CHAP. II. ITALY. 87 



In Upper Italy, the Salassi, a people who in- 

 habited what is now the province of Aosta in 

 Piedmont 1 , produced iron, gold, and other 

 metals. Their gold was very pure. It was 

 collected by washing the sands of the river 

 Po, whose streams were divided into various 

 branches ; and, after that tribe was conquered 

 by the Romans, the several rivulets were let at 

 a yearly rent by the imperial farmer-general of 

 the finances. The valleys still produce much 

 copper and iron, but no gold has been yielded 

 by them since their total subjugation to the 

 Roman power under Augustus. 



The conqueror sold the inhabitants, to the 

 number of thirty-six thousand, as slaves, except- 

 ing only nine thousand capable of bearing arms, 

 who probably served to augment the forces of 

 the victor. 



The country round Aquileia, and the whole 

 district of the Noric Alps (now Illyria), was rich 

 in gold, which was found partly in large grains 

 on the surface, and partly in mines so pure, that 

 an eighth part only was lost in the processes of 

 smelting and refining. At one period, this gold 

 was laboured so extensively, that its great quan- 

 tity caused a decrease of one third in the price 

 through all Italy, and induced the proprietors 

 to employ fewer workmen in order to raise the 



1 Piemoiite diviso in quattre dipartimente. Milan, 1802. 



