CALCAREOUS BRECCIA CONTAINING BONES. \g$ 



VI* 



Letter from Mr. Rampasse, formerly Officer in the Corsican 

 Light Infantry, to Mr. Cuvier, on a Calcareous Breccia 

 containing fossile Bones found in Corsica** 



SIR, 



JL Mentioned to you a calcareous earth containing bones Calcareous 



which I had found in Corsica, and which might not appear f art !* comain " 



a r r ing bones in 



indifferent to a man of science ; but I did not enter into any Corsica. 



particulars on the subject. Having at ©resent before me 

 the memorandums I made of my geological travels in that 

 island, I shall give you an account of that very curious 

 earth, acquainting you with all the circumstances that gave 

 rise to its discovery. 



Visiting the north part of the environs of Bastia, that Hill near Bas* 

 faces the east, and desirous of visiting likewise the upper tia 

 part of the chain separating the gulf of San Fiorenzo 

 from that of Bastia, I took my departure from the seashore 

 near the Jesuits tower, distant from the city about a mile 

 and half. I ascended a small narrow hill, the steeply slo- 

 ping sides of which are full of rocks, some in their natural 

 situation, others loose. When I had proceeded on the hill 

 to the distance of about a mile and half from the sea, and 

 about two hundred yards above its level, being on the side containing a 



opposite to that on which I began my walk, a considerable stratum of ca* 

 r r ° • . careous stone 



ledge of calcareous stone presented itself to my view in an 



oblique situation from south to west, steep, and having on it 

 the appearance of an irregular column, reaching from top to intersected 

 bottom, with a brownish red ground ; and at a distance three perpendicular- 

 others much shorter, being only two or three feet high. The a y different" ap 

 rest of the rock was of a blue ground mixed with white. On pearance. 

 examining this vast mass of stone, I perceived that a quarry 

 had formerly been opened in it ; and desirous of knowing at 

 what period, I inquired concerning it of some of the vine- Formerly 

 dressers, among whom were some old inhabitants of the vil- quarried. 

 lages of Santa Lucia and Leville, near the spot. They told 



* Journal de Physique, vol. LXV, p. 426. 



Vol. XXIV— Nov. 1800. O m# 



