SALZBURG, is a province of Austria, bounded on the east by Styria, on the south by Carinthia and the Tyrol, and on the north and west by the kingdom of Bavaria. It extends about 100 miles from east to west, and about 64 from north to south; but it does not now contain more than about 28,000 square miles. This province consists principally of the great valley watered by the Salza, and partly of a succession of smaller valleys, with their intervening mountainous ranges, in the southern part of the province which includes a portion of the Noric Alps. The country has all the accompaniments of Alpine scenery, mountains, lakes, glaciers, avalanches, and has a more severe cli mate than might be expected in such a latitude. In the immediate vicinity of Salzburg, even the hills are covered with snow before October, though it does not lie permanently till November. The winter continues in the south from November to April, and frosts and showers continue till about the end of June. Vegeta tion then makes a rapid stride, the heat sets in with great intensity, and the sirocco sometimes passes along the wallies for a day, and produces the languor which characterizes it. It always occasions a sudden thaw and flood.
The low and fertile grounds of the valleys of the Salza produce oats, barley, and even wheat, which af ford subsistence to breeds of valuable cattle; but its supplies of corn are derived from Bavaria. The pro vince also possesses extensive pasturages; and the horses are prized for their beauty and hardiness and vigour; but its principal wealth is derived from its mines of rock salt in the northern districts, and from the gold, silver, iron, copper and lapis calaminaris, which is found in the southern district.
The salt works of Halleins are said to be worth about £100,000 annually. The descent to the mines is by sliding along wooden beams, and persons leave them by a gallery or horizontal path seated on a bench with wheels drawn by the miners. There are at Hallein thirty-two reservoirs, each of which contains about 700,000 seaux. The rock salt of various colours is converted into the finest salt, which is exchanged in Bavaria for corn. The illumination of the salt mines has a superb and magical effect.
Most of the metals obtained in this province are ex ported in their raw state, the materials being only smelted and the iron being exported in bars. A con siderable quantity of steel and brass, however, is made into swords, sabres, bayonets, musquets, cannon, and mortars.
Although the only form of religion tolerated is the Roman Catholic, yet there are a considerable number of Lutherans, nearly 3 ,000 of the inhabitants of this persuasion being compelled in 1733 to avoid the per secution to which they were exposed. In 1806 Salz burg was added to Austria. In 1807 it was trans ferred to Bavaria, and in 1817 it was restored to the Austrian government, who draw from it an annual revenue of about &.100,000. Population about 142,000.