108 M. Beudanfs Triiveh in Hungary. 



village lies at the foot of a mountain, and her old castle is 

 situated on an isolated point adjacent. It is the fate of tra- 

 vellers, and especially of the naturalist, to break off an ac- 

 quaintance abruptly, which it would be his highest pleasure 

 to cultivate. Setting out early from Vinna, it was evening 

 before we reached the residence of Count Barkoczi, at Palocz. 

 The country was level, but a marsh intercepted our direct 

 route, and we had frequently to wind about it. Next morning 

 \ve set out early for Unghvar, but rainy weather coming on, 

 the rest of my journey became toilsome. Several excursions 

 that I had projected I was obliged to abandon, and to content 

 myself with such information as I could collect from different 

 quarters. In some of the mountains, in the parts adjacent, 

 consisting of trachytic conglomerats, are found the minerals of 

 iron, or rather, of silico-ferrugineous matter, in use at Do- 

 inorrya, and partly to aid the fusion of other minerals. 



At Munkacs, we alighted at the house of M. Dercseny, 

 distinguished by his various scientific researches, and more 

 especially by his discovery, in Hungary, of aluniferous or 

 alum rocks, exactly resembling those of Tolfa, in the Roman 

 states. These, which are in the comitat of Beregh, furnish a 

 new and very important branch of industry to the district. 



The country of Munkacs was the cradle of the Magyars, 

 where they settled towards the end of the ninth century, 

 under their chief, Alom. It is one of the finest and richest 

 countries of the kingdom. The town of Munkacs has a me- 

 lancholy aspect ; it was formerly surrounded with walls. The 

 fortress, which has been notified in history by the wars of 

 Tekely and Ragolski, was built in 1360, by Theodore Keriato- 

 v'lCSj duke of Munkacs, and enlarged afterwards at different 

 times, by the princes of Transylvania, in whose possession if 

 long remained. It stands on the summit of an isolated butt, 

 in the middle of the plain, and is in very good preservation. 

 For some time it has served as a place of custody for state 

 prisoners, but had none at the time of my visit. In the inte- 

 rior, every thing was extremely neat, but the different parti- 

 tions intended for the prisoners, were such as to excite horror. 

 The windows are so contrived as to intercept every view of 

 the country; the walls are remarkably thick, and pierced ob- 

 liquely, so that the day-light can only enter from above. The 

 aperture, however, is large enough, thoroughly to lighten a 

 little chamber, so that the prisoner may have the benefit of 

 reading, or of employing himself in some labour. In one of 

 the apartments of the castle, we find portraits of the Ragolski 

 family. J know not how far they exhibit a resemblance, but 

 they have an ill-looking aspect, and the last chief of the insur- 



