The Polish River Orzyc

The Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i Innych Krajów Słowiańskich (Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland and other Slavonic Countries) includes an entry for the Orzyc River.

Source: Chlebowski, Bronisław and Władysław Walewski, eds., Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i Innych Krajów Słowiańskich (Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland and other Slavonic Countries) – Warsaw 1886, Volume VII, Pages 614-615.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the the Słownik Geograficzny entries for the Orzyc River. Translated from the Polish, the entry reads:

The Orzyc River, documented in 1335 as Nartze, Naritze, and Aretis, is a right tributary of the Narew River. It originates in Mława powiat, from a high plateau (up to 1100 feet) that stretches across the northern part of the powiat, forming a wedge between the Prussian border and Przasnysz powiat. This plateau, part of the large Baltic plateau dotted with lakes, also had a large lake in the past, which drained, leaving behind marshy depressions called Niemyje. The waters of this lake and the surrounding plateau gave rise to the Orzyc River, which carries them to the Narew. The waters flow through two channels: one from the village of Pepłowo near the Prussian border, flowing between the villages of Kulany and Kuklin, Wieczfnia, Pogorzel, and Bąki, Wąsosze and Wasiły, for a length of 13 versts [1 verst = 1.07 kilometers]; the other, on the right side, consists of swamps stretching for 7 versts between Sławogóra and Dębsk and Grzybowo, Windyki and Bakuły, and Wola and Kurki, where the river flows underground. The two branches merge near the villages of Wasiły and Długokąty. From there, it flows north for 15 versts between the villages of Długokąty and Tańsk, Chmielewo and Łączyn, Grzebsk, Kownatki and Majki, Zaborowo and Kruszewo, Kukiełki and Szemplin, Szczepkowo, Gerwaty and Zembrzuż, to the Janowski mill. In this area, the muddy valley of the Orzyca River is ½ to 1 verst wide, with numerous weirs for fishing. Finally, a causeway and dam near Janów prevent the water from spreading and create, in addition to the riverside swamps, extensive marshes near Janów, covering a total area of up to 200 włóki [1 włóka = 30 mórgs; according to Gerald Ortell’s book on Polish Parish Records, in the Russian partition 1 mórg = 1.388 acres]. From Janów to Chorzele, over a distance of 2 miles, the Orzyca forms the border with Prussian Masuria; then it changes its direction from east to south and southeast, and through Krasnosielc, Podoś, and Młodzianowo, it reaches Maków; from Zakliczewo it turns southeast and flows through Szelków and Magnuszewo towards the Narew River, into which it empties its waters near Przeradowo. The tributaries of the Orzyca from the right bank are the Ulatówka (also known as Świniarka) near Małowidz and the Węgierka near Młodzianowo. For information on the marshes of the Orzyca River, see “Korespondent Płocki” of 1880, No. 56. In 1412, there was a locality called Orzyca on this river and on the border of Masovia; Wojciech of Orzyca suffered damage in that year from Poles, losing a horse, as attested by the local starost, and Jan and Staśko, also from that area. Broniław Chlebowski

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