Yirii. 



VICTORIA. 



1013 



painting* by natire artisU, the two Montagnas, Magania. Kelntti, 

 Amlrra Vi,*ntino, Bassano, nod others. Tho Teatro Olirapico, which 

 was not fiiaVheJ till after Palladia's drain, U n imitation of an ; 

 macbot theatre ; it w< opened in 1585 for the performance of the 

 (Kdipus ' of Sophocles, tranJatcd into lulwn. 



Yiccnca U a bishop's see : it hat a lyceum with tea professors, a 

 fjmnanum with fourteen professors, a clerical seminary, and a college 

 tot boarder*, a public library of 36,000 volumes and about 200 uiami- 

 script*, an orphan asylum, and several hospitals. There are also 

 several private, collections of inuvraU and fouils, with which the 

 country abounds. In the Piatsa de Signori, a remarkably fine square, 

 are two columns, in imitation of those in the Viazxa San Marco in 

 Venice, and a beautiful campanile 20 feet square and 300 feet high. 

 The remains of antiquity consist of the ruins of a Koman theatre, 

 and some remains of a palace, and three arches of an aqueduct near 

 the Tillage of Olbia. Vicensa has been long known for its silk manu- 

 factures, which sro the most important of the kind in the Venetian 

 state* In the neighbourhood of Vicenia is the celebrated Villa Capra, 

 ' lio, the architecture of which has been imitated for eountry- 

 raU in England and other countries. The church of La Madonna 

 rial Monte, upon a hill called Monte Berico, about a mile out of 

 a. is a celebrated sanctuary. A long covered portico leads up 

 tho hill to the church, whence there is a splendid view of the sur- 

 rounding country from the Alps to the Adriatic. The church and 

 annexed conrent are possessed of some valuable paintings. 



Tioentia, or Yioetia, is mentioned by Pliny (' Hist. Nat,' iii. 23) 

 among the towns of the Veneti. In the middle ages it was for a time 

 a free municipal city ; it became subject to Ezzelino da Romano, and 

 afterwards to the Delia Scula, lord-t of Verona. It afterwards fell 

 under the dominion of Giau O.Jeazzo Viscouti, duke of Milan ; after 

 his death, 1404, tho citizens called in the Venetians, who held Vicenza 

 till 1797. [VENICE. 1 Vicenza had n university in the 13th century, 

 which was frequented chiefly for the study of the canon law. The 

 people of Yiceaza are characterised in history as irritable, quarrel- 

 some, and prone to revenge. The town was bombarded and taken by 



tutiians iu tho campaign of 1843. 

 VI'.'IL [CATALUNA.] 

 VICHY. (ALUEB-l 



MISSISSIPPI, State of.] 

 Sli. [XAPLES, 1'rovinco of.] 



ruUIA, or TOUT PHILLIP, a British colony ia Australia, 

 situated at the southern extremity of the continent, extends between 

 : 1 39' 3. lat, Hl and 150 K. long. ; and is bounded N. and E. 

 l/y New South Walts, from which it is divided by the river Murray, 

 and a line drawn from the head waters of that river to Cape Howe ; 

 S. by Bass's Strait and the Pacific Ocean ; and W. by South Australia, 

 from which it is separated by the meridian of 141 E. long. The 

 form of the province is triangular, its greatest length being from east 

 to west about 00 miles; its greatest breadth about 300 miles. The 

 area U 93,000 square miles, or nearly 03,000,000 acres. The popu- 

 lation in 1816 was 32,800; on March 2nd 1851 it was 77,345; on 

 December 31st 1852 it was estimated at 151,127. The progress of 

 emigration has since considerably increased the population of the 

 coluny. On the 19th of August 1854, it was estimated that the popu- 

 lation on the" gold-fields of Victoria colony was 111,735, including 



men, 16,555 women, and 17,630 children. 



From Cape Howe, at the eastern extremity of the province, a line 

 of coast, called the Long Beach, extends 200 miles in a south-westerly 

 direction to Wilson's Promontory. This part of the coast, which 

 curves slightly inwards, consists for the most part of low and sandy 

 shores backed by hills. Near the centre are several lagoons, and a 

 considerable sheet of water called Lake Wellington. A short distance 

 north of Wilson's Promontory is Corner's Inlet, where a settlement 

 called Alberton has been formed. The inlet is full of shoals, but it 

 forms a harbour for small vessels, and maintains considerable inter- 

 course with Hobsrt Town, exporting sheep and fat cattle from the 

 adjoining country. Near Cape Wilson are a number of small rocky 

 islands, forming a continuation of the ridge of tho Australian Alps. 

 From Wilson's Promontory to the western boundary of the province, 

 the coast-lino runs in a north -westerly and westerly direction more 

 than 300 miles. Only three harbours are found on it Portland Bay, 

 near the western, and Port Phillip and Western Port, near the eastern 

 extremity. Between Portland Bay and Port Phillip, a distance of 

 more than 200 miles, there is no place of safety even for small vessels, 

 with the exception of Warruambool and Port Fairy, small harbours 

 for coa>Uni; vessels. During the summer the south-eastern winds 

 Mow on this coast for three months with great force. From Wilson's 

 Promontory to Western Port the coast is mostly high, from Western 

 Port to the western boundary-line it is generally low. The low 

 1* ""dy. ,<*!* at I ma P 1 * 5 * 8 where swamps exist. West 

 of Cape Nelson the coast is bounded by sand-lulls. 



YYesttni Port afford* good anchorage for vessels of consideralilo 



sue, and u safe, bcm^ protected agiinst the southern and nouth- 



-antern winds by Phillip Island, which lies across its entrance. Port 



Phillip, situated at the western entrance of Bass's Strait, is a harbour 



" f *";* "P*? 11 *- ' ll u ">'<! by a passage a mile and a half wide, 



Nopean on the cast, and Cape Lonsdale on the west. 



'i Mill further narrowed by i-orno shoals which front the 



entrance. Within, the basin extends about 40 miles north, and about 

 midway attains the same breadth, sending off an arm to the west, 

 where it forms the harbour of Geelong. Hobson's Hay, at the northern 

 extremity of the basin, affords good anchorage for vessels of all sizes, 

 and forms the port of Melbourne. Lighter vessels ascend the Yarra- 

 Yarra 8 miles to the capital, which is only a mile and a half distant 

 by land. Portland Bay, near the western boundary, extends 20 miles 

 from east to west, and 10 miles from north to south, and has good 

 anchorage on its western shores in from 4 to (i fathoms ; but it ia open 

 to the south-east winds, and during the south-west gales a swell sets 

 in, causing a heavy surf on the beach. 



Wilson's Promontory, the most southern headland of Australia, is 

 formed by a mountain, which is visible at tho distance of 15 leagues. 

 This rocky mass may be considered as the commencement of the 

 Australian Alps, a range of mountains which, for a distance exceeding 

 70 miles, runs to the west of north, and farther on, for about 100 

 miles, to the east of north, until it approaches 37 8. lat. From this 

 part of the range, which lias a mean elevation of 2500 feet above the 

 level of the sea, several lateral ridges extend to the south-east and 

 west. The acclivities both on the east and west are gentle, and are 

 partially overgrown with forests, containing many timber-trees, mostly 

 blue gum and black butt. Near 37 >S. lat. the range rises above the 

 snow-Hue, and this portion of it is called the Ajuk Mountains. The 

 valleys in this district comprise much land no less fit for cultivation 

 than for pasture. That portion of the province which from tho 

 eastern declivity of the southern portion of the Australian Alps and 

 the Ajuk range descends to the Pacific, is called Uipp : l:unl. It 

 extends along the coast to 148 E. long., and consists of an inclined 

 plane, which however near the mountains appears to di-scend with 

 great rapidity, as in the middle of the region the plain is only 210 

 feet above the sea-level. The northern portion of this country is 

 traversed by several ranges of hills, which are of considerable elevation 

 near the principal range, but grow lower as they proceed southward. 

 The valleys exhibit a considerable degree of fertility, and many cattle 

 stations have been established in them. In the centre of Gippsland 

 are plains of considerable extent, which are covered with open forests, 

 and are capable of maintaining numerous herds of cattle. The most 

 southern portion of Gippsland is traversed by several offsets of the 

 Southern Australian Alps, which are covered with forests of bin", 

 green, and black butt, ia which numerous timber-trees are found. 

 The whole of Gippslaud is abundantly watered by several ctreams. 

 The country extending north-east of Gippsland to the boundary of 

 New South Wales has been but partially explored. 



On the north of Port Phillip the watershed between the rivers 

 falling into the Southern Sea and the Murray occurs about 45 miles 

 from the northern extremity of the harbour, but further to the west 

 it is between 80 and 100 miles from the sea-shore. On both sides of 

 the watershed the country is hilly and broken, and between 142 and 

 143 E. long., it rises into mountains. This hilly tract is in general 

 from 30 to 40 miles across. To the south of it is an extensive plain, 

 which descends gently to the sea-shore. Near the sea it is almost 

 level or slightly undulating ; but farther north it contains a rather 

 large number of hills, rising from 500 to 700 feet above their bases; 

 among them is Mount Buninyo;ig, which rises 1570 feet above its 

 base. A great number of lakes are scattered over this plain, one of 

 which, called Carangamite, is about 00 miles in circumference. Its 

 waters are salt, as are those of nearly all the others. The isolat* -<l 

 hills which rise on this plain appear, from their formation, to be of 

 volcanic origin. The southern part of this plain contains extensive 

 tracts of the finest land for pasture and tillage. West of the river 

 Hopkins (142 45' E. long.) the laud along the sea-shore, as far as Port- 

 land Bay, is generally poor, and that lying west of Portland I'ay, 

 though better, is only indifferent But that portion of the plain 

 which lies north of 38 S. lat. contains a large portion of good laud. 

 In some parts it is overgrown with thick forests of Eucalyptus trees, 

 Bankria;, Casuarmas, and other trees peculiar to Australia ; at other 

 places it is covered with open forests and abundant grass. The 

 numerous hills are thickly wooded, and the best soil is found at 

 their bases. 



Of the western division of the province, which, for its beauty and 

 apparent fertility, was called by Sir Thomas Mitchell, who first 

 explored it, Australia Felix, the best portion is that which lies within 

 the hilly tract on both sides of the watershed. Nearly all the ridges 

 by which this tract is overtopped run nearly at right angles to the 

 watershed. The most western of these ridges rises to the elevation 

 of mountains, and has been called the Grampians. Nearly in tho 

 centre of the Grampians stands Mount To-ol, or Mount William, which 

 rises to 4500 feet above the sea-level. Mount Abrupt is 1700 feet, 

 and Mount Sturgeon ia 1071 feet in height. The Grampians are 

 surrounded with extensive forests of fine tall timber-trees of 

 Eucalypti 



The country which is drained by the rivers originating in the 



southern and western portion of the Grampians appears to be the 



I moat fertile tract of New South Wales. It is abundantly watered 



by the Nangeela, or Glenclg, and its tributaries. The soil is black 



1 and rich, several feet deep, and rests on a subsoil of clay. The 



surface of the higher portion of this plaiu is strongly undulating, and 



on it are fuund many small sandhill*. 



