ON THE ALLUVIUM OF THE PO. 411 



We are, however, certain, that the city of Hatria, now 

 called Adria, was formerly situated on the edge of the 

 coast ; and by this we attain a known fixed point upon 

 the primitive shore, whence the nearest part of the pre- 

 sent coast, at the mouth of the Adige, is at the distance 

 of 25,000 metres * ; and it will be seen in the sequel, that 

 the extreme point of the alluvial promontory formed by 

 the Po, is farther advanced into the sea than the mouth 

 of the Adige by nearly 10,000 metres (. 



The inhabitants of Adria have formed exaggerated 

 pretensions, in many respects, as to the high antiquity of 

 their city, though it is undeniably one of the most an- 

 cient in Italy, as it gave name to the sea which once 

 washed its walls. By some researches made in its inte- 

 rior and its environs, a stratum of earth has been found 

 mixed with fragments of Etruscan pottery, and with no- 

 thing whatever of Roman manufacture. Etruscan and 

 Roman pottery are found mixed together in a superior 

 bed, on the top of which the vestiges of a theatre have 

 been discovered. Both of these beds are far below the 

 level of the present soil. I have seen at Adria very cu- 

 rious collections, in which these remains of antiquity are 

 separately classed ; and having, some years ago, observed 

 to the viceroy, that it would be of great importance, both 



Equal to 27,340 yards and 10 inches English measure, or 154 miles 

 and 60 yards. 



In these reductions of the revolutionary French metres to English mea- 

 sure, the metre is assumed as 39,37 English inches. Transl. 



f Or 10,936 yards and 4 inches, equal to 6 miles and nearly a quar- 

 ter, English measure. 



Hence the entire advance of the alluvial promontory of the Po appears 

 to have extended to 21 miles 5 furlongs and 216 yards. Transl. 



