ITALY. 



S71 



8aijue. them nearer the African coast. About that time, they 

 ~- -r ^ abound on the southern shore of Italy, and, in autumn, 

 steer northward to Amalfi and Naples ; but stragglers 

 are occasionally caught through the whole year. They 

 are taken bv nets, pread over a large space of sea (by 

 means of cables, fastened to anchors,) and divided into 

 several compartments ; the entrance being alway- di- 

 rected towards that part of the water from which the 

 fish are expected to come. A man, placed on the sum- 

 mit of a high rock, gives the signal of their approach, 

 which is more easily perceived, as they proceed in 

 Imped like a pyramid, having the base 

 i the tide or current, which enables them to 

 swim with extraordinary velocity. As soon as the shoal 

 has penetrated to the inner compartment, the passage 

 is closed, and the slaughter commences. The quantity 

 of this fish contained annually in the two Sicilies, is 

 aid to exceed all calculation. From the beginning of 

 May to the end of October, they are eate.i fresh, and 

 u<ed in a salted state all the rest of the year. The 

 sword-fnh, and the pelamides are also taken in consi- 

 derable quantities, the former by boats, provided with 

 harpooners, and the latter by nets. Many of the small- 

 er fish arc taken by night-nets, of a very simple con- 

 struction, being nothing more than baskets made of the 

 twisted branches of the myrtle. 



Shell fish are, if possible, still more various and abun- 

 dant ; of which a hundred different kinds have been 

 enumerated in the Mare Piccolo alone. Of these the 

 muscles and oysters are the most valuable. The vehet 

 muscle, or Ciizsa nrra, as it is called by the Italians, is 

 universally esteemed for it* delicacy, and nearly 10,000 

 cantara of them are Mid to be annually taken in the 

 Mare :ito which they arc carefully transplant- 



ed in beds ; and poles being driven into the sand, are 

 afterwards drawn up with the fih adhering to them. 

 The oysters of Taranto are considered as the most ex- 

 cellent in Europe ; and, during the winter season, (in 

 which alone it is allowed to take them,) are sent in 

 large hampers overland to Naples. The scallop also is 

 large and fat on the south coast, still verifying 

 the saying of Horace, 



PtrtMhu patmUijactal te mettt Tmre*l*m. 



The mr purjmrra may likewise be mentioned as the 

 shell fish which is supposed to have furnished the Ta- 

 rcntim s with their tinet purple dye. But the most 

 in of all the testaceous tribe on these shores is the 

 I'lana marina, one of the muscle species, which fre- 

 quently exceeds two feet in length, and throws out a 

 large tuft uf tilky threads, which float about as a snare 

 to allure small < hell-fi<h is torn from the 



rocks and sand, by a kind of hook, or rather forceps, 

 for the sake of its bunch of silk, called ianapenna, 

 which is sold in its crude state for about 5*. fid. a pound, 

 and forms a very valuable article of manufacture. (Sea 



. :'. 



Mi.. ' <. 



r>i 



Mineral*. 



The mineralogy of Italy, particularly its volcanic 

 products, would furnish a very extensive and interest- 

 ing oubject, but far beyond the compass of our present 

 limits. T The richest mineralogica] region is Piedmont, 

 . rivals the Carpathian mountains in Hun- 



gary ; and, next to Piedmont, is the Milanese territory, Stati.-ti 

 particularly around Sienna ; but its mines have been >< **"Y" 

 almost entirely neslected, as Austria possesses already 

 abundance of ancient and productive mines. 



Gold is found in the mountains of C'halbnd, near the Gold. 

 Vale of Aosta, in the superior regions near Macugna- 

 na, in the vale of Sesia ; and the torrent of Evenson 

 rolls down pebbles ol qunrtz, veined with tliis precious 

 metal. The mountain of Polino is also said to contain 

 a gold mine belonging to the Duke. of Spoletto, but it 

 is scarcely at all wrought, and probably its ore is not 

 rich. 



Silver is found in the valley of Sesia and Aosta, in 

 Oreo, Lans, Maira, in the northern division ; and be- 

 tween Heggio and Scilla in the south. 



There are rich iron mines in Sessera, Lans, Susa, Iron. 

 Vraita, Ges, Vermenagna, and in the province of Abruz- 

 zo Ultra. One very productive, was recently discover- 

 ed on the mountain of Arunzo, near the lake Celano. 



Copper mines are very numerous in the district of Copper. 

 Aosta, and in the other places of Piedmont already men- 

 tioned as containing mines of silver and iron. It is 

 found also above the lake of Como, in the Milanese 

 territory. Antimony, arsenic, and zinc, are also found 

 along with >the copper and lead in the silver mines. 

 A rich vein of cobalt has been discovered to the east of 

 Mount Blanc ; and plumbago, or black lead, near the 

 baths of Binay. There are several mines of alum in 

 the Ecclesiastical territory, which are generally found 

 very near the surface, particularly in the mountains of 

 Tolfa, and which are said to be discovered by the pre- 

 valence on the soil of certain verdant shrubs, named 

 agri folio. 



The calcareous combinations form the prevailing 

 feature in the Italian mountains, and their volcanic pro- 

 ductions. Limestone i> the general base of the southern 

 hills ; and one mountain particularly, which advances 

 into the plain between Intro d' Aqua and Pitto Hano 

 in Abruzzo Ultra, contains a multitude of round liuie- 

 itone lulls, M>me of which are extremely large, and, 

 when Mwn through, display concentrated strata in their 

 interior. Beautiful marbles, of various hues, are found 

 in the Genoese and Tuscan territories. Native sulphur 

 is very abundant, especially in the volcanic regions of 

 the south. Coal is not unknown in the country, and 

 a vein of excellent quality has been discovered near the 

 source of the Gariglixno. In Calabria there are na- 

 tural mountains of rock-salt, much stronger than what 

 is made from sea water ; but they are not permitted to 

 be worked, as the revenue derives so great a tax from 

 the manufacture of that article. In the neighbourhood 

 of Taranto, are two immense salt lakes, one of which is 

 nearly eight miles in circumference during winter, when 

 they are filled with water ; but in the summer, when 

 they are dried up, a considerable quantity of fine white 

 salt is deposited, which is the property of the crown, 

 and of which, more than 10,000 tomoli J are annually 

 sold, besides what is secretly carried off by the peasan- 

 try. There are several salt pits in the Ecclesiastical 

 territory, particularly at Servia and Ostia. 



Manufacture!. 



The manufactures of Italy are neither numerous nor 

 extensive, when compared with the fertility of the soil, 



Dt Sliii fUn a list of 185 fptdei found on the com of the Neapolitan territories 

 + S Airs, Arijmisri, VOLCAJCOE. V M vn , and particularly SpaUanzani'i Troth In Italy. 

 tot ;i tad fifth, an equal to an Engliah quarter. 



