most beautiful portions of the Persian empire. Climate mild and healthy, except in certain districts in summer. It is well watered, and abounds with forests of oak, pine, box-wood, &c.; along the Caspian, there are extensive morasses. The soil is very rich, and yields nemp, hops, many kinds of fruit, corn, rice, &c. in great quantities. The vine grows with the greatest luxuriance; but the chief product of the prov. is silk of excellent quality, the culture and manufacture of which employs most of the pop. The only town of any conse quence is Reshd, on the Caspian, which has a considerable trade in silk, &c. with Astrahkan. (Kinneir, Pers. Emp. &c.) GHIZNI, or GHUZNEE, a fortified town or city of Afghanistan, and formerly the cap. of an empire reaching from the Tigris to the Ganges, and from the Jaxartes to the Persian Gulph: though now containing only about 1,500 houses, exclusive of suburbs without the walls, it is still considered throughout central Asia as a fortress of the highest importance. It stands on a slight elevation, in a plain nearly 7,000 ft. above the level of the sea, at the foot of a narrow range of hills, 54 m. S. W. by S. Caubul, and 156 m. N.E. Candahar. From its great height its climate is very cold; for a great part of the year the inhab. seldom quit their houses, and the snow has been known to lie deep on the ground long after the vernal equinox. It is surrounded by stone walls, flanked with numerous towers, and entered by 3 gates, outside which it is encompassed by a fausse braye, and wet ditch. On the W. side the walls are elevated to a height of 280 ft. above the level of the plain; and the rock on which they are built might be scarped so as to render it thoroughly inaccessible on that side. (igne) The Ghizni river, a pretty large stream, runs along its W. face; and previously to its capture by the British, a new outwork had been constructed commanding its bed. Ghizni has 3 bazaars, of no great breadth, with high houses on each side; a covered chaursoo, and several dark and narrow streets. A citadel, enclosing a palace, is the only edifice worth notice. About m. N. of the city stands a minaret, and about 400 yards farther, another of the same kind, erected by Sultan Mahmoud of Ghizni. Both are of brickwork, elegantly ornamented, and covered in many parts with Cutie inscriptions. Adjoining them is the site of Old Ghizni, a city which, in the 10th century, was, according to Ferishta, adorned beyond any other in the E. The adjacent plain is covered with ruins. About 3 m. from the modern town, in the midst of a village, is the tomb of Mahmoud, a spacious but not a magnificent building, covered with a cupola. But of all the antiquities of Ghizni, the most useful is an embankment across a stream which was built by Mahmoud, and which, though damaged by the insane fury of the Ghoree kings, still supplies water to the fields and gardens round the town. (Elphinstone, Caubul, i. 141, 142.) The empire of which Ghizni was the cap., was founded by Sebuctaghi in 975, and lasted under 13 successive sovereigns till 1171, when the city was conquered by Mahomed Ghoree, and burned. Recently it has acquired some celebrity from having been taken by storm by the British, 23d July, 1839, after a siege of less than 48 hours; the town being garrisoned by about 3,500 Afghans, under the command of a son of Dost Mahomed Khan. Our loss on that occasion amounted to 17 men killed, and 182 wounded. Of the enemy, about 600 were killed, many wounded, and 1,600 taken prisoners, including the governor and his staff. (Elphinstone, Caubul; Vigne; Outram Campaign in Afghanistan, &c.) GIANT'S CAUSEWAY, a basaltic promontory of Deland, N. coast of the co. Antrim, between Bengore Head on the E., and the embouchure of the Bush river on the W. This extraordinary promontory consists of a vast mole or quay, formed of polygonal basaltic columns, projecting from the base of a steep promontory to a great distance into the sea. It is divided into three distinct portions: the first, which is seen at low water, is about 1,000 ft. in length, and the others not quite so much. The pillars are from 40 to 55 ft. in length, and have from 3 to 8 sides; but those having 6 sides are by far the most common. The surface formed by the summits of the pillars is so smooth, and the joints so close, that the blade of a knife can hardly be introduced into them. The pillars are divided into segments, admirably fitted to each other, varying from 6 in. to a foot in thickness. At Fair Head and Bengore Head, in the immediate vicinity, the columns are higher; but the angles are not so sharp, and they are altogether of a coarser texture than those of the Giant's Causeway. The same sort of basaltic columns, though of a less perfect form, extend along the coast for several miles, and, being sometimes detached from the shore, have, at a distance, the most grotesque appearance. Rachlen island contains similar columns; and they extend a good way inland. GIAVENO, a town of N. Italy, k. Sardinia, prov. Susa, cap. mand,, on the Sangone, 16 m. W. by S. Turin. It is encircled Pop., in 1838 (inc. commune), 8,866. by an old wall, and has manufactures of silk and linen, with tanneries and iron forges, some transit trade, and a market for linens, &c. which is well attended. GIBRALTAR, a town and very strong fortress belonging to Great Britain, in the S. part of Spain, adjoining the narrowest part of the strait joining the Atlantic and Mediterranean, to which it gives name; 61 m. S.E. Cadiz, 93 m. S. by E. Seville, and 312 m. S.S.W. Madrid; lat. 366 30 N., long.5°21'12" W. Pop. about 20,000, exclusive of about 3,000 troops. The fortress stands on the W. side of a mountainous promontory or rock (the Mons Calpe of the ancients), projecting into the sea S. about 3 m.,being from to m. in breadth. The S. extremity of the rock, 11 m. N. Ceuta, in Africa, is called Europa Point. Its N. side, fronting the low narrow isthmus which connects it with the mainland, is perpendicular, and wholly inaccessible; the E. and S. sides are steep and rugged, and extremely difficult of access, so as to render any attack upon them, even if they were not fortified, next to impossible; so that it is only on the W. side, fronting the bay, where the rock declines to the sea, and the town is built, that it can be attacked with the faintest prospect of success. Here, however, the strength of the fortifications is such that the fortress seems impregnable, even though attacked by an enemy having the command of the sea. The town, which lies on a bed of red sand, at the foot of the rock, on its N.W. side, has a principal street, nearly a mile long, well built, paved and lighted; and of late years many of the narrow streets have been widened, the alleys removed, and the general ventilation improved. Still, however," the houses are constructed for the latitude of England, not of Africa; for, instead of patios, fountains, and open galleries, admitting a free circulation of air, closed doors, narrow passages, wooden floors, small rooms, and air-excluding windows, keep out the fresh, and keep in the foul air." (Inglis, ii. 121.) These circumstances seem, in part at least, to account for the contagious fevers by which the town is sometimes scourged. The principal buildings are the governor's house and garden, the admiralty, the naval hospital, the victualling-office, and the barracks. There is an excellent public library, founded in 1793, and a small theatre. A steam corn-mill has lately been erected. The Protestant church, situated on the Line-wall, will contain 1,048 persons, and the governor's chapel at the convent, 300 more; the Rom. Cath. church, when full, contains about 1,500. The Wesleyan Methodists have a place of worship, and there is a Jews' synagogue. In 1836, there were three schools in Gibraltar, two on Bell's system, educating together 512 boys and girls, and one on the Lancastrian plan, educating 300 boys: the last is wholly supported by the Rom. Caths. The fortifications are of extraordinary extent and strength. The principal batteries are all casemated, and traverses are constructed to prevent the mischief that might ensue from the explosion of shells. Vast galleries have been excavated in the solid rock, and mounted with heavy cannon; and communications have been established between the different batteries by passages cut in the rock, to protect the troops from the enemy's fire. In fact, the whole rock is lined with the most formidable batteries, from the waters to the summit, and from the Land-gate to Europa Point; so that, if properly victualled and garrisoned, Gibraltar may be said to be impregnable The bay of Gibraltar, formed by the headland of Cabrita and Europa Point, 4 m. distant from each other, is spacious and well adapted for shipping, being protected from all the more dangerous winds: the extreme depth within the bay is 110 fathoms. To increase the security of the harbour, two moles have been constructed, which respectively extend 1,100 and 700 ft. into the bay. The Spanish town and port of Algeciras lie on the W. side of the bay. As a commercial station, Gibraltar is of considerable consequence. Being made a free port in 1704, subject to no duties and restrictions, it is a convenient entrepôt for the English and other foreign goods destined to supply the neighbouring provinces of Spain and Africa. "Gibraltar, however, is fallen and falling as a place of commerce; and there is no prospect of its revival." This decay is owing to a variety of causes, partly and principally, perhaps, to the insecurity and apprehension occasioned by the fear of pestilentíal disorders, which raged dreadfully in 1804 and 1828; partly to the circumstance of goods being now largely stored at Malta and Genoa, that were formerly deposited here; partly to the orders of the Spanish government almost preventing the introduction of British produce; and, more recently, to the making of Cadiz a free port, a measure, however, which has since been revoked. In 1838, the declared value of British and Irish produce and manufactures exported from England to Gibraltar amounted to 894,0961. The cost of this colony to Great Britain amounted, in 1834, to 172,44C. But the advantage which the possession of Gibraltar confers on Great Britain, though wholly of a political character, is most important. It is, as it were, the key of the Mediter ranean; and while its occupation gives us the means of effectually annoying our enemies in war, it affords equal facilities for the protection of our commerce and shipping. Gibraltar, the Calpe of the Greeks, formed with Abyla on the African coast "the pillars of Hercules." Its name was changed to Gibel-Tariff, or mountain of Tarif, in the beginning of the 8th century, when Tarif Ebn Zarca landed with a large army to conquer Spain, and erected a strong fortress on the mountain side. During the Moorish occupation of Spain it increased in importance, but was at length taken by Ferdinand, king of Castile, in the 14th century. It was soon recaptured, and did not become the appanage of Spain till 1462. Its farther his tory till its conquest by the English in 1704, is unimportant. During the war of the Spanish succession, the English and Dutch fleets, under Sir George Rooke and the Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt, attacked the fortress, which surrendered after some hours' resistance. The Spaniards, during the vine following years, vainly tried to recover it, and in 1713 its possession was secured to the English by the peace of Utrecht. In 1727 the Spaniards blockaded it, for several months, without success. The most memorable, however, of the sieges of Gibraltar is the last, begun in 1779 and terminated in 1783. The batteries on the rock were known to be most formidable; and yet the bold, not to say extravagant, project was entertained of attempting to silence them by the fire of ten enormous floating batteries ingeniously constructed by the Chevalier d'Arçon. A powerful combined French and Spanish fleet and army was collected to co-operate in the attack, which excited an extraordinary interest in all parts of Europe. The grand effort was made on the 13th of Sept., 1782; and the only thing to be wondered at is, that the floating batteries should have so long resisted, as they actually did, the tremendous fire of red-hot shot to which they were exposed. At length, however, two of them took fire, and their terrific explosion terminated the conflict. The garrison, and their gallant commander, Sir Gilbert Elliot, afterwards Lord Heathfield, were not more distinguished by their brave defence than by their generous efforts to rescue their enemies from the flames and the waves. No farther attempt has been, nor is it likely will be, made to deprive us of this fortress. GIRGENTI, a town of Sicily adjacent to the ruins of the ancient 'Azgayas, or Agrigentum, cap. intend, in the Val di Mazzara, 58 m. S.S.E. Palermo, and 95 m. W. by N. Syracuse; lat. 37° 19′ 25′′ N., long. 13° 27′ E. Pop. (1831) 17,767. The modern city stands on the slope of one of the highest hills of S. Sicily, called Monte Canisco, about 1,200 ft. above the sea, and nearly 4 m. from the port at the mouth of the small river which divides the present city from the ruins. The mode of building Girgenti, with its streets rising in terraces, and the cathedral crowning the whole, gives it an imposing aspect from the sea; "but the interior is irregular and dirty: most of the streets, or rather alleys, are ill paved, and not only difficult of access, but many of them are absolutely dangerous, and the whole aspect of the place is rendered still more comfortless by a prevalent appearance of poverty." (Smyth's Sicily, p. 205.) Besides the cathedral, there are 45 churches and 15 convents, a fact which fully explains the extraordinary number of ecclesiastics met with here, and the consequent poverty of the people. The cathedral, a large, heavy building of the 13th century, is in the Norman style, barbarously mixed with a modern imitation of the Greek orders: its chief curiosity is an echo, or porta voce, by which a whisper is conducted from the entrance to the cornice over the high altar (280 ft.). It has a beautiful font of carved stone, and some pictures, one of which is a Madonna by Guido. Bishop Lucchesi, a great benefactor to Girgenti, among other acts of enlightened policy, founded a seminary for the clergy, and a good public library, to which he bequeathed a valuable collection of antique vases, coins, and medals. The country round is delightful. producing corn, wine, and oil in great abundance, with a great variety of fruits, as, oranges, lemons, pomegranates, almonds, &c. The port of Girgenti has a mole built by Charles III. in 1756: a lighthouse has been erected on the mole-head, and another on an adjacent cliff, but they are so badly constructed and lighted, as to be nearly useless. There are here very extensive caricatori, or magazines, dug in the rock, for the warehousing of corn, considerable quantities of which are shipped from this port, and which, under an intelligent government, capable of calling forth the productive energies of the country, might be vastly increased: it is, also, a principal port for the shipment of sulphur. In ordinary years, about 70 British ships clear out from Girgenti, mostly loaded with brimstone. The ancient Agrigentum was not only one of the largest and most famous cities of Sicily, but of the ancient world. According to Polybius, it surpassed most other cities in its advantageous situation, its strength, and the beauty and grandeur of its buildings. Its ruins, so interesting to the historical student for the reminiscences they suggest, and to the antiquary and artist for their instructive lessons on ancient architecture, stand between the Rupa Athenea, a high rock E. of Girgenti, and the two branches of the river anciently called Agragas, in the midst of orchards, gardens, and groves of the most luxurious foliage. The S. wall stood on a rock, having adjoining to it a triangular plain, in which may still be seen the tomb of Theron, one of the most illustrious of all the princes, or dvvásra, who ruled over Agrigentum. (See Diod. Sic. lib. xi.) It is about 28 ft. high, and 15 ft. square at the base, consisting of a square pilaster on a triple plinth, with a cornice, and fluted Ionic columns in the Attic story; but Mr. Smyth describes it as "neither magnificent nor elegant, a strange mixture of architectural peculiarities." At the E. angle of the S. wall, on a bold rock, stands the temple of Juno, or rather the Doric columns that formed a part of it. Their situation on a gently swelling eminence, and surrounded by fruit trees, is highly picturesque. On the W. front a grand flight of steps leads up to the vestibule, which was supported by 6 fluted Doric columns: at the sides are 13 others not fluted. Within this temple were preserved some of the most valuable pictures of antiquity, among which was one by Zeuxis of the goddess herself. W. of these ruins is the temple of Concord, which presents the most perfect specimen extant of the earliest epoch of Greek architecture. It is composed of a parallelogram, like the last, 6 columns broad in front, and 13 columns at the sides. It is peripteral, that is, has a coof the cella are 6 arched openings without any appearance of doors, and on each side of the transverse wall of the pronaos a flight of steps leads to the summit of the architrave: the whole temple, with the exception of part of the entablature and roof, is so nearly perfect, as to be a favourable specimen of the beauty of uninterrupted GIEN, a town of France, dép. Loiret, cap. arrond. ; on the Loire, and on the high road between Orleans and Nevers, 37 m. S.E. the former. Pop. (1836) 4,750. It is irregularly built on a hill, on the summit of which is its church, and an ancient castle now serving for the sub-prefecture, the residence of the mayor, and the seat of a tribunal of original jurisdiction. The Loire is here crossed by a handsome stone bridge, and the town has a spacious quay, and a good bath establishment. Here also are manufactures of earthenware, serge, leather, &c. It has some trade in agricultural produce. (Hugo, &c.) GIESSEN, a town of W. Germany, Hesse-Darmstadt, cap. prov. Upper Hesse; on the Lahn, which is here crossed by a stoue bridge, 47 m. N. by E. Darmstadt, and 49 m. E.N.E. Coblentz. Pop. 7,300. It was formerly fortified; but its ramparts have been levelled, and their site is now laid out in public walks. It is irregularly built; but has some good edifices, including the castle, How the seat of the provincial government, the university, pedagogium, arsenal, town-hall, and a new church. Giessen is chiefly noted for its educational establishments, which constitute one of its principal resources. Its university, founded in 1607, is now usually attended by between 300 and 400 students; a few years ago, the ordinary number was upwards of 500. The town has, besides, a teachers' seminary, several other seminaries of a superior kind, schools of forest economy and midwifery; a lying-in hospital, philological institute, 2 public libraries, a cabinet of natural history, and a botanic garden. It is the residence of the governor of Upper Hesse, the seat of a superior judicial court for the prov.; a council of mines, board of taxation and com-, mittee of public instruction. It has a few manufactures of tobacco and woollen goods. (Berghaus; Cannabich.) GILOLO, one of the Molucca islands, which see. GIOVENAZZO (an. Natiolum), a sea-port town of S. Italy, k. Naples, prov. Bari, cap. cant., on a high rock which advances sufficiently into the Adriatic to afford shelter on its N. side to a considerable number of fish-lonnade all round the building. In each of the side walls ing boats, 94 m. N.W. Bari, and 44 m. S.E. Molfetta. Pop. 5,500 It is surrounded by strong turreted walls, and farther defended by a castle. It is, however, a miserable-looking place, though it contains some good houses. Its streets are narrow, dark, and dirty, and crossed by frequent deep archways, which render them still more gloomy. Giovenazzo is the seat of an arch-lines in architecture. Its dimensions arebishopric, united to that of Terlizzi: it has a cathedral, 3 other churches, several convents, 2 hospitals, and an asylum for foundlings, mendicants, &c. Without the town, an avenue of immense cypress and pine trees, nearly a mile in length, leads to a very large, but dilapidated palace, formerly belonging to the Cellamare family. (Craven's Tour, &c. pp. 95, 96. &c.) Length Breadth Feet. Inches 128 6 54 8 48 6 24 8 Height of columns 22 1 Diameter of ditto at base The last king of Naples repaired the most damaged parts of this structure, and it is now used as a Christian church. His name and work recorded on the front entablature in large bronze characters, on a glaring white ground, ill agree with the softness and chastity of the old building. W. of the temple of Concord, and near the sea-gate, stood the temple of Hercules; but the foundations and one single dilapidated column are all that remain. Cicero (in his fourth Oration against Verres) speaks in rapturous terms of a statue of the god, the face of which had been worn by the kissing of devotees. Nearly opposite the ruins of the last temple, are the gigantic remains of the temple of the Olympian Jupiter, now known as il Tempio di Giganti, which, although never completed, was the largest religious edifice of Sicily. Diodorus says that it was 360 ft. long, 60 ft. broad, and 120 ft. high to the commencement of the roof; but it appears probable, from a comparison with other temples and their proportions, that 160 was meant, instead of 60, for the breadth, an error that might easily have crept into the early manuscripts (Smyth, p. 211.); and an examination of the ruin justifies the supposition. Enormous blocks of stone testify its former grandeur. One of the columns measured by Russell in the upper part of its length had flutings, the girth of which was 23 in., a circumstance which goes far to confirm the statement of Diodorus, "that a man might easily place himself in one of them." The lower half of a human face, apparently part of a statue that ornamented the pediment, measured a foot from the chin to the middle of the mouth, and 2 ft. across from cheek to cheek, dimensions much larger than those of the Egyptian Memnon in the British Museum. (Smyth, p. 212.) The Sicilian government, about the commencement of the last century, when the mole of the harbour was built, gave orders that the stones of this noble ruin should be removed and used in its construction; and this circumstance, to a greater extent than any other, accounts for the paucity of the present remains. The dimensions of the temple, as computed by Mr. Cockerill, who devoted great labour to ascertain the facts, are as follows: Length of basement Ditto of cell Ditto of temple interior Height of basement Ditto of columns - 23 6 - 120 ft. It is much to be regretted that we have no authentic information as to the means by which such vast wealth was acquired. No doubt, however, it must mainly have been the result of extensive commercial and manufacturing industry; for, notwithstanding its great fertility, the territory belonging to the city was far too limited, and probably, also, too much subdivided, to allow of the accumulation of such gigantic private fortunes. clear, too, that a city possessed of such extraordinary riches must have had wisely contrived institutions, and been, on the whole, well governed. It is This great city was founded, anno 580 B.C., by a colony from Gela, another Sicilian city, which had itself been founded by a colony of Cretans and Rhodians. (Herod. vii. 153.; Thuc. vi. 4.) Most probably its government was at first republican; but it early became subject to tyrants, or princes, of which Phalaris is one of the most ancient, and also the most celebrated. The accounts of him are, however, too much mixed up with fable to be relied on. After his death the republican form of government appears to have been restored, and maintained for a considerable period, till Theron, an able and politic citizen, attained to the supreme direction of affairs. This prince, having carried off the prize in the chariot race at the Olympic games, has been the theme of the glowing eulogy of Pindar: "Theron, hospitable, just, and great, Famed Agrigentum's honour'd king, The prop and bulwark of her towering state!" WEST'S Pindar, Ode ii. And he obtained and deserved the respect and esteem of the nation by his justice and moderation, and his success in defeating, with the aid of his son-in-law Gelon, the Carthaginians in a great battle. The construction of the piscina, and of other great works at Agrigentum, has, as already stated, been ascribed to the captives taken on this occasion. After the death of Theron, who was succeeded by his son Thrasydæus, a foolish and licentious prince, the Agrigentines once more asserted their independence, and established a republican government. During the invasion of Sicily by the Athenians, Agrigentum remained neuter, nor does history again mention it till B.C. 408, when, if we take Diodorus's account, it seems to have been most flourishing, the population being 380,000; but this, most probably, is much beyond the mark. At this time it was attacked, and blockaded by 120,000 Carthaginians, headed by Hamilcar, who desired to separate Agrigentum from the cause of Syracuse. After eight months siege, the inhabitants were forced by hunger to evacuate the place during the night, and made for Gela, which they reached in safety. Hamilcar and his troops made Agrigentum their winter quarters, and in the following spring, every thing valuable was either taken to Carthage or sold. Timoleon, according to Plutarch, (rather a doubtful authority in these matters,) rebuilt the city B. c. 340, and, about 30 years after, the Agri Sicily, but were defeated by the Syracusans. Its history during the Punic wars is very imperfectly ascertained. In the first, it was the ally of Carthage; and during the struggle which made Sicily the seat of war, it was alternately in the hands of the Romans and Carthaginians. Its later history must be learnt by a perusal of Cicero's orations against Verres, particularly the fourth of these eloquent invectives. Little more is known of the history of Agrigentum. Total height Near these ruins are those of the temple of Vulcan, and that of Castor and Pollux; the latter is singular, as being the only one of the Ionic order. The celebrated spring of Petroleum, and the fish-pond excavated by the Carthaginian prisoners, after the disasters of Himera, B.C. 480, still exist: this pond was more than 40 ft. deep, (Diodorus says 120.) and about 4,500 ft. in circum-gentines attempted to regain their ancient power in ference, and is stated to have amply supplied the tables of the rich and luxurious Agrigentines, of whom Plato wittily said, that "they built as if they were going to live for ever, and ate as if directly about to die." "Aga o ̓Ακραγαντίνοι οἰκοδομοῦσι μὲν ὡς ἀεὶ βιωσόμενοι, δειπνοῦσι di ás del TEDYREÓuevas. (Elian, lib. xii. 29.) The pond is now dry, and used as a garden, as it was also in the time of Diodorus, who, therefore, must greatly have mistaken its dimensions. Besides the ruins thus described in detail, there are fragments dispersed over the entire site of the city, respecting which conjecture has been busy, but which need no particular mention. It is curious, however, that in the whole space within the city walls there are no ruins that can be presumed to have belonged to places of public entertainment. (Swinburne, ii. 291.) On the whole, Agrigentum may be truly said to be surpassed by few cities, either in respect to the beautiful and magnificent Grecian temples and other antique monuments still existing, or the wild and romantic scenery with which it is surrounded. (Russell, p. 100.) | GIRONDE, a marit. dep. of France, and the largest in the kingdom, in the S. W. part of which it is situated; between lat. 44° 12′ and 45° 35' N., and long. 0° 18′ and 1° 16′ W.; having N. the estuary of the Gironde, and the dép. Charente-Inférieure; E. Dordogne, and Lot-et-Garonne; S. Landes; and W. the Atlantic (Bay of Biscay). Length, N. to S., about 100 m.; average breadth, between 50 and 60 m. Area, 975,100 hectares. Pop. (1836) 555,800. There are a few hills in the E.: but the surface generally is level; and all its W. portion is a vast sandy flat, termed the "Landes," bounded towards the sea in its whole extent by a range of sandy downs, or dunes, adjacent to which extends a line of extensive lagoons and marshes. The coast has generally a remarkably straight outline, but near the S. extremity of the dep. it presents a consider Vast as the public revenue of a city must have been capable of erecting such splendid structures, the wealth of its private citizens appears to have been still greater than could have been anticipated from the national magnificence. The accounts of the riches of Gellias, Antis-able inlet, the Bassin d'Arcachon, which communithenes, and other citizens of Agrigentum, are such as almost to stagger belief. The former, who lived in more than regal splendour, is reported to have had 300 wine cisterns, excavated in the rock on which the city is built, kept constantly full of the choicest wines; and at the marriage of the daughter of the latter, upwards of 800 carriages were in the nuptial procession. The return of Exænætus, a victor in the chariot-race of the 92d Olympiad, was celebrated with a splendour of which we can form no adequate idea; in proof of which it is enough to mention, that, among myriads more, no fewer than 300 carriages in the triumphal procession were drawn by white horses! (Mitford's Greece, v. 337. 8vo. ed.) cates with some of the lagoons before mentioned, and contains numerous islands. The port of La Teste de Buch is situated on its S. side. Chief rivers, Garonne, Dordogne, and the Isle and Dronne, affluents of the latter. The river or æstuary of the Gironde, whence the dep. derives its name, is formed by the union of the Garonne and Dordogne, near Bourg. It has a N.N.W. direction to its embouchure in the ocean, 45 m. distant. Its breadth varies from 2 to 6 m.: at its mouth, however, it is only 3 m. wide. It is navigable throughout; though at some points its bed is encumbered with sandbanks. "L'aspect du département est varié. D'un côté, ce sont des terres arides, et impropre à toute espèce de culture; de l'autre, un pays riche et fertile, des plaines verdoyantes, des vallons délicieux. Ici, des nombreux vignobles plus ou moins précieux; là, des marais malsains, des mers de sable nu, des forêts de pins n'offrant aucune pâture aux brebis affamécs. Puis, au centre, une ville vaste, bruyante, populeuse; des édifices superbes, et des eaux profondes et rapides, sillonnées en tout sens par des milliers de vaisseaux." (Hugo.) it is stated that 326,410 hectares, or about 1-3d of the dep., consists of heaths and wastes; 228,355 hect. of arable lands, 138,823 hect. of vineyards, and 106,709 hect. of woods. Only about half the corn necessary for home consumption is grown; it is chiefly wheat. The culture of the vine is by far the most important branch of industry carried on in this dep. The annual produce of the wines of Gironde, the red growths of which are known in Britain by the general name of claret, amounts to about 2,500,000 hectolitres, or about 55,000,000 imp. galls. The vineyards are the property of about 12,000 families, and the expenses of their cultivation are estimated to amount to 45 or 46 millions of francs a year. The best growths are from the confines of the "Landes," behind Bordeaux; the secondary growths are chiefly the produce of the country between the Garonne and Dordogne, and the palus, a district of a strong and rich soil bordering the banks of those rivers. The first growths of the red wines are denominated Lafitte, Latour, Château-Margaux, and Haut Brion. The first three are the produce of the district of Haut Medoc, N. W. of Bordeaux, and the last of the district called des Graves. These wines are all of the highest excellence: their produce is very limited, and in favourable years sells at from 3,000 to 3,500 fr. the tun, which contains 210 imp. gallons, but when they have been kept in the cellar for six years the price is doubled, so that even in Bordeaux a bottle of the best wine cannot be had for less than 6 fr. The Lafitte is the most choice and delicate, and is characterised by its silky softness on the palate, and its charming perfume, which partakes of the nature of the violet and the raspberry. The Latour has a fuller body, and, at the same time, a considerable aroma, but wants the softness of the Lafitte. The Chateau-Margaux, on the other hand, is lighter, and possesses all the delicate qualities of the Lafitte, except that it has not quite so high a flavour. The Haut Brion, again, has more spirit and body than any of the preceding, but is rough when new, and requires to be kept 6 or 7 years in the wood; while the others become fit for bottling in much less time. (Henderson on Wines, p. 184.) Among the secondary red wines, those of Rozan, Gorce, Leoville and Lorose, Bran-Mouton, Pichon-Longueville, and Calon are reckoned the best. The third rate wines comprise those called Pauillac, Margaux, St. Jullien, St. Estèphe, St. Emilion, &c. It is but seldom that any of these growths are exported in a state of purity. The taste of the English, for example, has been so much modified by the long-continued use of port, that the lighter wines of the Gironde would seem to us to want body. Hence, it is usual for the merchants of Bordeaux to mix and prepare wines according to the markets to which they are to be sent. Thus the strong rough growths of the Palus and other districts are frequently bought up for the purpose of strengthening the ordinary wines of Medoc; and there is even a particular manufacture, called travail à Anglaise, which consists in adding to each hogshead of Bordeaux wine three or four gallons of Alicant or Benicarlo, half a gallon stum wine, a bottle of alcohol, and sometimes a small quantity of hermitage. This mixture undergoes a slight degree of fermentation; and when the whole is sufficiently fretted in, it is exported under the name of claret. This mixture chiefly consists of secondary wines, the first-rate growths falling far short of the demand for them. (Henderson, p. 184.; see also Jullien, Topographie des Vignobles, p. 203.) But even the firstclass wines are frequently intermixed with the best secondary growths; and it is customary to employ the wines of a superior to mix with and bring up those of an inferior vintage. Hence we need not wonder at the statement of a gentleman who, after living twenty years in Bordeaux, doubted whether he had tasted, more than three times, any pure wine of the first quality! The white wines of the Gironde are of two kinds; those called Graves, which have a dry, flinty taste, and an aroma somewhat resembling cloves; of these, the principal are, Sauterne, Earsac, Preignac, and Langon. These are said by Jullien to be très-moelleur. ou, pour mieux dire, semi-liquoreux, et assez spiritueur. white wines of the Gironde have for several years past been advancing in estimation and value; and may be said, speaking generally, to come to us in a less adulterated state than the red wines. The About half the wines of the Gironde are sent to other parts of France; one fifth part is consumed in the dep, one fifth is exported, the finest growths to England, but the larger quantity to the N. of Europe and Holland; and about one fifth part is supposed to be converted into brandy. A person accustomed to good society in London, and, indeed, in most other parts of the country, would be apt to conclude that French wines were consumed in England to the almost total exclusion of other wines. But any such inference would be in the last degree erroneous. The fact is, that French wines are rarely drunk, except by the upper classes, and their consumption is inconsiderable, compared with that of the middle and lower classes. So much is this the case, that while, in 1839, 2,921,422 gallons of port, and 2,578,997 gallons of sherry, were entered for home consumption, the entries of all descriptions of French wines (including champagne, claret, and everything else) only amounted to 378,636 gallons! (Parl. Paper, No. 416., Sess. 1840.) Some excellent fruit and good hemp are grown in this dep. The forests furnish a great deal of timber for deals and masts, together with resin, pitch, and turpentine. In 1835, 64,600 hectares consisted of meadow land; and in 1830, there were about 100,000 head of cattle, and nearly 370,000 sheep, belonging to the dep. ; but the rearing of live stock has never been much attended to in this dep. In 1835, of 178,272 properties subject to the contribution foncière, 78,651 were assessed at less than 5 fr., and 27,972 at from 5 to 10 fr. The number of considerable properties is about the average of the deps. There are no mínes, but several furnaces and forges of considerable size, for the reduction and manufacture of metallic products. There are some stone quarries; a great deal of good turf is found, besides sand and clay suitable for the manufacture of earthenware; salt is obtained in the marshes of Medoc. The total annual value of the mineral products was officially estimated, in 1835, at about 4,500,000 fr. Manufactures very various; they include woollen and cotton fabrics, cordage, iron, steel, copper, gold, and silver articles, glass, pottery ware, liqueurs, &c. Sugar refiners and dyeing establishments are numerous; and many merchant ships are built at Bordeaux and elsewhere. For farther details respecting the trade, which is extensive, see BORDEAUX. The dep. is divided into six arrond. It sends 9 mems, to the Ch. of Dep. Number of electors (1838-39), 4,693. Chief towns, Bordeaux, the cap., Libourne, and Bazas. Total public revenue (1831), 32,994,548 fr.; expenditure, 17.959,814 fr. This dep. contains several fine Roman antiquities. It was ravaged by the Saracens in the 8th, and the Normans in the 9th century it belonged to the English from the time of Henry 11.'s marriage with Eleanor of Guienne, till it was annexed to the French crown by Charles VII. (Hugo; Official Tables; Dict. Géog.; Encycl. des Gens du Monde, &c.) GIRVAN, a sea-port, market-town, and par. of Scotland, co. Ayr, on S. bank of the river of the same name, near its influx into the sea, 174 m. S. Ayr, and 25 m. N. Stranraer. Pop. of par. in 1801, 2,260: in 1831, 6,430; and is now (1840) estimated at 7,000. The town (which contains five sixths of the pop.) commands a beautiful view of the sea, the N. coast of Ireland, the rock of Ailsa, the Mull of Cantyre, and the various islands lying in the Frith of Clyde. Though large, it is mean-looking, consisting mostly of houses of one story. The inhab are mainly employed in weaving cotton for the Paisley and Glasgow manufacturers, the number of looms being about 2,000. The people are generally poor and ill lodged, so many as two or three families being, in some instances, crowded together in one end of a house, while the other is filled with the looms on which they work. No fewer than two thirds of the inhab. are Irish or of Irish extraction, attracted by the facility of learning the business of hand-loom weaving, and the miserable remuneration which it affords. It is not uncommon, while the father is working on the loom, for the mother and children to set out as beggars. While weaving is the staple business, both salmon and white fishing affords employment to not a few, and is yearly being prosecuted with greater energy. The harbour has lately been improved by the erection of a new quay; and both grain and coal are exported to a considerable extent. There are two branch banks in the town; and five schools in the par., exclusive of the parochial school, in which ten boys and ten girls are educated gratuitously, on an endowment left for the purpose by Mrs. Crawford of Ardmillan. There are also two subscription and two circulating libraries; and twelve friendly societies. (New Stat. Acc. of Scotland, Ayr, p. 394.) Girvan was erected into a bor. of barony in 1669; but, owing to its diminutive size, the charter lay dormant till 1785. GIULIANO (SAN), a town of Sicily, Val-di-Trapani, occupying the site of the ancient Eryx, on the summit of the mountain of the same name, 5 m. N.E. by E Trapani, and 40 m. W. by S. Palermo. Pop. (1831) 10,249. It has 9 convents, 15 churches, an hospital, and a monte di pieta. From its elevated situation it commands a fine prospect, and has a pure atmosphere: the inhab. enjoy excellent health, the women being remarkable for their beauty and clearness of complexion; a circumstance which rendered it an appropriate situation for the temple of Venus, which existed here in antiquity. Mons Erya, on which the temple was built, rises 2,175 ft. above the level of the sea, and was said by Polybius to be the largest mountain in Sicily, Etna excepted; and he adds that the temple far excelled all the other temples in the island, in splendour, wealth, and inagnificence. (Lib. i. $55.) The accounts of the origin of this famous temple are obscure and contradictory. According to Virgil it was founded by Eneas (Eneid, lib. v. lin. 760.); and at all events it was extremely ancient, as Dædalus is said to have built the Cyclopean walls that surround part of the mountain, and to have enriched its treasury with some extraordinary works of art. The votaries of the goddess, thence frequently called Venus Erycina, including persons of the highest distinction, resorted thither in crowds, not only from all parts of Sicily, but also from Italy and Greece. It was, in fact, one of the most celebrated seats of superstition, pleasure, and dissipation in the ancient world. Accord-potatoes being the other principal crops. Lime is the ing to Diodorus Siculus, 17 cities contributed to the support of the temple. The priestesses of the goddess were slaves; but some of them became rich enough to purchase their freedom. The temple was plundered by Hamilear, a Carthaginian general, who, being afterwards taken by the Syracusans, expiated his sacrilege by the most cruel torments. But this seat of superstition and debauchery having lost its attractions, was in Strabo's time nearly deserted. It was, in some measure, restored by Tiberius; but it never recovered its former splendour, and was in no very lengthened period wholly abandoned. (See the article on this temple in the learned Mémoire sur Vénus, by Larcher, pp.188-194., and the authorities referred to in it). "Eryx is at present an abrupt and sterile mountain, with but few vestiges of its former magnificence; those still existing are principally a few granite pillars, and some remains of a Cyclopean wall; there is also a kind of cistern, now dry and filled with weeds and brambles, in the castle court, called the well of Venus; and coins, vases, amphora and patere, are frequently found, as are also many leaden bullets for slings, inscribed with imprecations." (Smyth, Sicily, p. 242.) Wild pigeons still resort to the mountain in great numbers, as in ancient times. GIURGEVO, a town of Wallachia, on the N. bank of the Danube, opposite Rustchuk, and 38 m. S.S. W. Bucharest. Pop. 15,000. ? It is a miserable place, composed of dirty, narrow streets, and houses built of mud, with here and there one a little more pretending in its appearance, ornamented by a wooden verandah. It was forinerly fortified, but its ramparts were levelled by the Russians in 1829. The coffee-houses are numerous, and apparently afford more comfort than the private residences. "The principal square contains a tall quadrangular tower, surmounted by a bell, which sounds at certain hours, and is misnamed a clock; but, with the exception of this appendage, the square differs little from a large courtyard surrounded by Irish cabins. Giurgevo carries on a considerable trade with some of the Austrian towns; and a great part of the commerce of Bucharest, of which it may be regarded as the port, flows through it." (Elliott's Trav. in Austria, &c. i. 177.) GIVET, a town of France, dép. Ardennes, cap. cant., on both sides the Meuse, close to the Belgian frontier, 25 m. N.N.E. Mezières. Pop. (1836) 4,273. Its divisions are connected by a fine stone bridge of 5 arches; and both are fortified. The town is in general well-built, especially the grand square. Among the public buildings are commodious barracks, in which English prisoners were detained during the last war; a military hospital, and a public library with 5,000 vols. Givet has a tolerable port, a brisk trade, and manufactures of acetate of lead, sealing-wax, glue, earthenware, pipes, and leather. In its canton is the gorge, m. in length, through which the Meuse flows; the overhanging rocks on either side of which are called the Dames de Meuse. GLADOVA (Turk. Fel-Islam), a town of Servia, on the Danube, immediately below the "Iron Gate,' and at present one of the chief stations of the Danube Steam Navigation Company. It is destitute of any house capable of affording accommodation to travellers, being a mere collection of wretched huts. Its inhabs. find constant employment in the conveyance of merchandise, &c. by land to and from Orsova, the station above the rapids of the Danube, a journey of nearly 10 m., which most passengers perform by land. About 24 m. below Gladova are the remains of Trajan's Bridge. (See DANUBE) GLAMORGAN, a co. of S. Wales, being the most southerly in the principality, having S. the Bristol Channel, E. the Co. of Monmouth, from which it is separated by the Remny, N. Brecknock, and W. Caermarthen. It is about 52 in. in its greatest length W. to E., and 28 m. in its greatest breadth. Area, 506,880 acres. On the N. and N.E. it is mountainous; but its S. portion, consisting of the vale or, more properly speaking, great level of Glamorgan, stretching from the mountains to the sea, is by far the most fertile part of S. Wales. The soil of this level is a reddish clay resting on a limestone bottom, and is most excellently adapted for the growth of wheat. But the agricultural capacities of this co. are surpassed by its all but inexhaustible mineral treasures. In fact, the whole of this co., N. of Llantrissent, is comprised within, and forms the largest portion of, the coal basin of S. Wales the greatest dépôt of coal in the empire; and capable, it is believed, of alone supplying its present rate of consumption for above 2.000 years! This co. has also inexhaustible supplies of lime and ironstone; and is the seat of the Merthyr Tydvil, Aberdare, Hirwain, and numerous other iron works, the greatest establishments of their kind in the empire. The energies of the inhab. being thus principally directed to mining pursuits, agriculture is not in a very advanced state. A great deal of excellent wheat is, however, produced; barley, oats, and principal manure. Estates and farms vary very much in size. The latter are most commonly held under leases of 7 or 14 years. The hills afford good pasture for sheep and cattle, and great quantities of cheese and butter are made. The Glamorgan cattle are the largest of the Welsh breed. Recently they have been crossed with the Ayrshire breed; and the mixed breed thence resulting are found to yield a greater quantity of milk than the old Glamorgan; at the same time that they are hardier, and can be kept at a good deal less expense. Average rent of land, in 1810, 8s. 44d. an acre. The cottages in this co. are said to be amongst the best in the empire. The custom of white-washing houses, office-houses, walls, &c. is universal; and it is alleged that,occasionally, even hedges have been subjected to this favourite operation. Principal rivers, Tawe, Neath, and Taafe. There are several canals and railways in the co., by which an easy communication is kept up between the mining districts in the N., and the ports of Swansea, Neath, Cardiff, &c. Near Swansea and Neath are the greatest smelting works in the empire. Cardiff is the principal port in the principality for the shipment of coal and iron. Principal towns, MerthyrTydvil, Cardiff, Swansea, and Neath. This co. returns 5 mems. to the H. of C., viz. 2 for the co., 1 for MerthyrTydvil, and 1 each for Cardiff and Swansea and their contributory bors. Registered electors for the co., in 183839, 4,494. Glamorgan is divided into 10 hundreds, and 118 parishes. In 1831, it had 23,843 inhabited houses; 26,111 families; and 126,612 inhab., of whom 63,284 were males, and 63,328 females. Sum contributed to the relief of the poor, in 1838-39, 31,3807. GLARUS, or GLARIS, a canton of Switzerland, in the E. part of which it is situated, and ranking seventh in the confederation; between lat. 46° 47′ and 47° 10′ N., and long. 8°51′ and 9° 15′ E.; having N. and E. the cant. St. Gall, S.E. and S. the Grisons, and W. Uri and Schwytz. Length, N. to S., 27 m. Area, 278 sq. m. Pop. (1838) 29,348, of whom 25,548 were Protestants. This canton is one of the most singular in Switzerland, not only in its geographical position and natural features, but also in its political constitution, and some of its laws and usages. Its central portion consists of the long narrow valley of Linth, into which there is but one road; and of two small lateral valleys, to neither of which there is any access but by the principal valley. The rest of the surface is mostly covered with mountains belonging to different ranges, which, in general, rise higher than those in the neighbouring cantons. The Doediberg, at its S. extremity, the loftiest summit in E. Switzerland, is 11,765 ft. in height: the Glarnish is 9,630 ft.; and the Wiggis, 7,444 ft. high. The Linth, its principal river, rises beneath the Doedi, and runs in a N. direction through the whole canton, into the lake Wallenstadt, which forms a part of its N. boundary. Besides this and the lake of the Kloenthal, there are many other small lakes in the mountains. Glaciers are also numerous, and the scenery generally is very striking. According to Ebel, not 1-10th part of the land is arable: orchards of plum, pear, cherry, apricot, almond, and other trees, are sufficiently plentiful, and in some parts the vine is cultivatet; but very little grain, or other agricultural produce, is obtained. The pasturages on the mountain sides are fine, and feed during the summer about 10,000 cows and 5,000 sheep. A great many goats are kept. This canton is the peculiar seat of the manufacture of Schabzieger, or green cheese. This article is made of cows' milk, and not of goats', as its name might seem to imply. The peasants, who feed their cows in the mountains, bring down the curd in sacks, each containing about 200 lbs., for which they get about 30s. The cheese owes its peculiar appear. ance, smell, and flavour to the blue pansy (Germ. kle; Trifolium Melilotus cærulea). This herb is grown in small enclosures beside most of the cottages; dried, ground to powder, and in that state thrown into the mill along with the curd, in the proportion of 3 lbs. of herb to 100 lbs. of the latter. After being turned for about 24 hours, the mixture is ready to be put into shapes. |