BELGRADE, the Alba GraX0rUni• of the an cients, is the capital of Servia in Turkey, and is situ ated on the declivity of a hill, at the junction of the Save with the Danube. The streets of Belgrade are covered with wood, to shelter the inhabitants when engaged in their mercantile concerns, as they never enter the shops to purchase, but receive the commo dities out of the window. The only public build ings of any importance arc the caravansera or public inn, the college, two exchanges, and two bazars, or bezestins, built in the form of a cathedrarchurcb, where the finest articles of merchandise are exposed to sale. The aqueducts, about 6 miles from Belgrade, were built by Valentinian I. for conveying water to Constantinople.. They. were afte'rwards repaired by Solytfa3 the Magnificent, Who, in order to have them. kept m brthe inhabitants of twelve Greek vil lages in their vicinity, exempted them from the usual tribute. The principal of these aqueducts are three large buildings erected over three vallies. The longest .of them has many arches, but they are less in magnitude ,than those of the other two, which consist of two rows of arches one above the other, and appear to be of more ancient architecture. The largest of these two is composed of four large. arches, each GO feet long, and about 64 high, supported by octagonal pil lars, about 168 feet in circumference near. their base. The aqueduct which appears more recent than the rest, was.probably built by Solyman.
The position of Belgrade upon the Danube ren ders it peculiarly fitted for commerce, and gives it an easy communication with Vienna and the Black' Sea. It is resorted to by Anstrian Venetian, Armenian, Turkish, Jewish, Hungarian, &reek, and Sclavonian merchants; and the Armenians andJewsere employ ed as factors. For Ragusiens and drP5s, the Bel grade merchants give in exchange wax and quick silver, which they receive from Upper Hungary and Transylvania. The duty annually levied upon goods amounts to 400,000 livres. The surrounding country, which is very poorly cultivated, produces tine oaks, and is marked with several small villages inhabited by G reeks.
The situation of Belgrade, as the key of Hungary, has frequently rendered it the object of fierce conten tion between the Austrians and the Turks. In 1436,
Belgrade was besieged by Amurath ; but the garri son of 10,000 by which it was defended,' compelled the Turkish.army to retire. Solyman the Magnifi cent made himself master of it in 1521 ; but it was recovered in 1688 by the imperial army under the Elector of Bavaria. The cruelties of the to the captain of the Greek interpreter, whom, the Elector had charged with the summons for a sur render, inspired the besiegers with a thirst for ven geance, which was most wantonly gratified in the murder of the defenceless inhabitants. The Turks again laid siege to it in 1690; and, in consequence of a bomb having lighted upon the great' tower, which the walls city were thrown down, and. 1200 of the garrison destroyed, the Austrians were compelled to resign the city to the fury and cruelties of the besiegers.. The Austrians, in 1693, attempt ed to regain possession of this important place ; but after' many .fruitless attempts, and the loss of 1000' men, they were under the necessity of raising the siege. The possession of Belgrade was confirmed to the Turks by the treaty Of Carlowitz in 1699, and they remained masters of it till the year 1717, when it underwent one of the most celebrated sieges that history has to record.
Under the pretence that the Venetians had infrin ged the treaty of Carlowitz, the Turks declared war' against Austria in 1715. In May 1717, Prince Eu gene marched to the siege of Belgrade with a fine army of about 90,000 men. On the 15th of June, he ef fected the passage'of the Danube in boats, and 'Bel grade was completely invested on the 19th of that month. The Thrkisli garrison amounted to about 25,000 men, and were assisted by a strong flotilla on the Danube. The besiegers were harassed by a violent storm on the 13th of July, which broke down their bridges over the Danube and the Save, and by several bold sorties, in which the Turks dis played the most undaunted courage ; but a complete chain of works having been constructed, the Aus trians were completely secured against the efforts both of the garrison and the elements.