TRIESTE, one of the governments into which the Austrian kingdom of Illyria is divided. It forms the most southern part of that kingdom, and comprises the whole of the sea-shore of the dominions of Austria, extending from Grado to Novi; and there have been added portions of Venetian Friaul, both the Istrias, part of Krain, with such portions of the district of Agram as are on the right bank of the river Save, and the Quarnaro islands of Cherso and Veglia, with their dependencies. The government is distributed into four circles, viz. Gorz, Istria (in which is the city of Trieste), Fiume, and Karlstadt. The whole extent of the country is 4972 square miles, and it comprises twenty-nine cities now or once fortified, forty-one markettowns, 1193 villages, 93,493 houses, and 598,970 inhabitants. The population is of various original races, but the rural people are for the most part of the Illyrian nation, and speak only the language of that tribe. They mostly adhere to the Romish church, while in the cities there are Protestants, Greek Christians, Jews, and Mahommedans, who are all tolerated. The country is mountainous but fertile, and in the south yields abundance of olive oil, some wine, and some silk. The government does not produce sufficient corn for its consumption, but is well supplied from the neighbouring Austrian territories, or occasionally from the Black Sea, by imports at Trieste and at Fiume.

Trieste, a maritime city, the capital of the department of the same name in the Austrian kingdom of Illyria. It is an open city, on the sea-shore, at the bottom of a deep bay at the head of the Adriatic Sea. The shore here forms a semicircle, around which Trieste is built, and rises like an amphitheatre, in a picturesque style, with lofty hills on both sides of it. The town is beautiful, the streets are wide and clean, and the houses generally high and well built. Though without walls, it is defended by a strong citadel on a hill to the south, which commands the city. The public buildings, except the cathedral and some other of the churches, are by no means very splendid, but convenient and appropriate. Such are the palace, the custom-house, the theatre, and, especially remarkable for its extent and accommodations, the lazaretto. The last mentioned building deserves more notice, as being held the most complete of the institutions to prevent the introduction of the plague, that are to be seen in any part of the Mediterranean. This pile, which was built in 1785, is cut off from all intercourse with the inhabitants by a high wall, which entirely encircles it. It has a spacious harbour, well sheltered by a strong mole, and is strictly guarded. The governor has a house within the precincts, and is bound to go the rounds three times every night, in order to see that the guards do their duty. Extensive magazines are attached to it for the exposure of goods. It contains thirty-two sets of apartments for passengers, who are locked in every night. the captains and crews of ships are permitted (always with a guard) to go on shore and walk in a large square appropriated to them, and separated by a high wall from another which is designed for the passengers who have left the ships. Every Sunday the crews of the vessels are allowed to come on shore to attend mass in the chapel of the lazaretto, but with every requisite precaution. In the bay of Trieste there is good anchorage over the greater part, varying from seven to fourteen fathoms of water, with a muddy bottom. The best spot is in seven fathoms, when the citadel and the theatre are in a line from it. The harbour is formed by a mole lying to the northward before the city. It is very large, and capable of containing a great number of vessels. It is somewhat exposed to the north-west and north winds, but is protected from westerly winds by the long mole, on which is a battery. There is a canal running nearly through the centre of the city, where vessels haul in to load and unload.

Trieste was first made a free port in 1719, but was an inconsiderable place, with not more than 6000 inhabitants, till 1753, when the Empress Maria Theresa improved and enlarged it by a great variety of expensive operations. It has since risen to its present condition, and is the chief place of sea-communication with the rest of the world for the extensive dominions of the house of Austria. It is said to have thirty-one plazas, 214 streets, seven Catholic churches, one each for the Greek, the Lutheran, and the reformed religion, and 58,600 inhabitants. They are principally composed of Germans and Italians, but persons from almost every country are to be found domiciled. There are said to be seventeen banking and insurance companies. 1000 mercantile houses of all kinds, and 17,000 authorized and sworn brokers, who act also as interpreters.

The foreign trade is extensive. Mr Money, the late English consul-general, calculated the value of the goods imported to amount to L.1,800,000 annually, and that of the goods exported to be nearly equal; but this has been commonly deemed to be less than the actual value, especially as regards the imports, which some authorities have estimated as high as L.4,000,000, including such as are afterwards transhipped to the other Austrian ports on the Adriatic, such as Venice, Fiume, and the islands on the coasts of Dalmatia. The articles of gunpowder, salt, and tobacco are monopolized by the government, and are not allowed to be imported but by the contractors, who are under the finance department. Great vigilance is used to prevent the introduction of those commodities, and an equal or greater degree of activity prevails among contraband traders to supply them to the public; the high prices which the government demand of the consumers acting as an incentive to evade or defy the restrictions.