ON THE BACK

COURLAND, or KURLAND, one of the Baltic provinces of Russia, lying between 55 45 and 57 45 N. and 21 and 27 E. It is bounded on the N.E. by the river Dvina, separating it from the governments of Vitebsk and Livonia, N. by the Gulf of Riga, W. by the Baltic, and S. by the province of East Prussia and the Russian government of Kovno. The area is 10,535 sq. m., of which 10I sq. rn are occupied by lakes. The surface is generally low and undulating, and the coast-lands flat and marshy. The interior is characterized by wooded dunes, covered with pine, fir, birch and oak, with swamps and lakes, and fertile patches between. The surface nowhere rises more than 700 ft. above sealevel. The Mitau plain divides it into two parts, of which the western is fertile and thickly inhabited, except in the north, while the eastern is less fertile and thinly inhabited. One-third of the area is still forest. Courland is drained by nearly one hundred rivers, of which only three, the Dvina, the Aa and the Windau, are navigable. They all flow north-westwards and discharge into the Baltic Sea. Owing to the numerous lakes and marshes, the climate is damp and often. foggy, as well as changeable, and the winter is severe. Agriculture is the chief occupation, the principal crops being rye, barley, oats, wheat, flax and potatoes. The land is mostly owned by nobles of German descent. In 1863 laws were issued to enable the Letts, who form the bulk of the population, to acquire the farms which they held, and special banks were founded to help them. By this means some 2,000 farms were bought by their occupants; but the great mass of the population are still landless, and live as hired laborers, occupying a low position in the social scale. On the large estates agriculture is conducted with skill and scientific knowledge. Fruit grows well. Excellent breeds of cattle, sheep and pigs are kept. Lihau and Mitau are the principal industrial centres, with iron-works, agricultural machinery works, tanneries, glass and soap works. Flax spinning is mostly a domestic industry. Iron and limestone are the chief minerals; a little amber is found on the coast. The only seaports are Libau, Windau and Polangen, there being none on the Courland coast of the Gulf of Riga. The population was 619,154 111 1870, Of the whole, 79 % are Letts, 83/4 % Germans, 1.7 % Russians, and I % each Poles and Lithuanians. In addition there are about 8 % Jews and some Lives. The chief towns of the ten districts are Mitau (Doblenskiy district), capital of the government , Bauske (6543), Friedrichstadt (5223), Goldingen (9733), Grobin (1489), Hasenpoth (3338), Illuxt (2340), Talsen (6215), Tuckum (7542) and Windau (7132). The prevailing religion is the Lutheran, to which 76% of the population belong; the rest belong to the Orthodox Eastern and the Roman Catholic churches.

PUBLISHED DATE	1884 PARIS
ARTIST	FOULQUIER
ENGRAVED BY	CHAHUNEAU
PUBLISHER	THOMAS DE LAMOTTE SAINTE-MARTIN
PAGE SIZE: approx	14 3/4 INCHES x 10 1/2 INCHES
IMAGE SIZE: approx	6 1/4 X 4 1/4 inches (4 1/2 X 3 3/4)inches
CONDITION	ENGRAVING with TEXT and engraving on the back . Excellent condition. Heavier paper.Suitable ageing. The image is clean, clear and sharp with beautiful depth and detail.