CARN IOLA, a duchy of Germany, in the circle of Austria : hounded towards the north by Carinthia and Styria; on the west by Friuli, the country of Gorz, and the Adriatic Sea; on the south by the same sea, and the part of Istria possessed by the republic of Venice ; and on the cast by Dalmatia and Croatia. This province is situated in latitude between 44•° 48' and 46° 7' north, in longitude between 13° 33' and 15° 40' cast. Its greatest length, from west to east, is about 120 miles. Its great est breadth is about 100. The face of this country is for the most part mountainous. Some of its mountains are more or less cultivated and inhabited, others are altoge ther in a desert state : Some of them arc naked, others clothed with wood. The summits of several of them, especially in Upper Carniola, are continually covered with snow. One of the loftiest mountains in the Austrian dominions occurs in this quarter, namely the Terklou, which rises to the height of 10,194 feet above the level of the sea. This is the principal summit in the southern chain of the Alps, which traverse this duchy in a direc tion from ,vest to east ; and which, to the westward of this central or dividing point, are known by the name of the Carnatic Alps; to the east of it by that of the Julian. Other considerable mountains in these parts arc the Caleberg ; the Lobel, which separates Carniola from Carinthia, and affords from its summit a very fine pros pect ; the Ruin-berg, the Karst, and the .Nanas. Among these mountains are interspersed many fruitful and fields, which form an agreeable variety, and are of the greatest consequence to the subsistence and comfort of the inhabitants. The declination of the duchy of Ca rinthia, as well as generally of the immediately adjoining provinces, is for the most part from west to cast. This is evinced by the circumstance, that the rivers in these parts chiefly run in that direction. The same thing is evident from the aspect of the mountains, which obvi ously decrease in elevation as they are situated more to the eastward. Thus, in the line of the Alps before men tioned, the summits, alter the Terklou is passed, de cline much in height, and no longer exhibit any thing hut the appearance of calcareous rocks, curiously chap ped and hollowed out; in some places rising into steep and inaccessible points; in others sinking down into deep caverns, or pierced, in a horizontal direction, into far extending grottos, The aspect cal this country externally, is altogether such as should hits reason to expect an abundant supply of valuable mineral substances. Here accordingly are
mines of iron, lead, and copper. Quicksilver also and cinnabar are found in great quantity. The most ancient and the most noted of the mines from which the iron is drawn, is situated in the mountain of Eisenberg, (A Naseleiro. At Aincin, or Selelniko, there is also an ex cellent iron mine, and one at Janerbourg, which is of importance by furnishing materials for the manufacture of steel in this country. There are not in Carniola any mines of gold or silver ; but those which it has are per haps hardly less profitable to it. The quicksilver mines in Idria arc of great celebrity, and equally valuable. They are the richest of this description in Europe, annually to the amount of 12,000 quintals of pure quick silver, besides about 6000 or 7000 quintals of native cin nabar. The Spaniards have been accustomed to pur chase the half of the mercury procured here, at the rate of two piastres per quintal. These mines were ac cidentally discovered in 1497. They have been hollowed out to the depth of about 900 feet, and the mercury is obtained from the numerous subterranean cavities that have been opened in than in great abundance, being found in stones, in a sort of clay, and sometimes in a dis engaged state, issuing from the rocks, and dropping spontaneously on the ground below. There arc here va rious other sorts of mineral produce, some of greater, others of less consideration. The Carniola marble is reckoned beautiful, and it is found in great abundance and variety in different parts of the country. There is found here also alum, nitre, vitriol, bolar earth, and fullers' earth. Rock crystals are frequent, likewise beautiful hyacinths, eagle-stones, and blood-stones.