the great rains. Jfuft fo, in the Paduan hills, between the heights
o f Venda and Rua, the girls ufe to collect the 22ntvochi, or columnar
Afleriee, found there in abundance after a thaw o f Snow,
in order to throw them unobferved, into the fire, and to divert
themfelves at the furprife, and fometimes the fright, which their
•fudden crackling like fea falt' caufes in thofe- who are prefent. I
went twice up to thofe heights, on purpofe to make a colleflion,
hut foon perceived by the fcarcity, that many hands had been
there before me.
The hill divided by the waters o f the Xernovniza is o f fand
ftone, o f a grey or bluiih colour, without apparent marks o f
petrifactions. The left fide o f the river is. craggy, horrid and
impraticable: the othér'is cultivated, or at lead planted with
vines and fig-trees. The in fe t enemy of this lad kind o f fruit
was, at that time, fo prodigioufly propagated, that on one fig,
not bigger than a common nut, I counted above feventy new
gallsj and on oneleaf alone a hundred and ■ fifty-feven : the branches
were quite covered with them. Arriving at the hamlet o f
Xernminiza, and clamberingup to thé ¡Curate’s houfe, in the condition
o f a man who had walked in hade, under a burning fun,
and at mid-day, over a fteep and ftoney road; I defired my honed
guide to make my requeft known to him, not daring to do it
myfelf, for fear o f offending his ear, by the bad pronunciation
o f a few 11-lyric words. But the inhofpitable and fufpicious
pried refufed abfolutely to open the church, nor would he yield
to all the intreaties that were made him with the greateft humility
imaginable. All his anfwer was nechiu, “ I will not,” to
whatever the guide and I could fay to him. Such brutal behaviour
made me lofe all patience ; 1 was no longer aihamed to
fpeak
fpeak llly r ic ; and ;oij going • aw^y I ,copldinbt el p. breaking, out
in all the abufive terms I knew,, againd that iron hearted man.
The good curate let me go on, and peaceably ih u th im fs lfu p
in his cottage. This was the fird and greatelf, nayr ulmfiff thp
only indance o f inhofpitality that I met w-ith in qaa.ti^:. i ,. -t>o-t
I was-very fenfible o f it, and could not help mentipning.it particularly.
May Heaven preferve you, Sir, from fuch brutifh,
vage treatment, among the mountains which you vifit, and from
which, whatever tour you make, you .will certainly bring many
obfervations and important difcoveries, which .the rppublick o f
nafuralids will always wiih for with reafon!.-Tcr.p)y0par
Wait impatiently for your return to Italy,[¡being attached to.„ylp.u
not only by the chain o f our mutual dudies, but.alfixby ther'veneration
I have for your fuperior talents and., meritj Tor which.,1
love and edeem you above all the naturalifts I know, flof one
of whom can equal you in acutenefs o f obfervation,, exa.&ncf:j
in examining, refolution in determining and perfeverance id prp-
fecuting your phyfical refearches»
i ’l» ,i ,u bs.jlisw h;.d edw nsni s l o noitib
T O