100 M. Beudant's Travels in Hungary. 



Here they raised two villages, one of which, the present town, 

 was raised to the rank of a free town, by Bela IV. It was then 

 surrounded with walls, and became one of the strongest places 

 in Hungary. The inhabitants are from 6 to 7000; here is an 

 administrative chamber, as also a garrison and a commandant. 

 The town is pretty well built, and there are several very neat 

 houses, but the way of living is in general simple, and without 

 luxury. In the winter, the neighbouring gentry come to re- 

 side in it. To these belong certain great hous'es that might 

 pass, for hotels in Paris. There are several spacious caseans 

 and churches, both catholic and reformed. The principal 

 church, built in the fourteenth century, is a very handsome 

 structure, of an agreeable Gothic architecture ; it forms the 

 most prominent object to shew to strangers. The university 

 was founded about the middle of the seventeenth century, by 

 the bishop of Erlau, benedict Kisdy ; the reformed have also 

 erected a college. In short, Kaschau is one of the first towns 

 of Hungary, and has every thing to render it agreeable to a 

 stranger; next to Pest, Buda, and Presburg, I would give it 

 the preference for a constant residence^ 



The hills about the town are mostly covered with vineyards j 

 further on are the mountains of Dargo, all covered with thick 

 forests, consisting entirely of oaks. Pursuing this excursion 

 to reach Talkebanya, I crossed the plains of Ondava, covered 

 with little eminences of a sandy formation, and with few marks 

 of cultivation. Further on, from the" summit of some hills 

 above Galzecs, the prospect is most beautiful and extensive, 

 and the weather being favourable I drew a sketch of it ; the 

 forepart exhibits a level country under cultivation ; the first 

 hills have, here and there, groves or patches of wood, but all 

 the loftier region behind is entirely covered with it. 



Telkcbanya is a village at the foot of the mountains that for- 

 merly had mines of gold of some celebrity. 1 found an au- 

 berge in it, kept by a jew, who provided me with a very neat 

 little chamber, after warranting an assurance that I meant to 

 pay him. After that, I had no reason to complain ; I was well 

 entertained at a moderate expense, and the next day he took 

 care that I should not be overcharged by the guides that I was 

 obliged to hire. I must here observe, with regret, that the 

 Jewish publicans, against whom I had entertained prejudices, 

 were in general far more reasonable, in my dealings with them, 

 than others of the catholic faith, who frequently extorted from 

 me in a most unehristianlike manner. 



In the evening I had provided a guide to the mines, and 

 next morning early we were on our, journey. The country 

 was partly covered with vegetation, and partly under cultiva- 



