402 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



thirdly, for the small lake of Perrotto, and its neighbouring 

 marshes, the ditch of Cinquale. The level of these stagnant 

 waters is between that of high and low water in the neighbouring 

 sea ; there being but little difference between these two points in 

 this part of the Mediterranean. In this state of things, formerly, 

 when the waters of the sea rose from any circumstance, (unless 

 the waters of the marshes were very high,) they used to return up 

 the ditches, fill the basins, and inundate the country to the foot of 

 the mountains ; and with a north-west wind the waves used to 

 penetrate with force to the interior. The mixture of fresh and 

 salt water, thus formed, and which, in summer, was rarely changed, 

 became corrupt, and spread infection over the neighbourhood of 

 the most destructive kind. 



In this way the effects of the mal-aria were re-produced an- 

 nually, in the neighbouring country, with all their peculiar 

 horrors : the population, though small, presented feeble infants 

 and diseased men, old age being unknown there. All attempts to 

 avoid the scourge, by living on the hills, or in the interior, and 

 frequenting the plain when the business of cultivation essentially 

 required it, were vain ; they fell victims to the extensive in- 

 fluence, ^ and such being the effects upon the inhabitants of 

 the country, much more rapidly did a stranger suffer from the 

 deleterious atmosphere ; one single night, in the months of 

 August or September, causing inevitable death to the incautious 

 traveller who should stay so long in this infested country. 



Such was the state of things until 1741 : previous to that time, 

 Gemignano Rondelli, Eustache Manfredi, and Bernardino Zen- 

 dreni, had successively insisted upon the necessity of excluding 

 the sea from these marshes, and in 1740 — 41, a sluice with folding- 

 doors, competent to give emission to the waters of the marsh, but 

 prevent the sea from entering, was constructed at the mouth of 

 the Burlamacca. The most complete and unexpected success im- 

 mediately followed upon, and has continued with, this work. The 

 year after its completion, there were no appearances at Viareggio, 

 Massaciuccoli, Quiesa, nor in parts more distant from the basins 

 of Montrone and Perrotto, of the terrible maladies which previously 

 appeared every year. The inhabitants soon recovered health ; and 

 the land being very fertile, the population rapidly increased, and 

 is increasing at this moment. Viareggio has become a considerable 

 town, and so completely has all suspicion of its insalubrity dis- 

 appeared, that the first families of the city of Lucca have for 

 years built their summer seats there. 



To these strong proofs of the good effects of the means taken 

 may be added others, deduced from the neglect of those means. 

 In the summers of 1768 and 1769, Viareggio and the neighbour- 

 ing parishes of the Lakes of Massaciuccoli were again ravaged 



