2 6 T R A V E L S THROUGH
FULL of admiration at the beauties with which I had been furrounded, I found
myfelf as it were, imperceptibly, in the midft of the firft chain of the Tridentinc
Alps. When arrived at the important fort of Chiufa, the fcenc changed totally, and
beauties of a different nature prefented themfelves to the eye: for, inftead of rich and
fertile meadows, intermixed with charming and extenfive forefts of olive-trees, &c. huge
and tremendous rocks feem to furround one.
THEIR fuiiunits were covcred with firs, lofing themfelves in the clouds, and fpreading
their dark mantle athwart the view, whilft their bafe, compofed of enormous maffes of
ftoiie, hung Ihelving over tjie road, which is dug out of the fteep fide of the rock.
ON the other fide is a precipice, at the bottom of which rolls the river Adigc; which,
at times, finding its courfe contraded in the narrow part of the valley, daihes impetuouily
with a white foam againft chofe tremendous rocks.
ALTHOUGH this fituation is both wild and barren, it contains many valuable plants,
viz. the Echinops Sphaerocephalus, Plantago Alpina, Saponaria Vaccaria, Delphinum
Peregrinum, Anthyllys Hermanis, Dorcynio d'Alcunni, Myofatis Capula or Cynoglofo
Vulgare, Campanula Specula, or the Onlbrychis Ongarica of Carlo Clufio, the Philomis
Purpurea or Verbafco Tertio of Mathioli, and the Chryfocoma Hinafquis, &c.
THE mountains, which border.the contrafted part of the valley, are moftly compofed
of calcareous flone, of a yellowilh colour, the grain of which is particularly coarfe,
containing a quantity of marine bodies, unknown in the European Seas; viz. a variety
of entroch®, cchiniti, belemniti, &c.
I, NEVERTHELESS, pcrceivcd in various parts of the mountain (which is fituatcd on the
left from Verona, and a continuation of mount Baldo) extenfive banks of marble, of a
deep red, which feemed to compofe the bafe of that mountain.
THOSE banks form an angle with the horizon, of nearly twenty-three degrees and a
half, from Eaft to Wcfl. I was furprifed at finding that they did not immediately
effervefce wi th acids, not being then able to account for i t ; but, before the conclufion
of this work, I propofe explaining in what manner I convinced myfelf that acids do not
always ferve to diftinguiih calcareous ftones.
THE inferior ftrata of the greateft part of the mountain we have been defcribing,
which lie between the banks of marble, are of a finer grain: however, not finding the
leail trace of marine produiUons, I was led to fuppofe it probable, that the mountain,
as well as feveral of the fecondary chains of the Alps, may have been formed at different
times: a conjedure which is fupported by many of our naturalifts. It is, neverthelefs,.
a fubjeift of too great importance in the ftudy of geology, to decide on, without very
maUire and exaft obfcrvations. Many of the ancient naturalifis of Italy, and among the
reft Giovanni Pona, affcrt, that " near the fort of Chiufa, the two mountains which