The southern slopes of the Carpathians consist of various older strata—­secondary, primary, and metamorphic—­and the rocks of which they are composed are limestone, marble, schist (mica-schist and slate), and gneiss.  On the summits are found conglomerates formed of quartz, limestone, and sandstone.

To this meagre and superficial outline of the geological formations of the country we have only to add that the inclination of the strata is generally downwards in the direction of the Danube, and that they are often contorted in a very remarkable manner.[17]

We have already spoken of the deposits of salt, petroleum, and lignite, and in association with the second is found the substance known as ozokerit or fossil wax.  This is a brownish-yellow translucent crystalline hydrocarbon, which softens with the warmth of the hand, and burns with a bright light.  It has never been industrially applied, excepting in small quantities by the peasantry, who themselves fabricate rude candles from it; but this is owing rather to want of enterprise than to scarcity of the deposit.  Anthracite, too, is present in various places, but it is not worked.  Of the existence of iron there is no doubt whatever.  Not only are there indications of it in the ferruginous brooks and springs, but it has been found in association with coal in various parts of the country.[18] Specimens of haematite have several times been submitted to analysis, but the results were very unsatisfactory.  One sample tested by M. Hanon gave only 35.5 per cent., and another by Dr. Bernath yielded 40 per cent., of metallic iron.  That gold has been found and was worked in the Carpathians as far back as the Dacian age is well known; and, according to modern writers, cobalt, sulphur, arsenic, copper,[19] and lead are also present in different districts, but the workable minerals of Roumania are at present limited to salt, petroleum, and lignite; and, looking to the importance of the subject, it is much to be regretted that the Government does not take the same means to instruct the population in practical geology and mineralogy as are employed to disseminate agricultural knowledge at the excellent institution to which reference will be made hereafter.  If the people are only allowed to develop their industries in peace, it will no doubt soon become apparent that the strata are charged with considerable stores of mineral wealth.

[Footnote 15:  The chief are R.F.  Peters (Die Donau und ihr Gebiet.  Leipzig:  Brockhaus, 1876.  Cap. xii. p. 313), Fuchs, Bernath, and D.T.  Ansted.  There have also been isolated memoirs published by Roumanians, but, so far as we could ascertain, no systematic work is extant.  The best general works, touching also on geology, are those of Aurelian and Obedenare.]

[Footnote 16:  Principles of Geology, vol. i. p. 209.]