very made by Vincenzio Cascariolo, a shoe-maker of Bologna, about the year 1630, was the first circumstance that attracted the notice of philosophers on this curious subject. This man, whose mind it seems was more bent upon making discoveries in alchemy, than on the art of making shoes or mending soles, was induced to calcine a parcel of Bologna spar, which he had procured from Monte Paterne, in the neighbourhood of the city. He observed that when any of this calcined substance was placed in a dark room, after having been exposed to the sun, it continued to emit faint rays of light for some hours afterwards. In consequence of this discovery, the Bolognian spar acquired considerable repute, and the family of Zagoni supplied all Europe for a time with phosphorus. The process employed by this family, is not now known; but Kircher says, that if the spar be finely pulverised, and then beaten up into a paste, with white of egg, or linseed oil, and calcined in the fire, it will, after exposure for a minute in the light exhibit its phosphorescent quality. I cannot help making one observation, which is, perhaps, rather irrelevant to our studies, at least as far as concerns Italy. It is a singular fact, that in New Holland no limestone of any kind has hitherto been discovered; in consequence of which the builders are obliged to employ coral, or the shells of shell-worms for their mortar, which they collect in prodigious quantities along the seacoast. It is perhaps equally singular, that the siliceous particles called flints, are seldom found in Norway, and that in North Wales, in the county of Flint, they are scarcely ever to be met with."

EDWARD." That is indeed extraordinary; for its name would lead one to suppose that it contained an abundance of those peculiar stones. Pray, Sir, is not the Asbestos found in Italy?"

DR. WALKER." In Corsica it is found in such large quantities, that Dolomien used it to pack up other minerals. It is of various kinds, and has of course various names; for instance, the most flexible is called mountain flax; other species known are mountain cork, mountain leather and elastic Asbesios. It is, as you know, extremely flexible and incombustible; in consequence of this latter quality, it was used for wrapping up the bodies of the dead previous to their being burned. In the island of Cuma, which is in the bay of Naples, a tomb of the family of Pavilia, being opened not very long ago the bones of four corses were discovered in four pieces of stone: they were covered with a cloth of amianthus, which had become calcined by the salts of the earth, in consequence of which this cloth was very brittle, and could only be taken up in pieces: it was proved to be Amianthus, by putting it in the fire, where it remained unchanged.

"The usual colour of mountain flax is greenish white, passing into leek green: it is also found of a silvery white, yellowish white, ochre yellow, pale flesh red, and occasionally but very

rarely of a light-blue colour: it sometimes lies in separate bundles: but most generally in irregular fibrous masses. Its lustre is glimmering, or slightly shining, and is either weak, pearly or shining. It is easily divisible into long slender fibres, may be scratched by the nail, and has somewhat of a soft greasy feel."

EDWARD." It must have the appearance of spermaceti, from your description, Sir?"

DR. WALKER." So it has indeed. It is generally opaque; but sometimes is translucid on the edges. This mineral is said to contain magnesia, silex, alumine, lime, and oxide of iron. The value of the cloth made from it has of yet been but small; but it has engrossed the attention of philosophers very much : and Ciampini of Rome, in 1691, published the following as the best way of preparing the incombustible cloth. Having previously steeped the Amianthus in warm water, divide its fibres by gently rubbing them between the fingers, so as to loosen and separate all the extraneous matter; then pour on repeatedly very hot water, as long as it continues to be the least discoloured, Nothing will now be left but the long fibres; which are to be carefully dried in the sun. The bundles of thread are to be again divided by very fine cards, and the long filaments thus obtained, are to be steeped in oil, to render them more flexible. A small quantity of cotton or wool is to be mixed with it, and by means of a thin spindle, the whole is to be drawn out into a thread, taking care that in every part, the amianthus may be the principal material. The cloth being then woven in the usual manner, is to be placed in a clear charcoal fire to burn off the cotton and oil, when the whole remaining tissue will be pure white amianthus. The shorter fibres that are incapable of being woven, are sometimes made into paper by the same process as that employed for common paper, ex. cept that a greater proportion of size or paste is necessary. After having been made red hot, however, this paper becomes bibulous and brittle. Amianthus threads are also sometimes used as perpetual wicks for lamps, and although they require to be cleared occasionally from the soot that collects about them, and the fibres are apt to run together, on the hottest part of the flame, so as to prevent a due supply of oil, yet I am rather surprised it has not been more generally applied to that purpose. It is found in Elba and Crete, in Saxony, Sweden, Cornwall, Anglesea and Portsay in Scotland."

SECTION III.

JOURNEY IN ITALY.

"BUT we have wandered strangely from Italy. Let us enquire of our landlord if there is any thing worth seeing in the environs of the city."

Their host told them, that at about 16 miles distance, there were the remains of a Roman city, called Industria, at a village called Monteu.

"It will be a pleasant excursion for this afternoon," replied the Doctor," so my good friend procure us somebody that will immediately attend us." In a very short time they were accommodated, and in about two hours and a half they reached the spot, and were shewn vestiges of an ancient fabric, which from various inscriptions upon this and several other places, it was declared to be a part of the remains of the celebrated city Industria, meutioned by Pliny. Several medals and inscriptive plates were also discovered, and a tripod of the most exquisite beauty, adorned with fine alto relievos. The pillars which support it are each adorned with four small figures. The first is a Venus, the second a Victory, the third is a Harpy with a woman's face, and the fourth is a Setenus. These pillars are joined together by little bars of metal, fastened by rivets at the top, and rings at bottom, in such a manner that they may be closed together, or drawn asunder at pleasure. When they are extended to their utmost, the size of the tripod is twenty eight inches.

"Casall was supposed to have been the ancient site of this city," said the Doctor; but the learned, in general, are now of opinion that this is the spot on which Industria stood."

It was late in the evening when they again entered Turin, and having packed up as far as they could, in order to resume their journey on the ensuing day, they retired to rest.

46

Milan," said the Doctor, as they approached that city, was the former capital of the kingdom of Lombardy, and was founded by the Gauls about 584 years before the Christian æra. It is about 10 miles in circumference, and called, by the Italians, Milan the Great.' It has an extensive cathedral, entirely built of marble, except the roof, which is only surpassed by that of St. Peter's, in Rome. The soil of this part of Italy is, as you must have observed, Edward, extremely fertile in corn, wine, fruit, rice and olives, and it abounds also with cattle.

"In the Milanese are Pavia, formerly the chief city of the Lombards. Como, a rich town, which gave birth to Pliny the younger. Lodi, noted for the desperate conflict between the French under Napoleon Buonaparte and the Austrians, and Cremona, on the Po, a large, rich and strong city."

The first day of their arrival, they visited the Cathedral; and were in some degree much disappointed, for the interior of the edifice, is so completely disfigured by the smoke from the innumerable lamps which it contains, that all idea of its being marble vanishes, and the English traveller, who is accustomed to see the cathedrals of his own country, which are built of much inferior materials it is true, preserved with the nicest care, and as clean as it is possible to keep them, feels at first a disgust at entering the magnificent and noble Cathedral of Milan.