several groups ot islands south of the equator, in
the Pacific Ocean. See New Holland.

Austria, Empire, Circle, and Archduchy of, in
Europe. The Austrian empire comprehends the
ancient kingdoms of Bohemia, Moravia, and Hun-
gary, the Italian States of the Tyrol, and the an-
cient republic of Venice, Dalmatia, the duchies
of Mantua and Milanese, parts of the circle of
Bavaria, of Switzerland, and of Poland, and the
circle which includes the archduchy. This fine
empire lies between the 45th and 51st deg. of N.
lat. and the 9th and 27th of E. long, and contains
a superficies of about 300,000 sq. m. and 28,000,000
of inhabitants. In an aggregate sense the Aus-
trian empire may be considered an interior and ag-
ricultural, rather than a maritime and commerical
country, the only part that borders upon the sea
being the Italian States on the south, which may
be considered tributary, rather than integral parts
of the empire, and as such are held by too precari-
ous a tenure, and under circumstances too pre-
scribed to excite a spirit of commercial enterprize.
That noble river the Danube, runs from west to
east through the heart of the empire, and by its
numerous branches, intersects almost every part,
affording great internal facility of communication,
and advantages ; but the peculiar locality of its
communication with the Black Sea within the
Dardanelles, precludes it from affording any very
great external advantage. The Elbe rises in Bohe-
mia : but its course is too circuitous, and too
much liable to political impediments, to afford any
advantages to Austria to be relied on ; all the use-
ful branches of manufacture, however, in wool,
flax, silk, and leather, and most of the useful arts
which contribute to the comfort and prosperity of
society, are carried on over every part of the em-
pire, from materials drawn from its own internal
resources.

Several mountain districts supply abundance
of almost every species of metallic substances ;
the forests supply abundance of timber, and the
plains such numbers of cattle and sheep, as to af-
ford several million lbs. weight of wool to be annu-
ally exported, after supplying their own internal
demands. The Italian States furnish silk, olives,
and oil, and Hungary the choicest wines ; and in-
deed the Austrian empire may be considered as con-
taining within itself all the means of substantial
subsistence and of comfort, and much of luxury.
But although Austria is not destitute of genius,
enterprise, and efficiency in the higher depart-
ments of art, a bigoted and idolatrous species of
religious faith, and self-sufficiency of political as-
cendancy, tend to subdue rather than excite the
mental faculties, and preclude all great exertion
of social enterprize. The government is absolute
in form, and the formularies of the churcli of
Rome, are the established religion of the empire ;
the government however if not mild, is not san-
guinary, and the religion is rendered tolerant.
The ruling passion of the government is military
parade, to maintain which a revenue of more than

50,000.'VO d liars is abstracted annually from the
productive classes of the empire.

Nobles from every part of the empire settle in
the capital, and contribute by their wealth to
increase its commerce and industry. The in-
dolence and ennui of the rich render many places
of amusement necessary, but none are so much
frequented as the theatre. Much has not been
done in literature, still less in science; music forms
the only exception; it has been cultivated with
great success The people are punctilious in ob-
serving forms and ceremonies; no class of the
community, no rank or order, is free from creduli-
ty, superstition and bigotry. But although the
inhabitants are ignorant, they are not corrupt;
the men are honest, and the domestic virtues are
cherished in the family circl#.

The Circle of Austria, is bounded on the east by
Hungary, north by Moravia and Bohemia, west by
Bavaria, Suabia, and Switzerland, and south by
the Austrian and Italian States, and the gulf of
Venice,and contains superficies of about 50,000 sq.
miles, and 4,500,000 inhabitants. It is divided
into the Voralberg, and the counties of Bregen
and Tyrol, the bisnopric of Trent, the dnchies of
Stiria, Carinthia, and Carniola, each subdivided
into upper and lower, Friuli, and Istria, the bish-
oprics of Salzburg and Passau, insulated in the circle
of Bavaria, and two small territories of the Teuton-
ic knights, insulated in the circle of Suabia and
Franconia, all of which will be found more amply
described under their respective heads.

The Archduchy of Austria, is bounded on the
N. by Bohemia and Moravia, E. by Hungary,
S. by Stiria, and west by Bavaria; it forms the
the north-east part of the circle, and is divided
into West, Upper, and East, Lower. Upper Aus-
tria is again subdivided into the Inn Quarter, Mi-
hel Quarter, Quarter of Hausruck, and Black and
Traun Quarters; and Lower Austria north of the
Danube is subdivided into the circles, west above
and east below the Manhartsberg, and south of
the Danube, into the circles above and below the
forest of Vienna. Upper Austria contains about

5,100 sq. miles, 100 cities and towns, numerous
villages, and 630,000 inhabitants; and Lower
Austria about 78.000 sq. miles, 280 cities and towns,
numerous villages, and' 1,100,000 inhabitants.
The Archduchy of Austria constitutes what con-
ventionally is considered the hereditary dominions
of the house of Hapsburg, the reigning and ruling
family, and the city of Vienna, situate on the
south bank of the Danube, in the circle below
the forest of Vienna, in lower Austria, is the
seat of government of the whole Austrian em-
pire. Except Vienna, there are no other cities
or towns in the Archduchy of Austria, that merit
any particular notice ; it may be considered an
agricultural and a somewhat fruitful district, and
its peasantry are considered to be the happiest
and best conditioned of any in Europe. To obtain
however a just view, and to form a just, estimate of
their condition, and indeed of the condition of any
people, it is necessary to weigh well the circum-
stances under which they are born,and by whick