Deák Antal András: A Duna fölfedezése
Tartalom - III.A DANUBIUS PANNONICO-MYSICUS, 1726
T II E DISCOVERY OF THE DANUBE a bridge spans the waves of the water / My servants fried me fish and crayfish,/ Which they could catch in the water with their bare hands. 126 In return for his services, he requested Marsigli to ask for 1000 thalers from the emperor for his book which was ready to be printed. Marsigli probably did his best, as he was grateful to the bishopric of Zagreb as well which had helped him with historical data about the country. Marsigli made arrangements for several young men from Croatia to study theology in Bologna. The tone of this letter, however, implies that Marsigli forgot to return the books and the precious maps Ritter had given him. He was able to use them not only during the demarcation of the frontier but also in his earlier book entitled The states of the Hungarian Kingdom. The following topics are discussed in the manuscript which follows the maps: 12 7 The arrival of the Huns in Pannónia and the genealogy of Attila their king. The second invasion of the Huns with the seven princes and King Stephen I's genealogy. Genealogy of the kings of Bosnia.The genealogies of various Serbian kings and counts and of the despot Vuk Brankovich.The genealogy of the kings of Bulgaria followed by those from Transylvania and Wallachia. The volume is ornamented with lovely, coloured coats-of-arms of the aristocracy. He even indicated with six different colours, the blood carried in the veins of the various rulers. A scientist in Sopron called Gruber 12 8 sent Marsigli a study entitled Status Daciae Antiquae on July 24, 1702. 12 9 He promised in the letter to send him his report on the counties of Hungary although he was not yet ready with them. An unknown gentlemen with the monogram C. D, sent material from Sopron to Marsigli on the Pannonian, Dacian and Serbian legions. Concerning the history of Slavonia, he provided two book titles: História Ecclesiasticae Ecclesiarum Slavonicarum, Trajecti 1652 and Helmoldi et Arnoldi: Cronica Slavonum. . ., Lübeck, 1659. 130 Samuel Rohfrey (Samuel Rohfrey in Kreisbach) from Gyulafehérvár sent him descriptions of the minerals and the mining districts of Transylvania. 13 1 He answered Marsigli's letter and request with the following statement: "Transylvania is so rich in various ores that no European land can match it. Regrettably, however, there are very few people in Transylvania, who could exploit the treasures lying deep in the earth. The mountains hide metals in two regions. One, the mountains that begin at Gyulafehérvár and extend twelve miles over Körös-Bánya, is extremely rich in gold. The other one, from Kapnik toward Besztere in the land of the Seklers abounds in silver. In comparison with other gold mines in Hungary, gold mining is unbelievably easy here. There are also ore and copper mines, but these latter no longer yeild much and have been abandoned. Antimony and cinnabar are also mined. And gold is washed from the rivers. The land is fabulous, not barren. There is little water in the mines except in those in the southern part of the region. Yet, there is more salt in Transylvania than metal. Pure white salt, which is hard and heavy but dry, can be found in great abundance from Maramaros through Dés until the border of Wallachia and Moldva. It is often found exposed on the surface. There are many kinds of mineral waters, which can rival other European mineral waters in taste as well as in their healing powers. " IMAGE No. 17 on page 37: Springs in flames - Letters A, B and C mark the depressions where the water of the sulphurous springs gathered; the tongues of flame with an Arabic numeral mark the fire above the surface of the water 12 6 BUB Mss di Marsigli Vol. 79. pp. 40-41. P. Ritter to Marsigli. Zágráb, 9 October 1699. Postquam a te redii, sub arce relicto,/ Faustus amore tuo, et munere dives Eques;/ Consedi fluminis primus pransurus ad amnem,/ Qua firmo fluide ponte jugantur aquae,/ Hie mihi pisciculos famuli, cancrosque paraunt,/ Quos poterant nuda carpcre in amne manu... 12 7 BUB Vol. 103. pp. 390-490. F II. 3. 1701. 12 8 Perhaps Ádám Gruber, Lutheran minister in Sopron from 1692 to 1707. (Lajos Bartha). 12 9 BUB Mss di Marsigli Vol. 82. Gruber; Sopron, 24. June, 1702. 13 0 BUB Mss di Marsigli Vol. 80. B. A letter by an unknown writer with the monogram C. D. Sopron, August 28, 1702. 13 1 BUB, Vol. 80. C. p. 70. Samuel Rohfrey; Gyulafehérvár (Alba Iulia), February 5, 1701. 117
