TRAVELS THROUGH 



LETTER VII. 



Florence, Dec. n, 1771, 



AT a diftance of one or two Italian miles, on 

 this fide of Bologna, the roa4 continually 

 afcended over the Bolognefe-fand, marl, and lime- 

 flone-hills , an.d thence to the Apennines, which 

 are ftratified, grey, and hard limeftome, with pe- 

 trifactions. Their higheft top is at Pietra mala, 

 Thence we defcended to a place called le Maf* 

 there, fome Italian miles diftant from Florence, 

 where we left thefe mountains, and came to the 

 agreeable hills of Tufcany. The pleafing green 

 of alternating cyprefies, firs (pinus picea fyhe- 

 ftris 6? abies), larch (pinus laryx)> walnut, and 

 olive-trees, the fertility of the grape, and of the 

 olives, which in this feafon fpread an oily fmell, 

 was certainly very refrefhing to the eyes, tired by 

 the uniform grey colour of the naked Apennines. 

 Now I fhould communicate to you my mineralo- 

 gical obfervations of this journey , but feveral cir- 

 cnmflances have efcaped my attention, and I fha'I 



travel 



