Notes on a Tour in France, Italy, and Elba, 83 
of crystals of yenite was offered to me by a gentleman of this city, 
who estimated its value at the moderate sum of three hundred pias- 
tres or dollars. 
I have made several mineralogical excursions, on different parts 
of the island. In one of them only, I will ask you to accompany 
me. Having provided myself with a guide, the only practical min- 
eralogist on the island, and being furnished with little horses, accus- 
tomed to climb mountains—by the way, I had the same pony, as the 
guide told me, which Napoleon had rode, with a rope bridle, over 
the same grounds—we first passed the bay, which is two or three 
miles across. We then ascended a ragged mountain, probably three 
thousand feet in height, composed chiefly of micaceous schist and 
jaspery ironstone. On the almost inaccessible summit of this moun- 
tain, stand, frowning on the world below, an old tower and fort, built 
at an unknown period. Descending, we found on the eastern slope 
the ancient village of Rio, consisting of about one hundred houses. 
It is placed on a succession of serpentine rocks, both precious and 
common. We descended into a narrow valley, where the walls, 
along the sides of the road, were formed principally of serpentine 
and common jasper. After travelling a few miles further, we came 
to another mean and filthy village, called also Rio, but to distinguish 
it from the other village of the same name, and because it is situated 
on the margin of the sea, it is denominated Rio Marina. There 
was yet another lofty elevation to climb, before I could gain a view 
of the famous mine of specular oxide of iron, to see which was 
the main object of my visit to-Elba. All this part of the island 
seemed little else but a vast ore bed, made up of the sulphuret, the 
sulphate, the specular and the magnetic oxides of iron. Winding 
our way up the mountain by a most zigzag path, we met hundreds 
of donkies, almost crushed to the ground by the astonishing loads of 
the ore, in baskets, two tied together and slung across their backs, 
which they were bringing down to the vessels lying in the harbor 
ready toreceive it. I pitied the poor animals, imo pectore, as I have 
often done before. Indeed, the ass is the animal the most used 
and the most abused in Italy, always toiling from break of day to 
dusky eve, willing to eat any thing, and yet always starved ; if among 
the slippery ledges he makes a misstep, he is sure to be lashed for 
it; and yet is patient and uncomplaining, under all his hardships 
and cruel treatment. 
