877 



TRANSYLVANIA. 



TRAPANI. 



878 



the Carpathians is renowned for the gas which its surface exhales, and 

 which suffocates birds that fly over it : the Holt-Maros is a lake formed 

 by the Maros near Karlsburg. 



CUniale. The temperature is generally very variable. The summer 

 is very hot, but even then in the western and southern parts of the 

 country, the nights are cold ; in winter the cold is almost insupport- 

 able. Cold winds prevail in the spring and autumn, and they blow 

 with great regularity. Dreadful storms followed by severe cold are ! 

 frequent ; they have given the name to a district called Burzenland, 

 or ' the country of the storms.' 



Soil, Production, and Commerce. The southern and western parts 

 are intersected by hills which contain pleasant valleys, and the soil is 

 of great fertility : the eastern and northern parts and a narrow tract 

 along tha western frontier are covered with forests, and the soil is 

 stony in many districts; but even the stony surface U covered 

 with a layer of soil which renders it fit for agriculture. The 

 chief minerals are iron, lead, copper, quicksilver, sulphur, silver, 

 gold, and rock-salt. Salt is made from 11 2 salines. Near the foot 

 of the Carpathians are many mineral aud warm springs, and caverns 

 filled with carbonic acid gas. There are serpentine, topazes, chryso- 

 lites, emeralds, and amethysts in the high mountains ; agates, 

 opals, chalcedony, and carnelians in the hills and rivers. i 

 enormous quantities of timber, Transylvania produces wheat, barley, 

 corn, oats, millet, and maize; apples, pears, and other fruits in 

 abundance ; wine and tobacco, especially in the valley of the Alt, 

 both of excellent quality. Horned cattle are bred in great numbers. 

 Sheep are numerous, and their flesh has that aromatic taste which 

 distinguishes the sheep that feed on the mountainous pasture-grounds 

 of southern Europe. There are fish, wild and tame fowl, and game of 

 all sorts, in abundance ; wolves are frequent in the Carpathians, and 

 even bears and lynxes appear. The horses are of small size, but 

 swift Manufactures scarcely exist, except in the valley of the Alt, 

 where the Germans produce some fine dyed cloths and cotton, felt 

 hate, leather ware, and a considerable quantity of linen. The com- 

 merce with \Vallachia, Moldavia, and Turkey is of some importance. 



Dirinont and Population. The crownUnd is divided into 10 circles, 

 which, with their subdivison* and population, are as follows : 



Of the population, with r> gard to race, rather more than five-eighths 

 are WiiHiiclis and Moldavians, who are the modern representatives of 

 the ancient Dacians ; about two-eighth! are Magyars ; and one-eighth 

 Germans. There are mixed with these, about 8500 Serbs aud other 

 tlavra. 9000 Armenians, 60,000 Gipsies, and 7000 Jews. With regard 

 to religion, tha population is divided in round numbers as follows : 

 'J J l,|Mi) Roman and 605,300 Greek Catholics, all of whom acknowledge 

 the supremacy of the Pope; 725,700 Schismatic Greeks; 220,000 

 Lutherans; 358,000 Calvinists, 44,000 Unitarians, and 7000 Jews. 



The former aud still popular division of Transylvania was three- 

 fold : 1. Tha Country of the Hungarians; 2. The Country of the 

 Szeklers ; 3. The Country of the Saxon*. 



1. The Country of tha Hungarian* occupies the northern, middle, 

 and south-western part* of Transylvania. The principal towns in it 

 are Klaiuenburg (Cl.AUSEHBriui). KnrWtury, or Wciumbury, a 

 strongly-fortified town, with 12.00U inhabitant*, on tha Maros. It has 

 a mint, observatory, public library, and U the seat of the Roman 

 Catholic bishop of Transylvania. The citadel is built on a height 

 above the town. In the environs are the richest gold-mines of 

 Europe. Nayy-Eityed, with 6000 inhabitants and a Calviniat college. 

 Varhely (Ortdittye) is in the beautiful valley of Hatzeg, on the site 

 of /. irmice Gethiun, the capital of the ancient Dacians, and the 

 I'lpia Trajana of the Romans. [D.uiA.] The environs are full of 

 Roman antiquities, among which the most remarkable are the remains 

 of an amphitheatre, and the foundation of a Roman house containing 

 the pavement of two rooms, which are in fine mosaic, representing 

 OHM* from the Greek mythology. This house was discovered in 



Thorenbury (Thorda), on the Arauyos, U a large market-town, 

 with about 8000 inhabitants, and rich mines of rock-salt Den, a 

 market-town, with about 0000 inhabitants, is situated at the con- 

 fluence* of the Great and Little Siamos. There are talt- works and 

 mines Dear it Snlafy-Sztg, a fortified town, further defended by a 

 castle, is (ituated in the north of the Country of the Hungarians, on 

 tha river Szilagy, a feeder of the Szamos : population about ;V 



2. The Country of tha Szeklers (Pars Siculorum) is bounded on the 

 north and north-west by part of the country of the Hungarians, and 



extends from it to the Carpathians, when it borders upon Moldavia 

 and WaUachia. The principal town is Neiunarkt, or Maros- Vazarhely 

 with 10,000 inhabitants : it contains the chief seat of justice of tha 

 country of the Szeklers, a Roman Catholic gymnasium, a Citlviuist 

 college, a mineralogical museum, and a public library, the largest and 

 best in Transylvania. Udharvely, also called Szekely, and by the Ger- 

 mans Ober JfcUyen, has a handsome town-hall, a Calvinist church and 

 college, two Catholic churches, a convent, Catbolic seminary, and 6000 

 inhabitants, many of whom are tanners and shoemakers. The town is 

 situated on the left bank of the Great Kockel, 40 milea E.S.E. from 

 Neumarkt 



3. The Country of the Saxons. The main or southern part of it is 

 bounded on the east and north-east by the country of the Szeklers ; 

 on the north and west by the country of the Hungarians ; and on the 

 south by WaUachia. Another smaller part, the district of Bistritz, 

 lies in the north-eastern corner of Transylvania, on the frontier of 

 Bukowina. [BisTBiiz.] The country of the Saxons is popularly 

 divided as foUows : 1, AVr inland, with the capital Schiissburg ; 2, 

 Altland, with the capital Hermaunstadt ; 3, Land vor dem Walde, 

 with the capital Miihlenbach ; 4, Burzenlaud, with the capital 

 Kronstadt. 



The principal towns of the Country of the Saxons are the following : 

 HEUMA.X NSTADT, the capital of Transylvania. The village of Jfettau, 

 near Hermanustadt, is renowned for the gigantic size of its inhabitants'. 

 Miihleitbach, about 30 miles N.W. from Hermannatodt, aud about 6 

 miles S. from Karlsburg, is a waUed free town, with about 5000 

 inhabitants, who have several breweries. The town stands on the 

 right bank of the Muhlenbach, a feeder of the Marosch. Krotutadt. 

 [CRONSTADT.] Scluiubury (Segesvar), on the Great Kockel, in a beau- 

 tiful valley, with 6000 inhabitants, has manufactories of cotton and 

 cloth; wine ifl made in the environs. Jlislrilz is the subject of a 

 separate article. [BISTRITZ.] Eroot, or Szat Zvaroi, a well-built town, 

 with a large castle aud about 9000 inhabitants, is situated on the left 

 bank of a small feeder of the Marosch, in 45 49' 46" N. lat, 23 13' 

 Ii3 1C. long., 45 miles W. from Hermannstodt. 



That tract of Transylvania which lies on the frontier of Moldavia 

 and WaUachia belongs to the Austrian Military Frontier, and hag a 

 separate administration with regard to military affairs. 



Ifitlory.The early history of Transylvania hoi been given under 

 DACIA. From the 5th century it was successively occupied by the 

 Goth* and Huns, and remained at last in the hands of the Polovzians, 

 or Pethenegue<, who were a Turkish tribe. When the Mngyars 

 conquered the country between the Carpathians and Qermauy, they 

 also settled in Transylvania, and subdued or drove out tha 1'etshe- 

 negues; however, Transylvania became independent of Hungary until 

 it was conquered by king Stephen I. in 1004. John Zapolya, disputing 

 the crown of Hungary with Ferdinand I. of Austria, was supported 

 by the Turks, aud he at last compelled Ferdinand to allow him to 

 possess Transylvania as an independent principality. But /.a poly a 

 was forced in his turn to acknowledge himself 'a vassal of the Usuiauli*. 

 During 150 years Transylvania was governed by princes of the houses 

 of Zapolya and Bathori ; and some of her princes, especially Betlen 

 Gabor and George Itagozi, were dangerous enemies of the house of 

 Austria. Leopold I. conquered Transylvania iu 1887, and the Porte 

 was obliged to renounce her supremacy over it by the peace of Carlo- 

 witz in 1699. Transylvania however became only a vassal state of 

 Austria until the death of her last prince, Michael Apafi II., who died 

 in 1713. In 1760 the empress Maria Theresa erected Transylvania 

 into a grand principality. 



After the conquest of Transylvania by Stephen I., the country was 

 almost entirely depopulated, but it was gradually repeopled by 

 German and other foreign colonists. The first arrival of the German 

 colonists is generally said to have taken place in 1143 from West- 

 phalia, the Lower Khiue, and the Low Countries, some also from 

 Lower Saxony. The Szeklers are said to be descendants of the 

 Turki.sh Petshenegues, who were allowed by the Magyars to remain 

 in the country on condition of guarding the frontier agaiust the 

 invasions of the eastern barbarians. 



TRAPANI, a province of Sicily, comprises the western extremity 

 of that island, aud is bounded N.E. by the provinces of Palermo and 

 Girgenti, being separated from the hitter by the river Belice, the 

 ancient Hypsa. The area is 1358 square miles, and the population 

 182,809. [SICILY.] 



The province is divided into three districts, Trapani, Mazzara, and 

 Alcamo, and 21 communes. Trapani, the capital, U noticed in the 

 next article [TKAIMM.] ALCAMO and MARSALA are also subjects of 

 separate articles. Muz:ara and Kalemi are noticed under SICILY 

 (vol. iv., col. 502). Catlel Vetrano, about 12 miles E. from Mazzara, 

 inland, is on old-looking town, built on a hill, iu a fertile country, 

 producing good wiue and abounding with cattle. It hiw several 

 churches aud convents, an old castle, and several palaces. Six miles 

 .S. 1 1 oin Castel Vetrano U the site of the ancient Helmut, on the gea- 

 coast, with the ruins of several temples, consisting of extensive heaps 

 of broken columns, capitals, and other fragments. Fragments of 

 marble, alti-riliuvi of curious workmanship, were discovered in 1822, 

 among the ruins. East of Salemi, in the mountain*, is Gibellina, with 

 a castle and 5000 inhabitants. Farther north is Calaltfdni, a town 

 of 10,000 inhabitants, with several fine churches. The best cheese in 



