S77 



SILESIA. 



SILIVRT. 



673 



land disappears, and those immense plains begin which characterise 

 this part of Europe. The Oder, locally called the Ader, cornea from 

 Moravia, and receives the Elsa, the Klodnitz, the Slober, and the 

 Bartach, on the right Bide; the Oppa, the Neisse, the Ohlau, and the 

 Katzbach, on the left The Sober, a considerable stream, which carries 

 down the drainage of the northern slope of the Riesengebirge, traverses 

 the north-eastern part of Silesia, passing Bunzlau and Sagan, below 

 which town it forms for a short distance the boundary of Silesia and 

 Prussian Saxony, and then entering Brandenburg, joins the Oder 

 below Crossen. A small portion of the province west from Gb'rlitz 

 belongs to the basin of the Spree. There are few lakes, and those which 

 are so called are rather large ponds. The largest are the Koschnitz, 

 Moswitz, and Scblawer lakes. The last ia however four miles in 

 length, but nowhere above a mile in breadth. The air is tolerably 

 mild, except in the mountainous tracts ; but in the southern districts 

 the temperature for obvious reasons ia lower, and the winter longer 

 and more severe. 



Among the useful animals of the province are horses, horned 

 cattle, sheep, goaU, swine, game, fish, bees, and domestic poultry. 

 Wolves are found on the Zobtengebirge, otters in the Bober, and 

 sometimes bearers in the Oder. The vegetable products are corn, 

 pulse, potatoes, garden vegetables, fruit, flax, tobacco, hops, madder, 

 woad, teazle, and timber. The minerals are copper, lead, cobalt, 

 arsenic, iron, and zinc. This last metal ia found in Silesia and in the 

 adjoining territory of Cracow in far greater quantities than in any 

 other country in Europe. Other mineral products are sulphur, 

 marble, alum, liine, and, above all, coal, of which about two millions 

 and a half tons are annually obtained. Though Silesia is on the 

 whole one of the most fertile and best cultivated provinces of Prussia, 

 yet it doe* not produce sufficient corn for the consumption of its 

 dense population. The province ia traversed by the Vienna-Berlin 

 railway, which pawes through Oppeln, Brieg, Brcalau, and Liegnitz, 

 and from which a branch runs from Brief; to NeUse ; another from 

 Breslau to Schweidnitz, Frieburg, and Woldenburg ; and a third from 

 the Hacsdorf station in the north of the province, and eastward to 

 Glogau. At the Kohlfurt station, 82 mile* W.N.W. from Brealau, the 

 Saxo-Silesian railway from Dresden join* the Vienna-Berlin line, 

 having paned in a portion of the north-west of the province the town 

 of GurlU. 



The manufacture* of Silesia, are of the greatest importance, and 

 that of linen ha* existed from a very remote lime. It is carried on 

 with little aid from machinery, and chiefly by the country people. 

 The cotton manufacture ha* extended considerably since 1840. 

 Woollen cloth* an manufactured in some town*. Then an (Ufrar 

 refinerie* in several place*; tanneries at BreaUu and Schweidnitz, 

 and breweries and brandy ->lUtillerie* in most of the towns. Machinery 

 baa been introduced into some larger manufactories for textile pro- 

 duct*. The province is divided inlo three government*, which, with 

 their respective areas and population in 1847, an a* follow* : 



Aiulriau Silesia i* that part of Silesia which wai retained by 

 Austria in the treaty of HuberUburg in 1763. It i* united with 

 Moravia, with which it form* one province. [MORAVIA.] 



Totem. Brealau, the capital of Silesia, form* the subject of a 

 separate article. [BaEsuc.] The other town* of the government of 

 Bralau, which comprises the central part of Silesia, an a* follows : 

 Brieg, a Urge manufacturing town of 12,000 inhabitants, i* situated 

 28 mile* by railway M.E. from Brealau, on the left bank of the Oiler. 

 It was formerly fortified, and still has a castle and an arsenal. The 

 church of St-Nicolai, famous for it* fin* organ, the gymnasium, and 

 the lunatic asylum are the moat remarkable object* in the town. The 

 industrial products include woollen-cloths, linen, tobacco, beer, Ac. 

 A railrotd join* Brieg to Xviasr, which stands 31 mile* to the south- 

 ward. Frankenileitt, 36 mile* 8. from Breslau, stand* on a high hill 

 Mar the left bank of the Pause, and ha* a population of 6000, who 

 manufacture broadcloth, linen, aqua-fortia, *traw-p!at, saltpetre, &c., 

 and trade in corn. Seven mile* S.W. from thi* town i* the strong 

 fortreu of Silberbtry, erected under Frederick the Great to defend one 

 of the mountain pane* into Bohemia. Glttlz, 16 miles S.S.W. from 

 Frankenstein, is a strongly-fortified town situated in a narrow valley 

 on the left bank of the N'eisM, and has 10,000 inhabitant*, including 

 the garruon. It is surrounded by walls, and defended by an old castle 

 built on a high hill, and by a regular modern fortress erected on a hill 

 on the opposite side of the town. Linen, leather, damask, broadcloth, 

 and hosiery an manufactured. The town has a gymnasium and a 

 Catholio college. Oelt, 16 mile* N.E. from Breslau, standi on the 

 0<l*e, and ha* 6000 inhabitants, who manufacture broadcloth and 

 linn. The castle, the furnier residence of the prince* of Brunswick- 

 O*1*V contain* a valuable library and collections of natural history. 

 Th town ha* a gymnasium and a theatre. Keictimtacti, a town of 



OKM. DtT. VOL. IT. 



5500 inhabitants, surrounded by walls and ditches, 31 miles S.S.W- 

 from Breslau, has cotton factories, a synagogue, two private observa- 

 tories, and several benevolent institutions. Schweidnitz, a fortified town 

 on the Weiatritz, is 35 milea by railway S.W. from Breslau. It has 

 a gymnasium and 13,000 inhabitants, who manufacture gloves, leather, 

 broadcloth, beer, tobacco, &c., and trade in wool. The Roman Catholic 

 church of Schweidnitz is adorned with paintings, and has one of the 

 loftiest towers in Silesia, The neighbourhood of Schweidnitz is a 

 very beautiful country. 



The towns in the other two governments are noticed under LIEONITZ 

 and OPPELX. 



SILHET, or SYLHET, Hindustan, a district in the presidency of 

 Bengal, situated chiefly between 24 and 25 N. lat, 91" and 93 

 E. long., ia bounded N. by the Cossyah Hills, E. by Muneepoor, S. 

 and W. by Tipperah and Mymunsiug. The area is computed at 3532 

 square miles. The population of the district is estimated at upwards 

 of a million, supposed to be in the proportion of two Mohammedans 

 to three Hindoos. The southern and central portion of the territory 

 U a continuation of the flat surface of the lower districts of Bengal, 

 and is subject to deep inundation during the rainy season. Towards 

 the north-east the surface is broken irregularly into a number of 

 detached hills, clothed to their summits with treea and verdure, and 

 terminating in the steep and lofty ridgea that rise to a height of 

 6000 feet along the boundary of the district The western border is 

 varied by a succession of fine vales and conical hills, which bound the 

 valley of the Brahmaputra. The principal rivers are the Sooruiah 

 and the Menga. The climate is healthy and the soil fertile. Besides 

 chunam, or lime, which is found in inexhaustible quantities, aud 

 exported to all parts of Bengal, coal of a good quality is found in 

 the district. Elephants, bufluloes, tigers, and deer are numerous. 

 The rivers and streams swarm with fish. Oranges and limes grow in 

 extensive plantations, and are largely exported. The other products 

 are rice, sugar, cotton, cinnamon, cocoa-nuts, and other fruits. Wax, 

 stick-lac, and aloe-wood are abundant Baskets, strong cotton cloths, 

 and a wild silk called muggadootiea, are manufactured. The district 

 is noted for boat-building ; and Silhet shields are in much repute 

 among the natives of Hindustan. The district ia interspersed with 

 numberless village*, and contain* the towns of Aymerigunge, Chirra, 

 aud Silhet Silhet, the chief town and the residence of tho principal 

 authorities of the district, i* situated on the river Soormah, in 21 65 ' 

 N. lat, 91 55' E. long., distant 120 miles N.E. from Dacca, aud 

 325 miles X.E. from Calcutta by road. 



SILISTKIA, or Dryitra, the ancient name of which is Duroatcruio, 

 in 44* T N. lut, 27 12' E. long., 155 miles N.N.E. from Constantino- 

 ple, is a fortified town in Bulgaria in European Turkey. It is the 

 capital of a pashalic, and stand* on the right bank of the Danube, 

 which is here 1200 feet wide, and is studded with a series of islands 

 between the town and the Wallachian shore. The town is largo, 

 defended by a citadel, and surrounded by double walls and ditchu*. 

 The city itself is surrounded by ditches from 12 to 15 feet deep, and 

 defended by strong palisade*. The water-front of the town is pro- 

 tected by a fosse and wall In the rear of the town are several tabia*, 

 or fort*, the fire of tome of which command* the islands opposite the 

 town. On the land side the town a commanded by ranges of low 

 hill*. Silistria i* ill-built; the streets ore narrow and crooked, ami 

 the house* low ; even the mosques and public baths partake of tho 

 general ugliness. There i* however at the eastern extremity of the 

 town a custom-bouse in a better style of architecture. The largo 

 magazines which surround it contain chiefly corn and flour. As it 

 is a fortress built on the northern frontier, in tho neighbourhood of 

 the Danube, and is principally of a military character, the commerce 

 ha* never been flourishing. The population amount* to 20,000. 



Silutria ha* frequently been the theatre of sharp actions between 

 the Russians and the Turks. It was unsuccessfully besieged by tho 

 Ruasian* in 1773, and was again attacked by them in 1779, on which 

 latter occasion they suffered a considerable loss. In 1828 General 

 Kosh was obliged to retreat after besieging the town for some months ; 

 but it fell into the bands of the Russians in 1829, when Generals 

 Diebitsch and Krassowski took it by assault on the 30th of June. It 

 was again attacked with a large force in May and June 1851 by the 

 Russians, who, after enormoui losses, retreated from tho place, which 

 wa* heroically defended by the Turks. The Russians were com- 

 manded first by Prince Gortachakoff, and lastly by Prince Paskiewitsch ; 

 the Turks by Mussa Kussul Pasha, aided by Captains Butler and 

 Nasmyth, British officers, who happened to be in the place when the 

 siege commenced. The Pasha was killed by the bursting of a shell ; 

 and Captain Butler died of fatigue and wounds received in defending 

 the Arab Tabia earthwork. During this memorable liege the towu 

 and it* defences were battered almost to ruins. 



SILIVRI, a sea-port town of European Turkey, is situated 47 miles 

 W. from Constantinople, and ha* about 5000 inhabitants. It is built 

 in the form of an amphitheatre, on the declivity of a small hill facing 

 the Sea of Marmara. It forms a beautiful object when seen from the 

 sea. The top of the hill is crowned by tho ruins of a fort, which 

 was built under the Greek empire. The part of the town below the 

 fort is solely occupied by Turks. The Turks have several mosques, 

 and a market-place, which is much admire:!. Tho harbour admits 

 only small vessels, and ia generally fille I with fishing-boats. Silivri 



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