Notes on Foreign Geology and Mineralogy. [21 
in the neighbourhood of the immense virgin forests which cover the 
sides of the Carpathians.—Traces of native mercury were met with 
at Pitesti, in the district of Argis, in a thin bed of clay, whilst the 
foundations of a house were being laid ; but the metal has not been 
sought for since.—Rock-salt is the most abundant mineral substance 
of Roumania. The Government Mines are worked in Vilcca, Pra- 
hova, and Bouzéo. About 86,000 tons areraised annually. Beds of 
salt appear in many places even at the surface, principally on the 
mountain-sides, but they generally plunge about 100 yards under the 
surface; they are upon an average about 160 yards thick.—There 
is indication of coal at several places, on the borders of the River 
Bahna, in Mehedintzi district, near the town of Tourna Severino, 
and in the district of Vileca, near the village of Tamasesti. The seams 
do not appear very considerable, but they have never been properly 
explored.—Roumania abounds in lignite, especially in the districts 
of Vileca, Mehedintzi, &c. It has given rise, from time to time, to 
some curious geological phenomena. ‘Thus, during the earthquake 
of 1838, crevasses were suddenly formed, out of which rolled tor- 
rents of bituminous and mineral waters. M. Poenar was directed by 
Prince Alexandre Ghica to study these phenomena. In certain 
localities he found the lignite had taken fire during the earthquake ; 
and it has continued to burn ever since. Jn the neighbourhood of 
Malavetza, in the district of Mehedintzi, he witnessed an extraor- 
dinary fact. Underneath a layer of clay, about six yards thick, was 
a bed of lignite; the earthquake detached the clay, which slipped 
during the night down the side of a hill, carrying with it the pea- 
sants’ houses and the trees, which remained standing almost perpen- 
dicular as before: the bed of lignite took fire immediately on being 
thus laid bare in contact with “the atmosphere. Neither coal nor 
lignite is worked in Roumania, although the latter is so abundant, 
and often close to the surface.—itumen is met with in several 
localities, sometimes in the solid state, sometimes liquid; it is worked 
at Prahova and at Bouzéo, where the mines yield about 170 lbs. per 
day. eee bitumen, or petroleum-oil, is abundant, and would 
doubtless have been extensively worked before this, if the means of 
communication were better.— Sulphur is found native in the district 
of Dimbovitza, near the village of Chotinga. It is found in a layer 
of green clay, in the form of globules. It is also met with at the 
mineral springs of Baboci.—At Sibicia, Coltziu, and Valea Booului, 
in the district of Bouzéo, amber is found. It is generally of a 
greenish tint, and more é esteemed on that account.—In the district of 
Argis, on Mount Ciocan, and at the mineral springs of Olanesti in 
Vileca, garnets are met with in micaceous sandstone, and in the 
gravel and sand on the borders of the rivers.—M. Poenar termi- 
nates his two papers by an account of the mineral waters of Rou- 
mania. There are three kinds, ferruginous, sulphurous, and alkaline. 
These mineral springs appear to be abundantly dispersed over the 
whole district. At Prédial, and Cornu in the district of Prahova, 
both iodine and bromine are found in these mineral waters. All the 
springs are cold except that of Cozia, the water of which has a tem- 
