T R A V E L S THROUGH
s I have already obfervcd) Bavar ia, or No r i c a ; the laf t ( iprehended near ly the wh o l e
o f the Rha;tiaii country.
THE county of Tyrol, although uiidcrftood as forming part of that province, had,
ncvcrthclcfs, its particular Seigneurs and Counts, who were abfolute Sovereigns on tlieir
1 lands; being only under an obligation to provide, at their own expence, a certain
number of troops, in cafe Bavaria fhould be attacked; or the wants of the State
i l i o u ld require it. Thofe Seigneurs were the Counts of Tyrol, Goerz, Eppan, Wei ten,
Caftelbarco, and Arco, The Counts of Andechs and Bavaria, poill-iTcd, as abfolute
Sovereigns, the city of Infpruck and Meran, bcfides other lands in the vallies of
V c n o f t a and Sole.
THE Emperor Frederick I. having conferred on rhefe Connrs the dignity of Duke,
Berthold III. was the firft who enjoyed the title. His grandfon, Otton II. dying in
124.8 without male ilTuc, his poiTciTions were divided, and the major part of thofe that
were fituated in the valley of Venofta, devolved to the Counts Albert of Tyrol, who
were of the fame family as thofe of Gaers. At the death of Albert, in 1253, Menard III.
Count of Gaers, and Gebhard, Count of I-Iirfchfeld, divided the county between them;
but, in 1284, Gebhard ceded his part to the Count of Gaerz, for 400 marks.
Menard IV. having been created Prince of Gaerz in 1286 by die Emperor Rodolphus I.
who alfo added the country of Carinthia to his poffeffions; he rclinquifhed his title,
and right to the county of Tyrol, to his fon Henry, who ceded it to his daughter
Margaret, and ihe bequeathed it, with all her preteniions, in 1363, to her three uncles,
Rodolphus, Albert, andLeopald, Duke of Auftria, which was confirmed to them in 1364
b y the Emperor Charles IV.
THEY at firft mer wirh fnme oppofition from the Duke nf Ravnria; hut the Emperor
o b l i g i n g him to accept of 116,000 golden florins of the houfe of Auftria, and relinquilh
his pretenfions to the county, he was forced to acquiefce.
TYROL having thus paiTed into the polTcffion of Auf tria, feveral of the Princes of that
houfe became fovereigns of it: the laft, who was Sigifmond Francis, dying in i 6 6 j , the
Emperor Leopold went in per fon to the diet of Infpruck to receive the oaths of allegiance
o f the States; and, fince that epoch, the Emperors have taken the title of Count, or
Prince of Tyrol.
THIS principality, ' or county, is very extenfive, although nearly covered with
mountains and glaciers. It is included in the Auftrian circle. Its extent from eaft to
weft is two hundred and twenty Ehglifti mi les; and from north to fouth one hundred and
forty. It is bounded on the north by the dutchy of Bavaria, on the eaft by the archb
i l h o p r i c of Salzbourg and part of Carinthia; on the weft and fouth by the State of
"Venice, the Griffons country, the petty ftate of V oral b e r g , and the circle of Swabia.
I HAVE
T H E RH^TIAN ALPS, 6 5
I HAVE included, as belonging to the coimty, the Biihopricks of Trent and Brixen,
the poffeffions of the Teutoni c order, and of the Princes of Dietrichfteiii; becaufe they
" are not only allies, but under the proteition of the county; and in confequence of which
t h e y have a feat and vote at the different diets held at Infpruck, contributing alfo
towards the taxes and exigences of the State.
THE moft confiderable peaks between the primordial chains of mountains that crofs
the county are, on the fouth of Infpruck, the Brenner, or Brenner-Beg, otherwifc
B u r n i n g - H i l l , fo called by the Tyrolefc, on account of its immenfe height, which
by attrafling the eletitric fluid, occafions, in fummer, moft tremendous ftorms.
ON the weft are the mounts Kaifer, Arula, and Rhietico. Towards the north the
Vcrner, Sallftein, and Rofe ; and towards the eaft, on the confines of the State of Venice,
the mounts Selio.
THE greateft part of thofe mountains are continually covered with fnow, exhibiting
large Glaciers, which fill the wliole of the higheft vallies. Thofe which are the moft
extenfive are the Guckler, Schalzer, Rofner, Stuben, Duxer, and Teurferer.
IN the neighbourhood of thefe Glaciers are found quantities of curious gems, or precious
ñones, viz. rock chryftals of different colours, garnets, rubies, amethyfts, emeralds,
agats, and cornelians, befides feveral other vitrefcent ftones.
THE inferior range of mountains contain a variety of filver, copper, lead, mercury, iron,
alum, and fulphur mines, that are worked with great fuccefs. There is alfo a gol d mine in
the valley of Zill, which, although not particularly rich in the ore, yet produces more
than fufficient to defray the expence of working it. The copper of Tyrol is much
eftcemed, being deemed remarkably good and cafy to work; which accounts for their
having a number of latten or brafs manufadories. Their fait mines are alfo valuable,
abundant, and curious; a defcription of which I will give hereafter.
THERE are a number of hot baths and mineral fprings; the moft frequented are thofe
w h i c h are fituated in the valley of Voider, Vellrain, and Egerdach, in the vicinity of
I n f p n i c k , as alfo thofe which arc in the valley of Velten, and near Meran; thofe of
• S ext cn, in the valley of Puftcr, and thofe of Vinf tgau, befides others of lefs note.
THIS cotmtry, being very mountainous, might naturally be fuppofed barren and
uncultivated ; but it is quite the reverfe, for the foil yields in general every thing that is
u f e f u l and luxurious. The vallies produce vaft quantities of corn, &c. Thofe which
are fituated to the fouth furnifh the inhabitants with various forts of fruits peculiar to
the warmcft climate of Italy, viz. oranges, lemons, olives, grapes, pomegranates,
almonds, chefnuts, &c.: hemp and flax grow tliere likewife in great abundance; and
the culture of mulberry-trees is general where the climate will admit of it.
R TH E
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