66 M. Beudanfs Travels in Hungaiy. 



persuading him that I could find a way out of those winding 

 gorges and antique forests. Throughout Hungary, the peasants 

 are afraid to trust themselves half a league from thefr village ; 

 I have frequently met with some that would not pass the sum- 

 mit of the mountain that overlooked their valley. In general, 

 I was advised not to venture too far, as robbers, they said, 

 haunted the heights. Many dismal stories were told me on 

 this head, but I have explored all parts, without apprehension 

 of danger. These prejudices seem to have descended from 

 ancient times, when it would have been imprudent to advance 

 far into the woods, which now may be penetrated with safety. 



The point of Szitna is the most elevated, not only of these 

 parts butof the whole circumjacent country. Its height above the 

 level of the sea is 1338 yards. June 9, 1818, the height of the 

 barometer, on its summit at noon, was 686 mill. 8 gr. tempe- 

 rature 6, 5 : weather cloudy; wind, a strong northerly. 



In one of these excursions, I visited a gallery of mines where 

 the workmen had found what they called large pieces of wood, 

 with remains of vegetables, in the heart of coaly substances. 

 The officers considered them as anthtracites, but I am inclined 

 to adopt the opinion of the miners, that they are lignite, though 

 I cannot pronounce positively, not having seen them. Near the 

 village of Illia, the miners, iu their labours, find bituminous 

 pieces of wood, and also wood opalised. 



Returning to the mountain of Snitza, which in my rambles 

 I had lost sight of, I found its point or summit completely 

 overlooking all surrounding objects to the distance of many 

 leagues. A little square pavilion has been erected here, by 

 Prince de Kohary, which is visible at a very great distance, 

 and which, from the plains of Schemnitz, appears like a shep- 

 herd's hut. A balcony runs round it, whence, at our ease, we 

 may survey a vast extent of country. In this magnificent 

 view the observer traces, on the south, the plains of Hungary. 

 His eye, glancing over the mountains of Dregely, reposes on an 

 immense horizon. On the east, various groups of mountains 

 stretch, successively, to a great distance, and to the north, we 

 perceive the lofty granitic and calcareous crests in the comitats 

 of Zips, Lipte, &c. and which join the central groupeof Tatra. 

 The citnex, or highest point of this last, is the most elevated in 

 the whole kingdom of Hungary. M. Waldenburg makes it 2666 

 yards above the level of the sea. The peak of the Calvarien- 

 burg appears, from Szitna, like a point in the middle of a plain ; 

 Schemnitz and Duller look like heaps of hovels, and the vil- 

 lages and buildings for the mines can scarcely catch attention. 

 The castle of Autal, belonging to the Prince of Kohary, is the 

 only object to arrest the spectator's view. On the 10th of July, 



