AUSTRIA. 



AUSTUIA. 



The Caunlt which exirt in the Austrian dominions are of limited 

 extent, and merely local iu their advantages; for their object iu 

 general ii merely to facilitate the communication between one particu- 

 lar district or town and another. The largest of them, the Bega, or 

 Temeah Canal, was the work of the RomaM, and U an artificial channel, 

 into which the Bega has been brought from ita old and winding bed ; it 

 runs nearly in a straight line of 74 miles from Faluet to Becskerek, 

 through TcnitMwar, in the south-eastern part of Hungary, and is con- 

 nected with the Berzava Canal Another and a more important canal 

 in the same kingdom U the Emperor Francis' Canal, which unites 

 the Danube and Theiss, and by saving a circuit of about 220 miles, 

 reduces the communication between those two rivers in the south of 

 Hungary from two or three weeks to two or three days ; it opens 

 below Bedzin, and joins the Theiss below Bolra, about 24 miles north- 

 east of Peterwardein : its length is 67 miles; its breadth is 60 feet, 

 with a depth varying from 4 to 6 feet The Sarvitz, Alibunar, 

 Albrechto, and Garda and Bola canals, likewise in Hungary, are of 

 little further use than to drain off the waters in the lowlands. The 

 Yarszina in Slavonia is formed on the remains of an old Roman 

 canal ; and the Schwartzenberg in Bohemia is only fit for floating 

 down timber, &c. There is a canal also between Vienna and Neu- 

 itadt, thence called the Neustadter. However deficient the other 

 parts of the Austrian territories may be in canals, the provinces of 

 Lombardy and Venice abound in them : the Naviglio Grande, about 

 37 miles long, leads from the Ticino through Abiagroaso to Milan, 

 with its branches, the Beregnardo and Pavia canals; the Naviglio 

 della Martiaana, whose line of 28 miles, commencing at Milan, and 

 terminating on the right bank of the Adda unites that capital with 

 Lake Como ; the Communia connects the Adda with the Serio ; the 

 Fossa Martinenga connects the Serio with the Oglio ; the Oglio Canal 

 runs to the banks of the Chieae; and the Fossa Seriola unite? 

 the ChieM with the Lugo di Oarda : the two last mentioned 

 however serve merely as conduits to the districts lying along their 

 banks. The whole of the preceding are in Lombardy. In the 

 Venetian territory those most worthy of notice are the canals of the 

 Polesini, in the neighbourhood of Rovigo, of which the Bianco and 

 Adigetto are each about 40 miles long ; the Mouselice, or Battaglia, 

 which unites Este and Padua, and is about 11 miles in length ; the 

 Piarejo, which extends between 6 and 7 miles to the Brenta-Morta ; 

 the Nonoella and Moduno, from Noncella to the Livenza ; and the 

 twenty-three canals in the Gulf of Venice, amongst which in tlio 

 Grande, which divides Venice into two parts. Lombardy and Venice 

 are likewise full of canals, which answer the useful purposes both of 

 irrigating the circumjacent lowlands and draining the marshes. 



The Austrian dominions are well supplied with good Road*. 

 Among the more important lines may be mentioned that recently 

 formed, which extends from Pavia to Czernowitz, in the Bukou im>. 

 It U a well-made line of broken granite, and is about 1000 miles long. 

 From Vienna groat roads extend towards all parts of the empire, as 

 well as towards the chief continental cities. Towards Triest there 

 are three great lines of road ; the same number extend in the direction 

 of Milan ; and others go towards Prague and the Prussian and Bavarian 

 frontiers. Numerous good roads have been constructed throughout 

 the mountain districts. Upwards of 100 mountain passe* have been 

 rendered available for commercial intercourse. The greatest of these 

 mountain roads, in an engineering point of view, are the Grand 

 Military Road, which is carried across the Alps through the Tyrol 

 and Illyria, and the magnificent work which is carried over the 

 Worraser Joch iu the south Tyrol, at an elevation of 8000 feet above 

 the level of the sea. Most of the roads have been constructed by the 

 government, but several have been constructed by private enterprise. 

 Of these the moot important a that formed by a joint-stock company 

 from CarlsUdt to Fiume. 



The following are the Kailvayi of the Austrian empire: the 

 Northern States railway, which connect* Vienna with Prague, pro- 

 ceeds from Vienna in a generally northern direction by Lundenburg 

 and Bnmn to Bohin Trubau, 237 miles, where it turns westward to 

 Prague, 102 miles farther; from Prague it is continued 85 miles 

 farther westward to Lena. A line carried north-westward from this 

 lino at Prague to Dresden connects Vienna directly with the railway 

 system of the rest of Germany and the continent generally. The 

 Vienna an 1 Breslau railway is carried over the same linens the 

 Northern States as far as Lundenburg, when it diverges to the north- 

 east, and afterwards turns northward to 1'rcrau, 115 miles, where it 

 fain turns north-eastward to Orerburg, where it quit* the Austrian 

 dominions. From Prerau a line 64 miles long t urn- < the north-west 

 by OlmiiU and Hohenstadt to Bohm Trubau, where it unites with the 

 Northern line to Prague and Dresden. A line runs westward from 

 Cracow to the Vienna and Breslau line, which it joins near Coeel in 

 Prussian Bilena. A line from Warsaw unites with the Cracow and 

 BresUu line near the junction of Austria with Russia and Prussia. 

 The Vienna, OlogniU, and Laibach railway (264 miles) runs fmni 

 Vienna in a nearly southern direction to Glognitz, 46 miles; thence 

 south-went to Brack, 26 miles ; thence in a south-eastern direction 

 past Orati to Marburg, 89 miles; and thence south-east past 

 SUy to Laibach, 05 mile. : the continuation of it to Triest is now in 

 construction. A branch quits this lino at Weinar Ncustadt 

 in a direction west by south to Odenburg, whence it is to be con- 



tinued round the foot of the Neuscidler See to the Danube. The 

 Vi.-nim, Presburg, and Pesth railway quits the line of the Northern 

 States, and Vienna and Breslau railways at Ganaendorf, 18 miles from 

 Vienna : it then runs in a generally east-south-eastern direction by 

 Presburg, 23 miles, past Neuhassel to Waitzen, and thence southward 

 to Pesth, 21 miles. From Pesth it is continued east-eouth-east to 

 Szoluok, 65 miles. An extension of it to Debreczin U in course of 

 construction. A line 13& miles long runs north-westward from 

 Vienna to Stockerau ; and another of 25 miles runs east-south-east 

 from Vienna to Bnick. A line of railway, chiefly for goods, but 

 which also carries passengers, runs from Budweis through Linz to 

 Gmuden, about 120 miles: the carriages on it are drawn by horses. 

 In Lombardy a railway will shortly connect Venice with Milan and 

 Como : at present it is only completed and in operation from Venice 

 westward by Viceuza to Verona, whence it is continued to Mantua ; 

 and on the other side eastward from Milan to Treviglio. The inter- 

 mediate space between Treviglio and Verona is in progress. The 

 line between Milan and Como, 28 miles, in in operation ; as is also a 

 short line between Venice and Treviso. The Venice and Milan line, 

 in conjunction with that between Vienna and Tricst, and the steamers 

 from Triest to Venice, will greatly accelerate the communication 

 between Vienna and Milan. 



Soil, Climate, Product*. The soil is of endless variety, but in general 

 favoured by a mild and genial climate, and distinguished by remark- 

 able productiveness. 



Slavonia and the south-eastern and central parts of Hungary (and 

 we begin with these as forming the most extensive subdivision of this 

 vast monarchy) present a wide expanse of lowland abounding in clay 

 and marl and of exuberant fertility, yet lying in immediate contact 

 with arid, sandy steppes and extensive morasses, which occupy inoro 

 than 6400 square miles of the Hungarian territory alone. Large tracts 

 of these steppes however have been reclaimed and brought under 

 cultivation. This very territory however in its northern and western 

 districts is characterised by mountain and forest : it is anoompaMed 

 in the north by the Carpathians, which extend in a brood semicircle 

 from Presburg one of the most westerly points of Hungary to its 

 eastern confines, and their onsets also strike deep into the interior of 

 the country : in the west various branches and groups of the C'ctian, 

 Styrian, and Julian Alps cover a large portion of its surface. Tli 

 lowland of which we have spoken occupies about 25,000 square i 

 the larger portion, an area of about 21,000 miles, lies between tin- 

 Danube and the TranHsylvanian Mountains, and in watered by that 

 river and the Theiss for a length of upwards of 300 miles, and inter- 

 spersed with extensive steppes and morasses. The smaller plain in 

 the west stretching eastward from the Neuaiedler Lake, ith a luvadth 

 of nearly 120 miles beyond Gran and along each bonk of the DamiK-, 

 comprises an area of upwards of 4000 square miles, which is remark- 

 able for its fertility. The general character of the Hungarian soil, 

 exclusive of the more northerly districts and such as are partially a 

 waste of barren sand and swamp, or whose soil is saturated as in 

 many eastern districts with saltpetre, is that of great productiveness. 

 The climate is of a mixed character : at the close of June when thu 

 harvest begins in the plains the corn is scarcely in ear in the higher 

 regions. The temperature is on the whole higher than that of Ger- 

 many, and the vapours from the marshy borders of the Danube and 

 Theiss as well as inland swamps are prejudicial to health in some 

 quarters. Hungary abounds, as we have seen, in rivers, streams, and 

 lakes, and possesses some considerable canals ; it is also richer than 

 most European countries in metals and minerals, tin and platina being 

 the only metals not found in it 



South of Hungary lie the former principalities of Croatia and 

 Slavonia, the larger portion of which is now incoi nh it. 



Croatia, comprising in its south-western quarter the maritime territory 

 from Fiume to Carlobogo, is intersected by a continuation of the 

 Carinthiun chain, to which is owing its alternation of plain and high- 

 land, and iU variable though generally salubrious climate, \\hcrc 

 the soil lies low, particularly in the vicinity of the Save and Drave, it 

 is productive; in more elevated situations it is a cold day : and u ar 

 the coast marsh and sand abound. Nine-tenths of the nnrfar 

 duce grain, wine, fruit, and tobacco, or furnish metals and a supply 

 of timber. 



Slavonia, the northern districts of which are separated from 

 Hungary by the Drave and Danube whilst the southern are watered 

 by the Save, is traversed in its whole length from west to east by 

 mountains and hills : the principal chain, known as the ' Frushka- 

 Gora,' commences in Croatia and subsides not far beyond its r.i 

 limit*. The rest of the province has an undulating surface, which 

 gives some variety to its spacious and fruitful plains. With the 

 exception of the swamps that range along the banks of the Save, 

 Slavonia is a land of unusual fertility : ita chief productions are wine, 

 silk, honey, spirits, fruit, iron, and coal. 



Nearly the whole of the western frontier of the arch-principality 

 of Transylvania borders on the Hungarian territory. An the Carpa- 

 thians range over it* whole extent its surface is at a much r 

 elevation than the neighbouring territories, and slopes gradually from 

 the north-easterly border of the province to tl> terly point 



where the Marosch discharges its fertilising sin-am into Hungary. 

 Trannsylvauia is without a single plain properly so called, but abounds 



