two has summits which rise here and there to 4000 feet in elevation, and throw out branches which run to the banks of both rivers. The mass of the Riesengebirge is granite, which also distinguishes its highest peaks; and its subsidiary formation is gneiss, which is almost wholly confined to the Eulen group in Prussian-Silesia, and mica-slate. Nearly nine months of winter prevail on these mountains, which, from being the most elevated of any chain in the north of Germany, have not been inappropriately denominated the Giant Mountains. The rawness of their climate prevents rye from ripening at a greater height on their slopes, or in the valleys, than 1200 feet; nor will oats or potatoes thrive above 2400 feet-seldom, indeed, beyond that of 1700; wood becomes of stinted growth when this exceeds 3600, and the regions which rise behind it are naked granite. In spite of every disadvantage of climate, not only are the valleys and offsets of the Riesengebirge, but even their slopes half way to the top, thickly inhabited; their interior is occasionally the site of a broad tract of marshy flats, and their descent, on the Bohemian side, is far more abrupt than on the Silesian. Of the Lusatian Mountains, or Lausitzer Berge, the fourth and last range of the Sudetsch branch of the Hercynian chain, which rise from the vale of the Neisse, in Lusatia, and extend to the banks of the Elbe and Oder, we shall simply observe, in this place, that there is an arm which stretches from its southerly declivity into the heart of that part of northern Bohemia which has the Elbe and Iser for its western and eastern boundaries. It may be remarked generally of the Sudetes, that their higher regions are of various primitive formations, and, in certain directions, rich in different kinds of ores. The mountain ranges of more moderate height are composed of clayslate, limestone, and amygdaloid, and in parts contain beds of coal. The offsets, which stretch deep into Moravia and Bohemia, are of flötz trap and sandstone, or grauwacké and basalt, with isolated and towering caps. Both sides of the Sudetsch chain abound in streams which spring from their bosom. Of these, the most considerable on the northern side are, the Oppa, Neisse, Bober, and Neisse in Lusatia, all of which flow into the Oder; and on the southern side, the Oder, the three sources of which lie about fourteen miles to the north-east of Olmütz; the March, or Morava, which runs into the Danube; the Iser, which is tributary to the Elbe; and the Elbe itself, which springs from the southern oot of the Schnee-Koppe. Another considerable range of the Hercynians consists of two mountain-ranges, which commence from the left bank of the Elbe at that point of the Bohemian frontier where the river forces a passage into Saxony, and run |