Several contributions have been sent by the Prussians and Austrians; woollens, minerals, linens, china, and other things.
The Prussians are a very polite and well-educated people, and nowhere are there more schools than in their country.
Prussia itself is an extremely pleasant place, and the towns are fine, with wide, regular streets, and high antique-looking houses; the streets are mostly lined with trees, which look pretty enough while their leaves are green, but rather prevent the free circulation of air. The Prussian ladies delight in fine clothes, and would be much vexed if they were obliged to go out without them. The gentry speak French, but the common people talk German. The beautiful Dresden china we see at the Exhibition, cames from the town of Dresden.
Austria is a very fine country, and contains a great variety of people. The principal artizans are tanners, furriers, boot makers, lace workers, and cabinet makers. There are also workers in iron, copper, alum, saltpetre, besides many others. The general habits of the Austrians are like those of the Germans, so I do not think I need tell you anything about them.
The Poles and Hungarians have also sent their industrial productions to the Great Exhibition; cloth, lace, furniture, brooms, linens, woollens, and other articles. I dare say you have heard a good deal lately about the Hungarians, when they were fighting against the Austrians and Russians. The Hungarian peasants are very hard-working; indeed, they cannot help being so, for as the nobility and gentry are not taxed, the poor people are forced to pay all the taxes, besides being obliged to give money and provisions to their masters, the Lords of the Manor, who, I am sorry to say, are excessively tyrannical. They are also compelled to pay tithes to the clergy, the magistrates, and the soldiers, and to work for nothing on the public works; against which bad laws they fought. Agriculture, and the breeding of cattle, are carried on to a considerable extent.
Hungary is occupied by a variety of people, with entirely different habits; it contains Frenchmen, Sclavonians, Turks, Jews, Spaniards, Gipsies, Germans, and Greeks. The Magyar language, the original Hungarian tongue, is spoken by the peasants; but in the cities the people mostly use German and French.