THE 



ENGLISH CYCLOPEDIA. 



GEOGRAPHY. 



BOHAIR. 



BOHEMIA. 



BOHAIR. [AlSKl] 



BOHEMIA (in German, Bohmen), also termed Bb'heim in many 

 ancient records, derives its name from the Boii, who once occupied 

 the parts about the sources of the Elbe and Holdau. It now con- 

 stitutes a kingdom forming part of the empire of Austria, comprising 

 Bohemia Proper ; the margraviate of Moravia, and that small portion 

 of the duchy of Upper Silesia which was not ceded to Prussia under 

 the treaty of Hubertsburg in 1763 properly belong to it, but they now 

 form a distinct province of the Austrian empire. The margraviates 

 of Upper and Lower Lusatia also formed part of the Bohemian domi- 

 nions, until the treaty of Prague in 1635 transferred them to the 

 electorate of Saxony. The details which we are about to give will 

 be confined to the territory generally known by the designation of 

 Bohemia; which is an irregular quadrangle in the south-east of 

 Germany, extending between 48 33 'and SI" 5' N. lat., and 12 and 

 16 46' E. long. : it contains an area of 20,013 square miles, which is 

 more than two-thirds of the area of Ireland or Bavaria. It is bounded 

 N.W. by the kingdom of Saxony, N.E. by the Prussian province of 

 Saxony, and by Austrian and Prussian Silesia, S.E. by Moravia, S. 

 by the archduchy of Austria, and 8.W. by the kingdom of Bavaria. 

 The whole circuit of "Bohemia is estimated at about 810 miles, of 

 which 165 lie next to Prussia, 294 to Saxony, and 175 to Bavaria : 

 so that 176 miles only of this circuit are skirted by other parts of 

 the Austrian dominions. 



Surface, Population, <tc. The kingdom of Bohemia is now divided 

 into seven circles, which, with their respective areas and populations, 

 are as follows : 



There are in the kingdom 289 towns, 278 smaller towns and places 

 having markets, and 12,079 villages. The inhabitants are 220 to a 

 square mile. 



Bohemia is inclosed on every side by lofty and in parts wild and 

 dreary mountains. On the west side, and from a point close upon the 

 Fichtelgebirge, issue two ranges, the one taking a north-east and the 

 other a south-east direction. The first of these ranges, which sepa- 

 rates Bohemia from Saxony, and may be termed 'the left arm of the 

 ch chain,' is known under the name of the Erzgebirge (Ore 

 Mountains). It runs to the left bank of the Elbe between Tetschen 

 and Schandau, and is neither precipitous nor of a wild character, but 

 with few exceptions wooded nearly to its summit. Its ridges form an 

 undulating line, here and there broken by gentle depressions. The 

 short slope is towards Bohemia, and the longer one towards Saxony. 

 The highest point* of this range are the Schwarzwald, or Sonnen- 

 wirbel, near Joachimsthal, 4125 feet (or according to Hallaschka 

 4005 feet only) ; the Lesser Fichtelberg, near Wieenthal, 3999, or ac- 

 cording to some 8709 feet only ; the Kupferberg 2749 feet, towards the 

 southern end of the range ; and the Schneeberg, near Tetschen on the 



oioo. DIV. voi, it. 



Elbe 2291 feet at the northern end of the range. The western and 

 south-western borders of Bohemia are defined by the Bohmer-Wnld- 

 gebirge (Bohemian Forest Mountains). The Sudetsch chain, of which 

 the principal range is more peculiarly designated the > Sudetengebirge 

 (Sudetsch Mountains), extends from the right bank of the Elbe as 1'nr 

 to the eastern side of Bohemia as Grulich. Certain portions of this 

 range bear particular names; such as the north-western, called the 

 Isergebirge (Mountains of the Iser), and that small portion' lying next 

 to the Elbe, which is called the Lauaitzer Bergplatte (Mountain plateau 

 of Lusatia). 



In the last-mentioned quarter the loftiest summit on the side of 

 Bohemia is the x Tafel-fichte, which lies at 'the extreme point of the 

 Bohemian frontier next to Silesia and Saxony, and according to 

 Gersdorf has an elevation of 8780 feet. Commencing from the 

 eastern side of the Iser, the frontier line between Bohemia and 

 Silesia runs along the crest of the remaining and principal arm of 

 the Sudetsch chain, termed the Riesengebirge (Giant Mountains), 

 name frequently applied to designate that chain in general. Seen 

 from a certain distance this range describes a waving line, with a few 

 elevated points, which present the appearance of having been cut 

 short off at their upper extremities. The highest of these abrupt 

 and naked summits is the Riesen, or Schneekoppe (Giant or Snow- 

 cap), 5058 feet, upon which a circular chapel dedicated to St. Law- 

 rence has been erected. Next in height are the double-capped Brunn 

 or Boruberg, and the Great Sturmhaube (Tempest-hood) ; the fomer 

 of which is 5000 and the latter 4700 feet above the level of the sea. 

 The Sudetsch chain, which runs south-south-east to the vicinity of 

 Grulich, is called the Glatz Mountains (Glatzischegebirge), the waving 

 outline of whose occasionally cap-crowned ridge forms a pleasing 

 object to the eye. Its highest point, though it belongs rather to 

 Moravia than Bohemia, is the Grulich or Spieglitz Schneeberg ; but 

 the most elevated on the Bohemian (ride are the Deschnay, Hohekoppe, 

 or Grenzkoppe, as it is also termed, which rises to the height of 

 8748 feet above the sea, and the Marienberg near Grulich, to which 

 some assign an elevation of -4545 feet. The highest ranges of the 

 Sudetsch Mountains consist of primitive formations, and are in some 

 parts rich in ores : those of inferior height are composed of clay-slate 

 and limestone, intermixed with beds of coal ; and the offsets of lower 

 elevation are formed in some parts of quartz and sandstone, and in 

 others of grauwacke' and basalt. 



A lower range runs along the south-eastern boundary of Bohemia, 

 termed the Bohemian-Moravian Mountains, and forms a connecting 

 link with the Glatz Mountains towards the north, and with tho 

 Mannhart Mountains in the archduchy of Austria towards the south. 

 This range, which is of moderate elevation and gentle ascent, separates 

 the basins of the Elbe and Moldau from those of the Danube and the 

 March. 



The range which runs nearly north-west and south-east, and forms 

 the boundary-line between Bohemia and Bavaria and part of Austria, 

 is known by the name of the Bohmer-Wald-gebirge (Bohemian 

 Forest Mountains), which is wholly of primitive formation, and 

 characterised by naked and precipitous features and deep ravines. 

 Towards Bavaria its slope is extremely abrupt, but on the Bohemian 

 side the descent is gradual ; and on this side the loftiest heights are 

 the Heidelberg, whose summit forms a spacious plateau at an elevation 

 of 4600 feet, the Kubani, or Boubin, 4218 feet high, and the Dreis- 

 sesselberg (Mount of Three Seats), on the boundaries of Bohemia, 

 Bavaria, and Austria, 3798 feet This mountain range presents n 



