16 M. Beudant's Travels in Hungary. 



metallic earths of Hungary strongly resemble those of Mexico 

 and Peru, and that all the geological circumstances are in ac- 

 cordance. This observation is too remarkable not to excite 

 the curiosity, or occasionally the suspicion, of the penetrating 

 naturalist. 



The reflections here suggested had been duly appreciated 

 by M. the Count de Bournon, director of the king's cabinet of 

 geology, and he speedily procured his Majesty's consent and 

 protection, that I should visit other countries, to collect facts, 

 useful, interesting, or new, on which a system of geological 

 science might be planned. Hungary was the last country that 

 I explored ; my labours in it were ended towards the close of 

 the year 1817, out previous to my quitting it, I made it my 

 business to collect materials of miscellaneous information. 

 This I frequently obtained, by visiting a number of antique 

 castles, seated in the midst of surrounding forests, and which 

 had stood numerous assaults during the wars of eighteen cen- 

 turies. The following contains a concise compilation of what 

 is desirable in former authors, or the result of my own diligent 

 investigation. 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTICES RELATIVE TO HUNGARY. 



The kingdom of Hungary once included, in the conquests of 

 its different kings, Bulgaria, Wallachia, Transylvania, Molda- 

 via, Galicia, Hungary properly so called, Sclavonia, Servia, 

 Bosnia, Croatia, and Dalmatia, with some parts of Austria and 

 Moravia. But in the course of events, Bulgaria, Wallachia, 

 Moldavia, Servia, Bosnia, and Turkish Croatia, have been sub- 

 jected to the Ottoman empire, the archduchy of Austria* has 

 resumed its detached part, Moravia is dependent on Bohemia, 

 Galicia, which the kings of Poland had conquered, is re-united 

 to Austria, and Transylvania, raised into a principality, has 

 been ceded also to Austria, retaining its particular rights. 



What constitutes the present kingdom of Hungary, is Hun- 

 gary properly so called, and Sclavonia, with parts of Croatia 

 and Dalmatia. Prior to the year 1809, Hungary extended to 

 the Adriatic, and took in a part of the islands that lie along 

 the eastern coast of that gulf. But by the treaty of Vienna, 

 in 1809, Hungarian Dalmatia, the greatest part of Croatia and 

 the Banat frontiers were ceded to France, and, together with 

 Carniola and a part of Carinthia, were consolidated under the 

 name of the Jllyrian provinces. The kingdom of Hungary 



* The name of Austria is a corruption of the German word CEstreich, denoting 

 kingdom of the east, which was given, in the tenth century, to the eastern part 

 of the German states. 



