the entrance of the above valley, leaving a naiTow ftony road on the IcA, which leads to
the valley of Peglia, and from thence to Menton in the neighbourhood of Monaco, and
continued the high road for about three quarters of an hour, along the abrupt fide of the
mountain in which it is partly cut, and at the edge of a frightfial precipice, whofe depth
and terrific appearance feemed to increafe at every ftep I took.
The fides and fummit of this pafs are almoft entirely calcareous, except in a few places,
where there are wide veins ofgypfum or plaifter of upwards of twentj'feet. Thefe veins appeared
to communicate to others in the valley of Efcarene, where they are fo immenfe and
abundant, as to form mountains of incredible height. Having defcended for the fpace of
three miles on the other fide of tlie Col, I obferved on my left feveral peaks of rock of a
rcddifii colour, which on examination I found to be a kind of granite, which I deemed
fecondary, they not having, like granites in general, quartz for cement, but a fort of red
earth, containing only particles of quartz, fpath, mica, and even pieces of granite in a
concrete hard fiate. Thefe mafi'es of fecondary granite were enclofed or wedged into the
calcareous matter, which appeared fimply to cover the mountain, though without any imprefiion
of folfils.
The road on the fouth-weft fide of this pafs is likewife alloniihing, not only from the
cxh'eme boldnefs of the execution, but from its form and folidity; for it may be literally
faid, that the defcent for the fpace of fix miles at leaft is entirely formed of terraces, built
one above another. Its width and well proportioned declivity or Hope is as admirable as
the extreme thicknefs and height of the walls which fupport tliofe terraces are furprifing,
many of tliem having three hundred feet in height and twenty-five at their bafe, and every
where flrengthened by buttrefiTes of free-ftone.
I particularly rccommend that pai't of the road, whicli is nearly contiguous to the
village of Tuet, to the attention of every curious traveller, it being, as it were, wonderfully
fupported for about two miles on arcadcs thrown here and there on the proje£ting peaks
of tlic lateral rocks, hangmg over a tremendous precipice at ieaft fifteen hundred feet deep.
As the mountain in this particular part ihcws an abnapt fur face, the waters of the torrent,
which are nearly reduced to vapour firom the extreme height from whcnce they pour
down, are in that fiate vifible at tlie bottom of the precipice from the high road; and the
noife occafioned by their reiterated fall from rock to rock increafes the terror and furprife
already excited by tlie tremendous appearance of this part of tlie mountain. The drawing.
No. 9, gives an accurate idea of llic Col and road above defcribed.