

ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY. 115 



nature. It is among those aged woods which overshadow 

 the source of the Narova that the urus found safety ; and 

 there wander also the elk and the buffalo. And amid 

 those scenes of primitive nature subsists a distinct popula- 

 tion the Ruskes, almost as savage as the animals which 

 surround them/ 



The area of forests in the government of Grodno is 

 958,000 desatins, of which 557,440 desatins belong to 

 the crown, equivalent to 28'1 desatins of forests, or 15'7 

 desatins of crown forests per square verst, and to 1 

 desatin of forests, or 0'6 desatins of crown forests per 

 inhabitant. The annual fellings in the crown forests 

 yield 12* 2 cubic feet, and the revenue is 23*1 kopecs per 

 desatin. 



The area of forests in the government of Vilna is 

 1,156,000 desatins, of which 387,145 desatins belong to 

 the crown, equivalent to 33'9 desatins of forests, or 10*4 

 desatins of crown forests per square verst, and to 1*3 

 of forests, or 0'4 desatins of crown forest per inhabitant. 

 The annual fellings in the crown forests yield 15'4 cubic 

 feet, and the revenue is 16'4 kopecs per desatin. 



Of the town of Vilna, Dr Pinkerton, who travelled 

 through this district in the early part of the present 

 century as agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society, 

 writes: 'The town of Vilna is built among sand hills 

 at the confluence of the two streams Villia and Vilika. 

 It was founded in 1305 by Guedemin, Grand Duke of 

 Lithuania, of which it afterwards became the capital. 

 Many remains of ancient public buildings, both in and near 

 the town, bear ample testimony to its former grandeur. In 

 1748 it was burned down ; and it is recorded that at that 

 time thirteen churches and synagogues, about one hundred 

 and forty-six shops, twenty-five palaces, and four hundred 

 and sixty-nine store houses, &c., &c., were reduced to 

 ashes. Still there are at the present time many fine 





