TO THE CAPITAL OF THE BANNAT. 301 
men and women, in a state of intoxication. 
Its vicinity to the mines may account for this 
circumstance*. The Mine of Nagijog is distant 
about fifteen English miles, in the heights of 
the mountains, lying- upon the north side of 
the Maros. As we had a letter from Baron 
Bruckenthal, of Hermans tadt, to Mr. Franzenau, 
Director of the works at the Mine of Nagyag, 
we determined to quit the main route, and to 
visit Nagyag the next day. For this purpose, 
the postmaster of Deva recommended that we 
should leave our carriage with him; and he 
engaged to provide for us a light open car, with 
four horses, which would be better suited to 
the narrow road we had to ascend, and in 
which v/e might be conveyed with ease and 
expedition. 
Tuesday, May 3. — ^We crossed the impetuous 
current of the Maros, by means of a ferry. 
Strabo, to whose inestimable writings, as to 
sun-beams, we have long been accustomed to 
(2) It is a common occurrence in the neighbourhood of Minet : 
and perhaps the following observation, made by Born, in his Letters to 
Ferber, may explain its frequency in Transylvania. " Every noble- 
man," says he, " keeps on his groui d an inn, to sell wine to the 
miners," See Travels through the Bannat, ifc. Lett. \\. p.D7- 
fj)nd. 1777. 
