a 
1805.] 
was difcovered, But this atthority muft 
appear highly queftionable, when we 
confider the evidence by which. it is ‘op. 
poled. : 
I beg leave to add, that yotr corre- 
fpondent Veterinarius will find the fubjeét 
of his query more fully treated in Profef- 
for Bechmann’s Hifory of Inventions, 
Tam, Sir, yours, &c. 
Highgate, A. CROMBIE. 
March 11, 1805. 
; ae Be 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
“JOURNAL of a TOUR through LOMBARDY 
and the GASTERN GRisONs. By M. 
REUCHLIN. 
T the conclufion of July, 1803, we 
fet off from Mulan, the feat of the 
Government of the Italian Republic, and, 
fince the year 1796, the theatre of many 
remarkable fcenes and many diftinguifhed 
perfons. The company confifted of feve- 
zal Italian merchants, an artift from Zu- 
rich, anda man of letters. The wretch- 
ed fituation of the Cifalpine Republic, the 
difordered ftate of the finances, and the 
confufion in the public offices, together 
with the total negleét of public initruc- 
tion, were the fubjects of our converfa- 
tion, till the fmiling land{cape and the fe- 
rene ether by which we were furrounded 
infpired morechearful ideas. ‘The beau- 
tiful level country round Milan confits al- 
ternately of meadows and corn-fields; the 
former yield four or five crops, and are 
partly indebted for their fecundity to the 
facility of irrigation; the latter, befides a 
crop of corn, produce another of Turkey 
maize, between which rows of vines in-: 
terweave their luxuriant branches almoft 
without cultivation. The meadows, 
which, in fome countries, are confined by 
no boundary, but extend without inter- 
ruption the whole length of the vallies and 
plains, are here furrounded with varsous 
kinds of wood, which produces an agree- 
able effect on the eye, that, would other- 
wife foon become fatigued with the perfect 
uniformity of the profpeé&t. The con- 
fumption of wood is, in part, fupplied by 
thefe inclofures ; but Milan is likewife 
furnifhed with that article by means of a 
canal from Lago Maggiore, fome parts of 
which are bordered with woods. 
We_-had proceeded feveral miles from 
the city, when we difcovered, to the left, 
the manfion of Montebello, which refem- 
bles a caftle. In the fummer of 1796 this 
was the favourite refidence of Bonaparte 3 
notwithftanding which, he refufed the offer 
of it made to him by the Cifalpine Re. 
Tour through Lombardy and the Eaftern Grifons. 
a alll 
Sao 
public. The heat was extremely oppref- 
five when we arrived at the ftation of Par- 
lafina ; we therefore pafled the middle of 
the day at thatplace. We here received 
much pleafure from ‘a prattice’ which ts 
very common in this .part of the country, 
namely, that of forming, in the midft of 
the garden, a hill of confiderable height, 
the fummit of which is generally crowned 
with a verdant bower. The different 
apertures in an arbour of this kind afford 
an interefling view over the plain by which 
the fpectator is furrounded ; and it was 
from one of thefe ftations that we once 
more bade adieu to the light-srey dome 
of Milan, Wearrived in the evening ar 
Como, the native town of the younger 
Pliny. It lies low, and is fituated clofe 
tothe lake, which is bordered by ficep and 
lofty mountains. The cathedral of Como 
‘is confructed entirely of marble, in the an~ 
cient Gothic tafte; but time has convert. 
ed it toa dufky white. Between a range 
of piazzas oppofite to it, the tradéfmen’s. 
fhops and coffee-houfes invitingly prefent 
their commodities. Not far from hence 
is fituated the market and the port, which 
is tolerably lively. You can f{carcely ap- 
proach thelatrer without being furround- 
ed by boatmen, who ftun you with their 
cries of “‘ Signore, commanda una barca, 
una barca alla Pliniana, a Domafo,” &c. 
Nor is it without difficulty that you are 
able to efcape from their importunities.— 
Thole however, who have leifure, fhould 
by all means embrace the opportunity of 
making an excurfion on the lake to the 
adjacent villas, and feafting their fenfes on 
the delightful views. The frequent rains 
to which this place is expofed, probably 
“on account ef its proximity to the lake, 
have procured ic the name of L’Urinajo 
della Lombardia. : 
Having entered the bark about fix, we 
proceeded on the placid furface of the lake, 
between two mountains, which afforded a 
rich variety of profpe&s. The cyprefs- 
coloured olives, in the midf of ‘the dark 
foliage of chefnut-trees, blended here and 
there with the lighter tints of the peach 
and lemon, form a pifture the more inte- 
refting on account of the ftriking contrat 
of this mild and pleafing f{peétacle with 
the gliftening fnow-clad fummits of the 
mountain. It was not long before our. 
eyes were faluted with charming villas, 
fituated on both the fhores of the lake.— 
That which moft diftinguithed itllf was 
the villa Danzi; the proprietor, an opu- 
lent banker of Milan, having embellifhed © 
this Tufculum with various kinds of 
buildings, fleating-bridges, and terraces. 
To 
