60 M. Beudanis Travels in 



the whole district, from the numerous veins, argentiferous, 

 and auriferous, that constitute its riches. The village of that 

 name lies at the entrance of a vast basin, about which the 

 mountains are not so lofty, their summits are more depressed, 

 their declivities less rapid, and covered with a refreshing 

 vegetation lighter than the dark tints of the firs; the tempera- 

 ture also is milder, and nature presents, as it were, a new lace. 

 The bathing house, the only place where a stranger can con- 

 veniently lodge, is at a little further distance. The house is a 

 very good one, and most agreeably situated j in front is a 

 little square, and in its centre a little Chinese parasol, in a bad 

 taste, and somewhat degraded from the gypsies, in the season 

 of the waters, playing airs there, to me very disagreeable, for 

 whole days together. The house, for an hotellerie of Hungary, 

 appears genteel in its interior; it is exclusively appropriated 

 to the bathing visiters, but the season was just" commencing, 

 and they were willing to take me in, on condition of not stopping 

 longer than three days. I was conducted into a vast corridor, 

 with a number of chambers on each side, on each of which the 

 price was fixed. Some, towards the back part of the house, 

 were taxed at a florin per day ; others, more to the front and 

 in a better light, at a florin and a half. With difficulty I pro- 

 cured one on this side, under a promise of removing, should 

 it be asked for by any one taking it for the season. These 

 chambers are not elegant, but remarkably neat, and, being all 

 newly white-washed, had a gay appearance. A couchette, at 

 least half a foot too short, and some stuffed chairs, not in the 

 best condition, made up the whole furniture. Going out soon 

 after on a visit to the mountains, the servant wished me to 

 leave the key, that they might make my bed, but when I re- 

 turned in the evening, 1 found my room just as I had left it. 

 They imagined that my bed and wardrobe would arrive after 

 me, and they had made preparations for receiving them. There 

 was no mattress in the house, and I was glad to content my- 

 self with a bottle of straw. The only covering I could get was 

 a very dirty coverlid ; the borders I wrapped as carefully as I 

 could with the napkin that had served me for supper. The 

 bourgeois (my landlord) did not approve of this, but it was my 

 only resource, and would be so to any other visiter that should 

 arrive on foot, and with no other luggage than a hammer in 

 his hand. 



Along the roads, in the valley of Eisenbach, intermixed with 

 others yet in activity, I observed a number of mines that had 

 belonged to individuals, but had been seized by the Austrian 

 government, which now holds the major part of them. The 

 proprietors were even compelled to melt, in the government 



