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 Caucasus and Tiflis.
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.
History.—The material at the disposal of the historian of Georgia. is scanty. An anonymous work of the 12th century gives the history from the earliest times to the year 1124; another, also anonymous, is a continuation to the division of the kingdom in 1445; and a third is the compilation by the Czarevitch Wakhoucht, being the complete annals from the earliest times to the year 1745. These, and a few pamphlets indifl'erently edited, if we except the memoirs of his family by Stephen Orbeliani, archbishop of Sionny in the 13th century, comprise all that is left to us during an interval of upwards of 2000 years.
The earliest Armenian chroniclers have included facts on Georgia, which it is believed were founded on traditions they received from the Georgians. According to these authorities, the Georgian, Armenian, Kakhetian, Lesghian, Mingrclian, and other races in Transcaucasia are the descendants of Thargarnos, who was the great-grandson of J aphet, the son of Noah, though we read in Gen. x. 3 that Togarmah was the son of Comer, who was the son of J aphet. Those different populations were afterwards included under the 'general name of Thargomosiany. The second son of Thar- ganios, named Karthlos, having settled in that part where is now the rivulet Karthli, became the patriarch and king of the people in the land around, called Karthli after himself. His son Mtzkhethos founded the city of Mtzkhetha, which became the capital ; and a son of Mtzkhethos, named Ouphlis, was the author of t e rock-cut town near Gori. At that period the title assumed by the ruler was mamasalrlysy, “lord or head of the house,” the worship being that of the sun, moon, and five planets. The first to revive the title of king was Pharnawaz, 302–237 b.c., who rid the country of the tyrant Ason, a governor appointed by Alexander the Great. Phar- nawaz originated the orthography of the Georgian language, and is said to have invented the military alphabet. In 140 b.c. Mirvan became king. His son and successor was dethroned by his own subjects, and the crown offered to Ardaces I., whose son, Arshag, asecnded the throne 71 b.c., the dynasty of Arsaces thus commencing its rule. The deeds of Sulla, Lucullus, Pompey, and Mithra- dates next serve to illustrate the courage and warlike qualities of the people of lberia. In 265 the Sassanian dynasty commenced in the person of Miriam, son of Shapour I., who was married to a. daughter of the late king Asphagor. Miriam and all his subjects were converted to Christianity by Nonna or Nina, a poor captive, who had escaped the persecution of Tiridates, king of Armenia. She prevailed upon the people of Karthli to desist from offering human victims, and to overturn their pagan altars; and the king erected a sanctuary, which was afterwards replaced by a noble edifice, 364–379, on the spot where now stands the cathedral at M‘zhett. Miriam applied to Constantine for priests to instruct his people, and many were. sent, among them being Eustace of Antioch. In 469 King Vakhtang, surnained Gourgasal‘, “ wolf-lion," founded
