564 ITALY. 



Mountains. ...The principal mountains arc the Alps on the borders 

 of Franc,,, Switzerland,' and Germany, and the Apennines, which run 

 along the coast of Genoa, and then pass through the whole length of 

 Italy-, generally approaching nearer to the Adriatic than the Mediter- 

 ranean. Tfitf celebrated volcanoes of Vesuvius and iEtna are situate, 

 the former in the vicinity of Naples, and the latter in the island of 

 Sicily ; but we shall reserve the description of these for the head of 

 Natural Curiosities. 



Lakes, rivers, mineral waters. ...The most considerable lakes 

 in Italy are the Lago Maggiore, or the Greater Lake, called also the 

 L"*ke of Locarno, about 27 miles in length and three in breadth : the 

 lake of Como, about 32 miles in length and two and a half in breadth ; 

 the lake of Garda, about 30 miles long and eight broad, and the lakes 

 of Lugano, Perugia, Terni and Celano. 



The principal rivers are the Po, the Adige, the Tiber, and the Ar* 

 no. The two former rise in the Alps, the first in Savoy, the second in 

 Tyrol, and both flow into the Gulf of Venice, the former after a course 

 of about 360 miles, the latter after having run about 200 The Tiber 

 and the Arno rise in the Apennines and fall into the sea of Tuscany, 

 the former near Rome, after having flowed through that city, and the 

 latter near Pisa. 



Mineral springs are found in various parts of Italy. The baths of 

 Baia, near Naples, were celebrated in the time of the Romans. At 

 Pisa are medicinal springs, one of which is said exactly to resemble 

 in taste the Cheltenham water in England. 



Metals, minerals. ...The mountains of Italy abound in mines that 

 produce emeralds, jasper, agate, porphyry, lapis lazuli, and other 

 valuable stones. Iron and copper mines are found in a few places ; 

 and a mill for forging and fabricating these metals is erected near 

 Tivoli, in Naples. Sardinia is said to contain mines of gold, silver, 

 lead, iron, sulphur, and alum, though they are now neglected. Beau*- 

 tiful marble of all kinds is one of the chief productions of Italy. 



Climate, soil, produce. ...The climate of Italy is various, and 

 some parts of this country exhibit melancholy proofs of the alterations 

 that accidental causes make on the face of nature ; for the Campagna 

 di Roma, where the ancient Romans enjoyed the most salubrious air 

 of any place perhaps on the globe, is now almost pestilential through 

 the decrease of inhabitants, which has occasioned a stagnation of wa- 

 ters, and putrid exhalations. The air of the northern parts, which lie 

 among the Alps, or in their neighbourhood, is keen and piercing, the 

 ground being in many places covered with snow in winter. The 

 Apennines, which are a ridge of mountains that longitudinally almost 

 .divide Italy, have great effects on its climate; the countries on the 

 south being warm, those on the north mild and temperate. The sea 

 breezes refresh the kingdom of Naples so much, that no remarkable 

 inconveniency of air is found there, notwithstanding its southern situa- 

 tion. In genera], the air of Italy may be said to be dry and pure. 



The happy soil of Italy produces the comforts and luxuries of life 

 in great abundance ; each district has its peculiar excellency and 

 commodity ; wines,, the most delicious fruits, and oil, are the most 

 general productions. As much corn grows here as serves the in- 

 habitants ; and, were the ground properly cultivated, the Italians 

 micht export it to their neighbours. In Lombardy, a crop of corn, 

 another of silk, and another of wine, are obtained every year from 

 die same land ; the vines being planted in rows, with mulberry-trees 

 for their support, and the intervals sown with corn. 



