Milefo, which the king keeps guarded, that the inhabitants o *
the country may not ufe the fait; to them probably is owing
the faltnefs of the wells o f Gr&tta-Miranda, and the neighbouring
places in the heart o f the Apennines. We colledted, on the tops
of the hig-heft hills, flujtated ilones full o f marine bodies. In
fome parts, ftrata o f land, and teftaceous bodies occupy the tops
o f the hills, as under- the city o f Ariana, where a good colleition
o f petrifailions well exprefled might eafily be made. It is alio
curious- to fee, at three miles diftance from that city, the flutiated
pebbles, which being reduced to a very white dully calx, without
the attion of fire, continue hill wrapt in marine flu via tile mud,
indurated by a force very different from vulcanic. The country
round' Artano, - for ten of twelve miles in circuit, is all oh
this-mud .and Tea, fan d, combined an various ways,, and more or
lefsuontainingtejlacei. But I perceive I am going too far from-
my prefent purpofe. We defcended through the defolate plains
of Puglia to Manfredonia ; there we embarked,, without feeing,
your Prior o f Monte- Gargano. We palled through the iflands
of Dalmatia; where we frequently found depofites o f foffil bones*
from thence vifiting the littoral towns-, and Morlatchi on the
continent; fearching for the velliges o f ancient rivers, and dif-
covering them on the tops; of the hills, and in the deepeit hor-
rour of caverns; .meeting, in the interior parts o f the country,
with many vulcanic hills, and recent marks of earthquakes, and
enjoying the moll cordial hofpita]ity,;as well among thofe woods,
as in the more poliihed maritime places. After all this journey,
o f which; in a fhort timejuyou will fee the particulars, and
obfervations defcribed, leaving the continent we pafled over to
Ofero, and from thence to Cherjo. There- I was deprived o f his
Lordihip’s agreeable company, who, being recalled to your fortunate
iflands by preffing affairs, purfued • bis journey through
Iilria,
Iflria, to avoid a precarious voyage by fea; but the rare qualities
which adorn that noble prelate, remained deeply imprefl'ed
on my mind. I found fome changes in the city o f Gherjb. The
s tw o fetid pools, which were a great nuifanee, had been filled
aip through the paternal attention o f the nobleman Giamb'attijla
Comoro, who, a few monthiago. -Wai fent thither fr’ofn Vetiice
.as governor o f the ifland, arid who has evety quality -to rehder
himfelf both agreeable and'ufeful to any community over which
he prefides. He has taken the needful meafures to liave the
{hallow bay o f fta water within the c ity properly cleared and
deepened in the cotirfe o f next winter. Some Of the principal
inhabitants propofe to make new" plantations, and to affign funds
for maintaining- a publick fchool. I know,not''whether our
counfels and fuggeft-ions have had any part in thcie improvements,
but I confefs my felf-love felt fome fecr'et emotions on
feeing fuch good beginnings in that city.
In the foffil hi dory I found but little new'. There' are, in the
neighbourhood o f Ofero, vulcanic {tones; and that is perhaps,
the moft important article o f my further obfervations; becaufe
it contributes to confirm the conje&ure that fubterraneous fire
has fome way, had a part in raifmg all the hills formed under
the ancient waters of the fea; as it is allowed, to be the only
architedl of thofe that rife out o f the earth, lik e Monte Nuovo o f
Pozzuoli, a n d the little hills that were thrown up from the roots
.of Vefuvius, in 17160, to the height o f a hundred feet. That
the fire has ailed under ground in fome other parts of the ifland,
Without iffuing through any aperture, or throwing out lava,
feems to be proved by feveral depofites of Saldame, which, as‘.I
have alfo had occafion to obferve in the vulcanic hills of Morlac-
ih ia , is ufually nothing elfe, in thofe parts, but-the pulveriza-
R r r 2 tion;