Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 10.djvu/445

Rh places, of which the one opened in 1844 cost £11,400, and the other opened in 1852 cost £2450. The prlson, a large building, or rather collection of buildings, surrounded by a strong wooden wall, can accommodate upwards of 200 prisoners. A fort, the Frederick William, situated below the town, only contains a small battery, but in the vicmity there are extensive and well-organized barracks. ne of the principal disadvantages due to the position of Georgetown is the lack of drinking water; but this is so far remedied by the construction of both private and public tanks for the storage of the rain, by the introduction of water from the Lamaha creek, by a canal, and further by the boring of Artesian wells. The ﬁrst attempts to apply the Artesian principle was made in 1831 by Major Staple, and his example has been widely imitated not only in the town itself but also in the surrounding country. Though the water thus obtained is strongly impregnated with iron, carbonic acid gas, salt, and magnesia, it is readily drunk by horses and cattle, and after it has been scummcd and ﬁltered it can be use-.1 for cOoking. As it rises to the surface the water has a temperature of 81° Fahr., 5° higher than the water in the river. Ice is almost a necessity of life in the town, and it forms a regular import from Boston, along with fresh meat and other northern produce. The population of Georgetown in 1851 was 25,508; in 1861 it was 29,174 ; and by 1871 it had reached 36,562. (See Appun, Unter den. Tropen, Jena, vol. ii).  GEORGIA, a kingdom in central Transcaneasia, re- markable for the long list of its sovereigns, the monarchy having extended over a period of upwards of 2000 years, the kings reigning at times independently, or under the rule of Persia, Turkey, or the Eastern empire. The earliest name of the country was Karthli; the ancients knew it as Iberia, bounded on the One side by Colchis and on the other by Albania; and it has for centuries been called Georgia. Georgia proper, which includes Karthli and Kakhetia, is bounded on the N. by Ossety and Daghestan, on the E. by Shekynn, on the S. by Sharnshadyl and the khanates of Erivan and Kars, and on the W. by Gouria and Imeritia ; but the kingdom at times included Gouria, Mingrelia, Abkhasia, Imeritia, and Daghestan, and extended from the great mountain range to the Araxes. It new forms the government of Tiflis, divided into the districts of Doushett, Tel-av, Sygnah, Geri, and Akhalzikh, having an area of nearly 25,000 square miles, and in 1873 a population of 635,313, made up chieﬂy of Georgians and Armenians,—there being also Persians, Tatars, and a few Jews and Europeans. The chief city is the ancient capital of Tiﬂis, the seat of government, under a governor-general, for the whole of Transcaucasia, and the principal centre of commerce. See and.

Vegetable Products.—The valleys and declivities are fertile, producing maize, millet, barley, oats, rice, beans, lentils, and corn (which is best in the plains near Gori), also cotton, ﬂax, and hemp, now exported exclusively to Russia. The vineyards cover 75,400 acres, the average produce of wine being at the rate of 230 gallons per acre ,' the valley of the Alazan yields the best qualities. It is consumed in the country and adjoining districts, the only wine ex- ported being that produced from vine-canes brought from the Crimea. Grapes are gathered in September, and the wine is ﬁt for use one month after it has been put into a bom'dyouk, “ skin,” or Irvevry, a huge earthen jar in which it may be preserved for years. New vines are planted every six, eight, or ten years, according to the nature of the soil, and are cut after the fruit is gathered, and again in March and April when the soil is turned up. The Leccm-z'um citis and Ottlium have attacked the plants from time to time, though not in severe form, but the Phylloxem vastatrix has been hitherto quite unknown. In the vineyards are often seen the apple, pear, and quince trees; other fruits include the pomegranate, peach, apricot, plum, almond, mulberry, pistachio, ﬁg, cherry, walnut, hazel-nut, medlar, melon and water melon, raspberry, &c. In summer the banks of streams are covered with beautiful wild ﬂowers,—the prim- rose in double form, the crocus of varied colours, and snowdrops appearing early in March in the greatest profusion.

Animals.—The domestic animals are the camel, ox, mule, ass, and buffalo as beasts of burden, with the goat, and an immense number of pigs, pork being favourite food. The horse—small, hardy, and enduring—is ridden more fre- quently unshod, except in the hills ; no pains are taken to improve the breed. The wild animals of greatest import- ance are the bear, ibex, wolf, hyacna, fox, wild boar, wild goat, and antelope; while the pheasant, woodcock, quail, and “partridge of the Caucasus ” are the principal winged game. The ﬁsh taken in the Kour and other rivers are the sturgeon, silurus, carp, perch, trout, gudgeon, and a ﬁsh resembling the salmon, called oragoula by the Georgians. The great sturgeon, belouga or hansen, is taken at the estuary of the Kour in the Caspian.

Communication.—A railroad connects Tiﬂis with Poti on the Black Sea, the line over the Souram pass, 3037 feet above the sea, being laid at gradients of 1 in 22, over a distance of about 8 miles. Lines of rail are projected for connecting Vladykavkaz in the north, and Djoulpha at the Persian frontier, with the capital. Post-roads are excellent, and saddle—horSes and comfortable vehicles for post-horses arc to be obtained at the principal towns. Locomotion is very inexpensive.

1em 