566 ITALY. 



in corn and sugar-canes ; the middle abounds with woods, olive-trees, 

 and vines ; and the upper part is almost the whole year covered with 

 snow. Its fiery eruptions have always rendered it famous ; in one of 

 these which happened in 1669, fourteen towns and villages were de- 

 stroyed, and there have been several terrible eruptions since that 

 time. There is generally an earthquake before any great eruption. 

 In 1693, the port town of Catania was overturned, and 18,000 people 

 perished. 



Near the lake Agnano and Pozzuolo, there is a valley called 

 Soifatara, because vast quantities of sulphur are continually forced 

 out of the clefts by suoterranean fires. The grotto del Cane is re- 

 markable lor its poisonous steams, and is so called from its killing 

 dogs that enter it, if forced to remain there. Scorpions, vipers, and 

 serpents, are said to be common in Apulia. 



Savoy may likewise be enumerated among the curiosities of Italy. 

 Tnose vast bodies of snow and ice, which are called the glaciers of 

 Savoy, deserve to be particularly mentioned. There are five glaciers 

 which extend almost to the plain of the vaie of Chamouny, and are 

 separated by wild forests, corn fields, and rich meadows " ; so that im- 

 mense tracts of ice are blended with the highest cultivation, an*! per- 

 petually succeed to each other, in the most singular and striking vi- 

 cissitudes. All these several vallies of ice which lie chiefly in the 

 hollows of the mountains, and are some leagues in length, unite to- 

 gether at the foot of Mont Blanc; the highest mountain in Europe, 

 and probably of the ancient world. According to the calculations of 

 M. de Luc, the height of this mountain above the level of the sea, is 

 2391-J French toises, or 15,303 English feet. " I am convinced," says 

 Mr. Coxe, " from the situation of Mont Blanc, from the height of the 

 mountains around it, from its superior elevation above them, and its 

 being seen at a great distance from all sides, that it is higher than 

 any mountain in Switzerland ; which, beyond a doubt, is next to Mont 

 Blanc, the highest ground in Europe." 



The cascade of Terni, about four miles from the town of that name, 

 is perhaps the most beautiful cataract in the world. The river Veli- 

 no, at a short distance from its junction with the Nar, falls suddenly 

 down a precipice, nearly 300 feet in height, and dashes with such 

 violence on the rocks below, that a great part of its stream rises in 

 vapour. It afterwards fails down two other precipices, almost as high 

 as tue first; its waters each time rising in a kind of mist. The ag- 

 gregate height of the three falls is supposed to be about 800 feet. 

 Near Tivoli is another beautiful cascade, the river Teverone, the an- 

 cient Anio. falling aboui 50 feet. 



Population, national character, manners, customs... .The 

 whole population oi Italy, according to Hassel, amounts to 16,1 17,000. 



The Italians are generally well-proportioned, and have such mean- 

 ing in their looks, that they have greatly assisted the ideas of their 

 painters. The women are well-shaped, and very amorous. The mar- 

 riage ties, especially of the better sort, are said to be of very little 

 value in Italy. Every wife has been represented to have her gidlant 

 or cicisbeo, with whom she keeps company, and sometimes cohabits, 

 with very little ceremony, and no offence on either side. But this 

 practice is chiefly remarkable at Venice; and indeed the representa- 

 tions which have been made of this kind by travellers, appear to have 

 been much exaggerated. With regard to the modes of life, the best 

 quality of a modern Italian is sobriety, and they submit very patiently to 



