-rary origin, with that o f the neighbouring littoral, and mediterranean
mountains, in which are feen vaft ftrata o f this marble,
though often interrupted, and out o f their natural polition,
A t Venice, this marble is particularly ufed in building; I think,
it agrees with the calcareut fdidus, particulis impalpabilibus Walter
ii. -j' The appearance o f it is filiceous, particularly en being,
broken, when it flies, into concavo-convex fpli-nters, like the
common flint ftoae. Artificial acids are long in making any
impreffion on it, and nothing but the air, aflifted by the acid
particles which it commonly carries, along with, it, is capable,,
in a long courie- o f years, to render its furface rough, and fo,
make vifible the fmall triturated parts, o f which it is compofed.
I colledted feme curious fpeeimens o f the ofradtes on the low
ifland o f Ulbo, where the ihells o f theoyfters are in general found:
difpofed horizontally, one above another, and are neither calcined,
nor petrified, notwithftandiag the ages they have lain*
there. They ftill retain their natural brightnefs, and break in laminated
fcales, much in the fame manner as thofe taken,freih out:
of the fea. But th e fe ihells are not the fpoils o f any inhabitants;
of our feas, which produce no, fpecies o f oyfter whofe Ihell is,
fo long, or fo deeply channelled: they feem to have been le ft
there by that remote ocean, whofe teftaceous bodies formed the,
vaft ftrata o f calcareous fton.e, which now compofe the mafs o f
the Dalmatian i.iles; fmall and miferable remains o f ancient,
lands,
t Calcareus,filidus, particulis impalpabilibus, et indiftinitis. Wall. §. 4 1 . I,
Lapis calcareus particulis impalpabilibus, Cronftedt, 7.
Calculus litoralis, Diofeorid. Caefalp. Ence!,
Pierre a. chaux compafte. Bora arc., 1Q5 ...
lands, torn afunder by rivers, corroded by fubterraneous torrents,
ihattered by earthquakes, luhverted by Volcanos, 'and; then
overwhelmed b y a new lea. !I have given to this aggregate the
name o f a calcareous ftòne, flatey, fpatous alternately compofed
o f broken marine fubftances, and o f the before mentioned flat exotic
foffil oyfter. It is no uncommon thing, to meet with
thick incruftations, and fometimes in large pieces, between the
ftrata o f the ftone, and in the fmall cavities which are often found
in it. Thefe refemble identically the foft ftaladtetic marble,,,
coloured, with variegated ftreaks ; known by our fculptors by
the name o f alabafter o f Corfu.
I was not able to make any obfervations on the ifland o f Selve
j the ftorm o f wind, and tain, that forced me to take ihelter
en i t , prevented even a ihort excurfión.. But it is probable, that:
the ftones o f this ifland do not differ from thofe o f Ulbo. The;
air o f both illands is healthy ; but thè water o f neither is’ good ;
they are moreover, on all fides, expofed to thè windsV having.;
no eminences to defend them. Selve, fupplies many feamen,.
and is fufficiently well provided with cattle.
O f the Ifand o f Z a p u n t e j . l o .
Soon after I had failed from Selve, we were driven by the violence
o f the wind into a creek of the illand or Zapuntello, which is-
hut thinly inhabited, in proportion to its extent -, having only
three villages, from one o f which it takes its name. This ifland is
alfo called Melada, from another village ; and there is no doubt
but it is the- Meleta mentioned by Porphyrogenitus * among the
deferì®
¡* Coft. Porph. 1. citi