EXTENT AND NATURE OF THE COUNTRY--BENEFITS RESULTING TO THE PEOPLE FROM THE PARTITION OF POLAND--CRUELTY AND INJUSTICE OF THE ANCIENT SYSTEM--SUPERIOR DEGREE OF SECURITY ENJOYED UNDER THE AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT--MODE OF BUILDING--APPEARANCE OF A POLISH VILLAGE--INNS-JEWS--UNCLEANLINESS OF THE POLES The kingdom of Galicia is that part of Poland which, on the partition of that monarchy among its more powerful neighbours, fell to the share of the house of Austria. It contains upwards of fifteen hundred German square miles, and not far short of four millions of inhabitants. The country chiefly consists of a sandy plain situated at the northern foot of the lofty mountains which separate it from Hungary, Transylvania and the Bukowina by one of their secondary ramifications. The soil of the plains of Galicia is nevertheless more irregular than that of Hungary. It is infinitely diversified by hills of no great elevation, but in some parts of extreme fertility. Much as it has been the fashion to deplore the “fatal partition” of Poland, and to execrate the powers concerned in it, we have now the satisfaction to know that to the Poles themselves this measure has proved one of the greatest blessings. Every individual has gained by it, excepting a few selfish, pampered magnates, who abused their overgrown power, and inflicted perpetual misery on the serfs whom Providence had subjected to their rule. If ever there was a country where “might constituted right,” that country was Poland. The most dreadful oppression, the most execrable tyranny, and the most wanton cruelties, were daily exercised by the nobles on their unfortunate peasants. Dr. Neale in his Travels adduces a few facts which prove but too clearly their miserable condition. The life of a peasant was held of no greater value than that of one of his horned cattle; and if his lord killed him he was merely fined a hundred Polish florins, or two pounds sixteen shillings of our money. If, on the contrary, a man of low birth presumed to raise his hand against a nobleman, death was the inevitable punishment. If any one dared to question the nobility of a magnat, he was required to prove his assertion, or doomed to die: nay, if a powerful man took a fancy to the field of his humbler neighbour and erected a land-mark upon it, and if that land-mark remained three days, the poor man lost his possession.