Buda is the centre of Hungarian commerce, and the first commercial city in the kingdom. Public roads in every direction lead to the principal ports and cities of the neighbouring countries ; and its chief exportations consist of the productions of the soil, and of national in dustry. Grain, tobacco, brandy, potash, honey, and wax, arc here important articles of commerce, and the impe rial Tokay wine, so famous at Buda, is often drunk for burgundy, and great quantities of it are sent to Germa ny, Russia, and Poland. This city is also the great sta ple for the woollen manufactures of the country. Its importi consist principally of Austrian manufactures, and a few from Turkey', as the Austrian government have prohibited the introduction of all other foreign merchandise, in order to encourage their own merchants. The manufacturing classes of Buda are in general com posed of Germans, as a true Hungarian would think himself disgraced by being employed in any other occu pation but in that of agriculture or of arms ; so that the masons, joiners, watch-makers, and other artisans, are mostly natives of Germany. The fair of Pest is the greatest in Hungary, and lasts eight or ten days The chief articles of sale are the natural productions of the kingdom, such as horses, which are driven to the mar ket like flocks of horned cattle, and kept in folds ; oxen. wool, hides, and earthen ware. Great numbers of Greeks, Jews, and Armenians, attend this fair, and in deed the great concerns of commerce are chiefly in their hands.
Buda was the residence of the Hungarian monarchs, till Sigismund became Emperor of Germany in 1410, and from the first appearance of the Turks in Hungary, this city continued to be the scene of contention between that people and the Imperialists, for more than a century. It was first taken by the Ottomans under Soliman I. in 1525, but was retaken by Ferdinand, Archduke of Aus tria, in the following year. The Ottomans, however, made themselves masters of it a second time, in 1529 ; and, in 1541, it was constituted the capital of a Turkish pachalik, composed of the neighbouring provinces ; and notwithstanding the repeated attempts of the Austrians to regain it, it remained in their possession till 1686, when it was finally recovered by Prince Eugene, and confirmed to Leopold I. by the treaty of Carlowitz, in 1699. From that time it has remained under the do minion of the house of Austria. In 1784, the Emperor Joseph restored the seat of government fi mil Pr, sburg to Buda, and at the same time removed to Vienna the ensigns of royalty, consisting of a crown, a sceptre, a robe, and a pair of stockings, said to have been worn by St Stephen. But the removal of these regalia out
of the kingdom, contrary to an express law of the land.
occasioned so much discontent and clamour, that they were returned, and are now secured in a vault at Buda.
From the public offices being transferred to Buda, this city acnuired a great addition of wealthy inhabitants, by which the citizens were enabled to let their houses, and sell their wines and other produce, to greater ad vantage ; and as a mark of gratitude to the Emperor Joseph, whose measures had been so conducive to their interest in this respect, they requested permission to erect to him a statue. But the Emperor saw the mean and selfish spirit by which they were actuated, and made the following memorable reply : When prejudices shall be eradicated; when true patriotism, and just ideas of the general good of the kingdom, shall be es tablished; when each, in an equal proportion, shall with readiness contribute his share to the wants of the state, its safety and prosperity ; when true enlightening know ledge, improved studies, simplicity in the teaching of the clergy, and the union of true ideas of religion with the laws of society ; a solid justice ; riches, through in creased population and improved agriculture ; acknow ledgment of the true interest of the landlord towards his peasants, and of those towards their landlord ; when industry, manufactures, and the demand of them, and general unanimity amongst the provinces of the mo narchy, shall be introduced, as l wish and hope, then 1 merit a statue: but not where the city, by my trans ferring thither the public offices, for a more easy in spection, obtains a greater consumption of its wines, and a higher rent of its houses." AN extensive viceroyalty in South America, stretching from the Rio Desaguadero to the most northern settle ments on the Paraguay, upwards of 1600 miles in length ; and from the mouth of the Rio de la Plata to Chili, near ly 1000 in breadth. It has Amazonia on the north ; Brasil and the Atlantic Ocean on the east ; Patagonia on the south ; and on the west, the Cordilleras, which separate it from Chili and Peru. Buenos Ayres was erected into a viceroyalty so late as 1778. It forms the most important part of the Spanish dominions in the w World, and is the channel through which the chief treasures of the other provinces pass to the mother country. It is divided into five provinces, viz. BUENOS