ITALY. 



363 



progress, receives innumerable rivers and streams into 

 its channel, (the chief of which are the Doria, Lesia, 

 Tanaro, Tesino, Trebia, Adda, Oglio, and Mincio,) and 

 is navigable witliin 25 miles of its source ; the Adige, 

 which flows from the Tyrol southward to Verona, and 

 thence south-east to the gulf of Venice, north from the 

 Po ; the Arno, which rises in the Appenines, and flows 

 : orence and Pisa into the gulf of Genoa ; the Ti- 

 ber, which rises al-o in the Appenines 'south-east of St. 

 Marino, passes l>y Perugia and Home (from which to 

 its mouth it M at an average 300 feet broad,) receives 

 tributary streams or torrents, and 

 reaches the Tuscan sea at Ostia, after flowing through 

 cru-.r-c of 1 50 British miles ; the Fiuinesino, the an- 

 cient a diminutive but celebrated stream in 



the northern part of the Ecclesiastical Slate, whk-h en- 

 ters the .Adriatic about 8 miles north of Rimini ; and 

 the Voltumo, which rises in the Appenines above Ve- 

 nafro, runs south-eaat, and afterward* westward, re- 

 ceiving the Sabbato in its course, and falls into the sea 

 :- del Voltomo. The rivers which descend 



from the Appcnitw*, are so apt to swell suddenly, and 

 to overflow the adjacent country, that it became neces- 

 sary to erect strong dikes or mounds along their banks. 

 But the stone* and gravel brought down by these floods, 

 being also confined by the banks, are continually rais- 

 ing the bed of the stream, and requiring the embank- 

 ments to be proportionally elevated. This is particular- 

 ly the case with the Po and its tributary streams; so that 

 the country, in the progress of this ri\cr, appears to be 

 intersected by a multitude of aqueducts, in some places 

 not less than 30 feet in height, which are continually in 

 danger of breaking out into the most destructive inun- 

 dations, anil which render it necessary for the inhabi- 

 tants to have a large boat always at hand, in which 

 they float with their families and moit valuable effects, 

 till the overflowing waters have subsided. These em- 

 bankments must soon be incapable of farther elevation, 

 and the riven, no longer restrained, may at no distant 

 period convert the fine delta of the Po into an exten- 

 siv; and useless marsh. The only possible remedy, if 

 practicable, appears to be to deepen the channel, in- 

 stead of elevating the embankments. 



Italy contains many beautiful lakes, particularly in 

 the northern division. Of these the most worthy of no- 

 tice are I*ago Maggiore (anciently V'erbanui), which 

 is 87 mile* in length, 7 or S in breadth, and in some 

 place* 1800 feet deep, contains the delightful Borro- 

 mam islands, which may be ranked among the woo- 

 den of Italy, and is surrounded with bank* abounding 

 in every alpine beauty ; Lago di Lugano (arii 

 Cerenua IJK-UI) about 25 miles in length, from 3 to 6 

 in breadth, of an immente depth, and in come place* 

 aid to be nlmewt unfathomable, is surrounded with very 

 high and steep bank*, which cast a blackening shade 

 over the tiirfacoftF it* waters ; Lago di Coino, or I-a- 

 rian Lake, les* beautii , ire magnificent than 



Lago Maggiore, about 50 miles in length, from 3 to 6 

 in breadth, and from 4O to 600 feet deep, is surround- 

 ed with a lofty ridge of mountains, whose side*, down 

 to the border of the lake, are covered with shady woods 

 and fruitful orchards, and its waters are subject to sud- 

 den squall* and violent swells ; Lago di Varese, 



t expanse of water, of an oval form, about 1 2 miles 

 long an I - \ broad, is surrounded with gently .-! 

 banks, which are clothed with all the luxuriance 

 fetation ; Lago di Garda, or Benocus, 1 8 miles from 



Verona, is 30 miles in length, S in breadth, of very un- Statistic*. 

 equal depth, is surrounded with beautifully diversifi- "Y 

 ed scenery ; and its waters, though usually tranquil, 

 and presenting the finest sea-green hue, are at times 

 agitated by waves, resembling rather the swellings of 

 the ocean, than the commotion of inland waters, a cir- 

 cumstance strikingly described in a single line of Vir- 



gil: 



Teqne 

 Fluctilmi etfremilu atturgcnt, Bcntice, tnarino. 



GEOKG. ii. 160. 



In the central parts of the country, the largest lakes r.re 

 those of Perugia and Bolsena ; and, in the southern dis- 

 stricts, those of Varano, near Mount Gargano, and Ce- 

 lano (anciently Fucinus,) which is 4-7 miles in circum- 

 ference, and from 4- to 10 in breadth. There are many 

 smaller lakes in different parts of Italy, some of which 

 are much celebrated for the beauty of their scenery, 

 particularly Lago Albano in the vicinity of Rome, and 

 Lago d'Agnano, supposed to be the famous pond of 

 Lucullus, near Naples. It has been remarked as a 

 singular circumstance, that the lakes of Italy are so little 

 celebrated by the Roman poets, scarcely any of them 

 being once mentioned, except Larius and Benacus, in 

 two lines of Virgil; which is supposed to have been 

 owing to the barren and unsettled state of Cisalpine 

 Gaul in those times, which was scarcely considered as 

 a part of Italy. But these deficiencies are now fully 

 supplied, and the principal feature which distinguishes 

 the Italian from the British lakes is, that the former, 

 be*ides their greater extent, are surrounded by towns, 

 villages, churches, and country seats, all placed, as if 

 by the hand of a painter, in the most picturesque si- 

 tuations, finely contrasting and relieving the sublime 

 and rougher parts 'of the landscape. 



Nothing can exceed the natural scenery of Italy, Scenery. 

 in all the ingredient* which compose the sublime or 

 the beautiful. Its mountains present every variety of 

 shape and magnitude, of rugged precipices, woody de- 

 clivities, Miowy summits, winding bases, and all the 

 possible materials of picturesque beauty. Even the 

 plain* are varied by gentle swells and bolder eleva- 

 tions; while the extraordinary purity of the atmosphere, 

 and consequent brightness of the light, gives a distinct- 

 ness to every object, which cannot be conceived by 

 those who are accustomed to the dimness of a vapoury 

 sky. Its views, in short, we are assured by the con- 

 curring testimony of the most intelligent observers, ne- 

 vr disappoint the traveller, or fall short of his expec- 

 tations. The highest picturing of imagination, and 

 brightest description of poetry, do not surpass the cf- 

 roduced by viewing the vale of Clitumnus, the 

 falls of the Anio, the banks of the Nar, the waters of 

 Tibur, the grove* of Albano, the plains, hills, coasts, 

 and bay* of Campania Felix. * 



Some of the more celebrated Italian landscapes, be. Particular 

 side* those already mentioned, are, the bay of Naples ; '" 

 the adjacent promontory of 1'osilippo ; the Val d'Arno JJJ_ 

 near Florence, which is the Arcadia of Italy ; the road 

 by La Cava to Calabria ; the project from the Palom- 

 biera of Vietri ; the eastern shore of Mare Piccolo, &c. 



In this place may be mentioned also a few of those na- Natural 

 tural curiosities with which the country abounds, and curiosities. 

 which usually attract the notice of travellers, but which 

 our limit* will not allow us to describe ; namely, the 

 Grotto of Puzzuolano, an excavation or tunnel nearly 

 a quarter of a mile in length, leading to the Lago d'Ag- 



