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MORAVIA. 



MOEBIHAN. 



Silesia. From Landenberg the Vienna-Prague line runs north by west 

 tbrouzh Briinn, and is met at Bohm-Trubau in the south of Bohemia 

 by a branch which enters the Prerau station on the Vienna-Breslau 

 line, and runs northeast through Oluiutz. These railways inclose a 

 considerable portion of Moravia. Electric telegraph wires are laid 

 down along all the lines ; and there are branch lines of electric com- 

 munication from the Silesian part of the Vienna-Breslau railway to 

 Troppau, Teschen, Cracow, and Lemberg-Qalicia. 



Moravia is ehut in by the Carpathian Mountains on the east, by the 

 Oesenke chain on the north, and by the Bohemian Mountains on the 

 west : it is open towards the south, in which direction the Morawa 

 takes its course towards the Danube. The interior is traversed by 

 otb>>r chains, so that more than half the country is mountainous. One 

 of the most remarkable of these latter chains is the range extending 

 from Briinn to Olmiitz. It contains numerous caverns and frightful 

 chnsms. The mountains inclose fertile valleys, and the central and 

 southern parts of the province consist of ext^-nsive plains, the soil of 

 which is extremely fruitful The rivers are numerous : the largest is 

 the Manch, or Moravia, which gives name to the country. This river, 

 the navigation of which is difficult, rises in a cavern on the confines 

 of Bohemia and Glaz, 6ow8 in a southern course through the middle 

 of Moravia, receives most of the rivers, especially the Theya orTaya, 

 and leaving the province at the southern point, from which it forms 

 the boundary between Austria and Hungary, falls into the Danube 

 above Presaburg. The Oder rises in the north of the province. There 

 are numerous ponds abounding in fish. Moravia is subject to consi- 

 derable variation of temperature; it enjoys a milder climate than some 

 other countries in the same parallel. 



The animals are horses, oxen, sheep, swioe, goats, red deer, hares, 

 feathered game, and domestic poultry, especially geese, of which great 

 numbeis are exported. With r.spect to the productions of the soil, 

 Moravia is one of the richest provinces of the empire. Agriculture 

 is in an improved condition. Large quantities of very fine wheat, 

 rye, barley, and oats are grown. Flax and hemp are very extensively 

 grown ; but the consumption of these articles is so great that large 

 qoaotities of them are imported. Fruit is plentiful and good. The 

 Tine flonrisbes. The forests furnish vast quantitiei of timber. The 

 pMtures are extensive. Formerly mines of gold and silver were 

 worked. At present iron, sulphur, vitriol, aluui, coals, marble, pipo- 

 elay, and precious stones, particularly topazes, are the chief mineral 

 products. 



The woollen, linen, and cotton manufactures are very flourishing, 

 and on a large scale, and furnifh supplies for an extensive export 

 trade. The manufacture of thread is likewise considerable. Dyeing 

 ia carried on at Briinn, which is particularly celebrated for dyeing 

 Turkey red. Moravia enjoys also the benefit of a great transit trs'le. 

 The imports are colonial produce, wool, Vienna silks, Russian furs, 

 tallow, wine, oil, porcelain, glass, &a 



Of the population about three-fourths are of Slavonic origin, the 

 rest are Qermoos. They ore all Catholics, except 107,00U Calvinists 

 and Lutherans, and 38,000 Jews. The Roman Catholics of Moravia 

 are under the arohbi'hop of Olmiitz and the bishop of Briinn : those 

 of Silesia arc under the Bishop of Breslau. There is a university at 

 OlmtitE. High schools, or gymnasia, are established in every circle, 

 for those who stndy the higher branches of learning ; the number of 

 elementary schools is very great, and they are attended by 95 per 

 cent, of all the children in the country between 6 and 13 years of age. 

 For judicial purposes Moravia is divided into 6 circuits — Briinn, 

 Olmiitz, Meutitsohein, Urodisch, Znaim, and IgUu. 



The principal towns of the province are the following : — OlmiUz, 

 lately the rexidonce of the imperial court, a well-built fortified town 

 entered by four gates, ia situated in 49° 33' N. lat., 17° 9' E. lon?t.. at 

 a distance of 110 miles by railway N.N.E. from Vienna, and contains 

 about 19,000 inhabitants, including the garrison. The university 

 buildings, which contain a library of 50,000 volumes, the cathedral, 

 the town-ball, the archbishop's palace, and the former college of the 

 Jesuits, now a barrack, are the most remarkable structures. After 

 the rebellious outbreak in the Austrian empire in 1848-50 the uni- 

 Tersity of Olmiitz was transferred to Kremsir. We are unable to say 

 whether it bos since been restored to Olmiitz. Sternberg, a municipal 

 townr situated in the mountains north of Olmiitz, has 8200 inhabit- 

 ants, who carry on flourishing manufactures of woollen cloth, linen, 

 canvass, calicoes, and stockings. Prtutnitz, likewise a municipal town, 

 situated on the Rumzo, in the fruitful distriot of Hanna, of which it 

 is the chief town, has four suburbs and several churches. It has 

 manufactures of fine cloth, kerseymere, and linen, several brandy 

 distilleries, and the greatest corn-market in Moravia. The population 

 is nearly 9000. [Brusjc.] About 12 miles S.E. from Briinn, at a 

 short distance from the high-road between Briinn and Olmiitz, is the 

 Tillage of Austerlitz, which has been immortalized by the great victory 

 of the French, under Napoleon I., over the Russians and Austrians 

 (Deoemtier 2nd 1805). NicoUburg, the chief town of an extensive 

 lordship south of BrUnn, has a palace with a \ibnty of 20,000 volumes, 

 a fine cathedral and several other churclies, a gymnasium, and about 

 8000 inhabitants, of whom about 8000 are Jews. The gymnasium of 

 Kicolsbnrg had 12 teachers and 147 pupils in 1850. Iglau is a well- 

 built walled town on the river Iglawa. It has six churoiies, a gymno- 

 siom, a well endowed hospital, manufactures of woollen oloth and 



linen, and a great trade in corn an 1 hops. The population is 14,000. 

 The celebrated fortress of Spielberg, in which stite prisoners ara 

 confined, was formerly the cita lei of Briian. Hradiich. a small plaoa 

 of over 2000 inhabitants, is a station on the Vienna Breslau railway, 

 40 miles E.S.E. from Briinn. Znaijm, oa the Thiga, 35 miles S.VV. 

 from Briinn, has about 6000 inhabitants, an old castle on a height 

 above the town now used as a military hospital, au aucient circular 

 church, and a handsome gothio church dedicated to St. Nicholas. 

 The neighbourhood is laid out in market-gardens, the produce of 

 which is sent to Vienna. The archduke Charles concluded an armis- 

 tice with Napoleon I. at Znaym after the battle of Wugram. PreraU, 

 14 miles S.S.W. from Olmiitz, is an important railway station, where 

 the lines to Prag, through Olmiitz, to Vienna, and Breslau mset. It 

 stands on the right bank of the Bretschwa, a feeder of the Marsch, is 

 defended by an old castle, a:id has about 8000 iahabitant^. Eist of 

 Prerau, on the high-road between Olmiitz and Teschen, is Weias- 

 Kirchen, also on the Bretschwa, a town wii;h about 6000 inhabitants, 

 important broadcloth factories, and a handsome castle. Wotss-Kirohen 

 is a station on the Vienna-Breslau railroad, and is 16 miles distant 

 from Prerau. Farther east on the same roa 1 is Neu- Tittchein, situated 

 on the slope of a hill above a siaall feeder of the Oder. It is the 

 chief town of the judicial circuit to which it gives name. The town 

 has about 9000 inhabitants, who are engaged in the manufacture of 

 broadcloth and flannel It is a well-built town, and has two suburbs. 

 Kremsir, or Krengier, on the right bank of the Marsoh, and about 

 10 miles 3.S.W. from Prerau, is a well-built town with about 5000 

 inhabitants. The Austrian Chambers held a short session here in 

 1849. The principal buildiu:; is the palace of the archbishop of 

 Olmiitz, who occasionally resides hare, 'fhe palace, or castle, contains • 

 a picture-gallery, a library of 30,000 volumes, aud collections of philo- 

 sophical apparatus and mineralogical specimens ; it is surrounded by 

 fine gardens. The town has a collegiate abbey, a Piarist collei^e, and 

 a gymnasium. The university of Olmiitz was transferred to Kremsir 

 in 1850. Teacken, situated on the banks of the Olsa, a feeder of the 

 Oder, is a walled town entered by three gates. The population 

 amounts to about 6000 ; they manufa.:ture linen, cloth, fire-arms, 

 rosoglio, and trade in wool, honey, hides, and wine. Troppau, a well- 

 built town, capital of Austrian Silesia, on the right bank of the Oppa, 

 a feeder of the Oder, stands in 49' 50' N. lat., 17° 51' E. long., and 

 has, together with its three suburbs, a population of 16,000. The 

 town, which is surrounded with walls pierced by four gates, has 

 several handsome churches, a theatre, a gymnasium, a good library, 

 and cousiderable manufactures of linen and broadclotL Troppau 

 is 85 miles E.N.E. from OlmUtz. Triilau, 25 miles W.N.W. from 

 Olmiitz, has a castle, a Franciscan monastery, a Piarist college, a 

 gymnasium with 10 teachers and 173 pupils (in 1850), and about 

 4000 inhabitants. Biditt, N.E. of Teschen, is a well-built town 

 close to the Ualizian frontier, with two Catholic churches, a Lutheran 

 chapel, an hospital, and about 6000 inhabitants, who manufacture 

 excellent broadcloth and kerseymeres, and also trade in wine and 

 wool. 



Moravia was inhabited by the Quadi and Marcomanni during the 

 Roman empire. When the Qiwdi went with the Vandals to Spain in 

 407, the country was occupied by the Scyri, the Rugii, aud the Heruli ; 

 and about 548 by the Longobardi, when a kingdom of Moravia, more 

 extensive than the present province, was establislied, which was con- 

 quered by Charlemagne, who compelled Sampslaus, the king, to be 

 baptised. After numerous vicissitudes, Swiatopluk united all the 

 tribes and formed a kingdom, which is said to have included not only 

 Moravia, but Bohemia, Brandenburg, Pomerania, Lusatia, Silesia, and 

 other adjacent countries. This prince died in 894, and was succeeded 

 by his three sons. By dissensions between them, and by unsuccessful 

 wars with the Boii (Bohemians) and the Magyars, Moravia was much 

 weakened, and lost its indepeudeiice in a great battle in 907. It was 

 often a prey to the Hungarians, Poles, and Uermans, and after many 

 changes became subject to the kings of Bohemia. lu 1527, when the 

 emperor Ferdinand 1. succeeded to the crowns of Hungary and Bohe- 

 mia, Moravia was added to the possessions of the house of Austria, 

 with which it has ever since been united. 



MORAY, or MURRAY FRITH, a^gulf of the German Ocean, 

 bounded N.W. by the counties of Ross and Cromarty, and S.E. by 

 Nairn and Elgin. The north-western shore extends nearly in a 

 straight line 32 miles from Kessock Ferry, opposite Inverness, to 

 Tarbet-Ness : midway is the entran,ce to the Frith of Cromarty. The 

 south-eastern shore extends from Inverness to Fort Qeori^e, and 

 thence to Burgbead on the EL'inshiro coast. Burghead is abodt 

 15 miles from Tarbet-Ness. At Inverness the width is about a mile, 

 and not much more at Fort Qeorge, in consequence of the channel 

 being just there narrowed by Chanonry Point. The Frith extends 

 about 7 miles above Inverness, under the name of Loch Benuly. At 

 the head of this loch is the embouchure of Mie Olass-water. The 

 Caledonian Canal unites with it a little west of luvernesg. Vessels of 

 large burden come up to Inverness, where the anchorage is safe. The 

 herring-fishery of the frith is of great value. The name of the frith in 

 Qaelio ia Karar or Varar ; it is mentioned in PtoiemiBus as Varar. 



MURAV SHIRE. [Elginshire.] 



MORBEYA. [Maeocco.] 



MORBIHAN, a maritime department in the north-west of France 



