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CHAPTER X.

OF THE FIES CALLED SUPERNAS AND INFEENAS, ANDOF THE APENNINES.

The Apennines begin from the Tyrrhene Sea, extendingto the Alps on one side, and the borders of Tuscany onthe other; and their summits spreading in the shape ofa bow, almost touch the shores of the Adriatic in thecentre of their range, which ends near the Straits ofSicily. The hither side of them towards Tuscany andCampania, is in point of climate extremely mild, beingcontinually warmed by the sun’s rays. The further side,which lies towards the upper sea, is exposed to the north,and is enclosed by thick and gloomy shadow. The trees,therefore, which grow in that part being nourished bycontinual moisture, not only grow to a great size, buttheir fibres being too much saturated with it, swell outconsiderably. When hewn, therefore, and squared, anddeprived of their natural vegetation, they change indrying the hardness of the grain, and become weak andapt to decay, on account of the openness of their pores.They are, therefore, of little durability in buildings. Onthe contrary, those which grow on the side opposite tothe sun, not being so porous, harden in drying, becausethe sun draws the moisture from trees no less than fromthe earth. Hence, those which grow in open sunnyplaces, are more solid, on account of the closeness oftheir pores, and when squared for use, are exceedinglylasting. The fir, which goes by the name of Infernas,brought from the warm open parts, is therefore prefer-able to the sort called Supernas, which comes from aclosely and thickly wooded country. To the best of myability I have treated on the materials necessary forbuilding, and their natural temperaments in respect ofthe different proportions of the elements which they