189 



POLAND. 



POLAND. 



190 



library was founded in 1605. On the partition of Poland, it fell to the 

 share of Austria. In 1820 the Russian government bought the town and 

 environs from Count Stanislaus Zamoyski, who received for it above 

 fifty estates belonging to the state. Hereupon the place was still more 

 strongly fortified, and was deprived of its extensive suburbs. It has 

 however still above 5000 inhabitants, with the fine palace of Count 

 Zamoyski, an arsenal, four churches, the town-hall, two convents, and 

 a theatre, ffrubietzow, situated on an island in the Hulzwa, a small 

 feeder of the Bug, has three churches, a convent, and 3900 inhabitants. 

 Krasnistaw, on the Wieprz and a lake, is a walled town ; it has an old 

 episcopal palace, several churches, and 2952 inhabitants, among whom 

 are many Jews. Chelm has a castle on a high hill, several churches, 

 a Piarist college, a gymnasium, and 2000 inhabitants. 



5. Plocl lies between 52 15' and 53 30' N. lat., 18 45' and 22 35' 

 E. long. It is bounded S. by the Bug and the Vistula, E. by the 

 Drewenz; the Narew flows through it. In some parts there are 

 tracts of the finest arable land and meadows, in others extensive forests 

 and marshes. It is bounded X. and W. by Prussia, E. by Au^ustowo, 

 . by Podlachia and Masovia. The area is 6411 square miles. 

 The population is 547,455. Plock is the capital [PLOCK.] Pultuak 

 on the Narew is a bishop's see, and has a palace, a cathedral, 

 three churches, several suppressed monasteries, a synagogue, and 

 a gymnasium. The population is 3760. Wyizogrod on the Vistula 

 has 8500 inhabitants, of whom 1500 are Jews, ifodlin at the confluence 

 of the Bog and the Vistula has always been a strong fortress, but 

 since the insurrection of 1830 a new fortress of the first rank has been 

 erected. 



fl. ifaamia is situated between 51 30' and 52 55' N. lat., 13 and 

 22 E. long. It is bounded N. by Plock, E. by Podlachia, S. by Rnn- 

 domir, and W. by Kalisch and Poaen. Its area is 7646 square mile.-. 

 ' on both sides of the Vistula, which flows through it, and 

 has on the whole a rich fertile soil, which is well cultivated in 

 the neighbourhood of the capital, and it also contains extensive 

 forests. WARSAW the capital of the viceroyalty is within Masovia, but 

 now forms a distinct government. Lmcicz on the Bzura has 6700 

 inhabitants, an ancient castle, a cathedra), and three other churches, a 

 gymnasium, four convent*, and a seminary for schoolmasters. The 

 inhabitants are partly employed in the manufacture of linen and in 

 bleaching wax. There are two annual hone and cattle fairs, where a 

 great deal of business is done. Tamaaau, a new manufacturing town 

 at the confluence of the Wolborka and the I'ilica, bat important manu- 

 facture* of woollens, cotton, and iron, a considerable trade, and 8000 

 inhabitants. Alrjcandrmm, a newly established manufacturing town, 

 with manufactures of woollen cloths, has .1200 inhabitants. Ozockow on 

 the Bzura ha* also manufactories of woollen cloth, and the population 

 is said to be near 8000. Kutno is a flourishing town, with 4000 

 inhabitants. 



Uathia, situated between 51* 15' and 52* W N. lat, 21" 10' 

 aij.l ->:i' 40' E. long., is bounded N. by Plock, E. by Grodno, S. by 

 Lublin, an<l W. by Sandomir and Masovia. Its area is 5469 square 

 miles : population, 384,646. This province has the Bug running along 

 the eait and northern frontiers, on the west the Vistula, and on 

 the south the WK'prz ; on the south-east there are numerous small 

 lakrs, and in the interior extensive marshes and forests; but it is 

 otherwise a good agricultural country, rich in corn, pulse, cattle, honey, 

 and wax ; but a considerable portion is still in a very uncultivated 

 state. Siedlee, the capital, is a regularly built town, with a palace and 

 a beautiful park, several churches, a gymnasium, and 4420 inhabitants. 

 Sotolov, n'inyrom, Lvlcove, and Wlodatca have each above 3000 inhabit- 

 ant*. Jfock on the Wieprz ha* an elegant town-hall, a beautiful church, 

 a palace with ground* in the English style, and 2000 inhabitants. 

 Bialn on the Ina has a fine palace and park, and 3J86 inhabitants. 

 :-syct, a well built town on the Ina, has 4340 inhabitant*. A large 

 portion of Podlachia was formed into the government of BIALTSTOCK, 

 and is now incorporated with ORODXO. The remaining portion here 

 called Podlachia. was sometimes called Siedlee, or Siedlee, from its 

 chi. f town, which was the scene of severe fighting in the insurrection 

 of 1831. 



8. A<ty*itoro lies between 52* 40' and 55 5' X. lat, 21 25' and 

 24 15' E. long. To the north and east lie the governments of Vilua 

 and Qrodno, from which it is separated chiefly by the Niemen, Bobr, 

 and Narew; on the south is the government of Plock, and on the 

 west Eastern Prussia. The length of this government is about 170 

 miles, and it is about 65 miles in its greatest breadth. It* area is 7237 

 square miles; and its population ia 622,195. It abounds in small 

 livers, lakes, and morasses ; some of the latter produce considerable 

 quantities of wild hops, which form an article of export to Kijnigs- 

 berg. It is likewise rich in forest*, those which skirt the Niemen being 

 full f linden-trees, whence the celebrated 'Linden honey.' The north- 

 em district* of Augustovo form an extensive plain, and the soil being 

 and well cultivated produce* a fine description of wheat ; excel- 

 /<! is also grown in the southern districts, which are watered by 

 the Narew. A ugmtwto, the capital, is on man>hy ground at the southern 

 extremity of Lake Stabrina (out of which the Net to flows), and at a 

 dbtance of 1 1 miles N. E. from Warsaw. It was founded by Sigismund 

 Augustus, king of Poland, in the year 1560 ; it is fortified, contain* two 

 church**, an hospital, and about 3300 inhabitants, and has large fain 

 for bone* and cattle, a* well a* a depot for salt. Suvalty has handsome 



buildings, broad regular streets, and 3000 inhabitants. Seyny, situated 

 on a lake, has 2700 inhabitants. Lomza, on the Narew, in a woody 

 country, has a Piarist college, a gymnasium, and 2300 inhabitants. 

 &c?uc?yn is a well-built town, with 3100 inhabitants. Wilkowyszki , 

 in a very fruitful corn country, has 3000 inhabitants. Nowomiasto, at 

 the couflux of the Schirwind and the Scheschuppe, surrounded by 

 water on three sides, is on the Prussian frontier : it has much trade, 

 and 3250 inhabitants. KaLwary, situated in a fruitful country, has 

 5500 inhabitants. 



The old divisions have been retained under their old names in the 

 preceding notice. But the Emperor of Russia, by a ukase, dated 

 August 21, 1844, divided Poland into five governments, exclusive of 

 the city of Warsaw, which are governed in the same manner as the 

 other provinces of the empire, each having a military and a civil 

 ;overnor. The following table shows the area and population of the 

 present divisions according to the official returns for the year 1851 : 



Of the geography of the historical monarchy of Poland this article 

 does not treat. Out of that monarchy (besides the governments above 

 named) the whole of West Russia is formed, comprising the govern- 

 ments of Wilna, Grodno, Minsk, Mohilev, Witebsk, Volhynia, and 

 Podolia : Austria obtained Galicia, with which the former republic of 

 CRACOW is now incorporated ; and Prussia obtained West Prussia and 

 the grand-duchy of Posen. 



Iliitory. The history of Poland previous to the introduction of 

 Christianity is involved in darkness. Tradition says that the Polish 

 part of the Slavonic raco elected for their chief a peasant named 

 Piast, who was endowed with great and noble qualities, and who fixed 

 hi* residence at Gnesen in Posen. Christianity was introduced by 

 hi* descendant the Duke Micczyslav, A.D. 965, after his marriage with 

 a Bohemian princess, an event which brought the Polish sovereign 

 into connection with the German empire. His successor, Boleslav 

 Chrobry, or the Bravo (992-1025), received (1000) the royal crown 

 from the emperor Otho III., who came to Poland on a pilgrimage to 

 the shrine of St Adelbert, and on that occasion declared him king of 

 the Poles and protector of all the Slavonians. The emperor also 

 recognised his independence of the empire. Bole$lav not only con- 

 siderably extended the frontiers of his kingdom, but strengthened it 

 by wise regulations, and particularly by a skilful organisation of the 

 military force. He transferred the government from Gnesen to 

 Krakow. Under his son Mieczyslav II., and during the minority of 

 Casimir L, Poland was a prey to all the horrors of anarchy. Casimir I., 

 grandson of Boleslav, governed the country with great wisdom, and 

 was succeeded (1058) by his son Boleslav II., surnamed the Dauntless, 

 who was a skilful soldier and a man of chivalrous character. He 

 restored two monarchs of Hungary, Bela and his son Geysa, as well 

 as the Duke of Bohemia and Grand-Duke of Russia (Tzioslaf ) to their 

 respective thrones. Towards the end of his reign he became cruel 

 and rapacious. He murdered Stanislav Szczepanowski, bishop of 

 Krakow, who bad remonstrated against his excesses, and being in con- 

 sequence excommunicated, his subjects refused to pay him allegiance. 

 Ho was obliged to retire from the country, and died in exile. 



The vacant throne of Poland was occupied (1082) by his brother 

 Vladislav Herman, a weak monarch, whose reign was disturbed by 

 foreign aggression and domestic war. Vladislav's son, Boleslav III., 

 was a great monarch, whose reign was illustrious for many victories 

 and for the conversion of the idolatrous Pomeranians. At bis death 

 in 1139 Boleslav divided the kingdom among his four sons, who were 

 styled dukes; and the subdivision of the kingdom did not stop till 

 the aristoeratical government of territorial lords was substituted for 

 the absolute sway of the kings. In the 13th century Poland was 

 ravaged by the Tartars, and the petty princes of the country peopled 

 their deserted towns with colonies from Germany. Vladislav II., 

 crowned at Krakow in 1319, resumed the title of king ; he was one of 

 the greatest monarchs that ever governed Poland. He was educated 

 in the school of adversity, having been twice driven from his throne 

 into exile ; and it was only on his last restoration that ho succeeded in 

 firmly establishing hi* authority, He exerted himself to settle the 

 disturbed state of the country, to repel foreign aggression, and to curb 

 the licence of the powerful vassals. Hi* most formidable enemies 

 were the Lithuanians and the Teutonic Knights, who having subdued 

 the half-savage Prussians, became the moat dangerous neighbours of 

 Poland. Vladislav gained a great victory over them in the battle of 

 Plowce", in 1331. He was then 70 years of age; he died two years 



