Notes on a Tour in France, Italy, and Elba. 83 



of crystals of yenite was offered to me by a gentleman of this city, 

 who estimated its value at the moderate sum of three hundred 'pias- 

 tres or dollars. 



I have made several mineralogical excursions, on different parts 

 of the island. In one of them only, I will ask you to accompany 

 me. Having provided myself with a guide, the only practical min- 

 eralogist on the island, and being furnished with little horses, accus- 

 tomed to climb mountains — by the way, I had the same pony, as the 

 guide told me, which Napoleon had rode, with a rope bridle, over 

 the same grounds — we first passed the bay, which is two or three 

 miles across. We then ascended a ragged mountain, probably three 

 thousand feet in height, composed chiefly of micaceous schist and 

 jaspery ironstone. On the almost inaccessible summit of this moun- 

 tain, stand, frowning on the world below, an old tower and fort, built 

 at an unknown period. Descending, we found on the eastern slope 

 the ancient village of Rio, consisting of about one hundred houses. 

 It is placed on a succession of serpentine rocks, both precious and 

 common. We descended into a narrow valley, where the walls, 

 along the sides of the road, were formed principally of serpentine 

 and common jasper. After travelling a few miles further, we came 

 to another mean and filthy village, called also Rio, but to distinguish 

 it from the other village of the same name, and because it is situated 

 on the margin of the sea, it is denominated Rio Marina. There 

 was yet another lofty elevation to climb, before I could gain a view 

 of the famous mine of specular oxide of iron, to see which was 

 the main object of my visit to Elba. All this part of the island 

 seemed little else but a vast ore bed, made up of the sulphuret, the 

 sulphate, the specular and the magnetic oxides of iron. Winding 

 our way up the mountain by a most zigzag path, we met hundreds 

 of donkies, almost crushed to the ground by the astonishing loads of 

 the ore, in baskets, two tied together and slung across their backs, 

 which they were bringing down to the vessels lying in the harbor 

 ready to receive it. I pitied the poor animals, imo pectore, as I have 

 often done before. Indeed, the ass is the animal the most used 

 and the most abused in Italy, always toiling from break of day to 

 dusky eve. willing to eat any thing, and yet always starved ; if among 

 the slippery ledges he makes a misstep, he is sure to be lashed for 

 it; and yet is patient and uncomplaining, under all his hardships 

 and cruel treatment. 



