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THE

EARTH AXD ITS INHABITANTS

EUROPE.

fiLISEE RECTUS.

EDITED BY

E. G. RAVEXSTEIX, F.R.G.S., F.S.S., Etc

VOL. III.

AUSTRI A-irilXGARY, (iKRMANY, BELGIUM,

AXD Tlir; XKTIIKItLAXDS.

JLLUHTIiATED 11 Y yVMEUOUS KNG HAVINGS AXD .\f.\/'S.

NKW YORK:
D. AIMM, KTON AND COMPANY,

1. », AMI! r, HI) SI) STKKET.

US
V.3

COXTEXTS.

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

CHAP. PAOB

I. General Aspects .... . 1

II. The German Alps (Tyrol, Vorarlrehg, Salzhihg, Carintiiia, and Styuia) . . . 5
Gt-ncral Asj>f;ct8, p. 5. Glaciers, Rivers, aud Lakes, p. 12. Climate, p. 16. Productions,
Indu.>4try, and Commerce, p. 22.
Topoyrnphj.—iiiyrm, p. 'lb. Carinthia, p. 26. Salzburg, p. 27. TjTol, p. 27. Vorarlberg,
p. 2'J.

III. AlBTKIA ON THE DaXTBE (AfSTRIA PkopEm) ......... 30

General A.sj>ect«, p. 30. Inhabitants and Towns, p. 32.

IV. The AoRtATic Pkovince.s (Gorizia, Tkiesth, Istria, Dalmatia) 39

G'-n'T.il .AsiH-ots; .Mountain.s, p. 39. Rivers and I>;ikes, )). 4;j. The Coast ; Islands, p. 47.
Climate, I'loni, and I'auna, p. 52. Inhabitants, p. 64. Towns, p. 57.

V. The Cointhieh op thb Soi.therv Slav* (Cahmola, Ckoaiia, Slavonia) . . . . 03
General Asper-ts, \>. 03. Inliabitants, p. 6«. Towns, p. 71.

VI. Hlnoauy and 'J'raskylvania (.MAfjYAKs AND Rumanians) ....... 73

(ierieral A(![ieets ; Moutitains, p. 73. Rivi-rs and I^akes, p. 81. 'I'he i'luin of Hungary,
p. (J'J. Climate and Flora, p. 90. Jriliabitants, p. 91. Agriculture, Mining, and Com-
merce, p. 101. Towns, p. 105.

VII. Gu.icrA AXD Hi KoviNA (Aihtrian Poland and Rithknia) . . . .111

Geneml AHjx'ctH, .Mountains, and Climat<', ]<. 114. Inliabitants,)). IIC. Agriculture anil
Mining, p. 121. Towdm, p. 122.

Vni The Upper Danin ok tup. Ei.)ik and tup. Moiuva JIJohkmia, Moravia, and Ai;strun

Silks A) 125

G<n>ral \n\x^^^M. .Mount-iins, ami Rivers, p. 125. Inhabitants, p. 130. Agriculture,
.Milling, and Industry, ]'■ i34.
7<>it;j«.— JV<hemia, p. 137. Mora via, p. 142. Silisia, p. 142.

IX, HTATDlTim OP AlSTRIA-Ffl NOAHV 14 1

I'opulation, i». 145. yXgrieiiJture and .Mining, p. 145. Manufucturus, p. 147. ( onimerce,
{). 140. I'^lmation, \t. 151.

X. f ;'.vui"<»IE%T AND AdMI.MSTRATIov 162

(;f;rmanv.

I. GeNEHAL A>iP«f.T»l ......

11. Tiir. IIk'.k.n op the V'hoth (Ai.ha'I! and (ikiiman l.ouiiAiNh)

Iiihaliilants, ]i. 173. Agriculture,

III.

MF. i\r.<.\n'% nr thk ><.H<,rH (ai.ha'I! and iikiiman i,oi
<i<ii. i;il AN|X'i'tH, .Mr.iiiitaiiiH, l(i vei'H, uiid < 'limiitc, p. lOH.
.Milling, and Industry, p. 173. Towns, p. 177.
The kHiNR AND the .Mooelle (Kaden, IIeswe-Waummtadt, I'iianki iiit, Nassat, I'ai.a-

Tl^AfE, Khr.ninh Phi M4|a}

fJencfa! A«|«ets; the lOiine, p. 184. Mmintiiins, p. 191
"/.■/'.,• I'.,.,l. .1 •■ I (Ki 'II.. Ill :..!. i>.. I.. ■:....<. . .•>./. I

iJencfa! A«|«ets; the lOiine, p. 184. Mmintiiins, p. 191.

""*. I'.»id< II, p. 19<S. '1 Ik Ifhriiixh Piilulimitr, ii 200. Ilisseand Nassau, p. 201.

\<\i\, p. 205. I!lieni«h I'mssia, p. 20*1. W.nlpliulia, \>. 214.

'" **-""••- .!( liA AND the VaLLPV OPTIIK NpiKAII rWrilTTKMIIKim AND IloH EN/.or.LEII

i!'-tM, .MoiiiilairiN, and Kivirs, p. 210. Iiihabitiiiits, p. 220. 'I'owns, ]). 221.

In
M.I, I

The Mwamian
'iennral An\n _

Tirr I'PPEK I>ANI ME AND THE .MaIW MSaVAIIIA AND I>ANII1IAN VVl' RTTrMIIEKIi)

<i«n»'rul As{M(U; MounUiins, p. 225. Ijikes, l»og«, and Kivers, p. 230 '
p. 237. 'iowns, p. 238.

Itirki'ii-

liiliiiliiliiiits.

157
108

184
210

iv CONTEXTS.

CHAP. PAOB

VI. Thuringia and the Harz (Hesse-Cassel, Thurinoia, Ekfurt, RouTHtUN Hanover, and

Bui nswick) ............... 251

Geuural Aspects, Mountains, and Rivers, p. 2.)1. Inhabitants, p. 2.58. Towns, p. 260.

VII. The Plains of the Elbe and Weser, and the Shoris of the North Sea (Lower

WESTruALiA. Hanover, Oldenhurg, LowtR Bkvnswick) 269

General Aspects ; Bogs and Heatlis, p. 2(39. Tlie Littoral Kegion, p. 274. Inhabitants,
p. 279.
Toic/is.— The Basin of the Lippe (Westphalia), p. 281. The Basin of the Ems, p. 281. The
Basin of the Jade, p. 282. The Basin of the Lower Weser, p. 283. The Basin of the Elbe,
p. 288.

VI II. The Basin of the Middle Elkr (Saxony) 290

General Aspects, p. 290. Inhabitants, p. 292. Towns, p. 293.

IX. The Plains of the Elhe, Oder, and Vistula (Old Prussia, Anhalt, Lauenbukg,

Hamburg, Ldbeck, Mecklenburg, and Prussian Poland) ...... 3(i0

General Aspects ; Hills and Plains, p. 3li0. Lakes and Peat Bogs, p. 303. Rivers and
Lagoons, p. 305. Amber, p. 311. Inhabitants, p. 315.
Towns. — Prussian Saxony and Anhalt, p. 319. Brandenburg, p. 323. Hamburg, p. 329.
Liibock, jMecklcnburg, and Northern Poineratiia, p. 332. I'russian Silesia, 335. The
Basin of the Oder to the North of Silesia, p. 3;-9. Eastern Pomerania, p. 343. Pruissia to
the East of the Basin of the Vistula, p. 346.

X. The Cimbrian Peninsula (Schleswig-Holstein) 349

General Aspects, p. 349. Inhabitants, p. 352. Towns, p. 353.

XI. General Statistics . 357

Population, p. 357. Agriculture, j). 358. Mining, p. 361. Industiy, p. 362. Commerce,
p. 363. Education, p. 365.

XII. Government and Administration 367

Central Authorities, p. 367. State Governments, p. 369; local Government, p. 369;
Religion and Education, p. 371. Courts of Justice, p. 372. Army and Navy, p. 372.
Finances, p. 373.
Tabular View of the States composing the German Empire, p. 375.

BELGIUM.

I. General Features; Hills, Plain.*, and Rivers; Climate 377

The Ardennes, p. 377. The Loam Lmds of Central Belgium, p. 379. The Campine, p. 380.
Flanders, p. 382. Polders and Dunes, 382. Rivers, p. 383. Climate, p. 390.

II. Fauna, Floka, and- Inhabitants 392

Animals, p. 392. Cave Dwellings, p. 393. Wallons, p. 395. Flemings, p. 396.

III. Municipal Institutions; Towns 399

Origin of Municipalities, p 399. Towns in the Basin of the Meuse, p. 403. The Basin
of the Schelde, p. 410. The Western Maritime Region, p. 425.

IV. Statistics of Belgium 429

Population, p. 429. Agriculture, p. 431. Mining and Industry, p. 434. Commerce,
p. 436. Education, p. 439.

V. Government and Administration 442

Local Authorities, p. 442. Central Government, p. 443. School and Church, p. 443.
Army, p. 444.
Tabular Statement of Area and Population, p. 446.

THE GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBURG 447

THE NETHERLANDS.
I. General Features; Hills; Bogs 450

II. Hydrography ; Climate 455

Rivers, p. 455. Irruptions of the Sea. p. 457. Subsidence of the Land, p. 460. Dunes,
p. 462. Dykes, p. 463. Polders, p. 467. Climate, p. 470.

III. Inhabitants .......... ...... 471

Animals, p. 471. Prehistoric Man, p. 471. Frieslanders. p. 471. Saxons, p. 473. Hol-
landers, p. 473.

IV. Topography ................ 475

Limburg, p. 475. North Brabant, 475. Zealand, p. 475. South Holland, p. 477. North
Holland, p. 480. Utrecht, p. 485. Gelderland, p. 486. Overyssel, p. 487. Drenthe,
Friesland, Groningen, p. 487.

V. Statistics of the Netherlands ............ 4S8

Population, p. 488. Agriculture, p. 488. Industry, p. 490. Commerce, p. 490. Canals,
p. 491. Railways, p. 493. Education, p. 493. Government and Administration, p. 494.
Tabular Statement of Area and Population, 496.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

MAI'S I'ltlXTKD IX COLOUES.

1. Gftrniariy and Au-tiria . . .

2. VieoDa and iu Environs .

3. The Rh'ne from JIayence to Coblenz

HAOE
1
33

204

4. Drfsdi-n ami Suxfui Switzerland
I). Br-rlin and its Environs .
6. Hamburg and its Environs

PACK

296
326
329

TLATES.

'Ihe (irmn Glo<;kn»;r
Olatier

arnl tl.f; Pii-tl^rz'!

. To face p'lije 9

The DachiitfHn and Ihc f.<ike of Ooaaii
i'TVlZ ......

H'il/l;urt( ......

InnoJ/nirk and the Valley of th<: Inn
Vientu: th«> " (It*\>"i\ " .
llalUlntl .
'/li< " Moijll.Ji 1,1 ( alUro

'Ili«:»tfl ..»..,

)Uf(IIIM

T>i« Fi.h I^kr, <^ Kyby HUv
'lint Iron f;at« >;«low Onova •

' f I' ow

HtraMbiir((
MolK
fi«)/l«ll/«rg CastJi

12
26

27
28
3r>

100

1 23

I7»

IK3

11)0

P'rankfiiH-on-.Miiin: tbo " Romor " Tn fncr pmjt
Tnivos : I'urta Ni^ra ....

Coblenz and Ehrcnbreitstcin

Cologne Cathedral .....

'Ilio l)aniibf) between Wellenburg and K<1
hoiiM .......

Niimberg: tbo Caatln ....

Huxon Hwitzcrliind : i'lfbiachor K<'gel
Herlin .......

IlainbiirK. ....

Niimiir ....

(ihent : the (Join Quay ....

Antwerp : Town-hall ....

liiixembiirK, a« neen from Fort Ilnriioiilin
Hennery around Middijliiiix
Kotterdum : the Old I'oit
Amiit<)rilam : the Kalkrnarkt
I'trooht: th«i Old (anal ...

202
207
208
200

212
218
201
326
331
<I06

■123
417
4 70
4 78
4H1
486

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

LIST OF ILLUSTEATIOXS.

AUSTRIA-HUN GARY.

PIG. PACE

1. The Malser Haido 6

2. The Orteler and the Sulden Glacier . 7
.3. The: Oetzthal 8

4. The Gross Glockncr .... 9

5. The Vernagt and other Oetzthal Glaciers 13
G. The Dobracz 14

7. Isothermal Zones of Austria . . .16

8. Rain Map of Austria . . . .17

9. The Limits of German and Italian in the

Tyrol 18

10. The 'i'erglou . . ... 19

11. Tyrolese Peasants .... 21

12. The Mining Districts of Eisenerz and

Vordernberg 23

13. Klaxisen, ox the Brenne'.i Road . . 24
It. Roads over the Alps .... 25
1.'). Klagenfurt and the Lake of Worth . . 26
IG. Salzburg 27

17. Bolzen 28

18. The Danube at Grein .... 31

19. Geological Map of the Upper Danube

Yalley 32

20. Linz . . .... 33

21. The Growth of Vienna .... 34

22. Ancient Arms of the Danube at Vienna . 36

23. The Rectification of the Danube . . 37

24. The Sinks of Pola 41

2.5. The Vellebic 42

26. The Isonzo and the Timavo ... 44

27. The Ombla, Gravosa, and Ragusa . . 45

28. The Narenta 47

29. The Sink of Pago 48

30. The Kerka 49

31. The Bocche di Cattaro .... 50

32. The Bocche di Cattaro . . .51

33. IMelada 52

34. San Clemente 53

35. Trieste ....... 57

36. Pola 58

37. Fiume 59

38. Roadstead and Port of liUssin Piccolo . GO

39. Spalato and the Seven Castles . . 61

40. Zone of Inundation of the Save . . 65

41. The Caverns of Postoina (Adelsberg) . 66

42. The Lake of Ziiknitz .... 67

43. The Plainof Laibach .... 68

44. A View on the Military Frontier . 70

45. Semlin and Belgrad . . . .71

46. The Parallel Valleys to the East of Lake

Balaton ...... 74

47. The Hungarian Gate .... 75

48. TheTatra 76

49. The Pass of the " Red Tower " . .80

50. The Defile of Visegrad . . . .81

51. The Drave and the Danube ... 82

52. '1 he Tisza (Theiss) 83

53. Meanderings and "Cuts" of the Tisza . 84

no.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.

66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.

75.
76.
77.

78.
79.
80.

81.

82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.

89.

90.
91,
92,

PAGE

The " Iron Gate " 85

Fort Elizabeth 86

Lake Balaton ...... 87

The Lake of Neusiedl .... 88

A View in the Plszta .... 93

TVPHS AND Co.STI MES OF HuNGAUY . 94

Linguistic Map of Transylvania . . 96
The Slovaks in Hungary ... 97

The Servians in Hungary ... 99

The Vineyards of Hungary . . . 102
The Auriferous Districts of Transylvania 104
A View in the Mining District of

Kremnitz . . . . . .105

The Coal Bdsin of the Upper Sil . . 106
Debreczen . . . . . .107

Buda-Pest 108

A View of the Sachsen.stein . . 109
Novisad (Neusatz) . . . . .111

The Carpathians 115

Peasants and Jews of Galicia . .117
The Distribution of the Poles in Galicia . 118
The Distribution of the Ruthenians in

Galicia 119

The Jews in Hungary and Galicia . . 120
Cracow and Wieliczka . . . .122

The Mountains of Bohemia . . . 126
The Pass of Taus (Domailice) . . 127

The Volcanic Hills in Northern Bohemia 129
The Lake Region in Southern Bohe-
mia . ...... 130

The Ruins of Scheeckenstein, near

AussiG . . . . . .131

A Large Estate in Bohemia . . ,135
The Coal Basins of Western Bohemia . 136
Prague and its Environs . . . .137

The Karlsbrucke at Prague . .138

Carlsbad 140

Reichenberg and its Environs . . . 141
The Density of Population in Austria-
Hungary ...... 146

Diagram exhibiting the Increase in. the

Production of Coal . . . .147

The Sohlergrund, or Plain of Zolyom 148
The Viaduct of Kaltkinne (Se.mmering) 149
The Railways of Austria-Hungary . . 150

GERMANY.

93. Hypsographical ]\Iap of Germany

94. The Isothermal Lines of Germany

95. The True Mean Annual Temperature of

Germany .

96. Rain Map of Germany

97. Linguistic Map of Germany
The Gap of Zabern (Saverne]
The Ruins of St. Ulrich
The Basin of the 111.
Alsatian Peasants.
Dieuzp, Chateau-Siilins, aui the Pond of

Indre .......

98.

99.
100.
lUl.
102.

159
160

161

162

164

169-'

170

171

174

175

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Vll

PIG.

103. Strassburg ....

104. Strassburg Cathedral .
10-5. "Worth, and Reichshofen .

106. Metz

107. The Density of the Population along the

Rhine .....

108. The Rhine between Germersheim and

Speytr ....

109. The ^Iouse and St. Goar

110. The Vineyards of the Rhine .

111. The Pass of the Gutach .

112. Andemach and the Lake of Laach .

113. The Siebengfcbiige (Seven Hills)

114. The Lake of Conbtanz (Bodensee) .
11.5. Karlsruhe

116. Heidelberg and Mannheim

117. Frankfurt-on-Main ....

118. S«iarbriicken

119. Treves (Trier)

120. Crefeld and its Environs .

121. Riihrort and its Environs

122. Ehse.v

123. The Hellweg

124. TheDensityof the Population in Wiirtleni

berg

125. Urach and Hohen-Urach

126. Ileilbronn and the " L'Xips " of LauflV-n

127. Stuttgart atid its Environ.'*

128. View of Tubingen.

129. 'Jlie Konigsee

1.30. View of the KiiNiOHEE .

131. A ]i<^gion of Moraines in Upper Iiaviiii:i
132 Tlie Danube and it» Uppr-r Affluents

133. Augnburg .....

134. Blaubeuren .....

135. The Donaii Ri<.-<1

13«. The Donaij-Moos ...

137. The Swabian U'Ziit and the " I'ossu

Carolina " .

138. E.'«TKA!((E TO THE PoHT OF LlNKAi;

l.'Jft. HatiiiVin ( kt-gcniiburg)

HO. 'J lie Wai.hali.a ....

Itl. PuMMU

I i>. Muriirh

I J.'J. 'J'bi- A'|iii.-<iuct of lUjichenbiill
144. 'l'h<; Stiilea of Thuringia .
14.). 'Ill'- IC^-nniitfig

146. 'Jill- V'«Ki l^b<:rg ...

147. 'lln-- Hrorken and Wernigorode

1*8 1 XK-AlTK<<HI llG

\i'-i. ' , , , vir'-ns .

I'»0. 'J»ir. Wauthiuo
l'»l. narwUiiil

l-»2, JfrtiK .

153. The Cathkiihai. at Emfimt .

154. 'I7i« P..i! p,„^i. of C'.-nl,],l

155. 'I hi; MoriiHH, or " .Moor," of Uoiirtanif"

156. I')i|i«^biirg

157. Thii Ontai of R<mI Fri' nliifi'l

I5H. .Nord>Trri<-y, Hnliriim, iiri'l iho Ni-i;{li»M»iir-

ing '
I'i'i. Ifr.i.iooi.s ... . . . , .

Ityt. IJ'ligoUfid
I'll. Kmdori

PAGE
179

180
181
182

185

187
188
189
192
194
195
197
199
200
203
2o7
208
212
213
214
215

217
218
213
222
223
226
227
229
2.32
232
233
234
235

236
239
212
243
214
2 JO
217
252
253
255
257
259
201
262
26»
266
267
270
271
273
276

277
27M
279
2H3

PIG. PAGE

162. Minden and tlie Poita Westphalica . . 284

163. The Brewers' Hov.se at Hildesheim . 286

164. Bremen and Bremerhafen . . . 287

165. Railway Bridge over the Elue at

Harburg ...... 289

166. The Density of Population ia Saxony . 291

167. The Wends' in Lusaiia .... 25:3

168. Leipzig 295

169. Dresden- 297

170. Zittau and the Villages near it . . 299

171. The Temperature of January in Eastern

Prussia . . . . . .301

172. The Lake District of Masuria . . . 303

173. llie Warthe and its Lakes . . .304

174. Diminution in the Volume of the Elbe . 305

175. The Same for each Month of the Year . 306

176. The Spreewald 307

177. The Oderbruch 308

178. Samland and the Delta of the Pregel . 310

179. The KurisLhe Uaflf and the Delta of the

Memel 311

180. The Darss and the Lagoons of Bailh . 313

181. The Island of Riigen . . . .314

182. The Cliffs of the Koxigstlhl on Rlgen 315

183. Relative Increase; of Germans and Poles

in Posen .317

184. Halle and its Salt Lake .... 320

185. Magdeburg 323

186. The Gate or Uenlingen at Stendal . 324

187. Comparative Growth of Vienna and

Berlin 325

188. The Havel and Sproe .... 326

189. Brandenburg 329

190. A "Fleet" in Hamiu ik; . . . 330

191. Vikulandeus 332

192. Liibeck and iJostock .... 333

193. Towns of Upper Silesia .... 335

194. The Town-hall of iiiiEsLAf . 337

195. Entrance to the Felke.vntaht. near

\Ve( kelmdokf . . 338

196. Sprottuii and Frr'ibtadt . .310

197. Siittin . 311

198. Kwineniiindf! .... . 342

199. 'I'liF. Camti.k of Maiiiumu lui . . 315

200. The Port of Pillau ... . 316
2U1. Momel . 347

202. Sylt iin'l Arnniin 350

203. 'Jhe l»a»in of Iho Eidtr .... 351

204. Flenhiu KG 354

2<'5. AliM-n and Sond<Tbiirg .... 355

200. I'fniiity ol I'opulalioii in (Jcniiuriy . , 358

207. IncniiKi) of tbo Urban Population of (ic^r-

niany ;{59

208. Ai'OHiM HO ;{(ii

2U9, itailway Map of (MMnnny 364

210. MiiF.cK 365

211. 'liir. ('anti.r oi Hohk.n/.oi.i.f.kn 368

212. Prot<-iiUint« and ('atliolidi in Uermnny ■ 371
213 Wdh<'lmHbiil<ii 374

UlAAiWW.

2I». Mont St. Aiibi-rt. near Toiirnuy . 379

215, HypHOgrnphicnl Map of Mi'lKiimi 3H1

210. Pruliloor Ki-Ikiiimi . . 383

VlU

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

FIO. PAGE

217. Tho liower Suheldo in the Beginning of

the Eleventh Century . . . 386

218. Flooding of the Polders during the Siege

of Antwerp, 1.58.5 .... 387

219. The Groins of Blankenherghe . . 389

220. Direction of the Winds in Belgium . . 390

221. A View in the Y.vlley of the Lesse . 393

222. Linguistic Map of Belgium . . . 394

223. The Belfry of Brvges .... 400

224. The Town-hall of Louvain . . . 402

225. Namur and the Confluence of the Meusc

and Samhre 404

226. The Ccal-field of Charleroi . . . 40.5

227. Lifege 407

22S. The Birrage of La Gileppe , . .409

229. The Battle-field of Waterloo . . .412

230. Brussels 413

231. The Towx-hall of Brussels . . 414

232. Mons and the Borinage .... 417

233. Ghent 419

234. Rabot Gate at Guext .... 420

235. Antwerp ....... 422

236. Antwerp Cathedral .... 424
2il. Bruges and the Old Zwyn . . .426

238. Ostend 427

239. Increase of the Population of Belgium . 430

240. Increase of the Population of Belgium,

1840—75 431

241. The Coal Production of Belgium . . 435

242. Comparative Increase of the Population

and Commerce of Belgium . . . 437

243. Canals and Navigable Rivers of Belgium . 438

244. Railway Map of Belgium . . .440

245. Heath and Camp of Beverloo . . . 445

THE GRAND DLTHY OF LT'XEMBURG.

246. Luxemburg 449

THE NETHERLANDS.

247. The Quarries of St. Pietersberg . . 451

248. Hypsographical Map of the Netherlands . 452

FIO.

249.

250.
251.
252.
253.
254.
255.
256.

257.
258.
259.
260.
26L
262.
263.

264.
265.
266.
267.
268.
269.
270.
271.
272.
273.
274.
275.
276.

278.

279.
280.
281.
282.
283.
284.

PACK

The Alluvial Lands and Peat Bogs of the

Netherlands ..... 453

A Peat Bog neah DuKdeecht . . 454
The Fork of the Yssel . . . .456

The Biesbosch in 1850 . . . . 457

Schiermonnikoog 458

The Site of the Biesbosch, in 1420 . . 459
The Peninsula of Holland . . .460
The Coast-line of the Netherlands before

the Peopling of the Country . .461
The Dyke of Weslkappel . . .462

The Windmills of Zaaxdam . . 463

The Zuiderpolder formerly . . . 464

The Zuiderpolder now .... 465

The Mere ot Haarlem .... 466

Ameland ....... 467

The Proposed Drainage of the Zuider

Zee 468

The Projected Harbour at Urk . . 469

Costumes of Fkieslaxi) and Ze.\lasd . 472

Bergen-op-Zuom ..... 476

Walcheren ...... 477

Vlissingen, or Flushing .... 478

Rotterdam and Schiedam .... 479

The Hague and fjcheveningen . . 480

Leyden 481

Amsterdam . . . • . • 482

Haaklem : the Amsierdam Gate . . 483

Alkmaar 484

The H elder 485

Monnickendam and Marken . . . 486
Density of Population in the Ntther-

lands 489

The Principal Canals of the Nether-
lands 490

The Groins near Petten . . . .491

The Canal of the Y 492

Section of the Pier Head of Ymuiden . 492

Canal of the Hoek van Holland . . 493

Railway Map of the Netherlands . . 494

The Viaduct at Moerdyk . . . 495

RULES FOR PRONOUNCING THE GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES CONTAINED IN THIS VOLUME.

The Vowels, except where expressly mentioned below, are pronounced as follows:— « = a in father;
e = Q in end; i = \ in inn or kindle ; o as in English; h = u in flute.

German : — ie = ee in meet ; at or ei = y in my ; au = ou in house ; a = ay in miiy ; o = eu in French ;
eu = o\ in destroy ; ii = u in French ; g, always hard ; j=\ in yes ; z = iz\ sch = sh.\ f/( = guttural ch m loch.

Dutch :— oe=u in flute ; cu and u as in French ; scb=&ch. in school, and at end of word = s ; cA = ch in loch ;
j=y in yes ; y = y in my»

Magyar:— a = o; o and « as in German ; fandrr = tz; c.' = <h in cheese; s = sh; «-- = s; r«=zh (soft sh) ;
c;( = ch in loch; tv = v; ly, n,j, ftj, and gy = Tye, n'ye, t'ye, and g'ye (short) ; gy = dy (Magyar, pronounce
Madyar).

Slav (Bohemia, Croatia, &c.) :—. v = i in in ; 2 or> = ye ; c = tz ; c = j ; t" = ch in cheese ; /= y in yes ;
« = nginbang; 4~r'sh; .5 = sh; i?=zh (soft sh).

Polish -.—a and e = on and en (nasal) ; ie is always separated ; j = \ ia yes ; r = tz ; i = t'ye (short) ;
zc = ch in cheese ; : = zh (soft sh) ; : = sh ; dz and f/.-=j ; rz = r'sh ; « or *c = sh ; ch = th. in loch ; the I with a
bar (;) is pronounced with great force.

All ot?ier letters, or combinations of letters, may be pronounced as in English.

NKV/ YORK

20°

22°

24°

32"

Scal« of* IfiLes

#* German Empire

, Cis-Leithaxi Province*

AuStna-BmigarT l Hurigary ■ with CmaJiaJec^

^Bosnia &: Serzegovuva.

•^Xft'""''

; . -^tf * . "X'irruW

X T r at T n

\j^w-\%

''-%.

''^•'•'nl-n-

HwJi'«i

< 1

■f„nrifvaf

>->^ 1 A-

,V "•«*'

■yutii'Y

4»!

J I J-

■^^'

•I ur.o

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

CHAPTER I.

GENERAL ASPECTS.

^ USTItlA-IIUXGARY ranks third amongst the European states in
area and population, but no common bond of nationality embraces
its inhabitants. If the fetters were to burst which now hold the
diverse provinces of the monarchy together, the name of Austria-
Hungary would be heard no longer, not even as a geographical

expression, as were those of Greece and Italy during centuries of servitude. The
various pro\inces composing the Austrian Empire belong to distinct natural
regions. The Tyrol, Styria, and Carinthia are Alpine countries, like Switzerland.
Hungary is a vast plain surrounded by mountains. Bohemia, on tiie one hand,
penetrates far into tho interior of Germany, whilst Galicia slopes down towards
the plains of Russia, and tho I)almatian coast region belongs to the Balkan
peninsula. The hills of Austria and the Hungarian plain lie within the basin of
the Danube; but considerable portions of the monarchy are drained by the Elbe,
the Vistula, the Dniester, and the Adigc. The diversity of race adds to tho con-
fusion resulting from the forcible grouping together of countries geograj)hi(ally
«o distinct. On one side of the river Leitlia, which forms the political boundary
between the two great portions of the empire, the Germans claim to be the dominant
race; on the otbi-r, the fK»litieal fKnver is wielded by the ^lagyars. But Chcchians
and Iluthenians, I'oles, Sjovak.H, and Croats, Dalmatians, Italians, Bumanians,
and others, likewise claim their riglits, and object t«> be .sacrificed to the two
dominant races.

Austria-Hungary consists of no Ifss tluin fifty-six kingdom", diicliics, counties,
principulitios, towns, and lordships. 'Jhis chaotic conglonu-ration, however, is
not tho result of pure chance, nor has tlie liouse of Habsburg brought tlieno
old states under its "(ceptre by "clever marriages" alotw. 'ilw? neccnsity in
whicli tbr; Cjhristians found tliemselves to combine against tlieir common enemy,
tho Turk, has liad fpiite as much to do with it. Tlie general eoiidgiiralion
of tlie Miil, and iriore csi)eeially llie great valley ».!' tin- |)iiiii1m', niust alho

2 AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

be taken account of when inquiring into the growth of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire.

The Danube formed a portion of the boundary of the Roman Empire, and
remained so for a considerable period. Ths conquests which Trajan made in
the Carpathians, to the north of it, were looked upon as the most convincing
proof of the irresistible power of Home. The great migrations of nations
all at once changed the geographical part played by the Danube. No
longer a barrier dividing nations, it became their great highway. The Huns,
the Avares, and other Eastern hordes ascended it ; the Slavs, Magyars, and
Turks subsequently took the same route ; whilst the Franks and Boioarians
when they colonised Austria, the Crusaders when marching upon Constanti-
nople, and the armies contending with the Turks took the opposite direction.
The Inn is a larger river than the Upper Danube ; and if the united river
is nevertheless known by the name of the latter down to its mouth in the
Black Sea, this is only because of the part it played in history. The Inn leads
into sterile mountains ; the Upper Danube opens a pathway into Bohemia and
Swabia.

When the Danube became a high-road between nations it could no longer form a
political boundary ; and actually not only Hungary and Austria hold both banks
of the river, but Bavaria and Wiirtemberg do so likewise. On the other hand,
some of its tributaries form natural boundaries between states or nations. These
rivers opposed substantial obstacles to the armed hosts which in former times
traversed the valley of the Danube. Many of them, owing to floods or rapid
current, are far more difficult to cross than the Danube itself, and served succes-
sively as lines of defence. In the tenth century the Magyars had the Enns for
their frontier ; they were then driven back to the Erlau, and at present the
Leitha and the Morava form this Avesternmost boundary. The Inn, with its
tributary Salzach, separates Austria from Bavaria ; the Lech and the Iller,
Bavaria from Swabia.

The grand " struggle for existence " is waged not only on the battle-field, but
perhaps even more frequently it is a contest for ascendancy in matters of
commerce. Ihe great natural highway of the Danube has played a prominent
part in the history of commerce and industry. At a time when there hardly
existed any artificial roads a great portion of Southern Germany became dependent
upon that river. Towns multiplied in its valley, and in consequence it became
also a centre of political power. Germans and Magyars, by taking possession for
a considerable extent of both banks of the Danube, laid the foundations of powerful
states.

The Eastern Alps, likewise, have greatly influenced the historical development
of Austria. The Austrians, once masters of the river, succeeded all the more
easily in gaining possession of the mountain valleys, as these were for the most
part inhabited by men of the same race. The Alps, including of course those of
Switzerland, may be likened to a great citadel raised in the centre of Europe.
Those who hold it are not only favourably placed for defensive purposes, but the

GEXEEAL ASPECTS. 3

surrounding lowlands — Upper Italy, Hungary, or South Germany — are more
or less at their mercy. A state which held not only this Alpine citadel, hut also
the middle course of a river like the Danuhe, could easily satisfy its hunger after
conquests.

Vienna, which occupies the centre of this incoherent empire, has certainly
exerted a considerahle levelling influence upon the various races peoplino- the
empire. These latter, however, resent the pressure which is exercised by the two
dominant races, and the time is not perhaps very remote when the existin"- institu-
tions will be replaced by a federation voluntarily organized by the nationalities
inhabiting the empire.

Formerly the Germans were supposed to form the majority of the inhabitants,
and since the empire has taken the title of Austria-Hungary there are some who
believe that Germans and Magyars combined constitute a decided majority.
Such, however, is not the case. They are the dominant races, true ; but amongst
every four Austro-Hungarians there is but one German, and amongst seven only
one Magyar. The Slavs virtually form a majority. Even many of the "Germans"
are merely Germanised Slavs ; but, irrespectively of this, nearly one-half of the
population is Slav by race and Slav by language. As respects nationality, there-
fore, Austria is nearly as much Slav as its two neighbour states of Turkey and
Russia. But the Slavs, unfortunately for the political influence they might exer-
cise, arc split up into distinct nations. The northern and southern zones are
inhabited almost exclusively by Slavs, whilst the central zone is divided between
Germans, Magyars, and Rumanians. This central zone, from loO to 200
miles in width, separates the northern from the southern, or Yugo-Sluvs. It
constitutes the most important portion of the empire, for it is traversed by the
Danube, the great commercial liighway of the country. If the Ruthenians desire
to hold intercourse with their kinsmen in the south, they are obliged to cross tliis
hostile zone ; and in reality they scarcely ever come into contact, except porliaps
at some I'unslavic congress, when, to the delight of the Viennese, they arc com-
polled to express their ideas in the hated language; of the German. The Nortliern
Slavs belong to three nations speaking distinct languages, viz, Chechians (includin"-
Moravians and SlovakK), Poles, and liutheniauH. No love is lost between the
two latter. The Southern Slavs, including the Slovenes of Carniola and Si yria,
the Servians, Croats, and Dalmatians, exhibit greater aflinities than their northern
kinnmen ; l>ut, urifortunntely for the political influence they might exercise, they
are split up into liostilo religious factions, w^me being Koman, others Greek
Catholics, whilst the Slavs of iJosniu and the lIerz(vgovina are in part
Mohanimedans.

Sext to Slavs, Germans, and Magyars, Latin nations occupy a considerable
portion of the empire. The Italians of the Southern Tyrol and tlu! const of Ihlria
arc inronsiderable in nuinbers, and gravitate towards Italy ; but the Rumanians
in huhiim Hungary and 'i ransylvania occupy a very extended territory. It is
amongst them that most of the gipsies are met with, Mhilst the Jews are found
in (ill fwrts of the empire exeept in the Alps. Austria, in fact, is liug<-ly

4 AUSTEIA-IIUXGARY.

their work, for in the eastern provinces they almost monopolize trade and
industry.*

?ire (18C9)

* Nationalities of the Austro-Hungarian Emp
Chcchians, Moravians, and Slovaks
lluthenians ....

Poles

Northern Slavs

Servians

Croats

Slovenes

Southern &lavs

Germans .
Magyars .
Rumanians
Italians and Ladins
Jews .
Gipsies

Total

0,730,000
3,100,000
2,880,000

1,520,000
1,424,000
1,260,000

12,710,000

4,201,000
9,000,000
5,500,000
2,875,000

593,000
1,154,000

150,000

36,192,000

CHAPTER II.

THE GERMAN ALPS.
(Tyuol and Vouaklbekg, Salzbiug, Carixthta, and Styria.)

HE German Alps do not yield in beauty to those of Switzerland, and
the mountain masses are little inferior in height and majesty
to those of the Oberland or of Monte Rosa. Bevond the Hij^h
Tauern, however, which rises on the boundary between the Tyrol
and Salzburg, none pierce the zone of perennial snow, and the vallej-s
are not filled with rivers of ice. The Great Glockncr rises like a bleached citadel
at the extremity of the Great Alps. Beyond it the character of the mountains
undergoes a striking change. They no longer rise in separate masses, but form
divergent chains separated })y deep valleys. Like a fan, these ramifications
extend toward the plains of Austria and Hungary, and into tlie Balkan penin-
sula. But in proportion as the mountain system increases in width, so do its
summits decrease in height, until all semblance to the domes and pyramids of
Switzerland disappears.

The highest masses of the Austrian Alps arc separated by enormous ga})s, a
very rare feature in the orographical structure of a continent. One of these gaps
connects the valley of the Inn with that of the Adige. The small Rescheii iiake,
which gives birth to the latter river, occupies the watershed. Tlie slope of the
valhy of th«; Adige is very inconsiderabb", and when crossing the ^ialser Hoide
("heath" above the village of Mais, when; the jx'ople fought their battle of
MorgartMi in ]\'.tO) we might almost fancy ourselves in a plain, it" it were not for
the snowy summits rising on either side of us,

Anotlier gap joins the valleys of tlir; two rivers farther to the east, and
throjigh it runs the rout<; of the Brcnn<r, tlie lowest of all the passes which cross
the Great Alps, This depression, or gap, is joined on the east by another even
inon; considerable, which connects the Jiienz, a tributary of the Adige, with the
San, (ir Save, a tributary of tin; I)anube. TIm; watershed between these two
rivers is so fceldy indirtate.d that tin ir upper valleys are designated by one name
as the I'usterthul. Tlu^ne two gnr.it gaps, viz, those fonnccl by the Brenner and
the J'usterthal, are of vital ini|»orfance, as facilitating communications in the
Austrian Alps.

AUSTEIA-IIUNGAEY.

. Fig. 1. — Tirr; Gap hetwefn tuf. Inn and the Adige,

AND THE JIaLSKH IIeIDE.

Geologically there obtains great variety. The central range, which is upon

the whole of the greatest average
height, is formed of crystalline rocks.
Limestones prevail in the Is^orthern
Alps, Avhilst the Southern Alps,
abruptly sinking down into the plains
of Italy, exhibit a great diversity of
geological formation. There are
schists, sandstone, black and red por-
phyry, limestone, and, above all, dolo-
mites. The division into Hhaetian,
Noric, Carnic, and Julian Alps origin-
ated with the Romans, and is not a
happy one, for in Austria, as in France
and Switzerland, the Alps are divided
naturally into a number of mountain
masses, forming as many secondary
mountain systems.

The range of the Rliatikon separates
Yorarlberg from the Grisons, and ex-
tends from the Rhine to the valley of
the Inn. Five glaciers descend from
it into the valley of the Montafon, and
the summits in the south rival in
height those lying within the Swiss
frontier.*

The principal mountain group of
Austria, that of the Orteler (12,814
feet), is cut off from the other moun-
tains of the Tyrol by the deep valley
of the Adige, but a ridge, over which
runs the road of the Stelvio (Stilf^er
Joch, 9,172 feet), joins it to Piz
Umbrail (9,954 feet), in Switzerland.
This group rises to the south of the
central axis of the Alps. It culminates
in a superb pyramid of dolomite, and
glaciers creep down its slopes in all
directions, that of Sulden carrying a
larger quantity of rocks upon its sur-
face than any other in the Alps. The
Scale 1 : 175,000. Orteler has frequently been ascended

since the beginning of this century ; but though its beautiful summit is seen to rise
* Scesaplana, 9,73S feet; Tiz Buin, 10,916 feet; Fluchthorn, 11,143 feet.

THE GEEMAN ALPS. 7

jibos'e all otliers when contemplating the Alps from the top of the cathedral of
Milan, it is only within a few years comparatively that it has attracted a large
number of tourists. The view from its summit is incomparably beautiful, whilst
from the Stelvio the Orteler itself presents a most formidable aspect. The
Pass of Tonale (6,155 feet) separates the Orteler from the mountain mass of the
Adamello (11,687 feet), which rises to the south of it. It presents exceedingly
steep slopes towards Italy ; and its glaciers on that side, which formerly were of
vast extent, have nearly melted away. Their old terminal moraines now hide the
Lake of Garda and Verona from an observer standing upon its summit.

The mountains of the Oetzthal, to the north of the Adige, are bounded on all

Fig. 2. — The Grovp of the Okteleu and the Sulben Glacier.

Scale 1 : 25,000.

i;0°30* E.of Gr.

2 Mil«M.

nidf'H by d«'fp vulb^ys or gorgt-N, and form a wcll-<b(iiic(l group of rocky i)innaclc8.
Tlie lJrcnn< T, and the puHM above the Mu1s<t Ileido (see Fig. 1 j, air the lowest
]ninna^i'n over the Alps l>otw<-(n Liguria and Styria, a distance! of over 500 milcH.
TliJH group of t)w Oft/tliul conntitutoM th<! m(»Nt formi(biblo niotintaiii iiiush of the
German Alps. Tlir! WilflMpjf/o (12, '{MI) feet), its ciiliiiinating point, yiiMs in
hfight fo tluj Ort<-ler and tlie Grout (ilockin-r ; but ibrre arc at leaHt u biindrcd
summits which attain an elovution of 10,000 foet, and they T\m> from a jdatConn
f},'y^() fi!«jt in h<-ight. If the summits of tlu; Gctztlial wen! to be levelled, iind
unifonnly spreufl over this platform, the latter wouhl still rinc H,.'{MO feet above llm
sea. A\K)ui onc-»c\cnlh of the surface; of this mountain group is huried l»eneulli

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

glaciers or perennial snow, and it includes among its two hundred and twenty-nine
glaciers tliat of Gepaatsch, 7 miles in length, and the most considerable within
Austrian territory. Houses permanently inhabited are met with in the valley of the
Oetz up to a height of nearly 7,000 feet. But tliough the central portion of this
mountain group may be likened to Greenland, the spurs which descend towards the
Inn and Adige are full of gentle grace, and the valleys which they enclose are most
delightful. Picturesque villages and villas occupy every coin of vantage above
Innsbruck in the north, whilst the upper valley of the Adige, or Etsch, known as

Fig. 3. — The Oetzthal.
Scale 1 : 35,000.

10 Miles.

Vintschgau, with the town of Meran and the old castle of Tyrol, is looked upon as
the paradise of the Austrian Alps.

To the east of the Brenner the Alps rise once more, and form the range of the
Hohe Tauern,* which extends east for a distance of over 90 miles, as far as the
Arlscharte (7,230 feet). The orography of that range has been thoroughly
investigated by ITerr Sonklar. He has determined the average height of all the
summits rising upon its crest at 9,350 feet, and the average height of the entire
group at 6,270 feet. The great summits of this range, the very names of which
were not known a couple of hundred years ago, are now annually visited by shoals

* According to Ficker, Tauem means " towers." All the passes leading over that range are known as
Tauern, and that word has been rendered by " notches." The Romans knew the inhabitants of the
country as Tauiians.

THE GEEILIX ALPS. 9

of tourists and artists. Even the formidable snow-drifts of the Great Venedio-er
(12,0o5 feet) have proved no obstacle to the asceut of that mountain, whilst the top
of the Great Glockner (12,465 feet) was reached as long ago as 179P, and has
proved accessible to hardy mountain climbers even in the depth of winter. The lai tcr

Fig. 4. — The Gross Glockxeii.
Scale 1 : 240,000.

IS'SO' E.ofGr.

V ~

^^^r^

vr '/)■

.r,Mj\tin.

Jinmrriif llfn to tlio hoiiIIi of IIk! principal u.Nin (»f tlic chiiiii, .nid tlic roiinidubl.j
i'iinU'r/.a f^liuU-r dfMOfndH fmm it info Sfyriii.

ill'! ran^fr«i to tho ca^t of tho ArI«M;lmrto an; ^oncrally iinlii(l(!(I ninoii^st llio
TaiKrni, but fliry oii;^|it nithcT fo 1)*' ]i,(,\iii] upon um raniification^ <»(" tliat A I|tiii<)
range, for f)i«y ore far inferior in li< i^'lif, and aro troBKtd by nwnicrouH cuniago

10 AUSTEIA-HUNGARY.

roads. Geologically the two ranges which ramify from the Ankogcl (10,670 feet),
and enclose between them the valley of the !Mur, are composed of the same
crystalline rocks as the Alpine masses to the west of them, but, owing to
their inferior height, the aspects they present are very different. The northern
of these two ranges, though the more elevated of the two, has no glaciers ; the
passes which lead across them do not take us beyond the region of forests ; and,
instead of inaccessible escarpments, we meet with charming valleys, woods, and
verdant pastures. Only in spring, when the snow's melt, need avalanches be dreaded.
The southern range, which separates the vaUey of the Mur from that of the Drave,
is known as the Styrian Alps, but its height is even less than that of the northern.
To the north of Gratz, the river Mur, on its way to the Drave, has forced itself a
passage transversely through this range, which farther east gradually swerves
round to the northward. The Pass of Seramering, famous because of the railway
which now runs through it, has a height of 3,2ol feet ; but beyond, between the
Leitha and the Lake of Neusiedl, the mountains gradually subside, and finally
die away in the plain of Hungary. With the humble range of hills seen to the
south of Presburg the Central Alps terminate. The Danube now separates them
from the Little Carpathians, on the northern bank of the river, but a geological
examination of the ground proves conclusively that at some former epoch Alps
and Carpathians formed a continuous range of mountains.

The calcareous Alps occupy a far larger area than the central chain, and some
of their mountain masses do not yield in boldness of contour or beauty to those of
the Oetzthal or the Tauern. The Orteler itself belongs to the southern calcareous
Alps ; and all the summits to the east of it, from the Adige to the Drave, pierce
the snow-line, and are partly covered with glaciers. These Alps vary much in aspect,
for some are formed of porphyry, others of schists or limestone ; but the most
striking features are presented by the dolomitic mountains, with their precipitous
walls, jagged summits wreathed with clouds, and huge fissures filled with snow,
whose whiteness contrasts strangely with the sombre forests at their foot. When
lighted up by the rising or setting sun they shine as if they reflected a vast confla-
gration. The mountains of Yal Fassa, to the north-east of Trent, are remarkable,
moreover, on account of their complicated geological structure. Leopold von
Buch refers to them as a " Holy Land, to which all geologists ought to make a
pilgrimage, as the Mohammedans do to Mecca." The principal summits of these
mountains, the Marmolata (11,468 feet), the Marraarola (11,045 feet), and others
rise upon Italian soil. They form the linguistic boundary between Germans and
Italians, and have yielded a retreat to the Ladins, and hence the geographical
nomenclature of the country is rather puzzling. Farther east the confusion is
even w*orse, for between Carinthia and Carniola we meet with Slav names in
addition to German and Italian ones. The mountain which is popularh', but
erroneously, supposed to mark the boundary between the three races, is the Terglou
(Triglav, Tricorno, or " three-horned mountain," 9,297 feet). Three is a number
equally attractive to the gods as to man ; and the natives of the country are fond
of stating that three rivers rise upon this mountain, of which one joins the Isonzo

THE GEEMAN ALPS. 11

and flows to the Adriatic, whilst the two others find their way to the Black Sea
through the Save and the Drave. From the Terglou may be enjoyed the finest
panorama in Austria, the view extending from A'enice and the Adriatic to the
snow-clad summits of the Tauern. It is the last mountain in this direction
whose aspect is Alpine, and even a small glacier hangs upon its northern slope.

The Karawanken, or Mountains of the Carvates (Croats), beyond it, are less
elevated, but they surprise by the pyramidal shape of the summits and the roseate
or violet hues of their rocks. They culminate in the Grintouz (8,295 feet),
which rises above the amphitheatre of Logar, which bears a striking resemblance
to that of Gavarnie, in the Pyrenees. !Xumerous cascades leap down from the
precipices which surround it, that of the Krinka clearing a height of 980 feet in
three bounds. These mountains form the eastern termination of the Alps. The
plateaux of Carniola and the Carso (Karst), to the south and south-east, dificr
widely in character from the Alps, of which they are dependencies.

The calcareous mountains of the northern zone of the Alps are exclusively
occupied by Germans. The westernmost mountain mass of this region is known
as the Arlberg. The valley of Montafon, tributary to the Ehine, separates it from
the Ithiitikon. The Pass of the Arlberg, through which runs the great high-road
connecting Innsbruck with the Lake of Constanz, crosses it at a height of 5,994
feet. The Kaltenberg attains a hciglit of 9,515 feet, and can boast even a few
Kmall glaciers; but the mountains of Vorarlberg cannot compare with the Alps
of Switzerland in beauty of outline or frcsliness of vegetation.

The Alps of Algau extend to the north-east of Vorarlberg into Bavaria, and
their gentle slopes contrast strikingly with the abrupt precipices formed of lias
and the white dolomitic rocks.

The mountain chain which extends along the nortliorn l)ank of tlic Inn as far
as the gorge of that river at Kufstein is di>tingui»hed for its picturesque boldness
and the isolation of its jagged summits, among>^t which arc the Zugsjjitzo
(NVettorstein, 0,082 fcetj, the Solstoin (8,;};}1 feet), and Karspitzc (Karawendcl,
0,070 feet;. Small glaciers occupy some of the depressionH, and tlio passes whicli
lead across the range are sometimes veritable gorges, or h'/aiiHcn (cluses), as in tlio
Jura. One of the steep precipices of the Solstein, tlu^ .Murtinswand, has bccoino
famouH through an adventure of the Kmperor Maximilian I.

The Alps of Salzburg, to tho cast of the Inn, consist of numerous isolated
mountain ma«H<>M, pre.s<-nting, as u rule, a steep wall towards the Tauern, and sloping
down gently t/»wards the north. They abound in shady valleys, charming villages,
blue mountain lakes, and savage g'»rges, and «lr» not yield in piettires(|ueness to tlio
AI|)« of Switzerland. If w(! a»<:(rnd the steep precipices wo reach plateaux covcn-d
with cliuotic masws of rrnk, void of all vegetation. ( )ne of these; j)latea)ix is known
as the Steinerne Meer, or "Stony Sea ; " anfither, to (he fust of it, as ihr rchcr-
gosM-ne Aim, or " Submerged Meadow." The former rises tou height of M.'JOO Icct,
and i« nurrounded by jagged jjeaks, or /inlcrn, the highest amongst which attains
an elevation of H,{\\n feet. The Cebergossene Alp (0,f; I 1 ii»l) has a cjip of
ice and snow. To the north (^f those riscji tho stupendous pyramid of NVatzniiinii

12 AUSTRIA-HUXGAEY.

(9,G40 feet), a wicked king converted into stone ; and still farther north the Unters-
herg (0,790 feet) looks down upon the vale of Salzburg. In its bowels are hidden
palaces, churches, and delicious gardens, and Charlemagne there waits for the
arrival of the millennium.

These limestone Alps increase in height towards the east, in proportion as the
summits of the Tauern grow less. Due north of tlie Venediger and the Great
Glockner, where they are drained by the Achen and the Saalach, they are mere
foot-hills of the Central Alps ; but in the east, towards the river Enns, the
Dachstein (9,794 feet) rises far above the snow-line, and three glaciers descend
from its flanks, whilst in the Tauern, due south of it, only a few patches of snow
survive the summer. The Dachstein looks down upon a vast plateau covered with
stones, and the valley of the Traun separates it from a similar terrace, known as
the Todtes Gebirge (Dead Mountains). But when we stand upon one of the
summits rising above the plain to the north of these mountains, these scenes of
desolation are hidden from us, and the eye ranges over wooded slopes, verdant
valleys, and blue lakes scattered over the vast plain, which extends north as
far as the mountains of Bohemia. The Schafberg (5,719 feet), which rises
boldly to the east of the Atter Lake, quite deserves to be called the Austrian
Rigi.

The mountains which rise beyond, the gorge scooped out by the Enns, on its
w'ay to the Danube, surpass in height those of the central chain. The Hochschwab
(7,480 feet), the Schneeberg (6,790 feet), and other bold pyramids rise far beyond
the zone of forests, but their lower slopes and spurs are richly clad with verdure,
and upon their foot-hills are perched innumerable towns and villages. From the
top of the Hochschwab the eye ranges from the w^hite pyramid of the Glockner to
the broad plains of the Danube, which lie spread out beneath us like a map. The
sandstone range of the AVienerwald extends from the Schneeberg to the Danube
above Vienna.

Glaciers, Rivers, and Lakes.

TiiE German Alps only yield to those of Switzerland in the quantity of water
w'hich they convey to the rivers of Europe. Their glaciers, known as Ferner,
Keese, or Yedrette, cover an area of nearly 40 square miles, but owing to the
snow-fall being less, they cannot compare in extent with those of the Monte Rosa
or the Oberland. The largest amongst them is now only 7 miles in length ;
but the rock scratchings and moraines discovered in the lower valleys, and even in
the plains, prove that during the glacial period they were far more formidable.
That of the Oetzthal had then a length of 35 miles, and towns like Innsbruck
and Salzburg are built upon sites which were formerly covered with ice.

The glaciers of the Tyrol have been ascertained to shrink and advance at
regular intervals. During the latter end of the last century and the beginning of
the present one they advanced, covering pastures and old mountain paths. Of late
they shrink, at least in the west. The quantity of ice and snow has grown less
in the Tyrol, and Pfaundler affirms that between 1866 and 1870 18 feet have

-a

s
o

GLACIEES, EIYERS, AND LAKES.

melted away on the highest summits of the Stiibay. On the other hand, a few
small glaciers have recently formed in the Eastern Tauern.

The Yernagt glacier, in the Oetzthal, is one of those which exhibit the greatest
regularity in their alternate advance and retreat. Five times since 1599 has it
crept down the valley and melted away again. Its advance is usually more
rapid than its decay, and in 184o its terminal face advanced 150 feet in a single
day. The Yernagt is, however, more dangerous when it retreats, for then the
water pent up in its tributary valleys is freed, and carries destruction to the lower
valleys.

Owing to the friable nature of the rocks, disasters such as this, as well as

Fig. 5. — The Verxagt and other Glaciers of the Oetzthal.

Scale 1 : 120.000.

E.of Gr

'lOv.'^j'

2 Miles.

landslipti and flrKxlH, uro fn-qufnt in tho Austrian AlpH. The Ralzucli, which liscs
in tho Tuuom anrl flowH pa«ft Sal/.biirg to IIk; Danube, lias frequently been daninied
up by tho masw;H of dritrituM })n)ii^,'lit (if)wn by its tributary torrents. In 179S mi
uvalunflif! f)f mufl and ntoncH blockfd tip tho gorge of Ocfen, abov<r IliiUi-iii, inid
two viWu^in, with flifir fi<IdH, were buried bcnciath 50,000, 000 cubic yards of
d/'briw. III the viillr-y of the Adig*; hloping nioundH of dctrituH con.stitulfr a
marked feature, mirl ibf-y MnnetitncH b]o(;k up the river. Tb<i bug(! uc(Munuhilion
of wtoni-H, mud, and elay, int.freMting on utTauul of its utoiie-eappcd earlli pillars,
known an the Sjilvirn' di S.in Man-o, in probably the result of u landsbj) which
wjcurnd in H'i'\, and for a tirn*- reduced the Lower Adige to a hirnpb' riviild. l"'ivc

AUSTEIA-HUNGAEY.

centuries afterwards the summit of the Dobracz precipitated it.self towards the
town of Yillach, involving ten villages and two castles in ruin. A chapel, the
highest building in Austria (G,G90 feet), now marks the spot where the mountain
gave way.

The large lakes which formerly occupied the depressions between the moun-
tain ranges have either been drained or filled up by alluvium washed down from
the hills. Excepting the frontier Lakes of Constanz and Garda, no lake in
the German Alps has an area of over 15 square miles. The number of small
lakes, however, is very great. Some of them are isolated, as the Achensee, the
Zellersee, or the Caldenazzo, which gives birth to the Brenta ; others form groups,
as in the Salzkammergut and Carintliia.

The lake district of the Salzkammergut, though its area is only 637 square
miles, includes no less than thirty-five small lakes, all of them within the basin of

Fig 6. — The Dobracz.
Scale 1 : 139,000.

E o f Pan >

E of Or

20 Miles.

the Traun, a tributary of the Danube. Most of them occupy calcareous mountain
gorges. The cavities which they fill have apparently been scooped out by glacial
action. The greater part of them, being fed by clear mountain torrents, do not
sensibly diminish in size ; but others — as, for instance, that of Hallstatt, into which
the mud-laden Traun discharges itself — shrink rapidly. Between 1781 and 1850
the delta at the mouth of the river has grown 247 feet, although at a short distance
beyond the depth exceeds 300 feet. The depth of these lakes, like that of most
mountain lakes, is considerable, that of the Lake Teplitz being equal to thrice its
width ; but their bottom, as a rule, is perfectly level. Thousands cf visitors are
annually attracted to these clear mountain lakes and the verdant slopes which sur-
round them. The Lakes of Carinthia, occupying wide valleys bounded by gently
sloping hills, are for the most part shallow and devoid of picturesque beauty. The

CLIMATE. 15

psat bogs, which have invaded many of the old lake basins, might supply Austria
with fuel for centuries.*

The area occupied by the Austrian Alps is so considerable that the torrents fed
by snow become veritable rivers before they bid farewell to the mountain defiles.
These rivers compensate to some extent for the non-existence of large lakes. Few
river valleys of Europe can compare in beauty with those of the Drave, the Inn,
or the Upper Adige (Etsch). The wide and cultivated valley of the former
separates the snow-clad dolomite peaks on the Italian frontier from the serrated
chain of the Tauern. The valley of the Inn presents us with an astonishing
variety of scenery, due to the fertility of its bottom-lands — the picturesque towns
and castles perched upon its sides, the fine contours of its mountains, clad with
sombre woods or verdant pasture-grounds, and contrasting strikingly with the
snow-clad heights above and the deep azure sky. ^Eore beauteous still are the
valleys of Eisack and the Adige, to the south of the Brenner. "NVe there breathe
the balmy air of Italy. Vines cover the hill-slopes, white campaniles rise above
groves of trees, and far in the distance we look upon the smiling plain of the Po.

Climate.

Thkre exist not only local differences of climate, as is the case in all mountain
regions, but also general contrasts, resulting from the diversion of atmospheric
currents by the mountain masses.

The difference in temperature between the southern and northern valleys is far
more considerable than can be accounted for by difference of latitude. The
mean annual temperature of Linz is 14^ less than that of Verona, at the
mouth of the valley of tlie Adige, although the difference of latitude between the
two does not amount to ''^\ The rainfall on the southern slopes is far
greater than on the northern, for the Al[)s intercept tlie moist winds of the
Adriatic and Mediterranean. Thunder-storms are frequent in the south, but very
rare in the plains of Austria. Moreover, whilst in the south tlie greatest quantity
of rain falls during summer, autumn is the rainy season in the nortli. Thc! Alj)s
conM,fjuently constitute a well-marked meteorological l)oundary. The fohn of
Switzerland is not known in the Austrian Alps, ex(;ept perhaps in the Vorailhcrg,
which lies within the basin of the Rhine.

Similar fontraMts may be observed on proceeding from west to cast. In the
ea«t, towards the jilain ol' Hungarv, tin; mean annual temperature is 7'' less than

• 'Dmj lak'.-a of tho Auntrijin Alji* {te mcanH Ink'.-) :—

A'h'-nwo .....
/.11. I-..-

( ^^

C'AkiXTiiU ' O,, , ,,. ,

( MiIIxI.kIN I

f AlU-rnfif .....

I TrniirnHxi .....

II . .

'J' . .

ItriKht.

1 icpth

•^,\H7

•2,im

(i-23

],:iiii

22:i

i,r>H

148

1,1»10

304

1,1!»0

T2H

l,:i:{5

Sf)H

\,r>Ti

128

1.777

374

].l>ii

30.*

2,2H

'200

AUSTEIA-IIUNGARY.

in the west ; the summers are hotter, the winters more severe. This difference,
however, is not due to the presence of the Alps, for it exists in the plains on
cither side of them. Austrian meteorologists affirm that this excessive climate is
gradually extending towards the west. Eastern plants, capable of withstanding
these changes of temperature, are spreading westward, and this accounts for the
differences between the Alpine floras of Austria and Switzerland. These differ-
ences, however, would only strike a botanist, and the general aspect of forests or

Fig. 7.— IsOTHKUMAL ZoXES OI" AUSTKIA.
Scale 1 : 15,000,000.

pastures is the same, whether we wander through Styria, the Oetzthal, or Switzer-
land.*

The People.

The population of the Austrian Alps is far from homogeneous by race and
language. The Germans are now in a majority, but they have absorbed ancient
populations who preceded them, and of whom traces have been discoA^ered in the
Lake of Hallstatt and elsewhere. Pile dwellings, however, appear to have been
far fewer than in Switzerland.

The Tyrolese more especially are a mixed race, for the}^ have absorbed not

Mean Temperature (Fahr.V

Rainfall.

Lat. N.

height (Feet).

January.

July. Year.

Inches.

* Verona

45° 26'

37^

79° 59°

Laibach

46° 3'

970

30°

67° 48°

Klagenfurt .

46° 37'

1,446

22°

6G° 46°

Meran .

46° 40'

1,025

32°

73° 53°

Trent .

46° 41'

695

34°

71° 53°

Gratz ..

47° 4'

220

27°

67° 48°

Gastein

47' 5'

3,250

23°

57° 42°

Innsbruck .

47° 16'

1,900

26°

65° 49^

Salzburg

47° 18'

1,425

27°

63° 47°

Linz

48° 18'

860

27°

67° 45"

THE PEOPLE.

only Celts, but more ancient populations, whose very name only survives in that of
mountains and lakes. Formerly the inhabitants of the country were known as
Interiuli, whence, perhaps, their present name. The Romans Latinised the Tyrol,
and mediaeval documents mention manv landowners bearing: Italian names. In
the early Middle Ages " Ladin " was spoken even on the northern slopes, and up
to the sixteenth century that language kept its ground in the Yorarlberg. A
hundred years ago the mountaineers of the Yintschgau, or Upper Adige, still
spoke that tongue, and even during the present century several Ladin villages
have been Germanised. The only parts of Tyrol where Romaic dialects were not
spoken formerly are the central portion of the valley of the Inn and the Puster-

Fig. 8. — Rain Map of Acstria.
According to Von Sonklar and Delesse.

I^milhn»tti». $t-ihn.

4*-Mi»

tlial. Tho names of hcvcrul villagfH in the latter ])rovo that tlio dJHtrict was
forrnf-rly inhabited, in part ut leuHt, by SIuvh.

li(;i«KiriariH and Swaltiunn from th«; iiorth-wrHt, CjonnmiiHi'*! Shivs advancing np
flu- vallfry f»t" the I)niv«!, (ioths and Longobardn ()ii.Ht<-d innii Italy, grii(hiiilly
Ti-i\\\vt'A\ the domain of th*- fiadinM, and th»y me confine*! now to the valh-yH of
(i)\iT(\c\wi ((i.ir(\v\\'.\, or Groden), KniiflMTg, and I»a«liii, to the eiiMt of Hrixfii.
Th«' " Wflih " up (ken \\\i•Tf^ \n mixed, h«»w<!V«T, with many wonln of (icnnun
oritfin, whiUt the Or-nnan nionntaificerH inakr iiw of Ladin fermx. Mftst of the
iri)iabitant« NfM;(ik botli lanjfiin^cH indilfn-nlly. The Ladins diMi ■?• rml only in
larijfiiaj^e, but »Uo |i}iy»ti«;ully, from th«ir iKijrhhoiirs, the (iitiiianH niid ItalianM.
'I h«-y ure of nion- Kh-ndiT biiihl than the former; Inivo poor beanls, Iml long

AUSTEIA-HUXGARY.

curly hair descending to the shoulders ; their complexion is brown, like that of
the Italians, but their eyes are less expressive.

Whilst the Romaic dialects have been encroached upon by German, the
Italians in the valley of the Adige appear to be gaining ground. German was
spoken throughout the district of Trent. The Italian peasant, being more active,
thrifty, and abstemious than his German neighbour, resolutely attacks the swampy
lands in the valley of the Adige, which the Germans dread. As high up as

Fig. 9. — The Limits of German and Italian* ik the Southern Tyrol.
According to Ficker and Czoernig.

E of Pans

nTTnmni

German GerniV ^ Italian

Latin Latin ^ Italian Italian

Botzen there exists hardly a hamlet which has not been invaded by these Italians.
In the valleys which enter the Adige on the east many villages have become
Italianised. German influence, moreover, is not much felt to the south of the
linguistic boundary. The Italian spoken at Trent is as pure as that of Genoa or
Milan, and the aspect of the town is altogether Italian. In the Northern Tyrol,
as far as Innsbruck and Salzburg, we are reminded by the style of architec-
ture that Italian influences have been at work there. In 1867 a society was

THE PEOPLE.

established at Innsbruck for the purpose of supporting German schools in all the
frontier villages, which are now threatened bv an invasion of Italians.

In the Eastern Alps a similar struggle has been carried on between German
and Slav, and the linguistic boundary has changed frequently in the course of
centuries. Formerly the whole of Southern Austria was held by the Slavs, who
in the seventh and eighth centuries advanced to the Inn and the sources of the
Drave. In several instances the Slavs had even crossed the Alps and descended
into Friuli and the Italian Tyrol. These Slavs were generally known as Wends,
although in reality they were Slovenes or Corutani, a name preserved in Carinthia,
or Kiirnthen. Pushed back by the Germans, the Slavs retreated to the eastward,
but they left behind them several colonies which preserved their nationality

Fig. 10. — The Tekglou and the Linguistic Boundary.
Scale 1 : 575,000.

14- E.of Gr.

- I'. M.l. ■.

during the; Midflh; AgoH. Many valleys and villiig<s, llie latter frecpunitly ])re-
cedod by tlio urljective WindiHch, wore held by tliotn, nor have they been coin-
pli5t<;ly H})Morb«'d. Tbf; AuHtriun-GennanH betray their (b)ul>lo parentage in
feature^, traditiouH, ciistornN, uiid more especially in <;liaraetor. They ure GermaiiH,
no floiibt, but they differ inueh from their kiiiHin(!n in Wcstfrn Cierfnaiiy.

The actual frontier IxHween the; two ra(!<-H begins al the Hinall town of I'ontaicl
(I'ontebl»a;, clf)He to the north-euHti-ni (corner <if Ilnly, whenr Italian, ticrnian,
and Sloveni? arc H|)okcn. It then<u' ruiiM to the east, paHMing within u sliorl.
dintunce of llie Terglon and Mount Lnsehnri, with itn " nnraculoiiH " ehapel, hut.li
of which lie njioii Slovene Koil. It then pisses to tin; euMt of K'higenCiiit, ii
Geriuun town, «ej>uruting the Gcrnjun (listiii t of timt/ from tiiul of iMurlmig,

20 AUSTRIA-nUNGARY.

which is principally inhabited bj' Slovenes. The small German settlements
lying beyond these limits are gradually being absorbed by the Slavs, whilst
German, owing to the advantages it enjoys as the language of Government and
commerce, is gaining ground in the towns.

A very curious feature in connection with the ethnography of the Austrian
Alps is the almost total absence of Jews, so numerous in other parts of the empire.
Up to 1848 the only place where the Jews had a sj'nagogue was Hohenems, on
the Lake of Constanz. Elsewhere the population had most energetically opposed
their settlement, even paying a special tax to be rid of their presence ; and,
although Jews are now met with in the principal towns, they have not yet pene-
trated to the Alpine villages.*

The inhabitants of the Zillerthnl, east of Innsbruck, are probably the finest
representatives of the Germans of the Tyrol. They are Boioarians, whilst tho
inhabitants of Bregenz, whose women carry ofi" the palm for beauty, are Ale-
manni. Upon the whole, however, the Tj'rolese do not deserve the reputation for
manly beauty which they enjoy. In some villages they are positively ugly, but
their ugliness is partly disguised by their pretty national dress. Persons suffering
from goitre and cretinism are as numerous as in Switzerland and Savoy, those of
the valley of Palten, in Styria, being most frequently afflicted. In some parts
there exists hardly a family one of whose members is not suffering from cretinism.
The unhai^py/c'o:, crouching down near the hearth, is an object of pity to all, for
popularly he is supposed to have been chosen by Providence to expiate the sins of
his relations.

The Tyrolese of the higher valleys, amongst whom Rhaetian and Celtic ele-
ments appear to predominate, are more reserved than their kinsfolk in the plains,
who are full of spirits and gaiety, and passionately fond of music and dancing.
The inhabitants of the Zillerthal more especially are surrounded by a halo of
glory. Their skill as hunters, the bravery with which they have defended their
mountain defiles, and their traditional lore entitle them to a place of honour
amongst their countrymen.

Accustomed to the freedom of the hills, the Tyrolese were permitted to enjoy
many privileges. They are no longer exempted from the conscription, but are
permitted to serve in a local corps of sharpshooters. They are much attached to
existing political institutions, and adore their emperor and the dignitaries of the
Church.

The Carinthians do not much differ in this respect from the Tyrolese. There
was a time when these mountaineers most jealously watched over their local
liberties. Up to the fifteenth century the investiture of the dukes took place with
ceremonies intended to symbolize the sovereignty of the people, and they were

* Population and races of the Austrian Alps, not including the Salzkammergut (1876) : —

Germans. Itilians. Ladins. Slavs.

Tyi-ol and Vorarlherg . . . 530,000 340,000 15,000 —

Salzburg 152,000 __ _ _

Carinthia 239,000 — — 105,000

Styria 712,000 — — 449,000

Total . . . 1,633,000 34 0,000 15,000 554,000

THE PEOPLE.

made to swear to maintain the personal freedom of the peasant and the sanctity of
his house.

At the time of the Reformation many of the inhabitants of the Tyrol and of

Fiff. 11. — Ttrolese.

MclJ l&ll<i VS«rllf4rtl lli'lll IIMI /Miivi iIMM, JiM'IIIWI, *•! Irttl'llllbll, (lull J IlliU-l I ll«&i.

(.'arliifhiii l»<'*'iiiii«r I'mfpHfaiitx, hut they svm- |»iit dowti with !i htron^ iind iiiiIiIo.h
lian<l, I)iiriri^ tin- y.-arH 17.'5| -'-".2 no Ichh ihaii 2r.,(KMi SalzWiir^irt cxi.iitriiihMl
t.li<'in»«<-]vcH, and MMi^lit a ri<-w Iiomk; in ulhrr parth of (H-jiiiaiiy .uul In Ainciica.

22 AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

The flourishing industries which the Protestants formerly carried on in Curinthia
and Styria fled these countries, and many mines were deserted.

Actually the spiritual authorities can boast of no more faithful subjects than
are the Tyrolese, who feel a sort of pride in the fact of the Council of Trent having
sat in one of their towns. Philosophical discussions are stifled in their schools,
and "freemason " is a term of reproach. With the exception of a few Protestant
congregations recently established in the larger towns, the population is Catholic,
the number of priests and other ecclesiastics is large, and their influence in the
more remote valleys all-powerful. In Carinthia and Styria, however, owing to
immigration, the number of Protestants is larger.

The Tyrol has not yet become one huge hotel, like its neighbour Switzerland,
but the number of tourists is annually increasing, railways are multiplying,
and modern ideas are carried into the remotest valleys. Quite as great changes in
the modes of thought of the Austrian mountaineers are being wrought by their
periodical migrations. About one-sixth of the native-born Tyrolese, male and
female, are supposed to live beyond the boundaries of the countr}', either as
singers and zither-players, or in pursuit of divers trades. The emigrants from
the Yorarlberg deal in woollen stuffs ; those from the Stubay Mountains in iron ;
the natives of the Passeyer valley, on the. Upper Adige, trade in cattle ; those of
the Lungau valley, on the Mur, are travelling bone-setters and farriers. In the
last century it was the Zillerthalers more especially who roamed through the
world as itinerant doctors, selling oils, drugs, and essences. About 400 of them
were then engaged in the sale of a wonderful oil, composed of seventy drugs,
and known as " mithridates." At the present day this industry can hardly be
said to exist, and the Zillerthalers are content to deal in gloves, or to gain a
living as singers. During winter many villages are inhabited only by women,
children, and old men. The fine villas which are met with in some of the more
remote valleys are the property of emigrants who have returned home with the
wealth acquired abroad.

Productions, Intdustry, Commerce.

The Italian Tyrol is as fertile, and its productions are as varied, as those of
Lombardy ; the great valleys of the Inn and the Drave are fertile agricultural
districts ; but in the remainder of the country dairy-farming and cattle-breeding
are the principal occupations. In many districts the small income of the family
is eked out by domestic industries. The men of the Gardena, or Groden valley,
carve dolls, toys, and other articles in wood, whilst the women make coarse lace.

The mining industry is of considerable importance, excepting in the Tyrol.
The mineral wealth increases as we proceed east. The country around Salzburg
(Saltborough) abounds in rock-salt ; Carinthia has mines of lead, zinc, iron, and
copper ; Styria possesses rock-salt, iron, and lignite. The gold mines of the Tyrol
appear to have been exhausted. In the sixteenth centiiry they employed 30,000
workmen.

Salt and iron are the principal minerals worked at the present day. Hall

PRODUCTIONS, INDUSTRY, COMMERCE.

in the Tvrol, Hallein in Salzburg, and Hallstatt in the Salzkammergut (estate of
the Salt Office) are the principal centres of salt-mining. The saliferous mountains
are perforated by innumerable galleries, whence the brine is conveyed to the evapo-
rating works. One of these salt mountains, viz. the Diirrenberg, near Hallein,
has yielded 10,000,000 tons of salt in the course of the last six centuries.* The
deposits of iron ore in Styria and Carinthia are of enormous extent. The Erzberg
at Eisenerz alone yields about 200,000 tons of ore annually, and will continue to
yield that quantity for a thousand years, f Unfortunately the district where these
ores abound most are dependent upon lignite and peat for their fuel, and even
in Styria the manufacturing industry cannot compare with that of Bohemia.
Vorarlberg has cotton-mills ; Styria iron and steel works, machine shops, forges,

Fiff. 12. — The Mixing Region of Eisenerz and Vordernberg.

,14° 20' E of Gr

'k'?0'

IJgnitc andocnU.

and found ri«H. The latter is more densely inhabited than any other district of
the AuHtrian Alps.

Fonncrly tlie roads which led ucrosH tlie Austrian Alps wore few iiiid fur
IwitwM-n. Ill the bej^inning of the pres«;nt century there ex isted but two direct
carriaj^f; roufls which join<;d AiiKtria to Italy, vi/. that over the Semmeriiig and the
rnoro yri;nU:r\y one over the Hrenner. Tho old Itoman road which nui over the

• Yi»M f»f iwlt (1H72) «t fll^Tin*^, Iii'hl. IfullntaU, AuN.Hfi., Ilullciii, iin<l Hull. ICJ.IIHO torm.
t Yiild 1,1 (rtK-in/n (1H72) ;— ll/i,«29 Ujim in Htyriu, «:j,H7.'» t<»im in CiirinUiiii, /i,:j(17 toni* in tln^ Tyrol,
and 'l,h2H Urn - ' ' -

Yi«-I*l <,t . .»,743 U,m in Hlyri«, 77,l«0 tonn in Curintliiu, 24,9.T2 ton« in tlin Tyrol.

Vi< III /,( r/«l ■—ff,li\f) Unm in Hfyria.

In tuiiUlum th#T»i wrrr. i,riitUni<\ :,UJHH » wU. of l.nd. Wo.mm o/.n. of nold, O.fiJCi ' wi" <<( < M|ipur,
\Mf> '■rwU. (ft r.\tu , \)*^uUn n\\n, nirk«<l, uniMiif, alum, and vitriol.

AUSTRIA-nUXGAEY.

Radstiidter Tauern was still in use, but it is very circuitous. At the present day-
all the old Roman roads have been rendered practicable for carriage traffic, and
the engineers have even carried their operations into the regions of perennial snow.
The road of the Stelvio (Stilfser Joch), close to the Orteler and the Swiss frontier,
is the highest road in Europe. It was constructed for strategical reasons, and after
the loss of Lombardy it was not thought worth while to expend large suras upon its
maintenance. Even the old carriage roads over the Semmering and the Brenner
have lost much of their importance since railways run by tlieir side over the
passes. The railway of the Semmering was the first constructed over the Alps,
and was looked upon at the time as a stupendous work of human industry. The
first locomotive travelled along it in 1854, since which time another railway has
pierced the very heart of the Austrian Alps, the engineers availing themselves of

Fig. 13. — Klausex, ox the Road over the Brennep.

the comparatively easy gradients leading up to the Brenner. That railway has
become one of the great commercial high-roads linking Germany with Italy, but it
will have to contend against a formidable rival as soon as the railway over the
Pontebba Pass, to the south-west of the Yillach, shall have been completed. By
means of this new line direct communication will be established between Vienna
and Italy, much to the annoyance of the people of Trieste, who will lose much of
their transit trade.

In addition to the railways which cross the Alps, there are others which
traverse their longitudinal valleys. The two lines over the Semmering and the
Brenner are thus connected by a line which runs from the upper valley of the
Drave into the Pusterthal. A second junction is effected to the north of the
Tauern ; but a line connecting the Inn valley with the railway systems of Switzer-

STYEIA.

land and Xortliern France is still wanting. Its construction will necessitate the
boring of a tunnel through the Arlberg.

Xo doubt this line would have been built long ago if it could prove of strate-
gical importance, but Switzerland excites no apprehensions. For works of defence
we^must look on the Italian slope of the Alps. In opening up the Alpine valleys
by means of railways, care was taken to render them inaccessible to a hostile invader.
Every road, every footpath, has its forts and batteries, the centre of defence being

Tig. 14. — Eo.\DS OVER THE Alps.

czi: u:.:3

UKri,HSft,

riji- Mnp in nhni\iA to expTcm Ihe hti^ht above the Soa-lcveL

placed at the; puinfH uhore the ru.stcrlhal joins the road over the IJreiinor. This
important strategical poHitir)n is defended by tlic Fraiizcnsfeste and other works.*

Toi'oraiAPMV.

Styhia. — The sites upon wliich important towns have been founded in tlic;
Alpine regions are clfarly markerl out by nature. TIk; largest city would natiiruily
ariH*! bf-yond the most elevated mountain niasHj's, in a j)l;iin nllonling heoj)e (or llu;
eultivatiftii of the Hoil, aiul on on(; <»f tlie great, liigli-rojKJH radiating from tlie capital
of the rinpire. f;nU2 (Hrttdne, H0,7:{'J inliabilantM), llie capital of Styria, and

• M'iK'it lit \tf\imin in «h«i Aiutrifin \\\m ^n ffot) : -

farr.ugf road, : ■ HUWu,, <>i,\r,\ , MhUt ll«i<l.'. ».!i73 ; Arlh.T«, MOO; l(ii<lHh..ll.r Tun. in, ."..TOO
I^/tt<rirnfinn Tdii/m, 1,004 ; I'onti titui, /.(lOO.

Ila,ln,a,h JJn nn.,r, KM\, H< uimninK, ,1.2«0; 'I/.l«l.u h Fi.M, in th. rn«l.i1lml. •,\,W1.

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

the largest town in the Austrian Alpine region, actually occupies such a site in the
wide valley of the Mur, and halt- way between Vienna and Trieste. The mines in
its vicinity have contributed to the growth of its industry. It is a cheerful town,
with a fine public park at the foot of a hill formerly occupied by the citadel.
From the summit of this picturesque knoll we see the city spread out beneath our
feet ; we can trace the winding course of the Mur, fringed by poplars, and survey
the wooded heights which bound the valley. Many half-pay officers have settled
at Gratz, because life is cheap and pleasant there, whilst students are attracted by
the scientific collections of its university.

Marburg (13,085 inhabitants), on the Drave and on the junction of the Puster-
thal railway with the Trieste line, is the only other town of importance in Styria.
Cilli (4,203 inhabitants), near Carniola, is the ancient Celleia, of which ruins still
exist, Bruck (2,879 inhabitants), on the Upper Mur, is one of the prettiest towns
in Austria. Leoben (5,091 inhabitants) is a mining town, where the preliminaries

Fig. 15. — Klagenfurt and the Lake of Worth.
Scale 1 : 225,000.

5 Miles.

of the treaty of Campo Formio were signed in 1792. Vordernberg (2,468 inha-
bitants) is known for its iron works, as are also Eisenerz (3,841 inhabitants)
and Rottenmann. Near the latter is the famous Benedictine abbey of Jdmont,
with an invaluable library. Jndenbitrg (Jewsborough, 3,189 inhabitants), the
ancient Idunum, occupies a delightful position on the Mur. It is not a town of
Jews : on the contrary, the Jews were massacred there during the Middle Ages,
and the modern name appears to be a corruption of the old Roman one. Maria-
zell (1,200 inhabitants), on the northern frontier, is a famous place of pilgrimage.
Teplitz and Tuffer (Franz-Josefsbad) are well-known watering-places.

Carinthia. — Klagenfurt (15,200 inhabitants), near the Drave and the Lake of
"Worth, is the only town of the province. St. Veit (2,322 inhabitants), the old
capital, has dwindled into a village, having some iron industry. Feldkirchen (5,31 G
inhabitants) is a large village. Bleiberg (4,061 inhabitants) has lead mines, and
Huttenberg iron mines and furnaces. Villach (4,258 inhabitants), to the north

SALZBUEG.— TTEOL.

of the Pontebba Xass and on the road to Italy, is sure to grow into a place of
importance as soon as the direct railway shall have been opened,

Salzburg (20,33(j inhabitants) is, next toGratz,the most populous town in the
German Alps, and undoubtedly one of the most interesting cities of all Germany.
Situated upon the Salzach, which there enters the plains of Bavaria, enclosed on
all sides by steep hills covered with trees and houses, and commanding a magnifi-
cent prospect of the Alps, Salzburg has at all times challenged the admiration of
its visitors. A tunnel pierces the hill to the west, and joins the old town to its
suburb, Riedenburg. The ancient seat of an archbishop, the city abounds in
ecclesiastical buildings ; but the Roman ruins of Juvavian, and the caverns which

Fig. 16. — Salzbxtro.
Scale 1 : 51,000.

I Mil.-

pierce theuarrounding hoight.H, are o(iually intcrcHting. A statin! has Itcen iTt-cted
to Mozart, a native of the town. The environs are <leliglitful, and the finest
Alpine \u\h'h within eixny reach. A litth; to the wjuth are the Halt W(»rks of lldllcin
f3,014 inhabituritH; and the picturefwuu- dcfilcH of the Salzaelj, h'adiiig into the
Piriz(^a)i, Vixitorn to the famous hot upriiij^'s of Gaittcin, ut the foot of tlio
Ankog<'I, UMually paws through Salzburg.

Tyk/ii,. — Jnmhntrl; n<J,HIO iuhabitantH), in tho wirlo and fiTtile valhiy of the
Inn, and at tho northern foot of th<! Iln^nner, is even better phieed for eoninn'rce
than Salzliiirg. Its pic;turcM|ti<; hoiisi-s are gaily painf«(i, and two bridi^es «i)an tlie
river. One of the churches boasts of tlie tomb of the Knipt;ror Maximilian, one

AUSTRIA-HUXGAEY.

of the finest works of the Renaissance in Germany. The only other towns on the
northern slope of the Alps are Uall (5,022 inhabitants), known on account of its salt
works ; Schuriz (4,813 inhabitants), famous formerly on account of its silver mines ;
and Kufstcin (2,083 inhabitants), with an old castle, converted into a prison. The

Fig. 17. — BoTZEx.
Scale 1 : 150,000.

■• :Miles.

towns on the Italian slope are more animated than those in the north. They
include Brixcn (4,349 inhabitants), at the junction of the Brenner and the Puster-
thal railways ; Bofzen (Bolzano, 9,357 inhabitants), at the confluence of the
Eisack and the Adige ; and Trent (17,073 inhabitants), an Italian city, remark-

YOEAELBEEG. 29

able on account of its ancient buildings, including the church in which sat the
famous Council of Trent (Io4o — 63), and where is shown a picture with portraits
of the 378 prelates assembled. Trent lies at the head of the road which leads by-
way of Leiico (6,250 inhabitants, famous for its wine) and the valley of Sugana
into Venetia. Roceredo (9,063 inhabitants) does a considerable trade in raw silk ;
Ala (2,686 inhabitants), a frontier town, formerly carried on the manufacture of
velvet ; Meran (4,229 inhabitants), on the Upper Adige, the old capital of the
Tyrol, attracts numerous visitors on account of its mild climate ; but Riva (5,082
inhabitants), on the Garda Lake, is far superior to it in that respect, besides offering
the charms of a more southern vegetation.

In VoRARLBERG, in the valley of the Rhine, only small towns and villages are
met with. Bhidenz (1,451 inhabitants) and Dornhirn (8,486 inhabitants) have
cotton-mills and print works. Other towns are Fehlkirch (2,568 inhabitants) and
Breyenz (3,600 inhabitants), the latter an Austrian port on the Lake of Constanz.

The principality of Liechtenstein is an enclave in Yorarlberg. It is an
independent state, formerly a member of the German Confederation, and has for
its capital the small village of Vaduz. Like other states, Liechtenstein rejoices in
representative institutions ; but the army was disbanded, as a superfluous luxury,
after the battle of Sadowa.

CHAPTER III.

AUSTRIA ON THE DANUBE.

USTRIA proper includes the wide Danubian vale between Bavaria
and Hungary and the foot-hills extending in the north to the
Bohemian Forest, and in the south to the limestone Alps of Salz-
burg and Styria. A name first bestowed upon a Bavarian
"march," or frontier district, in 996 has thus become the designa-
tion of the vast empire governed by the house of Habsburg, The nucleus of this
empire occupies a central position, and Vienna more especially is most happily
situated with reference to the other provinces.

The Danube, which waters the two provinces of Austria above and below the
Enns, rises from a modest spring in a retired Valley of the Black Forest, but in
its course to the east it assumes proportions far exceeding those of any other
European river, including even the Volga. Having been joined by the Inn, the
Danube escapes from the table-land of Bavaria and enters the valley of Austria,
.where its course has been regulated by costly engineering works. Passing alter-
nately through defiles and over plains, the river reaches the gate of the
Carpathians, through which it debouches upon the vast plains of Hungary.
Nearly two-thirds of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy lie within the basin of
the Danube.

The plateau, from which rises the Bohemian Forest, occasionally forms cliffs
along the northern bank of the Danube. It is intersected by a few tributaries of
no importance. On the south, however, the Danube is reinforced by the snow-
fed rivers which escape from the Alps, whose spurs and foot-hills advance some-
times close to its banks. The right bank thus presents us with a succession of
smiling valleys, backed by lofty mountains clothed with sombre forests or covered
with snow. The Danube between Linz and Vienna, though less frequented by
tourists than the Rhine, nevertheless rivals that river in its picturesque scenery.
The Danubian slopes are richer in verdure, the hills more varied in outline, and
the lateral valleys more numerous. Castles, turreted cities, and villages half
hidden in verdure add to the natural beauties of the river. Sometimes the river
is hemmed in between rocks, at others it spreads out over a wide valley. Below
Grein it flows through a narrow gorge obstructed by rocks and islets. The rapids

AUSTEIA ON THE DANUBE.

at the island upon whicli rise tte ruins of "Werfenstein are known as the Strudel ;
but the dangerous whirlpools {Wirhel) lower down, which bargemen never
ventured to cross without saying their prayers, exist no longer, the rock which
caused them having been removed in 18-59, and its fragments employed in
embanking the river. At the ruined castle of Diirrenstein, the place of captivity of
Richard Coeur-de-Lion, the Danube escapes from this gorge. It spreads freely
over the plain, enclosing between its branches numerous verdure-clad islands, or
Auen. Some of the old or dead arms of the river have become swamps fringed by
reeds, the favourite haunts of water-fowl. In these parts of the valley man has
not yet issued victoriously from his struggles with the river. Wild animals still
abound there ; and even the beaver, which has disappeared everywhere else in

Fig. 18. — The Danvbe at Gbein.
Scale 1 : 112,000.

K of Paris

Nti.,.l

K orCr

- -f^.

>NeuKpdt.Vv v,%'

'I MilM.

Germany, Htill inhabits those old arms of the Danube. Still considerable progress
has \h-vu rnado. Many of the " dead " anns of the river have boon converted into
mejidowH, emljankments }>avo been constructed, and tlio quiet beauty of the.so
works of man amply froinjKjnsaU.-s for the savage picturesqueness which it sup-
plants. The alluvial tracts of this plain arc of excfiiding fertility. Tiu; Mann-
hanlt.slKTg, the last jiromontory of the Moravian platcrau, is seen far to the lutrlli,
risinff alK>ve the verdant j>lairi, but th(! wood<;d spurs of the Alps on tlic right
hanrl approach f;low; to the riv(;r; and just aljove Vienna tin; range known as the
Wifriier Wald forces the Danube to in.ike a wide detour lotlu! tiorlh. IWlow these
hills the river expands, and traverses an ancient lake basin, upon th(! margin of
whieli riw;s Vienna with its suburbs, 'i'he plain which fxtendn to tlu! south of the
Duuubo is jmrtly covered with shingh-, hut uixm tho whoh' it is well cultivated,

AUSTEIA-nUNGARY.

and many towns and villages rise upon it. The northern plain, however, known
as the " ]\rarchfeld," abounded until recently in sand-hills, swamps, and furze, but
has now likewise been brought under cultivation. This Marchfeld is one of the
great battle-grounds of Europe, and was allowed to remain a wilderness during
the Middle Ages as a protection to the eastern " marches" of Germany.

Inhabitants and Towns.

The population of Austria proper is not so purely German as might be sup-
posed from the language universally spoken. The Germans living here are more
gay and supple of mind than their kinsmen in the north ; their features are
more expressive, their gait freer, and their skulls rounder ; and these differences
result from a mixture with other races. Originally the country was inhabited by
a non- Germanic race, and the names of many places are Celtic. After the down-
fall of the Roman Empire it was successively inhabited by Rugians, Huns, and

Fig. 19. — Geological Map of the Upper Valley of the Danube.

fl^jao'Eof

iG" 20'

Mica schist, I'orphyry

Granite,
Gneiss, etc-

SCALE I4>0nni000

so MILES

U'„„|

Triassic

'life--*

JuraSKic

CVc

acf-'jiui Tertiary

QKaltrnary

Avares. At the same time the Slavs founded numerous colonies, the names of
which survive to the present day. After the destruction of the Avares by Charle-
magne, only Slavs and Germans are mentioned, the former being kept in a state
of cruel servitude.

The terrible devastations of the Hungarians finally led to the complete Ger-
manisation of the country, which was repeopled by the Boioarians and other
German colonists. The Bishops of Passau founded numerous monasteries, around
which sprang up villages of serfs, and their wealth became prodigious. Living in
the midst of these German priests and peasants, the Slavs forgot their origin and
language, and a peaceable mixture of the two nations was thus accomplished.

The population* is densest along the right bank of the Danube, and, as in
Bavaria, all the towns of importance rise on that side of the river. This, at first
sight, may appear strange, for the hills on the northern bank are exposed to the
beneficent influence of the sun, and the sites, with the distant Alps bounding the

VIENNA AND I

Scale I

KEV/ ^'ORK.

ENVIRONS

n»ia

ti tfillM

AUSTEIA ON THE DANUBE.

horizon, are more picturesque. But these advantages are more than balanced by
a fertile alluvial soil beinj; only met with in the tertiary hills to the south of the
river, whilst the cultivable area extending along the granitic heights commanding
the lefc bank is very small in extent. The Danube, as appears from Fig. 19, forms a
well-defined geological boundary, separating the crystalline rocks of the north
from the tertiary and recent formations of the south.

Krems (6,114 inhabitants), the only town of importance on the left bank of the
Danube, occupies a site where both banks are of tertiary formation. Linz (30,838
inhabitants) is very favourably situated near the mouth of the Traun, and at the

Fig. 20.— Linz.
Scale 1 : 165,000.

E of Par.

g|^P-Js?^F55iV?S^^

A' of Or.

U'lif/

I .Miles.

ffXit of the j^ap wliidi wpanito.s tlu; ]*fjln,'niian l-'orcHt from tin- plateau of Moravia.
It ftX|K»rl« tho Halt of Sal /bur j^, and th<! timber and (jtlicr jjroducts of IJohemia.

Vn'nn/1* offifTH ono of th<! moKt Htrikiiig iiiHtuncoM of tlio iiiHuonee exorcised by
^«rog^rup}iicul pmition upon jjolitical dcHtinirH. Vindoboua, in tlie time of tlio
lUmians, wan tin; hoad-fjuarU-fH of u h-giori and of a flotilla, Init it liad no more
imfKirtancu than lifiuriarum (Lorch), at the nioutli oi tlio linns, for the great
military nttttir>n (»f I'anrionia wum naturally •rHtabliwlied at the nrjrthcrn outlet of

• Viff.f.i.Iri IHr,{(, h>i<l ft.t'i,4(M inhnhiUintH, 'ir, with iU IH nubnrlm, HrilJ.K.'ij. In 1K77 tin |i<>|iiilii-
ti/ifi WM I at ],<>'}(), IH)<) 'Hk! iiriiuiipnl MiilnirlM iiro ilcrnmU, FunnmiiH, iCiitiolfMhtniii, OtliikriiiKi

M«i<lliriK, H^tttU tt/.hitiin, kc,

AUSTRIA-nUNGAllY.

the Tyrolese passes. Still the commercial importance of Vienna's position was
recognised even then, and at Carnuntum, a short distance below the modern town,
thev constructed a bridge of boats, which facilitated intercourse with the countries
in the north as far as the Baltic. Upon Vienna converge the roads from the Adriatic,
from Bohemia and Silesia, and for centuries that city was the easternmost outpost
of European civilisation. This exposed position no doubt had its disadvantages.
Twice — in 1529 and 1683 — Vienna was sorely pressed by the Turks. But Hungary
and Turkey having now become members of the European family of nations,
Vienna has ceased to be a frontier town, and when the railways which are to

Fig. 21. — The Growth of Vienna.
Scale 1 : 74,000.

tit°|E of Paris

lG" 2o'E. otGr

; it:nna tH;/«r

tn 1873

Subiirlis

1 MUe.

Quarters Ijui It or buihlimi

on ititp ftf

ancient fortijicati m '

connect it with Saloniki and the East generally are completed, it will become the
centre of the continent, and deserve the epithet of Weltstadt rather prematurely
bestowed upon it.

Vienna is not only one of the most important and flourishing cities of Europe, it
is also one of the most sumptuous. Situated upon a narrow arm of the Danube,
at the mouth of the Wien, and close to the main branch of the river, it spreads
over the plain bounded in the east by the wooded heights of the Wienerwald.
The spires and domes of some of its most striking monuments are visible from

a
pa
<

I
Ed

AUSTEIA OX THE DANUBE. 35

afar. In tlie very centre of the old town the spire of the famous cathedral of
St. Stephen rises to a height of 453 feet. The modern Gothic Votire Church forms
one of the principal ornaments of the modern quarter of the town, within which
have likewise been erected the new university buildings, the Town-hall, and the
Exchange. The palatial buildings which line the new boulevards strike the
beholder, and a few statues of martial aspect are not wanting. The great
rotunda of the Exhibition Palace of 1873 remains. Its cupola is the largest in
the world, bnt size is no beauty.

As a rule the palaces and public buildings of Vienna are somewhat heavy,
but by no means devoid of majesty and beauty. The ground-plan of the city
offers many advantages. The old fortifications have been converted into a wide
street known as the " Ring." An outer boulevard, known as the Giirtol, or belt,
is being laid out on the site of the old " Lines " established in 1704 to prevent an
inva.sion of the plague. There are several parks and public gardens, including
the Prater, which is the great place of recreation of the Viennese. The hills in
the \'icinity are covered with magnificent forests : formerly these forests extended
close to the walls of the town. The stump of an old tree is pointed out in the
Grahen, or fosse, now one of the finest streets of the city, as being tlie only
remnant of the ancient forest. It is covered with nails, for formerly it was
the cu.stom for everj' journeyman smith, on parting from Vienna, to drive a nail
into it, and is hence known as the "Stock im Kisen." The wooded slopes of the
Thiergarten rise above the fine park of Schcinbrunn and the neat Belvedere
built by Maria Theresa. The palace of Schonbrunn has almost become a part of
the growing city. P'arther away towards the west we rcacli the suburb of
Ilietzing, the "finest village " of Austria, conhi.sting exclusively of villa residences.
The palace of Laxenburg, with its fine park, lies farther to the south.

Vienna has quite recently obtained u supply of pure water from the Alps.
The af|uefluct is oO miles in length, and its discharge varies between 100 and 350
cubic feet a second. It is fed from springs rising on the Schneeberg. Amongst
these springs that of the Alta is the most curious. Formerly it was intermittent,
but its reservoir having been tapped, it has become perennial. This reservoir is
fe<l by the rain which falls upon the " Steinfeld," near Xeustadt, which acts as u
huge filt<'ring basin.

Sf;arccly liad the Viennese transfonned th«! old forllficuitions into one of the
finest qMJirter.H of the town than tliey turned their uftcnlion towards the
" imjKTial " river, which flows at a distance of mon; than a mile from the town,
and to whieh they had mjceiw only by means of n rivulet rendered nuvigii])le in
the }K;girining of lust century. The |);i[iu)ie formerly was bounded by swaiiijis
ond forosfs, in the mirlst of which its numerous arms took their erratic eourso.
Thi«i is the cane no longer. j\ channel, !>H0 feet in width, has lu-en excavated
Xf> the nortli of Vienna, through which the rivrrr now fakes its course, its old Ind
having U'en partly filled uji. Five bridges sj)iin llio new Ix-d oC the Dnniihe, a
railway runs along it, and solid quays line it, but the new (puirters of I lie loun,
whieh it wan supiiofw.'d wouhl r.ipidly spring u|> idotig it, are still in enduv"*.

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

owing to the financial disasters which have recently overtaken Vienna. A fine
winter haven has been constructed on the peninsula lying between the new
Danube and the branch which flows through Vienna.

Although Austria proper is inhabited by Germans, the crowds which fill the
streets of Vienna are made up in a large measure by strangers from all parts of
the empire and from the East.* The Bohemians constitute the most numerous
foreign element of the population, and next to them come Magyars : Slovaks (most
of them gardeners), Servians, Rumanians, Greeks, Armenians, and other repre-
sentatives of the East are attracted in hundreds. But of all races it is the Jews
who increase most rapidly. Numbering about 60,000, they command the money
market, and by means of the press, which is almost entirely in their hands, they
influence the political world almost as largely as they do the commercial.

Fiff. 22. — The Ancient Arms of the Danube at Vienna.

l4°5\Long E.ofP,

131^48° 13*

Lat. 48°

6''25' Long- E.of Cr.

Ancient bats ofRii'.r

More ancient soil

Alluvial soil

Vienna is famous throughout Germany as a town of pleasure. Its gaiety is
proverbial ; nowhere else do the masses so readily contrive to amuse themselves,
and on holidays the parks and gardens of the city resemble vast pleasure grounds.
But Vienna is also a busy hive of industry. Its artisans were famous in
legendary times, for it was there that Attila obtained his nuptial robes ; and they
are so still. Amongst the articles manufactured are silks, carriages, steam-
engines and machinery, pianofortes, and other musical and scientific instru-
ments. The Government printing-office is perhaps the foremost establishment of
that kind in Europe. The Viennese artisans excel in the manufacture of trifles
in ivory, leather, paper, and metal, and although these " articles " may be inferior

* In 1870 amongst everj' hundred Viennese there were 56 German Austrians, 12 non-Austrion
Germans, 18 Bohemians and Slovaks, 6 Magyars, 6 Jews, and 2 foreigners.

AUSTELL OX THE DANUBE.

to those of Paris in delicacy and harmony of colour, they are probably more
thowy and solid.

Formerly, it is said, Yienna was intellectually an idle city. Men of science,
authors, and poets of eminence were rare, and thought was sluggish. Only its
musicians had achieved a world-wide fame. There are writers who blame the
climate for this intellectual apathy. The sudden changes of temperature and the
hot winds of the Adriatic, which find their way through breaches in the Alps, are
said to have an enervating influence upon the inhabitants, and, whilst rendering
them unfit for intellectual work, predispose them towards sensual enjoyment.
But this is libelling the climate,* for since the Austrian Government has
relaxed its "paternal" rule there has taken place an intellectual revival in

Fig. 23. — The Rectificatiox of the Daxvbe at Yiexna.

4" 5\Long, E.ofP

Lat^48°l3'

^Aspern

Lat. 4a'l5'

i6'?5'Long R.ofQ.

1 130 000

public, ncientific, and literary life. Tlio publicutionH issm-d by the scientific
n(H-A(:iif.n of the city are of a high order, and in ilM educationul institutions it
ne^-il not four (^ompariwm with itH northern rival, the "City of Intilligoncc." Its
university ih the rrumt frcfjuenttfl in all (iermany. Its miiseurnH, libmrics, and
\mUirb jfalh;ri«« aWjiind in treasurer, and form centroH (»f attraction to every
student. 'I'lif gallery of p.iintingH, for the prcNcnl in tlie Ik-lvedcre, contains
1,700 paintingM, uU tlie gr«;ttt musterH being repn-Mi'Hted. The Imperial Library
conMiNtii of more tlian ''{00,000 voliiineH, incliirling I 'J, 000 incunablcs and "JO, 000
rriarmi/ rijifi. Then- are >M;veral other librarien (among tln^ni that of the univerwity,
With 2.^0,000 volumon), a geological uinHeum, a museum oj" luifnnd history, and
other (^illectioTin.

• M/!in UtrijxTntiir", W V. : nwnn nf Jariunry, 20* F. ; mottri of .Fuly, 08" K.

38 AUSTEIA-HUNGARY.

Nearly all the other towns and villages of Austria proper are dependencies of
Vienna, and their prosperity is materially influenced by that of the capital. The
baths of Baden (5,847 inhabitants), delightfully situated at the eastern foot of
the Wienerwald, are a favourite summer resort of the Viennese. Voslau (2,152
inhabitants), farther south, is famous on account of its A'ineyards. Wiener-
Neustctdt (18,070 inhabitants) is a busy manufacturing town at the northern
foot of the Semmering Alps, and near it is Frohsdorf, the property of a prince
who to other titles adds that of " King of France." Bnick-on-the-Leitha (4,203
inhabitants) and Ilainhurg (4,178 inhabitants) are commercial outposts of Vienna,
the one on the road to Buda-Pest, the other on the Danube. Klosterneiihurg (5,330
inhabitants), on the right bank of the river; Korucuhurg (4,256 inhabitants)
and Stockemu (5,018 inhabitants), on its left bank, flourish because of their vicinity
to the great city. From the first of these towns a steep railway takes us to the
summit of the Kahlenberg, a favourite " look-out " of the Viennese. The prospect
from the Leopoldsberg, however, is far more attractive, the eye ranging over the
broad plain of the Danube. It was in the vineyards of the Leopoldsberg that
the phvlloxera first made its appearance in Austria.

In addition to the towns in the immediate vicinity of Vienna, and of Linz
(30,538 inhabitants) and Kreins (6,114 inhabitants), which are indebted for their
prosperity to their position on important highways of commerce, there exist but
few centres of population in Austria. The manufacturing town of St. Pblten
(7,779 inhabitants), to the west of Vienna, is one of them. Sieijr (3,392 inhabit-
ants), on the Enns, and Waidhofen (3,497 inhabitants), still farther west, on the
Ybbs, are others. The towns named last are the centres of the . Austrian iron
industry. A few towns of importance are met with in the picturesque Salz-
kammergut, or " Salt Estate," including Gmunden (1,408 inhabitants), pic-
turesquely seated upon the Lake of Traun ; IscJil (1,999 inhabitants), famous as
a watering-place ; and the ancient city of HalMatt (1,300 inhabitants), with salt
mines, worked for more than two thousand years, as is proved by the Celtic tools
and arms occasionally turned up by the miners.

■n

CHAPTER IV.

THE ADRIATIC PROVINCES.
(GoRiziA, Tbierte, Isthia, Dalmatia.)

General Aspects. — Mointaixs.

HE basin of the Isonzo, the peninsula of Istria, tlie Dalmatian coast
land and its islands, form part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire,
in spite of watersheds and nationality. The German and the
Magyar are strangers in these Adriatic regions, from which they
are separated by the ramifications of the Alps —

" Che Italia chiudc e i suoi termini bagna." — Daxte, Inferno, canto ix.

Istria and the basin of the Isonzo belong to Cisleithan Austria ; the coasts of
Quarnero and of P^iume, as far as the ridge of Vcllebi(?, or Velebit, are subject to
Hungary. Tlie {xjsscssion of harbours on the Adriatic is of paramount importance
to the great Danubian empire. Trieste enables German Austria to freely com-
municate with the outer world and to threaten Ituly. Fiume affords similar
advantages to Hungary.

liut lialmatia, which stretches far south along the eastern shore of the
Adriatic, is almost beyond the sphere of Austrian or Hungarian influence. Its
VKjundaricH have l>een fixed in the most arbitrary manner, (ieographically as well
as ethnogruphif-ally it forms part of the yM-ninsula of the I^alkans; and if ifs
inhabitants declined to throw in their lot with the SlaVM, they would naturally
turn toward** Italy. Tlie sarnf! sea washes the coasts of Ijoth, while frequent mikI
long-continu(rd infercourMe has broii^rht al>out a jMirlial assimilation in manners
and language. I''f)r a long tinu; the V'<-netians lidd prmsession of a great pari, of
l)almatia, and rt-publican iCagusa l»e(rame almoMt Italian. The chances of war
threw |)iihnatia into the baridH of Erarjec!, and later intfi thosr; of Austria. Tlie
reuMniN wbich prevcnte<l I)alrnatia from asserting its independence lie mi tin-
nurfa^:^'. No material bonds ever united tlie Slavs of this strip of c<»ast land in
defenee of their indefHTid*rnee, and tliey found no support amongst their kinsmen
in till! int4;rior, from whom they ore sefKirated by ari«l mountains. Tlie Illyriiui
Uepiiblic of IlugUNU never enjoyed u |Mjriod of repose, and ever led a troubled
life.

40 AUSTRIA-HUNG AKY.

Dalmatia is the poorest province of the empire, in spite of its extent, its many
harbours, and its delicious climate. Its population is thinly sown. In Istria
and Gorizia, on the other hand, the coast and the plains at the foot of the arid
plateau of the Carso are densely peopled.

A rugged platform, upon which rise ramifications of the Alps, extends from
three-cornered Terglou towards the south and south-east, until it joins the Shar
and other mountain masses of the Thraco- Hellenic peninsula. In Istria, however,
this platform, divided into well-defined plateaux, only supports masses of rocks,
hilly ranges, and a few isolated summits, amongst which the Nanos, or Monte Re
(4,248 feet), thus called because Alboin, King of the Lombards, planted his sword
upon it in sign of conquest, is the most remarkable. This plateau, still known
by its Celtic name of Carso (in German Karst), that is, "land of stones," com-
pletely separates the fertile littoral region from the fields irrigated by the Save and
its tributaries. Only one pass leads across it, that of Ober-Laibach, the Nauportus
of Strabo (1,214 feet). It was through this pass the Roman legions pursued
their way to the north-east, and the Italians still look upon it as forming the
natural frontier of Italy.

The Carso, with its piled-up stones and grotesquely shaped rocks, presents a
unique appearance. No glacier has ever crept across its surface, which is neverthe-
less covered with rocks of all sizes, such as we find in valleys invaded by moraines.
Walls, obelisks, and rock masses resembling uncouth statues, rise above the chaos
of limestone. Once we leave the roads constructed at much expense, progress
through this stony waste becomes difficult, if not impossible. " Sinks " of all shapes
and dimensions abound, some of them presenting the appearance of amphi-
theatres surrounded by rows of seats. These sinks* swallow up all the rain that
falls, when they are converted into temporary lakes, unless the water immediately
disappears in the bowels of the earth. The soil suspended in the water is deposited
upon the bottom of the sink, and these hidden spots are carefully cultivated by the
inhabitants, for upon the open plateau, owing to high winds and arid soil, cultiva-
tion is not practicable.

Sinks are met with in all limestone regions of cretaceous age. A portion of
those of Istria are supposed by some to be due to an irruption of mineral water,
which decomposed the limestone. The red earth, which fills up all the crevices
in the rocks of Istria — Istria liossa — is pointed at in support of this theory. This
earth hardly contains a trace of organic matter, and seems to have been derived
from the subterranean chemical laboratory of nature.

In former times the whole of the Carso was covered with oak forests. At the
close of the last century the Forest of Montona still covered a considerable area in
Central Istria, and smaller woods existed on the heights commanding the western
coast of the Gulf of Trieste. A few remnants of these ancient forests survive to
the present day, the most considerable, near the village of Tomai, being known as
the " Paradise of the Carso." Elsewhere considerable tracts are covered with
heather, mastic, juniper, and turpentine trees, and rock -roses. The flora of the

* Called Foibe by the Italians, Doline by the Slovenes, Inglutidors by the Friulians.

THE ADELITIC PEOVINCES. 41

Carso, though poor in individuals, is extremely rich in species. On the coast
vast tracts are sometimes covered by plants of the same species. On the Carso, on
the other hand, fifty or sixty species are frequently met with upon an area of a
few square yards. It is here the floras of Germany, Italy, and Croatia mingle.

Xearly all the forests have disappeared since the beginning of the century, and
the ravages committed by sheep and goats have prevented nature from recovering.
Several attempts at replanting resulted in faQure, sometimes because the vegetable
soil had been carried away by the wind, more frequently through the improvidence

Pig. 24.— The Sdjks of Pola.
Scale 1 : 36,000.

U" 3i E. r,f I'.iris

.illJlniA'^

k ^^^

[J^ C ' /{ijt/aOi

I Mil..

of tli»? vilIaj^«TH to wliorn tin,' work bad bc^ri inlrusfcd. Others, liowcvcr, hiivo
nw.v.ct-ihf\. A )H>aiitif'ul plantation of pini-H may b«! m:v.r\ cIokc to the villii;^<! oC
I{>i<iNovi//,a, rijiflit a}>*»v(r Tri«>hto, on one* of tin; nioHt arid tructn of the Cupho. Im
fact, wh«rrov«T tin- phitf-au i.i pr.»U:ct<'d aj^ainut hhcrp and goatH, MlinibH Hjirinj,' up,
and in th*- «Tid th*- oak, lo<», will n-appcar.

Hut. not only in it jK»«Ni]»In Vt n-pjant thf) T'arwj with tn-cH, it. in alw) posHlbhi to
'iiltivut.*' Mirno of '\\n lou»it prorniMin^ tractM. FioIdH have brm chMrcd of utonoH,
and ryrlojH-an walU (MjnHtruct^Ml to prol<'ct, thcin ajfuinwt the wind ; and in rourt-o

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

of time they yielded harvests. This, however, is an exception. Standing upon
the edge of the plateau, near Basso vizza, or on the Opcina (1,294 feet), we are
struck by the contrast presented by the smiling coast region and the forbidding
plateau. On the one hand we look upon the blue waters of the Adriatic, upon
sinuous ba^'s fringed by rows of houses, upon towns and villages embosomed in
verdure ; on the other upon a rocky waste, without rivers, springs, or vegetation.
The line separating the verdant slopes from the reddish plateau is clearly
defined.

That portion of the Carso which we see to the north of Trieste, and which
extends to the north-west and south-west, runs parallel with the general axis of

Fig. 25.— The Vellebi(5.
Scale 1 : 110,000.

2 Miles.

Western Illyria. The range of hills surmounting the plateau runs m the same
direction. The " Snowy Mountain " (Sneznica, or Schneeberg, 5,893 feet) must
be looked upon as bounding the Triestine Carso in the south, for close to it rises
the river, for the most part subterranean, which drains the stony plateau. The
Snowy Mountain is entitled to that designation, for in some of its crevices
snow is found throughout the year. The " Hungarian Grate " lies to the west of
it, and near by the old battle-field of Grobrick, now traversed by a railroad. Not
far beyond it rises the Monte Maggiore, or Caldiera (4,572 feet), the culminating
point of Tstria, presenting a steep face towards the Gulf of Quarnero.

The limestone plateau to the south of the Snowy Mountain, which M. Lorenz

THE ADEIATIC PEO^^NCES. 43

proposes to call the Liburnian Carso, is almost as desolate in aspect as the Carso of
Trieste. Amongst its sinks is one of unusual size, an entire village, surrounded
by fields and orchards, occupying its bottom. The range of mountains which rises
upon the Liburnian Carso runs parallel with the coast of Dalmatia. Its average
height is 4,000 feet, whilst the height of its passes varies between 2,300 and 4,533
feet. Xone of the culminating summits pierce the zone of perennial snow, the
highest amongst them being the Great Kapella (Klek, 5,394 feet) and the Yellebid
(Vaganski Vrh, 5,768 feet). The latter lies on the boundary between Croatia and
Dalmatia, close to the sea, and its summit, tinted in blue, purple, or rose colour,
according to the distance from which it is seen and the time of the day, is visible
from afar. It is the storm-breeder of the Dalmatian mariner. This mountain
forms a good natural boundary, for it presents great difficulties to a traveller, not
80 much because of its height, but owing to its formidable precipices.

The deep valleys of the Zermanja and the Kerka separate the range of the
Vellebic from the Dinaric Alps, thus called from the principal summit, the
Dinara (5,942 feet). Beyond the wide valley of the Narenta the mountains rise
once more, and in the Orion (6,230 feet), on the frontiers of Montenegro, they
attain their greatest height in Dalmatia.

The mountains along the coast of Croatia are partly wooded, but those of
Dalmatia are almost naked, Claudius's Dalmatia frondom exists no longer. AVhen
Ragusa was founded the Slavs called it Dubrovnik, on account of the surrounding
forests. The Venetians, when they took possession of the country, found all the
timber they wanted, whilst now the wood required even for building the smallest
boat has to be imported. The inhabitants of the country accuse pirates of having
set fire to the forests. More likely they were destroyed by goatherds, as in the
Cars'j, The destruction of the forests of the Curso during the last century has been
estimated to have caused a loss equivalent to that of 582 square miles, with over
a million of inhabitants. Steaming along the coast of l)alniatiu, the grey and
nake<l mountains resemble huge heaps of ushes. The reverse slopes, however,
are still wofj<Ie<l from the foot to the summit.

RiVF.KS ANn TiAKES.

Thk plateaux of Cumiola, KajnUa, and Vclh-ltit', and the mf)untains of Dalmatia,
constitute a Mtrong strategic barrier, not only because of their height, but also
bccauue of the want of water. The limeMtune of wljich they are coinposi^d (piickly
nnv.Vn up the rain, and no otlier (;ountry in Miin»p(! abounds ho largely in iiii<l<r-
jffoiind rivers, 'i*lic>»e river* have their waterfalls, their freslietH, ami (dlier
phenomena, like rivi-rs flowing on the surface, M. Selmiidt mid oIIktm, by
descending into the sinks and ernharking in hUiall boats up«»n mysterious water-
courws, have iiucceed(;d in mapping several of these subttTrunean rivcT syst<'trm.

Of all thetwj rivers the Rieka, or \Uvvm, xwmt Trieste, is the iiiosl, CiUiious,
Rising ufK»n the Snowy .Mounliiin, it flows for somm^ (lislunce tliroiigli u niirrow
vuuou, until it diwipjieurs beneiitli tlie n»«k, surniounted by the pi«,tures(jue village

AUSTEIA-HUNGAEY.

of St. Canzian. Still lower dovm it flows over the bottom of a sink, then
forms some cataracts, and disappears once more, only to appear again after an
underjrround course of 22 miles. At Monfalcone, where the river leaves its
cavernous channels through three apertures, it is of considerable volume, and
navigable for small sea-going vessels. It is known here as Timavo, and was
famous amongst the ancients, who built temples upon its banks. Its volume
appears to have decreased, and M. Czoeruig thinks that formerly it was fed by
subterrnnean channels which now communicate with the Isonzo. It certainly no

Fig. 26. — The Isonzo and the Timavo.
Scale 1 : 110,000.

u-n'

F.. of Pa

E. of Cr.

13° 33-

2 llUes.

longer deserves to be called the " Mother of the Adriatic," for it is far inferior now
to the Isonzo, whose delta advances at the rate of 23 feet a year.*

A second Recca, or Recina (a word signifying "river"), rises on the Liburnian
Carso, and flows through a fearfully savage gorge towards the Quarnero, which it
enter? a short distance below Fiume. A few hundred yards above its mouth a
spring gushes forth from the foot of the rocks, its waters rushing into the channel
of the river and filHng the western port of Fiume, after having put in motion the

* Delivery of the Eecca at St. Canzian, 5 to 141 cubic feet per second. Discharge of the Timavo, 14
to 1,060 cubic feet per second ; average, 32S cubic feet.

THE ADEIATIC PEOVINCES.

wheels of numerous mills. Unfortunately the enormous mass of sediment carried
down hy the river has formed a bar at its mouth (see Fig. 37). Xo less than
39,200 cubic yards of siliceous mud are deposited every year, the river discharging
during the same period 686,000,000 tons of water. The temperature of this
copious spring averages 50° Fahr. ; that is to say, it is about the same as that of
the rain which falls upon the plateau 4,000 feet above. The temperature of all
the springs along the coast is analogous, and this proves that they are supplied by

Fig. 27. — The Ombla, Gravosa, and Ragusa.
Scale 1 : 81,500.

U">|47 EOf Pan-.

■^

"•r?»t!.

^■'

•/,'-'-

J>^.

A n I? 1 .\ lie

!«•; I. oft.

I MiU-.

Ml"

I \

ftACIs

thft rain prwipitiit^d upon fhr- |,l.itc(iu of tin; Caitho. Homo of them t\hv. fn.in the
notttttn of the nun. The rriont ropiouH of tlii-si; Hubiniiririo Mi)riiigH gusluH out iit th«?
f«K>t of llj«- .Monte Muj^t^iore, und ufter heavy rain tlie rush of fresli water ciuiscs ii
^Tirtii comrriotioti of the N;a, duiigcrouH to vewHelH entering within a rirrh- of (i(«)
ftrft Mdiim.

rh<-iiorn«'nii of the mime kind hiiv*- ])con ohwrv..! in (oniM.ii.,n wiili (ho
I*tn.in Arnn and thi- l)alnmfiun Hvitm Zrruu.nja. Krku (Krrka). ('.tlinii, and
Nun-nfu, On „ nuij, them; riverN, whirh hi«h- thrinHolveH from time lo tinu;

40 AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

in underground channels, resemble a serpent cut into pieces. Most of them
flow beneath the surface valleys, but others take their course athwart moun-
tain ranges. Thus the Cettina, which flows along the foot of the Dinaric
Alps, is supposed to be fed from a lake lying beyond the hills, towards the
east, whilst itself discharging a subterranean branch which reaches the sea
near Spalato. The blue Ombla, which flows into the Bay of Gravosa, and the
spring of Doli, which rises from the bottom of the sea, are supplied by the
Trebincica, a tributary of the Narenta, flowing beyond the mountains of Herze-
govina. Others of these subterranean rivers have never been traced to their
mouths, and there are springs supplied we know not how. The Lake of Vrana, on
the island of Cherso (Kres), covers an area of 2-3 square miles, and holds
233,000,000 tons of water. It is undoubtedly fed by springs supplied from the
mainland, for its temperature is lower than any experienced on the island.

The greater part of Carniola and Dalmatia would be altogether without water,
if it were not for underlying impervious sandstones and clay, which occasionally
force the underground rivers to appear on the surface. Besides this, in crossing
these bare and white plateaux, we are occasionally charmed by the sight of a large
depression filled with verdure, like the quarry gardens of Syracuse. The famous
vineyards of Prosecco occupy one of these verdant sinks of the Triestine Carso.
Many identify these vines with the vites pucince of the ancients, whilst others seek
them on the slopes of Duino, near the mouth of the Timavo, which yields the
excellent wine known as Mcfosco.

One of the most difiicult tasks of the people dwelling around the Carso consists
in their protecting themselves against the sudden floods caused by these subter-
ranean rivers. The water, not being able to spread laterally, rises vertically, fills
up the sinks, and even overflows them. The E,ieka has been observed to rise
350 feet above its ordinary level in the sink of Trebi(5. The villages are thus
perpetually threatened by inundations. The inhabitants take many precautions
to avert the danger. They place gratings over the openings of the sinks, to
prevent their becoming choked up ; they occasionally clean c ut the underground
channels ; and sometimes even resort to blasting in order to open more commodious
passages for the surplus waters. Permanent or temporary lakes are formed in
many places, in spite of these precautions. One of the largest is the Lake of
Rastoc, to the north of the swampy delta of the Narenta. It shrinks according to
the seasons, a portion of its bed being alternately covered with water abounding
in fish, or cultivated. Still none of these Adriatic lakes can' compare with that
of Zirknitz, which lies on the northern slope of the Carso.

Caverns no longer serving as a passage to rivers are as numerous in the Carso
and the Illyrian Alps as are the channels of underground rivers. They ramify
to such an extent that the whole country has been likened to a petrified sponge.
The most widely known of these labyrinthian passages lie within the basin of the
Save, but those of Dalmatia, though less frequently visited, are quite as curious.
Not only are they curious on account of their stalactites, but also because of their
fauna and flora. A peculiar species of bat is found there, and seven species of a

THE ADELITIC PEOYIXCES.

sliapeless blind reptile inhabit the wells of Gradisca. There are flies, eyeless
coleoptera, arachnids, centipedes, Crustacea, and molluscs.

Formerly the superstition of the inhabitants peopled these caverns with
demons, vampires, and sorcerers. The Morlaks looked upon one of the deepest
of these chasms as a gate of hell, and a neighbouring cavern they converted
into the dwelling-place of a sorceress, who sallied forth at night to steal little
children, whose hearts she eat. In a cavern near Ragusa dwelt the serpent of
^seulapius, guarding three magic coins lying at the bottom of a limpid pool. A
roaring noise, frequently heard in these caverns at sunrise and sunset during summer,

Fig. 28. — The Xarenta.
Scale 1 : 210.000.

I Mil.

ban (riven birth to and kf-pt ulivc those BupttrHtitions. This curious phenomenon
r«;alU the ninKinjf Htatuc of Mcmnon, and is due, no doubt, to rusliea of air
throuffh narrow fiH«urcH. In the autumn of IKJO the Houndn heard on the iMliind
of 3I.;lada are niid to have fri^ht.ned away the inliabitantn, who fancied they
heard the threatening voice« of wouIm forgot t<n in purgatory.

Thk Coast. — Ihi.amh.

Thk wiJitt-linft of Idtria and ])almalia in quite uh nniarkabh! in ilH configuration
Mare the plateaux and the riverM. At the first glance tlic iMtriim jMninsula

AUSTRL^-HUNGARY.

impresses by its niassiveness, but narrow arms of the sea, bounded by steep
precipices, penetrate far inland. The Yalle Quieto and the Canale di Leme pierce
it on the west, while the Canale di Arsa and the Bay of Fianona are equally
remarkable inlets on the east.

But far more fantastical than Istria is the outline of Balmatia, with its
peninsulas, and its fringe of islands, islets, and sunken rocks. Its islands and deep
bays remind us of the sicaeren and the fiords of Norway, but this analogy is
merely superficial ; for whilst the fiords of Scandinavia are submarine valleys of
great depth, which intersect the coast range in all directions, and ramify into a
multitude of arms, the canale and bays of Dalmatia are simple channels of

Fig. 29. — The Sink of Pago.
Scale 1 : 1,135,000.

15* 10' E ofCr.

IS'IO'

DEPTH IN FATHOMS

0— a

5-ri Qoer 11

^.^_^_^ 5 Mileb.

erosion, less than 160 feet in depth, and extending in the same direction as the
ridges of the Carso and the Dinaric Alps — that is, from the north-west to the
south-east. The peninsulas and islands of Illyria have none of the chaotic dis-
order peculiar to the torn rocks of the Scandinavian coast. The direction of their
hill ranges and valleys is the same as that of the mountains and valleys of the
mainland. Geologically they belong to the same formation as the mainland, the only
exceptions being the eruptive rocks of Lissa and of a few islets far oixt in the
Adriatic. There can be no doubt that all these islands were formerly joined to the
mainland, the work of erosion which cut them asunder having been favoured by

THE ADEIATIC PEOVINCES.

the friable nature of the rocks. The sinks have largely influenced the existing
configuration of the coast and of its fringe of islands. Amongst sinks which
have been converted into harbours, in consequence of the sea having obtained
access to them, may be mentioned those of Buccari and Porto E,e, near Fiume.
Others, as that of Pago, are still separated from the sea by a narrow neck of laud.
The coast, moreover, is slowly subsiding. In Istria the ruins of the ancient towns
of Sipar and of Medelino may still be distinguished a few yards below the level of
the sea. The island of Cissa, near Rovigno, famous in the time of the Romans
for its dyers, disappeared beneath the waves in the eighth century. The fresh-

Fig. 30.— The Kekka.
Scale 1 : IGO.OOO.

i3^ 5o'E. of Paris

FvS'**:^, ^

} '::-/

\ J'i-<ihlla,

n^V?^

^.-^

■ 1'*

io.

<>Wf^

!S 1

II lalh»

MIC I

2 Mile*.

wat<rT liukf! of Vruna, nour tho Nurcnfa, wuh iriviidcd in lO.'U) by tho sea. On tlio
offuT band, thfrr; i« not wanting ovidnnco iK)inting U> a local upheaval of tlu* land.
rho Narntita, for in«t<in«;c!, cunnr)t now be navij^atofl aH fniely an during tho rtiign
of th»! Vfrn«;tianH, 'I'Im'm, howijvfr, may Ix; diu- lo iilliivial d«'poNil.M ol)Htructing itw
c}jarin«-l.

0/j#' of fh»! mojit rirmarkjiblt; rnfuario-* of tin; rilyrian coant is lliat into wliidi
th<! K<-rka di>M;harg<!« it««!lf bi'f.w«!<Mi Zira and Spalafo. It, in at one iind \\u' Manic
tim« a rivi-r, a lake?, and an inlet «»f tlio m-a. Tli< Kt-rka, abovo .Scardona, I'orniM a
rriiniafun; Niagara. On l«;aving tho narrow (dianni Mcoopi-d out by tlu! watorfall,

AUSTEIA-HUNGAEY.

the fresh, water of the river spreads itself over the brackish water of Lake Prokllan.
The river then enters a second gorge, through which it flows to the Adriatic.

Of the many bays of Dahnatia, that called Bocche di Cattaro is most widely
known. Its ramifications recall the Lake of the Four Cantons, and although there
are neither glaciers nor pastures, it would be difiicult to meet with rocks of bolder
aspect or of more dazzling colours. The " mouths " include numerous ports,
capable of affording shelter to the united fleets of the world. Two passages,
13 fathoms- deep, lead into the interior, where the mariner loses sight of the
sea, and finds himself upon a tranquil sheet of water, winding among steep
mountains. Villages of fishermen are seen upon the shore, half hidden amongst

Fig. 31. — The Bocche di Cattaro.
Scale 1 : 240,000.

5 Fathoms Line

27 Fathoms Line
u u

i Miles.

verdure ; old walls and ruined towers are reflected in the blue water ; barren
rocks peep out in the midst of vineyards and plantations of olive and lemon trees ;
and wherever we look the horizon is bounded by mountains. Few gulfs in Europe
can rival in beauty these Bocche of Cattaro.

Standing upon the heights of the mountains, we look down on the islands
fringing the coast, their grey or reddish rocks contrasting most admirably
with the blue waters of the Adriatic. Every one of these islands possesses some
feature distinguishing it from the others. Veglia (Krk in Slav) most resembles
the mainland, from which it is separated by the shallow channel of Maltempo.
Cherso (Kres), though nearly surrounded by channels having a depth of over

o
<

H
H

B3
O

THE ADEIATIC PEOVINCES.

30 fathoms, is separated from the neighbouring island of Lussin only by a
narrow cavanella, hardly 20 feet wide, and perhaps excavated by human hands, to
facilitate the passage from the Quarnero into the channel of Quarnerolo. Arbe,
abounding in olives, consists of several parallel ridges, separated by inlets of the
sea and low valleys. Pago, 40 miles in length, terminating in the north in a point
resembling the horns of a narwhal, is bounded by cliffs of eocene limestone, and

Fig. 32. — Panorama of the Bocche di Cattabo.

liuji in itH rciitro lr>ri(^itiuli'ial valN-ys gruflually iiMTgiii^; into itileta of tho hcu,
loi'-ally known an ralli, or rnlloni ; that Ih, " valley." I'rt'niula, to tho woHt of
J'uffo, i« wfll known fo man'n<TH um tlu^ locality where tho Adriatic currcnl
\)\UiTvMi',n, one arm ninnin^ north towardM the Quarnero, Istria, and Trieslr, llm
oth'T wwervinj^ round towards th(.' couHt (»f Minilin. The Inola \Mu\i^\i, uv Long
IiilaTKl, ioj^ether with Ineoroiuita, Htrotchex towanls the Mou(h-W(!st lor l(> miles.
Itra//'i, off Spalat^t, \n the moNt manMivu of tlie I)alrnatian iHlundn. it rehcinMe.H a

AUSTEIA-HUNGARV.

plateau, is well cultivated, and produces excellent wine. Lesina is a tongue
of land extending towards the west. Sabbioncella is not an island, but a
peninsula, traversed by a range of high mountains, 40 miles in length. The island
of Curzola is a westerly continuation of this range. AtMelada (Mljet) the chain of
large Dalmatian islands terminates. Lissa, with its fine harbour, lies in the open
Adriatic. Near it the Austrians and Italians fought a naval battle in 1866.
Pelagosa lies nearer to Italy than to Dalmatia, but belongs politically to the
Austrians, who maintain its lighthouse.

In one respect all these islands, and many others of inferior size, resemble
each other : they are all barren, the forests having long disappeared. Selve and

Fig. 33. — Melada.
Scale 1 : 180,000.

i4? JO K.oi -Cr.^

DEPTH IN FATHOMS

0 — 11

Over S7

2 Miles.

Lesina are no longer wooded, as their name implies, and Curzola has ceased to boast
of the forests which caused the epithet of " black " to be bestowed upon it. All of
them are distinguished by boldness of contour, and their cliffs contrast strikingly
with the gentle undulations presented by the Italian shores. Their rocks are
sterile, but some of the valleys and smaller islands, partly composed of impervious
sandstone, are of exceeding fertility. Thus, whilst Levrera, a limestone island
near Cherso, supports only rabbits, the neighbouring islet of Sansego has been
converted into a veritable garden by its thousand inhabitants.

Climate, Floka, and Fauna.

The climate of the valley of Isonzo, of Istria, and of Dalmatia resembles that of
Italy. The flora of the whole of the maritime region is Mediterranean. Myrtles

THE ADEIATIC PEOVIXCES.

and laurel-trees flourish in the open air at the mouth of the Timavo, 2|" to the
north of Liguria.

The mountains shelter the country towards the north and east, and it is
exposed to the afternoon sun. In the Dalmatian littoral valleys we meet with
locust-trees, orange-trees, and fig-trees. The almond- trees hear blossoms in
December, and peas and beans frequently ripen early in January. Palm-trees
are first met with at Trau. On the island of Bua they are numerous, and in
the gardens of Ragusa they sometimes bear ripe fruit. Exceptional frosts, how-
ever, have occasionally proved destructive to the olive plantations of Northern
Dalmatia and Istria, and those around Trieste have never recovered since the
terrible winter of 1787. In 1861 the channel of Zara became covered with ice,
and in April, 1864, it snowed there. Twice during ten centuries a considerable
portion of the Adriatic froze, viz. in 869 and in 1234.*

Fi^. 34. — San Clemente.
Scale 1 : 11.5,000.

it" lO

,_!,.''►:. -.'"''^■^V

*"-? , I.LESINA^

; Pf.ri S^( Ifiitrntr-

r. If SPAL.MADOK

.•«»

.6*:»o-

D»plh 0-B fitlhomi
a-37
J. 37-84

Mil^.

In BurniiK.-r the .skicH of I)alrnalia are UHually Hcrene, but in autumn torrential
rain« arc frequent, as alw in the l»cginning of npring. Tlic winter is generally
rainy, but tlie f.fjuinfx;tial rains are mo.st abundant. It is tlu; sirocco which
carrioH the rain-eloufls to Dalmatia, for in itH paHsiige across the. Afoditerranean it
bocomc« charf^ed with vap^niiH, and to it tlio country is indebted l)oth for its
heat and itn inoiHture. Tlie land and nea breezes, owing to the lay of tlje coast,
blow in tlie same direction a.s the gfmoral winds, and then^fon? either neutralise
them or arid U) their violence. The hoi-fi, blr»wing front mountains to the south of
Monte It*', is more esp-eially dreiwled in its cncountcrH with the sirocco. Its violence,

• ArtTHfff. Umi] • I rid minfull in Iiilrin un.l l).iiiiiiiti;i : —

' ■ ■■•r/.j nii" rj;i iiKtu'H.

yi'iiif r,70 02 „

y-nrii /iSfi 30 „

54 AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

like that of the Provengal mistral, is extraordinary. In 1873 it upset a railway
train ahove Fiiime, and it finds its way even into the ill-constructed houses hidden
in the cavities of the plateau. Mariners fear it, and cautiously approach the
offings of valleys down which it takes its furious course. As a rule it blows from
the north-east, but it is frequently deflected by the valleys. Its approach is
heralded by puffs of wind and by the purple tint of the sea. The violence of the
bora renders the north-eastern coasts of the islands almost uninhabitable, although
they abound in excellent harbours, for the spray of the sea, which it whirls before
it, proves destructive to vegetation, and only tamarisks resist it. The influence of
the bora extends for several miles inland. It appears to blow with greater force
now than formerly. On the eastern side of Pago the wine harvest now fails every
three or four years, instead of every ten or twelve, as formerly. It is the western
slopes of the islands which support the greater part of the population, and are
most carefully cultivated. The tides, too, differ from those of other paits of the
Adriatic, for in the Quarnero Gulf they only flow once within twenty-four hours,
instead of twice, as in the lagoons of Venice and the Gulf of Trieste.

The climatic differences observed on the plateaux, along the coasts, and on the
islands sufficiently account for the differences in the local floras. On the Carso
the floras of Germany, Italy, and Croatia mingle ; in the valleys the flora varies
much according to elevation and exposure to the sun. The Mediterranean
flora, thanks to the numerous inlets ot the sea, is most numerously represented,
and the marine flora of Dalmatia is richer than that of any other European sea.
The fauna, too, presents us with a few species not elsewhere met with. Reptiles
are numerous, especially tortoises ; brown bears are met with in the mountains ;
foxes and martens descend to the plains ; but the slag and the wild boar have
disappeared. The jackal, however, which forms a link between the faunas of
Europe and Asia, is still met with on a few islands and in Southern Dalmatia.
The sea abounds in fish. The tunny is caught at Grignano, in the Gulf of
Trieste ; immense shoals of sardines visit the coast of Istria, and eels ascend the
rivers of Dalmatia. A species of crawfish (Nephrops Norvegicus), formerly supposed
to be peculiar to Norway, is caught in the Gulf of Quarnero.

Inhabitants.

The two dominant races of the empire are represented in these Adriatic pro-
vinces only by soldiers, functionaries, and merchants. With few exceptions, the
inhabitants are either Slavs or Italians. The latter, most numerous in Istria, live
principally in the maritime region, whilst the Slavs occupy the plateaux.

AYe possess little information concerning the Celts and Pelasgians who originally
inhabited the country. We do not know to whom to ascribe the construction of
the castelUeri, or castlets, so numerous in Istria. Thus much is certain — that the
Italian element, in the days of ancient Rome, was far stronger, for the names of
many Slav villages and ftimilies in the interior are clearly of Latin origin. The
Chiches and other Slav tribes first occupied the plateaux between the ninth and the
seventeenth centuries, having been introduced by feudal landowners, Venetians,

THE ADRIATIC PROVINCES. , 55

and Austrians to cultivate the land or to defend military positions. Some of these
tribes were admitted as guests, and settled in cultivated districts, a proceeding
against which the Italian Istrians complained as early as 804.

At the present time the uplands are Slav; the lower basin of the Isonzo,
Gorizia, Trieste, Parenzo, Pola, and all the towns of maritime Istria are Italian, and
the ltd lianimmi of Trieste are consequently justified in aspiring to a union with Italy.
Fiume, on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Quarnero, is likewise Italian, whilst
in Zara, Spalato, and other towns of Dalmatia the Italians are in a majority.
German is no longer compulsory in the superior schools, and the language used in
preference by the educated classes throughout is Italian. Even the Furknu oi the
valley of the Isonzo, who speak a dialect akin to that of the Ladins, use it.

The Slavs are divided into numerous tribes, speaking a variety of dialects.
Formerly, before a spirit of nationality had arisen amongst them, they yielded
to the influence exercised by the Italian towns. Civilisation and Italianisation
were then synonymous terms. This is the case no longer. The Slavs, in spite
of local distinctions, have learnt to feel that they are kinsmen. Religious
differences, however, still separate them, for the Slavs of the coast are Roman
Catholics, and detest their brethren holding the orthodox Greek faith.

Amongst the Slavs there are still some whose barbarous manners recall
the Uskoks, or Servian fugitives whom the Ottomans drove from Bosnia, and
who, before they became tillers of the soil, lived upon brigandage. The
vendetta .still survives in a district near Zara, known as Berlika, and a local
proverb says that he " who does not avenge an injury remains unclean." The
(lavage mountains and the vicinity of the frontier enable assassins to evade
justice.* This, too, renders it difficult to suppress revolts. In 18G9 the
Krivoscians, on the llcrzegovinian frontier, successfully opposed the troops that
were w-nt against them, and in the end the Austrian Government found itself
compelled to grunt all they demanded, viz. the exemption from military service
and a remission of taxes.

The Morlaks, who are supposed to be a mixture of Albnnians, Slavs, and
p.-rhapH Avares, are amongst the leaHt-civiliscd jm'ojjIcs of ICurope. Some of them
are fair, with blue eycM ; otliers olive-complexioned, with che.stnut-coloured hair.
Wretched as they and their habitations are, they delight in line garments, and
the head-dreHMiH of the women are oriuimented with gold mid silver coins.
Su[Krr«tition« are rife amongst th<rm, aiifl old riiitional songs, or jitxinrx, survive in
their vill;ig»s.

Til'- Mf>rlakH are a fine raer; of m*-n, diH(ingiii(sh(!<l l>y tall stature and strength.
Tlie futhiT of t)ie great Fr<:d<Tiek Mot much ston; by thetn, but the restrictions of
military life little huiic-d their indejMindcnt dispoKition, 'J'he islanders of Lussiu
i'ie<;olo likewise are noted for their Htrenglh and physical bcauly. The (dimalu
of I)almatia in certainly favourabb; to physical dcvehjpinent, and though most
nanitary lawn are defied tlienr, tin; inhabitants attain a greater age than in any

* • \H'i\ ntul \Hi'io 70C riiurdi^rn itiid iitl«'iii|itH ul ttiiinlr^r nm rocordod iiiiKnif^iit tlin H.'IOU

wthu:.. ...... A IUttUUh.

66 AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

other part of Austria.* There are, however, a few localities which are noted
for their insalubrity. Such are the swampy lowlands of the Narenta, now
being drained. A local disease — scherlievo — lias been observed near Fiume, and
is ascribed to misery, dirt, and promiscuousness.

A few foreign colonies exist on the Adriatic slopes of Austria. Peroi is a
Montenegrin village near Pola, whilst Rumanians have settled on the river
Arsa, which flows into the Gulf of Quarnero.t

The cultivation of the soil leaves much to be desired. Irrespectively of the
vicinity of Gorizia, Trieste, a few places in Istria, and near some of the towns
of Dalmatia, agriculture is in a most backward state. The earth yields harvests
in spite of man. The wine, which might be amongst the best produced in
Europe, is fit only for drunkards ; the fruits are small and without flavour. The
land no longer belongs to families collectively, as in the valley of the Save,
nor has it become the absolute property of individuals, a sort of tenure most
unfavourable to its cultivation. The peasants retain the habits of wandering
herdsmen, and think nothing of pasturing their sheep upon a neighbour's fields.

Fortunately the inhabitants of the coast are not solely dependent upon agri-
culture. The Istriotes participate in the commerce of which Trieste is the centre.
The Dalmatians are excellent seamen, and more than one-half the crews of the
sea-going vessels of Austria are furnished by Ragusa and Cattaro. Ship-building,
sail and rope making, and the salting of provisions occupy many of the inha-
bitants in the coast towns. Commerce is almost exclusively in the hands of
Italians and Jews, and the fisheries appear to have been abandoned to Chioggians,
whose sloops are seen in ever}' creek.

Dalmatia, in spite of its natural wealth and favourable geographical position,
does not enjoy the importance which is clearly its due. Illyria was a far more
populous country in the days of the Romans than it is now, and far better culti-
vated. It enjoyed a second period of prosperity during the Middle Ages, when
Ragusa (the Dubrovnik of the Slavs) was one of the great commercial emporiums
of the Mediterranean, rivalling even Venice, and forming a focus of civilisation
to the Slavs of the interior. The city never recovered from the disasters which
repeatedly overtook it since Charles V. " borrowed " three hundred of its vessels,
The fate of the other towns of Dalmatia has been that of Ragusa.

Far removed from the capital of the empire, it has had the fate of a distant
colony, not possessing sufiicient resources of its own to insure its prosperity.
Its fine harbours were deserted, for within a few miles from them a boundary
watched by officers of customs separated the country from those inland districts
which might have fed its commerce. The definite incorporation of Bosnia into
the Austrian Empire may possibly revive the fallen fortunes of Dalmatia ; but
for the present that country only exhibits a picture of decay.

* Death rate, 23 to 26 per 1,000 inhabitants.

t Nationality of the Adriatic provinces (187o) : —

Slavs.

Italians.

Gei-mans.

Rumans.

Others.

Total.

Gorizia . . .

150,000

72,000

•i,OW

—

225,000

Trieste and Istria .

181,000

219,000

7,000

5,000

—

412,000

Dalmatia

, 408,000

62,000

—

8,000

478,000

THE ADBIATIC PEOVIXCES.

Towns.

A LARGE city could not fail to spring up near the point where the roads from
the Danube and across the Alps debouch upon the Adriatic. In the time of the
Romans this city was Aquileja, which numbered its inhabitants by hundreds of

Fig. 35. — Trieste.
Scale 1 : 100,000.

11° Jo'p.o

tVsris

Jf,unJ ,.f

■4^: \

■tO

^'■'l'!r ■■. ;

■^..

1 '.*• I'. nft.i

1 MiUni.

f.hf)U«iridH, but wan d«!Mt.royc;fl by tho iliiiiH in I-VJ, Although Hul)HO(niciitIy tho
rfc»»id«;nc<! of th«; patriarcliM, tho city never recovered, for iiof only hml the rival
towiiH of V^fTiiri! urid 'IVi^dtf grown into imj)ortttnco, l)ut itn cnvironH, owing to u
•ubnidj-nfc of th«r hinrl, h;ul b' en (:onv(tt<;(l into a pcMtifcroitH Hwanip. I( in now

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

a poor village, but a Byzantine cathedral and Roman ruins recall the time of
its splendour.

Trieste (119,174 inhabitants) is an ancient city too, but its importance dates
hardly farther back than the beginning of the century. It is now the great
commercial emporium of the Austrian Empire, and its growth has been rapid
ever since a railway has connected it with the valley of the Danube, and with all
Germany. The old city is built upon the slopes of a hill crowned by a castle ;
the new quarters occupy a level space between the steep walls of the Carso and
the sea, which has been encroached upon to gain sites for warehouses and for docks.
The roadstead is open, and a breakwater now constructing is progressing but

Pig. 36.— PoLA.
Scale 1 : 85,000.

ADRIATIC

11° 2>fK of ?=>■;•

IVUfi'^. OtGr

2 Miles.

slowly, owing to the weakness of its foundations. The lighthouse pier, instead
of protecting the old port, has accelerated its silting up. But, in spite of these
drawbacks, Trieste far surpasses Venice in commercial activity,* though it cannot
compare with its rival in architectural splendour. In this respect Trieste is
certainly behind many an Italian city far less populous. There are, however, a
rich museum of antiquities and a valuable library.

The belt of verdure surrounding Trieste is of small extent, and a short distance
to the north of it the barren spurs of the Carso descend to the sea. Once past
Miramar, a villa delightfully situated upon a promontory, we could hardly
imagine being so near a populous city, if its vicinity were not betrayed by
numerous vessels of all descriptions. Only after having crossed the Timavo do

* In 1876. 15,679 vessels, of 1,970,000 tons burden, entered and cleared. The imports -were valued at
£21,811,680, the exports at £19,328,100. The building yards of the Austrian Lloyd are at Muggia. The
company possesses 68 steamers.

iM^\

1 IW

1 ^k'^

THE ADEIATIC PEOVINCES.

we again find ourselves amongst fertile fields, and within sight of towns and
A'illages. Gorizia (Gdrz, 15,300 inhabitants), the principal town of this district,
in its sheltered vale, deserves to be called the Austrian Nice, for its climate is
delightful, and it is as famous for flowers, fruits, and early vegetables as its French
prototype. Lower down on the Isonzo is Gradisca, with an old castle.

!No other port of Istria or Dalmatia can aspire to rival Trieste. Capo d'Isfria
(7,539 inhabitants), the old Venetian capital of Istria, still looks defiance ; but
its walls are too wide now for its population, and its commerce has gone. Pirano
(7,691 inhabitants), on a bold promontory, has productive salt marshes and a
famous port (Porto Glorioso), capable of sheltering large vessels. Parenzo (2,471

Fig. 37.— FrrME.
Scale 1 : 25,000.

V OfRins

"".7- — ' ! 'V ,J

f J> •

" <%'] ' *

'*.

"^*^

z'..

Ojt.

^/A'

I*" I- K of Of

[ 7: J

JIaU a Mile.

L~^^

irihabitfirit«), where the iHtriaii I)ict ha« met since 1H()1, abounds in Roman

niinn, and WiUstH of u fumouH iJy/antino cathedral, dating back lo tlio sixth

century. Nr-ar it are valual)!*! quarrieH. PiMi'iio (I'uzin, *J,!H)9 itiliabilaiilH), in

the centre of Intria, near u va»t sink lliO fc^t in (h'pth, is an inipdrlinit market

Uorirjiio ('.),'tft\ inliabitantw) licH in the midst of olive plaiitatiouH, and exports
much oil. Am a place of commen;c it in more iinporfaiit than Pnhi (1(1,743
inhabitanfii), m) famoun on acamnt of flu- rnins of the Roman city of I'icta.s Julia.
Not twi-nty ycum ago I'ola was merely a pour village*. It is now llio great
naval station of the Austrian l'!mpirc, its fine port and dockyards being delendcd
by rnimcroun fort« and batterii's.

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

Fiif/ne (13,314 inhabitants), the principal seaport of Hungary, lies at the
bottom of the tranquil Gulf of Quarnero, near the site of the Roman city of
Tarsatica, destroyed by Charlemagne in 799. It is favourably situated for
commerce, and is daily growing in importance. A breakwater is being built to
protect its fine roadstead. The river supplies several flour-mills and other indus-
trial establishments with motive power. Near it is the old mountain fastness of
Tersato, on the site of the ancient Roman city.

The other ports on the Quarnero, such as Baccari (Bacar), Porto Re
(Kraljevica), and Zengg (Segna, 3,231 inhabitants), carry on some coasting trade,

Fig. 38.— Lusstx Piccolo.
Scale 1 : 80,000.

12" 5E of Paris

14° zSE.of Gr.

DEPTH

11-37

(I, ,,■ J7 t'ath,i:ns
• 2 Miles.

but they all yiehl in importance to Liissin Piccolo (7,750 inhabitants), with its
magnificent harbour.

Not one-tenth of the commerce of Austria is carried on through the sixty-two
commercial ports of Dalmatia, for the mariners of these places are not employed in
the export of the produce of their own country. Most of the towns of Dalmatia
stand upon the coast, and bear a sort of family likeness. They are all defended
by walls, have narrow tortuous streets climbing steep hills, a small port with
a narrow entrance, and a public square with a town-hall close to the water-side.
They are still quite mediaeval in their aspect.

THE ADEIATIC PEOVINCES.

Zara (Zador, 8,014 inliabitants), the capital of Dalmatia, has, however, under-
gone an advantageous transfiguration, for its old Venetian walls have been
converted, into public gardens. The famous maraschino of Zara is indebted for
its peculiar aroma to the cherries of Makarska, near Spalato, from which it is
distilled. Old Zara lies about 20 miles farther south, on the site of the Slav city
of Biograd, which the Venetians destroyed in 1167, transferring its inhabitants
to Xew Zara.

Sehenico (Sibenik, 6,131 inhabitants), on the estuary of the Kerka, has an
excellent harbour, and promises to become of importance, for it oflPers the greatest
facilities for the exportation of the coal discovered near Drnis, on the slopes of
Mount Promina, and of the agricultural produce of the communes of Sign (Sinj)
and Imoski. The Gothic cathedral of the town is the finest church of Dalmatia.
It was built in the fifteenth century by Giorgio di Matteo, a native of the place.

Fig. 39. — Spalato and the " Sette Castklli."
Scale 1 : 32,000.

"Jtmr

li" E.Ot Pans

f.*»oF. ofCr

/> Mili-«.

HjiaUito (12,196 inliabitants) is called after the pahdium of the Emperor
Diocletian, in which the inhabitants of ancient Saloiia sought refuge when their
town was taken by the Avares. This ancient palace is a vast structure, occuj)y-
ing nearly half the area of the town, and inhabited by 4,000 persons, besides
containing wine vaults, storcH, and market-places. An ancient temple of Jupiter,
adjoining it, ha* been converted into a cathedral, and there still exist Iloman
ruins of interest. Spalato has an excell(;nt harbour, and the vall(!y of the Clissa
would facilitate Uie construction of a railway connecting it with the interior.
Th<! Hhores of the " iJay of the Seven Custh's," wliich extend to the west of Spuhito
as* far um Trau {'•\,Wi\) inliabitantsj, an; noted on accounl of Ibcir fcrlility. The
inliabitants *)f the sniall t«rrit^>ry of J'(»lit/.a, fo \\\v. cast, niaiiitaincd tlieir
ind'jxridrnce until 1H07. I'bey dress like Magyars, to prevent being (confounded
with tlio Morlaks.

Venerable Hmjuna (Dubrovnik, o.'JO.O inhabitants^ rises on a promontory, and

62 AUSTRIA-UUNGARY.

is surrounded by turretcd walls. In 1067 this "Dalmatian Athens" had 30,000
inhabitants, and it is still of some importance as a place of commerce. Its
harbour is at Gravosa, a pretty village adjoining it. At Ragusa the vegetation
of Europe mingles with that of more southern latitudes, and the gardens of the
island of Lacroma remind us of those of the Hesperides. Old Kagusa, on the
site of Epidaurus, is delightfully situated, but must yield in beauty to that marvel
of the Adriatic, Cattaro (2,017 inhabitants), in the bottom of the winding inlet of
the Bocche, and at the foot of the road which scales the scarps of Montenegro.

)

CHAPTER V.

THE COUNTRIES OF THE SOUTHERN SLAVS.
(Cabniola, Ckoatia, Slavonia.)

General Aspects.

EOGRAPHICALLY and ethnologically these countries are one,
but politically tliey have been cut asunder. The Germans,
anxious to retain the passes of the Alps which give access to the
Adriatic, have taken possession of ' the country of the Slovenes
of Carniola, or Krain, whilst the Magyars claim the Servians
and Croats of the " Mesopotimiu " formed by the Drave and the Save as
their subjects. The inhabitants, however, yield but surlily to their foreign
masters. The Croats more especially not only look to their kinsmen beyond
their own frontiers when clamouring for their ancient independence, but
also appeal to " historical rights." Though far from having attained all they
desire, they have succeeded in making themselves respected, and amongst the
nationalities struggling within the limits of the Austrollungarian Empire
they are not the least influential. The Magyar is no longer able to speak of
them with contempt, for the events of 1848 and 1840 have taught him that the
Croat is a redoubtable adversary. The animosity of the two nations has given a
renewed lease to the Austrian bureaucrats. United, they might have gloried in
the foundation of a Danubian Confederation, and spared themselves untold
miscricH.

The countries of the Southern Slavs extend far l)eyond the limits of the
Austrian Empire, for they include Servia, Hosnia, and a coDsideraMo portion of
the iJuIkaii peninsula, as far as the Black Sou and the (iulf of" Saloniki. In
extent they rival wjveral of th«5 empires of Kurope. Their political disunion is
due in a large measure to geographical fcialures. The territories to tlu! south
of the Save anfl the I)anub«r an; lilh-d with a hil»yrinth of mountains, and are
diffi'MiJf, of uccAinH. The MuMsuiinanM, aided by fiuidai institutions, Hucceeded in
ermlaving niont of the inhabitantH, for, owing to the difhculties of communieut ion,
their Christian kinsmnn beyond the Save wen- unable to rcndcT the HU(M-,our
which would have been forthcoming under more I'avourable circumstances. To

64 AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

the north of the Save, which with its forests and swamps forms a formidable
natural boundary, the country is open, hills rising in the midst of plains, which
the Magyars not unnaturally chose to look upon as natural dependencies of their
own country. The Germans, too, considered that they had a natural right to
the passes over the Alps which gave them access to the Gulf of Venice. These
are the reasons which account for the political division of the Southern Slavs.

But though separated politically, these Slavs nevertheless possess a consider-
able amount of national cohesion. Austria, by " occupying " Bosnia and Herzego-
vina, may have precipitated the formation of a great Slav state in the south, so
much dreaded by some politicians. Austrian Croatia, owing to its superior
civilisation and the ardent patriotism of its citizens, would become the natural
nucleus of such a state. Every town and all the larger villages there have their
" reading clubs," or citaonica, in which the discussion of national politics is
industriously carried on. Often the members of these clubs join their voices in
the warlike song of Uboj za narod svoj ! — " To arms for our people ! " Croatia is
a small country, and thinly populated, but its geographical position is excep-
tionally favourable.

The High Alps terminate with the snowy pyramid of the Grintouz, to the
north of Laibach. The spurs which extend thence eastwards, between the Drave
and the Save, are of inferior height. The Slemje (3,395 feet), the Ivancica
(3,477 feet), and a few other mountains to the north of Agram, still exceed 3,000
feet, but farther east the hill ranges grow less and less, until near Diakova they
disappear below a deep bed of alluvial soil. Still more to the east an isolated range
rises in the midst of the plain, viz. the Vrdnik, or Fruska Gora (1,761 feet), the
slopes of which are covered with vines. ^ Tertiary strata predominate in these
hills, eruptive rocks being confined to two mountain masses, those of the Slemje,
near Agram, and to the wooded domes of the Garic, or Moslavin (1,587 feet),
farther east. The mountains of Croatia, in the south-west, present most of the
features of the Carso, such as limestone ridges, parallel valleys, and sinks.*
But though quite as stony as the Carso, the eastern slopes of the plateau of
Croatia are densely wooded. Beeches and pines grow on the mountains, oaks on the
lower slopes and in the valley of the Save. It is these forests which furnish most
of the oiken staves exported from Trieste and Fiume. The oak of Croatia does
not yield in beauty to that of Germany or of England, but it will surely disappear,
unless a stop be put to the wholesale destruction of the forests. It is painful to
see magnificent trunks of oaks rotting in the swamps, even in the neighbourhood
of towns, and to look upon extensive tracts where only stumps of trees recall
the forests that have disappeared.

In their hydrographical features the countries of the Southern Sclavs abound in
contrasts. Low half-drowned plains and arid mountain ridges, great rivers and
tracts ever thirsty, are met with in close proximity.

The eastern extremity of Croatian Mesopotamia has hardly emerged from the

* ITie highest summits are the Bittoray, 4,543 feet ; the Great and the Little Kapella ; the PljeSivica,
5,410 feet; and the Vellebi(;.

CAENIOLA, CEOATIA, SLAVONIA.

waters. The Danube at Belgrad discharges between 282,000 and 353,000 cubic
feet of water per second. Its channel being obstructed by rocks, it has not yet
completely drained the vast lake which formerly spread between the Alps and the
Carpathians. Swamps and marshes still occupy the depressions, and in times of
flood the country is inundated for miles. The Save, between Sisek and Belgrad,
is ever scooping itself out fresh channels in the alluvial soil, and no sooner has it
taken possession of one than it deserts it for another. A river of this kind presents
great difficulties to the passage of an army, and we need not, therefore, be sxirprised
at its having become a political boundary. The swamps and quagmires which
extend along its banks are almost impassable, and the strategical importance of
Brod and Mitrovic, the only places where the banks are high, cannot, therefore, be
over-estimated. The territories subject to be inundated by the Save, in Croatia
alone, have an area of 200 square miles. The tracts exposed to the same peril on

Fig. 40. — The Zoxe of Intxdatiox of the Save.
ScaJe 1 : 1,730,000.

17' E of P.

•9*M E Ot Cri

to the *Vo/f/.^.vrre

J'fnin nUn-e

Ifinftf'tnmtrtf

ttir »fn^ "t thifaaltf'm

, 20 Milea.

the southern bank are even more extensive. No le.s.s tlian 330 villages, with
130,000 inhabitant.H, are annually threatened by these destructive floods. The
population along the river consequently diminishes from year to year, whilst that
in the hilly tracts increases raj)iflly. Marsh fevers are naturally prevalent, and
annually decimate the population. The Save, in spite of its great volume, is oC
very little service to navigation. Al)ove Agram it is used only for floating timber.
Ik'low Sisek it is navigated by Mteamers, l)ut sand-banks are so numerous, and
they Hf) frequently shift their position, that the traflic has frequc^ntiy to be inter-
rupt/;d during summer.

In jwrcordance with the law which governs tlu; administration of llic ^liiitary

Frontier, the money obtainc-d by the sale of timber cut in tin; (jovernment

foreits is to be applied to the " regulation " f»f llie Save, but little appears to have

been done liitliertx) to pn;vent its invading tin- riparian districts. The only

AUSTRIA-KUNGARY.

engineering work of importance dates back to the third century, and for it we are
indebted to tbe Romans. It is known as the Canal of Probus, and partially
drains the swamps to the south of the Fruska Gora.*

But whilst one portion of the country has a superabundance of water, another
portion suffers from the want of it. The hills sloping down towards the Save are
as cavernous as are those facing the Adriatic. Nowhere are underground river

Fig. 41. — The Caverns of Postoina (Auelsberg).
Scale 1 : 120,000.

SuUerranenn course

of the

'■ Phtlin nn'l Cnvfi'na

channels more numerous than in the range of the Kapella, between Zengg and
Ogulin. Many villages are dependent upon cisterns for their water, although
voluminous rivers flow through inaccessible caverns beneath them. After heavy
rains, and when the snows melt, these rivers appear on the surface, and sometimes

* Total length of the Save, 600 miles ; area of its catchment basin, 33,990 sq. miles ; difference
between high and low water, 31 feet; discharge per second below the Drina— in summer, 24,900 cubic
feet; when in flood, 144,000 ; average, 39,500 cubic feet (Zomberg, " Eegulirung des Saveflusses").

CAENIOLA, CEOATIA, SLAVONIA.

form temporary lakes. One of these lakes, formed by the Gaika near Oto6ac,
sometimes attains a depth of no less than 160 feet.

The Piuka, which is swallowed up by the caverns of Postoina, or Adelsberg
(Arse Posthumii), so rich in stalactites, is perhaps quite as remarkable a river as
the Timavo. After an underground course of about 6 miles the Piuka once
more reaches the surface, a calm and powerful river. Soon after its junction with
the Unz it is again swallowed up, and only reappears a short distance above
Laibach.

Amongst the rivers which discharge themselves into the Unz is the effluent of

Fig. 42. — The Lake of Zirkxitz.
Scale 1 : 115,00a

I,.\.\.S

>:,'• i: i. of <I

.\l(^•lllJ^al■kl^-

-.' M l)c-H.

the famouH Luko of Zirknitz. In the dry season its water is drninod off tlirough
the numerous fiHuurc-H and cavcrnH which perforate its bod. Alter rains it rises to
the surface, somotim<rH very suddonly, and occtaHJoniilly the hike spreads over u
mirfaco of 30 wjuan; inilfH. liraiiiu^o Wfjrks have to some extent ri-guhited
the ebb and flow of th<; lake. In former tiines, liowever, the whole of the jjlain
wan occasionally converted into a lake, aii«l the viUagerH alternately gained u
livf'lihrKKl by fishing and by tilling tlie land wlu-n it emerged.

The plain of liaibaeh, f)0 wjiiare niiloH in ext<!nt, was formerly occiipifd by
a hike Himilarto that of Zirknii/, fed by tin- TJnz, and from numerous sinks,
UK:ully known as " windowM." VVoirks paKWid Hoinelimes iM-fonr the waters wero

AUSTEIA-nUNGARY.

drained into the Save, for the effluent of this lake, the Gradasca, is but u small
river. The plain is now effectually drained by canals, having a total length of over
600 miles, and much land has been brought under cultivation. In the stone age
the lake afforded shelter to a tribe occupying pile dwellings. The flora and fauna
of the country were then in some respects different from what they are now. A
large species of fish, no longer found, inhabited the lake, and an aquatic plant
(Vallisneria spiralifi), now unknown, was eaten by the lake dwellers.

Inhabitants.
»

The differences of climate in a country extending for 280 miles from west to
east, from the cold Alps and the inhospitable plateau of Liburnia to the lowlands

Fig. 43. — The Plain ok Laibach.
Scale 1 : 220,000.

5 Jliles.

of the Save and the Danube, are naturally very considerable.* But, in spite of
these differences, the inhabitants belong to one and the same race. On crossing
the Save from Hungary we enter a country inhabited almost exclusively by men
of the same race, speaking dialects of the same language. The easternmost portion
of Slavonia is inhabited by Servians, amongst whom dwell a few Rumanians,
Magyars, and Albanians, the latter near Mitrovic. Farther west, in Croatia, the
foreign elements are still less numerous, for Croats and Slovenes occupy the whole

* Laibach (Camiola)
Zavalje (Plateau of Croatia) .
Agram (Plain of Croatia)
Zemun (Semlin, in Sj'rmia) .

Mean Temp.
Deg. F.

Rainfall
Inches.

•53

CAENIOLA, CROATIA, SLAYONIA. 69

of the country as far as the German districts beyond the Drave, and the Italian ones
on the Isonzo. The only considerable foreign colony is that of Gottschee and its
environs, numbering about 24,000 Germans, whom Zeuss looks upon as remnants
of the Vandals, who in the sixth century inhabited Pannonia.

Religion is the great element of discord amongst the Slavs of Austria-
Hungary. The Slovenes, who turned Protestants at the time of the Reformation,
were forced back into the Roman Church, which the Illyrian Slavs had never
abandoned. The Croats, in the west, are Roman Catholics, whilst most of the
Slavonians, Syrmians, and Servians remain faithful to the Greek Church. Reli-
gious animosities, however, are dying out. The dialects, too, are being developed
into a common literary language, Servian having been adopted both in Croatia
and in Slavonia.

The Slavonians and the Croat peasants are probably the purest Slavs to be met
with on the southern confines of the empire. They are tall, strong, and of noble
presence, brave, honest, and good-natured. Their passions are, however, easily
roused when, engaged in war, and the name of pandour was formerly dreaded.
The Slovenes, living in a country traversed by great natural high-roads, are far
more mixed. In their manners they assimilate more and more with their German
neighbours.

In Croatia and the neighbouring countries most of the land is still held by
each family in common. The size of these family estates averages between 35 and
70 acres. Each zadrufjn, or " family community," numbers between ten and
twenty persons, and is governed by a doinarin, or fjoHpod(n\ elected by its members.
Each household has its cottage. The house of the gospodar occupies the centre of
the settlement, and under its roof the members of the miniature republic meet at
meals and for conversation. When one of these associations grows too numerous,
a portion of its members separate and establish a new one. Tlie zadrugas of the
same district most readily assist each other in their agricultural labours. The
social advantages of aswxiiations of this kind lie on the surface, but they are
evidently doomed to disappear before individual landowners, who already form a
majority in the neighbourhood of the towns. l)u( though the agricultural
zarlrugas cease to exist, so strong is the influence of custom that even in tlie
Italianised towns of Dalinatia we meet with trading associations formed on their
mfxlel. The members of tlicse associations look uj)on cacli other as brethren.
Tliere are three degrees of broth(!rho(jd, viz. the little fraternity, the fraternity of
misfortune, and the fraternity l)y association. The last is the most sacred of nil,
and is blessed by a priest. Girls, too, form these bonds of aft'ection citlicr amongst
themselves or with young men.

The military organization of the Austrian Frontier districts* has partly
ci.-awd to exist since 187-», but most of tlicni an; still placed under a military
govenior. Formerly every male, on atlainitig his twentieth year, was hound to
nmder military service, in return fc»r whi«h he received the usufruct t)f a ])lot ol

• '17k MiliUry Fn/nti<r dixtrif-tii in IHO« hiul nn nron of 7,30.'J !M|inin! milfit, witli 0!)1),'2'/H inhiiljiUuitH,
■ml fiirniMht'l an anriy of 100,000 mrn for for»'i(fn WTvirn.

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

ground, but no pay, except when serving beyond the frontiers of the country. A
chain of sentinels extended along the whole of the Turkish frontier, the men
occupying small huts perched on the top of masonry pillars, or csardaks, so as to
be beyond the reach of the floods.

The natural fertility of the country is great, and Croatian Mesopotamia will
become one of the granaries of Europe as soon as improved methods of agriculture
have been introduced. Sericulture and viticulture are making progress, but the
country does not as yet even produce sufficient corn for its own consumption.
Svrmia, at the foot of the FruSka Gora, is one of its most fertile districts. It
abounds in fruit trees and vineyards, and its gently undulating hills and mild
climate render it one of the most delightful districts of the monarchy.

Fig. 44. — A View in the Militaky Frontier.

Carniola and the Triune kingdom are by no means distinguished for their
mineral wealth. The only mine of world-wide repute is that of Idria, in Carniola,
which for a long time enjoyed with Almaden, in Spain, the monopoly of supplying
the world with mercury. It still yields about 320 tons a year, and is far from being
exhausted. Formerly only criminals were employed in it. The miners and
woodmen of Idria are in the habit of eating arsenic, which evidently agrees with
them, for many amongst them live to a very advanced age.

Iron ores are found in the valley of the Feistritz, in Carniola, and on the
eastern slope of the plateau of Croatia ; zinc and lead in the upper valley of the
Save ; sulphur near Radoboj ; copper at Samobor ; lignite and coal at Glogovac
and in other localities. These mineral resources are capable of great development.

CAENIOLA, CROATIA, SLAVOXIA.

There are hardly any manufactures, and the country was one of the last to receive
the benefits conferred by railway. But now that Bosnia has been occupied by the
Austrians, a great international railroad, connecting Croatia with the Gulf of
Saloniki, will no doubt be constructed, and the country will then enter into more
intimate relations with Western Europe.

Towns.

Laihach (Ljubljana, 22,893 inhabitants), the capital of Carniola, lies at the foot
of a castle commanding the Save. It occupies the site of the ancient city of

Fig. 45. — Semltx and Belgrad.

Scale 1 : 165,000.

Wio'i E.of Pans

;o°.Vi:K/>f (rt-

5 Mllefc

Emona, which the Huns doHtroywl in the fifth century, and its position is
fttrafegicully and coniiiurrcially of importance, for it lies ujmhi the nuxin road
connect in;^ the Dunubo with the Adriatic. Krainhurg (2,0(J8 iiihubitanlH), the
old cupitul of the provin<;e, licH to the north of it.

Afjrftm C/m^^ot, l9,8o7 inhabitantH), the capital of Croatia, is inferior in pf)p»i-
lution to liaibach, but nevfrrthelcNS aHpiren to be(-onio tho capital of u 'I'riiiiu!
hlav kin(^dom, embracing Crfiatia, S«Tviu (with JioMiiia), and Daliiiutia. A uni-
▼emity, founded in 1874, haH rnafle it tlie intclbctual (ciitn- of tlio.Soutluru SIuvn.

72 AUSTKlA-liUNGARY.

A few fine buildings surround the large square in the centre of the town, orna-
mented with a statue of Ban Jeladid, but the outskirts resemble a huge village.
A turreted wall separates the lower town from the cathedral close. Vara£diii
(10,G23 inhabitants), near the Drave and the Hungarian frontier, is the second
town of Croatia. Karlovac Gornji (Karlstadt, 5,175 inhabitants), on the Kulpa,
not far above its confluence with the Save, is an important grain mart. Siisek
(1,500 inhabitants), more humble still, nevertheless enjoys a considerable trade in
corn. It is the modern representative of Siscia, which played a prominent part
during the wars in Pannonia, and had its own mint. Its wide and grass- grown
streets are bordered with small cabins. The bulk of the population of Croatia live
in scattered hamlets, and there are but few places which can fairly be called towns.

Essek (Osjek, 17,247 inhabitants), favourably situated on the Drave, consists of
a fortress surrounded by numerous suburbs. A railway bridge crosses the river
a short distance below the town. There are silk-mills, and commerce flourishes.
Many Germans and Magyars have settled in the town. Djakovo (2,600 inha-
bitants), in the plain to the south of Essek, is the seat of a bishop. Vorovitica,
the capital of a district, has a few German and Magyar colonies in its vicinity.

Syrmia abounds in towns famous on account of the military events with which
they are associated. Peterwardcin (Petrovaradin, 5,497 inhabitants), on the
Danube, is connected by a bridge of boats with the powerful citadel of Neusatz
(Novisad), on the other side of the river, and recalls a defeat of the Turks by
Prince Eugene in 1716. At Karlovac Dolnji (Carlowitz, 1,817 inhabitants), lower
down, the Turks signed the treaty of 1699, by which they surrendered most of the
conquests made in Hungary. Semlin (Zemun, 10,046 inhabitants), near the
confluence of the Danube and Save, is the great commercial emporium of Austria
on the Lower Danube. The '•' Isle of "War " separates it from Belgrad. Mitrovic
(5,950 inhabitants), on the Save, is the modern representative of Sirmium, the
birthplace of Probus. Near it is Vinkovci, built on the ruins of Cibalis, where
Constantino defeated Licinius in 314.

CHAPTER VI.

HUXGAEY AND TRANSYLVANIA.
(Magtabs and Rumanians.)

General Aspects. — Mountains.

UXGARY, with Transylvania, possesses, in its geographical homo-
geneity, a great advantage over the Cisleithan half of the Austro-
Ilungarian Einpire. Yery inferior to German Austria in popula-
tion, wealth, and civilisation, Hungary nevertheless enjoys superior
political advantages. The former is an incoherent conglomeration
of territories .stretching from the banks of the Rhine eastward to the Vistula,
whilst Hungary presents itself as an oval plain encircled by mountains. This
plain is the basin of an ancient lake, and the dominant race, numerically as well as
politically, occupies it, and all the other races gravitate towards it. Thu.s, in spite
of wars and national jealousies, the various peoples inhabiting Hungary, owing to
the geograpliical homogeneity of the country, have generally been united by the
same j)olitical Vionds. Together they succumbed to the Turks, and sub.sequently
to Austria ; and together they now form a self-governing state, proud of having
reconquererl tlie outward signs of its independence. Whatever the future may
have in store, the nation which has established itself in the huge arena encircled
by the Carpathians must always enjoy a prcpondcsrating influence in the territory
conquered and hitherto maintained l)y it. It has been said that the future belongs
to the Aryans, and that all other races will have to submit to them in the end. It.
promises well for the destinies of mankind that u nation of non-Aryan origin
should have plant<;d its foot in the centre of Kurop(\ In answer to the haughty
jjretensions of th*; Indo-Europcans, tlic Magyars are able to refer to their history.
'Ihey liavo }«ad their fXTiods (»f aj)atliy, no doubt, liut what neighbouring nation
can booflt of being their superior in intelligence", Itravery, or love of liberty ?

'i'ho Alps jjlay a very mabonlinat*) part in the orograpliy of Ilimgary.

Standing ujKin th«; lifiglifs above Vienna, wo p(;rceive in tin? distance the bluish

hills rising Iwyond tlm river fieitha CI, 000 f<!et), an outlier of the Styrian AIpH.

'I he windy valley of th*; Vulka wfjaraten t)i«'H<! hills from the limestone range of

AUSTEIA-HUNGARY.

Rozalia, u spur of the Semmering. Farther south still there are several other
spurs of the Styrian Alps, separated by small tributaries of the rivers Raab (Raba)
and Mur.

To the north of Lake Balaton rises the Bakony (2,320 feet), a distinct
mountain range, separated from the Alps by a plain of tertiary formation. A few
dome-shaped summits rise in it, interspersed by picturesque gorges, filled with
ancient lava streams. The axis of the ]}akony runs in the same direction as that

Fig. 46. — Parallel Valleys to the East of L^ke Balaton.

Scale 1 : 345,000.

16- E. of P.

i8°20' E.of Gr

5 Miles.

of the Western Carpathians and the Viennese Alps. Together with the Vertes and
the Pilis (2,477 feet), it forms a transverse range, which forced the Danube to
deviate from its normal course. At the north-eastern promontory of the Pilis the
river passes through to the defile of Yisegrad before it turns south in its course
through the plain of Hungary.

The valleys intersecting these mountains of Western Hmigary exhibit a
striking parallelism. Rivers and ravines all run from the south-west to the south-

HUNGAEY.

east, whilst to the west of Lake Balaton their direction is from north to south. A
similar parallelism of the valleys has been observed throughout the triangular
district bounded by Lake Balaton, the Drave, and the Danube.

This parallelism is due, no doubt, to the agency of water, but not to rivers, as
in the case of most valleys. If we were to restore the vast lake which formerly
occupied the plain of Hungary, the mountain ranges would rise above it as elon-
gated islands. If we then destroyed the retaining barrier, the lake would drain
rapidly, the retiring water furrowing its bottom in a direction perpendicular to its
centre. On a miniature scale this phenomenon may be witnessed by draining a
tank, the bottom of which is covered with mud.

The hemicycle of mountains known since the days of Ptolemy as the Carpathians*
stretches as a continuous rampart for a distance of 900 miles. It completely shuts
in Hungary from the north-west to the east and south, separating it from Moravia,

Fig. 47- — Porta Hungarica.
Scale 1 : 186,000.

:. Miles.

Galicia, the iJukowina, and Rumania. Apart from the few difficult passes which
lead across it, there arc but two roads which enable Hungary freely to communi-
cate with the west and the east, viz. the " Porta Hungarica," near Pressburg, and
the famous " Iron Gate " of Orwova. Tliost; arc the only natural outlets whi(;h
place the j)lain of Hungary in free communication with tlio outer world. The
influence exerciw;d by this mountain rampart upon the migration of peoples and
njKjn their dcfHtinies has therefore been naturally great.

The Caq)athiann are uniform in their general features, if we compare them
with the Wentern Alps, but tlwir mountain maHscs and secondary chains nevertlicless
prevent much variety of detiil. 'J'hey begin nearly opposite the last spurs of the
AlpH, bilow the confliKince of the J>anube and the Morava (March). Their first
summit, the Thebner K(»g«'l (l.OH.'i feet), is the culminating point of a detached
range To thf- north of a deprension through wliirh runs the railway from Vienna

* Kioiri Kliri'tMft, it Klnv wonl niKnifyiiiK ii>">i»t<>it> ruti^o.

AUSTEIA-nUNGARY.

to Pressburg rises the most elevated crest of the Little Carpathians (2,675 feet),
separated by another depression from the White Mountains (IJ,170 feet), thus called
on account of their bare dolomite summits, and from other ranges, including the
Javornik (3,320 feet) and the AVysoka (3,346 feet), which gradually swerve round
to the east to the Pass of Jablunka. Metamorphic slate enters largely into the
composition of this portion of the Carpathians, and forms veritable mountains,
whilst pastures and forests enhance the beauty of the scenery.

Farther east, the mountain ranges, being intersected by the valleys of the
Vag (Waag) and of its tributaries, are of very irregular configuration. They are
more savage in aspect, and attain a greater height, their culminating summit, the

Fig. 48.— The Tatra.

5 Miles.

Babia Gora, or "Women's Mountain," rising to an altitude of 5,644 feet. We are
approaching the most elevated mountain mass of the Carpathians. This is the Tatra,
which rises about 30 miles to the south of the normal axis of the Carpathians,
between the valleys of the Vag and the Arva on the west, and those of the Poprad
and the Donjec on the east. If these valleys were to be dammed up, a lake almost
surrounding the Tatra would be formed, and only a narrow neck of land would
connect it with the mountains in the interior of Hungary. •

Though far exceeding all other mountains of Hungary in height, the Tatra
cannot compare with the Alps, and none of its summits pierce the region of
perennial snow. In some sheltered crevasses patches of snow may indeed be seen

<
m

HUXGAEY. 77

in sumraer, but the snow from the upper summit disappears regularly, although,
above a height of 6,000 feet, snow-storms occur throughout the year. This rapid
disappearance of the snow is attributed to the steep slopes of the mountains. The
Tatra is the boldest mountain mass between the Alps and the Caucasus, and its
steep ramparts, vigorous contour, abrupt promontories, and serrated crests present a
most striking picture. Though formed of crystalline rocks, the Tatra possesses all
the variety of outline usually associated only with sandstone and limestone.
There are neither elongated backs nor gentle slopes, and the pastures are or small
extent. Wherever the eye ranges it meets with scarped walls and chaotic rock
masses rising above a green belt of forests. The peaks of Loranicz (8,633 feet),
and of Kesmark, separated by a narrow gap, known as the "Fork," are amongst
its most formidable summits, but they yield in height to the Nakottlu, or Peak, of
Gerlachfalva (8,683 feet).

The number of lakes is very considerable, if we bear in mind the small area
occupied by the Tatra. M. Hradszk}'^ enumerates no less than 112. For the most
part they are very small, and the largest amongst them, known as the " Great
Lake " (Vielki Stav), does not exceed 85 acres in area. These lakelets, like those
of the Pyrenees, occupy cup-shaped cavities in the granite. The natives call them
" eyes of the ocean," and fancy that every storm at sea agitates them. Most of
them are reputed unfathomable ; in reality, however, their depth is not very
great. That of the Ryby Stav, or Fish Lake, does not exceed 200 feet.

The Tatra is not rich in metals, iron alone occurring abundantly, but the
natives fancy that immense treasures of gold and precious stones are hidden in the
lakes, whore they are guarded by toads.

The Tatra is surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges of inferior height,
which by degrees sink down into the plain. The Little Tatra (6,703 feet) rises
U) the south, Vx'yond the valleys of th<! Vag and the Poprad. Like the Great
Tatra, it is of granite ff)rmation. The Krivan Fatra, to the west of it, are far
lower fo,470 feetj, as are also the "Metal Ranges" (6,0o7 feet). Amongst the
ffX)t-hill8, more or less detached, which advance like promontories into the plain
of the Danube and the Tisza fTheiss), there is but one whidi exceeds 3,000 feet in
height. This is the Matra (3,182 feet), the conical summit of which forms a
conspicuous landmark.

The mountain masses surrounding the Little Tatra are nearly all composed of
eruptive rofks, and the hills rising on the margin of tlic old inland sea are
pierced by igneous nK;ks. Of all the volcanic districts of Hungary tluit of the
M^itra is in the best state of jjreservation. Matra is said to unr.m " lusirth," with
reference either to traditional outljurHtn of fierv lava, or to biirnt-offcrin'rs made on
the summit of the mountain. 'l'\\<- Tatra, tlu; F4fra, and the MAtra arc the
hi*t/»rical mountains of tin; Magyars, and the three peaks on thoir coat of arms
are suppoiw-d to repnsent th»;m.

To the cast of the gorge of I'oprafl the niiiin range of th(! Oarpathians
utretehes towards tlie f^juth-OHst, iJeing compusi'd lor thf most j)art of sterile
nan(]nU)iu% ihln portion of the ring<; is very thinly peopled, except where salt, conl,

78 AUSTEIA-nUNGARY.

and other mines have attracted a denser population. Vast forests still cover
the country, and although the mountains are anything but rugged, it is rarely
visited.

Beyond the Pass of Veretske, known also as the " Gate of the Magyars,"
probably because through it they first debouched upon the plain of Hungary, the
Carpathians gradually increase in height, granite reappears, the Pop Ivan attains
a height of 6,318 feet, reaching far beyond the zone of forests, and for the first
time we observe polished rock surfaces, old moraines, and other evidence of a
glacial epoch. Hydrographically this mountain mass is of greater importance
than the Tatra, for four rivers, the Tisza (Theiss), the Szamos, the golden
Bistritza, and the white Czeremosz, rise upon it and flow towards the cardinal
points of the compass. Spurs, ramifying from this " knot," enclose between them the
mountain citadels of Western Hungary, viz. Marmaros, on the Upper Theiss,
and Transylvania. Amongst the mountains which rise in this part of the chain
that of Pietross (7,240 feet) is the most elevated. It is clad with forests and
pastures, and its extremities terminate in tower-like peaks.

The semicircular range of the Eastern Carpathians forms the eastern citadel of
Western Europe. It looks down upon the half- Asiatic plains of Sarmatia, and has
turned aside many a host of invaders. It bounds the table-land of Transylvania,
which slopes down towards the plain of Hungary, and is named with reference to
the vast forests which cover a great part of it. Easy of access from the west,
Transylvania presents steep and rugged slopes towards the east and south. It is
thus a great natural stronghold, and its geographical features account for the
relative independence enjoyed by its inhabitants whilst the surrounding regions
were held by the Turks.

The Carpathians, to the south of Marmaros, gradually swerve round in the
direction of the meridians. They maintain an average height of from 4,000 to
6,000 feet. The table-land of Hargita, with its deep valleys and dome-shaped
summits,* abuts upon the Carpathians on the west. Farther south they are
separated by magnificent plains, the beds of ancient lakes, from the mountains
filling the interior of the countr3^ These well-cultivated plains are surrounded by
steep, forest-clad mountains, and appear to be designed by nature as the homes of
independent communities.

To the south of the plain of Haromszek the range abruptly turns to the west.
This southern range is known as the Transylvanian Alps, and its summits, of
which the Negoi (8,340 feet) is the highest, yield but little to those of the Tatra.
Like this latter, it is composed of crystalline rocks. In its aspects it is more
forbidding and majestic. Looked at from the plain of Fogaras, intersected by the
beautiful Aluta, we might indeed fancy ourselves in the presence of the Swiss Alps,
if it were not for the small extent of meadows and the absence of ^laciers. Bears
are still common in these little- visited mountains, and herds of chamois as well as
marmots are met with. In the Tatra wild animals are far more scarce, although
bears still occasionally invade the herds and oat-fields. In 1865 only five families of

* The Nagy Hargita lias a height of 5,713 feet.

HUNGARY. 79

mannots and six or seven chamois veere known to exist, but their pursuit having
been strictly prohibited, these animals have again multiplied. The wild goat,
however, has disappeared from all parts of the Carpathians, and the last wisant
was killed in 177o, near Udvharhely.

The Transylvanian Alps, extending for nearly 200 miles to the north of
"Wallachia, occupy a far greater area than the Tatra. At their western extremit}',
in the Banat, they ramify into numerous branches, and being rich in coal, ores,
and mineral springs, these are much better known than the main chain in the
east. The main range decreases in height as we travel westward, but at the
" Iron Gate," where the river Danube has forced its passage through it, it is still
of formidable aspect.

Farther east the most elevated part of the Transylvanian Alps is pierced by
three rivers. The easternmost of these rivers is the Buseo (Bodza), a tributary of
the Sereth. Farther west, the Aluta, having drained the ancient lake basins of
Csik, Ilaromszek, Burzenland, the magnificent valley of Fogaras, and the
basin of Hermannstadt, pierces the main range of the Carpathians about iifteen
miles west of the superb summit of the Xegoi. The narrow gorge through which
it has forced itself a passage is known as the Pass of the Red Tower (1,155 feet).
A third river, the 8il (Jiulu), traverses the great mountain range to the west of
the Paring (7,997 feet). The gorge through which it flows is exceedingly rugged,
and the inhabitants, when they desire to cross from Transylvania into Wallachia,
prefer the road over the Vulkan Pass.

The mountains forming the western boundary of Transylvania were no more
able than the Southern Carpathians to resist the pressure of the water pent up in
their rear, and wide valleys have been scooped out, through which it emerged
into the plain of Hungary. The 8/amos escapes in the north, the Swift and the
Black Konis in the centre, and the Maros, a fine river rising in tlic old lake
basin of Gyergyo, runs through a broad valley in the south. Tlieso valleys divide
the mountains of Western Transylvania into separate groups, having distinct names.
Sometimes, however, the whole of them arc referred to as " (Jre Mountains," a
name they are fully entitled to on account of their mineral wealtli and the
diversity of their rocks. Granite, jiorpliyry, schist, sandstone, and limestones, as
well as trachyte and lava, ent<'r into their conip()^itif)n, 'i'he Dclunata, or
" Thunder-stnick," one of the most remarkable basaltic- summits of Kurope, rincs
in their very centre, at tlie head of the Araiiyos, or " Gold Uiver." The neighhoui -
ho<j<\ alK;undM in mr-t'illifcrous vr-ins, yielding gold, silver, mercury, iron, and otlier
metal«. I{r>ck-Halt is nr.t found there, hut it is supposed to underlie the bare and
dreary-looking hills f)f Mezosf^g, wliich occupy the centre of Transylvania, between
the valleys of the Szamos and tlie Maros, If these hills were to be removed, wo
iihfiulrl reach a Hhcct of nxik-wilt cKicupying the whole of this aiuMont gulf of the
»ca. Six hundrrd brine springs sufficiently attest tlu; nature of iIk; underlying
rrjckfi, und in a few pIuc(;H the suit crops f»ut on the surface. Tlie salt mountain
near I'arajd, in the iipjnr vulhy r»f th<! Kis Kiiktillo, a tributary (jf the .Maros,
in twice us large us the famous one of Cardona, in (jatalonia. Some years

AUSTRIA-nUNGAllY.

ago a cliff of salt, of an estimated weight of 2,500 tons, tumbled down into the
river, and for several days obstructed its course.

The hilly region to the north of the ancient lake beds of the Upper Aluta is
remarkable on account of the chemical processes going on there. The rock-salt
lies near the surface, and the cellars of many houses are excavated in it. Near the

Fig. 49. — The Pass of the "Red Towek."
Scale 1 : 357,000.

5 Miles.

Biidos Hegy, or "Stinking Mountain," vast beds of sulphur are found, and the
sulphurous vapours emitted from crevices in the rocks are supposed to cure a
variety of diseases. Vast quantities of carbonic acid escape near Yafalva, and
sometimes fill the cellars. Acidulous springs are numerous. Combustible gases,
similar to those of Modena, escape near Kis Saros.

C
5?:

HUNGARY.

Eix'ERs AND Lakes.

HuxGART and Transylvania abound in rivers. The annual rainfall through-
out these countries averages 26 inches, besides which the Danube convevs to
them an immense volume of water gathered in its upper basin. For 620
miles that river winds through the plains of Hungary, and amongst the
numerous tributaries which join it from all directions there are several of
great size.

There is only one river in all Hungary, viz. the Poprad, a tributary of the
Vistula, fed by the snows of the Tatra, which does not belong to the basin of the
Danube, Three rivers of Transylvania, viz. the Sil, the Aluta, and the Bodza
(Buseo), join the Lower Danube; all others effect their junction with that river

Fig. 50. — The Defile of Vi8egk*d.
Scale 1 : 376,000.

i6* 3o

ri^

\-<.^

.^1

.&^

E . of Prf.

, r. Mil< ».

above the Iron Gate of Orsova. I'olitically this convergence of the rivers is a great
advantage, but not commercially. The Danube is the only water liigliway which
connects the plainH of tlie Miigyars witlj foreign countricH, and even that only imper-
fectly, aM long aH the rocks obstructing the free jjaHsage througli tlie Iron Gate
have not been removf<l. Ildw much greater would bo the commercial importanco
of the Danube if, innlead of flowing info the inhrjspitable Kuxinr, it look its
courw; into the Adriatic ! iJut what would then have become of the Magyars P
lirought into contact witli a superior civilisation, and mingling more intimately
with other nations, would they have maintained their langiuig(! and political
existence 't

The Danube, witliin the boun«larios of IFungary, is a gr(;at river. Except
where hemmed in by hills, its banks are undefined, and the agencies of dcstruc-

AUSTUJA-llUNGARY.

16- 30* E. of P.

tion and reconstruction are ever at work. At one point the current undermines
the banks, and sweeps away the debris, which it deposits again lower down.
Islands, which in course of time become covered M'ith willows and poplars, are
formed in one part of the river, and washed away in the other. Shallow channels
ramify in all directions, and we wonder how the pilots can pick their way in
this labyrinth. The houses on the banks are hardly visible amongst the trees
which surround them, and sometimes, when we approach clusters of floating mills
anchored in the stream, we fancy that the river population is more numerous than
u;„ <;i T'.,^ r>..,,.., . „ ., -n that of the land. Large herds of

rig. 51. iHE JJRAVE AND THE DANUBE. ®

cattle are seen to wander over the
marsh lands bordering upon the
river, swarms of aquatic birds rise
from cane - brakes, and swallows
build their nests where the banks are
steep.

Immediately after having passed
through the Hungarian Gate, be-
tween the Alps and the Carpathians,
the Danube divides into numerous
branches, forming a labyrinth of
islands collectively known as Schiitt
in German, and Czallokoz in Magyar,
the latter name signifying "deceitful
island," probably with reference to
the changes perpetually going on.
These islands are an ancient lake
delta of the river, and between the
movith of the Tag and the fortress
of Komarom (Comorn), at their
lower end, they cover an area of
COO square miles.

Below Comorn the Danube once
more flows in a single bed, and
then engages in the narrow gorge
formed by the mountains of Pilis
and Nograd (Novigrad). This de-
file, which connects the plain of
Pressburg with the great plain of Hungary, is historically of considerable
importance. Here, on a promontory, rise the ruined towers of Visegrad, a for-
tress in which was kept the crown of St. Stephen ; there, too, rose the magnificent
palace of Matthias Corvinus. Buda-Pest, the twin capital of all Hungary', has been
built not far below it. At Visegrad the Danube abruptly sweeps round to the
south, and it maintains this direction until it is joined by the Drave, when it as
abruptly resumes its easterly course. The Danube, a more considerable river now

5 Miles.

HUXGAEY.

than any other in Europe,* traverses the plain in manifold windings. Its islands
and channels change with every flood. Its numerous channels, many of them
deserted, form a perfect labyrinth, sometimes spreading out for 10 miles. Below the
large island of Csepel, upon which Arpad established his camp, the river incessantly
encroaches upon its western bank, not only because of the rotation of the earth,
but also, it is supposed, in consequence of the prevailing south-easterly wind,
known as Kosava to the Servians. Between Pet^rwardein and Belgrad the river
annually shifts its bed about 18 inches to the westward.

The Lower Drave rivals the Danube in its sinuous course, but of all the
rivers of Hungary the Tisza (Theiss) is the most winding. The valley of that

Fig. 52.— The Tisza (Theiss).
Pcale 1 : 350,000.

•7*

. ^ -}

*• } * • )

"W7"

118° 20' E.of p.

^.n^

J -,

ATarna Szt.iMiklos "^-^/m' Vi xi. ^ ' *

'V^

f ^_ -^ Kiln nr-vv^j ^ '^

_^ ;iO'»o K.of Or.

.^ MilM.

nver han a length of •'i'JH miles ; but the river itwlf, including its numerous
divagations, measures no lesa than \Y'V) miles. " l)ead " riv(;r chunnelH, swump.s,
and murHbes line its banks. Formerly it was thought siifliciont to connect tlio
many lfx)p« of th<! river by "cuts," and to conntruct enibankments, in order to
protect some '$,000,000 acres against inundation, and to biinish the nialigimnt
fevers iK^ni in sunirner from stagnant swamps. I'lic landowners of eijch
district only hj^iked to their own interests, and even tlic works constructed
more recently under the direction of the engincjT Va'aihrlyi, though conccrived

• Diwhnric'' at Biifla-I'«4it, wh<n thu rirrir Ii)V«-l hiw fiilli-ii to wm of th<i K""K<'t 24,700 culiic feet |ii!r
t0*nni\ : wh»Ti it haa riawn to S» iixhi-a atxivo icto, 100,000 eiibii; fi<«-t ; at lS-7 foot ahovo zuro, 2Kl,0(iO

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

on a wider plan, are far from having removed the dangers of inundation. On
the contrary, owing to the greater fall of the river, floods appear to prove more
disastrous now than they were formerly.* Vast tracts of land have certainly
been protected by these embankments, but others, far more valuable, have been

Fig. 63. — Meandehings and " Cuts " of the Tisza (Theiss).

Scale 1 : 180.000.

Ift-'so- E.ofP.

8^^»^.

{fu ^°ll %^ ^- s

|^b|%.

22 "lO' E.oi'Gr.

5 Miles.

exposed to the floods, one of the most disastrous of which occurred in the present
year (1879).

At a comparatively recent epoch the Tisza flowed about 60 miles farther to
the east, along the foot of the mountains of Transylvania. But its great
tributaries, the Szamos, the Koros, and the Maros, meeting it at right angles,

* In 1872 the emtankments of the Tisza had a length of 776 miles, whilst by means of "cuts " the
main channel of the river had been shortened 298 miles.

HUNGAEY.

have gradually pushed it back towards the west. The right bank, being exposed
to the erosive action of the river, is high, whilst the left bank is composed of
alluvial soil, deposited by the rivers of Transylvania. Farther south the Tisza
yields to the impulsion given to it by the Danube, and travels to the east. In the
time of Trajan and Diocletian the plateau of Titel was on the right of the Tisza ;
subsequently it became an island ; and now the river flows to the east of it.

In travellins: towards the west the Tisza has left behind it a wide tract of
swamps, intersected by ancient river channels. Some of these resemble the actual
river in almost every feature, except that they have no current. The elongated
swamp of Er, which connects the Kraszna with the Sebres Koros, to the east of
Debreczen, is one of these deserted channels, and after heavy rains the Kraszna
flows through it towards the south-west, thus converting the whole of the north-
eastern portion of the plain of Hungary into a huge island. The swamps to

Fig. .54.— The "Iron Gate."
Scale 1 : 100,000.

2""' 10' E.of P.

■•S* ■^'

I22-30' Lot Or.

-J Miles.

the eoKt of the Tisza are not only exposed to inundations, whenever the river
breaks tlirough the embankments designed to control it, but thoy also sufler
(X^ai^ionjiUy from a sudden bursting forth of subterranean reservoirs of water.

Flfxids in Hungary, after all, arc more or less traceable to the Danube. The
gorge throiigli which that mighty river escupes to the plains of Uuiuaniu is very
narrow, and wlion the enow iii«;lt8, or heavy ruins full, the Huperabundant water
not being able t*» escape, the river gradually riscH, until the swamps lining its
banks arc converted into lakes, and the plains for miles above the J ion (jiatc
stand under wat«T. At tin; nioiitli of the Trines a lake '^00 square miles in
extent, and 7 feet dcr-p, in formed. So gentle is the slope of the Hungarian
plain that a rine of <»nly l'-\ feet in the I>anube causes the Tisza f<» flow back as
far as Szeged, a dinlancc of H7 miles.

No f-inbankments along tin; upp'T roursos of the rivcTs can protect the

AUSTRIA-HUNGAliY.

lowlands against these Danubian floods. On the contrary, the greater the volume
of water which these embankments cause to flow towards the Danube, the greater
the danger to which tbe dwellers along the lower river courses find themselves
exposed. Of late years even " hilly districts " have been invaded by the floods,
the inhabitants being obliged to fly for their lives, and sec their cattle perish
before their very eyes. Whatever local advantages may have been conferred
by the embankment of the Tisza, the country at large has been a loser. The
only efficacious means of preventing these disastrous floods would be to widen
the Iron Gate, and thus provide an outlet for the pent-up waters of the
Danube.

The succession of gorges through which the noble Danube rushes, on leaving
the plain of Hungary, not only abounds in picturesque scenery, but is geologically

Fig. 55. — Fort Elizabeth.
(Three miles from the Iron Gate.^

interesting, for nowhere else in Europe have such formidable obstacles been over-
come by the irresistible agency of water. The castle of Golubatz and the rocky
islet of Babako stand sentry at the entrance to this wonderful defile, over 60
miles in length. Immediately below these landmarks the Danube rushes over a
bed of rocks, forming a series of rapids, and then engages in the dangerous passes
of Greben, obstructed by blocks of porphyry, where the navigable channels are
hardly 15 feet in width when the river is at its lowest. Beyond the river
broadens, forming the basin of Milanovitz (4,500 feet wide). A precipitous wall
of rock appears to shut it in completely, but an abrupt turn brings us to the
entrance of the famous gorge of Kasan, less than 500 feet in width, and bounded
by steep cliffs of limestone. Roads accompany each bank of the river, that on

HUNGAEY.

the Hungarian side being looked upon as one of the marvels of modei'n engineer-
ing. A famous Eoman inscription recalls the glories of Trajan, who " vanquished
the mountains and the river."

Below Orsova and its fortified island the river, here nearly a mile in width, is
obstructed by reefs. This locality is known as the " Iron Gate." Less wild in
aspect than the gorge of Kasan — for here no steep cliffs form the banks — the Iron
Gate is nevertheless the most dangerous part of the Danube, and hundreds of
vessels, including many steamers, have been wrecked there. In 1846 the first
steamer successfully breasted these rapids, a feat only possible between March and
July. The Danubian Steam Navigation Company virtually maintains two inde-
pendent flotillas, one on the Upper, the other on the Lower Danube, communi-

Fig. 56. — Lakb Balaton.
Scale 1 : «>80,000.

E.oi' Paris,

])M--i^

^1/ .•'^-s^ri.:t^'-_v ..A

I. .1 u.

I'> Miles.

cation between both being kept up by u few steamers of speciul construction, or by
road.*

It is a disgrace to Austria that this obstacle to the free navigation of the
noblest river of Kurope should not have been removed long ago. Hardly any-
thing has WjndoneHince the days of Trajan to render th(!s(; rapids less dangerous ;
and it is only now, and in virtue of tho treaty recently nigned at iJcrliii, that
AuHtrhi and Servia have undertaken to acconipIiMh this great work <il freeing
the I>anulje.

'J he I)anube has not yet compl(rt<;ly draiiie<l the plains of Hungary, for a few lak'-H

r»;main behind, th<^ larj;«-Ht l)einjr that ot' lialalon, Mj)ok<'n of an the* " Hungarian

• Av«Traj(«' Iivil of thu l)«nu)K- iit Uw IIiiriKHniiri UnUu "••'•' f«)"t ubovo tho mui ; iit Ihi- Iron Oiiln,
12« /«•«■*; Uiliil fall of tho I)itiiul»<; in /»i>3 milwi, 30r> fr.l. Delivery iit thu Iron (liiU\ 300,1)00 vnh'u: feet

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

Sea" by Magyar poets, although its shores were inhabited by Slovenes, and its
name is derived from a Slav word meaning " marsh." The Balaton recalls in no
sense the beautiful lakes of the Alps, but, although partly bounded by low marshes,
its northern shore is picturesque. Hills clad with forests or covered with vine-
yards bound it, old castles occupy the promontories, villas and villages lie
hidden in the valleys, and in the centre of the lake rises the volcanic cone of
Tihany. The fortified abbey built upon its summit long resisted the onslaughts
of the Turks, after all other castles had fallen.

The waters of the Balaton are slightly brackish, for the lake is partly fed by
mineral springs, some of which are therraals, to judge from the differences of
temperature observed. The fishermen dwelling along its shores pretend to have
observed a tide, but this phenomenon is no doubt the same as that of the seiches of

Fig. 57. — The Lake of Neusiedl.
Scale 1 : SOO.OIX).

I 15° E. of Paris

l7°20'g.ofGr.

10 Miles.

the Lake of Geneva (see vol. ii. p. 423). The average depth of the Balaton amounts
to 20 feet, and near the extinct volcano of Tihany, where it is deepest, it does
not exceed 150 feet. The lake is drained by the Sio, a small river flowing to the
Danube. The Romans first attempted to drain the lake, and since 1825, in which
year the work was resumed, 490 square miles of swamp have been gained to
cultivation. The lake itself has shrunk, for its level has fallen 39 inches.
Unfortunately the fine sand which covers the parts of its bed now exposed is
carried by the wind far into the country. A species of perch, known as fogas, is
caught in the lake, and highly valued for its flesh.*

The Lake of Neusiedl lies in the plain bounded by the heights of the Leitha
and the Bakonv. If it were not for the hills which shelter this lake on the west,

• Altitude of Lake Balaton, 426 feet ; average area, 266 square miles ; contents, about 6,320,000,000
tons of water.

HUNGAEY. 89

it would long ere this have been silted up, for the cavity which it occupies lies
about 50 feet lower than the bed of the Danube immediately to the north of it.
Its existence even now is intermittent, and occasionally it dries up altogether. If
an ancient document can be credited, the lake was first formed in 1300. In 1693,
in 1738, and in 1865 its waters evaporated, only a few swamps and quagmires
marking its site. The lake, in fact, is largely fed by the Danube. "When the
floods of that river are low for a succession of years, the Lake of Neusiedl dries up ;
but when high floods occur, so as to force back the sluggish stream of the Hansag,
which drains it, the lake fills again. It could be drained easily, but it is very
doubtful whether this would prove advantageous. The mud covering its bottom
contains much soda, and the fields surrounding it are largely indebted for their
fertility to the evaporation from its surface. Moreover, fine sand mixed with
crystals of salt would be blown over the fields if it were to be drained. The
insalubrious swamps of Hansag, which extend to the eastward of the lake, ought,
however, to be drained at once. The inhabitants who venture into this half-drowned
region fasten boards to their feet, to prevent sinking into the mud, and cover
the head and the face with weeds, as a protection against innumerable swarms of
flies. The remains of pile dwellings and stone implements have been discovered
in the mud of the Lake of Xeusiedl.

The Pl.\ix of IIuxg.vry.

The.se two lakes are the only remnants of the vast sea which in a former epoch
covered nearlv the whole of Ilungarv, and the ancient beach of which can still be
traced near the Iron Gate, at a height of 118 feet above the actual level of
the Danube. The alluvium which now fills the ancient lake bed varies in thick-
ness according to lc>culity. Xear Pest the old lake bottom is reached at a depth of
50 feet, but in the lianat borings of» more than 500 feet have failed to attain the
live rock. It ha.s been estimated that an area of nearly 40,000 K(|uarc miles is
covere<l with alluvial soil, averaging 300 feet in depth. The mass of debris
wanhwl down from the Carpathians has been triturated so finely that it would bo
vain to Bearch for a pebble. The weapons and tools found in the grave-hills of
the Tisza and its tributaries are mad*; of bones and stag's liDrii, mid not of stone,
as in other parts of Kuropfr.

The plain of T7pp<T Hungary, lying l)etw(;cn the J'ort;i Ilungarica and the
gorge of VisegTJwl, has long since lost it-* original jjliysiognoiny. The fertile plain
bounded by hilU whidi lies t^i the north of tin; l)armbe fairly deserves its
epithet of " Garden of Gold," and nothing there reminds «is of the Bleppes of
Ania or the navunnahM of America. Hungarian " Mesopotamia," drained by the
Danube, the Tisza, anfl flie Maro«, however, in a large nu-asure retains its ])rimi-
tive features. To the .Mngyiirs thin region is the AHold, or i^owland, as diHtinguishcd
from the l''elf<»Id, or L'pland. Its aspect is monotofiouH in tin; extreme. A Insight
of land, hardly perc«'ptil*le to the eye, HCparatoH tlic Hanube from the 'i'isza, but
frl»ewhere the hori/on In broken only by ridgen of drift sand and hy a few hillockH,

DO AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

some of them raised by human handB, to serve as places of refuge. This uni-
formity, so distressing to a stranger, delights the native, who throughout this
vast region meets with the familiar scenery of the place of his birth.

The forests which formerly covered a portion of the plain of Pannonia have for
the most part disappeared. Until recently hardly a tree was to be seen in the
central portion of the Alfold, and only dried cow-dung was available as fuel. At
the present time the planting of trees is being proceeded with vigorously, and the
aspect of the country is thus being modified. But there still remain vast tracts
impregnated with salt, which resist all attempts at cultivation, and are available
only as pasture-grounds. These pastures, together with cultivated patches far
away from villages, constitute the veritable Puszta sung by Petofi and other
Magyar poets. This Puszta is a dead level, covered with grass and herbage, and
abounding in muddy pools, the haunts of aquatic birds. There are no rivers, but
after heavy rains these pools grow larger and larger, until they coalesce. In
summer they often dry up completely, and the herdsmen then find it difiicult to
procure sufficient water for their beasts. Natron lakes are numerous, more
especially between Debreczen and Nagy-Varad, and there are also a few saltpetre
ponds.

The Puszta, until quite recently, was a land of herds and flocks, tended by
nomad herdsmen, and although cultivation has made much progress, large
stretches of pasture-land may still be seen. Troops of horses pasture in battle
array, herds of oxen are scattered over the plain, but it is the buffalo reclining
in some swamp which appears to be the master of it. Now and then we see a
stork or a long-shanked crane. We might almost fancy ourselves in a virgin
land, far away from the haunts of civilisation, and the wild horseman racing over
the plain does not contribute towards dispelling this illusion.

Climate and Flora.

Until recently a steppe by aspect, the Puszta still preserves that character as to
its climate. Its mean temperature is not only somewhat lower than under the
same latitude in Western Europe, but the changes from cold to heat are more
sudden. It is not rare for the thermometer to rise or fall 40" within a few
hours, and in midsummer we may find ourselves exposed to an icy-cold wind,,
whilst many days in December remind us of spring. The general march of the
seasons appears to be less regular than in Western Europe. Rains and droughts
succeed each other without apparent cause, and storms of great violence occa-
sionally whirl up the dust or drive before them the snow.

Of course, in a country so considerable in extent, we meet with many varieties
in the climate. In Transylvania each valley may be said to have a climate of its
own, and that of the Upper Aluta is exposed even to a southerly wind, resembling
the fohn, which enters through the gap of the Red Tower. Hungary, upon the
whole, has a well-defined continental climate. The so-called Hungarian fever,
which has repeatedly decimated invading hosts, and carries off many emigrants,

HUNGAET. 91

is believed to be caused by abrupt changes of temperature, and not by miasmata
rising from swamps. The inhabitants are careful to protect themselves against
these sudden changes.*

As the climate is necessarily reflected in the vegetation of a country, that of
the plain of Hungary recalls the flora of the Russian steppes, in spite of the
Carpathians, which separate the basin of the Danube from the basins of the
Dniester and the Dnieper. Asiatic types replace in Hungary the European types
met with farther west, and it is believed that, owing to the climate becoming
more extreme in its character, the former are gaining the upper hand. Wars,
too, have had something to do with this invasion of Asiatic plants, and since 1849
a spring thistle (Xanthium Kpiuosum), formerly unknown, has made its appearance
in the fallows of Transylvania. Popularly this thistle is known as " Muscovite
spine."

Inhabitants.

The inhabitants of the greater part of the bed of the old Danubian inland sea
have come from the steppes. The Magyars, whose name appears to signify " sons
of the soil," are undoubtedly kinsmen of the Fins. They have become Euro-
peanised, as it were, but their legends, some of their customs, and, above all, their
language, sufficiently attest that they are Turanians. Whilst elsewhere in Europe
the Uralo- Altaic invaders have been swallowed up by the rest of the population, the
Magyars have firmly established themselves in the plain oversluidowed by the
Carpathians. The far-stretching Panzta reminded them of the steppes they had
quitted, and even enabled them to continue their nomad life.

The Magyars, however, are not confined to the plain ; they also inhabit some
of the hilly districts. Their country is bounded by the Drave and the Mur in the
south -we«t, by spurs of the Alps in the west, by the outliers of the Carpathians in
the north, by the moimtains of Bihar in the east, and by the swampy lowlands
of the Maros and the Tisza in the south. Five millions of Magyars form a com-
pact mass within the limits thus indicated. They occupy also several detached
territories beyond, in the midst of (iermans, Slovaks, llurnanians, and Servians.
They are numerous in the valleys of Transylvania and in the mining districts.
The Szekely (Szeklers of the Germans) are the kinsmen of the Magyars of the
Alfold, and, as their name implies, tliey o<;cupied the frontiers of the country
t^iwards the cast. Ancient customs wliich have long since disappeared elsewhere
htill surviving amongst them, they claim to bo more noble than tlitiir kinsmen in
the pluin.

r<Kt ,

H*;h«;innitz

Krr/nat^i'lt

Itllii'Io

Mnnn TorniX!

iniliirp.

Ilnlnfu

1 K.*t.

.latiiuirT

.July.

Veir.

Inclii'i

l.'iO

;50

■Aoi)

I.U/iO

2H0

4 HO

I.I 00

.'to

«7

'IH

1 ,000

2»

'11

4(1

92 AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

The Magyars, although distinguished amongst all other nations by their
patriotic cohesion, are nevertheless the outcome of a commingling of the most
diverse tribes and nations. The conquerors of the country certainly did not
exterminate the Yazygians, Quades, Dacians, and other tribes whom they found
living within the amphitheatre of the Carpathians. "When the Roman Empire fell
to pieces, the vast plains of Hungary became a huge field of battle. Goths,
Gepides, Vandals, and Alans successively established themselves there. Then
came the Huns, led by Attila, who subjugated Slavs and Germans alike. The
modern Magyars are fond of tracing their origin from these Huns, but they passed
over the country like a swarm of locusts, leaving hardly any traces behind them.
Far more abiding was the influence of the Avares, who governed the country
during two centuries and a half. But so great had been the terror which the
epithet of Hun aroused that the country retained its name of " Hunnia " long
after the Huns had disappeared, and the Magyars, when first they appeared
in the ninth century, were called " Huns," or " Hungarians." The Byzantines
called them Turks.

In reality they are neither Huns nor Turks. They separated from the original
Finnish stock when still living as hunters and fishermen, and long before the dog
and the horse were known amongst them. Subsequently they became associated
with Turkish tribes, who initiated them into the mysteries of cattle-breeding and
agriculture. When they established themselves in Hungary, under the sons of
Arpad, they came into contact with the Slovenes, who became the teachers of the
Magyars, whose language and customs they in course of time adopted. Hundreds
of Magyar words bear witness to the great extent of this influence.

Though scarcely numbering 200,000 men when they first came to Hungary,
the Magyars have not only retained their nationality for ten centuries, but they
have also assimilated many of the other inhabitants of the country. The Bulgarian
Ismaelites and Khazars, who lived in the country as traders, have become
Magyars. The Pecheneges, towards the middle of the eleventh century, sought
an asylum amongst their Hungarian kinsmen. Two centuries later the Xumans
were assigned extensive territories in the mountainous region of the north-west
and in the central plain. They too have become Magyars, as have also the
Paloczes (Paloczok) and the Yazygs (Jaszok), who immigrated subsequently.
Even the Germans, in spite of their pretended Aryan superiority, have yielded in
large numbers to " Magyarisation." Many villages, originally settled by Germans,
as is proved by the family names and historical documents, have become Magyar.

Great was the terror inspired by the clouds of Magyar horsemen, who extended
their ravages as far as Italy and France. But the great defeat which they
suffered at Augsburg in 955 definitely slaked their thirst after conquest, and
thenceforth they confined themselves to their own country. In the ninth century
their seven tribes had formed an alliance, and their princes were made to swear
that they would respect their liberties and defend them against all comers.
The Magyar, although he felt constrained to submit to be civilised, retains the
free gait, the dignified bearing, and open glance of a warrior. He is proud of

HUNGARY.

his ancestors, and believes himself to be noble. He addresses his equals as
" Your Grace," and the word " honour " is ever in his mouth. All he says
and does is to be worthy of a gallant gentleman. His fondness of show,
vanity, and heedlessness are often taken advantage of by Germans and Jews.
"Vanity will be the death of my people," said old Count Szechenyi when
Hungary was about to plunge into the revolutionary war of 1849. Of a judicial
turn of mind, the Magyar defends the written law with the tenacity of a
Briton. Great is the love he bears his native land. " Life outside Huuagary is
not life."

The Magyar is fond of fine clothes, and the herdsmen in the Puszta delight

Fig. 58. — A View ix the Plszta.

in their holiday costumes. The liut is ornamented with ribbona and flowers ; u
*iik Buiih confines the blue or red jacket witli motal buttons ; the white over-
coat in embroidorod witli flowers, conspicuous amongst whicli is the tulip ; wliilo
loose linen trouwrrs des<end over the boots, and an: onianiented with a l)road
fringe. I'assionatrly foud of dancing, it is a niglit in mci; Jiini juiii in (he cmrditH,
for he is n-ally an artist, and his movcrncints are full of manly grace.

Lptill lHlf> liUtin was the lungiiag*; of tho law (tourts, und rducitrd nalives
conversofl in it. Th<! oldest Magyar books y/vm written in tho tirno of the
liftfonnution, and a ricli litoniture has grown ii[) since then. 'I'lii- government of
the country in now carried on in .Magyar, and althougli liir other nationalities

AUSTEIA-HUNGAltY.

Fig. 69.— Types and Costumes of Hvngaey.

exhibit considerable attachment to the languages they speak, partly in order to show

their aversion to the dominant race, Magj-ar appears to be steadily gaining ground.

The Magyars of Transylvania are Calvinistic Protestants, but in Hungary the

HTJNGAEY. 95

vast majority of the population are Roman Catholic. *' Rather a desert than a
country inhabited by heretics," said Ferdinand 11. ; and if all Protestants were
not actually exterminated, as in the Tyrol, this is due to the assistance they
received from the Turks. Religious animosities have almost died out in Hungary,
but the animosities of race survive.

Next to Magyars, the Germans are the most important nation of Hungary,
not so much on account of their number as because of their industry, commerce,
and intellierence. " The Ma^vars founded the State, the Germans built the cities."
It was they who created a middle class, and nearly the whole of the commerce
of the country was formerly in their hands. Most of the towns which they
founded governed themselves, and even joined in confederations, forming states
within the State. One of these political fraternities included the twenty-four
German parishes of Sepasia, at the foot of the Tatra. The German towns of
Transylvania were associated, and enjoyed the same privileges as those of the
Magyars and Szekely. Even Pest, originally a Slav village, as is proved by its
name,* became a German town, and as recently as 1686 the Magyar inha-
bitants complained that no member of the town council was able to speak their
language.

Formerly the Germans of Hungarj' were known by different names, according
to their origin. The Ilienzen, to the west and south of the Lake of Xeusiedl,
are Austrian colonists. The Heidebaueni (heath peasants), who dwell between
Xeusiedl and the Danube, are Allemans. The German miners in the north-
west are Saxons, whilst the German colonists in the south are Swabians. The
Germans of Transylvania, who inhabit the liurzenland on the Upper Aluta, and
the hills which extend to the north of Fogaras and IIcrm;innstadt as far as Mediasch
and Schiissburg, are known as Saxons, but are in reality for the most part the
descendants of Low Germans and Flemings who settled in the country during the
twelfth and thirteenth centuries. They have retained their language and customs
for six centuries, owing no doubt to their superior education, but their political
influence is no longer what it used to be. The Magyars and Rumanians,
amongst whom they live, have not only become more civilised, but they also
increase more rapidly in iiiimlxTs. Towns and villages formerly inhabited by
Germans have been Magyarised or Rumanised, and relatively the German element
has lost ground.

Hungary offersa favouralth; field for studying the changes which various nation-
alities undergo in course of time. The Gennans in the north, though living nearest
to Germany, have in largf; numbers becom(! Magyars, Slovaks, or Ruthenians. Tlie
Germann in the soutli, on the other hand, have succeeded in Gormani.sing both
Rumanians and S<;rvianH.

The Slavs of Hungary collectively outnuml)er the Magyars, l)ut they belong
to different nations. Th(; Shjvaks inhabit North-western Hungary, from the
\)iix\\i\)i-. U) the T4tra, and a few dctaclied colonies in the ])lain. Tl»»y are the

* \'*^ at P«ftJ, i(i<!aDa " liinu-kilu." Ofi-ii, which in thu (tonitun uanio fur ilu<ln, likuwiw) iiiuiiuo
"kiln."

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

kinsmen of the Chechians and 3Ioravians, and it is only since 1850 that their
dialect has become a literary language.

Physically the Slovaks are a fine race — tall, strong, and well made, with open
foreheads and an abundance of hair. They still wear a national costume, con-
sisting, for holidays, of a white shirt, a red jacket or vest, blue trousers or
petticoats. On ordinary occasions the peasants' dress is white. They are very
poor. Nature has not bfien bountiful to them, and many are obliged to go abroad
in search of work. Slovak pedlars travel as far as France, and, as they are very

Fig. 60. — Linguistic Map of Transylvania.
According' to Kelety Karoly.

;2C E.of F

23' E.ofGr

Rourttaiis.( itvtr 76 ^,c-)

ilarji/ars (uve.r 7Sp.c.J

Germans (uv€r76p.c.)

Rs Mrs or Gt
Cunder76p.c.J

thrifty, they generally succeed in saving up a few gold pieces, with which they
return triumphantly to their native land.

Hitherto the Slovaks have had little influence upon the government of the
country, but they increase rapidly, and many towns formerly inhabited by
Germans or Magyars have been taken possession of by them In part their
growth is due to the interference of the Austrian Government, which expelled
the German Protestants from the mining towns of Upper Hungary, and handed
over their houses to Catholic Slovaks. As an instance of their rapid natural

HUNGARY.

increase may be mentioned the two villages of Dettva, in the comitat of Zolyom,
which, from mere farms in the midst of a forest, have grown into places having
over 12,000 inhabitants each. Turocz-Szent-Marton may be looked upon as the
literary centre of the Slovaks.

The Ruthenians, or Little Russians, inhabit the hills in which the Theiss and
its upper tributaries have their sources, to the east of the Slovaks. These
Russians — called Oroszok by the Magyars — first established themselves in the
forests which formerly covered the whole of the Carpathians, and gradually spread
over the extensive territory extending from the Tatra to the mountains of
Transylvania. A few districts in which German was spoken a hundred years
ago have become Ruthenian, but elsewhere there are large tracts inhabited by

Fig. 61. — The Slovaks of Hungary.
According to Ficker. Scale 1 : 4,125,000.

K.E'.: P

S«i E.of O.

Qctr 9U yr,'^

[ZZ]

ia„U

I'» .Miloa.

Ov*r 10 ;<.';.^

Ruthonian«, whonj only Magyar or Riimaiiiaii is spokon now. Though kiuHnum
of the RuHsians, the hogts of Puskiowitch, when they invaded Hungary in IHIO,
were not hailed an liberators by the»o the moHt pt.'accabh' of all Slavs. Tlio
prinfi[»al contro of the Riitlir-niuns in Hungary is Ushgorod (Unglivar).

The Sorvian.H, who now form the bulk of the pt)i)iilation in flio Hunat and
frlHCwhorc in tho wnitli, first arriw-d in largf niinibcrs .illrr the Servian kingdom
hswl lK»-n ovfrthrown l)y tin; Turkn. HcCoh! that time tho S(?rvians wen; rcprc-
»K;nt<;d tx» the north of tho Danube Ity u ^v^ colonies only; but in 1<>!M)
more than .'Ui.OOO Rawiian ztidnitiHH, rniinboring perhapH lOO.OOO or TjOO.OOO
individuals, Hoiight a refuge in Hungary. ThoHe of them who wero aHsigncid
landjt in (.'eritrul or Northern Hungary gnwlually diHappoan;d ainongHt tho general

98 AUSTEIA-HUNGARY.

population ; but in the south, where they settled in compact bodies, they
have preserved their nationality. Brave, intelligent, and patriotic, the half-
million Servians now form an important element amongst the nations inhabiting
Hungary. They offer a more persistent resistance to the political preponderance
of the Magyars than cither Slovaks, Germans, or Rumanians, and in 1848 and
1849 they furiously resisted their pretensions in many a hard-fought battle.
One of their societies, known as Matica, or the "Mother of Bees," has done
much for the elucidation of Servian history and philology ; another, the Omladina,
or " Young Men's Society," has become formidable politically- Novisad (Neusatz)
is the literary and religious centre of the Servians of Hungary. They are the
kinsmen of Croats, Bosnians, and Dalmatians, but religious differences have created
a strong barrier between Roman Catholic Croats and Greek orthodox Servians.
The Chohaczes, or Bunyevaczes, who live at Maria- Theresiopel and elsewhere, are
supposed to be descended from Dalmatian immigrants. They, too, are Catholics.

Representatives of other Slav nations are found Avithin the boundaries of
Hungary. More than 100,000 Croats have settled to the north of the Drave ;
Wends, or Slovenes, are met with towards the western frontier ; 20,000
Bulgarians have founded colonies amongst the Rumanians of the Banat ;
and Poles have established themselves on the southern slopes of the Carpathians.
In Transylvania, however, hardly any Slavs are found now, although, judging
from the geographical nomenclature, they must formerly have been numerous.
That country is now almost exclusively in the possession of Magyars Germans,
and Rumanians, the latter forming a majority of the population.

The "Wallachians of Transylvania, whether we look upon them as Latinised
Dacians or as the descendants of immigrants come from the south, played
no historical part in the Middle Ages. They are first mentioned about the
middle of the fifteenth century. The towns founded or rebuilt by the Romans
were then no longer known by their Latin names. Even famous Sarmizege-
thusa, subsequently named Ulpia Trajana, in honour of the conqueror of Dacia,
had dwindled down into a poor village, known to the Rumanians by its Slav
name of Gredistya. All traditions of a dominion of Rome had died out.

The recent revival of the Rumanian nation is therefore one of the most
interesting events in history. Rumanians in compact masses occupy a con-
siderable portion of the Banat and of the hilly regions looking down upon the
plain of Hungary. The Szekely and " Saxons " of Transylvania are completely
surrounded by this Latin-speaking people. The Slavs who formerly lived in
Transylvania have been absorbed by them, and their memory only survives
in the names of mountains, of rivers, and of towns. Magyars and Germans have
resisted Latinisation, but the natural increase of the Rumanians being greater
than theirs, they virtually lose ground likewise.*

Whenever one or more Rumanian families settle down in a village they not
only preserve their language, but gain over to it many of the other inhabitants.

* Population of Transylvania:— In 1761, 547,250 Rumans, 262,000 Mngyars and Szekely, 130,500
Germans. In 1877, 1,275,000 Rumans, 625,000 Magyars and Szekely, 210,000 Germans, 17,000
Jews.

HUNGARY.

Formerly, in the country around Temesvar, hardly anything but Servian and
German was heard, whilst now the Rumanians are very numerous. The Slavs,
in order to escape this absorption by "Wallachs, actually flee the country. The
Catholic Bulgarians of the Banat have for the most part become Rumanians,
whilst the Servians of several districts make use of Rumanian in addition to
their native tongue. They are mild and inoffensive, these Rumanians, but once
they secure a footing in a village, their language gains ground rapidly.

The inability or unwillingness of the Rumanians to acquire foreign tongues
partly accounts for this curious state of affairs. If the Slavs, Magyars, and
Germans among-st whom thev settle desire to converse with them, thev must
learn Rumanian. But this is not all. The Rumanian exhibits greater patience
in adversity than the Servian, and maintains his ground under circumstances

Fig. 62. — The Servians of Hungary.
According to Ficker.

E.of Paris

E.ofO.

crz:

60 Miles.

O'V I0px.}i

which wouhi induce; the latter to emigrate. Nor is the beauty of the Wallachian
women quite without influence in thin Rumanisation. " Once a Wallachian wife
enters a houw;," wj Hays a jirovcrb, " th«! whoh; house becomes Wallachian."
Matrimonial fairs are still lidd in sonu; parts of Hungary with all the iinirrfr of
oUlen tirneH. Tlie " niaifiens' fair," wiiich takes jjluco at Topanfalva on the day
of St. Peter and St. I'uul, attracts th(! young men for miles around. Ilundrcids of
g^irls, juxomyKinied by their relatives, attend this fair, Hcatid u|)on their trunliM,
and Murround«;d by the fultl(! which they are to receive as a dowry. A lawyer
«it« under u tree, prepured to draw up matrimonial c«)ntracts. As many as
HO ^"rU httvo "gone off" at one of these popular nuictingH. Aun)ngst the
Hz/'kely t)ie parentn HometiineM ev(!n will tlutir children, and Szekeiy girls are
found in tlie harems of Asia Minr»r.

Up to IH'iH tlie Uiirrianians ot niiiny parts ot iliingury wrri- devoid of all

100 AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

national feelinf^. Some, the descendants of shepherds, called themselves Fraduci ;
others, in the mining districts, went by the name of Pofani. At present, however,
they know very well that they are the kinsmen of the AV^allachians and Mol-
davians, that their language is akin to that spoken by several nations of Western
Europe, and that numerically they are very formidable. As yet, however, they
do not aspire to national autonomy, and if in 1848 they rose against their old
landlords, this was not owing to a hatred of race.

They are serfs no longer, and if they do not always keep possession of the
land, it is the Jew usurer, and not the Magyar, of whom they have to complain.
These Jews, together with the Bulgarian " Ismaelites," have from immemorial
times been the traders of Hungary. It was they who disposed of the booty collected
by the Magyars, and carried on the traffic in slaves. They themselves were
occasionally reduced almost to a state of slavery, but the money which they
succeeded in amassing frequently enabled them to purchase temporary privileges.
Since 1867 they have been in the enjoyment of full civil rights, but "mixed"
marriages are not yet permitted to them, and the Szekely obstinately refuse to
admit them into their villages.

The increase in the number of Jews since the middle of last century has been
prodigious. There are districts in which they form a majority. Munkacs is a
town of Jews rather than of Christians, and at Pest they have increased from
1,000, in 1836, to 50,000 ! The birth rate amongst the Jews is very high, and
they are said to suffer less than the other inhabitants from epidemic and endemic
diseases.* In 1872 and 1873, when the cholera carried off Magyars, Germans, and
Slavs in thousands, the Jews actually increased in numbers. Emigration con-
tributes its share towards this increase. Hardly a village but the " chosen
people " are represented by an innkeeper and money-lender. The land by degrees
passes into the hands of the Jews, and the unfortunate peasant, whilst cursing
in his heart the cause of his ruin, has not the strength of will to avoid it. The
estates of ruined " magnates," too, often become the property of Jews. The latter
sometimes cause the land thus acquired to be cultivated with care, but as a rule
they farm it out to the ousted peasant proprietors.

The Armenian only resembles the Jew in his love of money and attachment
to the national religion. Szamos-Ujvar (Armenopolis) and Ebesfalva (Elisa-
betopolis) are the head-quarters of the Armenian merchants, whose number
is diminishing, and who no longer speak the language of their ancestors.

Hungary has always extended its hospitalities to the Tsigani, or gipsies, who
were granted certain privileges in the fifteenth century, and formed, as it were,
" itinerant republics " each under its headman {egregius), and elected judges
{agilcs). Joseph II. undertook to civilise the gipsies by compelling them to
become cultivators of the soil, and to abandon their national dress and lano-uao-e.
Notwithstanding this, a few of their nomadic tribes survive to the present day.
The majority, however, have become peasants or labourers.

* Annual death rate at Pest (1868—1870) per 1,000 inhabitants : —Roman Catholics, 48; Lutherans,
47 ; Calvinists, 34 ; Jews, 18.

HIJNGAEY. 101

It is to his musical talents that the gipsy is princiiDally indebted for the tolera-
tion granted to him by the Magyar, for no fete can take place in Hungary without
gipsy musicians. The gipsies are undoubtedly a mixed race, for some amongst
them are nearly black, whilst others are fair-complexioned. The majority of them
can, however, be recognised by the expression of their features and the glow of
their eyes.

In addition to the nations mentioned above we meet in Hungary with French,
Italian, and Spanish colonists. It is quite impossible to state the number
belonging to each race. Language alone can be our guide, but the numbers
given by different authors vary exceedingly, according to their national pre-
judices. Many claim to be Magyars who in reality are of different race. If the
number of schools could be accepted as a test, the Magyars would actually appear
to form an absolute majority of the population.*

Agriclltlre, Mining, and Commerce.

Hungary is almost exclusively dependent for its wealth on the abundance and
excellence of its agricultural products. There are sterile tracts, no doubt, but the
extent of rich black soil is very considerable, and 92 per cent, of the entire area
is capable of cultivation. The wheat grown in the Alfold and the Banat is highly
appreciated by the merchants of Western Europe. To an agriculturist there is
no finer sight than the wide plain of Hungary with its waving corn-fields. Hemp
and flax are cultivated with success, and Hungarian tobacco, in spite of vexatious
fiscal regulations, is exported into all the countries of Europe. t

Hungary is one of the most productive European wine countries, and some
of its growths are amongst the most esteemed in the world. The wine of Tokaj,
which is grown on the volcanic rocks of the Kopasteto, its cultivation having
been introduced by Italians in the thirteenth century, has not its equal in any
other part of Europe. Excellent wines are also grown on the southern slopes
of the Matra ; on the hills bordering upon the Maros, in Transylvania; around
Arad ; and in the vicinity of Ve8zpr«'m, Oedenburg, Pressburg, and liuda. Even
the plains are being invaded by vineyards, and grapes are exported as far as

• Nationaliti'.d and relij^ionH of Hungary and 'I'larixylvHnin in 1877 : —

lUimfin

Cathollr'n.

Orthodox

Totnl.

ImUu Uitis.

Urot-k III to.

Urc-ok CalholJCH.

rrolcnlniilM.

MaprjarH

/i,7'i(),000

3,060,000

—

i!, 100,000

liiimanianii .

2,.'jr,o,ooo

—

1,200,000

1,100,000

—

Gf.TTnan*

I,H.'.0,0(jO

1,1.00,000

—

400,000

Kl'.vaku

l.DOf 1,000

1,100,000

—

800,000

Knth«mianii .

.)0«),000

—

310,000

—

100,000

K<)iith<Tri HlavM

/i60,000

hO.OOO

—

470.000

Oi]Mii<'ii .

liO.OOO

;iO,000

—

100,000

.JO.OOO

J«wt

600.000

—

OlJier* .

r>o,ooo

—

Tot'il

l''.,720,()fiO

fl, .'(10.0(10

l.f'.OO.OOO

1 ,(170.000

:'..rio,ooo

H<'hrK>l«, |/),4tJi; vix. R,40( M/ij^ynr, 2,181 f!. rtn iti, I'.KIO Kuriianian, 2.067 Slovak, />20 Uutlmniiin,
iiO Utrrian, 71 Crtmi, 2 H04 mixed.

t Arable land, 31,146,000 ocn-* ; vinoyurdu, 7H7,.0OO acrcii; nuadowB and gurdt^nH, 8,'lii>,000 u<tc(i.

102

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

Ilaraburg. Unfortunately the country has been invaded by the phylloxera ;
yet the produce increases from year to year.* The Hungarian wine-grower is
superior to the ordinary peasant, but has still much to learn. The white wines
bear transport only after they have been " fortified." An " Association of Wine
Growers," formed by an Englishman in Transylvania, has done much for the
promotion of viticulture.

The herdsmen, who still hold possession of wide tracts of the Alfold and of
the mountain slopes, are being hard pressed by the agriculturists ; but whilst
natural pasture-grounds are becomng more and more restricted, artificial meadows
and green crops gain in extent, and cattle and sheep increase in numbers, f The

Fiff. 63. — The Vineyards of Hl'ngaky.

■ E.of P,

OBAVl^

M
VIENNA

T U R K E Y

20 E.of Gr.

\Nine Districts

half-savage oxen, with their tremendous horns, are but rarely seen now, the
cattle plague imported by the Russians in 1849 having destroyed more than
400,000 of them. The bufialoes, too, which are employed, as beasts of draught,
and which, being coarse feeders, are highly valued in a country of swamps,
are disappearing. The horses of Hungary are justly valued for their spirit,
sure pace, and endurance. The number of sheep has increased at a wonderful
rate, and the Magyars, from having been a people of horsemen, have in the
course of this century become a people of shepherds. The breeding of pigs is

* Average produce, 1861—72, 70,935,000 gallons, valued at £3,940,000.

t In 1870 there were 1,820,000 horses, 4,435,000 head of cattle, 13,826,000 sheep, 3,587,000 pigs,
and 404,000 goats.

HUNGAEY. 103

more especially of importance iu the south, where oak forests abound, and the
hams of Temesvar are highly esteemed for the delicacy of their flavour.

The great fertility of the soil is unfortunately neutralised in some measure by
the inconstancy of the weather, which renders agriculture a hazardous occupa-
tion. In some seasons not a drop of rain falls for months, in others it rains
nearly incessantly. The almost oriental fatalism of the peasants may possibly
be accounted for by their utter helplessness in the face of such a climate ; and
yet, after months and even years of drought, the wretched Wallachian of Transyl-
vania, although his children cry for food, and a few lumps of coarse malai (maize
paste) are all he has to ofifer, retains his astonishing placidity.

The distribution of the land in Hungary is by no means favourable to its
intelligent cultivation. By the side of vast domains, many square miles in
extent, we find small patches of land, but hardly any estates of fair medium
size.* As a rule the large domains are badly tilled, yielding hardly more than
twenty pence an acre. The Crown lands (6''j,000 acres) yield even less, or only
fivepence an acre. The use of manure is unknown in many ^arts of the country.
Dunghills were allowed to accumulate aroimd the dwellings to keep them warm,
and in 187o, when the cholera ravaged the country, the dung which had accumu-
lated around Pest became a source of danger, and had to be thrown into the
Danube or burnt in furnaces. Such ignorance explains how it is that an acre only
yields four or five bushels of wheat.

Agriculture, nevertheless, is making progress. Hundreds of square miles
have been drained, the moving sand-hills to the north of the Danube have been
planted with acacias, and the country has in many respects changed its aspect.
But whilst trees are being planted in the plain, the forests in the hills are being
devastated, the opening of railways facilitating the export of timber. The
Mfzfiseg, or " Land of Forests," of the Central Carpathians deserves that name
no longer, for its oaks, beeches, and firs have gone abroad.

The want of fuel in a great measure accounts for the decreasing importance
of the mines. Iron, load, and gold are found in tlic " Ore Mountains " of
Transylvania, and although that country no longer deserves the epithet of
"Treasure-chest of Kuropo," it sfill produces annually about £'200,000 worth of
gold, most of which is wahhed in tlie V'erespatak, or " Ilcd Iliver." The "gold-
diggers" lead a miwrablo life, and could earn more in other occupaf ions, but they
have not the strength to tfar themselves away from their and tlnir fathers' uccus-
tomfjd pursuit.

'Ihe "Ore .Mountains" t>\' Hungary proper rise around Schemni^z and
Kremnitz, and yield silver as well as gold, copper, lead, ziiu;, and iron, tlu! latter
alone b<,-ing of itnporfanee.t The principal iron works are at Oravi(;za, iS/cjm'h,
Xagy Virad, and Ard.

Salt and sidpliur abound in Transylvania and the eoniitat of Miirniaros.

• 'fViro aro 1,144, 400 proprlnUim holdincf iimtor 7 ft'r«M, ami !)0.'I,710 holdirit^ licfwiiii 7 iukI I'i
Mrct, th«i twn f Imbwh (KmiutminK kxiviiin Ukhi Ufni\y onc-lhinl "f thii tfiliil iir<ii of llin ( f<iiiiti y.

t In IH7 » lliifii()iry nnd 'rriirmvlvunijt |ir"r|iic«i(i HO.'iOO loimof iron ^viilijo £8^:1,000 C), i;i/5(),000 worUi
oflilvfn-, 130,400 toiin'.f wilt, l,/*00,000 U/iin of r.,iil ToUil viiliidof nil mining prLduclN iiliovo, VA,\ |(i,(M)i)

104

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

The mines of both can be worked for centuries at the present rate without
becoming exhausted.

The country is also very rich in coal and lignite. Tlie most productive coal
mines are near Fiinfkirchen (Pecs), between the Danube and the Drave ; at
Ressicza, in the Banat ; at Borsaska, on the Lower Danube ; and in the Transyl-
vanian Alps. Petrosenj^, on the Upper Sil, is the most important mining town in

Fig. 64. — The Auriferous Region of Transylvania.

20° no 'E of P

22° So'. K.ofGr.

10 HUes.

the latter. It is of quite modern origin, and its stores of coal have been estimated
at 250,000,000 tons.

Hot and mineral springs abound, more especially in Eastern Transylvania.
Some of the springs of Hungary have obtained a European reputation, but most of
them are hardly known by name. The Hercules Baths, near Mehadia, delight-
fully situate at the foot of the Transylvanian Alps, are the most famous amongst
them.

HUNGARY.

105

Railways render it possible to utilise the resources of Hungary to a greater
extent than could be done formerly, but the want of roads to feed the railways is
still very great. To some extent the difficulty of procuring metalling for the
roads accounts for their absence. The railways, however, have a great future
before them, whenever the proposed lines across the Balkans and the Carpathians
shall have brought Hungary into close connection with the J^gean and the wide
plains of Russia. Hungary will then in reality become an integral part of
Europe, and a land of transit connecting the West with the East.

Fig. 65. — A View ix the Mixing Disthict of Kremxitz.
(The Hills of the Mne^ira 1

Tow.vs.

Thk UMpoct of the towns of Jliiiigury changes but Hlowly, for it '\h ousior to
rnwlify our droHH f,)ian to reconHtruct our }iouh<-h. Forinerly the grout " lovvnH "
in thf! Hungarian plain wore in reality hugi; villagoH, having hardly a feature in
common with the lownn of WeNtorn Kurojjc Tiny were claHNified acconling to
pf>j)ulation and lfK;al inHtitutiouH, hut whether known as " royal fnjo ci<i(;s"or
" market towns," they all conniMted of an agglotiieration oi" low, delaelMul hou.scs,
»4'ya.riiU<\ by wide rouiin, gardwuH, aiul pondn. In fact, tlie " f^iwiiH " rcHeinhled

lOG

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

vast encampments, recalling the time when the Magyars were still nomads,
municipal buildings and church occupying the central site formerly reserved for
the tents of the chief. When the Turks invaded the country, it never struck the
Magyar peasants that, like the Saxons in Transylvania, they might raise walls as
a defence against the invader.

The spirit of the race may possibly account for the arrangement of the Magyar
towns, but we must not lose sight of the fact that in the Alfold the villages of
Servians, Slovaks, and Rumanians are in every respect similar to the Faluk of
the Magyars. Elsewhere, too, where the nature of the country is the same, as in
the Landes or in the prairies of America, we meet with towns of the same charac-
ter ; but in no other part of Europe is this character so strongly developed. For
hours we ride through the streets of Szabadka, Kecskemet, Debreczen, or
Felegyhaza without meeting anything to break the monotony. And yet these

Fig. 66. — The Coal Basin of the Upper Sil.
Scale 1 : 500,000.

5 Miles.

are " cities " or " towns," and there are " villages " of 10,000 and more inhabitants
which resemble them in every respect. On an average each " town " of the Alfold
has an area of 23 square miles, and rivals Washington in its "magnificent
distances." Szabadka covers no less than 345 square miles.

Buda-Pest (Pesth and Ofen in German), with its ever-increasing population,*
is being rapidly transformed into a thoroughly European city. The surrounding
country, with its noble river, its hills, and its distant mountains, contributes much
towards ennobling the appearance of the town. The fine buildings which line
the left bank, the edifices suspended upon the slopes of Buda, the steeples and
cupolas, the airy suspension bridge, the iron viaduct higher up, and the steamers
moving majestically along the river impart an air of grandeur to the city which we
frequently miss in towns of much more importance, and notably in Vienna. The

* Pest, exclusive of Buda, had 101,300 iuliabitants in 1849. 200,-500 in 1870. lu 1877 the two towns
had an estimiited population of 320,000 souls.

HUXGAEY.

107

houses of Buda-Pest are built of a limestone similar to that employed in Paris.
The city grows, not merely because it is the political capital of the country, but
more especially on account of its fine geographical position on a navigable river,
in the centre of a network of railroads, and at the gate to the East. The steam-
mills grind about 300,000 tons of wheat annually. Buda-Pest is insalubrious,
and the death rate is greater there than perhaps in any other city of Europe. To
some extent this excessive mortality is due to poverty. Thousands are without
means to pay for a bed, and in no other town is the number of labourers, servants,
and others living from hand to mouth equally great.''

Fig. 6". — Debreczex.
Scale 1 : 232,000.

■p..of P.

K.oi >lr.

, & Milea.

Amongst the public buildings the Nutioiial Museum is the most important.
It is u vttst odifico, containing a gallery of ])!iiiiting8, a natural -hi story museum,
a library' (»r 2'>0,00i> volutnr-H, and scientific (•olbctioris of every kind.

iJudu is the seat of the civil and military autboritics, and many of its buildings
are historically of iuU-ront. The tomb of (jtull-Habu, the " Father of Roses," in
the suburb of Old iJuda, is kept in order in accordance with the slij)ulations of
the treaty of (Jarlovif/, arnl is ocK^aMionaily visited by Turkish j)ilgrinis.

• fii |H70i«('h r(K>fri WHJ) inliiiliiNMl liy thri-*- |H'r*in»t, iiml '>rii'. fifth of lli<< iiiliitltiliiiitH wuru uiUnT
rithoiit U-'Im c<r lived in rdtniunu l>Kl^itlK"• (■' Koroiii, Mat. .>ii)irliii> h di r Stmll l'<'»t.)

108

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

The environs of the twin city abound in delightful sites. The island of
Margaretha has been converted into a park. On it are a hot spring and a bathing
establishment. Gardens and a large park lie to the north and east of the city,
and gentlemen's seats are scattered over the plain of Piakos, upon which the
Magyar Diets met formerly, either to elect the sovereign or to decide upon some
warlike expedition. Farther north is the Imperial Palace of Godcillo. Far more
charming, however, are the hills around Buda, amongst which is the Blocksberg

Fig. 68.— Buda-Pest.
Scale 1 : 245.000.

E.ofp. i:

E.ofGr. 19° 20'

10 Miles.

(Gellerthegy), commanding the finest view of the Danube. Its summit is
crowned with a citadel.

Many of the other towns of Hungary are German in their aspect, and lie
towards the west, and along the Danube, between Vienna and Pest. Pressburg
(46,540 inhabitants) is one of them, and its castle, its cathedral, and its numerous
palaces recall the time when the Kings of Hungary were anointed there. Lower
down on the Danube is Gijor (Raab, 20,035 inhabitants), formerly one of the
great grain markets of Europe. Komdrom (Comorn, 12,256 inhabitants), the last

HUNGAEY.

luy

fortress to fall into the hands of the Austrians in 1849, raises its walls at the
confluence of the Vag with the Danube. Opposite to it is 0 Szoni/ (2,465
inhabitants), the ancient Bregetio, the residence of the Roman Emperors Yalen-
tinian I. and II. how er dovtn is Ksztergom (Gran, 8,780 inhabitants), the birthplace
of the sainted King Stephen and the primatial city of Hungary, with a cathedral
built upon the summit of a hill. Then comes Vdcz ( Waitzen, 12,894 inhabitants),
on the opposite bank of the Danube, which there sweeps round to the south.

Szekes-Fejervdr (Stuhlweissenburg, 22,683 inhabitants), the Alba Regia of

Fig. 69. — View of the Sachsexsteix, or Szaszko, near Schemnitz.

modfjfval manuHcrlptH, in the most famoiiH (own In Sdudi-western lluiigurv.
Dun'ng^ a long jK-riod tin; Kingn of Ifuiigaiy wen? (towimhI mikI Imiird ihcrc.
Vfizpr/m (]2,()')2 inhubituntH^ in ulw» frcfiucntly mentioned in the annals of
Ifiingary, but J'/i//ft (]4,22'-i inhabifuntH), it» the sumo comitut, to the noith of I lie
liakony ForeMt, cxceedM it in p'ljjulation. S/i'i'iift)naiif/rr (S/onibathelv. T,-">6I
inhabitantM), tho Suburia of the uncientH, Htill boaHtH of a f(!W Ronnm ruins, and
having Ik-ciouio a gn-ut railway centn;, proiniHr-H once more to hit oC import;in(!0.
For the prew-nt Ocdnibuiuj (21,108 inhabit.uitH), a buNy manufacturing town close

no AUSTIIIA.-IIUNGARY.

to the Austrian frontier, far exceeds it in population. Oedenburg occupies the
site of the Roman city of Scarabantia. It lies in the midst of a fertile district
extending to the Lake of Neusiedl.

In the basin of the Drave there are a few commercial towns, such as Ncifiy
Kanizsa (11,128 inhabitants), and one city, famous on account of its history,
namely, Pecs (Fiinfkirchen, 23,862 inhabitants). It lies at the foot of a group
of hills, and close to a rich coal basin. To the west of it rises the castle of
Szigetvar, which Zrinyi heroically defended against the Turks in 1066, when
Soliman lost 30,000 men and his own life. At Mohdcs (12,140 inhabitants), to
the east, on the Danube, Soliman, forty years before, defeated the army of
Lewis II., but in 1687 the Turks were there defeated in turn. Higher up on the
Danube is D una- Fold vdr (12,382 inhabitants).

The towns in the Carpathians are less populous than those in the plain, but
most of them occupy delightful positions in verdant valleys and on sparkling
rivulets. Ti/rnau (Nagy Szombath, 9,737 inhabitants), with its many belfries, is
an old university town. Trencsen (3,449 inhabitants) has an old castle, formerly
looked upon as impregnable, but now in ruins. Near it are the sulphur springs of
Tepla (Tcplitz). Schenmitz (Setmeczbanya, 14,029 inhabitants) and Kremnitz (Kor-
moczbauya, 8,442 inhabitants) are two old mining towns : they were of greater im-
portance in bygone times. The former occupies a valley open to the cold northerly
winds. Several sulphur springs are in its neighbourhood, on the banks of the
river Gran, commanded by the ruins of the castle of the Sachsenstein, or " Saxon's
Stone." Ncusohl (Banska Bytrica, 11,780 inhabitants) is likewise a mining town,
almost exclusively inhabited by Slavs. None of the sixteen towns of the comitat
of Szepes (Zips), at the foot of the Tatra, are of importance. Visitors, however, are
attracted by the charming scenery and the hot springs of Tdtm/iired, or Schmechs,
near Kesmark (3,938 inhabitants). Kaschau (Kassa, 21,742 inhabitants), a fine
old city, and Unghvdr (11,017 inhabitants), are important market-places. Eperjes
(10,772 inhabitants) is associated with the "bloody assize" held towards the close
of the seventeenth century by order of the Emperor. Munkdcs (8,602 inhabitants),
a dull town, boasts of having been the first place at which the Magyars made a
halt before they descended into the plain. Szigeth is the commercial centre of the
comitat of Marmaros, whilst Tokaj (5,012 inhabitants), with its sunburnt rocks,
Eger (Erlau, 19,150 inhabitants), and Gyongyos (15,830 inhabitants), carry on
the commerce between the mountainous country and the great plain of the Alfold.
' In the vast plain of Hungary there are several populous villages, but few
places deserving to be called towns. Szeged (Szegedin, 70,179 inhabitants),
favourably situated at the confluence of the Theiss and Maros, is the com-
mercial centre of the Puszta. The floods of 1879 destroyed nearly the whole of
the town. Several other towns are likewise of some importance as places of
traffic. Amongst these are Czegled (22,216 inhabitants), to the south-east of Pest ;
Szolnok (15,847 inhabitants), in the midst of the marshes of the Theiss; Debreczen
(46,111 inhabitants), the head-quarters of the Magyar Calvinists ; Nyirehdza
(21,896 inhabitants), a town almost exclusively inhabited by Slovaks ; Szathmdr-

HUNGAEY.

Ill

Nemethi (18,353 Inhabitants), at the extreme upper end of the plain, 400 feet
above the sea; and Xar/ij Vdrad (Gross "Wardein, 28,698 inhabitants), on the
Sebes Koros, at the mouth of one of the principal defiles leading into Transylvania.
The Turks frequently held possession of the town named last, and a Nilotic plant

Fig. 70. — NoTisAD (Xeusatz, or TJj-Videk).

Scale 1 : 75.000.

I.of Pan.<;

*. .ri<f

- ti'l^o"

10 Mil/fii.

{Nt/mjihini IlifvmnlU), wliich jjrowH in the Hprinj^ of PiiHiHlk Fiirflii, near it. is
BiippotM-*! fo huvo boon ImporUd by tlu'm.

Sovfifal of the tDwnH am <»n tb<! liaukH of tlir- Danubo, or nol far from thorn,
•ii'b m lui/ornn (l(',,:W2 inbabitantH) and It'ijit flH.IlO In]ial)itaiit.s). Zmiifxir
(24. '{00 inbttbitantH) \h on tb*- FrancrlH runal, wbicb conncctH tlic Dninibr witb
the ThfjiM. NoriHiid (NvUHutz, V.),\V.) '\n\\'.iy)'\\iinif() H(!H on the nottlHin bank of

112 AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

the Danube, and is commanded by the guns of Peterwardein. The intere.-5tin<^
plateau of Titel, surrounded by the Theiss and by swamps extiiuding from that river
to the Danube, lies to the west. Pancsova (Pancevo, 13,408 inhabitants), at the
mouth of the Temes below Belgrad, is inhabited by Servians.

There are more populous towns on the Theiss (Tisza) than on the Danube. The
following are in the comitat of Jaszkun-Szolnok : — &o/rto/; (15,847 inhabitants),
JuHz Bereuy (20,233 inhabitants), Karczag (143,486 inhabitants), Tdrok-Szent-Miklos
(13,000 inhabitants), and Mezo-Tiir (10,447 inhabitants). Between Szolnok and
Szeged the river flows past Csongrad (17,356 inhabitants) and Szcntes (27,658 inha-
bitants). Xear it are ^agj/ Kurds (20,091 inhabitants), Kecskemet (41,195
ixihahitants), Fe /eg// huza (21,313 inhabitants), and Hdd-Mezo-Vdsdrhely (i9,153
inhabitants). Below Szeged we reach 0 Kanizsa, the port of the city of Maria-
Tlieresiopel (Szabadka, 56,323 inhabitants), after which comes Zenta (19,938 inha-
bitants), where Prince Eugene defeated the Turks in 1697. To the east is the
important market-town of Nagy Kildnda (18,834 inhabitants), as well as Xagy
Becskerek (19,666 inhabitants), on the river Bega, in the midst of a country exposed
to inundation.

Gytila (18,495 inhabitants), Bekes (22,547 inhabitants), and Szarvas (22,446
inhabitants), are within the basin of the river Koros, The Maros, a far more
important river, is defended by the citadel of Arad, below which nestles the city of
0 Arad (32,725 inhabitants), one of the busiest industrial centres of Hungary.
Not far from here, at the foot of the hills, lies Vildgos, of mournful memory.
3fak6 (2r,449 inhabitants) is the largest amongst the towns below Arad. The
famous stud of Mczohegyes lies in the Puszta, to the north of the river Maros.

Temesvdr (32,223 inhabitants), the old capital of the Banat, claims with Arad to
be the most important city of South-eastern Hungary. A few other towns of
consequence are in its neighbourhood, such as Werschitz (Versecz, 21,095 inhabitants)
and OJdh Liujos (3,350 inhabitants) ; but we are approaching the hilly country.
The towns can no longer compare in population with those of the Puszta,
and Kardnsehes, Onivicza (a mining town), and Mchddia are far less populous than
the scattered villages of Ha las (13,127 inhabitants), Ndnds, or Bbszonneny, which
lie out in the plain.

Kolozsfdr (Klausenburg,Cliusi,26,382 inhabitants) is the most important town in
Transylvania, though not the most populous. It is the capital of the Magyars,
who have their principal schools there. Under the Romans Kolozsvar was one of the
principal cities of Ducia. It then became a German town, and was surrounded
with turreted walls. The suburbs now spread far beyond them, along both banks
of the river Szamos. The only other towns on the river are Szamos UJvdr
(Armenierstadt, 5.188 inhabitants), a head-quarter of the Armenians, Bees (5,822
inhabitants), and Bistritz (7,212 inhabitants), seated in the midst of magnificent
forests. The small watering-place of Radna (Rothenau) lies near the source of
the Szamos, not far from the frontier.

The largest town on the Maros is Maros Vdsdrhely (12,^78), principally inha-
bited by Szekely. Having been joined by the Aranyos, which rises in a mining

HUNGAEY. 113

district and passes Tarda (Thorenburg, 8,8U3 inhabitants), famous on account of
its salt mines, the Maros flows to the south-west, winding along the foot of the sali-
ferous clifis oi JIaros UJvdr. Below Xagy Eiujed (5,77^ inhabitants) the Maros is
joined by the Kiikiillo, the main stream of which flows through a country abound-
ing in historical associations. Amongst the towns on its banks are Utlvdrhehj
(4,376 inhabitants), the old capital of the Szekely, and Schdsshurg (Segesvar, 8,204
inhabitants), a picturesque old town, where Petofi is supposed to have fallen
fio-htins: against the Russians. Lower down the river are Elisabethsfadt (2,250
inhabitants), and J/f'f/msrA (Megyes, 4,621 inhabitants). Returning to the Maros,
we arrive at Karhhurg (Karoly Fejervar, 7,955 inhabitants), with a fine old
cathedral, in which the Princes of Transylvania were crowned. Below Karlsburg
and its vineyards the Maros flows past the citadel of Beta, which formerly defended
the road leading into Transylvania. To the south of it is one of the Iron Gates,
which was defended by the Roman city Ulpia Trajana (Sarmizegethusa). Only a
few towns are to be found in this part of the country. The village of Vajda Hunyad
''2,597 inhabitants) lies in a lateral valley. Its ancient castle, built by the
Voyvod Hunyad, is now being repaired.

Kromiadt (Brasso, 27,766 inhabitants), the largest town of Transylvania, lies
within the basin of the Aluta. It is essentially a German town, but the surround-
ing villages are inhabited by Rumanians.

The river flows past Fogaras (4,714 inhabitants), and having been reinforced
by the stream which comes from Ilermanmtadt (Nagy Szeben, Sibiu, 18,998
inhabitants;, it escapes through the defile of the Red Tower into Rumania.
Iftrmannstadt is the capital of the "Saxons." It is a curious old city, very dull,
but interesting on account of its architecture.

CHAPTER VII.

GALICIA AND BUKOVINA.
(Austrian Poland and Ruthenia.)

General Aspects, Mountains, and Cf^mate.

ALICIA and Bukovina, lying outside the rampart of the Carpathians,
form part of the Austrian Empire, in spite of the great boundaries
determined by geographical features. Climate and the general slope
of the soil attest that these countries form an integral portion of
the vast plain which stretches from the Sudetes to the Altai.
They also differ ethnologically from the remainder of the empire, which has
held them for hardly more than a century. By annexing them Austria did
violence not only to geographical landmarks, but also to national susceptibilities.
Maria Theresa herself, when she signed the treaty partitioning Poland, avowed
that she " prostituted her honour for the sake of a paltry bit of land." Cracow,
the last remnant of Poland, was occupied by Austria in 1846, in defiance of a
treaty dictated by herself.

The outer slope of the Carpathians is steeper as a rule than the inner one,
and constitutes a very formidable natural frontier. The boundary-line, however,
neither follows the watershed nor the crest of the mountain range. Hungary
has secured possession of the great central group, the Tatra, as well as of the
upper basin of the Poprad, which flows north towards the Vistula. Only a few
summits in Galicia exceed a height of 6,500 feet, but to a spectator standing in
the plain to the north of them, the Carpathians, with their steep scarps and
barren summits, rising above forests and pastures, and covered with snow during
a great part of the year, present a grand sight. The Eastern Carpathians are
still clad with their ancient forests. In the vicinity of the Cserna Gora, or
" Black Mountains," in the Bukovina, these forests extend uninterruptedly for many
miles, and the Bukovina is fairly entitled to its Slav name of Land of Beeches, or
" Buckingham." In the south, towards the frontiers of Moldavia, a few trachyte
peaks enhance the beauty of the scener}'. Elsewhere, and more especially in
the districts of Stanislawow and Kolomyja, the valleys are without running
streams, the rain disappearing in the fissures of the limestone.

GALICIA AND BUKOVINA.

115

A few level tracts lie at the northern foot of the Beskids and Carpathians,
such as the swampy plain upon which the waters of the Dniestr first collect,
and that at the confluence of the San with the Vistula ; but Gdlicia as a whole
is an undulating table-land, having an average elevation of 820 feet. It forms the
watershed between the Baltic and the Black Sea. Some of the rivers flow north
to the Vistula, the " "White Eiver " of the ancient Slavs ; others flow east to the
Dniepr ; others again south-east to the Pruth and the Sereth. To the north of
the valley of the Dniepr the land gradually rises into a table-land of tertiary

Fig. 71. — The Cakpathuns.

Scale 1 : 6.500.000.

All. I,,, In ,, l,.,.l

Jj.tu hi CI"

thrr ii^Ulf Itrt

IW) Milm.

formation, Th»; rivr-rs whic:h intersect tliiH plaleau liavc; .seoopcd lliemNolvoH out
fliicrp vallf-yH, the lM<tt<»mH of which arc covered with fieldH and m<'u(lowH, whilwl
forcHU clothe tho Mtc'c-p heij^'htH wliich hound thern. Soiiio of thoHO forestH retain
all tlieir priHtirjo beauty, and nowlurc olw; in Kuropc; do pines grow to hucIi ji
height. In the Foro«t of Puntelnik, near iJrody, forty trees (!xce<'ding KiO f<'('t in
height liave Ixren counted to the aero.

Oulieia ha« a moi«ter clirnat*! than iniglit be MupprjHcd from i(H j)OHition in the
centre of Kurope ; for the raiu-iudun windw, which blow from tlio Athmtic and tho

IIG AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

North Sea in the direction of the Euxine, naturally pass through the defile
bounded in the south by the Carpathians, and in the north by the plateaux of
AVestern PolaTid and Podolia. But although the rainfall in Galicia equals that
of the maritime regions of Western Europe, its temperature is altogether conti-
nental. The plateau in the north affords but little shelter against the cold
northerly winds, whilst the Carpathians shut out the warm breezes blowing from
the Mediterranean. The heat in summer is intense, the cold of winter most
severe. At Tarnopol the mean temperature during five months does not rise
above freezing point. Accustomed to so rigorous a climate, the mountaineers of
the Beskids and Carpathians, who annually migrate to the lowlands of Hungary
and Austria in search of work, return to their cherished mountain homes pale,
emaciated, and shaken with fever.*

Inhabitants.

To the north of the Carpathians there has been no struggle between Slavs
and Magyars or Germans. No Magyars live there, and the number of Germans
is comparatively small, and only in the large towns and in a few villages of
Western Galicia are they able to preserve their national speech. Thousands of
German peasants and miners have become Slavs in appearance and in lan-
guage. Germans founded numerous colonies in the thirteenth century, but
nothing except the names of a few towns, such as Landshut or Landskrona,
attests their origin. The Flemish weavers, who came into the country at the
same period, have likewise become Poles in all except their family names.
Where Germans have maintained themselves up to the present time, it has been
because of difierences of religion, for nearly one-fourth of the German peasants
are Protestants. Most of these Protestant German colonies survive in the
districts of Lemberg and Stryj.

The Poles occupy Western Galicia, and even extend into Austrian Silesia,
where thej are known as " Water Polaks." These Polaks are despised by their
German neighbours on account of their presumed drunkenness and immorality.
It is quite true that they are wretchedly poor and ignorant. The sons of serfs,
and ever pursued by famine, they fall an easy prej^ to the village usurers. The
Poles dwelling along the foot of the Carpathians and on the Vistula are known
as Mazurs, an epithet properly applicable only to the Poles of Eastern Prussia.
They, too, are poor, and the want of proper nourishment pales their cheeks and
curves their backs. Their women, however, though by no means fond of hard
work, have an appearance of great vigour, and almost seem to belong to a
race different from that of the men. They wear white or red turbans, and a
bright-coloured jacket, showing the white chemise beneath. The variety of
costume is greater amongst the men, every village having a fashion of its own.
The peasants, notwithstanding their poverty, are proud of gay colours, embroi-

Mean Temperatuie Degrees. Rainfall.

Year. January. July. Inches.

* Lemberg 44-5 23-0 64 0 26

Cracow 46-1 24-1 650 19

GALICIA AND BUKOYINA.

117

dered garments, and bright metal buttons. The disease known as Plica Polonica,
from which many of them suffer, is by no means caused by uncleanliness, but is
produced by want of proper nourishment. It is said to have been imported by
the Tartars in the thirteenth century.

Fig. 72. — Peasaxts and Jews of Galicia.

^^i^^■•^^

Thi! V(At'.n of the iJonkidMun; known uh Oonils ; tliut Ih, " niouiitiiinccrH." They
Mro {xxir, mid partly livi; in uridcTj^roiiiifl hoiJwtH, hut Mpciidin^ most of thrir
tirne in tho vivifying mountain air, they an- phyHicuIIy far superior to their

118

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

kinsmen of the plain. They are said to be intelligent, and though the land
they live in is exceedingly sterile, they enjoy more comforts than the peasants of
the lowlands. Many of them annually migrate into neighbouring countries,
especially at harvest-time.

In AYestern Galicia the ethnological boundaries coincide with the mountain
crests. The Gorals do not extend to the southern slopes of the Beskids, nor
are the Podhalancs, or Polish herdsmen of the upper valleys of the Tatra, met
with in the plains of Hungary ; but to the east of the Tatra we enter a country
having a mixed population, and it is quite impossible to draw a line separating
the Poles from the Ruthenians. Many of the inhabitants speak both languages.
The valley of the San, a river flowing into the Vistula, may, however, be looked
upon, as the linguistic boundary, the Ruthenians predominating to the east of

Fig. 73. — The Distribution of the Polbs in Galicia.
According to Ficker. Scale 1 : 6,000,000.

TE.of P.

Ovti' yo jt.C'

Ovur ju n^<_

Over zo px.
- 100 Miles.

Over 10 p.c.

it. Formerly, when the Poles were the sole masters of the country, their lan-
guage slowly gained ground ; but the Ruthenians are now recovering all they
lost, although many educated people in the towns beyond the San prefer to use
Polish. The two nations differ also in religion, for whilst the Poles are Roman
Catholics, the Ruthenians belong to the Greek Church. Most of the small
Ruthenian nobles, derisively called chodaczkova szlachta, i.e. " sandal- wearing
gentlemen," are Greek Catholics, whilst the large landowners belong to the
Roman Church.

The Ruthenians, or Red Russians, have never been able to agree with their kins-
men the Poles. They are Russians certainly, though speaking a dialect differing
from that of the Muscovites, to whom, moreover, they are dissimilar in customs.
The descendants of numberless exiles, who fled the yoke of Russian despotism, live

GALICIA. AND BUKOVIXA. '

119

amongst them. In the retired villages of the Carpathians they have heen able
to preserve their ancient customs, but superstition likewise survives there, and
their ignorance is great.

The Ruthenians around Tamopol are known as Podolians ; those to the south
of Lemberg as Bo'iks ; those in the Eastern Capathians as Huzuls. These latter,
not having: been demoralised bv brandv to the same extent as their kinsmen, are
the gayest and happiest tribe of the Ruthenians : though formerly addicted to
brigandage, they are nevertheless more honest than their kinsmen in the plain.
The Ruthenians are fond of poetry and music ; they are said to be kindly disposed
and hospitable, but at the same time vacillating, untrustworthy, and passionate.
The Huzuls excepted, they are physically a feeble race, though tall and well made.

Fig. 74. — The Distributiox of the Ruthenians.
Scale 1 : 5,500,000.

ao E.of Pans

^0 K of O

t 1

ftrrr 40 fr

. lOO .Milri;.

fhrr I" "r.

Thin foehlenctw, however, may be due to their poverty, or to the frequent fasts
imiHuuA })y the Chun;h and .H<;rupulou.sly observed.

In iJukovina the Rumanian.^ uro almost as iiuinorous as the Rutlieuiuns.
A hundn-d years ago the former were in a majority, but thi; annexation of the
country by Austria has given the prcponderanc<! to the ShiVM. Tlio jutpulatiou
of this small fountry is very mixed. Poles are settled amongst the Ruthenians;
S/i'kely have croHs<.'d the Carjjathians in search of pasture-ground.s ; ('hei^hiuuH
have st:ttled flown as miners; Germans liave formed agricultural erilonics and
mining villages. Several fhoiisaiid RiiHsinnH ]»eloiiging to the proscribed m<'cL
of tlie fj|H>Viirii have fouml a refuge hf-re, and .\rtneni(in (-oinniunit ies have
estHbJished theinMelves in the principal t<*wns. To thi-hc divcrH nationalities

120

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

must be added the ever-present Jews and the gipsies, who pitch their tents
in the shade of the forests. The inhabitants profess eight different religions,
the Greek Catholics being by far the most numerous.

The Jews increase much more rapidly than the other nations, not only in
Bukovina and in Galicia, but throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Nearly one-half the Austrian Jews are massed in Galicia, and, as the Jews are
numerous also in the Polish and Russian border districts, this portion of Central
Europe is far better entitled to be called the land of the Jews than Palestine
or any other country whatever.

It will readily be understood that this multitude of Jews, having no attach-

Fig. 75. — The Jews in Hungary and Galicia.
Scale 1 : 6,375,000.

20 E.ofG

Over lO.p:/.

Overs p. r.

Oner t.pr.

100 MUes.

ment to the soil or its indigenous population, and always professing the opinions
of the dominant race, must prove a serious obstacle to the political development
of the Poles or Ruthenians. In Lemberg, Cracow, and other large towns the
Jews constitute one-third of the population ; in Brody and Drochobiez they
are in the majority ; and there is not a town but the Jew, in his gaberdine,
high boots, and broad-brimmed hat, with curls descending to the shoulders, is
frequently met with. He almost monopolizes the commerce of the country. One
sect of Jews, however, that of the Karaites, supposed to be of Tartar origin, though

GALICIA AND BUKOVINA. 121

claiming descent from the tribe of Judah, neglects commerce and cultivates the
soil. The members of this sect dwell for the most part near Halicz, or Galicz,
the ancient capital of Galicia.*

Agriculture axd Mining.

Thk manufacturing industry of Galicia is still in its infancy. Only near
a few of the towns and in the west do we meet with manufactories producing
woollen and linen stuffs and beet-root sugar. About four-fifths of the inhabitants
are engaged in agriculture. The soil is fertile, and the land capable of cultivation
to a great extent ; but Galicia, which nature would appear to have destined to
become one of the granaries of the world, is in reality among the least productive
parts of Austria. t Xor could it be otherwise in a country whose peasantry are at
the mercy of unscrupulous usurers. The peasant, in many parts of the country,
lives in a log-hut covered with straw. His food consists of porridge, which he
washes down with bad brandy, for the sake of which he forgets his wife and
children. Most of the surplus corn grown in this country finds its way into the
distilleries. In years of bad harvests the people would perish with hunger if the
landlords or Jews were not to make them small loans. Ever in debt, the peasant
is in reality no better than a serf, and his ignorance is extreme.

Timber and cattle are amongst the articles of export. The cultivation of hops
has much increased since the middle of the present century, for beer is becoming
a favourite beverage. Tobacco is grown abundantly, over 100,000 cwts. being
produced annually.

The mineral resources of Galicia have been better cultivated than its ajrHcul-
tural oncH. Iron, tin, lead, sulphur, and even auriferous sand arc found on the
northern foot of the Carpathians, but far more useful than either of these are
the coals which arc being worked to the north-west of Cracow. Valuable salt
mines, including those of Wieliczka and liochnia, lie within a short distance of tho
city just named. The salt of Wieliczka occurs in huge masses embedded in clay.
That obtained near the surface is very impure, being mixed witli iliiy
and Kand. A purer salt, known as npizft, is found at a greater d('])t]i ; but in order
to obtain the fHihih, or finest salt, it is necessary to go deeper still. The mines
of Wieliczka have now been worke<l since the middle of the eleventh century,
and a depth of 1,024 feet (187 feet below the sea-level) bus been reached. The
mincH, notwithstiinding occasional disasters caused by fire, water, or the falling in
of gallerien, continue to yield nearly on(r-haIf the salt won throughout tho Austrian
Kmpire,^ The HalifcTous strata oxtcjnd into Hukovina and llumania. There are
numerous thermal Hprings, but only Szczawnicu and a few other j)laces attract
viMitorH. Far more important are the petroleum and asphalt springs, whidi abound

• UniiimnWium of (Juliria and Itiikovirm : —

T..tjil.

/jia,:>(i(i

f In (inWnn XC, |i«t «:<itit. ni tlic toUil nri-ii t<ii\i»Hin i,f (nulilc Imiil, 'l\ [mt <iiil. of |iiiMluri'M, '1\ jinr

t'-tlt. <»f UiTfui.

X Tf/U) yi<.|fj in I«73, 2K'2,2'IO t/<nii, of whirh (laliciu \,T<Aw.t,n 131,/i0() toiia.

80 V

liiiMi'-niiinn,

rr.i.-«

Jr-WK.

IlumiiiiliinN.

finmmnii.

(in.\\i-\i% .

:^.»l',,700

2,:5H,<)oo

/J 10.000

1 IH.OOO

Itiikovina

210 aoo

/i.OOO

40,000

1 0 1 ,000

11,000

122

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

along the nortlicrn foot of the Carpathians. These springs remained ahnost
unknown until the " petroleum fever " in America attracted attention towards
them. Borislaw, on the Upper ])niestr, became, in 18GG, one of the centres of
the Galician petroleum region, and in the course of six months grew from a small
village into a town of 20,000 inhabitants.* 8ub.sequently other oil springs
were discovered in Western Galicia, but the produce of all has gradually
declined.

A railway connecting Danzig and Stettin, on the Baltic, with Odessa, on the
Black Sea, and passing through Galicia, has only recently been opened. Before
that time Galicia was hardly accessible, and it was less frequently referred to
than many a less important country in distant Asia. The favourable geographical

Fig. 76. — Cracow and "Wieliczka.

Scale 1 : 408,Ul>0.

. 5 Miles.

position of Galicia, half-way between the Baltic and the Euxine, is only now being
properly appreciated. The railway, which traverses the country from we.st to east,
places AVestern Europe in communication with the great granaries of Moldavia
and Central Russia, and in course of time its influence will reach as far as the cities
of Central Asia. Even now the village of Podwotoczyska, formerly never heard
of, and the town of Brody, import annually £2,000,000 worth of corn.

Towns.

Leopol, the capital of Galicia, was built in 1259, and called after its founder,
but better known by its Polish name of Lwow, or its German one of Lemherg

* Borislaw, in 1873, yielded 17,-500 tons of asphalt (mineral wax), and 11,000 tons of petroleum,
having a total value of £460,000.

GALICIA AND BUKOVINA. 123

(102,950 inhabitants). It occupies a central position between the rivers Dniestr,
Vistula, and Bug. Xo navigable river flows past the city, but three railways
converge upon it, and feed its commerce and industry. The old city covers an
area of only G2 acres, but the suburbs spread over 12 square miles. The
former contains the university and most public buildings, whilst the new National
!Museum, with its library, is in one of the suburbs.

Cracow (50,000 inhabitants), though inferior to Lemberg in commerce and
population, far exceeds it in interest on account of its historical associations. Up
to the middle of the seventeenth century Cracow was the capital of Poland, and
its population was then double what it is now. When Austria took possession
of the city its fortunes declined rapidly, and in 1775 it only numbered 16,000
inhabitants. The Congress of Vienna constituted Cracow and its environs an
independent territory, but in 1846 the Austrians nevertheless once more took pos-
session of it. The town is favourabh' seated upon the navigable Vistula, or Wisla,
and, although very thinly peopled, its appearance from a distance is most
striking. Formerly it was one of the great intermediaries of commerce between
Russia and Germany, but it is now only important as a grain mart. Most of its
commerce is in the hands of the Jews, who occupy the whole of the suburb of
Kazimierz, built upon an island of the Vistula. Cracow has a university founded
in l;i64, a library of 90,000 volumes, an observatory, and several learned societies.
Many Polish books are published there. The ashes of the Kings of Poland arc
preserved in the cathedral, and Copernicus lies buried in another of the thirty-
seven churches of the town. The old castle has been transformed into fortified
barracks, but the fortifications of the city have been razed and converted into
public promenades. Only one of the ancient gates, that of St. Florian, built
in 1498 as a defence against the Turks, has been allowed to remain. A huge
blof,'k of granite, dedicated to the memory of Kosciuszko, has been placed on an
artificial mound to the west of the city. That mound, sacred to the great hero
of dying Poland, now lies within the enceinte of an Austrian fort, the guns of
which command the city.

The villages around Cracow arc noted for their market gardens, and send
vegetables as far as lir-rlin and Hamliurg. Other articles o.Kjjorted from the
vicinity are the salt of Wieliczkn (6,150 inhal)itants) and liorlniifi (8,200 inha-
bitants), the coal o{ Jairorziw, and the clotli of Ji in /a (6,000 inliabitantH).

3Iost of the Uiwns of Galicia are miniature Lcmbergs, consisting of a compactly
}»iii]t nucleuH surrounded Ity s<;attered suburbs. Tnnidir (22,200 inhiibilunts), a
rapidly increasing town, is the principal j)lace of commerce on the I)iiiuijee.
Ifigli'T up <>n the same river is Noiro Sitiidrh (f),800 inhabitants). Hzchzoiv
(9,200 inliabitantsj, half- way between f'racow and I/r-mherg, exports butler and
eggs. .Jiirimlair (11,150 inhabitants), on thf Sun, rises in the midst of ondianls.
Its fairs foririerly attraf;ted orir-ntal merchants, including even Pi-rsians. Przcnii/Hl
(1 1,600 inliabitatits), higher up on the San, is tli<! comtnereiul centre of a ])itroI(!uin
district, iSV/;«//or n 1 ,750 inhabitants), on the U[)per l)ni(!str, is an agricMildiral
town, whilst Diochohirz (16,900 inhabitants), surrounded by forests, exports the

124 AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

petroleum won in the district of Borydaxo (10,000 inhabitants). Grodek
(8,900 inhabitants) suffers from the vicinity of its great neighbour Lemberg, which
it supplies with agricultural produce and fish. 'S7/v// (9,980 inliabitants), at
the mouth of a Carpathian valley, is a favourite summer resort of the Lemberg
merchants, many of whom have villas there.

Brody (30,500 inhabitants), to the east of Lemberg and on the Russian frontier,
is a great commercial town, exporting horses, cattle, and pigs, and importing corn.
Tarnox)ol (20,800 inhabitants), likewise near the frontier and on the high-road
from Lemberg to Kief, is also an active commercial city. All the other towns
of Eastern Galicia are only of secondary importance. Brzezany (9,300 inhabitants)
has tanneries ; Halicz (3,150 inhabitants) has given its name to the whole country ;
Kolounjja (17,700 inhabitants) exports timber and tobacco, the latter being
extensively cultivated in its vicinity; Snintyn (11,100 inhabitants) has agri-
cultural fairs, which are well attended. Other towns are Stanislaicow, or Stanislau
(15,000 inhabitants), Zioczow (9,500 inhabitants), Horodenka (8,700 inhabitants),
and Tysmienica (8,500 inhabitants).

Czernowitz (34,000 inhabitants), the capital of Bukovina, is situate on the
Pruth, from the bank of which it rises amphitheatrically. The railway has
proved a great boon to the merchants of the town, whilst Radautz (9,000 inha-
bitants), Sereth (6,000 inhabitants), and Suczawa (9,000 inhabitants), all of them
farther south in the basin of the Sereth, have suffered in a corresponding degree.
Czernowitz is one of the outposts of European civilisation, and the Germans have
made it the seat of a university.*

* Nationality of the inhabitants of Czernowitz (1874): — Jews, 28-3 percent. ; Germans, 19'6 per
cent. ; Rumanians, 17"7 per cent. ; Ruthenians, 17'2 per cent. ; others, 17'2 per cent.

CHAPTER YIII.

THE UPPEE BASIN OF THE ELBE AND THE 5I0RAVA.
(Bohemia, Moravia, and Austrian Silesia.)

General Aspects, Mountains, and Rivers.

OHEMIA is usually looked upon as occupying the very centre of
Europe. This is not in reality the case, for the geometrical centre
of Europe lies farther to the east, and the Alps, which form the
main watershed, rise to the south-west. Bohemia, nevertheless,
occupies an intermediate position between Northern and Southern,
Western and Eastern Europe. Like a huge quadrangular citadel, it advances into
the heart of the plains of Northern Gennany. Of its four ramparts, the Bohemian
P'orest and the Sudetes extend from the south-east to the north-west, whilst the
Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge), which separate Bohemia from Saxony, and the
plateau of Moravia, stretch from the south-west to the north-east.

Tlie f,'eneral orographical features of no other country in Europe equal those
of Bohf-mia in simplicity. But when we come to examine these mountains in
detail we find that they vary exceedingly in their aspects. The Bohemian Forest
is made up of an undulating plateau, a system of jjaraliel ranges, and a cluster
of curiously piled-up mountain summits. Only a few localities recall the Alps,
for the average height does not quite rcacli 4,000 feet, and the dume-sliaped
masfMJH of gneiss and s<;histosc pyramids do not rise to any great height above the
valleys. There are, however, a few summits crowned with dyk(!s of wliite quartz,
lw;ally known as " l)evirH Walls." The b<auty of the; rmlicinian Forest must bo
»u*ught for in its "running streams," its blue lakclirts, mimI ils miignificcnt trees.
Nowhere el«o in Germany is the foliage of the Ix-ech denser, or thc^ height of the
fir or pine more considerabb;. Only a few of the highest summits pierce the
region of forents, and rear;h into lliat of pastures. The woodman's axe has (rom-
mitU'd the usual havoc in these forests, but there exist wide tracts in primeval
luxuriance, with trees nearly a c«»uple of hundred feet in height, and they are still
the home of the boar and the bison, tlie latter as well as the beaver lieing carefully
prewTved. Tlio wolf has b<;en exterminat^Hl, and the; last bear was killed in IH.Of).
'I'lie southern jKirtir»M of the iJoliriiiiiMn Forest is undoubttsdly more pietures(juo

1'2G

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

than its less elevated northern extremity, but the latter attracts the larger number
of visitors, for the favourite watering-places of Marienbad and Franzensbad lie
within its valleys. The pass, or gateway, of Taus (1,473 feet) leads across the
very centre of the range. The Cerchov (3,500 feet) commands it in the north, the
Oser (4,066 feet) in the south. It was through this gap that the Germans most
frequently essayed to penetrate into the country of the Chechians ; and blood has
flown there in torrents from the days of Samo, the Slav champion, early in
the seventh century, to the war of the Hussites, in the fifteenth. A second

Fig. 7". — The Mountains of Bohemia.

Altitude ieio-;iJ30

0 10 20 30 4.0 50 MILES

i"'" I Hi II"

J2SU-43M

Over iOJO Feet

pass, known as the Golden Path (Goldeuer Steig, 2,664 feet), leads across the
mountains farther north. These are the only passes which give ready access
to Bohemia, and railways now run through both of them. Everywhere else the
Bohemian Forest forms an excellent strategical frontier, the interior slopes being
gentle, whilst the outer ones, towards Bavaria, are steep and difficult of access.
The culminating summit of the range, the Arber (4,783 feet), rises within the
frontier of Bavaria.*

* Total l(>ngth of the Bohemian Forest, 137 miles; average width, 19 mUes; average height, 2,300
feet in the north, 3,940 feet in the south.

BOHEMIA, MOEAVIA, AND AUSTEIAN SILESIA.

127

The Erzgebirge, or " Ore Mountains," which bound Bohemia on the north-west,
contrast in several respects with the Bohemian Forest. Rising like a wall above
the valleys of the Eger and Biela, in Bohemia, they slope down gently on the
Saxon side. Strategically they form, consequently, a part of Germany, and in
reality the whole of their slopes are peopled by Germans, who have brought under
cultivation all the available soil. The highest village, Gottesgabe, lies at an
elevation of 3,440 feet. The range is of more uniform contour than the Bohemian
Forest, and its summits are more rounded. Numerous roads cross it in all
directions. Only towards the extremities does it present really picturesque
features : in the west, where chaotically piled-up mountain summits join it to the

Fig. 78.— Thb Pass of Taus (DoMAfLicE).
Scale 1 : 425,000.

Tf^i

20,

■ (>

1'**^:-

f?^-^

i/j -\^

I- '" K.oj a.

, Mil. ..

Fichtelgebirgc, and in the east, where it torminatcH in tlio grotesquely sliaped
Handfjtone rocks of "Saxon Switzorlanrl," at tlie foot of whi(!h flows the Elbe.*

To the west of tlie dc-ep gorge Hcoop«d out by the Klbo on its passage from
iJohemia into Saxony rim;H u mountain system wliich is geologically u pendant
of the Erzg.birgc-. It begins with tluj volcanic ranges of r.usatia, continued in I1m(
wjliistone ridge of the JrHrhhrn (JeAted, 'A^'^'l feet). A broad plain separutcH the
JeH<;l.k«n from the triple granitic range of fl„. lH,.r .Mountains (;i,(iH7 leet), and the
cryntjillirifjund wihistohc masses of the Kiesengebirge, or'Tiiant Mountains," whose
bold contours remind us of th«; Alps. More el<vut<-d than the Bolicmian Forest—
the S*:hneekoppe risin(^ to a h.-i^ht of ,0,1 Hfl f..,.(^ M.Ih mountain mass iinpresseH

128 AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

tlie beholder by its isolation and its steep declivities, and the luxuriant forests
which cover its lower slopes present a charming contrast to the stunted vegeta-
tion and verdant pastures of its summits. In summer these pastures are the home of
herdsmen, who perfume the butter and cheese they make with aromatic herbs. The
Giant Mountains do not yield subterranean treasures, and the inhabitants employ
themselves in various domestic industries. They are Germans, and geographically,
as well as by legendary lore, the Giant Mountains belong to Germany rather
than to Bohemia. A labyrinth of mountains, surmounted by the granitic crest of
the Adlergebirge, connects the Giant Mountains with the Sudetes, culminating in
the pyramidal Schneeberg (4,648 feet) and the venerable summit of the Altvater
(4,880 feet). Vai-ious passes lead across the Sudetes. To the west of Gratz a
wide gap connects the upper tributaries of the Neisse with those of the Elbe,
and Prussia, fully recognising the strategical importance of this " gate " of
Bohemia, has taken care to secure its possession. Another depression, lying only
960 feet above the sea, separates the Sudetes from the Carpathians, thus opening
a passage into Moravia, defended by the fortress of Olmiitz.

The fourth side of the great Bohemian quadrilateral is not formed by a
mountain range, but by a height of land covered with towns and villages, and con-
stituting no well-defined boundary between Moravia and Bohemia. This accounts
for the two countries named being peopled by men of the same race, and having, in
most cases, shared the same political destinies. Thus, although Bohemia slopes to
the north and is drained into the German Ocean, it forms, politically and geographi-
cally, a portion of the basin of the Danube, and it is the Erzgebirge and the
Sudetes, and not the height of land between the Danube and the Elbe, which
form the true dividing line between the north and the south of Central
Europe.

The interior of Bohemia is frequently said to form a " basin," and looking to
the ramparts of crystalline mountains which encompass the country, this descrip-
tion is in a certain measure admissible. In reality the country consists rather of
a succession of terraces, decreasing in height as we proceed to the north. These
terraces are formed of sedimentary rocks successively deposited upon the slopes of
mountains of primitive formation, and they have been ravined by the numerous
rivers which intersect them. In the very centre of this Bohemian basin rise
the Silurian hills of Hrbeny and Brdo, whose palaeontology has been studied
with such success by M. Barrande, and which abound in mineral treasures.
Farther north isolated basaltic cones rise in the midst of the sedimentary forma-
tion. The Mittelgebirge, on both sides of the Elbe, is altogether composed of
Tolcanic rocks. There are regularly shaped cones rising to a height of 2,600 feet,
piled- up masses of scoriae, and sheets and streams of lava. The old castles, chapels,
and hermitages which crown the summits of many of these cones enhance the
beauty of the scenery. The decomposed lava at the foot of these hills is of
exceeding fertility, and every village is embowered in a forest of fruit trees. The
mineral springs which rise in this part of the country prove that subterranean
agencies are not yet quite exhausted. Amongst these springs are those of Teplitz,

BOHEMIA, MOEAVIA, AND AUSTEIAN SILESIA.

129

Carlsbad, Bilin, Pullna, and Sedlitz, whose curative properties annually attract a
host of visitors.

The mountains of Bohemia and Moravia give birth to the three great rivers
of Xorthern Germany, the Vistula, the Oder, and the Elbe. The Vistula, when
first it escapes from its rocky cradle in the Beskids, irrigates the plains of Galicia
and Poland, whilst the Oder, only a short distance below its source in the Sudetes,
enters German Silesia. The Elbe alone grows into a formidable river before it
crosses from Bohemia into Saxony. It rises in a boggy swamp on the southern
elope of the Giant Mountains, and the whole of Bohemia, a few border districts

Fig. 79. — Volcanic Mountains in Northern Bohemia.
According to Hickmann.

\>'5C

1 2° E.of Paris

EofO.

/tamtt ^CUnltbm^

lO MILIS

L _

Titriiliiini 4 Meliij'Ui/i-r

excf?pt/;d, lies within its bouufls; wliilHt Moravia lies wholly within lh(j ba.sin of
tho Moniva, uft<T which it has been numed, and which is known to Gennuns
an the March ; and whilMt the Elbe flowH north towards the Gorman Ocean,
the Morava takoH itH course t*)ward8 the Danube and the Black Sea.

The hydrographical nonK-nclature of t})(! country in full of anomalies. Tho
UpjHT Kibe JH fur iiif<Tior in volninc to its asHumcd lril)nlary, the Moldau, or
Vltava. Th»! latter it* in reality the great arterial river ot Bohemia, and a (umal
CaniiM-M it with the I)ariub(; and the Ulack Seu. 'I'he I'ppcr JOlhc, however,
flowinjf in the same direction an the united river below Kolin, has given itH name
to the entirr; river MysU.-m.

The UpjKir Vltava and moht of itH tributaricM flow through a region of bogH,

130

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

and the broader valleys abound in swamps and small lakes, which act as
" regulators " when the rivers become flooded. The peasants make no use of the
turf as fuel, but they are imprudently active in converting the bogs into produc-
tive land. The small lakes are utilised with considerable success for breeding
fish. It would be far more prudent to allow the bogs to remain as they are, for a
considerable amount of rain falls in Bohemia,* and the bogs, by sucking it up
like a sponge, regulate the flow of the rivers. Rivers which formerly never
overflowed their banks have done so since the drainage works have been begun.

The Vltava and the Elbe effect their junction below Prague, and soon after,
near the bold rock crowned with the ruins of Schreckenstein, the united river is
joined by the Eger from the west. It then enters the gorge through which it

Fig. 80. — Lake Region in Southern Bohemia.
Scale 1 : 375,000.

10 Miles.

escapes from Bohemia. The smiling landscapes of its upper course give place to
bolder scenery. On both banks rise the basaltic cones of the Mittelgebirge,
succeeded by the grotesquely shaped sandstone masses of Bohemian and Saxon
Switzerland. Picturesque towns are seated upon the winding river, and castles
crown the heights looking down upon this gateway of the Elbe, which forms both
a geographical and political boundary, separating Bohemia from the lowlands of
Germany.

IXHAHITANTS.

Two thousand years have passed away since Bohemia and Moravia were in the
possession of the Boii and other tribes, usually called Celtic. Near Olmiitz and at

* Rainfall in inches: — Bodenbach, at the gate of the Elbe, 23-G; Trautenau, near the source of the
Elbe, 40'6 ; Prague, 157 ; Budweis, on the Upper Yltava, 24-4.

BOHEMIA, MOEAVIA, AND AUSTRIAN SILESIA.

131

Troppau, M. Jeitteles has discovered the remains of pile villages which resemble
the lake dwelling's of ancient Gaul. The corals and marine shells found amonsrst
the potsherds and bones prove that these ancient inhabitants of the country kept
up an intercourse with the Mediterranean.

In the end these Boii were either driven out of Bohemia, or became the
subjects of Germanic Quadi and Marcomanni, who held the country when the

Fig. 81. — The Schreckenstein Aussig, o.v the Elbe.

Tif^manH first crosHwl the Danube. To the.H(;, at tlu; tiuie of the; j,'n!at mip;rati()n of
jKroploH, H\K:(A'A'(]f'(\ Uu(fii and Ijon^obanli, and Infer on, in the l)e^inniiifj; of flio
«ixth century, Sluvn, who }iav(r niiimiiiod the rlomiiiant race of tin? country down lo
the pffM/.Tit flay. A few dintrictn, lujwevcr, nucM as the Schoiilien^Htler, in I'pper
r»obr'Tniu aiifl >roravia, have, nince tlj«j dawn of history, roinaincid uninterruptedly
in thr; p<mnt;nni(>n of OerrnaiiN.

Tlie Slav inhabituntH of liohomiu and Moravia are of the Hunie race. Ah a rule

132 AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

the term Chcchians (Czechs) is applied to the Slavs of Bohemia, whilst their
kinsmen in Moravia and within the border of Hungary are known as Moravians
and iSlovaks. Tribal names no longer survive amongst the Chechians, but they
do with the Moravians. The Horaks inhabit the highlands bordering upon
Bohemia, and hardly differ from the Chechians. The Hanaks dwell to the east
of these heights, and in the valleys sloping down towards the Morava. They
number about 400,000 souls. The " Wallachs" live on the frontiers of Hungary.
They are pure Slavs, and have nothing in common with the Rumanians except
the name. Schafarik looks upon them as Boii who adopted the Slav language, and
became known to their German neighbours as Wallachs, or "Welsh."

The Chechians have had to struggle severely to maintain their numerical
superiority. Almost surrounded b}' Germans, only a narrow strip of country
connects them with their kinsmen in the east. The Germanisation of the country
made rapid progress after the twelfth century. Lands and privileges were granted
to the German colonists whom nobles and ecclesiastical orders called into the
country. It was the Germans who founded most of the towns, and towards the
close of the fourteenth century Bohemia was looked upon as a German land. But a
violent reaction then took place. The Hussite war degenerated into a war of races,
and the multitudes whom Zizka exterminated were Germans. Ever since that time
the Chechians have held their own, notwithstanding their political dependence upon
Germany, and the havoc wrought during the Thirty Years' War, when the popula-
tion was reduced to 780,000 souls, and men were allowed to take two wives, to
repeople the country.

At the present time the linguistic boundary between Slavs and Germans
changes but slowly. The Germans occupy the mountains, the Chechians the hills
and the plains. Both slopes of the Bohemian Forest, the Erzgebirge, and the
Sudctes are inhabited by Germans.

The westernmost district of Europe occupied by Slavs lies close to the Pass
of Domazlice (Taus) and Bavaria. Its inhabitants are Poles, and not Chechians.
According to some they were called into the country by King Bretislav I., and
charged with guarding the frontier towards Germany, on which account they
are known as Chodes, or "Watchmen." They speak Polish no longer, but can
still be recognised by their vivacity and their national costume. The liberties
originally granted to these colonists were finally abrogated in 1628, when they
were reduced to a state of serfdom. Another body of Chodes, settled towards the
south-west, in the upper valley of the Brdlavka, or Angel, were more fortunate,
for they and their German neighbours retained their ancient privileges up to the
middle of the present century, when serfdom ceased to be an institution through-
out Bohemia.

To the south of the Erzgebirge the whole of the country as far as the Eger
is held by the Germans, the villages whose names terminate in griin or rente
("clearing") marking approximately the linguistic boundary. To the west of the
Elbe the Slavs extend to the foot of the mountains, and at one spot even into
Prussian Silesia. Farther south the territory of the Slavs is restricted to a strip

BOHEMIA, MOEAYIA, AND AUSTRIAN SILESIA. 133

of country between Briinn and Olmiitz hardly 40 miles wide, even though we
include in it Igluu and other enclaves exclusively inhabited by Germans. One-
half of Austrian Silesia and that portion of Moravia which lies nearest to Vienna
became German centuries ago. The inhabitants of many districts are bilingual.
Chechian appears to gain ground slowly, excepting to the north-west of Prague,
between the Eger and the Berounka ; and Germans living in Chechian districts
not unfrequently turn renegades to the extent even of changing their family
names.*

The struffffle between German and Slav is an ardent one in Bohemia. The two
detest each other, and the antagonism is all the stronger as it is one of class as well
as of race. The citizens of the towns are for the most part German, whilst the
aristocracy, the peasants, and many of the factory hands are Chech. The rivalry
between the two races is stimulated by every political event, and even in the
smallest villages the national antagonism is kept alive by associations of every
kind. The Chechian peasant is by no means ignorant of the history of his
country, and though a Catholic, feels proud of the achievements of John Huss and
Zizka. These historical associations possibly account for the indulgence with
which he looks upon the few surviving congregations of Hussites. On the other
hand, he detests the Jew, whom he looks upon as an ally of his German enemy.
And indeed the Jews, with rare exceptions, take the side of the Germans, for it is
with German citizens or manufacturers that they transact most business. The
Jews speak both languages, but when among themselves they prefer German.
The influence of the Jews is by no means inconsiderable, for they are numerous,
and also more highly educated than either Germans or Chechians. Kulin may
be looked upon as their head-quarters, and in several other towns they form a
majority of the inhabitants. The Chechians, however, possess an ally beyond
the Carpathians no less powerful, and an exchange of sentiments is being carried
on incessantly between Prague and Moscow.

"Whatever the future may have in store for them, the Chechians are undoubt-
edly one of the most compart and energetic nations of Kuropc, and of all the
Slavs they have most siirccMsfully renisted foreign influences. The women of
Bohemia are famous for their clear complexion and fine figures. As to the men,
they do not much differ from the Germans, except that their check-bones aro
Kfimewhat more prominent, and their eyes deeper sot. Their skulls are very large,
and if cerebral capacity is to be accepted as a tost of intellect, they occupy a
foremost jKJsition amongst the nations of Europe, ranking high above the Germans.
They have indeed contribiitcfl largely to the march of ideas, notwithstanding their
p^jlitical d'-p-ndency and the wars which so frecjuently laid waste their country.
Prague is the oldest university of Central Kiin»pe, and IIuss, a century before

• Nationaliti«>«i in 1875 : —

IV»h<Tnia . a,.'{|0,000

M'»ri«vi»i l,Ji/)0,000

AuHtriun Hilifiia . IIO.OOO

'iV<Ul »,'.>70,<»0(l

Orrmjiiui.

I'i.Iki.

.IfW».

Tol.ll.

'^,000, ()()(»

—

1 1 0,000

fi,4'.;o,ooo

/■/OH.OOO

—

64,000

•2,1 12,000

27W.OOO

1/ift.OOO

7.000

fi/»;,,ooo

a.7M7.ooii

I.V.t.OOO

171.000

M.(m7,ooo

134 AUSTIUA-HUNGARY.

Luther, raised the standard of the Reformation. Austria has vainly sought to
eradicate the national language by prohibiting its use in schools. The Germans
may predominate politically, thanks in a large measure to a cleverly contrived
electoral law, but the Chechian national spirit uianifests itself in a hundred
different ways. The ancient history of the country is being studied, national
son<rs are beine: collected, and the educated classes share in the scientific and
literary work of the age. Many of the Austrian journalists and a still larger
number of the Government functionaries are Chechians. Education makes rapid
progress. The Chechians exhibit a peculiar aptitude for mathematics ; they are
also good musicians, though none of their composers can aspire to be placed in the
first rank.

Both Chechians and Germans have discontinued to wear a national costume, for
the dress in which the students of Prague occasionally parade the streets is a
fancy one. The peasant women around Domazlice, however, continue to wear red
bodices and kerchiefs, short petticoats and red stockings. In Moravia, too, and
amongst the Slovaks, the old national costume is not yet extinct. The Hanaks,
who cultivate the fertile valley of the liana, wear yellow leather pantaloons, an
embroidered belt, a cloth jacket richly ornamented, and a multitude of small metal
buttons on the chest. A white over-coat or a blue cloak, with several collars one
above the other, and a black hat with red or yellow libbons, complete this
costume. Women as well as men wear heavy boots, which render their walk
very clumsy. But though the peasant women of Bohemia now almost universally
imitate the dress of their German neighbours, they still exhibit a decided
preference for red.

The towns of Bohemia and Moravia do not differ, in outward appearance, from
the towns of Germany ; but in the more remote villages we are still able to imagine
ourselves in the Middle Ages. They consist of dwellings placed around an open
oval or circus. The houses are of wood, with a door and two windows looking
upon this open space. The overhanging straw roof is supported by columns.
Barns, stables, and dunghills form an outer circle. There are few trees or flower
gardens, and the only ornament of these dreary-looking villages consists of a
statue of St. John of Nepomuk, the patron saint of Bohemia. Dances, however,
frequently interrupt the monotony of daily life, for the Chechians are passionately
fond of that exercise, and we are indebted to them for some of our favourite
" steps," including the Polka, erroneously supposed to be of Polish origin.

Agriculture, Mining, and Industry.

Bohemia and Moravia are countries of large estates. More than a third of
Bohemia belongs to noblemen, and one of the Princes of Schwarzenberg owns estates
covering many square miles. The Emperor and the Church are amongst the largest
landholders. These extensive estates, as elsewhere, have led to the impoverishment
and the demoralisation of the great mass of the people. Every one of these feudal
families has its staff of bailift's and other hangers-on, but the people around the

BOHEMIA, MOEAYIA, AND AUSTEIAN SILESIA.

135

sumptuous castles live in misery, and the land is badly cultivated. Altbougli the
most fertile tracts form part of these large estates, they do not j'ield half as
much per acre as do the holdings of the small proprietors.

Agriculture consequently is still capable of much development, but Bohemia and
Moravia even now are amongst tbe most productive countries of Austria. The
fertility of some districts is very great. In the lowlands of Moravia and in the
valley of the liana the peasants are able to live at ease. Other fertile districts are on

Fig. 82. — A Large Estate ix Bohemia.
Scale 1 : 490,000.

J?°E of Paris

L T^-« a I

Yil^r-.

i^irN^

■I NruRfM

\ ii mi ■ > 1

_^> I ^ ^ — ..A __

14°?ff* Boro

I'l .Mll.H

thn T'ppff 7''lbo, around KoiiIj,'f;riitz ; llio " Cioldcii Hod," in tlio valley <tf tlu' Egcr ;
till! " raradiw,-"}in>iinrl Tcjililz; and iIk; " f lardtn ut T.obctnia," in tlu' Mittclgebirgc
Thrj liewt liopH of CJirniral K\ir(i\U' are ^rowu around Saii/ (/iitec), Jn addition to tlicir
variJ-d a^^rieultiiral jirodiu-tioiiH, including wine, Holieniiii .iiid Silesia are lieli in
coaU and oren. The coal mines of llic Oder, the I'llbe, Pilnen, Khidno, Teplil/.
and I'rdiiiMeh Onfruii yield about ]\ii\\' i\n: total (juantity produced throii^rhout lh<'
empire, (iruphito is worko<i in .Moiaviu un<l in Southern Koheuiiu, at liudweiN.

136

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

Tin is found on tlie southern slopes of the Erzgebirge. Every metal or mineral
useful to man is found in Bohemia, from gold and precious stones to iron and
porphyry, only excepting rock-salt. Kuttenburg (Kutna-IIora) had formerly
one of the most productive silver mines of Europe, but it has been abandoned. At
the present day it is Pribram which yields most silver. This mine has been
worked uninterruptedly since 755 : its principal shaft descends 3,300 feet, and the
ore appears to increase in richness with the depth. About 25,000 lbs. of silver
were won in 1860, and 42,000 lbs. in 1872.

The manufacturing industry is highly developed, and the value of the
articles produced annually has been estimated at nearly £50,000,000 sterling.

Fig. 83. — The Coal Mines of Western Bohemia.

E.oiP.

4° E.of G.

^^^
^^^

Coal Jiaains

.JZOAIILES

rrincijjoj. ilan^'faotories

Nearly every branch of industry is represented, for there are cotton, woollen,
and linen manufactories, print and dye works, iron works, machine shops,
chemical works, tanneries, paper-mills, sugar refineries, and breweries. But it is the
glass of Bohemia which is best known beyond the limits of the country, and
which is distinguished by beauty of design, lightness, and brilliancy of colour.

The manufactories are dispersed all over the country, but each district carries
on by preference some special branch. Most of the glass works are in the moun-
tains, where silica and fuel abound. The manufacture of porcelain is carried on
around Carlsbad, in the valley of the Eger. Iron works have naturally been
established in the vicinity of the coal mines, at Pilsen, Kladno, and Polnisch Ostrau.

BOHEMIA, MOEAVIA, AND AUSTRIAN SILESIA.

387

The large towns, such as Prague, Briinn, and Troppau, have attracted an extensive
industrial population ; but the great manufacturing region, the Bohemian Lan-
cashire, lies on the Upper Elbe, and its centre is Reichenberg. This district
leads up to the gateway of the Giant Mountains, and is traversed b}^ the high-
road connecting Vienna with Berlin. Strategically it is of great importance,
and the hills upon which was fought the battle of Sadowa rise within it. Farther
to the east, through the valley of the Morava, passes the high-road which connects
Vienna with Breslau, Danzig, Warsaw, and Central Russia.

Towxs.

Bo-HBMiA.— Prague (Praha, Prag, 223,000 inhabitants*), the capital of Bohemia,
is one of the fine cities of the world. Humboldt considered it inferior only to Lisbon,

Fig. 84. — Prague and its Environs.
Beak 1 : 200,000.

I2";10'

E.of Paris

1»*|.10-

B of n

i MllMI.

Naples, and Constantinople, and none can look without pleasure upon this " town
of the hundred towers," with its castellated lieightn of the IIra<lKliin,il8 fortress of
VyAehrad, and its bri<lgfM spanning the lake-like Vltava, with its verdant islandH.
J'rague lies in the very centre of iJohcmia, and only Leitinerit/, below IIk; con-
fluence of the Kger and Kibe, and above the gorge leading through IJohemian and
Saxon Switzerlan<l, fKicupie.'j a geographical position at all comparable! with it.
I'raguf;, however, offers far grfMiter facilities for eominunit^ating with the countries
lying outside the mountain ramparts of Hr^licmia, and its natural advantages are
airbfl by a netwf»rk of railways converging upon it. Next to Vienna and Buda-
I'cst, Prague is the most |K»pulou9 city of tin? frnpire, ranking tar above every
other Uiwii of Bohemia.

rhf " Ojrl City," in tin- centre of niodrrn i'raguc, abounds in liistorical

* In 1H76, 120,000 Hliivn, HH.OOO < iiTiniiiiii, lf},000 Jiiwi.

138

AUSTEIA-nUNGARY.

Fiff. 85.— The Kaklsbrvcke at Prague

associations. The towu-hall, ^vith its huge clock tower, recalls the execution of
the Protestant leaders after the battle of the White Mountain. Near it are the

BOHEMIA, MOEAVIA, AND AUSTEIAN SILESIA. 139

Teynkirchc, -with its curious towers and the tomb of Tycho Biahe, and the
university buildings.* The Karhbriicke, with statues of St. John of !N^epomuk and
other saints, connects the old city with, the fortified Kleinseite and the plateau
of the Ilradshin, upon which, rise the Gothic cathedral of St. Yitus, now being
restored, and the royal castle, an extensive pile of buildings, through one of the
windows of whicbthe imperial governors and their secretary were thrown in 1618,
an event which led to the most atrocious war of modern times. The public gardens
of the Belvedere lie to the north of the Hradshin, and afford a magnificent view of
the city and the meandering Vltava. To the west is seen the White Mountain, where
the power of Bohemia succumbed at the commencement of the Thirty Years' "War.
Prague is expanding in all directions. Karolinenthal (Karlin) and Smichow, two
suburbs abounding in manufactories, extend along the river ; Zizkov and the
" New Town " occupy the elevated ground to the east of the old city. New
streets have been opened, including the spacious Wenzelsplatz, quays have been
constructed, and sumptuous buildings erected. But there still remain a few
dilapidated quarters, the most remarkable of which is the ancient Ghetto, with
its sombre synagogue and God-forsaken burying-ground.

At the time when Prague was still the capital of an independent kingdom, the
sovereign usually resided at the castle of KarUtcin (Karluv Tyn), erected upon a
commanding rock overhanging the river Berounka ; but the glories of this palace
have departed, and most of its art treasures have been transferred to Yienna.
Prague, however, abounds in magnificent palaces of the aristocracy, although
manufactories are more characteristic of it than the.se sumptuous edifices. These
manufactories enjoy the advantage of being close to ])roductive coal mines.
Kladno (ll,PJ!i inhabitants), in the centre of this coal basin, has the largest
iron works of the country.

JiiuliceiH CBudc^'jovicc, 17,4i;i inhabitants), tlie chief city of Southern Bohemia,
lies near the head of the Yltava, and since IH'JH an iron tramway has connected it
with Lin/, on the Danube. It carries on a brisk commerce. Near it, in the midst
of an extensive forest, rises the sumptuous castle of Frauenberg. Pisik (0,181
inhabitants) is situate on u river descending from the Bohemian Forest. Castles
are numerous in its vicinity. Tabor (0,717 inhabitants), which jjhiyed so impor-
tant a part in the war of the Hussites, and still boasts of a few buildings recalling
itB ancient glories, is a sleepy town now, seated upon a plateau commanding the
winding Luiinice. In mj-mory of the great national meeting which took place at
that town, every public jjolitical meeting in iJohcmia is called a 'i"al)or.

S<'verHl towns of importance are situate in the valley of the Berounka (Beraun),
which joiliH the Vltava a f<\v mihts aliove IV(i;,mi<'. K tut Inn (Klatovy, 8,()(i()
irihahifaiits) \n built at the mouth of a vall<y hading lo \\w vill.igcs of the
ChofleM. Tinin n)oma^li<'o,7,'iJ7 inhabitants) commands tlie princi|)al pasK leading
inU) Httvuriu. Mnriiutnnl owes to its thermal springs such important; an it
enjoyd. rfibmm {'i;ZVZ inhabitantM) is widely known on a('<;ount (»f its silver

• Tlio iinivcimily WM four»«l. (1 in VMH by lliu Kiii|H;i<>r, f'hurli)» IV. It tmn KJU |.iofci«or», and ii*
»(tffn/l<'rl )iy 2,000 •ttwli'nU.

140

AUSTRLV-HUNGARY.

Pig. 86.— Carlsbad.
Scale 1 : 18,000.

'0^33 E.ofP.

^r'*^

mines. Slrihro (Mies) has lead mines. The name of Filseii (Plzen, 2,800
inhabitants) is known throughout the world in connection with the beer it
exports. The principal brewery, which is carried on conjointly by the 382
house-owners of the town, produces 3,520,000 gallons annually. Coal mines are
worked in the vicinity, but Pilsen is no longer the second town of Bohemia, this
place having been won by its younger manufacturing rival, Reichenberg.

The valley of the Eger,
which stretches along the
foot of the Erzgebirge,
abounds in populous cities.
That amongst them which
is named I!ger (13,463 in-
habitants), after the river,
is not only an important
railway centre, but has also
manufactures. In its castle
Wallenstein was assassi-
nated in 1634. Asch (9,405
inhabitants), to the north-
west of Eger, carries on
various textile industries.
Carlsbad (7,276 inha-
bitants), the most famous
watering-place of Central
Europe, extends for several
miles along the valley of
the Tepl, a small tributary
of the Eger. Its principal
spring, the Strudel, yields
about 5 gallons of water
a second, and the steam
rising from it is seen afar.
Carlsbad depends mainly
upon the 16,000 visitors
who annually remain there
for at least a week ; but it
has also resources of its
own. Porcelain and lace are manufactured in the town. Grashtz (6,549 inha-
bitants) manufactures embroidery and musical instruments, whilst Joachhnsthal
(6,586 inhabitants) is noted for its silver mines. Both these towns lie in the
Erzgebirge. Saaz (Zatec, 8,870 inhabitants), on the Eger, produces the best
hops of Bohemia, whilst Komotau (Chomutov, 7,422 inhabitants), in the undulating
plain to the north of it, has metallurgical works.

The valley of the Elbe below the Eger is likewise densely inhabited, the

12°' 53' E.of Gr.

Quarter of a Mile.

BOHEMIA, MORAVIA, AND AUSTRIAN SILESIA.

141

principal towns being Leitmeritz (Litomerice, 10,023 inhabitants) and Ausaig
(10,933 inhabitants). Two famous watering-places, Bilin and Tepliiz (10,155
inhabitants), lie to the west of the Elbe, in a country justly renowned for its
scenery, and several manufacturing towns to the east of that river. Amongst
the latter are Wnrnsdorf (14,900 inhabitants), Schonlinde (6,218 inhabitants),
Georgsicalde (8,220 inhabitants), Bbhmisch-Leipa (9,244 inhabitants), and Jung-
Bunztlau {8, 69o inhabitants), principally employed in the production of textile

Fig. 87. — Eeichenberg and its Environs.
Scale 1 : 288,000.

n° 3o'

<Mf^^

U" .'.0

i"l'. B.ofOT

-. .Vikn.

fiiliricH ; Slcimrlioiuin and fhihlouz (6,752 inhiibitaiitHj, whi(;h ciigago in tlio

inanufactiinr of f^lans ; and Jloichvnhirg C30,000 inhabilantM), \\w firwl town in

tho Austrian Kfiipin; for itn clotli. I'lacod near to one of the gatowuyH leading

into I}f)}u'mia, the t/iwn currioH on an important traflo. Trdutrtnin (7,054 inha-

bitanfn; oc/nipioii an anul»»goii»i jioMition near the eaHtorn extremity of tlie (iiant
MountainH.

On tbo irpper Kibe there are no lowriH rif iinportaixre. The riv»T lielow

U'lliriirlhr ('5,316 inhaliituiithj, with itH cotton and paper niillH, fhiWH past

142 ■ AUSTEIA-HUNGAllY.

Ejjniginhof (Kralove Dviir, 6,222 inhabitants) ; Jaromir (5,442 inhabitants) ;
JoHefdadt ; the famous fortress of Koiwjyrutz (Kralove Ilradec, 5,515 inhabitants) ;
industrious Pardubice (8,107 inhabitants) ; Kolin (9,460 inhabitants), where
the Hussites in 1434 lost 13,000 men, and Frederick the Great, nearly
three hundred years afterwards, sufiered one of his rare defeats. The other
towns in the basin of the Elbe include LeitomijU (7,021 inhabitants), Chnidim
(11,218 inhabitants), and Kuttenberg (Kutna-Hora, 12,742 inhabitants), the latter
a very important place in the fourteenth century, when its silver mines yielded
rich treasures, whilst now it is dependent in a large measure upon the manu-
facture of beet sugar. To the south-east of it lies (JuhIuv (5,998 inhabitants),
where Zizka lies buried, and Frederick the Great achieved a victory which yielded
him the greater portion of Silesia.

Moravia cannot boast a city comparable at all with Prague for population,
beauty, or celebrity. Bvunn (73,464 inhabitants), the capital of the country, is
a large manufacturing town, the rival of Leeds and Verviers, and commanded by
the citadel of the Spielberg, so famous as the prison of Silvio Pellico and others
condemned for state reasons. Olni'utz (15,231 inhabitants) is, above all, a
fortress, defending the upper valley of the Morava and the northern approaches
to Vienna. Of other towns Ipng within the basin of the Morava may be men-
tioned Schbnberg (7,285 inhabitants), which has iron mines and furnaces ;
Sternberg (13,479 inhabitants), with linen factories ; Pross)iitz (15,717 inha-
bitants), in the fertile vale of the Hana ; Prorau (7,000 inhabitants) ; Krenmer
(9,823 inhabitants) ; and Ungarmh-Hradisch (3,100 inhabitants). The latter is
only a small town, built upon an island of the Morava ; but a short distance to
the north of it stood Vellehrad, the ancient capital of the Moravian Empire,
built in the commencement of the tenth century.

Iglau (20,112 inhabitants) still lies within the basin of the Morava, but far
away from its main valley, on the road from Briinn to Prague. It is an im-
portant town, with woollen-mills and glass works. Formerly it was a great
mining town. Znahn (10,600 inhabitants) and Nihokburg (7,173 inhabitants),
both near the frontier of Austria proper, depend upon the neighbourhood of
Yienna for much of their trade. The only large town in the region of the Car-
pathians is Neu-Titschein (8,645 inhabitants), in the centre of a productive district
known as the " Land of Cows."

Austrian Silesia lies almost wholly within the basins of the Oder and the
Vistula, and is therefore a natural dependency of Cracow and Breslau, and not
of Vienna. Troppau (Opava, 16,608 inhabitants), the largest town of the province,
lies close to the Prussian frontier, on a small tributary of the Oder, and is known
through the alliance there renewed in 1820 between Austria, Russia, and Prussia.
Troppau and Jdgerndorf (8,121 inhabitants) engage largely in the woollen indus-
try, whilst Freudenthal (6,243 inhabitants), to the west of the latter, is the
principal seat of the linen and cotton manufactures. Still farther to the north-
west lies Freitcaldau (5,242 inhabitants), and near it the hydropathic establishment
of Griifenberg, founded by Priessnitz.

BOHEMIA, MORA\TA, AND AUSTRIAN SILESIA. 143

Teschen (9,779 inhabitants) is the principal town in the eastern or Polish part
of Austrian Silesia, but its trade has suffered somewhat since Oderherg, on the
Prussian frontier, has become the nucleus of an extensive network of railways.
Xear Oderberg are the coal basins of Pohmch Ostrau and Kancin, which yield
nearly a million tons of coal a year.

Bielitz (10,721 inhabitants), on the eastern frontier, and separated only by the
Biala from the Galician town of Biala, has important cloth factories.

CHAPTER IX.

STATISTICS OF AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

HE political situation of the twin empire of the Danube is altogether
unstable. Vienna and Pest are geographical centres, no doubt, but
the incompatibility of the races inhabiting the empire has caused
its boundaries to fluctuate in accordance with the fortunes of war,
and with the success of diplomatic intrigues or matrimonial alliances.
There was a time when the house of Habsburg was the most powerful in the
world. The boastful inscription of A E I 0 U [AustricB est imperare orhi imi-
verso), still to be seen on some public buildings, recalls that time. Then, again,
the empire found itself at the mercy of a ruthless conqueror. For fifty years
Austria swayed the decisions of the German Diet, and her orders were obeyed in
Italy ; but the thunders of Sadowa for ever deprived her of the lead in Central
Europe, and only the East appears able to give her compensation for the losses
suffered in the West.

It might be supposed that Austria's expulsion from Germany consolidated
her strength. Far from it. German Austria aspires to union with the
German fatherland. If the empire were to be broken up, the German Austrians
would certainly not combine with the Austrians of other nationalities, but they
would join their kinsmen in the west and north, for Vienna is German above
all. The non-German nationalities, on the other hand, have taken advantage
of the feebleness of the central Government to secure their political autonomy.
Vienna has been compelled to make concessions. "Austrian patriotism " has
given place to national aspirations tending to the formation of a group of inde-
pendent states. If it were not for the esprit de corps which animates the army
and the functionaries, and the power of habit, Austria would long ago have
gone to pieces.

Every great political event shakes the empire to its foundations. Austria has
occupied Bosnia and the Herzegovina, but may not this annexation accelerate its
final dismemberment ? The Slav element has gained greatly in consequence, and
the Slavs, forming a vast majority in the empire, will claim, in course of time,
political advantages equal to those enjoyed by Germans and Magyars.

The Germans, no doubt, would console themselves by a union with Germany,

STATISTICS OF AUSTEIA-HTJNGAEY. 145

but the Magyars would then occupy a far less favourable position. Hemmed
in on all sides by hostile races, their very existence as a nation would be
threatened. Xeed we wonder, then, that during the late war they sided with
their old enemies, the Turks, and resisted to the last the threatened occupation of
Bosnia ? They feel that the fate of the Turks may one day be their own. Like
them, they are looked upon as strangers in the land they govern.

It would be presumptuous to anticipate the destinies of Austria. Palacky,
the historian, said in 1848 that " if Austria existed not, it would be necessary to
invent it ; " but a crisis, attended by vast changes in the balance of power in
Eastern Europe, is nevertheless approaching. If Vienna and Pest are unable or
unwilling to satisfy the aspirations of the nationalities represented within the limits
of the empire, these will look beyond its boundaries for assistance.

But whatever the future may have in store, the material prosperity of Austria-
Hungary progresses as rapidly as that of most other European countries.

Population*.

The population increases. In 1816, soon after the wars of the empire, the
Emperor Francis reigned over 28,000,000 subjects. In 1857, when the first
trustworthy census was taken, the empire had 32,000,000 inhabitants ; and twelve
years afterwards, in 1809, 35,943,000. The annual increase thus amounted to
325,000 souls, and if we suppose it to have continued, the (Tmpire must now have
a population of over 38,000,000 souls. In population the empire, therefore, ranks
next to Kussia and Germany, but its density is less than in the United Kingdom,
liel^ium, France, Germany, Italy, or the Netherlands. The birth rate exceeds
the death rate throughout, but varies exceedingly, and whilst the inhabitants
of iJalmatia, Camiola, and the Tyrol live to a good old age, the Hungarians
die young. Pest, amongst all the capitals of Europe, is that where Death reaps his
most abundant harvests.*

AoRirULTURF, AM) MiMNG.

It* Austria- Hungary, as in other countries of Europe, the towns increase at a
more rapid rate than the villages, but at the present time, at all events, the great
mass of the inhabitants live in tlio country districts. Tiic great wealth of the
empire conBists in its varied agricultural products. Nearly all the food and
" industrial " plants of Europe are grown within its limits. All the cereals are
grown, but it is only in the cultivation of mai/e that Austria holds the first ])lacc
in Europe.! The yield jjct acre is far less than in Western lOuropo, and if wlu^at
and flour arc neverthi-lesH <'X|)ortf!d in large; fjuantitien, this can be done only
}n:caiM} ]i\imnu'uiun, Polaks, and Slovenes live ahnoMt pennanently at a starvation
rat«;.

• ISirth ratfl (ISflO), 40-3; dMith rnt«-, .100. D.uth rato in th.^ Tyrol, 239 ; in llio MiliUiry Fronliir

'i. !I7.

filial pffflii'i! of i:i-ri'a\it, ii\Kint (iHH,00(),00() (|iiiiiti m. nf wliirli oiH^-foiiiih cuiuista of outs, uiic
frnirth f/t Tjtf onn-flfth of whi^at, nnd (/oo-Mrrunth of nini/.<

14G

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

Potatoes arc largely groAvn, and viticulture is carried on with success. The
Adriatic slopes yield olive oil, the northern provinces the beet employed in the
manufacture of sugar. Tobacco, flax, and hemp are likewise important articles of
cultivation. The forests are very extensive, but only in the Cis-Leithan provinces
are they managed with care and intelligence. These Cis-Leithan provinces,
though inferior in extent to the Trans Leithan ones, are far more carefully
cultivated. The extent of waste land capable of cultivation is very small, whilst

Fig. 88. — The Density of the Populatiox of ArsTRiA-HcxoARY.

Scalo 1 : 12,0OO.OriO.

E.of Paris 10 |

lo-

25'

4 .A;^ J) \r„ ^

10 E.of G.

lattSLbitcLnts to a Square Mile,

lOi-ise

ise-ioa.
100 Miles.

liiiiiiiiml

mariteo

Uvec zco

in Hungary vast tracts of swamp and steppe still await the ploughman's
share.*

The two halves of the empire exhibit similar differences as to their live stock.
Hungary is poorer in horned cattle than Austria, but has more horses, pigs, and
sheep. The empire is richer in horses than any other state of Europe, Kussia

* Distribution of the cultivated land in acres (1870) : —

Cis-Leithania.

Trans-Leithania

Arable land

25,123,600

26,032,900

Meadows .

8,912,600

9,430,180

Pastures

11,315,000

10,385,200

Forests

23,426,600

20,668,600

Fallow

5,410,0C0

13,609,000

STATISTICS OF AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

147

alone excepted, but in other animals it holds an inferior rank ; and not only wool,
but also horned cattle figure largely amongst the imports.*

The annual revenue derived from the cultivation of the land has been estimated
at £264,600,000 ; that yielded by mines and quarries does not probably exceed
£10,000,000 ; and yet the mineral treasures of the country are most varied,
including as they do precious and building stones, coal and salt, sulphur and
petroleum, slate and potter's clay, iron, copper, gold, silver, and other metals. The
coal mines are being worked with increasing success, for the demands of numerous
manufactories are ever increasing. t The production, however, is still far behind
that of Germany, Belgium, France, or the British Islands. The salt mines of
Austria are inexhaustible, but their yield, including that of the salt marshes of

Fig. 89. — DiAGKAM EXHIBITING THE IxCKEASE IN THE PRODUCTION OF CoAL, 1819 —

Istria and Dalmatia, hardly exceeds 4,000,000 cwts. a year. The iron mines, too,
are capable of much development.:):

Manufactures.

Thk manufacturing industry of the empire is rapidly becoming of importance,
and its progress has boon far more marked than that of agriculture. In this respect
alijo the CiH-Leithari provinces arc far ahead of Hungary.^ Styria and Carinthia

• Live utot-k in 1870 :—

Ah.<<« nn'\ mnlcH

(ix<n

iillfrill(;<'M ....
HFj' < p ....

I'ig-

(,0,000,(100 li.ii.I .,f |.(.iiltry ; 1,000,000 IxihivfN.
t In 1H29— 1838 th«! annual priiductum of w^iil uvoruguU ^aO.OOO t«im, in IHIJI it wan 1,000,000 Iomh,
sn'l in 1873 12,800,000 Uinn.

* In 18C.0 1!».'»,000 f/itm of iron wen- jir'xIiK <.i|, imkI in 1H7.'{ />0.'1,000 toiin, tlio roiiHuniption in tlio
latUryiiT liAvin^ amoiinl<rl u, H'i.OiX) tonx I Ikk; iir<; iilloxi-tlur lo.i.Unt minfin ((i(i,".»() in <iml niiniH).

\ In IHHU thiiT«- WCTB 'A707,00« {ni:Ujry hundn in (.'in-Iyiitluinitt, and 834,000 in Trann-Loithuniu.

<'i,-r.<iiliiniii.

TiiinH-l/.-illiiiniu.

i,:i>^'.i,i.oo

•2,1.)H,«00

4.J,IOO

33,700

7,42.5,200

5,270,200

7,000

73.000

6,0Jf;,100

l.'),077,<)00

079.100

573,000

2,Wl,/iOO

4,113,300

148

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

are the chief scats of the iron industry ; Bohemia and Moravia engage in tlie
textile industries, in tlie manufacture of glass and of beet-root sugar, and in the
brewing of beer. Vienna produces textile fabrics, machines, chemical products, and
a variety of minor articles. Hungary, Transylvania, and Croatia can hardly be
said to have a manufacturing industry, and Pest cannot bear comparison in this
respect with Vienna, Reichenberg, or other manufacturing centres of Bohemia or
Moravia. The proletariat of Austria and Bohemia is essentially composed of old

Fig. 90. — The Sohleroeund, or Plain of Zolyom, ix the Mining District of Zoltom, Huxoabt.

factory hands, whilst in Hungary it consists of agricultural labourers. In the
latter country male domestics are twice as numerous as in Austria, whose
manufacturing industry offers better chances of remunerative occuisation.*

The minor industries are gradually being absorbed by huge manufacturing
establishments. The peasant linen-weavers have almost disappeared. Huge
distilleries are gradually superseding the domestic stills, and the corn is ground in

* In 1871 there existed 155 cotton-mills, with 1,526,555 sjiindles (in Bohemia 705,279 sjjindles);
linen-mills with 400,000 spindles; and 2,335 breweries, producing 277,200,000 gallons. The beet-root
sugar factories, in 1877-8, consumed 26,286,074 cwts. of beet-root.

STATISTICS OF AUSTEIA-HUNGAEY.

149

steam-mills belonging to capitalists or -wealthy companies. Even the State
contributes towards this preponderance of the manufacturing industry, for its
arsenals and tobacco factories count their workmen by thousands.*

Commerce.

I7p to 1873, the year of the Vienna Exhibition, the progress in the industrial
activity of the empire was rapid. Manufactories increased in number, railways

Fig. 91. — The Viaduct of Kaltrixxe, ox the Semmering.

were constructed in all diroctionn, and powerful companies wen; iormcd to
work the mines. liiit then came the Kntrli of May !)IJi, 1H73. The hanks
Kt^)j»p(;d payment, and thouHaiids of families found themselves involved in ruin.
.Millions were lo^t in the coiifhc of a f(!W w(!eks, uud all iudutilrial progress was
arrested, t

Austria can liardly be said to have recovered from this financial crisis. Still
tliere has been w^me progress, for the liuid is now being inont carefully (lultlvated,

• Id IS7'i thcro wtTf! 30 Oovcninunt totiiuro inuiiiifiwlori" », with 30,081 workiinn. 'I'licy jiriMliicrd
1 ,';S8, 1 0.'>,0-i2 rijfnm and 37.200 t')ri»t of iimiiiifiii tiind tobiww).

t In i 12'i 1.fink», with 14 (a|)itul of £201,0/iH,000 ; in 1H7I thiTii only niiiiiitud 'JH

\r:niV*, wr . , ,17'.!, 000

150

AUSTRIA- 1 ll.'XGARY.

and the new railways have promoted the extension of commerce. The imports
between 1855 and 1875 rose from £23,000,000 to £54,440,000 ; the exports from
£23,900,000 to £55,100,000, and this notwithstanding the loss of some of the
wealthiest provinces.*

The maritime commerce of Austria-Hungary is naturally restricted, and
exhibits but little progress.! The Danube, however, compensates to some extent
for the small seaboard, and much of the merchandise which floats down that river
has ports of the Black Sea for its destination. + This river traffic is capable of much

Fig. 92. — The Railways of Austria-Hungary.
Scale 1 : 12,350,000.

100 Miles.

development, and it will no doubt increase rapidly as soon as the obstacle presented
by the Iron Gate shall have been removed.

The railway system of Austria- Hungary is extensive, far more so than might
be supposed from the amount of the foreign trade of the country. Engineering
difficulties of no mean order had to be overcome when crossing the Brenner, the
Semmering, the Carpathians, or the Carso. The network of railways is, however,
as yet far from complete. Many branch lines remain to be constructed in Hun-
gary, and the junctions with the railways of neighbouring states require multipli-

* The imports and exports in 1875 included —

Imports. Exports.

Articles of food £10,300,000 £11,000,000

Other raw produce 15,200,008 12,600,000

Manufactured articles .... 29,400,000 31,500,000

t The commercial marine consists of 7,608 vessels of 324,898 tons, inclusive of 99 steamers of 56,868

tons.

X The Danuhian Steam Navigation Company owns 156 steamers and 551 barges.

STATISTICS OP AUSTEIA-HUNGARY. 151

cation. The railways which, iu accordance with the treaty of Berlin, are to be
built in the Balkan peninsula will powerfully contribute towards a development
of Austrian commerce.*

Educatiox.

The Germans of Austria-Hungarj' claim to be the superiors in intellectual culture,
' and in many respects their claim must be admitted. The schools of Austria
proper are better attended than any others, and education in the German provinces
is far more advanced than in the eastern half of the empire. In Austria proper
88 per cent, of the adults are able to read and write, in Bohemia only 61 per cent.,
in Hungary 26 per cent., in Galicia 5 per cent., in Dalmatia 1 per cent. Education,
however, is making rapid progress, more especially in Hungary, where the number
of schools has vastly increased since that country has regained its independence.

Cis-Leithania. Trans-Lelthania.

Schools. Pupils. Schools. i'upils.

Elementary schools . . . 15,200 1,829,000 16,000 1,242,000

Middle-class schools ... 229 5.5,689 197 35,815

The ten universities of the empire are attended by 12,300 students, amongst
whom the Jews are proportionally very numerous. There are in addition 7
Polytechnic high schools (4,405 students), and numerous seminaries and special
schools.

We are not in a position to classify the nationalities of the empire according
to their morality, but in one respect the Germans appear to hold an inferior
position. The number of illegitimate children is greater amongst them than
amongst their fellow- citizens, and in Carinthia there are villages where more than
two-thirds of the children born are illegitimate.t

The superior influence of the Germans cannot, however, be doubted when it is
a question of science, art, commerce, or industry. The majority of the books and
journal.s are printed in German, and even at Pest German papers find a larger
number of readers than tho.se written in Magyar. German is the language by
means of which the educated classes of the whole empire are able to communicate
with each other, and its influence is on the increase. As to the Rumanians and
Jtuthenians, they can hardly be said to enjoy an intcllectujil life. It is truly
remarkable that the number of pcrifjdicals published in Ilehrew, a language no
longer spoken by the Jews, should be greater than that printed in liuinanian, a
language sp^iken by nearly .'1,000,000 living on this side of the Carpathians.:^

• tint]wnyn, 11,175 milcx ; U:li-ffTai>Un, 30,M.j inilon, 8,025,S20 diBpiiUhns ; lottfrM, &c., fniwiirdcd by
ymt, 3.'55.«Hf;,000.

t III<'(ntimnto hirthii (IHGO) in riN-T^'ithiinin, 1 1 |.«r rent.; in 'rninH-I<«'ithnniii, 007 )»< r (■ctit. ; in
Carinthin, 4415 jut i-i-nl. ; in I>»w«r AiiHlrid. .'U-.'iO jxr rint.

J HhC) n<!Wiiji!ijKni and jHri<Mli(aln iij)jHar in ('in-r-i illi(ini«, find .'J'25 in TmnH-Loithaniii. 01 tlicBo
602 «r<; (iiniiiiu, IU5 .Maf^yar, 107 Chuthiaii, 63 lUiliun, and 10 I'olinh.

CHAPTER X.

GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION.

TIE Eraperor-King exercises his powers in accordance with a con-
stitution more than once modified since its introduction. He
appoints the ministers and presides over their deliberations, pro-
mulgates the laws, and enjoys the right of pardon. He receives
a civil list of £930,000, one-half being paid by each of the two
states, Austria and Hungary.

The common affairs of the two states are directed by three ministers — for Foreign
Affairs, ^Yar, and General Finance. The Minister of Foreign Affairs presides in
the absence of the Emperor, and, like his colleagues, he is responsible to the delega-
tions nominated by the two Diets. Cis-Leithania and Trans-Leithania have each
their independent Cabinet, including Ministers of the Interior, of Education, of
Finance, of Agriculture and Commerce, of Public Works, and of Justice. A
member of the Hungarian Cabinet is attached to the Emperor's household, while
another takes charge of the affiiirs of Croatia. The two Cabinets are responsible to
their respective Diets. The Emperor occasionally may invite the members of these
Cabinets to attend the deliberations of the common ministry, but only when it is
a question of discussing the Budget or foreign affairs.

The legislative Diets and the electoral organization present similar complica-
tions, a curious mixture of feudal traditions, constitutional fictions, and compro-
mises. The Austrian Diet {Reichsrath) consists of a House of Lords {Herrenhaus)
and a House of Deputies {Abgtordnetenhaiis) . The former includes the 13 imperial
princes and 54 hereditary peers, 10 archbishops and 7 bishops, and 107 life
members appointed by the Emperor. The House of Deputies consists of 353
members elected for six years. Of these 85 are representatives of the landed
proprietors, 137 are elected by the towns and Chambers of Commerce, and 131 by
the rural districts. The franchise is enjoyed by all citizens who are of age and
possessed of a small property qualification. Practically the electoral laws favour
the return of German deputies.

The Diet {Orszdgyiiles) of Trans-Leithania likewise includes two Chambers, viz.
a Board of Magnates {Fek'6 Hdz) and a Board of Deputies {Also Hdz). The former
consists of 736 members, including 31 prelates, 626 noblemen, 76 governors of

GOVEENMENT AND ADMINISTRATION. 153

coinitats and other high dignitaries, 2 deputies of the Diet of Croatia, and the
"Count" of the Saxons of Transylvania. The Board of Deputies consists of
444 members, viz. 334 for Hungary, 1 for Fiume, 75 for Transylvania, and 34
for Croatia and Slavonia. The latter are nominated by the Diet of Croatia, itself
composed of hereditary and elective members. The Croat deputies may address
the Board in their own language, but all other members are only permitted to do
so in Magyar.

The affairs common to both halves of the empire can be discussed only by the
" Delegations," which meet alternately at Vienna and Pest. The Delegation of
each Diet consists of 60 members, one-third of whom belong to the Upper House.
The Delegations discuss separately. In case of a disagreement they address
written " raessasres " to each other. If an ajfreement is not arrived at after an
exchange of three messages, they meet and immediately vote. Such is the curious
mechanism of the " dualist " empire invented by Francis Deak for the exclusive
benefit of Germans and Magyars. The Slavs, Rumanians, and Italians can hardly
exercise any influence upon the administration of the country, and time must show
whether an organization which does them so little justice can last.

The organization of the provincial Diets {Lrindtage) is quite as complicated as
that of the superior representative bodies. Cis-Leithania has seventeen of thcni.
They are composed of members " by right," such as archbishops, bishops, and
rectors of universities, and of elected members, representing the large proprietors,
towns. Chambers of Commerce, and rural districts. The governor of the province
presides over the deliberations of these Diets and of their executive committees
{Landen-AmHchum). In Trans- Leithania there is only one of these local Diets, that
of Croatia.

The provincial capitals as well as several other towns are governed by a Muni-
cipjal Council and a body of functionaries. In some instances a " ^lagistrate,"
elected by the citizens, exists in addition. Ordinar}' parishes are governed by
a burgomast^ir and commissioners {Gcmeinde-AunHchuHH), elected for three years.
" District Diets," in adfiitifjri to the above, exist in some of the provinces.

In Hungary and Transylvania a distinction is made between "communes"
and " municipalities." The former have a representative body composed, in
equal jjroportions, of elected members and of the citizens paying the highest
taxes. Tlie " magintrate " is appointed by this body. The inunicii)alities enjoy
Momewliat more extended privileges, but in every instance the great tuxi)ayerH
Hburc the govemment with the elected <if the j)eoj)l(!. These municipalities
include the comitats fcounli«'sj, iIm; " free districls," the " royal froo cities," and
the " Jjand of the Saxons" in Transylvania. (iov«Tnnient is represented by a
fo-inpan (Oh/r (I'fMjiaiin in ficrrnan), appointed for life, who presides over the
meetingH. The " \'u\\i'.Tnhy of the Saxon Nation " is composed of forty-four
rr-prew-ntatives of (ierifian towns and diHirictH, presided over l)y u " Coiiiil." In
Croatia and Slavonia e!i(;li eoniitat has its t'/nipHfiuu, piitly elected, and tjach
t/>wn or village itn " irnini<;ipal dele^ati<»n."

Jlimnia and Herzegovina, thonj^h not yet I'oiiiiitig «)(Iicially an iiilcgml jioi-

154

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

tioii of the Austrian Empire, are nevertheless being governed by Austrian officials,
and the probability of these countries being returned to Turkey is a very
remote one.*

The area and population of the great political divisions of the empire are as

follows : —

Provinces.

Area.

Population.

Sq. Miles.

31 Dec, 1869.

31 Dec., 1879.

Austria below the Enns

7,6.54

1,990,708

2,143,928

„ above the Enns

4,632

736,557

746,097

Salzburg .....

2,767

153,1.59

1.54,184

Styria (Stcycrmark)

8,670

1,137,990

1,178,067

Carinthia (Kiirnten)

4,005

337,694

338,705

Camiola (Krain) ....

3,857

460,334

469,996

Gorizia, Istria, Trieste . . . .

3,084

600,525

622,899

TjTol and Vorarlberg .

11,323

885,789

895,653

Bohemia (Bohmcn)

20,061

5,140,544

.5,-36 1,. 506

Moravia (Mahren) ....

8,583

2,017,274

2,079,826

Silesia (Schlesien) ....

1,988

513,352

558,196

Galicia

30,308

5,444.689

6,000,326

Bukovina

4,035

513,404

548,518

Dalmatia

4,939

456,961

467,534

Army and Navy ....

—

177,449

Total, Cis-Leithania

115,902

20,;j94,980

21,742,884

Hungary and Transylvania .

108,261

13,561,245 '

Between 1870 and 1874

Fiume

17,884

the number of deaths

Croatia and Slavonia . . . .

8,852

1,138,970

> exceeded the births

Military Frontier

7,303

699,228

to the extent of

Army

—

92,128 ,
15,509,455

143,225

Total, Trans-Leithania

124,424

15,510,000

Grand Total

240,326

35,904,455

37,252,884

The Church is still a powerful institution in the empire, for its dignitaries
not only enjoy large emoluments, but, as members of the Diets, they also exercise
a considerable political influence. The sovereign must be a Roman Catholic.
The State recognises the Roman Catholic Church, with its three " rites," the
Greek Catholic Church, the Armenians, Lutherans, Calvinists, Unitarians, and
Jews. In Austria all other confessions are admitted, provided they teach nothing
" contrary to the laws of the land and to morals." In Hungary, however, dis-
senters are merely " tolerated."

The Roman Church supports an army of 36,000 priests, and the number of
ecclesiastics, inclusive of monks and nuns, exceeds 51,000, of whom 31,000 reside
in Cis-Leithania.

The Orthodox Greek Catholics had formerly but one patriarch, who resided at
Karlovci, in Syrmia ; but in 1864 the Rumanians separated from the Servians, and
elected a patriarch of their own, whose seat is Hermannstadt. In 1873 Govern-
ment separated the dioceses of Zara and Cattaro from the patriarchate of Karlovci,
and placed them under the Patriarch of Czernowitz.

The Lutheran Churches are governed by a Consistory, and the Calvinists by a

* Bosnia and Herzegovina: — Area, 27,367 square miles; population, 1,061,000. See vol. i. p. 126.

GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTEA.TION.

155

General Synod, both meeting at Vienna. The Consistory of the Unitarians has its
seat at Ilermannstadt, in Transylvania.*

The Army is an institution common to the two halves of the empire, the
Militia (called Landicehr in Austria, Honveds in Hungary) alone having a local
character. In 1868 the army was reorganized on the model of that of Prussia.
The term of service is three years in the active army, seven years in the reserve,
and two years in the Landicehr. On a peace footing the army numbers 285,000 men,
with 47,o40 horses, but in time of war the military forces can be raised to a
strength of more than 1,000,000 men, with 1,600 field guns.f

The Xavy consists of 68 vessels, with 404 guns, manned in time of war by
12,000 Istrian and Dalmatian sailors. Fourteen of the vessels are armour-clad,
the most powerful being the Terjethoff, armed with six 2o-ton guns, and clad with
armour 13 inches in thickness.

The finances of the empire are in a most unsatisfactory condition, and it
happens frequently that the Government hardly knows where to find the money to
pay its army of functionaries. In the course of the last hundred years it only
happened twice that there was a surplus. The common expenses, towards which
Austria contributes 68 per cent, and Hungary 32 per cent., are met, no doubt, but
the separate Budgets of Austria and Hungary only too plainly exhibit the deficiency
in the revenue. Two-thirds of all the receipts are swallowed up by the army and
the public debt, leaving but one-third to defray the expenses of administration,
public works, and education. The taxation is consequently very heavy, more
especially if we bear in mind the poverty of the inhabitants. The public debt is
increasing from year to year, and amounts already to six years' revenue. We
need not wonder, under these circumstances, that Austria-Hungary enjoys but
small credit in the financial world, and that its bank-notes are never accepted
without a heavy discount. This financial distress most seriously threatens the

Iteligioua confessiona (1869) :

Cin-Iyoithnnia.

Trnnii-I^iflmnui

I. Total.

/ Latin rite .
Catholif.H 1

1(;,4 00,000

7,fiOO,000

24.000,000

2,3.50,000

1,G00,000

3,950,000

Arni'-nian .

•

3,100

6,202

8,300

Total

18,763,100

9,205,200

27,958,300

I'rotfiit;iritM . . . .

369,400

3,202,000

3,672,000

fMJiwlox (JnfkB .

462,000

2,690,000

3,052,000

('iT>v,iir\i\.n Ami'iiiiiriH .

•

1,200

650

1,850

.(l WH .

822,300

653,700

1,370,000

Without confciwion

Tol.il

370

2n,i(is.;iro

220

l'..:)')3,370

600

;i.'),',)(i(>,7io

Offlccm.

Men.

Ilonira.

t A'-tiv<t army .

23,/i04

763,992

14N,23«

Austrian I/nndwrlir .

2,916

118,620

6,070

Miiri((firiari HoiiviiIm

3,028

127,234

10,742

(;< fxi/inrK ric ,

8,800

—

lUfniount H«rvic«

'r«.uii

148

6.096
1,013.747

—

171,048

156

AUSTRJ A- 11 UNO ARY.

power of Austria, embarrasses her politics, and interferes with every measure
cah^ulated to promote the Avelfare of the empire.*

* Common rccoiiits (Customs, kc.)
Cis-Lcith.inia ....
Trans-Lcithania
Croatia

Total .

Revonue.

1,678,000

37,663,781

21,83:i,949

298,000

£6M73,730

Exix-nspH.

1,678,000

40,.0o6,247

23,341,042

298,000

£65,873,989

The "common expenses" in 1877 were estimated at £11,709,138, and were defrayed out of the
revenues detailed above. For 1879 these expenses were estimated at £10,9.50,030.

The debt of Austria-Hungary amounted in 1878 to £371,737,000, if not to a larger sum.

The following works on Austria-Hungary are deserving of notice : —

" Statistisches Handbuch dor Oesterreich-Ungar. Monarchic" (1878); Hain, "Handbuch der
Statistik dos Kaiscrstaats " (1853); Klun, "Statistik von Oesterreich-Ungarn " (1876); Matkovic,
" Kroatien-SIavonien ; " Lorenz and Wessely, "Die Bodenkultur Qcstcrreichs " (1873); Ch. Keloty et
L. Beothy, " Statistique de la Hongrie" (1876) ; A. Ficker, "Bevolkerung der Oesterreichischen Monar-
chic;" P. Hunfalvy, " Ethnograjjhie von Ungarn ; " A. Patterson, "The Magj-ars, their Country and
Institutions;" Boner, "Transylvania;" Schwicker, "Statistik des Konigreiches Ungarn" (1877);
Ditz, " Die ungarischc Landwirthschaft ; " H. Ni.e, " Dalmatien und seine Inselwelt ; " Lorenz, " Topo-
graphic von Fiume und IJmgobang;" A. de Gerando, "La Transylvanie et ses habitants;" A. Lipp,
" Der Handel nach dem Osten."

GERMANY.

CHAPTER 1.
General Aspects.

'ERMANY {Deuhchland) occupies the very centre of Europe.

Diagonals connecting the extremities of the continent, whether
! drawn from the Hebrides to Constantinople, from the Ural to

Gibraltar, or from the North Cape to Sicily, run through its centre.

Germany consequently appears to be called upon to act that part
of intermediary for the whole of Europe which for ten centuries has fallen to the
lot of France in AVestern Europe, and which England fills with reference to the
old world and the new.

Germany, as long as there existed no artificial high-roads, possessed fewer
facilities than her neighbour France to enter into direct relations with the countries
of Southern Europe. Shut off from the Mediterranean by the Alps, Germany was
less favourably situated for acting as the intermediary between the south and
the north of Europe. France lies partly within the basin of the Mediterranean,
partly within that of the open Atlantic, whilst the whole of Germany slopes
down towards the north ; and the seas which wash its shores aro almost devoid
of go<^xl harbours, such as abound in France and England.

The Baltic is an inland sea, communicating with the oi)cn ocean only through
the straits separated by the Danish archipelago. Though small in extent, it is
drcfuled on account of its sand-lianks, short waves, fogs, gusts, and changeable
winds. In winter its ports are closed by ice. The North Sea, though I'recly
communicating with the open Atlantic, is likewise full of ])erils on arcoimt of its
low, undefined Khores, fringed with islands and sand-banks, and its priucii)al
gateway, tlir; Strait of DovfT, is at the mercy of I'Vance and Mnghiiid. li" tin;
Of-rman mercantile marine holds a rcsjx'ctablc position amongst tlie merchant
fleets of tiic world, this is not because of tlu; maritime advantages enjoyed by
Germany.

GiTrnany, therefore, tliou;^h its Meuboanl extends fnjni the frontier ol' llolhind
to that (li KuHsia, can scurcely l»e calhid a maritime country. Apart Irom the

158 GERMANY.

invasion of England by the Anglo-Saxons, the great historical events in which
Germans have played a leading part were decided by land, and not by sea. The
battles and struggles between them and their neighbours, whether Slavs, Italians,
or Latinised Gauls, took place in the region of the Alps and in the valleys of the
Rhine, the Oder, the Vistula, and the Danube. The migrations of peoples were
focilitated by the open, undefinable boundaries of the country, for only in the
south do the Alps constitute a well-defined natural boundary, whilst in the east
and the west the German lowlands merge into those of Hussia and the Nether-
lands. The Flemings, who are of more purely German origin than either
Berliners or Viennese, advanced along the shore of the North Sea as far as the
hills of Boulogne, in the centre of France. Other German immigrants followed
the Baltic shores to the east, and penetrated into a country which now forms part
of the Russian Empire. Others, again, descended the valley of the Danube, and
founded colonies in Hungary and Transylvania. In the east the struggle between
Slav and German has been incessant, and the line separating the two races has
ever vacillated. If Bohemia has not been wholly Germanised, like other ancient
Slav countries in Austria and Prussia, this is solely owing to the mountain
rampart which surrounds it.

Whatever boundaries may have been laid down in treaties, the true limits of
the land of the Germans must always remain to some extent undefined, and it
is difficult to say where Germany really begins and where it ends. At the
same time the central portion of the country is divided by mountain ranges into
a number of distinct districts, geographically predestined to become the homes of
separate tribes. These small basins are more especially abundant between the
north-western angle of Bohemia and the Ardennes, and there the feudal institu-
tions flourished longest, and the small states evolved by it are numerous to the
present day. The extensive plateau to the south of this region of hills and
valleys favoured the formation of a larger state, such as Bavaria, whilst the
extended plain of maritime Germany was shared between a number of independent
communities, which have been gradually absorbed by Prussia.

The mountain ranges of Germany are of sufficient elevation and extent to
have considerably retarded the political unification of the country ; but they
presented no insurmountable obstacles to the migration of peoples, and the
country on both sides of them is inhabited by men of the same race. No doubt
the vast plains of Northern Germany contrast strikingly with the plateau and
mountains of the south, but the North German nevertheless differs only in minor
respects from the South German. The manners and customs of Frieslanders,
Mecklenburgers, and Pomeranians possess curious analogies with those of
Bavarians, Tyrolese, and Styrians. Central Germany, and above all Thuringia,
played the part of intermediary between the north and the south, and every great
impulse in the political life of the country departed from a line connecting
Frankfort, Leipzig, and Berlin.

The general slope of the country is towards the north, from the Alps to the
Baltic Sea and the German Ocean. The plateau of Bavaria lies at a higher

GENEEAL ASPECTS.

159

elevation than the valleys of Central Germany, and the rivers which drain these
latter take their course towards the great plain of the north. The gradual
decrease in height, on going north, almost compensates for differences of latitude,
and the temperature is thus pretty much the same throughout the country. An
isothermal chart hardly exhibits this feature in a satisfactory manner, for the
isothermal lines do not represent the real temperature observed, but the tempera-
ture supposed to prevail at the sea-level. In reality the temperature of places
so far apart as are Ratisbon and Hamburg have very nearly the same mean annual
temperature of 48° Fahr. There are, of course, many local differences, depending
upon elevation above and distance from the sea, and the rainfall is greater in
the mountainous districts than in the vast northern plain ; but in its main

Fig. 93. — Hypsographical Map of Germaxy.
According to Leipoldt. Scale 1 : 12,000,000.

5-K.of Paris

5S'

Hfiirntt In fvl

LtJj,.

1' oul i»-.r-*t

Otvr-t*»0

IdO Miles.

features the climate throughout i.s the same. Tlie valley of ihc Rliiiio ()ff(Ts a
remarkable proof of tliJH, for although that river, between IJascl and Kininerich,
huH a courne of nearly 200 inih-H, the climate througliout is j)rctly much
the f4ume, nrjtwitliMtaiiding the great differences of latitude;. This siiuilarily of
climate ban no doubt had its nliare in UM.'iimilalin;^ IIk; inannerH, customs, <iimI
mode.H of thought of North and JSouth GermaiiM, IiKbrcd, the diinircncr of clinialc
in gn;at<'r betwe<;n west and east than b(!fw<'(;u north and south. In tlu; east
th»; wiMt<TM are cohbrr, the rains less iil»uiul;inf , .iiid we IjcconK! Hcnsildc thiit we
are approaching Russia.

(icographically Germany oc,(;uj>i<s a p<»rtion of ihf northern slopc! of lh(! Alps,
and has no well-defined boundaricK towards the east or west. Geologically, too,

160

GERMANY.

its boundaries are ill defined, and it forms no unit in the configuration of Europe,
as does Spain, England, France, Scandinavia, or Russia. The limestone Alps of
Bavaria are u continuation of those of Vorarlberg and Appenzell. The geological
formations which fill up the great raiocene sea of Switzerland can be traced into
Southern Bavaria, where they are in great part concealed below the debris
deposited by glaciers. The Jura extends through Swabia and Southern Germany
as far as the western corner of Bohemia. The Black Forest, with its granite, red
sandstone, and triassic rocks, corresponds with the Vosges on the other bank of
the Bhine, and the platform upon which it rises extends northward as far as the
plain of Hanover. The rocks on both sides of the Rhine, below Mayence, are of
the same age. The Devonian formation of the Ardennes stretches to the north-east

Fig. 94. — The Isothermal Lines of Germany.
According to Putzger.

5° E.or Pans

10° E.ofG

40-50'

M-iS"

into Nassau and Westphalia, and is bounded in the north by carboniferous forma-
tions, in the centre of which the plain around Cologne opens out like a vast bay. In
Belgium, as in Germany, the most advanced hills are capped with chalk, or rocks
belonging to more recent formations. Finally, there is the vast northern plain,
covering an area of 150,000 square miles, which merges, on the one hand, in the
plain of Holland, and, on the other, in that of Poland and Russia. Geologically
Germany thus consists of two distinct portions, the south being joined to Switzer-
land, France, and Belgium, whilst the north is a westerly extension of the great
Sarmatian plain.

Yolcanic hills are numerous in Central Germany, to the north of the Moselle
and the Main, the craters of some of them beins: filled with small lakes. Thev
are the standing witnesses of a time when fiery lava burst forth from volcanoes

GENERAL ASPECTS.

161

rising near the shore of the ocean which then covered the whole of Northern
Germany. The geological constitution of these volcanic districts, and indeed of
the whole of the hilly region from which rise both the Main and the "Weser, is
far more complicated than that of the remainder of the country. The variety
of geological formations influences in turn the inhabitants, shows itself in the
configuration of the country, and favours the development of manifuld industries.
It has been observed that the customs and institutions of the inhabitants of that
part of Germany are distinguished by originality.

The Rhine, in the west, joins Southern and Xorthern Germany. That river rises
in the Alps, crosses the chain of the Jura, flows along the vale spread out between
the Vosges and the Black Forest, and finally forces its way through the barrier, 120

Fig. 95. — The True Meav Anxtal Temperature of Germany.
According to Putz^r.

5" E.of Paris

lo-i E.oi a.

. i ■■

Ovtrto'

milcH wide, which in a former ago pent up its waters. The rivers fartlier to tho
ea«t, having been prevented by the Tliuringian Forest from flowing in the same
direction a« the Rhino, have taken their courso along the nortliern foot of tlio
Alp«, and formed the Danuln^, which Iohoh itHf^lf in an inhmd seu. Jn several places
the banind of the Danube and tho Rhine are by no means W(rll defined. The
Upprr I)anubo, vm far an Ratisbon, Aowh along th«' southern foot of tho Swabian
Juni ; that ih, in fxactly the Hame direction uh th(! Aar, which follows tho SwisH
Jura. Many of tho Hmaller tributarioH ajjpoar to hoHituto wh('thcr to flow to one
river or tho other, and at hsiHt oru! of tliem is fod through Hubterranean channjls
from tho I)finiibo, and diHchargow itH.-lf into the lihino, thus virtually converting
the UppcT Danube into a tributary of that river. Tho Altmiihl and tlic Hogiiit/ —
83

1G2

GERMANY.

the one tributary to the Danube, the other to the Rhine — are separated only by a
flat level, presenting no difficulty to the cutting of a canal. This plain thus forms
a region of transition between the basins of the Rhine and the Danube.

The rivers of Northern Germany present a remarkable parallelism in their
course. The Weser, the Elbe, the Oder, and the Vistula flow in the same
direction as the Rhine below Mayence. The analogy presented by some of the
curves described by these rivers is truly striking, and clearly points to a
great uniformity in the geological agencies. But not only is the course of these
rivers a parallel one now, it appears to have been so in a remote geological age.
There was a time when the Elbe, below Magdeburg, continued its normal course
towards the north-west, and found its way through the AUer, now a tributary of

Fig. 96. — Raix ilAP OF Germany.
According to Putzj^cr.

,5- E. of Paris

Annual Rainfall in Inches

Under le

the Weser, into the sea. The Oder, instead of sweeping round to the north on
reaching Frankfort, continued towards the north-west, and joining the Elbe, was
tributary to the North Sea. At that time it must have flowed along what is now
the channel of the Spree, a river likened by a modern writer to " a dwarf concealed
in the armour of a giant." The Vistula, which now discharges into the Frische
Haff, turned to the west, and, by way of the swampy valley now occupied by the
Warte and the Netze, it reached the Oder. The Memel (Niemen), which now
enters the Kurische Haff, at that time flowed along the valley of the Pregel into
the Frische Haff. These changes in the course of the rivers prove that the plain of
Northern Germany must have been upheaved in its western part, causing the
rivers to swerve round to the east. And, indeed, the marks of a subsidence of the

GENERAL ASPECTS. 163

land, observed on the Prussian coast of the Baltic, satisfactorily prove that such
has been the case.

Modern Germany, with its numerous rivers, extensive tracts of fertile lands,
wooded hills, and pasture- grounds, must have strongly attracted the tribes who,
foUowinj; the lead of the sun, migfrated from the east to the west. Of the orig-inal
inhabitants of Germany we know nothing except what has been revealed to us by
finds in caverns and lakes.

Long before Teutons and Slavs the country was inhabited by a different race,
of a type supposed to be represented by a skull discovered in the !Neander cave,
near Diisseldorf. Similar remains have been discovered, as early as 1700, near
Cannstadt, in Wiirtemberg. These primeval inhabitants, with low, retreating
foreheads, narrow and flattened skulls, and strong bones, are supposed to have
lived in the tertiary age, and had to struggle with bears and hyenas for existence.

It is quite possible that long before the arrival of Teutonic tribes the shores of
the Baltic were in the possession of Fins. This question, however, would appear
to be incapable of solution. Anyhow, the remains discovered in the numerous
tumuli, or " Hiinengriiber," scattered all over Germany, are attributed to Slav,
Teutonic, and Gallic tribes. The skeletons with elongated skulls, found from
Switzerland to the extreme east of Prussia, are supposed to be Teutonic, whilst
the others are assumed to be those of Gauls.

As long as the distinctive characteristics of the Germans had not been deter-
mined, the prehistoric remains discovered could shed no light upon the character
of the ancient inhabitants of the country. Until recently all Germans were
supposed to be dolichocephalous, but careful measurements have shown that round
skulls are numerous, and even preponderate in some districts. The skulls of
Frieslanders, whom Profes-sor Virchow looks upon as the purest Germans, the
swamps defending their country having preserved them from contact with other
tribes, are broad and high, but relatively not very elongated. In a general way
it may be stated that the North Germans are dolichocephalous, whilst broad skulls
are more frequent in Southern Germany.

There was a time when we studied Latin authors in order to find out the
physical characteristics of the Germans. It was accepted for a fact that they hud
blue eyes and fla-xen or red hair. An examination of all the school cliildrcn
throughout Germany, which has taken place recentl)*, shows very clearly that if
blue eyes, flaxen hair, and fair complexions represent the true German type, only
about one-third ('422 per cent.) of all the children examined belong to it. In
Prussia this German type iH represented by •i-"i per cent., in Bavaria by 20 per
cent., in Alsace by even a Hmallcr proportion. The mountains which stretch from
Bohemia to the Rhino H<'p;irato i\w fair Germans from the darkcr-coniplcxioiicd
onen. Along the rivers th*; com[>lexionH, us a rub-, are darker than away IVoni
them, and we may conclude from this that migratory non-Gcrinan Irilirs follow «-d
their course.

Tim* much may be asHiiin<;d, that tlic modern (icrmans are a mix«.'il race, and

164

GERMANY.

no more thsin Gauls present the features ascribed to them by Roman authors. The
type described by Tacitus only survives in Scandinavia. Fair hair and fair
complexions still preponderate, but blue eyes are now rare. The type may have
become modified through a change in the mode of life brought about by the
progress of civilisation ; or dark eyes and dark complexions may have issued
victoriously from a " struggle for existence." Curious to relate, the Jews of
Germany appear to have undergone an inverse change, for the majority amongst
them have chestnut, or even fair hair.

Language constitutes the great bond of national union. To southern ears the

Fig. 97. — Linguistic Map of Germany.

Upper Oernian

Hutlienian.

Low German

Danish erSivedUh

Folifh

Checkian

FreiiCti

r~i

J/afyar LiUiuaniati

iVend4Jih

sonorous and powerful language spoken by Germans sounds rugged and guttural,
but in the mouth of the poets it is full of tender grace, and capable of adequately
and harmoniously rendering every shade of meaning, and every sentiment. Harsh
and vigorous when used in anger, it becomes supple and tender when giving
expression to the emotions of the soul.

The original dialects are fast disappearing, and hardly more than an historical
interest attaches to them now. Even the Low Germans, who speak dialects akin

GENERAL ASPECTS. 165

to Dutch and Flemish, have accepted the High German of the books. Platt-Deutsch
— that is, the language of Low Germany — is a richer language than literary-
German ; but its doom was sealed as soon as a Thuringian dialect was accepted as
the language of books. It is still understood by about 10,000,000 people, and
books are sometimes published in it, but its literary use is confined to poetry and
occasional novels.

In Central Europe German is spoken by more than 55,000,000 souls. If we
add to these the Jews of Poland and Russia, the foreigners who have studied
the language of Goethe and Schiller, and the German colonists scattered through-
out the world, the domain of Gei'man will be found to embrace nearly 65,000,000
human beings. German has thus become one of the leading languages of human
thought, whether we look to the number by whom it is spoken, or to the historical
part played by Germany, and the influence it actually exercises upon the destinies
of the human race.

Thanks to this universal language, spoken from the Alps to the Baltic,
German unity virtually existed long before it was recognised politically. It was
brought about by the people rather than by the free will of the Governments.
Frieslanders and Bavarians, Prussians and Swabians, undoubtedly stand nearer
to each other in ideas and customs than do Bretons and Provencals, Basques and
^Xormans. Still there exist great diversities in their character, and it is interesting
to note them before they have been swept away by a levelling civilisation. The
differences still exhibited by supple and good-natured Austrians, naive and obstinate
Swabians, dexterous Hessians, intelligent Saxons, sedate Prussians, and haughty
Frieslanders clearly mark as many provincial types.

And where, amongst these populations, are we to look for the veritable centre
of gravity of the nation ? The Prussians preponderate in politics, it is true, but
they present by no means the best type of the race. That type must be sought
for amongst the inhabitants of Central Germany, in Thuringia, Franconia, on the
banks of the Rhine, and in Swabia, a country so rich in men of genius. The
Ah-manni of South-western Germany are amongst Frenchmen the representatives
of all Germans, or " AUemands," wliilst amongst the Slavs of the East, Germans,
whatever their origin, are known as " Swabians." Swabians and Aleinanni are
of the same origin, and tliey consequently enjoy the distinction of being looked
uj)on. in the West as in the East, as the typical representative Germans.

It would bo puerile to follow the lead of the host of authors who have written
on the genius and the moral worth of the (ierman nation. No peoi)le has been
raised higher by its admin.Ts, none has been dragged down lower by its
detractors. The very men who declaim about the "vanity" of the "grand nation"
claim for their own race a position morally arid intellectually far above that of
other nations. " Deutsch " (German) in usf-d as tin; synonym of everything that is
true and sincere, " Welsh " for everything that is falser and vicious, lint there
are nrit wanting (ierman writers who are fully alive to the failings of their coin-
patriots. It is euHy, no doubt, to pass a severe judgment upon any nation, but if
wc would juflge fairly wo must leave the common herd, and turn Ui representative

1(50 GEEMANY.

men who haA'e risen above mediocrity. "We shall feel bound then to admit the
German to be capable of a profound love of nature, to possess rare poetical
instincts, and to exhibit a naive and sincere attachment to any cause he may have
embraced. At the same time he is easily led into extremes, true feeling deterio-
rates with him into touchiness, politeness is transformed into an adherence to
rules of etiquette, anger rises into fury, just resentment turns into rancour, and the
pride of being degenerates into extravagance. The German, in spite of his tenacity
and strength of character, possesses less individuality than either Frenchman,
Italian, or Englishman. He is more easily influenced than they are by popular
opinion, and delights to move in masses. There is method even in his follies, and
he readily submits to discipline.

In the history of the world Germany has played a leading part. When first
the Germans entered upon the stage of history, they covered Europe with ruins to
the extreme west and south ; but once civilisation took hold of them, they
contributed largely towards its conquests. The German cities became workshops
of human thought and industry, and were the rivals of those of Italy and Flanders.
What greater glory can there be than that of having presented the first printed
book to the world ?

The events which proved fatal to the Italian republics led likewise to the ruin
of the cities of Southern Germany. Whilst the Turks closed the direct roads to
the East, the discovery of the New World and of a maritime route to India
revolutionised the world's commerce. Augsburg and other wealthy cities struggled
against the inevitable. They established factories at Lisbon, Antwerp, and
Ijondon ; but when Spain ceased to be governed by German emperors, when the
Dutch rose into power, and closed the Rhine and the Mouse against German
merchants, the cities of Southern Germany were doomed to decay.

Then came the Thirty Years' War, which destroyed the industry of the towns,
and flung back the country into a state of barbarism. One-third of the total
population is supposed to have perished during that fearful period, and when the
treaty of Westphalia (1648) put a stop to the horrors of war, Germany, still
bleeding from a hundred wounds, found itself reduced to a very inferior position
amongst the nations of Europe. The small sovereigns who had divided it between
them took for their motto the words of Louis XIV., " L'Etat c'est moi ! " They
treated their subjects like game, accepted the wages of France to betray their
country, and even sold their subjects to be employed in the wars which England
then carried on in America.* At a time when art and science began to revive in
Germany, the political condition of that country had become most deplorable.

So vile a system of government was doomed to extinction. The French
Revolution shook the organization of the empire to its foundations, and swept
away the greater number of its princes. It was in vain that it was attempted
afterwards to repair the old machinery. Tbe states of the German Confederation
became the battle-ground of Austria and Prussia ; but the nation soon awakened

* Between 1775 and 1783 £2,600,000 was paid to the Elector of Hesse, and £2,526,000 to other
German princes.

GENEEAL ASPECTS. 167

from its torpor, and the idea of a United Germany took root in it long before
events permitted its realisation.

The numerous small principalities into which Germany found itself divided
deprived the country of all political power. The minor princes, jealous of each
other, lent a too willing ear to the foreigner. The small courts, at which it was
sought to imitate the splendours of wealthier capitals, became the seats of vice and
intrigue. Fortunately the whole of Germany was not subjected to this demoral-
ising rule. There yet remained free cities, the guardians of that public spirit
which had so much contributed to their greatness. In course of time fresh centres
of art, science, and literature sprang into existence, and the nation slowly
recovered from the wounds inflicted by a thirty years' religious war.

Towards the close of the last century, on the eve of the great Revolution,
Germans nobly distinguished themselves by their intellectual labours. Goethe
and Schiller added their immortal works to those previously existing ; gifted
musicians walked in the footsteps of Mozart, Handel, and Haydn ; and Kant
revolutionised ideas. History and its allied sciences have found eloquent inter-
preters in Germany ; philology has been developed there into a science ; mathe-
matics and the natural sciences have employed some of the ablest minds ; and
nowhere else has geography been studied with equal success. The names of
Humboldt, Kitter, and I'eschel are amongst those which geographers revere most
deeply.

Germany has reconstituted itself politically within the last decade, but already
the eflfects of centralisation are making themselves felt. As long as Germany
remained an incoherent congeries of small states, it enjoyed at all events the
advantage of having numerous local centres of life and intellectual light. Had it
always l>een a centralized empire, such as France became in the time of liichelieu,
it would certainly not now be able to boast of the numerous universities which
constitute one of its great glories. Modern imperial Germany certainly tends
towards centralization. The provinces are gradually being deprived of their
autonomv. and although this may further pfjliti(;al coherency, a restriction of local
liberties must in the end weaken the nation, and reduce its power of initiative.

CHAPTER II.

THE REGION OF THE VOSGES.
(Alsace and German Lorraine.)*

General Aspects, Mountains, Rivers, and Climate.

LSACE and a portion of Lorraine have recently become German by
right of conquest, and contrary to the wishes of the vast majority
of the inhabitants of these countries. These provinces now form
an " imperial land," or Reichsland, the boundaries of which have
been drawn by the sword. And yet these two provinces, if only
they were permitted to form a truly independent state, might they not act as
mediators between the two nations, morally equally culpable, the one for having
risked their loss without the power of defending them, the other for having taken
them as booty of war ?

Alsace has well-defined boundaries, for it embraces the eastern slope of the
Yosges and the plain extending along the left bank of the Rhine. Much elongated
in proportion to its width, its ancient division into a Sundgau and Nortgau
(southern and northern country), now represented by Upper and Lower Alsace,
was an appropriate one. German Lorraine, on the other hand, does not form a
geographical province, for it includes the western slopes of the Vosges to the north
of the gap of Zabern (Saverne), together with the hilly country which stretches
westward to the Ardennes. It is divided into distinct sections by the valleys of
the Saar, the Nied, and the Moselle, which traverse it from north to south.
Lorraine not only differs from Alsace in these geographical features, but also by
its history and the origin of a majority of its inhabitants. Fortifications, however,
have converted both countries into one huge entrenched camp, and, as they are
now politically united, we shall consider them conjointly.!

* In German Elsass and Lothringen, Latinised into Alsatia and Lotharingia.

Area.

Popiilation.

Sq. M.

1866.

1871.

1875.

t Alsace :

Upper

Alsace

1,353

473,314

458,873

452,642

Lower

1,844

609,987

600,406

697,850

German Lorraine

2,383

513,927

490,459

481,312

Total .

5,580

1,597,228

1,549,738

1,531,804

ALSACE AN*D GEEMAX LOEEAINE.

169

Tlie slope which the Vosges presents towards the Rhine is far bolder than the
western one, which sinks down gently or merges into the plateau of the Faucilles.
The broad vale of the Rhine contrasts strikingly with the hills which bound it.
Standing within it, at an elevation of some 500 feet above the sea, we see unrolled
before us the entire chain of the Vosges, and are able to grasp at a glance the
wealth of Alsace : the meadows, corn-fields, and hop gardens of the plain, the vine-
yards of the foot-hills, the forests and pasture-lands of the more distant moorlands.

For a distance of 50 miles, from the Belchen, or Ballon, of Alsace (4,677 feet)
to the Donon, or Donner (3,313 feet), the Vosges form the boundary between
France and Germany. Farther north Germany holds both slopes of the mountains,
including the famous gap of Zabern (Saverne, 1,247 feet), which has from a remote
age formed the principal military and commercial gateway between the two

Fig. 98. — The Gap of Zaberx (Saterxe).
Scale 1 : 115,000.

•.-"^^^<,^-i'.'

ptr\i

<'•

^-jt.

Hni'^'-n

7!J0E.ol (;

..J

ZMilM.

countries. A canal, joining the Rhine with the Mame, and the railway from
StraHHburj^ to Paris, run through thin gap, whilst u fine carriage road crosses the
heightn ia the north of it. The "Little" Vosges extend northward into the
Palatinate, where they are known as ITardt. Tlieir uverag** Ix-ight docs not
exceed 1,300 feet ; yet, owing to the t^jrtuous valleys, they furm u serious Mtrategical
oV>«tacle. Foruif-rly, when the country was but thinly inhabited and rendered
insecure by lordly highwaymen, the ruins of whf)He cuntles crown every Hummit,
only a few roads run acronn it, and they were little fncjuented. The road by the
Tauter, pOJiwing along the old boundary of Gennany, then allnrdi'd the only means
of reaching the Rhine in the north of AIkucc.

The Vfrtigj^ are famous tliroughout Kurope on ucc«)unt of their lolty trei's, and
it is not without emotion that we roam through the fir woods of the llohwald and

170

GEKMANY.

the Great Donon. Silver firs and pines have been planted hy the hand of man,
and the latter are by no means common except on ruj^ged slopes having a
southern aspect. Larches are scarce. The fine forests to the north of the gap of
Zabern and in Lorraine consist of beech-trees, silver firs, and pines, and those
around Bitsch and Chateau-Salins, which furnished the French navy with timber,
are noted for their beauty. In Alsace more than a third of the whole area is

Fig. 99. — The Ruins of St. Ulrich, near Rappolt.sweiler.

wooded, in Lorraine hardly a fourth. Nearly one-half of these woods are the
property of the communes — the State, corporations, and private owners sharing in
the remainder. Wild animals have almost disappeared from the forests. The
elk, the bison, the aurochs, the reindeer, the wild horse, the beaver, the lynx, the
bear, the wild goat, and perhaps the chamois, were formerly met with, but have
now disappeared. The last bear was killed in 1760, no wild goat has been seen
since 1798, and the stag has disappeared from the Eastern Vosges, though still found

ALSACE AND GERMAN LOREAINE.

171

in Lorraine. Deer have been exterminated, but were recently reintroduced into
the forests of Schlettstadt. ^Yolves come over occasionally from the Jura and the
Ardennes, and about a thousand wild boars are killed annually ; but wild cats and
foxes have become rare.

Fig. 100. — The Basix of the III.
Scalfi 1 : 900.000.

\r g. of tJu

inrM.Kr

10 .Mihm.

Tlif furt'Hin (tf A\i-ui;f, thouj^h very (jxtenHivo <!veii now, liave Hlirunk coiiNider-
ably in the (umrms of (:«;nturi<'H, and thouKands of acres have recently been
replanUrd with a view to n-j^'uhttinj^ the clinmt(! and the flow of the riverH. Diiuim
have been couatructcd ucroMH many of the Hiuuller rivers, and water, stored up liy

172 GERMANY.

these means in reservoirs, is utilised in the summer for the purposes of irrigation
and manufacture. The number of these artifical lakelets is great, and was greater
still formerly. In Upper Lorraine some natural lakes and swamps have been
utilised for the same objects. Many swamps have been drained, but others still
remain, and impede communication.

The 111 is the only important river which belongs to Alsace, from its source in the
Swiss Jura to its confluence with the Rhine, and it can hardly be doubted that the
whole country was named after it.* It drains a basin of 1,770 square miles. On
debouching upon the plain of Miilhausen, instead of flowing direct to the Rhine,
it takes a northerly course, parallel with that river, and only enters it below
Strassburg, after a course of 70 miles. In this respect it resembles the remarkable
lateral streams of the Loire. We have reason to suppose that the 111, in the time
of the Romans, entered the Rhine above Strassburg. It is a very erratic stream,
often changing its course, t and its floods are much dreaded. Strassburg has
frequently suffered from inundations, and it is proposed now to construct an
" outfall " canal above that town, to prevent their recurrence.+

The mud deposited in Alsace by the ancient glaciers and the Rhine is distin-
guished for its fertility, and yields rich harvests, but there are also sandy or gravelly
tracts, which produce only trees. One of these lies to the east of Miilhausen, and
is known as the Hart, or " forest," but the oaks which grow there are stunted, and
many parts of it are only covered with coppice or shrubs. Farther north, where
sand takes the place of gravel, we meet with luxuriant forests, one of the finest
of which is that of Hagenau. A hundred and fifty years ago it was an oak forest,
but at the present day hardly anything except pines is seen there.

The climate of Alsace is not as equable as that of France. It is determined in
a large measure by the Vosges, which form a barrier to westerly winds, and by the
broad valley of the Rhine, which is open to northerly ones. The summers are
warm, the winters cold, and sudden changes of temperature frequent. Down in
the plain the winds alternate between north and south, but in the mountains they
follow the direction of the valleys. The rainfall is far heavier there than in the
plain, although the number of rainy days is about the same in both. In Lorraine
the rains are more frequent than in Alsace, and dense fogs, impregnated with the
vapours rising from swamps and bogs, frequently hang over the country. Though
unpleasant on account of their peculiar odour, these fogs are said not to be injurious
to health. They certainly are beneficial to vegetation, for they protect the sandy
soil from the scorching rays of the sun, thus enabling it to retain its moisture. §

* Illsass, Ellsass.

t " The 111 goes where it will," says an Alsatian proverb.

X Delivery of the lU at Strasshurg : —Average, 1,590 cubic feet ; minimum, 70 cubic feet ; maximum,
8,480 cubic feet a second (Ch Grad).

Mean Temperatui'e.

Deg Fahr. Rainfall.

January. July. Year. In.

§ Miilhausen ... .30 70 52 300

Strassburg 31 66 51 26-4

Hagenau 37 72 53 26-4

Metz 31 67 49o 26 0

ALSACE AND GERMAN LOERAIXE. 173

IXHABITAXTS.

Alsace is exceptionally rich in prehistoric monuments, including coarsely sculp-
tured rocks, tombs, and fortifications. One of the most interesting of these
witnesses of an unrecorded age is known as the Heidenmauer (Pagan's Wall). It
lies to the west of Strassburg, and consists of a triple wall about 6 miles in
length, and enclosing several mountains. This ancient fortress, to judge from the
varied character of the workmanship, would appear to have been put repeatedly
into repair.

Alsace, before the arrival of the Romans, was held by German and Gallic
tribes, and its population, down to the present day, exhibits local differences
pointing to the preponderance of one of these ethnical elements. Nevertheless the
Alsatians and the inhabitants of many valleys of the eastern slope of the Vosges have
been completely Germanised, the Alemannic type preponderating, as in Switzer-
land. The linguistic boundary generally follows the crest of the Yosges, but at a
few places the French tongue has gained a footing on the eastern slope. French
is spoken in the valley of the Largue, and at Orbey, La Poutroye, and Les Baroches,
above Colmar. Even the town of Markirch (Ste. Marie-aux-Mines) was more
French formerly than German. In this part of Alsace the German tongue has
certainly lost ground in the course of the last two centuries. This is proved by
the German names of several villages on the Upper Meurthe, where only French
is heard now.

German Lorraine not only embraces the district known, up to 1751, as the
"German bailiwick," but also a considerable extent of purely French territory.
Metz is and always has been a French town, notwithstanding that many Germans
resided in it during the Middle Ages. The German Government is now making
strenuous efforts to Germanise the newly acquired French parishes.*

The Alsatians are a powerful and tall race, and their services in the French
armies have at all times been highly appre(;iated. Several of the most famous
generals of the Republic and the Empire were Alsatians. Tlu; inhabitants of the
country do not, however, excel only aswjldiers; they are distinguished likewise for
their achievements in the arts of peace. Strassburg and Mtitz present great natural
facilities for an exchange of merchandise and ideas between PVance and Germany.
A majority of the inhabitants f»f the towns are able to express themselves in French
as well as in German, and 07 per cent, of the young men called out for military
service are able to read and write.

AoRici.i.Tinj;, Mimno, and iNDrsruv.

Thk pKjpulation in the plains and hilly districts is dcinse. Nearly the whole of tlu^
plains arc under cultivation, mrmt f)f the luiaths and the inundatinl lands bordering

• VTiiiiimiiT If. Ki<'|KTt cNtimfiUii lh<' Fn^ncJi iit 2/>0,000 ; M. 1 1, (luiflo/, Dm porNonn " htiliitunlly n|icii1<-
ing Frrrwh," at 3'<0,000 ikiiiU. fn-iiiriWim to th<i former tlic rinnilM-r of Krunr.h (nxcluiivo of workiiioii in
Um Uiwn»i in ^H,(KX) in Aliiaro, 1{»2,000 in Ofrrnan Fyirminn,

174

GERMANY.
Fig. 101. — Alsatiax Peasants.

upon the 111 and the Ehine having been brought under the plough. Wheat and
barley are the principal cereals cultivated. Emerald meadows alternate with fields

ALSACE AND GEEMAN LORRAINE.

175

of bright yellow rape, poppies, flax, hemp, tobacco, hops, and other plants. The
homesteads of the peasants are embowered in orchards and gardens, and present an
air of comfort. The cellars are rarely without a few casks of wine or kirschicasser.
The land is very much subdivided,* and Jewish usurers prey as usual upon the poorer
peasants ; but notwithstanding this the inhabitants of many districts are able to
live in ease. Alsace is one of the most intelligently cultivated countries in Europe,
and, according to M. Grad, capital invested in agriculture yields between 8 and
10 per cent. The wine district, which extends from Thann to Mutzig, is the
wealthiest and most densely peopled part of the country. Some of the wines
produced enjoy a high reputation. The region of vineyards is succeeded by that
of the forests, which are managed with great success, f and higher still we enter
the pasture- grounds. The neat stock of Alsace, much of which is stall fed, is

Fig. 102. — DiErzE, Chateau-Salixs, and the Pond of Ixdrk.

Scale 1 : 320,000.

,4° 10' E. of Paris

4°25'

fc ol U

'^ -K

r, Milcti.

inferior to the breeds of Switzf'rlaiid and Franclie (Jomtc, but in being improved.
Much choc.Hc Ih made in the mountain districts.

Lorraine is far inferior to Alsace in its agricultural productions, botli soil and
climate Ix-'ing less favourable to vcgdation. There is no broad alluvial valley,
like that of the liliine, and the ^cultivation of the vine is remunerative only in the
valley of the Mobile and a few other localities. On an average tin; land only
yielfls half what it does in Alsace, and extensive heaths are still met with. A
iiyst<;in of "cultivation" j)e«uliar to Lorraine is that a])itlie(l to the numerous
ponds scatU.Tcd (»ver the er»untry. About two-thirds ol' the water are occasionally
drawn (>if, after which the «!X)K)M<'d portion of the l»ed is sown with wheat or other
cereals, anrl the fish are eaughf. The liani is then again closed iij), ;iii(l tin;

• Av»Tn»<<; (in-H nt i-n« h |ir(i|Hrty in IS7«», 7 f» (utm.

t 'ITii! (inrfniiiifiit UitiMm iilonn yii-ldtd £?44,/iRO in 1H77, or uljoiit 10«. nn nrM (Sn. nit. r i|i iliutiiiK

176 GERMANY.

process repeated after the fish have had time to multiply. The large Pond of
Lindre, in the valley of the Seille, sometimes yields 1,000 tons in a single year.
In a hot climate this curious " rotation of crops " would breed a pestilence, and it
is not quite without its drawbacks under a latitude of 49°.*

Agriculture does not suffice to support the dense population of Alsace-Lorraine,
and vast manufacturing interests have been created since the beginning of the
century. The first cotton-mill was built in 1746, and the first steam-engine set
up in 1812. The progress since then has been immense. At first the manu-
facturers established themselves in the valleys of the Vosges, where streams
supplied them gratuitously with the motive power they stood in need of. In
course of time, however, steam superseded the running water, and the factories
were removed to the towns of the plain, where coal could be procured more
cheaply.

Lower Alsace excels in agriculture. Upper Alsace in its manufacturing industry,
the great centre of which is at Miilhaiisen. The manufacture of cotton yarns and
stufis holds the first place, but there are also woollen-mills, machine shops, and
chemical works. Strassburg, in Lower Alsace, has many factories and breweries
in its suburbs. Niederbronn and the neighbouring villages have foundries,
construct railway carriages, and manufacture enamelled hardware. Lorraine,
being rich in iron and coal, has iron and steel works. The most important of
these are in the valley of the Orne, close to the French frontier : the coal mines
are in that of the Saar, to the south of Saarbriicken. Glass is manufactured at
Forbach, whilst Saargemiind is noted for its enamelled porcelain, its snuff-boxes,
machines, and mathematical instruments. In addition to coal and iron, Lorraine
yields salt. The principal salt mines lie between the rivers Saar and Seille, and
more especially in the vicinity of Dieuze, Moyenvic, and Saaralbe. These mines
are for the first time mentioned in a document of the seventh century, and appear to
have been worked from the most remote times. Much of the salt is employed in
the chemical works established in their vicinity. Before concluding this notice of
the manufacturing industry of Lorraine we must mention the famous glass works of
St. Louis (Miinzthal), which employ 2,000 workmen, and turn out annually over
£300,000 worth of crystal glass.f

Alsace is well supplied with railways, the line first constructed, that from
Strassburg to Basel, being now joined to the railway systems of France and
Germany. The railway which runs from Ostend by way of Brussels, Luxemburg,
and Strassburg to Switzerland, is one of the great trunk lines of Europe. Since
the Germans have taken possession of the country several strategical lines have

* Of the total area of Alsace-Lorraine, 46 per cent, is arable land, 12 per cent, meadows, 2 per cent,
vineyards, 1\ per cent, gardens, 31 per cent, forests, and 7f per cent, uncultivated.

t Occupations (1875): — 14,308 miners; 11,78.5 persons employed in potteries and glass works;
11,785 in the manufacture of machines and instruments; 75,075 in the textile industries ; 15,905 worked
in wood; 14,609 were engaged in the preparation of articles of food and drink; 29,850 in making wear-
ing apparel, &c.

Mining (1876) :— Coal, 376,044 tons: iron ores, 664,498 tons; asphalt, 59,238 cwts. ; petroleum,
10,953 cwts. ; salt, 37,304 tons. In the same year 198,279 tons of pig-iron were made.

ALSACE AND GERMAN LOEEAINE. 177

been constructed. They connect the formidable fortresses which have converted
the country into a vast entrenched camp.

Most of the trade in the villages of Alsace is in the hands of Jews, who are
very numerous.

Topography.

Upper Alsace. — Huningen (2,210 inhabitants) is the first town met with on
leaving Switzerland. It was famous formerly on account of its fortifications,
which were razed in 1815. The Rhine is spanned here by a bridge of boats. The
fish-breeding establishment set up by the French Government is now rendering
good service to its successors.

MulhauHcn (Mulhouse, 65,361 inhabitants) is the industrial centre of Upper
Alsace. The " Town of Mills " occupies a favourable position at the foot of the
hills of the Sundgau, and at the head of navigation of the 111. For nearly three
centuries (1506 — 1795) a member of the Swiss Confederation, the town was able
freely to develop its industries, and became one of the manufacturing capitals of
Europe. Its leading manufacturers are members of a few old families, united by
ties of relutionrihip like a clan, and thus able to bring their joint influence to
bear upon the markets of the world. In 1853 one of these families constructed the
first " workman's city," which has since served as a pattern to many others. This
cite consists now of over a thousand neat cottages, surrounded by gardens,* Miil-
hausen most energetically resisted annexation to Germany, and thousands of its
inhabitants emigrated into France. The town, however, has recovered since, and,
like all manufacturing places, it attracts numerous settlers.

AUkirch ("3,007 inhabitants), on the road to Belfort, is known for its potteries.
All other towns in this part of the country are dependencies of ^liilliauson.
MuHmuHHter (Massevaux, 2,784 inhabitants) lies in the valley of the Doller, lo the
westward. The river Thur, towards the north-west, rises at the foot of the
Rheinkopf, and flows past WcHHerliuy, St. Aniarin (2,025 inhabitants), T/kiiiu
(7,544 inliabitants), and Srnn/ifim (Cemay, 3,065 inhabitants). The Lauch, fed
from an artificial lake at the foot of the Rolchen, propels the wheels of the cotton-
millH of Gt'hirciler (11,622 inha})itant8), Sulz (4,OH7 inhabitants), and lioUuciU'r.
r>f all these towns Gcbweiler is the most j)oj)uU>us, l)nt Thann, with its Hni^ Gothic
church and the ruins of the Kn^dhurg, i.s the most cunOuH. The best red wine of
the country grows on tlie hills near it.

Colmnr (22,728 inhabitantHj. thanks to its central jxwition on the 111, has boon
choHfn adTniiiistrative capital of I'pjxT Alsacie. It is a iiicdisuval town, with u fine
Ootliic church and wjvoral curious privat4! Iioumoh. Monutnents havcb(!cn raised in
honour of GeneraJH R;ij)p and iJruat, wlio wj-re nativcHof the place. The iiidiiMtriul
eMtubliHhnientH of ('oimar are for tlie most part situat*! on the oinal of Logclhach,
to the went of tlie town. The euiiul is fed by the Fc^clit, and, ascending that river,
we p;iHH the ohl walled t'lwn of Tinldniin ("J,.'*J7 iiihabitantH), ajid rearh Mnnslrr

• Kn( h <if lh<-<M' r.>iiiim>-n chiU, on firi nviTii;(<', £120. Aftur nixtooti or twt'iity-twd yrin-H' ]iiiyiiii'iil of
rent thu utAin^n \>tA:onun th« \iT<i\>'Tiy of th" U-nmit.

178 GERMANY.

(5,148 inhabitants) and its cotton-mills, situated in one of the most picturesque
valleys of the Vosges. Near Egitiheim, a small village to the south of Colmar,
the bones of human beings and extinct animals have been found in the glacial
drift.

Colmar is an open town now, its ramparts having been converted into public
walks, but Neu-Breimch (2,772 inhabitants), to the west of it, is an important
fortress guarding one of the passes over the Rhine, and faces Freiburg and the
principal pass through the Black Forest.

In the fertile plain of the 111, to the north of Colmar, and in the side valleys
of the Yosges, towns and villages are numerous. Kaiscrsherg (2,507 inhabitants) is
situate at the mouth of the Weiss. Rappoltsiceiler (Ribeauville, 5,785 inhabitants),
famous for its wines, occupies an analogous position on the Strong. Markirch (Ste.
Marie-aux-Mines, 8,141 inhabitants) stands on the Upper Leber, in the heart of the
Vosges. There are no mines, but the town is a rival of Barmen and Elberfeld,
employing several thousand weavers scattered throughout the neighbouring
villages. Markirch carries on a considerable commerce with St. Die, on the
French slope of the Vosges.

Low'ER Alsace. — Descending the Leber, we reach Schlettstadt (9,088 inhabit-
ants), a dismantled fortress. Within sight of it the ruins of the Hohe Koniysburg
crown the summit of a hill. Andlau (1,906 inhabitants). Burr (5,945 inhabitants),
and Molsheim (3,085 inhabitants), lie at the foot of the hills : Waselheim (Wasselonne,
3,250 inhabitants) and Schirmeck (994 inhabitants) are situate within them. The
quarries of the place named last have furnished most of the stone required for
the construction of the new forts of Strassburg.

Strnssburg (92,379 inhabitants), the capital of Alsace, is one of the historical
cities of Europe. Its geographical position, near the confluence of the 111 with the
Rhine, and at a point where the latter, flowing between high banks, presents a less
formidable obstacle than elsewhere, is a very favourable one. A town has occupied
this site as far back as we know, and modern Strassburg, the " Town of Roads," is
the representative of the Roman Argentoratum. The Frankish kings resided here,
and the fairs of Strassburg were much frequented during the Middle Ages. The
town might have become a great centre of industry had not its fine strategical
position attracted the attention of military men. A " bulwark of the empire "
two hundred years ago, it became, under Louis XIV., one of the great fortresses
of France. Since its recapture by the Germans in 1870 the fortifications have
been much strengthened. Twelve detached forts and numerous smaller works
surround the town at a distance of from 3 to 5 miles, and its environs thus
form an entrenched camp. Three of these forts are on the Baden side of the
Rhine. The old citadel is about to be razed, and its site will be utilised for
the construction of a dock for receiving a military flotilla. Warlike enter-
prises have prevented the town from attaining that importance as a place of
commerce and industry which would appear to be due to the principal stage on
the road from Paris to Vienna.

Strassburg, in its general aspects, still retains much of its old character.

ALSACE AND GERMAN LOEEAINE.

179

Xarrow winding streets abound, as do houses with gabled roofs and carved fronts.
High above all rises the lofty steeple of the famous minster, constructed of red
sandstone. This is one of the most remarkable buildings of the world, being
surpassed in. height only by the cathedral of Rouen, the Great Pyramid, and the
church of St. Nicholas at Hamburg. Master Erwin of Steinbach, one of its
architects, has immortalised himself in the great western portal. Standing upon

Fig. 103. — Stkassbttrg.
Scale 1 : 133.000.

■2 Milra.

thf platform of the ininHt*!r, the town lien Mproad out bcnouth us like a map, and
the ey«j ran^<?H as far an the VoHg«!H und the lilack Forcnt.

A monum(;nt has b<*en orecti-d to .MurMhal Saxe in the ProtoHtuiit cliurch of St.
TliorriaM. StutucM of Oenerul Kh'ber and Gutenberg c)ccupy thn principal s(|iiiir«'.
An tM-litti-fj a t'twn wliich Imn played ;i Icidin^f piirf- in tin; hintory of printing,
Htni»M»burg bounted the |K;i»HONHion of a valuable library. The general who

180

GERMANY.

bombarded the town in 1870 had the courage to direct his shells upon the building
which contained this invaluable collection of 300,000 volumes, and it became a prey

Fig. 104. — The Strassbcrg Minster.

to the flames. The Protestant library of 100,000 volumes was destroyed on the
same occasion. A new library has since been formed, but it is the property of the

ALSACE AND GEEMAN LOEEAINE.

181

German University,* and not of the town. Strassburg is a centre of much literary
activity, and the seat of many scientific societies.

Thousands of Germans have settled in Strassburg since its recovery, and the
suburbs and surrounding villages are ever increasing in size. The proposed new
enceinte will encircle the villages of Schiltigheim (o,6o3 inhabitants), Hbnheim, and
RuprechUau (Robertsau), to the north of the town, as well as the fine park known
as the " Orangerie," Most of the industrial establishments of Strassburg are in
the suburbs. Strassburg is noted for its sauer-kraut, its beer, and its goose-liver
patties.

Hagenau (11,000 inhabitants) is the principal town to the north of Strassburg,

Fig. 105. — "Worth akd Eeichshofex.
Scale 1 : 1,120,000.

■R.ofParis

( M I ij 1 h^ccht.KholV-n

M.l-

Jt 'li^ a wealthy old city, and was a favourite rcMidcnco of tlu! Emperor Frederick
liarburossa, A forcHt, 42,000 acres in extent, adjoins it. liisrhirrilvr ((),;>.']1
inhabitantM), 'J miles to the Kouth-cast, on the Moder, has manufuctori(>s, and
so has X u-ilrrhronn (2,H.'50 inhabitantM), to the north-west, a charming town, much
frcqucntx'd on account of its mineral Hpriugs. CIomo by arc the villages of Worthy
Iteu-ltHliofm (2,H()2 inhabitants), and Froy.rhirnlrr, near which MacMahou's army
was overthrown in 1H70 after a deH|K'rat« rcsiMtance. FornuTly Northern Alsaco
was dcf<!iided by the lines of WrlnHrtilnirri ^fl.l-'i'J inhabitants), a series ot" entrench-

• HtnuMliiirg UniviTrnity wm HtU^i'li'l hy O.iH iitudciilii in 1H77, of whom HH wi^ro ualivxa of AIimui-
l/im\s\f..

182

GERMANY.

ments about 20 miles in extent, which Yillers, early in the eighteenth century,
constructed along the right bank of the Lauter.

The hilly region bounding the plain of JS^orthern Alsace has likewise become
famous in the military history of "Western Europe. Zahern (Saverne, 5,771
inhabitants), the Roman Tres Tahernce, defends the principal pass of .the Voso-es.
Near it, during the Peasants' "War, 16,000 of these unfortunate beings were
massacred by the troops of Anton of Lorraine after their lives had been promised
them. Pfahhurg (•2,42-5 inhabitants), farther west, on the high-road to Paris, has
been dismantled. It only succumbed to hunger in 1870. The neighbouring- fort
of Lutzelstein (Petite-Pierre) was not even defended. Bitsch (1,987 inhabitants).

Fig. 106.— Metz.
Scale 1 : 200,000.

3° io " o» p.

S U I trssn \ -"^i " _ _

6° E.of G.

IMOe.

in the north, is reall}' impregnable, its casemates being hewn out of the solid rock.
It only surrendered after the treaty of peace had been signed. The population
of the whole of this district is very warlike. No other town counts so many
generals amongst its children as Pfalzburg.

Saargemiind (Sarreguemines, 8,466 inhabitants) is the only important town in
the valley of the Saar (Sarre), but, like Forhach (4,729 inhabitants), St. Avoid
(2,715 inhabitants), and other places in the vicinity, it has been surpassed by the
Prussian town of Saarbriicken, which enjoys the advantage of lying in the centre
of a most productive coal basin. The towns of Dieuze (2,659 inhabitants),
Moi/envic, Vic (2,114 inhabitants), and Chateau- Salins (2,060 inhabitants), on the
Seille or its affluent, the Little Seille, are known on account of their salt mines.

I II 'I

i !UI||I„

'li|»,i|JI|(i*'

' ' 111

iii!i,ii'fi ' i

,. "II ',1 "' ',

"'lll||i||l,|'
' '''''" ill "' ' I

ALSACE AUD GERMAN LOEEAINE. 183

Marsal is an old fortress, which surrendered in 1870 after having been bombarded
for an hour. Bokhen (Bouluy, 2,520 inhabitants) is the only town in the valley
of the Xied.

Meiz (53,151 inhabitants), the old capital of the department of the Moselle, is
an ancient city, deriving its name from the Mediomatrici, the people to whom it
belonged before the time of the Eomans. Situated on a fertile peninsula formed
bv the confluence of the Seille and Moselle, and surrounded by low-lying meadows,
the town was capable of resisting attacks; and attacks were not wanting in the
case of a city lying within the debatable frontier districts of France and Germany.
Francois de Guise, in 1552, made a stout defence, but in 1870 the town yielded,
together with the 170,000 men who had been thrown back into it after the sangui-
nary battles of Mars-la-Tour, Bezonville, Gravelotte, and St. Privat.

Metz has been much strengthened since it has passed into the hands of
Germany. Its entrenched camp, formed by a line of detached forts, has a circum-
ference of 15 miles, and there are other works farther away from the town.
The outward aspect of the town is the same as before, but its streets are almost
deserted. Thev are narrow and tortuous, and manv of the houses are sombre and
forbidding in appearance. The cathedral is one of the finest Gothic edifices of the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The site of the old citadel has been converted
into a public garden, ornamented with the statues of ISey and Fabert, who were
bom here, as were also Custine, Paixhans, and Pilatre de Rozier. An abundant
supplv of water has been procured from the hills above Gorze, about 12 miles to
the south-west of the town.

Metz is above all things a garrison town, and its manufactories are of less
importance than those of the far smaller town of ArH-sur-Mosel/e (5,708 inhabitants),
which lies close to the frontier. Metz has much decreased in population since
its annexation to Germany, and notwithstanding the vast sums expended upon
fortifications, the town is becoming impoverished. In 1877 there were over 3,000
empty lodgings, and the value of house property had fallen, in the course of seven
years, from £4,400,000 to less than £2,00(),0()(». Thionville (Diedenhofen, 7,l()8
inhabitants), to the north of Metz, is likewise a strong fortress, and, in case of
another war, hundreds of thousands of men could be launched forth from these
two places.

CHAPTER III.

THE RHINE AND THE MOSELLE.

(Baden, Hesse-Darmstadt, Fkankfokt, Nassau, Palatinate, Rhenish Prussia.)*

General Aspects. — The Rhine.

HE noble river which, on crossing the frontier of Switzerland, is
already one of the great water highways of Europe, irrigates
regions very different in their aspects. H it were not that the
Rhine forms a connecting link between Baden and Hesse, the
valleys of the Nahe, the Lahn, the Moselle, the Sieg, and the Ruhr
would each have to be studied separately. Tt is the Rhine which stamps a
common character upon regions so diverse in many respects.

The Celtic names of numerous towns and rivers, as well as the physical affinities
which anthropologists have noticed amongst the inhabitants dwelling along its
banks, prove to us that the Rhine, from the most remote ages, formed one of the
highways followed by migratory tribes. The great lines of migration, however,
crossed the river transversely. To wandering hordes coming from the East, the
Neckar, the Main, and other eastern tributaries afforded easy access to the river,
but having once overcome the obstacle presented b}'^ it, these migrants found
themselves in the face of mountain ranges and plateaux which proved more
formidable than the river had done. Hence those incessant struggles whose
memory survives amongst the dwellers along the banks of the Rhine, and which
have rendered the river so famous. Poets speak of the Rhine almost as of a
sentient being, capable of comprehending the struggles of which it was a witness.

* Area and population of Rhenish Germany, exclusive of Alsace-Lorraine and the upper basins of
the Neckar, the Main, and the Lippe : —

Area.
Sq. M.

Baden 5,824

Hesse-Darmstadt 2,965

Nassau (Prussia) 2,145

Bavarian Palatinate 2,292

Principality of Birkenfeld (Oldenburg) . . 195

Rhenish Prussia (Rheinland) . . . . 10,413
District of Arnsberg (Westphalia) . . . 2,972

Total . . 26,806

Population.

Inhabitants

1S75.

to a Sq. M.

1,507,179

259

884,218

298

679,012

316

641,254

280

37,093

190

3,804,381

366

981,741

330

8,534,878

319

THE EHDsE AXD THE MOSELLE.

185

Ehixe.

,o' E.oi Paris I6'

They speak of it as " Tater Rhein," and insensible though it be, is it not
virtually the " father " of the towns which rise upon its banks ?

But the Rhine has not only played an important part in the struggles
between Gaul and German, it has also largely influenced the commercial history
of W^estern Europe. The other rivers of Germany rise far away from the
Mediterranean watershed, but the
Rhine descends from the Alps, its ^^"- 1^'— The Dexsitt of PoprLAxiox along the

head-streams rising near the passes
affording the easiest access to Italy.
The plain of Switzerland connects the
valley of the Rhine with that of the
Rhone, thus forming a great natural
highway extending from the Mediter-
ranean to the German Ocean. More-
over, the Main and other affluents place
the Rhine in easy communication with
the basin of the Danube, thus facili-
tating commercial intercourse.

It is a curious feature that most of
the great towns should have been built
on the left bank of the Rhine, instead
of at the mouths of its eastern tribu-
taries. The fact that the left bank
wa.s formerly occupied by the Romans
accounts for this. The military camps
established by Drusus and others grew
in process of time into cities. Three
great higli-roads passing through Gaul
doltouchod upon the Rliine at Strass-
burg, Mayence, and Cologne, and a
military road ran along its left bank.
The right bank, at that time, had but
few inhabitants, and the Romans only
ventured across the river in tli<ir
military expeditions. At that period
it formed a veritable political lK)iindary.
IIjc western bank maintained its Huj)e-
riority in civilination throughout the
Middle Ages; but an equality has in
cTMirse of lime }m-n establishf-d. Of thn two lines of railway which now skirt
the banks of the lihine, that on fhf right side is virtually fur nif)re iiii|ii>rtant
th in the one which suiMTHcdes the old Roman rrmd.

Tlin TJppfT Rhine t<^rTninateH in the liake f»f Constan/, wliidi s.pjiiiil<H
(iermauy from Swit/erlund, hut lies for the most part within G* nnan territory.

t'lulrr IM

Inhtbllmntt to m Squirm Milt

tjirr 4 la

186 GERMANY.

On issuing from this ancient "Sea of Swabia," the Rhine once more returns to
Switzerland ; but having forced its way through the Jura, it abruptly turns to
the north on reaching Basel, and leaves llie region of the Alps for ever
behind it.

The course of the Rhine below Basel naturally divides itself into three
sections. From Basel to Mayence the river meanders over a broad plain, once
occupied by an ancient inland lake. At Bingen, below Mayence, it enters a
mountain defile, which it leaves at Bonn, after which it traverses a wide alluvial
plain, and bifurcating, reaches the sea through several arms, into the principal
amongst which the Meuse (Maas) discharges itself. Each of these sections is
characterized by special features.

There exists no evidence of the wide lacustrine plain of the Middle Rhine,
between Basel and Bingen, having ever been occupied by a glacier. No traces
have been discovered there of the vast river of ice which from Switzerland
spread over the plateau of Swabia, nor have erratic blocks been found on the
Taunus or the Niederwald, ranges of hills which bound the alluvial plain id the
north. Yet, although the ice may not actually have invaded this vast depres-
sion, 170 miles in length and 18 wide, it is to glacial action that the debris, gravel,
and sand which fill it now must in a large measure be traced. The vast deposits,
which now cover to an unknown depth an area of 3,000 square miles, have been
conveyed thither by glacial currents. Most of these deposits are traceable to
the Alps and the Jura, and along the sides of the valley they are partially
concealed beneath layers of gravel derived from the Vosges and the Black
Forest. The lateral terraces of the valley, up to a height of 300 and even 600
feet above the Rhine, are in many localities covered with a deposit of loess, or
loam, some 250 feet in thickness. This loess consists of finely comminuted
sand and pulverulent loam combined with carbonate of lime, and is replete with fresh-
water shells of species still living in the arctic regions ; and the bones of extinct
mammals have also been found in it. The Rhine has scooped itself out a passage
through this loess, and although no longer the mighty river as of yore, the
matter held in suspension by it and carried down stream is immense. At
Germersheim the bed of the Rhine is supposed to contain 1,000 cubic yards
of gravel to every yard of length, and to carry this mass annually a distance
of 275 yards down stream. The mud yearly washed past the same place has
been calculated at 2,710,000 cubic yards. M. Daubree estimates that the mud
annually carried down the Rhine would form a cube having sides 340 feet in
length. The sand of the Rhine contains a few particles of gold, but the quantity
is so small now as not any longer to repay the labour involved in searching for
it. Up to 1850 about £2,000 worth was abstracted every year.

The Rhine, in its progress through the wide valley extending from Basel to
Mayence, winds much about, and the floods, which occur annually, continually
change its channels and displace its islands. Neuburg, a village near Germersheim,
was built in 1570 on the right bank of the river, but stands now on the left
bank, its original site not having been changed. In the time of the Romans

THE EHINE AND THE MOSELLE.

187

and during the Middle Ages, when quagmires extended for miles along the hanks
of the river, rendering access to them difficult, the few favoured spots where its
volume was confined to a single bed bounded by solid banks were naturally
much appreciated. In the present century the Rhine is rapidly being converted
into a navigation canal, having a uniform width of 820 feet. It is no longer
permitted to invade the districts bordering upon it, the old marshes and deserted
channels are being drained and cultivated, and roads and railways running along
lofty embankments afford access to every part of the country.*

After its union with the Main, the Rhine, being turned aside by the spurs of the

Fig. 108. — Meaxderings of the Rhine between Germershem akd Speter.

Scale 1 : 140,000.

Miles.

TaunuH, flowH to the west, and having discovered ut the iJinger Loch, or Gap of
IJingfn, the weakcHt point in thf opposing mountain range, it engages in a narrow
rock-lK)und defile, which forniM as it were u fluviatih.* gateway Ixtween Soiillicrn

• 'fhe (k'livtTy of the Uhinn w on followii: —

At Kohl. Al I.(iiiUTlnir((.

In iitirnrn<'t \2,'M'iO 10, '130 cuhic foi;t ]ii<r wconil.

On nil ;iv< r.ik'' tliri(iii(ii<<itt tli(! yi-ur .'i.'l.T'l.'l Uil.OOO „ „

VVh<n in tlo^l Ki/V.l/id 17«,»30 „ „

'IIk' i-flW-t id t)u: lumvi-num ut th« IdiiiK! into n navi^iition (^iiniil iniiy Ixi jii(l(fi'<l from tlin fact tliut

Hm ]iin(th, M fur M it whnIk'M Ixwi-r Wiuuf, hit* Ihxii n-diiciii froiri IHIi'^OO fcrl in IH.'iH, to :iHO,'jOO fiit
iu IHHf).

188

GERMANY.

and Northern Germany. The mountains which it traverses in this part of its
course form a connecting link between those of Bohemia and the Ardennes,
and have a width of 60 miles. It must not, however, be supposed that the
Pihine did not reach the North Sea until it had excavated the tortuous gorge
through which it flows at present. River terraces have been discovered at an
elevation of 550 feet above the present bed of the Hhine. Their occurrence is
explained by a gradual rise of the land, during the progress of which the Rhine
shaped out its present bed.

Formerly the spot where the Rhine enters its narrow gorge was dreaded on

Fig. 109.— The " Mouse " and St. Goar.

account of rapids and sunken rocks. The removal of these obstacles to naviga-
tion may have deprived the landscape of some picturesque features, but the
scenery is even now strikingly beautiful. The town of Bingen, embosomed in
trees, stretches along the river on the left, and climbs a hill, as if desirous of
peeping down into the valley of the Nahe ; the old " Mouse Tower " rises on
a rock in the centre of the river ; the castle of Ehrenfels hangs on the slopes of
the Niederwald, itself surmounted by a colossal statue intended to commemorate
the " Wacht am Rhein."

THE EHINE AND THE MOSELLE.

189

Ehrenfels is the first of a series of castles, many of them in ruins, which
occupy e\ery coin of vantage. Rheinstein, Falkenburg, Sooneck, Fiirstenberg,
and Stahleck occupy promontories on the left bank ; the Pfalz stands on a rock
in the middle of the river ; whilst Gutenfels, on the east, looks down from its
slate rock upon the town of Caub. Then appear Schonberg (Schomberg) and

Fig. 110. — The Vineyards of the Rhixe.

Accordins to Putzeer.

A#aan Tmrnp^rtiur* ol hummof

MtiM Jjlttnrl

Ilh«-irjffl« on the loft bank, aiul tin; inimical custh-H ot" the "Cut" mid thu
" .MouHO " frown at each oth<T im-nacingly from two neigliboiiriii^ hills.
LiobonHtcin, St<;riitV-N, und .Murxburj^ cniwii proruiiioiit HurnmiU lower down
the river. StolzeufeLij rises proudly on u rock facing the mouth of tho
Labn.

190 GERMANY.

In the side valleys of the Rhine tlie old castles are equally numerous, and well
may Theophile Gautier ask how their owners, those birds of prey of the Middle Age,
contrived to live, seeing that their area of pillage was thus restricted. But these
ruins are not merely associated with pillage and the clang of arms. Every castle,
nay, every rock and promontory, lias its legend, and this legendary lore has
proved a fertile source from which poets have drawn their inspirations. The
bold rock known as the Lorelei is the most famous amongst the promontories.
The Rhine rushes wildly along its foot, and the rocks, which formerly impeded
its course, caused many a boatman to perish, whose cries of anguish were repeated
fifteen times by a mocking echo.

Picturesque scenery, old castles, and historical associations are not, however,
the only things which have rendered the Rhine famous, for its slaty cliffs produce
one of the best appreciated Avines of the world. The vines are cultivated in terraces,
and in good years the formidable labour of the icinzers is richly rewarded. Rhenish
wine has supplied German poets with one of their most fertile themes, and even
prose writers speak of it with raptures.*

The only affluent of any importance which the Rhine receives between
Bingen and Lahnstein is the Wispcr, known on account of its alternating gusts
of wind, which blow down towards the Rhine in the morning and up the valley
in the evening. A short distance below the river Lahn, which rises in the hills
of Hesse, the valley of the Rhine widens, and it is joined on the left by the
Moselle, a tortuous river, bounded by steep hills, famous for their wine. So
winding is the course of the Moselle that it is next to impossible to utilise it as
a road of commerce. The main roads, instead of following its valley, run over
the hills which bound it.

Both the Moselle and the Lahn join the Rhine at right angles, and conjointly
they occupy a depression intersecting it transversely, and running parallel with
the general axis of the mountains. The Nahe and the Lower Main, together with
the connecting portion of the Rhine, occupy a similar depression.

To the north of the basin of Coblenz the Rhine enters a second defile, that
of Andernach. This gorge is less wild than that of Bingen, and the hills
bounding the river present gentler slopes. Gradually they retire, and finally
the Rhine debouches upon the vast alluvial plain which now occupies an ancient
gulf of the ocean. Having been joined by a few tributaries — the Sieg, the
Ruhr, and the Lippe — it swerves round to the west a short distance from the
Dutch frontier and the head of its delta. In this portion of its course the
Rhine is as erratic as in the plains of Alsace and the Palatinate. Traces of
deserted channels abound, and between Diisseldorf and Crefeld may be seen an
old bed of the Rhine which extends to the north-west, and joins the Meuse
(Maas) to the south of Cleves. Careful measurements continued for more than
a century show that the volume of the river has sensibly diminished. At
Emmerich, with an average depth of about 10 feet, the mean level in 1835 was

* In England Rhenish wine is usually known as Hock, from Hochheim, a town on the Main.

THE EHIXE AND THE MOSELLE. 191

16 inches lower than it had been in 1770. At Germersheim the average delivery
between 1840 and 1853 amounted to 45,630 cubic feet ; between 1854 and 1867
it was only 37,680 cubic feet.*

Mountains.

Thk Black Forest (Schwarzwald), which bounds the valley of the Rhine in
Southern Germany, is one geological fragment of an ancient mountain system, of
which the Yosges are the other. The wide gap now separating the two originated
during the miocene age, when it was scooped out by torrents flowing to the south,
and the debris deposited at the foot of the Alps. After the glacial age the floods
set in a contrary direction, carrying pebbles and loam into the valley of the
Rhine. Notwithstanding these great geological revolutions, the formations of the
two mountain ranges present singular analogies. Granite forms the nucleus of
both, its pyramids and domes frequently rising for hundreds of feet above the
surrounding beds of red sandstone. Rocks of the oolitic and triassic formations
partly conceal the red sandstone, and porphyry has been erupted not only in the
Yosges, but also in the Black Forest.

The Black Forest is bounded in the south and west by the Rhine and its broad
alluvial plain ; but in the east, towards Swabia, it would be difficult to indicate
its precise boundary. We may, however, accept the beds of shell limestone as
forming its natural eastern boundary, more especially as those dark forests of
firs and pines to which the Schwarzwald is indebted for its name do not extend
beyond them. The valley of the Kinzig separates the principal group of the Black
Poorest from the inferior heights to the north. A railway runs up this river and
one of its tributaries, the Gutaoh, finally climbing the steep slopes which lead up
t/^) the hilly plateau bounding the valley of the Neckar. Farther north still, the
valley of the Murg penetrates the Black F'orest, which extends as far as the gap of
Pforzheim (825 feet), where it terminates.

The Black Forest presents a bold front towards the plain of the Rhine, but

merges almost imperceptibly into the plateau of Swabia towards tlie east. Its

highest summits rise above the region of forests, the most elevated amongst

tliem being the Feldberg (4,001 feet). They belong to the same geological

formation as the culminating suniniits of the Alps, and more than (Mghty species

of Alpine jilants have l>een gathered upon them. A wide bay, the centre of whi(!h

is oecupicrl by the city of Freiburg, penetrates the wcHtern fa(!e of the mountains ;

whilst right out in flu' plain, and close tf» the Rhine, rises the detached baHalti(r

cone of the Kaiserstuhl (KmjxTor's Chair, l,S75 fecf), upf)n whose summit

Rudolph of Ilalmburg is said to have held a court of justice. It commands our of

the finest proHpwHs on the Rliiiu!, the surrounding country, with its woods and

meadows, bring bounded l»y distant mountains. Tlu; Hlack Forest is riili in

savage and lovely scenery, but tin* great mass of its visitorw are continit to explore

the immediate vicinity of iJadiii-lJaden.

• T')< ■ f lti< I.'tiirn, *,;»;» iiiiliii; ariM ut ilt <;ut<;hmcnt tiiuiin, l)7,'2IS wimin) miliM; iivinigo

d<;liv»Ty at J . h, 7H,0(iO ruJii' f'<'t

192

GERMANY.

Forests still constitute the great wealth of the Schwarzwald, even though
many slopes have been robbed of them. Attempts to cultivate the land thus
disafforested have not always been successful. The peasants of Kniebes, at the
foot of a mountain bearing the same name, destroyed the forest which had
afforded them a maintenance, but the fields which took its place refused to yield a
remunerative harvest. In the end they were driven to abandon their village, and
the forest has been replanted. The mines, which were formerly very productive,
have for the most part been abandoned, and many of the mountaineers annually
descend into the plain in search of work. Those who remain at home employ their
leisure in plaiting straw, and more especially in the manufacture of clocks, a

Fig. 111. — The Pass of the Gutach.
Scale 1 : 158,000.

5' 55- E.of Paris

6*5'

^iU-_ *rAi^g. ^i^J^ -' ■ -i^ i_£_

8° 15' E.ofG.

8-25'

2 Miles.

branch of industry which originated here. Manufactories, too, are springing up,
and the tourist, stepping out from the dense forest, is occasionally surprised by
suddenly coming upon a factory, with its smoking chimneys and swarms of factory
hands.

The wooded hills which form the continuation of the Black Forest, to the
north of the gap of Pforzheim, attain only a moderate height. They terminate
close to Heidelberg, in the Konigstuhl (1,900 feet). Beyond the Neckar the
country rises once more, forming the Odenwald. This region of hills is of granitic
and crystalline formation in the west, where it sinks down boldly into the vale of the
Rhine and Main, whilst sandstone prevails in the east, with masses of volcanic

THE EHINE AND THE MOSELLE. 193

rocks, one of whicli forms the Katzenbuckel (Cat's Back, 2,060 feet). The Western
Odenwald is a varied region of gentle hills, well-cultivated valleys, and numerous
villages, whilst the East is generally sterile, and covered with forests. One of the
most remarkable summits in the former is the Felsberg (1,695 feet), rising in the
midst of a " sea of rocks," or Felsenmeer. It is but little inferior in height to
the Malchus, or Melibocus (1,700 feet), the culminating point of the entire range.
Emigration has been very active in the Odenwald, and whilst the " emigration
fever " was at its height, the inhabitants of entire villages, headed by the burgo-
master, quitted their homes.

The Spessurt, to the east of the Main, is geologically looked upon as a pendant
of the Black Forest, but is equally a member of the mountain system of Central
Germany. A wide alluvial plain stretches from the Odenwald northward beyond
the Main to the foot of the Taunus (2,890 feet), the reverse slope of which sinks
down gently towards the Lahn. It is pierced in many places by basalt, which
apparently has some connection with the mineral springs which abound in that
part of Germany.

The Ilunsriick (2,672 feet), to the west of the gorge of the Rhine, is a
continuation of the Taunus, filling the country between the Nahe and the Moselle.
Like the Taunus, it is composed of argillaceous schists, and wooded, and it forms
bold cliffs towards the valleys which bound it. On the south it joins the Hardt, a
northern continuation of the Vosges, extending into the Bavarian Palatinate.
The Ilardt rises steeply from the plain of the Rhine, and slopes away gently
towards the north and west. A large cavity in its centre is now a peat moss, but
was formerly occupied by a lake. Upon the table-land of the Hardt rises the
isolated pori)hyritic cone known as the Donnersberg, or Thunderer (2,260 feet).
Upon its summit may still Ijc traced a line of ancient fortification, and many Celtic
coins have been discovered there.

Vast tracts of the Hardt are sterile and incupitble of cultivation, and the
climate, more especially in the " Westrich," is very inclement, hardly anything but
ipotatfHiH succeeding thrrc. Ever hince 1689, when the Palatinate was for the first
time laid waste by the French, its inhabitants have emigrated in large numbers.
Recently, however, the discovery of a productive coal basin around Saarbriicki'U
has led to the foundation of numerous industrial establiNlnuents, which provide
employment for the sur])lu» i)<)piilati«)n. This coal basin covers an area of 1,200
square miles, and the coul beds are supposed to extend to a depth of 20,000 feet
Im;1ow the Hoa-level.

The country b<.'tw<;en the MosclJc! and ilic Mcuse (Maas) is hilly, and deep
valh-ys, witlj limpid st reams flowing ov<t rocky bwis, intersect it. Tlie cold and
dreary ])latf;au of tlu! Ardr-nncs extends into (ii-rmany. It is only sparsely
woofl<!*l now, but is neverthehiSH superior in that respect to the arid mountain
group of the Hoho Venn (2,280 feet), to the nortii of it. Wide tracts there are
eoven.'d with jieut mosses, and In Mis I ;ind 1820, whrn the summer was excej)-
tionally dry, tlie turf canglit fire, and hiirnt for sevifral montliM, until (extinguished
by the winter's snow. The Kifei, which (ixtends fioni the Ardennes and thi; Vmn

194

GERMANY.

to the Rhine, is likewise a sterile countrj^ very thinly peopled. Vast tracts of it
are covered with blocks of rock, which it is necessary to remove before the land
can be cultivated. In some parts the land is allowed to lie fallow for fifteen and
oven twenty years, after which the grass that has sprung up in the meantime is
burnt, and oats are sown in the ashes. After two or three years' cultivation these
fields are once more abandoned.

The Eifel is remarkable on account of its extinct volcanoes, presenting regular
cones, craters, streams of lava, and heaps of scoriae. Crater lakes, locally known
as maare, form a distinct feature of this volcanic district. The most remarkable

Fig. 112. — The Lake of Laach.
Scale 1 : 135,000.

,4")5" E.of P.

7 " 15' K.of Gr.

7°00'

fi ISIUes.

amonffst these lakes is that of Laach, which covers an area of 830 acres, and has a
depth of 200 feet. Within a radius of 5 miles of it no less than thirty-one craters
have been discovered, but the cup-shaped cavity now occupied by the lake appears
to have been produced by a gaseous explosion. Lava never flowed from it, though
it ejected scoria) and other volcanic products. Numerous gaseous springs rise on
the bottom of this lake and in its environs, and carbonic acid gas escapes in a
neighbouring peat moss. The surplus waters of the lake are discharged through a
tunnel, constructed in the twelfth century. Extensive tracts are covered with
pumice, not only on the left bank of the Rhine, but also on the right, as far

THE EHIXE AND THE MOSELLE.

195

as Marburg, 60 miles away. The thick tufa beds of the valley of Brohl supply
millstones, which are exported even to America. The huge lava stream of Xieder
Mendig, to the south of the lake, furnishes excellent building stones, and has been
quarried from the most remote age. The brewers of the neighbourhood have
converted some of the abandoned quarries into beer cellars.

The volcanoes of the Eifel, with the exception of the Aspenkippel, a basaltic
cone near Giessen, are the only ones of Germany which have preserved their craters
intact. The Roderberg, near Bonn, is the northernmost of these volcanoes. The
"Seven Mountains," or Siebengebirge, which face it, are of igneous origin too.

Fig. 113. — The Sierexgebirge, ok Sevex Mot'NTAixs.

Scale 1 : 133,000.

T-'l'.

;<Milea.

but are without volfanic vents. Tlu-y are compoHt-d of trachyte and l)af;alt,
and thoiip^h of inferior elevation, lb«ir culminating suiiiinit, the Oclbcrg, only
attjiining a height of l.O'^O f(;ot, they have become funioiiH on ncrount of their
pif;ture«quc urenery and tlH-ir l<-gend><. On tlu; DraeheiifclH (Dragon's Hock),
which ri.'JC« bohlly uIkjvo the fl(K«lH of tin; llhine, Siegfried killed the moiiNter
which guarded the treunureH of the N'ilHdungH,

Hchintow! plat,«'aux, interwcted Itv numerous trihuturieH of tlm Jlliine, extend
to the north and ouni of thi« voleaiiic region »» far uh the hillM of HeHHe. The
WcHt<Twald (2,l''}/> feet), l>ctween the \,uhu and the Sieg, han partly been roblx'd

lUG GERMANY.

of its woodsy and extensive tracts are now covered with peat mosses. The hilly
district to the north of the Sieg, pierced in many places by basalt, extends
westward as far as the Saucrland ; that is, " Souther Land," thus named with
reference to its position to the vast plains of Lower Westphalia and Hanover.
The Kothhaar range and the plateau of the Winterberg (2,760 feet) extend
eastward to the banks of the Weser, whilst the table-land of the Haarstrang rises
boldly on the northern bank of the Ruhr, but sinks down gently towards the
north until it merges in the plains of Lippe.

Striking are the contrasts presented by the valley of the Rhine and the
mountains which bound it. The Suevi and Alemanni who dwell in the Black
Forest and the Palatinate, the Franks of the northern heights and the Catti of Hesse,
occupying remote regions, still represent the Germany of a bygone age. The
inhabitants of the plain, on the other hand, have been stirred into activity by
wars and commerce. The " highlanders " of some parts of the Rhine countries
are amongst the least civilised of Germans, whilst the dwellers in the plain occupy
a foremost rank by their industry and commerce. Yet all these flourishing cities
are more or less dependent upon the mountain valleys for their existence. It is
there they recruit their population, and it is the products of the mountains which
in a large measure feed their commerce.

Towns.

Baden. — Constanz (12,003 inhabitants), at the lower end of the Bodensee, where

the Rhine flows out of that lake, is the first German town we meet in a journey

down the river. In the fifteenth century, when the famous Council was held

there, Constanz was an important town of 40,000 inhabitants, much frequented

by Italian merchants, and noted for its linens. Wars and sieges robbed it of its

prosperity, and towards the close of the last century its population had dwindled

down to 4,000 souls. Of late the town has been reviving, for its delightful environs

attract tourists in shoals, and like its neighbours, Ueberlingen (3,864 inhabitants)

and Mcersbtirg, on the northern shore of the lake, it has become a favourite summer

resort. Mainau is an island near the town, with a summer residence of the

Grand Duke of Baden. Constanz occupies a situation on the Bodensee somewhat

analogous to that of Geneva on the Leman, but no great commercial advantages

accrue to it in consequence, for, owing to the Bodensee forming several large bays,

other towns, such as Ludicigshafen on the Bay of Ueberlingen, RacIoJfszell (1,803

inhabitants) on the Untersee, and Stein on the Rhine, possess similar advantages.

The great lines of traffic, moreover, cross the lake from north to south, and not from

east to west. Singen, an important railway junction, lies to the west of the lake,

and near it are the lacustrine beds of Oeningen, replete with remains of insects,

fishes, and animals, supposed to have been kiUed by mephitic vapours which

suddenly arose from the bottom of the lake. A small volcano vomited flames

close by.

In the upper basin of the Danube there are a few Baden towns of note,

BADEN.

197

including Villingen (5,578 inhabitants) ; but on the southern slope of the Black
Forest, and along the Rhine below Schaffhausen, no tovm of importance Avhatever
is met with, the land capable of cultivation consisting but of a narrow strip lying
between the river and the foot of its wooded mountains. Wakhhiit (2,347
inhabitants), the most important town of that district, is situate on the Rhine,
opposite the mouth of the Aar. Lorrach (6,249 inhabitants), at the south-western
angle of the Black Forest, owes its importance to the vicinity of Basel, whose
capitalists have founded numerous spinning-mills in the valley of the Wiese, the
mouth of which it guards. A railway rxms up the valley to the manufacturing
villages of Schopfheim (2,492 inhabitants), Hansen, and Zell (2,156 inhabitants).
Hebel, the Swabian poet, was a native of Hansen.

The principal towns of the plain of Baden to the north of Basel are built at

Fig. 114. — The Lake of Constanz (Constaxce).
Scale 1 : 610.000.

6^;;jo

E.of P.

K.of Or

ID Mll<;«.

the mouthH of the valleys of the .S(;hwurzwald, and not on the banks of the Rl)ine.
The firKt town which wo reach by travelling along the ancient highway running
at the foot of the mountainH \h Mulli<im (^{,089 inhabitants), near wliich are
the mineral hpringH of iSfidpnirrilrr, already known to tlje Roniaiis. "VVe next
reach the famou«<ity of Fnihurg (.'i0;595 inhabitantu), tlie capital of the Brcisguu,
a diHtrict named after the town of Hirmirh (}\,2VZ inhabitants), built on a volcanic
nxik (i\»\ttm\M to the town of }\('.n iJn'isucli, on the left bank of the Kliiiic, ;iii(l
foniicrly known a« one of the " Keys " of ficrniany.

I'reiburghaH prospered no Ichm in conM('(|uenc<! of itH favourabh' geographical
pwition than becuuHe of " privilegoM " granted to it. Tlu; route from tlic Danube
vu-jonn the I'.hick Forent de-lioueheH then- upon the plain of the Rhine. Tlie
ItornauM re<;ogniwd the imf)ortance of thin ponifion by eHtuhlinhing one of llieir

198 GERMANY.

camps there, and later on the Counts of Ziihringen erected a stronghold upon a
neighbouring hill. In the sixteenth century, when Danubian commerce was
more brisk than it is now, Freiburg had 40,000 inhabitants. At the present day
it is known rather for its charming situation and fine cathedral than because
of its commerce and industry. It boasts also of a small university, known as the
Alhcrtina, from its founder, Duke Albert. A monument commemorates the
memory of Berthold Schwarz, the reputed inventor of gunpowder.

Lahr (8,491 inhabitants), a small manufacturing town, lies in a valley at some
distance from the main road. Offenhurg (6,587 inhabitants) occupies a favourable
position on the Kinzig, and at the foot of a pass leading over the Black Forest.
Its growth would no doubt have been more rapid had it not been for the greater
attraction exercised by Strassburg, whose cathedral peeps out above the trees on
the horizon.

Baden-Baden (10,958 inhabitants), the most populous town of this portion of
the Black Forest, is wholly indebted to its springs for the prosperity it enjoys.
Situate in the charming valley of the Oos, this ancient residential seat of the
Dukes of Baden attracts annually some 50,000 visitors, amongst whom French-
men were formerly very numerous. The hottest of the thirteen mineral springs
of this Aurelia Aqicensis of the Romans has a temperature now of 144^^ F.,
but, to judge from the silica deposited around, it must have been much hotter
formerly.

Historical associations abound in the country which extends from Baden to
Heidelberg. An obelisk near the village of Sasbach marks the spot of Turenne's
death in 1675. Rastatt (12,219 inhabitants), a fortress defending the valley of the
Muro-, recalls the Congress which sat there during the wars of the Revolution in
1797 to 1799, and at the close of which the French plenipotentiaries were assas-
sinated.

Karhruhe (42,895 inhabitants), the modern capital of Baden, dates no further
back than the beginning of the seventeenth century. It lies off the great
historical highway, which runs to the east of it, through Ettlingen (5,288
inhabitants) and Durlach (6,782 inhabitants). A creation of caprice, Karls-
ruhe gradually grew into a town of importance after it had become the seat of
Government and the centre of a network of railways. The Grand Ducal palace,
with its park, occupies the centre of the town, and thirty-two radii diverge from
it. It is a neat town, with several fine buildings, a museum, a library, and a
technical high school attended by 800 students.

Pforzheim (23,692 inhabitants), to the south-west of Karlsruhe, on the Enz,
a tributary of the Xeckar, recalls the Portce Hercynice of the Romans. It has
become a great industrial centre since French immigrants introduced the
manufacture of jewellery, which now occupies 8,000 artisans in the town and
neighbouring villages. Most of the jewellery manufactured at Pforzheim is of
inferior quality, 131 carat gold being legally permitted to be used.*

* In 1873 Pforzheim exported 72 tons of jewellery; Hanau, 40 tons; Gmiind, 10 tons; and. Stutt-
gart, 5 tons.

BADEN.

199

Bruchsal (10,811 inhabitants) lies on the old liigh-road, at the foot of the
mountains. Its port on the Rhine is Philippsburg (2,407 inhabitants), formerly
a fortress of considerable importance. Bretten (3,606 inhabitants), a small town
above Bruchsal, and in the same valley, was the birthplace of Melancthon.

Heidelberg (23,918 inhabitants) and JIannheim (46,453 inhabitants) are sister
towns, the one situate at the jiinction of the Js^eckar with the Rhine, the other
some 12 miles above that junction, where the Xeckar debouches upon the
plain. Heidelberg claims to be the most beautiful town of all Germany, and
indeed there are but few places outside the valleys of the Alps which can
compare with it. It occupies a narrow strip of land in the valley of the Xeckar,
its houses on the one side climbing the hill- slopes, whilst on the other they
spread out over the plain. An ancient castle, partly destroyed by the French

Fig. 115. — Kaklsruhb.
Scale 1 : 80,000.

6"|l" K of P

B'ZlE.olOr

1 Mile.

in 1092, occupies a hill above the town. The shady walks which surround it,
and the magnificent view to be enjoyed from its terrace, add no little to the
attractions of Heidelberg. The r-nvirons of the town aliound in ddiglitful walks,
the KonigHstuhi t<>the south, the Ilfiligcnberg to the north, the villages of Neck/ir-
f/f/nuiifl (2,103 inhabitants) and Xeckarsleinach, in tlie sinuf)us valley of the
NcMikar, and the gardens of Srhirrfzimjen (4,277 inhabitants), out in the plain,
fonning an many <:entres of attnu-tion. IJut Jleidflbcrg is I'atnous, in udditiuii, on
account of its university, founded in 13!S(i, and attended by 800 studniis, many
of whom are foreigners.

Mannlicirn, on tlie otlier hand, is a nuMli-rn town, founded l)y I)utch ininii-
grants in tlie scventeentli century, with streets intersecting eacli other at right
angles, aff«irdirig u free pro«pe(;t of the country except on the side of the Rhine,

200

GERMANY.

where the view is intercepted by a huge castle. Far from being a dull place,
Mannheim is politically and commercially a busy hive. Standing at the head of
navigation of the Rhine, its harbour is at all times crowded with vessels. A
suspension bridge and a bridge of boats connect it with Ludwigshafen, in the
Palatinate. Mannheim, however, is not solely given up to commerce. The castle
contains valuable collections ; there is an observatory ; and the theatre, one of the
best in Germany, boasts of having been the first to produce the plays of Schiller.

Weinheim (G,723 inhabitants), an old walled city on the Bergstrasse, which
runs along the foot of the Odenwald, is the only town to the north of Mannheim

Kg. 116. — Heidelberg and Maxnheim.
Scale 1 : 190,000.

. 2 MUes.

belonging to the Grand Duchy of Baden. In this part of the country ancient
customs have survived to the present day, the land being frequently held in
common by the inhabitants. The " common lands " of the parish of Yirnheim have
an area of 1,800 acres, and are divided into 550 " lots," distributed amongst the
citizens, the largest plots being allotted to the most aged. The village is pros-
perous, its surplus population finding a new home in America, upon lands pur-
chased at the common expense.

The Rhenish Palatinate (Rheinpfalz). — The position of the towns of this
detached portion of Bavaria is dependent, as in the case of those of Baden, upon

HESSE AND NASSAU. 201

the directions of the great natural highways. Most of them are in the fertile
plain of the Ehiae, and at the mouths of the valleys which debouch upon it-
Others occupy favourable sites on the banks of the Rhine itself.

Kaiserslautern (22,108 inhabitants), the capital of the province, lies nearly in
the very heart of the Hardt, at a spot where the roads from Lorraine converge
upon those leading to Speyer, Worms, and ^layence. The town is very ancient,
having been founded by the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, but numerous factories
impart a modern air to it. One of its churches is the finest Gothic edifice of the
province. Amongst the many old castles rising in the neighbourhood is that of
Landstuhl, in the defence of which died Franz von Sickiugen.

Ziveibruchen (Deux-Ponts in French, 9,149 inhabitants) has frequently changed
hands, even the Swedes having for many years held possession of it (1654 — 1719).
During the last century it acquired some celebrity as the town where Christian IV.
published the Bipontine classics. At the present day it is the seat of the superior
court of justice of the province, and has many factories. St. Inrjhert (7,000
inhabitants), to the west of it, lies already within the coal basin of Saarbrlick.
Pinnanem (10,044 inhabitants), built on a plateau 1,000 feet above the level of the
sea, engages in the manufacture of shoes and slippers.

The strategical road from Zweibriicken to the plain of the Rhine runs through
the valley of the Queich, the mouth of which used to be defended by Landuti
(7,579 inhabitants), a fortress constructed by Vauban, but disrated in 1873, as
no longer capable of resisting modern artillery. Its place has been taken by
Germornhnm (6,450 inhabitants), at the mouth of the Queich and on the Rhine,
spanned here by a permanent railway bridge.

The road to the north of Landau passes through the towns of Neustadt (10,222
inhabitants), ])urkheim (5,841 inhabitants), Grunstadt (3,531 inhabitants), and
Frankcnthal (7,840 inhabitants), all of them situate at the foot of vine-clad hills,
and much frequented in summer by persons submitting to the "grape cure."
Vineyards and fertile fields have won this part of the country the epithet of
Wonnetjan. But this "Land of Gladness" was formerly the property of feudal
lords and priests, whose mansions still crown many of the hills. The most exten-
sive of these ancient castles is that of Ilartenburg, the family scat of the Counts of
Leiningcn.

SjU'yrr (Spires, 14,100 inhabitants), the Noriouinr/UK of the Gauls, the Colotiiu
NemfUum of the Romans, is the most famous city of the I'alatinate, though not at
prowint the most jMipulous. It was a favourite residencf; of the emi)erors, many of
whom lie buried in the crypt of the cathedral. At a l)i< t licld herein 1529 the
name of " I'rotr-itant " originated. Tlu! French destroyed the town in KiM!), and
it never recovered from that, diHaster, Ludirif/x/tri/ni (12,093 inhabitants), ojjposito
Mannheim, having HUjxTHc.-ded it as a place of (;ornmercc.

Hkmsk and Nahhai:. — WoniiH (16,575 inhabitants), a sister of Speyer by its
derttinies, is the firnt town of If(!KHe below liiidwigMhafen. Known to the Romans
under iti Gallic naun- of lim lnhniiiniiiH, it hulme(piently passed into the hands of
the iJurj^MindiaiiM, and became associated with the legoud of iho Nilxlung.s. liike

202 GERMANY.

Speycr, it was an early bulwark of Protestantism, and like it was razed to the
ground by the French in IGHD. It never recovered from that blow, and instead
of 40,000 or 70,000 inhabitants, as in the time of its prosperity, it now hardly
numbers 10,000. The Jews of Worms claim to be the descendants of a colony
settled in the country prior to the introduction of Christianity. There is a fine
monument of Luther by Rietschel.

Darmstadt (43,695 inhabitants), the capital of the Grand Duchy of Hesse, lies
far away from the Rhine, in the centre of a sandy plain, and there is nothing in
the geographical features of the locality to favour the growth of a city, A small
village occupied the site of the modern town as far back as the eighth century, and
became, in 1319, the residence of a Count of Hesse. Since that time Darmstadt
has grown by degrees, and now that railways facilitate its communications, it has
become an important centre of commerce. The Grand Ducal castle, with its
museums, art collections, and library, is the principal building of the town, which
has also a Polytechnic school and several learned societies. A fine forest extends
close to the houses of the town, but the environs cannot rival those of Heidelberg
in natural beauty.

Franhfort-on-Main (103,136 inhabitants),* unlike Darmstadt, occupies a most
favourable geographical position. Though some 20 miles above the mouth of
the Main, it is nevertheless a Rhenish city, owing to the great natural high-roads
which converge upon it. One of these roads follows the foot of the hills from
Basel to the northward, by way of Freiburg, Pforzheim, Heidelberg, and Darm-
stadt, and crossing the Main, runs through the "Wetterau to the Weser. It is
intersected at almost right angles by a road following the Main, the Rhine, and
the Nahe. The whole of the basin of the Main is tributary to the town, and
gives access to the basin of the Danube, Upon Frankfort converge the most
important roads of the west, and the line separating ^N^orthern and Southern
Germany runs through it.

The town was founded by the Franks at a " ford ; " hence its name. Charle-
magne had a palace at Frankfort, and under Lewis the German Frankfort became
the capital of the eastern kingdom of the Franks, Its fairs acquired a European
reputation, and wealth flowed from all quarters into this meeting- place of
merchants, princes, and ecclesiastics. In former times the place where the
Emperors of Germany were elected and crowned, Frankfort in 1816 became the
seat of the Diet of the German Bund. In 1866 it ceased to exist as a free city,
and now forms part of a Prussian district, the capital of which is Wiesbaden.

The town, notwithstanding its loss of independence, keeps growing in impor-
tance. It ranks among the great money marts of Europe, and has given birth to
one of the most powerful banking families in the world. Formerly Frankfort was
celebrated for its book trade, and the first daily newspaper made its appearance there
in 1625, The environs are carefully cultivated, and supply all the town requires.
A local proverb says, " The Wetterau (in the north) is Frankfort's granary, the

* With its suburbs (Bombeiin, Bockenbeim, Oberrad, and Eodelbeim), Frankfort has 134,776
inhabitants.

M
ts

HESSE AND NASSAU.

203

Rheingau (in the west) its cellar, the Maingau (in the east) its timber and stone
yard, and the Gerau (in the south) its kitchen garden." ^N^umerous factories have
been established in the neighbouring villages, as well as at Offenbach (25,911
inhabitants), a Hessian town a few miles above Frankfort.

The fortifications of Frankfort were razed in 1804, and the sites converted into
public walks ; new streets facilitating communications have been built ; and the
famous old Jews' Street (Judengasse) has nearly disappeared. The time when the
Jews were locked up in it during the night and on Christian holidays, and when
they were subject to other disabilities, now lies far behind us.

The old parish church, or Dom, with its fine tower dating back to the
thirteenth century, is most cherished by the natives of the town. The town-

Fig. 1 1 7. — Fraxkfort-ox-Main.
Scale 1 : 100,000.

vo E.of Gr.

ften heiv

'^¥fl--: -p^-^y/ ^'J-

.'Or

I Mile.

hall, known bh the Homer (Roman), contains the li.ill in wliich the German
fmjxTorH were elected, and which is omamcntcrl with their portraits by modern
artiMtH, The Snalhof, clotM; by, fM-cupies the Hito of Charlemagne's palace. The
circular church of St. Paul nicalU flu; Gorman I'arliament of IH 18. There are an
Art Inntitute, wifli a ^mIIitv of j)aintiiigH, a natural-history museum, a town
library, a botanical and a /oologjcal garden, and wveral scientific RocieticH. Statnes
of Gut<,'nb«Tg, Schiller, and Gjxitho (the latter the most iiliiHtriouH of the town's
sons) ornament the public wpiares. Minor monuments recall l{(K'rne, Feiicrbach,
and other famous citizens.

Ilnnan <'l^Z,'W,) inhuhitants), towards the east, at the fork of the great high-roads
leading t<» I/*'ipzig and Niirnher^:, may be hioked upon as an outpost of l''runkfort..
It first roue inU* im|x>rtance about tlieclost-of the sixteenth century, wlien I'Menilsj),

204 GERMANY.

Dutch, and Frcncli refugees settled in it. The manufacture of jewellery is carried
on with much success, Hauau ranking next to Pforzheim in that respect, and
there are also tobacco factories, tanneries, and metallurgical establishments.
Hanau was the birthplace of the brothers Grimm, and near it Napoleon, in 1818,
fought his last battle upon the soil of Germany. The hot springs of Wil/ielmsbad,
near Hanau, are much frequented by the citizens of Frankfort.

A railway runs along the right bank of the Main, passing high above the
famous vineyards of Hochheim (2,620 inhabitants), and connects Frankfort with
Mainz (Mayence, 56,421 inhabitants), a fortress defending the most important pass
over the Rhine. At the first glance the geographical position of Mayence strikes
us as being even more favourable than that of Frankfort ; but Mayence is not the
point of junction of so many roads, and the Taunus, on the north, appears to shut
it in. The interests of commerce and industry have, besides this, always been
obliged to yield to military considerations. It was here that Drusus, nineteen
centuries ago, constructed one of his most powerful castles, to serve as a barrier
against the Germans. The Mayence of the present day, on the contrary, has its
guns pointed in the direction of Gaul. Its extensive lines of fortifications and
numerous detached forts require a garrison of 20,000 men for their defence. The
victualling yards and bakeries of Mayence are on a suflBcient scale to supply the
daily wants of an army of 500,000 men.

There still exist the ruins of an aqueduct of 500 arches, and a few other
remains of ancient Moguntiacum, and the museum in the old Grand Ducal palace
is exceedingly rich in Roman antiquities. The Byzantine cathedral forms the
most striking monument of the town. It was completed in 1340, but parts of it
date back to the tenth century. A statue by Thorwaldsen commemorates the
memory of Gutenberg, the inventor of printing, who was a native of the town.

Mayence is the most populous city of Grand Ducal Hesse. The Rhine below it,
as far as the Nahe, has only small villages on its left bank, but one of these is the
famous Oher iHgelheim (2,808 inhabitants), the alleged birthplace of Charlemagne.
Bingen (6,380 inhabitants), at the confluence of the Nahe with the Rhine, has an old
castle, and from the Rochusberg, above the town, may be enjoyed one of the most
extended views on the Rhine.

At a distance of onl}^ 5 miles in a direct line from Mayence we reach another
large town, Wiesbaden (43,674 inhabitants), the old capital of the Duchy of Nassau.
Pleasantly situate at the opening of a valley, and at the foot of the wooded Taunus
Mountains, this town possesses peculiar qualifications as a health resort or place of
leisure. The hot springs — Fontes Mattiaci — were known to the Romans, but it is
only since the beginning of this centur)'- that thej^ have attracted a considerable
number of visitors. The old " village " of Wiesbaden forms but a small portion of
the modern town, which has straight streets, shaded walks, villas, and gardens. A
few minutes suffice either to take us into the wooded hills or to Biebrich (7,690
inhabitants), on the banks of the Rhine, where there is a fine park.

Wiesbaden is the principal watering-place of the Taunus, attracting annually
no less than 70,000 visitors. Schlangenbad, the " Bath of Snakes," thus named

THE RHINE FROM Ni

.."'io E.

„* i- i- 5? "WclschuniclorJ

ScaJ

NEW YOR:

YENCEto coblenz,

j/yi f)t}V

ft Mili

HESSE AND NASSAU. 205

after tlie inoffensive adders which abound there, lies to the west, in a wooded gap
of the mountains. The elongated Langen-Schicalbach (2,731 inhabitants) lies
beyond the watershed, in a valley tributary to the Lahn. Nieder Selters, and
manv other springs charged with carbonic acid, rise in another side valley of the
Lahn, and furnish the popular Seltzer-water, of which nearly 5,000,000 stone
bottles are annually exported. Towards the east, within easy reach of Frankfort,
are the thermal or mineral springs of Hofheim (2,097 inhabitants), Weilbach,
Soden, Konir/sstem, Kronlerg (2,4:17 inhabitants), Kronthal, and Hombury-vor-der-
Hbhe (8,290 inhabitants), a favourite resort of the Frankforters, the gambling-
rooms of which formerly attracted visitors from all parts of Europe. Other spritigs
rise in the Wetterau, to the east of the Taunus, the most important being those of
Nauheim (2,391 inhabitants). Fried richsdorf, a village near Homburg, was
founded in 1689 by French Huguenots, whose descendants still speak French.

A short distance below Biebrich commences the most famous wine district of
the Rheiufjau. Successively we pass the vine-clad hills of Eltdlle (2,883 inha-
bitants), Johanniiiberrj, and Rudeaheim (3,455 inhabitants). Excellent wine is
likewise grown in the gorge below Bingen, more especially near Asmainis/inKseii.
All these wines have a slaty flavour, highly appreciated by connoisseurs. There
are no large towns along this part of the right bank of the Rhine, only a narrow
ledge of level land intervening between the foot of the hills and the river.

Populous towns, however, abound in the valley of the Lahn, which joins the
Rhine between the castle-crowned rocks of Upper and Lower Lahnsteiti (conjointly
7,319 inhabitants). The Lahn rises in the same group of hills as the Sieg. It
at first takes an easterly direction, but then turns south, flowing past the university
town of Marhiirri C9,G00 inhabitants) to (iirnfien (13,858 inhabitants), likewise the
seat of a university, and situate in the centre of an ancient lake basin. Wctzlar
^0,837 inhabitants;, lower down the river, was a place of greater importance
formerly, when it was the scat, between lfJ9M and 180(), of the Supremo Court of
Justice of the empire, whilst now it is mainly dependent upon its tan-yards and iron
mines. Limhury (5,157 inhabitants), the veritable capital of the valley of the
Ijahn, was a great place of commerce in former limes, rich enough to support
2,000 troopers for the protection of its merchants, and to build one of the flncst
cathedrals of Germany. Mines of argentiferous lead, zinc, cojjpcr, iron, and coal
arc worked in the environs, and there are also MJati! and marble ([uarries. Fine
jKjtter'H clay is found in this part of Nassau, and the manufacture of earth(>nwar(!
is carried on with success.

Still dcRcetifling the I/ihii, wc; pass tlie village of NasMU, with its old castle,
and reach funn (6,077 inhabitantH), the famous wal<;ring-place so often rciferred to
in the annals of diplomacy. No town would ever have been built in thiH narrow
valley if it were not for the th<Tmal h])ringH; yet the environs abound in
d<lightful walks, one of which conducts uh to the villag*' (»f Friicht, when! iImi
torn}) of the niuU'nuuin Htviu in hIiowii to viHitors.

HtltKFNKKi.l) — The valley of the Nahc is partly occupied by thc! ijrincipalily
of iJirkenfr-ld, whicli the colle<;tiv<' wiwlorn of the OongresM of Vi<riiia asMigned to

206 GERMANY.

the Dukes of Oldenburg. The two small towns of that district, Oberstein (4,094
inhabitants) and Idar (•i,'521 inhabitants), are well known for the articles
manufactured there of agates and other pebbles. This is a very old industry, but,
as long as the workmen were dependent upon the stones found in the country, it
could not attain a very high development. It has grown into importance only
since 1834, when emigrants from Oberstein discovered stones suited to their
purpose in Brazil. At the present time this industry employs 2,300 workmen.
About 330 tons of agates and other stones are converted annually into fancy
articles, amulets, idols, &c., their value being thereby increased from £30,000 to
£100,000.

Rhenish Prussia — Kveuznach (13,772 inhabitants), the principal town on the
Nahe, being situate at the head of navigation of the river, enjoys great advantages
for commerce, but is chiefly known on account of its mineral springs. The
environs abound in picturesque ruins, nearly every bluff on the banks of the Nahe
having formerly been crowned by the castle of some robber- knight.

No populous towns are met with in the picturesque gorge which the Rhine
traverses between Bingen and Coblenz. Bacharach, a centre of the wine trade,
occupies a picturesque site at the mouth of a valley. Leaving Cauh (2,031 inha-
bitants) on the right, we reach Obertcesel, the ancient Volsozia (2,580 inhabitants),
which stretches along the left bank of the river. Passing beneath the " Lorelei,"
we come upon St. Goar. Then rise the ancient towers of Boppard, the Bondobriga
of the Romans (5,268 inhabitants), and, looking up on the left, we espy the walnut-
trees in the shade of which stood the Kdnigsstuhl, or Royal Chair, upon which the
King of the Germans took his seat after election.

Passing the mouth of the Lahn, we immediately afterwards reach that of the
Mosel, or Moselle. The towns on the Moselle do not rival those of the Rhine, but
several are rapidly acquiring importance. Foremost amongst them is Snarhriicken,
which, with its suburb St. Joliann, on the other bank of the Saar, has a population
of 19,982 souls, and is rapidly uniting with the neighbouring manufacturing
town of Malstadt-Burbach (12,433 inhabitants). Saarbriicken is indebted to
the productive coal-fields of which it forms the centre for its prosperity. These
coal-fields yield annually more than 5,000,000 tons of coal. Furnaces, foundries,
machine shops, and chemical works abound in these towns, and in the neighbour-
ing ones of Dudweiler (10,029 inhabitants), Sulzbach (5,000 inhabitants), Fried-
richstlial (5,002 inhabitants), and Neunkirchen (11,169 inhabitants). But not
only are the factories of their vicinitj^ supplied from the coal-pits of Saarbriicken,
those of Alsace-Lorraine and Switzerland likewise are dependent upon them for
their fuel.

Following the course of the Saar, we pass PuttUngen (6,726 inhabitants), a
manufacturing town; Saarlouis (6,782 inhabitants), the birthplace of Marshal
Ney ; il/e;-s/<7 (4,412 inhabitants) ; and <Sr/r/ri»rr7 (1,866 inhabitants). Leaving the
confluence of the Saar with the Moselle behind us, we reach Trier (Treves, 32,972
inhabitants), the most ancient city of all Germany, which down to this day
perpetuates the name of the Gallic tribe of the Treveri which founded it. Treves,

E-
E-

t— •

c
a.

EHENISH PEUSSLi.

207

lying below the junction of three important rivers, the Moselle, the Sauer, and the
Saar, possessed many advantages for carrying on the commerce between the
civilised Gallo-Romans and the uncultured Germans. It quickly rose into impor-
tance, and almost deserved the epithet of " second capital of the Roman world,"
which Ausonius bestowed upon it. It became at an early date embellished with
fine buildings, and numerous -villas arose upon the surrounding heights. Of the
Roman ruins still existing that known as the Porta Nigra is the most remarkable.
There are also vast underground vaults, and the ruins of an amphitheatre in
which Constantine caused thousands of captive Franks to be torn to pieces by
wild beasts. The cathedral dates back, in part, to the fourth century. The local

Fig. 118. — Saaebkccken.
Scale 1 : 143.000.

A.°30'E.of P.

'*" WW

*•"•»• E.otOT

J Milcfl.

museum, In addition to many Roman antiquitie.s, contains numerous ()l)ject.s of a
more remote age. Tlie " (.'olumn of Igel," to the south-west of tlio city, is the best
preserved Roman tomb in Germany.

Treves, like its gn;at prototype, after having been a political capital, became a
religious one, and for mon^ tlian a tliousand years it was known as Sinirfd ririlns
Trf'rcronini. Out of evcsry thn-*; buildings one was dedi(;at<'<l to rclIgioiiH purponcs,
and the entire {Hfpulation was ^•l)u\\nt^'^\ of occlcsiustics and tlicir liangcrs-on.
Many of then*! ancient njigiou.s buildings an; now used as barracks, wun^housos,
breworifM, and private dw<'lling-liou.H<?H. A mo<lern city of factories lia.s Hprung up
around the old one, and soon it will bi-conio necessary to go to tlu; muscuTu in

208

GERMANY.

order to obtain a glimpse of ancient Treves. The " holy coat" occasionally
attracts vast numbers of pilgrims to Treves, but that town has recently met with a
formidable rival in tlie neighbouring village of Marpingen, whence miraculous
appearances of the Virgin Mary have been reported.

The Moselle below Treves has a course of no less than 110 miles before it
joins the Rhine, but throughout this extent not a single town of importance is
met with, though small villages are plentiful. The narrow valley, bounded by-
vine- clad hills, affords no room for a large town, and only at the confluence could
space be found for a larger agglomeration of houses. Coblcnz (34,130 inhabit-
ants), the Confluentcs of the Romans, has not attained the importance which its

Fig. 119.— Treves (Trier).
Scale 1 : 124,000.

+" 12' Eof Pans

I ' ' i" 1 \^ 1 ow cnbritrtueR

'■,3'

'§s^ilathia«

«^

^ei f»^he"i 1

fh<nig

He.*

6"lii Kof ft

a"'*!*

2 Miles.

position would seem to warrant. Its inferiority to Frankfort and Cologne is
accounted for by the fact of its being surrounded by sterile, thinly peopled hills,
possessing few resources. Besides this, the military character of the town must
necessarily cripple its industrial and commercial development. Coblenz has a fine
Byzantine church, a noble railway bridge over the Rhine, and an ancient bridge
across the Moselle, but the structures which principally attract attention are its
fortifications. Right opposite rises the impregnable citadel of Ehrenbreitstein,
with its casemated batteries. The detached forts surrounding the town afiTord
shelter to an army of 200,000 men, and yet all these fortifications can be defended
by 5,000 men, so carefully have they been planned.

El3

cc
pa

a
o

o
-J

EHENISH PRUSSIA. 209

Once more descending the Rhine, we pass the industrial town of Nenwied
(9,474 inhabitants), partly inhabited by Protestants. On a hill nearly opposite
rises an obelisk erected by the army of the Sambre and Meuse in memory of
General Hoche. The Xette, which flows along the foot of the hill, takes us to
Mayen (6,839 inhabitants), the principal town of the Eifel. Lower down on the
Rhine is Andernach (4,839 inhabitants), the Antoniacum of the Romans, with
ancient walls, a feudal castle, and a Byzantine church.

The Rhine once more enters a narrow gorge, and village succeeds village, but
it is only after the picturesque Siebengebirge has been left behind that we again
reach a town of importance. This is Bonn (28,075 inhabitants), the ancient
Bonna, occupying a position on the outskirts of the great alluvial plain of
Germany analogous to that of Maestricht on the Meuse. Bonn is best known
now for its university, and as a head-quarter of tourists. A statue has been
erected there to Beethoven, a native of the place. Another great man, Rubens,
probably saw the light of day at Siegen (12,901 inhabitants), the old capital
of the Sicambri, on the river Sieg, which flows into the Rhine a few miles below
Bonn. Siegen prospers, thanks to its iron, lead, zinc, and copper mines, its
metallurgical establishments and tanneries. Sieghurg (5,668 inhabitants) lies
lower down in the same valley.

Cologne (Koln, 154,564 inhabitants) is the principal town of Rhenish Prussia.
Its geographical position on the great natural high-road which from Northern
France to Western Russia runs along the foot of the hills boimding the plain of
Xorthem Europe is a most favourable one. That high-road crosses the Rhine at
Deutz, the "Dutch" suburb of Cologne. In a time when artificial roads were
still scarce, Cologne had but few rivals amongst the inland towns of Northern
Europe, and when the Romans founded there their Colonia Claudia Augusta
Agrippinensium the town quickly rose into importance. In the ^Middle Ages it
became the great staple of trade on the Rhine, and long before the Hanseatic
League was formal the merchants of Cologne concluded commercial treaties with
foreign pf)wcr8. As early as the tenth century they dispatched their own vessels
to Lonrlon, where they had a Uvrltcrgho. of their own.* After a long struggle
with their bishops the citizens of Cologne secured their municipal liberties, and
rapidly grew rich. \w 1235, 18,000 of tlicni, sumptuously attired, paraded
before the English bride of the Emperor Frederick II., and "Rich as a cloth
merchant of Cologn<r" lu-came a proverbial e.xpre.ssion throughout Germany.
Cologne at that time was not only one of the principal cloth marts of I'luropo, it
al«o held a foremost jiluee in the sale of gold and silver, and its artisans wore
dintinguihlied in many handicrafts. Btit in the end disasters overtook the town.
Tlie discovery of America le<I to the abandonment of the old commercial route
which connected Venice with Augsburg; the United Netherlands, when they
acquired their inde{)endcnce, closed the mouths of the Rhinc! against all vessels
exr;ept their own; and, as if this were not enough, the; ( 'atli«»li('H, ])roud of tho
e|>ithet of " German K(jmc " which hafl been bestowed npiui their (!ity, suicidally

• On th<' nit/! of what in now known iw <.'.|il llurlioiir (Colun Id iIhtkIk), ii<ar tin' 'I'dwcr.

210 GEllMANY.

expelled their Protestant fellow-citizens. After this the town decayed rapidly.
Its tortuous streets became changed into gutters, and shoals of mendicants beset
the church doors. Of recent years the recovery has been rapid. Cologne has
become the head-quarters for the steam navigation of the Rhine, the traflfic on the
railways converging upon it is increasing from year to year, and numerous manu-
factories, including potteries, spinning-mills, chemical works, and machine shops,
have sprung up in the city and in its environs, not to mention the many "original"
distillers of eau de Cologne. Including its suburb Deufz (14,507 inhabitants), it
has now a population of 169,071 souls, which is probably not much inferior to
what it had in its most prosperous days.

The cathedral, or Do/n, is the most famous edifice of Cologne, rising high
above the surrounding houses, a witness to the wealth, past and present, of the city.
During more than three centuries this unfinished structure was allowed to fall
into decay, but work upon it has been resumed, and it is hoped to complete it in
the course of a few years. Many other churches are noteworthy on account of
their architecture. St. Mary of the Capitol, the oldest amongst them, is built in
the Byzantine style ; that of the Apostles is famed for its arcades ; 8t. Gereon
has a crypt paved with mosaics ; and St. Peter's boasts of an altar painting by
Pubens. The town-hall is an incongruous structure, not wanting, however, in
picturesqueness. Near it is the Giirzenich, with its famous concert hall. A
museum, founded by two citizens, Wallraf and Pichartz, contains a collection
of paintings and antiquities. There are also zoological and horticultural
gardens.

Cologne, being a fortress, is enclosed by an enceinte, which will, however, be
razed as soon as the twelve detached forts now building shall have been com-
pleted.

To the west of Cologne, close to the frontier of Belgium, rises another
large city, which for a long time might fairly claim to be the superior of the
Rhenish city. This is Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle, 79,608 inhabitants), situate on
a small tributary of the Meuse, fed from the hot spring which rises in the
" valley of the wild boars," called Porcetum in mediaeval Latin, and now known
as BurUcheid (Borcette, 10,220 inhabitants). Aachen does not enjoy the advan-
tage of a great navigable river, but its many sulphur and thermal springs so
pleased Charlemagne that he made Aquisgranum the capital of his empire, and
there constructed a marble palace, of which marvels are related in old legends.
The palace has disappeared, the town-hall occupying its site ; but the chapel
which Charlemagne built, and in which he was buried, still exists as a portion of
the cathedral which grew out of it. So great a hold had Charlemagne's deeds
obtained upon the minds of his contemporaries that Aachen was proclaimed a
'* holy city " soon after his death, and attracted multitudes of pilgrims.
Thirty-seven emperors were crowned there, seated in the marble throne of
Charlemagne.

The springs, which originally made the fortune of the town, still attract
some 26,000 visitors annually, but Aachen possesses other elements of wealth in

RHENISH PEUSSIA. 211

its coal, lead, and zinc mines,* its metallurgical establishments, cloth-mills, and
manufactories of needles and pins. A technical high school supplies the industrial
establishments of the town and its neighbourhood with competent managers.

The whole of the coimtry surrovmding the twin city of Aachen-Burtscheid
abounds in manufactories. Eschiceiler (11,000 inhabitants), in the north-east,
has iron works and coal mines. Stolherg (10,252 inhabitants), still nearer to
Aachen, has iron works, glass works, and other manufactories. Eupen (14,759
inhabitants) is the Bradford of Prussia, its cloths being largely exported.
Moresnet, a small territory conjointly goyerned by Prussia and Belgium, has
become famous on account of its " Yieille Montagne " zinc mines, yielding 40,200
tons of that metal annually. Maimed)/ (5,671 inhabitants), still farther to the
south, has extensive tanneries. Duren (14,516 inhabitants), half-way between
Aachen and Cologne, manufactures cloth, and curries on a considerable commerce.
One of the five lines of railways which diverge from it takes us to Jiilich (Juliers,
5,111 inhabitants), close to the Dutch frontier, while another runs past Zii/pic/i
and the manufacturing town of Eitshirchen (5,489 inhabitants) to Treves, on the
^[oselle. Ziilpich is the Tolbiacum or Tolbiac of old writers, where Clovis defeated
the Alemanni in 496.

Soon after leaving Cologne we reach Miilheim (17,353 inhabitants), a manu-
facturing town on the Rhine, and the port of Bergkch-Gladhach (7,030 inhabitants) ;
but lower down for a distance of 30 miles, as far as Diisseldorf, no town of note is
met with on the river. Dmitehlorf (80,695 inhabitants), formerly merely a village at
the mouth of the rivulet Diissel, has grown into a populous city since the Dukes of
Berg made it their capital. It is the natural port of the manufacturing district
of which Barmen and Elberfeld are the centre. The town enjoys the advantage of
having fine public parks and clean streets. Its school of art is famous throughout
Gennany, Cornelius the painter, and Heine the poet, were natives of the town.

On the other bank of the PJiine, though at some distance from the river, rise
the walls oi Ncuhh (15,364 inliabitantsj, which Charles the Bold vainly besieged in
1474 and 1475. Tacitus mentions this town under the name of Xoresiutn, and it
was formerly the capital of the whole district. A canal connects it with the Meuse
and the Ithine, and it is now one of the most important grain marts of Germany.
Manufacturing towns have sprung up in this p:irt of the Khinoland. Crrfrhl
(52,905 inhabitants^, the principal amongnt thorn, is (juite American in its appear-
ance, having grown in the course of a century from a small village into a largo
and busy town, engaging more CHp<?cially in the manufacture of velvets, silks, and
ribbons.t The same branches of industry arc carricfl on in tlu; neighbouring towns,
the principal amongst which are Viersen (19,705 inhabitants), Mniichru-dladhiicli
(31,970 inhabitantM), Jthcydt fl5,H35 inhabitants), SurliUln (8,957 inhuhitants),
and Kiwptn (5,372 inhabitantHj, the latter the native place of ThoinaH ii KcrnpiH.
To the north of these towns, Ix'yonrl (iildrrn (5,194 inhabitants), the old capital (»f

• Thiry j-i«,l<l annually HOO.OOO lunn of <:oiil, 12, .WO toiiti of liwl, iiiul J, 010 l<.nM of /inc.
t Cnrfeld, in 1S74, HjmI 28,l.i3 loonui, jmid £l,Oao,'JOO in wag.*, and exported goods viilmd iit
£3,409,800.

212

GERMANY.

a duchy, the country which extends between the Meuse and the Rhine is quite
rural in its aspect.

On the Lower Rhine there are no towns which equal Diisseldorf in importance.
Past UenHngen (3,21 G inhabitants), the port of Crefeld, the river flows beneath the
railway bridge of Rheinhausen, and we reach liuhrort (9,051 inhabitants), at the
mouth of the Ruhr, one of the busiest ports of Germany, exporting annually over
1,000,000 tons of coal. Ruhrort has ship-yards and factories, and is the port of a
number of important manufacturing cities, including Ihmhurg (37,'380 inhabitants),
Mtilheim-on-the-Ruhr (15,277 inhabitants), and Oherhausen (15,479 inhabitants).

Wesel (19,104 inhabitants) is situate on the right bank of the Rhine, at the

Fig. 120. — Crefeld axd its Environs.
Scale 1 : 250,000.

Vio] E.of Paris

B-'Soi E.ofG.

6° So

5 Miles.

mouth of the Lippe. It is an ancient town, with gabled houses and an old Gothic
church, growing an abundance of fruit and vegetables in the gardens which
surround it. Wesel defends the Dutch frontiers of Germany, and its works have
recently been augmented. A permanent bridge, no less than 6,285 feet in length,
including its approaches, here crosses the Rhine. Xanten (3,292 inhabitants), a
decayed town, and Emmerich (8,107 inhabitants), are the last German towns
washed by the floods of the Rhine. On a terrace to the west of the latter rises
Clcve (Cleves, 9,233 inhabitants), a name perhaps signifying "cliff." The legend
of Lohengrin, the "Knight of the Swan," is associated with this town.

The country around Crefeld is one of the most densely populated districts of

EHENISH PRUSSIA.

213

Germany, but it is surpassed by the coal basin of the Ruhr, the veritable
Lancashire of Prussia, where town presses upon town, and the network of
railways is most bewildering. Elherfeld (80,589 inhabitants) and Barmen (86,502
inhabitants) were small villages a century ago, but now extend for 5 miles
along the valley of the "Wupper. The interests of the inhabitants are almost
exclusively wrapped up in the manufacture of silks, cottons, and ribbons, in
print works and other industrial establishments. Barmen also exports pianofortes.
All the towns of that district present the same aspect, and look like so many
suburbs of Elherfeld scattered broadcast over the country. Ronsdorf (9,573
inhabitants), LiMringhausen (9,471 inhabitants), Lenncp (7,753 inhabitants), and
Kronenbcrg (8,167 inhabitants) are the more important amongst them. Hildon
(6,787 inhabitants), not far from the Rhine, manufactures silks ; Rcmscheid
(15,000 inhabitants) is the German Sheffield; whilst SoUngen (15,142 inhabitants)
and the towns near it * are known for their cutlery. Solingen is famous for its

Fig. 121. — RUHRORT AND ITS EnVIROXS.

Scale 1 : .32fi.noo.

r. Mill 8.

The extent of th<; omX bi.sin is indicntcd by iihnding.

sword-blades, the art of tempering them, it is said, having been introduced there
from Damascus.

The number of towns to the north of the railway which joins Diisseldorf to
Ellterfeld is somewhat less bewildering. Mcftnunin (6,500 inliabitants), near which
is the famous Neander Valley with its bone caves ; Wcrdrn (6,746 inhabitants),
in the abbey of which was preserved Ulfila's Gothic translation of tlie Bible until
the Swedes carriwl it off during the Thirty Years' War; and other towns are still
separated by wide stret<;he8 of open country. But to the north of the Uiihr, and
close upon th»; borders of the country, wo come ujjon anoth(;r group of manufactur-
ing towns, whos<; growth has perhaps been even more rapid than that of those
mentioned previously. The most important of tlujse is AWh (76,450 inhabitants),
which in less than fifty years has grown into one of th(! most populous towns of
I'ruMsia. KHS4-n supplies fiermany and flio world with those famous cast-steel

• lfi'ltii|iri(( Mcrwhcid (10,017 inhiitiiUiitiij, Oor]) (U,:(HO iriliiilfiluiilii), 1 1 oMchuiil (U,UOU ijiliultiUiuU),
Wiild (7,701 inhHbiUintii), ki:.

214

GERMANY.

guns which have made the reputation of their inventor, Krupp. But guns con-
stitute only a small part of the products of Krupp's huge establishment, which
covers an area of 960 acres, occupies 15,000 workmen, in addition to some 0,000
miners, and produces annually J2o,000 tons of cast steel. The neighbouring
towns of Altenessen (12,658 inhabitants), A Itendorf (12,675 inhabitants), and Borbeck
(with Bocholt, 20,095 inhabitants) engage in the same industries.

Westphalia. — The coal basin of the Ruhr extends eastward into "Westphalia,
and there, too, it has caused huge manufacturing towns to spring from the soil.
Dortmund (57,742 inhabitants), however, the most populous town of AVestphalia,
dates back to an earlier period, for it is mentioned in chronicles of the tenth century.
Favourably situate on the high-road connecting the Rhine with the Elbe and Oder,
it was one of the first to join the Hanseatic League. Its town-hall and fine
churches belong to that period, and more venerable still, a group of lime-trees is
pointed out, in whose shade the judges of the Holy Vehme met. The surrounding

Fig. 122.— Essen.

district is rich in agricultural produce, but the actual wealth of Dortmund is due
rather to coal and iron mines and iron works than to its trade in com.*
Bochum (28,368 inhabitants), half-way between Dortmund and Essen, rivals both
as a mining and industrial town.f The other towns of this portion of Westphalia
are equally distinguished for their industr3^ Foremost amongst them are Geken-
kirchen (11,295 inhabitants), Witten (18,106 inhabitants). Horde (12,837 inhabit-
ants), and Hagen (26,870 inhabitants). Iserlohn (16,838 inhabitants) has iron and
zinc mines as well as lime-kilns, and, like its neighbours, engages in the manu-
facture of every description of hardware.

But whilst industry has transformed the villages of Southern Westphalia into
large towns. Soest (13,099 inhabitants), which was formerly one of the largest

* The district of Dortmund annually yields 3,300,000 tons of coal and 89,500 tons of iron ore,
while 280,000 tons of pig-iron and steel are produced yearly,
t About 6,000,000 tons of coal are raised annually.

WESTPHALIA.

215

towns of all Germany, has singularly lagged behind in this race for pre-eminence.
In the fifteenth century Soest had 50,000 inhabitants, and its ancient " customs "
enjoyed a high reputation in the towns of Northern Germany. Situate half-way
between the Rhine and the Weser, on the fertile plateau of the Hellweg, and
having easy access to the valley of the Lippe in the north, and to that of the
Ruhr in the south, Soest enjoyed peculiar natural advantages, and soon acquired
considerable wealth. Unna (7,323 inhabitants), on the same plateau, half-way

Fig. 123.— The Hellweg.
Scale 1 : 410,000.

SMO' E. of Par:

5° 30'

7' 30' E.ot G.

5 Miles.

between Soest and Dortmund, shares in these advantages, but, like its more powerful
neighbour, it has not participated in the progress of the towns placed within easy
reach of coal and iron.

Armberg (o,486 inhabitants), the chief place of the Sauerland, is likewise an
ancient town. Situate on the Upper Ruhr, beyond the coal basin named after that
river, it has remained a small place, (iuite in the east of the country, in the
basin of the Weser, rises the Marsberg, upon which tradition places Inninsul, the
Saxon idol orerthrown by Charlemagne.

CHAPTER IV.

THE SWABIAN JURA A2sD THE VALLEY OF THE NECKAE.

(WiJKTTEMBERG AND HoHENZOLLERN.) *

General Aspects, Mountains, and Rivers.

HE basin of the Neckar, though tributary to the Rhine, yet forms a
distinct region, as far as concerns its upper portion, bounded as it
is in the west by the ranges of the Black Forest and Odenwald.
Geographical features thus justify the formation of a separate
kingdom, of which the old castle of "VVirtineberg, near the site now
occupied by the city of Stuttgart, became the natural nucleus. The boundaries of
Wiirttemberg, as drawn in accordance with treaties, present, no doubt, a few
anomalies, the districts on the Upper Danube and to the north of the Lake of
Constanz lying outside the valle\' of the Neckar ; but upon the whole Wiirttemberg
forms a world apart, quite able to lead a life of its own. A map showing the
density of the population proves this very plainly. The valley of the Neckar
stands prominently forth upon it as a great centre of population, separated from
Baden, Switzerland, and Bavaria by thinly peopled tracts of country.

The western boundary of this, one of the wealthiest and most active countries
of Germany, is formed by the Black Forest, or Schwarzwald, whose southern
extremity strikes the Swabian Jura at an acute angle. The elevation of the hills
near the point of contact is comparatively small, and easy passes lead across them
into the valley of the Danube, and thence into that of the Rhine. This facility of
communication has enabled Wiirttemberg to extend its political boundaries in that
direction as far as the shores of the Bodensee.

The Jurassic formation gradually increases in width as we travel eastward
from the Rhine. The highest summits of the Swabian Jura rise to the west of
the Danube, on the plateau of the Heuberg, the most considerable amongst them
attaining an elevation of 3,320 feet. On its summit the vast amphitheatre formed
by the Black Forest and the Alps lies spread out before us, and through a gap in
the former we are able even to catch a glimpse of the Yosges.

* Wiirttemberg
Hohenzollem

Area.

Population.

Inbab. to a

Sq. Miles.

1875.

Sq. Mile.

7,531

1,881,505

•249

441

C6,46G

151

WUETTEMBERG AND HOHENZOLLEEN.

217

To the north of the pass which the railway from Stuttgart crosses at an
elevation of 3,005 feet, the height of the Jura gradually decreases towards the
north-east.

The Swabian Jura diflfers in its aspect, but not in its geological formation, from
the Jura of France. Instead of consisting of a succession of parallel ridges, it forms

Fig. 124. — Density of the Population of Wurttembero.

H'imi'irnf Inhthltitntt lo m Sijuart Ull»,

€13 CZ3 1 [—]

an urululating platoau, prosfriting ii hold fiu-o to the Nooknr nearly 1,000
foc-t in h«-ight, uiid Hinkin^ dr.wn griiJly (owanls the Damilu!. I'ho more elevated
ridf(f« are covered with HtoneH, between wliicli (rpowH a Hcaiily lierbnge. Tlieii
climate \n fo(, inclement to admit of eiiltjvation, and tlu; name of /:,ni/ir J//> (lUigged
Mountain;, which is apjjlied to ihi m by the; peasantM, is therefore a very approjjrialo

218

GERMANY.

one. But standing upon the western scarpments of the Jura, we look down into
smiling valleys, wending their way to the ]Sreckar, and abounding in wealthy
villages, homesteads, and oichards. Bold masses of whitish rock project towards
the valley of the Neckar, almost separated from the plateau by the erosive action
of water. One of these crags is occupied by the castle of Hohenzollern (2,800

Fig. 125. — Urach and Hohen-Urach.
Scale 1 : 81,000.

N \\^^<^ ','.\\-y

9° 2?'' E.of G.

1 Mile.

feet), the ancestral home of the reigning family of Prussia and Germuiy ; another
bore upon its summit the proud castle of the Hohenstaufen (2,240 feet).

The Swabian Jura is quite as cavernous as that of France, and the bones of
bears and other animals now extinct have been found in its recesses. Narrow
gorges or clefts, which divide the plateau into distinct sections, abound. The
gorge of the Brigach, one of the head-streams of the Danube, thus cuts in two
the plateau of the Baar. The gorge of the Fils, an affluent of the Neckar,

WURTTEMBERG AND HOHENZOLLERN.

219

Fig. 126. — Heilbroxx axd the " Loops " of
Lauffen.

Scale 1 : 163,000.

K.«rP>rte

more to tlie north, divides the central plateau of the Rauhe Alp from that of the

Albach. A third river gorge separates the Albach from the Hiirdtfeld ; and the

Bavarian Wernitz divides the Swabian from the Franconian Jura. These breaches,

or gorges, offer peculiar facilities for the construction of roads and railways.

The limestone mountains of Swabia are as replete with fossils as are those of

Switzerland. The Boll, to the south of Stuttgart, has acquired some fame on

account of the skeletons of fossil reptiles which have been found there. Steinheim,

between the Albach and the Hiirdtfeld, presents the curious spectacle of a huge

atoll, similar in all respects to the atolls built by zoophytes in the Pacific.

The Klosterberg, in the centre of the atoll, with its nineteen distinct varieties of a

species of Planorhis, is one of the great

battle-grounds of palaeontologists. The

marls of that district are soaked with oil,

apparently consisting of a mixture of

mineral substances with the fat of the

animals buried there. Every square mile

of the bituminous slate of the Swabian

Jura contains, according to Qnenstedt,

about 51o,00U ton.s of oil, resulting

from the decomposition of small marine

animals. That portion of Wiirttembcrg

which lies between the Jura and the Lake

of Constanz belongs to tlie plateau of

Bavaria.

Nearly all the rivers to the north of
the Jura flow into the Neckar, the only
exceptions being the Kinzig and the Miirg,
which flow direct to the Rhine, and tlie
Taubcr, which is tributary to the Muin.
The Neckar riwjs in a Kwampy dcpres-
Bion to the west of the pl.itfau of the IJaar,
at an elevation of '2,2J<0 feet above the
»oa. Reinforced by niimerouH streams
descending from the Black Forest and
Jura, it soon becomes large enough to float timber. Below ('annstadt the river
IS navigable for Ijarges. I'or a consideralil(( porlioii nT its course the Neckar is
bound<-d }»y sU-ep cliffs, the country on either side of il often lying as niueh iis
'OOO feet above the surface of the v'wvr. Tln-se gorges, however, allernale with
wide ba.«»ins, where the Neckar winds about amongst verdant hills. The scenery
alf*ng the tributaries of the Neckar is e(|ii;i||y varied. These tril»u(,iirles are the
Knz, on the left; the Fils, Items, K«.(;her, and Jagst, on the ri^'hl. (ilentle hills,
contra.xting with boldrjf contours and even elids, inipiirt riiueh graeefid b(>autv to
the eouritry. Notwithstanding the absence of lakes and of a background (tf snow-
clad mountains, Wiirtt.end»erg resembles in a n^markablo niiunnr the pliit.au of

Milia.

220 GERMANY.

Switzerland, Its climate* and vegetation, too, are nearly identical, its more
northern latitude being compensated for by the greater elevation of Switzerland.
Wiirttemberg, quite as much as the region irrigated by the Lower Aar, is a land of
corn-fields and orchards, and even the vine flourishes on the banks of the Neckar,
all the way down from Tubingen (1,040 feet).

Inhabitants.

The country around Stuttgart and Cannstadt, one of the most carefully culti-
vated of all Germany, was in a former age the favourite haunt of the mammoth
and shaggy rhinoceros, whose bones, mixed with those of horses, oxen, hyenas,
and tigers, have been discovered in the tufa. The caverns of the Swabian
Jura have yielded the bones of reindeer, together with stone implements, from
which it is concluded that the reindeer survived in the forests of Germany long
after it had become extinct in those of Gaul.

This much is certain, that the country had its human inhabitants long before
the dawn of history. The kinship of the aboriginal inhabitants still forms a subject
of dispute between the learned. They were succeeded by Celts, and later on by
Germans. It is even supposed that the designation of the castle which has given
a name to the entire country is a corruption of the Celtic appellation of Virodunum,
the modern equivalent for which is Verdun. It was assumed formerly that the vast
majority of the "Wiirttembergers are the direct descendants of the Suevi, An
examination of the old grave-hills has shown, however, that only about one-third
of the present inhabitants of the country exhibit the long skulls and fair com-
plexions which are associated with the Suevi. The majority, more especially in
the south and west, have black hair and round skulls : *' one might almost take
them to be Figurians," says Dr. Fraas. The original type of the Swabian sur-
vives only on the plateau of the Rauhe Alp, where nearly all the children have
flaxen hair and blue eyes. This sterile mountain tract has exercised no attraction
upon invaders, and its inhabitants were thus able to perpetuate the type and
customs of their ancestors. Old German superstitions still survive there in the
guise of Christianity. Horse-shoes are nailed to every stable door as a protection
to the cattle, and Ascension Day is not allowed to pass without a fresh wreath of
amaranths being prepared to shield the house against lightning. The inhabitants,
like those of Savoy and Auvergne, migrate annually to the plain, where they gain a
living as pedlars and seed or flower merchants. Ehningen, a village near Reutlingen,
is one of the head-quarters of these Swabian pedlars, and at Christmas-time the
whole of them return to their village to hold what is called their " congress."
Grown rich by trade, the Ehningers have made their village " the prettiest in all
Wiirttemberg."

Fraas, the geologist, has divided the inhabitants of the country into five

* Basel

Stutto:art

Height.
Feet.
930

Latitude.
48" 47'

TemperatTire (Degrees Fahr.).
Summer. January. Year.
65-3 31-2 49-4

868

47° 34'

660 33-3 50-3

WUETTEMBERG. 221

distinct groups, according to the nature of the soil upon which they dwell. These
groups are determined by the granite and triassic sandstone of the Black Forest,
the shell limestone of the lower valleys, the variegated marls in the north, the
Jurassic rocks of the Rauhe Alp, and the alluvial lands beyond the Danube. As
these formations occur at varying heights, the districts in which they pre-
dominate naturally present differences of climate ; and climate and the nature
of the soil exercise a great influence upon the occupations and customs of the
inhabitants. The woodmen of the Black Forest, living in solitary log-huts, differ
strikingly from the peasants of the plain, who cultivate wheat and the vine,
and retire after the day's labour to their comfortable villages. At the same time
this geological classification of the inhabitants is far from precise, especially
when dealing with the populous districts in the north, which have been exposed to
a great variety of influences. Xo doubt the men and beasts, the cereals and fruits,
of the marly districts are superior to those of the rest of Swabia, but this appears to
be due to the mildness of the climate and a greater intermingling of races. At all
events it is an interesting fact in the history of humanity that this central district
of WUrttemberg should have produced such men of mark in the world of thought
as were Kepler, Schiller, Schelling, and Hegel. On the other hand, there are
districts of WUrttemberg in which superstition is rife, and where ghost stories are
listened to even by men of some education. In no other part of Germany do new
religious sects gain an equal number of converts.

Tow'NS.

Htuttgart {\()7,27'\ inhabitants), though not situate on the Neckar itself, occu-
pies a most favourable position in the very centre of WUrttemberg. Its environs,
moreover, are delightful, and well deserve the epithet of " Swabian I'aradise "
which has been bestowed up^n tliem. Cannntddt (10,000 inhabitants), at the
head of the navigation of the Neckar, would perhaps have been a more favourable
site for the capital of the country, but virtually the two towns, hardly more than
a mile apart, are one, and lead a common life. No other town of Germany has
increaswl in j>opulation at a more rapid rate, for it is hardly a century since
Stuttgart harl only 20,000 inhabitants. The "old town," with its tortuous streets,
still rxjcupies tlie centre of the moflern city, but forms only a small part of it.
The number of elegant mansion.s is largf; in ('very p;ut of" the town, and amongst
the statues which ornament its public stjuares there arc several which deservedly
rank as works of art. 'J'hough not a university city, Stuttgart possesses a library
of '}00,000 volumes, a natural-history muH«Mim, a gull<Ty of j)ainlingH, and many
other collections. Music is much cultivated, and the manufacture of pianos is of
considerable importance, as is ii\m the publishing trade.

The royal park, barraeks, arnl ofh(;r i)uil(lingH extend tf» tlic nortlwiiHt of Stutt-
gart, in the <lireet,ion of ('annHtadt. That town, too, boants (»f niiiiiy Wuv. build
ingM and vIIIjim, an«i its fcrniginouH spriMgH aninially attract thousands of visitors.
Ah to LwlvyhjMljiir'j M l,7<»',> iidiahitaiithj, in the jtlaiii to tin; iiorlli of \\u- ciipilal, it

222

GEEMANY.

is merely a dependency of a royal palace, with streets intersecting each other at
right angles. Strauss, the author of the " Life of Jesus," was born there. There
are extensive barracks and otber military establishments. The agricultural
academy of Jlohenheim, to the south of Stuttgart, is perhaps the best institution of
that kind in Germany.

The Neckar, in its upper course, flows past several towns of importance.
Rottweil (4,59G inhabitants), with its turreted walls, is a town of salt works and

Fig. 127.— Stuttgart and its ENvraoNS.
Scale 1 : 135,000.

Oss^'cil

W:m:iM-&ij

S-MT

E.offf.

2 Miles.

manufactories. Though situate on the northern slope of the Jura, this ancient
free city was for more than two centuries a member of the Swiss Confederation.
Passing Ilorh (2,043 inhabitants), near which Auerbach was born, and the
picturesque old town of Bottenburg (6,155 inhabitants), we reach. Tubingen (10,450
inhabitants), the most curious city on the Upper Neckar. It owes its reputation
solely to its university, which is attended by over 1,000 students, many of Avhom
are no doubt quite as much attracted by the charms of the surrounding scenery
as by the reputation of the professors. Uhland was born at Tiibingen, and died
there.

WURTTEMBEEG.

223

Rcntlingen (15,245 inhabitants), in a side valley of the Neckar, was merely a
village of serfs in the twelfth century, but through the industry of its inhabitants
it has grown into an important town. There are tan-j-ards, shoe factories, and
printing-offices. The Gothic church of the town is looked upon as the finest
religious edifice in Wiirttemberg.

Metzingen (5,003 inhabitants) and Niirtingen (5,078 inhabitants) succeed each
other on the Neckar, whilst Klrchheim (6,197 inhabitants), at the foot of the
castle of Tecli, and Goppingen (9,532 inhabitants), known for its tan-yards and
cotton-mills, occupy lateral valleys at the foot of the Swabian Jura. Essh'ngen

Fig. 128. — View of TUbikgen.

(15,701 iuhabititntHj, lower down on the Ncckar and cIohc! to Stuttgjirt, has
machine Mhops, iron works, and othcT manufactories. The grapes grown on the
Murrouiiding liills are conv(;rt«;d info " MsMliiigcn (;hampagn(%" a mi.schicvouH
b«!V«;rag<'.

.Sov<;ral towHH of importance lie; in the valley of the Jlcms, whittli joins ihe
SccMiir opposite fiUflwigsburg, and in one of the nutMt iertile of WiirKcmherg.
If^aiUnigrii (i,];lH inliaWitantHj, near its nioiitli, in no longer tin- niosl, jxipiiIouH
town, but lunler its Italian n;ime of (llnlirllliio i(. has ae(|iiin(l ;i >^vt'n\ it|iu-
tution on account oi the warH (ariied on in Italy l»y the- eniperoi^ ol the

224 GEEMANY.

house of Waiblingen or Ilohcnstaufeii. Gmiind (12,838 inhabitants), the chief
town of the valley, engages in the manufacture of jewellery. A railway runs up
the valley as far as Aalen (5,928 inhabitants), a town of iron works.

The Ncckar, below its junction with the Rerns, flows past Marhach (2,241
inhabitants), the birthplace of Schiller, whose house has been converted into a
Schiller Museum. Near it the Murr joins the Neckar on the right, the principal
town on it being Backnang (4,923 inhabitants). Besigheim (2,441 inhabitants),
believed to be of Roman origin, is situate at the mouth of the En/, which rises in
the Black Forest. The hot springs of Wildbad (2,700 inhabitants) rise in the
main valley of the Enz, whilst Leonherg (2,231 inhabitants), the native town of
Schelling, and Weil der Stadt (1,765 inhabitants), that of Kepler, occupy side
valleys. Freudenstadt (5,237 inhabitants), farther to the south, is the only town
of Wiirttemberg which lies beyond the watershed separating the basin of the
Neckar from that of the Rhine. It was founded in the sixteenth century by
Austrian and Moravian refugees. Maulbronn, with its famous abbey, lies on the
hills between the Neckar and the Rhine. Near it are several colonies of French
refugees, who settled in the country in 1G98 and 1699.

At Laujfen (3,418 inhabitants), thus named after the rapids formed by the
Neckar, that river emerges upon the plain in which rise the houses and factories
of Heilbronn (21,208 inhabitants), the largest town of Northern Wiirttemberg.
The ancient city owes its name of " Healing Burn" to a spring over which a
church has been built. It is a busy manufacturing centre, with sugar-mills,
paper-mills, iron works, and jewellers' shops. Much of the wine produced in the
vicinity is converted into "champagne." Weinsherg (2,186 inhabitants) is near
it. Heilbronn is famous for its fine trees and flowers, and much of the produce
of its market gardens is exported. Quarries and salt works are near it, but the
most productive brine springs of Wiirttemberg are those of Hall (8,430 inhabit-
ants), in the valley of the Kocher.

Mergentheim (4,021 inhabitants), in the valley of the Tauber, which is tributary
to the Neckar, recalls the glories of the Teutonic knights, whose property
Napoleon confiscated in 1809.

CHAPTER V.

THE UPPER DAls^UBE AND THE MAIN.
(Bavaria and Danubian AVu rttembekg.)

General Aspects. — Mountains.

F all the states of Germany, Bavaria, excluding therefrom the Trans-
Rhenan Palatinate, has its boundaries drawn most in accordance
with natural features. The country presents itself as a vast quad-
rangle, bounded on the south by the limestone Alps of the Algau,
Tyrol, and Salzburg ; on the east by the Bohemian Forest ; on the
north by the Thuringian Forest ; and in the west by the Franconian and Swabian
Jura. The rivers, it is true, partly belong to the basin of the Danube, and partly
to that of the Rhine, but the passage from one basin to the other presents no
obstacles whatever. This geographical unity has greatly promoted the political con-
stitution of Bavaria. It has kept alive, too, a " particularist " Bavarian patriotism,
old customs, and traditions. There was a time when politicians dreamed of giving
to Bavaria a position analogous to that of Prussia and Austria, but that time is
past, and Bavaria has become a province, though a very important one, of the new
German Krapirc.*

Austria took care at the Congress of Vienna to secure possession of all the
great jkisscs over the Alps, and not even the rivers which discharge themselves
into the Danube alxivo Passau were wholly aNsigned to IJavaria. Austria holds
not only the whole of the valley of the Inn and Vorarlbcrg, but also the upper
valleys of the I^ech and Isar. The Fern Pass (4,025 feet), through wliich runs
the old high-rf)ad from AugMl>urg to Innsbrucrk and Italy, li<H wholly within
Austrian territory. JJavaria, however, may nevertheless boast of possessing some
veritable Alps, with glaciers, penmnial snows, lakes, and succeeding zones of
vegetation. Standing upon the Ilolie Peissenberg ('{,100 feet), un isolated cone

• linvnria to thu caul of th<; Kliinc .
I'(tlatiriat4i ....

'I'oUl

Ari'n.
Hf\. Mlli-M.

2,292

2U,2»1

ropiUatlon.
iw;7. lH7r..

4,i!»H,:}r,fi 4,:jsi,iao

lllllllll to

H<|. Milo.

\r,2

fl2«,0«« 041,261

2 SO

4,824,421

6,022,at(U

172

226

GERMANY.

rising in the micldlo of a plain, these Bavarian Alps lie spread out hefore us,
forming' a magnificent panorama. Their culminating summit, the Zugspitze
(9,099 feet), is the highest mountain within the present limits of the German
Empire.

Some of the Alpine valleys of Bavaria are noted for their picturesque scenery.

Fig. 129.— The Konigsee.
Scale 1 : 100,000.

12" 20

lJ°i2.'<'

E.of Paris

St .^t.-

i*"l+i)'

1+"|*3'

E.of G.

2 Miles.

The castle of Hohenschwangau, to the east of Fiissen, commands an extensive
view of the valley of the Lech and. of a country of moraines, now covered
with forest. The beautiful valley of Partenkirchen opens out at the foot of the
AVetterstein, and near it the AValchensee occupies a huge natural amphitheatre in
the mountains. The Tegernsee, with its villas, lies farther to the east, whilst the

BAVAEIA.

227

Xonigsee occupies a much- admired site in the midst of the mountains. This latter
is the most beautiful lake of all Germany. Its grey-green ■«\-aters reflect the snow-
capped summit of the Watzmann (8,987 feet), cascades sparkle amongst the
foliage, the forests descend in many places to the edge of the water, and villas
occupy every coin of vantage around it. The foaming rivulet which escapes
from this charming lake flows through the valley of Berchtesgaden towards Salz-
burg. There is no more delightful valley in all Bavaria than that of Berchtes-
gaden, with its brine springs and salt works, its watering-places and summer

Fig. 130. — View of the Koxigsee.

rosortH. And yot man there is phyHically most wntcliod. Subjected for ages to
the hard rule of moiik.H, the dwclbrrs in this cartliiy paradise becanio so poor that
the pr^aMants of the n«!ig}ibourhr>od refuHc-d to give their daughters in marriage to
thorn. Conwinguinoous marriages and phyHical dctcTioration were the result, and
in the district of Hcrchte^gaden one amongst every fourteen inhabitants is afllitlcd
with goitre, and fjne in a hundn-d .irid liffy in a cn'tin ! Tli<ir (iccupatioii
the curving of WinnU-u images — necr-ssitating much cftiifinciiiiiit, mmIv increaMes
theiw evils,

1 he mountainouH rtgion whi< li l»ouiidM the plaU;au i.l Havana on llw chhI., and

228 GERMANY.

separates it from Bohemia, coraraences immediately to the north of the Danube.
An inferior range of crystalline formation, and partly wooded, stretches along the
river, attaining a height of 3,000 feet, with summits rising several hundred
feet higher. This range, known as the Bavarian Forest, is separated by the
longitudinal valley of the Regen from the more elevated range usually called the
Bohemian Forest. The Arbor (4,841 feet) and Rachel (4,782 feet), the cul-
minating points of this range, rise within the Bavarian frontier. We have
already seen how formidable an obstacle this wooded region has at all times
proved to the march of armies. Only one good pass leads across it, connecting
the Bavarian town of Furth with Taus in Bohemia. Farther north the Bohemian
Forest is less elevated.

The Fichtelgebirge — "Pine Mountain" — a protuberance of granite and
gneiss pierced here and there by basalt, forms the north-eastern boundary of
Bavaria. It is by no means very elevated, but, owing to its rugged nature, its
inclement climate, sterile soil, and sparse population, has at all times proved a
serious obstacle to the free intercourse between North and South Germany. The
rivers which rise in these mountains — the Main, a tributary of the Rhine ; the
Naab, a feeder of the Danube ; and the Saale and Eister, which both flow to the
Elbe — indicate the position of the most favourable locality where they can be
crossed. This gap lies close to Bohemia, between the Ore Mountains and the
Fichtelffebirjje, and from the most remote time it has maintained its rank as an
important highway.*

The mountains which extend from the Fichtelgebirge to the westward attain
their highest elevation outside the political borders of Bavaria. Only one group
of mountains lies almost wholly -within Bavaria, viz. the Spessart, or " Wood-
pecker's Forest," culminating in the Geiersberg, or "Vulture Mountain" (2,017
feet). The Main almost encircles the Spessart before it continues its course
towards the Rhine. The climate of this mountain group is rude, its inhabitants
are poor, but the forests of beeches and oaks are magnificent, and game, including
wild boars, deer, and wild cats, is plentiful. Formerly it was haunted by
brigands.

Wide plateaux separate the basin of the Danube from that of the Main.
These plateaux are a continuation of the Swabian Jura, which towards the north-
east assumes the name of Franconian Jura. Much broader than that of Wiirttem-
berg, the Bavarian Jura is far less elevated, and it does not terminate in a range
of clifi's, as does the Rauhe Alp. It is intersected by narrow gorges, which
present great facilities for the construction of roads. Its surface is diversified by
the remains of ancient atolls, and by cavities formed by volcanic exiDlosions. The
plain of the Ries, in the centre of which stands the town of Xordlingen, is thus bounded
on all sides by hills exhibiting violently contorted strata, and its fertile soil results
from the decomposition of igneous rocks. The Bavarian Jura presents the same
geological features as the other parts of the system. It, too, abounds in fossils.
One of its upper beds furnishes the famous lithographic stones of Solenhofen, the

* The Schneeberg, 3,587 feet, is the highest summit of the Fichtelgebirge.

BAVARIA.

229

quarries, seen from afar, presenting the appearance of a glaring white town built
in the midst of a forest.* Amongst the fossils found in the strata of Solingen is
the Arcliceopteryx, an animal half bird, half reptile. The Franconian Jura abounds
in caverns, most of them yielding the bones of hyenas, bears, and other extinct
animals, and sometimes also human remains. The cavern of Gailenreuth is that
•which is best known to geologists, but thousands of others yet remain to be
explored. The entrance to these caverns is for the most part through sinks,
locally known as Schauerldchcr or Wetterlocher, and popularly supposed to have
been caused by thunderbolts.

Although the Alps occupy but a small portion of Bavaria, their debris can be

Fig. 131. — A Region of Moraines in Upper Bavaria.

Scale 1 : 300,000.

9° Eof Paris

•^ WitJehrv

Witt EofO.

■E

r, Mil.'

tracwl for nearly H'O miliJH from their nortlicrn foot, even to the other Hide
of the J)anubo. Nearly one-half of Havuriu is covered with soil resulting from llie
diHintcgration of tlic mountains. The blocks of rock, the gravel, sand, and clay
which c^jvcr the plateau of IJavariu to un unknown d(j)th can all be traced to tho
AlpH.

The plain docs not extend to tlio foot of th<! Uavarian Alps, but ih Hcparated
from tliem by u region of IuIIh, torrents, lakes, and Hwainps. These hills are
nothing but aneicait moraines wliicli the glaciers carried down on llieir liacks, nnd
deiJOMiU'd outside the valleys. Still farther to tho north, and opposite the mouths

* On un avrirago 13,100 cubic yarda of itoDo uro (|iiurrio<i urinimlly, iit ii comI of £200,000. 'I'licy hoII

230 GERMANY.

of certain valleys, erratic blocks are found in large numbers. None have hitherto
been discovered to the north of the Algau Mountains, whilst in the valley of
the Inn they extend as far as Krayburg, a village lying some 25 miles from the
actual foot of the Alps.

The pebbles, which in the plain sloping down towards the Danube are covered
with a thin layer of vegetable soil, gradually decrease in size as we travel away
from the mountains. Most of them are calcareous, and have evidently come from
the limestone Alps ; but mixed with them are found fragments of granite, gneiss,
and crystalline slate, undoubtedly derived from the more southern crystalline Alps,
which in the glacial epoch must thus have surpassed the limestone Alps in height.
Beyond the Danube the pebbles traceable to the Alps are mixed with debris
resulting from the disintegration of the Swabian Jura, and with quartz and other
flints brought thither by the torrents descending from the Bavarian Forest. In the
course of ages carbonate of lime has compacted some of these pebbles, but for the
most part they occur in loose accumulations. Engineers engaged in the con-
struction of railways found it impossible to drive tunnels through these masses of
shingle and gravel. The cuttings which had to be substituted for the tunnels are
sometimes of astonishing dimensions : one of them is no less than 105 feet in
depth, whilst a railway embankment rises to a height of 170 feet.

The beds of pebble decrease as we approach the Danube, loess, or loam, taking
their place. At the foot of the Alps only very thin layers of loess are met with in
a few localities. In the plains bordering upon the Danube the loess has a depth of
several yards, and the bones of mammoths have frequently been found in it. To
the north of the river it covers the hill-slopes to a height of 200 and even 400
feet above the plain, and its great fertility makes the country extending from
Hatisbon to the confluence with the Isar the granary of Bavaria. This district is
known as the Dunhelhoden , or " dark bottom " — a corruption of the older Dungau-
hoden ; that is, Danube valley bottom.

Lakes, Bogs, and Rivers.

Owing to the irregular configuration of the valleys through which the waste of
the mountains found its way into the plain, the deposition proceeded at a very
irregular rate. The plateau of Bavaria, far from being a plain, has an undulating
surface. Ridges of hills usually extend along both banks of the rivers, whilst
the cavities beyond these ridges are occupied by lakes or swamps. The general
slope of the land facilitates drainage, and hundreds of small lakes have already
been drained, but there still remain a large number which for extent and depth
may fairly compare with any but the largest lakes of Switzerland. The Ammer
Lake, one of the largest amongst them, has low wooded shores. The Wurmsee, or
Lake of Starnberg, is bounded by wooded hills of graceful outline, and its villages
are indebted to the vicinity of Munich for a large number of summer visitors. A
castle now occupies one of the islands, which in a former age was the site of a
lacustrine pile village. As to the Lake of Chiem, (hough larger than the others,

BAVAEIA. 231

and hence known as " Bavarian Sea," it lies wholly in the plain, and swamps and
reeds render it inaccessible in many places. Numerous erratic blocks are found near
it, and on Herrenworth, the largest of its three islands, rises an old monastery,
now converted into a brewery.*

The actual lakes of Upper Bavaria are but the remnants of ancient lakes of far
larger extent, whose position is vaguely indicated by the swamps which cover
a great part of the country. To the north of Munich bogs or mosses stretch in
narrow strips towards the Isar and the Amper, through which they discharge
their surplus waters. For a long time these swampy tracts resisted all cultivation.
The few inhabitants lived in wretched villages built on mounds rising like islands
above the swamps. They were lean and emaciated like their cattle, and led a life
of great hardship. Of late years extensive drainage works have converted many
of these bogs into fertile land, and fine villages have taken the place of miserable
hovels. Still much remains to be done before the work of amelioration has been
accomplished, and curiously enough, the immediate vicinity of the capital, owing
to these swamps, is the least-peopled portion of the whole kingdom. Fogs, one of
the most unpleasant features of the climate of Bavaria, are rendered more dense
and frequent by the humid soil. The fogs in the district known as the Danubian
" Ried" are notorious, and how prejudicial these swamps are to the health of the
inhabitants may be judged from the fact that out of every 100 conscripts of
Bavarian Swabia, 54 are found on examination to be physically unfit for service. t

The rivers rising in the Alps all resemble each other. Alternatelj' flooded by rains
or melting snow, or reduced to trickling streams, they take their course through the
accumulations of pebbles, which ofler but little resistance to their erosive action.
Hence they frequently change their beds, and whilst at one place they are confined
between steep banks, they spread elsewhere over the plain. The Lech, which has
an average width of 200 feet, is over <3,000 wide where it is joined by the Wertach,
below Augsburg. The Tsar has frequently changed its course, and appears
formrrly to have been tributary to the Inn, which it joine<l at Rosenheim. The
old channel of the; Isar can still bo traced, and is known as the " Devil's Ditch."

But though tliey wander over the pcl)bly plain, the Alpine alHuents of the Danube
nevertheless exhibit in their more general features the pervading influenco of a
law common to all. The Iller, the first Alpine torrent which joins the Danube,

• The principal kke^ '.f r.iv.irLi : —

Aititiido. Ar<i». I»rpth.

Fwt. H<|. aiilcB. I'cct.

WaUrhrmifr*! . 2,'i"i6 Gl 7<)0

Tif^inimi' . ?,I0() 3-0 305

K<itii(((wi! . I .'i«i) I'O 626

AmmiTi»«« l,7<i» U'r'i 803

Wiirniwfl (littkiiof iStanilwr^c) l.'.il.j 20-8 272

(■>iiiiiiii.!<j ),7.;j 73-4 400

t Mean U-niiKTatun! in I'pix-r Kuvuria :

Altltii/1«. Hprliiir. Hnmtn«^. Autumn. WIntrr. Your.

I'Mrt., |)«.(f P. I»«-n. f. |)i(f. !•'. |ic(f. K. \i,-K. !•'.

T«i^.ni»M<-. . 2,«00 410 {>•>■[) »J1» 21» (i 4I1

Muni, h . l,rS7'; 4-* 3 67 3 /i<'« 310 4.'. I

AiiKuJ.urK . . I,(;iO 44/i 6«1> 44"i .lOO 430

lOilinKon |,r,0.', irrf) t>T\) H •> 2\>'J 4 1/5

232

GEliMANY.

flows nearly due north ; the Lech trends towards the east ; the Isar flows to the
nortli-east; wliilst the Inn, in a portion of its course, flows due east. In fact, the
sediment deposited along the northern foot of the Alps forms a sort of glacis, or

Fig. 132. — The Danube and its Upper Affluexts.

Ej-liard

SCALE I : 6.000 000

lOO MILES

260U-3-MU Feci

mound, and the rivers which flow over it open out like the sticks of a fan. Other
causes have, however, contributed towards this easterly trend of the rivers, fore-
most amongst which is the tend-
Fig. 133. — AfGSBURG.

Scale 1 : 200,000.

B"i:So JE.of Paris

8" 15'

ency of all rivers of the northern
hemisphere to encroach upon
their right bank.

The rivers of Bavaria are by
no means formidable on account
of their volume, but their fre-
quent floods and the marshes
which line their banks render
them serious obstacles to loco-
motion : hence their importance
as strategical lines. With the
exception of the Isar, which is
inhabited on both banks by men
of the same race, the other great
rivers of Upper Bavaria — the
lUer, Lech, and Inn — have suc-
cessively become ethnological
boundaries. Most of the villages,
instead of being built upon the
banks of the river, occupy the
watersheds, and the roads, in-
stead of running through the
valleys, conduct us over the heights which separate them. Sites possessing special
advantages have exceptionally caused towns to be built on the rivers themselves.

kK-

50°!oo' E.of G

10° o5'

Erhu^

> 2 Miles.

BAYARIA.

233

Thus Auo-sburff lies at the northern extremity of the Lechfeld, a height of land
separating the Lech from the Wertach, but all the neighbouring villages occupy
the hills commanding the swampy bottoms. The inhabitants of Bavaria were
only able to approach the rivers of the country after they had "regularised"
them. As to the minor streams which rise on the plateau itself, and flow gently
towards the Danube, they have naturally attracted a considerable population,
for the valleys which they traverse are fertile.

The Danube, in the upper part of its course, is a gentle river, rising in the

Fig. 134. — BLAUBEtREjr.
Peale 1 : 220,000.

6 Miles.

niaf;k ForcHt. Ju hcad-Htroams, the Urigach and IJrcgc, rise the one to tlio north,
tho f»ther to the Moutli, of the Tryberg, a mountain within the Jtadcn bonn(hiry,
much frf(jiicnf<:d by pilgrimH. 'J'hoHo two HtrcuiMH unite at Donaucschingen, wlioro
thfry arf; n-iufoTcvA by u clear «i)ring, usually dciscribcd an the viiritablo Hourco of
the I)aiiub«r. At all eveiitH thciico to tlic l»lar;k Sea the rivor Iiuh l»ccn known as
th«! I).'irnibf! nince the legionn of Tib<rriiiH firNt H<rt foot upon its biinkN. F(»r Hoino
10 tniloM the river flown to tho Hoiith-«'ii«t, uh if about to dischargo itsolf into tho
T.uke of Coiihtanz ; and indeed u eoiiNidcrabie proporliuii of itH water lindH itH

23-i

GERMANY.

way through subterranean channels into the Rhine. The spring which gives birth
to the Aach, a tributary of the Rhine, is almost wholly fed from the Danube. In
1876 fresh fissures opened in the bed of the river, and they would have swallowed
up the whole of its water had not the neighbouring manufacturers, fearful of
losing their water-power, stopped them up.

At Immendingen, close to the Wiirttemberg frontier, the Danube turns away
to the north-east. It now flows through a gorge of the Swabian Jura, hemmed in
by cliffs 300 feet in height, but occasionally widening into secluded valley's, with
groves of birches and beeches. The rivulets which join the Danube in this part
of its course are distinguished, like all others flowing for long distances through

Fig. 13.5.— The Donau-Ried.
Scale 1 : 21.5,000.

8° 5' E of Paris

10° 25V E of G

4 Miles.

subterranean channels, for their blue transparent water. One of these tributaries,
the Blau, rises from a cavern opening at the foot of a hill near Blaubeuren, known
as the " Blue Pot," on account of the colour of the water which fills it. At Ulm
the Danube enters Bavaria, and thanks to the volume of water discharged into it
by the Alpine-born Iller, it at once becomes the great river highway of Southern
Germany. The Iller itself is navigable, and the Danube below its confluence has
a width of 210 feet, and an average depth of 3 feet. Large square barges,
known as " Schachteln," or bandboxes, at Vienna, and capable of carrying a
hundred tons of merchandise, almost daily take their departure from Neu-Ulm,
opposite the mouth of the Iller. Each of the tributary streams adds its

BAYAEIA.

235

contingent to this flotilla, which at Donauwdrth is reinforced by steamers,
^ine-tenths of the barges only descend the Danube once, for on reaching Vienna
they are broken up, to be used as fuel or timber.

In its course through Bavaria the Danube makes a wide sweep to the north,
flowing along the foot-hills of the Swabian and Franconian Jura and the Bavarian
Forest. It passes through a few rocky defiles, but for the greater part of its course
alluvial soil forms its southern bank. The river, which formerly spread out into
a lake covering the whole of the Bavarian plateau, is now represented only by the
marshy tracts known as the " Donau-Ried " and the " Donau-Moos." The lateral
branches of the Danube are gradually disappearing, man aiding the operations of
nature. Of the tributary rivers those entering on the right are by far the most

Fig. 136.— The Donw-Moos.
Scale 1 : 101,000.

8» 51'''e; oi Karii

8"ik

n-n K <f a

n- 14

II* 1-

Milec

important, not only on account of their volume, but also because of their traversing
the whole of the Bavarian plateau. The Inn, a larger stream than the Tpper
Danube, though mufh inferior to it a« an historical liighway, thus flows for more
than 100 miles over the plateau before it joins the Danube in the gorge of
I'assau. Hie Alpine tributaries of the Danube divide the whole of Upper Bavaria
into a number oflozenge-Hha|K'd nectioHH, and they exercise a consirlcrablf influence
upon the direction of the ai-rial currents. The prevailing winds blow cither from
the went or the cast, thuH following the foot of the Alps, but the secondary winds
a«ccnd or drrwrcnd the valh-yn leading up into the Alj>s.*

• AIIilii(I<-<» hI';T)(c till- If.iriinx' •— 'I"h<" ltri«i' ut Fiirtwnniffn, '2/».T'i fn-t; Uio IlrijriK-li at Vi!liii(fcn,
2,310 f«!<t, f oiifliK-nr*' (if th«' ISnjfi' and Kri^'xti. '^.'^'i'l f'<t ; iit 'lutllinKin, iiIkivc tlir u"''K'' "f •'"' J"ni,
2.106 f»««t; at Hiifmaringfrn, ht:li>w lh«! K"»'Kp. 1.777 foot; at I'Uu, l,<>3» fiit ; ut Ituliitbun, 1,010 fuet ; at
Paawin, 987 feet.

230

GEEMANY.

The Main is the principal river of Northern Bavaria. It is formed by the
junction of the Tied and White Main, both rising in the Fichtelgebirge. Of all
the rivers of Germany the Main has the most winding course, for from its source
to its mouth is only loo miles in a straight line, whilst the development of the river
amounts to more than double that distance. The Main, being a gentle river, would
form a valuable water highway if its volume were more considerable, and its course
less circuitous. It is not navigable in summer, and its traffic is almost entirely
local. As an historical high-road, connecting the basin of the Danube with the
valley of the Rhine, the Main, with its principal tributary, the Rcgnitz, is of

Pig. 137. — The Swabian Eezat and the " Fossa Cakolina."

Scale 1 : 204,000.

8° 55' E.of Pans

10*55- E.ofG-.

11* 5'

2 Aliles.

paramount importance. Far from being separated by elevated mountains, two
rivulets — the one tributary to the Main, the other to the Danube — actually rise in
a swamp occupying a plain formed by the denuding action of water. One of
these, the Swabian Rezat, flows north into the Regnitz, the other south into
the Altmiihl, a tributary of the Danube. Charlemagne already conceived the
idea of connecting both river systems at that spot by a canal. A trench (Fossa
Carolina) and the village of Graben ("Canal") prove that the work of excavation
had actually been begun. The existing canal has been excavated farther to the
east. It follows the main valley of the Regnitz, crossing the watershed at

BAVARIA. 237

K'euraarkt, 1,443 feet above the level of the sea. Though one of the most
important canals of Germany, it cannot compete with the railways which run
along it, and its traffic decreases from year to year. The plateau to the east of
TTeissenburg (see Fig. 1-37) is crossed by a wall constructed by the Romans, which
extends thence to the Taunus and the Rhine near Mayence. This wall is known
as the Pfahlmauer or Teufehmauer (Palisade or Devil's Wall).

Inhabitants.

There can be no doubt that Bavaria was inhabited formerly by a race different
from its present inhabitants. Gauls lived in the country, as well as other tribes,
whose memory survives only in the names of a few localities. The old graves
near the Lake of Stamberg contain the skeletons of Alemanni and Franks, whose
skulls differ from those of the modern Bavarians. Here, as all over Europe, race
has struggled against race, until one of them issued victoriously.

The ancient Bavarians — Boiovari or Baiouvari — who have given their name to
the country, appear to have settled in it about the sixth century. But whence
did they come ? They are certainly not to be confounded with the Boii.
Probably they were of the same race as the Marcomanni of Bohemia, whose name
disappeared about the epoch when the Boiovari are first mentioned. It was the
Bavarians who sustained the attacks of Avars, Croats, and Servians, and who
repeopled Styria and Lower Austria, which the.se invaders had devastated. On
the west the Bavarians do not extend beyond the Lech, which separates them
from the Swabians.

Those Swabians of Western Bavaria hardly number half a million souls. The
Alemanni, who are confined to the upper valley of the lUer, hence known as
Algau, are less numerous still. The Franks, on the other hand, occupy nearly the
whole of Northern liuvaria. They are brink and supple, gay and spirited, and
fought bravely for their liberties during the Peasants' War of 1024. The Swabians
are more sedate and reflective. The inhabitants of Ijower Bavaria, between
RatJMbon and Pasnau, have intelligent features and (juickness of perception, but
their pufwions are easily rou.sed, and tliey resort only too often to the use of the
knife. As to the dwellers on the plateau, they can lay no claim to good looks or
manners, and arc well aware of this fact, for in one of their songs they describe
thfjmselveH as " regular lioors." Fair hair and blue eyes pnjdoininato in the
north of Bavaria, chestnut hair and brown eyes on the ])anul)e and in the districts
of the Lech and Isur.

German alone is now upoken within the boundaries of iJavaria, the Latin
idiom, which formerly prevailed in Hf)me Alpine valleys, having been extinct since
the ninth century. Th<; dialect spokcai in tlio greater part of the country diflers
yiry much not only from IFif^'h (icnnaii, but also from the Alemannic diahicts of
Swabia, Switzerland, and AIhucc. TIh! IJavarian dialect is less flexible thiin Higli
German, and not w.^ rich in worfls. It in deficMont in pronouns, pn-poMilionH, and
c^mjunctionM. Kritinr HyllabjrM and h-ftcrM, notably the / and the /•, are suppressed.

238 GEBMANY.

The pronunciation is far less distinct than in Northern Germany. The transition
from Bavarian to Swabian is very abrupt, but in the north the change takes place
gradually, and the patois spoken near the frontier does not much differ from High
German.

Education is progressing, but of all the countries of Germany Bavaria is
the most backward in that respect. Old customs maintain their ground more
firmly than elsewhere, for the population is almost wholly agricultural, nearly six-
sevenths of the inhabitants living in villages or isolated homesteads. The
Bavarian is a stay-at-home, he travels little, and furnishes but a small contingent
to the host of emigrants who annually leave Germany.* Commerce and industry
are not sufficiently developed to attract immigrants, and the number of populous
towns is small.

About three-fourths of the inhabitants are Roman Catholics. Protestants are
numerous in the district extending from Niirnberg to the Swabian plateau, and
many Jews have established themselves amongst them. In districts like that
around Nordlingen Catholics and Protestants can frequently be distinguished by
their dress, the former preferring bright, the latter sombre colours. A Catholic
will thus ornament his hat with a yellow or green ribbon, whilst a Protestant is
content to wear a black one. The decorations of the houses in the Bavarian
highlands recall the fact of our being in a strictly Catholic country. A small
basin with holy water is fastened near the door ; a crucifix occupies a sort of
household altar ; the initials of the names of the Three Holy Kings — C '-f^ M "t" B
— are written upon the wall ; and a paper dove, representing the Holy Ghost, is
suspended from the ceiling.

The old Passion Plays still survive in the Swabian and Alemannic districts of
Bavaria. In the village of Ober-Ammergau, close to the Tyrol, these " mysteries "
are performed once every ten years, more than four hundred actors taking part in
them. The young man who plays the character of Christ is exempted from military
service, so that nothing may interfere with his " study." The other actors, too,
identify themselves with their parts, and the entire performance impresses by its
realism. The villagers of the whole of Upper Bavaria are very fond of theatricals,
and until quite recently they not only performed religious mysteries, but also
mediaeval secular pieces and pantomimes, and even modern dramas adapted by
some local poet. Government, instead of encouraging these dramatic representa-
tions, set its face against them, and the priests in many villages confiscated the
theatrical properties, and burnt them as " accursed objects."

To^\'NS.

WuRTTEMBERG.^ — There are several towns in the upper valley of the Danube
which belong to Wiirttemberg, and not to Bavaria. Tuttlingen (7,231 inhabitants)
rises on the Danube, where that river is a mere rivulet, but several important

* Birthplaces of the inhabitants (1875) :— Bavaria, 4.906,000, or 97-7 per cent.; other parts of
Germany. 63,000, or IS per cent. ; foreign countries, 53,000.

BAVAETA,

239

high-roads pass through, including the one which connects the Upper Neckar with
Schaffhausen and the Lake of Constanz. Ebingen (5,605 inhabitants), a small
manufacturing town, lies in the centre of the Jura, at the head of a stream which
joins the Danube above Sigmaringen (3,729 inhabitants), the cheerful capital of
the principality of Hohenzollern.

Ulm (30,222 inhabitants) is the largest town of Danubian Wiirttemberg, but
its suburb on the left bank of the Danube, Neu-Ulm (6,930 inhabitants), belongs
to Bavaria. The Danube here first becomes navigable. The strategical importance
of Ulm is very considerable, and it is defended by formidable fortifications. The
citadel occupies the very site where the Austrian General Mack, after the battle
of Elchingen, surrendered to Marshal Xey (1805). From the fourteenth to the

Fig. 138. — E>;tka>-ce to the Pokt of Lindac.

seventeenth century Ulm was a flourishing city, and it was during that time of
prosperity that the Gothic cathedral wu« built, one of the greatest architectural
achiovcmont.Hof Germans. The tower, as originally planned, was to rise to a height
of 400 foot, but has not yet been completed.

One of the railways radiating from Ulm takes us to tho Wiirttcniberg town of
ILulcnhciin (5,677 inhabitants), where there are woollen-mill.s and bleaching
ground^. The principal lirif;, how«;v(T, connects Ulm with the Lake of CoiiNtanz.
It takes us pu«t the old town of Jt'ltrrmk (7,376 inhabitants), the birthplace of
Wielund. At Sr/iuMHenrirfi (1,360 inhaljitants), fartlKir on, prehistoric weapons,
with the \)ouiiH of the reiiirjeer and othr-r animaln, have beiin disciovered in the
pf«it bogs. Jiacfmhnry (9,078 inhuljitantsj, with its pictures(juo towers, lies
likewise on the rood to the lake. Vineyards surround it, as well as one of its

240 GERMAXY.

neighbours, appropriately called Weingarten (5,188 inhabitants). Friedrichsliafen
(2,908 inhabitants) is the Wiirttemberg port on the Lake of Constanz. It is not a
large place, but exports great quantities of corn and other produce to Switzerland.
The first steamer on the Bodensee left this port in 1824.

Bavaria, too, has a port on the Lake of Constanz ; not an artificial one, like
that of Friedrichshafen, but one well protected by nature, and probably identical
W'ith the receptacuhim of Tiberius. Linilau (5,124 inhabitants) is undoubtedly a
very ancient city. Built upon two islands joined to the mainland by a wooden
bridge and a railway embankment 1,970 feet in length, this Swabian Venice
not only exports large quantities of corn, but also manufactures silk. The town
affords a magnificent panorama of the Alps, and is much frequented by strangers.

The railway which connects Lindau with Augsburg has had to be accommodated
to the political boundaries of Bavaria, for the configuration of the ground would
certainly have admitted of the construction of a more direct line. It crosses the
watershed between the Danube and the Rhine at an elevation of 2,598 feet. It
passes Kempten (12,377 inhabitants), a busy manufacturing town in the upper
valley of the Iller, with saw and paper mills and woollen factories. This town —
the ancient Campomidum — is the most important in the mountainous portion of
Bavaria. Memmingen (7,762 inhabitants), a few miles to the east of the Iller, in
the midst of hop gardens, formerly surpassed it in wealth and population. Knuf-
beuren (5,553 inhabitants), on the Wertach, the principal affluent of the Lech, is
an old imperial free city.

The towns along the Danube present remarkable contrasts. Those in the west
are for the most part built on the left bank, whilst those below Ratisbon occupy
the right. The nature of the soil amply accoixnts for this feature. On the
Upper Danube the right bank is swampy, and the country is intersected by the
ever-shifting torrential rivers flowing down from the Alps, Peasants, monks,
lords, and soldiers, they all preferred to establish themselves on the more solid
ground offered by the lower terraces of the Jura. At Ratisbon, on the other
hand, the Bavarian Forest approaches close to the river, leaving no room for the
construction of towns, and the inhabitants preferred to settle in the more fertile
plain extending from the river to the Alps.

Dillingen (5,029 inhabitants) is the first Bavarian town which we reach below
Neu-Ulm and Giinzburg (3,808 inhabitants). It was the seat of a university
until 1804, and is frequently referred to in military history. Hochstddt and
BUndlieim (Blenheim) are villages in the neighbourhood, rendered famous on
account of the victory achieved by the Duke of Marlborough and Prince
Eugene in 1704. This portion of the Danublan valley has suffered a great deal
in time of war, for an army desirous of avoiding Ulm can cross the Danube here,
and, by occupying both banks, command the roads leading into the valley of the
jS^eckar, to the plains of Frauconia, or to Augsburg and Munich. Donaunorth
(3,758 inhabitants), at the confluence of the Danube and "Wernitz, is another
important strategical position. The old abbey of Kaisheim, near it, has been
converted into a penitentiary. In the valley of the Wernitz, which rises in

BAVARIA. 241

Franconia, to the north of Dinkehhuhl (5,113 inhabitants), there lies another
city famous in the annals of war. This is NonJlingen (7,223 inhabitants), still
quite mediaeval in its aspect. Situated in the fertile plain of the Ries, this
town commands the roads which separate the Swabian Jura from the hills of
Franconia.

An accumulation of gravel and the errant course of the Lech have prevented
the foundation of a city at the exact spot where that river enters the Danube, but
some distance up the Lech there stands one of the great historical cities of Europe.
This is Augsburg '^57,213 inhabitants), the ancient Augusta Vindelicorum. The
town occupies a ridge commanding the Lech and its affluent the ^Vertach.
Several old Roman roads, now partly superseded by railways, converge upon it.
The most important of these old roads followed the vallej' of the Lech up to the
Fern Pass, which it crossed into the valley of the Inn. Another road, for centuries
known as the " Salzstrasse," led to Salzburg and the salt works near it. It was
beneath the walls of Augsburg that the united strength of all Germany put a stop
to the incursions of the Magyars, who fled back to the plains of the Carpathians,
which they have not quitted since.

Augsburg, however, is glorious rather on account of the triumphs it achieved
in the arts of peace than because of its military history. As early as 1368 the
trade guilds had sufficient power to upset the government of the patricians, and
from that time dates the prosperity of the Swabian city. In 1372 the citizens
repulsed a Bavarian army, and for more than a century and a half afterwards they
maintained their independence. Augsburg, being in alliance with the Italian
republics, carried on commerce with the Mediterranean countries, and, as a member
of the Confederation of Swabian towns, it exercised much influence in Germany.
At the beginning of the sixteenth century the merchants of Augsburg extended
their commercial operations as far as India. In 1027 a banker named AVelscr .sent
an army of rjtWjuUUuloreii to Venezuela, which had been mortgaged to him by the
Emperor. Tlic Fuggers of Augsburg were the Rothschilds of their time, and
furnished Charhs V. with the sinews of war. In lol!> a member of this family
built a working men's quarter, known as the " Fuggery," and imitated by our
mrxlem philanthropists. It was at Augsburg in lO'JO that the Lutherans presented
their " Confession of Faith " to the Emperor Charles V. Rut when Augsburg
was deprived of its pojjular govennnent it decayed rapidly, and during the Thirty
Years' War its po[»iilation dwindled down to 1(J,00() .souIh.

Augsburg does not boast many niediii-val buildings, but possesses several
remarkable edifices of the R(!naiHHan(:e. Many streets and public palaces retain the
chara<;t<.'r of that ep<K;h. The cathedral is a more ancient struc'ture, raised on
Roman foundations, with famous stained windows and brazen doors, said tf» bo as
old as the eleventh century. Several privatf? houses aro ornamented with frescoes,
and the public picture gallcrv is rich in j)aiiitiii^'H illustrating the liistory <)f
German art.

Augil)urg }i«H slowly njcovered fniiu its decay, but it will lufvcr iijrain rini! to
its former imjiortance uh n commercial and hanking centre. Its capitaliHts,
HO

242

GERMANY.

however, have established cotton-mills and other manufactories not only in
that city, but also in other parts of Bavaria. The present population, if we
include that of the suburbs and of Lcchhausen (0,724 inhabitants), is probably
as numerous as during the most prosperous time of the city. Augsburg slowly
shifts its ground, for whilst ancient quarters in the east of the town have been
deserted, new ones have sprung up in the west, outside the old town walls. The
fertile Lechfeld extends between the Lech and the Wertach, to the south of the
city.

Neuburg (7,291 inhabitants) is the first town on the Danube below the mouth
of the Lech. The town is favourably situated at the head of the great " Moss,"
now converted into productive fields (see Fig. 136). Ingohtadt (14,485 inhabit-
ants) lies below this swampy track, almost in the centre of the kingdom, and
half-way between Munich and Niirnberg. It is the strongest fortress of Southern
Germany. At Ingolstadt the Jesuits founded their first college in Germany, and

Fig. 139.— Ratisbon (Regensburg).
Scale 1 : leaOOO.

•2 Miles.

the university, another bulwark of the Catholics, was attended, towards the close
of the sixteenth century, by 4,000 students.

The Danube, before it efiects its junction with the Altmuhl, traverses a narrow
gorge, or Iron Gate, which the Romans fortified . against the Marcoraanni.
Their entrenchments can still be easily traced, and are known as Heidenmauern.
The hill rising above Kelhehn (2,838 inhabitants), at the mouth of the Altmiihl,
is surmounted by a temple erected by Ludwig I. in commemoration of the German
War of Liberation (1813 — 15). Eichsiddt (7,136 inhabitants) is the only town in
the valley of the Altmuhl. The famous quarries of Solenhofen lie higher up,
above the village of Pappenheim (1,718 inhabitants).

Ratisbon (Regensburg, 38,271 inhabitants), Radaspona of the Celts, occupies
a position on the Danube analogous to that of Orleans on the Loire; but it
possesses the additional advantage of several tributary valleys converging upon it.
The Regen, to which the town is indebted for its German name, here joins the
Danube, and by following it we reach the only practicable pass leading into Bohemia.

n
«

ST.

7^9-^

BAVAEIA.

243

The Naab, which flows into the Danube a short distance above the town, leads up
to the pass between the Fichtelgebirge and the Bohemian Forest. The Altmiihl,
higher up, affords an easy road into the vallej'S of the Xeckar and the Lower ^Xlain,
whilst the plain stretching to the southward presents no difficulties to a traveller
proposing to penetrate the Alpine valleys of the Isar or Inn. Add to this that
the Danube at Ratisbon is navigable throughout the year for vessels of considerable
burden, and it must be conceded that that town enjoys peculiar facilities of
communication. This advantage has been recognised from the most remote time,

Fi". 140. — The Walhaila.

■ la^ Hi HI. n

and numcTOUR (^avc-liillH have been discovered along the great nuturul higli-road
which extends towardn the north-went, in the direction of the Ilegnit/. Tliis higli-
way haw Ixjon known Hinco the duyw of Charlemagne as the " Iload of Iron."

The Romans called Itati«l)on Cantra Jinjiiui, and made it their hiad-(iuarter8
on tlie UpiHT l)amil)o, f/'harlemagne converted it into a bulwark oi liin empire,
and the town waw alwuyM u favourite; plare »)f rfMiflrncc- of the German cMipc.-rors.
Kver «in(^ 887 Itatinbon Iuih been a " m<'<!f ing-plae(! of tradrrn, a Htaph; of gold
and silver, linen and Mcurlet cloth, and a buny port." In the time of the Crutiudo»

244

GERMANY.

the vessels of Ratisbon held the same rank on the Danube as did those of Genoa
and Venice on the Mediterranean. Commerce enriched the town, whose
merchants frequented every fair of Europe, and established factories in Asia
Minor. The prosperity of Ratisbon aroused the jealousy of Vienna, and of
other towns below, and when the Turks closed the mouth of the Danube and the
Black Sea against commerce it decayed rapidly. Ratisbon had to suffer, moreover,
from military events which took place in its neighbourhood, and more especially
during the Austrian retreat after the battle of Eggmiihl, or Eckmiihl, in 1809.
But it is surprising, notwithstanding, that a city which for a century and a half
was the seat of the Diet of the empire, and which occupies so favourable a

Fig. 141. — Passav.
Scale 1 : 70,000.

, u- 3- E. Of Paris

13* S3' E.of G^

iMUe.

geographical position, should not be more populous. Had Ratisbon been chosen
the capital of Bavaria, it would no doubt have grown into a large town. Don Juan
of Austria, the hero of Lepanto, was born at Ratisbon, and Kepler died there.

Whether seen from one of the islands of the Danube or from the suburb of
Stadtamhof, Ratisbon must be admitted to be one of the most picturesque towns of
Europe. Its gable-roofed houses, watch-towers, and walls are quite mediaeval in
their aspect. The Dom, begun in 1275 and completed in 1634, is perhaps the
finest edifice of that kind in all Germany. On a hill to the west of the town rises
the famous Walhalla, a sumptuous imitation of the Parthenon, built by King
Ludwig of Bavaria as a temple of glory of Germany's great men.

Amberg (13,380 inhabitants), the old capital of the Upper Palatinate (Ober-

BAVAEIA. 245

Pfalz), is the only town of importance in the valley of the Naab. The banks of
the Danube are more densely peopled than that valley. Straubing (11,590 inha-
bitants), the native town of Frannhofer, and an important corn market, rises on the
right bank. Deggendorf (6,744 inhabitants), on the opposite bank, is the principal
market-place resorted to by the inhabitants of the Bavarian Forest. It lies nearly
opposite the mouth of the Isar, a torrential river which frequently overflows its
banks. The turgid floods of the Inn join the transparent water lower down, and
a town of historical importance has arisen on the peninsula formed by the con-
fluence of the two rivers. A second river, the Ilz, joins the Danube from the
north. On the spot now occupied by the German city of Passau stood the Batata
Cadra of the Romans, whilst the suburb of Innstadt marks the site of the Celtic
town of Boiodurum. Passau, ever since the eighth century, has been a bulwark
of Christianity against Avars and Turks. It was the Bishops of Passau who
founded churches and villages along the banks of the Danube as far as Hungary,
but their residence never attained the commercial importance of either Hatisbon
or 2siirnberg. Even had a freer development been possible under the somewhat
severe rules of these bishops, the paucity of population in the hilly country around
the town must have stunted its growth. Passau is a frontier town between Bavaria
and Austria.

Mu)iicli, or Munchen (212,376 inhabitants), the capital of the country, occupies a
site which can hardly be said to possess any natural advantages. The underground
channels of the Isar produce dampness, extensive swamps occupy a portion of the
neighbouring plain, and no part of that plain is ferlilo. Tlie river which flows
past Munich is hardly more than a torrent, only fit to float timber ; the climate is
rude and humid ; and the monotony of the surrounding country is relieved only by
a distant view of the Alf)s and a few patches of forest. Any other site selected for
a capital on the plateau of Bavaria would have answered as well, for the existing
town owes no facilities of access to natural higliways. The ca})rice of Duke Henry
the Lion in 1106 converted a small village into the capital of the country, and the
merchants of Southern Germany soon frntiul their way to the nascent city. Still
its population increased slowly. In lo80 it only hud 20,000 inhabitants, in 1801
40,000, but since that time the facilities of access presented by railways have
caused it to rise rapidly, and it has become one of tlie most populous towns of
(iermany, and its leading corn mart. It is also one of those cities wliich attract a
large number of visitors, desirous of inspecting its museums and galleries.

Ludwig I. and his Hf»n Maximilian have converted ^lunicii into u sort ol'
architectural muscrum, wImtc buihlings representing all styles and ages can be seen.
In the new quartern of the town we can study the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian
orders. An Italian basilica, in tlie stylo of the sixth century, rises near the;
" I'ropylica," erected to conimeniorate Ilelhinic independence. An imitation ol
Con«tantine'« Arch terininatcH one of the wide avenu(w in the norlhein piirl ol' llie
town. A Gothic hieeple riw!H in the suburb of Au. Thc! new Uoyal ralace ritcalls
that of I'itti iit Florence, wliiint tin; neighbouring gallery reminds us of the
Loggia dci Lanzi. Numerous buildings have been creeled in u compo^it(! style,

246

GEEMANY.

blending the forms of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Of statues in marble
and bronze there is a fair supply, the most colossal amongst them being the
"Bavaria" on the Theresien-Wiese, outside the town.

The painter's brush has been made tributary to the embellishment of Munich no
less than the sculptor's chisel, and historical and allegorical fresco paintings ornament
the arcades bounding the royal park and other buildings. The inscriptions placed
upon some of the monuments by King Ludwig himself are not always appropriate,
and in some instances they are altogether unintelligible. As a whole the royal
buildings of Munich look almost like stage decorations, and leave the beholder
cold. They are neither German nor Bavarian in their character, and far prefer-

Fig. 142. — Munich.
Scale 1 : 125,000.

5 Miles.

able to them are the Church of our Lady, erected in the fifteenth century, and the
modern Town-hall.

Munich is exceedingly rich in art collections. The " Old Pinakothek " ranks
next to the Gallery of Dresden as a collection of paintings, and includes master-
pieces of all schools. The "New Pinakothek" contains paintings by modern
masters. The Glyptothek is a gallery of sculpture. A national museum, similar
in its scope to that of South Kensington, abounds in weapons, textile fabrics,
ivories, and other works of art of every age. The Academy of Art of Munich is
the most famous of Germany. The university is attended by 1,300, the technical
high school by 1,100 students, and there exist numerous scientific societies. The
Royal Library numbers 800,000 volumes. The Observatory, at Bogenhausen,
to the east of the Isar, is furnished with excellent instruments by Fraunhofer.

BAVAEIA.

247

Munich has hecome an important centre of industry. Iron and brass castings,
bronzes, mathematical and scientific instruments are manufactured there. The
publishing trade, too, is an active one, and the number of periodicals, especially
of Catholic ones, is very large, for Munich is the head- quarters of the Ultramon-
tanes in Southern Germany.* But far more important than either of the above
branches of industry are the breweries, and the drinking-halls attached to them
attract more visitors on holidays than do the shaded walks of the " English
Garden " on the Isar, or the park of ^yniphenburg (1,788 inhabitants), the
Bavarian Versailles, t

In summer the charming lakes at the foot of the Alps are much frequented
by the inhabitants of Munich. Partenkirche)i, in the upper valley of the Loisach,
BerchteHgaden (1,816 inhabitants), Reichenhall (3,302 inhabitants), and other

Fig. 143. — The Aqveduct of Eeichenhall.
Scale 1 : 670,000.

\0° E of Paris

,10° 30'

47°

R^er

Keim i^y.

11 Teisendorf

Laufen( ^

47°

50'

f /

-v^

bs.

".0'

V Neubevern

r> / /

v,^

^eichenhall C^

47*

40*

V^rchtes^adcn/

47°

'10*

I2'20* EolG

I ^ . 1.

|?»"-,0'

10 MlIfH.

watori rig-places in the vicinity of Salzburg and at the foot of the Untcrsbcrg,
whose quarries have supplied most of the stone for the large buildings of ^lunich,
are favourite rosf^rts. Ileichenhall, owing to tlio abundance and efficacy of its
wat<;rs, HOfs most visitors. The springs of fliat " Hall " — a name by which all brino
springs were known to the ancient ('eltic inhabitants of Gcirniany — are fed by
watiT which percf)latC8 through the saliferous strata worked at Herchtesgadiin and
at Ilallein. An aqueduct, constructed in IHl 7, conveys the brine of Rciciicnhall
to Traumtrin (\,U;V, inhabitants), and thence to /{oxru/irim (7, 50 1 iiihabitanfs),
tlio J'onii (J£ni of the Jtomans, on tlu; Inn. This afjueduct has u total length of
00 miles.

In 1870, 23S r'atholir p'-ri'xlirnlM, hnvin^f 1,010,000 Hiilmciihcrft, wcro ])iil>liM)ic<l tliroii^liuut
ii'-Tmnny. Of th«!W! t,\, liuvin(f .'{80,000 nubwrilMTm, iiii|Mrtn'<l in IJnvaria.

t In 1876 th«! 20 brfw«ri<»i of .Mnriidi \iriAtutt\ 2.'),7t)?,0(iS j^ulInfiM of bci t, of an iMlifimtiil vuliic of
£1,200,280; 1,IH;,/J00 ((.illonN witx <x|>orto(l, /;,'i|,:i'»0 KulloriH itniioiOfl ; iin<l tluiro wi^o Uium loimuiinjil
in the town n«;arly 120 galloim \,i-r IkikI nnnunlly, or 2 0 piiitH daily !

248 GEEMANY.

The only important towns on the Isar below Munich are Fremng (8,2'53
inhabitants) and Landshut (14,780 inhabitants). The former, an old episcopal
see, has a Byzantine church of the twelfth century. Landshut, though of more
modern origin, is a hirger city, remarkable, moreover, for its architectural features.
The Gothic church of St. Martin has a steeple nearly 460 feet in height. On a
neighbouring hill rises the castle of Trausnitz, the birthplace of Conradin, the
last of the Hohenstaufen.

Niirnbcrg (Nuremberg, 94,878 inhabitants) holds as prominent a position in
Franconia as does Munich in Bavaria proper. Niirnberg lies on the Pegnitz, a
small river tributary to the Regnitz. The names of these rivers prove that the
country was formerly peopled by Slavs. But in 1050, when the Cast rum
Norenberc is first mentioned in history, these Slavs, or Wends, lived under the
protection of a fortress built by Germans. The tomb of St. Sebaldus attracted
many pilgrims to the town, and Niirnberg very quickly became one of the most
important commercial cities of Germany. The old high-road from the Rhine to
Italy led through it, and thence to Augsburg and up the Lech. Another road
connected Niirnberg with Thuringia and Northern Germany, and so extensive had
the commercial relations of the Franconian city become that a contemporary
proverb said, " Niirnberg's hand is seen in every land."

Though situated in a sandy plain at a distance of several miles from the
wooded hills, Niirnberg, with its old castle, its towers and walls, has an appearance
of imposing grandeur. Of all the large towns of Germany it presents us with the
best picture of what an " imperial free city " used to be in the Middle Ages. The
old gates and city walls, and the castle in which the emperors used to take up
their residence, have now partly fallen, and the ditches have been planted with
trees, suburbs and market gardens extending far beyond them. Houses with gable-
ends and oriel windows abound in the sinuous streets, and beautiful fountains
ornament the open places. The Gothic church of St. Lawrence is fiimous on
account of its large rose-window, whilst that of St. Sebaldus, the patron saint of
the city, has a Byzantine choir. The churches and public buildings have been
ornamented by Adam Krafft, Veit Stoss, and Peter Vischer, the great masters of
the German Renaissance.

Niirnberg has very appropriately been chosen as the city in which to establish
the " Germanic Museum," founded in 1852 by Baron Aufsess. Its collections
are displayed in an old monastery, and they enable us to obtain a very clear
insight into the public and private life of mediaeval Germany. The town-hall
contains paintings by Albert Diirer, the most famous amongst the sons of Niirn-
berg, which was also the birthplace of Wohlgemuth the painter, Hans Sachs the
poet, and Martin Behaim the traveller.

On the conclusion of the Thirty Years' War Niirnberg found itself reduced to a
position of impotence. At the beginning of the nineteenth century it only had
2G,000 inhabitants. A revival has, however, taken place ; Niirnherger Witz*
proverbial during the Middle Ages, is once more exercising itself; and the manu-

• Numberg ingenuity.

BAVAfilA. 249

factories of the town and its suburbs are the most important of Bavaria. Glass,
mirrors, metal work, chemical products, locomotives, and machinery are produced in
them. Fiirth (27,360 inhabitants), a few miles to the west, is a manufacturing suburb
of Xiirnberg, whilst Stein, a neighbouring village, boasts of possessing the largest
pencil manufactory of the world. Six railways converge upon Niirnberg, and
amongst the articles exported are the wooden toys manufactured in the villages of
Franconia.

The basin of the Regnitz has a dense population. Weissenhurg am Sand
(5,019 inhabitants), on the Swabian Rezat, has breweries ; and Ansbach (13,299
inhabitants), on the Franconian Eezat, is the old capital of the Margraves and the
birthplace of Platen, the poet. The old town of Schicahach (7,024 inhabitants)
rises on the Regnitz, above Fiirth ; it afforded shelter to many French refugees
after the revocation of the Edict of Xantes. Erlangen (13,597 inhabitants), lower
down, in a sandy plain covered with forests, owes most of its industries to French
immigrants, who introduced the manufacture of gloves, stockings, and leather. It
is the seat of a Protestant university, founded in 1743. Lower down still, on the
Pegnitz, rise the old walls of Forchheim (3,847 inhabitants), one of the places of
residence of Charlemagne. Bamberg (26,951 inhabitants), a famous old city,
crowns five hills at the confluence of the Regnitz with the Main. Amongst its
many churches the Byzantine cathedral, founded in the beginning of the eleventh
century by the Emperor Henry III., is the most famous. It contains the sarco-
phagus of Henry II. and his wife Kunegunda. The library is rich in precious
manuscripts, amongst which is a Bible copied by Alcuin for the use of Charle-
magne. Bamberg was formerly looked upon as the " umbilical city " of the
empire, and its position at the fork of the roads which hence lead to Frankfort,
Leipzig, and Xiirnberg is a favourable one for commercial purposes. It exports
large quantities of fruit and vegetables grown in the neighbourhood.

Baijreuth (18,009 inhabitants), on the Red Main, rivals Bamberg b}* its popu-
lation and industry. Formerly the residence of the Margraves of Brandenburg, it
succeeded its neighbour Knhnhach (5,271 inhabitants) as the capital of Upper
Franwjnia. On a hill to the north of the town stands Wagner's Xational Opera
House. The town holds a jxjsition in the history of letters, for Jean Paul Richter,
a native of WunnieAel (3,784 inhabitants), in the Fichtelgcbirge, lived and died
there. The painter Lucas Cranacli wan a native of Krnmirh (3,685 inhabitants), a
village in a valley of the Thuringian Forest. Liclttnifrh (2,359 inhabitants), on
the Main, is known for the baskets it exports.

Silitceinfurt (11,231 inhabitants) is the first large town on the Main below its
confluence with the Regnitz. This ancient free city, the liirthplaco of Ruckert,
manufacture*! sugar, carjwlH, unrl colours The name evidently signifies "swine's
forfl," but the inhabitants insist upon its l)eing a corrujjtion of "Swabian ford."
h lining/ n (3,471 inhabitantu), a favourite watering-place, lies to the north-west of
.S<jhweinfurt, on the Franconian Saab;.

Continuing our journey flown the Main, we piisH Kitziiigcn (6,393 inha])itiint8),
a t^jwn of brewerie-*, and Or/iMni/iirt ("Oxford,' 2,113 inhabitants), the etymology

250 GERMANY.

of which presents no difficulty, and reach Wiirzhurg (44,975 inhabitants), the
largest city of Franconia, and one of the oldest. Its appearance is very picturesque,
the four towers of the Byzantine cathedral, the Gothic spire of St. Mary, and the
grey belfry of St. Burkard rising above the ramparts which surround it. There is
a sumptuous episcopal palace surrounded by gardens ; but the building which con-
stitutes the real glory of Wiirzburg is its university, founded in 1582, and much
frequented by students of medicine, attracted thither by a model hospital, a
valuable anatomical museum, and capital laboratories. Wiirzburg has machine
shops and various factories. The wine grown in the vicinity, and especially on the
hill crowned by the citadel of Marienburg, enjoys a high reputation. It is known
as " Leistenwein " and " Steinwein," and is sold in curiously shaped bottles called
boxheuteh. Walter of the Yogelweide, the most famous of the Minnesingers, died
at Wiirzburg. In accordance with his last will and testament, crumbs of bread
are still scattered every morning over his grave for the birds to feed upon.

Aschaffenhurg (13,479 inhabitants) is the last Bavarian town on the Main. It
lies out in the plain, and, like Frankfort, belongs geographically to the region of
the Rhine, and for centuries it was a summer residence of the Archbishops of
Mayence, whose old castle is the most remarkable building of the town. As to
Rothenburg (5,241 inhabitants), on the Tauber, a southern affluent of the Main, it
ought to have been assigned to AYiirttemberg rather than to Bavaria. This town
has thoroughly preserved its mediaeval aspect. Quarries of granite, limestone, and
sandstone are numerous in its neighbourhood.

^q/ (18,122 inhabitants), an important manufacturing town, with cotton-mills
and other factories, lies in the basin of the Elbe. The manufacturing districts of
Saxony and Northern Bohemia extend thence along both slopes of the Ore
Mountains.

CHAPTER YI.

THURIXGIA AND THE HARZ.
(Hesse-Cassei, THrRiNoiA, ERFtHT, SorTHERx Haxoter, axd Brckswick.)*

General Aspects, Mountains, and Rivers.

HAT portion of Germany which separates the south from the north,
§1 the basin of the Danube from those of the AVeser and Elbe, forms

^ a distinct region, historically and geographically. Though abound-
ing in easy passes, it has for ages formed a world apart, around
which political and social life has had a development of its own.
As a barrier of separation between north and south, Thuringia proved all the
more eflRcacious, as the mountains of Bohemia advance there like a bastion far
towards the west. In Europe the tendency of migratory tribes has always been
to follow the path of the sun, and hence they passed either to the north or
south of Thuringia, without interfering with the tribes who had settled in its
valleys. <^)wing to the great diversity of the country, and its many river basins,
these tribes grouped themselves into independent communities, and this accounts
for the complication of existing political boundaries. Saxc-Wcimar, for instance,
consista of three main portions, with twenty-four outlying bits of territory.

• Heme-CaiMr;I (Pruiwian dirtrift of CaMcl) .
I'rinfijmlity of Waldrrk .
Orand IJik )iy of Sax<>NV«-imar
Duchy of .'»axc-M<;ininf(''n
„ Haxfi-AlUmliurtf
„ haxc-f 'ol)iir(^-f iotha .
rriiicipality of Nthwar/.l<iirK-ItiidoliiUidt .

„ Hchwarzbur(cH<jnd<-nihauiion

„ Ui-M*K, (wnior brnnrrh

„ I<<iuM, junior ....

I'mmnan dirtrict of Krfiirt

f'lr, |i •) r,f tli«- Ifiir/ 'I'mn-iiiin priivincc of llunovii/
llilly pari <;f l)if l)ii( hy of Jlrurmwii k
J'ritu-iiMlity <it Li|ii¥).I><rtfnold ....

tt Hchtttinibiir^ Iii|i|x; . .

Total

Area.

8q. Mile*.

3,902

ropiilntion.

7HH,H«0

Intmbitants

to a Sq. M.

202

433

64,743

126

1.387

2!)2,it33

211

0.V2

1!I4,«'.M

204

610

14'),HII

286

7«()

1H2,.')<J9

240

3G.J

70,(;7«

210

333

07,4 SO

203

122

4G,9H/}

3Hd

320

i»2,37'>

288

1 ,303

3S6,49y

283

\/,r.i

2!iH,|-,0

101

(iin

lio,o(;o

17IJ

4/iy

112,462

243

171

33,133

194

1 .1,220

2,881.709

218

252

GERMANY.

Princes and commoners, when they divided the land between them, always sought
to secure wooded mountains as well as plains fit for cultivation. Thus each of
the principalities of Schwarzburg consists of a " hill domain " and a " lowland
domain." Brunswick, similarly, has its "highlands" in the Harz Mountains,
and its lowlands along their foot. In several instances the divisions of landed
property are carried to an extreme length, and the soil, the forest which grows
upon it, and the game which roams over it belong each to different owners.
Politically, however, the frontiers of this congeries of small states are gradually
being obliterated. As far as courts of justice and superior schools are concerned,

Fig. 144. — The States of Thuringia.
Scale 1 : 1,900,000.

6°\ E.ofParis

blhausen V*1 /^ o)

ICI EofG

25 MQes.

1. Saxe- Weimar.

2. i?axe-Coburg-Gotha

3. Saxe-Meiaingen.

4. Saxe-Altenburg.

5. Schwarzbuig-Sondershausen .

6. Sehwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

7. Reuss, senior branch.

8. „ junior branch.

9. Hesse

10. Frus.sian Saxony.

11. Kingdom of Saxony.

12. Bavaria.

13. Bohemia.

they exist no longer, and Prussia, which has secured a footing in Thuringia,
has largely contributed to that result. Hence, in considering this central region
of Germany, we shall discard arbitrary political divisions, and adhere to those
traced out by nature.

The geological formation of the Thuringian Forest is varied, but in their
contours the hills exhibit much uniformity. The back-bone of the range consists
of granite and porphyr}', rising above the sedimentary strata, and extending in
a straight line from the banks of the T\''erra, in the north-west, to the plateau
of the Franconian Forest, or Frankenwald, in the south-east, a distance of 120

THUEINGIA AND THE HAEZ.

253

miles. There are no very elevated summits, for the loftiest among them, the Gross
Beerberg, attains only a height of 3,2'28 feet.* On the other hand, there are no
deep depressions, and the contour presented by the top of the range is feebly
undulating. The sedimentary strata, however, which form the slopes of the
range, are traversed by deep gorges, and present bold cliffs towards the plain.

It is less difficult to walk along the crest of the Thuringian Forest than over its
foot-hills, and nothing would have been easier than to construct a carriage
road along it. Indeed, a rude road of mysterious origin, now known as the Renn-
8teig,t runs over the top of the mountains, forming in many instances a political
boundary. This Rennsteig is the true line of separation between Franconia

Fig. 145. — The Rennsteig.
Scale I : 420,000.

8- 15' E.of Paris

.8'30'

^h ^V -^v

W--

B»n»H»<

iO*50

T, MUM.

and Thiiringi;i properly Hf) calltrd — bftwoon Soullierii and Nortliorn Germany.
Kverylhing diffcrH on tho two hIotmh of the range — dialcctH and (!UHtf)inH, no Ichs
than national diHlieH, clothing, and tin- Htyle of the houHcs. 'I'liis ancient bctiindary
in pro]>ably rofrrred t(* in a h-ltf-r wliidi I'opo (in-gory III. addroHsod fu llio
princ<;H of Germany in 7'»H. Walking along it, we occaHionally obtain u glinipso
into thr; valleys which h-ad <lown to the plain, and a wight of tho ancient cast low
crownln'/ t)i»' prom(Hitori«-H juttinj^ out Icnvards i( ( 'arriago roadH now facilitate

• '- l»i<' S<firi..k<.|.f, ;j.20M f.<l, iiikI 111. Iiih. IImtk, ',i,908 foot. Thu iiumii IhIkIiI

lit th': > I , Ih/ii 'it till' (•liit<iiii lit itN tmw io I, loll fii t

t A *tiTT\t[A\im, \fTu\ta,h\y, of \^li^n%U^\^ ; thnt in, VKiiimUry path.

254 GERMANY.

the intercourse between the two slopes, but not a single railway yet crosses the
Thuringiun Forest, and travellers pressed for time are still compelled to double
its extremities. The number of pleasure-seekers, however, who annually visit
the towns and villages of Thuringia is very large. Magnificent forests of beeches,
pines, and firs, sparkling rivulets, verdant valleys, and cavernous rocks abound,
and fairly entitle Thuringia to be called the " park " of Germany.

The hills and limestone plateaux which stretch along the northern foot of
the main chain abound in caverns, through which the rain-water finds its way
to springs rising in distant valleys. The most famous of these caverns is that of
Venus, in the Horselberg, to the east of Eisenach. Formerly it was looked
upon as one of the entrances to purgatory, and the sounds produced by rushes
of air were much dreaded. Legend has converted this cavern into a dwelling
of Venus, and of her court of fascinated admirers. It is a remarkable feature of
the caverns of Thuringia and Westphalia that they do not present us with the
curious fauna of insects and other blind animals discovered in the caverns of
Carniola and the Pyrenees.

The Werra, or Upper "Weser, bounds the Thuringian Forest in the west,
and flows through the rich saliferous basin which in the first century of our
era gave rise to the Salt War, Avhen the Hermunduri defeated their neigh-
bours the Catti. The mountain group of the Hohe Rhon rises beyond. It
consists of numerous cones of basalt and other eruptive rocks, similar to the
volcanic hills of Bohemia, though more rounded in their outlines. Some of
the summits are even formed oi horizontal sheets of basalt, now covered with
moss. Secondary volcanic cones surround the great central group of the Rhdn,
erupted through the limestone overlying the sandstone plateau. The elevation
of the Bhon (3,120 feet) is nearly as great as that of the Thuringian Forest ;
but its aspect is altogether different, for instead of smiling valleys we meet with
Nature in her most deterrent mood. There are few villages, and many old fields
have been converted into pasture-lands, for the inhabitants prefer to dwell in
the plain.

The Vogelsberg — " Bird Mountain " — to the west of Fulda, is likewise of vol-
canic origin. Unlike the Rhon and its numerous peaks, the Vogelsberg consists
of one truncated cone, rising very regularly to a height of about 2,000 feet above
the surrounding plain.* For 10 or 20 miles around the country is covered
with lava. The huge cone is ribbed by a multitude of divergent valleys,
presenting us with a miniature image of the volcano of Semeru, on the island of
Java. The ancient craters have become obliterated in the course of ages, but
the remains of a number of lateral cones impart some variety to the scenery.
The soil resulting from a decomposition of the basaltic lava is of exceeding fer-
tility, and nowhere else in Germany are the fruit trees more vigorous or productive.
The average elevation, however, and the paucity of running streams, have pre-
vented the whole of the mountain being cultivated, and it is very thinly inhabited.

In the north of the Vogelsberg the hills of Hesse extend to the slate moun-

* Its total height is 2,532 feet.

THUEINGIA AND THE HAEZ.

255

tains bordering the banks of the Rhine. They rise in detached groups, nowhere
exceeding a relative height of 1,300 feet, or impeding facility of intercommuni-
cation between the basins of the Weser and Rhine. Some of these groups are
nevertheless of very bold aspect. The Habichts Wald — "Goshawk AVold "— to
the west of Cassel (1,950 feet), with its basaltic promontories, forms a conspicuous

Fig. 146. — The Yogelsbero.
Scale 1 : 600,000.

E.of Paris

cy^A

i^/

utK'^Z'/

K ol <i.

t'uptlto Itoeki

CZZ]

I,.. ... I

1'. M |.

and picturo«f,ue feature of tho landHcapo. Anollior l>uHuIfi<; ,<„„! rincM iMfwccn
CttHm;! and Enchwog.,. ThiH in tho McinHrior fi.tfif fcctj. tl„, ,„oh( (arnous
mountain of Wi-nm. Tho buHulf, ha« fh.-n; Hpnad ov(,r irior.^ ai.<;i(uit rockn,
abounding in lignito, w}ii( 1. in boing W(,rk.-d all around tho mountain.

Tlie hillii which bound the VVoh. r along itn middle courw) diilcr horn tlioMc

256 GERMANY.

of Hesse by their regularity. Like the Jura, which they resemble in their
geological formation, they constitute distinct chains, running from the south-east
towards the north-west ; that is, in the same direction as the Bohemian and
Thuringian Forests. The Teutoburger Wald is the most famous of these ridges,
for it was there the legions of Varus were destroyed by the Germans. It
stretches away into the plain of Hanover, and its last promontories look down
upon the valley of the Ems. This was the first mountain range which the
Romans encountered after they had crossed the Rhine and traversed Westphalia,
and it was there they suffered their first serious defeat, avenged soon after by
Germanicus. Many battles have since then been fought for the possession of
this rampart of Thuringia and Lower Saxony. As in the days of the Romans,
these hills are still covered with forests ; but along their western base the trees
have almost disappeared, and the greyish tint of the plain contrasts curiously
with the wooded heights rising above it. A veritable steppe, known as the
Senne and famous for a small breed of horses, extends along the foot of the
mountains of Teutoburg, to the north of Paderborn, whilst a stony, waterless
tract, the Sintfeld, stretches away to the south of that town. The Teutoburg
Forest, like the Jura, is cut up by breaches, locally known as " doors " (Doren),
into sections, and the principal towns have been founded close to these doors,
or passages. The railway from Cologne to Berlin passes through one of these
doors at Bielefeld, and farther on, near Minden, it utilises a similar gap in a ridge
running parallel with the Teutoburg Forest. The Weser at that place has scooped
out a practicable road for the use of man. This is the famous Porta Westphalica,
whose majestic entrance is seen from afar. Many battles have been fought for
this great highway of nations. On the promontory which commands it on the
west are still visible ancient entrenchments, which tradition attributes to Witti-
kind, the Saxon Duke.

The Harz, which rises to the east of the Weser, is one of the most remarkable
mountain groups of Germany. Its isolation in the midst of a vast plain, its steep
scarps, relative height, and frequent mists, give it an importance much greater than
that enjoyed by other mountains of far superior height. For a long time the
Brocken, or Blocksberg (3,743 feet), its principal summit, was looked upon as the
highest mountain in all Germany. The ancient rocks composing the Harz have
been pierced by granite and other eruptive rocks, but the disposition of the
mountain group is nevertheless most regular. It consists of a succession of
elongated ridges extending towards the north-west, and of lateral chains following
the same direction. In its entirety it occupies an oval. The boldest slopes and
most elevated summits rise in the north-east, immediately above the low plain at
their foot. The valley of the TJnstrutt bounds the Harz on the south. It is an
old lake basin, and the fertility of its alluvial soil has won it the epithet of
GoMne An, or " Golden Meadow" (470 to 560 feet).

The Harz, or Hart, as it was called in the Middle Ages, perpetuates the name
of Hercynian Forest which the Greeks applied to the mountains of the whole of
Central Germany. It is still wooded for the greater part, especially on the lower

THUELNGIA AND THE HAEZ.

257

slopes and in its south-east portion, known as Unter Harz. The cold northerly-
winds which blow on its higher slopes prevent the forests from recovering, and the
vegetation is confined to mosses and lichens. In man}' parts the rocks are
perfectly naked, and the inclemencies of the weather have split them up into
grotesque masses. " Seas of rocks," similar to the " lapiaz " and " Karrenfelder "
of the Alps, are met with; they are the "cursed rocks," in whose midst the
witches executed their dances in the Walpurgis Night. The Harz forms the first
obstacles which the moisture-laden winds meet with in their passage across
Germany. This accounts for the frequency of mists and torrential rains.
But notwithstanding the great amount of precipitation, springs are rare in the

Fig. 147. — The Brocket axd Wernigerode.
Scale 1 : 1^5,000.

oHO' t...r V

ila*iserfcdc

i:ih

M'lVl K.ol tl.

■i .MUat.

Ilarz, the water being Hucked up by fissurcH. Tbo elevated mosses fortunntoly
fftain a large fjuanfify <»r moist iirf, and, like the glaciers of flu- iMps, they regulate
the flow of the rivub-tK.

The Ilarz abounds in mincH. Whilst tb(! bills bounding tbo Wch(T princi-
pally yield salt, the more cb.-vated mass of \]\v llonyniuii l^'orcst has been famous
for age.i on account of its TriincH of Nilvcr, lead, and iron. TIm; Harz is one of tbo
oldest inirn'rig rlihtriclH «;f Germany. The argi'ntiforoua ore ol" Uammelsbcrg, near
OoHlar, in said to have betin dih<;(jvered towards the closn of the tenth century, and
ulrearly (mrielicd the neighbouring towns durijig tlu; (rloventh. It was the miners
of the liar/ who became the instructors of those of the ISaxoii Ore Mountains. In
!>0

258 GEIIMA.NY.

some parts the mountains have been hollowed out by miners to such an extent,
that the " underground forest of struts is more extensive than the living forest
still growing on the hillsides." The mines have given birth to large villages and
towns, at an elevation which, under other circumstances, would have but few
inhabitants. If Lombardy offers the finest example of a system of irrigation, the
Harz presents us with an instance of the thorough utilisation of water as a motive
power, not a drop of the force gratuitously furnished by nature being allowed to run
to waste. Relatively the mining industry of the Harz is less important than it used
to be, although 100,000 tons of ore are still raised every year. Many of the mines
have been invaded by underground water ; but the ever-increasing number of
tourists who annually visit the Harz, to breathe its pure air and contemplate from
its summits the vast plain stretching thence to the North Sea, affords some com-
pensation to the inhabitants.

The legends of the Harz form a fertile source whence German poets draw their
inspirations. Goethe has made good use of them in his version of Faust. The hills
to the south of the Harz and the " Golden Meadow " are equally rich in legends.
One of them is connected with the Kyffhdmer (2,430 feet), a granitic peak with a
ruined castle. The merchants who formerly visited the fairs of Leipzig looked
upon the Kyffhiiuser as a Cape of Good Hope, for on approaching the Emperor's
castle they were secure from pillage by robber knights. But the Emperor no
longer protects the traveller. Seated at a marble table in a dark cavern of the
mountain, he slumbers, to awake only on the day of Germany's resurrection.
Thuringia is, indeed, a land of legends, which attach themselves to every spring,
rock, stream, cavern, or ruined castle ; nay, even to the clouds and the wind. It is
there that the " Wild Hunt " may still be seen on dark and stormy nights.

Inhabitants.

The Sorabian Slavs penetrated as far as this part of Germany. In Saxe-
Altenburg they still live apart, and although they no longer speak their native
language, they differ from the other inhabitants by their dress and customs. Like
most of their kinsmen, they are fond of shining buttons, loose trousers, and heavy
boots. The women wear close-fitting black caps, confining the tresses ; long
ribbons descending over the back ; vests with speckled sleeves ; and very short
petticoats, hardly reaching the knees. In accordance with an ancient custom,
property amongst them descends to the youngest son, and the older brothers often
stay with him as his servants. The Germans frequently accuse the Sorabians of
being too fond of money and good cheer, but we fancy that these latter might
successfully retort.

The Thuringians who inhabit the northern slopes of the Thuringian Forest
and the country as far as the Harz are one of the most purely German tribes of
Germany. Inhabiting one of the wealthiest countries of Germany, they are
said to excel their fellow-countrymen in gaiety of spirit, love of music, and

THUEINGIA AND THE ILIEZ.

259

Fig. 148.— SoRABiANS OF Saxe-Altenbcrg.

:<u>,\\j-i'

^laririiijf. In fhfrw n-Mjx.cfH thny difl'tT nofulily from tlirjr \vc.st(!ni nrij^lilxMirs,
'ho Utmiiim, wlio unj the dcHcoudantM of llic; Cutli. Iiilmhilin^ u n,!.! mid iiioiin-

260 GEEMANY.

taiiious country, the Hessians, in many cases, have to sustain a severe struggle for

existence.

" "Where a Hessian can't thrive,
None other need strive ! "

So says a German proverb with reference to the life of labour led by them.
It is indeed all work with them, and they are altogether devoid of the gaiety of
their neighbours. In many cases, however, their serious and brooding disposition
is ascribable to poverty ; for potatoes and bad brandy do not suffice to sustain a
man in vigour, and the inhabitants of some districts are visibly degenerating. In
the small principality of AValdeck, to the west of Cassel, the number of blind and
idiotic is greater than anywhere else in Germany.* The Hessians are said
frequently to be carried away by an excess of zeal, and have hence been nicknamed
*' blind Hessians " by their compatriots.

Towns.

The Basin of the "Weser. — Cassel (56,745 inhabitants) is the most populous
town of the hilly region of Central Germany. Situated upon the Fulda, in the
centre of a wide basin, and on a road joining the valley of the "Weser to those of
the Lahn and Main, Cassel may originally have been a Eoman castelhon, but is
first heard of in history in the beginning of the tenth century. The old capital of
Electoral Hesse and the kingdom of Westphalia is a sumptuous town, many of its
palaces having been built with the money obtained by the sale of Hessian
"subjects" to England. There are museums and libraries, open squares, wide
streets, and public parks, and in the distance is seen the palace of Wilhelmshohe,
on a site far better endowed by nature than are the environs of Versailles. Cassel,
moreover, is a place of manufactures, first introduced by Flemish and French
refugees, and the railwaj's which radiate from it enable it to carry on a con-
siderable commerce. There are foundries and machine shops, pianoforte and
carriage manufactories.

Marburg (9,600 inhabitants), a pretty town on the Lahn, has the oldest
university founded without the consent of the Pope ; and yet Marburg is one of
the " holy towns " of Germany. The oldest church of the whole country rises on
the neighbouring Christenberg, on the site of a pagan temple, and the footprints
of Bonifucius, its founder, are still objects of veneration to numerous pilgrims. An
isolated basaltic rock, to the east of the town, was occupied formerly by the castle
of Amoneburg, a famous abbey. Queen Elizabeth of Hungary, a great saint, lies
buried in the fine Gothic church of Marburg.

Fulda (10,7-49 inhabitants), on the river of the same name, is equally celebrated
in the religious annals of Germany. A statue of St. Bonifacius recalls the con-
version of the Germans, and the Abbots of Fulda formerly bore the title of
" Primates of all the Abbeys of Gaul and Germany." Fulda is important now

* Blind in Germany, 89 to every 100,000 inhabitants; in "Waldeck, lol. Idiots in Germany, 139
to every 100,000 inhabitants; in Waldeck, 217.

THURINGIA AND THE HAEZ.

261

as the intermediary of tlie cominerce carried on between Frankfort and the
valley of the AYeser. Henfvld (6,929 inhabitants) is the only other large town
on the Fulda as far down as Cassel.

The Upper Werra, the head-stream of the "Weser, takes its course through
the Saxon duchies of Coburg-Gotha and Meiningen before it enters Hesse.
Hildburrjhausen (5,162 inhabitants) is the principal town near its source. Meinin-
gen (9,521 inhabitants) enjoys some importance as the capital of a duchy, but
is inferior in industry to its neighbour Suhl (10,512 inhabitants), a Prussian
town, in the midst of the mountains, and not far from the crest of the Thuringian
Forest. Suhl has many iron mines in its vicinity, and formerly it deserved to be

Fig. 149. — Cassel akd its En-viroxs.
Scale 1 : 100,000.

j^ia K.nf Paris

1/ Yf'

■U^

t ti.

V. Mili'j.

called the " arsenal " of Germany. In the sixteenth and Boventoenth centuries it
supplied vast quantities of armour, and during the Seven Years' \Yar furnislied
both Austria and Prussia with swordn. It still niaiiufuctures arms of every
description, including riflos, though far inferior now to Essen and Solingon.

Hf-hmalhnliirn (0,185 inhabitants), like Suhl, lies in a tributary valley of the
"VV'erra, and riwes its prosperity to its irf)n works. The outer jjliywiognomy of
tho tf>wn has undergone but little change since 15;»I, in wliieh year tlu^ Pro-
testant princes met there to combine against Charhss V. Then! are salt works
at Kchmalkalden, but those of Sfi/zuiif/cn (^{,724 inhabitants), on the Werni, arc
far more jni|>ortoiit. Near the latter is the favourite watering-place of Lichen-
nlcin.

262

GERMANY.

Tlio Wcrra, having emerged from the deep valley through which it flows
around the western extremity of the Thuringiun Forest, is joined by the Xesse,
upon which arc seated two of the most celebrated cities of Thuringia, viz. Gotha
and Eisenach. GotJia (22,687 inhabitants) is the most populous town of the
smaller duchies, and, like all other capitals, it has its library and museum. To
geographers, however, it is more especially interesting on account of its Geogra-
phical Establi.shincnt. Eisenach (16,163 inhabitants), the birthplace of Sebastian
Bach, though beautifully situated in the midst of gardens, is less interesting
as a town of art and science than Gotha, but possesses a considerable centre

Fig. 150. — The Wartburg.

of attraction in the Wartburg, one of the most curious castles of Germany, which
crowns a neighbouring height. The castle was built in 1070. Here Attila cele-
brated his nuptials Avith Chrimhilde ; a famous minstrel's war took place in 1207 ;
and Luther, in 1521, translated the greater portion of the Bible. The environs of
the Wartburg are delightful. RuJila (4,398 inhabitants), in the hills near it,
sends pipes and purses into ever}' part of the world, and its women are reported
to be the best-looking in Germany.

The Werra, on entering Hesse, flows past Eschtvege (7,742 inhabitants), a
town of tan-yards, and having been reinforced by the rivulet upon which is

THUEINGIA AND THE HAEZ. 263

situated the Prussian town of Heiligenstadt (5,193 inhabitants), with its cotton-
mills, it joins the Fulda, and is thenceforth known as the "Weser. Miindcn (5,607
inhabitants) occupies the delightful basin within which the two head-streams
join, and at the head of navigation of the "Weser. Farther north that river is
joined by the Twist e, which rises in the principality of Waldeck, near the little
town of Arohen (::^,460 inhabitants), the birthplace of Ranch and Kaulbach.
The "Weser then flows past Hoxter (5,645 inhabitants), an old Hanseatic city, near
which lies the famous Benedictine abbey of Corvey ; Hohmindcn (6,887 inhabit-
ants), where much iron and linen are shipped ; and Hameln (9,520 inhabitants),
likewise an old Hanse town. In a delightful valley to the south-west rise the
springs of Pyrmont (4,619 inhabitants), formerly much more frequented than they
are now. There are several other watering-places in the principality of Lippe,
whose only towns are DetmoJd (6,917 inhabitants) and Lnngo (5,108 inhabitants).
At the former place the Cherusci held their popular meetings, and Charlemagne
defeated the Saxons in 783 ; and, if tradition can be believed, Hermann triumphed
in its vicinity over the legions of Varus. A colossal statue, 186 feet in height,
has been erected upon a neighbouring hill to commemorate this event. Xear
Horn (1,717 inhabitants), to the south-west, are the Extcmsteine, huge blocks
of sandstone, no less venerated by the heathen Saxons than by their Christian
descendants.

The Leine, which flows through the Aller to the Weser, traverses a hilly
region in its upper course. Xear its source it flows through Gbitiiujen (17,038
inhabitants), the most important town of the detached portion of Hanover.
Gottingen, an old Hanse town, has woollen, linen, and jute factories, but its
glory is being the seat of one of the most famous universities of Germany, now
attended by 3,000 students. Its library of more than half a million volumes
is the most carefully selected in the world, and the Gvlchrtc Anzritjcn, published
by its Academy since 1750, is the oldest critical scientific journal in existence.
Gottingen is the birthplace of Bunsen, the chemist.

Noriheim (5,661 inhabitants), to the north of Gottingen, is an important
market town, and the starting-place for visiting the great industrial towns in
the Harz Mountains, including Onierodo (5,658 inhabitants) and Cl(iuntli(il (8,548
inhabitants). The latter is surrounded by mountains. It has a mining academy,
und owes its prosperity to its mines. Their yield having gradually diminished,
Clausthal, as well as its neighbour ZiUrrfvhl (4,2^)0 inhabitants), is decreasing
in jKjpulation, for its inclemt-nt climate, which hardly allows the corn to ripen,
is not calculat^fl to attmft inhal)itant«.

Eiiihprk (6,3M5 inhabituntH), near f hr* Ii<!ine, to the north of Gottingcin, is famous
for its beer, and during the Thirty Years' Wurnianyof its brewers fled to Southern
Gorniany, where they intrfHlund thcur eraft. duslnr (9,H23 inhal)it<ints) is like-
wine situate in the ba^in of flu- I/'ine, but far away to the north-east. It is one of
the moAt famouM citiex of Gennany, but its gloricn have dejiartcsd. Tint (iuildliall
ha« been converiM into an liot*-!, the imperial pahico is UMcd as a warehouse, an
abljey ha»4 l*e«-n f ranHfr»nn«d into a boanling-mrhool, and an old keep now servcH as

264

GERMANY

a restaurant ! Near Goslar are the silver and other mines of the Rammelsberg,
which annually yield above £;iOO,000 worth of ore. On a neighbourinj,' hill may
be seen the ruins of the Harzburg, an old castle of the Emperor Ilenry IV., who
went to Canossa. An obelisk is to be erected on the site in honour of Prince
Bismarck, as not being likely to go there.

Fig. 151. — Clausthal.
Scale 1 : 200,000.

50 K.of J':iri»

C," L

'"^:.

V-

50' t.or (;.

10": 25'

5 Miles.

The B.A.SIN of the Main. — The small states of Thuringia hold little territory
in the basin of the Main, but within it lies Coburg (14,567 inhabitants), one
of the principal towns, commanded by an old fortress, the Vcste Coburg (1,500
feet). A large collection of works of art has been placed in this citadel and in
the neighbouring castle of Ehreuburg. The ducal family of Coburg, as is well

THUEINGIA AND THE HAEZ. 265

known, has supplied modem Europe with more ruling princes than any other
reigning house.

Sanneherg (7,322 inhabitants), to the north-east of Gotha, is famous as the
place where nearly all the wooden toys called after Niirnberg are manufactured.
In the Middle Ages all "Western Europe procured its toys from this Thuringian
town, which now sends its produce into every part of the world. About 8,000
persons are exclusively engaged in the manufacture of toys, but so badly are they
paid that their average eai'nrags do not exceed sixpence a day. It is estimated
that 3,000 tons of toys are annually dispatched from Sonneberg by rail.

The Basix of the Elbe. — The Saale and its tributaries drain the whole of the
northern and eastern slopes of the Thuringian Forest into the Elbe. The first
town washed bv the Saale after it leaves Bavaria is Saalfeld, in Saxe-Meininffen
(7,428 inhabitants), an old stronghold which the Germans built as a defence
against the Slavs. It then flows past Rudohtadt (7,638 inhabitants), the capital of
a principality. To the east of it, in a lateral valley, lies the industrial town of
PosHtieck (6,202 inhabitants). Near Rudolstadt, and in one of the most delightful
parts of Thuringia, stands the village of Kcilhau, where Frdbel (1817) founded his
famous college.

Jena (9,020 inhabitants), in Saxe- Weimar, on the Saale, in the midst of
gardens and orchards contrasting pleasantly with the scarps of the arid plateau
rising above the valley, is the seat of the Supreme Court of all Thuringia, and of a
university founded in the sixteenth centurj'. Fichte, Schelling, and Ilcgcl taught
thereat the beginning of this century, and after the War of Liberation the students
of Jena distingui.shcd themselves by their patriotism. On the arid limestone
plateau to the west of Jena was fought the battle (1806) which led to a temporary
collapse of Prussia's power.

Weimar (17,522 inhabitants) is the principal town on the Ilm, a western
affluent of the Saale. It is the residence of a court, and as such has its castle,
museum, library, park, and gardens, but is famous, above all things, for having
been for a time the centre of the intellectual life of Germany. Herder, Wieland,
Goethe, and Schiller there composed many of their works, and the town has done
itself honour by erecting statues in their memory.

Apoldn (12,427 inhabitants), to the north-east of Weimar, also on the Ilm,
enjoys the epithet of " Little Manchester," because of its factories. It is a
place of 8<>me imp^jrtance, no doubt, but the l'ru.s«.ian town of Erfurt (00,477
inhabitants), to the west of it, on the Gcra, far surpasses it. Erfurt is mentioned
as a stronghold before the introduction of ChriHtianity into Germany. In course
of time it l>ecame the capital of Thuringia, and tlic principal commercial town
between Niiniberg and the Ilanseatic waporlH. in the sixteenth century it Imd
00,000 inhabitants, and Lutlwr, who liv«;d there when a monk, said it was " twice
as large as Niirnbcirg." iJutwhen Krfurt became a fortress it decayed as a place of
commeree, and towards th(! close of last century its inhabitants had dwindled down
U> 10,000 N«uU, In our days tin; population once more increases from year to
year, but there still remain wide ojMjn spaces within the walls not yel buill upon.

266

GERMANY.

The centre of the town is still quite mediecval in its aspect, and the Gothic
cathedral, together with the old buildings in its vicinity, forms a very picturesque
object. Erfurt is famous for its market gardens and nurseries, irrigated by canals
derived from the Gera. Reichard, in the eighteenth century, contributed much
towards their flourishing condition. All kinds of vegetables, medicinal and orna-
mental plants are exported into every part of the world. The partial destruction
of the old ramparts has admitted of an extension of these productive gardens.*
ArnsUuU (9,243 inhabitants), higher up on the Gera, is the principal town

Fig. 162.— Jena.
Scale 1 : 100,000.

2 MUes.

of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. Its brine baths and delightful environs attract
many visitors. Ohrdruf (5,626 inhabitants), a small manufacturing town, lies in
a lateral valley, but it is at the foot of the hills, in the wide basin irrigated by
the Unstrutt, that the largest towns next to Erfurt and Gotha are met with.
The Unstrutt, not far from its source, has a sufficient volume to be useful
as a motive power, and the city of MuhlhauKcn (20,926 inhabitants) — that is,

♦ These gardens cover an area of 420 acres. The principal vegetables exported are asparagus,
cauliflowers, cress, and cucumbers. Asters and wallflowers are cultivated with special care.

THUEINGIA AND THE IIAEZ.

267

" town of mills " — consequently arose upon its bank. Like its Alsatian name-
sake, Miihlliausen is a town of factories. It has cotton and woollen mills, and

Fig. 153. — The Cathedral at Erfurt. •

'HAOi^W-^-

-.t^

m.'iniifjxoturow iron urtichs of ovcry dfiHcripf ion, f'rotn ncfdlcH to stcjiin-r'njriiK's.
At th(! timo of tho It<;l'orniiitioii tli*' AnabuptiMtH wcro numerous at Mulilliaus('n,
and 'I'liornaH Miin/er wu« bohcadrd there.

2G8 GERMANY.

Langenmlzn (9,855 inhabitants) and Sommerda (5,945 inhabitants) are other
manufacturing towns on the Unstrutt, the latter being famous as having given
birth to the needle-gun. Sondershausen (5,723 inhabitants), the capital of the
principality 6f the same name, lies in a side valley of the Unstrutt, as does also
Fmnkenhaunen (5,500 inhabitants), a town of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Nord-
hausen (23,570 inhabitants), a very ancient city, partly enclosed within walls,
lies likewise within the basin of the Unstrutt. It has distilleries, vinegar manu-
factories, and chemical works. Thousands of oxen and pigs are slaughtered there
every year and pickled, whence its epithet of " German Cincinnati."

The towns in the valley of the Elster, close to the Saxon frontier, are populous
and the seats of industry. Greiz (12,657 inhabitants), an old town of the Slavs,
and its neighbour Zeulenroda (G,300 inhabitants), have numerous factories. Weida
(5,404 inhabitants) lies lower down on the Elster, which then flows through
Gera (20,810 inhabitants), the largest town of Reuss, sometimes likened to
Leipzig, on account of its commerce and manufactories. Ronneherg (6,224
inhabitants) and Schmolln (5,173 inhabitants), in the east, and Eisenhevg (5,509
inhabitants), in the north-west, are likewise manufacturing towns, whilst Alten-
hi(rg (22,263 inhabitants), on the Pleisse, being the capital of a duchy, boasts of
a few tine edifices and scientific collections.

CHAPTER YII.

THE PLAINS OF TIIE ELBE AND WESER, AXD THE SHORES OF THE NORTH SEA.
(Lower Westphalia, Hanover, Oldexbirg, Lower Brvxs'wick.)*

General Aspects. — Bogs and Heaths.

iHAT portion of Lower Germany which lies to the west of the Elbe
and to the north of the hills of the Sauerland, Hesse, and the
Harz, presents a g^eat uniformity of geographical features. It
is an ancient sea-bottom, in many parts perfectly level, and now
covered with swamps, bogs, pastures, and fields. The political
condition of this region reflects its natural conformation. Instead of a congeries of
small states, such as arose in the hilly districts farther south, we meet with
large political domains. Nearly the whole of the country formerly formed part
of a single state, recently incorporated with Prussia. A " particularist " spirit
survives, however, in Hanover, for that country is to a great extent peopled by
peasants, tenacious of old customs. But the bonds which now join Hanover to
Prussia are indissoluble, and the old capital of the defunct kingdom differs in
no respc-ct from any other provincial capital. Bremen, which still rejoices in
being a " free city," is one of those towns where the sentiment of German unity
has always been most lively.

The promontories of the Forest of T(?utoburg and other hills which mark the
ancient extent of the sea are not the only heights that look down upon the
plains of Hanover. There are a few isolated groups of liills. Tlu; wooded hills
of Schoppingen, to the west of Miinster, attain a height of 4i)0 feet. The hills
of Bentheim, farther to the north, rise; like a group of islands above a sea of
swamps and heaths. They, too, are wooded, and furnish iMiilding stones and nictiil

• r»wr?r W(>iiti)ha]ia (Mirulin utiil Muniit<,T) .

H:in')Vfr '' - '•: of th<- lliir/)

'•11' i'l"ii/ 0 <>{ I<ulM<k (»n<l iSirkt/nft'ld)

J'.i'iti«wif:k (i'lwlnrid;

Ilr> iiK-ri .....
I'.iiliwick of Ititztrbutti'l (llunihiir)^)

'liAul ....

A rffi.
K.| M.

■\,H2H

Poptilntion.

|H7ft.

Tir>,'JH6

Iii)iii1>i(iiiitii to
a Hq. M.
160

i:i,'jio

1,71K,!»»3

130

2S)'r,

24 H. 130

111)

una

•^l.i.041

223

IVJ.JOO

1,1^)1

3-i

(;,yo7

'-!17

1'1,'JIH

3.o/i:.'.jfi2

270

GERMANY.

for roads. The surface of the heaths of Liineburg is only slightly undulating, but
their northern edge sinks down abruptly, and, viewed from afar, resembles a range
of hills. The heights seen in Oldenburg are evidently ancient dunes consoli-
dated by the furze which has taken root upon them. Whenever the protecting

Fig. 154. — The Peat Bogs of Coesfeld.

Scale 1 : 125,000.

I'urf I'iU

I'cal Hugs

2 1Iiles.

cover of furze is removed the wind gets hold of the sand beneath, and wafts it
over the fields in the vicinity. The Hiiramling, a range of heights to the east
of the Ems, is likewise an old chain of dunes.

Long after the plains of Northern Germany emerged from the sea, consider-

PLAINS OF THE ELBE AND WESER, ETC.

271

able portions of them must have contimied under water. The remains of these
ancient lakes are few and insignificant. The Diimmersee and the Steinhuder Meer
are mere shallow ponds. Tlie ancient gulfs and lakes have long ere this been
filled up by an accumulation of peat, and peat bogs cover hundreds of square
miles. The most extensive of these tracts of land is the Morass of Bourtunsre.

Fig. 155. — The Morass, or " Moor," of Bouktange.

Scale 1 : 206,000.

V W'> K.of Paris fiio'

h.ijt M

Milot.

which covers some '040 (Mjuun; milcH ♦(» iIh; wvt\\ of the fjowor Kiiih, und is inier-
hcv.U'aX by tJu! boiuulury Hcpurating Hanover from the NotlicrliindH. The huiimii
hubitationH built, in this Mwump rise ^raduiilly uImivo the horizon an wv. approach
them, like «hipH on the ocean. It, would lie (langcrouM to veritiin; withitut, ii
j^uide upon the 'jiiakiri^ and treachdrouM noil of the morals. The nativcH who
iiT<m* it make una of leupinj^-polcH, to the «iid of which in liiHtcncd a plank, to

272 GERMANY.

prevent their sinking in the mud, or they wear " mud-shoes," similar in shape to
the Canadian snow-shoes. Even animals are made to wear similar contrivances.
When Germanicus crossed this morass with his legions he caused pontes long! to
be constructed, which have been traced as far as the Steinhuder Meer, where he
is supposed to have fought the battle of Idistavisus against Hermann. These
Roman pontes lonyi resembled in every respect an American plank road. They
were made of oak, about 10 feet wide, and bordered by ditches. A layer of peat
3 feet thick now covers these Roman roads, which were far more solid than the
" batten " laid down by the present inhabitants of the country.

There are no bog lands to the east of the Ems which equal the Morass of
Bourtange. Still the swampy tracts of the Saterland and Arenberg cover areas far
larger than those of several small principalities. The Hamme, which joins the
Wiimme above Vegesack, to the east of the Weser, traverses a marshy tract which
in many respects is one of the most remarkable in Europe, for the spongy soil,
though cultivated in many places, still floats upon the surface of the water. When
the snow melts, and the Hamme and the numerous swamps in its basin become
overcharged witb water, much of tbe lowlands of Waakhusen and St. Jdrgen is
actually uplifted by the flood. The remainder, being firmly attached to the
bottom of the morass, is inundated, sometimes to a height of 10 feet. Occasionally
the inhabitants are forced to fly from their dwellings erected on the most elevated
sites afibrded by tbe " solid land," and seek refuge on their " floating fields." After
having been cultivated for a number of years the spongy soil loses its power of float-
ing, and definitely settles down upon the bottom^ — an event very mucb regretted.
High Avinds are an enemy mucb dreaded by the cultivators of floating islands ; for
they uproot trees, and sometimes drift tbe land upon whicb they grow far out into
the swamp. In winter the cultivator of tbis curious country is menaced by other
dangers. Land and water then are compacted into one mass, and, wben tbe thaw
sets in, large fragments are sometimes torn from tbe bank and float away. A
hole filled with water tbus remains behind. Again, in the middle of winter,
the frozen morass sometimes cracks witb a loud exjDlosion. The fissure then
formed runs across fields, bouses, and dykes, and is sometimes wide enough to be
used as a navigable canal.

The mode of cultivation until recently pursued in the bogs of Northern
Germany was a very barbarous one. Having superficially drained a bit of
land and dug it up, tbe peasant set fire to the peat, whicb burned down to a depth
of 30 incbes, the acrid smoke rising to a great beight. He then sowed buckwheat
in the ashes for six years consecutively, and later on oats or rye. This exhausted
the soil, whicb was then allowed to lie fallow for tbirty years. The consequences
of this burning of the peat made themselves felt over a vast expanse. The
smoke, or moorrauch, rose to a height sometimes of 10,000 feet, and, spreading out
in the form of a cloud, was carried by the wind to an enormous distance. In
May, 1857, a north-westerly wind drifted it as far as Vienna and Cracow, a distance
of 560 miles, and in July, 1863, it was even traced to Merges, on the banks of the
Lake of Geneva. It has been calculated that 30,000 acres of peat were fired

PLAINS OF THE ELBE AND WESER, ETC.

273

annually, and that the vegetable matter destroyed in this manner or carried away
by the wind amounted to several thousand tons. Societies have consequently been
formed to agitate against this wasteful practice, which has virtually been pro-
hibited in many districts. Intelligent agriculturists have introduced the Dutch

Fig. 156. — Papexbvrg.
Scale 1 : 170,000.

• ^1/ ■ (

■ /'

! /

L_.'/

1 p'"(r jim-^

I .J'J J i> r. ' < [ 1 1 ,

.Mil/;n.

mfjthod of cultivating bog lundH. They carefully drain lln; land, then n^iiiovo the
lay«T of vfgr-tabl<- matter until tlir-y roadi flic iKittom, which they ciiltivafci like
any ordinary fielrl. Tim peat Ih removed in biirgeH which navigate the larger
drainage canaln. In thiH niaiiner Hrrinil oaHCH are being formed in the niidHt of

274 GERMANY.

these dreary districts, and the aspect of the country is rapidly changing. It was
in this way that the "Devil's Morass," to the cast of Bremen, was reclaimed.
Similar success has attended the work of reclamation in the morasses to the east
of the Ems. Papenhurg, which formerly consisted only of a ruined tower, has
hecome a flourishing town, surrounded by gardens, fields, and meadows, extending
for several miles along a navigable canal.

Below these morasses lies the region known as the Geest, or Gast, the soil of
which consists for the most part of thick layers of sand mixed with clay marl.
The Geest has an uneven surface, and to an inhabitant of the coast or the morasses
its elevations almost assume the apjiearance of mountains. Its depressions arc
filled with peat. Where rivers have scooped themselves out broad valleys by
carrving away the sand, the exposed clay and marl yield remunerative harvests.
Elsewhere the soil is loamy, but there are also extensive tracts of sand, which the
wind has piled up into drifting dunes, and which produce only furze. In many
instances these dunes have been planted with pines.

The Heath of Luneburg, to the east of the plain of Hanover, is an eastern
extension of the Geest, though never referred to by that designation. It is one of
the least picturesque countries of Germany, although flowers, clumps of trees,
ravines, and an unbounded horizon render it more attractive than would be
imagined from the ironical remarks made respecting it. Villages are few and far
apart in this sterile tract, of which shepherds in charge of vast herds of small black
sheep, known as HeidcscJtnnclien, hold undisputed possession. Attempts to cultivate
the heath have hitherto failed, owing to a want of water, and only a little buckwheat
is grown upon it. Still forests are being planted, and agricultural settlements
have been formed. Birches, oaks, and beech-trees grow luxuriantly in the bottom-
lands, and a time when the herds of native sheep will be displaced can be foreseen.
Erratic blocks derived from the glaciers of Scandinavia abound on the plateaxi
of Liineburg, on the Hiimmling, and throughout the plain irrigated by the Ems
and Weser. Some of these blocks have even found their way through the gaps in
the advanced chains of Central Germany, as far as the foot of the Thuring-ian
Forest. The Kyfi^hauser js surrounded by them, and from the Harz they can
be traced to the plain of the Lippe and Ruhr, and even across the Rhine as far
as Crefeld. This abundance of stones enabled the ancient inhabitants of the
country to raise numerous cromlechs and other structures of the kind. On a ridge
near the mouth of the Weser may still be seen a cromlech the covering stones
of which weigh 100 tons each. Most of these ancient monuments have disap-
peared, for the Hanoverians sell them to the Dutch, who use the boulders in the
construction of their embankments.

The Littoral Region.

The profile of the coast of Northern Germany has undergone many changes
even during the short period which has elapsed since the Romans invaded the
country. The coast of all Hanover has been gnawed by the ocean, which in

PLAINS OF THE ELBE AND WESEE, ETC. 275

many places has recovered the ground if lost formerly. MediiBval chronicles
record many disasters caused by sudden irruptions of the sea. In 1066 the sea
invaded the gulf of the Jade, sweeping away the castle of ^lellum, whose site is
still indicated by a sand-bank bearing its name. Fresh irruptions of the sea
in 1218 and 1221 scooped out what is now the deepest part of the gulf, to the
south of AVilhelmshafei:. More disastrous still were the floods of 1277. A
fearful tempest forced the sea up the estuary of the Ems, where it swallowed up
forty villages and formed the sinuous gulf of the Dollart. Another disaster
happened on the 1st oi November, 1570, when the sea forced the dykes from
the mouths of the Meuse to the Forest of Skagen, destroying 100,000 human
beings ; and many times since then has the sea broken through the embankments
erected as a protection against it, involving numerous villages in ruin. A slow
subsidence of the land probably accounts for these irruptions. M. Prestel has
computed the annual advance of the sea along the coast extending from the Texel
to the northernmost cape of Denmark at 18 feet, which must have resulted in a
loss of 1,500 square miles since the thirteenth century.

But whilst the sea thus encroaches upon the coast, there are agencies at work
which result in the formation of new land. In the estuaries of the Ems and
AVeser, and near the mouths of the smaller rivers, where salt and fresh water
mingle, the matter held in suspension is deposited before the turn of each tide ;
and not only do small particles of sand and clay sink to the bottom, but some
chemical process goes on simultaneously, the salts of lime and magnesia mingling
with the ooze. At the same time innumerable infusorial animals, which die in
the brackish water, and myriads of marine organisms, which are killed by the
fresh water of the rivers, sink to the bottom, forming, in the course of ages, thick
layers of wonderfully fertile soil. Professor Ehrcnberg states that the ooze, or
Hrhlirk, in the bays and port of Emden consists, to the extent of three-fifths of its
volume, of the remains of animalculac. Aml)er was formerly found on the shores
of the North Sea. This amber contained none of tlu; insects so fre(|uently met
with in that of the Baltic, and it has hence been concluded that the coast of
Krie.Hland wjis as jK)or in beetles at that epoch as now.

When the mud-banks first emerge from the water they become covered with
saline plants. After awliile sedges and <;lover inakc; their appearance, and it
is then that man first attemj)ts to secure these rich hinds, which, once embanked,
yield harvest lifter harvest for a cr-ntury, without re(|iiiring any artificial manure.
Originally a family of the Geest, desirous (jf embanking a mud-bank, esta-
blished itself upon an old iHland, beyrtnd flic reach of \]\\\ flood, or (-(jiistructed
a irarfcn, or wharf, ])la<;ing it Ix-yond flic n-acli of the sea. I'or ages, however,
the work of ernbankmrint has Ixsen takrn in hand (M»lleclivcly, and ihi! dykes of
Oerrnari I''ri<'Mland are no less rctnarkable than thostj of tlic ni'i^hl»oiiring
Netherlands. Most of them average be-tween 15 and 150 firet in lieiglil, but
there are wiine a« high as 10 fee(, and their maintenance has been very costly,
lint the inhaliitants are (obliged to eoiiHlruet (iykes, or to gf) awuy : —

"\h> fiich will (likf'ii, iiiiit wiki.-ii."

276

GERMANY.

It is a century now since man obtained tli is mastery over the sea. Sheltered
behind his " walls of gold," he may feel secure from the assaults of the sea, and
fresh walls of defence are raised whenever the alluvial soil has sufficiently
accumulated bej'ond the existing barriers. That much land has thus been
recovered in the course of centuries is certain. The town of Jever, in the alluvial
tract to the north-west of the Jade, was a seaside town in the days of Charle-
magne, but lies now nearly 10 miles inland. In going from Wittmund to the
sea, a distance of 12 miles, we cross nine main dykes, marking as many
successive conquests of the " dykers." The oldest of these embankments was
thrown up in 1598. Still much remains to be done towards the " sanitation " of

Yig. 157.— The Coast of East Friesland.

Scale 1 : 1,255,000.

E. of Paris

' 5 J-'athi^nns Line

25 Miles.

the country and the conquest of the Watten, or sand-banks, covered by each
advancing tide.

The islands skirting the coast have apparently undergone more striking
changes than the mainland. They are evidently the remains of an ancient
coast-line broken up into fragments by the assaulting waves. Pliny enumerates
twenty-three islands as lying along the coast of Germania. There are now only
fourteen, seven of which lie oiF the coast of German Friesland. Borkum — the
ancient Barchami — must have been very much larger than it is now, for nineteen
centuries ago its inhabitants were sufficiently numerous to offer an armed resist-
ance to Drusus. In the twelfth century the island still had an area of 380

PLAINS OF THE ELBE AND WESER, ETC.

277

square miles, but history hardly alludes to it since without telling us about some
dreadful irruption of the sea. In the seventeenth century Borkum still had
its seaport, its commercial fleet manned by natives of the island, and productive
farms. It is a mere shadow now of its former self. Wangerooge was well
cultivated up to 1840, when an incursion of the sea reduced it to a mere sand-
bank. The other islands present no more favourable picture. Inhabited by a
few fishermen, they would long ago have been washed away by the sea, if reeds
had not been planted to consolidate their sands. Norderney is the only one of

Fig. 1-58. — XoRDERXEY, Baltrum, and the Neighhouring Coast.

Scale 1 : 200,000.

I 5° E.of Paris

I Milcn.

thcw; jslandH which exhibits tracoH of life during the fine Hcuson, when it is much
frcfjiir;nt<;d for its mn bathH.

Nfitircrl:, a KinuU fortified iHlaiid at the mouth of the I''ilbo, is an oullvinsr
remnant of the ancient c<»aMt. Further away Uum I he luiul lies the fumouH island
of II(Iigf<Ian(l, rertairily within German watfrrn, though occupied Hinco 180H by
Kngland. y\t that timr; Heligoland was of conHiderable htratcgical importance,
for itx creHC<;nt-«liap<;(I nand-bank an'onlrd Mhellcr to iii<n-of-war. Thin bunk in
knf*wn an the " iJrunnen," a word MuppOMcd to mean HJiicld It CoiiriH a kind of
naturul breakwater, and there can be no doubt that ujj to the cIoho of tho

278

GERMANY.

seventeenth century a narrow isthmus joined its eastern portion to the island. The
latter was much larger formerly. Adam of" Bremen describes Heligoland as
being rich in corn, cattle, and poultry, but now there is hardly room enough for
a few potato patches. The fossils discovered prove that the ancient fauna had a
continental character. The onslaught of the sea has reduced Heligoland to a
mere rock of variegated sandstone, shaped by the weather into fantastical forms.
The scanty inhabitants and their visitors during the bathing season have established

Fipr. lo9. — Hki.cgoland.

themselves at the foot and on the summit of the eastern cliff, A few small
vessels may generally be seen in the roadstead ; whilst far away, but within sight,
pass the merchantmen bound for the Elbe and Weser. Volcanic phenomena
may possibly have contributed towards the destruction of Heligoland. At all
events, the sea has been observed to boil up on two occasions — on June 13th, 1833,
and June 5th, 1858 — as if heated by submarine lavas.*

* Heligoland, or Helgoland, is generally supposed to mean " holy land," but it is more correct to
derive the modern name from Hallaglun, or Halligland; that is, "land of banks which cover and
uncover." In 1860 the island had 2,860 inhabitants, but in 1872 only 1,913.

PLAINS OF THE ELBE AND WESEE, ETC.

279

Inhakitaivts.

The dwellers in the plains stretching away to the west of the Elbe are upon
the whole of homogeneous origin, and anthropologists search amongst them for
the purest representatives of the Germanic type. Yet until quite recently men
of foreign speech and origin occupied a part of Hanover. The Slavs, who in the
" March " of Brandenburg became quickly merged in the Germans whose
speech they adopted, maintained themselves much longer in the so-called Wend-
land of Hanover, a district irrigated by the river Jeetze. Even in the beginning
of this century most families there spoke Wendish, and their descendants still make

Fig. 160. — Heligoland.
Scale 1 : 150,000.

.i "So a. of Parts

f. ••«'•,

•J

^V^:

TTfTlgroI.->.n'S' rv ,• '.

»y

7"io K ol (,

llFalM/nu Li Hr

/tr/Hh tru limn i falluitnM

S tiM 1 1 FatUimtt

— '1 Mileit.

Oetr 1 1 h'liiliiiitui

UHC of nearly a thoiiflUTid word.n incuriipichcii'sibh' to the (icniiuus in the Kurrouiid
irig (liKtrictM. TIiIh pcTMiHtonco of Slav Hpccch in tlic midst of Gornians is
uccoiintrd for l»y the geographicul crjiifigiiriition (»f the country. I'lie " Ti.'iii(l of
l}ie WeridH*' '\n l>otinded on the ont; Hide liy llio llcalh of Liineburg, on llic (itlicr
by lh(; MWijinpH and lakfM of th«' Altinark, Itoili prcscMlirig nuire forniidubh"
obhtaijlcM than a river would huvc; df»ne. These SlavH, unftirlunalcly for theinKclveK,
were but a Kmall tribe, tniable to cope witli the <ierinan bar 'lis of the neigbbour-
}ifK»d, whow! Miibjectii they became, and at wliow! liaiids they had to suller all
tliowf indignities wliieh a conquering race UHually infli<'ts upon its victiniH,

Other tribal UMm>ciutionH buve maintained their ground in HWainpy dihlrictn

280 GERMANY.

and the sterile regions of the Geest. Gipsies camped until recently on the downs of
the Iliiminling, to the east of the Ems. In addition to them there were errant
bands of outcasts, supposed to be the descendants of refugees driven out of their
homes during the Thirty Years' War, and known as " Scissors Grinders." These
two ** accursed " peoples mutually detested each other, and never lost an opportunity
of inflicting injury upon one another. In the end they were made to settle down
in homesteads, and all traces of them have disappeared. The dark-complexioned
inhabitants in the neighbourhood of Meppen are supposed to be descended from
them.

The Frisians on the seaboard are distinguished amongst all Germans by
strength of character and high-mindedness. In some respects they resemble
Englishmen, and the language they speak has many analogies with old
English. The Frisians have some right to feel proud and confident, for have
they not conquered from the sea the land they inhabit, and converted insalubrious
swamps into fertile fields? Their perseverance is hereditary, and the liberty
they enjoyed through the protection afforded by their islands and the heaths of
the Geest has enabled them to develop their powers to the full. Some of their
tribes withstood entire armies for generations. The Stedingers, who lived on the
right bank of the Hunte, in what is now Oldenburg, resisted for thirty years all
Christendom, desirous of avenging upon them the death of a missionary. Forty
thousand crusaders were sent against this handful of Frisians, who, rather than
yield, allowed themselves to be killed to the last man. Elsewhere, too, the
Frisians struggled long before they surrendered their independence. The ancient
spirit of liberty still lives amongst them : Liewer dued iis Slav (Rather dead than a
slave) is the motto on their coat of arms, and their greeting is still the venerable
Eda,fr//a Fresena ! (Hail, free Frisian !)

Accustomed to judge all things from a utilitarian point of view, the Fries-
lander is not likely to trouble himself about others ; and the time when he prayed
God to " bless the strand " — that is, to cover it with wrecks — does not lie very far
behind us. He has no love for art. Frisia non cantat is an old proverb. He is
a man of strong common sense and of few words. The dweller in the " marsh
lands " differs in many respects from the inhabitant of the Geest. The former,
enjoying a regular revenue from his productive toil, is somewhat haughty. " He is
a fat ox," say his neighbours. The inhabitant of the sand tracts, on the other
hand, is obliged to scheme and to work hard in order to make a living. He
is less wealthy than the owners of the " marshes," but more spirited and gay.
He is, too, a greater traveller, for necessity often compels him to go to other countries
in search of work. Thousands of Oldenburgers annually migrate to Eastern Fries-
land, where they work during the summer as mowers or turf-cutters. These
migrants are known as " Hollanders." Like birds of passage, they regularly leave
in spring and return in the autumn.

The Westphalian peasants towards the head- streams of the Ems, between
Delbriick and MUnster, rival the Frieslanders in their fidelity to ancient customs.
These descendants of the old Saxons are the most conservative element in Germany,

PLAINS OF THE ELBE AND WESEE, ETC. 281

and jealously nourish ancient traditions and laws. Many of their farmhouses are
even now built in the same style as in the time of Charlemagne. The isolated
homestead is bounded on the one side by a garden, and on the other by meadows
and fields. Its gable-ends are ornamented with wooden horses' heads. The
interior is divided into three compartments : one for the family, the members of
which sleep in berths placed one above the other, as on board ship ; another for
the animals ; and a third for the hay and tools. The fireplace occupies the centre
of the house, the housewife being thus able to control ail that passes within
her domain, having under her eyes the children romping in the living-room, the
cattle occuppng the other side of the house, and the labourers attending upon them.
The wealthy yeomen of TV^estphalia are most anxious that their land should be
handed down undivided to their heir. They have but few children, and most of
the farm-work is done by labourers. The Westphalians supply Prussia with her
first lawyers, for an avaricious peasant's son takes kindly to law.

Towns.

The Basin of the Lippe (Westphalia). — The Lippc, though tributary to the
Rhine, rises on the plain which geographers call the Bay of "Westphalia, as if it
were still covered by the floods of the ocean. Its most considerable springs rise at
LippHprinfje (2,17-3 inhabitants), one of those places where Charlemagne gave the
Saxons the choice of baptism or decapitation. Below that place the Lippe flows past
Padrrhorn (1 '3,701 inhabitants), a town built around a church founded by Charle-
magne. It lies at one of the " doors " of the mountains, and an important highway
connecting the Ilhine with the Weser passes through it. It was here Charle-
magne received the ambassadors of the Moorish princes of Zaragoza and Iluesca,
and Pope Leo III. when a fugitive. In the ^liddle Ages Paderborn was one
of the most flourishing members of the Hanse. Lippdadt (8,137 inhabitants) and
Ilamm (18,877 inhabitants), both on the Lippe, were members of the same league,
and are 8till scats of commerce and industry. Below nainiii, the Lippe, which
liad hitherto flown near the fertile plateau of Ilellweg and the coal basin of
Dortmund, turns northward and enters u less-favoured region, where large towns
are rare. lirrhlinfjhnmcn (5,000 inhabitants), Jioitrop (0,570 inliabitants), and
litur (5,022 inhabitants) lie some distance to the south of it, and are collections
of homesteads rather than towns. liorholt (0,051 inliabitants) lies to the west, in
the banin of the Yssel, and close to the Dutclj frontier.

The Bahin ok ww. Kms. — liirlrfrhl (20,507 inluibitants) is the commercial

capital of the Upper Kms, and, lik<! I'aderborn, it occupies one of the " doors " of the

Teutoburg Forest. Its linen industry is very ancient, antl received an impetus

when Flemish refugees nettled there in the sixteenth century. There are bleaching

grounds, n»|Kr-walk(», foundries, and machine hhups. Amongst the exports are

We-tphalian hams, cerccUU Hausages,* lard, and smoked meat of every kind,

princijwlly produced in the Houth-west, around Uuhrnloh (4,101 inhabitants).

• Known n« " HriiiMwick " lauBagtM iu Ku({laud. Huvoloy in ckarly n. CMjrruiition of cmelut, in nanic
WM wuU oM iu suUtuuu;.

282 GERMANY.

Munster (35,705 inhabitants), the capital of Westphalia, rises in a sandy plain
watered by a small tributary of the Ems. It lies about half-way between
Cologne and Bremen, and, as implied by its name, sprang up around an ancient
monaderium , or minster. It is a picturesque town, with many mediaeval build-
ings. The three cages in which John of Leyden, the Anabaptist, and his two
companions, were shut up to be tortured, are still suspended upon the tower of the
Gothic church of St. Lambert, a witness to the cruelty of that age. In the town-
hall, a fine edifice of the fourteenth century, was signed the treaty of Westphalia
(1648). The old ramparts have been razed and converted into gardens. There
is an academy, attended by 300 students of theology and philosophy. Miinster has
but little industry. The busiest place near it is Ihbenburen (3,707 inhabitants),
where there are coal mines.

Osnahriick (29,850 inhabitants), one of the episcopal sees founded by Charle-
magne, lies to the north-east of Miinster. It was decided by the treaty of West-
phalia that the town should be governed alternately by a Catholic and a Protestant
bishop, and this curious practice remained in force until 1827, when Osnabriick was
ceded to Hanover. Numerous roads and six railways converge upon the town,
which increases rapidly in population.

All the towns on the Lower Ems and the Dollart below Lingen (5,736 inha-
bitants) are enabled to carry on commerce by sea, for the tide ascends the rivers
and canals. Pcipenburf/ (6,819 inhabitants), which has only recently been founded
in the midst of a marsh, owns 300 sea-going vessels and barges. Leer (9,335
inhabitants), a small village in 1823, has become a town of importance, with
distilleries and factories, Emcien (12,866 inhabitants), on the Dollart, is the
commercial centre of the country. Norden (6,130 inhabitants), the northernmost
town of East Friesland, has ship-yards and a. coasting trade. The principal ports
of the Eras carry on a direct trade with England, Norway, the Netherlands, and the
Baltic, They export peat, butter, cheese, cattle, and agricultural produce, sent
thither from Aurich (4,819 inhabitants) and other places in the interior, and
import timber and manufactured articles. Emden is a very ancient town of
Dutch aspect, with gabled red-brick houses, a belfry, and canals. During the
Thirty Years' War it enjoyed a high degree of prosperity, for its secluded position
protected it from the exactions to which other seaports were subjected. A ship
canal, joining Emden and the Dollart with Wilhelmshafen and the Jade, is being
constructed, and another canal connecting the Rhine with the Ems, and passing
through the coal basin of Westphalia, is projected. These works will materially
contribute towards the prosperity of the Ems ports.

The Basin of the Jade. — Until quite recently the only towns near the gulf
of the Jade were Varel (4,377 inhabitants) and Jever (4,054 inhabitants), but the
Prussian Government having acquired a tract of land for the purpose of founding
a great naval station, a large city has sprung up there, with floating docks, basins,
dockyards, huge barracks, and store-houses. This is WilhehmJiafen (10,158
inhabitants), a town defended by strong fortifications and by cuirassed batteries
floating upon its roadstead. A short distance to the north-west of it lies Knuphauficn,

PLAINS OF THE ELBE AND WESEE, ETC.

283

a small \iiiage, anciently the capital of a miniature principality, forgotten by
the Congress of Vienna, which until recently claimed sovereign rights, in virtue
of -which it permitted the vessels of belligerents to shelter themselves under its
flag.

The Basin of the Lower Weser. — JTinden (17,075 inhabitants) occupies
the locality where the Weser escapes from the hilly region to the Porta
^estphalica. Until recently Minden was a strong fortress, defending the
passage of the AVeser. Its traffic by river has decreased, but the quantities
of merchandise carried by rail more than compensate for the loss. The linen
manufacture is of importance, as it is also at the neighbouring towns of

Fig. 161.— Emdex.
Scale 1 : 70,000.

k"50' E of Paris

^ — t'.

i3«

-_-:i^

1 Milu.

J/rr/orU {II, '.m inhabitants) an<l Lnhhrrb- (-J,:;}.-, inhabitants). The (juarrics
to the; south yiehl<<l the sand«t«nic' uw-d in the construction of th.; (juays
of iJromfrhafcn and WilholmHhafc.i. and also exported it to Ifolhuul, whcro it
is called " iJromcn stone." ()v,iuham,>n ^2,011 inhabitants), a tf.wn known for
Its suit nprinjfs, lies botwoen Mindcn and Jlcrl'onl, whilst. liurl,rh„nj { \,KVl
inhabitants;, the capital of the principality of Schaumburg-Lippc, li.s lu the
cast.

llnnonr (l27,/)7(i inhabitants;, now reduced to fh.- position of u provincial
capital, does not enjoy the wlvantage of lyinj^ up.»n the great river which traverses
iU territory, and of which the Leino is merely a tributary. It is first mentioned

284

GERMANY.

in the twelfth century. Having become the capital of a state, it rapidly grew in
population, and the railways which now converge upon it insure it its po.sition.
The " old town " forms the nucleus of the actual city, but is of small extent
when compared with the modern quarters and the far-stretching suburbs. The
streets of Hanover are for the most part wide and sumptuous, the old fortifications

Fig. 162. — MiNDEN AND THE PottTA WeSTPHALICA.
Scale 1 : 102,000.

6?3o' E.of Pans

C? 35

8?.^.)' E.ofG

have been converted into public walks, and a park extends in the north-west as far
as the royal castle of Herrenhausen. There are a line theatre, a museum, a library
of 150,000 volumes, and several superior schools of high reputation, including a
technical academy attended by 600 students. As a manufacturing city Hanover
is rapidly rising into importance. There are cotton-mills, dye works, chemical
works, foundries, and machine shops. The environs have been drained, and are

PLAINS OF THE ELBE AND W^SEE, ETC. 285

carefully cultivated. Nienburg (5,655 inhabitants), on the Weser, is the fluviatile
port of Hanover ; Bremen, lower down on the same river, its maritime port.

Hiklesheim (22,581 inhabitants), on a small tributary of the Leine, and at the
foot of the hills which extend to the north-westward of the Harz, was populous
and famous long before Hanover was heard of. Originally the seat of one of the
most powerful bishops of Northern Europe, it subsequently became a member of
the Hanse. The buildings surrounding the market-place, as well as several houses
with wood carvings, recall the Middle Ages. The cathedral, founded in the
eleventh century, is a mean building externally, but boasts of many treasures of
art, including brazen gates made in 1025, and curious sarcophagi. A column in
the choir is supposed to be the Irminsul of the Saxons, overthrown by Charle-
magne. The rose-tree in the close is traditionally stated to have been planted by
that emperor, and is certainly eight hundred years old. The ancient abbey of
St. Michael has been converted into a lunatic asylum. The old fortifications have
been razed and converted into public promenades. Beyond them lie the industrial
establishments of the city, including cotton-mills, machine shops, and breweries.

Bninsicick (Braunschweig, 65,938 inhabitants) is the capital of a duchy of the
same name. It is situate on the Ocker, a tributary of the Weser, and existed
already in the time of Charlemagne. Lying at the point where the high-road from
Augsburg and Xiirnberg to Hamburg intersects that following the northern base
of the hills of Central Germany, it early became a great centre of commerce. The
citizens were suflRciently wealthy and powerful to maintain their municipal
liberties. Many of the finest edifices still existing date back to that age of pros-
perity, and impart a character of originality to certain quarters of the city. The
cathedral contains the mausoleum of its founder, Henry the Lion. It is in the
Byzantine style, whilst the churches of St. Catherine and St. Andrew are remark-
able Gothic edifices. The town-hall is one of the finest in Germany. Modern
times have given Brunswick u ducal palace, a museum, and delightful public
walks. There are a few factories, but Brunswick is essentially a commercial town,
as in the time of the Hanso, exporting agricultural produce. Gauss, the mathe-
matician, was a native of Brunswick.

JfV>//;///y///^;/(l 1 J0."> inhabitants), higher up on the Ockcr, is the old capital of
the duchy, and has much decreased in popuhition since the dukes transferred
their residence to Brunswick. It is fn.-quently visited by Gorman scholars on
account of its famous library, containing 270,000 voluines and 10,000 manuscripts,
and of which Lessing was at one time the curator. IfrlmHtcdt (7,78;{ inhabitants),
another town of liower Hrunswick, was u lioly city formerly. The " Liibbcn-
uteine " — boulders of granite on a neighbouring hill— an; ])clieved to hav(^ Ix-cu
altars ij[K»n which human sacritices were brought to W'odaii ; and at a spring rising
lx;low, Jiudgf;r, the misHionary, first l)iipti/cd the converts from heutheniHm.
Hrhninvfjni f6,116 inlialiitantu), to the south of Hclinstjidt, luis an urtesiun brine
wjifing, yielding 6,000 t')tis of suit annuully. In ils ncigh])ourhood in tSr/io/)f)ni-
ntedl r<J,H.'{.'{ inhuliitantH), a small town frcqu(!ntly mentioned with derision on
wvxtxxui of the inane nitriplieity uf itH citizens.

28G

GERMANY.

Fiff. 163. — The Buewers' House at Hii,desheim.

Peine (4,994 inhabitants), where there are distilleries and beet-sugar factories,
is the principal town on the railway from Brunswick to Hanover. Celk (18,163

PLAINS OF THE ELBE AND WESER, ETC.

2S7

Fig. 164. — Bkemev axd Bremerhafen.
Scale 1 : 517,000.

E. of Paris

inhabitants), on the Ocker, far below Brunswick, has cotton-mills and umbrella
manufactories, but is famous above all other towns for its wax, obtained on tbe
heaths stretching thence northward to Liineburg. Following the Ocker, we reach
the AUer, upon which stands Verden (7,669 inhabitants), not far from the "Weser.
A huge cathedral overtowers the houses of the town. At Verden we already find
ourselves within the circle of attraction oi Bremen (111,039 inhabitants).

Charlemagne made that city the seat
of a bishop, and during the Middle Ages
it was one of the great maritime towns of
Germany. Bremen mariners frequented
the Xorth Sea and the Baltic, they
founded Riga in 1156, and took part iu
the Crusades. It is still a so-called " free
city," and upon its market-place stands
a " Roland," such as may be seen in
several other towns of Northern Ger-
many. These statues do not represent
the paladin, but are symbolical of the
right of jurisdiction, Roland being used
in the sense of " tribunal," or " place of
law." The statue holds a sword in the
right hand, and at its feet lie a head and
a hand, symbolizing the power over life
and limb enjoyed by the magistrates of
Bremen. The .stormy year 1848 infused
fresh life into the municipal institutions
of Bremen, and it is only since then that
Jews have been allowed to settle in the
town.

The old city, on the right bank of the
Weser, boasts of a cathedral, a curious
t^)wn-hall of the fifteenth century, and a
modern exchange. A bust of Gibers, the
astronomer, who was a native of the Ujwn,
has been pla^x'd in thf; public garden
into whichthc old fortifications have been
convertefl. 'I'he suburbs towards the

north and east contain the private residences of the merchants, whilst the; southern
suburb is mostly inhubiterl by labourers, sailors, gardeners, and small shop-
keejKTH.

Urem«?Ti ban its outp«»rts, for at low waltr vj-mhcIs drawing more than "> feet
of watiT cannot get up to tin; city. l'"ornierly larger nierchuntmcn anchored iit
Vt'f/f'M/tr/,- I'-i^oU'.i inhabitants), a small town Hurroutidrd by<'(Minhy houMCH, or , still
lower down the river, opp«mito ///v//.' rJ,"I» I iiihal»itantMj. In |H,'7, however, the

6' !0* K ot o

:. .Mii(H

288 GERMANY.

citizens acquired 390 acres of laud at the mouth of the "Weser, and to the north of
the mouth of the Geeste, and there they constructed docks and quays, and a town
quickly sprang up around them. That town, Bremerhafen, had, in 1875, 12,296
inhabitants. Contiguous to it is the Hanoverian (Prussian) port of Geestemiinde
(10,425 inhabitants), whilst Lehe (7,867 inhabitants) lies close to the north of it,
these three places having thus an aggregate population of 30,000 souls.

Bremen is only inferior to Hamburg as a maritime city. Its merchants
dispatch vessels into every quarter of the world, and even occasionally equip
whalers. The principal trade, however, is carried on with the United States.
Petroleum, cotton, and raw tobacco rank foremost amongst the imports. The
conveyance of emigrants has enriched the shipowners of Bremen. Between 1832
and 1877 1,496,518 emigrants passed through Bremen ; in 1872 alone more than
80,000 were dispatched — a number which has much fallen since then. Bremen
took a leading share in the German arctic expeditions, and was the first town to
avail itself of the new sea route to the Yenisei opened by Nordenskjold.*

Oldenburg (15,701 inhabitants), the capital of the Grand Duchy of the same
name, lies to the west of Bremen, on a small navigable river tributary to the
Lower Weser, in the midst of meadows, affording pasturage to a highly esteemed
breed of horses.

The marshy region to the east of the "Weser is known as the Duchy of
Bremen, and forms part of the Prussian province of Hanover. Bremervorde
(2,905 inhabitants), founded by Charlemagne in 788, is the principal town in that
part of the country. It exports peat and agricultural produce. At Kloder
Zeven, or Zeren, a village with an old abbey to the south of it, the Duke of
Cumberland signed the convention by which he bound himself to retire beyond
the Elbe in 1757.

The Basin of the Elbe.- — Eastern Hanover, a country of heaths and forests,
is very thinly peopled, and even along the rivers tributary to the Elbe only a few
towns are met with. Liinehurg (17,532 inhabitants), the largest amongst them, is
partly built upon a rock of chalk, which here rises above the alluvial soil and
sand. That rock constitutes the principal source of wealth of the town, for it
supplies numerous cement works with the raw material they require. A spring
rising at its foot furnishes ingredients for the manufacture of soda, chloride of
lime, and sulphuric acid. The river Ilmenau, which flows past the town, enables
it to procure the raw produce worked up in its factories. Hence the saying that
mons, fons, pons are the three treasures of Liineburg. In the early Middle Ages
Bardowiek, a few miles below Liineburg, was the great commercial tov\Ti of that

* Commercial statistics of Bremen for 1877 : —

Commercial marine, 274 sea-going vessels (including 60 steamers) of 216,032 tons.
Entered, 2,694 sea-goiug vessels of 946,623 tons.
Imports by sea, 17,045,871 cwts., valued at £15,892,590.
Exports by sea, 7,255,646 cwts., valued at £7,095,669.

Imports by land and river (from the German Customs Union, of which Bremen is not a member),
11,158,082 cwts., valued at £6,267,858 ; exports do., 12,897,365 cwts., valued at £14,452,969.
Imports from the United States, £7,706,157 ; exports to the United States, £2,703,955.
Imports of petroleum, £3,014,376 ; cotton, £2,419,062 ; tobacco, £2,407,809.

PLAINS OF THE ELBE AND WESER, ETC.

289

part of Germany, but it never recovered after its destruction by Henry the Lion
in 1189. Liineburg is a great mart for hemp, which is much grown around
Uelzen (6,366 inhabitants), to the south of it.

Harburg (17,131 inhabitants), on an arm of the Elbe known as Slider Elbe,
has a port accessible to sea-going vessels of small burden, but is less frequented

Fig 16-5.— Railway BaiDGE over the Elbe, bexweex Harbvrg add Hamburg.

than it U8<;d to be, principally on account of the channel leading to the quays of tbo
Umn becoming gradually .silted up. A fine railway bridge connects it witli Ilam-
Imrg, its more fortunate rival. Harburg has gutta-percha and caoutchouc factories,
chemical works, and machine shops. Stadc (M,7">'S inhaljitants), lower down the
EUiC, WUM an important commercial town f<»rmorly, and continued to levy shipping
dues long after the water hud retired from its walls.

(hi

CHAPTER VIII.

THE BASIN OF THE MIDDLE ELBE (SAXONY).

General Aspects.

I HE name of Saxony, which was formerly applied to so considerable
a portion of Germany, is restricted now to the smallest of the four
kingdoms forming part of the empire ; but this small country is
more densely peopled than any other portion of Germany,* and its
inhabitants are distinguished by their intelligence and industry.
Saxony, curtailed as it has been by Prussia, has no natural frontiers. It
merely includes the northern slope of the Erzgebirge, and of the mountains which
form the continuation of this range to the east of the Elbe. Nearly all its rivers
flow to the Elbe, which they join only beyond the actual political boundaries of
Saxony, which thus depends mainly upon roads and railways for its internal
communications.

The Saxon slope of the Erzgebirge differs strikingly from the precipitous
face which that mountain range presents towards Bohemia. It is gentle, and
in many parts the mountains assume the character of plateaux, upon which rise
rounded summits. These plateaux, exposed as they are to the cold northerly
winds, form a Saxon Siberia. They abound in mineral wealth, which has
attracted a considerable population. Too frequently, however, the metallic lodes
prove deceptive, and, as the niggardly soil yields but poor harvests, the inhabitants
have been compelled to turn their attention to the manufacture of a variety of
articles likely to find purchasers amongst the dwellers in the plain. Such was
the humble beginning of the vast manufacturing industry which has converted the
whole of South-western Saxonj'^ into one huge workshop, and accounts for the
sterile mountain region being far more densely peopled than the fertile alluvial
plain. The latter, however, has its sterile tracts too, which are covered with
sand, and even with erratic blocks, carried thither from Scandinavia. The
" Swedes' Stone,'' on the battle-field of Liitzen, is one of these blocks. Moraines
have been traced at the openings of some of the valleys of the Erzgebirge. It

• The kingdom of Saxony has an area of 6,777 square miles, and (1875) 2,760,586 inhabitants, or
407 to the square mile.

/) ^

THE BASIN OF THE MIDDLE ELBE.

291

is in Saxony that the last cromlechs of Central Europe are met with, and only
on reaching the Crimea do we once more find examples of these ancient funereal
monuments.

The rivers and rivulets rising on the Erzgebirge have scooped themselves out
deep channels, and flow through picturesque valleys bounded by steep cliffs. In
the east, where the Elbe escapes from Bohemia, the sandstone, exposed to the
action of water and the weather, forms huge blocks of astonishing regularity'.
The cliffs rising above the Elbe almost look like walls constructed by the
hand of man. At one spot a huge bastion, joined to the plateau by a narrow
neck of land, juts out towards the river like a cyclopean wall, whilst elsewhere
the rock has been completely broken up, its fragments being scattered over the

Fig. 166.— Density of roprL.4TioN in the Kingdom o? Saxony.

Scale 1 : 2,300,000.

Inhabll»nt$ lo M S,iuit'» Ulla

— J- - : — ~

■ ■"«- "■ I ' '

lot-lit tit- 107 JiiT ■ tUl KO-JII ill-Ut

valhy. Many of the rfHikn arc grotoHrjurly Hliapcfl. (Jnc of tljcm, I lie Koiiig.'^ti'iii,
i» crown<;d by a fortrcHH abHolulrly iinpngnablc Auollicr, tlie LilicnHtcin,
(K'Cupii.'H u peninsula on tin- left bank ol tin; vim'T, and forniH perhaps tlie most
l>cautifiil featun- of what is not very appropriately termed tSa.xon Switzerland.
Sonic of Iho rrx-ks have fhe Mhape of obelinkM, one of the mo.st curiouH of these
Ijcin^ tlif; I'niluHclior Kogcl. a wonderlul pilo ccnnmandiiig a wide hori/oii of
wo<nU and ro<kH. Tlio HaHtei, to the caHt of W'ehlen, is no loss remarkable.

The cliffs along the KIIh; alxivir I'irna are being actively quarried, and
thf! utono is cxiK)rted as far as Ilainhurg, which to a large extent is built with
it. (Initt! recr'iitly a huge iuukm «t rock, 2<*() feet in height, wliich had been
undermined by the quarrymen, tiiiiiblerl into tlu; river, and iiilen uj)tcd itw

292 GEllMANY.

navigation for several months. Much has been done to render the Elbe navigable
throughout the year, but a uniform depth of 33 inches, which a commission fixed
upon in 1870 as being absolutely necessary, has not yet been secured, and in
the summer the depth at some places is hardly 28 inches.

Inhabitants.

Formerly the whole of Saxony was inhabited by Slavs. The names of towns,
villages, and rivers prove this, for though Leipzig, Plauen, and Bautzen have a
German ring about them, a reference to ancient documents shows that they are
virtually Slav, their meaning being " lime wood," " flooded meadow," and "group
of cabins." Many villages, such as Gorlitz, Oelsnitz, and Blasewitz, still retain
their original Slav names.

The upper basin of the Spree, in Saxony as well as in Prussia, is still occupied
by Wends who speak Slav. They are the remnant of a Slav nation which for-
merly extended as far as the Elbe, but is now decreasing almost daily. About the
middle of the sixteenth century the country of the Wends extended eastward to
the Oder. Its gradual reduction since then is shown on the accompanying map,
and it must be observed that even within the limits there assigned to the Wends
German exclusively is spoken in the towns, and all, a few old people excepted,
speak that language as well as Slav. Many persons have translated their family
names into German, and in course of time they will no doubt claim a pure
Teutonic descent. All those causes which lead to the extinction of an ancient
language are at work in the country of the Wends. Government ignores their
existence, the schools are German, and so are the employers of labour. The
number of persons still speaking the ancient language is estimated at 136,000,
viz. 86,000 in Prussia, and 50,000 in Saxony ; but probably not many thousands
will remain at the end of the present century.

The cold plateau of the Erzgebirge appears to have been avoided by the old
Slav inhabitants of the country, for the geographical nomenclature there is
German, and many of the names were evidently given by colonists. Huntsmen
first penetrated these forbidding regions, and they were followed by agriculturists,
who later on crossed the mountains into Bohemia. It is well known how these
German colonists, by dint of hard labour, have forced the reluctant land to yield
harvests, and called into life new branches of industry. Still the poverty of these
mountaineers is great, and it is only by the strictest economy and sobriety they
are enabled to live. As compared with the Saxons of the plain, they are small,
feeble, and ill conditioned. ' The manufacture of toys is carried on there almost as
extensivelv as in Thuringia, and the workmen earn even less.

The Saxons of the kingdom of Saxony are not as pure a race as their kinsmen
to the north-west. For ages the name of Saxon was almost looked upon as
being synonymous with German, and the German colonists in Transylvania are
known as Saxons to the present daj\ But though the political domain of the
Saxons has been much curtailed, their influence upon German life has always

THE BASIN OF THE MIDDLE ELBE.

293

been a powerful one. It was Saxony which contributed most towards the forma-
tion of modern High German, and for a long time the dialect of Meissen was
looked upon as the most refined.

Fig. 167. — The Wends in Lusatia.

20 JiUi-a.

ToWN.S.

\m\ dfriHoly jK-oplcd, Saxony, with cnrfaiii porlioiiH of RhnnlHh IViiHHiu mid
Hil.rHia, huM fi lar^T nuiriJ.cr of t<.wnH than any other part of nnnnany. Many
villagoM huvo boon ubfUiH.ed by tho towns nour thorn, and own the country diHtnctl.s

29i GERMANY.

are being invaded by manufactories. In the Voigtland, which lies in the extreme
south-west, the winding AVhitc Elster flows past several towns of importance,
including Oelsnitz (''3,207 inhabitants) and Plauen (28,7o6 inhabitants), the latter
enriched by its manufacture of muslin and by the coal mines abounding in its
environs. Amongst the manufacturing towns in valleys tributary to the Elster are
FalhcuHtein (5,146 inhabitants) ; Treuen (5,409 inhabitants) ; Aucrhach (5,277
inhabitants), which carries on a large trade in hides ; and Rcichenhach (14,620
inhabitants), w^hich has cotton -mills. Near the latter the railway traverses the
Gciltzsch on a bridge 285 feet in height.

On re-entering Saxony after having passed through "Western Thuringia, the
Elster irrigates the plain upon which rises the city of Leipzig (209,407 inhabit-
ants), one of the great towns of Germany. Placed at the point of intersection of
the natural highway which crosses the pass between the Thuvingian Forest and
the Ore Mountains, and of the road which joins the valley of the Rhine to the
valleys of the Elbe, Oder, and Weser, Leipzig enjoys peculiar facilities for com-
merce. Railways converge upon it from all points of the compass, and its three
great fairs are amongst the most important held in Europe.* Leipzig is the
centre of the German book trade ; its university, founded in the fifteenth century
by German professors expelled from Prague, is attended by 3,000 students ; and
its library is one of the richest in Europe. The Geivandhans (Linen Hall) con-
certs enjoy a European reputation, and the Academy of Art is much frequented.
Quite recently Leipzig has become the seat of the principal Court of Appeal for the
whole of Germany. The inhabitants .of Leipzig, in their rivalry with those of
Dresden, exhibit a liberal German patriotism, whilst the dwellers in the capital
look with some regret upon the past.

Including its suburbs, Reudnitz, Lindenau, Gohlis, and others, Leipzig sur-
passes Dresden in j)opulation, but the town proper had only 135,500 inhabitants
in 1877. These suburbs extend in all directions beyond the park which
encircles the town, and in which lie some of its public buildings, includ-
ing the theatre, the university, and the observatory of the Pleissenburg. A
portion of the battle-field of Leipzig, where 500,000 men struggled for mastery
and 2,000 cannon thundered, is now covered with houses, and the spot where
PoniatoAvsky perished has become a quay. Prohstheyda, a village to the south-
east of the town, marks the centre of the field of battle. At Breitenfeld, to the
north, Gustavus Adolphus defeated Tilly in 1631.

In the valley of the Mulde, which flows to the east of the Elster, manufactur-
ing towns are more numerous than in any other part of Saxony. Eihenstock
(6,773 inhabitants), near the head of the river, is the centre of the lace manu-
facture. Schneeherg (8,074 inhabitants), in a side valley farther north, has cobalt
and other mines : the old parish church contains Cranach's masterpiece. L'dssnitz
(5,725 inhabitants), a town to the east of the Mulde, is near it. Zicickau (31,491
inhabitants), on the Mulde itself, is one of those rare Saxon towns where mediaeval
buildings impart some picturesque features to the usual agglomeration of
* In 1875 the merchandise brought to the fairs of Leipzig was valued at £15,000,000.

THE BASIN OF THE MIDDLE ELBE.

295

factories. The neighbouring coal mines supply abundant fuel. One of the seams
has been burning for three centuries, a circumstance of which the market
gardeners avail themselves by growing early vegetables upon the heated soil.
Zwickau has a mining school and a technical academy, and occupies the centre of
an important manufacturing district. Amongst the towns near it are Schedewitz
(5,201 inhabitants), Kirchherg (o,761 inhabitants) ; Plaiiitz (9,o46 inhabitants),
with metallurgical works; Mulscii {9,515 inhabitants), Wenlau (11,689 inhabit-

Fig. 168 — Leipzig.

Scale 1 : ISo.ooO.

10° E.of Pans

H"iO Kol O

M.li

antH), CrimmllzMrhan (17,010 iiiliabitanffl), Glatirhnu (21,74*2 inhabifunts), Livhion-
ntcin (7,0<»<» iiili(il)ifuntN), (hltmitz, Lntif/tri/z (0,141 inhabifantH), Utirf/Mfdift (O.lJIIi
jnbiibitaiitHj, LunHtiifz, (icrm/or/ (•'{,450 JnliahitaiitH), mid Mnrtniv (21,277 iiihabit-
aritH^, with iiuhhtouh cotfoii-Tnills. Tin- towim f.irHni- nortli in the \;ill( y nl'
thf; Mul(l«, Hucli UM llorlilHz (5,70l iiihubilaiits). (irliiniia (7,27m iiilial)iliiiit.s), uiid
JVurzfn (H,\(i5 iiihabitanlM), an wfll u» Jhniit (7,017 iiihabitiuifsj, *n\ a tributary
of th«* KUtirr, lit! Jiln'july within iIm; circlt! of attra(;ti(»ii ol' licipziH-

dhimnitz (W5,.'iM I iiiliiiMtaiitN^, the tliitil rily of Saxony in |M)iiil «il |iii|Miluti(»n,

296 GERMANY.

and one of those which increase most rapidly, forms the centre of another manu-
facturing district. The " German Manchester " is a town of cotton-mills and
print works. More than 200,000 spindles are in operation in its factories, and
there are, in addition, important machine shops. As befits a town of commerce,
the railway station is its most prominent building. The neighbouring towns
engage likewise in the cotton industry, and consist of huge factories and work-
men's dwellings. The more important amongst them are Linihnch (6,879 inha-
bitants), Ilohemtein (9,844 inhabitants), Gahlenz (6,800 inhabitants), Stollhertj
(6,326 inhabitants), Gclonau (5,284 inhabitants), Zschopau (8,045 inhabitants),
Frankenhorg (10,462 inhabitants), Hainichen (8,468 inhabitants), Mittweida (9,093
inhabitants), Oederau (5,836 inhabitants), Hosstvein (6,968 inhabitants), Dbbelii
(10,969 inhabitants), and Leisnig (7,045 inhabitants). Higher up, in the upper
valley of the Zschopau, are the old mining towns o( Marie nherg (5,956 inhabitants)
and Annaberg (11,726 inhabitants). In the same district are Ziconitz (5,279
inhabitants) and Schanheide (5,072 inhabitants), a fine village. Farther west, in
the mountains, lies Saida, where most of the toys are manufactured.

Freiberg (25,343 inhabitants), the famous mining town, lies likewise in the
basin of the Mulde. It is no longer a California, and the value of the silver won
there is but small, if compared with what is produced in Nevada or ACexico ; but
for skill these Saxon miners still hold their own, as they did in the Middle Ages,
when they were the instructors of all Europe. The Mining Academy attracts
students from every quarter of the world. In its museum is preserved the collec-
tion of Werner, the father of modern geology. The mines, which support 6,000
miners and their families, were recently threatened by an irruption of water.
They are drained now by a tunnel 8| miles in length.*

The Elbe, on entering Saxon}--, flows past Schandau (3,111 inhabitants), the
tourist's head-quarters for Saxon Switzerland. It is then joined by a rivulet
rising above the manufacturing town of Scbnitz (6,222 inhabitants), winds round
the foot of the fortress of Konig stein (3,750 inhabitants), and leaves behind it the
quarries of Wehlen. On a scarped promontory on the left rises the huge castle of
Sonnstein, now a lunatic asylum, overtowering the town of Pima (10,581
inhabitants). We approach Dresden. Villas and gardens succeed each other at
the foot of the hills bounding the right bank of the river, amongst them being
Pillniiz, the summer residence of the King of Saxony, at which was signed the
treaty by which the Emperor of Austria and the King of Prussia undertook to
reseat Louis XVI. upon the throne of France.

Dresden (197,295 inhabitants) is the most pleasant town of Germany, owing to
its numerous museums and the gentle manners of its inhabitants. This, at all
events, is the opinion of foreigners, who settle in it by preference. A considerable
portion of the floating population of the town consists of artists, poets, musicians,
and men of taste, who are attracted to this " German Florence," and whose very

* In 1876 the mines of Freiberg yielded 2, 04-5 tons of silver, 26.5 tons of copper, 344 tons of arsenic,
3,442 tons of lead, 1.53 tons of zinc, and 3,791 tons of sulphur. The silver extracted in the course of
three centuries is estimated at £34,000,000.

DRESDEN AND SAX

Scale

NEW VORK, C

i SWITZERLAND.

TV) 000

~»iau«

KfcCO

THE BASIN OF THE MIDDLE ELBE.

297

presence raises the general tone of society. The appearance of the town proves
that fine artistic tastes guided its founders. Three fine stone bridges span
the river, on the left bank of which rise the principal public buildings, not all of
them, it is true, irreproachable on the score of taste, but none of them mean or
vulgar. From the high terrace above the large square the city presents a noble
spectacle.

Dresden abounds in museums, the State alone possessing thirteen, every one
of which teems with treasures of art. The gallery of paintings is the richest of
Germany, and one of the most famous in the world. It contains masterpieces of

Ficr. 169. — Drksdek

every schfKjl — CorreggioM, iJjiffiK-l.s, Itcin1)rundtR, Murillos, and llollieins. Tlu;
same building contuinB a cabinet of prints, un iinthropological muRCUTn, and
other colloctionfl. Tho Japunow) Palace, a fitio edifice on the right, bank of the
river, includes a miiHciim of antifjuities, a collection of coins, and a library of
'OOO.OOO volumes. Tlie Joliarincurn alTords Mjjace f«>r collections (»f armour and
jiorci'lain. Kveii fix; Royal J'alacc; is partly sot apart for a niiiMiuni. lis "green
vaiiltn " abound in jewels and costly ciirioHilies. Another palace c()ntainH the
mMlcls of RietHchel, the M;nlptor. The very town is a huge inustMiiM, abounding
in fine edihees and well<c<xe(:iit.4.-d statues, and every year adds to its treasures.

298 GERMANY.

Dresden is not the seat of a universif}', but it has many famous schools,
including a technical academy and a school for music. Scientific and art societies
are numerous, A portion of the public park has been set aside as a zoological
garden. On a sandy plateau to the north of the town rises quite a city of military
l)uilding.s, ironically called Casernopolis.

In 1813 Dresden was the head-quarters of the French army, and the battle
which cost Moreau's life was fought a short distance to the south of it. The
valley of the "Weisseritz, which intersects the field of battle, presents us with some
of the loveliest scenery near the town. In it, surrounded by forests, lies Tharandt
(2,554 inhabitants), the seat of a school of forestry, and a favourite summer resort.
Loschwitz, in the hilly country to the east of the Elbe, is also much frequented by
visitors. A medical establishment for the treatment of phthisis is in operation there.

Meissen (13,002 inhabitants), below Dresden^ on the left bank of the Elbe, the
mediaeval capital of Misnia and of Saxony, was originally founded as a bulwark
against the Wends. Two bridges, a Gothic church, an old castle, and the surround-
ing woods make it one of the most picturesque towns of Saxony. It is famous
in the history of the ceramic arts, the first porcelain factory in Europe having
been established in the Albrechtsburg by Bcittcher. In 1863 the manufactory
was transferred to the valley of the Triebisch. Modern " Dresden, " however, is far
inferior to the old porcelain, which excels in fineness of paste and solidity of colours.

Riesa (5,707 inhabitants) is the only Saxon town on the Elbe below Meissen,
but at some distance from the river there are two manufacturing towns, Oschatz
(7,243 inhabitants) and Grossenhaui (11,542 inhabitants), the one to the west, the
other to the east. Radeherg (5,894 inhabitants) and Kamenz (6,784 inhabitants),
the birthplace of Lessing, lie to the north-east of Dresden, in the valley of the
Black Elster.

Bautzen, or Budissin (17,436 inhabitants), the capital of Upper Lusatia, rises
proudly above the plain intersected by the winding Spree. An old castle, in which
the Kings of Bohemia kept court, commands the city. In 1813 the allied Prussians
and Russians were defeated near Bautzen by the French. The village of
Hoclikirch, near which Frederick the Great sustained a crushing defeat in 1758,
lies farther to the east. Lobnu (6,962 inhabitants) is at a still greater distance
from Bautzen, though in the basin of the Elbe. It lies at the foot of an extinct
volcano. Another cone in the vicinity, known as the Cherno Bog, or " Black
God," is a miniature Vesuvius.

Zittau (20,417 inhabitants), the largest town of Eastern Saxony, is not far
from the Neisse, an affluent of the Oder. Lying close to the frontier of Bohemia,
Zittau is one of the group of industrial towns having Reichenberg for their
centre. It carries on the manufacture of linen, damask, and other textile fabrics.
Linen and cloth are likewise manufactured at Ehershaeh (6,794 inhabitants),
Odcncitz (7,337 inhabitants), Seifhcnnersdorf (6,366 inhabitants), Gross- ScJwnau
(5,877 inhabitants), and in many villages which stretch for miles along the
surrounding mountain valleys. Hernihut, the original settlement of the Moravian
Brethren, lies to the north. It was founded in 1722, on the estate of Count Zin-

THE BASIN OF THE MIDDLE ELBE.

299

zendorf. This religious sect has established settlements in many parts of the
world, but since it has ceased to be persecuted its original fervour has somewhat
evaporated. Property is no longer held in common, and wealth claims its

Fig. 170.— ZiTTAr AND THE Tillages kear it.
Scale 1 : 130,000.

'i. Mitni.

privih'j^cs arnf»n^Ht them an in otbr-r (•oinmmiiti<'N. The Moravian l>n'fbn'ii up'
wupiK/iwd ti> niiiiib<!r ."iO.OOO w)u1h, and thry Hiipport nioro tlian '{00 nuHHionaricH
in tin; FlaMt and Went Indit^M, Labrad«»r, (irurnlund, Africa, un<l r»»lyne«iu.

CHAPTER IX.

THE PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODER, AND VISTULA.
(Old Prussia, Anhalt, Lauenbuiig, Hambuuo, Lubeck, Mecklenbukg, and Pkussian Poland.)*

General Aspects, — Hills and Plains.

LL that portion of Germany which to the north of Thuringia,
Saxony, and the Giant Mountains extends to the shores of the
Baltic, possesses great uniformity of geographical features. The
foot-hills of the Harz and the barren heaths of Liineburg bound
it in the west, whilst a wooded upland, abounding in lakes,
separates it from Russia in the east. The climatic frontier towards Russia is well
defined, for to the east of Baltic Prussia the winters increase rapidly in severity.
The whole of the country from the Elbe to the Vistula is a level plain. Thus
communication in all directions meets with no obstacles, whilst the Elbe opens
out the country towards the north-west. Hamburg, the great maritime city of
Germany, has arisen near its mouth.

One physically, this region has now likewise become one politically, for the few
small states which Prussia has suffered to exist in her midst enjoy but an apparent
independence. The natural advantages possessed by this extensive region are
inferior to those of Central or Southern Germany, and even now the population it
supports is less dense than we meet with in Saxony, Wiirttemberg, or the Rhine-
land. It increases, however, and large towns are becoming more numerous.

The spurs of the Harz die away on the Saale, and only near Halle do we meet
with a few hills. Far more considerable are the spurs which the Giant Mountains

Prussian territories

Anhalt

Lauenbura; .....
Hamburg, exclusive of Ritzebiittel
Liibeck .....

Principality of Liibeck (Oldenburg)
Mecklenburg-Schwerin

-Strelitz

Total

Area.

Population.

Inhabitants.

Sq. Miles.

1875.

to the Sq. Mile

86,266

15,041,775

174

907

197.041

237

452

48,800

108

126

381,061

3,029

109

56,912

522

201

34,085

170

5,136

553,785

108

1,131

95,673

16,409,732

94,328

174

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODEE, AND VISTULA,

301

and Sudetes project into the lowlands. The valley of the Upper Xeissc is bounded
by steep heights, and on the right bank of the Oder, above Oppeln, the hills
attain a height of more than 1,000 feet. The mountains which form tlie
frontier towards Bohemia rise steeply above the plain. They remain covered with
snow much longer than the lowlands, and owing ,to their cold winds, fogs, and

Fig. 171. — The Temperature of Jaxuary ix Easterx PRrssiA.

According to Putzger. Scale 1 : 2,G95,000.

is' E.of Paris

i -/' N"rri

,.„!>'

20 ,K/,.' (i.

[=D

JO'

cziD l:::3 czrj

3/* 3i' 33-

2 Milcn.

I 1

trftachfrotiH bog«, fhoy wfrc formerly an objfct f)f drcid. Tlicy uni Hiipposed to
}>c th*; domain of IiiilK'/alil, a rapriciouH mountain Hpirit of the Kobin Hood type,
which firnt mad«j \in uppfsaranco aftfr the Thirty YeufH' War.

A dn-ury phiin nfrot^jhr'H away from the foot of the mouiitaiiiH, it« uniformity
only brokiii h«r« and then? by nand-billH and gentle hwcUm. The Kliiming, a low

802 GEEMANY.

plateau to the south of Berlin, is one of the latter. A few hillocks to the east of
]ierlin form the " Switzerland of the March." To the north of Brandenburg,
where the Elbe and Oder diverge from each other, a rocky plateau rises above the
alluvial plain, one of its summits, the Priemerberg, attaining a height of OGO feet.
The scarped clifFs, numerous lakes, and woods of this plateau present features
strikingly picturesque. In this region, which is exposed to the moisture-laden
atmosphere of the Baltic, we meet with some of the most extensive meadows of
Germany, one of them covering an area of 40 square miles.

A littoral plateau of the same nature extends from the Oder to the Vistula,
terminating in a picturesque hill region known as the "Switzerland of the
Kassubes." Its highest summit, the Thurmbcrg, rises to an altitude of 1,115
feet, and shady forests, transparent lakes, and sparkling rivulets render this
country very charming. A third littoral plateau extends to the east of the
Vistula, attaining its greatest height (1,050 feet) in the hills of Lobau, east of
Graudenz.

A considerable portion of the plain traversed by the Elbe, Oder, and Vistula is
covered with sand, and Brandenburg has for this reason been nicknamed Ger-
many's " sand-box." When the wind is high some of the villages are hidden in
clouds of sand, which penetrates the houses and covers the streets. Even near
Berlin there are sandy wastes where, in summer, we might fancy ourselves in
Arabia, if it were not for the pine woods looming out in the distance.

Formerly, when the floods of the ocean covered what is now Prussia, the
icebergs drifting southward dropped immense quantities of rocks, with which they
were covered. In some localities these erratics are very numerous. In the more
accessible districts they have been removed, and emplo3'ed for building purposes ;
but at some distance from the rivers they completely cover wide tracts, known to
the east of the Vistula as Sieinpalwen. And not only do they cover the surface,
but they are found to an unknown depth beneath it. Sometimes they occur in
huge piles, evidently resulting from the melting away of a stranded iceberg. One
of the largest of these erratics, near Gross Tychow, in Pomerania, is known as
the " Big Rock." It is a block of gneiss 40 feet in length, 33 in width, and 13
in height. These huge blocks are picturesque features of the landscape, but they
too often arouse the cupidity of quarrymen. The collection of erratics from the
bottoms of lakes, and even from the bottom of the sea, is a special branch of
industry, carried on by men who raise the stones by means of immense tongs, and
are hence known as Steinzangcr.

Similar blocks of Scandinavian origin are scattered over the whole of the
plain as far as the Giant Mountains and Sudetes, and in a few instances they have
even found their way through gaps in the mountains to their southern slope.
Glacial drift covers a considerable part of Saxony, extending nearly to Dresden,
as "well as portions of Thuringia. On the other hand, no glacial drift whatever
is found in the fertile " Bord," or plain, of Magdeburg, and on the plateau of
Cujavia, to the west of the Vistula, stones of any description are so rare that the
metal required for the roads has to be fetched from long distances. The remains

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODEE, AND VISTULA.

30J

of shells and animals discovered in the drift appear to prove that the climate
was colder when these erratics were being dispersed than it is now. Bones of
mammoths and rhinoceroses have likewise been found.

Lakes and Peat Bogs.

Whex the sea retired from the land numerous cavities remained filled with
water, Many of these have now become filled up with alluvial soil, but owing
to the gentle slope of the plain, deposition proceeds at so slow a rate that the lakes
of Northern Germany, large and small, can be counted by the hundred. All
these lakes are now filled with fresh water, with the exception of one in the
vicinity of Eisleben, which is evidently fed from brine springs. The whole of
the Harz, an ancient island of the ocean, is surrounded by saliferous strata. At
Speremberg, a village near Jiiterbogk, the borer first struck salt at a depth of

Fig. 172. — The Lake Distkict of Masuria.
Scale 1 : 2.100.000.

UMilea.

290 feet, and then passed through a bed of it 3,880 feet in thickness. The sea
which depoBJted this salt must have been at least 'J, 800 fathoms in doplli. 'Jlic
boring at Spercmljorg in the deepest in tlio world, it furnished interesting
inf<»rniation on tlio temperature of the. earth. The temperature ceased to increase
after a flcjitli of o,.'JlO feet had been attained, and amounted to 12' Fahr. at
the \x)iU>ui of the boring. The salt-mines of Stas.sfurt, on the Suale, are ecpially
curious.

I,akes abound on tin: norfliern slope of the heights of Mecklenburg. Some of
them fK;ciipy cavities in th(! rocks, and are said to lie more than 000 feet in
dr-fith. An to the coast laken of Mrcklcnburg, tlu-y are gulfs or fiords, likt; those
of Norway, but in u state of tr.msition. Sotnc of tlu; lakes shed their waters into
rivrrs flowing in oi)poHife dir<*etion».

The riviih'tM whi«;h flow Kouthwiirds from tin- hills (»(' I'oini rania »x])iin(l int(»
lakes or jiondi. T(» the east of llio N'iMtulii, in IIh! country of tin' Masures, ihe

304

GERMANY.

lakes arc more numerous and labyrinthine t^an in any other portion of this
region. If Masuria is ** rich only in stones," as a local proverb says in allusion to
the poverty of its inhabitants, it is no less true that it abounds in meadows and
forests, reflected in the translucid water of four hundred and fifty lakes. Many
of these lakes are sinuous and elongated, like rivers dammed up at their mouth.
Several are connected by rivers or narrow channels, and some discharge themselves
in opposite directions. All these lakes shrink slowly, partly owing to the alluvial
soil which is deposited in them, and partly on account of the channels of their affluents
becoming deeper. In some cases it is the small lakes in the side valleys which are
drained first ; in others it is the lake in the main valley which disappears. The
river Warthe presents an instance of the latter kind. It is accompanied on both

Fig. 173. — The Wakthe and its Lakes.
Scale 1 : 310,000.

33° io' E.of Paris

33-0 50

36° E.ofG.

36 » 10

15 Miles.

sides by a multitude of small lakes, placed perpendicularly towards it, and resem-
bling in every respect the lakes and limans of the Kilia mouth of the Danube, and
of the Black Sea coast to the north of it.

The draining of these lakes is not, however, left solely to nature. The peasants
frequently drain them, at least partly, by deepening their outlets. They are also
made serviceable to navigation, and lying pretty much on the same level (383
feet), some of them have been joined by a canal Avithout locks, extending from
Angerburg to Guszianka, which is of great service for exporting the products
of the forests. Another canal, 77 miles in length, connects the lakes to the south-
east of Klbing. It has a uniform level of 325 feet, and descends towards the
Frische Half by a series of " shoots," up which barges are made to ascend by an

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODER, AND VISTULA.

305

hydraulic machine. In winter the lakes are covered with ice, and sledges drawn
by small horses, ever at a gallop, cross them in all directions.

But whilst some of the lakes gradually change into rivers, others become con-
verted into bogs. This happens mostly in the plains, where the current is
sluggish aud easily obstructed by vegetation. In so level a country as Branden-
burg, Poznania, or Eastern Prussia, the slightest obstacle will cause a river to change
its bed. The deserted channel remains behind in the form of stagnant pools and
marshes, and in course of time these become filled with peat. This is the origin of
the peat bogs of Fehrbellin (which contain many marine plants, and formerly proved
a great obstacle to travellers), and of the bogs bounding the chain of lakes traversed
by the Havel, which has taken possession of the ancient channel of the Oder. The
depression through which the Vistula formerly flowed, when it was still tributary
to the Oder, and which is occupied by the Netze and Warthe, is covered with

Fig. 174. — DiMDJfTioy in the Yolcme of the Elbe.
According to Wex.

leet
ie'4

30 40 50 GO 70
Average

80 aO ISOU 10 20 30 10 so 60 70

■Reiffht , „ ^

148

131
11 5

l::

jnwe

li?ht

'crajr

tiroukj

4 3

•lu'ht

-Sjua

ncr

j-<

TiH 30 40 60 80 70 80 90 1800 10 20 30 40 M 60 70

MNf . Krrlut

swamps only recently drained. An extensive peat bog, known as the Langc
Tnxlvl, covors the watershed to the ea.st of Itromberg. A bird's-eye view of lliis
country of labyrinthine rivers, Mwumps, lukes, peat bogs, and vast meadows con-
veys the idea of u region recently left dry by a flood. Formerly Tuany of tlic
rivers intermingled th<;ir waters. Not two centuries have passc<l since some of tho
wat*!r of the Vistula found its way into the Upper Oder. Tiie Vistula, when in flood,
joined tlie Ner, a tributary of the Warthe, below Warsaw, and the latter discharged
some of its surplus water through the swamps of Obra into the Oder.

IlI^ KIlS AM) I>A(.()ONS.

Nati.rk does not sceond tin- efforts of engineers desirous of Improving tho
rivers as navigable highwayH. I)r. iJcrghaus proved long ago that the volume
of the rivers of (iormuny has decreased in tlio course of tho last hundred mid lifly

806

GERMAXY.

years, and recent observations confirm his assertion. The fact is sufficiently
accounted for by the destruction of forests, the greater extent of land cultivated,
the increase of artificial canals for purposes of navigation or irrigation, and the
larger quantity of water used in towns and factories. Perhaps there has also taken
place a diminution in the rainfall. Floods are higher and more disastrous than
formerly, but they do not compensate for the low water in summer. Careful
measurements made along the Elbe leave no doubt in that respect.

The changes which the impoverished rivers of Germany have undergone in
recent times cannot compare with those which are recorded by the geological
history of the country. In order to obtain some idea of the latter we need only
examine those portions of the Elbe, Oder, or Vistula which are not yet confined
between embankments, and where river arms and deserted river channels form a
veritable labyrinth around islands and sand-banks. The increase of population
and agriculture no longer admits of rivers freely wandering over the country.

Fig. 175. — Diminution in the Volume of the Elbe for each Month of the Year.

Accordin

gto Wc

Feet,

9-8

1731 to

9'0

1780

8"1

7"3

1781 to

G'6

^•a

Jiiuiiiiry Febiuary Miirch April Ma.v

Juitf jury August Se|fteuber October Noteiuber Oeremlier

Mar. Rpcliii

The undefined lands which bound them are gradually being drained and brought
under cultivation.

Of the three great rivers of Northern Germany, the Elbe is by far the most
important as a navigable highway. On crossing the German frontier it becomes
navigable, and, thanks to the care devoted to it, it remains so for nearly the whole
year, until it discharges itself into the sea below Hamburg. Since 1870 no tolls
have been levied upon the vessels traversing it.

The estuary of the Elbe differs essentially from the mouths of the Baltic rivers,
for it communicates directly with the sea, instead of discharging itself into a lagoon,
and the tide ascends it for 102 miles. Formerly it gradualh^ grew wider as it
approached the North Sea, the distance from coast to coast amounting to 12 miles,
at high water. But a great deal of land has been embanked along the left shore,
including the island of Krautsand, which was uninhabited in the sixteenth century,
but is now covered with fields and houses. So great is the volume of the Elbe, that

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODEE, AND VISTULA.

307

potable water can be scooped up at a distance of 5 miles from its mouth. It is only
beyond Heligoland that the sea-water contains the normal quantity of salt.

The Oder presents a most remarkable feature in its multitude of channels filled
with running or stagnant water, or completely deserted. So large is their number
that we sometimes fancy the river must lose itself. Such actually happens with
the Spree below Kottbus. Between that town and Liibben, where it once more
flows in a single channel, that river has virtually ceased to exist. It is swallowed
up by innumerable channels, forming a vast labyrinth. We might fancy our-
selves in some part of Holland, if the alluvial islands were not to a large extent
covered with elder-trees, ash-trees, and beeches. The Spreewald, with its woods,

Fig. 176.— The Spreewald.
Scale 1 : 200,000.

■i. Miles.

mcarlowH, and winding water channels, abounds in charming rural scenery, and
visitofB are deliglited with the Dutch-like cleanliness of its inliabitants. Tlio
viliagoB, as in the Netherlund.s, have canals instcMid of Htrects, and the whoh; traflic
of the country is curried f»ri by water. litirg, where; thu persecuted WciuIh of
former days fled us to u lacuHtrino villuge, consiHts of several hundred scattered
houHOH raised on artificial soil, und is traversed in all directions by cunuls, tho
banks of which are planted with trees.

Of all fierman rivers the Oder has hitherto been least subjected to the ruling
influence of man. Tho low und excee<lingly fertile district known us tho Oder-
bruch, which exUinds from I'odelzig, near I'Viinkfort, to < )(lerberg, a (listancc' of
'A't miles, wus u century ago un inaccesMible swamp abounding in lakes. Tho main

308

GEKMANY.

arm of the river at that time flowed along the western heights, in a channel now
known as the Old Oder. Frederick II. caused a canal to be excavated alono- the
eastern margin of the swamp, and at an average distance of lo miles from tho
old river, thus enclosing an extensive island, which has, however, only partially
been drained. The Warthe, the principal tributary river of the Oder, passes
through a similar Bruch, or swamp, 4U miles in length, and on an average 10 in

Fig. 177. — Thk Oi>Eui!ia( h.

\k° 5. E.ofG.

2 JIUes.

width. This river, too, Frederick II. attempted to " regulate " by draining the
swamps into the Elbe below Kiistriu, but his scheme has not proved completely
successful, and the riverine land is exposed to frequent floods. The Oder is
little utilised as a navigable channel. Its upper course, owing to shallows and
irregularities of current, can be navigated only with difficulty, and even between
Glogau and Frankfort the season of its availability for fully laden barges is limited
to forty-two days in the year. For three months annually all traffic is stopped

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODEE, AND VISTULA. 309

either by ice or bv floods. All the efforts of engineers have hitherto failed in
converting the Oder into a serviceable river highway.

The Oder, discharging itself into a tideless sea, has no estuary. Below Stettin
the river flows through an elongated lake, which is gradually being silted up,
and then enters the Grosse Haf, a great fresh-water lagoon, covering 307
square miles. Two islands separate it from the open Baltic, with which it com-
municates through three channels, of which two are spanned by bridges and closed
by bars, leaving only that of Swine, in the centre, available for navigation. It
was formerly obstructed by a bar having less than 8 feet of water over it ; but
jetties have been constructed, and the depth is now 16 feet. The lagoon itself is
shallow, and the construction of a navigation canal across it is under con-
sideration.

The Vistula — called Weichsel by the Germans, "Wisla by the Poles — is bounded
by swamps, now partly drained and protected by embankments. These latter,
however, do not always prove efficacious when the ice breaks up in spring. In
1855 the rising floods burst through the embankments designed to control them,
inundating a vast extent of country. As the river flows from south to north,
the ice breaks up first in its upper part, and not being able to escape, it accumu-
lates, damming up the river, and ultimately acts with almost irresistible force.
The bridge of Dirschau has had to be furnished with powerful ice-breakers to
resist its pressure.

The Lower Vistula forms a natural boundary between the plains of Germany
and Kussia. The country to the west of it is sandy and covered with pine woods,
whilst to the cast extends a more varied region of greater fertility, and clothed
with forests of deciduous trees. At a distance of 25 miles from the sea we reach
the head of the delta, the Xogat, or eastern arm, flowing into the Frische Haff",
whilst the main bratich of the river discharges itself directly into the sea below
Danzig.

The delta of tlie Vistula has an area of G'20 square miles, and grows visibly.
Its alluvial soil is of exceeding fertility. ForHietly the whole of it was a swamp,
but the embankments constructed since the latter part of the thirteenth century
have rendered its cultivation possildo. The Teutonic knights, who had established
themselves at Marienburg, first took this work in liand, employing thousands of
Litliuanian and Slav prisoners. In six years they raised embankments protecting a
Wcrder, or island, of 350 square miles. The Werdcrs near Dan/ig and I'llhing
were embanked in the Ijeginning of the fourteenth century, and it is astonishing
that Huch works should have been accomplished in an age when the art of tho
engineer was still in its infancy.

The Vi'iHt'lic Huff covers ati arc-i of .'{.'{O scpiare miles, but was miicli larger
formerly, liaving partly bcrcn fillr-d up by the alliiviiil deposits of the; Vistula and
I'regel. If the coast of I'ruHsia were not slowly sul)Midiiig, we might be iihle to
calculate the number of years rerjuired to convert the; whole uC it into dry laiul.

'Ilie I'll f^< I toriiiH a delta t«Mt, iiiid tliut ii most remaikalile niie, for Sam-
land, the district hounded hy its main arm and the luteral hranch which Hows

310

GERMANY.

into tlio Kurische Ilaff, is a region of picturesque hills, known as the " Prussian
Paradise."

A tongue of sandy dunes separates the Baltic from the Frischo ITaff, which is
accessible only through a narrow gap at Pillau, almost facing the mouth of the
Pregel at Kcinigsberg. The forest which formerly covered the dunes aroused the
cupidity of Frederick William I., who had it cut down ; but no sooner had this
been done than the dunes began to move, overwhelming several villages, and
filling up the small ports on their interior slopes. They have never been replanted.

The Kurische Ilaff is the largest of these Prussian lagoons, covering no less
than 625 square miles. The Memel, which flows into it, has a delta of 54o square
miles. The Nehrung, a term equivalent to the Italian Lido, which separates this
HafF from the Baltic, is the longest met with on the coast of Prussia, and its dunes

Fig. 178. — Samland and the Delta of the Peegel.
Scale 1 : 800,000.

I is' E.of Paris

is'ao'

20°E.of G

Anciciil J^hnnation?

Recent t^ruuttioits

10 MUes.

rise to a height of 206 feet. Up to the beginning of last century these dunes were
covered with forests, and they afforded shelter to flourishing villages which
occupied their interior slope. At that time the high-road from Konigsberg to
Memel followed their exterior slope, and the Sandkrug inn, at its spit, was
frequently crowded by storm or ice-bound travellers. When the forests had been
destroyed in the course of the Seven Years' War, the dunes began to travel, over-
whelming villages and fields, and the inhabitants fled from the Nehrung. Only
a shred of the ancient forest survives near Schwarzort, a small village of fishermen;
but that, too, is gradually being destroyed, the sands of the dunes travelling right
over it, so that trees which originally grew on the interior slope reappear, after
the lapse of years, on the exterior one — dead of course. The village itself is
threatened with destruction, for on an average the dunes travel annually 16 feet

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODER, AND VISTULA.

311

to the eastward. The work of replanting them is exceedingly diflScult, owing to
the enormous masses of drifting sand which have to be consolidated. At several
places the sea has broken through the dunes, but the breaches effected by it have

Fig. 179. — The KrRiscHE Haff and the Delta of the Memel.

Scale 1 : 300,000.

16° 30' E.of Paris 19"!

20"30 Jtofo.

21' , 30*

EZD

.i*iMfi

I J

Atliui'ii't

L- ]

Aurtent Altuvmnt

I') Milok

Saltmcniary J!uiJ^

hrin cUmul again, and llir w»lc' (Utraiuc ii«i\v im flir<»iigh tin- (Jul oC Mcincl, (tnlv
1,'iOO f(;<!t widr, and diHicult to navigati!.

Amhkk, -Th(! Mhorr-H of tlio Ifaffn and of llir peninsula of Saniland liavf from
immemorial timcH uttrudwl merchantn in Hcarch of tlio amber cast up on them-
GretkM and I'itruwcuiiM, und |)<;rliai)s v.w.n JMioinicianH, travelled tliitlicr flirough

812 GERMANY.

the wilds of Sarraatia, as is proved by coins and other objects found along the
routes which they must have followed.

Formerly the amber-seekers were content merely to scratch the sands, or to
wait until a storm strewed the shore with the precious fossil gum. Since 1872,
however, the search after it has been carried on by digging down to the blue clay,
which generally abounds in it. Before that time, in 1862, two fishermen conceived
the happy idea of dredging the bottom of the Haff. They succeeded beyond
expectat'on, and now employ steam-power in their operations, paying annually
£12,000 to the State for the privilege of doing so. Ordinarily amber fetches
between 10s. and £3 12s. per pound, but fancy prices are paid for fine specimens.*

The amber diggings have led to the discovery of the ancient forests which
furnished this fossil resin. Many forests have grown and disappeared since that
amber age. Beneath the actual forest of Schwarzort, and at a depth of hardly more
than a yard, have been discovered the remains of an oak wood. Deeper still,
below another layer of sand, appeared the vestiges of a third forest, which has been
traced all along the ISTehrung. Now and then the sandy beach yields up roots
of yew-trees, hard like iron, and all the more remarkable as the yew has almost
entirely disappeared from Northern Germany.

Submerged forests and peat bogs on the one hand, and marine deposits formed
high above the actual beach on the other, prove that the land has been sub-
jected to successive oscillations. Dr. Berendt, one of the most indefatigable
explorers of the Prussian coast, has distinctly recognised two upheavals and two
subsidences. Direct observations continued since the beginning of the century
have led to no definite result, and whilst some assert that the land is being
upheaved, others maintain that it is subsiding.

This much, however, may be asserted, that within a comparatively recent epoch
the land did subside. Submerged peat bogs alone could certainly not be accepted
in proof of this, for on the island of Usedora and elsewhere peat grows in cavities
depressed below the level of the sea, from which they are separated by a ridge
of dunes. These bogs, if the sea were to destroy the barrier which now protects
them, would at once become submerged. But, in addition to forests and peat
bogs, there have been discovered the remains of human habitations at a depth of
10 feet below the actual level of the sea.

Lagoons are numerous along the coast of Western Pomerania, and at many
places the sea has invaded the land, owing probably to a subsidence of the latter.
The narrow tongue of land which now separates the " Bodden," or Gulf, of
Jasmund, on the island of Bugen, from the sea, was much wider formerly, and
covered with fields and pastures. It is a barren strip of land now, and the waves
frequently wash over it, filling up the gulf with sand. Begamlinde, the ancient
port of Treptow, has been swallowed up by the sea, and a portion of the city of
Kolberg is secured from a similar fate only through the most assiduous attention
bestowed upon the embankments which protect it. The sand near that town
contains numerous particles of iron, and if violently disturbed after its surface

* In 1875 350,000 lbs of amber were found.

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODEE, AND VISTULA.

313

has been dried by the summer sun, a musical sound is produced, a phenomenon
also observed in the French Landes, on Mount Sinai, and elsewhere.

Nowhere else can the great effects of the erosive action of vrater be traced
more satisfactorily than in the littoral district which includes the Fischland of
Mecklenburg, the peninsula of the Darss, and the island of Riigen. We perceive
at once that the island was formerly a portion of the mainland, and that the
narrow tongues which now separate the lagoons to the west of the Gut of Stral-

fig. 180. — The Dabss and the Lagooss of Ba&th.

Scale 1 : 300,000.

,J»mm*jnm>)

t 11,..,. i... k. ^.„„,,, ,

_ 6MUe«.

LZ-O

J^Tlent of JnHmliittitm 13 ^ov nrs
^rlifriat iMimn on tlUt.

Wind from the Hca are tho remuina of an uncient coaHt-lino. The eustem coast of
Iiiij^c-n rc-HJHtg ftuccoHMfiilly the oiiHluu^ht of th<! waves, for its cliffs are protected
by moiindH of debris ; but in the west there are no such protecting Imrriors, and
the I)arHH would long ore tliin have disappeared beneath tho waves, liad not
enihiinkni'rits l»een constructed in its defence. The; inhahitants of Riigen are well
ftware that their island melts away l)enrath their feet. Their traditions tell of
great, flrxxls which tore it asunder from the mainland, and cut it up into a number
of jx-ninsulas, connected only by fragile strips of sand with its main portion.

814

GERMANY.

The island of Rudcn, in 1302, still formed part of Riigen, from which it is
now 8 miles distant. Gustavus Adolphus embarked his array upon that island,
which would no longer be possible, so fast is it disappearing beneath the waves.

Riigen is remarkable on account of its geological structure. It is a bit of
Scandinavia as it were, being composed of the same rocks as Scania and Seeland.

Fig. 181. — The Island of Rugen.

Scale 1 : fiOO.OOO.

11", E. of Paris

rrj— — THJ^Spr-

— V.

AAmiu

noSOE.of G.

Depth under 3 Fathcum

S Jt Fifthunia

II 22 Fathiiiiis
10 Miles.

Chvr 22 Fatliums

Dazzling cliffs of chalk extend along the eastern shore, rising in the Komgs-
stuhl, or "Royal Seat," of the Stubbenkammer to a height of 420 feet. The
steep valleys which separate the cliffy headlands are not barren, like the
mllemes of Normandy, for the water of the Baltic being almost fresh, the
forests of beech descend through them to the seashore. The promontory of

PI AINS OF THE ELBE, ODEE, AND VISTULA.

315

Arcona is inferior in height to the Stubbenkammer, but its weather-worn cliffs
are of far more formidable aspect. Upon its summit stood, until the middle
of the twelfth century, the four-headed idol of the Wends. The chalk in the
greater part of the island is covered with clay, sand, or gravel, and huge boulders
of Scandinavian granite are scattered over it. Small lakes, gradually changing
into peat bogs, occupy the cavities in the calcareous soil.

Fig. 182. — The Cliffs of the Konigsstuhl on Eugex.

Inhabitants.

Tlvnv.S and Mfckh-nburg urc rich in prchiHtoric rr«maiiiH. Fortified cainjw ore
ycry numeroun on Uiigcn, niont of tlicm dating no further back than the days of
expiring heathcniRm. One of them, known uh Uugard, was occupied until idlvr
the introduction of Chri«tiunity in the Bcvonteeiith century. Tho commentatopM
of T.witu« identified one of thew; cunipn with a supposed temple (h'dieated In
Ifertha, or Nerthud, the " Mf>ther of the Karth," of the ancient (iernianH. In
Mecklenburg fortifieutioiiN ure ecpially iiuinerouH, l)ut they do nut occupy hillH,
being for tlie mont part eouHlructed in the centre of niarMhes and hikcH. About

816 GERMANY.

three hundred pile villages have been discovered in that country, and modern towns
like Mecklenburg, Schwerin, Old Wismar, and Wollin actually occupy the sites of
such villages. Ancient chronicles tell us that in the twelfth century most of the
people lived in the middle of swamps and pools. It is to be presumed they
had houses on the land, and places of refuge in the midst of the waters, to
which they retired with their cattle when threatened by enemies. Numerous
pits in the forests indicate the sites of ancient habitations coeval with the pile
dwellings which date back to the stone age. An examination of the grave-
hills in Mecklenburg has brought to light implements representing the entire
series of prehistoric ages, from that of stone to that of iron.

At the dawn of history nearly the whole of the country to the east of the Elbe,
and many districts to the west of that river, were in the possession of Slavs.
The geographical nomenclature is still Slav to a very great extent. There are a
river in Mecklenburg called Rieka, a forest of beech-trees on the Baltic known
as Bukovina, and a northern Belgrad. These Slavs came into the country
when the Teutonic tribes migrated westward, in their passage across the Roman
Empire. A few centuries later, however, a movement in a contrary sense
transpired, and the tide of German migration flowed back upon the .Slavs. A
violent struggle ensued between the two races, the victors exterminating the van-
quished, or reducing them to a state of servitude. Side by side with this war-
like invasion there took place a peaceable settlement of the country. Frieslanders
and Hollanders, driven from their homes by the floods of the North Sea, settled
down in Pomerania, and gradually Germanised the native inhabitants. In course
of time the Slavs disappeared from the towns, and in the end they were to be found
only in the lake regions, where they subsisted upon the produce of their fisheries.
The last woman of the island of Riigen able to talk the old Wendish dialect died
early in the fifteenth century. The Germans introduced, too, a new religion,
for the Slavs at that time were still heathen.

We have already seen (p. 292) that a remnant of the old Wendish inhabitants
survives to this day in the upper basin of the Spree. But in the basin of the Oder
the number of Slavs is far more considerable, and they maintain their ground more
firmly, for they are Catholics, whilst their German neighbours are Protestants.
Chechian is spoken by about 10,000 persons in the environs of Glatz, Moravian by
50,000 in the districts of Ratibor and Leobschiitz, and Polish along both banks
of the Oder down to its confluence with the Neisse, in Poznania, and on the banks
ofthe Warthe. Great efibrts have been made to eradicate the use of Polish, but
hitherto in vain. The names of Polish towns and villages have been Germanised,
and German alone is taught in the schools. German is the language of adminis-
tration, commerce, and industry, and hence it need not cause surprise if it gains
ground, more especially in Upper Silesia, where a corrupt dialect of Polish is
spoken. In the towns the German, including the Jewish element, is reinforced
by immigration, and in none, not even in Gnesen, are the Poles in a majority.
In the country districts, on the other hand, the Poles maintain their footing,
and even increase, for the Germans emigrate, which the Poles do but rarely. At

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODER, AND YISTULA.

317

the same time it mav be assumed that German statisticians exhibit some bias in
their enumerations, and put down every one as a German who is able to speak
their language, irrespective of his origin.* The Poles are intelligent and skilled
in handicrafts, but they are poorer than the Germans, and furnish the largest
contingent of labourers and factory hands.

The least civilised section of the Poles are the Mazovians, or Masures, who inhabit
the lake district to the east of the Vistula. Forty years ago they still lived in
thatched log-huts, half buried in the ground. They subsist almost solely upon
potatoes, and imfortunately are much addicted to potato spirits, or wodka. One of
their most esteemed dishes (krupnik) is made of honey mixed with spirits.

The dark forests of Johannisberg, and the shores of the Lake of Spirding, to
the east of the Masures, are inhabited by Russians. They are raskoliu'ks, and sought
a refuge in Prussia from religious persecution. They have brought under
cultivation the lands which were ceded to them in the district of Sensberg, and
their villages bear testimony to their well-being.

Fig. 183. — Belatiye Ixcuease of Germans axd Poles n? Posex (Pozvama).

700U>00

Poles_

j;-- — "

! ^ .

6oaaoo
Soaooo
4<nooo
3oaooo

1 ^ —

(>rirtA£-

==^

100.000

lau

1B20

m»

IMO

18S0

]860

I8e7

Of the two bank.s of the Lower Vistula the western is more Slav than the eastern.
The less fertile tracts on the former were allowed to remain in possession of the
Poles, whilst Germans settled in the rich alluvial delta of tlie river, which was
drained by Flemish and Saxon colonists, brought thither by the Teutonic Knights.
The descendants of these Low Germans have fair hair, blue eyes, and broad
Bhouldrrs ; they are of somewhat heavy gait, but resolute. The descendants of
Polish serfu, who sought a refuge from the o{)presNion of their masters, live
araongNt them, being for the most part employed as labourers.

This German colony on the delta of the Vistula almost separates the Poles of
Western PnisMia from tin; bulk of their compatriots. No Pohrs whatever live to the
eMt of ihr- Lower Vistula, the whole of the country stretching from Marienburg
and Killing to th<r dflta of tlw Mf-nn-i bring occupied by (ii'iiiians. It was here
that the Teutonic Knightn fi»uii«l<-d tlu-ir state, extermiiuitiug the pagan natives of
the country, and n-yw-ojiling it with G<'rman colonists. When, iiftcr n (iDuiiiiinn df

• In 1SI1 01/i,000 irihAliitanlM f7H4 JXT cent, of tho total poimliitiou) of the uroviuco of roNt-ii spoke
Poliab ; in 1S67, 840,000 (64 7 p«T c«nt.).

818 GERMANY.

two hundred and forty years, the knights were forced to cede one half of their
state to Pohmd, retaining the other half as a fief, the country had hecome so
thoroughly German that no attempt even was made to introduce the I'olish
lanuruajje. The diocese of Ermcland ''Warmia), to the south of the Kurische
Huff, remained German too, whilst in Eastern Prussia the Poles only occupy
a narrow strip of territory. Amongst the colonists introduced into the north -
easternmost corner of Germany there were Salzburgers and Swabians, whose
descendants can still be recognised.

The northern portion of the Polish territory, to the east of the Vistula, is known
as Cassubia, from the Slav tribe of the Kassubes, or Cassubians (Kaszuby), which
lives there. These Cassubians, however, are now outnumbered by Germans and
Poles,* and are only met with in a few poor villages. But even in those districts
which have become completely Germanised a few Slav words and expressions
have maintained their ground. The Cassubians, though for the most part
miserably poor, are all born gentlemen, and as such they are very vain. The
oldest son inherits the whole of his father's property, the younger children
receiving merely small sums of money. It results from this that many servants
are able to lay claim to noble birth. Their position has nothing humiliating, for
the master of the household never undertakes anything without having first con-
sulted them.

As to the Borussi, or PrussianSj whose name has been assumed by the leading
people of Germany, they have ceased to exist as a separate nation, and their
language has completely disappeared since the middle of the seventeenth century.
Lithuanian, however, a kindred dialect, is still spoken in the extreme eastern
portion of Germany, on both banks of the Memel, and on the Kurische Xehrung.
The towns of the whole of that region are thoroughly German, Lithuanian only
maintaining its ground in the country districts. It is well known that that idiom
is the most primitive of all Aryan languages, and that its ancient songs are full
of poetry. t

Amongst the German-speaking inhabitants of Prussia there are many whose
ancestors belonged to foreign races. When Louis XIV. revoked the Edict of
Nantes thousands of French Huguenots found an asylum in the Protestant states
of Northern Germany, and they gave a wonderful impetus to commerce, industry,
and intellectual life. The Elector of Prussia appreciated the importance of
repeopling his dominions, wasted and impoverished by war. He called Dutch
settlers into the province of Brandenburg, where they drained marshes and
improved the breeding of cattle. Calvinists persecuted by Lutherans, and
Lutherans persecuted by Calvinists, met with the same welcome, and colonists

* In 1867 Cassubia had 150,000 inhabitants, 54 per cent, being Germans, 18 per cent. Poles, and
28 per cent. Cassubians. Of these latter, however, hardly more than a third were able to speak their
native language.

t Population of the Eastern Provinces of Prussia (Brandenburg, Pomerania, Prussia, Poscn, and
Silesia), according to languages, in 1875 : —

Germans 10,295,000

Slavs (86,000 Wends, 64,000 Chechians and Moravians, 2,675,000 Poles, 12,000 Cassubians) 2,83, ,000
Lithuanians l-5»'"«»

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODEE, AND VISTULA. 819

arrived from Bohemia, Tyrol, Salzburg, and Switzerland. But it was more
especially Frenchmen whom he sought to attract, by offering to pay the expenses
of their journey, and granting them horses and fields, and the full rights of
citizens. These promises were faithfully carried out, and 20,000 Frenchmen
settled in Brandenburg, which at that time had only 200,000 inhabitants. At
Berlin these Huguenot refugees, to the number of 6,000, constituted a third of
the population. They called a sandy tract to the west of Berlin the "Land of
Moabites." It is now occupied by the subiirb of Moabit.

The influence of these foreign elements upon the destinies of Prussia has
perhaps sometimes been exaggerated, but it must naturally have been very great,
for the immigrants were nearly all men of energy, character, and superior
intelligence. It was they who introduced many important branches of industry,
and further developed existing ones.

The immigration of Protestants went on during the reigns of the two successors
of the Great Elector. The refugees who came from Austria indirectly contri-
buted to the victories which Frederick II. gained over the imperial troops.
Salzburgers and Bohemians arrived in large numbers. The former were sent
into Prussia and Lithuania, and the others scattered over the whole country.
When Frederick II. acceded to the throne in 1740, his kingdom had 2,400,000
inhabitants, fJ00,00U of whom were exiles or their descendants. Frederick himself
introduced 300,000 more, and in 1786 over a third of the inhabitants of Prussia
were foreigners by birth or descent. The influence of these foreign families is
still very great, and, proportionately to the general population, they have produced
a large number of men of eminence in all departments of human activity.

A non-Aryan race, formerly persecuted, has recently begun to exercise a
growing influence upon the destinies of Northern German}' — we mean the Jews.
The part played by them is more important than might be supposed from
their numbers, for they live in compact bodies only in Poznania and the largo
townH. In every part of Europe the intelligence of the Jews, their varied
aptitudes, and their clannishness have secured a considerable social influenc(>, and
nowhere else has that influence been greater than in Prussia. Most German
men of finance are Jews, aiul in art, science, and literature the Israelites are
most resfxjctably represented. The lierlin press is almost exclusively in their
hands, and it is they who seek to direct public opinion. It is only a hundred
years since the Jews of Gennany were made to adopt family names. Maria
Theresa first 8<;t the example, subsequently followed in all the other states of the
empire. They were allowcjd to select amongst three <;ategories of names : those
derived from sweet-smelling flowers and woods were charged for at a higli rate ;
names taken from towns cost less, and names of animals were granted for nothing.

ToWNH.

Pkcmian Saxony and AsiiAf/r.- 'I'lu- populiifion of Northern Germuny is
very un«'f)iially distributed, l»nt in tlif Hoiitlicrn rr-gion, liordering ii|Min .Moruvia,

320

GERMANY.

Bohemia, Saxony, and Thurlngia, it is very dense, and nowhere more so than in
the Prussian province of .Saxony.

The Saale, on entering that province, runs past the watering-place of Kosen
(2,055 inhabitants) and the famous school of Schulpforta, at which Fichte,
Novalis, Klopstock, Ranke, and Mitscherlich were educated. It then flows round
the industrial city of Nnnmhurg (16,258 inhabitants), the native place of Lepsius,
likewise a pupil of Schulpforta. After having been joined by the Unstrut, which
flows past the raining town of Sunffershausen (8,475 inhabitants), the Saale washes
the foot of vine-clad hills, and runs through Wcissen/els (16,924 inhabitants),
which is inferior to Naumburg and Zeifz (10,480 inhabitants), an ancient Slav
town to the west of it, as a seat of industry. Numerous battles have been fought
in this region, which is traversed by the roads leading from Prussia and Saxony to
the defiles of Thuringiu. At Bossbac/i Frederick II. beat the French under
Soubise in 1757. At Liitzen (2,875 inhabitants) Gustavus Adolphus, in 1632,

Fig. 184. — Halle and its Salt Lake.
Scale 1 : 220,000.

5 Miles.

was struck down in the hour of his triumph, and Napoleon achieved a victory in
1813. At Mersehurg (13,664 inhabitants), in the north, Henry the Fowler
defeated the Hungarians in 933, Mersehurg has a fine cathedral, and during the
eleventh century it was a favourite residence of the German emperors. Its fairs
were as important in the Middle Ages as are those of Leipzig now. Salt mines
are worked in its neighbourhood, and to the same source Halle (60,503 inhabit-
ants), lower down on the Saale, is indebted for its existence. The salt-makers, or
Halloren, who are believed to be of Celtic origin, have retained some of their
ancient customs and their esprit de corps to the present day. Towards the close
of the seventeenth century, Halle, the " Town of Salt," acquired additional
importance by becoming the seat of a university at present frequented by nearly
a thousand students. The town has several learned societies, and its orphanage,
founded by Francke in 1698, is one of the largest institutions of that kind in the
world. The interior of the town, with its old churches, its " red tower," and a statue
of Handel, the most famous of its children, possesses features of originality, but

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODER, AND VISTULA. 321

the suburbs are as vulgar as any other modern seat of industry. Formerly the
town increased but slowly, and about the middle of this century it counted
15,000 paupers amongst a population of 30,000 souls. But the coal mines in its
environs * and the navigable river have led to the development of numerous
industries. The railway carriage works of Halle and its beet-root sugar manu-
factories are amongst the most important in Germany.

To the north-west of Halle the Saale is joined by the effluent of the Salt Lake,
and bv the river which runs past the mining town of Eisleben (14,379 inhabitants),
rendered famous in connection with events in Luther's life. The Saale then
flows through the duchy of Anhalt, past Bernhurg (19,929 inhabitants), one of
the most important towns of tbat duchy. At Kalhe (11,100 inhabitants), a
Prussian town, it flows into the Elbe. At Kothen (14,408 inhabitants), an old
residential town of the Dukes of Anhalt, to the east, Hahnemann, the homceopathist,
persecuted by his colleagues, found an asylum. Several mining and industrial
towns lie in a lateral valley to the west of the Saale, Aschersleben (17,391 inha-
bitants) and Hcthtfdt (5,988 inhabitants) being the most important, whilst the
plain extending to the northern foot of the Harz is the seat of several cities which
have played a part in the history of Gennany. Wernigerode (7,577 inhabitants),
with its commanding castle, lies at the foot of the Harz. HaWerstadt (17,757
inhabitants), to which the Diets of the empire were repeatedly convoked, is a
town of medifcval aspect, built amphitheatrically upon the slope of a hill, with a
Gothic cathedral, and curious old houses with carved fronts. Quedlmhurg (17,035
inhabitants), to the south of it, and nearer to the Harz, is likewise an ancient
city. The ancient castle, which overlooks it, was the residence of an abbess,
who at the meetings of the Diet sat upon the bench of the bishops. Qucdlinburg
has several manufactories and market gardens covering nearly 5,000 acres.
Klopstock was bom in it, and Karl Hitter, one of the renovators of geographical
science.

The Bode, below Ilalbcrstadt, flows past OHcliorHlchcn (7,831 inhabitants), and
then abruptly turning to the south-east, it passes SlaHnfurt (11,2G3 inliabitants),
not many years aj^o an inconsiderable village, but now famous for its salt works
and the chemical factories which have sprung up around tluin. In 1877 793,454
cwts. of common fait, 3,914,0(^3 cwts. of potash salts, and 720 cwts. of borate of
magnesia were won. LfojiohMinll (2,128 inhabitants), in its neighbourhood, has
alufj salt works.

That portion of Pnissia which adjoins Leipzig is likewise densely inhabited,
and abounds in manufactories. JJrfi/zMch (8,228 inhabitants) has beccmie famous
on account of its I'j.-ople's Bank, which has served as a model to thouHunds of
others. Ellcnhurg (10,312 inhabitants), furlhcr t(» the caht, in the Imsin ol' the
Mnlde, ha« cott/iD-millH and other fa(;torieH. Jiitln/rtd (5,093 inhabitants) Iiiin
coal min«-«, which supply the whole of llu; surrounding districts with fuel. JhnHuu
(I9,01'i inhabifants), the capital of tlic duchy of Anhalt, is one of the ncaXcHt
triwns of the country. Its castle <<»iit(nnH valiiablc ((iJlectionH, and near it is the

• 'Ilify yield nmrly 3,000,000 tonn annimlly.

322 GERMANY.

piirk of Worli/z (1,8^2 inhabitants), with magnificent oaks. Dessau was the birth-
place of Mendelssohn. The town has played a part in the history of German
education, for it was there Basedow founded his Philanthropium in 1774, one of the
first institutions which broke with the old routine.

The Elbe, soon after it has entered upon Prussian soil, washes the walls of the
fortress of Torgau (10,707 inhabitants). The country through which it flows is
comparatively sterile, and towns are far fewer than in the valley of the Saale.
Wittenberfj (12,427 inhabitants), nevertheless, enjoys a considerable importance as
a stage on the road which connects Berlin with Leipzig. Founded probably by
Flemish colonists, Wittenberg subsequently became the residence of the Electors
of Saxony, but acquired most fame through its university, which was transferred
in 1817 to Halle. At Wittenberg Luther affixed his famous theses to the door of
a church, and monuments have been raised to him and his fellow-labourer
Melanchthon.

Having been reinforced by the Mulde, the Elbe flows past Ahen (5,092 inhabit-
ants). Barhy (5,073 inhabitants) is situate below the confluence with the Saale,
whilst Zerbst (5,073 inhabitants), a town of Anhalt, famous for its breweries, lies to
the east, at some distance from the Elbe. Schonebeck (10,966 inhabitants), below
Barby, on the western bank of the Elbe, has salt works, baths, and chemical factories.
A little lower down we find ourselves in the manufacturing district of Magdeburg.

Magdeburg (122,786 inhabitants) occupies a favourable position below the
principal tributaries of the Elbe, and on the direct road which connects Cologne
with Berlin and Danzig. But the very advantages of its position, which make
Magdeburg a place of strategical importance, resulted in one of the most fearful
disasters which can befall a town ; for, when Tilly captured it in 1631, it was burnt
to the ground, and 30,000 of its inhabitants perished in the flames. There only
remained intact thirty-seven houses, the cathedral, and another church. The
cathedral is a fine Gothic edifice, and contains the tomb of the Emperor Otho I.
Magdeburg is at present the great central fortress of Germany, with numerous
detached forts. Its suburbs are built at some distance outside the ramparts, and
include an Old Newtown (Alte Neustadt) and a Xew Newtown (Neue Neustadt).
The town is a great mart for corn, beet-roots, and other agricultural produce yielded
by its fertile " Borde." There are sugar refineries, machine shops, foundries, and
cotton-mills. Otto Guericke, the inventor of the pneumatic pump, was a native
of Magdeburg.

Burg (15,238 inhabitants), on the Ihle, famous for its cloth, the manufacture
of which was introduced by French Huguenots, is the principal town in the north
of Saxony. NeuTialdensleben (5,847 inhabitants), Gardelegen (6,389 inhabitants),
and Salzwedel (8,344 inhabitants), all of them on small tributaries of the Elbe, are
manufacturing places of less note. Stendal (12,851 inhabitants, who are for tlie
most part of Slav origin) is an old imperial residence, and several of its civil and
religious edifices, its " Roland," and its fortified gates date back to this epoch of its
glory. It is the native place of Winckelmann, and the capital of the Old March
(Altmark), which lies to the west of the Elbe.

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODER, AND VISTULA.

323

Brandenburg. — The Spree, that essentially Prussian river, drains a very large
basin. Reinforced by numerous streams rising in Saxonj^ and Upper Lusatia, it
enters Brandenburg a short distance above Spremherg (10,295 inhabitants), and
then flows through Kotthus (25,594 inhabitants), an important railway centre,
with large cloth-mills, furniture factories, lignite mines, and carp ponds. The

Fig. 185. — Magdeburg.
Scale 1 : 120,000.

9°il5',E.of Paris

n'\vy Tot r.

J Z'jnr of liurlt/iiiUUint

1 MilP«.

fifiglilKjurinj^ townn, includiiiff Fiimfmrrt/f/r (0,(H7 inliubitantH), to flio wcsf, in
tho buMJri of tho Littli! KUUt, an- likcwiw; ciigiigc-d in lln- iimiiufiicttiro of cloth.

Having rumifi«fl into niiirnrouH brunchcH wliilht puMHiiig through tlic Spni wald
the ,Spr«c in once moff! gatln-n-d in u Mingl*- ]„■<] immp I.idihvn (5,;{H7 iiihabitiints),
and thun truvermn Ink*) uftrr lak*-. In tliin portion of its courw it only paHHds a
MJnglo t/*wn of over 5,(Mj() inhabitantM, namely, h'tiiHtntwalih- {\\,Vu\) iiihul)it!iiitH).

324

GERMANY.

Fig. 186.— The Gate of XjENLmoEN at Stexdal.

^U.'-VSW^-^'S

As it nears Berlin the villages become more numerous, and hotels, restaurants,
and pleasure gardens herald the proximity to a large city.

HI
I

>-3

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODEE, AND VISTULA.

325

Berlin* the capital of Prussia and all Germany, has now only London and
Paris, and perhaps Yienna, for its superiors in population in Europe. On the
termination of the Thirty Years' "VYar in 1648, Berlin had only 6,000 inha-
bitants, whilst now it is one of the great cities of the world. The causes which
conduced to this rapid growth do not at once strike us, and there have even been
some who spoke of Berlin as occupying a site fixed upon by chance or caprice.
Nothing could be less true, for Berlin is no artificial creation, but the spontaneous
product of its geographical surroundings.

It is true that the environs of the great city are singularly unattractive. Sandy
plains, heaths, and swamps ; stunted trees overhanging muddy pools ; roads alter-
nately covered with dust or mire ; dilapidated houses, with storks perched on their
chimneys — these are the features of the country, except in the immediate vicinity

Fig. 187. — CoMPAHATiTE Growth of Viexxa and Berlin.

nMi M

isoo

t^onooo

Soooo

70000a

fin 10 21.

Max. RrdlU.

of the groat highways. Nature has her charms there too, but equally true it is
that Berlin owes nothing Ui the beauty or natural fertility of its environs. ll
possesses not even the advantage of being Heated upon a great navigable high-
way, or in the n<rig}»lK)urh(XHl of coal niitn's. A huge agglomeration of vulgar
hoii.-es, placed in the centre of a Nnndy plain alniost devoid of picturescpie features,
Berlin, neverlheleMs, has not sprung into existence at the l)eck of u despot. The
fact of its having b<-come the capital (»f a large state has no doubt contributed
towards its growth, but it dr)es not, suffice to account for it. Tlioro arc, indeed,
geographical reus^ms, though they lie not on the surface, which have; enabled
Berlin to increase rapidly. The site which it occupies is marked out by nature

* In 1H71, liirlin, inrludiriKitiiiiuliurliii, hiui H'J<<,:{|I irihultiluntii; in 1H7'>, Ur.G.H/iS ; in 1H7H, |>i<>lm)il>
l,02M/i3S inh«t/iUnta. Within a nwiiuN of 4 mttfixii\>h\vn\ niih-N of Iho cantlo tlioro livoil, in 1H7U,
1,060,410 souls, whil«t V'jennji, within a ■irniUr rudiiiii from 8t. Mt<'|)h<;n'«, nuinhiTo<l 1,001, ■.'7M.

82(J

GERMANY.

as a suitable locality for a town. The most ancient portion of the town, formerly
known as KoUn (Hill ?), occupies an island of the Spree. No more secure posi-
tion could have been found for a village of fishermen, for the banks of the Spree
arc high opposite to this island, and offer facilities for the erection of works of
defence. Berlin is first mentioned in the beginning of the thirteenth century,
but is probably very much older. Its name is asserted by some to mean " ford"
or "crossing place," whilst others as positively translate it as "goose-field" or
"mud-pond."

This small village of fishermen, however, would never have acquired the
historical fame of Berlin, if, in addition to its defending an important passage
over the Spree, it did not likewise occupy the centre of the entire region between

Fig. 188.— The Havel and Spkeb.
Scale 1 : 174,000.

20 Miles.

the Elbe and the Oder. Both the Havel and the Spree are unimportant rivers,
but they are deep and navigable, and, together with artificial canals, form an
extensive network of comraunication. In the fourteenth century Berlin was at
the head of a federation of towns, and most of the meetings of the confederates
were held in it.

At the end of the fifteenth century it became the capital of Brandenburg, and
its influence grew apace. The geographical advantages of its position contributed
towards its commercial development. The high-road which connects Breslau,
the commercial centre of the Upper Oder, with Hamburg, at the mouth of the
Elbe, runs through Berlin, where it is crossed by the high-road communicating
between Leipzig and Stettin. The North Sea was as accessible to the merchants of

BERLIN AND I

Tr/ffrupben ^er^

K V Cross
i>rewitz

, r— : 'tV7v

Klein B^^etf'

13° 20

Scale 1

XEW Y"ORK

ENVIRONS

I of Phi is

\^i>HinAu •

fk ns.ser Mu^'et ftrr^'

-.MMJI^ahrim

nbrr^ \

.S<Kn>Q<*bl>*'il /, ^rii'^'"

K ofi,.

) 000

SMiUs

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODER, AND VISTULA. 327

Berlin as the Baltic, and they were able to control the whole of the commercial
movement going on in the seaports from Emden to Kcinigsberg and Memel. In
its commanding position in the centre of the vast plain stretching from the Ems
to the Memel, it exercises a preponderating influence upon all other towns, and
this influence grows with the advance of railways. Its increase in population,
industry, and wealth has been much more rapid than that of Prussia's political
power. The removal of all restrictions upon trades and handicrafts, at a time
when they were still enforced in many other parts of Germany, attracted crowds
of immigrants, and the number of residents who are not natives of Berlin is
nearly as large as in American cities* Many of these immigrants, no doubt, sank
into misery instead of making their fortunes, as they expected, for the cost of
living has increased even more rapidly than the population, and the rents have
risen to an unpreced-ented height.

The interior of Berlin can hardly be said to redeem the monotony of the
surrounding plain. The Spree, when it first enters the town, is a respectable
river, nearly 'iOO yards wide, but, in its passage through it, it gradually becomes
changed into an open sewer. The principal buildings rise in the insular
quarter surrounded by the Spree, and in the vicinity of the noble avenue
of lime-trees known as " Unter den Linden." An area extending in no direc-
tion for more than 1,300 yards is crowded with the town- hall, the royal castle,
the arsenal, the university, the academy, the museums, the library, the opera-
house, the principal theatre, the exchange, the finest churches, and the grandest
private mansions. Many of these buildings contain valuable collections of art
treasures. The arsenal, to be converted into a temple of glory, contains a collec-
tion of arms. The old museum, with a peristyle decorated with incomprehensible
mythological frescoes by Cornelius, boasts but of few masterpieces, but its collec-
tions are well arranged. The staircase of the new museum contains Kuulbach's
famous historical frescoes. Its collection of Egyptian and other anti(iuities is
highly esteemed. A National Gallery contains works by modern German
masters.

Ah u "city of intelligence," Berlin, of course, posscssos a good library,
numerous scientific societies, and hundreds of periodicals.! The university, with
its special museums and laboratories, numbers 2,')()0 students. The Victoria
Lyceum, founfh-d by Miss Archer, is attended by 000 lady students. A technical
school haa 1,000 pupils. There are botanical and zoological gardens, an excellent
aquarium, and numerous privat<j collections. Amongst famous men born in
Berlin are the brothers Iluinlxjldt, Richard Boockh, Klaproth, Urugsch, Miidlor,
and many others, but nearly all the public statues <',oniniemorato military
heroes. The most conspicuous amongst them is that of Frederick the (ireat, by
Itauch.

Berlin holds a hi^^h rank as un industrial city. In IM77 its 2,lil'J manu-
factorien employed OW.'v'lO hands, a number far loss than in pKccding years, for

• In IH'r,, out of A [xtjiiilution of lin«,H/»H |KnM»nn, only 399,073 wcro niitivi-M of HdHiii.

t In 1H77, 304 {Niriodicula wi.td publiitliKtl ul lli.rlin, inclunivo of ?ll (l<)V«t««l to ■ciuucn or art.

328 GERMANY.

between 1872 and 1876 twenty-nine public companies engaged in the manufac-
ture of rolling stock and metal ware lost £5,240,000, or 70 per cent, of their capital.
One of the private manufactories, that of Borsig, has turned out several thousand
locomotives. Of great importance is the manufacture of telegraph apparatus,
pianofortes, paper-hangings, hosiery, and drapery. Enormous breweries are
scarcely able to keep abreast with the demands of their consumers. The number
of distilleries is also very large. The limestone quarries at Riidersdorf, to the
east of Kopnik, supply a great portion of Northern Germany with building
stones. The so-called Berlin porcelain is manufactured at Charlottenburg.
When Berlin shall be united to the Baltic by means of a ship canal, its industry
and commerce will no doubt take a development not hitherto dreamed of.

Berlin, which, including the Thiergarten, covers an area of 14,020 acres,
spreads very rapidly in almost all directions, and is continually encroaching upon
the solitudes which surround it. The railway termini, barracks, gas works,
and hospitals, which about the middle of the century occupied its outskirts, are
now surrounded by houses. The military authorities, to escape this incessant
invasion of civilian buildings, have removed their practising grounds to Zossen
(3,103 inhabitants), a town 20 miles to the south of Berlin. The line which
joins Zossen to Berlin was constructed and is being worked by the railway
battalion.

In the north-east, owing to the cold winds, Berlin grows less quickly. In the
east a suburb stretches as far as the village of Lichtenberg, where the new school
for cadets has been built. In the south the houses extending along the Spree do
not yet reach the small town of Kopnik (7,113 inhabitants). Rixhurg (15,309
inhabitants), in the south-east, is separated by the park of the Hasenheide from
Berlin. The descendants of a colony of Hussites live in this suburban village,
still mixing a few Chech ian words with the German. But it is towards the west
that Berlin extends most rapidly. The elegant quarters surrounding the Thier-
garten join it there to Charlottenburg (25,847 inhabitants) and the villas of the
west-end. The mausoleum in the park of Charlottenburg contains Ranch's
masterpiece, a recumbent figure of Queen Louise.

Spandau (26,888 inhabitants), at the confluence of the Spree and Havel, and in
the midst of lakes and swamps, is the citadel of Berlin. It is a town of arsenals,
gun factories, and military workshops. The castle of Tegel, at the northern
extremity of the Lake of Spandau, was the residence of the brothers Humboldt,
who lie buried there. Another lake, to the south-west, reflects the dome and
towers of Potsdam (45,003 inhabitants), the summer residence of the Kings of
Prussia. The town itself is very dull, existing only for the sake of princes,
generals, and court functionaries, and the environs abound in royal parks,
including those of Sans Souci and Babelsberg. The lowlands around Potsdam
are now cultivated as market gardens, and at Noiva^ccs (6,664 inhcbitants), a
Chechian colony founded by Frederick II., the inhabitants engage in cotton
and silk spinning. Hiickel, the anthropologist, and Helmholtz were born at
Potsdam. It was in this town that the father of Frederick the Great kept his

Depth. OS Fathoms

Depth. 5-11 TaJkoms

Scale

NEW VORK, E>.

rUARY OF THE ELBE.

V/>^ y,.j.j..„u^>- ^/^^-XTen

z^'' ^wT ' ' 'V-'f^"

KI»t<iH'

aeoM

mu*

finriH Hry at Lttw Wnin-

Recent Alluvion

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODER, AND VISTULA.

329

regiments of giants, and the inhabitants are still remarkable for their tall

stature.

Bernan (6,469 inhabitants), on the Stettin Railway ; Nauen (6,929 inhabitants),
on the Hamburg one ; and three manufacturing towns in the direction of Leipzig,
viz. Luckenicalde (13,816 inhabitants), JuterhogJi (6,776 inhabitants), and Trencn-
hriezen (5,466 inhabitants), may be looked upon as the advanced posts of Berlin.
'Exen Bmndenhiirg (27,371 inhabitants), the capital of the March, occupies a some-
what similar position. It is a prosperous town, about half-way between Berlin and
Magdeburg, near where the Havel turns to the north, and its shipping trade is
considerable.

Other towns of importance are scarce in the Brandenburg portion of the basins

Fig. 189. — Bkandexbukg.
Scale 1 : 300,000.

lo" 111 E.of Palis

\U''\tn^Aot4' - I H^pi',

Krioltnv

'riirnn-^ee Bocliovr •/

- PlStiin

12" VI E of G.

l;"ll>

6 Miles.

of the ITavol and Elbe. Rathmnw (0,940 inhabitants), on the Travel, is known for its
briclcH and the thousandH of Hwans wliich tlirong the neighbouring hikes. Jlarelhrrg,
on an island of the Havel, near its coriHucncc wifli the Elbe, is a j)lace of
commerce. Witlcnhcnic (7,640 inljabitantH), on th<r l]lb<>, lias some river traffic,
whilst Prrlrhcrrj (7,;"iO.'> inhabitants), Prifzirall; ('">,700 inhaliitanl.s), WiUstork
(6,801 inhaliitantsj, and Xm Uujijiin (12,470 inhabitants), ihc latter built on the
nhoH! of a lake, an; niarktrt towns of soin<! importance.

ifAMiM luj, — Jk-luw Witt«;nb«;rg(! the Elbe, for nearly lOO miles, flows through
a nf<!ril<' district, Inring l.oiiruh-rl on thf hfl by fhr^ II('ath of Mincburg, and
on the right by the plateau of Mrckhnhurg. Even Lauvtihiifg (4,6'iri inhabit-
ants), fhi! most iin|Htrtant town on this part of its course, is Imnlly more than a
villu)^«^ Kut not much l»eh»w it Ji forest of masts, villus, houses, and to\v(jrn

380

GERMANY.

announces tlmt we are approaching a large city, and soon after Tlamhurg lies
spread out before us.

That city, the most populous of the German Empire, after Berlin, the foremost
as a place of commerce, lies G5 miles above the mouth of the Elbe. The tide enables
the largest vessels to ascend to the quays and docks of the town, and its commerce
is fed by the vast triangular region bounded in the south by a line drawn from
Cracow to Basel. On the continent it has no rival, not even Marseilles.

Y\^. 190.— A "Fleet" in Hamburg.

Hamburg owes its pre-eminence not merely to natural advantages, but more
especially to the spirit of enterprise which has ever distinguished its citizens.
Originally a " brook," or swamp, a mile in width, separated the city from the
Elbe ; but this the citizens drained several centuries ago, and ever since that
time they have been unremitting in their endeavours to improve the navigation of
the Lower Elbe. Works of " regulation " now in progress are intended to

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODEE, AND VISTULA. 331

suppress the conflict of the tidal streams which now takes place at the point of
junction of the northern and southern arms of the Elbe. "Fleets," or Flethen,
traverse a portion of the town, giving access to the warehouses, whilst large
docks and basins, capable of accommodating hundreds of vessels, extend along the
river-side. Hamburg carries on commerce with every quarter of the world, and
more especially with England, and the number of emigrants passing through it is
almost as large as at Bremen.*

The old Hanse town does not form part of the German Zollverein, and remains
the capital of a small independent state, having a Budget almost as heavy as that of
Berlin. t Among the famous children of the town are PoggendorflF, the physicist ;
Bode and Encke, the astronomers ; and Henry Barth, the traveller.

The old city within the fortifications, now changed into a public walk, forms but
a small portion of the agglomeration of houses known as Hamburg, but it is the
busiest part, and most public buildings rise in it. The latter include the exchange,
a Palace of Arts, the Johanneum, with a library of 300,000 volumes, the church
of St, Michael, and that of St. Nicholas, the latter only lately completed from a
design by Sir Gilbert Scott, with a steeple rising to a height of 482 feet. The
finest quarter of the town lies around the huge sheet of water known as the
Binnp.n-Ahtcr, and has been rebuilt since the fearful conflagration of 1842. The
suburbs are full of manufactories and ship-yards. The Ijake of the Grosse-Alster,
in the north, is almost completely surrounded by the suburbs of TJhlenhorst,
Eilbeck, Barmbeck, and others. St. George, in the east, extends to Hamm and
other outlying places ; the botanical and zoological gardens lie in the west ;
St. Paul's, the Wapping of Hamburg, joins the latter to Altonn (84,097 inhabitants),
a town in Holstein, altogether overshadowed by its more powerful neighbour ; and
to the west Altona is continued by Neumiihlen and Ottcn-scn (12,400 inliabitants).
Another suburb, Steinwarder, has only recently been founded on the southern
bank of the Nordor I'^ll)^', on swampy soil, drained at vast expense. A magnificent
railway bridge connects Hamburg with the Hanoverian city of Harburg, wliilst
WandHhfck (13,528 inhabitants), in Holstein, and several charining villages on the
liower Elbe, are likewi.se dependencies of the great city. The islands of the Elbe,
or KIb-Werder, are rich in paKturcs, and contain the dairy farms which sup|)ly Ham-
burg with milk, whilst the Vierland*-, or " Four Lands,'' to the south-cast, around
Jirrf/frlorf ('i,f<HU inliabitants), furnish it with vcgetablcN and fruits. The Vier-
Innders are a fine race of men, the deH<!endantH of Hollanders who settled in the
country in the twelfth century, and converted a swampy tract into most productive
market gardens.

Cuxhaven (4,102 inhabitants), at th(! mouth of the; Klbc, is the outlying port of

• ll.iriildiry, Xoviihir uilh IIm fiff<iii Hiitdirl.w, li.ul .'ilS.IJT irilmliifaiitM iti |H7.'>, or, inclndiiij? Altoiiii
HDil ()iiii\Mfi, 1 J4,!<.;0. In ls77 the < ity owfrnl l/jO wn-K"inK V'hmi'Im (iiidimivi! of hliuniiiN), <il' 'il!»,<l!)H
t'/im; b.M'i »K;«-xoinK VMMt-U, of '1,'lTAfiW, t«inn, cnUrnd itn jxirt ; t},\TA vcmmcU, of 'J,'JI3,()11 toiiti,
<|f|>art«'f|. Til" rriiT<hiin(IiH<' irnjxiHcil liy wi lui'l » viiliic of {i\(\,\t)!'t,M\{), niiil flml iin|iort('il liy Imiil
tii i i8.7/JO,<M)0. f>l thd importM, L2l..\\'i,*m) 'iiiri'- hum KiikIjiihI, ir^.Kid.dOd from Aiinrica, jL7I(I,0<I(»
frorri Ania, kc.

t RATiman (1877), £l,2«4,A8/5 (H«rlin. U,\Vl,\m). D.l.t, 'Lh,\()\,H2'l (15. ilin, i;i,'.!iri,(IKO).

332

GERMANY.

Hamburg, very useful in winter, wlien the river higher up is ice-bound. Docks
and piers have been constructed there. On the promontory of llitzebiittel, to the

Fig. 191. — ViEULAXDFllS.

west of Cuxhaven, may be seen the remains of prehistoric fortifications, as well as
a castle five hundred years old.

LuBECK, Mecklenburg, and Xortherx Pomeraxia. — Luheck (44,799 inha-
bitants) was formerly the first maritime city of Germany, and the capital of the

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODER, AND VISTULA.

333

Hanseatic League, its "Rights," or "Law," being observed from Novgorod to
Amsterdam, and from Cracow to Cologne. The fleets which occasionally gathered
in the estuar}' of the Trave were powerful enough to oppose those of Denmaik and
Sweden, and the representatives of more than eighty cities met in the town-hall
to deliberate on their common afiairs. This federation of free cities formed a
very powerful European state. The Baltic at that time was one of the most
frequented seas of Europe, but after the discovery of a direcf passage to the Indies,
and of the New World, it lost its importance, and Liibeck gradually sank to

Fig. 192. — LrBECK axd Rostock.
Scale 1 : l.OOO.Oifl.

10 Mil) I

thfr poBi'tion of a Bocond-fiifo city. (Jibcr causcH cftiitributcd to its decay. The
herrinjfH disappr-urod from th«r bankn ol'ScaTii;!, mid tiiigriif<'d !<» the western (loastn
of Scandinavia ; religiouH warn df'Hfroyod (Ik- proHprrity (d' ihe inliin<l nirnjbcrs
of the Ilanwcatic I>eugue ; and a final afl.<rn|»t t<» revive that federalion, in KKil),
lorl to no reMult.

Liilwck 18 now a very inferior town to Hamburg, and in Home respeclH it i.s
even a dependency of it, jdaying tlic part of an outlying jiurt on llie Baltic. The
ubwnco of IjUHtlc hnn prcHcrved tin? town from innovatioiiH, and its ancient
fx^wcM and biiildingH impart to it quite u in((liu;val UHpect. The towii-li.ill,

884 GERMANY.

the Gothic church of St. Mary, the Ilolstein Gate, and other buildings bear witness
to the wealth and power of ancient Liibeck, no less than to the artistic instincts
of its inhabitants. In our own days Liibeck is once more increasing in population.
It has ship-yards and factories, its ancient docks are crowded with shipping,
and even large vessels, which were formerly obliged to stop at Travefnunde (1,71*J
inhabitants), can now proceed up to the town. Most of the commerce is carried
on with Sweden and Russia.*

Wismar (14,4G2 inhabitants) occupies in many respects a more favourable
position than Liibeck, for the tide rises 2 feet in its estuary, and the island of Poel
protects it against northerly winds. Vessels drawing more than 7 feet cannot,
however, pass the bar which closes the port. Wismar belonged, for more than a
century (lt)48 — 1763), to Sweden. It is the port of Schwerin (27,989 inhabitants),
the capital of Mecklenburg, picturesquely seated on the peninsulas of a lake, with
a magnificent castle occupying the site of an old fortress of the Wends. Canals
place Schwerin in communication with Wismar, Liibeck, and the Elbe. Xear it
are Parchim (8,264 inhabitants), the birthplace of Moltke, and Ludu-igdmt (6,005
inhabitants), the summer residence of the Grand Duke. JSIikilinborg, an old
castle of the Obotrites, which gave a name to the whole country, has ceased to
exist since the middle of the fourteenth century, its site being occupied now by a
small village.

Bostock (34,172 inhabitants) lies at the head of the estuary of the Warnow,
and vessels of over 300 tons burden cannot proceed beyond its outport of Warne-
miinde. It is the most animated seaside town of Mecklenburg, and exports the
corn received from Giistrow (10,923 inhabitants), Teterow (5,247 inhabitants), and
other towns in the interior. Its merchant fleet more than suffices for the wants
of the port, and takes a considerable share in the carrying trade of other towns.
Rostock is a picturesque old place, the seat of a small university. Bliicher was
born there. Warnemunde is much frequented by bathers in summer, and so is the
Heilige Domm, to the west of it, and near the Grand Ducal summer residence of
Dohbemn (3,827 inhabitants).

Barth (6,030 inhabitants), on a lagoon to the east of the Regnitz, on the
frontier of Pomerania, is hardly inferior to its famous neighbour Stralsund
as regards the number of its merchant vessels. Stralsund (27,765 inhabitants)
stands upon the " Gut " which separates Riigen from the mainland of Pomerania,
and is one of those fortresses which have been besieged most frequently. Up to
1815 it remained in the possession of the Swedes. The ports of Greifswn/d (18,022
inhabitants), Wolgad (7,258 inhabitants), and Anhlam (11,781 inhabitants)
succeed each other as we proceed towards the mouth of the Oder. Both Greifs-
wald and Anklam lie on navigable canals some distance from the sea, the port
of the former being at Eldena. The university of Greifswald was endowed,
in 1634, with the domains of its abbey, now the seat of an agricultural academy.

Some of the inland towns on the eastern slope of the plateau are of impor-
tance. In the basin of the Peene, which debouches at Anklam, are Malchin
* In 1878 Liibeck had 46 Eea-going vessels, of 10,223 tons register.

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODEE, AND VISTULA.

335

(5,350 inhabitants), famous for its horse fairs, and Demmin (9,784 inhabitants),
the most ancient city of Poraerania. Other towns of note are Neu-Strelitz (8,525
inhabitants), 2ieu -Brandenburg (7,495 inhabitants), and FriecUand (5,086 inha-
bitants), the wealthiest town of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The principal towns of
the Uckermark, to the south of the Haff of Stettin, are Prenzlau (15,606 inha-
bitants), Pasewalk (8,538 inhabitants), and Strashurg (5,089 inhabitants).

Prussian Silesia (Schlesiex) lies almost wholly within the basin of the
Oder, but the hilly tract on the frontier of Poland and Galicia gives birth to
several ri\'ulets which flow to the Vistula. The height of land between the
two river basins is rich in coal, and numerous towns have sprung up there.
Argentiferous lead, zinc, and iron are found in close proximity to the coal. The

Fig. 193. — Towxs of Upper Silesia.
Scale 1 : 2,500,000.

H E.ot Paris

©Breslau

• O

Tow I*"/ 2.000 <« 10,000, 0/ 10,0 Xj /o v.i.'M '. nrti.mntn 100,000, o/ ooer 100,000 i»iAaii(«i«(».

'j5 Mile*.

Cfjal mines have l»eon worked Hinco 1781, and they yield now about 6,000,000
tons annujilly. No less than 500,000,000,000 tons of coals exist here within an
area of 530 wjuaro mileH, and down to a workable depth of 1 ,970 I'vvt. Unfortunately
this SiloHian coal, with rare exceptions, is very inferior in (piality. The zinc
mines yield annually about 33,(J00 fons of zinc.

Tlie towns in the coal basin all reseniljie each otlier, being composed of
factories and workmen's cabins, with the castle of the owner of the mine on u
commanding liill. T\wy have very rapidly gniwn in population, hut their
inhabitants, in coiiM-fjuenco of the financial criMis which h-d to the closing ol"
numerous fact^iries, have rec<;ntly undergom- iimk li siifTcring. The largest amongst
t>heiie agglomeration8 of houses is Koiiiijshullr (26,010 inliabitanlH). Jicnthvn

83G GERMANY.

(22,824 inhabitants), Kattowitz (11,402 inhabitants), Gleiicitz (14,120 inhabitants),
and Tarnowitz (7,243 inhabitants) are likewise of importance as mining and
manufacturing towns. Mydowitz (6,826 inhabitants) is an important railway
centre and customs station.

lldtihor (24,578 inhabitants), at the head of the navigation of the Oder ; Lcol-
schiifz (11,425 inhabitants), in the midst of picturesque hills; Nemtadt (12,515
inhabitants), on a mountain torrent; Oppeln (12,498 inhabitants), on the Oder;
and other towns lying outside the coal basin, neverthele.-^s participate in its
industrial activity, and abound in factories of every description. The Neisse,
which rises in the Sudetes, flows past several towns of note. Glatz (12,514
inhabitants), a fortress close to the Bohemian frontier, occupies its upper basin,
Ncurode (6,497 inhabitants), on a stream of the Eulengebirge, has cotton
and flax mills. Frankenstein (7,486 inhabitants) is situate close to the famous
but useless citadel of Silbcrberg, hewn in the live rock. Patschkau (5,461 inha-
bitants), on the Neisse, is a small manufacturing town. But the most impor-
tant place in the basin of the Neisse is that named Neme (19,533 inhabitants),
after the river which flows past it. It is a fortress of considerable strenglli,
defended by a system of inundation.

The Neisse almost doubles the volume of the Oder, which lower down is
joined by the Stober, near whose source lies the town of Kreuzhury (5,238
inhabitants). The Oder then flows past Brieg (16,438 inhabitants), the birth-
place of Ottfried Miiller, and at Olilau (7,947 inhabitants) it approaches within
a couple of miles of the river of that name, which, rising in the Eulengebirge,
flows past Miinsterherg (5,591 inhabitants) and Strehlen (6,289 inhabitants),
and then runs parallel with the Oder for a distance of 25 miles, as far as
Breslau.

Breslau (239,050 inhabitants), the capital of Silesia, occupies a most favourable
position for commerce in the very centre of the country, and many important
high-roads converge upon it. It was one of the great markets of the Hanse, and
its fairs were visited by Russians and Tartars, who there purchased the products
of Western industry. To this day Breslau is the commercial centre of extensive
mining, manufacturing, and agricultural districts. As a grain mart it has few
superiors, and its trade in wool is very extensive. Industrial establishments of
every description, including beet-sugar manufactories, chemical works, cottou-
mills, and foundries, have sprung up around it.

The old ramparts were razed by the French in 1807, and have been converted
into public promenades. Some of the new quarters of the town adjoining them can
compare with any others in Germany — colonnades, balconies, statues, and flower
beds contrasting most happily with the blackened factories in the vicinity. The
" Ring," or open place in the centre of the old town, is the most curious relic
of that kind which the Germans have inherited from the Slavs. The town-hall
is a remarkable structure of the fourteenth century, and the cathedral one of
the most peculiar Gothic edifices of Germany. Breslau has given birth to many
men of fame, including Wolf, the mathematician ; Schleiermacher, the philosopher* ;

I'LAINS OF THE ELBE, ODEE, AND VISTULA.

887

Lessiiig, the painter ; and Lassalle, the social reformer. Its university, founded
in 1702 by the Jesuits as a school of theology, but now a liberal institution,
is attended by 1,300 students, and possesses a library of 330,000 volumes, the
town library containing 200,000. Within 5 miles of Breslau is the famous
Field of Dogs (Hundbfeld), where the army of Henry V. was cut to pieces by the
Poles (1109).

Three rivers join the Oder a short distance below Breslau, viz. the Weida,

Fig. 194. — The Town-hall of Breslau.

Loho, and Weistritz. (JcIh (8,874 iriha]>itantH) and Namx/fiH (5,,'{83 inhabitants), in
the valley of the W'cidu, to the cant of the Oder, are of some importinuc!, but Iho
t^>wnH t^jwardMthe wcHt, in tho coal basin lying at the foot of the Kul(ngcl)irgc, far
HurpusM them. Sdnnidnilz (19,(;81 inluibifantH), the princii)al town ol' tliis mining
diBtrict, which annually yieldn n«;arly 2,000,000 tonn of ccml, liaH factoricH of every
dewripfion, but in more eHjMrcially noted for its gloves. U'alilrnhiii'fi (11,704
inbabituntH; has pottcrioH, and all the other towns of the diHtrict, including h'n'r/ini-

338

GERMANY

bach (7,268 inhabitants), Langcitbielau (12,944 inhabitants), Altwcmer (7,740
inhabitants), GottcHhcrij (0,440 inhabitants), Weissstein (5,330 inhabitants), i'>f<7»«r(7
(7,821 inhabitants), and Strieglitz (10,502 inhabitants), are distinguislied for some
special branch of industry, the products of which are exported by the merchants of
Breslau, This mining and manufacturing region attracts, at the same time, shoals
of tourists, for its mountains abound in picturesque scenery, and the mineral

Fig-. 195. — Entrance to the Felsenstadt, near Weckelsdouf, in Bohemia.

springs of Altwasser, Ober-Sa/zbrunn, and Charlottenbrunn are highly esteemed
for their curative properties. One of the sights of this country is the Town of
Eocks, or Felsenstadt, through which we may wander as in the streets of a
deserted city.

Liegnitz (31,442 inhabitants) lies on the important natural high-road which
leaves the Oder near Breslau, and passing through Neumarkt (5,531 inhabitants),

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODER, AND VISTULA. 339

follows the foot of the mountain in the direction of lieipzig. Armies travelled
quite as much by that road as did merchants, and many battles have been fought
near it. The towers of the abbey of Wahlstatt, 5 miles to the south of Lieffnitz,
mark the site of the great battle which shattered the hosts of the Mongols in
1241. Liegnitz, the native place of Dove, with its neighbours Jauer (10,392
inhabitants), Goldberg (6,475 inhabitants), and Hainau (5,351 inhabitants), carries
on several branches of manufacture, but is more especially noted for its vegetables,
flowers, and fruit trees.

Glogau (18,041 inhabitants), a fortress close to the frontier of Poznania, is the
first large town on the Oder below Breslau. The turgid Bartsch and the canal
(Polnischer Landgraben) which drains the swamps of Obra join the Oder near
it. The towns of Krofoschin (8,034 inhabitants) and Rawitsch (11,141 inhabitants),
to a large extent peopled by Jews; Lissa (11,069 inhabitants), tlie hereditary
seat of the Leszczynskis, who in the sixteenth century afforded shelter to
Protestants driven from Austria, and introduced the manufacture of linen and
cloth, and Framtadt (6,394 inhabitants), are geographically dependencies of Glogau,
but have been politically assigned to the province of Posen.

Neusfdz (5,895 inhabitants) and Griinberg (12,200 inhabitants) are the last
Silesian towns on the Oder, the latter producing a wine famous for its acidity.
Zullichau (7,378 inhabitants) and Schwiebus (8,087 inhabitants), in side valleys, and
KroiHcn (G,786 inhabitants), on the Oder, belong to the province of Brandenburg.
The Bober, however, which joins the Oder at Krossen, and the Western Neisse,
which enters it a ievf miles lower down, flow past many towns still belonging to
Silesia. Landnhut (5,817 inhabitantsj, a picturesque old city; Ilirsc/ibrrg
(12,954 inhabitants), famous for its Turkish carpets ; Wtirmbninn (2,998 inha-
bitants), a watering-place ; Lowenberg (5,293 inhabitants), Biuizlau (9,931 inha-
bitants), Sprottau (6,916 inhabitants), and Sagan (10,538 inhabitants) succeed
each other in the valley of the Bober ; Lattban (10,076 inhabitants) is in one of its
side valleys; whilst Gorlitz (45,310 inhabitants) is on the Neisse. The latter, like
Liegnitz, enjoys the advantage of lying upon a great natural highway, which
joins Poland with Thuringia, and is crossed by the dcjiression which extends from
the vale of the Oder to that of the Upper Elbe. Gorlitz was the birthplace of Jacob
Brihme, the mystic. Ancient fortifications and grave-hills are numerous in its
vicinity.

The Basin ok ihk Odkk to the Noktii ok Sii.ksia.* — The manufacture of
cloth and linen in the great industry carried on in Western Silesia, as well as
in tlic Brand<;nburg lownn of Sorfiii (13,138 inhabitants), Somincr/cld (10,235
inhabitants), Fornt (16,611 inliabitantM), and Gnbm (23,704 inhabitants), which
iuVynn it.

Fraul;f(trl-on-thi-(tdir (17,1^0 inhabitJinlMj cannot vie with its luinicsakc! on the
Main in wealth and p<jpulation, l»ut is nevorthelesH a prosperous town, with
numerous factories and an exten»«ive commerce. It is the port of Berlin ou the

* fi» i ruling purU ol VmhUsii iiruiidc-uburg, ueurly ull Town, ContrnI Point niiiiu, uiid it Bmull pait of
WmI I'ruMiit.

840

GERMANY.

Oder, occupying a similar position with reference to the capital as does Magdeburg
on the Elbe. But whilst the latter is a fortress, the mission of Frankfort is
altogether pacific, fine walks having replaced its ancient fortifications. Kiisfrln
(11,227 inhabitants), at the mouth of the Warthe, is a fortress, covering IJerlin
towards the east. Several battles have been fought in this district. At Zorndorf
Frederick II. triumi)hed over the Russians in 1758 ; at Kunnersdorf, the year
after, he was almost hopelessly crushed.

The Warthe is nearly as long a river as the Oder, but it flows through a region

Fig. 196. — Spkottau axd Fkeistadt.
Scale 1 : 240,000.

2 Miles.

far less fertile and populous. On its southern affluent, the Brosna, which divides
the province of Posen from Russian Poland, are situated the small towns of Kcmpen
(G,1G8 inhabitants), Ostrowo (8,339 inhabitants), and PlfscJien (6,348 inhabitants).
Passing through Schrimm (5,929 inhabitants), on the Warthe, and Kurnik
(2,658 inhabitants), which has a castle of the fourteenth century containing a
rich library, we reach Posen (65,681 inhabitants), the capital of the province —
a town more German now than Polish. The Warthe at Posen is navigable only
for small barges. In the seventeenth century the town had 75,000 inhabitants,

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODER, AND VISTULA.

341

but when Prussia first occupied it its population had sunk to 5,000 souls. Posen is
not only an important fortress, but also a great corn mart. It boasts of the
libraries of Count Raczyiiski and the Society of Friends of Science, and of the
museum of Count Melzyiiski. In its cathedral several Kings of Poland lie buried,
but Gnesen (Gniezno, 11,206 inhabitants), in a region of lakes and woods to the
north-east, is the " holy " town of Poland, where the kings were crowned until 1320.
The TVarthe below Posen gradually swerves round to the west. It is
joined by the Welna, which washes the walls of Rogasen (5,026 inhabitants).

Fig. 19". — Stettin.
Scale 1 : 180,000.

12°E of Paris

!'/

i .

I ...

J 1

1 ,

.dii^, .j..:^i.«JJLiLL-<-^

'2 M ilf'H.

iJcyond Sr/nrerin (0,080 inhabituntfl) the Warthc enferH the province of JJrunden-
burg, and Aowh through tho induHtriou.s town of LnndHhpnj (2l,;{7!) inhabitants).
Nfil.rl (5,051 inhaljituntH) is the only town of note on tho Ncfzc, which joins tbf
VVartho u few milox above Lundsburg, f<ir Srlmridnuulil (!),721 inliabiluntH) and
Jhiif Hill- Krone (6,064 InhabitaiitH), tliongh both lying within its basin, are situafe
on tributarif'H whidi (!nt«T it from the north. Towns liccoinc inon; niiincrons (o
tb«! west of LandslxTg. In the Nciimark (" .New March"), to the north of I lie
Wurthe, are Fiir,l^:h(r'j (5,801 inhabitants;, t^olilin (6,205 iuhabitanls), ArmicaUlv

842

GERMANY.

(6,853 inhabitants), and Konigsherg (0,380 inhabitants) ; to the south of that river,
Zieknzig (5,731 inhabitants), Dronsen (5,167 inhabitants), and Sonncnhurg (5,573
inhabitants).

The heights which bound the swampy flats of the " Oderbruch " on the west
are occupied by towns more or less dependent upon Berlin for their prosperity,

Fig. 198 — SWINEMUXDE.
Scale 1 : 150,000.

12" s

li-°16E.ofC

J)eplh ttiuler^^^''atlio>m

?i o £atlmins

2 Miles.

Over s FaUioms

Wriezen (7,920 inhabitants), Freienwnlde (6,011 inhabitants), and Neustadt-Ehers-
walde (10,483 inhabitants) being the most important amongst them. Angcr-
miinde (6,601 inhabitants) occupies a height to the north of the Finow Canal, and
at some distance from the Oder. Sc/iicrdf (9,592 inhabitants) is on the left bank
of the Oder, whilst Greifcnhagrn (6,759 inhabitants) stands on an eastern arm of
that river, known as the Reglitz.

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODEE, AND VISTULA. 343

Stettin (80,972 inhabitants), the great maritime city of Pomerania, is situate
on the western edge of the delta of the Oder, and from the plateau -which rises to
the west of the city we look down upon the sinuous course of the river through
an alluvial bottom-land for ever encroaching upon the ancient gulf of the sea, now
known as the Lake of Damm. Stettin is the Baltic port of Berlin, and increases
rapidly in population, notwithstanding the fortifications which encircle it. A
causeway, 5 miles in length, connects Stettin with Damm (4,750 inhabitants), to
the east of the delta.

Stettin occupies a prominent place as an industrial city. It has ship-yards,
machine shops, cement works, potteries, soap and candle manufactories, distilleries,
and breweries. Vessels drawing 16 feet of water are able to reach the quays of
the town, but larger ones are obliged to discharge their cargo at Sidnemunde
(7,977 inhabitants), the outport of Stettin and a favourite watering-place. WoUln
(0,222 inhabitants) and Kammin (5,498 inhabitants), on the Dievenow, or eastern
outlet of the Great Haff, may also be looked upon as small outlpng ports of the
great city. The former of these towms is the ancient Yineta, or City of the
Wends, which Adam of Bremen, in the second half of the eleventh century,
describes as being " in truth the largest city of Europe." The remains of ancient
buildings actually prove that it formerly occupied an area thirty times more
extensive than it does now, and Arab coins in large numbers have been found
there.

A few email rivers enter the Gro.ssc Ilaff to the cast of Stettin. One of them
irrigates the prrxluctivc corn-fields of Pyritz (7,442 inhabitants) ; another washes
the walls of Htnrgard (20,173 inhabitants) and Golliioic (7,913 inhabitants), both
old Ilanse towns, and accessible to coasting vessels.

Eastern Pomkraxia. — The maritime slope of Eastern Pomerania presents
none of those features which favour the growth of large cities, for the coast is
exposed and devoid of shelter, the climate is rigorous, and the fertile tracts of
land comparatively limited. (^)\viTig, however, to the development of local
industries, several villages have become real towns. In the valley of the Kegu
are Schiecelhf-in (5,038 inhabitants), Lafjcx (5,010 inliabitants), lirgrniralde (3,363
inhabitants), Grnfcnhirg (5,631 inhabitants), and Trrjttow (6,724 inliabitants).
Kolhcrrj (13,537 inhabitants), at the mouth of the Persante, and Kmlin (14,814
inhabitants), near the lagfxm of Jamund, are ])<)lh prosperous. liiif/eniraMe
(3,174 inhabitants), at the mouth of the Wippcr, which in its upper course
im'gatfs the dintrict around Srhlairc (5,141 inhaljitants), carries on a considerable
coasting trade. Stolp n8,.328 inhubitantH), on a river of the same name, is the
moBt populous town of Eastorn Pomerania, whilst lit/f/anl (7,181 inlialiitants),
the PiialygrfKl, r»r Whit^? ^''•y. of the Pomorzi, has inuintaincd its rank amongst
the inland towns. I)niiiihiirfi (5,f»26 inhabitants) and Nmi-Sfcttin (6,!^■^7 inlia-
bitantg; rinc on the waterMhod betwjren tin- coast rivers and th(! Warthe, whilst
Latiftihtini C7,1<55 inhabitantn) aln-iidy lifs within th(t circle of attraction of l)iin/ig.
Thk Basin ok vuv. Vihtii.a. — Tlioni (21,067 inhabitants), on the right bank
fif tin- ViHtiila, where that riv«T fntfrs tin- territory ot I'riissia, and is sp.inni'd by a

844 GERMANY.

railway bridge 2,000 feet in length, was the birthplace of Copernicus, " terrac motor,
solis stator." In 1724 the " Queen of the Vistula " was the scene of a disgraceful
massacre of Protestants. It is an important fortress. The river Derwenz, a
tributary of the Vistula, forms the boundary between Prussia and Poland, nearly
as far as Strashurg (5,454 inhabitants)," Inoicrazlaw (9,147 inhabitants), to the
south-west, occupies the summit of a rock of gypsum, and mines of rock-salt are
worked near it. It is the agricultural centre of Cujavia, one of the most productive
corn districts of Central Europe.

Bromherg (31,308 inhabitants), the largest town in the basin of the Vistula,
between Warsaw and Danzig, was founded by the Teutonic Knights, and occupies
a very favourable commercial position on the Brahe, a small tributary of the
Vistula, joined by a canal to the Netzc. It carries on a considerable trade in
corn. Konitz (8.046 inhabitants), another town of the Teutonic Knights, lies
farther north.

The Vistula, below its confluence with the Brahe, skirts the terrace upon which
rises the town of Kulni (9,628 inhabitants). It then passes Schwetz (5,210 inha-
bitants), at the mouth of the Schwarzwasser, and Graudenz (16,615 inhabitants), an
important place of commerce defended by a citadel. Mariemcerder (7,580 inha-
bitants), one of the earliest towns founded by the Teutonic Order, lies on the slope
of the plateau which bounds the alluvial plain of the Vistula on the east. Soon
afterwards the river bifurcates, its eastern branch, the Nogat, flowing to Marienburg,
whilst the main branch passes beneath the bridge of Dirschau (9,713 inhabitants),
one of the most remarkable engineering works of modern times. Preussisch-
Stargard (6,022 inhabitants), the political capital of the district, is far inferior to
Dirschau in trade and industry.

Danzig (97,931 inhabitants) is a very ancient city. Occupying the slope of
the hills overlooking the delta, it is the natural intermediary between the region
of the Lower Vistula and the countries beyond the sea. The view enjoyed from
the hills above Danzig is indeed one not easily forgotten, more especially that
afforded by the wooded heights of Olira (3,284 inhabitants), a village rendered
famous by an ancient abbey. But the very advantages which geographical
position confers upon Danzig account for some of its vicissitudes. The town has
sustained many sieges, and its commerce has more than once been nearly destroyed.
Whilst a member of the Hanse, and subsequently, when subject to Poland, Danzig
had its own laws {Danziger Willkur) and coined its own money. It was a kind
of Northern Venice, not only because canals intersect many of its streets, and
its houses often stand upon piles, but also because of its preponderating influence
upon the surrounding country. Several churches, a town-hall, an exchange, and
high houses with gable-ends recall these glorious old times. Philip Cluvier, one of
the creators of historical geography, Fahrenheit, and Schopenhauer were natives of
Danzig. One of the islands of the town is exclusively occupied by granaries six
and seven stories in height. For fear of fire this island is deserted during the
night by all but its ferocious watch-dogs, which prowl through its alleys. The
export in corn has since immemorial time been the great source of wealth of

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODEE, AND VISTULA.

345

Danzig. Hundreds of barges convey to it the wheat from all parts of the basin of
the Vistula, the barges being broken up on reaching Danzig, and the bargemen
returning on foot to their homes in Poland or Galicia. Railways have in a large
measure deprived Danzig of this branch of business,* but it is stiU the first city of
Europe for its timber trade. The manufacturing establishments of Danzig increase
from year to year. They include woollen and paper mills, chemical works, dis-
tilleries, machine shops, and ship-yards.

Marienhurg (8,526 inhabitants), on the Xogat, never attained the commercial
importance of its neighbour Danzig, although for a considerable time it was the

Fig. 199. — The Castle of Mariesbukg.

capital of the Teutonic Order, which ut the height of itH prosperity, in IHO,
consisted of Ji,000 kniglitH, who reignwl over 55 towns, 48 atrong caHtles, and
18,'JG8 villagoH. The ohl fortrena of the order overtower« all otlier buildingH of
the town, and w>me of itH roomH aw. admired as favourable npuciraens of Gothic
archit^.'cture. A railway bridge, no Icmb rumarkabh; in its way tlian the old puhu^o
of the knightM, Hpann the Nogat.

Ethinfj C'{5,87H inliabituntM;, the ancient TniHo, was founded in 12^57 l)y
coloni»tM from Liibeck and M(riH(M;n, and two centurioH afterwardH placed ilwll"

* 111 1862 'All,\Hi toiM uf wtM.iit wrrru t;x\^>ri>d hy Miu ; ill 1H73 only 121,'2UU touit.

i546

GERMANY.

under the protection of Poland. Its position is analogous to that of Danzig, but,
owing to the small depth of its river, it is unable to compete with its more power-
ful neighbour for a share in the maritime trade. Elbing is the natural market-
place of the lake district which extends to the south-east in the direction of Oderode
(5,740 inhabitants), and is traversed by several canals used for the transport of
timber. At Tanncnhcrg, to the south of Osterode, the Teutonic Knights, in 1410,
suffered a crushing defeat, from which they never recovered.

Prussia to the East of the Basin of the Vistula. — Bmumhenj (10,796
inhabitants), to the north-east of Elbing, is situate on the navigable Passarge, which
flows into the Frische Ilaff, and is bounded by carefully cultivated market gardens.

Fig. 200. — The Port of Pillau.
Scale 1 : 100,000.

Depth less than 5 Fathoms
S to it Tatlioms
11 to .ii

Dejtth S3 to 6C FiiUiKiiis
Over ee

2 Miles.

The port of Braunsberg is accessible only to small coasting vessels. It is the
principal town between Elbing and the capital of East Prussia, Konigsberg, which
was founded by the Teutonic Knights in 1255, and named in honour of King
Ottokar of Bohemia.

Konigsberg (122,636 inhabitants), exclusively of its royal castle, has no
remarkable buildings, except, perhaps, those of its university, an institution
rendered famous by Immanuel Kant. There are numerous scientific societies,
but more powerful than they is the Corporation of Merchants, which built the
exchange and founded a School of Commerce. Only vessels drawing less than
10 feet are able to ascend the Pregel to the quays and docks of Konigsberg, which
exports more especially hemp, flax, tow, and timber. Numerous factories have been

PLAINS OF THE ELBE, ODER, AND VISTULA.

347

x8° kSE.ot i>ai-is

built witliiii and bevond the fortifications whicb make Konigsberw one of the most
powerful strongholds of Germany.

Pillau (3,196 inhabitants), at the Gut of the Frische Haff, forms a dependency
and outport of Konigsberg,
though situate some 30 miles Fig. 201.-Memel.

J j_ n -^ X' 1 n -^ Scale 1 : 150,000.

due west oi it. JN early ail its
trade is carried on on account of
the merchants of the neighbour-
ing city. Pillau possesses the im-
portant advantage of not being
blocked by ice during winter,
and a great deal of the Russian
trade passes through it. Cranz,
at the neck of the Kurische
Nehrung, is the most frequented
watering-place near Konigsberg.

The few towns to the south
of Konigsberg, such as AUemtein
(6,lo9 inhabitants), Heihherg
{•j,7(y2 inhabitants), Bartemstein
(6,460 inhabitants), and Fianiev-
hurg (6,102 inhabitants), are
centres of local trade. Lyck
(o,912 inhaljitants) is a head-
quarter of smugglers. Far more
important are the towns in the
valley of the Pregel, through
which runs a great international
railway. They include Wehlan
(o,178 inhaljitantsj, InHierhurij
(16,303 inhabitantftj, and Gum-
hxnncn (9,141 iiihabitantHj.
Eydtlvhwn (3,253 inhabitunt.s),
U> the cast of the latter, clow to
the KuBsiun frontier, is rapidly
rising into iin|K>rtancc. lini/ni
(•091 inliabitantHj is a small Wir-
tress near Lotzm (4,034 inha-
bitanlHj, and in the centre of an
extenflive lake diRtrict.

THhU (20,201 inhabitants), rendered famous by the treaty of 1807, is the only
town of importance on the river Meinel, which 30 miles below enters the KuriHcho
Il.iff. The two battlcH whi(;h precedwl that treaty were fought in the ncighlx.ur-
brxxl: the one at PrrunHiHch-JCijIan (3,738 inhabitantH), 24 miles to the south of

I (V

Milr.

848 GERMANY.

Konigsberg ; the other at Friedland-on-thc-Alk (3,29G inhabitants), about the same
distance to the south-east of that town.

Mnncl (in, TOG inhabitants) is the only town in the narrow strip of land which
stretches northward between Russia and the Baltic. Lying far away from the
river after which it is named, near the Gut leading into the Kurische Haff, Memel
is a Russian port rather than a German one, and most of its trade is, in fact,
Russian. It exports timber from the neighbouring forests, wheat, flax, and
hemp. Its factories, saw-mills, foundries, and machine shops work for the most
part on Russian account. Memel and Tilsit are the great entrepots of the
merchandise which German merchants, with the aid of their Israelite confederates,
smuggle through the triple line of Russian custom-houses. Nearly all the manu-
factured articles used in Lithuania and Samogitia have crossed the frontier
without paying the customs dues. Memel was the native place of Argelander, the
astronomer.

The low tract which stretches from Memel to the Russian frontier is sandy,
and only produces stunted pines. Nimmersatt, the last group of German houses,
lies in a veritable desert.

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CHAPTER X.

THE ailBRIAN PENINSULA.

(SCHLESWIG -HOLSTBIN .) •

HE elongated peninsula -which the estuary of the Elbe separates
from Hanover, and only a narrow ridge of uplands connects with
^M^'y Germany, it might be supposed, would have become the home of
one race. Such, however, is not the case, for whilst the Ger-
mans hold the south, the Danes have established themselves in the
north. Formerly it was the Danes who exercise<l political authority in the
German parts of the peninsula, but the war of 186G has changed all this, and
Prussia has not only acquired the purely German districts, but also a large slice
of territory indisputably Danish, but of great value on account of its strategical
positions.

The plateau of Mecklenburg extends into Holstein, and from some of its most
elevated pf>ints the Xorth Sea and Baltic may be seen simultaneously. The
Bungsberg (522 feetj, the culminating point of the entire peninsula, rises a few
feet higher than the steeple of St. >»'ichola8 at Hamburg. A wide depression,
through which the Plider takes its winding course, extends from the North Sea
to the fiord of the Schlei, and separata's these Houthern heights from the nortbern
ones, which stretch through Srhleswig and Jutland to the extremity of the latter.
MagnoHian limestones containing beds of gypsum and salt are the oldest rocks of
the country, Imt they are almost everywhere concealed beneath more recent
(lerlimentary de|XJHits, and spf-aking geologically, the peninsula, such as it exists
now, is of no great age.

Whilst Eastern Holstein and Sehleswig arc a continuation of Mecklenburg, llic!
western region forms an extension of Friesland and Hanover. Tbc- islands which
fringe the coast of S<;hleHwig remind uh of a similar chain of iHlands extending
along the cfwsts of Holiafid and Friesland ; the marshes, wbich to the west of tin-
YWm haveWm nonverte<l into productive Knqr^ are no less fertile to the north of tlie

• Ar»-a,-7,0f)l iir|uiir)t nuXt-m. I'..j.nlttti..ii (1H76), 1,073,026.

850

GERMANY.

river ; the Geest of Hanover has its analogue in the Ahl of Ilolstein and Schleswig ;
and there are heaths rivalling that of Liineburg, and extensive peat bogs.

Though narrow, the peninsula presents most striking contrasts on its two shores.
Towards the Baltic we meet with hills and lakes surrounded by forests, whilst
on the North Sea the eyes behold marshes, heaths, and shelving beaches. In the
east vegetation flourishes; in the west the "poisonous" sea wind kills the trees or

Fig. 202. — Sylt and Amuum.
Scale 1 : 376,000.

« E.of Paris

fi' 20 E.of G

Sandbanks

Sandbanks which uncover

Depth down to 5 Fathonjs

10 Miles.

Depth beyond 5 fathoms

prevents their growth when not sheltered from it. The contours of the two coasts
present similar contrasts. The Baltic coast-line is well defined, with bold
promontories, and fiords penetrating far inland, whilst on the west coast, with its low
islands, sand-banks, and vague contours, the two elements appear to be confounded.
Changes no doubt take place along the east coast, but they cannot be compared
with those witnessed along the shores of the North Sea, where denudation and

SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN.

361

deposition are going on continually and on a vast scale. No greater contrast can
there be than that presented by the rocky coasts of K^orway and the flat, undefined
shore of Schleswig, though both face the same sea.

No other district in Europe has sufl'ered more from irruptions of the sea than
this " Uthland," or outlying land, of Schleswig. Only fragments of the ancient
coast-line survive in some of the islands which originally formed a portion of the
mainland. It was one of these invasions of the sea which caused the Cimbri to
flee the country, and to begin their march across Europe which terminated on the
fatal field of Vercellae. Forchhammer believes that the large boulders found along
the whole of the valley of the Eider, at an elevation of 66 feet above the sea-level,
mark the height of this fearful flood, which extended even to the east coast. Six

Fig. 203. — The Basin of the Eider.

Saml

1 1 Futhimu

hundred years ago the Watten, or sand-banks, now covered at high water, were
fertile ticlds. Towards the micMle of the thirteenth century many villages and
islands were inundut<;d, and numerous floods are recorded as having taken place
since then, one of the most disastrous liaving been that of UVM, which swept away
■everal islands around Nordstrand. ISordstrand itself whh left a desert for eighteen
years, when it was repeoplod by FUnuHh colonistH. Since then thi; floods have not
W-ii of so calamitous a nature, tlje archipelago being protected by the duiirH of the
outlying islands of Sylt and Amrum.

If man bad not undertaken to rchiHl lln- «-ncr<)a('hnicnts of the sea, a great
jx»rtif»n of tlu; litttiral n-gion <»l" Selilcswi^ would lon^ ere this have disnppcared
Ixni-atb th«- waves. The inlands bavr- b<rn protntctl by (loul)le and In-blr lines
of dyk«M, arul j»ortionM of fbe iii.iinl.iiKJ li:i\c ixcn dniincd and rt ndi ird mcuic.

352 GEEMANY.

The dykes of tlio peninsula of Eiderstedt have a total length of 190 miles, and are,
on an average, 25 feet in height. They have nearly all been constructed since
the great flood of 1634, and no pains have been spared since to add to the
defences of the Koge, or polders, and villages. The Ilnlligen are low islands not
protected by dykes, and rising but a few feet above ordinary high water. They
produce scanty herbage, and their inhabitants live in small cabins built upon arti-
ficial mounds, or " wharfs." At low water they are joined to the mainland by a
bank of ooze (Schlick), which it is dangerous to cross. They are gradually being
abandoned by their inhabitants, who are daring seamen.

Amongst the rivers of Schleswig-Holstein there is but one which can claim
notice on account of the area of its basin, viz. the Eider. It flows in the depres-
sion which bounds Schleswig in the south, and the tide ascends it as far as
Rendsburg, which is nearer to the eastern coast than to the western. Its prin-
cipal tributary, the Treene, flows through an extensive swamp, connected by
means of a canal (the Kograben) with the fiord of the Schlei. This canal formed
the southernmost line of defence of Schleswig, and in its rear rose the famous
Dannewerk, an entrenchment thrown up in the ninth century, and defended with
some vigour in 1864.

The idea of connecting the North Sea and the Baltic by a navigable canal is
an old one. In 1390 — 98 Liibeck constructed a canal which joins it to the Elbe,
and which is still in existence. In the following century Liibeck and Hamburg
were connected by a more direct water highway, which followed the course of the
Trave, the Beste, and the Alster, but was filled up in looO by the enemies of
the two cities. In 1784 a canal was constructed from the Upper Eider to the
Bay of Kiel, and vessels drawing 12 feet were by its means enabled to proceed
from the North Sea to the Baltic, thus avoiding the circuitous route around
Jutland. This canal, however, owing to the winding course of the Eider and
the delays caused by want of water, no longer responds to the requirements of
commerce, and the construction of a navigation canal has recently formed the
subject of much discussion. Several projects have been elaborated, all of them
requiring for their realisation a vast amount of money.

Inhabitants.

The inhabitants of Holstein are more like the Germans described to us by
ancient authors than any other people in Germany. The Holsaten — that is, " Men
of the Woods " — occupied clearings in the woods and swamps, where they were
but rarely exposed to the attacks of strangers, whilst the Ditmarschen, or Northern
Frisians, were secure in their trackless marshes and on their islands, and were
thus able to maintain their independence. The Baltic coast, with its bays and
fiords, was, however, readily accessible, and emigrants obtained a footing in
several localities. It was thus that Wendish Obotrites colonised the island of
Fehmarn and the peninsula of Wagria, which extends from the Bay of Kiel to
that of Liibeck. In the twelfth century these "VVends were pagans and inde-

SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN. 353

pendent. Their descendants still live in the country, but much mixed with those
of Frisian, Dutch, and AS'estphalian colonists.

The history of Schleswig is that of the struggle between Danes and Germans.
At the present time the whole of the south is German, whilst the Danes have
maintained themselves in the north. Irrespectively of High German and Danish,
three dialects are spoken by the people of the western islands and the littoral
region. The inhabitants of the two southern islands, Pellworm and Xordstrand,
talk Plattdeutsch, those of Fohr speak a dialect of their own, whilst Frisian is
spoken on Amrum and Sylt, and in the villages near the coast. The land of
the Angles, who some thirteen centuries ago invaded England, meeting with a
better fate than their neighbours, the Cimbri, extends north along the coast of
the Baltic to beyond the Schlei. Its undulating hills, carefully tilled fields,
hedges, and luxuriant meadows, its scattered homesteads and grazing cattle,
remind us of similar scenes in the English counties of Kent and Surrey. The
peasants of that country are no doubt wealthy ; but when it is a question of
civilisation generally, it is the Frisians on the Xorth Sea who deserve the palm.
They, too, are wealthy, live in well-constructed houses surrounded by gardens,
and give their children a sound education. The ancient spirit of independence
still survives amongst these Ditmarschers. As we travel away from their pros-
perous homesteads in the direction of Jutland, Denmark, or Sweden, the fields
decrease in fertility, the dwellings are less luxurious, and the struggle for existence
is more severe.

Towns.

Thk Holtteiners live in the greatest numbers in the vicinity of Hamburg, of
which the towns of Altona (84,0'J7 inhabitants), Ottemen (12,406 inhabitants),
and Wandifherk (i;j,52S inhabitants; form mere dependencies. Even Elni.shoru
(0,1 8'i inhabitants), on a navigable river tributary to the Elbe, and Gluckstadt
(5,0'il inhabitants), may Ix; looked uj)on as outposts of Hamburg. At a distance
from that place the jx>pulatiun decreases rapidly, and in the large basin of the
river Stor there are but two towns of any note, viz. Ncumuniiter (10,108 inha-
bitantsj, which has more factories than any other of the inland towns, and Hzelmc
(li,770 inhaliitants), the old political capital of the country. iivtjchrnj (o,044
iiihabitantsj, on a lake in the basin of the Travc, has liine and gypsum pits, and a
bed of Halt haM been discovered at a d<'pth of .O'JO feet.

Several jK>pulouM market towns lio on tlic (roast to the north of the Elbe,
including Marup (2,006 inhabitants), the birtlij)la(c of Miillcnlioff, the gcograi)luT ;
IJi'uIp (i'ul inbabitantM), the capital of DitniarNchcn ; mikI W'lHHrlUHrvn (I,(iOO
inbal»itant«), in the centre of its most fertih; district. ItnidHlnmj (ll,41<i inhabil-
antn), thf iargent place on the Eider, the passage; of which it formerly defended,
\n now an ojxn town, important on account of its commerce. 7onmn(/ {H,l'.U)
inhabitunts; and J/unum (-'),7.V> inbabitantM), the one on llie northern, the other
on the w/uthern coant of the peninsula of Eiderstodt, have acquired some inipor-

354

GERMANY.

tance since the middle of the century as commercial ports exporting cattle and
other produce to England. The cattle of the polders in the west are for the most
])art intended for the slaughter-house, whilst dairy-farming is carried on exten-
sively in the hilly districts adjoining the Baltic. Garding (2,48-4 inhabitants),
in the centre of Eiderstedt peninsula, was the native town of Mommsen, the
historian.

Kiel (44,090 inhabitants), the capital of Holstein, is a populous industrial city.

Fig. 204. — Flensburg.

Its environs are charming. In addition to its university, the town has a naval
school, several learned societies, and an observatory. Its excellent harbour
enables it to carry on a most extensive commerce, which was formerly almoet
exclusively in the hands of the inhabitants of OMenhurg (2,608 inhabitants), a
decayed town on the peninsula of "Wagria. The Bay of Kiel is one of the finest
on the Baltic. It averages 3 miles in width, and penetrates about 9 miles

SOHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN.

355

inland. Its depth is considerable, amounting even, close to the town, to 30 feet.
Its entrance is exposed to north- easterly winds, but vessels within the bay are
perfectly sheltered. These advantages, joined to the facilities for defence, verj'-
naturally attracted the attention of the German Admiralty, and Kiel has become
the principal naval station on the Baltic, with docks (at Ellerbeck) and arsenal.
FriedricJDiort, on a promontory, is the principal work of defence of the place, which

Fig. 205. — Alsex and Sonderbtjro.
Scale 1 : 500,000.

E of Paris

»'!30' T. of O

lOMilpR

r ]

JH inferior to WiniflrnHhaAii, on llif Norfli S<;i, only in oiu; roHpect — it is eome-
lirncH f;lr)s<;d by ice.

KrhfrtiforUc (4,90'{ inhabifantHj, t<j tin; nortli-wcst oT Kiel, lias an (xcrllcnt
roadMt<ad, which \h expow-d, liowcvcr, to ('(jHfcrly and norlli-fMHtt-rly windn, SvIiIch-
trifj {\A/Ai'i inhubitanfM), at the; head of the fiord of the Sctlilci, IniH loHt nearly the
whole of itM niarifiine trad*-, owing (o ihi- Milling; ii[) of its haiboiir. In llu' .Middle;
Agfd the nHrrctiundiMO brought in Mhipn to ScljloMwig wuh thonco curried over-

856 GERMANY.

land to Ilollingstedt, on the Treene, and re-embarked. The castle of Gottorp
stands on an island in the centre of Schlcswig.

Flenshurg (20,474 inhabitants), a more important place than Schleswig, stands
at the head of a fiord accessible to large vessels, and is hence a prosperous town.
Sonderhm-g (5,829 inhabitants), the capital of the island of Alscn, likewise
carries on a considerable commerce. A bridge 820 feet in length connects it
with the mainland. Opposite to it are the famous entrenchments of Diippel
(Dybel), so valiantly defended in 1849 and 1864. Apenrade (Ilabenraa, 0,142
inhabitants), like nearly all the towns on that coast, is situate on a bay, which
offers, however, but little security to vessels. The fiord of Haderdebcn (Haderslev,
8,356 inhabitants), still farther north, is winding, narrow, and of little depth.
Tondern (3,440 inhabitants), the principal North Sea port of Northern Schleswig,
lies on a channel which communicates with the sea only at high water.

CHAPTER XI.

ge2st:ral statistics.

POPULATIOX.

HATEVER may be the position held by the Germans amongst
the civilised nations of the world, there can be no doubt as to
their strength as determined by numbers. Russia is the only
European state which has a larger population, but its inhabitants
neither live in so compact a body, nor are they united by so
strong a national tie as are those of Germany. In 1830 the states now forming
the German Empire had 28,800,000 inhabitants, and they have increased ever
since at the rate of 1,000 daily." The population is less dense than in England,
Belgium, Italy, and Holland, but more so than in any other country in Europe.
The exces-s of females is proportionately large, a feature partly due to emigration
and wars.t

The increase of the population results almost exclusively from an excess of
births over deaths, J and it more especially affects the large towns. Up to the
middle of the century hardly more than a fourth of the inhabitants livcnl in towns ;
but the proportion has been rapidly increasing ever since, and in 1875 39 per cent,
of the population resided in towns of over 2,000 inhabitants. The larger the
towns, the more rapid their growth, whilst in many of the rural districts the popu-
lation is actually decreasing. Ji

Until recently some of the rural districts were threatened with depopulation,
for their inhabitants emigrated in thousands. In the course of sixty years, from
1815 — 7G, 4,114,000 Germans emigrated, for the most part to the United States.

• Populatifrtifif 0«mnnny in 1871 n).T«in»M;r 1), 41,060,846; in 1 87 'j, 42,727,300 ; in 187'J (cutimntocl)
4i,r,(H),li()0. According U> hinffiiagu thiT*; wirrf, in 187/j, .'J'J.OSO.OOO OermanH (and Jowii), 2,07'>,000 Sluvs,
120,00(1 Lit)iu;ini;inn, I.IO.OOO Dnn'-n, nwl :j'>0,000 Frcni h.

t In 1871 Mxf(;r(; tlw; war) tli«r») win; 1,018 fimiil.-H to rivory 1,000 rnulcH ; in 187/5, 1,036.

I MarriftK'-" 'annual ayoragp, 1872 -70\ 3»8,777 ; »>irthii, 1,7/>8,021 ; deaths, l,22U,/).'i3 : excoss of
liinhn nrf-T <Unlhn, r/28,468.

f IMW.-.TI 1871 (ind 187/i 12 townii hiiving ov<r 100.000 inlmliitants increumMl at th« mto of 1483
li»T <Jiit. ; 88 ti/wnn of Iji-twc-n 20.000 (inil 100,000 InliiihitantH in(T<!U«od 12*41 ]wr cont. ; 6U3 town» of
U-twfxm r>,000 and iO.OOO inbiliiUintH irirniuMMl 10 7 J jm r i int. ; whilst tht! guni^rai incrciUM) of poiiiilatioti
rjuly AtaounUA to 40'* i>«;r rjini.

353

GERMANY.

In the year iniinccliatcly following the great war of 1870-71, the number of
emigrants rose to 138,243, mostly men in the prime of life. Fortunately for
Germany this exodus has not continued, and in 1877 the number of emigrants was
only 21,9G4. Even now, however, their number is far larger in Germany than
that of immigrants, and foreigners are but rarely met with in some parts of the
empire.*

Agriculture.

The migration of the rural population into the towns has proved injurious to
the progress of agriculture in certain parts of Germany ; still that branch of

Fig. 206. — Density oi' Population in Germany.
According to Kettler.

I .')"E.ot Paris

50"

10" E.of G.

Less than S2

lohabUxnts to a Square MUe

IS5-260

aS'0-363

Orer S63

national labour annually increases in importance. It no longer occupies the
energies of nine- tenths of the population ; but, thanks to the introduction of
superior methods of cultivation, the land yields richer harvests now than formerly,
notwithstanding the smaller nvimber of labourers employed upon it. Some parts
of the country are tilled with great care, and even sterile tracts have been success-
fully brought under cultivation.

* The population of the German Empire, according to birthplaces (1871) : Germany, 40,831,448 ;
Austria-HuDgary, 75,792; Switzerland, 24.518; Holland, 22,042: Denmark, 15,163; Sweden and
Norway, 12,345; Xorth America, 10,698; England, 10,105; Belgium, 5,097; Luxemburg, 4,828;
France, 4,671 ; Italy, 4,019.

AGPtlCULTUEE.

859

A considerable portion of the northern plain is naturally unproductive,* and
it required all the persevering energy of the sturdy Prussian peasantry to subdue
this stubborn soil.

About 48'5 per cent, of the total area is arable land, 17-7 per cent, meadows
and pastures, and 25 -5 per cent, forests. The latter constitute a considerable source
of wealth, and their preservation is in some measure due to the multiplicity of
small sovereigns who formerly shared the country, every one of whom was bent
upon having his game preserves. The forests are managed with great skill in

Fig. 207. — Increase of the Urbax Population of Germany.
According to Hasse.

-■ E.of Paris

•S'jUj

Kom-Ofrmnn
CooDtnes.

I I I i t^-=^ r ! (iw'af J]

Decreaae. In'Tfiiw Incrwrno Infiftiw Incrciwo

op to r.i-5 p. c. 12'6 to 2.') p. c. 26 to &0 p. c. over 60 p. o.

Germany, and their favourable influence upon climate and drainage is justly
appreciated.

Ilyo in the principal cereal crop cultivated, and not only the peasants, but also a
considerable proportion of the town population eat rye bread, or bread made of a
mixture of rye and wheat. Pumjirrnirkr/, one of the heaviest kinds of bread in
fxintcnce, in even cHtccmed a great delica(;y. Tn former years Germany e.xpoited
com, but it in now no longer able to Mupply itH own wants, and imporls not only
rye, but alwi wheat, lwrl«-y, and oats, an well uh cattle, horses, and otlnT agricultural
pro<luc<;. Only i»ofatoeH, Hheep, and dairy pn»duce form articles ol" cxport.t

• |„ ]■, - it. .,f till lolal !ii' • . .,» r luy.V wiil ; :{2-ll Jtci- ri'tit. of Iniiiii ; .'KISl

p<rr f'ffit. of > mI. (;f nwairijiH ; 'id. .1. of wiiUt.

f 'n»#! iiviTfiKi! nniiiial iinxlufit of (ii-niuiny >iiu« Imi-ii iMtiiiiutiil iit 11,7!);{,000 (|iiiirti in of wlniil,
rj,\r,H,ll(X) of (i|K,-lt, 'i2,r/ir,,Wi() of r)<s 10,117,000 of liurli^y, ■2'J,1»20,0()0 of oiiIh, iiihI ',»;i,.Vl I.ihiO .,f |.<iliit<).!H.

8G0 GERMANY.

Fliix and homp are grown extensively, more especially in the plains of
Hanover, in Prussia, and Posen. Beet-root sugar is largely made in the basins
of the Elbe and Oder, and near the manufacturing districts.* The hops not
only supply numerous breweries, but form an article of export, whilst malt has to
be imported. t The 50,000 tons of tobacco produced in the country are far from
supplying the wants of the smokers, and nearly an equal amount has to be imported
annually. The cultivation of fruit trees and of market gardens is being carried on
with increasing success, especially near the large towns. Germany has about
304,000 acres of vineyards, and the vine grows as far north as Berlin, but the
wine produced outside the valleys of the Rhine, Moselle, Neckar, and Main is of
very inferior quality.

The number of domestic animals is proportionately somewhat larger than in
France, and some of the breeds are of superior merit.+ The horses of Mecklenburg
and Schleswig-IIolstein are justly valued for their muscular strength and motion.
The horse was formerly held sacred in these countries, and barbarians though
they were, the old Saxons were most careful breeders, keeping their brood mares
and stallions in Sclucerins, or " sacred enclosures." The largest stud of Germany
is at present at Trakehnen, in East Prussia, close to the Russian frontier. That
province supplies the army with its best cavalry horses. The breeds of Hanover
and Oldenburg are likewise held in high estimation.

The cattle of Germany are less known abroad, although the breeds of the
Bavarian Alps and of the Voigtland are notable for the quantity of milk they
give. The sheep are for the most part merinos, which have retained their
characteristics more firmly in Germany than in Spain. The breeding of sheep is,
however, on the decrease, and German wool has in a large measure been supplanted
by South African and Australian produce. The breeding of pigs is of impor-
tance, especially in "Westphalia, that land of hams.

In former times most of the land of Germany was held by a comparatively
small number of landowners, who were at one and the same time the legislators,
judges, and employers of the country. The peasants have now become the
proprietors of the land they till, and large estates, for the most part heavily
mortgaged, are getting fewer. There are properties now of every size, though
the subdivision of the land has not yet been carried to the same length as in
France. In Prussia small properties preponderate only in the Rhenish provinces,
and one-half of the soil is still in the hands of proprietors who own at least 185
acres each.§ It has been asserted that in the fertile parts of Germany the land
of small proprietors yields heavier crops than that of large ones, the domains of

* The annual produce of sugar rose from 28,163 cwts. in 1834 to 6,932,900 in 1876.

t In 1875 862,400,000 gallons of beer were made, or 19 gallons to the head of the population.
95,513,000 gallons of spirit were distilled in the same year, whilst the average produce of wine only
amounts to 80,000,000 gallons.

% Live stock in 1873 :— 3,357,200 horses, 3,708 mules and asses, 15,777,000 head of cattle, 25,140,000
sheep, 7,124,000 pigs, 2,320,000 goats.

§ In Prussia there were in 1869 2,141,486 landed proprietors, of whom 18,289 were in possession of
43 per cent, of the total area, and 1,099,261 owned less than 3 acres each. In Bavaria there are 947,010
landowners.

MINING.

3G1

the State yielding least of all. On the Rhine, in Saxony and Wiirttemberg, where
small properties preponderate, the land is more productive than in Posen, \vith its

large estates.*

Mining.

Germany ranks next to England as a mining country. The coal mines of

Saarbriicken, the Ruhr, and Upper Silesia are almost inexhaustible — a very

Fig. 208. — ArGSBUEG.

important fact when wn consiflcr lliat most of tlii' tiicturicH use .sl( am as a motive
pfiwor, that wipplicd by running HtroamH being utilised only in the valbys of llm
VoMgOM, tlic Jilack ForoHt, at the frjot of the Ore and Giant Mountains, and in
S<»nth«ni littvaria, more OMpi-cially near Aiig.Hburg, tbat town of fountain.s.

* AvcniK" WHf^cM of aKTiriiltiinil l:i)»iiiri'i'H in IH72: — In. Tid. in niiniiiii'i-, Ih. Id. in winter. 'I'lin
hitf^u-ft wagr« {2n. 7d, and 2».) an; paid intxr Kmniun, llin luwunt Mb. 4d. and T^d.) nour ()|iprln, in

862

GERMANY.

The iron works of Germany rank next to those of England and the United
States, and there is hardly a metal or mineral useful to man which is not found in
that country.*

Industry. »

German industry has taken wonderful strides in advance in the course of the
nineteenth century. Its manufactories use up nearly all the coal produced in the
country, and, with the exception of zinc and lead, no metals are exported except in
a manufactured state, large quantities of pig-iron being even imported to supply
its steel works. The iron and steel works of Germany are amongst the most
important in the Avorld, employing 113,000 workmen, and producing annually
between 1,500,000 and 2,000,000 tonsjaf pig-iron (2,124,444 tons in 1878), the total
consumption of pig-iron in the country amounting to between 2,242,000 and
2,556,250 tons annually.

The textile industries are likewise of considerable importance, especiall}' since
the annexation of Alsace, which raised the German spindles from 2,950,000 to
4,650,000, of which 1,386,000 are at work in Saxony. The manufacture of
woollen stuffs, though considerable in Berlin and Silesia, is yet very much inferior
to that of France, whilst the silk industry of Crefeld and Elberfeld, though
respectable, cannot vie with that of Lyons. The linen industry, which employs
305,000 spindles, is, on the other hand, far more extensive. Altogether the textile
fabrics annually produced in Germany are valued at nearly £80,000,000.

The paper-mills produce annually 180,000 tons of paper. Of great importance
are the glass works and potteries, the chemical works, the machine shops, the
manufactories of jewellery, and above all, the breweries and distilleries. f

* IMining produce of Germany : —

1873.

1877.

V.ilue.

Tons.

1877.

Coal

3'^,392,300

37,576,050

£10,854,400

Lignite .

9,752,900

10,7^0,300

1,785,900

Iron ores

4,845,850

3,315,750

988,800

Zinc

444,950

570,950

550,200

Lead

101,250

163,550

1,220,500

Copper .

292,lc0

343,300

o8i,650

Salt

602.900

983,850

380,450

Other products

244.300

210,000
53,884,350

481,850

Total

52,676,650

£16,446,750

The other products included ores of manganese, arsenic, cobalt, nickel, zinc, sulphur, &c. In 1878
the produce -was 39,429,308 tons of coal, 10,971,117 tons of lignite, whilst the metals produced from the
ores included 2,124,444 tons of pig-iron, 84,372 tons of lead, 94,954 tons of zinc, 9,541 tons of copper,
831 tons of tin, and 1,245 tons of antimony.

t Industrial statistics for 1875 (total number of persons employed): — Horticultui-e, 25,442;
fisheries, 19,632; mining, metaUuigj-, salt works, 433,146; potteries, glass works, quarries, 265,106;
metal-workers, 420,304 ; machinery, tools, &c., 308,462 ; chemical works, 52,033 ; candle manufactories,
gas works, ire, 42,330 ; textile industries, 926,579 ; paper and leather, 187,219 ; wood, 462,816; prepara-
tion of food, 692,319 ; dress, 1,052,672 ; building trades, 468,457 ; polygraphic arts, 55,849 ; art industries,
13,174 ; commerce and retail trade, 661,733 ; transjiortation, 134,172 ; inns and taverns, 234,602. Grand
total, 6,455,644 persons, of whom 1,114,008 were females.

COMAIEECE.

363

Commerce.

The inland and foreign trade of Germany is about equal in extent to that of
France, and has recently assumed gigantic proportions.* A very considerable
proportion of the imports and exports consists of raw produce, and whilst
Germany supplies England and France to a great extent with food and fuel,
it accepts from these countries manufactured articles in return, t

Geimany has 6-5, 245 miles of macadamised roads, and 1,503 miles of canals, the
latter being far from sufficient to meet the requirements of inland traffic, which
is almost exclusively carried on by means of navigable rivers. Of railways there
were open for traffic in 1878 18,922 miles, aud nearly 200,000,000 passengers and
125,000,000 tons of merchandise were conveyed over them in that year. About
one-half of them were the property of the various Governments, and throughout the
country they yielded a dividend of over 5 per cent.

The commercial marine, on January 1st, 1878, consisted of 4,805 sea-going
vessels, of 1,117,935 tons register. Included in this number are 338 steamers, of
183,370 tons and 50,603 horse-power. Liibeck, the ancient capital of the Ilanse,
no longer holds its place as the first port of the empire, for Hamburg and
Bremen are now the principal seats of the maritime commerce of the country.

They are in error who speak of Germany as a " poor " country, and it only
needs a glance at the shipping crowding its ports, at the busy life pulsating
through its railway stations, and at the many fine edifices recently built in its largo
cities, to convince us of the contrary. Political economists have estimated the annual
national income at £700,000,000, or about £84 for each family of five persons. In
prosperous years £40,000,000 are deposited in the savings banks, and the money in
circulation exceeds £100,000,000. The 114 leading banks of the empire have a paid-
up capital of £07,002,278, and a reserve fund of £0,531,059, the notes in circulation

1872

Importii.
£17a,»J4,000

RxpoHB.
£124, 6b 1,000

1873

•J12,KGG,;300

124,419,000

1874

i:j:i,o.>:j,ioo

122,H01,:i.'>0

187.5 .

128,8 J. 'J, 500

127,273,1.50

1876

14.0.005,000

127,4GS,.5.50

The fl>fnTC« (pvf.n for thn oxportH an; ovidintly incorrect, the custom-hou8o not checking tlio stato-
■entii miuli- an rrj^ard* the value of the- nierehandiiM!.

t Irn|>rjrta and cx]K*rtfl of wjmo of the princiijal articles in 1877 (in cwta.) : —

ImjKiHu.

Ij|p»rrt«.

Wheat .

\'>.\ ■>■'•,:'■>::

1 4, .i 11,4.57

l;ye

2;},'J1«,247

3,4^11,849

iJnrley

10,111,420

3,009,0«7

Oatu

7,260..311

2,071,717

Maizo

.'{.'.J 7. (10

441,172

\'<>iiiU^-n .

;»:i2.:;72

6,670,:!81

lUirmm, No.

44,105

38,082

' ' 1 f»lve«, No.

1. ','..:; 14

130,729

' ....

1 il.l'il

02,143

Wfpi, No.

1,289,202

232,007

K)ie«'ji, Sii.

:.'].':,'.)

1,194,179

C^tiUm, niw

.;, ''..', 110

M.'l 1,740

„ yarn

.'j02.o;{()

208,013

Impor'n.

Export*.

Cotton, manufactured

40,H09

2'.'9,316

Wwl

1,42., .TJO

403,840

„ yam

290,400

94,050

„ nianufactun (1

114,522

272,510

Flax

1,394,070

1,01H,499

I.ini 11 yiirn

lHi,,H40

39,020

lAtun

(iO,076

53,300

llimjiry .

1,995

10,i;95

I'i>^-iri>n .

10.534,100

0,HKi),:{N2

l'i)TK'->\ iron

728,400

1,708,017

ifailH

1,520,080

4,512.000

( 'DariM. hikrdware

085,522

2,.UiK,H(iS

Machinery

K 1 9.90 7

820,270

364

GERMANY.

representing a value of £51,108,980 in 1878. In addition to these, there exist
numerous people's banks, savings banks, and co-operative societies, supported by
artisans, workmen, and small officials.* The activity of the Post Office bears
witness to the increasing commerce of the country.f But though Germany in
the aggregate is a rich country, its wealth is very unequally distributed, and
thousands of peasants are unable to procure wholesome nourishment in sufficient

Fig. 209. — Rail-way Map of Germany.
Scale 1 : 10,000,000.

100 Miles.

quantities.^ Of recent years over-speculation has involved thousands in
ruin.§

* In 1876 there existed 4,800 co-operative societies, vrith 1,400,000 members, and a capital of
£9,000,000. They transacted business to the extent of £132,000,000.

t In 1876 there were 8,692 post-offices, with 71,020 officials. 1,333,106,91.5 articles were sent by
post, including 596,305,214 letters and 404,285,858 newspapers. The telegraphs had a length of 30,372
miles, and 13,394,070 telegrams were forwarded.

X According to official returns 85 per cent, of the Prussian families subsisted on an annual income
of £30 or less. Of 403,456 persons proceeded against in 1875 for non-payment of taxes, 161,531 were too
poor to paj'. The returns as to income are, however, untrustworthy, a.s the assessors in hardly a single
instance make true returns. Self- assessment, as practised in England, is unknown.

§ Capital of 661 Prussian companies in 1872 :— Nominal value. £446,000,00*0; value in 1875,
£281,000,000 : loss in three year.s, £165,000,000.

EDUCATION.

865

Education.

It is well known that education is widely diffused in Germany ; still a great
deal remains to be done in tliat respect, especially in Prussia, where the
elementary schools, since Eichhom's advent in 1840, have been surrendered to
clerical influences. During this reign of reaction the Seminaries, in which
teachers are trained, deteriorated likewise, and many of the masters at present

Tis. 210. — LcBECK.

employed in I'ruHKian w;liools would fail to procure u])jH)iiifiiJcnt8 in other states
of Gennaiiy in which <ducution has fared better. Even as respects the mere
knowlf^^*; of reading anrl wrilinj^, \Viirtteniberg, Saxony, and other states of
Central and Soutlu-rn Germany uro ahead of I'russia, but in the intensely Catholic
districtN of Upper Iiiivaria ignorance- is still ranijtaTit.* At the sjune time the

• NiimUT of rwTiliU iiniihlfi Ut n-ad iinii wriUj (1870-77) : — I'of«?n, 12 93 jmt ti-nt. ; I'niHMiu proin r,
H i,r, j^r "111.; Alwui-I^.rraini-, 3-5*H jmt <<nt. ; Ki]<niii, '2-i'> \»r (int.; roiiiiiiiniii, II!) |h r cent.;
iJdv.iri.i, ii U'.i ],< r (int. ; i'lriimli nlmrK. ••''7 [xr cffit. ; TliiirinKiii, O-.'M jiir iint. ; Kojiii Saxony, OV/i per
<.«ffit ; lUtilfU, OIB ]H r rint. ; tli'WM-, 0 1 1 |rt r cent. ; WurttiinlMTK, 003 jmt ci-nt.

SG6 GERMANY.

number of teachers is not sufficient in prf)portion to the children attending school,
and their salaries arc altogether inadequate.*

Of intermediate schools there are 1,043, with 177,400 scholars. The 21
universities of the empire have a staff of 1,300 professors and 430 P rival- Uocenten,
and are attended by 20,229 students. In addition to them there exist numerous
technical institutions. The Choral and Gymnastic Societies should likewise be
mentioned as an important element in the education of the people, for they count
their members by thousands. The German book trade produces annually nearly
14,000 new works, and there arc published 1,591 periodicals, besides official and
advertising sheets.

If we would know Germany thoroughly we ought to enter into its moral
statistics, but materials are wanting to enable us to do this satisfactorily. Vice is
rampant, no doubt, in the large cities, but if we seek to become acquainted
with the life of the people we must leave the scenes where cupidity and vice
are excited in a thousand ways, and great wealth displays itself in the midst of
the most distressing misery. If we thus study the German we may not be able to
admit that he is in all cases entitled to the praise for straightforwardness, courage,
and honesty so frequently lavished upon him, nor are we able, on the other hand,
to agree with those who assert that he has the mind of an accomplished subject,
whose highest ambition it is to serve his master well.

* There are 109,500 elementary teachers in Germany, or 1 to every 60 school children. The average
salary of teachers in 1874 was £52 10s. in the towns, and £33 in the country. ITic 60,000 elementary
schools are attended hy 6,160,000 scholars, or hy 150 to every 1,000 inhabitants, the proportion being
highest in Wiirttemberg, and lowest in Mecklenburg.

CHAPTER XII.

GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION.

Central Authorities.

HE German Empire, constituted by a decree published in January,
1871, at Versailles, forms an " eternal federation for the protection of
^> . the federal territory and the cultivation of the welfare of the
German people." It consists of four kingdoms, six grand duchies,
five duchies, seven principalities, three free cities, and the " lleichs-
land " of Alsace-Lorraine, the supreme authority in military and political affairs
being exercised by the King of Prussia, of the junior branch of the Ilohenzollerns,
who bears the title of *' German Emperor." More than half the population of
Germany owes hira a double allegiance in his capacities of King and Emperor.

The Emperor represents the empire internationally; he can declare war, if
defensive, and make peace ; he appoints and receives ambassadors, and nominates
the officials of the empire, foremost amongst whom is the Chancellor.

The legislative functions of the empire are exercised by a liundcHnifli and a
RcicliHtfifi. The BundcHraili, or Federal Council, represents tlio states of the
confederation, by whom its of) members are aj)pointed, while the '-VM members of
the li'ichHtfKj, or Imperial Parliament, are elected by universal suifragc and ballot.
Thti JiuiKlcHralli is presided over by the Chancellor of the empire. It (k-liberates
upon the bills to Ikj submitted to Parliament, and forms seven standing conimittees
— for war, naval affairs, customs and taxes, commerce, railroads, postal and
telegraphic affairs, and administration of justice. No changes can bo made in the
constitution of the empire if vetoed by \\ members of the Hini(/cHrafh.

The JCfir/iHtftf/ appoints its President and ot.lier officers. Its m(!inb(>rs receive no
salariefi. 'Die Kmpc-ror has fli(! right t/> pron»gu(! mid dissolve the Ueicthstag, but
the prorogation must not exceed sixty days ; while in case of dissolution new
ele<;tions have U) take phi<;e within sixty days, and a new session has to o])en
within ninety. All laws must be voted by an ahsojute majority of the IJundesralli
aiifl Itcie.hstag, and to take eff«;ct they must receive the assent of the Emperoi', and
)h} coiint^.TMigned, when promulgated, hy the Chancellor.

The commercial union of (iermany was eft'ected, long before th(^ constitution of

368

GERMANY.

the empire, by the Zolkerein, or Customs League, whicli includes the whole of
Germany, with the exception of the free ports of Bremen, Hamburg, and Altona,
together with the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, an old member of the defunct
German Confederation. Since the establishment of the empire there has been
brought about a unity of measures and weights, of money, and of judicial jiro-
ccdure. The imperial revenue is derived from customs and excise duties, stamp
duties, interest upon money invested as a "Fund for Invalids" and for other

Fig. 211. — The Castle of Hohenzollerx.

^^i^g^^m^^m^Kl^^'^

objects, the profits on post and telegraphs, and " matricular " contributions from
the states.*

* Total revenue, 1878-9 :— £22,467,562 (customs and excise, £12,516,.342 ; stamps, £332,6,5.5 ; post and
telegraphs, £764,420 ; railways, £567,800 ; Imperial Bank, £100.500 ; income from " Fund for Invalids,"
£1,602,658 ; " matricular " contributions, £4,357,276). The principal branches of expenditure were— army,
£17,494,811; navy, £2,934,534; pensions to invalids, £1,602,658; post and telegraphs, £664,968;
railways, £505,117 ; coinage, £1,135,000 : Chancellor's department, £329,330 ; general pensions, £877,660.

The debt of the empire amounts to £3,886,566, but the funds invested or kept in the war chest
reach a total of £43,184,607.

Of the war indemnity paid by France (£222,975,000), nearly one-half was divided amongst the
states, £13,000,000 were returned to France for the Alsace-Lorraine railways, £6,345,000 were paid in
compensation for damages sustained during the war, £4,3-50,000 were expended during the occupation of
France, £6,000,000 were allotted for the construction of fortresses in Alsace-Lorraine, £4,725,000 spent
in military stores and German fortresses, £4,0.50,000 were set aside as a fund for invaUds, £3,079,345
expended on rolling stock, £6,000,000 placed in a " war chest," £600,000 were presented to generals, ico.

GOVEENMENT AND ADMINISTEATION. 3G9

State GovERX3kiE>Ts.

Berlin', the seat of the Imperial Government, is likewise the capital of Prussia,
where the legislature of that kingdom, the Landtag, holds its meetings. The
Herrenhaus, or House of Lords, includes the royal princes ; about sixty heads of
princely or other noble houses ; a number of life members, chosen by the King
amongst rich landowners and other notabilities ; eight representative peers of the
eight provinces, elected by the landowners ; representatives of the universities ;
the burgomasters of all towns having over 50,000 inhabitants ; and an unlimited
number of members nominated by the King. The House of Deputies {Ahgeord-
netenhaus) consists of 4-33 members, elected indirectly by all male taxpayers
over twenty-five years of age, divided into three categories, according to the
amount of taxes they pay. Financial projects and estimates must first be sub-
mitted to the second Chamber, and they can be rejected, but not amended, by the
Upper House.

The Executive Government is carried on by a Ministry, the ten members of
which are appointed by the King.

Bavaria, .Saxony, Wiirttcmberg, Baden, and Hesse have analogous representative
institutions, with two Chambers, whilst the other smaller monarchical states content
themselves with a single Chamber. In the two Mecklenburgs, however, constitu-
tional "shams" have not yet been introduced, notwithstanding the requirements
in that respect of the Imperial Constitution. Their institutions are still essentially
feudal, serfdom having only been abolished in 1S24. The so-called Laiidcs-
tniion consists of 700 large landowners {Rittemchaft) and 47 burgomasters, but
its influence upon the finances of the country is a very small one. The three free
citie« have municijjal institutions, with a Senate and a House of Burgess(>.s, the
fonner being the executive, presided over by a l)urgoma8ter. As to the liric/i.s/aiid,
its pjlitical institutions are gradually being assimilated to those of the other states
of the empire, the Statthalter, or Governor-General, being appointed by the
Emperor.

It will be seen from this sketch that the number of " legislators " in Germany
[h a very large* one, for the various representative bodies of the states number no
less than ii, 1 11 members, many of whom, however, have seats in two assemblies.

Local Goveuxmkxt.

TifK pf.litieal prepuiflerance of PruHHiii must, in the end hud to introduction
into the other h\h\ch of hn Hystrm (-f local governmcni. 'J'liat kingdom is
divided iril«. 13 provineeH, Hiibdivid«d into 30 governments and 407 diHtric^lH
(Kreimj), amongst the latter being included all towns of 20,000 iiihal»itants and
upwards.

Tlie townn liavrr a " magiHtrato," elected by (lie ratepayers, u burgoina.sler,
whouc election han to be confirmed by the King, presiding over flu; executive

370 GERMANY.

departments. The rural communes have similar representative institutions. The
Aint, or bailiwick, includes usually a small market town with the surrounding
villages. At its head is placed an Amtmann, chosen by the Kreistag, or District
Diet, amongst the notabilities of the Amf. Ilis powers are very extensive. He is
assisted by a board, upon which the burgomasters of the villages and a number of
representatives have seats.

The Diet of each Kreis is elected, in three groups, by the lando\vners, the
towns, and the rural communes. The principal executive officer of the Kreis, tho
Landrath, is appointed by the King, on the presentation of the Diet. He presides
over the standing committee of the Diet, from which clergymen, teachers, and
judges are excluded; appoints the district officials; superintends the public
works ; and attends to sanitary affairs and police.

The Governments, or RegierungHhezirke, form the most important administra-
tive divisions of the State. They are placed under a President and a Board
{Collegium), the members of which are appointed by the King, and which attends
to administrative, financial, and religious affairs.

Each of the provinces has its Ober Prasident and a Provincial Diet, elected by
the people. A board of seven members, of whom five are appointed by the Diet,
assists the Ober Prasident in his executive functions.

It is thus seen that the popular vote plays an important part in the political
institutions of the country, but as all conflicts of authority between the elected of
the people and the officials are decided by judges appointed by the King, and as
resolutions of the Diets remain without effect if in the opinion of the Ober
Prasident, or the Home Secretary, they are contrary to the laws or the interests of
the State, there is but little fear of the power of the latter being impaired. There
is, in fact, no country in the world where the abstraction called " State," and the
army of officials which visibly represents it, are looked up to with such reverence.
The Prussian bureaucracy is, indeed, distinguished for its esprit de corps and
high sense of duty. Its members attain their positions only after a series of
examinations ; but once they have scaled the official ladder they are secure,
and only after a court of justice has condemned them can they be dismissed
from their posts. Their authority is large, and they are taught to make use
of it on their own initiative, without much troubling their superiors. They are
methodical in their work, and carefully husband the public moneys intrusted to
them. Most of the inferior posts are held by old non-commissioned officers.

The number of Government functionaries of every description, including
sanitary inspectors, professors, and teachers, the men employed in Government
mines and forests, and on the railways, is exceedingly large, and the tendencj'
is to increase them. The project recently ventilated, of transferring all the
railways to the State, if carried out, would vastly add to their number, and propor-
tionately increase the patronage of the State, too great already.

GOVEENMENT AND ADMINISTEATION.

371

Religion and Education.

In 1830 the Lutherans and Calrinists of Prussia were amalgamated, and now
form the " Evangelical Church," presided over by the King himself. The Church
is controlled by " Consistories " appointed by Government, the Superintendent
General of each province exercising the fiinctions of a bishojj. The Roman
Catholics, who were petted formerly, have recently resisted the development of the
State, and it was deemed advisable, in 1873, to enact penal laws against their recal-
citrant bishops and priests. This Kulturkampf has not yet terminated. Both

Fig. 212. — Photestaxts amd Catholics ix Germany.
According to R. Andree.

5°; E.of P.

SS"

'.\ni

1
r

i'.

nzD

[ZZ3

FrelmluMU (tn luopr) CuOuiiict ihi'-iuu pc.) I'rui'' ^('iiOu^umlrr$0 ix.) Cuiiiti i.

"Evan^oh'calM" and "CatholicH" arc in the rocfij)t of Kubsidics from the public
trfjiHiiry. All f)th(T rcligionH an- tolc-ratcd tliroughout Gcnnany. Ah to the sect
of the " Old CutholicH," it ih jKtHfical rather tliau religious, and none of tlie other
nectti liolfj a jiosition of inflnrncc tliroui^li nimilM ph.*

• lUMfi^iniin i>r<itimnii,nn in 0«.-nfiany : —

Vt ' ' •

(HhfT (Jhrintian mu-in

JfWK

(HUith, (IT no rcli^fiori

vm.

2 ». 02 1.000

t'rr cwt.
02- 14

1B71.
2.'./>KI,«7rt

«2;<o

ll,/iC4.000

30-31

1 »,8f!7,r,i»H

3(1-21

OO.OOO

0-24

82. IMS

0-20

61 2,300

1-25

r, 12, 158

i-'ir,

—

17.1M

001

In IH'f, ihi'Ti' wf-r<! in (iinnitny 172 rn«n»uiUTi<;tt (2,113 iiumki^) iim<1 814 convcnlM (8,1 1'J mum).
T}n: niimlKT of Old CnlhuVut in 1877 wu* (13,000.

372 OEEMANY.

Courts of Justice.

Formerly every state of Germany — nay, in many parts, every province — had
its own code of law. To a large extent this is still true, although a new Penal
Code and a Commercial Code have acquired force throughout the empire, and the
Courts of Justice have been reorganized on a common basis. The judicial organ-
ization of Germany is determined by a law promulgated on the 27th of Januarv,
1877. This law suppresses all manorial courts, limits the jurisdiction of ecclesias-
tical courts to questions of religion, and provides for the independence of the judges.
For civil cases there are Amtsgerichte (of one judge), Landgerichte (with a bench
of three judges, or of one judge and two merchants), Oberlandesgerichte (with five
judges), and a Reichsgericlit, or Supreme Court of Justice at Leipzig. Offences
and misdemeanours are adjudged by the Amtrichter, assisted by two Schojfen
elected by the people ; more serious offences by the Criminal Chamber of the
Landgerichte (with a bench of five judges), or crimes by the same courts, with the
co-operation of a jury ; whilst all cases of high treason are reserved for the
Supreme Court. Appeals may, as a rule, be brought before one of the superior
courts. The judges, with the exception of those of the Supreme Court, are
appointed by the State Governments.

Ar:^iy and Navy.

" War," said Mirabeau, " is the national industry of Prussia." This was true
in the century of Frederick II., and in a certain measure it is so still. Military
service is compulsory throughout Germany — princes, priests, and candidates of
theology being exempted, though actually all men under 5 feet 2 inches, as well
as a large number of others not required for filling vip the ranks, are annually
"put back" into the reserve. On an average only one-third of the available
number of recruits is embodied. The term of service is three years with the
colours, four years in the reserve, and five years in the Landwehr. The Land-
sturm includes all men capable of bearing arms, and not belonging to the regular
army, up to the age of forty-two.

Young men of education may enter the army as " volunteers " on the com-
pletion of their seventeenth year, provided they find their own uniform and rations.
Many of these volunteers attend the university lectures during their term of
service. Those amongst them who are able to pass an examination on their
discharge are appointed "officers of reserve." Professional officers, whether
educated in one of the schools of cadets or elsewhere, only receive commissions if
unanimously declared worthy by their future comrades. There are special schools
for officers of artillery and engineers, as well as a A^^ar xVcademy for the training
of staff officers.

The Guord is recruited throughout the empire, but every other unit of the army

GOYEENMENT AND ADMINISTRATION. 373

has its defined recruiting district, within which the material for its equipment is
kept, and near Avhich it is usually stationed.

The fortresses of Germany are not very numerous, and several amongst them
have lately been disrated, but they occupy carefully chosen positions, and are
constructed in the most effective manner. Their total number is 38. t

The German navy is sufficiently powerful, not only for the defence of the coast,
but also to encounter the naval armaments of all but the largest states. It
includes 20 ironclads (7 frigates, 5 corvettes, 2 floating batteries, and 5 gunboats),
with 102 guns, a ship of the line (23 guns), 19 screw corvettes (259 guns),
4 dispatch boats, 2 imperial yachts, 16 gunboats, 3 torpedo boats, 2 steam
transports, and 4 sailing vessels. The largest amongst these vessels is the
Kbnig Wilhelm (9,425 tons, 8,000 horse-power, 26 12-ton guns), but the most
formidable are the Kaiser and the DeiiUchland, twin ships, each covered with 10-inch
armour, and armed with 1 18-ton and 8 22-ton guns. The principal naval arsenals
are at Kiel, on the Baltic, and at Wilhelmshafen, on the North Sea.

Finances.

The militarj^ power of Germany need not dread being paralyzed through
financial embarrassments, for though the states of Germany have incurred debts to
the amount of millions, they possess in their Government railways, mines, and
domains an amount of productive property more than sufficient to pay off all
their liabilities Taxation cannot be said to be hcavv, but there arc nevertheless
several of the states whose financial resources are far from elastic, and anion jrst
these more especially is Bavaria, which conforms with the least grace to the

* T^ie German army i» divided into 1 8 army corps, usually composed of 8 regiments of infantry,
1 batt'ilion of rifles, o n^'iiiifnts of cavalrj-, 2 regiments of artillery (96 guns), I battalion of pioneers,
and th<,' rf.-quisito army train.

On a jjeace footing the army numbers 17,184 oflBccrs, 401,0.59 men, 3,70.5 surgeons and paymasters,
and 79,89;J public horses. On a war footing its strength and organization are as follows : —

Surffponv and

Field Force OfBners. Men. Officials. Ilorses.

Staff «'i3 ;->,170 .5,070

Infantr%-, 400 batUilionH . 10,702 481,720 1,S7G 1«,!).54

Cavalry, .'{72 s<iuadronH 2,144 /J!I,H14 1,120 Go,(.08

Artill.TV. 1,800 guns . . 2,280 78.120 1.103 77,432

I'iofieerii, />4 eompanie* . /»C5 20,'.) 17 80 9,047

Train, 295 eolumns ... 783 38,4.51 838 40,017

Administration, 006 columns 210 2,826 16,104 10,864

Total . 17,021 087,018 21,666 233,692

"Rf-MTvo (83 companies, IIS .

battalions, 9.-} squiulrons. 4,051 211,260 1,390 30,208

420 inirifti . . . i

f' '20oom[i(inie«, .

.H, 144 wiuad- 0,2^j7 343,102 2,011 36,604

(inind toUil . 30,929 1,271,;J79 24,003 20n,:i04

t I -it nl' : Sti '\ M f}..nn«rshoim, r'r)l.l..|iz. ( ologno. Wi'Sel, lllm,

Ingolstiidt, Magd-liiir m. 'I'tmrn, I'osen, Dan/.ig, K-iiiigMl)erg.

2nd nit/i:-Neii Hnawieh, Jiitm li, Diedenhofen (Thionville), Kaiirlouis, Torgiiu, K<lnigMlein, (llatz,

M(ir - ' 'J' I II.

VV'ilhrlmidmfcri, MniitbM .,f Ihu W<!m^r and Kibe, Sondiibmx'. I''ii( ilriehsort (Kiel),
I'iiUu, .Mtmiel, KoUnirg, Hwinemunde, HtraUuiid.

374

GERMANY.

iinn;s.

now order of th

Fie;. 213. — "Wilhei.mshafen

From the figures detailed below we learn that every

German annually pays nearly los.
Scale 1 : 730,000. in dircct and indirect taxes, exclu-

sively of shipping dues, tolls, and
similar imposts. This, however,
is not the whole of the sum exacted
from him, for irrespectively of the
military service he is called upon
to render, he has to pay an
amount in local taxes whicji in
very many cases far exceeds the
sums demanded from him for the
general government of the coun-
try. In Berlin the local taxes
amount to 24s. a head, and in other
towns they are sometimes even
higher.

The national resources of the
great empire of Central Europe
are, indeed, most formidable. But
great political bodies have their
growth and decay like individuals.
Germany is now in its period of
growth, and everything tends to
show that the forces which impel
it onward will continue to operate
for many years. Within its fron-
tiers there are no formidable ene-
mies to threaten its existence, and
if it has no sincere friends beyond,
it counts amongst its allies all
those who worship success, or whom
the dread of the future compels to

Dries at low M'ater
Less than s Fat/iomst
6 to U Fathoms
Oivrti Fathotns

— ^— ^— ^ 5 Miles.

Empire

Prussia

Bavaria

Saxony

AViii-ttemberg

Baden . . . .

Hesse . . . .

Mecklenburg-Schwerin .

Brunswick

Oldenburg

Alsace-Lorraine

Three Free To^vns

All others

Total .

Total

Ecvenue.

£22,467,562

35,692,882

10,795,230

2,692,849

2,383,470

4,777,000

872,376

702,460

557,995

332,250

2,070,673

2,49.5,740

1,743,213

Raised by
Direct
Taxes.

7,653,150

1,014,822

658,185

610.536

505,749

367,937

60,000

77,650

102,366

524,677

466,000

268.000

Raised by

Indirect

Taxes

£12,848,997

1,523,260

1,953,110

195,389

519,978

318,684

127,820

100,000

22.325

20,000

731.648

689,000

288,000

Debt.

£3,886,566

54,300,000

55,447,740

32,150,000

10,660,700

16,343,500

2,994,550

1,034,000

4,099,572

1,860,480

10,469,200
2,676,900

Direct and In-
direct Taxes
Civil per Ifead.
List. Shillings.
— 5-5

610,964

267,344

172,670

109,155

89,418

65,743

60,000

41,266

12,760

268,000

£87,583,700 £12,309,072 £19,338,211 £211,92.3,208 £1,697,320

11-8

6-2

120

10-9

11-2

5-8

7-6

16-4

393

14 8

GOYEENMENT AND ADI*aNISTRATION.

375

be circumspect. The era of annexations does not appear to have passed away, and
millions towards the Danube and the Adriatic ask themselves whether the time is
not approaching when they too will be counted amongst the subjects of the new
empire. Thus Germany will grow and prosper until the sceptre passes into
some other hand, perhaps into those of '* Holy Russia," the great Empire of the
Slavs.

Whilst the German State pursues its destinies, what will be those of the
Germans themselves? Will they enjoy greater liberty? Will the power they
wield add to their happiness or moral worth ? Their aspirations have been
fulfilled. The " Holy Roman Empire " exists once more, more powerful, though
less vast, than in the past. Will this realisation of their ideal content them ? and
will they be able to learn that true glory does not consist in being the subjects of
a powerful sovereign, but in living in the enjoyment of freedom amongst fellow-men
equally free ?

The following table gives the area and population of the states composing the
German Empire : —

Inhabitants

Area

ropulatlon.

to a Sq. MUe

Kingdoms : —

Sq. Mile.

1867.

1875.

(1875).

Pecssia (Preussen) :—

East Prussia

14,277

1,808,118

1,856,421

130

West I'russia

9,84.5

1,282,842

1,343,098

135

Poeen

11,185

1,537,338

1,606,084

144

Brandcnhurg

15,40.5

2,716,022

3,126,411

203

Silesia

1.5,5.54

3,585,752

3,843,699

248

Pomerania .

11,624

1,445,635

1,461,942

126

Saxony

9,746

2,067,046

2,168,988

222

Schles »ng- Holstein

7,001

1,031,696"

1,073,926

152

Hanover

14,782

1,939,385

2,017,393

130

H. V ,a .

6,048

1,379,745

1,467,898

243

7,799

1,707,720

1,905,097

244

Hhineland .

10,41.1

3,445,483

3,804,381

366

Hoh/.-nzollem

441

04,632

66,466

151

Pnudian troojis abroad

—

18,228

—

Total .

134,180

24,039,648

25,742,404

192

Bavauia (Bayem) : —

T'pjKT liavaria .

6,582

827,609

894,160

136

Lower Jiavaria .

4,157

691, .5 11

022,357

149

Khenixh Palatinate (Pfalz)

2,292

626,006

641,254

280

Upixr I'alatinato

3,732

491,295

603,701

135

Upp^rr Francoiiia

2,702

635,060

664,936

206

Middle

2,919

679,688

607,084

208

!»«■ f ,,

.'!,JJ3

684,972

696,929

184

H»..M,.

.'i,004

685,160

601,910

164

ToUl

29,291

4,824,421

6,022,390

172

Haxont (SathjK-n)

0,777

2,423,748

2,760,580

407

Wt'KTTimHEHO .

7,o31

1,778,390

1,881,506

249

Grand I)urliir» : —

l'fid<n

A,H2l

1,43I,:J70

1,607,179

259

H<!«e-lMnnMt)uIt

2,09/)

823,138

884,218

298

Mwklmiliiii

...130

660,018

66;i,786

108

ff ■'

l.l'U

9M,770

96,073

Hftxe-Weiinar

1 .387

282,928

292,933

211

Oldeiihurg .

2,471

315,022

319,314

126

37G

GEIIM/LNY.

Inhitbitiinta

Area.

Populat

ion.

to ii Sq. ilile

Sq. Mile.

18C7.

1875.

(lb7jj.

Duchies : —

Brunswick

1,425

302,792

327,493

229

Saxe-Mciiiingen

952

180,335

194,494

204

Saxe-AltenlMirg

510

141,446

145,844

286

Saxe-Coburg-Gotha .

7G0

168,851

182,599

240

Anhalt ....

907

197,041

213,565

237

Principalities : —

Schwarzburg-Eudolstadt .

365

75,1 U

76,676

210

„ Sondcrshausen

333

67,533

67,480

203

Waldeck ....

433

5G,8(i7

54,743

126

Reuss, older lino

122

43,889

46,985

385

Rcuss, j-oungor .

320

88,097

92,375

288

Schaimiburg-Lippe .

171

31,186

23, 1 33

194

Lipi>e-Dctraold .

459

111,352

112,452

243

Free Towns: —

Liibeck ....

109

48,538

56,912

522

Bremen ....

109,572

142,200

1,451

Hamburg ....

158

305,196

388,618

2,460

Eeichshind : —

Alsace-Lorraine

5,603

1,597,228

1,.331,804

274

Total .

209,148

40,107,229

42,727,360

204

The following are some of the more important authorities on Germany :—

"NVaitz, "Deutsche Verfassungsgeschichte," 7 volumes (1875); " Statistik des Deutschen lieiches "
(published by the Imperial Statistical Office) ; G. Neumann, " Das Deutsche Reich in Gcograpliischcr,
Statistischer u. Topographischer Beziehung" (1872 — 74) ; Cotta, " Deutschlands Boden" (1860); Daniel,
" Deutschland " (1874) ; Bockh, "Dor Deutschen Volkszahl und .'Sprachgebiet " (1870).

XEW VORK, D. APPLETON &: C?

BELGIUM.

CHAPTER I.

GENERAL FEATURES.-HILLS, PLAINS, AND RTVERS.— CLIMATE.

^EliGIUM extends for 42 miles along the coast of the German Ocean,
immediately to the north of the strait which joins it to the
English Channel. It is one of the smallest states of Europe, being
confined to the basins of the rivers Schelde, Meuse, and Rhine,
and one of the youngest. Its small territorial extent justifies its
claiming the benefits of neutrality, which were granted in the interest of European
peace. But though small of extent, Belgium occupies a distinguished place
amongst the countries of Europe. Coveted by its neighbours, and actually
subjected in turn to Spaniards, Austrians, French, and Dutchmen, it nevertheless,
and in spite of every political change, led a life of its own. The natural resources
of the country are groat, and its favourable geographical position has converted it
into a great highway of nations. Its population is denser than in any other part
of Europe of similar extent, and whether we look to its commerce, to its industry,
or to its agriculture, it occupies one of the most forward places. Nor can we deny a
prominent position to a country able to l)oast of towns like Eiege, Courtrai, Ghent,
Bruges, and Antwerp.*

TfiK Akdknxks.

Fju)M the littoral plains, partly lying beneath the level of the sea, Belgium
ri»cft gradually as far as the plateau of the Ardennes, in the east and soutli-east.
This plateau, attaining u height of 2,''UH) feet, is composed of metamorphic
n\uUiH and quart/, r<M;k, around which rocks of more recent origin have been
dfciKiHitod. Though much reduced in height through geological agencies o])erativo
for ug<-H, this j)lut<jau, with its bare rockM, ((iulruMtH most strikingly with the rest
of Belgium. Its Houth-ea«l«in (torncr, extending f'roin the cliffs ol' tijo Meuse to

* Ar<;u of iWl^iiirii, Il,:i73 Miuar<< iiiiliM , |»>|iiil/ai<iii (IHIO; i,U;;i,llH), (1H7U) /J,33(i,'20U huuIh.

378 BELGIUM.

the banks of the Vosdre, is known as Ilaufcs Fagnes. It forms a world of its own,
very different in its features from the remainder of Belgium, with its well-culti-
vated fields, numerous towns, and dense population. The hills between the
Moselle and Meuse arc, as a rule, of melancholy aspect. Only copses of beech,
oak, and birch, forests of pines, heaths pierced now and then by the rocks, and
poor pasture-lands, where ferns and clumps of juniper alternate with grassy slopes
and boggy bottom-lands, meet the eye, except when we come now and then upon
some verdant valley artificially irrigated, or upon a mountain stream setting in
motion the wheels of mills. Within the last few years the physiognomy of the
country has been changed to some extent, for large tracts have been planted with
trees, and the Ardennes once more assume the aspect which they wore fifteen cen-
turies ago, when vast forests stretched uninterruptedly from the Oise to the Rhine.

The vegetable soil which covers the hills in the more savage region of the
Ardennes is hardly an inch in depth, and resting upon solid rock, it is capable of
nourishing only stunted trees and shrubs. Elsewhere an impermeable crust of dis-
integrated clay slate covers the rocks, and gives rise to marshes. Human habita-
tions are rare in these regions, and those which we occasionally meet with in the
midst of the heath or forest are most unpretending structures of brick or stone,
covered with slate or straw. The epithet of " Paris in Ardenne," ironically
bestowed upon Bastogne, is expressive of the general poverty of the towns of the
country. In their isolation, with nothing to excite the cupidity of invaders,
the inhabitants of the Ardennes adhered longer to their ancient customs than the
dwellers in the plains around, and still carried on the worship of their deity
Arduinna long after it had been given up by the latter. The last altars of this
deity were overthrown in the seventh century ; that is, about the time when
St. Hubert encountered the wonderful stag which carried a golden cross between
his antlers. The men of the plain, who formerly persuaded or compelled the
" Ardennais " to change their religion and customs, are now gradually transform-
ing the face of the country. Tracts of land, which would remain uncultivated in
nearly every other country, are covered by them with lime, and thus vivified ;
quarrying is extensively carried on ; and every rivulet is penned up, to be utilised
for setting in motion the machinery of numerous factories.

A portion of the basins of the Semoy and Chiers, on the southern slope of the
Ardennes, though geologically a portion of Lorraine, has been assigned to Belgium,
This " Little Provence " is sheltered in the north by the range of the Fagnes, but
is of small extent. The northern slope of the Ardennes, on the other hand,
stretches from the frontiers of France to those of Germany. It is an uneven
plateau, intersected by deep valleys, with forests growing upon its slate rocks, fields
covering the limestone slopes, and meadows in the humid bottom-lands. This
region is known under difierent appellations. The Fagnes extend from the Sambre
to the Meuse ; Condroz, named after the Gallic tribe of the Condrusi, reaches
from the Meuse to the Ourthe ; the country around Marche is called Famenne,
perhaps after the tribe of the Pajmani, or Phemanni ; whilst the fine pasture-lands
between the Meuse and the Yesdre are known as Herve.

GEXEEAL FEATITEES, ETC.

379

The Loam Lands of Central Belgium.

The y alleys of the Sambre and Meuse separate this upland region of Belgium
from an intermediate undulating zone which slopes down gradually towards the
ocean, and is irrigated by numerous rivers flowing through wide and shallow
valleys. "Woods, rivulets, low hills, windmills, and castellated mansions impart
an aspect of gentle beauty to some portions of this zone. The environs of Tournay
more especially are noted on account of their picturesqueness. Vast meadows
surround the town, rivers and canals are bordered with rows of elms and other
trees, and some of the detached hills are quite imposing in their appearance. The
whole of Central Belgium, including Hesbaye in the east, Brabant in the centre.

Fig. 214. — iloxT St. Acbert (480 feet), xe.vr Touiinay.
Scale 1 : 60.ono

, I'E.of Parts

.1' 20' E.of G.

3*22'

1 Ml If.

Ilainaut and the country around Tournay in the south and south-west, is covered
with a layer of loam Hiniilar to the locus of the Rhine, and designated by Belgian
geologistH an "loam of llesbaye." Interstratified with it are rolled flints and
pebbh-H, or pierren de Fagnex, which decrease in size as wo travel away from
the uplands of the Ardennos, This loam coniphtcly conceals the more ancient
rof;kH, inf^bifling the carboniferous strata which (ill a huge depression extending
from Liege to Mons and French Fhiiidcrs.

At Namur the lowest seuniH of coal, thosf- wliich yield " close-burning coal," crop
out f»n the surface, the suiHTincumbcnt rocks having been removed by erosion ; but
from tliat place the strata dip down, on the on*; hand, in the; direction of Liege, on
th«! other in that of MonH. At iJoussu, to th<' west of Mons, the lowest coal is
HMj.poH<d to extend to a dcpfli of 7,7H() fnrt. In thr biiMin ul' Haiimufcaking
coal" in procuralde only in the nrighliourhood of ('harlcroi, whilst " opcn-
buniing coal," Much us in generally um«(1 in the inanufactun; of gas, in only found

380 BELGIUM.

in the environs of Mons. The coal seams average in tliickness from 18 to
40 inches, and are very numerous. In the Borinage, to the south of Mous,
between 130 and IGO have been discovered, two-thirds of them being workable,
whilst in the province of Liege there are about 50 profitable seams. The labour of
the miners, in their efforts to " win " the coal, has been immense. To the west
of Mons it was necessary to sink a pit 980 feet in depth before the coal was
reached, the engineers, in the progress of their work, having to struggle against
underground collections of water and beds of shifting sand. These pits, says
M. Cornet, are the grandest works ever achieved by the mining engineer. The
fossil fauna of the Belgian carboniferous system is poor, but the vestiges of vegeta-
tion are numerous — ferns, calami tes, lepidodendrons, and sigillarias especially
abounding.

In the basin of Charleroi the upper strata have been much curvfed by lateral
pressure. Above that town no less than twenty-two bendings have been discovered
in a distamce of 7,200 yards, whilst, if these strata were to be unfolded and
stretched out horizontally, they would cover nearly 7 miles. The lowland now
traversed by the Sambre and the Haine was formerly one of the most mountainous
regions of Europe. The range of mountains which extended from the English
Channel across Belgium to the river Roer was not inferior in elevation to the
Alps. The faults discovered in the carboniferous strata sufficiently attest the
prodigious geological changes which have taken place in that part of Europe. A
fault near Boussu indicates a displacement of the strata to the extent of 7,200 feet,
while farther south there has taken place a subsidence of 16,000 feet at least.

History records the strategical importance of these plains of Central Belgium,
which conceal beneath them such distorted strata, and have become so wealthy
through their agriculture and industry. They Avere destined by nature to become
a great highway of nations. Migratory tribes, ascending the valleys of the Oise
or Schelde, were attracted to this fertile region, bounded on the one side by the
forbidding rocks of the Ardennes, and on the other by the swampy tracts extending
along the coast. The only natural obstacles which had to be overcome in their
progress through this region were' small rivers, and provisions were readily pro-
cured in so productive a countrj'. These advantages were of greater weight
formerly than they are now, and numerous have been the battles fought on
this ground since Julius Ca3sar's extermination of the valiant Nervii. Many
are the fortresses which have been constructed to replace the non-existent
natural frontiers. Even the farmhouses in the vast plains which extend to the
south and east of Brussels show by their construction that the country has often
been subjected to warlike incursions. Low and of massive structure, their
windows open upon an interior court, whilst their gateways are generally defended
by a square tower.

The Campine.

Leaving behind us the loams of Hesbaye, we enter upon the sandy tract of the
Campine, which occupies the greater portion of North-eastern Belgium. Extensive

GENERAL FEATUEES, ETC.

381

districts on the outskirts of this heath have been transformed into productive
land. One of these is the Hageland, or " Land of Hedges," in north-'«-estern
Brabant, where sterile sands and thickets have been replaced by fertile fields. In
the Campine itself, the average elevation of -which is 250 feet, fertile oases are
growing more numerous from year to year. Clay is frequently found there at a
depth of less than a yard, and the cultivators, by mixing it with the sand, obtain
a soil which repays their labour. The tracts more deeply covered with sand,

Fig. 21-5.— Hypsographical Map of BELGirM.
According to Jenkins. Scale 1 : 2,500,000.

XwntmrJ

Ovc'f' In fnft

i,...^mHU Ottlf^t J*4ttti$ <jfl>t>e «5«r«».' 'i^-t I. ij I J 'J I /u'l,40> <i*Clll !// 0 OitrfJlO

ZS Miten.

however, will retain their aspect ff)r a long time to come. Dimes, .similar in all
reHpcctd to thoHC Hkirting the MhorcH of the North Sea, rise uj)on lliem. They
are covered with th<! wiiiie Hpecies of phmts, and, like them, are at the mercy
of the wind, except when conw)lidatcd by trees, 'ihc H(»il between th<;.so ridgcM
of blown Hand in covered with lieather, tlivnu?, and aromatic herbH. Tiic rain
which p*-rrolat<;« throuj;h it in charged with tannic acid derived from the
heather, and fomjjactn the graiiiH of Manil into a reddiMh tufa, similar in all
re»ijK-ctH to the alion of the Lande» or of .Iniluiul. This uUuh Hometimes contains

882 BELGIUM.

iron. There is reason to believe that certain parts of the Carapine were formerly
more extensively cultivated. The trunks of large trees, weapons, and remains of
buildings have been discovered beneath the sand, and it is well known that in
the Middle Ages there existed abbeys surrounded by extensive fields. The wars
of the sixteenth century, however, drove away the inhabitants, and nature resumed
possession of the deserted fields.

Flanders.

Geologically Flanders forms a continuation of the Campine. It too is
covered with marine sand, overlying a great thickness of rocks of recent forma-
tion. The boring of an artesian well at Ostend has led to the discovery of what
are believed to be Silurian rocks at a depth of 980 feet, and beneath a bed of
chalk. Excavations made at Antwerp have brought to light fossil whales and
seals, reptiles, fish, and birds of extinct species. The sterile sand of Flanders
would never have yielded remunerative harvests if the cultivators had not raised
the clay which underlies it to the surface. By doing so they have converted a
naturally barren soil into one of great fecundity. Flanders is now what the
Campine may become if the same amount of labour is bestowed upon it. A con-
siderable portion of Flanders formerly consisted of peat bogs, but these, too, have
been transformed into fertile land. The whole of Waes was at one time a bog, but
its fields now vie in fertility with those of any other part of Flanders. The fields,
enclosed with hedges and shaded by large trees, are for the most part of regular
shape. A small but comfortable house rises in the centre of each farm, orna-
mented with flowers, and surrounded by stables and barns. There are few villages,
and from a distance the country almost looks like a forest, each house being
concealed behind a screen of verdure.

Polders and Dunes.

The moeres, or lakes, whicb formerly extended at the back of the dunes have
been drained in the same manner as the bogs of ^Vaes, and converted into polders.
As in Holland, these polders lie beneath the mean level of the sea, are defended
by dykes, and intersected by navigable canals. Formerly this region was very
insalubrious, and even now the mortality in the towns of Western Flanders is
greatly increased by paludal miasmata rising from the bottom-lands. Yet
close to these old. marshes, and only separated from them by the dunes, rise
the favourite health resorts of Belgium, crowded in summer for the sake of their
sea baths.

The maritime dunes, which form the outer rampart of the country, are of
such small extent, and in many parts so narrow, that they appear almost insigni-
ficant if compared with the inland dunes of the Campine. A careful examina-
tion of ancient maps bears out the tradition of their having formerly been very
much more formidable. There can be no doubt that this natural defensive

GEXEEAL FEATUEES, ETC.

883

barrier has been much weakened in the course of the last thousand years. In
many places it has been broken through by the sea, and the floods compelled
the Flemings on the sea-coast to abandon their homes, and to seek an asylum in
neighbouring countries, where they founded numerous colonies. Scarphout was
one of the towns destroyed by the great flood of 1334 ; but Blankenberghe,
which has been built upon its site, has no dunes near it now, though it is to them
it owes its name. Quite recently, in 1877, a considerable portion of the sand-
hills between Ostend and Mariakerke was washed away during a storm. Formerly
the dunes, when assaulted by the sea, were able to invade the swamps at their
back ; but for hundreds of years they have been prevented from doing so, and
man has vigorously defended his hard- won fields. Thus taken simultaneously
in front and rear as it were, the dunes have grown more slender with every

Fig. 216. — Pkofile of Belgium from the North-west to the South-east.
Horizontal Scale 1 : 2,300,000. Vertical Scale 1 : 23,000.

'J.') MiU-n.

Tltf; f/jntinnf/nii linf; l^-trinii at fJKttiul, priiHw-ii the Haiiibre between Cliarlcroi iind Nunuir, I lie Mcu^c to tlio
north lit liiii.'int, lui'l tr-rrriinut'.ii at Ht. I(utx.Tl.

Thft (lr>tf»-<l lin»' Ix-Kiim fit (»iitend, jHiiMioft ttirou^rh Ohciit, protwon the Ronnp to the north of Drug8clR, tlio Mouse at
Iji-ge '.'I»0 fc<;t,, an'l teniiin.-itcii at the Uuraijue- Michel in the Ardennes ('^,2tiO feet).

generation, and to protect the fiolds which they formerly defended, costly dykfs
had t() })<• conHtructed. Would it not bo wixcr to preserve the dunes, and to
consolidate them by planting thotn willi reeds and a.Hptn-trces ?

I^IVKRS.

BKl/;irM* cannot claim u Hingle river fnmi its source to its moulh into thn
nea, and two rivcfH rihiiifr within itH frontiern take tlieir course into foreign hinds.
One of these is tho Oise, whir;h riw^H near (Jhimay, atid flows lo the I'Vc'iicli
S«rinc ; the other in the Hure, or Saner, which is born in ihn gorges of tlio
ArflMines, winds through th»r (iraiid I)iirhy of Lu,x<nil)urg, and is finally swal-
low* fl ii[» by the Ocrinun MohcIIc 'J'lic .M( use, Macs, or Maas, and the S(;licld(',

384 BELGIUM.

or Escaut, whicli between them drain nearly the whole of Belgium, bear some
resemblance to each other as regards general direction and sinuosity of course.
On leaving the soil of Fi'ance both flow to the northward, but having been joined
by their principal western affluent, they both abruptly bend round to the north-
east, thus flowing in the same direction as their tributary. The Meuse thus
appears to form a continuation of the Sambre, and the Schelde to become the
Lower Lys. Before quitting Belgium both rivers resume their original direction,
and finally trend round to the west in their course to the ocean. The two rivers
likewise resemble each other, inasmuch as the principal tributaries of both join
them on the right bank, a feature easily accounted for by the general slope of the
country.

The very resemblances, however, render the contrasts between the two rivers
all the more striking. The Meuse, by far the more voluminous of the two, is
almost a river of the mountains as compared with the gentle Schelde. Between
Mezieres and Namur it pierces the Ardennes, instead of avoiding this obstacle by
flowing to the west. Cliflfs of slate and quartz rock rise above it to a height of
150 and 300 feet, and occasionally we obtain glimpses of the edge of the plateau,
nearly 1,000 feet higher. Towns and villages climb up the slopes bounding
the narrow valley, and old castles, for the most part in ruins or converted into
modern citadels, crown the most commanding promontories. M. A. Dumont and
other geologists have ascertained that for a considerable portion of its course
through the Ardennes the Meuse follows a fault, for the cliffs on both banks do
not correspond, and are occasionally even formed of rocks belonging to the
different ages. Thus, near the ruins of Poilvache, coal measures may b*^ seen
face to face with cliffs of mountain limestone. But although a fissure in the
plateau may originally have facilitated the passage of the river, the actual valley,
such as we see it now, has been hollowed out in the course of a secular upheaval
of the whole region. In proportion as the land rose, so did the river deepen its
channel, and the cliffs bounding its valley increase in height.

The calcareous districts of the Ardennes and Condroz, traversed by the Meuse
and its affluents, abound in caverns, which sometimes swallow up rivers and
rivulets. Fissures of this kind are locally known as aignigeois, or chantoirs.
The most famous amongst them is the grotto of Han, which swallows up the
Lesse, one of the eastern tributaries of the Meuse. Formerly that river flowed
around the rock in an open channel, of which it even now occasionally avails itself
when in flood ; but the main body of its water now passes at all times through an
underground channel. The river Lhomme at Rochefort has excavated itself a
similar channel through the rocks, but the inhabitants of the town have turned it
back into its ancient bed. The caverns of Han and Rochefort, like most others of
the same kind, branch out in every direction, and abound in stalactites, which
fancy converts into fairy veils, statues, or even temples. These caverns, together
with bold cliffs, woods, and pastures, have made the reputation of the deep valleys
of the basin of the Meuse. The winding Semoy, bounded on the north by gentle
slopes of triassic age, on the south by scarped cliffs of Jura limestone ; the Lesse,

GENEEAL FEATUEES, ETC. 385

hemmed in by cavernous cliffs ; the Ourthe, which attracts numerous visitors from
Liege in summer, and its tributary the Ambleve, abounding in cascades, rocks,
and ancient castles ; and the Yesdre, of which the travellers by railway obtain
occasional glimpses — all these rivers, no less than the Meuse itself, abound in
picturesque scenery. The Yesdre disappears twice in subterranean channels, first
between Limburg and Yerviers, and subsequently near Pepinster.

The Meuse was a formidable river formerly, hardly inferior in volume to the
Mississippi. In the quaternary period its level was 200 feet higher than it is
now, and above the g<irge of Dinant it was 5 miles wide, instead of 200 feet.
That such was the case is proved by lateral terraces, the accumulations of gravel
and silt which cover the old banks of the river, and the fluviatile deposits dis-
covered in the caverns high up the cliffs. Documents prove that even four or five
hundred years ago the river was far more considerable, and yet our modern
engineers only succeeded with difficulty in giving the Meuse an average depth of
6 feet 10 inches, which renders its navigation with small steamers possible. The
Meuse can now be navigated between Sedan and Liege throughout the year, and a
canal, excavated alongside it, continues this water highway as far as Maastricht.
Where the Meuse leaves Belgium its volume is hardly one-twentieth of that of the
Rhine, which it joins lower down.*

The basin of the Schelde (Scheldt), or Escaut, embraces the greater portion of
Belgium. On first leaving France that river flows through a plain as far as
Toumay, where it washes the foot of a few hills. At that town its bed only lies
52 feet above the sea, and it was easy, consequently, to convert the whole of its
lower course into a navigation canal, more especially as the tide ascends as far
as Ghent, where it is joined by the Lys. The tide at Ghent rises 4 feet, and
it would ascend b( yond that town if its progress were not stopped by a lock. The
Schelde below Ghent presents all the features of an estuary, and its water, a short
distance beyond Antwerp, is brackish. The tide ascends not only the llupel, which
flows into the Schelde to the south of that town, but also the three head-streams of
that river, viz. the Nethe (as far as Lier), the Dyle (as far as ^lalines), and tho
Senne (as far as Vilvorde), within 7 miles of Brussels. Tho Kupel owes its
width and depth to the sea, being a marine channel rather than a river. Formerly
herrings were caught in such nuinl)er8 in it that tho inhabitants used them as
manure, and even now seals are occasidnally caught near Antwerp.

The rivers throughout the lowlands of Belgium have been canalised, and tho
number of connecting canals is so large as to render i1 diliioilt to unravel Iho
hydrographical system of the c<iunf ry. Tho Schelde;, Lys, Dylc, and Dciidc'r
actually diwharge their waters by the same mf)uth, but according to M. Vifquaiu
and ofhers they originally drainr-d diMlinct basins. Tho Fjieve, wlii(;h joins Iho
Schelde nnd Lys witliin the city of (ihent, is believe*! (<> be nn old .iiiii nl' the Lys.
So large in the numlnT of natural water-courses and artificial canals that the most

* i> riKth 'if til'' .M'-iiiH' t'l i\n < 'iiilliii iii <- wilti tin- Iiliiin' or U'liiil, 'till iiiili m; Icn^tli within ili'l^iiiiii,
l20niil<'H. A v< raK'' 'I' liv'-ry wh<T<' it. luUrn Iti'l^^iiiid (lucoriliiiK In UiiilliTj), I.IIU ruhic IV-ot; iit lAig»,
2,2ft/) nt\nr. fi f-t ; whim* it 1»'Hv«ii \U-\tp\itn, 3,1 7H tuhic. ttmln. Mxoiid.

386

BELGIUM.

learned geographer must give up in despair the attempt of bringing order out of
the chaos. The Lys, for instance, is officially supposed to terminate at Ghent, but
in reality its waters discharge themselves also in the direction of Ostend and
Bruges, with which, it is connected by canals. The principal, estuary of the

Fig. 217. — The Lower Schelde in the Beginning op the Eleventh Centuey.

According to Stessels. Scale 1 : 260,000.

E.olP

1*50

E.0IG-,

A° 10'

4'2a'

5 Miles.

Schelde has considerably changed its position even within historical times. The
Hont, or Western Schelde, whicb is at present the great water highway of
Antwerp, was formerly. only a shallow creek, across whicb processions of pilgrims
were able to marcb from Flanders into "NYalcberen. If old chroniclers can be
believed, it was only in 1173 that the sea swept away tbe dunes which joined

GENEEAL FEATUEES, ETC.

887

Flanders to Walcheren, and opened itself a passage to the Schelde. Until that
time the river took its course through the Eastern Schelde, past Bergen-op-Zoom
and Tholen, and joined the Lower Meuse. In 1867 that old channel had become

Fig. 218. — The Inundation of the Polders during the Siege or Antwerp in 1585.

Af-cordin? to Stessels. Scale 1 : 260,000.

E.ofParis

l'50'

51-

•-.i-

, Santvliet

S' Jacc|ue9

[■fees

I la Clin^e

' aT

aerinnt Scfi

3* Gilles

S*Poul

c.t

Nicolas

B«lc«l«

'\^ \ f r ^^^

^"^^^

/ Mtrxcm

--■■■ V—

i^""*^ — ' r'

'"""^^S

\ ' ■ _ ■±'-:

yndr«cht<jg

Vracetj/ Melsale ^ * ^^

Bev«ren /^ ■ -z

%^^^M

\NTWERP

^ Bur%ht^

yg*^

y\m

= »Mobok«r»

Haesdonck y^ i i^S

_,-'— C^ CruybeUe | 3

Batala ||

•becW--^'^^

^ — ~^~\~. — ^

helle

CoWtich

>A/a«trf)unot«r

Bornham 'HCngane

Momnn*'

Rumpst

K of a

,1- lO

T) .Mllf.M.

HJlfod Up to Huch an oxtoiit that it was possihln to throw n railway hridgo u(!roHH it,
and at prrjHcnt it Ih definitely chokcfl up with Hand.

Ah lon^ uH the w-a wuh pcrniifted freely to invade tljo estuary of the Schelde,
that river, below Antwerp, rew-mbliid a gulf, abounding in Hand-bankn, or Hr/wrrcn,
whieli uncovered with ea<;h receding tide. Iwen above Arnwerp tbe S(rh<lde was
tjufficiently wide to admit hoMtih; iUmlH, and in I'JO'i IIk; marinerH of MalincH, then

888 BELGIUM.

at war with the Duke of Brabant, sustained a severe defeat upon a vast sheet of
water which then covered the polders of Ilingen, at the mouth of the Rnpel.

In the eleventh century the riverine inhabitants began to embank the
schorren of the Scheldc, and in a chronicle of the year 1124 mention is made
of the dykes of the Lillo below Antwerp. M. de Laveleye estimates the area of
the polders which have been embanked since the thirteenth century at 120,000
acres, of which about 20,000 acres have been won from the sea since 181o. There
still remain extensive tracts capable of being converted into cultivable land, for the
area of the estuary of the Schclde between Flushing and Burght, above Antwerp,
varies between 55,235 and 83,060 acres, according to the state of the tide.
Unfortunately for the chance of carrying out works on so vast a scale, it is next to
impossible to secure the hearty co-operation of the Dutch and Belgian Governments,
and of their engineers. Much of the land embanked after the sixteenth century
had been a prey to the sea in the course of the memorable siege of Antwerp
in 1585, which completely changed the face of the country. Even now there
exist traces of that event. Some of the old polders of Saaftingen, which to the
north of Hulst extended into Holland, have not yet been recovered. The marshes,
however, which were drained by the Prince of Parma, are still amongst the most
productive lands of Belgium, and the transformation of a considerable portion of
AVaes into a garden dates back to that epoch. Before the termination of the
siege 74,102 acres of polders had been inundated ; both banks of the Pupel were
under water to within a short distance of Malines, whilst nearly all the polders
recovered since the twelfth century below Antwerp were once more surrendered
to the sea. The most terrible combats were fought on the narrow embankment
which connected Fort St. Jacques with Fort Ste. Croix, and the breaches effected in
it were repeatedly filled up with the bodies of the slain.

The changes which have taken place in the basins of the Yser and of other
small rivers flowing direct into the North Sea are proportionately even more
considerable than those noticed in connection with the Schelde. Ancient bays
have been silted up by marine alluvium, seaports have been converted into
agricultural villages, and bays which formerly bore large vessels have been
changed into polders, intersected by sluggish canals, only navigable for small
wherries. In 1116 the harbour of Lombardzyde, at the mouth of the Yser, was
silted up during a storm, and a " New Port " (Nieuwpoort) had to be constructed,
Avhich the current of the river has kept open to the present day.

Bruges was accessible originally to vessels of large burden, which subsequently
were not able to get beyond Damme, even though the tide served them. Later still
the port of Bruges had to be removed to Sluis, on the estuary of the Zwyn, famous
for the naval battle of 1213, in which the allied Flemings and English contended
against Philip Augustus's fleet of two hundred sail. The port of Sluis, too, is
now no longer accessible to any but the smallest craft. The gigantic embankments
constructed to confine the Schelde have become useless, for the sea retires of its
own accord, and the Gulf of the Zwyn, which was of vast extent in the sixteenth
century, has dwindled down into a narrow estuary, which the engineers purpose

GENEEAL FEATUEES, ETC.

389

now to fill up altogether. The formidable fortifications of Sluis, which no longer
defend anything, the fine municipal buildings of Damme, and the deserted streets
of Bruges clearly result from the great changes which have taken place in
Flanders. A canal 13 feet in depth now joins Bruges to Ostend, but has not
brought back the commercial activity of former days.

But whilst the surface currents of the sea transport the sand and mud which
form the dunes and fill up the estuaries, the under-currents continue their work of
erosion. Peat containing oak-leaves, hazel nuts, and even broom seeds is almost
daily cast up on the strand. On the beach of Heyst a fossil shell of eocene age
(Cardita planicosta) is found, together with the remains of species still living in

Fig. 219. — Groins at Blankenbkrghe

Scale 1 : 120,000.

y>- Eof a.

3-10

Bott J Itttt mtltll «<(•»>

CZ3

etftkUmn It 7/f(l»i.

L_J

I Mile.

the North Sea. There can be no doubt that the sea has encroached within
hifttorical times ujxjn the coa8t of Jielgian Flanders, as is clearly shown by the
evidence collected by the brotliers Belpuire. At ()Htcnd there exist abundant truces
of marine erohion. The dyke upon whiclj the old citadel of that town was
coHHtructed advances now GOO feet l>eyond the general contour of the coast, which
hu« been wanhed away on either side of it. The coast of Hclgiiirn, Hince its bays
have become Hilt<'d up, its singularly rectilinear in its profile, but, to defend it against
the encroachments of" the seu, it was necessary, in many localities, to construct, a
large number of groins. Nowhere in Furope are such groins more numerous than
Urtween JJlankenberghe and llfiyst, where they replace l)uk(! John's old dyke.
The shore of I5elgium is exceedingly poor in hhells, owing to the absence of rocks to

390

BELGIUM.

which these animals are able to attach themselves. Out of a total of 9,000 exist-
inp^ species, only 158 have been discovered there. Sand-banks, separated by
navigable channels, extend parallel to the coast, and, as the tide only rises 13 feet,
its navigation is dangerous to vessels of large draught. At low water the
poUaertSf or summits of these banks, only lie 10 feet beneath the surface of
the sea.

Fig. 22O.---D1KKCTION OF THE

Winds in Belgium.
According to Uuetelet.

Climate.

Belgium, in accordance with its geographical position and configuration, may be
divided into three climatic regions. In the west the temperature and the meteoro-
logical phenomena are similar to those met with on the coasts of the English
Channel. In Eastern Belgium the character of the climate is more continental,

with severe winters ; whilst on the plateau of the
Ardennes, in the south-east, the temperature upon the
whole is lower than elsewhere, although there are many
localities favoured by a southern aspect. The summer

^„, ^ „ I \ climate of the Belgian lowlands is the same between
wind S.W I \ "

Maxima {\J Fumes and Moresnet : the same plants are cultivated,

and they ripen at the same time. But in winter the
eastern plains are frequently covered with snow, whilst
in those adjoining the seaboard the snow-flakes melt
on reaching the ground. The difference between the
mean annual temperature of the plains of Brabant and
Flanders and the plateau of Hautes Fagnes, in the
Ardennes, amounts to 5°, being about the same as that
which would be observed on travelling from the coast of
Belgium to Norway.

Brussels, in the centre of the country, has a mean
temperature about equal to that of the whole of the
Belgian lowlands, and but slightly lower than that of
Paris.* The climate, at the same time, is more extreme and variable, the tempera-
ture of January and February of different years varying to the extent of 58° and
63°. The mean temperature of July is 29° higher than that of January, which is
7° more than in England, but 1 1° less than in Central Germany. Westerly and
south-westerly winds are warm, as throughout "Western Europe, whilst northerly
and north-easterly winds are cold. Warm winds predominate in all seasons, and
on an average the winds which blow from that part of the compass lying between
15° to the north and 75° to the south of west balance the winds blowing from the
other three quarters. The atmospheric currents are stronger in winter and during
the day than in summer and during the night. The normal wind, in its passage
over the country from west to east, gradually swerves round, until it blows due
west. When southerly wind prevails at Ostend and Ghent, it blows from the south-

* Temperatui-e of Brussels, 18.S3— 1872 :— Spring, 48-4°; summer, 63-2°; autumn, 50-5°; winter,
37-2'; year, 49-9^ F. (Quetelet, " Meteorologie de la Belgique").

GENEEAL FEATURES, ETC. 391

west to the north of Brussels, and from the west in those parts of the country
which border upon Germany.

Moisture-laden maritime winds predominating, Belgium is bathed almost
throughout the year in an atmosphere of vapour,* and fogs are frequent during
winter. The rainfall is considerable, amounting to about 30 inches in the west,
and increasing to the east of the Meuse with the elevation above the sea-level. t
Rainy days are numerous, but their number, as well as the amount of rain, differs
much from year to year, and whilst in 1854 it rained on 154 days at Brussels, in
1860 rain fell on no less than 244 days. The inhabitants are never able to
count upon a succession of fine days. September, as a rule, is the best month of
the year.+

♦ Humidity at Brussels, 75 per cent, in June, 93 per cent, in December.

t Annual rainfall : — Ghent, 306 in. ; Brussels, 280 in. ; Louvain, 28-4 in. ; Lifege, 29'5 in. ; Stavelot,
40-.5 in.

X At Brussels it annually rains on 197 days, snows on 25, bails on 10, in addition to which there are
60 foggy days The number of cloudless days is only 12.

CHAPTER II.

FAUNA, FLORA, AND INHABITANTS.

ELGIUM, lying under the same skies as France and Germany,
resembles these countries in its fauna and vegetation. At the same
time the northern limits of several species of plants run across the
country. The chestnut-tree, which only flourishes where the tem-
perature of January exceeds 36° F., is unknown in the Ardennes,
and rarely met with in Flanders. The holly is unable to survive the cold winters
prevailing on the eastern slopes of the Fagnes. Maize, which requires a high
summer temperature, does not ripen in the humid lowlands, but succeeds on the
southern slopes of the Ardennes. The vine, capable of resisting the cold of
winter, is confined to the valley of the Mouse.

The number of species has decreased in consequence of the extension of culti-
vation and the extinction of forests. Of larger mammals, the elk, urus, and bison
(aurochs) have disappeared long since. The brown bear, which in the twelfth
centurv still lived in the forests of Hainaut, is not found now even in the wildest
parts of the Ardennes. The lynx, likewise, has disappeared. The beaver has
struggled hard for existence, but has succumbed too, and the hedgehog is threat-
ened with the same fate. In exchange for these extinct species Belgium has been
invaded by black and brown rats, far more destructive animals than either the
bear or the lynx.

In the secluded parts of the Ardennes the ancient fauna of the country main-
tained its ground most firmly. The roe is plentiful there, and even the stag
survives, more especially around that legendary town of huntsmen, St. Hubert,
owing to the protection extended to it by large landowners. The wild boar still
roams through the forests of the Ardennes, and occasionally invades the cultivated
fields of Condroz. Even in the country between the Sambre and Mouse it has not
completely disappeared. Other wild animals are the wolf, the fox, the marten,
the weasel, the polecat, the badger, the wild cat, the squirrel, the hare, the rabbit,
and several small gnawing animals. The otter still preys upon fish in the river
Semoy. The chivalrous art of falconry survives at Arendonck, near Turnhout.

The caves of Belgium have furnished archaeologists with some of their most

FAUNA, FLOEA, AND INHABITANTS.

393

precious treasures, including not only the bones of extinct animals, but also those
of the aboriginal inhabitants of the country. The cavern of Goyet, which yielded
the bones of five hundred bears, is interesting, no doubt, but must cede to that of
Engis, near Liege, in which Schmerling, some forty years ago, found a human
skull amongst the bones of rhinoceroses, elephants, and other large animals now
extinct. That lucky find confirmed Tournal's discovery of 1828, and victoriously
demonstrated the fact that man was a contemporary of these gigantic pachyderms,

Fig. 221 — A View in the Valley of the Lfsse.

and had 8tn]f,'j.'lrd with bears, hyenas, and lions for the possession of the caverns
which ho inhabiterl.

The rude atoini implements of the earliest human inhabitants of llelgium
have been diiM.'Overcd at Mesmiu, near Namur. Man at that time shared the
country with the mammoth and rhinoceroH, and lived principally in the plain.

The charming valley of the lieHMc, which jcuns that of the Meuse above
Dinant, was hardly vihiti-d fornierly, but became suddenly finwuis through the
discovery of prehiHtoric n-mains by M. I'upont in |.S(i4. Its clilVs, near the
village of Furfooz, abound in caveniH, on«! of wliich, known an llic hole of the
NutOTtN, was jiojmlnrly Hup{H)Hed to lie the (hvclling-i)laco of lutbgoblin.s. Thcso
caverns wisre inhabited by nn-n of tl»e stone ug<!. The troglodylir of lln- lieNso
kn«'W liow to make lire by meann of IlintM. They were liunters, and lunl no

894

BELGIUM.

domestic animals whatever — not even dogs. They were great meat eaters, feeding
upon forty-eight species of animals, the remains of wliich have been discovered
in the caverns which they inhabited. Probably they also eat human flesh, for
fractured human bones and skulls, still showing the marks of teeth, have been
found in the caverns of Chauvaux. These savage cave dwellers were fond of
ornamenting their persons, if we may judge from necklaces of shells and teeth,
red paint, and shaped bones, some of them carved in a rude fashion, which have
been discovered. They undoubtedly carried on some commerce, for flints are not
found in Condroz, and must have been procured from the environs of Maastricht,
or the country to the south of Champagne. The fossil shells which they used

Fig. 222. — Linguistic JLip of Belgicm.

Scale 1 : 3,n45.ono.

E,of E

50f_;

6° E.ofG.

_ 50 Miles.

for their necklaces came from the hills around Reims, the fossil polypes from the
neighboui'hood of Vouziers, and the slate from Fumay. Debris of such diverse
origin covered the floor of the caverns, and owing to an utter absence of clean-
liness and the moisture percolating through the roof, they must have been
unwholesome places to live in. In fact, the human bones bear evident marks of a
prevalence of rickets, and the men of that age did not exceed 55 inches in height.
The three successive levels of the Mouse mark as many stages in the civilisa-
tion of these cave dwellers. The upper caverns, such as those of Magrite and
Naulette, were accessible only at a time when the river was several miles in width,
and the men who found a refuge in them were the contemporaries of the mammoth,

FAUNA, FLORA, AND INHABITANTS. 395

the rhinoceros, the lion, the bear, and the hyena. A lower series of caverns only
contains the bones of reindeer, chamois, and wild goats — animals still found in
Europe, though no longer in Belgium. In the lowest series of caverns only the
bones of domesticated animals, or of beasts which continue to inhabit the country,
are met with.

These latter belong to the age of polished stone, in the course of which
Belgium was first invaded by men of another race. The famous sculptures of
the so-called "Frontal Hole," thus named because a human frontal bone was
turned up with the first blow of the pickaxe, undoubtedly date back to that age.
That cavern appears to have been used as a place of sepulchre, for sixteen human
skeletons were found in it, together with numerous objects buried with the dead.

At that time the inhabitants had become much mixed, and three types can
be distinguished, the prevailing one having an elongated skull with prominent
brows, features common to the present day. The men of that age tilled the
soil, kept domestic animals, manufactured earthenware and weapons, and carried on
commerce. At Spiennes, near Mons, an extensive tract of land is covered with
flints partly worked, and procured from beds underlying the chalk. Most of
the flint implements picked up in Flanders can be traced to this huge workshop
of Hainaut. It was probably about this time that Teutonic tribes first invaded
the country. There are few cromlechs in Belgium, but grave-bills were formerly
numerous on the height of land between Tirlemont, Tongres, and Maastricht.
The raised stones which during the Teutonic epoch were perhaps dedicated to
Brynhild, the warlike AValkyrie, are now popularly known as " stones of Brune-
hUde, or Brunehaut," the Queen of Austrasia.

The contrast existing between the hilly region of South-eastern Belgium and
the plains of the north and west is reflected in the Wallons and Flemings who
at present inhabit the country. A line drawn across the centre of Belgium, from
St. Omer to Maastricht, marks the north-western limit of the Wallons, whilst
another line drawn from Maastricht in the direction of Metz marks their eastern
limit. Outftide these two lines Teutonic dialects are spoken.

The Wallons are popularly supposed to be of Gallic origin, whilst the
Flemings are credited with a Teutonic descent, and this in a large measure is
no doubt true. In a country, however, which has so frecjuently been invaded, a
(xmsidcrable intermixture of races must have taken jdace, nor can wo suppose
the alK»riginal inha])it;intH of Belgium to have been wholly exti-rminated. Anthro-
p^jlogihts liave drawn attention U) families and entire j)opulations didering
ewientially from the Gallic and Germanic typ<'s. In the valley of the Mouse and
in Hainaut we frerpunf ly meet with womc.n whose tawny com])lexion, narrow
anrl prominent forc;hea»l, and MTiiall statun; mark them ofl" very distinctly from the
jx-'opie among whom they dwell. The poor broom-makers in several vilhiges
of Western Flanders, in fluj wouth oi I)i,\niiiMde, live in mulerground dwellings.
In Kastern I'lanrlerH thr-ne " Men ol the Woods," or JioMr/iktr/oi, aro hUW more
numeroiiH. y\t /ele they are known as /iiifjofit/c, or " I'easant Youths." 'J'hey are
lor the moMt part pedlars, an»l Hj»eak a jargon very different from the local dialect.

39G BELGIUM.

M. Hu}'ttens has directed attention to several "clans" living in the country
around Ghent, who differ from the other inhabitants by their smaller stature,
black hair, brown eyes, and greater gaiety and excitability. The census has shown,
however, that the brown type is met with throughout Belgium — not only at
Liege and Xamur, where it preponderates, but also amongst the Flemings, where
a fourth or third of the inhabitants belong to it.*

Most anthropologists trace this brown type to the pre-Aryan inhabitants of
Belgium. The round-skulled men of small stature, whom we frequently meet with
in Flanders, would thus have to be looked upon as the lineal descendants
of the aboriginal population of the country. The Spaniards, on the other hand,
have exercised but a small ethnical influence upon the population.

As to the Wallons, there can be little doubt of their Gallic origin. The
tribes of Belgium mentioned by ancient authors bear Gallic names, and so do
many towns, including Namur, Dinant, Cortoriacum (Courtrai), Lugdunum,
and others. The Romans did in Belgium what they did in the remainder of
Gaul — they introduced their language. The Germanic tribes who subsequently
settled amongst the Wallons, being inferior to them in civilisation, adopted their
language, though not without exercising some influence upon it. The dialect
spoken aroimd Liege abounds thus in German words and grammatical forms,
whilst the dialects of Namur and the south generally are most akin to those spoken
in the adjoining parts of France.

Physically the Wallon differs strikingly from his Flemish fellow-countryman.
He is bonier, stronger limbed, and more angular ; his complexion is but rarely
as fair as that so frequent amongst the Flemings ; and he can boast of neither
brightness nor beauty. Tall men are more numerous amongst the Wallons than
in Flanders; life is longer, and more exempt from disease. In Flanders and the
province of Antwerp ninety persons die to ever}'' hundred that are born ; in the
four Wallon provinces only seventy. This relative immunity of the Wallons
may be inherent in the race, but is more probably due to their greater well-
being, and to the salubrity of the country they live in. In the Middle Ages it
was the Flemings who were the superiors of the Wallons in wealth, civilisation,
and freedom. Revolutions and gradual transformations, however, have displaced
the seat of power, and it is the Wallons who now take the lead in industrial
activity and mental culture. The Flemings nevertheless maintain their pre-
eminence in the arts, and it is they who give the country most of its painters
and musicians.

When Flemings, or Vlamingen, first came as " strangers " t into the country, the
plains which they now inhabit were but sparsely peopled. At that time swamps
and lakes covered a considerable extent, whilst the remainder of the country
consisted of a plain of sterile sand. A wide forest region (Silca Carhonaria)

* At Xamur 47 per cent, of the inhabitants have dark eyes, and 57 o per cent, dark hair ; at Malines
only 24 per cent, have dark eyes, and 20-3 per cent, dark hair ; and between these two extremes we meet
■Nvith every gradation. fBeddoe, "Report of the British Association," 1857.)

t According to H. Leo (" Angelsachsisches Glossar"), Fleming means " stranger," or " fugitive," whilst
Meyer, in his " Chronicle of Flanders," derives their name from viae, a marsh.

FAUNA, FLOEA, AND INHABITANTS. 397

separated the country of the Wallons from that in which most of the Germanic
colonists settled. In Brabant there still exist remnants of this ancient forest, and
whilst the villag-es to the east of it are inhabited bv Wallons, those to the west are
Flemish. Even where Germanic colonists established themselves in the midst of
the Wallons, they retained their language for ages, and mediaoval documents
broadly distinguish between the French-speaking inhabitants of the Pagm Mem-
piseus and the Flemings who lived amongst them.

Many of the German settlers who arrived after the Roman epoch were Franks,
as is proved by the names of villages no less than by historical documents.
But although the Flemings are probably for the most part the descendants of
these Franks, the name they bear appears originally to have been applied
to the Saxons who settled on the coast, which for a long time was known as
Littus Saxonicum. These Saxons were no doubt kinsmen of those who crossed
over to England. They probably came by sea along the coast of Friesland and
Holland. The influence of the Frisians, who had established themselves in
Zealand, extended at that time far along the coast of Belgium, and an old historian
even refers to Ostend as a Frisian port. The original Saxon settlers were
subsequently joined by others, forcibly introduced by Charlemagne. The presence
of these Saxons in Flanders explains the fact that the Flemish colonists who emi-
grated to Transylvania in the twelfth century became known as Sac/isen. ^lost of
these colonists came from the coast, which they fled in consequence of an irruption
of the .sea. If Flemings have frequently emigrated, they have done so in con-
sequence of hard necessity, and not from a spirit of adventure, for the Fleming
is much attached to the soil of his birth : — OoHt, went, 't htiin best*

Pure Flemings present a very distinct type. They have light -coloured eyes,
fair or chestnut-coloured hair, and fresh complexions. Their blood readily rises to
the surface of the skin ; their features, especially amongst the women, are wanting
in sharp contours; they age 80fm,and grow fat. On old portraits of Fh^mings and
North Gennans, which should be studied if we would compare national types, may
often be observed a tine crease which separates the chin from the cheek, and imparts
an air of wisdom and circumspection to the physiognomy. The popular notion of
the Flemings being a tall and burly race is an (erroneous one, for th(> inhabitants of
Flanders are of smaller stature than those of any other province of liclgium. The
men of the brown st/Kik no doubt depress the average stature, for the fair
Flemings of Gennanic tyfx; ar*! the tallest amongst tlu; inliabitants of the lowland,
and tall men arc numerous along the coast, where the Saxon element prepon-
derate«i.

The Fh-mish language, formerly known as Dii'lnrh {Tliin{n of the; Wallons), is
a I»w G<:rman dialect, and according to Miillciiholl' it. has retaiiu d the primitive
character f>f the Frankinli. 'i'hc pun^st Fhimish is spoken in th'' ('ainpine, whose
inhaliitants exliibit most attachment to ancient customs and supcirstitions.

Tales in rhyme and Mongs in I'Meniish wcin; first put inlo writing in the twelflli
century, I)uring the wars of irujependenei^ i'Meminh literature flourislied, biii,

* KmI '>r wi'Ni, nt hoiii'i in >><!«t.

398 BELGIUM.

subsequently, under the domination of Spaniards and Austrians, the lanj^age of the
people was disdainfully treated as a patois, and seldom employed by writers. In 1803
Napoleon ordered that French alone was to be employed by Government, and nine
years later, to facilitate the labours of his censors of the press, every Flemish news-
paper was compelled to supply a French translation of its contents. When the
Ilollanders became masters of the country they favoured the use of Dutch, and the
Flemings, no less than the Wallons, felt themselves aggrieved. The revolution of
1830 brought about another change, and French once more became the official
language throughout Belgium. At the time, however, it was not known that the
Flemings were so numerous, and the census, which showed that out of every seven
Belgians four spoke Dietsch, even surprised the Flemings themselves.*

In the course of the last fifty years a few villages have perhaps become French,
but of far greater importance has been the almost imperceptible growth of F'rench
in the larger towns, a growth only natural if we bear in mind that French is
the language of Government, of the army, of commerce, industry, and science.
About two-thirds of the newspapers are French, t and as regards general literature
Brussels is hardly more than a dependency of Paris. At the close of the last
century the government of that city was still carried on in Flemish, and it
virtually lies outside the territory of the Wallons, who only occupy one of its
quarters, that of Marolles, where they speak a very corrupt local jargon.

But though French has undoubtedly made progress, Flemish, nevertheless, has
gained in strength and dignity, as it were, during the last thirty years. Henri
Conscience, the most popular novelist of Belgium, writes in Flemish, and hundreds
of societies have been founded to encourage its use. An agreement between the
Flemings and " heretical " Hollanders has been arrived at since the political bonds
between the two countries have been severed, and the same system of orthography
is employed now in writing both languages. If the Flemings persevere in their
efibrts they must in the end succeed in introducing their language into Parliament,
the army, courts of justice, and schools, on the same footing as French.

* In 1830 1,860,000 spoke Flemish, 1,360,000 French ; in 1866, 2,406,500 Flemish, 2,041,800 French ;
in 1876, 2,0.59,890 spoke Flemish, 2,256,860 French, 38,070 German, 340,770 French and Flemish,
27,700 German and French, 1,790 German and Flemish, and 5,490 the three languages; 7,650 spoke
neither of the above languages, and 2,070 were deaf mutes. Of the total population, 49-84 per cent,
spoke Flemish, 42-29 per cent. French, 0-71 per cent. German, and 6-95 per cent, (mostly Flemings^
two or three languages.

t In 1840 28 daily papers appeared in French, none in Flemish. In 1874 there were 54 French
and 14 Flemish daily papers.

CHAPTER III.

MUXICIPAL INSTITUTIONS.— TOWNS.

OTVIfS abound now in those lowlands of Belgium where in the time
of the Romans there existed but two cities, Turuacum (Tournay)
^"^> [ and Atuatuca Tungrorum ''Tongres). In some localities the towns
are more numerous than are villages in most parts of Europe.
After the struijffles between races and classes had ceased, each of
these towns organized itself as an independent commune, prepared to resist the
encroachments of bishop.s, barons, and kings.

Charlemagne, as early as 779, foresaw the danger to the sovereign power of
combinations of merchant.^ and artisans dwelling within cities. He forbade the
formation of trade guilds and other associations ; but the guilds, notwithstanding
his edicts and the persecutions to which they were subjected, grew in power,
and ultimately succeeded in firmly establishing the municipal liberties of the
towns.

Originally the cities of Flanders were governed by aldermen chosen amongst
the members of a few patrician families, or (jealachtcr. Ordinary citizens or artisans
had no share in the government, and hence dissen.sions between the " great" and
the " little " were of frequent occurrence. The trade guilds availed themselves of
every civil or foreign war to assert their claims, and though frequently defeated
and most cruelly punished after every unsucccssfid revolt, they persevered until
their representatives were admitted to the city council. In the thirteenth century
most cities of liclgium had a municipal council, in which the representatives of
the guilds sat side by side with the aldermen chosen amongst the ])atrician
families. At Brussels, Louvain, and other cities of Flanders these guilds had
a burgomaster of tlieir own ; and at liiego no patrician was allowed to enter upon
that office unless lie }ia<l previously jniucd one of tluj twenty-five trade guilds.

The meiiibers of the guilds were subjected to a rigorous discipline!. Tlu^y were
bound to funusb tliemwdves with suitable weapons, and in nearly all they under-
took they huA U) reckon with the body of which they were members. When the
great b«ll of the belfry called them to arms, llusy were bound to hasten to (heir
appoinf*d phwie of ineetirig. 'I'own often fought lown, but us early as \'AVZ the
common dangers which thrcuteued all alike led to the formation of a fedorutiou of

400 BELGIUM.

eio-h teen towns of Brabant. In 1334 the towns of Flanders and Brabant concluded

Fig. 223. — The Bblkry of Bruges.

a treaty which freed the commerce between the two provinces from all restrictions,
introduced a common currency, and provided for a deliberative body to meet

MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS.— TOWNS. 401

alternately at Ghent, Brussels, and Alost. Even before that time the merchants of
Flanders had founded an international corporation for the promotion of commercial
relations with England, and known as the " Hanse of London."

The spirit of association was not confined to the towns, for there existed also
"rural guilds," and, indeed, the Flemish husbandman, by the wonderful manner
in which he cultivated his land, had richly deserved any "rights" that could be
bestowed upon him. As to the artisans of Flanders and Brabant, they were not
content to acquire wealth by developing the ancient industries of the country, but
struck out new paths, and the number of guilds grew apace. Bruges, which for
a considerable time stood at the head of the manufacturing industry of the whole
world, had no less than eighty trade guilds in the fifteenth century, whilst Ghent
had as many, the weavers alone being split up into twenty-seven different societies,
each carrying on a special branch of business. Brussels had fifty "trades,"
Tournay over forty, Liege and Ypres more than thirty each. As to the intel-
lectual influence of the Flemings, it is amply vouched for by their share in the
literature and scientific work of the time.

The existing municipal buildings are witnesses of the glories of the old Flemish
communes. Mosst of the churches commenced in that age remain unfinished to
the present day, but the municipal edifices have nearly all been completed, and
only need to be kept in repair. Each guild had its hall, and however humble the
habitations of the individual members might be, no expense was spared to render
these buildings representative of the wealth of the corporation as a whole. In the
construction and decoration of town-halls there existed great rivalry ; and the
architects, whilst adhering to the general style of architecture of the time, suc-
cessfully strove to give a character of originality to the buildings the construction
of which had been intrusted to them. The town- hall of Louvain, for instance, has
been likened to a huge jewel box, whilst that of Brussels strikes us by the bold
elegance of its spire, and others arc distinguished by the noble simplicity of their
facade. The belfry stands either by itself, as at Ghent, or it surmounts the Council
Chamber, as at liniges, or rises above the facade. Sometimes it resembles a keep,
ut others a church steeple, and each town took care that this repository of its
public records should be worthy of it.

The o[K'n HTjuaro in front of the town-hall was the principal scene of those
p<')pular festivities which were the delight of the Flemings of that age. It was
there the oaths of office were administered, and the prizes distributed to archers,
minstrels, and poets. On these (Kcasions the deputations of other towns arrived
in triumphal cars or barges, and were met by j)roceHsions of citizens, such as we
w;e reprewmt^'d in old paintings. In course of time these festivities degene-
rat^.'d into empty displays of speechifiers and poetasters, but their outward
splendour made the inliahifaiitM forget that they liad virtually lost their ancient
liberties.

Thf decay of the FlerniMh cities is due in a large nicasun! to the inhabitants
themw-Ives. No hooiht did they ftxtl Mceure from dangers threatiiiiing fnun with-
out than they turned upon each other. Ghent and Bruges, instead of living at

UH)

402

BELGIUM.

Fig. 224.— Tire Town-hall of Louvain.

amity, as neighbours should, were always ready to fly to arms and injure each

MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS.— TOWNS. 403

other whenever an opportunity offered. Merchants, in accordance with a law laid
down hy the guilds, were bound to go armed when they visited a neighbouring
town, in order that they might at all times be ready to defend the honour of their
city and corporation. Conflicts took place on the slightest provocation ; even
children formed themselves into military' bands, and in 1488 two of these fought a
battle in the streets of Bruges, when five combatants were left dead on the pavement.
The monopolies claimed and enforced by the various guilds contributed in a large
measure to undermine the prosperity and patriotism of the citizens. At Tournay
there were separate guilds of "butter porters," "charcoal porters," and "manu-
factured goods porters ; " and woe to him who carried an article not intended for
his shoulders. Similar regulations prevailed in most other towns, and even at
the beginning of the present century there existed at Bruges a corporation of
kraanenkinders, or tapsters, whose members enjoyed the privilege of drawing wine,
and wore their traditional costume on high holidays.

The Dukes of Burgundy, when they made themselves masters of the country,
profited by the dissensions amongst the Flemish cities. The industry of the citizens
augmented the splendours of their court, but the cities themselves began to decay.
Revolt.s were suppressed with vigour, and no opportunity of humbling the pride of
the citizens was lost. In 14G8 Liege was almost entirely destroyed, and 40,000
of its inhabitants ma.'^sacred. In the preceding year Charles the Bold had taken
away the standards of the guilds of Ghent, and suspended them in the churches of
other towns, as trophies of victory over the people. Charles V., though a native
of Ghent, destroyed the municipal liberties of that town, removed its great bell
" Iloland," and condemned tlie most energetic of the citizens to the scaffold or exile.

During the reign of I'liilip II. a silence of terror dwelt in the cities, and
even the spoochifiers at public festivals became objects of suspicion. Many of
them were hanged, and Van Iluleii, the burgomaster of Antwerp, wlio had
organized the famous festivities of 1001, died on the scaffold. Industry fled the
townw, tlio latter decreased in population and became; impoverislicd, and even in the
countrj- around them large tracts were abandoned by the cultivators. Thousands
left the country, and this emigration, even more than massacres and wars, explains
the mental apatliy of th«,' nation during the ensuing centuries.

The old municipal spirit has not, however, died out altogether. It still niaiii-
feBts itself on the festival days of patron saints, when jjrocessions march tli rough
the Btreets of the town as they did in the Middle Ages. At Courtray and Furnes
thene procensions symbolize th<.' mysteries of ChriHiiunity, whilst the " cavalcades"
of Malines, Tournay, Glient, and Hrussels are mostly designed lo illustrate,
BijmetiincB allegorically, pait events in the history of the city.

Tow.Ns.*

Bahin of Tin, Mki.sk (Maas). — Avion (0,700 inhabitants), tlir cnpltul of

Belgian Luxemburg, is the only largc> town in the basin of the winding riv(>r

• 'Hi*' (KipiilntWiti in f«ir \Ux. 3Ut. IH7'>, iitid in iiiiiiiy iimUniccH (jiiiliriKiH tho louiitry diNliiclH in tliu
▼icinity ni tho Uiwrm nainixj.

404

BELGIUM.

Semoy. It rises upon a bleak plateau, 1,300 feet above the level of the sea, and
its only curiosities consist in the Roman antiquities preserved in its museum,
Virton (2,100 inhabitants), a sort of Belgian Nice, sheltered from northerly winds,
lies to the south of Arlon, whilst Bouillon (2,o00 inhabitants), modestly nestling

Fig. 225. — Namur and the Confluence of the Mecse and Sambke.

Scale 1 : 30,000.

,2* 28' E.of P

4°4a'E.of Gr.

4° 50'

Half a Mile.

at the foot of an old fortress, is situate in the valley of the Semoy, not far from
the French frontier.

The Meuse leaves France to the north of Givet, and soon after reaches Dinant
(6,200 inhabitants), a town occupying a narrow ledge between the river and the
steep cliffs which bound its valley. Dinant has never wholly recovered from its
destruction by Philip of Burgundy, very improperly surnamed "the Good."
In the twelfth century it was famous for its copper-ware, known as dinanderies,
but the only products of its industry still appreciated are spiced cakes, or covqncs,
shaped to represent men, processions, or even landscapes. Dinant, one of the

TOWNS.

405

most picturesque towns of Belgium, is the head-quarters of the tourists who
annually flock to the upper valley of the Meuse and to that of the Lesse, which
leads south-easterly into the heart of the Ardennes. The towns of Ciney (2,850
inhabitants), the capital of Condroz, Marche-en-Famenne (2,580 inhabitants), and
Bmtogne (2,700 inhabitants) rise on the plateau of this sparsely peopled region.
*SY. Hubert (2,300 inhabitants), on one of the most frequented high-roads of the
Ardennes, was formerly famous as a meeting-place of sportsmen. The breed of
dogs of the old abbots is extinct in the country, but still survives in England.

Following the Meuse, below Dinant we pass Bonvignes, a modest village now,
but formerly a rival of the city named, and reach Namur (25,066 inhabitants),

Fig. 226. — The Coal-field of Chakleroi.
Scale 1 : 75,000.

1 .Mill.

situate at the foot of a \n>\(\ promontory eommunding the confluoncc of the Meuso
arirl Sambrc. The strategical jKmition of ISumur xh highly important, and u
{>owf;rfiil citadel now occuj>ic« the Hito of the oKl cuhIIo of its dukes. SiegoH and
bombardmfinfB have robbed the town of nearly all its ancient buildings, and only
a b<'lfry and a monaHtery now usefl as a court of justico date back to tho Middle
Age«. The cathedral, finiHlud in 1772, is one of the finest churchcH in Ik'lgiuni.
The tfjwn ca rr icH on the inanufactnn; of gla-sn, cutlery, mihI liardwarc. lion lias
been manufactured i/i the («>untry for at leaxt twenty centurieH, uh m j)roved by
the diwy^very of ancient forges and of jiits containing caHt iron.

The wrntral valley of the Sainhn; is rich in coal, and its iron industry is far
more develo|>cd than that of Namur. (JharUroi (ITj/.M;* inhahitants) is the <;apital

400 BELGIUM.

of this manufacturing district. It was named in honour of Charles II. of Spain,
and fortified by Vauban, but is now an open town, with broad boulevards. The
railway station is the most prominent building of this congeries of iron works.
Numerous towns in the basin of the Sambre form dependencies of Charleroi.
MarcincUc (8,;j00 inhabitants), Couillet (6,550 inhabitants), Jlontigny-sur- Sambre
(I2,G5'3 inhabitants), Clidtelet (9,150 inhabitants), and Chdtelineau (8,050 inha-
bitants) lie to the east ; Gilly (17,136 inhabitants) and liaiisai-t (5,450 inhabitants)
to the north-east; Lodelinsart (6,150 inhabitants), Jumef (20,102 inhabitants), and
Gossclics (7,850 inhabitants) in the north ; Roux-lez-Charleroi (7,150 inhabitants)
and Courcelles (12,532 inhabitants) in the north-west ; Dampremy (7,350 inha-
bitants), Marchiennc-au-Pont (11,486 inhabitants), and Monceau-siir- Sambre (5,050
inhabitants) in the west; and Mont-siir-Marchienne (6,150 inhabitants) in the
south-west. Thuiii (5,450 inhabitants), higher up in the same valley, already
lies beyond the sphere of Charleroi, as does also the ancient town of Fontame-
VEveque (5,050 inhabitants), on the plateau which separates the basins of the
Sambre, Haine, and Senne. The country around Charleroi is one of the great
hives of human industry, abounding in iron works, forges, glass houses, and
chemical manufactories. Numerous railways intersect this coal region, and a
canal connects the Sambre with the navigable highways of Lower Belgium. The
small towns of Marienboiirg, ThUippexille, and Cldmay (3,000 inhabitants), to the
south of Charleroi, near the French frontier, are frequently referred to in connec-
tion with military events, whilst the battle-fields of Fleurus (4,090 inhabitants)
and Ligny lie to the north. The plain of Fleurus is partly covered with an
efflorescence of sulphate of baryta, a substance frequently used in the adulteration
of flour.

The Mouse below Namur winds between gentle hills surmounted by ancient
ruins and modern castles. Andenne (7,050 inhabitants), on the right bank, is a
town of paper-mills, potteries, and quarries. Huy (11,744 inhabitants), lower
down, is commanded by a picturesque citadel. It is one of the most ancient
cities of the country of the Wallons, and formerly boasted of seventeen monasteries,
one of which contained the tomb of Peter the Hermit. Beyond St. Georges-sur-
Meuse (5,650 inhabitants) and Engk, a village rendered famous by the prehistoric
remains found in its caverns, both banks of the Mouse are covered with factories
and working: men's villages.

We have now entered the great industrial district of Liege (115,851 inhabitants),
the capital of the Wallons, situate on both banks of the river, below its confluence
with the Ourthe. A long-backed hill to the west is surmounted by a huge citadel,
and affords a fine prospect, too frequently obscured by the smoke rising from
innumerable factory chimneys. The suburbs of the city extend along the valley,
climb up the hills, and cover a large island formed by the Meuse and one of its
arms. Several bridges span the river, the most famous amongst them being that
of the Arches, traditionalh' supposed to occupy the site of a bridge constructed by
Ogier, the Danish paladin.

The centre of Liege lies near this bridge, and there, in front of the town-hall,

TOWNS.

407

rises a column surrounded by the three Graces, which replaces the ancient
perron, the symbol of the municipal liberties of the city, destroyed in the dis-
astrous year 1468. The old palace of the prince bishops is now occupied by
the courts of justice and the provincial authorities. This huge edifice stands on
the Place St. Lambert, thus named after a sumptuous cathedral, to which every
Liegeois was bound to leave a legacy, but which was demolished during the
French Revolution. The university was established in 1817, by the Dutch, in an
old Jesuit college, and possesses a valuable library, a collection of coins, a natural-
history museum, and chemical laboratories. Including its aflBliated institutions,
it is attended by 970 students. The conservatory has trained several pupils who

Fig. 227. — LifeoE AND THE Confluence of the Melse and Oukthe.

Scale 1 : 80,000.

Mllr-.

have acquired cflobrity, and the courscH of the Academy of Art are well attended.
Monuments have been raised in honour of Diimont, the geologist; Gretry, the
compo.ser; and Charlfmagnc, wliom the Liegeois (;laim as one of tlieir townsmen.
Amongst tlie nurnerouH eliurchcH tluit of St. ^Martin is historic^ally the most
interenting. During tlie j)r»puhir revolt of 1^512 tlie " grfindees " sought a refuge
in its tower, but w(;ro burnt, alive in it l)y tin* ])opulii(te.

If IfK^'il traditiouH can b(! cnulitiid, coal wan firMf discMtvcrcd near liit'ge, in Ibo
twelftli century, l»y a Hniitli, and named liouHlr, after JIoiiUoh, ilHdiHCoverer. AVliaf-
evfjf thin etymology may be worth,* it proven, at all eveniM, that coal, which is ho

• Aif^iTt\\i\n U> \, H<hr'l*T ("T)i<tii»niiiiirf (l'<'tyiiiiilo)^i<i fiiiii<;iiiw) ") thu l''i<in li wiml /nut il/r in
daivfr'J fr'/iii the O'Tinan word SrholU.

408 BELGIUM.

indispensable now to the manufactories of the town, has been worker! around Liege
for several centuries. Fire-arms are the principal article manufactured at Liege,
the armourers for the most part working at their own homes. There are also a
Government cannon foundry and a small-arms factory. The largest industrial
establishment of Belgium, and one of the most important in the world, was founded
in 1817, by John Cockerill and King "William of the Netherlands, at Scraing (24,315
inhabitants), a town a few miles above Liege. It employs thousands of miners,
forgemen, and other artisans, and since 1822 it has turned out several thousand
steam-engines. In its steel works as many as 365 tons of steel rails can be rolled
in a single day. Val St. Lambert, higher up on the Meuse, has important
glass works ; Jcmcppc (6,000 inhabitants) lies opposite to Seraing, of which it is
virtually a suburb ; Ougree (7,450 inhabitants), supposed to be a Hungarian
(Ugrian) colony, lies closer to Liege, and has iron works ; Grivegnee (6,950
inhabitants), to the south of the city, has blast furnaces; whilst Chenee, at the
confluence of the Ourthe and Vesdre, is the seat of the zinc works of the Company
Yieille-Montagne. Ans (5,400 inhabitants), in the west, is a town of coal miners.
Including its suburbs and the towns situated within a radius of 6 miles, Liege has
no less than 175,000 inhabitants.

The sterile soil and absence of ready means of communication have prevented
the growth of towns in the valley of the Upper Ourthe and of its tributary, the
Ambleve. Stacelot (4,070 inhabitants), close to the German frontier, is the only
important centre of population in that part of the country, and until the middle
of the last century it was the capital of an independent principality. The valley
of the Vesdre, through which leads the road from Liege to Aix-la-Chapelle, is more
highly favoured by nature than that of the Ambleve, and abounds in factories.
Limhurg (2,060 inhabitants), historically its most important town, now, however,
lies in ruins. It was a powerful place formerly, but never recovered after its two-
fold destruction by the armies of Louis XIV. in 1675 and 1701. The actual town
nestles at the foot of the old feudal castle.

The small river Gileppe, which rises in the woods to the south of Limburg>
and flows through a picturesque valley, has recently been pent up by a dam,
155 feet in height and 770 feet long. The lake reservoir thus formed holds 424
milliards of cubic feet, and whilst preventing floods in winter, it supplies the
factory towns in the valley of the Vesdre throughout the summer with the water
they need. The most important of these towns are Verviers (37,828 inhabitants),
Dison (11,432 inhabitants), and Ensival (5,450 inhabitants). Cloth has been
manufoctured here since the twelfth century, but Verviers only rose into impor-
tance after the industrial ruin of Flanders had been accomplished ; that is, about
the middle of the eighteenth century. Verviers manufactures cloth, flannel,
cashmere, fancy articles, and woollen stufls, for the most part exported to
England. Italy and the East are supplied with " army cloth."

At Pcpinster (2,350 inhabitants) the Vesdre is joined by a small valley which
leads up to Spa (6,350 inhabitants), the most fashionable watering-place of Europe
during the eighteenth century, afterwards deserted for years, but recently once

TOWNS.

40'J

more visited by thousands, attracted by its ferruginous springs and charming
environs. Another watering-place, Chaxdfontaine, i.e. " warm spring," lies in the
valley of the Vesdre, within 6 miles of Liege.

The region traversed by the Meuse, after leaving the manufacturing city of
Liege behind it, is historically one of the most interesting of Europe. At JupUlc

Fig. 228. — The Dam across the Gileppe.
Scale 1 : 50,000.

3 '34' E.ot Pciris

3° 38'

^:^ Houtem

Overotr

'<'_, Membach

W-9^ ^

V •

V"-

,«■"?

'it--^ "^*'''* ^'^^P£^' /'.'':.'.

.&«

'•■'''. K.ol O.

I Mile.

f'i,200 iiihabitanf«) l'(|iiii of H.-rsfa] died in 714. UrrHhil {\\,VM\ inlial.itantH),

on th« oppoHito bank of lliu rivor, the birtbpl.ico of J'lpin tlio Sliort, ih imw an

inrliiMtrial Muliurb of Lir^c, 'V\\v. M«-iih«-, in its furlhcr course, IIowh past th(> Dutch

city of .Ma.'intriclit, niifl, rf'-cnt<Ting Ijcl;,Niini, wiimIm's tlu! walls of tlio ancient town

of MatH-Kijrk (4,100 inliabitantM), tlic birthplace of the brothers Van lOyck.

101

410 BELGIUM.

In a side valley of the Meusc, towards the north-west, is situate a citv famous
in the annals of Belgium. Tuiujrcs, or Toiujeren (7,600 inhabitants) is, in fact, the
ancient cmiellum of the Aduatuci, who were left behind by the Cimbri when they
invaded Gaul, but were exterminated or sold into slavery fifty years later by
Julius CoDsar.* There still remain portions of the ancient walls of this city,
constructed of flints and cement, and vulgai'ly known as the Zecdijk.

TiiK Basin of tiik Schei.de. — Tongres, one would have imagined, would
have been chosen capital of the Belgian province of Limburg, but the adminis-
trative authorities have been established at Hanselt (11,301 inhabitants), on the
river Deraer, which is tributary to the Schelde. Its rivals, *SY. Trond, or Sint-
Tnujden (11,253 inhabitants), and Tirlemont, or Thicnen (13,296 inhabitants), are
situate on rivulets belonging to the same basin. St. Trond boasts a fine belfry,
whilst the decayed town o( Lean (1,780 inhabitants), to the west of it, has a town-
hall and church which are marvels of elegance and originality. Tirlemont
resembles several of the towns of Flanders, for, like them, it has lost its industry,
and extensive tracts within its walls have been converted into gardens and fields.
The village of Landen, between Tirlemont and St. Trond, recalls Pepin of Landen,
the founder of Carlovingian power. It has recently acquired some importance, for
five railways converge upon it. Xear it is Ncencindcn, where two battles were
fought in 1G93 and. 1793.

Dicst (7,303 inhabitants), to the west of and on the same river as Hasselt, is a
fortress guarding the frontier towards Holland. It has numerous distilleries, and
is noted for its gilden bier, or beer of the guilds. Sichem (2,300 inhabitants),
lower down, is likewise known for its beer.

The river Demer separates the hills of Ilageland from the sandy tract of the
Campine. Below Aerschot (5,050 inhabitants) it joins the Dyle, which rises to the
south of Wavre (6,550 inhabitants), and flows through the famous city of Louvain,
or Leuvcn (33,917 inhabitants), the old. capital of Brabant, and formerly one of the
wealthiest and most populous cities of the whole country. In 1360 it had
100,000 inhabitants, and between 3,000 and 4,000 looms were employed in
the manufacture of cloth. It was at Louvain that a bell tolled half an hour
before the closing of the workshops, in order that passers by might avoid the
crowd. In addition to cloth, Louvain manufactured leather, weapons and armour,
and mead. Its university, founded in 1426, was one of the most famous seats of
learning in Europe. But towards the close of the sixteenth century intellectual
life retired from Louvain, as from other towns of Belgium, and the general causes
of decay were aggravated by a visitation of the plague, which carried off 50,000
inhabitants and all the professors of medicine, one alone excepted. The university,
however, continued to exist until suppressed during the French Hevolution. In
1836 it was revived as a Roman Catholic university, which has become one of
the strongholds of the Church : it is richly endowed from private sources, and
attended by 1,300 students.

A town of the past, Louvain nevertheless continues to carry on the manufactiure
* E. Desjardins, " Geographie de la Gaule romaine."

TOWNS. 411

of starch, paper, cloth, and lace : it has large breweries and distilleries, and its
commerce in oil and agricultural produce is flourishing, A walk through its
deserted streets and squares, a glance at the gardens and fields enclosed within its
boulevards, but formerly covered with houses, bring home to us the decay of the
town. The town-hall is one of the finest edifices in Belgium, and has been
likened to a jewel casket (see Fig. 224). From the summit of Caesar's Hill,
crowned by the ruins of a castle of the Dukes of Brabant, Louvain, with its
numerous steeples and commanding edifices, still presents the appearance of a
large and flourishing city.

Malines, or Mechelen (Mechlin, 39,029 inhabitants), on the Dyle, below its
confluence with the Demer, is the counterpart of Louvain in its history and
present aspect. It, too, is a decayed town. During the period of its splendour
12,000 weavers worked at its looms ; its metal-ware, its caldrons and bells, its gilt
leather, tapestry, and lace, were appreciated throughout Europe. Lace and tapestrj'
still continue to be manufactured on a reduced scale, but Malines is no longer a
great centre of industry. Its streets, except in the immediate vicinity of the
railway station, are deserted, and the number of paupers is very great. But the
poverty of many of the inhabitants does not detract from the picturesquencss of
its gabled houses, which entitle it even now to its ancient epithet of " Mechelen the
Neat." The ** Gaudet Mechlinia stultis " of the students of Louvain at no time
fairly applied to it. Malines is the religious metropolis of Belgium, and its
cathedral is one of the finest edifices of that kind in Northern Europe, with a
massive unfinishwl tower, rising to a height of 320 feet. The interior is strikingly
beautiful, but the most precious work of art of the town, Ilubens's " Miraculous
Draught of Fishes," has found a place in another church, that of Our Lady.

The Great and Little Nethe, which after their junction with the Dyle and Senne
give birth to the Ilupol, traverse the most barren tract of the Campine. A few
towns of importance are nevertheless met with in that region. One of them is
Turn/tout (15,743 inhabitants), which manufactures cloth and carries on a brisk
trade with the Netherlands ; another is Lierre, or Licr (1(5,013 inhabitants), a
fortress at the confluence of the two Nethes, with breweries, sugar refineries, silk
and lace factories, and a remarkable churcli. llovcntliaU (5,000 inhabitants), the
Ciipital of the Campine, lies half-way between those towns, whilst Moll (•'"•, fi-OO
inhabitants) ia only u large village. Near it is the parish of Ghvel (10,250
inhabitants), a rfmarkalilo colf)ny of lunatics, wlu) live in the houses of the
IKiasants. Tlje first lunatic asylum was founded at (jlucl in 12H(;, liut long before
that time lunatics were conducted to that i)lace in order that (hey might touch the
rclicii of St. i)ymphna, their patroness, and be cured. The numb(!r of insane
actually residing at Gheel is 900, and four pliysicians are intrusted with tluir
nupor vision.

Tlic vall<;y of the Senno, thf»ugh travt-rscd by a river much HniMllcr tliun cither
the iJyjf; or the Netho, is nevertheless much more densely jjopulated. BrusHcls,
the capital of the entire kingdom, riHcs within it, besides numerous otlier towns of
imjiortancc. Snicjfe (5,000 inhal^itants), near tin; head of the Nennette, recalls

•11 -2

BELGIUM.

numerous military engagements. Nivcllcs (9,82-3 inhabitants), originally a monas-
tery in the mid.st of a forest, has grown into an important manufacturing town.
In the thirteenth century it was famous for its lawn, the manufacture of which
has now been transferred to Valenciennes. Soignies (7,7o0 inhabitants), at the head
of the Senne, has a remarkable church of the twelfth century, the oldest of the whole
country. Of t]i(> three towns of Braine, viz. Braine-le-Comte (6,950 inhabitants),
Braine-V Alleud (6,250 inhabitants), and Braine-le-Clidtcau (2,880 inhabitants),

Fig. 229. — The Field of Waterloo.

Scale 1 : 72,000.

2° E.of P.

2'4-

6» 20' E.of Gr,

5'24.'

1 :ime.

the last has preserved its ancient pillory, now shaded by lofty lime-trees. Hal
(8,850 inhabitants), below the confluence of the Senne and Sennette, is a great
place of pilgrimage, and its Gothic church is rich in treasures of art. Eui/sbrock,
a small village half-way between that town and Brussels, was the birthplace of
"William of Ruysbroek, or Rubruquis, whom Louis IX. dispatched on a mission into
Tartary. The basin of the Upper Senne abounds in quarries. A mountain lime-
stone, known as " Flanders granite," is obtained near Soignies and Ecanssines
d'Eughien (5,200 inhabitants), whilst the quarries of Qiienast, to the south of Hal,

TOWNS.

413

supply a ver}- durable porphyry, much superior to basalt as a material for street
pavements.

The famous field of Waterloo (2,935 inhabitants) lies to the east of Hal and
Leeuw-Sf. Pierre (4,470 inhabitants), on an undulating plateau extending from the
Senne to the Dyle. No battle-ground has been described more frequently, and
every locality of it has become famous : the castle of Hougoumont, so furiously
attacked and desperately defended ; the churchyard of Plancenoit ; the inn of

Fig. 230.— Brlssels and its Environs.

Scale 1 : 120,000.

2' E.of P

T-J

4* '. 0 K.ol G.

n-ssi-

I .Mil.

]iellf-AUianre ; tlur farm of Jfaic-Sfiinfe ; the village of Mont St. Jean; and the
hollf»w road wliich proved ho diHahtrouH to the ictrcatiiig I''reiicl».

JiruHHcIn, in Fn;ii<;h Jlnij-eticH, in Flemish Hrnxse/, Im HJtuatc nearly in tin- centre
of the kingdom of which it ih the eapilil, clow! to tln' linguistic; boundary separating
WalloriM from Fh-iningn, and alnujst on tli*; margin of tin |)l;iin which strctcheH from
the Mf;a to tin; hilly regi(m of liel^iiim. Hh beginningn are traced to a casllo built
upon UHwampy ihhind (/jrof/iMf/tj of the Scnne, but an early as the clcvcnili c(!ntury
the na»K;ent city had Ixrcri Hiirroumlcd with a wall, and liml become! ii Hiage on llm
road Ic.'iding from KlaiidcrN to the Rliinc. A century later I lie l)ul<c.s of Hrabant

414

BELGIUM.

Fig. 231.— The Town-hai.l of Brussels.

made it their place of residence, and ever since it has been the seat of kings,

TOWNS. 415

princes, or governors. It is one of the great centres of population of Europe,
for outside its pentagonal boulevards, which enclose 1G1,816 souls, jjopulous
suburbs extend in all directions, and raise the total population to 364,327.*
Xay, if we include more distant outskirts, such as Ucde (9,800 inhabitants),
Ocenj-^sche (o,3o0 inhabitants), Assche (6,200 inhabitants), Vilvonle (8,250 inha-
bitants), and others, the population of the Belgian metropolis will be found to
approach half a railion.

Brussels can boast of edifices worthy of it. In its very centre rises a glorious
town-hall. Its towers and turrets, up to the fifteenth century, and perhaps even
early in the sixteenth, were roofed with plates of gold. The catliedral of Ste. Gudule
is a noble Gothic edifice of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, disfigured by
chapels of more recent date. Its two unfinished towers are majestic of aspect, but
the interior, although ornamented with fine stained windows and numerous statues,
leaves the beholder rather cold. The National Palace, in which the two Chambers
meet, and the Royal Palace, are remarkable rather on account of the art treasures
which they contain than for their exterior. The new^ Palace of Justice is a build-
ing of vast proportions, whilst the Bourse is one of those gaudy edifices to be met
with in muny towns, and in which wealth of ornamentation usurps the place of
real beaut v.

The museums of Brussels are rich ia rare treasures. The so-called Palace
of Industry contains a natural-history museum, an anthropological collection, a
library of 2o0,000 volumes, and a gallery of 400 paintings, all by the old
masters — Kubcns, Jordaons, Van iJyck, and other Flemish artists being most
worthily represented. The valuable collection of the Duke of Aremberg is
limited to select Dutch and Flemish masters, whilst another museum contains
works by modern lielgian artists. The picturesque tower of the Gate of Ilal
has been converted into a museum of antiquities. Amongst other treasures it
contains the famous Pi.oman milestone of Tongres.

The capital of Belgium and native town of Andreas Vesalius, Van Ilelmont,
Philippe Champagne, Van der Meulen, and Duqueanoy natumlly became the
scat of the leading scientific societies of the country. Amongst these there is
an As8or;iation for the Exphjration of Africa, wliich owes perhajjs more to tho
royal patronage bestowed \i\)(m it tlian to a true love of science, for similar societies
in other parts of KuroiK-, though of more ancient standing, are lar less wealthy. t
The observatory of UruHsels has become famous through the labours of (iuetelet,
whilst tho univcrnity, an instituticjn ecpially independent of Church and State, is
annually incnjasing in importance, and was attended in 1H77 by 880 students.
Amongst the npocial whools is a Conservatory of Music, which has perhaps
achieved greal«:r hiicccss in tlic training c)t' its j)iipils tluin any otlicr similar

• T' ■ n\mi,{ V.rw^mU nrf Ixi'II^h, ;{I,Ii!)2 iiili;il,iliiiil« ; KM' rl.<i k. 10,011 iiilialiiliiiilH ; SI, .(..mnc-
X*T\-'S<xi I I J iiilial/itiiiitu ; H<:hiwjrl>cck, 31,177 inliuliiliintt ; .Mcilinlink-St,. .I.un, 'M :i'M iiihiiiiilanlH ;
An»I»Tl«»lit, IH,';i/i inhaliiUiiU; 8t. Oilles, 27,782 inhatiitnnU ; and Lttukon, H;,ll7 iiiliiilntttiilu. In
lM.if> liniR^rU, infliidint^ lliri tiiit.iiM.^ imffi<rl, |iii<l W.).'M\\ itiliiil)ifatitn.

♦ I.|< to .J/iniiary l«t, IH7K, thin ofwc lali^ii hail ( ollcctcil £17,400, and itB iinniuil rtvciiuti mnouiitod

416 BELGIUM.

institution. Choral and orchestral societies abound. Parks, zoological and
botanical gardens, and shady walks contribute to the health and pleasure of the
citizens. The largest of these parks, that of Laeken in the north, and that of
Cambrc in the south, are veritable botanical gardens, for they are rich in exotic
plants.

Owing to the central position of the town and the network of canals and
railways which connects it with all parts of Belgium, the commerce of Brussels is
continually increasing in importance. The Senne is no longer a navigable river,
as in the fifteenth century ; but a navigation canal, running past Willebroek (5,125
inhabitants) to the Rupel, has been substituted for it, and enables sea-going
vessels to reach the quays of Brussels.*

The basin of the Dender, to the west of that of the Senne, is populous, although
without large cities. Ath (8,850 inhabitants) is a commercial town, near which
rises the castle of the Princes of Ligne, abounding in art treasures. Leiize (G,'300
inhabitants), half-way between Ath and Tournay, manufactures silk stuffs.
Lessines (6,700 inhabitants), where the Dender is joined by a tributary rising
beyond Ellezelles (5,450 inhabitants), rivals Quenast in the importance of its
quarries of porphyry. Grammonf, or Geertsberyen (9,100 inhabitants), is noted for
its black lace. Ninovon (6,300 inhabitants) manufactures cotton stuflfs and gloves.
Alost, or Aalat (20,982 inhabitants), exports the hops grown in its neighbourhood ;
it is the old capital of Imperial Flanders, and in it Thierry Maertens, in 1473, set
up the first printing-press in Belgium. Termonde, or Dendermonde (8,250 inha-
bitants), on low ground at the mouth of the Dender into the Schelde, is kept up
as a fortress, defending the southern approach to Antwerp.

Mons (24,310 inhabitants), the capital of the province of Ilainaut, is built upon
the slope of a hill. The fortifications which surround it have stifled its growth,
and whilst populous towns sprang up all around, Mons itself underwent but
few changes in the course of centuries. Like Charleroi, it is the centre of an
extensive coal-mining and manufacturing district, the principal industrial towns
near it being Jemappea (10,816 inhabitants), Qnaregnon (12,138 inhabitants),
Wasmes - en - Borinage (11,714 inhabitants), Pdturages (10,232 inhabitants),
Frameries (9,950 inhabitants), and Dour (8,850 inhabitants). The coal-field of
Mons is the most productive of Belgium, and does not appear to have been opened
up before the fourteenth century, or nearly a hundred years later than that of
Liege. In the time of Louis XIV. the miners had penetrated to a depth of 230
feet, whilst of the 156 coal seams at present known about 80 are available and
furnish coal of various descriptions. Millions of tonst are annually exported on
the canal connecting Mons with Conde in France, branches of which communicate
with Tournay and the valley of the Dender.

The capital of Ilainaut + is not of vulgar aspect, like the majority of mining
towns. Its venerable Gothic cathedral occupies the top of a hill, whilst the

• In 1877 IGl sea-going vessels, of 22,46" tons burden, entered Brussels,
t In 1876 the coal-field of Hainaut yielded 10,098,000 tons.

i That is, district of the river Haine. Borinage is the name of the coal-field which extends from
Mons to the French frontier.

TOWNS.

417

belfry near it is supposed to stand on the site of a tower built by Julius Caesar.
Mons has frequently been besieged, and several memorable battles have been
fought in its vicinity. One of them was named after the village of Malplaqnet,
though the contest of 1709 virtually took place 10 miles to the south of the Belgian
village, on French soil. At Jemappes, to the west of Mons, the French, com-
manded by Dumouriez, achieved a great victory in 1792.

The most important centres of population between Mons and Charleroi are
La Louriere (10,211 inhabitants) and the picturesque town of Binche (7,850
inhabitants), near which, in the castle of Estinnes, King Dagobert resided for a
considerable time. Other populous towns in the same part of the country are

Fig. 232. — Moxs and the Borixage.
Scale 1 : 110,000.

. I ' 50- E.of P

'■").i K.of G

5';.6-

MilcH.

Anderluf-H (;>,.'iOO iiihaljilant.s;, Morlamrelz (0,200 iiiliabitants), Carnihrs (5,500
inhabitantH^, JIondcHtj-AimerieH (5,050 iiiliabitants), and Iloudctui-Girijnics (5,050
inhabitaiitHj. V/ruweJz (7,950 iiihubilants), a manufacturing tow n, lies on tin; oilier
side of MoHH, towarrln Touriiay, whilst liamlmir (5,H00 inhabitants) is bituato in
the nortli-west, near the Hource of tlicr I)<tu1(t.

Tonrntiij, or Jtoornick ('J2,145 iiiliabitants), is tlic; most vcnerablo city of
iJeigiuiri. Originally inhabifffi by Norvii, then occupied by llie Uoinans, uiid
Bubw!(pienfly the capitiil of a l-'raiikish kiiig(lr)in, 'I'ouniay has at nil times
enjoyefl the advuntag«!M conferred by its position on the navigable Sehelde, imd
at till; nieelirig-plu<;(! of wiVJ-ral important natural highways. Harges, Inf tlm
most part laden with coal, crowd its harhour. The cathedral is a ny/anlino

418 BELGIUM.

structure of tlie twelfth century, with a Gothic choir of the fourteenth. It
is the most remarkable mediajval building of iJelgium, and amongst its
thousand columns there are not two alike, so inexhaustible has been the
fantasy of the masons employed upon it. The belfry dates back to the
eleventh century, and is the oldest in Belgium, and there still exist two private
houses equally old, a very rare feature in our European cities, which have
undergone so many vicissitudes since the Middle Ages. The manufacture of
hosiery and carpets is carried on as of yore, most of the workmen being employed
at their own homes. The argillo-calcareous soil of the environs is favourable to
the cultivation of pears, and several new varieties of that delicious fruit have been
"created " in the district. The neighbouring hills furnish lime for export.

Audenarde, or Oudenaerde (5,575 inhabitants), also on the Schelde, between
Tournay and Ghent, has not maintnined its rank amongst the towns of Flanders,
and is surpassed in poj^ulation by its modern rival Renaix, or Rome (14,080
inhabitants), in the undulating country to the south of it. But Audenarde
could not be robbed of the buildings which were witnesses of its ancient glory,
including a Gothic town-hall and two Byzantine churches. In the sixteenth
century between 12,000 and 14,000 persons were employed at Audenarde in the
manufacture of carpets. The town has sustained many sieges, and the flooded
lowlands which surround it have proved a better defence than its walls.

The Lys, before joining the Schelde in the city of Ghent, washes the quays of
several populous towns. It separates Comiues into two parts, one French, the
other (3,480 inhabitants) Belgian. It then flows past Wervicq, or Werwick (6,950
inhabitants), the Ptoman Viroviacum, with its tobacco factories, conveniently
situated for French smugglers. Lower down it passes Menin, or Meenen (11,337
inhabitants), a town of Avarehouses and cotton-mills, famous two centuries ago
for its hundred breweries. Courtrai, or Kortryk (26,389 inhabitants), also on the
Lys, is the commercial centre of a considerable portion of Western Flanders. The
flax grown in the neighbourhood is of superior quality, and the linen and lace of
Courtrai are as highly valued now as they w'ere in the Middle Ages. An ancient
and glorious city, Courtrai boasts of a town-hall, a belfry, and a Gothic church cf
the thirteenth century, with stained windows and a painting by Van Dyck. The
" Battle of the Spurs," in which the citizens of Ghent defeated the knights of
Philippe le Bel, was fought near the town.

The other towns of the district lie at some distance from the Lj'^s, the banks of
which, as far as Ghent, are marshy. Mouscron, or Mouscroen (9,850 inhabitants),
one amongst them, is to the south of Courtrai, near the French frontier. To the
west of the Lys are Ingclmiinster (5,850 inhabitants), where tapestry is made,
Harleheke (5,650 inhabitants), Iseghem (8,900 inhabitants), Waercghem (7,100
inhabitants), Meulcbcke (9,000 inhabitants), Eumhcke (5,900 inhabitants), Roa-
Icrs, or Rousselaer (16,133 inhabitants), Jloorsh'de (6,400 inhabitants), Ardoj/e
(6,450 inhabitants), T/iiclt (10,209 inhabitants), Rmjsselede (6,650 inhabitants),
Somerghem (5,650 inhabitants), and Acltre (6,900 inhabitants). These towns are
especially notable on account of the care with which the country in their vicinity

<
&
&

ffl
O

TOWNS.

419

is cultivated, tobacco and cereals being the principal crops raised. Crvyshautcm
(5,700 inhabitants) is the most important town to the east of the Lys.

Gnnd, called Gent by the Flemings, and Ghent in English (127,653 inha-
bitants), occupies one of those happy positions which always enable a town to
recover after every disaster by which it is overtaken. Situate at the point of
junction of the Schelde, Lys, Lieve, and Moere, it has naturally become the
emporium of the upper valleys of these rivers. The tide ascends the Schelde as far
as its quays, and the river, forming an elbow, approaches close to the sea before
sweeping round to the east. For centuries past the Ghenters have taken advantage
of this proximity to the sea, and a canal excavated by them enabled their vessels
to proceed direct to foreign countries. Roads, and recently railways, have still

Fiij. 233.— Ghent (Gand).
Scale 1 : 150,000.

W.of Paris

E.of O.

?>• l»o

1 MUe.

further increawxl the means of communicatirin. Ghent is the tliird city of Jk'lgiuiii
in population, but the first in industry. The number of its inhabitants is probably
not inferior now to what it wu» in the time of its greatest power. The custom of
trilling a boll when the workmen left their shops, in order that peaceable citizens
miglit retire to their houses, is rather an (;vidence of tho rough manners of tho
jwrrifKJ than a proof of Cihcnt having had at one time HO, 000 men capable of bearing
arms. Old pliins and (bjcumenls ]>rov<! wvy <'onclusivcly that (iliciii was at no
time larger than it is now, and us to (-'harloH V. telling Francis 1. lliiit " lie could
put I'aris in his glovo difinl.),'^ that was m(!n-ly a i)lay \\\nm words. IS'o one has
contribut<(l more largely to the decadence of the city than that emperor, himself
ii native of it.

420

BELGIUM.

Rivers and canals divide Ghent into twenty-four insular quarters, joined to each
other by a hundred bridf^es. Its pliysiognomy is almost Dutch, but its historical
associations are its own. Its tall belfry, town-hall, Friday market, statue of
Jacob van Artevelde, and the massive old gate known as Porte Rabot, revive in
us the memories of times long past. IJuildings of historical repute and the open
squares upon which the guilds held their popular meetings are likely to interest
the student of history, whilst the artist will hasten to the Gothic cathedral
of St. IJavon, to examine the paintings by Rubens, and the " Adoration of the
Lamb " by the brothers Van Eyck.

The capital of Flanders is still entitled to be called a seat of the arts, for its

Fig. 231. — Ghent: Poute Rabot.

academy is frequented by hundreds of pupils, and its museum contains valuable
treasures, mostly obtained from the monasteries suppressed during the French
Revolution. The oldest newspaper of Belgium, the Gazette van Gent, established
in 1667, continues to be published. A Government university, affiliated with
which are engineering and technical schools, is attended by 550 students. The
public library, placed in a nave of the old conventual church of Bandeloo, is one
of the richest in Europe. Ghent contains the two largest hegmnaycs of Bel-
gium, inhabited by unmarried women who have taken temporary vows. The
heguines, on first entering the community, live in common, but after they have
reached the age of twenty-eight or thirty they are permitted the use of a separate

TOWXS. 421

dwelling. The larger of the two establishments, in the suburb of St. Amand, is
inhabited by 700 women. Candidates are only admitted if they have some private
means, and, as living in common is cheap, the beguines are able to sell the lace and
other needlework done by them at a lower rate than independent workwomen. The
large prison of Ghent is likewise a huge manufactory, and the working classes of
the city, who frequently suffer from want, have some right to complain of the
unfair competition to which they are subjected by these establishments.

Ghent might have become a Belgian Manchester if it hud had a Liverpool
nearer to it than Antwerp.* Efforts have been made, not without some success,
to place the town in communication with the Dutch port of Terneuzen. The old
canal has been deepened, and a vessel of 633 tons burden has before this succeeded
in reaching the docks of Ghent. t The town, besides being distinguished for its
commerce and industry, is foremost in the cultivation of ornamental plants. It
deserves the epithet of " City of Flowers," for its floral shows are admirable,
and a walk through its flower-market or greenhouses is a source of real plea-

sure.*

Large towns are numerous around Ghent and in the plains of the Schelde as far
as Antwerp. Lcdeberg (9,100 inhabitants), to the south of Ghent, is hardly more
than a suburb of its great neighliour, and the same may be said of 2£ont St. Atnatid,
or Sint-Amanrhherg (6,300 inhabitants), to the east. Eecloo (10,318 inhabitants),
on the almost imperceptible height of land which separates the middle course of
the Schelde from the sea, is a small manufacturing town. Somergfiem (5,650 inha-
bitants), Eccrghein (6,050 inhabitants), and Calckcn (5,300 inhabitants) are the
centres of agricultural districts. Wettercn (10,415 inhabitants), on the right bank
of the Schelde, is known for its strong brown beer, or ui/zcf. Loheren (17,400
inhabitants), to the north of the Schelde, and its neighbours, Zelc (12,578 inha-
bitants) and Mofrhfke-lcz-Lokeren (5,150 inhabitants), are important manufacturing
towns, with e.xtensive bleaching grounds. Sfckctip (7,050 inhabitants), near
the Dutch frontier, is a commercial depot between the valley of the Schelde and
its port of Hulst in Zealand. WacHmunHtrr (5,850 inhabitants) is one of the most
wealthy towns of the fertile " land of Waes," the princi])al centre of population of
which is St. XirohiH (25,165 inhabitants). Jinnrii, in Waes (7,550 inhabitants),
manufactures lace. J{oom (12,078 inhabitants), a town of brick-kilns, at the mouth
of the canal of Willcbroek into the Kupel, is the half-way station on the navigable
highway which connects Brussels with Antwerp. Ifanniic (10,778 inha])itants),
to the Bouth of St. Nicolas, manufactures lace and linen. Tamisc, or Tenmclie
(0,700 inhabitants), on the left bank of the Sclielde, here spanned by its lowest
briflge, is of some importance aa u placr; of traflic. Ihrtilicm (5,050 iniialiilants)
lies \4) the south-eaKt of it. lliiprlmoiulf (2,800 inhabitants), as its name implii^s,
lie*! at the mouth of the IIujk;!, and has lianrlc (5,2H0 inhabitants) for its suburb.

• In I87<< tli«r<' wcro 480,000 ii|iiri(lliH in ( oltoii-tnJllM, iitirl 100, (lOO in (lnx-inillM, t)ir imriil" r nf
IticUiry hanilM ln-inj^ l/>,000.

t In 1H77 <{»:{ vfiMMU. of |.'*M,0.*0 l«in« biinlin. i-uUriil tin' |Hirt nf (Slicnt

I 'I h" 'rtfiital rtn|»loy<<l tiy Ui»' ((nri\iium nf (Jlicnl anioiinlM to Jt.'J.OOO.OOO ; tiny Imvo ovir 100 giumi-
)maum.«, nri'l annually fxiM;rt flowi-ni In Ihv vuluu of jCIO.OOO.

422

BELGIUM.

This town of brick-kilns was the birthplace of Gerhard Kramer, the famous geo-
grapher, better known as Mercator.

Antwerp, in Flemish Antwerpen, in French Anren (150,050 inhabitants), is the
second town of Belgium in population, the tirst for its maritime commerce, and the
only large fortress. It has existed now for at least twelve centuries, but its com-
mercial advantages were not originally what they now are ; for it was only in
the fifteenth century that the Hont, or Eastern Schelde, became changed into a
navigable highway, thus converting an inland village into a maritime city. For
a long time afterwards, however, Antwerp remained a place of little note, for the

FiiT. 235. — Antwerp.

Scale 1 : 150.(300.

2 MUes.

Zwyn, which led up to Bruges into the most industrial part of Flanders, presented
greater facilities for commerce than the upper estuary of the Schelde. In 14-44
only four merchants resided at Antwerp, and six small vessels sufBced for its
modest commerce. But in proportion as the Zwyn became silted up, so did
Antwerp increase in importance. In 1503 the Portuguese, who shortly before
had opened an ocean highway to India, established one of their factories at Ant-
werp, and other nations followed suit. About the middle of the sixteenth century
Antwerp had attained the height of its prosperity, and occasionally as many as a
hundred vessels availed themselves of a single tide to reach its port. " Excepting

H
I

;?;

TOWNS. 423

Paris," says Guicciardini, " there is no town beyond the Alps which can compare
with Antwerp in wealth and power." This prosperity, however, was but of short
duration, for wars, massacres, visitations of the plague, and the introduction of the
Inquisition rapidly destroyed it. In 1568 Antwerp had a population of more
than 100,000 souls, but a century later not half that number. The Dutch,
who had possession of the mouths of the Schelde, impeded its free navigation, and
in the treaty of ^Vestphalia (1G48) they secured a monopoly of it. Amsterdam
then inherited the commerce of Antwerp. Still the geographical position of the
Belgian city, on a deep navigable river, is so favourable a one that its commerce
very quickly revived when political circumstances became more auspicious.
The city now has more inhabitants, carries on a more extensive commerce, and
is wealthier than at any previous epoch in its history ; and, unless natural
causes or a war with the Dutch should close up its great river highway, its
commerce is sure to increase with every year. The silting up of the Lower
Schelde, however, is going on at an increasing rate, and Belgian engineers have
actually proposed to supersede the Schelde by an artificial navigation canal 25 feet
in depth, which, passing entirely through Belgian territory, would debouch upon
the roadstead of Ileyst. If that work should ever be carried out, Antwerp would
once more be reduced from its high estate, and Bruges become the great commercial
emporium of Belgium.

The old city extends for a couple of miles along the right bank of the Schelde,
being bounded on the north by the docks, and on the south by a railway station,
occupying the site of the old citadel, only recently demolished. The ramparts
which formed the defence of Antwerp during the memorable sieges of 1814 and
1832 have been levelled and planted with trees. New quarters have sprung up
beyond them, covering a larger area than the ancient city, but wide open spaces
still extend to the new enceinte, which, in addition to Antwerp proper, engirdles
also the indrpcndent communes of Iior<jerhoxd (18,G'J7 inhabitants) and livrchem
(8,450 inhabitants). Narrow winding streets still distinguish tlio old town, whilst
wide straight avenues and gardens preponderates in the new quarters. The public
promenades arc amongst the most l)cautiful in lOurope, and the zoological gardens
have acquired a well-merited celebrity. Antwerp is a city of monuments. A
monument has becin raised in honotir of the Belgii who fought so valiantly against
Julius Ca,'sar, whilst statues of Ru])ens, Teniers, Van Dyck, and others ornament
the open places. Ortelius, the famous geographer and author of the " Theatrum
Mundi," has not yet been similarly lionoured.

Fine pu]>lic buildings are numerous. The exchange — rebuilt in its ])riHtino
»umptuouHnes% after the fire of 18(J0 ; the town-hall, with historical paintings by
Ijoys ; the hulls of the ancient trad*; guilds ; and many of tlio churches are
dewrvedly held in Iiigh estimation. Hut tlie fon^most position amongst tlio
buildings of Antwerp must bo assigniMJ to its (cathedral, raised between the
fourteenth and sixteenth centtiries, and br-yond u doubt the most noble edi(ic(! of
that kind in all I^elgium. Its marvellous spiro rises to a licigjit ol' 102 feet.
The nave is simple and overpowering in its proportions ; but the great atlrac.lion

424

BELGIUM.

Fig. 236.— The Catuedhal of Antwerp.

of the interior lies in the wonderful paintings by Rubens which embellish it,

TOWNS. 425

most famous amongst which is a " Descent from the Cross." The ironwork of
the fountain in front of the west door was executed by the Antwerp blacksmith,
Quentin Matsys. The museum contains a most valuable collection of paintings,
for the most part by Flemish masters. Art is still honoured in the city of Rubens,
and the academy attached to the museum is frequented by 1,700 students.

As a place of commerce Antwerp has taken an extraordinary development
since the middle of the nineteenth century, and, next to Hamburg, it is now the
most important maritime city of continental Europe. Nine-tenths of the maritime
trade of Belgium pass through it, and a list enumerating the exports and imports
would be as lengthy as one detailing the trade of the whole country. The docks
cover an area of 99 acres, besides which the Schelde, bordered by fine quays, offers
a secure roadstead to hundreds of vessels. Steamers place Antwerp in regular
communication with many ports of Europe and America, and yet, curiously
enough, that flourishing commercial port has hardly any vessels of its own.*

It is but rarely that a great fortress carries on a flourishing commerce, and if
Antwerp is an exception, this is solely due to its remarkably favourable position
for defence, as well as for the carrying on of maritime trade. The facility with
which the environs of the town can be inundated, the advantages presented by the
Lower Schelde as a ba.se of operations, and the numerous natural high-roads wliich
converge upon the town explain how military engineers came to select it as the
great central stronghold of all Belgium. Amongst the forts on the Schelde
below Antwerp, tho.se of Marie and St. Philippe are the most interesting. They
were built in lo84 bv the Duke of Parma, and the stockades and bridu;e8 which
ultimately separated the beleaguered citizens from their friends in Zealand rose
between them.

The Westkrv Maritime Region. — Bruges, or Brugge (45,097 inhabitants),
the capital of West Flanders, had attained celebrity long before Ghent and
Antwerj), and its name figures in the most ancient Spanish portulanos in exist-
ence. At one time its port was crowded with ves.sel.s, and twenty nations main-
tained factories there. It was at Bruges that insurance societies were first
founded, and the institution of the Bourse was named after one of its citizens,
Van den lieurwin, in front of whose house the merchants u.sed to congregate to
di.scuss the state of the market. The first liourse, or E.Kchaiige, however, was
built at Antwoq). Bruges was famous for its duths and jewellery, no less than
for the beauty of its women : —

" Formf^m Uriiffffii puclliii gaudot."

The (>](] paintings ])y M«-inling convey some notion of ihv. luxury in dress
whifh the citizens of Brug(;8 |)eriMitted themselves when in the height of their
proHp*irify.

• CV/mmrrro of Antwerp, 1870; —

Hy r./inil ftml f'annj. Hy Hmi.

InilK.rtii ... ... t;i,:i'.M,.|MO X.'lH.in.J.IHO

KxixirU , ... X.J.IOa.'iOO £10,1(12,(180

Tmnnit .... £7,288,100

38 «««a-g(iirij( veniold, «t 3tt,376 taiw, Ulongcd to tli(^ i<ort.

426

BELGIUM.

The rivalries between Bruges and Ghent, foreign and civil wars, and the
destruction of the local liberties by the Dukes of Burgundy sufficiently account
for the decay of the town ; but it might have recovered from these disasters,
had not nature been against her by filling up the old estuary of the Zwyn. It is
true the ancient river highway has been replaced by a navigable canal which
joins Bruges to Ostend, and enables vessels of a draught of 14 feet 6 inches to reach
its docks ; but what are the commercial advantages of this canal when compared
with those offered by the Schelde to the merchants of Antwerp ? Bruges no
longer fills the space enclosed by its old ramparts, now converted into pro-

Pig. 237. — Bruges and the Old Zwyn.

Scale 1 : 223,000.

B. of P. |0"60

E.of Gr Ij'lO

2 Miles.

menades, and the number of its inhabitants is diminishing.* "Worse still, in no
other town of Belgium is pauperism more widespread. Lace-making, which
employs most of the poor, is far from being remunerative. Walking through
the silent streets of the old city, we might fancy ourselves in a museum. Nearly
all the remarkable buildings lie witliin a narrow compass, towards the centre of
the city : the belfry ; the cathedral ; the church of Our Lady, with Michael
Angelo's statue of the Virgin and the sumptuous tomb of Mary of Burgundy ;
the chapel of St. Sang, much frequented by pilgrims ; the town-hall ; and the
hospital of St. John, with paintings by Memling. It was at Bruges that Caxton

* Inhabitants :— 1846, 49,803 ; 1866, 47,205 ; 1876, 45,097.

TOWNS.

427

brought out his " Recuyell of the Historyes of Troy," the first book printed in
the English language. Statues have been erected to several famous natives of
the town. One of them was Simon Stevin, the mathematician (born 1548).
Milne-Edwards and De Potter are likewise natives of Bruges.

Damme, the old port of Bruges, has dwindled down into a village, with a
belfry and town-hall to remind us of the past. Sluis, or L'Eclusc, a Dutch town
near the mouth of the Zwyn, where that river is joined by a brook flowing past

Fig. 238.— OsTEND.
Scale 1 : 60,000.

E.of P

^^ ^W//

E off}.

I Mile.

the agriciiltural town ai Mnhlffilinn (8,500 inhabitants), has fared iin belter. Tho
actual port, of FlanderH \h Ox/nul (\(\,H2'-i iiilial)itants), on i\u> open sea, a town
renrlorod farrious by a tlircf;-yeurH' sicigo HUHfaiiied against IIk; Spaniardw in IIk;
Ix'ginning of tlie Hevontoenf h centiiry . ()hU>au\ in tho second port of li<'lgium, most of
its trade l»i;ing carrifid on wifli J'lnglnnfl and in Knglisli bollfiuis. The recent (•oni])oti-
tif>n of Klushing has injuriously nilccicil the passenger trnfric of the Fh-inish city.*

• IminnU (IH70), UM.ion ; «)Xi»orU U, KhkIhikJ, i(AH,HM. I'mwoiigorH (187^5), 3/;,741 ; (1H70), 24,270.

428 BELGIUM.

The fisheries, too, yield less frorr year to year. In 187G they employed 139 sloops,
for the most part the property of the shipwrights, sail-makers, chandlers, and
others engaged in their construction and equipment. There are oyster and
lobster parks ; the breeding of rabbits is carried on upon a large scale ; but a far
better source of income are the 15,000 or 20,000 strangers who annually visit
Ostend for the sake of its sea baths. Blankenberghe (2,150 inhabitants) and Ileyst
(5,740 inhabitants) to some extent compete with Ostend in the entertainment of
these welcome guests.

Ypres, or Yperen (15,515 inhabitants), is the principal town in the small basin
of the Yser. In the fourteenth century Ypres is said to have numbered 200,000
inhabitants, and although this may be an exaggeration, an ancient cloth hall, the
most extensive building of that kind in Belgium, eloquently proclaims its bygone
glories. Ypres, like most decayed towns of Flanders, carries on the manu-
facture of lace. Jansen, the founder of the Jansenists, lies buried in the Gothic
cathedral.

Popcringhe (11,300 inhabitants), near the French frontier, is a lively town
surrounded by hop gardens. Oostcamp (5,500 inhabitants), Thourout (8,700
inhabitants), Winghene (8,100 inhabitants), Langemark (6,700 inhabitants), Staden
(5,150 inhabitants), Sicevezeele (5,000 inhabitants), and Lichtervelde (6,500 inhabit-
ants) are the centres of agricultural districts ; but, upon the whole, this corner of
Belgium may be described as " a region of dead cities and swamp fevers." The
castle of Wynendaele, where Crestien of Troyes wrote most of his poems, has fallen
from its high estate, and is used as a manufactory. Dixmude, or Dixmuyde^i
(3,900 inhabitants), probably an old seaport, but now far inland, on the Yser,
is a pretty little place, with a fine Gothic church. Fumes, or Veurne (4,440
inhabitants), is hardly more than a large village. The country around is noted for
its fertility, and the fat meadow lands of Yeurne-Ambacht support large herds
of cattle and horses. Nieuport (2,900 inhabitants), now that its fortifications have
been razed, might be expected to grow into importance as a maritime town, for it
lies near the mouth of a navigable river, and canals and railways converge upon it.
For the present, however, there are no signs of a revival. What Nieuport wants
is a canal placing it in direct communication with the coal-field of Hainaut.
Such a canal was proposed by Yauban, but has not yet been constructed. It
would immensely facilitate communication in South-western Belgium, for barges
proceeding from Mens to Ypres are obliged now to travel by way of Ghent, and
a voyage which might be accomplished in a fortnight usually takes between two
and five months.

CHAPTER IV.

STATISTICS OF BELGIUM.

PoPrLATION.

^EYERAL Belgian towns have lost in population in the course of the
last three centuries, and the Ardennes are able to support only few
inhabitants ; yet amongst the states of Europe Belgium is the most
thickly peopled. If the whole globe were inhabited as densel}', its
population would number 25 milliards, or about seventeen times
more individuals than now.

Taking the number of men capable of bearing arms as a base for our computa-
tion, it will be found that the territory which has now become Belgium contained
nearly 000,000 inhabitants when Caesar invaded it and reduced it to a howling
wilderness. Since that time there have been many oscillations, brought about by
war, famine, and pestilence. Ever since the creation of the existing kingdom the
population has been increasing, except in the year 1847, when typhus carried off
thousands in Flanders, and the deaths throughout the kingdom exceeded the
births. The increase of population is due almost entirely to an excess of births
over deaths, for the number of foreigners residing in the country is small.* The
struggle for existence is a sore one in the towns, and foreigners do not care to
participate in it. Kather does it happen that Belgians go abroad to improve their
condition. Upm the whole, however, they are a sedentary people, and more than
a third of them die in the parinh in whidi they were born.t Tliis is all the nioro
curious as the towns exercise the Hamo attraction upon tlie rural ])opulation of
Belgium as in other countries. Even now the towns contain about a iburth of
the tot.jil fX)pulation, and flity increase at a r.ipid rate, whilst the purely agricul-
tural districts are stationary, or even retrograde!. ^

The hygienic condifions are favouriibb; 1o life in Belgium, Ihc mean age
attained being forty or forty-one; yearn, whilst inrlividuals \vli(» Hurvive the

• In \Hm th<r<! wrrTf! 68.017 (32,0'^1 Fr.ruh, 20,701 (J.-nii/irm, iin<l .'l.OO.'l Kn^fliiih).

♦ |J< Ijcioriw )xirn in th«i {mriNh in wtiiih liny r« «i<i<wl : IS/iO, H\> 1 (icr ctiit. ; lK(5(i, C,\)-i ]ur cent.

} luiTiHi¥-, IHiO -76 ;— Mi«rl<ir<ii (<<i<il iniinH;, I H* |M;r ccut. ; UruwMtlN, 80 pur coat. ; l.iiK''. •>** I'ur
fjitit, ; V»!rri«r», W) p»fr (:«^ut. ; Monii, 60 jier wnt.

480

BELGIUM.

first five years live beyond fifty. The rate of births is 30 to every 1,000
of the population ; the death-rate only 22. These proportions, however, vary
much in different localities, the rural and hilly districts being by far the
most salubrious.* A map coloured to show the mortality throughout the
country would bear a great resemblance to a hypsographical map, and the plains,
being least salubrious, would present a striking contrast to the hilly country
almost exclusively inhabited by Wallons. In Flanders, where the population

Fig. 239.— Comparative Increase of the Total Population, the Wallons, and the Flemings.

■

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Bilingual & Trilingual

i Germans

is densest, people die faster and the increase is slower than in other parts. All
the statistics collected in hospitals and elsewhere prove the inferior vitality of
the Flemings as compared with the Wallons. Consumption, which carries off
nearly a fifth of the Belgians, is more especially rampant amongst the Flemings,
who suffer likewise disproportionally from rickets, cancer, mental and other

* Death rate in towns, 27-o, in rural districts 22-3 per 1,000 inhabitants ; in West Flanders, 25 ;
in the province of Namur, only 18 per 1,000.

STATISTICS OF BELGIUM.

431

diseases, and furnish a smaller contingent to the army than the 'V\^allon8. Is this
contrast due to differences of climate, or to qualities inherent in the two races ?
M. Meynne ascribes it to the poverty of the working population, whilst M. Van-
kinderen traces it to " historical and moral causes," Flemish Belgium having
suffered most from the effects of foreign rule.

"Whatever the cause, the increase of its agricultural produce enables Belgium
to provide for its ever-growing population. True the vast majority of the

Fig. 240. — Incbease of PoprLAxioN, 1840—75.
Scale 1 : 2,560,000.

.•V /*

'-Lwawntoour^

E.olOr 1

O o 0 o

CMcr mjiX iniitinpX tninvijtX 30 to to pf

Uitr m pX

'.USHOoi.

inhabitants arc steeped in poverty,* l)ut it is nevertheless surprising that so vast
a multitude, crowded witliin such narrow bound.s, should manage to live at all.

AoRicuLTtnr-.

No country is more carefully eiiltlvatcd than Belgium. Its grout agricultural
rogioHH Coincide in a remarkal^le' manncsr witli its guologieiil on<!s. Tn tho
ArfhiincM, where the ffjnnati'tnH are most unci(!nt, agrieiilliire is carrie*! on in fho

• f(i I «."<.'< 10 f(»r if-nX. u\ all fiiniili'n lived in ciwy (■ir<iiiiiMlnrn<'H ; 41! |mt fint. w< rr modrnili ly widl
<n,\\\i,\\)i\\ fr(r|ii(iitly c.tii)iiimiJNM;tl ; wliiUt 4K |« I 1 . Ill wi ri^ pour, ouu-lmir iif llir III living in uhuoluto
w/int. (M. M>-ynno.)

432 BELGIUM.

most primitive fashion. More than a fourth of the area there is still covered with
furze and shrubs. In many localities, not yet subdivided into fields, the peasants
burn the grass, and sow their seed in the ashes. These plots are only sown once
every ten, twelve, or fifteen years, whilst fields in the neighbourhood produce
crops three years in succession, after which they are allowed to lie fallow. In
many parts the land is still held in common, and the cattle of all the inhabitants
graze in one herd. In Conclroz, a district less elevated and of more recent
formation, the land has become individual property, and barren tracts are rare,
but one-third of the soil annually remains uncultivated. The bottom-lands of
JfcHbaj/e, at the foot of the hills, on the other hand, are allowed no rest whatever.
They are carefully drained, and a regular rotation of crops is observed. Finally,
there is the region of sands, which covers more than half of Belgium. It still
includes extensive heaths and forests, more especially in the Campine, but upon
the whole it is the best-tilled portion of the country. Flanders, now the wealthiest
province of Belgium, has been most niggardly dealt with by nature as respects its
soil. It is, in fact, a continuation of that barren region, the Campine, and of the wide
tract of sand which beyond the Rhine forms the Geest of Hanover and the Heath
of Liineburg. And yet we speak of the " fat land " of Flanders and its " fields of
plenty." But Flanders deserves these epithets, for the labour of man has enriched
the originally poor soil, and rendered it productive. Flanders astonishes us by
the variety and abundance of its productions. Such results, however, are not
achieved without considerable labour and outlay. The Flemish peasants spend
annually between 25s. and 35s. an acre in manure, which is far above what is
expended in England or Lombardy. The Flemish system of cultivation is
gradually encroaching upon the Campine. Pines are planted first, then the
woodmen grub up a plot of untilled soil, and introduce a few annuals. In
the middle of the century an acre of heath land could be purchased for 4s:,
whilst now its value is tenfold. The uncultivated tracts of Belgium are
extensive, no doubt, but about 7,400,000 acres yield two harvests* a year,
and the annual value of the agricultural produce amounts to at least £600,000,000.
Land is rapidlj'^ increasing in value, and whilst the average cost of an acre
was £52 in 185G, it was £68 in 1866, and prices since then have risen con-
siderably, t

The variety of agricultural produce is very great ; still each region devotes
itself more or less to some special crop suited to its soil. The Polders produce
hay and barley ; Flanders and the Campine rye ; Hesbaye wheat. In the hilly
district of Condroz spelt is grown, in the Ardennes oats and rye, whilst in the
well- sheltered basin of the Semoy, in the south-east, wheat and fruits are the
principal produce.

Industrial plants, including beet-roots, flax, colza, and tobacco, are grown

• Distribution of the soil of Belgium per cent. :— Com, 36-3 ; vegetables, 1-4 ; industrial plants, 4-3
roots and fodder, 14-2 ; meadows and orchards, 13-7 ; market gardens, 1-4; woods and plantations, 16-8;
fallow, 2-0; heath, shrubs, &c., 9'9.

t Average value of an acre (1866) : — In the region of loamy bottom-lands, £89 12s. ; in Flanders,
£82 8s. ; in the Ardennes, £23. The annual rent varied between 17s. and 41s.

STATISTICS OF BELGIUM. 433

extensively. As to the Tineyards in the valley of the Meuse, around Liege, Huy, and
Dinant, they yield but an indifferent wine.

Horticulture and market gardening are carried on with great success, being
stimulated by the demands of numerous populous towns. "Brussels sprouts"
enjoy a high reputation amongst vegetables, and much fruit is annually exported
to London. As early as the sixteenth century the Flemings were celebrated for
their love of flowers. They founded societies to promote the cultivation and pro-
duction of rare varieties, and instituted flower shows. Horticultural societies are
still numerous, and every large town has its greenhouses and hothouses, in which
exotic and other plants are cultivated. The greenhouses of one of the most
successful horticulturists contain 1,200 species of orchids, and to obtain these he
travelled for several years in tropical America, and sent botanists into various
quarters of the globe. The gardeners of Belgium, besides supplying the home
demand, which is very brisk, export plants into nearly every country of the world.

The subdivision of the soil is carried to a considerable length, at all events in
the plain, and, as a rule, the smaller the plot, the greater the yield. In Eastern
Flanders, on property hardly exceeding 2 acres in extent,* the land yields
nearly thrice the quantity of food a similar area does in England. Of agricul-
tural machinery there is hardly any, the spade being the great implement of
husbandry. In those parts of the kingdom in which the soil is best tilled its
cultivators earn least. The agricultural population, as a rule, live upon rye or
raangcorn bread, potatoes, a few vegetables, skimmed milk, and coffee with chicory.
Meat and beer arc reserved for holidays. In the Ardennes, where higher wages
are paid, the living is far better, although the soil is less productive.f

The number of horses is larger than would be expected in a country where
spade husbandry is so universal, but these draught animals are indispensable for
carrying the agricultural pro<luce to market, and in the home trade generally.
The heavy Flemish horses are highly esteemed, and in the Middle Ages, when
cumbrous armour was still worn, it was Flanders which furnished the European
chivalry with chargers. The small wiry horses of the Ardennes are renowned
for their <;ndurance, and none supported the horrors of the retreat from ^loscow
better than they did,

Tlie number of asses and mules is small, but horned cattle play an important
part in the rural economy of Belgium, grazing in thousands upon the fat meadows
and hillside pastures of the country. The bre(;d.s are various, and whilst in the
Arrlennes there are cows weighing, when ulive, hardly 'J'JO lbs., others in the
plains have four timcH that weight. Oxen are rarely employed as beasts of
draught. The district of Jfrrrc, an uneven plateau extending from the Vosdre to
tlie Meusc, is more espfjcially noted for its dairy- fanning and orchards. Its butler
and chw!Ho are as highly esteemed as similar j)roductions of the Canipino.

The number of iiheep decreawn in proportion as the enelosun- of pastures

• NnnilxT of lari'lcl \tTit\frti\itn (1H7(J;, 1,131,112; iiv<Tiif?i> fxtcnt of imli jirniMrty, (>•• ihiih.
(F. i\f f-«iri>lcyi', " I'ntriji JVlifirii.")

t Av-r ii^cn (if (((^riiriiUurttl Lilxdin i« (1875): — In I'lumkrH, llil. to Ih. Id. ii iliiy ; llinlmyi',

I*. 0(J. , , In. Ut -In. 0(1.

434 BELGIUM.

progresses. Belgium, at the same time, has never had a reputation for its wool.
Whilst the minute 8u\)division of the soil has proved a hindrance to the extension
of sheep-breeding, it has led to a very considerable increase in the number of
goats, the domestic animal of the poor man. Pigs are likewise numerous, and
within the last fifty years the breeds have been much improved. The Flemings
also breed rabbits and poultry. The beehives have recently decreased, owing to
large portions of the heaths of the Ardennes and the Campine having been
enclosed, but the value of wax and honey still amounts to £80,000 a year.*

Mining and Industry.

Belgium, from a very early epoch, has been one of the great industrial
countries of Europe. Its manufactories enjoy the advantage of having unlimited
supplies of coal within reach of them. The environs of Liege, Charleroi, and
Mons are richest in this subterranean treasure. f About one-fourth of the coal
raised is exported to France. In prosperous j'ears the coal mines yield a revenue
of £13,600,000, but it happens from time to time that the labouring population
agglomerated around them suffer from want of bread. Coal mining, moreover, as
practised in Belgium, exercises a demoralising influence on the population. As
recently as 1877 one-fourth of the miners and others employed in the pit were
boys and girls, many of them not yet ten years of age, whilst amongst the hands
working aboveground one-fourth consisted of women and children. A law, which
came into force on the 1st of August, 1878, determines that children under twelve
years of age must not be employed underground, but this law does not apply to
children already in that deplorable position. The distress at present prevailing
amongst the Belgian coal miners is partly caused by the vicinity of the German
coal basins, which are more easily worked.

The soil of Belgium, in addition to coal, yields porphyry and marble, slate,
phosphates, potters' clay, iron pj^rites used in the manufacture of sulphuric acid,
and zinc (at Moresnet, close to the German frontier) ; but by far more important
than either of these is its iron. The Belgian iron mines, unfortunately, are
nearly exhausted, and their produce decreases from year to year. J

The use of charcoal has almost disappeared from Belgium in the manufacture
of iron and steel, which is carried on extensively, but suffers perhaps more than

* Live stock (1866) :— 283,163 horses, 1,242,445 head of homed cattle, 586,097 sheep, 197,138 goats,
632,301 pigs, 878,000 rabbits, 4,410,000 bam fowls.

M. Leydcr (1873) estimates the annual produce of cattle-breeding, &c., as follows : — Beef and veal,
100,400,000 lbs. ; pork, oo,.500,000 lbs. ; cows' milk, 297,000,000 gallons ; goats' milk, 9,900,000 gallons;
wool, 2,6.50,000 lbs.

t Coal produced in 1874 :— Hainaut, 10,698,000 tons ; Liege, 3,531,000 tons ; all Belgium, 14,669,000
tons.

i In 1865 1,018,231 tons of iron ore were raised; in 1873, 503,565 tons ; in 1876, only 269,206 tons.

In 1876 138,434 "hands" worked in mines and quarries (108,543 in coal mines, 25,643 in quarries,
4,248 in metallic mines). They raised 14,329,578 tons of coal (£7,764,720), 269,206 tons of iron ore
(£98,280), 23,588 tons of iron pyrites (£22,600), 37,713 tons of calamine and blende (£102,200), 12,422 tons
of galena (£68,080), stones, &c., valued at £1,545,800. In 1877 101,343 hands were employed in coal
mines, 4,245 in metallic mines.

STATISTICS OF BELGIUM.

435

any otlier brancli of industry in seasons of commercial distress.* The same may
be said of the manufacture of machinery and of arms, principally carried on
at Liege; of that of glass, concentrated around Charleroi.f Belgium annually
exports glass into every country of the world. Far more settled than either
of the above industries is the manufacture of zinc, which increases from year to
year.+

The textile industries are flourishing. True the silks no longer enjoy the
reputation which made Antwerp famous in the sixteenth century, and the carpets
of Ingelmunster and Malines are not as highly esteemed as were those of Aude-
narde ; but the extension in the manufacture of linen, cotton stuffs, and woollen

Fig. 241. — Productiox of Coal in Belgium, 1845 — 75.

According to J. Reuleaux.

Ton3

£.St,

13.21)0.000

IJ.OOO 000

11.200.000
li.lOO.OOO

I.COOOOO

^.sooooo

9000.000
7200.000

».vf.vn

JOOOOOt

(wwoon
l.ino.ooo

S^iio rttn

2 400 000
1 too 000

PKinooo

LSJWO.OOO

aJOtjn)

IMOO.W//

/r\y

// \

^^y^

/ '^'

tim 'ini
1 '«• '«.

■

'€^

-.^

1
1

j^-''"'

6^--

y^ y

'>:>

"^ v^

0
0

*--.

0
0
0
0

■'..

Mh 1840 1S&6 1860 IHOS 1870 11

Krh»<l

cloths huM been very considcrablo Hince liclgiuiii has fonnod an iiulependcnt state.
Ten times more wool Ih annually con«um(;d in the cloth-mills than was the case
thirty years ago, and VervierB hu.s become a formidable rival of PHbouf and
Sedan. si Tlie cotton induatry is of impfirfiince, but only furniwhes goods of

• fn 1K7.'! thfTe Wfrn hi, in 1871 ''uly 3) blnat fumnrnH, turning out, in lhf< fonncr your, fi{(7,373, in
th«! WiU-r i;(0,.iOH l'.n« of iron. In 1H7(J tlicr<! witro |.ro<lii((!(i >M)',M) tonn of niNt iron, iinil J 10, '21 1 tonn
of tnaniifiutiir>-4l iron, incjunivo of 47, '200 \A>un of hU-A. In 187'* llio iron work», &c., cniiilnycd 10, rw.)
h«nd»; in IH77 only 37,019.

t In 1H73. 72 k''""*" ""'rloi, pr'»<liifinif nrlicinH viilii<(| ut £1,848,000 ; in 1870,70 kIiimh workn, viiltio
(it \itiAtu^^ £1,/17,',,200.

: In lH/,0, ■22,2»« Uin%; 1800,4/5,467 to nil ; 1«70, M.OOO tonii ; 1873, 02,871 tons; 1870, 70,30«

ifinik (£1,00.;,000;.

S In 1H40, •l,\i\-A \A.iin; in 1874, 61,064 U/ns (value, £4,000,000).

436 BELGIUM.

inferior quality. The linen manufacture was threatened with extinction some years
ago, but was saved through the substitution of machinery for liand labour. To
Belgium this was a vital question, for that branch of industry employed over
350,000 hands, most of them in Flanders. Hand-looms and spinning-wheels have
now almost disappeared, being used only for domestic fabrics and for the thread
required by the lace-makers.*

Lace-making has been carried on in Belgium since the fourteenth century. It
employs about 150,000 women, and lace of every description and colour is turned
out annually to the value of £4,000,000. The price paid for this kind of labour
is barely sufficient to defray the cost of living, and no class has physically
deteriorated in a more marked manner than the poor girls employed in the produc-
tion of these delicate fabrics.

Straw plaiting, a cottage industry, on the other hand, adds to the wealth of
the districts in which it is carried on. The cretaceous soil of the valley of the
Jekker, or Jaer, near Maastricht, is credited with bleaching the straw and render-
ing it supple, and the plaiting made there is almost as highly esteemed as that
of Italy, t

The manufacture of sugar and biscuits, the brewing of beer, and the distilling
of spirits are carried on for the most part in huge establishments. Some idea of
the extension of Belgian manufacturing industries may be obtained by considering
the increase in the number and horse-power of steam-engines. In 1800 there were
only 27, in 1838 1,044, in 1876 12,638 engines, these latter representing 540,000
horse-power, or the manual labour of 13,000,000 men. But whilst the machines
are at work, the men, too frequently, are condemned to involuntary idleness.
Every commercial crisis results in the impoverishment of thousands of labourers,
and their consequent physical deterioration. The great poverty of the people may
be judged of by the fact that the estimated rental of half the dwelling-houses
throughout the country is under 33s. a year, and 782 out of every 1,000 consist
only of a ground- floor.

Commerce.

The commerce of Belgium has increased in the same proportions as its manu-
facturing industries. The cities of that country have ever been the seats of a
flourishing commerce. As early as the days of the Roman Empire the Menapians,
living in what is now Belgium and Rhenish Prussia, supplied Italy with linen,
geese, and hams. Great, too, was the prosperity of the Flemish cities during
the centuries which preceded the religious wars. But even the most prosperous
of those bygone ages sink into insignificance when compared with the present
times. The trade of no other country in Europe has increased as rapidly as
that of Belgium since it acquired its independence. This trade exceeds that

* In 1873 there were 1,020,000 spindles in Belgiam, including 800,000 for cotton.

t Value of straw plaiting made in the district of the Jaer, £260,000 annually. (E. de Laveleye.)

STATISTICS OP BELGIUM.

437

of a vast empire like Austria-Hungary, and is surpassed only by the commerce
of England, France, and German}-.*

The commercial relations with France are more extensive than those with any
other country ; nor need this cause surprise, as the two countries not only bound
each other for a long distance, but all the Belgian railways converge upon Paris.
If we take into account the transit trade, Germany ranks only very little behind

Fiar. 242. — Comparative Increase of Populatiox axd Commehce in Belgium.

Export* « Import*

«.S«.

(nltaliitantB

tsi'/m 't>ij

KOOMOOO

—

s.oooooo

4.500 000
4.000 000
3S00O0O

».oaoooo

2.M0 000
1000 00«

I yioooo
1 wnooo
Vio.noii

^^^

0^^:^

[^0'^^^^^«*

j22^

_r>

•MCOODO

mrtfttft,

3U 1

fill

\ I \

1870
1375

France, for a conHiderablo portion of the Gorman trade with Enghmd is carried
on through lidgium. Yams and tfi.xtile fal)ric8 constitute the principal part of
the exports, together with coal, injri, macliinery, glass, and buihling Btones, whilst

TotAl.

* Annual avjr^tgo,

IHii6-C0.

. £3/>,74H,000

„

lHf,o— r,', .

■io.;n(;,ooo

f«

J HCO 70 .

C3.i)70,O0O

1H7I 7.'i

« 1.00 2, 000

id/i;

'J8, 110,00"

Imiwir^d.

I ■ r |[>imi>
' I, iirii|ilii>ii.
i.l«,l'3:^,000
•20,048,000

3;j,o(r2,ooo

/i2,«l',,000
/i7,(»20,000

£xi)oiii.

Total.

i;.l3,IO'2,OOo
•tl,ll>S,0()U
/50,3 14,000
H0,40H,000

h:»,.i3ii,ooo

Kiimo
rrtMliirat.
£Ui,:i'.jii,ooO

21,I!»'J.0()0

20,2.32,000

42,01(;,0(I0

4 2,(102, 000

438

BELGIUM.

amongst the imports there figure large quantities of corn, Belgium no longer
being able to supply the whole of its population with food.

About two-thirds of the commerce are carried on across the land frontiers,
one-third by sea, and nearly all through Antwerp, one of the most important
ports of Central Europe. Belgian vessels, however, participate only to a small
extent in this maritime carrying trade,* England having secured more than
two-thirds of it. The Flemings were formerly the instructors of the Dutch in

Fig. 243. — Canals and Navigable Rivees of Belgium.
Scale 1 : 2,200,000.

= NaviQablt rivers ^- canals
— — — — ^ 25 Miles.

seamanship, but have hardly any ships of their own now. This is undoubtedly
due to fiscal mismanagement, for Belgium possesses all the materials requisite for
the construction of ships. The Belgian marine has only slightly increased in the
course of the last twenty years. Nor is the fleet of fishing- smacks very consider-
able, for the herring fisheries have been abandoned since 1863 as unprofitable,

* In 1877 G,17.5 vessels, of 2,673,615 tons, entered, 16*6 per cent, of the tonnage being under t,he
Belgian flag.

STATISTICS OF BELGIUM. 439

and now only about 4,500,000 lbs. of fish are annually caught, much of which is
cod.*

The home trade has never been displayed in a statistical return, but some
idea of its development may be formed if we look at the extent and variety of the
means of internal communication. Merchandise deposited upon the quays of
Antwerp or Ostend is transferred to barges, which convey it to Bruges or Courtrai,
Tournay or Mons, Brussels or Charleroi, Hasselt or Liege. The traffic on rivers
and canals is far more considerable than that on the railways, amounting to
488,000 tons to every mile of navigable highway. The canals, however, do
not yet furnish all the convenience to commerce which they might. Most of
them are available for barges drawing about 6 feet, but there are many only
3 feet in depth, or even less. Additional canals are urgently needed in several
localities, t

As to carriage roads and railways, Belgium is better provided with them than
any otlier country. Except perhaps in the Ardennes, there is not a town or vil-
lage inaccessible by a national, provincial, or vicinal high-road. :{: Some of the
old Eoman roads have been utilized in the constniction of modern liighways,
including the two causeways of Bruneliaut, which connected the sejptemmum of
Bavai with the Meuse and the Lower Sclielde.

To tlie west of the Meuse the railways are more especially numerous, and
the traffic most bri.sk. The whole of the Belgian rolling stock would make up a
train stretching from Ostend to Cologne, a distance of 202 miles. The State owns
or manages more than half the railways, and the fares charged are less than in any
other country of Europe, a feature which wonderfully increases the number of
travellers who avail themselves of the facilities they offer. § On the other hand,
the correspondence carried on by post is less than in neighboring countries, owing,
no doubt, to the low state of education, but it is increasing rapidly. ||

Education.

Wk might imagine that Bru.ssels, which forms the centre of that portion of
Europe which includes France, England, and Germany, would act us the intel-
lectual intermediary between these countries. Such, liowcver, is not the case, the
literary and wuentific achicvcmcntM of Belgium being fur less than its industry and
commerce would lead us to cxpt'ct. Lntil (juite recently the number of schools
Wtt« very small. Forty ycurs ago only about half the inhabitants were able

• '^■',rnnif:rfi(il rniirinc in 1K40:- H.3 vouwIh of 27,170 tonii ; in 1870, 48 vesatls of 4'l,980 (onM.
Kinhinjc WaU in IHIfi, IW) of r,,l)CH Umn; in 1870, 2/iO of H.fl'il Ions.

t NiiviifuMi, hi((hw«yii (1874) :- Itiv<r«, 427 iniicn ; ciinulM, /j.OO niil<-H.

X In IHT.'i the hi«h-ro(i(U ha<l n linj^li of 4,7'<3 njiliit.

i JUilw-iyn (1877), 2,230 miU-n. lip to IHir, tli<y tout £38.781,000, or £18,100 ii niilo. HollinK
nUMk, 1,100 iD&imdtivnn, 3,400 jMnnkinn'r wum<onH, 30,000 Iriickii. I'uHMcngi.TH, on main lin<!M only,
/;i,48/»,22f»; jfO'xlii » ,314,078 ti.nn.

II J^-ltir*: ]>•■'■,__, M(,«)0; 1H70. 01,810, /»7r,. NjiWHpniicru : 1800, 20,3.")H,020; IK70, OH.OO'J.OOO.
\Ujok fmnnlH :-1800, 0,008,462; 1870, 31,736,000. TologrttHW :-1800, 176,416 ; 1870, 2,010,087.

440

BELGIUM.

to read and write. The proportion is more favourable now,* and every village has
its school ; but the standai'd of education is very low, whether the schools are
conducted by laymen or congregationalists, and many children pass througli
them without even learning to read fluently. Including adults, only about the
eighth part of the total population attends schools,t instead of the sixth, as in
AViirttemberg and other parts of Germany. The Flemings lag far behind the
"Wallons in education, but since they have more or less emancipated themselves
from the yoke of the priests, formerly all-powerful amongst them, their schools have
been increasing in efficienc3\+

Fig. 244. — Eailway Map of Belgium.

Scale 1 : 2,220,000.

,1" E.of P

5ll

5o:

^Sostend
X"^ 1 \ 1

^^Antwerp / / ^

51'

50"

'^CKSrleroi \ \^ I C

bour§

"^i

3' E.ofG.

ferron)

25 Miles.

Intermediate education is carried on in 169 establishments, the number of
pupils in the schools conducted by priests being larger than in those of the State
or of private adventurers.

* In 1840 56-17 per cent, of the recruits were able to read and write ; in 1876, 76"17 per cent.

t Educational statistics for 1875 : — rrimary schools, 5,856, with 10,750 teachers, 669,192 pupils
(included in this number are 2,615 schools for adults, with 204,673 pupils). Intermediate schools, 169,
with about 38,000 pupils. Universities, 4, with 2,627 students (1,179 at Louvain). Art and drawing
schools, 79, with 12,189 pupils. Conservatories of music, 2, with 1,2S1 pupils; 71 music and singing
schools, with 6,955 pupils.

X Soldiers unable to read : — 30 per cent, of the Wallons, 57 per cent, of the Flemings.

STATISTICS OF BELGimi. 441

The spirit of association, which is very powerful amongst the Flemings,
might be turned to good account in educational matters, and has already done
much towards the moral and intellectual improvement of the country. Numerous
classes for adults have been established, and in some of the towns of Flanders
thev are attended by a tenth of the population. These classes, however, do not
strictly confine themselves to educational matters. Every inhabitant of a town or
Lrge village is a member of one or more associations, founded for the pursuit of
pleasure, business, science, or politics. These societies no longer wield the power
thev did during the Middle Ages, when they- formed a state within the State, but,
on the other hand, they leave their members more unfettered, Musical societies
are more especially numerous, and so are gymnastic and pigeon clubs.

When fetes or kermesses are in prospective, the workmen and workwomen of the
manufacturing towns of Flanders form small clubs often or twenty couples, whose
amusements are directed by a captain, or master of ceremonies. The savings of
months, nay, of years, are sometimes expended on such occasions in a single day.
Yet clubs of the same kind, and equally numerous, are formed whenever an
opportunity arises. In no other country are taverns, dancing saloons, and cafes so
much frequented as in Belgium. Brussels alone has nearly 9,000 houses where
drink is sold — that is, one to about every forty inhabitants ; and as the innkeepers
nearly all have votes, they exercise a very powerful political influence. An
average drinker will spend about £7 annually in beer, and if to this we add his
outlay for drams and tobacco, he expends about £14 outside his home — a very large
amount where wages are low. The Belgians are the greatest smokers in Europe,
surpassing by far even Germans and Dutchmen.*

• Anniial ronsumptifin of tobacco pr-r he kI of tlio population : — Belgium, 5-5 lbs. ; Nethcrlanda
4-4 lbs. ; Gtrniany, 22 lbs.; France, 18 lbs. ; Krigbnd, 14 lbs.

IO:i

CHAPTER y.

GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION.

T^[N its political institutions Belgium resembles tlie other Parliamentary
■^^ monarcliies of continental Europe. Its citizens are grouped in
communes and provinces, having their separate bodies of electors, •
whilst the State is governed by a legislative body elected by the
people, and an executive represented by the King.
There are 2,575 communes, or parishes, divided amongst nine provinces. On
an average each of these communes has 2,100 inhabitants, but in 1876 there were
more than 2,450 which had less than 500 inhabitants each, and an area not
larger than a square mile. As a curiosity in its way, we may mention tbe
commune of Zoetenaey, in West Flanders, not far from the French frontier, which
has only 21 inhabitants. The majority of these communes are evidently too
small to govern themselves, and notwithstanding ull constitutional guarantees,
they virtually depend upon the central Government.

Each commune has a municipal council of from 7 to 31 members, according
to its population. These councils attend to strictly local affaii-s, but are not
permitted to discuss more general questions, except by special authority of
Government. Their sphere of action is somewhat more extensive than that
permitted to French communes. On the other hand, the burgomaster in Belgium
cannot be looked upon as representing the commune before the Government, any
more than the four or five aldermen, who form a court of their own, for they are all
appointed by the King. The aldermen are alwa^'^s chosen amongst the municipal
councillors, but any elector may be appointed burgomaster.

The provinces are similarly organized. The provincial councillors, elected by
their fellow; citizens, discuss and decide in provincial questions, and are hedged in
by all kinds of prescriptions to prevent their meddling in questions of politics.
Provincial councillors cannot be senators or members of the National Assembly ;
provincial councils can only publish proclamations by the consent of the provincial
governor, who has a right to close their extraordinary sessions, the ordinary ones
being limited to four weeks annually. A standing committee, presided over b}'
the governor of the province, represents the council when not in session.

The members of the Chamber of Representatives and of the Senate are chosen

GOYERXMENT AND ADMINISTEATION. 443

by the people. The suffrage, however, is limited, even in parish elections, to
persons paying a certain sum iu direct tuxes. Parish voters must pay at least
8s. a year, but in parishes having less than 25 inhabitants paying that amount in
taxes, the privilege of a vote is extended to the 25 who pay most. Widows may
transfer their votes to a son or son-in-law. In order to be permitted to vote for
provincial councillors, 16s. annually must be paid in direct taxes, whilst a so-called
" general " elector must paj' £1 14s. Under these limitations the number of
electors is naturally very small.* As a rule the Belgian electors are not particularly
zealous in the exercise of their electoral privileges. In 1867, when a portion of
the Senate had to be re-elected, only 48 out of every 100 voters came up to the poll.

In virtue of a law made in 1878, the coimtry is divided into 40 electoral
districts, who elect 132 representatives and 66 senators. The representatives are
elected for four years, one-half going out every two years, except in the case of a
dissolution, when a general election takes place. The senators are elected for eight
years, one-half going out every four years. The representatives are paid £17 a
month when in session. Financial and army bills arc first submitted to them,
and they appoint the members of the Court of Accounts. Salaried officials of the
State are not eligible as representatives or senators. The Senate is supposed to
represent the conservative element in the balance of power. Its candidates must
be forty years of age, and pay annually £84 12s. in direct taxes, and, as the
number of persons in such prosperous circumstances is small, the electors are
sometimes very much restricted in their choice. In 1876 there were only 480
persrms throughout lirlgiiim qualified as senators, and in the province of Luxem-
burg the electors would have been compelled to select one out of eight individuals,
had not the law provided for an addition to the list of candidates in all those cases
in which there is less than one to every 6,000 iiiluibitants. . The senators receive
noithf-r pay nor indemnities.

The King represcntH the State ])y promulgating the laws and signing uU
decrees. His veto is absolute, his person inviolal)le. He is connnander-in-chief,
app>intrt his ministers, dissolves the Chambers, and orders fresh elections. He is
in receipt of a civil list of £132,000. There are seven ministries, viz. for
Judicial Affairs, Homo Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Military Affairs, Public Works,
Financial Affairs, and I'ul)li{; Education. In addition t* those res])onsible
ministers, there is a Privy Council, occasionally sununoiu-d by the lung, in which
a certain numlK.T of " Mininters of State" a])pointcd by him have seats.

The judicial iriHtitutioiiH of IJrtlgium resemble those of I'' ranee. Judges are
irremovabh'. Inferior magisfrates are noniiinited by Government, but the judges
of th(; Courts of Appeal and CuHMation are selected by the King from lists prejMired
f»y the juflgcM, the provincial councils, or the Senate. A jury decides on (juestions
of fact in the csHe of crimes, and in poIiti(ral and press offences. There are thrco
Courts of A[>})«'al, with 26 (listrict and 201 inferior courts.

I'/lucation is not. coinpnUory, but each commune is bound to maintain an

• ffi \Hn, Zr,',,()l)0 rr;rnrniiri>il i-l-cinrn, 230, .180 provin<iiil olcctom, and 117,140 i^onorul oloctors, only
Hurts lMtt<T voting for th'i HatinU; au<l tho lloimi of I(<!|iri'iicfititivi-ii,

444 13ELGIOr.

elementary school, and to afford gratuitous education to all those children whose
parents apply for it. The teacher is appointed by the municipal council, which
may also dismiss him, and votes him a salary of at least £40 per annum. The
influence of the priesthood has been paramount in the schools ever since 1830.
Religious instruction is always given by the priests, who enjoy the same privileges,
as inspectors of schools, as do the officials appointed by the King. Only reading,
writing, the four simple rules of arithmetic, and the " elements " of French,
Flemish, or German, are taught, in addition to the catechism. The training insti-
tutions for teachers are partly in the hands of the priesthood and partly in those
of the State. The priesthood, moreover, directs the course of instruction at the
University of Louvain, which is in opposition to the two nniversities maintained
by the State and the " free " University of Brussels, and has affiliated with it nu-
merous colleges and industrial schools. Its influence is felt, too, in the examina-
tion boards, only half the members of which are appointed by the State. These
boards have done much to lower the standard of university education in Belgium,
for, anxious that the pupils of their friends should receive diplomas, they exhibit
a considerable amount of indulgence in their examinations.

The power of the Church is, indeed, great in Belgium, and has only quite
recently been somewhat shaken.* The constitution, which was drawn up by an
assembly having thirteen abbots amongst its members, not only secures perfect
freedom to the Church, but also makes the State in a certain measure its tribu-
tary. The Pope appoints the bishops, the bishops appoint the curates, and the
State merely pays their salaries. There are an archbishop and five bishops, about
6,000 priests, and an army of monks and nuns, more especially in Flanders. The
actual clerical staff propably numbers 30,000 individuals. f The number of Protes-
tants and Jews is small, ^ but not so that of persons who have virtually left the
Cliurch, and decline its sacramental ceremonies at baptisms, marriages,, or funerals.

Belgium enjoys the privileges of neutrality, but nevertheless has burdened itself
with a very considerable army. On a war footing it numbers over 100, OCO men,
and during the Franco-German war 83,000 men were actually under arms.§
The army is recruited by conscription and voluntary enlistment. Only about one-
third of the men who annually become liable are called upon to serve, and remain
with the colours from two to four years. Conscripts are permitted to provide a
substitute, or Government does it for them if they pay £64 to the Minister for
War. This leads to the army being recruited exclusively amongst the poor and
necessitous. The officers are trained at a military school, whilst a staff school,

* At the elections held in June, 1S78, the "Liberals " secured a mnjority of six in the Senate, and of
eleven in the House of liepi-esentatives.

t In 1866 there were 178 monasteries (2,991 monks) and 1,144 convents (15,205 nuns).
i 13,000 Protestants, 1,500 Jews.

§ Infantry, 78 battalions

Cavalry, 40 squadrons .....

Artillery, 91 batteries .....

Engineers, 3 but'alions .....

100,26'3 40,970

War Footing.
75,541

Peace Footing.
26,o91

7,404

5.329

14,308

7,860

3.010

1.390

GOYEEXMEXT AXD ADMIXISTRATIOX.

445

founded iu 1872, provides a superior education. The pay of tlic soldiers has been
but slightly increased since 1830, and the number of volunteers is consequently
not large, for glor}- is not to be gained in an army which has not made use of its
weapons since 1830, except perhaps in domestic broils. Soldiers after forty years'
service become entitled to a small pension.

The country is divided into two military districts. The only fortresses are
Antwerp, with its entrenched camp, and the forts on the Lower Schelde, Dender-
monde (Termonde), Diest, and the citadels of Liege and Namur. A permanent
camp for exercise has been established at Beverloo, in the Campine, close to the
Dutch frontier. The annual expenses of the army amount to about £1,600,000,
and since 1830 no less than £80,000,000 have been expended upon it.

Fig. 245. — The Camp of Bevebloo.
Scale 1 : 250.000.

E.of Paris

»- •« I ^Gnaal

C":- ""•":, "i~- -"-■ ",'^'»ir :■,"■■;

. .~<^ni;B Camp <• B^v«/loi

yf JU»tf*r' AH ■'""'• -■

■If

' ** — =»—

E.of Or.

:, .Millie.

In addition to tlio r<-gular army there e.\i>ts a very ini-flicicut militia, or civic
guard, for the maintenance of order in time of peace, and the defence of the country
in time of war.

The finances of JJc.-lgiiini an; well (jnitrcd. There iw a debt of £10,000,()()0, l»ut
£lfj,000,000 of thin amount are a legacy dating back to Belgium's connection wilh
the Netherland-i, whilst most of tlie remainder liaH b»<ii expended upon railways
and other works of pul>li(; utility. Two millifjns of debt hav(! I)eeii ]);ii(l od" since
IS.'JO. The annual income generally balaneeH tho expenditure, and a very con-
«id<rruble' amount of the fr»rmer is devoted to public works.*

'I'he provincial and communal budgets likewise present a satisfactory balance.
The communes arc even wealthier lliaii the Stule in landed properly. They still
own nrarly half a million aeren of " coninion lands," whilst the State domains do

• i;<(.<'r.<ljliir<i ill IH;7, £!» X.>7,700, <,( wl.icti i.'J.UOO.^OO wurc (J.;voU!'i lo imMn; w. rkn, Jt:, l./J.HUO lo
ifiU'r<;iil Kfi ih'; public (J'sU, and i;i,7'>l,7''U to ttiu uriiiy.

446

BELGIUM.

not exceed 98,000 acres. These comrnon lands, however, are being perpetually
encroached upon by rich capitalists. The towns of Belgium now enjoy the advan-
taire result ins: from a total abolition of all octroi duties. Up to 18G0, when these
objectionable imposts were done away with, every town formed a state within the
State, anxious to "protect" its own industry by levying heavy dues upon every
article imported from beyond. The octroi yielded about half a million sterling
annually, whilst the share of the indirect taxes paid to the communes instead
amounts to more than a million a year — so great has been the increase of national
wealth.*

The following table gives the political divisions of Belgium and their popula-
tion : —

Pro^nnce.
"West Flandcr:

East Flanders

Antwerp .

LimbuTg .

Brabant .

Hainaut .

Namur

Liege . .

Luxemburff

Bels'ium

Area.

Populition,

Populat ion.

Inhabitants

Capital.

Sq. m.

18':6.

1876 (31st Dec.

to a Sq. m.

Brugge (Bruges) . .

1,249

639,709

684,468

547

Ghent (Gent) . . .

1,158

801,872

863,453

747

Antweri) (Antwerpen)

1,094

474,145

538,381

494

Hasselt

932

199,856

205,237

221

Brussels (Bruxelles) .

1,268

820,179

936,062

737

]Mons (Bergen) . . .

1,437

847,775

956,354

665

Namur (Xamen) . .

1,413

302,719

315,796

223

Liege (Luik, Liittiuh)

1,117

5i6,666

632,228

565

Arlon (Arel) ....

1,705

196,173

204,201

120

Brussels

11,573

4,839,094

5,336,185

459

* In 1870 the "communes" had ai\ income of £4,539,000, and a debt of £8,221,300; the provinces,
in 1871, liad an incDme of £407,500.

"'T|

iMiiiiiiiimi

I' I IV' I nil 1 1

WpHIll

'lllilD^^^^^

will mi''' I I ill

I lU nil
lll||lii!'|l|||l'|l||||l|iiii,i

il 1 1
li

riiNiNiiiiiiijiij' It' ■;,,..

'il'i ii'iHil'lii

I {II I nil
I I

i|
1 1

Lll

i,j

i'SiiiiLJ,:,

SSisailJiiiillilllliillliSSSill!.!;*^

Q
O

THE GRAXD DUCHY OF LUXEMBURG.*

SMALL state of triangular shape occupies the eastern slope of the
Ardennes. The rivers Our, 8auer (Sure), and Moselle separate it
from Rhenish Prussia, whilst the boundaries towards Lorraine,
France, and Belgium are altogether conventional. Luxemburg,
like Belgium, is a neutral territory ; but whilst Belgium only won
its neutrality after its soil had many times been hotly contested, Luxemburg has
rarely been overrun by invading hosts. "When it changed hands, as happened not
unfrequently, it did so as a dependency of some neighbouring province, and its
foreign masters scarcely ever interfered with the local institutions.

In its phy-sical a.'«pects Luxemburg resembles the Ik-lgian province of the
same name, except that that portirjn of it which forms a natural dependency
of Lorraine is of greater extent. It occupies tlie whole of the region to the
Bouth of the hilly Oesling (1,810 feet), which joins the plateau of Western
Luxemburg to the Kifel in llhenish I'ru.ssia. This southern region, known as
" Gutlaiid " {i.e. Good Land;, diflVrs in nearly every respect from the northern
uplands. These latter are of palseozoic age, the thin layer of vegetable mould
Ixjing pierced in many places by Devonian rocks. The Gutland, on the other
liand, irt of more recent formation, and its valleys are frerjucntly covered with
alluvial w>il. 'J'liere are uo coaln. Tiie artesian brine spring of Mondorf, near
Sierck, lia« been bored to a dcrpth of 2,'5y5 feet, down to the Devonian rocks,
without nu;cting with any r-arboniferous strata.

Nearly the whole of the grand duchy lies within tl»e l)asin of the ^loselle, of
which the Suucr, its principal rivj-r, is a tributary. 3Iost of its vallfys are bounded
by cliffs or steep slopes, and thus, although there are no elevated nidiiulains, tht;
ry^njntry is rieh in j)ietures«|uo st;enerv. All the ancient lakes have been drained,
and Hf> have most of the artificial reservoirs, formerly very nutnerous. The gain
in arable land, however, would not appear to C'lmpcnsate for the deterioration of the
ejimate resulting from this re«liittion of the water surfaces. It is staled tliat the
* A f a, ^'J'J »ntMr<- iiiiU». r«pulutioa (1802), '^U2,313 ; (1870), '^U.;,1()U.

448 THE GRAND IJUCIIY OF LUXEMIiUEG.

rains are loss bountiful than they used to be, and many meadows have reverted to
a state of nature.

On the slopes of the Ardennes the climate is cold and variable, and at Luxem-
burg the extremes of cold and hcut are greater than under the same latitude
farther to the west.* The rainfall is less than in Belgium, and the rivers winding
throuo-h the deep valleys are of small volume, even the Sauer, the most consider-
able amongst them, being only navigable to Echternach, a short distance above its
confluence with the Moselle. A sky serene through the greater part of the year
allows the sun freely to exercise his potent influence, and the vineyards and
orchards of the Gutland yield rich harvests. The forests, which formerly covered
the whole of the country, have for the most part disappeared, but extensive tracts
survive, the largest being the Griinwald, to the north-east of the capital. Its
area is 6,200 acres.

The bulk of the population is German, French being spoken only in a few
frontier villages. Ofiicial documents are nevertheless published in the two
lanffuasres, and French is extensivelvused in the courts of iustice and Government
ofiices. The growing influence of French is easily explained if we bear in mind
that about 25,000 Luxemburgers reside in France. Paris being the great centre of
attraction to the dwellers on the Sauer and Alzette.

The country is densel}' peopled in proportion to its cultivable area, but, besides
the capital, there are very few places entitled to be called towns. Esch-on-
the-Ahette. (3,915 inhabitants) is the most important of the smaller towns, its
prosperity resulting from the iron mines in its vicinity. Mines and quarries are
also worked in other parts of the grand duchy, and the industrial establishments
include tan-yards, sugar refineries, breweries, porcelain factories, woollen-mills, and
iron works. Other places of some importance are Echternach (3,701 inhabitants),
Willz (3,282 inhabitants), Diekirch (3,127 inhabitants), and Grcvenmncher (2,303
inhabitants).

Luxemburg (15,954 inhabitants), the only real town of the country, occupies a
tongue of land bounded by the cliffs rising above the Alzette, or Else, and its
tributary the Petrusse, or Petersbach. It was formerly a strong fortress, but
Luxemburg having been declared a neutral territory in 1867, its fortifications
have since been razed. Some of the forsaken redoubts afford an admirable view of
the city, its factories and tortuous rivers, and of the surrounding meadows and
forests.

The Grand Duchy of Luxemburg is an independent constitutional state, having
for its sovereign the King of the Netherlands, represented by a royal prince as
Stadtholder. Its neutrality is guaranteed by the great powers. The legislature
consists of forty-one deputies, elected by citizens paying at least 8s. annuallj^ in
taxes. The communal councils are elected by the ratepayers, but the burgo-
masters are appointed by the Grand Duke. The military force does not in reality
exceed 150 men ; yet the expenses of the State are pretty considerable (about
£27,000 a year), and the public debt reaches the respectable figure of £480,000.

* Temperatui-e of Luxemburg : — January, 34' ; July, 66" Fahr.

THE GEAND DUCEY OF LUXEMBURG.

4:40

Education is not coinpulsor}^ but the schools being supported by rates, attend-
ance at them is almost universal. At Luxemburg there is a college, but young
men intended for professional life receive their training at the universities of
Germany, France, and Belgium.

Most of the inhabitants are Roman Catholics, and some of the ceremonies
observed by them smack of the Middle Ages. Very cui-ious is the " procession of
jumpers," which annually, on Whit-Tuesday, passes through the streets of

Fig. 246. — LrxEMBURG.
Scale 1 : 20,000.

iT t.ufj*

3° 18'

fill K...ri.

1I..1I II .Mile.

Lchternach, with the alleged ol.jict ol' pr(\(ii(iiig I lie rcciuiMicc of tlic danciii"'
mania, wiid to liave been commrju al^oiit tlie ciglifli century.

liUXornbiirg, up fo 18()7, whh a ineinl)(T of ilic Oonnau Coiifedcralioii, and
still fr^riiiM part of tin; Zidlvcrciii. It is divifb.-d IiiId .'5 disfrictM (Luxcniburg,
I)iekirrli, aiul Cir<-vetiiri;iclMTj, 12 ctiwiow*, and T.'lt ((iinmiiiKM. Ivicli caufoii
hii» it« jiiMtiw! of flic |»«-uco, CfMirtH of lli<! lirMl in^fiiiicc hit al Lii xcinlnirg jiiul
I*iokir(h,aiid aComt of Appeal at laixeml)urg. Criiiiinal cases uie dealt witli liy
u Court (A' Ahmzv, without tin- co-operalion of a jury.

THE NETHERLANDS.*

CHAPTER I.

GENERAL FEATURES.— HILLS.— BOGS.

FIE kingdom of the Netherlands is one of the smallest states in
Eurojje — superior to its neighbour Belgium in area, but far
beneath it in population, industry, and even commerce. But
small as it is on a map, its history entitles it to rank with the
foremost nations. Even the soil it occupies had first to be won
from the sea, and it is not Avithout emotion that Ave follow the struggle for
freedom upon which a handful of people ventured against an empire embracing
at that time two-thirds of the known world. Their independence achieved, the
Dutch at once took their place amongst the great states of Europe, and from
their small territory they governed colonies scattered all over the world. But
a still greater glory belongs to Holland for having been the first to accord a safe
asylum 1o free thought.

Bogs and marshes separate Holland from Germany, and constitute a stronger
boundary than would a range of mountains. In the south the Rhine and
Meusc, with their innumerable branches, oppose an equally formidable obstacle
to an invader, for only a native of the soil is able to tread his way in this
labyrinth of river channels, canals, and ditches. In a former age vast forests
still further contributed to the security of the country, and there are some who
derive its modern name from Hoxtland, or Wood Land, and not from Holtland, or
Hollow Land.

Though essentially a lowland region, Holland is not quite withoixt its
mountains. The most considerable rano-e of hills extends into the country in
the extreme south-east. It onl}'^ attains a height of 690 feet, but is important
on account of its coal mines. Wider known is the *SY. Pietersherg (404 feet),
near Maastricht, on the Belgian frontier. It has been quarried from immemorial

* We have substituted the letter Y for the Dutch combination Ij, which is pronounced like y in hy.
The Dutch letter y sounds like oui" y in yes.

GEXEEAL FEATURES, ETC.

451

times, and its underground galleries now spread over an area of 89 square miles.
In time of war they have frequently afforded a safe retreat to the inhabitants of
the country, aud are remarkable, moreover, on account of the large number of
fossils they have yielded.

The country to the north of these hills is of tertiary or post-tertiary formation,
but it is by no means a dead level, for swellings of the ground and even hills
occasionally rise above the bottom-lands, and diversify its surface. The Veluwe,
a tract to the north of the Rhine, is thus favoured. Its hills, being for the most
part clothed with heather, are a favourite ground with Dutch bee-masters. The
dunes in the same district have been planted with pines, and no longer threaten the

■

Fig. 247. — The Qiarries of the St. Pietersberg.
Scale 1 : 25,000.

E.of P

2=4.5'

2'^9'

EofG

The St. FictenberK i« •hoim with iU ■uininit remored, lo •■ tn reveal the lnb)TJnUi ofgallprics.
1 Mile.

cultivated fields, formerly placed under the protection of a zaudyraaf, or '* sand
Bhcriff." Is<jlated hillocks occa.HionulIy ri.so above the deatl flat.s occupied by
fiwampH and jjolders, the most notalib- aiiioiig thciii being tliat surmounted by
the tf)v/\i of I»erg<'n-op-Zoom.

The wuHte of distant mountains ban lurg(;ly <(»ntributcd towards tlie I'dnnatiou
of the hills. The Meuse brought down the (b'bris of the Arflennes, the IMiine
^avel from tlio volcanic Seven Mountjiins. and even Scandinavia contributed licr
share in erratic bh*<;ks and glacial drift. The erratic blocks have nearly all been
removed by fjiiarrymf;n and lime-burncrM, Imf an abundance of pcbblr.s and
gruvr-l }*roadly di^itinguinhcn thew caNtern heights from the dunes (»n the coast.

Vttut in extent are the jx;ut bog^, occupyinj.^ as they do nearly iIk' whole oi'

452

THE NETHERLANDS.

Korthcrn llulhmd, and stretching oven beyond llie Rhine, where the Peel, a quaking
meadow in Brabant, has not been wholly reclaimed. Mosses and heather are

Fig. 248.— IlypsoGitAi'HicAL Map or the Netheklands.
Scale 1 : 2,500,000.

^^^^j^oAix-la'^qEIgglle .. ''"'YX

E.ofG.

20 Miles.

Below tlie Level of the Sea.

Beyond SJ feet. 8J to 33/eet. Less than 33/ert.

Above the Level of the Sea.

Less than Si feel.

ZitoV.fett.

85 to Kifeet.

IB! (o 338 fret.

Over 32S/«f.

the characteristic yegetation of these bog lands, but the trunks of pines and other
trees discovered in the peat prove that in a former age they were clothed with

GEXEEAL FEATURES.

453

forests. The first attempts to replant these forests were made in the beginning
of the last century, and, strange to say, the species of pine so abundant iu the
peat showed little vitality, a conclusive proof that the climate has changed. The
reclamation of these bogs is now proceeding in a rational manner. The bog
having been drained, the peat is cut away, and the cultivable land exposed.

Fig. 249. — The Alluvial Laxds a\d Peat Bogs of the Xetherlaxds.

According to Staring.

E.of P

Si-

"^Wecel

•Breda -»>-^ "-=

n-r.:

&9nd

Vost

■^enopZoom

Turnhout

Vcnif

• Louvain

mono

J iffuisbi'i
Cr

Lsc

Elbwfc'd

Aix la'ChapellF

■

V. -lO.

CZD

f"!

I ]

II. J. I.^s>

IIow rcmunfrativo tliis process is may \n\ jiulgcd from the fact that llic peat
yielded by a Ih)j,' 00,000 jifn-H in oxioiit and '-V.) inches deep was vuliicd, in 1 M.jH,
at £>^,000,000. In iHfJ^ 4'J,000,000 tons of prvit wore cut.

'Die lowland bogs (hunjr re.cnrn) in tlu! vicinity (tf the cf)ast arc far inore
diffiMilt to reclaim. They huvo invaded most of the lakes of Friesland, imparl-

454

TTIE NETIIEIILANDS.

ing a violet or inky tinge to their water, which contrasts strangely with the
verdure of the neighbouring meadows. Sometimes the peat rises to the surface,
forming floating islands of tangled vegetation, locally known as drijvtillcn, or
rietzoden — the " old wives' tow " of Ireland. The peasants occasionally float these
drifting masses of peat into neighbouring meres, the beds of which they desire
to raise, and even engineers do not disdain to make use of them in their hvdraulic
constructions. Many of the lakes have been drained and are cultivated, a notable
instance being the Diemermeer, close to Amsterdam, whose bed lies 24 feet below
the river Y, which flows past it.

The lowland bogs vary in depth between 6 and 14 feet. They extend some-
Fig. 250. — A Peat Bog neak Dokukecht,

times beneath the dunes into the sea, or are concealed beneath layers of alluvial
soil, features which are accounted for by oscillations in the level of the land.
Embedded in them are trunks of trees, belonging to species hardly ever found
in the upland bogs, the pines being replaced b)' hazel-trees, willows, and ash-
trees. Fresh-water shells occur abundantlv, but none of marine origin ; but that
the sea has frequently invaded them is proved by their impregnation with salt.
Formerly the peat was burnt to extract this condiment, but this industry is no
longer remunerative.

CHAPTER 11.

11 YDROGRAP H Y.— CLIM A TE.

TIE sulineness of some of the bogs near the coast is one of many facts
wliich prove that the lowlands of Holland were at one time
flooded by the sea ; whilst borings and excavations made at
various places give us some very definite ideas as to the history of
■I the struggle between land and water that has been going on for
ages. When the docks at Amsterdam were excavated ancient beaches were
laid bare far below the present level of the land, and the fossils of living species
of molluscs were found mingled with the remains of stranded whales. At
Utrecht, 'iO miles from the sea, the borer, between 440 and 5'i8 feet, pierced
strata containing shells of livino: suit- water molluscs. Then came a hiver in
which fresh-water molluscs were mixed with marine species, and lower still, beyond
710 feet, a stratum was reached in which existing species were mingled with fossil
ones. This leads M. Hurting U) conclude that tlie soil of Holland has suflVred a
subsidence of oOo feet.

Were nature allowed full sway in thesu lowluids, the water would once more
usurj> dominion, and much of what is now dry land would be converted into
liquid mud. No doubt the ocean sets itself limits by throwing up dunes along
the coast, but behind these dunes the pent-up rivers would spread over the
country, were they not kept within bounds tlirough the interference of man.
So flat is the country at the back of the dunes that a traveller sees the wind-
mills and homesteads gradually rise above tlio hori/un like islands on the open
ocean .

The Rhine — ItlicnUH biconiin — divided into two arms wIkii tirst seen by the
ancients, and does ho still. 'I'lie Ilrlius, or ^^'il,•ll, lh< n, uh now, entered u wide
gulf of the sea, whilst the northern and less vulumirioiis branch retained the name of
Kliine as far as its mouth in the North Seu. TIk; Vssel separates from tlu; Rhino
uIkivc Arnhfnn. The Old VhwI joins it on the right, aftJ-r which it takes its
winding course U) the Ziiidnr /<•<•, known as F/rro to the unt'icnis. It. is
sijpj)0<M'd }>y some tliat the Ysiel was not origiuiilly an aitii of the Kliini', but
tliJit l>rusus first connected the two rivers by cutting ,u canal across the lowliiiid

45G

THE NKTnEia.ANDS.

which separated tlicm. An examination of the ground, however, docs not furnish
any evidence in support of this theory. On the contrary, the wide alluvial valley
traversed by the Yssel is bounded on the west by the hills of Veluwe, and rises
gently on the oast to a height of 40 feet. No traces of a canal have been dis-
covered, and the Fossa Drusiai/a is more likely to have connected the Yssel with
the Vecht, which formerly flowed to the northward, debouching on the coast of
Friesland.

Down to the beginning of the seventeenth century the fork of the Rhine lay

Fig. 251. — The Four of the Y.ssel.
Scale 1 : 250.000.

The non-alluvial formations are shaded.

5 Miles.

higher up, near the Schenkenschanze. It has been displaced through human
agency. It was found that an increasing volume of the water brought down
by the Rhine flowed into the Waal, and a time was foreseen when the northern
branch would dry up altogether. In order to prevent an occurrence which would
have entailed disaster upon a great part of the ]N^etherlands, the engineers regulated
the flow of the river in such a manner that two-thirds of its volume enter the
Waal, and one-third the Lower Rhine (Neder Ryn). The latter, however, retains
this volume only for a distance of 6 miles, for the Yssel conveys one-third of

HYDEOGEAPHY.

457

its water to the Zuider Zee. At "Wyk-by-Duurstede the main brancli assumes the
name of Leh, whilst the veritable Rhine, reduced to an insignificant stream, flows
to the north-west, past Utrecht and Leyden, into the Korth Sea. It is known as
the Kromme Kyn (Crooked Rhine), or Old Rhine, and sends several branches
to the Zuider Zee, the most important being the Yecht and Amstel. When the
Romans held the territory the Rhine flooded the country behind the dunes, and
they cut a canal to drain off the swamps into the Meuse. The existing Oude
Vliet (Old Canal) is supposed to occupy the site of the Roman work. More
recently, in 1806, a passage for the Rhine was cut through the dunes. It is

Fig. 252.— The Biesbosch in 1850.
Scale 1 : 200,000.

?' E.ofP

i' 35-

••••r' Eof O

defended by gigantic flood-gates. The dinchargc of the river at its mouth only
amounts io 1 40 cubic feet per second.

Ah Ui the Lek, it is in a great meaHuro an artificial water-way, flowing along a
canal cut by Civilis in 71 a.d. It joins that arm of the Meuso which flows past
Rotterdam. Tlur Hollundsche Yhsel is alfeniutely a tributary and an emissary of
the latter, carefully regulated by locks, and a great fertiliser of the fat meadows
around Oouda.

Jf volume is to have weight in tin; nomenclature of our rivers, then the \\'(i<tl
is the veritable liower Rhine. At Woudrifhcm it is joined Ity the Maas (Meuse),
and thenceforth it in known by the; name r»f its tributary. The united river i)aHHeH
through the iHlnnd labyrinth known as tin; iJieMbosch f Kush-wmid), and thenco
through thr H(»lland»M:he I)iep ami Ilaringvlii-t into the North .Seu. It sendH,
lot

458

THE NETHERLANDS.

however, an arm to the north, which enters the sea 20 miles below Rotterdam,
at the Hoek van Holland.

Whilst most of the rivers on the northern hemisphere press upon their right
bank, in consequence of the earth's rotation, and deviate to the east, those of
the Netherlands move in a contrary direction. Both the Rhine and the Maas,
as far as they are bounded by hills, flow to the northward, but no sooner have
they entered the yielding plains of the Netherlands than they swerve round to
the west. There is reason to suppose that in a time now very remote these rivers
flowed northward through the plains of Gelderland, but their present course is

Fig. 253. — SCHIERMONNIKOOG.
Scale 1 : 86,000.

C°IO' ll.ofO.

, 2 Miles.

west, and they exhibit a tendency to diverge even to the south-west. This abnormal
direction of the Dutch rivers is due to the action of the tides. At the Helder the
diflerence between high and low water amounts to 4*9 feet ; but it increases as we
travel southward, and at the mouth of the Scheldeit is 16'6 feet. Thus the level of
the sea is higher at ebb at the Helder than on the coast of Zealand, and the rivers
naturally seek an outlet in the direction of the latter. The tidal wave rushes up
the estuaries of Zealand with great force, and in ebbing its scour deepens the bed
of the rivers. The sea, in fact, is both the friend and the enemy of the Dutch —
Protector et hostis, as we read on an old Zealand coin. It bears their ships, forms
a protecting boundary, and throws fecund alluvium upon their shores, but at the

HYDEOGEAPHY.

459

same time it menaces tliem with terrible irruptions, and continually gnaws at their
coasts.

Incessant are the struggles which the Dutch maintain against the encroach-
ments of the ocean and the floods caused by their rivers. So frequent were
irruptions of the sea in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, that many of the
inhabitants left their homes in despair, and sought an asylum elsewhere. It
was about this period that the series of irruptions began which ended in the
destruction of the isthmus which formerly connected Xorth Holland with Fries-
land, converted Lake Flevo into the Zuider Zee, and broke up a continuous coast-
line into a fringe of islands. Terrible were the floods of the thirteenth centurv.

Fig. 2.54. — The Site of the Biesbosch prior to the Spring Tide of St. Elizabeth.

From a Map in the Archives of Dordrecht.
Scale 1 : 220,000.

Z-IO' E.ofP

♦•♦O' E.of O.

♦•;r

J .Mil.

The Hf'U then invaded FricHlaufl, fonning the huuwer Zee, and only spared a fshred
of land — the island of Schiermonnikf>f>g — to mark the former extent of the coast.
In 1421 the fearful Hpring tide of St. Kli/abetli burst tbrrmgli the embankments,
and convert^jd a fertile district near Dordrecht into a labyrinth of ishinds, now
known as the HiosboHch (sec Figs. 2o2 and 2o4).

Kvcn in iho present century th<j sea has repeat<'dly invaded tiie hmd, not-
withstanding the formidable barriers erected to exclud*- it. In IH'JO it overflowed
the southern fK)rtion of the p«-ninHula of IFoiland, overwhelming forty villages.
Wlien tin- land hud l)een recovered the putrefying remains of liunian bcIngH and
animals spread a yK-stib-nce around them. Marken, an island off that coast, nuiv
1x5 likened to a vessirl in a stormy sea, defended by a board hardly '.^ feet in

4G0

THE NETHERLANDS.

height. When a gale blows the waves invade the island, and only the seven
artificial mounds upon which the inhabitants have erected their dwellings rise
above the waters.

The floods caused by rivers are almost as formidable as those resulting from
irruptions of the sea. When the rivers are in flood they rise high above the

Fig. 255. — The Penixsvla of Holland.
Scale 1 : GOO.OOO.

10 Miles.

fields which extend on either side of the dykes that confine them. At Utrecht,
after continual westerly winds, the Lek rises 18 feet above the pavement of the
streets. In winter, when the ice breaks up, the dykes sometimes yield to the
pressure to which they are exposed, and extensive tracts are flooded.

Amongst the geological agencies operative in the Netherlands the subsidence
of the land appears to be one of the most formidable. Peat bogs have been dis-

HYDEOGEAPHY.

461

covered in many localities far beneath the level of the sea. Off Domburg, a
village on Walcheren, the waves now cover a Roman temple, whence M. de Laveleye
concludes that the land there has subsided to the extent of about 30 feet. Another
ruin lies off Katwyk, about 1,000 yards from the shore. Antiquaries have
identified it with the tower which Caligula raised in memory of his pretended
victory over the Britons, and hence called it Arz Britannica, or Huk te Britten. In

Fig. 256. — The Coast-line of the Xetherlaxds before the Couxtrt: tvas Peopled.

According to Staring. Scale 1 2,500,000.

^^-■:~.^wi

)'■■ "nm lAnila.

—^— 10 MiU-s.

Firm Ijiii'1.

theiiixt<'fnl}i cfiilurythc wuHh of thin building were Htill 10 feet high, but every
trac<! of it ban now fliMjippeun^l. FiHlurmcn pretend that further out at seu thoro
are nirnilur niinn— tho w,-r:alh-d Tonu vun CuUu— Hurroun(hd by fossil tree«,
whow; wooil in uh black on ebony.

Another claM*. of fuctN Hh(»w that the HubHidence \h apparently «.nly loeul.
M. .Storing drawM att,c'nti(»n to old Mca-beaeheM, now far iidand, but on iho

Kunin

462 TUE NETHERLANDS.

level as the actual beacli. lie is of opinion that the settling down of peat
bogs and mud-banks satisfactorily accounts for the instances of subsidence
observed. The polders along the coast regularly settle down after they have
been dyked oflP, the Bylmermeer being a notable instance : its bed has sunk 1*0
feet in the course of twenty-five years, the effects of drainage and the pressure
of roads and liouses satisfactorily accounting for this phenomenon. The beds
of the ancient polders along the Dollart are about 7 feet lower than those of
polders only recently created. Tliere are, of course, limits to this subsidence,
which varies moreover according to the nature of the soil. The bed of the polder
of Enkhuizen sank 52-16 inches between 1452 and 1616, or at the rate of 032
inch annually. Between 1616 and 1732 the subsidence only reached one-third
of that amount, and no change whatever has taken place since.

Holland has sometimes been likened to a leaky ship slowly sinking to the
bottom ; but it appears quite clear that, though the country subsides, this subsidence
is confined to the upper strata of the earth's crust, and that there are consequently
limits to its extent. Still the fact of considerable tracts of land having disap-
peared beneath the waves remains. A fringe of islands approximately marks
the ancient extent of the coast-line, now deeply penetrated by the estuaries of

Fig. 257. — Section of the Dyke of Westkappel.

the Schelde and Rhine in the south and by the Zuider Zee in the north. The
maritime face of the country is thus cut up into three distinct portions, viz. the
archipelago of Zealand in the south, the peninsula of Holland in the centre, and
the island-fringed Friesland in the north.

The area occupied by dunes is larger than in Belgium, and these sand-hills
attain a greater height. The Blinkert-duin, near Haarlem, rises 197 feet, and stand-
ing upon its summit, that part of Holland which has been the scene of the most
important historical events lies spread out beneath us as far as Amsterdam.
The humid atmosphere consolidates the dunes, and in some instances they are
covered with a spontaneous growth of mosses, which would prevent their advance,
if it were not for the burrows of rabbits. Elsewhere they have been planted,
and, upon the whole, they form the best barrier against the ocean that could
be devised. They but rarely invade the land, and if the sea encroaches never-
theless, this is due, not to an advance of the dunes, but to the erosive action of
currents and breakers, which undermines them.

A great deal of the national energy has been devoted to the reclamation of the
submerged lands. It has been computed that 2,336 square miles of land have been
swallowed by the sea since the thirteenth century, of which 1,476 square miles

HYDROGRAPHY.

463

have been recovered. History takes but little note of these reclamations, for,
unlike irruptions of the sea, which destroy the work of generations in a single
day, they do not strike the imagination. But the Dutch dyker pursues his task
unmindful of the applause of the world, and no sooner has the ocean won a victory
than he goes to work to retrieve the disaster.

The first dykes are supposed to have been constructed by the Xorthmen, but
none of these earlier works of defence survived the disasters of the fifteenth century.
It was only when the Dutch had won their independence that the great national

Fisr. 258. — The "Windmills at Zaaxpam.

tu«k of coiiquf;ring the ocoan wuh vigorously taken in hand. 'I'Ik; dniiniiig
of Die Lake of /yp, nour Alkmaar, l-'»,H'i() iutoh in extent, was, in ll'>^)'\, llio
grrniti-ftt achievement up lo that time. 'I'lii- I)ut(;h engineers becanio fumouH, .
and other countricH frequrrntly iivaih-d tlnfmH<:lv(!H of llicir wtvIcch. In rcc^ent
yearn the work of recluination huM been progressing at an increaHing rate.
Ik'tween Mlo and 187.0 \\U,H\U acroM of eultivabht hind have I)een acbled lo
the area of Ifollan<l, b«;ing at the rate of i'rl acren daily. The (MO, 000 acres of
land reclaimed to the north of the Mimn reprchcnt u value, at the rate of £21 an
acre, of £2'.i,ljiH),i)i)i).

464

THE NETHERLANDS.

In many localities nature aids the work of man. Marine alluvium is deposited
xipon the banks, or waddcn, which separate Friesland. from its fringe of islands.
After a time they rise above the water, and thousands of birds resort to them, to
feed on the molluscs left behind by the retiring tide. It is only, however, after
marsh plants and grasses have taken root upon these shining mud-flats, or bliken, that

Fig. 259. — The Zuiderpolder formerly.
Scale 1 : 76,000.

iivmc.

they are considered " ripe " for embankment. "When they reach that stage they are
known as schorren, or kwelder, and, if dyked off, they yield magnificent crops for
forty years in succession, without requiring manure.

The main dj-kes, constructed as a defence against the sea, are works of a most
formidable nature. The enormous outer piles are tied by planks to an inner row of

HTDEOGEAPHY.

465

piles, and covered with fascines and rush mats. The wood is concealed beneath an
armour of flat-headed nails, so that teredo worms may find no crevice to lodge in.
The ballast consists of huge blocks of granite, brought at great expense from the
interior or from Norway. As a rule these dykes are about 30 feet in height, and
between 150 and 350 feet in thickness. Their construction was all the more

Fig. 260. — The ZriDERPOLDEZR now.
Scale 1 : 76,000.

I Mil*.

difficult aH, owing to th<! dfpth of lh«- ulliivial (hpoMltH, it ifl quite impossililc to
MMuni- M/ilid fotindutionii In Holland.

T)u- dyk«'H ar«r a« a rule niaintain<-d liy tin.- landed j)rf)|)ri('torH. 'i'lic oxjM'nHC

Im vf-ry connidiTabl»', »!H[M,'(;ially wImii proji-cting groins have to be addinl as u

defence ugainnt iindorrniuing curroiilN. When a dyke, in Hpitv of all, thruatonH tu
10.-,

466

THE NETHERLANDS.

tumble into the sea, zinkdiikken, or huge rafts of rushes weighted with stone, are
sunk in front of it, and where this hist resource proves unavailing, the dyke has
to be left to its fate, and a new one must be raised in its rear. About the middle
of this century the total length of the main dykes was 1,0'jO miles, and they had
cost £11,200,000 to construct.

Nowhere have the efforts of engineers been greater than in the archipelago
of Zealand. Each of its islands consists of a congeries of polygons, enclosing
within their ring-dyke a polder and its verdant fields. The water-ways are
bounded by lofty dykes, and make the traveller fancy that he is navigating the

Fig. 261. — The Meke of Haarlem.

Scale 1 : 250,000.

//'////

f ^ Blot mi ndaiJ/- J

'//////

' /••<i \

/ ^ J < . f » 1

*a^^ \~^

/HAMU

l-l 30 EaP Gr

2 MUes.

ditches of a fortress. The coat of arms of Zealand — a lion struggling against
the flood — truly symbolizes the nature of the country and the moral energy of its
inhabitants, whilst the motto attached — " Luctor et emergo ! " — is even more
beautiful than that adopted by the city of Paris.

Amongst all the dykes of Holland, that of Westkappel, defending the west
coast of Walcheren (Fig. 257), is probably the strongest. Originally constructed
in the ninth century, it has repeatedly given way, and as lately as 1808 the whole
island was inundated. Since that time the dyke has been greatly strengthened.
It is 12,500 feet long, and rises 23 feet above the mean level of the sea, towards
which it slopes down very gently for 295 feet. The upper part of this slope is

HYDEOGEAPHY.

467

covered with a thick layer of clay, whilst eleven parallel rows of piles, packed with
stones and blocks of basult, defend its base.

Dykes, however, would be of little service if the land they defend could not be
drained. Xearly all the polders lie below the mean level of the sea, the bed of
one of them, the Zuidplas, near Gouda, being 18-4 feet below it. Drains are only
available as long as the bed of the polder is higher than the sea at low water. In
all other cases mechanical means must be used to pump out the w'ater. Windmills
have been employed for that purpose since the thirteenth century, but within the
last thirty years the use of steam has become general. A single engine suffices for
the drainage of hundreds of acres, for the quantity of rain (25- 1 inches on an
average) is but little in excess of the amount of evaporation ('^2*5 inches). Some
of the polders, however, remain under water for two or three months during
winter, for they cannot be emptied as long as the rivers are in flood. Their
sanitary condition, under these circumstances, leaves much to be desired.

Fig. 262.— Amelaxd.

fi<^

yurZoK.-

'> Mik'H.

The word jioldtr is derived from juxl (pool), and actually tlie h)wcst part of each
baflin is often occupied hy a sheet of water long after its higher portions have
Vx;cn brought under cultivation. Formerly the work of drainage proceeded very
slowly, but Mince steam has Iw'cn callctl into recjuiNition it i.s effected almost instan-
taneously. In the more ancient [Kjldcrs the drains converge towards the centre,
inters^jcting the cont^nirs of the ground at right anghis. Very different is the
app*:arancc of a jjold«T drained by stt^am-power, for drains and roads divide it into
rectangles. Tlif ZuiderjKild<T, near Amsterdam (Figs. 'ZW.) and 200), exhibits both
rnethfxls in f;ombination. Warping is hardly ever practicabh; in llie Netherlands,
owing to the hori/ontality of the (•*»untry ; yet it would be wortli whih- to devise
some means for preventing OJljOTO million cubic feet of fertilising alluvium being
annually swept into the ocean.

iHm of the grcatofit engineering works achieved in modern times was the

468

THE NETHERLANDS.

drainage of the Haarlemer Meer (Fig. 261). That mere had heen for centuries a
source of danger to the surrounding country. It covered 45,230 acres. The first
steam-engine was erected in 1842, and in the course of thirty-nine months, aided
by two other engines, it pumped out 32,668 million cubic feet of water. The

Fig. 263. — The Proposed Drainage of the Zuider Zbe.

Scale 1 : 710,000.

5° E of Or

5'30-

Banks which
uncover.

Depth
under 8 ft.

Depth

8 to 16 ft.

Depth
16 to as ft.

Depth
over 33 ft.

10 Miles.

drainage of the mere cost £960,000 ; the land reclaimed was sold for £800,000 ;
but it now annually produces crops valued at £240,000.

A beginning has been made to reclaim the tradden, or mud-banks, along
the coast of Friesland. A dyke 6 miles long already joins the island of Ame-
land to the mainland, and after the westerly currents shall have deposited a

HTDEOGEAPHT.

469

suflBcient quantity of mud against it the land will be enclosed ; and this process,
it is believed, may be continued until the mouth of the Zuider Zee is reached.

But far bolder in conception is the proposed drainage of the southern half of
the Zuider Zee, -which a careful inquiry has shown to be quite feasible. The main
dyke is to stretch across the sea from a point a little to the south of the Yssel
mouth, to Enkhuizen, on the coast opposite. It will be 25 miles in length. A
ship canal will connect Amsterdam with a port at Enkhuizen, but the principal
harbour will be constructed at the back of the island of Urk, which lies in the
centre of the dyke.

The average depth of the portion of the Zuider Zee to be drained is 11 "4 feet,
and the water contents to be pumped out will therefore be 247,000 million cubic

fig. 264. — The Projected Harbour or Urk.
Scale 1 : 35,000.

01 f IH I'. I LCT

IlaUnMUc.

feet, irrewpectively of 5.3,000 million cubic feet aiiiiually arising from Hurplus ruins.
The now poldfr will b« intcrsectiHl by 2,500 iniloH of roads and 27, -MO miles of
canal« and flrainH. IIh urea will b<! 180,000 ucros, its cost .i!l(j,000,000, or £''i'-i uu
acre; not, a large amount, if w(! boar in mind fliat four-fiffliH of the land to bo
recovon-d con Hint of fertile duyey Hoil.

A JK>lder Mihc-vnc Htill thun tliut <»f rlraining flic /uid(;r /(;(! udvoculcs flic union
of all the inIandM of Zealand with tlic mainland, hy embanking und rlniiniii^f fh(<
(mUiurU'H, with tlic r-x(M![»tion of tlinic, wlii«'li arc to form ouflctH for flic .M.ia.H, tlio
Uhinc, and flic S^hildc. Jf n-aliscd, Flolland would not only guin u larg(> (extent
of riiltivalilc larifl, l)ut would at the same lini(! Hccurc l)ctfcr wafer liigliwayH.

470 THE NETHERLANDS.

Humid is the atmosphere which hangs over the damp soil of Holland. Rain
falls in every month of the year, and most abundantly during the prevailing
westerly winds. The mean annual temperature is nevertheless mild, thanks to
the tepid, vapour-laden atmosphere of the sea which washes the shores of the
country, and even in January the thermometer but rarely sinks below freezing
point. Except in Friesland and in the eastern districts, which have a more
rigorous climate, the inland waters are only rarely ice-bound for several days in
succession. Skating is by no means practised to the extent that might be con-
cluded from the numerous Dutch paintings illustrating that graceful pastime.
But though the mean temperature is pretty equable, sudden changes in the course
of a day are by no means rare. Let a cloud but hide the sun, and a shiver
appears to pass through nature ; the wind agitates the tops of the trees and ruffles
the surface of the water ; and the sea breaks monotonously against the shore. Dense
fogs frequently cover land and sea, and the latter then fairly deserves the epithets
" heavy and slow " applied to it by Tacitus, who had in his mind's eye the bright
floods of the Tyrrhenian.*

GroTiingen .

Winter.
35-10

Mean Temperature (Degrees Fahr.).
Spring. Summer. Autumn.
48-34 63-61 50-11

Year.
4 'J -29

Rainfall.

Inches.

28-4

Amsterdam

35-62

48-17 64-37 49-25

49-35

26-4

Eotterdam .

36-95

5000 65-14 51-95

51-01

21-0

Nymegen .

35-57

49-49 64-87 60-11

5001

24-0

CHAPTER III.

INHABITANTS.

^ HE fauna and flora of the Xetherlands are less varied than in
'^ ■ Belgium, and this is only what might be expected in a country
exhibiting such uniformity in its physical features. The wild
beasts have perished with the forests that sheltered them. The
^ last wolf and bear were shot a century ago, the stag had disap-
peared long before, and a beaver has not been seen since the floods of 1825.
Even the marine fauna is getting poorer, for an indiscriminate pursuit has
driven away the sturgeon and salmon which formerly enriched the fishermen
on the Zuider Zee,

A brown stock inhabited the country before the arrival of Germanic settlers.
The short skulls discovered in the old burial-ground near Saaftingeu differ
widely from the long skulls of the Frieslanders. Prehistoric remains, including
stone implements, abound, and weapons, ornaments, and pottery have been dis-
covered beneath the hunnehnOlcu, or giant beds, in Drenthe, the most remark-
able amongst which stands near the village of Tynarloo. Ancient monu-
ments of a different kind are the artificial nidunds known as terpen, or wierdcn,
on the coast of P'riesland, to which the inhabitants fled with their cattle when
the lowlands were flfKided. Amongst the articles discovered in these mounds
are Wie pijKJs, in which the predfct-s-sors of the Frieslanders smoked hemp or
iK)me other nareotic.

The Frisians apjx'ar to have been the first settlers of Germanic origin who
arrived in the country, and fonnerly they extended as far as the Zwyn, near
iJrugen ; but when their country wuu cut in two by the formation of th(>
Zuider Zee, lliose in ihe wmth becam«- gradiniUy amalgamated with the rcsi of
the jHjpulalion. In their origitial district tlicy formed a eonfederalioii, and until
the fourteenth century they virtually remained indeiK-ndent, although owing
allegianee to the German Emperor. 'Ihe Frie-nlanderH are taller and less burly
than f)t}ier I)utelimen, have large noHes, elongated faces, and a retreating chin.
Their ey<.« are blue or grey, tin- hair yellow or pale bnjwn, the complexion fair.
Iheir women are dintinguinhod for ginxl looks and u noble carriage. There

472

THE NETHERLANDS.
Fig. 265.— Costumes of Fkiesland and Zealand.

are local societies by whom the ancient language is cultivated, but Dutch is
understood by nearly all

IXHABITAXTS. 478

The country to the south of Friesland, from the Yssel to the Rhine, was
formerly held by Salian Franks. The villages of Saleheim and "Windoheim,
referred to in the Salic Law, still exist as Zalk and TVindesheim. Oldenzaal,
the supposed capital of these Franks, lies farther to the east, near the German
frontier. Towards the close of the fourth century Saxons first made their
appearance in this region, for many of the Franks had gone to the south, in
search of a more fertile country than is Gelderland. Batavi from Hesse occupied
the alluvial country between the Rhine and the Waal, still known as Betuwe.
As to the Zeeuwen of Zealand, those descendants of Menapians, Frisians, and
Saxon rovers, they have long looked upon themselves as a distinct people. They
are distinguished by tall stature and supple limbs, no less than by their softness
of speech. Gallic tribes, the kinsmen of the Wallons, occupied Limburg and
Brabant. On passing from Holland into Brabant, we can hardly fail to be struck
by the change in the nature of the people. The men are bigger, fairer, and
fresher complexioned ; the women stronger and less nimble. In temperament
they are more impetuous, and being for the most part Roman Catholics, they
also diflFer from other Dutchmen in religion.

It has been noticed that the boundaries of the geological formations approxi-
mately coincide with the ethnological boundaries in the Netherlands. The
lowlands in the Delta of the Rhine are inhabited by Low Germans of very
mixed origin, the Hollanders of the Saxon stock are confined to the sandy
tracts, whilst the Frieslanders hold the alluvial lands. The provinces in whicli
the origin of the population is most diverse are more especially known as Holland.
It is there that most of the large towns are found, and the greatest events in the
history of the Xtth'-rlands have been enacted.

On the i.slunds of Urk and Marken we still meet wiili the remnant of an
ancient race, differing from the inhabitants around not only in customs, but
likewise by the Hha|)e of the skull. The natives of Urk rarely marry outside
their kindred, but far from consanguineous marriages having proved detrimental,
they are, on the contrary, distinguishefl for strength and broad shoulders, and
increase rapidly

Holland formerly attracted many inmiigrantH. iJclgium, during the War of
Inde^Knidence, sent men likr- Ileinsius, .I(»rdaenH, Fran/ IIiils, lOl/evir, and
I^-maire, whose works have shed a luHtn- upon the country <»f their adoption.
French Hngn'-nrits intrwluced various hranche.H of industry. The number of
Jews is large, the majority In-ing of German origin ; but those of Spanish or
I'ortugiiesc extraction fonn a sort of aristocracy amongst their co-religionistg,
and up to the ^K-ginning of this century the use of I'firtuguese waH retained in (he
synagogues.

The audur ity and perseverance which the noilnnderM have exhibited in their
struggles against an invading (K;ean entitle them to our reMi)ect, for lew nations
ran boant fif having Wf»n tlie land t}i«'v live in. 'I'he I)ut<-)inuin • in slow to

• '• Thit/ hrri'TTi " tir\$(\nMj inrliu]<-<l nil ('urmnnit. 'ITio IIolUndiT »till < nll« hin lunKH'iK'' N< <l'r(luitn(h,
fit \/rw (it-tth ir,

474 THE NETHERLANDS.

promise, but fast to keep. It takes long before he can make up his mind, but,
once resolved upon a certain course of action, he puts his shoulder to the wheel
without an after-thought. His common sense is strong, but perhaps he is a trifle
too methodical, and too much attached to ancient ways. Usually silent and con-
templative, he nevertheless is anything but unhappy, and when he goes in for
amusement he does so boisterously and with all his heart.

Amongst all Dutch virtues cleanliness is perhaps that which most strikes
the foreign visitor, who is surprised at the scouring, scrubbing, and washing
that go on from early morn to sunset. In a humid climate like that of Holland
cleanliness is no doubt most essential to health, but it is occasionally carried to
an extreme. Stables are kept with the same care as a drawing-room, and even
the cow's tail is tied up by a string suspended to the roof, in order that the
animal may not soil its glossy flanks. Some of the villages look almost as if
they had been taken out of a toy-box, and the trees have not only to submit
to being clipped into unnatural shapes, but are also occasionally painted, to suit
the fancy of the owner. Art, indeed, cannot be said to preside over these domestic
arrangements of the Dutch. The appearance of the towns is original, no doubt,
with boats passing along the streets ; and the red-brick houses half concealed
behind foliage are curious to look at, but they are anything but beautiful.

Old national costumes survive in several parts of the country. At the very
gates of the capital the fishermen wear long-tailed coats of blue cloth and heavy
wooden shoes. More picturesque is the dress of the Zealanders, consisting of
breeches held up by a silver-buckled belt, a red embroidered waistcoat with large
filigree buttons, and a black velvet jacket. Amongst women old fashions retain
their hold longest, and those of Hindeloopen, until recently, wore gorgeous
dresses, diflering curiously according to the age and social status of the wearer
Most of the servant-girls in towns adhere to the flowery or violet-striped calico
dresses, apparently prescribed for them centuries ago.

Very curious are the head-dresses of the women, consisting of plates of gold
fastened to the temples, and a variety of other ornaments. These heavy head-
dresses, which cause premature baldness, would have been given up long ago, if
it were not for the sake of appearances, for are they not an outward sign of the
wearer's wealth ? Yet, poor girls find it easy enough to procure imitation
jewellery, and the time is not, perhaps, very distant when the chignon will usurp
the place of the golden helmet.

Conservative in their habits of thought, the Hollanders have more and more
withdrawn from intercourse with their neighbours. They no longer live the
life of the world around them, and instead of taking the lead, as was their wont,
they rather lag behind. Whatever the proverb may say, Holland would be all
the happier for having a little more history.

CHAPTER IV.

TOPOGEAPHY.

IMBURG. — Mamtricht (29,083 inhabitants), a dismantled fortress
which the Dutch insisted upon retaining when Belgium was
granted its independence, stands upon the left bank of the Meuse,
and is joined by a bridge to its suburb Wyk. Of its many sieges
that of 1579 is the most famous. There are glass houses, paper-
mills, and other factories, and a brisk trade is carried on. Roennond (9,730 inha-
bitants;, lower down on the Maas, boasts a fine abbey of the thirteenth century
and numerous other churches. Its chief industry consists in the manufacture of
images and other ecclesiastical objects. Venlo (8,496 inhabitants) was formerly
of great importance as a fortress, and carries on a brisk trade in cattle and
agricultural produce. IVcert (7,208 inhabitants), on the skirts of the Campine, is
an important market town, whilst Kerkrade (5,817 inhabitants), near the Prussian
frontier, has coal mines.

North Brahant is in the main an agricultural country, but also carries on a
flourishing woollen industry, 'x IIcrtofjenhoHch (Bois-le-Duc, 24,529 inhabitants),
the capital, is named after a magnificent park, of which not a vestige remains. It
has important manufactures, but is better known as a fortress. Tilbunj (20,103
inhabitants) is the centre of the Dutch woollen industry, and increases rapidly.
Breda (10,085 inhabitants), its neighbour, is a famous fortress, lying in a swampy
plain, whilst Jitrcjcn-op-Zoom (4,839 inhabitants) stands commandingly upon a
hill overlooking the Scholde. Its harbour, however, is no longer accessible, and
oyst^jr- breeding has superseded maritime commerce. Other towns in this j)rovinco
are Grata (3,011 inhabitants^, an f»ld fortress on the Maas ; Qecrtruidoibunj, a
small jK>rt near the Biesbosch ; Eindhoven (3,505 inhabitants) and Jlrlmund (7,000
inhabitants;, small manufacturing towns near the sterile tract of the Campine.

'Av.w.wu M)utch Zkki-and) consists of six detached portions, viz. Dutch
P'landern, t^) the H<juth of the Schelde ; the islands of Walcheren, North and South
Beveland, between the two main branches of tho Schelde ; and the islands of Tholen
and .S<;houwen, to the north r»f the Ooster Schelde.

Neuzen (4,440 inhubitantM;, tho port of Ghent, is the only place of note in Dutch

476

THE NETUERLANDS.

Flanders. Its inhabitants engage largely in oyster-fishing. Biervliet (2,094
inhabitants), the birthjjlace of Beukelszoon, who first taught the Dutch to pickle
herrings, is a decayed town, whilst JIuId (2,334 inhabitants), formerly a busy
commercial city, has dwindled into insignificance since the silting up of its canal.
Goes (6,063 inhabitants), the capital of Beveland, occupies the centre of one of

Fig. 266. — Bergen-op-Zoom.
Scale 1 : 150,000.

4°20f:.oPCr.

2 Miles.

the most remarkable agricultural districts of Europe, and nowhere else can the
peculiar features of polders be studied with equal advantage.

Middelburg (15,954 inhabitants), the capital of Walcheren, is one of the few
Dutch towns able to boast the possession of a fine town-hall. Both the microscope
and the telescope were invented here. The docks, though connected with the
Schelde by canals, are no longer frequented by large vessels, since Vlissinc/en
{^Fhishtng, 10,004 inhabitants) provides them with superior accommodation. That

u
a

S'.

a:
u

TOPOGEAPHY.

477

birthplace of De Ruyter, and one of the first towns from which the Spaniards were
expelled, has lately grown ambitious of attracting the carrying trade which now
enriches Antwerp. Vast docks have been constructed, and steamers daily sail to
England, but the insalubrity of the climate must ever prove a great disadvantage.
It was the fevers of \Yalcheren which destroyed the English army landed for the

Fig. 267.— Walcheren.
Scale 1 : 210,000.

1° 10 E.or Paris

■ •10*

EZZl

0 It >f t»tu •

■JMilM.

»<fi» tff t ritiit.

puqKm; of inventing Antwerp. A« u fortrosa VliHsingen comraunds the mouth of
the Schelflc,

Zifrikzer (7,017 irihal»itant8), the cupitul of Schouwcn, was formerly un imporlunt
■eeport, whore the yncux procured niuny of their recruits, but the silting up of
the Hehclde has doHtroyod its trad(!, wliilHt lirouicerH/taren, on the nordicrn coast
of the iiland, in nMing into irnportaiicc,

.S<»i rir Ifor.;,ANii. — Tlio Waul, on entering the province, woshcH the wuIIh of
GoritKhcm (Gorkurn, !>,'}01 inhubitant.M), an important agricultural marl, and tlicn,
.'mMiirning the numo of Mcrwede, flr,wH pant Slinlncltt (8,()H7 inlmbitan(H), and

478

THE NETHERLANDS.

reaches Dordrecht (26,576 inhabitants) ; there it bifurcates, its branches giving
access both to the Maas of Rotterdam and the Schelde. At Dordrecht the Estates
met in 1572, the Synod at which the Calvinists overcame Arminianism was held
there in 1618, and William III. was proclaimed Hereditary Stadtholder in 1674.
Large vessels proceed to the quays of the town, and a considerable commerce is
carried on. Most of the rafts which float down the Rhine from the Black Forest
are broken up at Dordrecht, and sawn into timber. Spanish ores for the iron
works of Essen are amongst the imports.

Rotterdam (136,320 inhabitants), at the mouth of the Rotte into the Maas, is

Fig. 268. — Vlissingen, or Flushing.

Scalp 1 : .SO.OOO.

Half a MUe.

the piincipal port of Holland, and of the entire basin drained by the Rhine, being
annually frequented by 3,700 vessels of 2,000,000 tons burden engaged in the
foreign trade, about two-thirds of them sailing under the British flag. Colonial
produce takes the lead amongst articles of import, and the commerce with Western
Africa, where the merchants of the town have founded factories, is increasing
in importance. Rotterdam forms a rectilinear triangle, based upon the Maas,
and bounded inland by navigable canals. A railway crosses the river on a
magnificent viaduct, and passes right through the centre of the town, the lower
part of which is intersected by canals. The houses are curious, but not remarkable
for architectural beauty. The picture gallery was nearly destroyed by fire in

as
o

a
c

TOPOGEAPHY.

479

1864, and what remains of it is of little note. A statue on the " Great Market "
reminds us that Rotterdam was the birthplace of Erasmus.

Charlois (6,896 inhabitants) and Delfahaven (10,042 inhabitants) are suburbs
of Rotterdam, whilst Vlaardingen (9,124 inhabitants), still farther down on the
Maas, and MaasHluis (4,673 inhabitants), are the principal seats of the Dutch
herring fishery. ITie only town of importance on the " New" Maas, now aban-
doned by large vessels, is Brielle (the Brill, 4,205 inhabitants). It was the birth-
place of Admiral van Tromp, and the first town captured by the "Water-gueux.
A canal joins it to HellevoetHluis, an important naval station on the Haringvliet.

Schiedam (21,880 inhabitants) is famous for its distilleries, which produce
annually 9,000,000 gallons of gin. Forty thousand cattle are fattened upon the

Fig. 269. — RoTTEKDAM AXD SCHIEDAM.

Scale 1 : 100,000.

1 Milt.

refuMC of tho distilleries. Delft (25,51 1 inhabitants), half- way between Rotterdam
and the Ifag-ue, is well known for its earthenware. It is the scat of a school of
hydraulic cn^^inecrinjr, William the Silent was assassinated hen; in 1584, and,
t/>gether with Grotius, Ileinsius, and other men of fame, lies buried in the " now "
church.

The JlfKjue ('x f/rfirruhfia/jf, 104,095 inhabitants), the official capital of the
Netherlands, is one of those cities which owe their existence not to advantagfs of
commercial p^mition, but to the caprice of their founders. It grew up annmd
a princely shooting-l>ox, and owes its name to a game presorv»>, or /ludr/. The
anyx^it of the town difTcrs from that of all oth<!rH in the country, ('anals only
nkirt it, and the largo sheet of water in its centre is merely ornamental, ships

480

THE NETHERLANDS.

never riding upon it. Comfortable villus, the homes of the aristocracy of birth
and wealth, abound. The public buildings are not remarkable for their architecture.
In front of the Binnenhof, the seat of the legislature, Barneveldt ascended the
scaffold, to which the jealousy of Maurice of Nassau condemned him. Near it is
the gate where another stadtholder caused the brothers De Witt to be torn to
pieces by an infuriated mob. The picture gallery, in the Mauritshuis, and the
public library, are rich in treasures of art, and the number of valuable private
collections is considerable. A fine avenue connects the Hague with the favourite
seaside resort and fishing village of Schereninc/en. Rystoyk (2,840 inhabitants), of
treaty memory, lies to the south-east.

Leyden (41,298 inhabitants), on the Old Rhine, 6 miles above its mouth at
Katwyk (5,486 inhabitants), is the Lugdimum Batavorum of the Romans, and was

Fig. 270. — The Hague and Suheveningen.
Scale 1 : 100,000.

3°/0'E.oPGr.

3''/>J'

1 Mile.

anciently defended by a huryf, which occupied an artificial mound raised in its
centre. It is famous for its university, founded in 1576, in recognition of the
bravery exhibited by the citizens during the siege sustained two years before.
Leyden reached the height of its prosperity in the seventeenth century, but wars
and foreign competition have much reduced its woollen industry, and its streets
exhibit little animation. The scientific collections are many and valuable.

Gouda (17,070 inhabitants), in the interior of the province, occupies a favour-
able position for commerce, and is famous for " clinkers," pipes, and cheese.

North Holland. — Amsterdam (296,200 inhabitants), although it is not the
seat of Government, is nevertheless the veritable capital of the Netherlands. As
long as the Zuider Zee was freely navigable, its position on a well-sheltered harbour

a
I

TOPOGEAPHT.

481

was most favourable for carrying on commerce, and this accounts for the rapid
growth of a city only founded in the thirteenth century. The island, which was
then dyked in, still forms the nucleus of the modern city, which is cut up by
concentric and radiating canals into ninety distinct islands, joined to each other by
over 300 bridges. Most of the houses are built upon piles, and it was with
reference to this feature that Erasmus said he knew of a city the inhabitants
of which perched like birds upon the tops of trees. The royal palace rises
upon a foundation of 13,659 piles. Amsterdam is certainly an original city, but
can hardly be likened to Venice, notwithstanding its numerous canals, for it boasts
neither the marble palaces nor the serene sky of the Queen of the Adriatic.

Fig. 271. — Letden.
Scale 1 : 100,000.

/W^^^

U'iJ'E .»C'

: MOc.

Amsterdam waH the birtliplace of many fanioiiH painters, and its galU'rios aro
rich in work.M by Rembrandt, Van dcr Ildst, and other great maNtiTH of the Dutch
iKihooi. It i.H the »out of a tmivorMity, of an Academy of Science, and an Academy
of ArtH, and poHWHBeH botanical and zoological gardenH, us well as two small public
parkfl. ItH op«-n Hpacen, howr-vcr, ar<! far too limited in (ixtcnt for a city anything
but rcmiarkable for itu winitary coiiflifion. The rain-water collccitcd on the dunes
in now convoyed to it through pip<-H; but notwithHtandiug the extreme clcjanliuosH
of the inhabiUiritM, the death rate Htill amounts to 34 per 1 ,()()() InhabitaiitH.

In the wiventccnth century Amnterdam was the numt important innritimo city
of KurojK-, but, it in no no l(»nger, ff»r only 1 ,'J()0 vc^hmcIh of 100, OOO l<inH liurden
annually enter itn portM from abroad, which is fur below tho shipping ol' llollerdam.
106

482

THE NETUEELANDS.

The construction of a canal to the Helder, and more recently of another to Ymuiden
(see Figs. 279 to 281), has materially helped Amsterdam to maintain its rank as a
maritime city, hut it must ultimately share the fate of Venice, unless steps are
taken to place it in facile communication with the Khine. The existing canals are
far from sufficient for their purpose, and need considerable improvement.

Ship-building and the construction of hydraulic machinery are the principal
occupations, but there are also sugar refineries, distilleries, breweries, and a variety
of other industrial establishments, whilst the cutting of diamonds is more

Fig. 272. — Amsterdam.
Scale'l : 40,000.

4't)t: ^ Loni>,

EoPGr

City of Amsterdam.

AVio Q»arfers
in course of construction.

Suburbs.
Half a Mile.

The spaces left blank
are covered icitk icater-

especially carried on by Portuguese Jews, who form a numerous community, and
are justly proud of their co-religionist, Baruch Spinoza.

Haarlem (34,797 inhabitants), since the drainage of the neighbouring mere
(Fig. 261), has considerably gained in population. Captured in 1572 by the
Spaniards, the whole garrison and many citizens were massacred, but the town
quickly recovered from this disaster, and became famous for its linen industry, which
still flourishes. Haarlem boasts of many great men, and recently a statue has
been erected to Coster, the alleged inventor of printing. Its picture galleries

TOPOGEAPHY.

483

Fig. 273. — Haaelem: the Amsterdam Gate.

conttiin rnuny works by Franz HuIm, who was born here, and tho niinibor of l(arn«Hl
«K>cictie« is connidcrablu. The public |iromenudfH uru uincjngHt the muHt plcuHunt in

484

THE NETHERLANDS.

irollaiid, and although a bulb can no longer be sold for £2,000, the cultivation of
tulips is still carried on with great profit.

Zaandam (12,778 inhabitants), only 5 miles to the north-west of Amsterdam,
is one of the most curious towns in the Netherlands. Nowhere else are windmills
more numerous, and they are employed in the most varied branches of industry,
grinding corn, crushing oil seeds, sawing timber, and doing other work. The
house which Peter the Great inhabited when he worked here as a ship's carpenter
is still pointed out, but there are no longer any ship-yards.

Alkmaar (12,245 inhabitants) stands almost in the centre of the peninsula of

Fig. 274. — Alkmaar.

Scale 1 : 150,000.

2 Miles

Holland, and carries on an important trade in cheese and tobacco. At Bergen,
a village to the north-west, the French, in 1799, defeated an Anglo- Russian army.
The Helder (22,030 inhabitants), a strongly fortified town with a harbour of
refuge and naval arsenal, occupies the extremity of the peninsula, and its guns
sweep the passage of the Hellsdeur, or Hell-gate, which leads into the Zuider Zee.
Near it De Ruyter achieved one of his great victories. Amongst the towns along
the western shore of the Zuider Zee there is not one of importance. Meclemblik
(2,187 inhabitants), Enkhuizen (5,500 inhabitants), and Hoorn (9,764 inhabitants),
formerl}' famous seaports, are decayed, and only carry on a coasting trade in
cheese and other agricultural produce, as do also Monnickendam (2,733 inhabitants)

TOPOGEAPHY.

485

and Edam (5,361 inhabitants), farther to the south. The country at the back of
these towns is noted for its dairy farms, and the cows may be justly described as
" ambulating milk springs," for they yield nearly seven gallons a day.

Naarden (2,045 inhabitants) is the only town of importance to the east of
Amsterdam. It is strongly fortified.

Utrecht has for its capital the famous old city of the same name (66,106

Fig. 275. — The Helher.
Scale 1 : 104,000.

♦ ' ♦ft K.'>r </r

Hmmka mAkA

4 ''•'*•

-i to tt falkt

Oirr II fulAj.

I Mile.

inhabitantHj. It was within iIk; wuIIh of Utrecht that tin; piovinccHol" the Nethor-
lajidn formed them8clve« into a Confederation, and to the prcHcnt day the university
in a Htronj^hold of I'rotcHtantiHUi. The Iloinun Tru/rrfiiH ad Illinium haw rotuined
itn im|K>rtaiice aH a pla<!fi of paHHage, aiifl Iiuh virtually become tlio great railway
junction of the NetliorlanflH, whence linen l)raneh off in every direction. ItH trade
in eoni an*! cattle ia of great inijiortance, and so \h \in varied nianufacfuring
industry. The lihine and wjveral canals int«rrwet the curiouH old lown. Tho
old forlificatioufl have been laid out ait gardenM, and a iine avuuuu of iindouu, known

486

THE NETHERLANDS.

as the Maliehaa)!, or Mall, stretches eastward for nearly a mile. The old cathe-
dral is one of the most remarkable Gothic edifices of the country, but has been
sadly defaced by the restorers, who took possession of it after the great hurricane
which nearly destroyed it in 1G7 \. Utrecht has numerous superior schools, a
meteorological observatory, and various museums. One of its quarters is inhabited
by Jansenists, whilst the Moravian Brethren have established themselves at Zcist, a
village in the neighbourhood. ^we/'.s/bo;'< (13,578 inhabitants), a manufacturing
town, is the only other place of note in the province,

Gelderland. — Ni/megen (23,509 inhabitants), the ancient Noviomagus, is built
on " seven " hills rising on the northern bank of the Waal, which flows through the

Fig. 276. — MoNNICKENDAM AND THE ISLANU OF SIaRKEN.
Scale 1 : 100,000.

5° E.of Gk .

^ICKk

1 Mile.

southern part of the province. Its historical associations abound in interest.
Upon one of its city gates may be read the oft- quoted inscription, "Melius est
bellicosa libertas quam servitus pacifica." Important treaties were signed at
Nymegen in 1678 and 1679. It is no longer a fortress, and its commercial
dealings with Germany have assumed gigantic proportions. The only other large
town on the Waal is Tiel (8,851 inhabitants).

Arnhem (38,017 inhabitants), the capital of the province, is delightfully
situated on the right bank of the Rhine, here bounded by hills. It is the gayest
town of the Netherlands, with numerous country houses, and rapidly increases in
population. Lower down, the Rhine flows past Wogeninyen (6,162 inhabitants) and

TOPOGRAPHY. 487

Kuileriburg (6,662 inhabitants), both dismantled fortresses. Doeshurg (^,517 inha-
bitants), an old fortress, and Zutjyhen (14,513 inhabitants), proverbial for its wealth,
and curious on account of its old ramparts, are the principal towns on the Yssel.

Apeldoorn, a large village with paper-mills and the royal country seat of Loo
near it, rises in the centre of Yeluwe.

Harderwyk (6,445 inhabitants), on the Zuider Zee, is an old Hanse town, with
a silted-up harbour, but still of some importance as the depot for the colonial army.

OvERYssEL. — Zicolle (21,593 inhabitants), the capital, lies between the rivers
Yssel and Yecht, communicating with both by canals. Its position is damp,
and far inferior to that of the picturesque town of Deventer (18,575 inhabitants),
higher up on the Yssel, the commercial centre of the manufacturing district of
the Twenthe. Kampen (16,802 inhabitants), near the mouth of the river, is a
curious old town, much frequented by coasting vessels, which brave the dangers of
the Zuider Zee. The leading towns in the eastern part of the province are Enschede
(5,626 inhabitantsj ; Oldenzaal (3,085 inhabitants), the old capital of the Salian
Franks; and Hardenberg (8,559 inhabitants), the latter on the Upper Yecht. The
bogs to the north of that river have to a great extent been brought under cultiva-
tion, partly by colonies of paupers, orphans, and criminals established around
Steenwyk and OmmerHchanz, but more largely through voluntary labour.

Drexthe. — Annen ij ,^i2 inhabitants) and Meppel (7,901 inhabitants), both in
the basin of the Yecht, are the only towns of this province, the largest commune
of which, that of Iloogeceen, or " High Bog," has 11,103 inhabitants.

Frieslaxd. — Leeuicarden (27,085 inhabitants), the capital, is one of the
wealthiest towns of Holland, though not interesting in other respects. The
parishes around it are extensive and populous, but there are only few towns, or
even villages. Pa-ssing Fruncker (6,643 inhabitants), an old university town, and
the place where the Mennonites originated, we reach UatUngen (II, 043 inhabitants),
the great maritime emporium of the province. Farther south, at the entrance to
the Zuider Zee, lies Htarorcn, the oldest town of Friesland, anciently a powerful
member of the Hanse, but now a decayed village of 600 inhabitants, ^nvck
(9,990 inhabitants^ lies inland towards the south-east, and beyond it we enter
the wealthy parish of Scliotfrl^md (13,893 inhabitants), the principal village of
which is Ilcvrentern, established in the midst of u reclaimed bog.

GRf^MNOKN. — The capital of the same name (40,589 inhabitants), though an
inland town, conuiiunicates by canals with the ports of Zontkainp and Dclfzijl
(^)/j7H inhabitants), the one on the Lauwerzee, the other on the JJollart, opposite to
the German town of Kmden, In the thirteenth century Groningen was one of the
most flourishing towns of Northern Europe, but it is so no longer, nor is its univer-
Hityof much note. The island of Sr/n'crmomiikoog, off the Lauwer/ee, was formerly
renown'.'d for it« bold mariners, but now the inhabitants confine themselves almost
entin-ly to af^riculturo. Near WiitHrliotni (6,158 inhabitants), in the interior, lies
the battl«!-fi(;ld of Ifriliiji-rlre, whore the I)uteh, in 1568, achieved their first victory
over the SjKiniardH. In the parish of l'ikt:ta, to the south of that town, the bogs
are l»eirig reclaimed with grout success.

CHAPTER V.

STATISTICS OF THE NETHERLANDS,

HE Netherlands are densely peopled, considering that a large portion
of the country consists of bogs and barren tracts. The population
is most closely packed in the provinces of Holland and Utrecht,
which contain nearly one-half of it, although embracing less than a
fourth of the total area. Within this district lie the three largest
towns of the country, and population increases more rapidly than elsewhere. The
annual increase averages about 1 per cent., and is almost solely due to an excess of
births. The duration of life (thirty-eight years, one month) is less than in other
parts of Europe, and would be less still if it were not for the scrupulous cleanliness
of the people, which counteracts the deleterious effects of a damp soil, and the
generous diet which the wealth of the country places within reach of nearly all.
The death rate is highest in Holland and Zealand, and there are towns where
nearly a third of the children die within a year of their birth.

Agriculture. — Marvellous is the labour expended upon the drainage of
swamps and meres, but large areas have not yet been brought under cultivation.
The bogs, however, are gradually being reclaimed, and some of them have been
planted with rushes, which yield a crop quite as profitable as corn. Still it is
curious that the Dutch, at vast expense, should dyke off portions of the sea, instead
of planting their extensive waste lands with trees. The existing forests are far
from sufficient to meet the demand for timber and brushwood. If sandy tracts
have been brought under cultivation, this is due to poor zandhoeren, and not to
wealthy landowners.

Rye and wheat are the leading bread-stuffs grown. The cultivation of potatoes,
oats, barley, pulse, and beet-root is carried on extensively, whilst amongst so-called
industrial crops rape occupies the first place, tobacco, flax, hemp, and chicory being
also of some importance. The orchards yield an abundance of apples, prunes, and
cherries, whilst the gardens around Haarlem and other towns are noted for their
fine flowers and ornamental shrubs. But it is the meadows and grass lands which
produce the real agricultural wealth of Holland, so famous for its dairy farms. It
is to Dutch cows that our own shorthorns trace their pedigree. Butter and cheese

STATISTICS OF THE NETHERLANDS.

489

are amongst the most important articles of export. The breeds of horses are as
highly valued as those of sheep and horned cattle. The large horses of Zealand
are the ancestors of our dray-horses ; the light-limbed horses of Ameland are
supposed to be descended from Spanish jennets ; the black trotting horses of
Friesland are highly prized throughout Holland ; whilst the horses of Gelderland
may vie in beauty with those of Hanover and Holstein. M. de Laveleye, in 1860,

Fig. 277. — Density of Population in th.e Xetheklaxds

IJrrr .*if imha'itlu^tt to a •'Ufttart jilit.

IHtt \m UkaUlamU (o a lUi^art J/.rf.

vuluod the agricultural produce of Ilolluud at £^0,000,000, uiid we may sulely
aMume that it hu8 doubled HJncc.*

• A(fri"'lt"Jr;il ■tatintitui for IH7A: ( 'orn, 1,4.T2,7'J9 arrcs (17C ij<t ci-nt.) ; other croim mid fallow,

i9T AHH lufM ' ti ') \nrT txni.) ; fp-ajw un(l<r rotfition, 430,733 iKToa (6-3 jHTcont.); iiuudowH mn] |.ii«turc8,

'.{0 \^T fi-ntj; woodn, AW,,12'J ucri-n (J> 3 p<?r (x-nt.) ; water, 38y.7COu(T(,'H (4 H jkt cr-iit.) ;

I' -- ! liidinK t«wii«, 4<;., 2,i'i'l,Uim acn^a (270 Jht cont.). AviTagD jjroducc j)ir iicrf, in

»/i«ih«U:— WhMit, 263: «it«, 440 ; Url«y, 44 3; ry«', lO-fl; (MitalwH, 1«0M.

' It : 2M),0/VJ horwn, !r2.',,:i;j3 .own, /i42,;».0H oth.r kindH of cattli., !»4 1,007 iihuoi>, 338,640 jii(fn,

I'*'" lu lt)72 12,037 Uju» ut butt4;r and 11,001 loua of chui'Mi wuru uiudo.

490

TUE NETHERLANDS.

Common lands are rapidly diminishing, but another kind of tenure, known as
beklem-rcgt, is gradually extending from Groningen. Under it the tenants, on
pa)'ment of a fixed rent to the original owner of the land, are not disturbed, and
may sublet or sell the farms they hold, and transmit them to their heirs. Under
this tenure agriculture is prospering, and Groningen has taken the lead in many
improvements.

Industry. — As a manufacturing country Holland does not rank as high as in

Fig. 278. — The Pkincipal Canals of the Netherlands.
Scale 1 : 2,.500,000.

4°!EoPGr

25 Uiles.

agriculture. There is but little coal, and clay, used in the manufacture of earthen-
ware and clinkers, is the only mineral product of any importance. Still the cotton-
mills of the Twenthe and the cloth factories of Brabant are of some importance, and
woollen stuffs are exported even to Belgium. Maastricht has glass houses and
machine shops, whilst Schiedam is known throughout the world for its distilleries.
CoMMEKCE. — In 1652, when Cromwell forbade the importation of British
colonial produce in foreign bottoms, the Dutch had a commercial marine of 16,000
vessels and 900,000 tons, equal to the combined marines of the rest of Europe. At

STATISTICS OF THE NETHEELANDS.

491

that time Holland was mainly dependent upon its fisheries and commerce. Later
on, differential dues closed foreign ports against Dutch vessels, and during the
French occupation they rotted in the docks of Amsterdam. The decadence of the
Dutch maritime power is not, however, solely due to foreign rivalry. It was
brought about, in a large measure, by the maintenance of obsolete monopolies,
now fortunately abolished. The herring fishery, a " mine of gold " in former
times, and still of considerable importance, though encouraged by bounties, has
not been able to maintain its old markets in the face of the unfettered competition
of the Scotch.

The decrease in Dutch commerce is, however, only relative, and since the

Fig. 279. — The Groins near PExxiN.

Scale 1 : 48,000.

1 MUe.

removal of objwjiete reHtnctions haa once more htcudily increased. Much of it is
tranHit trade bfstween Flngland and more distant countries and Germany, and
Kri^'lirth voBHels are more largely engagtrd in it than Dutcli ones.*

In the Nefherlands transport by water is carricfl to an cxlcnt altogether
}>ty(ni(l the experience of ot,h«!r coiinirioH. The principal canals have a length of
1, '007 miles, bcHidfs wliicth there are I,l"Jl miles oi" river highway. Several of
the canals are works of which the I)iit,(;li may be justly proud. TIk; sliip t:unal,

• frriix,rt« 'nif;r(hftri<liiM.) :-l8:0. i:3H.'12»,0«4 ; IHIH, trn.U'Xi/.lM. KxporU : -1H70, £30,104,700;
IH7'i, ti'<i,i'J'J.\W. 'Jliid in I'xcluniv.) of tninnit. Of '2,(i8»,«JI7 torm .iit.r.d in |K7(J from nl.ioiid,
WZfiMt t/m* w<'rc Dutch. 'Dw marinn cofniMt'Ml, in 1878, of l,8;(/j tn'u-ffnintf vi'mhi.Ih of HO,7'27 tons.
fUilwwyn, I.I'^O iiiil<ii; U-l« (fraphu, 2,l.<0 milija.

492

THE NETHERLANDS.

constructed in 1819 between Amsterdam and the Helder, was looked upon at
the time as a remarkable achievement. But soon the merchants began to com-
plain about its great length (52 miles), its insuflScient depth (18-5 feet), its
liability to become closed by ice, and its exposed position near Petten (Fig. 279),
where the ocean is perpetually threatening an irruption. It was resolved, there-
Fig. 280.— The Canal of the Y.

Scale 1 : 135,000.

ifhiF.of Ol-

io Miles.

fore, to construct a new canal, the engineers naturally choosing the narrow neck
of land known as Ho/land op zijn smakt. This canal of the Y, constructed
since 1858, has a length of 25,886 yards, and is 207 feet in width. Its depth,
as far as the great flood-gate at Ymuiden, is only 13 feet, but beyond it deepens
to 25 feet. The harbour at Ymuiden is formed by two piers, each 5,000 feet
in length, and covers an area of 297 acres. The entire work cost nearly

Fi^-. 281. — Section of the Pier Head at Ymuiden.

£4,000,000 sterling, a considerable portion of which, it is hoped, will be recovered
by the sale of land reclaimed on both sides of the canal.

Rotterdam, threatened with being cut off from the sea altogether, in con-
sequence of the formation of bars and the silting up of its estuaries, contented
itself with a canal far less ambitious in design than that of the Y. It was con-

STATISTICS OF THE NETHERLANDS.

493

sidered sufficient to cut a " new water-way " across the Hoek van Holland
(Fig. 282), and to protect this new mouth of the Scheur by means of piers,
6,560 and 6,070 feet in length. The result, however, does not appear to have
realised expectations, for the new canal is slowly silting up.

The first Dutch railway was built in 1837, and the network now embraces
1,120 miles. One of the most remarkable engineering works in connection
with it is the viaduct at Moerdyk, which spans the Hollandsche Diep at a spot
where it is 8,355 feet in width. (See Fig. 284.)

Prosperity is perhaps more universal in the Netherlands than in most other
countries in Europe. There are peasants in Friesland and elsewhere credited with

Fig. 282. - Canal of the Hoek van Holla2«d.

Scale 1 : 100,000.

2 Milod.

the posscsHion of "tons of g"l'l." Xor arc; tlicso rich yeomen slow to display
thf.'ir wealth in plat^j and jewellery, and even their cowhouses they occasionally
provide with curtained windows, curious china, and rare {[owv.th. IJut the contrast
between them and the proletariate of the large towns is all the more striking.

Eni-fJATfON. — Attendance at schfKjI is not compulsory, and as yet by no means
univerMul. ThouMunds of children are allowed to grow up without education, and
erven in Nortli Ifolland ) I per cent, of the adults are unable to read. 'I'lic instruc-
tion in tlio public iwihoolM ih Mccular, but about one-fourth of the cliildren attend
dr;nomiriational private wIkkiIh. 'J'liere are thnjo universities. As liuguistH the
])ut.eh probal>ly excel all other nations. Many are able to converse in French,

494

THE NETHERLANDS.

German, and Eng'Ush, besides frequently possessing a knowledge of Latin and
Greek and of some oriental tongue.

In matters of education Holland has allowed herself to be distanced by other
nations. Is this a sign of mental apathy and moral decay ? We hesitate to
answer this question in the affirmative.

Government. — Holland, as a constitutional state, presents the same features
as most other European monarchies. Formerly each town had its self-elected

Fig. 283. — Railway Map of the Netherlands.

Scale 1 : 2,500,000.

S3!

4° 'F oF Cr

25 Miles.

" council of wise men," but now the burgomasters are appointed by the King, whilst
the Communal Council is elected by those citizens who, according to locality, pay
from 18s. to £6 13s. in direct taxes. The provinces are governed by commis-
sioners appointed by the King, whose authority is somewhat curtailed by the
Provincial Estates, elected by citizens paying £1 18s. to £13 7s. in taxes. The
same limited constituency elects the eighty members of the Second Chamber,
whilst the thirty-nine members of the Upper Chamber are nominated by the

STATISTICS OF THE NETHERT.ANDS.

495

Provincial Estates, and are required to possess very high property qualifications.
The two chambers united form the Staten Generaal.

The King enjoys the usual privileges and immunities of a constitutional
sovereign, and receives a civil list of £79,100. He appoints his Secretaries of
State, as well as the members of his Privy Council, and nominates the judges, those
of the Supreme Court being selected by him from a list of five candidates presented
by the Second Chamber. There are courts of justice in each of the 106 cantons

Fig. 284. — The Railway Viaduct, near Moerdtk.

and thirty-fivf! arrondiHwmentH, besides five suporior courts, and a Supremo Court
of fifteen memlKirs. All judges, excj'pt those of inferior courts, are irremovable.

The Rfformed Chun;h was disestabliHh«;(l in 1 S70, although the vast majority
of the inliahituiits }>o]orig to it. The Roman Catholics are in a majority in the
provinces f»f fiimhurg ari<l I5rabant, unrl generally carry the elections, for religious
differences largely enter iriUi politics. Jews are numerous in the larger towns.*

The AitMV is partly recruited by voluntary enlistment, partly Ijy conscription.

• III ISr.o thiTo w«To 2,07'».734 n\ixu\n-n ul i\v I{<f<jiiii<(l Cliiirrh, (i8,0«7 FjilluTiinM, \,'A\'A,WA Koinun
'.'•''n Old f'fttholicn iiitil r,Uiir f 'lirintiiiriH, unrl (lM,O0;j .Fcwh. In IH'J'J the (iiUiulicM wcri'

3S '■

lit th(! iK(|iiil<ition : in IH(<!i only ^ti'6 p<!r cent.

496

THE NETHERLANDS.

Conscripts usually serve twelve months with the colours, and afterwards attend
four annual drills of six weeks each. The Militia, or Schutterij, includes all citizens
up to fifty-five, but in reality only 40,000 men are organized. The colonial troops
are in a large measure foreign mercenaries. The regular army numbers 62,000
men, the colonial army 35,000.

The Navy, which under the lead of De Ruyter and Van Trorap was one of the
most formidable in Europe, consists at present of 19 ironclads, 70 steamers, and
17 sailing vessels, with an armament of 507 guns. It is manned by 8,049 officers
and men, including marines.

The Dutch Colonies exceed the mother country fifty-four times in area, and
seven times in population, and vastly contribute to the flourishing commerce of
the country. Slavery was abolished in them in 1863.

The National Revenue, principally raised by indirect taxation, amounted in
1878 to £9,5"25,320, balancing the expenditure, one-third of which is expended
upon army and navy. There is a national debt of £79,276,000.

Tabular Statement of Area and Population.

Provinces.

Area, 1879.
Sq. Miles.

Population.
Dec. 31, 1869. Dec. 31, 1876.

Inhab. to a
Sq. M., 1876

North Brabant

1,980

42S872

456,709

281

Gelderland

1,905

432,693

453,624

231

South Holland

1,167

688,204

763,636

653

North Holland

1,058

577,436

642,073

606

Zealand . . • •

687

177,569

187,046

272

Ulrecht . . . .

634

173,556

186,164

348

Friesland

1,282

292,354

317,405

247

Overyssel.

1,292

254,051

267,826

206

Groningen

887

225,336

242,065

284

Dreiithe . . . .

1,028

105,637

113,773

111

Limburg . . . .

850

223,821
3,579,529

235,135
3,865,456

277

Total Kingdom

12,730

304

Grand Duchy of Luxemb

arg . 999

199,130

205.160

204

Colonies.

Java and Madura

51,971

16,452,168

18,520,408

358

Remainder of East Indies

581,858

6,185,561

6,905,210

"West India Islands .

435

34,166

41,024

Surinam . . . .

46.070

51,420
22,723,315
26,501,974

69,329
25,535,971

1-5

Total Colonies .

680,334

Total Empire .

. 694,093

29,606,587

INDEX

Aach. 234
Aachen, 210
Aalen, 224
AaLst, 416
Adamello, 7
Adf-lsberg Caverns, 66
Adige, 15
Af.ltrf;, 418
Aerschot, 410
Agram, 71
Aix-la-Chapelle, 210
A ken, 322
Ala, 29

Alfrmanni, 165
Alfold, 89
Algaii, 11
Alkmaar, 484
Allenstein, 347
AUjHt, 416

Alsatfe-I^Jirainc, 16S
Alw-n, 356
AlHter, 331
Alt'-nburg, 268
Alt'-ndort', 214
Altkirch, 177
Altona, 3;5i, 353
Altwawwr, 338
Aliita, 79, 81
Arnlxrg, 241
A HI hie ve, 408
Arii<-land, 467
Amernfoort, 486
Arnrri'TgaiJ, 238
Arrinim, 350
Aiiidt*'!. 457
Am^t'-rdam, 480
And'firi'', 406
Aridirlii'-«, 4 17
Afid<nia< h, 209
Andlaii, 178
Ari«-'-nniinde, 342
/\if^li-n, .',53
AriJialt, 319
Anklarn. 331

/, - r.r.

AuninvAi, 219

Aritw<Tj», 4 '22
Aj><ld'<'irTi, iHl

A I.' t.ridi 356

A s.'i

, .. -7

'.[.'•, 315

. Ml
Ar 1',,., ilH
Ar\^^ru:. II, 2/*

A.,,,„
Af;.d.

Arlon, 403

Amhem, 480

Amsberg, 215

Amstadt, 266

Amswalde, 341

Arolsen, 263

Arsa, Eivcr, 45

Asch, 140

AschaflFenburg, 250

Ascherslebon, 321

Asmannshausen, 205
I Aasche, 415
I Ath, 416
I Audenardc, 41S
I Auerbach, 294
' Augsburg, 241

Aurich, .82

Bacharach, 206

Backnang, 224

Baden, 38, i96

Baden-Baden, 198

Baden weiler, 197

Bakony, 74

Balaton, I^ike, 87

Ballon d'Alwiee, 169

Bamberg, '249

Barby, .{22

Bardowick, 288

Bannen, 213

Barr, 178

Bartenstein, 317

Barth, 334

Bafl.;lf, 4 '21

hmwtvi/xii, 4 1

Ba«togrie, 378, 405

ISaiidour, 4 17

linutzin, 298

Bavaria, 225

Bavarian l-'onul, 228 ; Jura, 228

Bayniilh, 249

Beerberg, 253

lUUi'-n, 1 I '2

Belch. n, 169

Belgiird, 313

Belgium, ,'j77

J5cr<hi-m, 423

JSenlitcHgadcn, 227, 247

Birg'dorf, 331

]'«Tgcn-oj»-/oorn, 475, 470

BergiH('h-(>ladbii('li, 211

B<-rliku, 55

Berlin, 325

B<-rnnu, 3'29

Benihurg, 321

lU'Hkido, 115

lU:MiUt;lt, 33d

Beveren, in "SVaes, 421

Beverloo, 445

Biala, 123

Biberach, 239

Bielefeld, 281

Bielitz, 143

Biorvliet, 476

Bicsbosch, 457, 459

Bilin, 141

Binche, 417

Bingcn, 204

Binger Loch, 187

Birkenfeid, 205

Bistritz, 112

Bit?ch, 182

Bitterfeld, 321

Black Forest, 191

Blankenberghp, 383, 389, 428

Blaubeurcn, 233

Bleiberg, 26

Blenheim, 240

Blocksbcrg, 25G

Bludenz, 29

Bochnia, 123

Bocholt, 214, 281

Boehum, 214

Bod<% Kiver, 321

]$.)d/a, 79, 81

Bohemia, 125

Bohemian Forest, 125, 228

BiihmLsch-Leipa, 141

Boii, 131

BoiH-loJJuo, 475

Bolelun, 1»3

BolKv<iler, 177

Bonn, 209

Itoom, 421

Boj.jiard, 206

liorlM.k, 214

Iiorgerliout, 4 23

liorinage, ■! 16

liorkiim, 276

Bonia, 195

iJoniJii'in, 421

HoriiHHi, ;il8

iioiVHlaw, 124

l!otiro|), 2S1

Hot/.in, 2H

Itoiiillon, 401

lloiirlangi'. Moor of, 271

liouNHU, I'itrt of, 379

HoiivignrM, 41)5

itoy<-n, 34 7

Uiat.anl. 473; \oilh, 475

Jtraini'-rAlli'ud, 412

lSriiini'-li'-( 'Inili'iiu, 4 12

liruini'-li'-( 'unite, ••12

498

INDEX.

Brake, 287

Brandcnburfj. 323, 329

Biaiinsborg, 316

JJrazzo, i31

Jh-eda, 'ITo

Brcgc, 233

Br('f,'onz, 20, 29

Brei»ich, 197

lircitcnfeld, 291

Bremen, 287

15rcmerhafen, 288

BreincrviJrde, 288

Brenner, o, 24

Breslau, 336

Bretten, 199

Bric"-, 33G

Brielle, 479

Brif,^ach, 233

Brixen, 28

Brocken, 256

Brody, 124

Brombcrg, 344

Brouwershavcn, 477

Bruchsal, 199

Bruck, 26

Bruck-on-the-Leitha, 38

Bruges, Brugge, 400, 425

Briinn, 142

Brunswick, 285

Brussels, 413

Buccari, 60

Biickelnirg, 283

Buda-Best, 106

Eudissin, 298

Budweis, 139

Buer, 281

Bukovina, 114

Bunzlau, 339

Burg, 322 ; in the Spreewald, 307

Burgstadt, 295

Burtscheid, 210

Buseo, 79, 81

Byermeer, 462

Calcken, 421
Campine, 380, 411, 432
Camistadt, 22 1
Cafio d' I stria, 59
Carinthia, 26
Carlowitz, 72
Carlsbad, 140
Camieres, 417
Camiola, 63
Carpathians, 75, 115
Carso, 40
Oaslav, 142
Cassel, 260
Cassubia, 302, 318
Cattaro, 50, 62
Caub, 206
Celle, 286
Cemay, 177
Cettina, River, 46
Charleroi, 405
Charlottenbrunn, 338
Charlottenbui'g, b28
Chateau-Salins, 182
Chatelet, 406
Chatelineau, 406
Chaudfontaine, 409
Chechians, 132
Chemnitz, 295
Chenee, 408
Cherso, 50
Chicm, Lake of, 230
Chimay, 406
Chrudim, 112

Cilli, 26

Cinev, 405

Clau'sthal, 263, 264

01 eve, 212

Coblcnz, 208

Coburg, 204

Coesfeld, Peat Bogs of, 270

Colmar, 177

Cologne, 209

Comines, 418

Comom, 108

Condroz, 378, 432

Constanz, 196

Cor%'ev, Abbey of, 263

Couillet, 406

Courcelles, 406

Courtrai, 418

Cracow, 123

Cranz, 347

Crcfeld, 211

Crimmitzschau, 295

Croatia, 63

Cruyshautem, 419

Csongrad, 112

Culenborg, 487

Curzola, 52

Cuxliaven, 331

Czechs, 132

Czegled, 1 10

Czernowitz, 124

Dachstein, 12

Dalmatia, 39, 48, bb

Damm, 343

Damme, 427

Dampremy, 406

Dannewerk, 352

Danube, 2, 30, 82, 161, 225, 233

Danzig, 344

Darmstadt, 202

Darss, 313

Dcbreczen, 107. 110

Delf shaven, 479

Delft, 479

Deggendorf, 245

Delfzvl, 487

Delitzsch, 321

Demmin, 335

Dcnder, Dendermonde, 416

Dessau, 321

Detmold, 263

Detunata, 79

Deutseh-Krone, 341

Deventer, 487

Diedenhofcn, 183

Diekirch, 448

Diest, 410

Dieuze, 182

Dillingen. 240

Dinant, 404

Dinara, 43

DinkelsbiitJ, 241

Dirschau, 344

Dison, 408

Ditmarschen, 352

Dixmude, or Dixmuyden, 428

Djakovo, 72

Dniepr, 115

Dobberan, 334

Diibeln, 296

Dobracz, 14

Doesborgh, 487

DoUai-t, 275

Donau-Moos, 235

Donau-Eied, 234

Donauworth, 240

Dordrecht. 454, 478

Dombim, 29
Dortmund, 214
Dour, 410
Draclienfels, 195
Dramburg, 313
Drave, 15, 82
Drenthe, 487
Dresden, 296
Drochobicz, 123
Drossen, 342
Dudweiler, 206
Duisburg, 212
Duna-Foldvar, 110
Diifjpel, 356
Diiren, 211
Diiikheim, 201
Durlach, 198
Diirrenberg, 23
Diisseldorf, 211

Ebersbaeh, 298

Ebingen, 239

Ecaussines d'Enghien, 412

Echtemach, 448

Eekemforde, 355

Eckmuhl, 214

Edam, 485

Eecloo, 421

Eger, 110, 140

Egisheim, 178

Ehningen, 220

Ehrenbreitstein, 208

Ehrenfels, 188

Eibenstock, 294

Eichstadt, 242

Eider, 351, .352

Eiderstedt Peninsula, 352

Eifel, 193

Eilenburg, 321

Einbeck, 263

Eindhoven, 475

Eisack, 15

Eisenach, 262

Eiscnberg, 268

Eisenerz, 26

Eisleben, 321

Elbe, 129, 162, 305; Middle, 290

Elberfeld, 213

Elbing, 345

Elchingen, 239

Eldena, 334

Elisabethstadt, 113

Ellezelles, 416

Ellerbeck, 355

Elmshoin, 353

Emden, 282, 283

Emmerich, 212

Ems, 205

Ems, River, 270, 275

Engis, 406

Enkhuizen, 484

Eperjes, 110

Enschede, 487

Ensival, 408

Erfurt. 265

Erlangen, 249

Ermeland, 318

Erzgebirge, 127

Eseaut, 384, 385

Esch-on-the-Alzette, 448

Eschwege, 262

Eschweiler, 211

Essek, 72

Essen, 213

Esslingen, 223

Estinnes Castle, 417

Etsch, 15

INDEX.

499

Eupen, 211
Euskirchen, 211
Everghem, 421
Extcmsteine, 253
Eydkuhnen, 317

Fagrnes, 378

EaLkenstein. 294

Famenne, 378

Fehmam, 352

Fthibellm, Peat Bogs of, 305

Feistritz, 70

Feldberg, 191

Feldkirch, 29

Feleg}'haza, 112

Felsfmneer, 193

Felsenstadt, 338

Fern Pass, 225

Fichtelgebirge, 228

Finsterwalde, 323

Fiumo, 59, GO

Flaming, 301

Hand'TS, 382, 432

Flemings, 39'i, 430

P'lensburg, 356

Fleurus, 406

Flushing, 476

Fogaras, 79, 113

P'ontaine-l'Eveque, 406

Forbach. 182

Forr-hhoim, 249

F-r-t, 3:J9

J '—a Carolina, 236

l-'ramf-ries, 4 1 6

Franconian Jura, 229

Fran'-ker, 487

FrarikenLerg. 296

Frank<-nhau»r,-n, 268

Frdnkenstein, 336

Frankenthal, 201

Frarikfiirt-on-.Main, 2(r2

Fninkfurt-on-the-Odi T, '.'I'-'/J

]■/ .!,k.-, 237, 397, 473

1 ri'i-iUidt, 339

I'niherg, 296

I'nibiirg, 197, 338

Freienwalde, 342

Fr. i^ing, 248

I ). iwaldaii, 142

I 'adt, 22 1

I i.al, 142

1 :.', 3 J 1

I i, .",35

lii..|iarid-on-tlif-Allf;, 348

F. - .Iru ).w|,.,f^ 205

I ri. 210

I ' . ' i I I If' ii i , .'i*i.|

I / ■ -land, 487 ; German, 275

I :.rH, 2H0, 397, 171

I laff, 309

I iler, 181

I ,0

I n tkinhf-Tl, 110

I'll fi<^, i'lH

I iir>.f«TiwaM*-, 323

Furtli, 219

fii'l<Tiz, 296
'.;.M'inz. HI
'. ith C:avf:ni,22U

' II

' 'I

n, 322

'■ 177

' rf(, iU

'• .^u, 416

Geest, 274
Geestemiinde, 288
Gelderland, 486
Geldern, 2 1 1
Gclenau, 296
Gelsenkirchen, 214
Gent, 419
Georgswalde, 141
Cepaatsch Glacier, 8
Gera, 268
Germersheim, 201
Gersdorf. 295
Gheel, 411
Ghent, 419
Giessen, 205
Gileppe, 408, 409
Gilly, 406

Gipsies in Hungary, 100
Glaciers in the Tyrol, 12
Glauchau, 295
Glaz, 336
Gleiwitz, 336
Glogau, 339
Gliickstadt, 353
Gmiind, 224
Gmunden, 38
Gnesen, 341
Goes, 476
Giihlis, 294
Goldberg, 339
Goldne Au, 256
Gollnow, 343
GiJppingen, 223
Gorals, 117

Gorcum, Gorinchem, 477
Gorizia, 59
Giirlitz, 339
Giirz, 59
Goslar, 263
Gossfcliee, 406
Gotha, 262
GotteHbf-rg, 338
Gottingen, 263
Gottwhee, 69
Gottorj), 356
Gouda, 480
Gradi.-Jca, 59
Grafenberg, 142
fJrammorit, 416
(Jniri, 109
Grawlitz. 140
Graiidcnz, 3 1 1
Grave, 4 75
(iraz, 25

Oreifenberg, 343
On-ifiiibagcn. 342
(SreifHwald, 331
Cirein, 31
Greiz, 268
Cirevemacher, 448
Griniiu/i, 295
(irilltriiiz, 1 1
Grivcgiii'-c, 408
Orobri< k, 42
GrMck, 124
Groningen, 487, lOO
iirantk (flockner, 5, 9
(Jri.»Mt.S« Jioridii, 29H
(Jroiwi-Wurdiin, 1 1 1
OriiHiM- liafr, 309
(irooMi'iiliiiin, '298
(Jnmbiig, 339
Giilxri, 3;i9
niiiiibiiimn. 3(7
Gijntriiw, 334
iUxhuh, 192
Giitirxloh, 281

GvongyiJs, 110
Gyula, 112

Haarlem, 482 ; Mere of, 466, 468

Habichts Wald, 255

Hadersleben, 356

Hageland, 381

Hagen, 214

Hagenau, 181

Hague, the, 479, 480

Hainau, 339

Hainant, 379, 416

Hainichen, 296

Hal, 412

Halas, 112

Halberstadt, 321

Halicz, 124

Hall, 28, 224

Halle, 320

Hallein, 27

Hrtlligen, 352

Hallstatt, 38

Hamburg, 329, 330

Ilameln, 263

Hamm, 281

Hamme, 272, 421

Han, Grotto of, 384

Hanau, 203

Hanover, 269, 283

Hansag. 89

Harburg, 289

Hardenberg, 487

Harderwvk, 487

Hardt, 169, 193

Hargita, 78

Harlebeke, 418

Harlingon, 487

Hiiromszek, 78

Harz, 256

Harzburg, 264

Hass<lt, 410

Hautcs Fagnes, 378

Havel, 305, 326

Haven)erg, 329

Hcereuveen, 487

Heide. 353

Heidelberg, 199

Heidonheim, 239

Ilcilbronn, 224

Heilige Damni. 334

H<-iligenHtailt, 263

lleiligerlee, 4S7

HeiL*b<rg, 34 7

HeJder, the, 4H4

II<dig<.land, 27H

IfejjevontHluiK, 479

Hellwrg, 215

IIcliiKtild, 475

Helnmtedt, 2S5

Herevniari Foi-cHt, 25G

Hei-eiitlialH. 411

Hirfonl, 2H3

IleriimiitiHtiidt, 1 13

IleiTenliaUNi'll, 2S4

JliiTeiiwilrib, 231

M.rriibut, 29«

llerHtiil, 409

111 rve, 378

lleMbaye, 379, 432

JleMMe.'JOl

JI.ltHli.lt. 321

ll.VMt, I2H

IlildbiitKliaiiM'ti, 261

Ilild.'Mli.irii, W:>

HirMclibi'ig, 339

Il'xiibeiiii, 201

iI'M hlnr. b, 298

')()0

INDEX.

Hochschwab, 12

Ho(!hstaclt, 240

Hof, 2.50

Ilofhciin, 20.5

II oho I'c'isscnberg, 2'2i3

Ilohe Taucrn, 8

Hohe Venn, 193

Hohenelbe, 141

Hohonhcim, 222

Holirii.slein, 296

Holland, North, 459, 480 ; South, 477

Holziiiiiulcu, 2G3

Homburf^, 20;5

Hoogcveon, 487

Hoorn, 484

Horb, 222

Horde, 214

Horn, 263

Ilorodenka, 124

HiJrsclbcrg, 2.54

Houdcng-Aimeries, 417

Houdong-Gcegaies, 417

Hiixtor, 263

Hulst, 476

Iliimniliiig, 270, 274

Ilimdsfeld. 337

Hungary, 73

Hiiningen, 177

Huns, 92

Hunsriick, 193

Husum, 353

Hiittcnberg, 26

Huy, 406

Ibbonbiiren, 282

Idar, 206

Idi'ia, 70

Iglau, 142

III, Kiver, 171

Iller, 231

Indre, Pond of, 175

Ingelniunster, 418

Ingolstadt, 242

Inn, 15

Innsbruck, 27

Inowrazlaw, 344

Insterburg, 347

Iron Gate of Orsova, 81, 86

Isar, 231

Ischl, 38

Iseghem, 418

Iserlohn, 214

Isola Lunga, 51

Isonzo, 39, 4<i

Istria, 39, 48, 54

Itzehoe, 353

Jade, Gulf of, 275, 282

Jagemdorf, 142

Jaromer, 142

Jaroslaw, 123

Jasmund, 312

Jauer, 339

Jemappes, 416, 417

Jcmeppe, 408

Jena, 265, 266

Jever, 276, 282

Joachimsthal, 140

Johannisberg, 205

Josefstadt, 142

Judenburg, 26

Julicb, Juliers, 211

Jumet, 406

Jung-Bunztau, 141

Jupille, 409

Jura,Franconian,219; Swabian. 216

Jiiterbogk, 329

Kaisersberg, 178
Kaiserslautcrn, 201
Kaisorstulil, l!)l
Kaisheim, 240
Kalbe, 321
Kaloesa, 1 1 1
Kamcnz, 298
Kamniin, 343
Kami)on, 487
Kapella, 43
Karawanken, 11
Karlsljurg, 113
Karlsruhe, 198
Karlstadt, 72
KarLstein, 139
Ka.schau, 110
Kattowitz, 336
Katwyk, 480
Kaufbcuren, 240
Kecskemet, 112
Koilliau, 265
Kelheim, 242
Kempen, 211, 340
Kempten, 240
Kerka, 43, 49
Kerkrade, 475
Kcsmark, 1 1 0
Khazars, 92
Kiel, 354
Kinzig, 191
Kirchberg, 295
Kirchhcim, 223
Kissingen, 249
Kitziugen, 249
Kladno, 139
Klageufurt, 26
Klattau, 139
Klausenburg, 1 1 2
Klosterneuburg, 38
Knyphausen, 282
Koiberg, 343
Kolin, 142
Kolozsvar, 112
Ivomotau, 140
Koniggriitz, 142
Kiiniginhof, 142
Kiinigsberg, 342, 346
Kiinigsee, 226, 227
Konigshtitte, 335
Kiinigstcin, 205, 291, 296
Kiinigstuhl, 192, 314
Konitz, 344
K^i^nik, 328
Korneuburg, 38
Kortryk, 418
KOsen, 320
Koslin, 343
Kothen, 321
Kotibus, 323
Krain, 63
Krainburg, 71
Kremnitz, 110
Krems, 38
Kremsier, 142
Kreuzburg, 336
Kreuznach, 206
Kronach, 249
Kronberg, 205
Kronenberg, 213
Kronstadt, 113
Kronthal, 205
Krossen, 339
Krotosehin, 339
Kufstein, 28
Kulmbach, 249
Kurische Haff, 310
Kurnik, 340

Kuttenberg, 136, 142
KyfiFhauser, 258, 274

Laaeh, Lake of, 194

Labes, 343

Ladins, 17

Laeken, 410

Lahn.stein, 205

Lahr, 198

Laibaeh, 68, 71

Landau, 201

Lauden, 410

LandslxTg, 341

Landshut, 248, 339

I..angemai-k, 428

Langcnbielau, 338

Langensalza, 268

Lang(;n-Schwalbach, 205

Lauban, 339

Lauenburg, 329, 343

Lauff'en, 224

I/iuwerzee, 459, 487

Lcau, 410

Lech, 231

Lechfeld, 233

Lechhausen, 242

Ledeberg, 421

Leeuw-St. Pierre, 413

Leeuwarden, 487

Lehe, 288

Leipzig, 294

Leisnig, "^96

Leitmeritz, 141

Leitomvsl, 142

Lek, 45"7, 460

Lemberg, 122

Lemgo, 263

Lennep, 213

Leoben, 26

Leobschiitz, 336

Leonberg, 224

Leopol, 122

Leopoldshall, 321

Lesina, 52
Lessines, 416
Leuven, 410
Leuze, 416
Levico, 29
Levrera, 52
Lcyden, 480
Lichtenberg, 328
Lichtenfels, 249
Lichtenstein, '295
Lichtervelde, 428
Liebenstein, 261
Liechtenstein, 29
Liege, 406
Liegnitz, 338
Licr, Lierre, 411
Ligny, 406
Lilicnstein. 291
Limbach, 296
Limburg, 205, 408, 475
Lindau, 239, 240
Lindenau, 294
Lingen, 282
Linz, 38
Lippe, 281
Lippspringe, 281
Lippstadt, 281
Lissa, 52, 339
Liibau, 298
Lodelinsart, 406
Lokeren, 421
Lomnicz Peak, 77
Loo, 487
Lorelei, 190

INDEX.

5Ul

Lorrach, 197

Loscheritz, 298

LiJssnitz, 294, 295

LiJtzen, 347

Louvain, 402, 410

Louviere, La, 417

Liiwenberg, 339

Liibbecke, 283

Liibben, 32 i

Liibbensteine, 285

Liibeck, 332

Ludwigsburg, 221

Ludwigshafen, 196, 201

Ludwigslust, 334

Luneburg, 2S8 ; Heath of, 270, 274

Lungwitz, 295

Lussin, 51

Lussin Piccolo, 60

Liittringhausen, 213

Liitzelstein, 182

Liitzen, 320

Luxemburg, 446, 447

Lyk, 347

Lys, 384, 385

3Iaas (see also ileuse), 383, 457

Maassluis, 479

ilaastricht, 475

3Iats-Eyck, 409

ilagdeburg, 322

MagTira Hills, 105

3Iain, 236

Mainau, 196

Malf.hin, 334

Mald.-ghem, 427

Malines, 4 1 1

Malnrifcdy, 211

3Ialplaq'utt, 417

Malst-r Haide, 5, 6

Malstadt-Burbach, 206

3Iannhardtsberg, 31

Mannh'-im, 199

" ■ arh, 224

■ir'.r 26, 205, 260

1. 32

n-Famenne, 405

iie-aii-Pont, 406

' ior,

I ijhA, 112

nWl. 139
J >c,
♦ 06
. 1 .'<

: . •■; 1 »
.'■n, i.y.i, 47?, 486

'■i r:ir<h, I7H
•I '.78

' ';i, 10

1 'r. 113

■I 'i.<-!y, 112

"r. 177

t. 177

.;o.^, ;;oi. 317

fi. 224

'. 'u:

.. M«-*MiD, 411
331

, I ; .'i
11".

if,

ilehadia, 112
ileiningen, 261
Meissen, 298
Meissner, 255
Melada, Island of, 47, 52
Mellum, 275
Memel, 311, 348
Memmingen, 240
3Ienin, 418
Meppel, 487
Meran, 29
Mergentheim, 224
Merseburg, 320
Merzig, 206
Mettmann, 213
Metz, 183
Metzingen, 223
Meulebeke, 418
Meuse, 383, 384, 4.57
Mezohegyes, 112
Mezij-Tur, 112
Middelburg, 476
ililitary frontier, 69
ilinden, 2.S3, 284
Miramar, 58
MitroWc, 72
Mittelgebirge, 128
Mittweida, 293
Moerbeke-lez-Lokeren, 421
iloerdvk, 493, 495
• Mohacs, 110
Moldau, 129
Moll, 411

Monceau-8ur-Sambre, 406
Mondorf, 447
Monfalcone, 44
Monnickendani, 48-J, 4t6
Mons, 416
3Iontafun, 1 1

Montigny-sur-Sambre, 406
Mont tit. Aniand, 421
Mont-sur-Marchii-nne, 406
Moonilede, 418
Moravia, 142
Morlak.s, 55
3Iorlanwelz, 417
3Ifrt<;lle, 190

Mouscrrjcn, Mou.S( ron. 118
Moiiac Tower, 188
Miihlhaust-n, 266
Mulhaijneii, 177
Mulh.im, 197. 211
Miilh«iin-on-lli«-ICuhr, 212
Miilwn, 295
Miin»-h<-n-< Jiadbacli. 21 1
M linden, 263
Jlunifh, 245
Miinkaf-H, 110
MiJn)rt«r, 177, 2»>2
MunHt'-rlx-rK, 3 6
Miirjf, 191
My»lowitz, 336

Na«r<l<>n, 485
Nai^y r.< f «k<r<k, 112
Unuy Kiiy< d, 1 13
NiiK-y Kaiii»/,a, 1 10
Nuicy Kikirida, 1 12
Na(fy Knnm, 1 12
Na^fy V.'irad, 1 1 1
Ntthi-, IHK, 190
Niikil, 311
NarriHluii, 337
Nainiir, 405
Nnnfiita, kiver, 47
NuMii, 201
NaiHMii Cnnih; 'lO.',

Xauen, 329
Xauhcim, 205
Naumburg, 320
Xeander C'avo, 163
Xeckar, 216
Xeckargemiind, 190
Necrwinden, 410
Negoi, 79
Xeisse, 336

Xeu-Brandenburg, 335
Xeu-Breisach, 178
Xeuhaldensleben, 322
Xeumarkt, 338
Xeumiiblen, 331
Xeumiinster, 353
Xeunkirchen, 206
Xeurode, 336
Xeu-Ruppin, 329
Xeusalz, 339
Xeusatz, 72, 111
Xeusiedl, Lake of, S8
Xeusohl, 110
Xeuss, 211

Xeustadt, 38 ; in Silesia, 336
Xeustadt-Eberswalde, 342
Xeu-Stettin, 343
Xeu-.Strelitz, 335
Xeu-Titschein, 142
Xeuwerk, 277
Xeuwied, 209
Xeuzen, 475
Xiederbronn, 181
Xienburg, 285
Xieuport, 428
Xikolsburg, 142
Ximmersjitt, 348
Xinoven, 416
XivcUes, 412
Xogat, 309
Xorden, 282
Xordemcv, 277
Xordhauscn, 268
Xiirdlingin, 24 1
Xordstrand, 351
Xortgiiu, 168
Xorth.-iin, 203
Novisad, 72, 1 1 1
Xowawcs, 328
Nowo Sandek, 123
Nuremberg, Niiruberg, 248
Niirtingen, 223
Nynu'^en, 4S6
Xynii>henburg, 247

Oher Ingolheim, 204

ObcrhuuHcn, 212

Obcrrttcin, 206

Obcrwfwl, 2116

Ochsenfurt, 219

Oder, 162, 305, 307, 335, 339

(Jderberg, 143

Oderbnich, ;i08

Od<rwil/, 298

Oediiibiirj^, 109

O.dcrau. 296

OeJM, 337

OflHiiit/,, 294, 295

O.MliiiK, l'7

Oet/llml, 7. 8

Ocvnhiiuw.'n, 2^3

Of.'n, 106

Oflr iilmi h, 203

Off. n burg. 198

Ohiaii, 3.36

Ohrdruf, 266

OJHi', 3H3

'• KiiniH/.a, 1 12

502

INDEX.

Olflenhurj?, 2')8 ; in Ilolstcin, 3.54

Oldenzaal. 487

Oliva, 344

Olmiitz, 142

Ombla, 4.5, 46

Oostcamp, 428

Oppeln, 336

Ore Mountains, 127

Ortelcr, 6

Oscliatz, 298

Osnabriick, 282

Ostend. 427

Osterode, 263, 346

Ostrowo, 310

Ottensen, 331, 3,53

Oudena.ard, 418

Ougrec, 408

Overysche, 41.5

Overyssel, 487

Paderborn. 281

Pago, 48, 51, 54

Palatinate, 200

Palten, 20

Papa, 109

Papenburg, 273, 282

Pappcnheim, 2i2

Parcliim, 3L<4

Pardubice, 142

Parenzo, 59

Partenkirehen, 247

Pasewalk, 335

Passau, 244

Pasterze Glacier, 9

Patschkau, 336

Paturages, 416

Pecheneges, 92

Pecs, 110

Peel, 452

Peine, 286

Pekela, 487

Pelagosa, 52

Pepinster, 408

Perleberg, 329

Peruwelz, 417

Pesth, 106

Peterwardein, 72, 112

Petten, 491

Pfalzburg, 182

Pforzheim, 19H

Philippeville, 406

Philippsburg, 199

Pilis, 74

Pillau, 346, 347

Pillnitz, 296

Pilsen, 140

Pirano, 59

Pirmasens, 201

Pirna, 29 , 296

Pisino, 59

Piul^-a, 67

Planitz, 295

Plauen, 294

Pleissenburg, 29 1

Pleschen, 340

Podolians, 119

Poilvache, 384

Pola, 41, 59

Polders, 462, 467

Poles, 116, 316

Polnisch Ostran, H3

Pomerania, 343

Pontafel, IJ

Poperinghe, 428

Poprad, 81, 114

Porta Hungarica, 75

Porta Westphalica, 256, 284

Posen, 340
I'lissneck, 265
I'otsdam, 328
Prague, 137
Prcbischer Kogel, 291
Pregel, 309
Proinula, 51
Prenzlau, 335
Prerau, 142
Pressburg, 108
Preussisch-Eylau, 34"
Preussisch-Stargard, 344
Pribram, 139
Pritzwalk, 329
I'robstheyda, 294
Prosecco, Vineyards of, 46
Prossnitz, 142
Przemysl, 123
Pusterthal, 5
Puszta, 90, 93
Piittlingen, 206
Pvritz, 343
Pyrmont, 263

Quadi, 131
Quarognon, 416
Quedlinburg, 321
Quenast, 412

R;iab, 108
Itadautz, 124
Padeberg, 298
Kadna, 112
Eagusa, 61, 62
Eammelsberg, 257, 264
Ransart, 406
Rappoltsweiler, 178
Rastatt, 19S
Rastenburg, 347
Eastoc, Lake of, 46
R.athenow, 329
Ratibor, 336
Ratisbon, 242
Rauhe Alp, 217
Rtivensburg, 239
Rawitsch, 339
Recca, 43, 44
Recina, 44

Recklinghausen, 281
Red Tower Pass, 79, 80
Regensbui-g, 242
Regenwalde, 343
Regnitz, 236
Reichenbach, 294, 337
Reichenberg, 137, l4l
Reichenhall, 247
Reich shof en, 181
Remscheid, 213
Renaix, 418
Rendsburg, 353
Rennsteig, 253
Reschen Lake, 5
Reudnitz, 294
Reuthingen, 223
Rezat, 236
Rhtetikon, 6
Rheingau, 205
Rheiuhausen, 212
Rheinpfalz, 200
Rhevdt, 211
Rhine, 161, 184, 455
Rhi3n, 254
Rieka, 43, 46
Ries, Plain of the, 228
Riesa, 298
Riesen Gebirge, 127
Ritzebiittel, 332

Rixburg, 328
I{oclditz, 295
Roerinond, 475
Rogasen, 341
Ronnebcrg, 268
Ronsdorf, 213
Ronsse, 418
Rosenheim, 247
Ros.sbach, 320
Rosswein, 296
Rostock, 334
Rothcnburg, 250
Rcjthhaar, 196
Rotteuburg, 222
Rotterdam, 478, 492
Roux-lez-C'harleroi, 406
Rovereto, 29
Rovigno, 59
Ruden Island, 314
Riidersdorf, 3 "^8
Riideshcim, 205
Rudolstadt, 265
Riigen, 313
Riigenwalde, 343
Ruhla, 262
Ruhrort, 212
Rumanians, 98, 119
Rupel, 385
Rupelmonde, 421
Ruthenians, 97, 118
Ruysbroek, 412
Ruysselede, 418
Ryby iStav, 77
Ryswyk, 4^0

Saalc, River, 320

Siuilfeld, 265

Saarbriicken, 206

Saarburg, 206

Saargemiind, 182

Saarlouis, 206

iSaaz, 140

Sabbioncella, 52

Sachsenstein, 109

Sagan, 3 59

Saida, 296

St. Amarin^ 177

St. Aubert, Mont, 379

St. Xicolas, 421

St. Georges-sur-Meuse, 406

St. Goar, 206

St. Hubert, 405

St. Ingbert, 201

St. Pietersberg, 450, 451

St. PiJlten, 38

St. Trond, 410

St. ririch, 170

Ste. Marie aux-Mines, 178

Salvini de San Marco, 13

Salzach, 13

Salzbrunn, 338

Salzburg, 27

Salzburg Alps, 1 1

Salzkammergut, 23

Salzungen, 261

Salzwedel, 322

Sambor, 123

Sambre, 378, 384

Saraland, 310

San Clemente, 53

Sangershausen, 320

Sansego, 52

Sasbach, 198

Saterland. 272

Sauer, 447, 448

Sauerland, 196

Save, 65

INDEX.

603

Saverne, 1C9, 182
Saxon Switzerland, 291
Saxons in Belgium, 397
Saxony, Kingdom of. 290
Saxon V, Prussian, 319
Scarphout, 383
Schandau, 296
Schassburg, 113
Schedewitz, 295
Mhelde, 384, 385
Sohemnitz, 110
Schevf-ningen, 480
Schiedam, 479

Schiermonnikoog, 458, 459, 487
Schievelbein, 343
Schiltigheim, 181
Schirmeck, 178
Schlangenbad, 204
Schlawe, 343
Schlei Fiord, 349
Schleswig, 355
Schleswig-Holstejn, 349
Schlettstadt, 178
Sohmalkalden, 261
Sthne»,-berg, 294
Sohneidemuhl, 341
S<;honberg, 142
Schonebeck, 322
Schonheide, 296
Schiiningf-n, 285
Schonlinde, 141
S<,-h'>pfheim, 197
S<:h'»ijf)<-n.stedt, 285
S«hoU-rland. 487
S<;hrecken»V-in, ISl
S<rhrimm, 340
Sf.hulpforta, 320
Schussenried, 239
S^hiitt, 82
S*.hwaW.h, 249
Schwar/ort, 310
S-hwarzwalfl, 191
Shwaz, 28
S<hw<dt. 342
Srbw/-i<!riitz, 337
■ irt, 249
:- . , 33t. 3U

Sr;hw<;tZ, 344

.Schw«;tzingfTi, 199

Kf;hwif,ba«», 339

SfcU.-nJoo, <jl

Hftbnitz. 2i)r,

S ' 3.',3

S nvJr.rf, 29S

K<riim< rirtg I'awi, 10, 24, 119
H<;ni'>v, '-''^ I
H«-ntttf:, 4 1 1
H-iiuir, 416

K" •■■ ~-»'frJ(*-, 2*6

, 177

H«T<th. r^i

S '»7, 'J'J

> i !0

]'.!■;

'I'j

^ i...,f<-ti. 230 «

Hiifn, HI

hil'tnia, Austrian, 1 12 ; Vniwinn, 'A",')

MinfC'-n, 19<J

■^ ■ ' ■ l-rg, 421

Hidl- J /ii^d< jj, 410
Hi*k, 72

Slavs in Austria, 3
Sliedrecht, 477
Slovaks, "95
Slovenes, 19, 69, 92
Sneek, 487
Sniatyn, 124
Soest, 214
Sohlergrund, 148
Soignies, 412
Soldin, 341
Solenhofen, 228, 242
SoUiigen, 213
Somerghem, 418, 421
Sommerda, 268
Sommerfeld, 339
Sonderburg, 356
Sondershausen. 268
Sonneberg, 265
Sonnenburg, 342
Sorabian Slavs, 258
Sorau, 339
Spa, 408
Spalato, 61
Spandau, 328
Speremberg, 303
Spessart, 193, 228
SpeycT, Spires, 201
Spremberg, 323
Spree, River, 307, 323, 326
Spreewald, 307
Sprottau, 339, 340
Stade, 289
Staden, 428
Stanislawow, 121
Stargard, 343
Stassfurt, ;;03, 321
Stavelot, 408
Sta-ioren, 487
Stedingers, 2N0
Stein, 196, 249
Steinamanger, 109
Steinheim, 219
St<-inhud<,T Meer, 271
Stf-insfhonau, 1 1 1
Stokene, 421
Stelvif), 6, 24
Stondal, 322, 324
Sternberg, 142
Stettin, 341, 343
Steyr, 38
BtfH:kfraii, 3S
Stollx.Tg, 211
Stollberg, 290
Str.lp, 343
Stolz. nf. Ih. 189
Stral.Hiind, 334
StniMhiirg, 344
Stramliiirg, 178, 336
Slrauliirig, 245
Ktnhlen, 330
StfiJiro, HO
Stricglitz, 338
Stnidcl, 31
Stiibbciikarnm'-r, 314
Htiildwci'WMtiburg, 109
Stuttgart, 221
Htyriii, 25
Htyrian \\]>n, 10
Hlifhtejii, '^11
K.ihl, 2M
H.ilz. 177
Hiil/,U<h, 200
Hiinilguii, 1<(K
Hiizciiwii, 12 t
Hwat.iiiiiH, lO,';, 220, 237
Hw.v»-/,«-.l<!, 428
Hwim;, 309

Swinemiinde, 342, 343

Switzerland of the Kassuhos, 302

Switzerland of the March, 302

Sylt, 350

SjTinia, 70

Szamos, 79

Szamos Ljvur, 112

Szarvas, 112

Szathmar-Nemethi, 110

Szeged, 110

Szekely, 9 1

Szekes-Fejervar, 109

Szentes, 112

Szigeth, 110

Szoinok, 110, 112

Tabor, 139

Tamise, 421

Tannenberg, 346

Taraopol, 124

Tamow, 123

Tamowitz, 336

Tatra, 76

Tuttlingen, 238

Tauber, 219

Taus, 126, 139

Teck, 223

Tegemsee, 226

Tcmesvar, 112

Tempsche, 421

Tepla, 110

Teplitz, 141; in Styria, 26

Terglou, 10, 19

Tennonde, 416

Teschen, 143

Teterow, 334

Tcutoburger Wald, 256

Thann, 177

Tharandt, 298

Tlieiss, 83

Thielt, 418

Thienon, 410

Thionville, 183

Thorenburg, 113

'Jhom, 343

'I'hoiirout, 428

'J huin, 400

Thuringia, 251, 258

'J'huririgian Forest, 252

Tie], 486

Tihany, Mount, 88

Tilburg, 475

TiJHit, 347

Tiiiiavo, 44

TirlfiiK.iit, 410

T<,kaJ, 110

'I'onale I'uHH, 7

Tondern, 350

TorigroH, or 'I'ongeron, 410

T()iiiiiiig, 353

Torgau, 322

'JW..k-Sz(iit-Mikl6H, 112

'I'duniav, 4 17

'rniuHylvunia, 78

'Iran, 01

'rraiin, 14

TrauiiHtrin, 217

'i'rautciiaii, 11 1

'rravemiiiiili^, 334

TriM'nn, Uivrr, 352

'Viix\iWn, 1 10

'I'niit, 28

'Vr<\A(fw, 313

Treiii'ii, 291

'rrciii-iil»rii/,cn, 329

'I'nveB, 206, 208

'1 'ritT, 20«, 208

504

INDEX.

Trirsto, 5.7
Troppau, 142
'i'ul)iiiff(>n, 222, 223
Tiiffcr, 20
Tarda, 113
Tiirkhrim, 177
'J'urnliout, 111
Tvrnaii, 110
'i yrol, 27
Tyrolcsc, 10
Tysmienica, 124

Uccle, 415
Udvarhely, 113
Ucberlingen, 196
Uelzen, 289
Uerdingcn, 212
Ulm, 239

Ungarisch-IIradisch, 142
Unghvar, 110
I'nna, 215
Urach, 218
Urk, 469, 473
L'trecht, 485

Vaduz, 29

Viijda Hunvad, 113

Yal 8t. Lambert, 408

Val Fassa, 10

Vara z Jin, 72

Varel, 2K2

Vecht, 457

Vegcsack, 287

VegUa, 50

Vellehic, 42, 43

Vellehrad, 142

Veluwe, 451, 456

Venlo, 475

Verden, 287

Vernagt Glacier, 13

Verviers, 408

Vesdre, 385

Veszprem, 109

Veurne, 428

A'ic, 182

Vienna, 33

Vierlander, 331

Viersen, 211

Vilagos, 112

Villach, 26

Villingen, 197

Vilvorde, 415

Vineta, 343

Vinkovci, 72

Vintschgau, 8

Virnheim, 200

Virion, 404

Visegrad Defile, 81

Vistula, 115, 129, 309, 343

A^laardingen, 479

Vltava, 129

Vogelsberg, 254, 255

Voigtland, 294

Vorarlberg, 29

Vordemberg, 26

Vorovitica, 72

Vosges, 168

Viislau, 38

Vrana, Luke, 46, 49

Waag, 76

WaakhuHcn, 272

Waal, 457

Waereghom, 418

Wac3, 382

Waesinunster, 421

Wageiiiiigen, 486

Wahlstatt, 339

Wail)lingcn, 223

Waidhofen, 38

Waitzcn, 109

Walcheren, 477

Waldcnburg, 337

Waldshut, 197

Walhalla, 243

Wallacliians, 98

AVallons, 395, 430

AVandsbeck, 331, 353

Warmbrunn, 339

AVarmia, 318

Warnemiinde, 334

AVarnsdorf, 141

AVavre, 410

Wartburg, 262

"Warlhe, ;i04, 308

"SVaselheim, 178

Wasmcscn-Borinage, 416

Wasselonne, 178

Waterloo, 412, 413

Watzmann, 1 1

Weert, 475

Wchlau, 347

Weida, 268

Weil der Stadt, 224

Weimar, 265

Weingarten, 210

Weinheim, 200

Weinsberg, 224

Weissenburg, 181

Weissenburg am Sand, 249

Weissenfels, 320

Weisstein, 338

Wends, 19, 279, 292

Werdau, 295

Werden, 213

Werfenstein, 31

Wemigerode, 321

A^'erra, Eiver, 254

AVerschitz, 112

AVervicq, AA'erwick, 418

Wesel, 212

AA^eser, 162, 283

AV^esselburen, 353

AVesterwald, 195

AA^estkappel, 462, 460

Westphalia, 214 ; Lower, 269, 281

AVettcren, 421

AA'etzlar, 205

AA'ieliczka, 121, 123

AA^iesbaden, 204

AA'ildbad, 224

AA'ildspitze, 7

AAllhelmshafen, 282

AVilhelmshohe, 260

AA'illebroek, 416

AA'iltz, 448
Wingheno, 428
AVin.schoton, 487
AA"irbel, 31
AV'ismar, 334
AA^isper, 19o
AVitten, 214
AVittonberg, 322
AVittenbergc, 329
AVittstork, 329
AA'olfsbiittcl, 285
AVolgast, 334
AA'oUin, 343
AViirlitz, 322
AVorms, 201
AViirth, 181
AA^riezen, 342
AA'unsiedel, 249
AA'upper, 213
AVurmsee, 230
AVurttcmberg, 216, 238
AA'iirzburg, 250
AVurzen, 295
AA'ynendaelc, 428

Xanten, 212

Yazvgs, 92

Y, Canal of the, 492

Ymuiden, 482, 492

Yperen, Ypres, 428

Yser, 388

Yssel, 455

Zaandam, 463, 484
Zabern, 109, 182
Zadrugas, 69, 97
Zara, 01

Zealand, Zeeland, 475
Zcist, 486
Zeitz, 320
Zelc, 421
Zell, 197
Zellerfeld, 263
Zengg, 00
Zenta, 112
Zerbst, 322
Zeulenroda,. 268
Zeven, 288
Zielenzig, 342
Zierikzee, 477
Zillerthal, 20
Zirknitz, Lake of, 67
Zittau, 1^98
Zloczow, 124
Znaim, 142
Zombor, 111
Zossen, 328
Zoutkamp, 487
Zschopau, 290
Zugspitze. 11, 226
Zuiderpolder, 464, 465
Zuider Zee, 459, 468
Ziillichau, 339
Ziilpich, 211
Zutfen, 487
Zweibrucken, 201
Zwickau, 294
Zwolle, 487

END OF AOL. III.

lillA^JbMM*^

115

2313

pt.l

V.3

Reclus, tllis^e

The earth and Its inhabitants

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