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Ill. Account of the Gold and Silver Mines of Hungary. By 
Ricwarp Bricat, M.D.* 
Tux early history of the Hungarian mines is involved in some 
obscurity, but it is probable that the Saxons or Germans who 
came to Hungary about the twelfth century first explored these 
mineral treasures. The Emperor Charles Robert founded 
Schmélnitz, and brought mining to some perfection. This state 
of prosperity seems to have ceased in some degree at the be- 
ginning of the sixteenth century; but Ferdinand the First, and 
a succesion of kings who followed him, improved it greatly. 
During the period of their greatest prosperity, it is said that the 
mines of Hungary have given occupation to above 30,000 per- 
sons, of whom above 10,000 are reckoned in the districts of 
Schemnitz and Kremnitz. 
Schemnitz.—Iln order to give a general view of the mining 
district of Schemnitz, it must be mentioned that the whole of 
the mountain mass is a species of claystone porphyry, here called 
the saxum metalliferum; the mountain caps being pretty ge- 
nerally of grunstein, a species of basaltic rock. 
The mineral district is of considerable extent. I have no ex- 
act information on this subject, but suppose, from the marks 
which were pointed out to me as showing the limits ef the me- 
tallic country, that the whole might be included in an extent of 
five or six square miles. 
There are five principal mineral veins (or courses) which run 
almost parallel to each other nearly east and west, each from ter 
to twenty fathoms in thickness, at the distance of -from 60 to 
300 or 400 fathoms from each other, and are connected by va- 
rious smal! branches; they have been followed to between 200 
and 300 fathoms in depth. When, however, we speak of the 
great veins being ten or twelve fathoms in thickness, it must not 
be supposed that the vein of ore extends to this width ;—all that 
is meant is, that to this breadth the nature of the rock varies 
from that of the mass of the mountain, and in this part feldspar 
generally prevails over all the other component parts. This mi- 
neral course or vein is throughout intersected by metallic veins 
of various sizes, some from two to four inches thick, of rich ore, 
with quartz, calcareous spar, &c., and thence branching off in 
small collateral veins sometimes hardly larger than a thread, and 
scarcely affording a trace of the ore. Every little appearance is 
however followed by the miner with hope, though his pursuit 
often ends in disappointment. Ti is but seldom that these indi- 
cations lead him beyond | what are called the walls of the great 
vein or gangue. 
* From Travels from Vienna through Lower Hungary. 
In 
