POLAND. 



to 15* and even 18*. UM country is usually frozen 

 Md covered with aoow for four or five months. 



The most omit<srstil. riven are UM Ntfmen and Vistula [Norm ; 



Tun uJ. which an navigable for large rivr barge* as far a* they 

 draU 1'oLu.l and flow alou( it* boundary -linea. The Vistula receives 

 frw UM east the Wiepn and Bufc which Utter river i* joined several 

 mild aU>r iu mouUt by the Kara*. The two last-mentioned riven 

 are aavigalO* to a conaidorablo distance ; the Narew to the town of 

 Looua, aad UM Bug to Tanapol, oppoaiU the lliuaian town of Braeso 

 Litewaki. From UM w4 UM VUtula receive* the river 1'iliea, which 

 is only navigable in UM lower part of iu course, and to no great 

 distance from iu niouUi. Th river Warta, an affluent of the Oder, 

 which drain* UM moat western part of the vioeroyalty, begins to be 

 navigable above Kolo, and UM Breana,an affluent of the Warta, above 

 Kalwch, The Uat-BMatioad river form, for the greater part of it* 

 ooune UM boundary line between Poland and Prussia. Lake* are mo*t 

 numerous in UM orth-atern district, but not of great extent. The 

 Urgent Ukr, that of Goplo. which is about 10 mile* long, lies on the 

 Dorth-wfMtern boundary -line. The larger and wider port of it belongs 



. Though Poland is not distinguished by fertility, it 

 produce* more grain, flax, hemp, and tobacco than are required for iu 

 consumption, and it export* these articles to other countries. Wheat 

 i* abundant only in the hilly southern region ; the principal specie* of 

 grain which are cultivated u the other parts of the kingdom are rye, 

 oats, and buckwheat; barley is also grown, but less extensively. 

 Leguminous plants are much valued, and their cultivation attended 

 to. Horse* and cattle are of inferior size, but rather numerous ; and 

 cattle, at well as hide* and tallow, are articles of export. Hogs also 

 are numerous, and bacon to a considerable amount is exported. 

 Sheep and goaU arc lees abundant, though some parts of the country 

 are well adapted for sheep-walks ; the wool is coarse, and little of it 

 is exported. 



As a considerable part of the country is still covered with forests, 

 timber constitutes an important article of export The forests consist 

 of oak, ash, lime-trees, and birch, but chiefly of pine and fir. In those 

 parte where the lime-trees are numerous the forests swarm with wild 

 bees, and the excellent honey which is obtained from them is sent to 

 the neighbouring countries. Wild animals are numerous, especially 

 wolves. Bears and lynxes have become rather rare, as well as the 

 beaver, ermine, and elk ; but deer, foxes, martens, polecats, badgers, 

 and weasels are still very common. 



Several metals and minerals are abundant in the hilly region. 

 Anung the metallic ores are those of silver, iron, copper, lead, and 

 xiiic. Bock-salt, marble, and coral are met with. The principal 

 export* corn, wool, oil, seeds, timber, and zinc are sent down the 

 Vistula and shipped at Danzig. A considerable portion also of the 

 surplus produce of Poland is ordinarily absorbed by Austria. Accord- 

 ing to an official return for the year 1851, the exports through Prussia 

 amounted to 4,015,871 silver rubles; to Austria, 1,373,537 silver rubles. 

 The total value of the imports in 1851 was 0,403,792 silver rubles ; 

 they comprise wine, tobacco, spices, salt, metals, manufactured goods, 

 colonial produce, 4c. The custom-house receipts in 1852 were 

 1,423,549 ruble*. Since January 1st 1851 the customs' line between 

 Poland and Russia has been abolished, and along the whole of the 

 western frontier a strict military cordon has been established, with 

 stations at every half mile distance, and sentinels pacing between the 

 stations uiiiht and day. The manufactures of Poland, which were 

 very flourishing before the insurrection of 1830, comprise woollen- 

 cloth, merinos, flannel, hosiery, shawls, carpets, cotton tissues, and 

 twint, chiefly at Lody and Lublin ; some linen and plain silk, leather, 

 paper, beet-root sugar, beer, distilled spirits (chiefly from potatoes), 

 Bl*s*i Ac- The most important branch of industry is the manufacture 

 tals, especially iron and zinc. Almost all the mines are in the 

 southern part of the vice-royalty. Pit-coal is found in connection with 

 the iron-ores, and it is used extensively in the iron blast-furnaces and 

 in Uie zinc nneltiug-works. There are cast-iron foundries and establish- 

 ux-iiU for the manufacture of machinery and agricultural implements 

 at Warww, which is famous for its musical instruments, carpets, and 

 carriages. Steam machinery is used in several of the factories, in the 

 mines, and in some of the flour-mills. A railway runs from Warsaw 

 tu the Austrian line from Cracow to Vienna. 



The great majority of the inhabitants are Catholics (they numbered 

 3,400,000 in 1838), who used to be governed by an archbishop 

 (Warsaw) and seven other bishops. The Catholics, it is said, have 

 been greatly persecuted in recent times. Of the eight sees only one 

 that of Lublin, is at present filled ; all the others are managed by 

 administrators. The Ruaso-Greek Christians, who numbered 100,000 

 la 1838, have an archbishop of Warsaw. There were also in that year 

 about 160,000 Lutherans and about 10,000 Calvinist*. 



tiont. The kingdom of Poland is divided into eight provinces, 

 which were formerly called way wodships. 



1. Craetne, or Krakow, to called after the ancient capital of Poland 

 lies between 60" 8' and 51 N. lat, IB" and 21 16' E. Ion*. It is 

 bounded N.W. by Kalisoh, N. and K. by Sandomir, 8. by Oslicia, and 

 W. by Prussian Hileaia. IU area is 4067 square miles ; the population 

 is about 4S&,3<>1. The VUtula separates it from Galicia; it is traversed 

 by the Nida, a feeder of the Vistula, and has in it the sources of the 



POLAND. 1M 



Pilioa. It is traversed by a low range from the Carpathian Mountains. 

 There are some tracts of excellent land, good pasturage, forests, and 

 valuable minerals, especially iron. Kitlce, the chief town, is situated 

 in a picturesque country surrounded by high mountains. It has aa 

 episcopal pslsnx, four churches, a convent of gray nuns, an ecclesias- 

 tical seminary, a lyceurn, iron-works, and, in the neighbourhood, mine* 

 of iron, lead, copper, coal, and cahuuine. The population is about 

 6000, without the garrison. Among the other towns th>- principal 

 are Pmctou, on the Nida, which his 6000 inhabitant*. Chart- 

 of Sweden defeated the Poles and Saxons near this town in 17n-. 

 Ckmciny, with a castle on a lofty hill, and lead- and silver-mines in 

 the vicinity, has 2500 inhabitants. Siawtov, on the river Biala, and 

 oo the Warsaw railway, which traverses the west of the province, ha* 

 2000 inhabitant*. Zarti, N. of Slawkow, has iron-mines and 2800 

 inhabitants. The province of Krakow is called Kielce by the 

 Russians, from its present capital. 



2. Saudomir is situated between 50" 25' and 51 60' N. lat, 19 60' 

 and 22" E. long. It is bounded N.W. by Masovia, N.E. by Podlachia, 

 E. by Lublin, a. by Galatia and Cracow, and W. by Kali.ch. Its area 

 is 6230 square miles; and the population 420,909. The Vistula 

 divides it from Podlachia, Lublin, and Galicia ; the 1'ilica, a feeder of 

 the Vistula, from Masovia and Kalisch. The face of the country is 

 undulating, and there are here and there some mountains and forests, 

 with tracts of very rich fertile soil. Jladom, the chief town, on the 

 river Kadomka, has a Piarist college, a gymnasium, and 3700 inhabit- 

 ants. Sandomir, on the Vistula, iu the south of the province, has 

 above 3000 inhabitants. It is a walled town, with six gates and an 

 ancient castle on a steep rock, which was razed by the Swedes iu 1 656. 

 There are here a collegiate church, four convent churches, a synagogue, 

 and a gymnasium. Opoczno, on the Drzewica, a feeder of the 1'ilica, 

 has an ancient castle and 3500 inhabitants. Opatow, on the Opatowka 

 (which enters the Vistula nearly opposite the mouth of the San), is 

 situated in a fertile and pleasant country, has a cathedral and three 

 other churches, a synagogue, and 2500 inhabitants. Slaazuw is a 

 well-built walled town on the Czarna, with a suburb. It has above 

 3000 inhabitants, who have manufactures of cloth, woollens, and 

 stockings. 



3. Kalim, the most westerly province, lies between 50 40' and 

 52 85' N. lat., 17' 40' and 20 E. long. It is bounded N. and W. by 

 Posen, E. by Masovia and Saudomir, S. by Cracow, and S.W. by 

 Silesia, The area is 6573 square miles : population, 656,148. This 

 province has mountains iu the south and plains and forests in the 

 north. The soil is in part sandy and swampy, but on the whole not 

 unfruitful. The principal river is the W r arta, a feeder of the ( U. r. 

 KeUiscIt, the capital, one of the handsomest towns in Poland, is situated 

 between two arms of the Prosna, in a marshy valley surrounded with 

 hills. Most of the houses are built of stone, the streets broad and 

 well paved, and some of them planted with trees. The population 

 amounts to 15,000, of whom 2500 are Jews. There are live Roman 

 Catholic churches, one Lutheran church, a cathedral, and six con 

 Among the public institutions are several schools and three hospitals. 

 Woollen-cloth and linen are manufactured here, and there are several 

 tanneries. Petritau, 89 miles by railway S.W. from Warsaw, has 

 seven Roman Catholic churches, a Lutheran church, a gymnasium, a 

 handsome town-hall, and 4276 inhabitants. Konin, on the Warta, has 

 a great manufactory of woollen-cloth and 3600 inhabitants. Sieradz, 

 on the Warta, bos 2650 inhabitants. Widim has 30UO inhabitant.-', 

 who manufacture some woollen-cloth. Czetutacltau, 143 miles by rail- 

 way S.W. from Warsaw, lies at the foot of the Klarenberg, on which 

 there is a celebrated convent of St Paul the Hermit, which was 

 formerly fortified : population, including Old Czenstochau, 6000. 



4. Lublin, the most south-eastern part of the viceroyalty, is com- 

 posed of the circles of Lublin, Chelm, Josefow, and Zamoski, which 

 formerly belonged to Galicia, and were ceded by Austria in 1810 to 

 the then duchy of Warsaw. It lies between 50 17' and 51 48' 

 N. lat, 21 45' and 24 7' E. long., comprising an area of 6455 

 square miles, with a population of 530,190. It is bounded N. by 

 Podlachia, E. by Volhynia, S. by Galicia, and W. by Sandomir. The 

 VUtula separates it from Saudomir, the Bug from Volhynia, and the 

 Wieprz (which flows through it) for some distance from Podlachia, 

 This province has extensive forests, and in some parts morasses, but 

 likewise contains tracts of good arable laud, and pasturage with a fine 

 breed of cattle. There are no metals except bog-iron. 



The principal towns in the circle of Lublin, besides the capital 

 [LUBLIN] are the following: Lubartow, on the Wieprz, has a fine 

 castle, three churches, a Capuchin convent, and 3200 inhabitants. 

 A'urom, on the Kurowka, has a fine palace of Count Potocki, two 

 churches, and 1920 inhabitants. In 1816 a mineral spring was disco- 

 vered, the waters of which resemble those of Pyrmont : Pulawy, on 

 the Vistula, in the north-west of the province, was once the residence 

 of Prince Czartoryski, whose splendid palace, with its library of 60,000 

 volumes, many manuscripts, a collection of rare Polish antiquities, 

 and countless treasures of art, was celebrated throughout Europe. The 

 park was the finest in Poland. The Russians laid the whole waste in 

 831, during the ill-fated Polish revolution. Zamotz, a very strong 

 fortress on the Wieprz, was founded in 1588 by John Zamoyski, after 

 his victory over the archduke Maximilian of Austria. The houses 

 were built in the Italian style ; and a high school with a considerable 



