TO 



ACSTRIA. 



AUSTRIA. 



716 



elevated, either of primitive limestone or sienite porphyry and sand- 

 tone; tlia fonner of these u frequently covered by trap. Even at 

 their mu*t elevated poinU the Carpathians are not crowned with 

 perpetual mow, nor \ the ice or mow which accumulates in their 

 hollow* capable of restating the effect of mid-summer heats. Vege- 

 tation, which is luxuriant, especially in the neighbourhood of the 

 central range, become* languid IB it approaches the higher regions. 

 The wood* on the southern aide of the chain next Hungary are alter- 

 nately composed of fin, pines, and beechei ; but on their northern 

 aide, next Galicia, they consist principally of Bra, frequently inter- 

 mixed with pines, and at times with beeches, but the oak does not 

 exist on the Carpathian soil Neither the Tine nor walnut succeeds in 

 the central range. 



The declivities of the several Carpathian ranges, but more particu- 

 larly those which spread into Hungary and Trannylvania, contain the 

 sources of several nvera. On the Hungarian and Transsylvanian sides, 

 are the Theias, Sxamos, Maros, and Aluta ; on the northern and eastern 

 des of the Carpathians, the Sereth, Moldava, Pruth, Hernath, Oran, 

 and Neutra ; and in the central and Beskide ranges, the Waag, Vistula, 

 Dunajec, and Dniester. 



The last mountain ranges which we hare to notice are the Sudetsch 

 and other branches of the Hercynian chain. Where the westerly 

 termination of the Beskide group descends with its broad masses into 

 the low country between the Vistula and Oder an extensive girdle 

 of mountains takes its rise. Elevating itself at this point from the 

 narrow plain which lies between the Upper Oder and Beczva at their 

 eastern extremity, and from the plain of the Hanna, or Upper March, 

 the lofty chain of the Sudetes follows a north-westerly direction for 

 more than 200 miles through the upper part of Moravia, Austrion- 

 Silesia, and along the northern district* of Bohemia, until it reaches 

 the Elbe, the right bank of which on the side of Saxony forms its 

 north-westerly limit. The Sudetes are the boundary-line between 

 those portions of the Austrian territory and the Saxon and Prussian 

 dominions which lie to the east of the point at which the Elbe has 

 forced a passage through the Ore-Mountain group of the Hercynian 

 chain. They are remarkable rather for their length than breadth ; in 

 no part are they completely broken by the interposition of plains, and 

 they occasionally rise from their general elevation of 1000 feet to a 

 height of 4000 feet The natural character of the Sudetes has led to 

 their subdivision into four distinct ranges, of which the first in order, 

 commencing with their vicinity to the Carpathians, is 



The Siluian-ilormriaH range, whose surface, mostly covered with 

 the elevated forests on the confines of the two provinces, contains 

 the sources of the Oder and March. Its mass consists of primitive 

 clay-slate which at times diverges into mica-slate. The central sum- 

 mits of the range have in general 2000 feet elevation, but its loftiest 

 heights, the Altvater and Spicglitzer Schneeberg, rise to 4488 feet 

 and4380 feet respectively. Numerous branches extend in various 

 directions from the main group ; the most northerly descends to the 

 banks of the Oppa, a branch of the Elbe, and the most southerly runs 

 parallel with the left bank of the March to the neighbourhood of 

 Olmutz. The forests in this range descend along its declivities till 

 they skirt a soil which is variously and highly cultivated. The Alt- 

 vater, which stands on then orth-western side of the range, is connected 

 by the Huudsriicken (or Dog's Back), a long narrow chain running 

 north-westward, with the second, or 



(Haiur-d'tbiryt, a quadrangular mass of mountains formed by two 

 parallel groups, distant between 14 and 19 miles from each other, and 

 extending about 40 or 45 miles in a direction from south-east to 

 north-wait ; they are united in the south by the mow-mountains of 

 OlaU, and in the north by those of Schweidnitz hi Prussian-Silesia. 

 They encompass the earldom of OlaU on every side. The south- 

 easterly knot, which bean the name of the Olatzcr Snow Mountains, 

 is in every respect the rawest and wildest as well as the most elevated 

 region of the whole Qlatzer-Oebirgc. The main range is composed of 

 limestone. The principal valleys are at a height of 1200 or 1800 feet 

 hove the level of the sea, and produce but scanty crops of gram ; 

 the slopes are covered with forests to a considerable point of elevation. 

 The Grosser Schneeberg (Great Snow Mountain), 4444 feet in height, 

 is the loftiest summit of this range. The Glatcer-Oebirge abut in the 

 south on the Moravian Mountains, sometimes called the Alton-Gobi rgo, 

 which descend in a south-westerly direction by Landakron, Zwittau, 

 ad Iglau to the Danube, on the left bank of which they form a 

 junction with the Bohemian Forest Mountains, or Bohmerwald- 

 Oebirge. The most elevated point in this group is the Plockenstein, 

 whose height U4176 feet. Cultivation here risen to a considerable eleva- 

 tion, and the backs of the mountains are thickly wooded. The western 

 branches of the Glatzer chain slope down into the plains of Bohemia, 

 and iu eastern after spreading over the northern districts of Moravia 

 disappear in the lowlands in that quarter. A lofty mass called the 

 Waldentrarg Mountains, in the south-westerly part of the principality 

 of 8ch weiduiU, unites the Glatast-Oebirge with the third range of the 

 Sodetea, 



The MtKH-OMrgt, or Giant Mountains, which mark the north- 

 eastern boundary of Bohemia, rise rapidly from the low region in the 

 oath-west of Prussian-Silesia, where the Bober has its source, to a 

 height of 8000 feet and upwards, ascend north-westward until they 

 attain an elevation of 6068 fest at the Giant, or Snow-Cap (Schnee- 



Koppe) which lies nearly in the centre of the group, and then descend 

 into the vale of the Neiase close upon the environs of /it: 

 Saxon-Lusatia. The latter half of thin range, its wildest and moot 

 inclement region, is more commonly known under the appellut 

 the Iserkamm, or Iser Mountains, and stretches in four parallel minnns 

 with numerous well-wooded branches for more than 80 miles, and 

 with a breadth of about 14 miles, from the vale of the Neisse into 

 the north of Bohemia, and into the circle of Lieguitz in Prussian 

 Silesia. The sources of the Iser, which lie within it at a height :" 

 8400 feet in the Bohemian district of Bunxlau, give it its name. The 

 southern branches of the Riosen-Gebirge consist of two high groups 

 running hi a parallel line with the main range from the banks of the 

 Iser to those of the greater Aupa, in the north-eastern parts of 

 Bohemia ; the loftier group of the two has summits which rise here 

 and there to 4000 feet in elevation, and throw out branches wlii. h 

 run to the banks of both rivers. The mass of the Riesen-Gebii 

 granite, which also distinguishes its highest peaks ; and its subsidiary 

 formation is gneiss, which is almost wholly confined to the Eulen 

 group in Prussian-Silesia, and mica-slate. Nearly nine months of 

 winter prevail on these mountains, which from being the most elevated 

 of any chain in the north of Germany have been not inappropriately 

 denominated the Giant Mountains. The rawness of their climate 

 prevents rye from ripening at a greater height on their slope* or in 

 the valleys than 1200 feet ; nor will oats or potatoes thrive above 2400 

 feet seldom indeed above 1700 feet; wood becomes of stinted 

 growth when the height exceeds 8600 feet, and the regions which rise 

 beyond it are naked granite. In spite of every disadvantage of climate 

 not only are the valleys and offsets of the Riesen-Gebirge, but even 1 1 1. i r 

 slopes half way to the top, thickly inhabited ; their interior is occa- 

 sionally the site of a broad tract of marshy flats, and their descent on 

 the Bohemian side is far more abrupt than on the Silesian. Of the 

 Lusatian Mountains, or Lautitzer-Bergf, the fourth and last range of 

 the Sudetsch branch of the Hercynian chain, which rise from the vale 

 of the Neisse in Lusatia and extend to the banks of the Elbe and 

 Oder, we shall merely observe in this place, that there is an arm which 

 stretches from its southerly declivity into the heart of that part of 

 Northern Bohemia which has the Elbe and Iser for its western and 

 eastern boundaries. 



It may be remarked generally of the Sudetes, that their higher 

 regions are of various primitive formations, and in certain <liiv 

 rich in different kinds of ores. The mountain ranges of more mode- 

 rate height are composed of clay-slate, limestone, and amygdaloid, and 

 in ports contain beds of coal. The offsets which stretch deep into 

 Moravia and Bohemia ore of flotz trap and sandstone, or graywacke 

 and basalt, with isolated and towering caps. Both sides of the Sudetsch 

 chain abound in streams which spring from their bosom. Of these 

 the most considerable on the northern side are the Oppa, Neisse, 

 Bober, and Neisse in Lusatia, all of which flow into the Oder ; and 

 on the southern side the Oder, the three sources of which lie about 

 14 miles to the north-east of Olmiitz; the March, or Morava, which 

 runs into the Danube ; the Iser, which is tributary to the Kibe ; and 

 the Elbe itself, which springs from the southern foot of the Schnee- 

 Koppc. 



Another considerable range of the Hercyniani consists of two moun- 

 tain ranges which commence from the left bank of the Elbe at that 

 point of the Bohemian frontier where the river forces a passage into 

 Saxony, and running first in a south-westerly line between the two 

 kingdoms and then in a south-easterly one between Bavaria and 

 Bohemia, terminate at Linz upon the Danube. The fonnrr. ili-nomi- 

 nated the Ore Mountains of Saxony and Bohemia (Sachsisch-Bohmisch 

 Erzgebirge), extend from the left bonk of the Elbe to the most western 

 quarters of Bohemia, which the Eger drains after crossing the confines 

 of Bavaria : from this point also the group called the Bohemian 

 Middle Mountains (Mittel-Gebirge), an isolated range of basalt and 

 porphyry formation at no point rising higher than 2496 feet, stretches 

 with its gentle summits and finely-wooded slopes across the north- 

 western districts of Bohemia to the vicinity of Leovositz, in nearly a 

 parallel line with the Erzgebirge. The Ore Mountains, whose 

 northern side spreads into Saxony and descends in terrace-like decli- 

 vities until it approaches the Saale, penetrate in their south-westerly 

 course with abrupt descent to the valleys of the Eger and Biela, 

 which contain Carlsbad and other cr'ebrated mineral springs. The 

 whole range with few exception!., particularly the rocky masses of 

 sandstone next the banks of the Kibe, is of granite and gneiss ; its 

 conical summits are well wooded, and it abounds in minerals. lt 

 slopes are inhabited and cultivated to a considerable height. Its 

 length on either side of the boundary between Saxony and Bohemia 

 has been estimated at 05 miles, whilst its breadth in this direction 

 varies from 28 to 82 miles. 



The second and south-easterly line of the Hercynian chain com- 

 mences in the elevated plain on the right bank of the Eger, and from 

 the sources of the Naab, immediately opposite to the southern extre- 

 mity of the Bohemian Mittel-Gebirge. Under the <lenoiiiin<ition ( 

 the Bohemian Forest Mountains (Bohmerwald-Gcbirge, termed by the 

 natives the Ssumava) it nms between Bohemia and Bavaria until it 

 reaches the point where the frontiers of those two kingdoms meet 

 the north-westernmost extremity of the Archduchy of Austria at the 

 base of the Drey-Sessel Mountain ; from this point it divides into an 



