370 



Videos lapidescere Sarni 

 Caeruleo sub fonte alnum, filicisque maniplos, 

 Et palese intortos lento cum vimine culmos. 



PONTANUS. 



But this name has not been confined to those substances, which 

 have been thus formed, by the waters of the Sarnus alone, but it 

 has been applied, in Italy, at least, to all similar tufaceous incrusta- 

 tions and impressions, which have been formed by the waters of 

 other springs and rivers. 



The property which these waters possess, of thus filling up the 

 beds and contracting the channels, through which they flow, proves, 

 as we have seen, the source of considerable inconvenience to those 

 wbo inhabit the neighbouring lands ; exposing them not only to the 

 dangers which proceed directly from the overflowing water ; but to 

 the evils resulting from the accumulated masses of stony matter. 

 How strange and inexplicable is it, that a regular operation of na- 

 ture, so constantly going on, should be pregnant with so much evil ! 

 This may naturally be expected to be the exclamation of some, 

 at the first view of the phenomena, here described. But a more 

 attentive consideration will make it known, that this extraordinary 

 process is in pefect agreement with that beautiful symmetry and 

 order, which evinces the works of nature -to be directed by con- 

 summate wisdom. By this process, the finer parts of the loose and 

 coarse lime-stones are brought up in a state of solution, from the 

 deep recesses of the earth, and deposited at the surface in a firm, 

 coherent mass that which, from the nature of its composition, and 

 its situation, is comparatively useless to man, is, by a chemical ope- 

 ration of nature, changed to a substance of the greatest utility,; 

 and is even brought, by the powers of the same operation, from 

 inaccessible depths, and placed immediately before him : impelling 

 him to the employment of it, in various ways, for the multiplication 

 of his comforts ; and particularly prompting him to exchange the 



