﻿NAPLES. 



NAPLES. 



whoU breadth of the paninral*. [APEXKUcn.] Two extaiiaTfl pUina, 

 Apulia and Campania, apring out, the former to the eait and the other 

 to the weat of the Apanninea, forming the prorinoe of Terra di Laroro. 

 [LATORa] Namarooa Talleja lie batwaen the ofTeels of the Apenuinee, 

 of which thoae on the aide of the Adriatic are mostly tranirena, 

 while on the aide of the Mediterranean the valleya of the Voltomo, 

 and ita afBuenta the Calore, Sabbato, and Tamaro, and the rallej of 

 the Tanagro, an affluent of the Sele, and tome othera, are longitudinal, 

 runuiog between ridgea parallel to the central chain. la addition to 

 the geMral featurea of the country, there ia a strip of low land along 

 the ooaat between the baae of the mountains and the aea, Tarying in 

 width trma ten mile* to one mile, and in some places even leaa, eapa- 

 dally in eastern Ualabria and aomeparta of Abnuso, where the moun- 

 taii» adranoe close upon the sea. Tkia low region is hot and naturally 

 fertile, but unwholeaome in parts, and exposed to intmdations from 

 the mountain torrent*. 



Among the rirer-baains is that of the Lirls, or OarigUano, which 

 ia about 00 miles long, not reokoning the windiugs of tho rirer, from 

 its source at Mount Camicciola, in the Abnizzo, to it8 eostuary near 

 the site of ancient Mintimuc [Lavoiio.] The breadth of the baaiu 

 in tho upper course of the river Is much contracted between the 

 central Apennines to the east and the Sabino Mountains to the west, 

 which latter divide it from the basin of the Anio ; but after passing 

 Son it spreads to about 20 miles in breadth, including the courses of 

 the Fibreno, Melfs, JBapido, Frigido, nnd other affluents. It also drains 

 part of the Campagna-di-Roma through the channel of the river Sacco. 

 The OarigUano is a deep river, always full of water, and is navigable 

 for boata in the lower part of its course. West of the basin of the 

 OarigUano, and separated from it by the mountains of Itri, is the 

 small basin of Fondi, containing a low plain of about 50 square miles 

 in extent, and drained by tho small river Vetete. The baain of the 

 Yoltiimo is the largaat and most important in the kingdom. The 

 Voltumo drains the greater part of tho province of Terra-di-Lavoro, 

 and ita affluent the Calore is the drain of Principato Ultm, making in 

 all an area of nearly 3000 square miles. The Voltumo has a tortuous 

 course of nearly 100 milea, and the Cnlore runs for about 60 miles 

 before its junction with the Voltumo. The fertile plain east of Moimt 

 Vcsuriua, and between it and the Apennines, forms a small basin 

 which is drained by the river Samo. The basin of tho Sele and its 

 affluent the Tanagro iucluilea the greater part of the province of 

 Principato Citra, and a part of that of BasiUcata which lies west of 

 the central ridge. The Sele has a course of about 60 miles altogether, 

 and the Tanagro a ooursa of about 85 miles above its junction. South 

 of the basin of the Sele the peninsula becomes narrow, the Apennines 

 come close upon the sea, and the course of the rivers towards both 

 coasts is very short, Calabria has only numerous mountain torrents, 

 aaofa of which drains its narrow valley, llio basin of the Crati how- 

 ever forms an exception. Tbis river which drains the fine valley of 

 CottDMM, and enters the Qulf of Tnrauto, baa a course of about 60 

 milea, and is the lai^est river of Calabria. [Calabria.] The basin 

 of BasiUcata, with ita four parallel rivers, the Agri, Sinno, Bradano, 

 and Baaicnto, is described in the article Basimcata. East of BasiUcata, 

 tht narrow lapygian peninsnU, which is intersected in its length by a 

 low barren ridge, has no water-course of auy importance ; and this is 

 alao the case with the province of Terra di Bari. [Otranto ; 1!aki, 

 Tkbra di.] The Ofanto, one of the priucii«l rivers of tho kingdom, 

 rises in the Apennines of Couza, within the boundaries of Principato 

 Ultra ; it drains the part of that province which Ues east of the Apen- 

 nines, and alao tho northern {xut of BasiUoata, as weU as a part of 

 C'apitanata and Terra di Bari, and after a course of above 70 milea 

 enters tho Adriatic [Basilicata.] The great pUun of Apulia is 

 drained by the Carapella, Cervaro, and Candelaro, the oourses of which 

 are neariy parallel, and run from the central Apenntnea to the sea. 

 The Candelaro has several affluenta, and drains a considerable tract of 

 country between the group of Monte Qargano and the Apennines of 

 Lucera and San Severo. [Capttahata.] The Abmzzi contain nume- 

 rotu and rapid itrsama, which run direct to the sea along deep valleys 

 between lofty paraUel ridges; but there are no extensive basins, with 

 Uie aioeption of that of the Pescara, which has a course of above 80 

 milee, aa4 reoeivea on one aide the waters of the central chain of the 

 Apeoninea, including Monte Vclino, which runs north of Lake Fucino, 

 and on the other thoae of the lofty mass of Monte Como, which pro- 

 jects eastward towards the Adriatic coast, and has snow on its summit 

 mloMst the whole year. (ArcKiiiHXS.] The Pescara above the middle of ita 

 «ouns paaaa throu^ a narrow defile near the town of PopoU, and turoa 

 eastward towarda the Adriatic, receiving trom the south the waters of 

 aaoOur greet outlying group of Apennines, caUed Monte MigeUa, in the 

 Hoviiios of Abnuso. (ABBtJtto.] The basin of Lake Fucino, or Celano, 

 ia toe oeatre of the peninsula, is surrounded by mountains on every 

 aide. The lake, which U described under Cslaho, rwiclvos the waters 

 of high lands covered with snow for a great part of the year. It has 

 aaturallir no vidble outlet The bottom of the Uke is much higher than 

 tlM aeidibouiiiiK Tall^yi of the Liris and the upper Pescara. On the 

 Mm of the Uris the intervening ridge about Capistrelto is much 

 deprsesed, and there a tunnel was made in the time of the emperor 

 Claudins. The Liris runs in a deep narrow valley about three miles 

 from the lake^ Works are now (Jan., 1865) in progress for draining 

 the lake by eoUrgiug an4 completing tho tunnel of Claudius, and for 



forming a channel of commonication with the Liris by which all future 

 accumulations of water may be can-ied oflC By this important public 

 work not leas than S3,000 aorea of the richest soil will be recUimad. 



The kingdom of Napleabaa a ooast-line of about 1500 milea in length, 

 two-fifths of which lie on the west or Mediterranean Sea, and the rest 

 on the Ionian and Adriatic seaa. The Ionian Sea extends from the 

 Strait of Messina to Cape Leuca, at the extremity of the lapygian 

 peninaula. Unfortunately this very extensive line of coast has few 

 narboura. The deficiency of tides in the Mediterranean renders the 

 aistuaries of rivers useless for the purposes of navigation. The principal 

 harbours on the Mediterranean coasts are those of Qaiita and Xaples ; 

 Baiffi, in the Gulf of Poxzuoli, and CasteUamare ; but they are either 

 artificial ports or mere roadsteads. South of CasteUamare, as fisr as 

 the Strait of Messina, there is no harboiu:. The artificial port of 

 Salerno is fiUcd up with sand, which has been the fate of meet 

 harbours on the coast of the kingdom wherever a mole has been con- 

 structed. To prevent this evU the practice now is aa at Nisita to raise, 

 instead of continuous moles, piers made of arcbea, aa the ancients did 

 at Puteoli. On the Ionian Sea are the ports of Taranto and Qallipoli ; 

 the lust has merely a roadstead. On the Adriatic are Otraiilo, lirin- 

 disi, Trani, and Barletta, aU fiUed up, or nearly so, by accumuUtiona 

 of sand ; but Manfredonia has a very good raadstead. Bari haa a 

 tolenble harbour for vessels of small draught On aU the ooast of 

 Abruzzo there i.<i no harbour ; the mouth of the Pescara and the mole 

 of Ortona afford shelter only for small craft 



Statittici. — The contiuental territoriea of the kingdom of the Two 

 SiciUea are divided into 15 provinces, the area, subdivisions, and popu- 

 lation of which are given in the subjoined table. The provinces beyond 

 the Faro are given under Sicilt. 



rroTlnces. 



Areata 

 gqnarc Miles. 



DIstricta. 



Oommones. 



Population in 

 1891. 



NapoU . . . 

 TerraMll.LaToro . 

 rrincipato Citra . 

 Principato Ultta . 

 BasilicaU . 

 Capltanata . . 

 Terra di Bar! 

 Terra d*Otranto . 

 Calabria Citra 

 CaUbria Ultra (II.) 

 Calabria Ultra (I.) 

 MoUie or Sanaio . 

 Abruzzo Citra 

 AbruKo Ultra (II.) 

 Abnuio Ultra (I.) 



881 

 3,493 

 2,283 

 1,407 

 4,143 

 3,916 

 3,338 

 2,871 

 3,G19 

 2,0G3 

 3,194 

 1,777 

 1,243 

 2,319 

 1,227 





05 

 330 

 198 

 133 

 121 



62 



53 

 180 

 146 

 191 

 104 

 135 

 121 

 110 



72 



833,143 

 753,013 

 598,809 

 363,414 

 501,233 

 318,415 

 497,433 

 409,000 

 439,811 

 381,147 

 319,663 

 360,949 

 312,309 

 329,131 

 231,747 _ 



Total . 



31,475 



51 



1840 



6,012,892 

 2,091,580 



Fopatation of Sicily at the Ccaaus ot 1851 



Total popuUtion of the kingdom of the Tk-o Blcllles . 



8,704,471 



Agriadtan and Produclt. — Agriculture is generally ai>eaking in a 

 backward state, although the climate is singularly genial, and tho soil, 

 except in the mountains, extremely fertile. The loug-contiuued abuses 

 of the feudal system, with its endless oppressions and restrictions, both 

 as regarded person and i>ro|)erty, rendered the pursuit of agriculture as 

 a science impossible. Whatever crop could be raised with least labour, 

 expense, and risk, without regard to the capabUities of the soil, became 

 the object of tho farmer's atteutiou. Uence the cultivation of tho 

 vine spread over the best lands in the kingdom ; with time tho people 

 became wedded to the system ; and vast districts peculiarly fitted for 

 the production of com, oil, and silk, arc rendered comparatively value- 

 leas, because no such crops have been raised upon them before, and 

 because a system sanctioned by long custom cannot be readily 

 relinquished. Next to the vine comes the olive as a staple production, 

 and wen maize and beans, preparations of which form the chief food 

 of the mass of the people, and the cultivation of which requires but 

 little skUL Cattle are generally stall-fed on straw and green food, 

 which is raised without effort on the richer soils. The chief food of 

 horses is lupins mixed with straw ; hay and com are luxuries known 

 only to the horses of the nobility. Meadows are generally unknown. 

 In many of the corn districts (with the exception of tliose near the 

 metropolis) manuring and artificial grasses are disregarded, the system 

 pursued being an imvarying round of com and fallow. It is true 

 many able works on agriculture have issued from the press of Naples, 

 and many elaborate reports from societies have seen the light, but the 

 instruction which these contain has rarely been reduced to practico, 

 and has not yet reached the local worker. In the cultivated upl.inds, 

 which embraoe by fat the largest portion of the kingdom, not including 

 the higher rangea of the mountains, forms vary in extent from two to 

 seven acres. Here after a faUow the rotation is maize or potatoes, 

 next wheat, than rye or beans, and finally barley. lu the Terra di 

 I.avoro and the province of Naples, which comprise the ancient 

 Camjiania Felix, farms are hunger ; snd the land consisting of a light 

 and ripb volcanic soil, warmtd ia many parts by subterranean heat. 



