634 



BOHEMIA. 



Mineral 

 produc- 

 tion!. 



Bohemia, evil, magazines of provisions have been established 

 v -' in various parts of the kingdom, from which) in cases 

 of scarcity, the inhabitants receive the necessary sup- 

 plies of food for themselves and their cattle. 



If it be admitted as a general fact, that the mine- 

 ral riches of a country correspond to the sterility of 

 its surface, Bohemia at least must be allowed to be a 

 remarkable exception ; for while the fertility of its 

 soil can scarcely be surpassed, its subterraneous trea- 

 sures are likewise extremely valuable. Mines of gold 

 have been found in various parts of the kingdom, but 

 they are too scanty to be wrought with any advan- 

 tage. Some rivers, too, wash down particles of that 

 metal, but in very small quantities. The silver mines, 

 which are pretty numerous in Bohemia, are richer 

 and more profitable. The richest were those of Kut- 

 tenberg, but they" are now inundated. There is one 

 of considerable importance at Joachimsthal, where 

 the counts of Schlik ordered crown pieces to be struck 

 for the first time in 1619 ; and others less consider- 

 able are found in the circles of Pilsen and Bcchin, as 

 well as in the district of Elnbogen. The produce of 

 these mines is about 2400 marks, of eight ounces, 

 annually. Mines of iron are disseminated through- 

 out the whole of Bohemia, and yield annually 193,400 

 quintals. There is an excellent copper mine in the 

 district of Elnbogen ; and the lead mines give about 

 6000 quintals a year. The copper of Bohemia is 

 very frequently, and the lead always, mixed with a 

 little silver. The tin of Bohemia is, next to that of 

 England, the most valuable in the world ; and its tin 

 mines, besides the importance which they derive 

 from their intrinsic excellence, are remarkable as be- 

 ing the termination of the tin mines in the east of 

 Europe ; nor arc any found farther east till we reach 

 Sumatra and Japan. There are ten mines of this 

 metal in the circle of Saatz, and two in the circle of 

 Leutmeritz ; and these are sufficient for the supply 

 of all the Austrian dominions. The net produce of 

 all these mines, without including the iron, is estima- 

 ted at one million of florins of Vienna. Cobalt 

 abounds in various parts of the country ; and its an- 

 nual produce, which is at present about 11 ,000 quin- 

 tals, might be much increased if the demand for it 

 were greater. 



There is abundance of zinc, arsenic, and calamine; 

 some antimony, manganese, and bismuth. Mercury 

 is found at Beraune, but in too small quantities to 

 compensate for the expense of working it. Among 

 the minerals in Bohemia we may likewise reckon sul- 

 phur and vitriol; and alum is so abundant, that 3500 

 quintals of it are sold annually for about 36,000 

 florins. Black coal (pitcoal) and brown coal are in 

 several places, and likewise porcelain clay, and lime- 

 stone. There are likewise rich quarries of beautiful 

 marble, especially at Tesin in the circle of Beraune. 

 Jasper is found in considerable quantities, as well as 

 alabaster, asbestus, serpentine, and other minerals 

 of a similar kind. Several gems are found in Bohe- 

 mia, viz. sapphire, topaz, precious garnet, hyacinth, 

 and pyropc. The sapphires are small and of but 

 little value ; the topazes tcarcely equal those of 

 Saxony; the precious garnet lias a good lire and wa- 

 tt r ; the hyacinths are small, and not fit for the pur- 

 poses of jewellery ; and the pyrope, (the carbo py- 

 S 



ropus of the ancients,) is remarkable for its fine deep Bohemia. 

 Wood-red colour and great transparency, and is m V"*"' 



high estimation. Very fine agates occur in various 

 parts of Bohemia. In regard to the rocks of tbi 

 country, we may remark that it contains nearly all 

 those enumerated and described in the Wernerian 

 geognosy. Pearls are fished in the stream of Wal- 

 tava, and mother-of-pearl is found near Budweis, in 

 the circle of Bechin. Bohemia is likewise celebra- 

 ted for it3 mineral waters, which not only attract a 

 multitude of strangers, but are conveyed to every 

 part of Germany. 



Before the peace of Hubertsburg, which was con- Manufac- 

 cluded in the year 1763, the manufactures of Bohe- "* 

 mia were very inconsiderable; but since that a-ra they 

 have improved so rapidly, that foreign articles tie 

 almost wholly excluded from the Bohemian market 

 by the cheapness and superior quality of those fabri- 

 cated at home. Bohemia is particularly celebrated 

 for its hardware, woollen and silken stuffs, and glass 

 of a very fine quality.. Its pottery, too, is excellent ; 

 and its paper works, which have the advantage of 

 uncommonly pure water, produce paper of the best 

 colour and texture, both for writing and printing. 

 Tiiis country excels likewise in its manufactures of 

 delf ware, composition stones, mirrors, needles, lire- 

 arms, tinwork, hats, (made chiefly of the fur of 

 hares,) gloves, stuffs, stockings, ail kinds of jewel- 

 lery, laces, cambric, and linen. An accurate idea of 

 the manufactures of Bohemia may be formed from 

 the following statement. In 1801, it contained 

 321,720 spinners of linen thread, and 85,335 manu- 

 facturers of linen cloths, ribbands, &c. who were em- 

 ployed at 41,142 looms: the produce of their indus- 

 try amounted to 9,810,900 pieces of linen, the va- 

 lue of which was about twenty millions of florins. The 

 manufacture of lace employed 16,295 persons, and 1302 

 wnere engaged in making veils and cambric. There 

 were 1686 bleaching greens for thread, and 1150 

 for linen. At the same time this country reckoned 

 50,614 spinners of wool, 24,563 manufacturers, and 

 1 128 venders of woollen cloth : the value of this ma- 

 nufacture amounted to eight millions of florins. The 

 cotton manufacture employed 31,902 spinners, and 

 8769 weavers, who wrought at 5830 looms. The 

 town of Prague alone fabricated, at 350 looms, 12,000 

 dozens of pairs of stockings ; the circle of Burzlaw 

 1650 dozens. There were 360 manufacturers of 

 silken stuffs, who had 166 looms; 630 manufacturers 

 of silk ribbands, and 483 looms; so far back as 17b_', 

 there were 70 looms for silk hose, and 1 1 1 manu- 

 facturers. The whole of the silk manufacture was 

 estimated at 448,260 florins. There were at the 

 same date (1801) 782 paper-makers, who made pa- 

 per to the value of 181,000 florins; besides a great 

 quantity of pasteboard, parchment, and cards. In 

 1796, there was sold leather to the value of 915,555 

 florins, and gloves to the value of 85,000. In 1801, 

 there were 179 forges for iron work, which employ- 

 ed 2517 persons; twelve wire manufactures, in which 

 there are 293 artizans ; two manufactures of lire- 

 arms with thirty workmen and sixty-two forgers ; 

 thirty-five forgers of scythes, 185 armourers, fifteen 

 lili-makers, 382 nailers, and sixty-three cutlers. In 

 the same year, the number of glassworks in Bohe- 



