COMACCHIO DESCRIBED. 229 



Coste shall visit the numerous lagoons in the south of 

 France the waters of which, generally salt, but occa- 

 sionally mixed with fresh water, will, he observes, 

 " furnish the means of interesting fecundations and 

 naturalisations, and, if the prognostications of science 

 be verified, might be converted into valuable reservoirs 

 of all kinds of fish." He also proposes that the distin 

 guished naturalist shall visit the lagoons of the Adriatic, 

 near the mouths of the Po, the Adige, and the Brenta, 

 and, above all, Comacchio, where, from time immemo- 

 rial, and on a great scale, fish of excellent flavour are 

 preserved. M. Persigny, then Minister of the Interior, 

 having sanctioned these enlightened views, so interest- 

 ing to science, and so important to national economy, 

 M. Coste repaired to the assigned scene of his labours, 

 and amassed those details which are now published 

 with the view of aiding the formation of similar kinds 

 of industry along the shores of France. 



Science being the common heritage of nations, whence 

 each people may borrow those usages which suit it best, 

 the publication of M. Coste's important inquiries is a 

 common boon, for which the thanks of the world are 

 due to the enlightened liberality of the French Govern- 

 ment. To a maritime people like us, whose colonies, 

 moreover, comprise the most extensive fisheries in ex- 

 istence, such a work is especially interesting : we there- 

 fore desire to make known its contents, believing that 

 they will suggest new modes of multiplying, capturing, 

 and preparing several kinds of fish, the commercial 

 value of which is very great. 



This paper will be restricted to a description of the 

 singular fishing community of Comacchio. 



When the traveller has passed through fertile and 

 populous Lornbardy and arrived at Ferrara, a few hours' 

 walking in the direction of the Adriatic brings him sud- 

 denly into the midst of a flat, sandy, desolate region, 

 where reign silence and misery. " Its few inhabitants," 

 M. Coste informs us, " have so little intercourse with 



