GALICIA AND BUKOVINA. 121 



claiming descent from the tribe of Judah, neglects commerce and cultivates the 

 soil. The members of this sect dwell for the most part near Halicz, or Galicz, 

 the ancient capital of Galicia.* 



Agriculture and Mining. 

 Tiiiî manufacturing industry of Galicia is still in its infancy. Only near 

 a few of the towns and in the west do we meet with manufactories producing 

 woollen and linen stuffs and beet-root sugar. About four-fifths of the inhabitants 

 are engaged in agriculture. The soil is fertile, and the land capable of cultivation 

 to a great extent ; but Galicia, which nature would appear to have destined to 

 become one of the granaries of the world, is in reality among the least productive 

 parts of Austria. t Nor could it be otherwise in a country whose peasantry are at 

 the mercy of unscrupulous usurers. The peasant, in many parts of the country, 

 lives in' a log-hut covered with straw. His food consists of porridge, which he 

 washes down with bad brandy, for the sake of which he forgets his wife and 

 children. IMost of the surplus corn grown in this country finds its way into the 

 distilleries. In years of bad harvests the people would perish with hunger if the 

 landlords or Jews were not to make them small loans. Ever in debt, the peasant 

 is in reality no better than a serf, and his ignorance is extreme. 



Timber and cattle are amongst the articles of export. The cultivation of hops 

 has much increased since the middle of the present century, for beer is becoming 

 a favourite beverage. Tobacco is grown abundantly, over 100,000 cwts. being 

 produced annually. 



The mineral resources of Galicia have been better cultivated than its agricul- 

 tural ones. Iron, tin, lead, sulphur, and even auriferous sand are found on the 

 northern foot of the Carpathians, but far more useful than either of these are 

 the coals which are being worked to the north-west of Cracow. Valuable salt 

 mines, including those of Wieliczka and Bochnia, lie within a short distance of the 

 city just named. The salt of Wieliczka occurs in huge masses embedded in clny. 

 That obtained near the surface is very impure, being mixed with clay 

 and sand. A purer salt, known as spiza, is found at a greater depth ; but in order 

 to obtain the tdbik, or finest salt, it is necessary to go deeper still. The mines 

 of Wieliczka have now been worked since the middle of the eleventh century, 

 and a depth of 1,024 feet (187 feet below the sea-level) has been reached. The 

 , mines, notwithstanding occasional disasters caused by fire, water, or the falling in 

 of galleries, continue to yield nearly one-half the salt won throughout the Austrian 

 Empire. + The saliferous strata extend into Bukovina and Rumania. There are 

 jiumerous thermal springs, but only Szczawnica and a few other places attract 

 visitors. Far more important are the petroleum and asphalt springs, which abound 



* Nationalities of Galicia and Bukovina : — 



t In Galicia 46 per cent, of the total area consi-sts of arable land, 24 per cent, of pastures, 24 per 

 cent, of forest. 



X Total yield in 1873, 282,240 tons, of which Galicia produces 131,500 tons. 



80 



