Journey from Vienna. 67 



1818, the height of the barometer, from Szitna, was 674 mill. 

 3. Temperature 15 gr. flying clouds, wind northerly. 



At Tiszolez, I was informed that opalised wood was in such 

 abundance about Uhorska, that the church of that or some 

 neighbouring village was wholly constructed with it. 



The environs of Palotja are somewhat remarkable from the 

 depots of lignite, and relics of shells of various descriptions. 

 They have evidently been deposited under waters, tossed 

 about in every direction, and the waters must have covered 

 them long enough to allow of their living and multiplying 

 there. The quantities of the remains of the molluscae kind 

 are immense. At the southern foot of Szitna, an argilous 

 matter is found which has long been in use for the manuufac- 

 ture of porcelain at Vienna. 



EXCURSIONS TOWARDS THE PLAINS OF HUNGARY. 



By the road which leads directly from Schemnitz, we advance 

 to a flat, where we see the mountains lowering successively, 

 and the eye catches a glimpse of the vast plains of Lseva. We 

 then seem to breathe a new air. Nature seems becomingly 

 to smile, decorated with forest flowers and richer apparel, and 

 we quit, with pleasure, the cold and savage country wherein 

 Schemnitz lies. As mineralogy was one principal object of 

 my journey in Hungary, I may here insert some observations 

 that I made generally. 



The quantity of gold, silver, and lead, that the mines of 

 Schemnitz supply annually, is not correctly known. It is cer- 

 tain that the products, at present, are much inferior to those 

 at former periods. Often, from the pressure of different wars, 

 the lateral veins have been neglected ; these and the parts less 

 rich were resumed in times of peace. M. Schwartner assumes 

 for a term of comparison, the eight years of peace that elapsed 

 from 1780 to 1783 ; he rates the products of the mines of 

 Lower Hungary at 12 or 1300 marcs of gold, and from 58 to 

 59,000 marcs of silver. Adding to it the products of Upper 

 Hungary, he makes out a total of from 15 to 1700 marcs of 

 gold, and from 70 to 74,000 marcs of silver, per annum. But 

 this does not appear to be an average term, as at periods, both 

 before and since, the products have~been much greater. 



It is well known that at Kremnitz, from 1680 to 1693, more 

 than 200,000 marcs were procured annually. In 1772, the 

 mines of Lower Hungary remitted to the mint at Kremnitz, 

 53,860 marcs of silver, and 2291 marcs of gold. From 1740 

 to 1773, a hundred millions of florins were obtained from 

 Schemnitz and Kremnitz, which would yield annually a sum 

 of more than eight millions of francs. 



