MINES 281 



upwards of 4 miles in length. The lodes seldom exhibit distinct walls, but a portion 

 of the greenstone porphyry (saxtim metalliferum of the older miners) is often decom- 

 posed, and impregnated with iron pyrites for some distance from the plane of contact. 

 Intersections and dislocations are of rare occurrence. 



The substances which constitute the body of these veins, are fragments of tho 

 adjoining rock, often decomposed to clay, drusy quartz, ferriferous carbonate of lime 

 and sulphate of baryta, with which occur sulphuret of silver mixed with native silver 

 containing more or less gold, which is rarely in visible scales ; ruby-silver ore, argen- 

 tiferous galena, blende, copper, and iron pyrites, &c. The sulphuret of silver and tho 

 galena are the most important ores. Sometimes these two substances are isolated, 

 sometimes they are mixed in different ratios, so as to furnish ores of every degree of 

 richness, from such as yield 60 per cent, of silver down to the poorest galena. The 

 gold seldom occurs alone ; it generally accompanies the silver in variable propor- 

 tion, which has undoubtedly diminished in depth. The galena appears to occur in 

 comparatively larger quantity in the greatest depths attained. 



The ores of Schemnitz are all treated by fusion ; the poor galenas at the smelting 

 work near Schemnitz (Bleihiitte), and the resulting lead is sent as work lead to the 

 smelting-houses of Kremnitz, Neusohl, and Scharnowitz, whither all the silver ores 

 prepared in the different spots of the country are transported in order to be smelted. 



The mines of Schemnitz, opened 800 years ago, have been worked to a depth of more 

 than 200 fathoms. The explorations are in general well conducted. Excellent gal- 

 lories of efflux have been excavated ; the waters for driving the machinery are col- 

 lected and applied with skill. It may be remarked, however, that these mines have 

 declined from the state of prosperity in which they stood a century ago. Maria 

 Theresa, established in 1760, at Schemuitz, a school of mines. This acquired at its 

 origin, throughout Europe, a great celebrity, but will probably net recover from the 

 blow which it received in the civil war of 1848-9. After numbering before those 

 events 300 or 400 students, it has seen a great proportion of them pass to the rival 

 schools of Gratz and Przibram. 



Kremuitz lies about five leagues NN.W. of Schemnitz, in a valley flanked on the 

 right by a range of hills formed of rocks quite analogous to the metalliferous rocks of 

 Schemnitz. In the midst of these rocks, veins are worked nearly similar to those of 

 Sehemnitz ; but the quartz which forms their principal mass is more abundant, and 

 contains more native gold. Here is also found comparatively a great abundance of 

 sulphide of antimony. The metalliferous district is of very moderate extent, and is 

 surrounded by the trachytic formation which geologically overlies it, forming to the 

 east and west considerable mountains. 



The city of Kremnitz is one of the most ancient free royal cities of mines in 

 Hungary. It is said that mines were worked there even in the times of the Eomans ; 

 but it is the Germans who, since the middle ages, have given a great development to 

 these exploitations. There exists at Kremnitz a Mint-office, to which all the gold and 

 silver of the mines of Hungary are carried in order to be parted, and where all tho 

 chemical processes, such as the fabrication of acids, &c., are carried on in the large 

 way. 



About six leagues NN.E. from Schemnitz, on the banks of the Gran, lies the town 

 of Neusohl, founded by a colony of Saxon miners. Tho mountains surrounding it 

 include mines very different from those of which we have been treating. At Herreli- 

 grund, two leagues from Neusohl, greywacke forms pretty lofty mountains ; this rock 

 is covered by transition limestone, and is supported by mica-slate. Tho lower beds 

 contain bands of copper ores, chiefly copper pyrites. The mica-slate includes likewise 

 masses of ore, apparently constituting veins in it. These ores have been worked since 

 the thirteenth century. The copper ore is argentiferous, and these mines produce 

 annually about 2,137 cwts. of copper and 1,345 marcs of silver. 



In the higher ridge which adjoins this range, and worked in a region of snows ami 

 bears, is the interesting mine of Magurka, on an E. and W. lode in granite, yielding 

 gold, antimony, and a little galena. 



The mines of Lower Hungary (Nieder-Ungarn), employ 15,500 workmen, and yield 

 metals of the annual value of 360,000?. 



Eighteen or twenty leagues to the east of Neusohl, we meet with a country very rich 

 in iron and copper mines, situated chiefly in the neighbourhood of Bethler, Schmcclnitz, 

 Einsiodel, Iloseneau, &c. Talcose and clay-slates form the principal body of the moun- 

 tains here, along with hornblende rocks. Tho veins appear to lie generally conform- 

 ably to the strata. The ores of iron are sparry ore, and especially hydrous, oxide of 

 iron, compact and in concretiorr, accompanied with specular iron ore. They give 

 employment to many large smt ting-houses, mostly in the counties of Gomor and 

 Zips. The copper mines lie chiefly in the neighbourhood of Schmcelnitz and Gcelnitz. 

 The copper extracted contains about 6 or 7 ounces of silver in the hundredweight, 



