Book: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4

V >> Various >> Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4



Transcriber's note: A few typographical errors have been corrected: they
are listed at the end of the text. Volume and page numbers have been
incorporated into the text of each page as: v.04 p.0001.

In the article CALCITE, negative Miller Indices, e.g. "1-bar" in the
original are shown as "-1".

In the article CALCULATING MACHINES, [Integral,a:b] indicates a definite
integral between lower limit a and upper limit b. [Integral] by itself
indicates an indefinite integral. [=x] and [=y] indicate x-bar and y-bar in
the original.

[v.04 p.0773] [Illustration]

the mean interval being 60 m.; the summits are, as a rule, rounded, and the
slopes gentle. The culminating points are in the centre of the range:
Yumrukchal (7835 ft.), Maraguduk (7808 ft.), and Kadimlia (7464 ft.). The
Balkans are known to the people of the country as the _Stara Planina_ or
"Old Mountain," the adjective denoting their greater size as compared with
that of the adjacent ranges: "Balkan" is not a distinctive term, being
applied by the Bulgarians, as well as the Turks, to all mountains. Closely
parallel, on the south, are the minor ranges of the Sredna Gora or "Middle
Mountains" (highest summit 5167 ft.) and the Karaja Dagh, enclosing
respectively the sheltered valleys of Karlovo and Kazanlyk. At its eastern
extremity the Balkan chain divides into three ridges, the central
terminating in the Black Sea at Cape Emine ("Haemus"), the northern forming
the watershed between the tributaries of the Danube and the rivers falling
directly into the Black Sea. The Rhodope, or southern group, is altogether
distinct from the Balkans, with which, however, it is connected by the
Malka Planina and the Ikhtiman hills, respectively west and east of Sofia;
it may be regarded as a continuation of the great Alpine system which
traverses the Peninsula from the Dinaric Alps and the Shar Planina on the
west to the Shabkhana Dagh near the Aegean coast; its sharper outlines and
pine-clad steeps reproduce the scenery of the Alps rather than that of the
Balkans. The imposing summit of Musalla (9631 ft.), next to Olympus, the
highest in the Peninsula, forms the centre-point of the group; it stands
within the Bulgarian frontier at the head of the Mesta valley, on either
side of which the Perin Dagh and the Despoto Dagh descend south and
south-east respectively towards the Aegean. The chain of Rhodope proper
radiates to the east; owing to the retrocession of territory already
mentioned, its central ridge no longer completely coincides with the
Bulgarian boundary, but two of its principal summits, Sytke (7179 ft.) and
Karlyk (6828 ft.), are within the frontier. From Musalla in a westerly
direction extends the majestic range of the Rilska Planina, enclosing in a
picturesque valley the celebrated monastery of Rila; many summits of this
chain attain 7000 ft. Farther west, beyond the Struma valley, is the
Osogovska Planina, culminating in Ruyen (7392 ft.). To the north of the
Rilska Planina the almost isolated mass of Vitosha (7517 ft.) overhangs
Sofia. Snow and ice remain in the sheltered crevices of Rhodope and the
Balkans throughout the summer. The fertile slope trending northwards from
the Balkans to the Danube is for the most part gradual and broken by hills;
the eastern portion known as the _Deli Orman_, or "Wild Wood," is covered
by forest, and thinly inhabited. The abrupt and sometimes precipitous
character of the Bulgarian bank of the Danube contrasts with the swampy
lowlands and lagoons of the Rumanian side. Northern Bulgaria is watered by
the Lom, Ogust, Iskr, Vid, Osem, Yantra and Eastern Lom, all, except the
Iskr, rising in the Balkans, and all flowing into the Danube. The channels
of these rivers are deeply furrowed and the fall is rapid; irrigation is
consequently difficult and navigation impossible. The course of the Iskr is
remarkable: rising in the Rilska Planina, the river descends into the basin
of Samakov, passing thence through a serpentine defile into the plateau of
Sofia, where in ancient times it formed a lake; it now forces its way
through the Balkans by the picturesque gorge of Iskretz. Somewhat similarly
the Deli, or "Wild," Kamchik breaks the central chain of the Balkans near
their eastern extremity and, uniting with the Great Kamchik, falls into the
Black Sea. The Maritza, the ancient _Hebrus_, springs from the slopes of
Musalla, and, with its tributaries, the Tunja and Arda, waters the wide
plain of Eastern Rumelia. The Struma (ancient and modern Greek _Strymon_)
drains the valley of Kiustendil, and, like the Maritza, flows into the
Aegean. The elevated basins of Samakov (lowest altitude 3050 ft.), Trn
(2525 ft.), Breznik (2460 ft.), Radomir (2065 ft.), Sofia (1640 ft.), and
Kiustendil (1540 ft.), are a peculiar feature of the western highlands.

_Geology._--The stratified formation presents a remarkable variety, almost
all the systems being exemplified. The Archean, composed of gneiss and
crystalline schists, and traversed by eruptive veins, extends over the
greater part of the Eastern Rumelian plain, the Rilska Planina, Rhodope,
and the adjacent ranges. North of the Balkans it appears only in the
neighbourhood of Berkovitza. The other earlier Palaeozoic systems are
wanting, but the Carboniferous appears in the western Balkans with a
continental _facies_ (Kulm). Here anthracitiferous coal is found in beds of
argillite and sandstone. Red sandstone and conglomerate, representing the
Permian system, appear especially around the basin of Sofia. Above these,
in the western Balkans, are Mesozoic deposits, from the Trias to the upper
Jurassic, also occurring in the central part of the range. The Cretaceous
system, from the infra-Cretaceous Hauterivien to the Senonian, appears
throughout the whole extent of Northern Bulgaria, from the summits of the
Balkans to the Danube. Gosau beds are found on the southern declivity of
the chain. Flysch, representing both the Cretaceous and Eocene systems, is
widely distributed. The Eocene, or older Tertiary, further appears with
nummulitic formations on both sides of the eastern Balkans; the Oligocene
only near the Black Sea coast at Burgas. Of the Neogene, or younger
Tertiary, the Mediterranean, or earlier, stage appears near Pleven (Plevna)
in the Leithakalk and Tegel forms, and between Varna and Burgas with beds
of spaniodons, as in the Crimea; the Sarmatian stage in the plain of the
Danube and in the districts of Silistria and Varna. A rich mammaliferous
deposit (_Hipparion_, _Rhinoceros_, _Dinotherium_, _Mastodon_, &c.) of this
period has been found near Mesemvria. Other Neogene strata occupy a more
limited space. The Quaternary era is represented by the typical loess,
which covers most of the Danubian plain; to its later epochs belong the
alluvial deposits of the riparian districts with remains of the _Ursus_,
_Equus_, &c., found in bone-caverns. Eruptive masses intrude in the Balkans
and Sredna Gora, as well as in the Archean formation of the southern [v.04
p.0774] ranges, presenting granite, syenite, diorite, diabase,
quartz-porphyry, melaphyre, liparite, trachyte, andesite, basalt, &c.

_Minerals._--The mineral wealth of Bulgaria is considerable, although, with
the exception of coal, it remains largely unexploited. The minerals which
are commercially valuable include gold (found in small quantities), silver,
graphite, galena, pyrite, marcasite, chalcosine, sphalerite, chalcopyrite,
bornite, cuprite, hematite, limonite, ochre, chromite, magnetite, azurite,
manganese, malachite, gypsum, &c. The combustibles are anthracitiferous
coal, coal, "brown coal" and lignite. The lignite mines opened by the
government at Pernik in 1891 yielded in 1904 142,000 tons. Coal beds have
been discovered at Trevna and elsewhere. Thermal springs, mostly
sulphureous, exist in forty-three localities along the southern slope of
the Balkans, in Rhodope, and in the districts of Sofia and Kiustendil;
maximum temperature at Zaparevo, near Dupnitza, 180.5 deg. (Fahrenheit), at
Sofia 118.4 deg.. Many of these are frequented now, as in Roman times, owing to
their valuable therapeutic qualities. The mineral springs on the north of
the Balkans are, with one exception (Vrshetz, near Berkovitza), cold.

_Climate._--The severity of the climate of Bulgaria in comparison with that
of other European regions of the same latitude is attributable in part to
the number and extent of its mountain ranges, in part to the general
configuration of the Balkan Peninsula. Extreme heat in summer and cold in
winter, great local contrasts, and rapid transitions of temperature occur
here as in the adjoining countries. The local contrasts are remarkable. In
the districts extending from the Balkans to the Danube, which are exposed
to the bitter north wind, the winter cold is intense, and the river,
notwithstanding the volume and rapidity of its current, is frequently
frozen over; the temperature has been known to fall to 24 deg. below zero.
Owing to the shelter afforded by the Balkans against hot southerly winds,
the summer heat in this region is not unbearable; its maximum is 99 deg.. The
high tableland of Sofia is generally covered with snow in the winter
months; it enjoys, however, a somewhat more equable climate than the
northern district, the maximum temperature being 86 deg., the minimum 2 deg.; the
air is bracing, and the summer nights are cool and fresh. In the eastern
districts the proximity of the sea moderates the extremes of heat and cold;
the sea is occasionally frozen at Varna. The coast-line is exposed to
violent north-east winds, and the Black Sea, the [Greek: pontos axeinos] or
"inhospitable sea" of the Greeks, maintains its evil reputation for storms.
The sheltered plain of Eastern Rumelia possesses a comparatively warm
climate; spring begins six weeks earlier than elsewhere in Bulgaria, and
the vegetation is that of southern Europe. In general the Bulgarian winter
is short and severe; the spring short, changeable and rainy; the summer
hot, but tempered by thunderstorms; the autumn (_yasen_, "the clear time")
magnificently fine and sometimes prolonged into the month of December. The
mean temperature is 52 deg.. The climate is healthy, especially in the
mountainous districts. Malarial fever prevails in the valley of the
Maritza, in the low-lying regions of the Black Sea coast, and even in the
upland plain of Sofia, owing to neglect of drainage. The mean annual
rainfall is 25-59 in. (Gabrovo, 41-73; Sofia, 27-68; Varna, 18-50).

_Fauna._--Few special features are noticeable in the Bulgarian fauna. Bears
are still abundant in the higher mountain districts, especially in the
Rilska Planina and Rhodope; the Bulgarian bear is small and of brown
colour, like that of the Carpathians. Wolves are very numerous, and in
winter commit great depredations even in the larger country towns and
villages; in hard weather they have been known to approach the outskirts of
Sofia. The government offers a reward for the destruction of both these
animals. The roe deer is found in all the forests, the red deer is less
common; the chamois haunts the higher regions of the Rilska Planina,
Rhodope and the Balkans. The jackal (_Canis aureus_) appears in the
district of Burgas; the lynx is said to exist in the Sredna Gora; the wild
boar, otter, fox, badger, hare, wild cat, marten, polecat (_Foetorius
putorius_; the rare tiger polecat, _Foetorius sarmaticus_, is also found),
weasel and shrewmouse (_Spermophilus citillus_) are common. The beaver
(Bulg. _bebr_) appears to have been abundant in certain localities, _e.g._
Bebrovo, Bebresh, &c., but it is now apparently extinct. Snakes (_Coluber
natrix_ and other species), vipers (_Vipera berus_ and _V. ammodytes_), and
land and water tortoises are numerous. The domestic animals are the same as
in the other countries of southeastern Europe; the fierce shaggy grey
sheep-dog leaves a lasting impression on most travellers in the interior.
Fowls, especially turkeys, are everywhere abundant, and great numbers of
geese may be seen in the Moslem villages. The ornithology of Bulgaria is
especially interesting. Eagles (_Aquila imperialis_ and the rarer _Aquila
fulva_), vultures (_Vultur monachus_, _Gyps fulvus_, _Neophron
percnopterus_), owls, kites, and the smaller birds of prey are
extraordinarily abundant; singing birds are consequently rare. The
lammergeier (_Gypaetus barbatus_) is not uncommon. Immense flocks of wild
swans, geese, pelicans, herons and other waterfowl haunt the Danube and the
lagoons of the Black Sea coast. The cock of the woods (_Tetrao urogallus_)
is found in the Balkan and Rhodope forests, the wild pheasant in the Tunja
valley, the bustard (_Otis tarda_) in the Eastern Rumelian plain. Among the
migratory birds are the crane, which hibernates in the Maritza valley,
woodcock, snipe and quail; the great spotted cuckoo (_Coccystes
glandarius_) is an occasional visitant. The red starling (_Pastor roseus_)
sometimes appears in large flights. The stork, which is never molested,
adds a picturesque feature to the Bulgarian village. Of fresh-water fish,
the sturgeon (_Acipenser sturio_ and _A. huso_), sterlet, salmon (_Salmo
hucho_), and carp are found in the Danube; the mountain streams abound in
trout. The Black Sea supplies turbot, mackerel, &c.; dolphins and flying
fish may sometimes be seen.

_Flora._--In regard to its flora the country may be divided into (1) the
northern plain sloping from the Balkans to the Danube, (2) the southern
plain between the Balkans and Rhodope, (3) the districts adjoining the
Black Sea, (4) the elevated basins of Sofia, Samakov and Kiustendil, (5)
the Alpine and sub-Alpine regions of the Balkans and the southern mountain
group. In the first-mentioned region the vegetation resembles that of the
Russian and Rumanian steppes; in the spring the country is adorned with the
flowers of the crocus, orchis, iris, tulip and other bulbous plants, which
in summer give way to tall grasses, umbelliferous growths, _dianthi_,
_astragali_, &c. In the more sheltered district south of the Balkans the
richer vegetation recalls that of the neighbourhood of Constantinople and
the adjacent parts of Asia Minor. On the Black Sea coast many types of the
Crimean, Transcaucasian and even the Mediterranean flora present
themselves. The plateaus of Sofia and Samakov furnish specimens of
sub-alpine plants, while the vine disappears; the hollow of Kiustendil,
owing to its southerly aspect, affords the vegetation of the Macedonian
valleys. The flora of the Balkans corresponds with that of the Carpathians;
the Rila and Rhodope group is rich in purely indigenous types combined with
those of the central European Alps and the mountains of Asia Minor. The
Alpine types are often represented by variants: _e.g._ the _Campanula
alpina_ by the _Campanula orbelica_, the _Primula farinosa_ by the _Primula
frondosa_ and _P. exigua_, the _Gentiana germanica_ by the _Gentiana
bulgarica_, &c. The southern mountain group, in common, perhaps, with the
unexplored highlands of Macedonia, presents many isolated types, unknown
elsewhere in Europe, and in some cases corresponding with those of the
Caucasus. Among the more characteristic genera of the Bulgarian flora are
the following:--_Centaurea_, _Cirsium_, _Linaria_, _Scrophularia_,
_Verbascum_, _Dianthus_, _Silene_, _Trifolium_, _Euphorbia_, _Cytisus_,
_Astragalus_, _Ornithogalum_, _Allium_, _Crocus_, _Iris_, _Thymus_,
_Umbellifera_, _Sedum_, _Hypericum_, _Scabiosa_, _Ranunculus_, _Orchis_,
_Ophrys_.

_Forests._--The principal forest trees are the oak, beech, ash, elm,
walnut, cornel, poplar, pine and juniper. The oak is universal in the
thickets, but large specimens are now rarely found. Magnificent forests of
beech clothe the valleys of the higher Balkans and the Rilska Planina; the
northern declivity of the Balkans is, in general, well wooded, but the
southern slope is bare. The walnut and chestnut are mainly confined to
eastern Rumelia. Conifers (_Pinus silvestris_, _Picea excelsa_, _Pinus
laricis_, _Pinus mughus_) are rare in the Balkans, but abundant in the
higher regions of the southern mountain group, where the _Pinus peuce_,
otherwise peculiar to the Himalayas, also flourishes. The wild lilac forms
a beautiful feature in the spring landscape. Wild fruit trees, such as the
apple, pear and plum, are common. The vast forests of the middle ages
disappeared under the supine Turkish administration, which took no measures
for their protection, and even destroyed the woods in the neighbourhood of
towns and highways in order to deprive brigands of shelter. A law passed in
1889 prohibits disforesting, limits the right of cutting timber, and places
the state forests under the control of inspectors. According to official
statistics, 11,640 sq. m. or about 30% of the whole superficies of the
kingdom, are under forest, but the greater portion of this area is covered
only by brushwood and scrub. The beautiful forests of the Rila district are
rapidly disappearing under exploitation.

_Agriculture._--Agriculture, the main source of wealth to the country, is
still in an extremely primitive condition. The ignorance and conservatism
of the peasantry, the habits engendered by widespread insecurity and the
fear of official rapacity under Turkish rule, insufficiency of
communications, want of capital, and in some districts sparsity of
population, have all tended to retard the development of this most
important industry. The peasants cling to traditional usage, and look with
suspicion on modern implements and new-fangled modes of production. The
plough is of a primeval type, rotation of crops is only partially
practised, and the use of manure is almost unknown. The government has
sedulously endeavoured to introduce more enlightened methods and ideas by
the establishment of agricultural schools, the appointment of itinerant
professors and inspectors, the distribution of better kinds of seeds,
improved implements, &c. Efforts have been made to improve the breeds of
native cattle and horses, and stallions have been introduced from Hungary
and distributed throughout the country. Oxen and buffaloes are the
principal animals of draught; the buffalo, which was apparently introduced
from Asia in remote times, is much prized by the peasants for its patience
and strength; it is, however, somewhat delicate and requires much care. In
[v.04 p.0775] the eastern districts camels are also employed. The Bulgarian
horses are small, but remarkably hardy, wiry and intelligent; they are as a
rule unfitted for draught and cavalry purposes. The best sheep are found in
the district of Karnobat in Eastern Rumelia. The number of goats in the
country tends to decline, a relatively high tax being imposed on these
animals owing to the injury they inflict on young trees. The average price
of oxen is L5 each, draught oxen L12 the pair, buffaloes L14 the pair, cows
L2, horses L6, sheep, 7s., goats 5s., each. The principal cereals are
wheat, maize, rye, barley, oats and millet. The cultivation of maize is
increasing in the Danubian and eastern districts. Rice-fields are found in
the neighbourhood of Philippopolis. Cereals represent about 80% of the
total exports. Besides grain, Bulgaria produces wine, tobacco, attar of
roses, silk and cotton. The quality of the grape is excellent, and could
the peasants be induced to abandon their highly primitive mode of
wine-making the Bulgarian vintages would rank among the best European
growths. The tobacco, which is not of the highest quality, is grown in
considerable quantities for home consumption and only an insignificant
amount is exported. The best tobacco-fields in Bulgaria are on the northern
slopes of Rhodope, but the southern declivity, which produces the famous
Kavala growth, is more adapted to the cultivation of the plant. The
rose-fields of Kazanlyk and Karlovo lie in the sheltered valleys between
the Balkans and the parallel chains of the Sredna Gora and Karaja Dagh.
About 6000 lb of the rose-essence is annually exported, being valued from
L12 to L14 per lb. Beetroot is cultivated in the neighbourhood of Sofia.
Sericulture, formerly an important industry, has declined owing to disease
among the silkworms, but efforts are being made to revive it with promise
of success. Cotton is grown in the southern districts of Eastern Rumelia.

Peasant proprietorship is universal, the small freeholds averaging about 18
acres each. There are scarcely any large estates owned by individuals, but
some of the monasteries possess considerable domains. The large
_tchifliks_, or farms, formerly belonging to Turkish landowners, have been
divided among the peasants. The rural proprietors enjoy the right of
pasturing their cattle on the common lands belonging to each village, and
of cutting wood in the state forests. They live in a condition of rude
comfort, and poverty is practically unknown, except in the towns. A
peculiarly interesting feature in Bulgarian agricultural life is the
_zadruga_, or house-community, a patriarchal institution apparently dating
from prehistoric times. Family groups, sometimes numbering several dozen
persons, dwell together on a farm in the observance of strictly communistic
principles. The association is ruled by a house-father (_domakin_,
_stareishina_), and a house-mother (_domakinia_), who assign to the members
their respective tasks. In addition to the farm work the members often
practise various trades, the proceeds of which are paid into the general
treasury. The community sometimes includes a priest, whose fees for
baptisms, &c., augment the common fund. The national aptitude for
combination is also displayed in the associations of market gardeners
(_gradinarski druzhini_, _taifi_), who in the spring leave their native
districts for the purpose of cultivating gardens in the neighbourhood of
some town, either in Bulgaria or abroad, returning in the autumn, when they
divide the profits of the enterprise; the number of persons annually thus
engaged probably exceeds 10,000. Associations for various agricultural,
mining and industrial undertakings and provident societies are numerous:
the handicraftsmen in the towns are organized in _esnafs_ or gilds.

_Manufactures._--The development of manufacturing enterprise on a large
scale has been retarded by want of capital. The principal establishments
for the native manufactures of _aba_ and _shayak_ (rough and fine
homespuns), and of _gaitan_ (braided embroidery) are at Sliven and Gabrovo
respectively. The Bulgarian homespuns, which are made of pure wool, are of
admirable quality. The exportation of textiles is almost exclusively to
Turkey: value in 1806, L104,046; in 1898, L144,726; in 1904, L108,685.
Unfortunately the home demand for native fabrics is diminishing owing to
foreign competition; the smaller textile industries are declining, and the
picturesque, durable, and comfortable costume of the country is giving way
to cheap ready-made clothing imported from Austria. The government has
endeavoured to stimulate the home industry by ordering all persons in its
employment to wear the native cloth, and the army is supplied almost
exclusively by the factories at Sliven. A great number of small
distilleries exist throughout the country; there are breweries in all the
principal towns, tanneries at Sevlievo, Varna, &c., numerous corn-mills
worked by water and steam, and sawmills, turned by the mountain torrents,
in the Balkans and Rhodope. A certain amount of foreign capital has been
invested in industrial enterprises; the most notable are sugar-refineries
in the neighbourhood of Sofia and Philippopolis, and a cotton-spinning mill
at Varna, on which an English company has expended about L60,000.

_Commerce._--The usages of internal commerce have been considerably
modified by the development of communications. The primitive system of
barter in kind still exists in the rural districts, but is gradually
disappearing. The great fairs (_panairi_, [Greek: panegureis]) held at
Eski-Jumaia, Dobritch and other towns, which formerly attracted multitudes
of foreigners as well as natives, have lost much of their importance; a
considerable amount of business, however, is still transacted at these
gatherings, of which ninety-seven were held in 1898. The principal seats of
the export trade are Varna, Burgas and Baltchik on the Black Sea, and
Svishtov, Rustchuk, Nikopolis, Silistria, Rakhovo, and Vidin on the Danube.
The chief centres of distribution for imports are Varna, Sofia, Rustchuk,
Philippopolis and Burgas. About 10% of the exports passes over the Turkish
frontier, but the government is making great efforts to divert the trade to
Varna and Burgas, and important harbour works have been carried out at both
these ports. The new port of Burgas was formally opened in 1904, that of
Varna in 1906.

In 1887 the total value of Bulgarian foreign commerce was L4,419,589. The
following table gives the values for the six years ending 1904. The great
fluctuations in the exports are due to the variations of the harvest, on
which the prosperity of the country practically depends:--

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