The great majority of the inhabitanta are Catholics (they numbered 3,400,000 in 1838), who used to be governed by an archbishop I (Warsaw) and seven other bishops. The Catholics, it is said, have been greatly persecuted in recent times. Of the eight sees only one, that of Lublin, is at present filled ; all the others are managed by administrators. The Russo-Greek Christians, who numbered 100,000 in 1838, have an archbishop of Warsaw. There were also in that year about 150,000 Lutherans and about 10,000 Calvinists.
Jfirieions.—The kingdom of Poland is divided into eight provinces, which were formerly called waywodshipa.
1. Cracow, or Krakow, so called after the ancient capital of Poland, lies between 50' 8' and 51' N. lat., 19' and 21° 15' K long. It is bounded N.W. by Kalisch, N. and E. by Sandonair, S. by Galicia, and W. by l'russian $il.sia. Ita area is 4057 square miles; the population is about 438,361. The Vistula separates it from Galicia; it is traversed by the sidft, a feeder of the Vistula, and has in it the sources of the Pillar. It is traversed by a low range from the Carpathian Mountains. There are some tracts of excellent land, good pasturage, forests, and valuable minerals, especially iron. Kielce, the chief town, is situated in a picturesque country surrounded by high mountains, It has an episcopal palace, four churches, a convent of gray nuns, an ecclesias tical seminary, a lyceum, iron-works, and, iu the neighbourhood, mines of iron, lead, copper, coal, and calamine. The population is about 5000, without the garrison. Among the other towns the principal are—i'inczow, on the Nide, which his 5000 inhabitants. Charles XII. of Sweden defeated the l'oles and Saxons near this town iu 1702. CAenciny, with a castle on a lofty bill, and lead- and silver-wines in the vicinity, has 2500 inhabitants. Slawkow, on the river Biala, and on the Warsaw railway, which traverses the west of the province, has 2000 inhabitants. Zarki, N. of Slawkow,. has iron-mines and 2800 inhabitants. The province of Krakow is called Kielce by the from its present capital2. Sa;donair is situated between 50° 25' and 51° 60' N. lat., 19° 50' and 22° E. long. It is bounded N.W. by Masovia, N.E. by Podlacbia, E. by Lublin, S. by Galatia and Cracow, and W. by lialisch. Its area is 5230 square miles ; and the population 420,909. The Vistula divides it from l'odlachia, Lublin, and Galicia; the Pities, a feeder of the Vistula, from 1Masovia and Kalisch. The face of the country is undulating, and there are here and there some mountains and forests, with tracts of very rich fertile soil. Rados!, the chief town, on the
river Itadomka, has a Piarist college, a gymnasium, and 3700 inhabit ants. Sandonsir, on the Vistula, in the south of the province, has above 3000 inhabitants. It is a walled town, with six gates and an ancient castle on a steep rock, which was razed by the Swedes in 165G. There are here a collegiate church, four convent churches, a synagogue, and a gymnasium. Opoozno, on the Drzewica, a feeder of the Pilica, has an ancient castle and 3500 inhabitants. Opatow, on the Opatowka (which enters the Vistula nearly opposite the mouth of the San), is situated in a fertile and pleasant country, has a cathedral and three other churches, a synagogue, and 2500 inhabitants. Staszow is a well-built walled town on the Czarna, with a suburb. It has above 3000 inhabitants, who have manufactures of cloth, woollens, and stockings.
3. Kalisz, the most westerly province, lies between 50° 40' and 52° 85' N. lat, 17° 40' and 20° E. long. It is bounded N. and W. by Posen, E. by Masovia and Sandonur, S. by Cracow, and S.W. by Silesia. The area is 6573 square miles : population, 656,148. This province has mountains in the south and plains and forests in the north. The soil is in part sandy and swampy, but on the whole not unfruitful. The principal river is the Warta, a feeder of tho Oder. Koh:sell., the capital, one of the handsomest towns in l'oland, is situated between two arms of the Prosna, in a marshy valley surrounded with hills. Most of the houses are built of stone, the streets broad and well paved, and some of them planted with trees. The population amounts to 15,000, of whom 2500 are Jews. There are five Roman Catholic churches, one Lutheran church, a cathedral, and six convents. Among the public inatitutions are several schools and three hospitals. Woollen-cloth and linen are manufactured here, and there are several tanneries. Petrikau, 89 miles by railway S.W. from Warsaw, has seven Roman Catholic churches, a Lutheran church, a gymnasium, a handsome town-hall, and 4276 inhabitants. Konin, on the Warta, has a great manufactory of woollen-cloth and 3600 inhabitants. Sieradz, on the Warta, has 2650 inhabitants. Wider: has 3000 inhabitants, who manufacture some woollen-cloth. Czenstochau, 143 miles by rail way S.W. from Warsaw, lies at the foot of the Klarenherg, on which there is a celebrated convent of St. Paul the Hermit, which was formerly fortified : population, including Old Czenstochau, 5000.