474 



CARNIOLA. 



Carmola. bars ; " wliich survey," he adds, " with the history 

 of them by a Spanish priest, who had resided there 

 many years, was sent to the company, and may pos- 

 sibly be still extant." (T) 



CARNIOLA, a duchy of Germany, in the circle 

 of Austria : bounded towards the north by Carinthia 

 and Styria ; on the west by Friuii, the country of 

 Gorz, and the Adriatic Sea ; on the south by the 

 same sea, and the part of Istria possessed by the re- 

 public of Venice ; and on the east by Dalmatia and 

 Croatia. This province is situated in latitude be- 

 tween 44 48' and 46 T north, in longitude between 

 13 33' and 15 40' east. Its greatest length, from 

 west to east, is about 120 miles. Its greatest breadth 

 is about 100. The face of this country is for the 

 most part mountainous. Some of its mountains are 

 more or less cultivated and inhabited, others are al- 

 together in a desert state : Some of them are naked, 

 others clothed with wood, The summits of several 

 of them, especially in Upper Carniola, are continual- 

 ly covered with snow. One of the loftiest moun- 

 tains in the Austrian dominions occurs in this quar- 

 ter, namely the Terklou,, which rises to the height 

 of 10,194- feet above the level of the sea. This is 

 the principal summit in the southern chain of the 

 Alps, which traverse this duchy in a direction from 

 west to east ; and which, to the westward of this 

 central or dividing point, are known by the name of 

 the Carnatic Alps ; to the east of it by that of the 

 Julian. Other considerable mountains in these parts 

 are the Caleberg ; the Lobel, which separates Car- 

 aiola from Carinthia, and affords from its summit a 

 very fine prospect ; the Rum-berg, the Karst, and 

 the Nanas. Among these mountains are intersper- 

 sed many fruitful vallies and fields, which form an 

 agreeable variety, and are of the greatest consequence 

 to the subsistence and comfort of the inhabitants. 

 The declination of the duchy of Carinthia, as well 

 as generally of the immediately adjoining provinces, 

 is for the most part from west to east. This is evin- 

 ced by the circumstance, that the rivers in these 

 parts chiefly run in that direction. The same thing 

 is evident from the aspect of the mountains, which 

 obviously decrease in elevation as they are situated: 

 more to the eastward. Thus, in the line of the Alps 

 before mentioned, the summits, after the Terklou is 

 passed, decline much in height, and no longer exhibit 

 any thing but the appearance, of calcareous rocks, cu- 

 riously chapped and hollowed out ; in some places ri- 

 sing into steep and inaccessible points; in others sink- 

 ing down into deep caverns, or pierced, in a horizon- 

 tal direction, into far extending grottos. 



The aspect of this country externally, is altoge- 

 ther such as should give reason to expect an abun- 

 dant supply of valuable mineral substances. Here 

 accordingly are mines of iron, lead, and copper. 

 Quicksilver also and cinnabar are found in great quan- 

 tity. The most ancient and the most noted of the 

 mines from which the iron is drawn, is situated in the 

 mountain of Eisenberg, or Naseleiro. At Ainem, or 

 Selelniko, there is also an excellent iron mine, and 

 one at Janerbourg, which is of importance by fur- 

 nishing materials for the manufacture of steel in 

 this country. There are not in Carniola any mines 

 of gold or shver; but those which it has are perhaps 



hardly less profitable to it. The quicksilver mines Caruiola. 

 in Idria are of great celebrity, and equally valuable. ^"^f**"* 

 They are the richest of this description in Europe, 

 yielding annually to the amount of 12,000 quintals 

 of pure quicksilver, besides about 6000 or 7000 

 quintals of native cinnabar. The Spaniards have 

 been accustomed to purchase the half of the mercu- 

 ry procured here, at the rate of two piastres per 

 quintal. These mines were accidentally discovered 

 in 1497. They have been hollowed out to the depth 

 of about 900 feet, and the mercury is obtained from 

 the numerous subterranean cavities that have been 

 opened in them in great abundance, being found in 

 stones, in a sort of clay, and sometimes in a disenga- 

 ged state, issuing from the rocks, and dropping spoa 

 taneously on the ground below. There are here va- 

 rious other sorts of mineral produce, some of greater, 

 others of less consideration. The Carniola marble is 

 reckoned beautiful, and it is found in great abun- 

 dance and variety in different parts of the country. 

 There is found here also alum, nitre, vitriol, bolar 

 earth, and fullers' earth. Rock crystals are frc-. 

 quent, likewise beautiful hyacinths, eagle-stones, and 

 blood-stones. 



The vegetable productions of Carniola are of the 

 same kinds that prevail generally in the surrounding 

 district of country. Wheat, barley, rye, various le- 

 guminous crops, and others which contribute most 

 directly and essentially to the support of human life, 

 are raised here in considerable quantity and perfec- 

 tion.. Millet also is a usual crop, as is buckwheat, 

 especially in the sandy plains. Various and excel- 

 lent fruits are produced in this country, such as pears 

 and apples, oranges, citrons, pomegranates, almonds, 

 figs, chesnuts, walnnts, olives, and lemons. Carniola 

 does not yield a great deal of wine ; but what it has, 

 both white and red, is of a superior quality. A 

 great deal of cider is prepared in the province ; and, 

 with a view to this, much attention is paid to the 

 propagation and the management of the apple trees ; 

 indeed, the fruit trees in general are well attended 

 to, and in this department a great number of the 

 inhabitants find employment. Flax is raised here, 

 and a little hemp. The flax is esteemed to be par- 

 ticularly good. Artificial meadows are frequent, 

 from which fodder is procured for the maintenance 

 of domestic animals. The ground in this province 

 that is capable of bearing cultivated crops is gene- 

 rally fertile, and, from the management that is adopt- 

 ed, is often made to yield two harvests in the year ; 

 buckwheat being commonly sown after the removal 

 from the fields of the other descriptions of grain, 

 and millet in the places which had been previously 

 occupied with flax or hemp. Truffles, and a variety 

 of medicinal plants, occur in this district ; and, in 

 general, many parts of the mountains, by which so 

 much of the whole surface is occupied, present, even 

 in the midst of arid rocks, a brilliant vegetation, 

 which, joined to the imposing aspect of the extend- 

 ed lakes and rapid rivers in the vicinity, forms the 

 most picturesque views, and recals to the recollection 

 some of the noted scenes of Switzerland. 



There is found in Carniola an abundance of good 

 pasturage, by means of which there are maintained 

 numerous herds of a tolerably good, though not the 



