In the castle, I saw three thousand faumes of quick-silver, all stored carefully in barrels. Before storing, the quick-silver was first wrapped in double layers of leather to protect it. Nearby, I also saw a large amount of rich ore—enough to be distilled over two years. However, the process depends on rain, which is used to carry wood down the hills for the furnaces. The hills around the mine are very high, so it often snows at the top instead of raining, which slows the work Layout of the City.
Visitors to Idria
Strangers who visit the Castle of Idria have their names recorded in a register book, along with the countries they come from. The list is very long, but there are few Englishmen. Recently, only Mr. Evelyn and Dr. Pope visited with their companions. Their observations were later published in the Philosophical Transactions, giving a detailed account of the mine and the town.
Idria is a frontier town, situated on the borders of several nations. This makes it welcoming to travelers, because many languages are understood there. I observed that the officers and educated people could speak five languages fluently: Friulian, Slovenian, German, Latin, and Italian. French was also spoken, but it was less common and less valued.
Journey Through the Mountains
Leaving Idria, we crossed Swartzenberg, also called the Black Mountain. We traveled about ten miles through rocky and difficult terrain, much worse than the stony plains of Provence. After the mountain, we arrived at Idojhini, and then to Goritia (formerly called Jstoreja), the main town of the Goritia region Round Turkey Tours.
Goritia is well located, with a castle overlooking a large plain to the southwest. The Emperor’s governor lives in the castle. Recently, the governor was given a guard because a local gentleman had attacked him. The attacker was banished, and his house was destroyed as punishment.
Nighttime Travel
While traveling at night, we were sometimes surrounded by large glow-worms, which, when put into papers, gave a dim light. In some areas of the plains, the air was full of flaming insects, creating a beautiful and unusual display. This small natural spectacle brought us some delight during our journey.
