Introduction. 13 



per square mile. The extent of the kingdom is about 16,390 

 square leagues, of 25 to a degree, or 5900 square miles, of 15 

 to a degree. If this number should seem small in respect to 

 France, which contains at least 1000 inhabitants per square 

 league, it will be considerable, compared with the population 

 of Sweden, Norway, Russia, &c. But the population of Hun- 

 gary is not distributed uniformly, as supposed above j there is 

 an immense surface, consisting merely of mountains covered 

 with thick forests, besides arid plains and vast marshes that 

 are no better than deserts. The population is, of course, 

 much more condensed in the habitable places, where it varies, 

 however, according to circumstances. In 1809, M. Schwart- 

 ner. calculated 990 inhabitants per square league, in the co- 

 mitat of (Edenburg; 924, in that of Presburg ; 858, in that of 

 Zips; 743, in that of Zemplen, &c. He computed the popu- 

 lation of Transylvania at about 800 individuals per square 

 league, which number may be augmented, in different cantons, 

 if the uninhabited parts be subtracted. 



On the whole, the population of Hungary is evidently in- 

 creasing, as appears from the census of 1/87? compared with 

 that of 1805 ; the latter gives a surplus of 439,131 individuals. 

 Instances are afforded in the comitat of Beke's, which a cen- 

 tury ago was an immense pasture ground, with a few wretched 

 hovels, and now contains flourishing towns and villages, with 

 more than 90,000 inhabitants. The Banat of Temes, which, 

 setting aside the military districts, contained, in 1799, about 

 3^18,000 inhabitants, in 17*85, had 560,000, and in 1805,636,000. 

 This rapid augmentation is partly owing to fresh colonies, and 

 partly to the improvements of rural economy. These would 

 produce advantages much more considerable, were encourage- 

 ment given to the clearing of uncultivated lands, the draining 

 of marshes, and the propagating of a taste for the arts and 

 sciences ; of this a great number of Hungarian lords begin 

 now to be sensible. 



Hungary is a country which contains landscapes and produc- 

 tions remarkable for originality, and its history has scenes of 

 great interest. It is situated in the most temperate part of 

 our hemisphere, and watered by one of the greatest rivers of 

 Europe, with a number of tributary streams. The soil, in 

 general, in the lowlands, possesses an uncommon degree of 

 fertility, and the mountains, where, from their height, they 

 are deprived of cultivation, are not without circumstances in- 

 teresting to the traveller, and uncommon to the naturalist; 

 these consist in the superlative abundance of their mineral 

 riches. 



As to the people, the best picture that could be drawn of 



