DOMAIN XI. DECOMPOSED. 



zontal beds, of which the two lower were of 

 slate, or rather of fragile schistose stone, and of 

 little consistency; while the two beds beneath 

 these were of a marble, like that of Porto Venere, 

 but full of rifts which crossed the beds. The 

 fifth bed was wholly composed of slate, in verti- 

 cal leaves, entirely disunited ; and this bed form- 

 ed all the upper part of the fallen mountain. 

 Upon the same level summit there were three 

 lakes, of which the waters penetrated constantly 

 by the fissures of the beds, separated them, and 

 decomposed their supports. The snow, which 

 this year had fallen in Savoy in so great abun- 

 dance as had never been seen in the memory of 

 man, having increased the effort, all these wa- 

 ters reunited produced the fall of three millions 

 of cubic fathoms of rock; a mass sufficient to 

 form a large mountain. In the narrative which 

 I have written of the fall of this mountain, and 

 which I sent to his majesty, with a view of the 

 mountain, I have given a more detailed account 

 of the cause and effect of this ruin ; and I fore- 

 told that it would cease in a short time, as has 

 actually happened; so that thus I have extin- 

 guished a volcano." 



Sanssure proceeds to inform us, that the ruins 

 of this mountain are situated to the north-east 

 of the village of Servoz. Besides the sandstone 



