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The „,h.biunls of this fohtary but romantic fpol, are ttewife particularly ailive. They
c„lt„a.c a brauch of commerce, by wh.eh they are euablcd to cam a deccut and coi„^
fortable fubf,Hence, which eouiiOs in exporting dried <ru>l of various forts, but more particularly
a kind of fig pceuhar to the foil of that valley, and ^vhich, though fmallcr and of
a different fhape in refpc« of thofe brought from Spain, Portugal, and Malta, are eftcemcd
fuperior in Kite. The proecf. of drying their fruit is carried on upon dic tops of their
houfcs, which arc, as at Nice, flat roofed, for iimilar convenience, the Niffards being
famotis for dealing largely in the fame branch.
At about a mile from Sofpello, on a fmaU emmenee, ftands à chapel dedicated to U
Madon. de bon Sceom-. This eminence appeared to be totally fomied of fragments detached
from the latcml mountains: yet I difcovered on its „orth-»eH flde (where a large
piece had been earricd away by the fuddcn rife of the wateni, which pnxipit.te thcmfelves
from the neighbouring mountains, and under fevcral ealearcous blocks, which feemed
eonfufldl, heaped one above the other) a thick ilratum of pierres roulées, or large pebbles,
of upwards of two feet, refting on another of coarfe fand of tolerable conCflencc, but of
which I could not afcei-tain the depth.
This is furcly anotl.er fWUng and convmclng proof of the various revolt,tions which
have at different cpochas, and at different places, affedfed our continent, for the rubble-
®one, or fragments of mountains, generally found in their deep valleys, arc feldom placcd
„cordmg to their rcfpeilive gravides, having myfelf continually noticed flrata of huge
mafTea of rock refSng on ofliers of fand and pebbles alternately, as will appear from feveral
inflanees which Ifhall endeavour to illufirate in the eourfe of the prcfcnt work.
At the foot of this eminence begins the firil lieps or dgx.gs of the Col de Brans, or
rather Sofpetto, which is fituatcd to the eaftward of Brovis.
I had already been three quarter, of an hour afccnding this mountain, by means of
t c m e c partly ejeavated in the rock, each more tremendous and adonifhing the one than the
other, when I perceived that I had turned the hill, which appeared as f defecnded the Col
de Brous or Brovis to lie fouth of Sofpello ; a hill which is particularly Angular in its
formation, its bafis being at firfl eompofed of a kmd of cos molatis or mill-Hone, the
flrata of which are thick and porous, containing a quantity of granitic particles. Thefe
»rata extend above a mile in length on a eonfidcrablc elevation, inclining greatly towards
the north-caff, lofmg thcmfelves at once under a mountain of fine fand-flone of a bhiill.
hue : and as the cementing matter which joins the fandy particles together cfFcrvefced with
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77
acids, I was induced to fuppofe it the ' Cos particulis Minimis Glareoiis Mollis Ccedua'
Wallerius. Thefe beds or ftrata are upwards of ten feet thick, containing in their interior
round pieces of black quartz almofl: opaque, befides marine bodies, moiUy of the univalve
clafs, amongft which the buccinites and mufeuUtes feemed to be moil general.
What is furpriling as well as fingular in the flrufture of this kind oF flone is, tliat its
ftrata are nearly parallel to the horizon; whereas tliofe of the rock on which it Hands make
an angle of about 30°. This fine kind of fand-ftone, althongh tender when detached from
the quarry, is neverthelefs ufed for building, as it hardens when expofcd to the air.
The extreme height of this hill does not however appear to afFeit its fertility and cultivation
in the leaft; for wheat, beans, hemp, and fruit trees, promifcuouily grow together,
and contribute by their intermixture to make the eye rcpofe on this part of the mountain
with fatisfadhion and pleafure.
Having turned the fummit of the hill, and taken a dii^eition tending from eall to weft,
I found myfelf on a fudden at the brink of a frightful precipice, formed by the torrent
above mentioned, which here falls impetuouily from the mountains fituated to the fouthward
of this pafs.
The diredlion of the high road, which now again changes and leads from north tO
fouth, is cut or excavated in the fides of the mountain of Sofpetto, along the edge of
the fame precipice, exhibiting for the fpace of three miles an interrupted variation of wild
and romantic profpeits.
The direition and form of the Grata of this mountain, are not fimilar to thofe of the
hill; for inilead of being like tliem, entirely eompofed of fand-iione, it appeared, on the
conti-ar)', for upwards of a mile and a half, that they are formed of a greenifh lapis ollaris,
extremely foft or tender, with wide veins of laminated gj-pfum refembling coarfe alabafter,
not unlike the fpecies of gypfum globbfum or alaballrum. To this lapis ollaris, or apyrous,
fueceeded wide ftrata of fcliift of a deep blue, witliout any impreffion of foffils, but
which efFen'efced with acids; for which reafon I claiTed them with the fiflilis aluminaris.
This fchiii or flate refted on a yellowiih calcareous rock, ilripcd with feldfpath in thin
flrata. The remainder of the Col appeared to be entirely fonned of the fame calcareous
matter. Continuing tlie afcent of tliis pafs for tlie fpace of an hour and a half, from La
Madona de bon Secour, which ftands at the foot of the mountain, I arrived at the entrance
of a deep narrow valley, tending from noi-th-eaft to foutli-weft, extremely barren, though
watered by the torrent which falls from the pile of mountains fouth of the Col. This
I
Ilïf".