The murex purpurea may likewise be mentioned as the shell fish which is supposed to have furnished the Taren tines with their finest purple dye. But the most curious of all the testaceous tribe on these shores is the Pinna marina, one of the muscle species, which frequently ex ceeds two feet in length, and throws out a large tuft of silky threads, which float about as a snare to allure small fish. This shell-fish is torn from the rocks and sand, by a kind of hook, or rather forceps, for the sake of its bunch of silk, called lanapenna, which is sold in its crude state for about 5s . 6d. a pound, and forms a very valuable article of manufacture. (Sec Manufactures.) Minerals.
The mineralogy of Italy, particularly its volcanic pro ducts, would furnish a very extensive and interesting sub ject, but far beyond the compass of our present limits.t The richest mineralogical region is Piedmont, which almost rivals the Carpathian mountains in Hungary ; and, next to Piedmont, is the Milanese territory, particularly around Sienna; but its mines have been almost entirely neglected, as Austria possesses already abundance of an cient and productive mines.
Gold is found in the mountains of Challand, near the Vale of Aosta, in the superior regions near Macugnana, in the vale of Sesia ; and the torrent of Evenson rolls down pebbles of quartz, veined with this precious metal. The mountain of Polino is also said to contain a gold mine belonging to the Duke of Spoletto, but it is scarcely at all wrought, and probably its ore is not rich.
Silver is Daind in the valley of Sesia and Aosta, in Orco, Lans, Maira, in the northern division; and between Reg gio and Scilla in the south.
There are rich iron mines in Sessera, Lans, Susa, Vraita, Ges, Vet toehagna. and in the province of Abruzzo Ultra. One very productive was recently discovered on the mountain of Arunzo, near the lake Celano.
Copper mines are very numerous in the district of Aosta, and in the other places of Piedmont already men tioned as containing mines of silver and iron. It is found also above • the lake of Como, in the Milanese territory.
Antimony, arsenic, and zinc, are also found along with the copper and lead in the silver mines. A rich vein of cobalt has been discovered to the cast of Mount Blanc ; and plum bago, or black lead, near the baths of Binay. There are several mines of alum in the Ecclesiastical territory, which are generally found very near the surface, particu larly in the mountains of Tolfa, and which are said to be discovered by the prevalence on the soil of certain verdant shrubs, named agrifolio.
The calcareous combinations form the prevailing feature in the Italian mountains, and their volcanic productions. Limestone is the general base of the southern hills; and one mountain particularly, which advances into the plain between Intro d'Aqua and Pitto Rano, in Abruzzo Ultra, contains a multitude of round limestone balls, sonic of which are extremely large, and, when sawn through, dis play concentrated strata in their interior. Beautiful mar bles, of various hues, are found in the Genoese and Tuscan territories. Native sulphur is very abundant, especially in the volcanic regions of the south. Coal is not unknown in the country, and a vein of excellent quality has been discovered near the source of the Garigliano. In Cala bria there are natural mountains of rock-salt, much stronger than what is made from sea water ; but they are not per mitted to be worked, as the revenue derives so great a tax from the manufacture of that article. In the neighbour hood of Taranto arc two immense salt lakes, one of which is nearly eight miles in circumference during winter, when they are filled with water; but in the summer, when they are dried up, a considerable quantity of fine white salt is deposited, which is the property of the crown, and of which more than 10,000 tomolit are annually sold, be sides what is secretly carried off by the peasantry. There arc several salt pits in the Ecclesiastical territory, particularly at Servia and Ostia.
Manufactures.
The manufactures of Italy are neither numerous nor extensive, when compared with the fertility of the soil, and advantageous situation of the country. Silk, wool, and cotton are the principal articles which occupy its ma nufacturing population; but a greater proportion of these commodities are exported in the raw state, than wrought up at home. The former may he considered as the staple of Italy ; and many of its poor find regular employment in the care of the silk-worm, and the culture of the mulberry tree, on which it feeds. The Tuscans manage their silk worms so as to have two hatchings in a year ; but, in Cala bria, though with a more propitious climate, they are less successful. Even in this latter district, they find it neces sary to rear the worms in houses of a particular construc tion. The windows are .long, but only about six inches wide, which prevents too great a quantity of air from be ing admitted at a time ; and when the eggs are on the point of being hatched, these openings are entirely shut, and a moderate fire kept up in the rooms. As soon as the insects come out of the shell, they are placed on beds of reeds, and there fed with the leaves of the red mulberry, which the Calabrese prefer to the white, so generally em ployed in China, Piedmont, and Languedoc; and which, they imagine (apparently without reason) to produce a more compact, heavy silk. In case of a blight among the mulberries, various leaves have been tried as a succeda neum, and the tops of brambles been found to answer the purpose best. The silk-houses in the south are usually the property of the more wealthy inhabitants, who furnish rooms, leaves, eggs, and every necessary implement, for which they take two-thirds of the profit, leaving the other third for the attendants. A succession of eggs from dif ferent places is found necessary to renew the breed, and preserve the good quality of the silk. The pods are car ried to public caldrons, where a duty is paid for boiling and winding ; and as the winders work by the pound, they perform their task in a slovenly careless manner. in the Neapolitan territories, excise duties are extremely heavy on this article. Every mulberry tree pays a tax of two carlini (about nine-pence Sterling) per annum. As soon as the silk is drawn, while the article is still wet and heavy, forty-two grano (about Is. 6d. Sterling) are exacted for every pound, and even the rclose and unprofitable pods are forced to pay one grana (nearly a halfpenny,) per pound. Great duties are also laid upon the exportation of the raw material, so that the poor merchants arc compelled to smuggle for a livelihood. Yet, with all these exactions and oppressions, about 800,000 pounds weight are annually , • (lured in the kingdom of Naples, of which one half is supposed to be won ked at home, and the other half exported in the raw state. The best silks in the whole of the Italian districts, and perhaps, in the world, are said to be those of Alondovi, Drunero, and Cavaglio, near Coni, and of the little tract of Fossombrona in the duchy of Urbino. The most curious silk manufacture in Italy • is that which is made from the tuft of the pima- marina, which is called, in its crude state, lana-penna, but is cleansed from its impuri ties by washing in soap and water, drying and rubbing with the hands. It is then passed through combs of bone; and afterwards, for finer purposes, through iron combs, or cards, so that a pound of the coarse filaments is usually reduced to about three ounces of fine thread. When mixed with about one-third of real silk, it is spun on the distaff, and knit into gloves, caps, stockings, vests, &c. forming a stuff of a beautiful brownish yellow colour, (re sembling the burnished golden hue on the back of certain flies and beetles,) but very liable to be moth-eaten, and re quiring to be wrapped in fine linen. A pair of gloves costs on the spot about six shillings, and a pair of stockings eleven; but its sale is not very extensive, and the manu facture is peculiar to Taranto.