BELGIUM. 



BELGIUM. 



.., 



took the oath* prescribed, and ascended the throne in the pretence of 

 the oongreai on the S2nd of July 1831. 



Tlie court* of Greet Britain, Austria, France, Prussia, and Russia, 

 which had already acknowledged the independence of Belgium, con- 

 cluded a treatv with King Leopold, which wu signed in London on 

 the 15th f November 1831, in which treaty the boundaries of the 

 new kingdom were defined, und the peaceable poaaeeaion of his terri- 

 tories was guaranteed to King Leopold. According to the terms of 

 this treaty the Belgian territory is composed of the provinces of 

 South Brabant, Lien, Xainur, Haiuault, West Flanders, East Flan- 

 ders. Antwerp, Limburg, with the exception of aoiue district* par- 

 ticularly described, and a part of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg. 

 It in bounded on the north by the Dutch part of the province of Lim- 

 burg, and by North Brabaut and Zealand ; on the north-west by the 

 North Sea ; on the south-west and south by the departments of the 

 Pas ile Calais, Nord, Ardennes, and Moselle, in France ; and on the 

 east by the Dutch ]>ortiun of the Grain! Duchy of Luxemburg and the 

 Grand Duchy of the Lower Khine. 



Surface, Population. This territory lies between 49" 80' and 

 51 -ir X. lat., iui.1 between 2 37' and 6 10' E. long. Its greatest 

 length from south-east to north-west is 173 English miles; and its 

 greatest breadth, measured in the direction south-south-west from the 

 most northern part of the province of Antwerp to the most southern 

 point of the province of Hainault, 112 miles. Its form approaches to 

 that of a triangle, the base of which U the French frontier ; :md its 

 area is very nearly 11,400 square miles. The population on December 

 31st 1850 was 4,426,202, or 388 to a square mile.' The following table 

 hows the provinces into which the kingdom is divided, with the chief 

 town, area, and population of each : 



The general character of Belgium is that of a low and level country. 

 The const is not above 40 miles in length. It is low and flat, and 

 """""ing vigilance is required to preserve it from the encroachments 

 of the sea. The shore U carefully embanked ; and a good deal of low 

 land has by means of embankments been reclaimed from the sea, and 

 forms the poldert which are so characteristic a feature of Flemish and 

 Dutch agriculture. Much of the soil along this part of Belgium 

 and the whole of the poldert district is very fertile, and the country 

 wears a pleasing cheerful aspect ; but there U also a considerable tract 

 of low barren sand-dunes near thu sea. 



The high laud of Belgium is connected with the Voages Mountains, 

 the remote branches of which stretch into the provinces of Luxem- 

 burg and Liege. From the neighbourhood of the sources of the Sodiie 

 and the Moselle another branch runs north and divides thu wutera 

 of the Moselle from those of the Mans. Extending into the southern 

 part of Luxemburg, it gradually declines as it approaches the banks 

 of the Semoy and the Sure. The huh ground, which is interrupted 

 by these rivers, rises again to a greater elevation on their northern 

 borders, incloses the valley of the Ourthe, and terminates between 

 th Ourtbe and the Roer, in the mountains of Hohe-veen, a wild tract 

 situated to the north of Malmedy. The greatest height of the moun- 

 tains in the tract doaeribed U 2265 feet above the tea, an elevation 

 greater than that of the Ardennes by 317 feet. 



Some high ground, which likewise forms part of the Ardennes, runs 

 in a north rly direction between Cambray and Meueres, and extends 

 into the province* of Namur and Haiuault, ami Urabant, inclosing 

 the valley of the Saiubre, and separating the waters of the Maas from 

 those of the Schelde. The northern termination of this high ground 

 is about Vilvuunle, between Brussels and Malines. A considerable 

 portion of this elevated country, especially within the provinces of 

 Namur, Liege, and Luxemburg, is very wild and rugged ; tho hills 

 are broken by narrow ravine* alou* which flow rapid streams, and 

 many of the heuliU are crowned with feudal castles, giving to this 

 part of the kingdom a very picturesque and even romantic character, 

 singularly in contrast with tbe low and level country which forum so 

 large a part of Belgium. Very wide tracts in Luxemburg and Namur 

 are occupied by foreita, in which wild boars and wolves still find 

 refuse ; there are alto in these provinces extensive tracts of barren 

 heath and manh-land. Tho north-western part of the province of 

 LimUirft and the north-eastern part of Antwerp are occupied by .1 

 very extensive moorland tract called the 'Campine,' consisting of 

 moon, bogs, and marshe*, and wide tracts of sandy heath covered 

 with broom and stunted fin. A similar dceolate tract called the 



'Peel' extends from Limburg into Brabant (Holland). Over these 

 moon occur only a few cultivated spots ; but there are considerable 

 tracts of natural prairies, which serve for pasturage, chiefly for 

 : c . -. 



The northern and western provinces are an almost unbroken level, 

 thickly intersected by canals. Tho surface, which is very fertile, is 

 carefully cultivated, divided by hedge-rows, studded with nun 

 neat villas, substantial dwellings, and well-kept fanu-buildiugs, pre- 

 senting almost everywhere a verdant, busy, and flourishing appearance, 



Hydrography, Communication*. The principal rivers of Belgium 

 are tho Maas, or Meuse, and the Schelde. The Maat, which has ita 

 source in the department of Haute-Marne in France, enters Belgium 

 about a mile from Givet, in the province of Namur. It flows first to 

 the north as far as Hastiere-pardela, about 174 miles south of Namur ; 

 it then turns to the north-east, and afterwards resuming its northern 

 course, flows to Namur, where its direction is again changed to east- 

 north-east The Maas quits the province of Namur at Huy, and con- 

 tinues the same course to Liege, when it again takes a more northerly 

 direction to Maastricht in Limburg : it quite the Belgian territory 

 between Wessem and Stevenswaardt. 



In its course as here described the Maaa is increased by the waters 

 of tbe Sambre, which joins its left bank at Namur, and those of the 

 Uouyon on the left and the Menaigne on the right at Huy. It is 

 joined by the Ourthe on the right and the Liege on the left at Liege, 

 and by the Berwinne ou the right at Navagne ; by the Geer or Jaar 

 on the left and the Geule on the left at Maastricht ; and just before it 

 quits the Belgian territory it is joined by the Geleen near Stevens- 

 waardt. The Maas is navigable through the whole of its course in 

 Belgium ; below Liege tho passage is rendered difficult by shifting 

 sand-banks. 



The Schfldc baa likewise its source in France, near Castelet, in the 

 department of Aisne. It enters Belgium immediately after its con- 

 fluence with the Scarpo, about 12 miles south of Tournay in Haiuault. 

 Its course is north-north-west to Tournay, which town it <li\ iiles into 

 two parts ; it then turns more to the north, aud at the end of seven and 

 a half miles, at Heriunes, forms tho boundary-line between Hainault 

 and East Flanders ; it leaves the former province at Escamafflos, and 

 becomes the common boundary of West aud East Flanders to tho 

 north-eastern extremity of the commune of Berchem, when its course 

 is altered to north-north-east, and it passes through East Flanders to 

 Ghent. At Ghent it turns east, in which direction it continues to 

 Dendermond, where it becomes the boundary between the provinces 

 of East Flanders and Antwerp. Its course again changes at 1 >< 

 mond to north-north-east, and at Antwerp it turns to north-west, in 

 which direction it flows until it quits the Belgian ten-it 

 Xeelaud and North Brabant, aud joins the (estuary of tin: U 

 at the point of its junction with the East Schelde opposite the south- 

 eastern end of the island of Zuid-Beveland. In its course through 

 Belgium the Schelde receives the waters of the Lys on the left at 

 Ghent, and those of the Dunne on tin- left at Thidrode, two leagues 

 N.K. from Dendermond ; it is afterwards joined on the right by the 

 Deuder at Dendermond, and by the Kupel nearly opposite Rupel- 

 mond, seven and a half miles s.S.W. from Antwerp. Th 

 navigable throughout its whole course in Belgium, and indeed as far 

 as Cambray in trance, 1U5 miles from the sea. The navigation is ren- 

 dered somewhat difficult for largo vessels at the mouths of the river 

 by sand-banks. At Antwerp the mean depth of the river at low water 

 is 32 feet, and its width 480 yards ; the ordinary ri.-c of tbe tide at 

 this city is 16 feet. Tho water is brackish as high up as Fort Lillo. 

 Opposite Antwerp it is quite fresh, but too muddy to drink. In 

 spring-tides the water flows at the rate of three miles an hour, but 

 only at half that rate during neap-tides : the tide flows as high an 

 Ghent, 100 miles from the mouth of the river. 



The other rivers of Belgium need only be mentioned here, as they 

 will bo noticed again in connection with the several provinces. The 

 rises in the Ardennes from two than 



121 miles apart. The two branches join at Houffolize in Luxemburg, 

 and become navigable at Laroche in Lifege having previously been 

 augmented by two smaller streams, the Aine and the Login-. It joins 

 the Maas at the town of Liege, as altv -ncd. The Venire 



has its source in the Grand Duchy of the Lower Rhine, and enters 

 Liege near the town of Limburg. Flowing to the west it falls into 

 the Ourthe at Cheuce, near to the town of Liege. Tbe AmbUvc also 

 rises in the Prussian territory, enters Belgium near Stavelot, in the 

 province of Liege, and joins tho Ourthe near to Comblain-au-lVut in 

 the same province. The Mthaiynt rises in Namur, and discharges 

 itself into the Maas on its right bank at Static, near to Huy in Liege. 

 The (Jeer or Jaar rises in the district of Waremme in Liege and falls 

 into the Maaa at Maastricht. The Sambre lias its source in France, in 

 the forest of La Hayo Cartigny, in the department of Aisne. It 

 enters Uainault at Eniuclinue-, runs in a direction east-north-east to 

 Namur, which province it enters a little below D'Aiseau, not far 

 from M'lixnelce, anil falls into the Maas at Namur. 



Belgium, though not so well provided as Holland with canals, has 

 several of considerable value, both as means of commercial 

 course and for draining the low country. In all there are about 300 

 miles of canal in the kingdom : we will enumerate the most 

 important line*. The canal of Bou-le-duc cummvuces at Maastricht, 



