VAL D'ALGONE.

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age could take root. Towards the south the dis-tant hills beyond the Sarca waved in gradations ofpurple and blue through the shimmer of the Italiansunshine.

A short zigzag through thick copses took us downto the meadows. The large solitary building in theirmidst is a glass manufactory. At this point a goodcar-road begins, which, branching lower down, leadseither to Tione or Stenico.

The loftier dolomites Were soon lost to view behind abend in the valley, and the road plunged down a deepand narrow glen between banks of nodding cyclamens,bold crags, and the greenest of green hillsides. Abouttwo hours’ walk from the glass manufactory the gorgeof the Sarca opened in front, and the road to Stenico,leaving the stream to fall into it, wound at a level roundthe face of perpendicular cliffs. Tione and its village-dotted valley were seen for a few moments before ourbacks were turned to them, and we fairly entered thegorge of the Sarca. The high-road and river thread sideby side the intricacies of the great cleft; our way layalong a shelf blasted out of the cliffs a thousand feetabove them. The rays of a midday sun streamed fullupon us from an unclouded heaven, and every rockreflected back the glow of light and heat. Notwith-standing, we walked briskly on, for the castle of Stenicowas full in view and scarcely a mile distant.- Beforereaching it we had to make the circuit of a gorge.From the hot golden rocks overhead a great fountainburst forth and poured down in a cool cascade, thewaters of which were soon captured in channels andspread amongst terraced orchards and fig gardens,