84 M. Pendant's Travels in Hungary. 



imbibing the fresh air, and by six o'clock, had advanced a good 

 way towards some mountains I was in quest of. On my re- 

 turn, I inquired for the evangelical minister, soliciting permis- 

 sion to introduce myself to him. Here fortune became pro- 

 pitious, M. Schulek received me with the most engaging kind- 

 ness, and both he and his lady lodged arid entertained me with 

 cordial hospitality. 



At Szlana are quicksilver mines, which I entered and 

 explored. The works have been very extensive, but at present 

 the quantities of mercury extracted are not considerable. I 

 next entered the valley of Sajo, on my road to Bethler. The 

 mountains, on both sides, are uncommonly rich in metallic 

 substances, and especially in copper and iron ; here are mines 

 which have been, and yet are worked, in a great number of 

 places. At Bethler are iron mines, establishments for forges, 

 foundries, &c, of great importance ; they are the property of 

 Count Androssy. These minerals bear a strong resemblance 

 to those of Sweden and Norway, where are whole mountains 

 consisting of them j the analogy prevails also in the rocks that 

 contain them. 



In some mountains of these parts are caverns, of no small 

 celebrity in Hungary, partly from their extent, and partly 

 from ice being preserved in them during a great part of the 

 summer. In caverns like these, it is generally thought that 

 they are much colder in summer than winter, nature appearing 

 here in contradiction to itself. I conceive this to be a mistake, 

 from not accurately analysing the circumstances. These ca- 

 verns are always in the temperature of melting ice, that is, at 

 zero, in summer; and the sensation of cold is more intense as 

 the external heat is greater. On the contrary, in winter, they 

 are never below the external temperature, and no difference 

 of sensation is perceived in entering them. In the first frosts 

 the caverns retain the temperature of zero, on a supposition of 

 ice yet remaining, whilst the cold without has reached several 

 degrees ; a sensation of warmth is then felt on entering them. 

 It may be observed, further, that no ice, or very little, is found 

 in these caverns at the beginning of winter, and the contrary 

 occurs in the beginningof summer. In the first case, it is evident 

 that the ice had not melted during the preceding summer, and 

 that the frost had not lasted long enough to acquire fresh forms. 

 Jn the second place, all the ice appears that had accumulated 

 during the winter, and which had not yet had time to melt. 



As fals.e notions prevail on the above subject, I may add, 

 that at the cavern Chaux, in the department of Doubs, it is 

 evident that the ice is formed during the winter. The tem- 

 perature within the cavern is always as low, in that season, as 



