Journey from Vienna. 101 



tion. I observed also large quantities of jasper, and pebbles 

 of molar porphyry, more or less siliceous. After three quar- 

 ters of an hour's walk, we arrived at the mines, where, my 

 visit being short, and the labours having been ill conducted,!, 

 could only collect, in general, that the auriferous depot is found 

 in the traehytic mass, or more particularly in rocks that strongly 

 resemble molar porphyry. 



There were but three or four men at work, employed occa- 

 sionally, but from bad management they seemed to be losing 

 their time and labour, I may observe here, that the map 

 which Fichtel gives of this district, and of the whole tract be- 

 tween Eperies and Tokai, is not to be depended upon ; I de- 

 tected a number of false positions. I may further remark, 

 that the opal of this district (Telkebanya) is in nothing more 

 remarkable, than in an exact likeness to that discovered by 

 M. Humboldt, at Zimepan, in Mexico ; the geological circum- 

 stances are in strict analogy, and the samples from the New 

 World, now at Berlin, could not be distinguished from those 

 at Telkebanya, if the labels attached to them were lost. 



Passing through a valley covered with a forest of beech and 

 oak trees, and afterwards over mountains in horrible roads 

 where we were up to the ancles in mud, we arrived at 

 Tolcsva, wet to the skin from a heavy rain, and bespattered 

 with dirt up to onr ears. We had, indeed, the look of banditti 

 rather than of persons used to good company. M. de Szirmay, 

 for whom I had letters, was not at home, and the only indi- 

 vidual in the house was a girl, to whom my appearance was 

 but an indifferent recommendation. She received me after 

 some hesitation, when I had explained the particulars, con- 

 ducted me into a chamber and made preparations for supper, 

 which was as necessary as a lodging. Next morning M. de 

 Szirmay arrived, and expressed not a little concern that I had 

 intruded myself, as it were, into his house. M. de S. was 

 only occasionally at Tolcsva, but he made me promise to 

 meet him at Uj Hely, to proceed afterwards to his house near 

 Hommona, at the foot of the mountains of Vihorlet, which I 

 wanted to explore. 



The town is pretty considerable, and may contain three or 

 four thousand souls. The Jews are so numerous, that at first 

 they seemed to be the only inhabitants. Out of the town are 

 numerous plantations of vineyards, as also caves hollowed out 

 in the pouncy conglomerat, 'with stone doors to them ; and 

 about a quarter of an hour's walk from the town are extensive 

 quarries of mollions, a coarse rough stone used for ordinary 

 buildings. 



I then proceeded across the mountains, which are entirely 



