260 DOMAIN XI. DECOMPOSED. 



built fine houses, and a great wealth appeared, 

 of which no other visible account could be 

 given but this, that they had found some of that 

 treasure." 



Mr. Coxe, in his interesting description of 

 Swisserland, after a short account of this event, 

 adds the following observations: 



" I walked over the spot where Pleurs was 

 built : parts of the ancient walls, and the ruins 

 of a country-house, which belonged to the 

 Franchi, the richest family in the place, are the 

 only remains of its former existence ; and these 

 would not be noticed by a passenger. A pea- 

 sant, who has a cottage close to the ruins, point- 

 ed out to me every place, as it had been ex- 

 plained to him by his grandfather. He showed 

 me where stood the churches and principal 

 houses, the channel through which the river 

 then flowed, and where the bridge was con- 

 structed. He informed me, that in digging, se- 

 veral dead bodies had been found ; particularly 

 the bones of a priest, covered with shreds of 

 garments, which indicated that he was employed 

 in divine service when the rock overwhelmed the 

 town. Household utensils are frequently dug 

 up : the other day, several corpses were disco- 

 vered, and on the finger-bone of one were a silver 

 and two gold rings. Vineyards, chesnut-trees, 



