BELGRADE. 



BELIZE. 



<J90 



holm in the Save called Singin, not far from the present site of the 

 town. 



The Belgrade of modern times -was founded by Stephen Dushan, 

 the Serbian Krai, in the year 1372, and is divided into four quarters. 

 The most conspicuous of these is the Citadel, which forma the centre 

 of the town, and is constructed on a steep acclivity about 100 feet 

 high, jutting out into the Danube ; while the glacis on the other side 

 descends gradually for 600 paces, until it meets the first line of houses 

 in the town. The first objects that meet the eye on entering the 

 Citadel are the remains of the arsenal and magazines erected by the 

 Austrians during their possession of Belgrade in the beginning of the 

 last century. The ascent from these buildings leads to a lofty quad- 

 rangle consisting of two stories, and built partly of wood and partly 

 of stucco. This edifice, though the residence of a pasha of three tails, 

 is a sulk of every species of filth, and has been the theatre of the 

 most brutal atrocities which the Turk could devise against his Chris- 

 tian captive. This was the spot, for instance, where Rhigas the Greek 

 was sawed into pieces limb by limb, and where six-and-thirty Servians 

 in the year 1815 were impaled, in violation of the pledge that their 

 lives should be spared. The Citadel-barracks are constructed for the 

 acouinmodation of 2000 troops, which in ordinary tunes form the 

 garrison. The works of the fortress have been long out of repair, and 

 the great iron guns on the ramparts ill-mounted and badly kept ; but 

 at the time we write (October, 1853) the defences have been put in 

 a most efficient stite, and the garrison largely increased, in conse- 

 quence of the threatened war with Russia. Near the barracks stands 

 the old square tower called Ne Boaz (Be not afraid), built in 1343 by 

 Dushan. The principal mosque in the town, which is a handsome 

 building with the great tower Benoviso rising from its interior, stands 

 within the Citadel. In another part of the Citadel stands the old 

 Konak, or palace of the pasha, which is built in the oriental style 

 with projecting eaves and open galleries. Water is supplied to the 

 Citadel from very deep wells. 



The flames, bombardments, and other havoc of war have left little 

 standing of the former town of Belgrade. The modern erections con- 

 stitute the three remaining quarters, which are divided into the 

 Water Town, the Rascian Town, and the Palanka. Water Town 

 occupies a confined space on the edge of the banks of the Save, close 

 to its confluence with the Danube, and is the best built quarter of 

 the town. It contains the palace of the Greek bishop, a new cathedral, 

 which is a large but interesting building finely situated on an elevated 

 position in the town, fourteen mosques, the fish- and other markets, 

 an arsenal, spacious barracks, and the custom-house. It is imperfectly 

 protected on the north and east by an earthen wall eight feet high ; but 

 more strongly fortified towards the south, in which direction it is 

 encircled by a wall of earth intermixed occasionally with masonry 

 and brickwork ; this wall is ornamented by a very solid gate, opening 

 upon the road that leads to Constantinople. The line of defence is 

 provided with watch-towers. South-west of the Citadel, as well as 

 west of it, the Rasciau, or Servian Town, likewise denominated the 

 Town of the Save, stretches from the eastern gate along the ridge of 

 a hill, and descends to the bank of the Save. It is defended by walls 

 and palisades, is the principal residence of the merchants and dealers, 

 and stands close to the Palanka, a line of suburbs, which surround 

 the Citadel on the south and east. These two quarters contain 

 several mosques and churches, two handsome besesteins, or bazaars, 

 twelve baths, and other public edifices, among which is the palace of 

 the i rince of Servia and a spacious school or college. The Servians 

 also have several well-built dwellings and a neat coffee-bouse in this 

 part of the town. The area of Belgrade is capable of containing three 

 times the amount of its present population (50,000); so wide are the 

 streets and so scattered the houses of the Servian quarters. The 

 opposite slope of the hill, from the ramparts of the citadel to the 

 outer wall on the Danube, is occupied by the Mohammedan population. 

 The Save is lined with good quays. 



The streets of Belgrade were not till of late composed of lines of 

 modern houses, but were in general rows of wooden stalls, in which the 

 owner arranged his merchandise with considerable taste, and paraded 

 his customers, surrounded by his workmen intent upon their several 

 tasks. The barber and coffee-vendor alone carried on their trade in 

 closed shops and enjoyed the luxury of glazed windows. Other 

 trades have now however adopted to some extent the European 

 mode of shopkeeping. Considerable improvement has taken place 

 in the appearance of the town during the last sixteen years. To any 

 traveller fresh from western Europe the motley population of this town 

 is a novel and highly-interesting scene ; the tailor and the gunsmith, the 

 baker and the victualler, by their white turbans, sallow sombre faces, 

 and haughty mien, will be instantly recognised as Turks ; the red 

 cap, sharp eye, and insinuating manners of the merchant and dealer 

 betray their Greek extraction ; and the merry countenance of the 

 hopkeeper smirks beneath the round close bonnet of the native 

 Servian. 



Belgrade is not now so important in a commercial point of view as it 

 was in the commencement of the 18th century ; but it is still the prin- 

 cipal entrepot of the trade between Constantinople and Saloniki on one 

 aide, and Vienna and Pestli on the other. The exports include wool, 

 dreued skins, buffalo and cow hides, wax, honey, tan-bark, silk, oxen 

 and cows, immense numbers of pigs, and firewood. From Hungary are 



imported hardware, delft, porcelain, pottery, and salt ; and from 

 Semliu, a Slavonian town about two miles distant, the city is supplied 

 with wheat, flour, oats, meat, vegetables, and fruits. There is 

 considerable manufacturing industry among the inhabitants. Carpets, 

 silk and cotton stuffs, arms, and leather are manufactured, and there 

 are several bell-foundries in the town. The appearance of the place 

 though attractive at a distance is on closer iuspection repulsive, 

 from the neglect of cleanliness observable in the streets and public 

 places. The surrounding country is diversified with gentle and 

 richly-wooded hills ; and the public thoroughfares are embellished 

 with many traces of Turkish piety the inclosed well and fountain 

 and the caravanserai. 



Belgrade has been the theatre of many important events. It first 

 fell under the Hungarian sceptre in 1086, when King Solomon 

 wrested it from the Greek empire. Three years after the fall of Con- 

 stantinople, in 1456, it was besieged by the Turks, but rescued from 

 their hands by the gallant Huhyady, voyvode of Transsylvania, who 

 drove them back with great loss. In 1522 the Turkish sultan Solyman 

 succeeded in planting the crescent upon its walls, and it was possessed 

 by his successors until the year 1688, when the elector of Bavaria at 

 the head of the Austrian forces laid siege to it and expelled the 

 Turks from the town. Two years afterwards Belgrade again fell into 

 their hands under Amurath II. ; and in 1693 the Imperialists 

 re-appeared upon the spot, but were baffled in their endeavour to 

 regain it. In 1717 the celebrated Prince Eugene leading the Austrians 

 in his second campaign against Turkey, met his enemy under the 

 walls of Belgrade on the 16th of August, destroyed nearly the whole 

 of his army, entered Belgrade, and reduced the greater portion of 

 Servia under the imperial sway. In 1739, about which time Belgrade 

 attained the height of its commercial splendour, the war which 

 Austria unadvisedly undertook against Turkey in conjunction with 

 Russia (by whom she was suddenly and faithlessly abandoned), termi- 

 nated in the signal defeat of her forces at Krotska on the Danube, the 

 abandonment of her conquests in Servia, and the restitution of 

 Belgrade to the sultan by the treaty which he dictated to her generals 

 in a moment of panic. Austria retook Belgrade in 1789, but was 

 obliged to restore it with her other Servian acquisitions at the peace 

 of Szistova in 1791. It has remained ever since in the occupation of 

 Turkey, except for a short time during the Servian insurrection, 

 which broke out under the conduct of Czerny George in 1804. The 

 intrepid patriot laid siege to the town, and expelled tbe Ottomans 

 from it in 1806 ; he retained possession of Belgrade until the year 

 1813, when he was at length obliged to abandon it to them. AH the 

 result of this movement however the Servians gained their inde- 

 pendence; and under the conditions of the treaty of 1815, by which 

 Turkey recognises their free institutions, Belgrade is the only spot in 

 the country where the sultnn is allowed to maintain a garrison. 



Above the town are three long narrow islands in the Danube, 

 divided from the land by a natural canal which forms a safe harbour ; 

 and opposite the Servian quarter, near the mouth of the Save, lies 

 another islet, called the Gipsies' Island. 



BELIGRAD. [BERAT.] 



BELI'ZE, or BALIZE, the chief town of British Honduras, in 

 Central America, is situated at the southern mouth of the river of 

 the same name, in 17 29' N. lat., 88 8' W. long. 



The first settlement of Belize is uncertain, as the early visitors were 

 merely the mahogany and logwood cutters, whose residence was but 

 temporary. The first establishment of the English in this quarter 

 was made by settlers from Jamaica shortly after the treaty with 

 Spain in 1667; it was much contested by the Spaniards, but was 

 confirmed to the British by treaty in 1670. In 1718 the Spaniards 

 made a fruitless attempt to dispossess the British. Another attempt 

 in 1756 was more successful; the logwood cutters were driven away, 

 and did not return till 1763. It was not till this re-occupation that 

 their attention was directed to the cutting of mahogany, which at 

 present forms the principal branch of industry carried on by the 

 settlers. In September 1779, the English were again expelled and 

 their settlements destroyed; but the treaty of 1783 put them once 

 more in possession, which, with the exception of an unsuccessful 

 attack by the Spaniards in 1798, has since been undisturbed. 



The neighbourhood of Belize abounds in lakes and swamps, which 

 overflow during the rains. An extensive morass to the north has 

 been drained. The intercourse with the interior by land is difficult, 

 and travelling by the river is also much impeded. The river Belize 

 rises in the mountains which bound the Honduras territoiy at the 

 distance of about fOO miles direct from the sea-shore. Its course is 

 very tortuous ; it discharges itself into the bay of Honduras by two 

 mouths ; one aa already mentioned at the town, the other about 

 34 miles to the north-west : the latter is however not accessible. 

 The falls hi different parts of the river and the scenery along the 

 banks are extremely grand. Eight or ten miles above the lakes at 

 the back of the town the rapids begin; and farther on is a rapid ;i 

 quarter of a mile in length with a considerable fall. Gold has been 

 found in small quantities in a branch of this river ; and on the banks 

 maize, rice, yams,, and plantains are cultivated. 



Belize town is provided with a substantial wooden bridge over the 

 river. The houses are convenient and well built, constructed of wood, 

 and raised eight or ten feet from the ground on pillars of mahogany. 



