If we cast our eyes on a map of the imperial do minions, as, with the exception of the Polish part, they stood before the late annexations, we see them surrounded by a chain of mountains in almost every direction. Hungary is covered by the Car pathian range, which extends all the way to Silesia, and is even connected with the great circular bar , rier of Bohemia. To the eastward lies an elevated territory, in the direction of Bavaria, while, in the south, the line of discrimination from Italy and Illy rium is drawn with still more marked features. The highest mountains belong to the southern range ; those of the north seldom exceeding two or three thousand feet, while those of the south frequently approach to four thousand. In the interior of the empire, and particularly in Hungary, there are levels of great extent, and the average height of many of the hills may be put down at only six or eight hundred feet. Strictly speaking, the whole of the mountains along the southern part of the Austrian dominions, and even those on the north, belong to one great range, extending, under a variety of modi fications and names, all the way" from the Alps to Russia. The latitude being temperate, or rather warm, varieties of elevation present a striking difference in vegetable produce ; the lower part being covered with vines, or rich crops of corn, while the adjacent elevation exhibits a picture of Norwegian sterility. Some provinces abound with picturesque view$, and remind the traveller of the magnificent scenery of Switzerland. Styria, in par ticular, has its glaciers and perpetual 'snows, its rumbling cascades, its tremendous avalanches, and its green pasturages, in the region of mist.
Lakes are frequent in certain parts of the Aus trian dominions. In Upper Styria, they owe, as in the Highlands of Scotland, their formation to the natural collection of water in valleys pent up in all directions ; a description, however, which does not ap ply to the lakes in the level part of Hungary. Those are more properly marshes, and form, as in modern Greece, a striking indication of neglected agricul ture. Large tracts are in this manner lost to every useful purpose along the banks of the Danube, the Drave, the Save, and other rivers of less magni tude.
Hungary may be called a vast plain of sandy soil, marked in certain districts by the highest fertility, in others by absolute barrenness. Galicia is less level than Hungary, but may likewise be called, in ge neral language, a sandy plain of great extent. Moravia is marked by more prominent features ; and while its soil presents, on the southern slope of its hills, the fertility of Lower Austria,—the northern side is found too cold for the cultiva tion of the grape. The inhabitants are active, and at a farther distance from primitive simplicity than the majority of their fellow-subjects. But the gar
den of Austria, and indeed of Germany, is the great valley, extending on either side of the Danube, to a considerable way above Vienna. Unfortunately, the riches of nature have not as yet been adequately im proved in this region ; the peasantry, though posses sed of the greatest honesty and sincerity, being de void of intelligence or activity. These good and bad qualities are not confined to the country ;" they form the groundwork of the character of the inhabitants of the capital, although necessarily modified by the ha bits produced by permanent assemblages in one spot.
The Austrian territory is traversed by a number of rivers, of which by far the most interesting is the Danube. It receives about 40 rivers from north and south, before entering the imperial dominions, and about 100 more flow into it before it falls into the Euxine, after a course of nearly 1500 miles Its bed becomes perceptibly widened by the influx of the Ens, at some distance above Vienna ; and its subse quent breadth, though very various, may be said, in a general way, to be of one, two, or ihree miles. It is bordered throughout almost its whole course in the Austrian territory by ridges of mountains, the distance of which from the water is generally greater on the right than on the left bank. It is of sufficient depth to bear shipping throughout the whole Austrian do minions, and to admit, in Hungary, of vessels of con siderable size. But, unfortunately, this noble stream is not fitted for easy navigation ; its banks are of ten steep and rocky, its current rapid, and its bed en cumbered with shoals. The height of the banks and the frequent windings prevent the use of sails to the extent practised on the Rhine and the Vistula. It is necessary, therefore, to tow almost all the'way, and the boats, as well as the track along the banks, are as yet in a very rude state. A similar negligence prevails in regard to Canals, in which the Austrians have hitherto made very little progress.
The Austrian rivers, and in particular the Danube, teem with myriads of fish. The same is true of the various lakes scattered in different parts of the coun try. Some kinds of salmon in the Danube are of so rich a flavour as to enter regularly into the list of presents made by the princes residing in the neigh bourhood of its banks to their respective superiors. An attempt was lately made to convey some of this choice breed to the Rhine, by putting them into boats of such a construction as to admit the in gress of the water. The plan was to tow these boats up the Danube, as far as Ulm, and afterwards to reach the Neckar by means of some of the lesser rivers. It failed, however, and the undertakers had the mortification to see most of the fish perish by the way, in consequence, perhaps, of the smallness or improper construction of the boats.