Chap. IV.
ItO MAX.
189
alluvial deposit, interposes between the sea and the marshes on their western side, in adirection parallel to their longitudinal axis. Their eastern side is hounded by a lofty chainof calcareous mountains, called Monte Lepino, which extend from Terraeina to Cori,Kocca massimi, Monte Ferlino, &c. &c. Their southern limit touches the neck, which joinsthe northern extremity of the chain just mentioned to a group of mountains, among whichArtemisia is distinguished, and which has Velletri on the opposite side; Gensanno, Albano,Castel Gondolfo, &c. on the western side : the height of this neck is the common summitof the two inclined planes; one descends into the Pontine marshes, the other into the valleyof Sacco, separated by the Lepino mountains from the former, to which it is superior ; thisis called the basin of the Lake Celano, formerly the Lake Fucinus and that of the Anieno.
The neck of land at Velletri is covered with a volcanic bed, occupying a considerableextent on the south-east and north-west of Home ; this has been thrown from severalcraters which are now formed into lakes; of these there are at least ten in number : thusthe Pontine marshes arc bounded on the north by a volcanic soil, on the east by a cal-careous chain, and on the south and west by an alluvial deposit.
At the point of the angle formed on the sea-shore by the two latter directions is aremarkable calcareous pointed hill, detached from the great calcareous chain by the downsand marshes, to which are attached by a solid and resisting mass two other downs, thesouthern and western extremity of which protects the marsh against the action of the waves.This hill is Circe , or the Monte Circeo, and rises 525 metres above the sea ; it is entirelyisolated at the extremity of the vast plain, which it commands, and was probably an islandoriginally; it now serves as a contrefort to the alluvium of the Pontine marshes, whichwere formerly an archipelago of small Islands opposite the Gulf of Gaeta and the road ofTerraeina. The nucleus of Circe is a primitive rock, whose subterranean union with thecalcareous masses of the Apennines , is now marked by thick beds of alluvium of volcanicproducts. The western down, which separates the sea from Machia di Cesterna and theMachia Terraeina, appear to have been first formed, bounded on the north by the Capeof Astura, and on the south by Monte Circeo; the southern down is much narrower, andaltogether of a later formation. These marshes were probably for a length of time a gulf,or species of lagune, afterwards covered by alluvium, brought down by the various riversthat traverse it.
Soundings were made in 1811 near the sources of the URente, at the foot of themountains Sezze and Piperno, at 15,000 metres distance from the present sea-shore, andcarried to 22 metres of depth under the waters of the river, or 17 metres below the actualbed, when marine sand, shells, debris of marine plants, in good preservation, were broughtup; this proves that the sea must have once bathed the feet of the mountains whichnow bound the eastern side of the marsh, and that its bed had a rapid fall from this ancientshore. The Pontine marshes may then have afforded to vessels an asylum or harbour,where the largest might have anchored; one of the principal entrances to which was pro-bably at a little distance from Terraeina, where is the present mouth of the Badino.
The soundings made at the foot of the mountains arrived at the marine sand at 17metres; other soundings, made near Circe , brought up sands and marine shells at a muchless depth ; thus proving that the ancient bed of the sea gradually inclined from Circe tothe shore, at the foot of the mountains, where it again suddenly rose; other observationsshow that in the Pontine marshes formerly high beds and islands existed, which greatlyfavoured the formation of the downs; for over a large portion of them, a stratum ofvery hard matter is found, the breaking up of which is attended with considerable diffi-culty ; this stratum is under the peat, and might have been formed from a deposit of thewaters, which flow from the foot of the mountains, one of the sources of which is calledAqua Puzza, or stinking water; these waters spread themselves in various directions, anddeposit the earthy matter they hold in solution, thus forming beds of hard stone.
The filling up of the Pontine marshes has been the result of the several rivers andtorrents, which, descending from the mountains, have carried in their course a large quantityof deposit; the alluvium is of considerable thickness over the greater portion, and iscovered with a thick mud, produced from the decomposition of plants, which apparently hasbeen going on for ages.
The whole of the land to the north-west, beyond the Cape of Astura, is classic ground;at every step we find places described and celebrated by the Roman poets. The adventuresof Ulysses and his companions on the Isle of Circe, those of the warrior Camillus and hisfather, Metabus, who reigned at Piperno, are to be found in Virgil. The scenes of thelast hook of the JEneid were laid in the country situated to the east of Cisterna, Albano,and Velitri, towards the sea-coast, where Ardea still remains, the ancient capital of theRutuli, where Turnus was king , and towards Lavinium, now Pratica, Laurentum, &c. &c.
The waters of the fountain Ferronia, w’hieh Horace mentions, still run near Terraeina, atthe place where stood the temple of the goddess.
The first inhabitants of this district, the Volsci, were a warlike and powerful peoplegoverned by a king, but afterwards divided into several republics. This latter kind of