Dr. Kubassek János szerk.: A Kárpát-medence természeti értékei (Érd, 2004)
Dr. Péter Rózsa: Robert Townson (1762-1827): a pioneer scientific explorer of the Carpathian Basin
/Ao/x-y/ //ow»:,<•„ 0762-4827): a fiÙMiew scientific eœfi/ovev- oft/ic (oa/r^iaT/iian 0ßadi>i O TOWNSON'S OBSERVATIONS IN THE TOKAJ MOUNTAINS obcrt Townson came to Tokaj from Debrecen. He reported mainly on viticulture and the famous Tokay wine in the chapter XI of his Book, 7 however, he recognised some pétrographie curiosities during his trips around the town. He made one of the first descriptions of the loess of the Nagyhegy of Tokaj, and he attempted to explain its origin, too: "The soil is remarkably fine and light, just like Tripoli: it is quite a powder, of a light brown colour, and makes a considerable effervescence with acids: it has nothing of the nature of sand, nor is it at all mixed with gravel or stones; only now and then a few loose pieces of Porphyr)' are found amongst it. It is very deep: where ravines have been formed by rains it may be seen that it is several yards thick. Towards the top of the hill, immediately above the town, it is more rocky, and there probably it is not so deep. I was in doubt what nature I should consider this soil to be; and at a loss to explain how so deep and light a soil should exist upon so rapidly sloping hill, Towards the bottom, facing the river, there are some precipices which throw, I think, considerable light upon this matter. Here, in this soft, friable soil, I observed the same structure I had often seen in traps and basaltes, ivhen in an incipient state of decomposition - a disposition to assume rude and irregular prismatic and columnar forms: but a large angular block imbedded in the soil threw the greatest light upon it. This, though with the angular shape of a fragment of stone, differed from the soil only in being a little darker colour, and not quite so friable; yet it might be cut like cheese, and it made an effervescence ivith acids. Prom these circumstances, I am led to consider the soil, as well as the block, to be some kind of trap or basalt decomposed. " 8 To value Townson's interpretation, it must be taken into consideration that the name "löß" (loess) was first applied in petrography by Karl Cäsar von Leonhard (1779-1862) in 1823, and its eolian origin was proved by Ferdinand Richtofen (1833-1905) as late as 1877. Townson left Tokaj on 29 t!l June 1793. After this he made an one-week excursion in the Tokaj Mountains, and left Telkibánya for Kassa in the evening on 6 th July (figure 4). He regarded his trip in the Tokaj Mountains so important that he summarised his experiences in a whole chapter (Chapter XH: Mineralogical Remarks).
