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They produce chiefly argentiferous copper, yielding a marc of silver (nearly J pound)in the hundred weight, with occasionally a little gold. Ores of lead, zinc, and iron,are also met with. The mines are famous for their beautiful specimens of blue car-bonate of copper, and various other minerals. The mine of Moldawa affords likewiseorpiment. Tnese metallic deposites lie in beds and veins ; the former occurring par-ticularly between the mica-slate and the limestone, or sometimes between the limestoneand the sienite porphyry. Well-defined veins alsa are known to exist in the sieniteand the mica-slate. The Bannat possesses moreover important iron-mines at Dom-trawa and ltuchersberg; near Doinbrawa sulphuret of mercury is found. Cobaltmines occur likewise in these regions.
The mines constituting the four groups now described are not the sole metallicmines possessed by Hungary . A few others, hut generally of little importance, arescattered over different parts of this kingdom. Several have been noticed in theportion of the Carpathians which separates Transylvania from Moldavia and Wallachia .Their principal object is the exploration of some singular deposites of galena.
Besides the mines just noticed, Hungary contains some coal mines, numerous minesof rock salt, and several deposites of golden sands situated chiefly on the banks of theDanube, the Marosch , and the Nera.
The mines of the kingdom of Hungary produce annually, according to M. Heron deVillefosse, 5,218 marcs, or 2,810 pounds English of gold, worth 175,9761.; and about85,000 marcs, or 45,767 pounds of silver, worth 186,1321. The mines of Transylvania furnish nearly the half of the whole quantity of gold, and one seventeenth of the silvernow stated. The other mines of Europe produce together nearly twice as much silver,but merely a few marcs of gold. Hungary affords besides from 18,000 to 20,000metric quintals (about 4,000,000 libs. English ) of copper annually, and a great dealof iron.
From these mines proceed likewise from 3,000 to 4,000 metric quintals (660,000 to880,000 libs. Eng.) of lead; a quantity not more than is needed by the refining-housesfor the ores of silver and gold.
MINES OF THE ALTAYAN MOUNTAINS.
At the western extremity of the chain of the Altayan mountains, which separateSiberia from Chinese Tartary, there exists a number of metalliferous veins, in whichseveral important works have been established since the year 1742. They constitutethe locality of the mines of Kolywan; the richest in the precious metals of the threedistricts of this kind existing in Siberia .
These mines are opened up in the schistose formations which surround to the N. andW. and to the S.W. the western declivity of the high granitic chain, from which they areseparated by formations consisting of other primitive rocks. These schists alternate insome points with quartzose rocks, called by M. Renovantz hornstone, and with lime-stone. They are covered by a limestone, replete with ammonites. The metalliferousregion forms a semicircle, of which the first lofty mountains occupy the centre.
The most important exploration of this country is the silver mine of Zmeof, orZmeinogarsk, in German Schlangenberg, situated to the N.W. of the high mountainsin 51° 9' 25" N. L. and 79° 49' 50" long, east of Paris . It is opened on a greatVein, which contains argentiferous native gold, auriferous native silver, sulphuret ofsilver, hornsilver, gray copper, sulphuret of copper, green and blue carbonated copper,r ed oxide of copper, copper pyrites, sulphuret of lead, and great masses of testaceousarsenic slightly argentiferous. There occur likewise sulphuret of zinc, iron pyrites,and sometimes arsenical pyrites. The gangues (vein-stones) of these different ores aresulphate of baryta, carbonate of lime, quartz, but rarely fluate of lime.* The principalvein, which is of great power, has been traced through a length of several hundredfathoms, and to a depth of no less than 96 fathoms. In its superior portion, it has aninclination of about 50 degrees; but lower down it becomes nearly vertical. Its roof18 always formed of clay-slate. On the floor of the vein, the slate alternates with horn-stone. This vein pushes out branches in several directions; it is intersected by barrenVe ins, and presents successive stages of different richness. The first years were thehtost productive. The German miners employed subsequently by the Russian govern-ment have introduced regularity into the workings; and have excavated a gallery ofe *Bux 585 fathoms long.
The most important of the other silver mines of this department are those of Tchere-Panofski, 3 leagues S.E. of Zmeof; those of Smenofsld, 10 leagues S.E.; those of' lc olaiski, 20 leagues to the S.S.W.; and of Philipofski, 90 leagues S.E. of thefame place. The last mine lies on the extreme frontier of Chinese Tartary. It is notahown whether the southern slope of the Altaic chain within the Chinese territories,e °ntains metalliferous deposites.
% The ores extracted from these different mines yield on an average per quintal an