ITALY. LETTER I. II 



learn its melting and parting in Hungary, or other 

 countries abroad. Every improvement of fuch g, 

 nature is to be expected from chemiftry and me- 

 tallurgy ; but how can that be obtained, if even 

 a fight of the common manipulation is forbid to 

 thofe who might be perhaps pofiefied of the con- 

 venient knowledge ? I have feen the mercurial- 

 mines in the Palatinate and Zweybrucken ; I have 

 obferved the ufual melting; I am acquainted 

 with the procefs pradtifed at Almaden ; and, what 

 is above all that, chemiftry and metallurgy have 

 taught me the principles of this operation. I 

 could wifti only that we might happen to difco- 

 ver in my country mercurial-mines as rich as thofe 

 at Hydria. I am pretty well convinced our theo- 

 retical melters would not be at a lofs how to part 

 them. 



The limeftone hills near Panina and Alderjberg 

 offer feveral fubterraneous grottoes incruftated by 

 figured ftalaclites. Some of them run and ex- 

 tend feveral miles under ground, and receive 

 the waters of different rivers. To give an 

 inflance of that, I ought to tell you, that the 

 P0/g--river falls, and is loft, in the cavern near 

 Adlerjberg. The famous Cz/r/w/y-lake, two hours 

 journey diftant from Planina, is in one year's time 

 navigable, fifhed, planted, and reaped ; and more- 

 over it is faid to empty its water into fuch ca- 

 verns. 



Between 



