BUCKO WINE AND SLAVONIA; 491 



Transylvania, as also of Slavonia, to the house of Austria, yet the na- 

 tives enjoy what we may call a loyal aristocracy, which their sove- 

 reigns do not think proper to invade. In October, 1784, on account of 

 the real or feigned oppressions of the nobility, near 16,000 assembled, 

 and committed great depredations on those whose conduct had been, 

 obnoxious to them. Several had their palaces burnt, and were glad 

 to escape with their lives. The revolters were disappointed in their 

 attempt on» Clausenburg ; and afterwards offered to separate, and go 

 home in peace, on the terms of a general pardon, better treatment from 

 the nobility, and a freedom from vassallage. Lenient terms were grant- 

 ed to them ; and, with the punishment of a few, the insurrection was 

 suppressed. , 



The Buckowine was formerly a part of Transylvania, and after- 

 wards of Moldavia, but was ceded to the Austrians by the Turks in 

 1771. It is situate between Moldavia and Gallicia, is about 90 miles 

 long and 50 broad, and contains nearly 3000 square miles and about, 

 130,000 inhabitants. The country is full of woods, and produces but 

 little corn. The people derive their support from the cattle they real', 

 and the wax and honey afforded them by their bees. The inhabitants, 

 consist of various nations, as Wallachians, Germans, Hungarians, 

 Armenians, Jews, and a great number of Gypsies. The language is 

 the Wallachian, but the German becomes continually more prevalent. 

 This country has been united by the Austrian government in Gallicia, 

 and is under the same administration. Tne capital is Tzernowitz, 

 situate on the Pruth, the see of a Greek archbishop, and containing 

 about 6000 inhabitants. 



Slavonia lies between the 17th and 21st degrees of east longitude,' 

 and the 45th and 46th of north latitude. It is estimated to be about 

 200 miles in length, and 60 in breadth and contains about 10,000 square 

 miles. It is bounded by the Drave on the north, by the Danube on. 

 the east, by the Save on the south, and by Stiria in Austria on the 

 west. The reason why Hungary, Transylvania, Slavonia, and the other 

 nations subject to the house of Austria in those parts, contain a sur- 

 prising variety of people, differing in name, language, and manners, 

 is because liberty here made its last stand against the Roman arms, 

 which by degrees forced the remains of the different nations they had 

 conquered into those quarters. The thickness of the woods, the ra- 

 pidity of the rivers, and the strength of the country, favoured their re- 

 sistance; and their descendants, notwithstanding the power of the 

 Turks, the Austrians, the Hungarians, and the Poles, still retain the 

 same spirit of independency. Without regarding the arrangements 

 made by the sovereigns of Europe, they are quiet under the govern- 

 ment that leaves them most at liberty. That they are generous as 

 well as brave appears from their attachment to the house of Austria, 

 since it is well known that they preserved the pragmatic sanction, and 

 kept the imperial crown in that family. The Slavonians formerly so 

 much employed the Roman arms, that it is thought the word slave 

 took its original from them, on account of the great numbers of them 

 who were carried into bondage, so late as the reign of Charlemagne. 

 Though Slavonia yields neither in beauty nor fertility to Hungary and 

 Transylvania, yet the ravages of war are still visible in the face of the 

 country, which lies in a great measure unimproved. The Slavonians 

 are zealous Roman-catholics, though Greeks and Jews are tolerated. 

 Here are two bishoprics ; that of Posega, which is the capital of the 

 country, and Zagrab, which lies on the Drave; but we know of no uni- 



