The salt mines of Hungary are very productive, parti cularly those in the counties of Scharosch and Marma rosch. In the former county, near the village of Sevar, great quantities of rock salt were extracted during the 16th century ; but towards the end of the 17th century, the quarries were inundated by salt springs, which contain a remarkable quantity of muriate of soda. Since that time other inundations have taken place ; but, without neglecting the extracting of rock salt, establishments have been form cd for obtaining common salt. These mines produce 27 per cent. All the salt pits and mines are under the direc tion of the crown, and produce annually about a million and a half of quintals. The price is fixed by the govern ment, and cannot be augmented but by the king, with the consent of the diet. As the profits arising from the sale of this commodity form a part of the regal duties, it is not allowed to any individual to appropriate to his own use any saline earths or springs which he may have discovered, even on his own property.
Hungary abounds in quarries of limestone, and marbles of various colours. Alabaster and chalk are also com mon.
Manufactures and the arts are still in their infancy in Hungary, and do not nearly supply the consumption of its inhabitants. Linen and woollen cloths are made through out the country ; but there is only one cotton manufactory, which is established at Sassin, in the county of Neutra. In 1800 it employed 20,000 individuals in different parts of the country, and circulated every year nearly half a million of florins. There was formerly another cotton factory at Lisza, which consumed annually about 150 quintals of cot ton, and-yielded a gain of 18,000 florins ; but the proprie tor several years ago removed it to Baad in Austria. Ac cording to M. Schwartner, this manufacture in 1796 kept 1,700 looms in employment, which produced 25,000 pieces of cotton cloth. Those in the northern districts, though still very imperfect, are the most flourishing, and have made considerable progress within the last twenty years. The other branches of industry that are deserving of no tice are, the manufacture of oils, paper, potashes, spirits, liqueurs, tobacco, woad, hats, soap, leather, alum, earthen ware, glass, copper, and iron.
The Germans were the first who introduced the arts into this kingdom in the 12th century ; and from that time the principal artisans have been of that nation. A true Hun garian would consider himself degraded by being employed in any other labours than those of agriculture or arms. This repugnance is very general ; and though their national costume has always been a hussar dress, covered with lace and fringe, yet it is only within these fifty years that the ca pital possessed a single lace-maker.
Considering the extent of this kingdom, its commerce may be divided into two branches ; the trade carried on be tween its different districts, and its trade with foreign countries, or its internal and external commerce. The in
habitants of the north, who, with their utmost industry, are unable to raise sufficient corn for their own consumption, exchange their iron, salt, cloths, and other manufactures, for a portion of the luxuriant harvests of the south ; and this traffic is greatly facilitated by the establishment of fairs, of which there ate 1640. The itinerant merchants, however, who frequent these fairs, and travel through the country, though they ate serviceable in supplying the inha bitants with many articles which they could not otherwise easily obtain, are supposed to have done considerable injury to trade in' general, and also to the revenue of the state. The merchants stationary in the towns presented a memo rial to the diet on this subject in 1802, complaining that their itinerant brethren possessed neither knowledge nor character proper for merchants ; that they defrauded the revenue, by smuggling articles of import ; that they im posed upon the inhabitants with damaged goods, and exor bitant prices ; and thus destroyed that confidence which the public ought to have in the merchant. Notwithstand ing this remonstrance, however, the fairs are still con tinued.
The external commerce of Hungary was so very incon siderable as late as 1779, that it yielded only 27,347 florins; but by the exertions and speculations of a few spirited indi viduals, who employed every possible mean for establishing foreign relations, it was brought, in the beginning of the pre sent century, to 3,631,553 florins. Many difficulties, howe ver, must he overcome, before Hungary can be formed into a commercial country. Its geographical situation is very unfavourable to commercial operations, being sixty-eight leagues maritime coasts of Austria ; and conse quently the expellee or transportation precludes it front competing in foreign markets with those countries which are more favourably situated. Its productions, in spite of these obstacles, are carried into Austria, Italy, Switzer land, Germany, Prussia, Russia, and other northern states. These consist chiefly in grain, tobacco, wine, gall-nuts, cat tle, wool, skins, tallow, honey, wax, buckthorn, antimony, and potashes. Grain is exported into the frontier states of Austria, and by the- Adriatic. In 1803, Vienna alone re ceived from this country 543,083 Presbourg measures of wheat and rye, 316,163 or barley, and 591,839 of oats. Hungary supplies Austria and the German states with to bacco, and exports wine into all the northern kingdoms and states of Europe. Vienna alone consumes annually from 30,000 to 35,000 eimers.