SARDINIA. 



667 



here devote their lives to the service of humanity. They provide travelers with food, and, if 

 poor, with clothing, and serve them as guides. In the midst of tempests and snow-storms, 

 they issue forth, accompanied by their large dogs of a peculiar breed, for the purpose of dis- 

 covering and relieving those who have lost their way. If they find the body of one who has 

 perished, they deposit it in their burial vault, where, on account of the cold, it remains for years 

 undecayed. 



3. Rivers. The Rhone forms the northwestern boundary, and receives several tributaries 

 from the Graian and Pennine Alps. The principal are tiie here, which enters France, and 

 the Arve, flowing thtongh the celebrated vale of Chamouni, which lies at the foot of Mont 

 Blanc, and is unrivaled for the beauty and grandeur of its scenery. The Po rises at the foot 

 of Mt. Viso, and receives several large streams from the north and the south, among which are 

 the Tanaro, from the Maritime, and the Dora, from the Pennine Alps. The Var flows down 

 the southern declivity of the Maritime chain, and empties itself into the Mediterranean, after 

 separating Nice from France. 



4. Lakes. The Lake of Geneva borders this territory on the north, and Logo Maggiore on 

 the northeast. There are many smaller lakes. That of Bourget, in Savoy, is 627 feet above 

 the sea ; it is 10 miles in length, and discharges its waters into the Rhone. 



5. Island of Sardinia. More than a third of this island is composed of a sandy and stony 

 land, called macchie. A considerable part consists of forests and pastures, and the remainder, 

 amounting to 4,400,000 acres is laid out in cornfields, vineyards, olive grounds, orchards, and 

 gardens ; 800,000 acres are devoted to the culture of wheat. The mountains are from 1,000 

 to 3,000 feet high, and produce silver, copper, lead, bismutii, antimony, and loadstone. Lead 

 is most abundant. The moufflon or wild sheep is common here. 



6. Climate. In the valleys of Savoy, there is often fine spring weather when the high 

 grounds are covered with snow. In this part, the climate is too severe for the southern fruits. 

 The valley of Piedmont is subject to the cold northerly winds from the Alps ; yet the air is 

 healthy, and the vine flourishes. In the south, the Apennines afford a shelter against the 

 northern blasts ; here the olive and the fruits of the south prosper. Sardinia has a hot climate; 

 and in the marshy spots putrid fevers are common in summer. 



7. Soil. The soil of Savoy is stony, and unfavorable to agriculture. The fertile earth 

 lies in a thin st;-ata on the rocks, and is often washed away by the torrents. In Piedmont, 

 Montferrat, and the Milanese, are level and rich alluvial tracts. The soil in the island of 

 Sardinia is extremely fertile ; but the canals which formerly drained it are neglected, and 

 many parts have become pestilential swamps. 



8. Minerals. Mining is almost entirely neglected ; though the mountains are rich in min- 

 erals. Copper is most abundant. Gold and silver are found in the mountains and valleys ; 

 and gold is found in the sands of Tanaro. 



9. Face of the Country. This country exhibits very diversified scener}'. Savoy is an 

 Alpine country, separated by an enormous mountain ridge from the Italian peninsula, and 

 intersected by lofty mountains covered with snow and ice. Piedmont and Montferrat form 

 the western extremity of the wide valley of the Po. The maritime districts are mountainous, 

 and the island of Sardinia is intersected by several mountain ridges of small elevation. 



10. Roads. One of the most remarkable objects in this country is the road over Mont 

 Cenis in Savoy. It was begun by Bonaparte in 1803; and was completed at a cost of 

 7,460,000 francs. It is cut through the solid rock, and is furnished with 26 houses of refuge 

 in the most elevated and exposed parts, so that the road is safe even in winter ; these houses 

 are provided with bells, which during fogs are rung from time to lime to direct the traveler 

 from one refuge to another. Between France and Savoy is another road called Lcs Echellcs ; 

 nearly two miles of it consist of a gallery or tunnel through a solid rock of limestone. This 

 road was begun and the greater part of it accomplished by Napoleon. But the Sardinian 

 government had the honor of finishing it. i 



11. Cities and Towns. Turin, the capital of the kingdom, is situated in a pleasant valley, 

 on the western bank of the Po, at the foot of a range of beautiful hills. It is the most regu- 

 larly built of all the Italian cities, with broad, straight, and clean streets. It is admired for 

 the symmetry of its squares, the splendor of its hotels, and the general elegance of its houses. 

 It has 4 splendid gates, adorned with pillars and cased with marble ; 110 churches, a univer- 

 sity and many fine palaces. The royal palace is spacious, and surrounded with delightful 

 gardens. The outward view of the city is very imposing, and it has no mean suburbs or 

 rnouldenng walls. Population, 112,000. 



