﻿ttt 



fitTNaABY. 



HUNOABY. 



IM 



E. long., aod from 46* to 49* S4' N. Ut. The kingdom U now divided 

 ioto At* tUitrioU, which ara named from the obiof town in each, and 

 of which the area and population, according to the bat census, are as 

 foUowa: — 



nstotali. 



ArMlB 

 &«Ush Sqoar* MUn. 



PopuUtion in ISM-Al. 



Kstthsn .... 

 Oroiswantoln 

 Bada-Pnth . . 

 Oedaabarc . 



1S,S10 

 I«,110 

 11,619 

 lS,ill 

 IS,6«4 



1,611,101 i 

 1,410,463 ' 

 1,469,119 

 1,699,819 

 1,781,668 



Taial 



et.tit 



7,864,161 



Hungary is on all sidea separated fivm its neighbours by natural 

 boondariea. From Preeburg to Skaliti it is bounded by the river 

 March, and from Skalitz, by the Carpatliian Mountains, which run 

 in a north-east direction to Mount Trojatska, thenoe eastward, near 

 the (W>ntier of Oalicia, and afterwards to the south-east to the viciuity 

 of the Buckowine. From the border of Transylvania the frontier 

 runs, with many great bends, first to the west, and then to the south, 

 to Maros near Sobonin. On the south, from Soborsin to its junction 

 with the Tbeiss at Sxegedin it is divided from the Banat by the 

 Maros, and thence by the Tbeiss to its junction with the Danube, 

 which thence separates the kingdom from Slavonta ; and from Easek 

 to the Styriau frontier the Drave separates it from Slavonia and 

 Croatia. On the west various small riverd divide Hungary from Styria 

 and lower Austria. 



Surface, Soil, Climate. — The surface, hydrography, tc, of the king- 

 dom of Hungary are noticed generally under Austbia, Empire of. 

 The northern and western parts of the kingdom are very mountainous. 

 The Carpathians on the north and east, and the Alps on the frontier 

 south of the Danube, surround almost the whole kingdom like a 

 girdle, and send out numerous branches which cover a large part of 

 the kingdom with elevations varying in magnitude and character. 

 These heights incloee many beautiful valleys drained by large and 

 small rivers, verdant meadows, rich corn-fields, and gardens, yield- 

 ing a Tarie^ of excellent fruit, vineyards many leagues in extent, 

 and vast forests. The Carpathians, which b^n at Presburg and 

 sweep round the north and east frontier of Hungary and Transyl- 

 vania, cover all the country between the 48th and 49th degrees of lati- 

 tude, and are divided into several groups, distinguished by different 

 names. [Carpatbiah MocKTArxsJ The loftiest summits are the 

 Eistbal (8100 Vienna feet), the Lomnitz (8133 feet), the Hundsdorff, 

 Osabi, Wyaoka, Mengsdorfer, Hreben (each above 7500 feet), and the 

 great Kryvan (aooorduig to Wahlenburg, 7S38, and to Townson, 7818 

 feel) Of the numerous valleys inclosed in the Carpathian Moun- 

 tains, the Waagthal ^Valley of the Waag) is generally con^iidered the 

 moat beautiful, but there are numerous others perhaps equally pictur- 

 esque ; for instance, the Mengsdorfertbal, which is distinguished by 

 the grandeur of its forms, its magnificent views, and noble waterfalls. 

 In ue Carpathians and in other mouutains there are innumerable 

 caverns, some of which are remarkable for stalactites of extraordinary 

 beauty, and in others are found the fossil remains of enormous animals, 

 the gigantic inhabitants of the primitive world. But while the north- 

 em and eastern part of the kingdom is covered with mountains, the 

 southern and central portions spread out into vast plains and sandy 

 wastes; such as the Jaarag between the Danube, and the Theiss, the 

 plains of Natron east of the Theiss, and much of the country border- 

 ing on the Banat The Banat itself ia physically an extension of the 

 southern part of Hungary, but as mentioned above i> now politically 

 ■eporated from it, and annexed to Serbia. 



Neariy the whole of Hungary lies within the basin of the Danube ; 

 into which all the numerous rivers flow, except the Poprad, which 

 flows in a northern direction. The Theiss, itself a branch of the 

 Danube, is one of the chief rivers, and its baain may be considered as 

 farming a distinct part of Hungary : it is noticed under Austria, 

 Empire or, under which article, or Dardbb, the lesser rivers are also 

 mentioned. The Drave, the Raab, the Leitba, the March, the Waag, 

 the Gran, ko. flow dirtx:tly into the Danube. The Za^va, Sajo, 

 Hemad, Bodrog, Koros, Maros, Temes, &c flow into the Theiss. Of 

 the lakes the moat considerable are,— 1, the Pbtten-sae [Balaton], 46 

 miles long, and from laM than 1 to 9 miles broad ; 2, Neusiedlersee, 

 or Fertd, whiob has an area of 120 square miles, but is very shallow, 

 and the water of which ia so impregnated with salt and soda as to be 

 quite unfit for use : both of these lakes are in the western part of the 

 country. The Palitach lake is 14 miles in circumference, and both it 

 and the White Lake, also near the right bank of the Tbeiss, are 

 strongly impregnated with natron. There are numerous lakes among 

 the Carpathians which are sitnatad from 4000 to 6300 feet above the 

 level of the sea. On the banks of the Danube, Theias, Drave, and 

 other rivers are eztemive manhea which cover 2000 square miles. 

 The Uamag, in Oedraburg, ia a quaking bog, 18 miles long and 9 

 miles broad, and contains some small lakes, or meraa. It is over- 

 grown with reeds, niahas, and in many parts with low bushes, and 

 hai some little eopaei of alder and beech. In 1813 a canal several 



miles in length was duf through the Hamag, but it waa newly 

 destroyed by inundations m the same year. Many canals have been 

 made in difierent tracta of Hungary, partly to drain the maiahea, and 

 partly for the purpoaes of commerce. 



The only railways in Hungary are the Vienna, Presbuig, and Pesth 

 line, which connects these towns, and is continued eastward from Pesth 

 to Sioluok with an extension, not yet completed, to Debreczin, and a 

 ahort branch southward to Felegyhaca. There is also a short branch 

 from the Vienna and Qlogniti railway to Oedenburg, which is to be 

 continued round the foot of the Neuaiedler^ee to the Danube. 



The soil of Hungary is for the moat part clayey and sandy. The 

 best and richest mould is in the southern part, on the riven Korea, 

 llieiss, and Danube : the northern part is in general clayey and often 

 stony. The districts next the Carpathians are the moat barren. The 

 climate varies considerably. In the counties nearest the snow-covered 

 mountains it is so cold, and the winter so loni;, that the snow generally 

 begins in September, and does not melt till May or even June. In 

 the southern parts the air is warm, and the winter ahort ; and the 

 snow seldom lies on the ground more than three or four weeka Not- 

 withstanding the generally unfavourable opinion of the climate of 

 Hungary, it is said to be on the whole very healthy, and that dis- 

 orders are neither so frequent nor so fatal as in the neighbouring 

 countries. 



In the abundance, variety, and value of its natural productions 

 Hungary excels almost any country in Europe. Corn is the main pro- 

 duct of Hungarian agriculture, but in the north there is not sufficient 

 for home consumption, while the south exports to Germany and Italy. 

 Barley and rye are grown in the nortli ; oats everywhere in great 

 abundance ; wheat, millet, and maize in the south. Maize is very 

 extensively cultivated. Potatoes are now cultivated to a great extent. 

 Garden vegetables of every kind are of good quality and abundant 

 More millet is produced than is require for home consumption. Fruit 

 grows everywhere, even at the foot of the Carpathiana There are 

 whole forests of cherry, plum, and chestnut-trees. In the south, 

 lemon and orange-trees blossom the whole summer in the open air, 

 and the fruit ripens perfectly well. No country in the world, France 

 perhaps excepted, produces such an abundance and variety of wines 

 as Hungary ; and with respect to quality, aroma, and general excel- 

 lence, the wine of the Uegyalla district is renowned throughout the 

 world by the name of Tokay. Timber is most abundant, there being 

 in Hungary proper 9,000,000 acres of forests of oak, beech, lime, birch, 

 maple, and pines. Tobaooo grows everywhere, except in a few of the 

 colder counties, and is nearly as good and cheap as the American. 



The productive land in Hungary (including Croatia, Slavonia, and 

 the Banat, which had not then been separated from it) was thus 

 occupied in 1846 : — Arable land, 20,592,410 English acres ; pasture, 

 4,539,571 acres; meadows and gardens, 4,509,131 acres; vineyards, 

 1,595,913 acres ; forests and woodbinds, 15,900,970 acrea. The grain 

 grown in the same year was, in English quarters : — Wheat, 5,077,460; 

 rye, 4,046,694; barley, 4,775,911 ; oats, 6,324,242; and maiz^ 3,394,288. 



Of domestic quadrupeds the homed cattle bred on the luxuriant 

 pastures of Hungary are some of the finest in Europe ; a race peculiar 

 to the country, of a grayish-white, with large wide-spreading horns, 

 is remarkable for size and beauty. The horses are small and weak, 

 but swift and hardy. Of sheep the number is estimated at above 

 15,000,000. Great improvements have been made in the breed by the 

 importation of merinos from Spain. Hundreds of thousands of swine 

 are bred in the forests. The markets of Debreczinand Oedenbuigare 

 probably the largest in the world for swine and lard. Besides four- 

 footed game of sii kinds, the forests are the retreat of bears and of 

 hordes of wolves. Domestic poultry of every kind is extremely 

 plentiful In the great heath of Debreczin there are millions of geese ; 

 turkeys are seen in large flocks, and vast numbers of pigeons, wild and 

 tame, do no little injury to the corn-fields. The standing waters, 

 marshes, and lakes are full of wild-fowl, especially countless flocks of 

 wild geese and ducks. Flocks of bustards, often to the number of 40 

 or 50, are seen in the extensive pUina There are various species of 

 birds of prey, the eagle, the vulture, falcon, &c. 



The mineral treasures of Hungary entitle it to the name of South 

 America in miniature : Beudant, Von Humboldt, and other scientific 

 travdlers have noticed the striking analogy between the two countries. 

 It has metals of every kind except tin ; and very considerable quan- 

 tities are annually obtained of copper, lead, and iron ; gold, silver, 

 antimony, and quicksilver are also profitably worked. Hungary 

 produces likewiite a f:;reat variety of precious stones, such as amethyst, 

 sgate, jaspar, opal, Hungarian diamonds, garnets, Jto. The more useful 

 mineral products are coaU and salt, of which verjr large quantities 

 are obtained. The country abounds in mineral springs ; the number 

 is said to be about 300, many of which are highly celebrated, and 

 much frequented for their medicinal virtues. 



The Hungarians have not yet attained to any degree of eminence in 

 mauufacttirea. But the inland trade of the kingdom is very active, 

 and the foreign commerce of great importance. The exports consist 

 of the natural produce of the kingdom ; the imports chiefly, though 

 not entirely, of manufactures (of which woollens, cottons, silks, and 

 linens make one-half of the whole imports), and some foreign luxuries. 

 The value of the exports is said to exceed that of the imports by 

 about a third. 



