GRODNO, a western province or government of Russia in Europe, lying between 52° and 54° N. lat, 23° and 26° E. long., and bounded N. by Vilna, E. by Minsk, S. by Volhynia, and W. by the former kingdom of Poland; area 14,961 square miles. The country is a wide plain, in some parts very swampy and covered with large pine forests. Of these that of Bieloviecza in the district of Prushana, comprising a circuit of over 100 miles, deserves notice, for here bisons are preserved. The navigable rivers are the Niemen, Bug, Narev, and Bobra. There are also several canals, among which those of Augustow and Oginsky are the most important. The soil, being chiefly alluvial deposit intermixed with sand, is favourable for agriculture and the rearing of cattle and bees. The atmosphere is damp and misty, and the climate in winter is cold. Large quantities of rye, barley, oats, hops, hemp, and flax are raised, but the amount of fruit and vegetables grown is small. The mineral products are insignificant. The manufactures consist of woollen cloths, hats, leather, paper, and spirits; there is also a good export trade in grain, wool, cattle, and timber. Some forty fairs are held annually in the province. Grodno is divided into nine districts, viz., Grodno, Brest, Bielostock, Bielsk, Volkovysk, Kobryn, Prushana, Slonim, and Sokolka. The administration of the whole province is in the hands of a governor appointed by the crown. In 1870 the population was 1,008,521, comprising Lithuanians, Russians, Poles, Tartars, and a few German colonists....