5o8 
An Account of the Kingdom of P o l a N 
Book II. 
S E C T I O N IV. 
A comprehenjive Account of the Kingdom t^PoLAND, the Situation'^ Extent^ Climate j Eoil^ 
PxoducBj and Commerce of that Country^ together with the LawSj Cufloms^ Manners^, 
Form of Government^ and Genius of the Inhabitants \ the Privileges of their Nobility^ 
and Power of their Kings. 
I 
Collected chiefly from the Writings of Dr. Bernard Conner ^ who redded in that 
Kingdom in Quality of Phyfician to King John Sobiejki. 
I. 1 "he Situation^ 'Extent^ and Limits of the Polifli Dominions^ including the grand ^ Lithuania and 
that Part of Pruffia which belongs to Poland. 2. Lhe Soil, Climate^ Produce ^ Commodities^ &c. of the 
Country. 3. 'The' Nature of its Domefic Trade and Foreign Commerce, and the Reafon why the latter ts fo 
inconfiderabk. 4. An Account of the Dyet of Poland, the Perfons who compofe it, and the Reafon why 
Poland is called a Republic. 5. The legal Powers, Prerogative, and State oj the Kmg oj Poland. 6. A 
farther Account of the fame Subje 51 , a 7 td of the Revenues of this Monarch-, froin whence it appears that 
he is far frotn being fo weak, or fo refrained, as is generally imagined, y. The Rights, Immunities, 
Privileges, extenfive Power and Authority of the Nobility or Gentry of Poland j with the Reafon of their 
declining Titles ; and particular Infances of the vafl Power and large Eflates of fome of the Grandees of 
Poland. 8. A^i Account of the Condition of the Peafajits, and of the Services they owe their Lords -, with 
Remarks on the Patia^ce and Submifion of thofe unhappy People. 9. The natural Temper, Difpoftion, 
Cuftoms, Majiner of Living, Seo.. of the PoXTL Nobility and Commons. 10. This SubjeB continued, par- 
ticularly with regard to the Ladies, and fome Remarks on the Ceremonies at Marriages, Funerals, and 
other fuch like Occafons. ii. Of the State of Learning and the Sciences in this Kingdom and of the 
Difeafes co 77 imo 72 in Poland. 12. A fuccinCl Hifory of the Changes that have happened in the Government of 
Poland, a 72 d in the Power and Succeff on of their llhigs. 13. Obfervatio 7 is and Remarks upon the fore- 
gohrg Sedlion. 
I . ^""1^ H E great Kingdom of PolaTtd next demands 
• J. our Conhderation, as being naturally, both with 
refped to the Situation and Produce of the Country, and 
the Force of the Inhabitants, none of the leaft confidera- 
ble j though it is very far from being the bell known in 
Europe. It is thought to extend in Length from Eaft to 
Weft, about feven hundred Miles i and in Breadth, from 
North to South, about fix hundred. On the North 
it has Eivonia and other Provinces of the Mufco- 
vite Empire. On the Eaft it is alfo bounded by 
the Ruffian Dominions and Leffier Lartary. On the 
South by Moldavia, Lranfylvania, and Hungary and 
on the Weft by Pomerania, Brandenburg, Silefa, and 
Moravia. By this Defcription, it appears, that the In- 
habitants of Poland, have, for their Neighbours the 
Ruffians, Turks, Tartars, Hungarians, and other Subjefts 
of the Houfe of Aufiria, and thofe of the King of Pruffiia. 
The Air of this Country is in general temperate and 
healthful, but exceeding ferene, and more fettled both in 
Winter and Summer, than in thofe Countries, which border 
on the Ocean. The only Sea which wafhes any Part of 
Poland is the Baltic, which lies to the Northward of it j 
but it is well watered, however, by Lakes and Rivers. 
Their Lakes lie chiefly in the Greater Poland, Cujavia, 
and the Territory of Lublin and both Lakes and Rivers 
abound with Fifli. Their principal Rivers are the JVeifel, 
OY Viftula,m’\iic]in{ts> in the Crapatch ox Carpathian Moun- 
tains, which divide Hungary from Poland its Courfes 
are partly to the Eaftward, but generally it runs from 
South to North, v/atering many great Cities, particularly 
Cracow,'- Lublin, JVarfaw, Thorn, Marienburgh, and 
DantAck, after which it difcharges itfelf into the Baltic 
Sea. The Warta or Varta, which rifes in the Leffier Po- 
land, and running towards the North- weft, pafles by 
Kalifch, Pofnan, and feveral other great Towns, after 
which it falls into Oder. The Nieper or Borifthenes, which 
dividing the Dominions of Mufcovy from thofe of Po- 
land, in leverai Places, falls at length into the 
near Oczakow. The Neifter or Tyra, which rifes in Red 
Ruffita, and running to the South-eaft through Podolia, 
palfes on to Bender in Turkey, and falls into the Black 
Sea, about fixty Miles to the Northward of the Mouth of 
the Danube. 
The Dwina, which divides Livonia from Couidand, 
2 
and falls into the Baltic near Riga. The Bog which rifes 
from a Lake in Podolia, and bending its Courfe to the 
South-eaft, unites its Waters With tkt Nieper, a little be- 
fore that River falls into the Black Sea. Near the 
Mouth of thefe two united Rivers ftands the Foi trefs of 
Kajf carmen, which the late Czar of Mufcovy took from 
the T urks and by that means, is opened a Communi- 
cation with the Black Sea-, but he was obliged to reftore this 
Place as well as Afoph to the Grand Seignior, upon the De- 
feat he met with on the Banks of the Pruth. Niemen or 
Ruffie rifes in the Palatinate of Novogrodeck, and taking 
its Courfe to the North- weft palfes by Grodno, and at 
length falls into the Baltic. 
2 . The Dominions of Poland are ufually divided into 
eight large Province.s, viz. Proper Poland, the great 
Dukedom of Lithuania, Pruffiia, Samogitia and Cour~ 
land, Warfovia, or Maffiovia, Polachia and Polefia, Red 
or Little Ruffiia, Podolia, and Volhinia, and the Ukrain. 
The Soil for the moft Part is champain and open *, but 
towards the Borders of Hungary mountainous and woody ; 
fo that the Places furtheft diftant from Hungary are moft 
fruitful. There is only one great Mountain in the Middle 
of Leffier Poland, called Mons Calvus. It has a Mona- 
ftery on the Top ; famous, as they pretend, for the real 
Crofs of Christ*, what other Hills one meets with 
here, are rather riling Grounds than Mountains ; the 
Eaftern Parts of the Kingdom are full of Woods, Forefts, 
Lakes, Marlhes, and Rivers, which afford a delight- 
ful Profpedl to that open Country *, almoft all of it, is 
faid to have been overgrown with Wood, but now be- 
ing cultivated by the Inhabitants is very fertile, and pro- 
duces every where all kind of Fruit, Corn, and Herbs. 
A s;reat Part of the Corn made ufe of in Holland corned 
from this Country by way of Denmanz. 
They have a gbod Breed of Plorfes, fo that their Ca- 
valry is numerous, and well mounted. Their Paftures 
are good, and feed a great many Cattle, which they ex- 
port to foreign Countries *, the Forefts abound with wild 
Beafts, and alfo with Bees, that afford vaft Quanties of 
Honey and Wax. They have alfo abundance of Flax 
and Hemp, and Vines in many Places, whofe Grapes are 
grateful to the Tafte, efpecially if the Summer and Har- 
veft be favourable ; but the V/ine is generally very lharp 
wFea drawn off. In the Mountain dhere are Mines of 
Lead, 
