84 BROWN : 



lower drove in piles of white poplar, ten to eleven inches in 

 diameter, nearly touching each other. On the top of these a 

 level platform was formed of two layers of oak trees, each 

 roughly squared, the top layer being laid crosswise upon the 

 lower one. The oak and poplar both grew along the shores 

 close to Venice. In later times, when the Venetian territory 

 was extended, the red larch of Cadore and the Euganean hills 

 was largely used. In i8cS5 the foundations of the Campanile 

 were examined, and both the oak and the poplar were found to 

 be perfectly sound. On the wooden platform massive footings 

 are laid, consisting of five courses of large blocks of trach^'te 

 and other granitic or porphyritic rocks from the Euganean 

 hills. Above these are six courses of similar stone arranged 

 in steps, like offsets, forming a base or plinth to the tower. 

 Owing to the raising of the pavement level, only two and a 

 half of these offsets are now visible. 



Before 1405 the mortar used in Venice was made of the 

 white lime from the Istrian limestone, which possessed no 

 hydraulic properties and was consequently vers' perishable. 

 But after that year, when the Venetians conquered Padua, 

 they were able to get supplies of a strong, dark, hydraulic lime 

 from Albettone, which formed a ver>' durable cement or mortar, 

 able to resist salt water and the destructive sea air. 



"The Austrians occupied \'enice for many years. I do not 

 know how many. There is no difficulty whatever in finding 

 out how many if any one should wish to know what is not 

 here greatly to the purpose. It was long enough in any case 

 to cast a blight. Prince Windischgraetz, I think it was, who 

 said that nothing below the rank of baron was a man. And 

 I would have you, if you have nothing better to do, ponder a 

 little upon the effect of occupation by a race which can evolve 

 such a speech as that. 



In the year 1735 the tower was struck by lightning. It 

 was on the 23rd of April, late in the afternoon. A hundred 

 tons or so of masonry were brought down : the interior of the 

 tower was laid bare. Three citizens were killed and thirtv- 



