282 MINES 



and the fablers has been proved to contain a considerable percentage of mercury, 

 which is now extracted. This group of mines, belonging almost entirely to private 

 persons, and chiefly worked by a company called the Waldburgerschaft, produces 

 annually 17,000 cwts. of copper, 4,650 marcs of silver, and 7,967 Ibs. of quicksilver. 

 In the neighbourhood of Dobschau, large quantities of the ores of cobalt and nickel 

 are obtained. 



To conclude our enumeration of the mineral wealth ofthiscountry.it remains merely 

 to state that there are opal mines in the environs of Czervenitza, situate in the 

 trachytic conglomerate, which in several localities contains opaliscd wood. 



Group of the Nortk-East, or of Nagybanya. The mines of this group lio in a 

 somewhat considerable chain "of mountains, which, proceeding from the frontiers 

 of Buckowina, where it is united to the Carpathians, finally disappears amidst the 

 saliferous sandstones between the Tkctss, Lapos, and Nagy Szamos, on the northern 

 frontiers of Transylvania. These mountains are partly composed of rocks analogous 

 to those of Schemnitz, traversed by veins which have much resemblance to the veins 

 of this celebrated spot. Into these veins a great many mines have been opened, the 

 most important of which, are those of Nagybanya, Kapnik, Fclsobanya, Veresviz, 

 Miszbanya, and Laposbanya. All these mines produce gold. Those of Laposbanya 

 furnish, likewise, argentiferous galena, and those of Kapnik copper, especially as 

 silver-fahlerz. Realgar occurs in the mines of Felsobanya; and orpiment in those 

 of Ohlalapos. Several of them produce manganese and sulphuret of antimony. Lastly, 

 towards the north, in the county of Marmarosh, lies the important copper mine of 

 Borscha, and near the frontiers of Buckowina the lead mine of Rodnau, in which 

 also much zinc ore occurs. 



The mines composing the group of the East, or of Abrudbanya, occur almost all in the 

 .mountains which rise in the western part of Transylvania, between the Lapos and 

 Maros, in the environs of Abrudbanya. There may be noticed in this region, 

 limestones, sandstones, trachytes, basalts, and porphyries, very analogous to the 

 greenstone porphyries of Schemnitz. It seems to be principally in the latter rocks 

 that the mines forming the wealth of this country occurs, but some of them exist also 

 in the mica-slate, the greywacke, and even in the limestone. The principal veins are 

 at Nagyag, Korosbanya, Offenbanya, Vorospatak, Boitza, Csertesch, Fatzbay, Fiizes, 

 Vulkoj, Porkura, Butschum, and Toplitza. There are very numerous mines, the 

 whole of which produce auriferous ores smelted at the workf of Zalathna. These mines 

 contain also silver, copper, antimony, and manganese. They are celebrated for their 

 tellurium ores, which were peculiar to them prior to the discovery of this metal a few 

 years back in Norway. The auriferous deposits contained in the greenstone porphyry 

 are often very irregular. The mines of Nagyag are the richest and best worked. 

 The numerons veins of the district occur partly in the porphyry, and partly in a 

 sandstone ^which used to be termed greywacke. and considered a transition rock, but 

 is now ascribed to the upper secondary period. The gold is accompanied by galena, 

 realgar, ores of manganese, iron, zinc, and rarely of silver. 



At Rezbanya ores of copper and lead are worked in small veins, which intersect 

 crystalline schists and marble. 



Large deposits of iron ore arc worked near Vayda Hunyad, and south-west of 

 Rezbanya on the borders of porphjTy and limestone. 



The group of the Smith-East, or of the Bannat of Temeschwar, occurs in the moun- 

 tains which block up the valley of the Danube at Orschova, through a narrow gorge of 

 which the river escapes. The principal mines are at Oravitza, Moldawa. Szaszka, 

 and Dognaezka. They produce chiefly argentiferous copper, yielding a marc of 

 silver (nearly ^ Ib.) in the hundredweight, with occasionally a little gold. Ores of 

 lead, zinc, and iron, are also met with. The mines are famous for their beautiful 

 specimens of blue carbonate of copper, and various other minerals. The mine of 

 Moldawa affords likewise orpiment. These metallic deposits lio in flats and veins; 

 the former occurring particularly ln-tween the mica-slate and the limestone, or some- 

 times between the limestone and the syenite porphyry. Well-defined veins also are 

 known to exist in the syenite and the mica-slate. The Bannat possesses, moreover, 

 important iron mines at Moravitza and Ruskberg. Cobalt ores occur likewise in these 

 regions. The mines of the Bannat have been leased, together with the railroads, to a 

 French company. 



The mines constituting the four groups now described are not the solo metallic 

 mines possessed by Hungary. A few others, but generally of little importance, are 

 scattered over different parts of this kingdom. Several have been noticed in the 

 portion of the Carpathians which separates Transylvania from Moldavia and 

 Wallachia. Their principal object is the exploration of some singular deposits of 

 galena. 



Besides the mines just noticed, Hungary contains some coal and lignite mines, 





