I 350 ]
"lower part of the ifland is compofed alternatively o f little hills
and vallies, and o f a fubflance, for the moil part; very different
from that of the mountain, and its adjacencies. As the organization
o f the hibtftrtàîiî is I:f&J fliât o f thé hill'^is
genëfhllÿ àfëriaCedfe.-■ The' fvfïéntohé foriiis ■ a largé'part, ''àhd
freijiitntly 'kïoûtMh^'-'ÔJfycicfles, :>aiiJd ifâÜiiÜlaf'H ; the e^tetiour
ftratrfm K!ifoiiimonly ffiàbfe. afrie rafMfe^ which, hcbbfdihg'to
appearance^1' fnoMtj*8e full ôf1 îarfâ, .’ "are pfovfd'éd'with'an ek-
ceilèiit foil, filch a fnixtutb 8f weryi rnihJute faridl a^ià ' re-
qùlStefê^îS^p3©; Kgnt. ^ Spnhgsjof^frefh^wa'ter, are'by nature
well dmriftufec! oyer thé ifland,' 'and^marhiaîh a pfopër Tiürhidity
Wnen the'fu miner is not éxceiTîvely dryb fo that the dark verdure
o f fife hills' covered wifli wood the luxuriance o f thè vir.es, and
frefhnefs o f tlje com ground, form a fpelhâcléektrémelÿ chearful
and ' agreeable'.' J
The ifland o f Arho would have every thing rcquifite for the
fubhtlehce b f -ftg fmall population, i f the land .was. cultivated by
a people lets ftupid and lazy. It produces, howëver, firewood,
o f which many cargoes are annually fent to Venice;-corn, oil,
excellent^wine^ ^brandy,^ pnd fijk, ;fince,yery,ancient times ; they
feed the filk_ worms witly the leaves'of the blaçld.muïbêrry/:‘ it
ved’ nw8B^**• îxn&Ëis tiogs,. andVhojfes' o f a’ ^ppd
-Tlïere afjÇç) abundance o tgood fait n?adç Qn'the'ïfland;
° fc fc2)%X/I,rrjackrelfrlanzfodh/.and fardph, nd:t-
nalmu^n^d.^vk^ard ;mannyr,.
mnmii 3§r/miihn c%"a^ i 'nrtWH ^ ïÈf, p^pbpgjafli, "who,
t oW v im & W sM -ftliing thid.commodity
to dfWgiëg,|jrathyBrt;h^n,.to the y.enetia^. Yet, with
all tlieie natural produtf ^ fh e ffla p d ycry far from being rich,
[ • m â J
or even, in a tolerably flourishing. ilate ; becaufe there is much,
land, left uncultivated,, and,the peafany.are, lazy.. |
In m ak ip g m y p b fe rv ^ io n s, concerning theYoÇiy.hifto^y o f tljçi
ifland o f Arbe, I found.rfpn)e things tha t appe^yed . yçijy qupipps...
T h e fum m it o f the iqoupta-in fs alrpoft pl<qn,,,,as. I ipid pefprp,,,
and in fome places is depreffed lihe a bafhn»- . ¡ , f e^ap>inyd(lyvithi,
diligence the. m afles, o f marble, fhgt are. fcaypred.itbeyev jfçpçn-:-r
deptly from, the ftrata, and found* without',jtny furp rife
having frequently met, witjbtthe.fame-.thing, th a t tKe.grepteif. p a rf ;
were breccia : and 'was pleafed. that my, dpipio.n abquf thé aperient;
State,of the mountains in thofe pa rts.jiçq uired ftill ereater .fprc^,^
One "thing. I ipet with ont mofe l f e i g h t s ^ « :n e ^ to ^m e ^ .^ n ^ 5fgaf.:.
was* ve,ry la rg e tracts jo fjh ip u t e fa n d , ¡mixed with an, iron
ous earth, d ep o fited in very regular ilrata, j jl i l lxfie thqfc m a fa ry .’
formed b y the inundations o f our large rivers.' I examined, with
the microfcQpe, that fand, fo flrangely Situated’ on the top o f a
mountain, in an ifland, 'and found i t to CQnftfo of. quartz, ¡ajids
manifemy produced ’by the trituration o f matter feparated from ,
mineral mountains...
You, rny learned'FHendj ' will 'certain! y;, nôfcèrifure.me, i f i f
.affert poiifively, that the arenaceous quartz is produced by;
the trituration o f moûnfain ftonei carried down/by torrents, .and!
pulverized by a codifiant friction in following the courte p f rivers..
Our waters of Lombardy, and particularly the Po, leave no room,
to doubt, o f thihfafl, and. reafon alone'might. Convince a. man,,
who had never feen the. banks o f great, rivers , at a diilance from,
their fources. The naturalifls o f the north, and among them
the celebrated Wallerius, who certainly well deferves his fame,,
in order, I fuppofe, not to engage themfelves in refearches, the
con*n