194

ITALIAN SCENERY.

solid granite rock, whose mass, projectingso as nearly to touch the opposite side ofthe chasm, presented, until it Avas exca-vated, an almost insuperable barrier totravellers : its length is 200 metres , andrequired a year and half constant labour,night and day, with workmen at bothextremities, for its excavation. The sim-ple inscription, “ iere italo 1805/' marksthe date of its completion. It receiveslight from two apertures pierced throughthe side.

VILLAGE OF SEMPIONE.

PLATE LIX.

Tiie village of Sempione is the largeston the mountain: it partakes partly ofSwiss and partly of Italian character: itis built of dark coloured stone, whichsoon gets covered with yellow lichens.In the winter the inhabitants barely enjoythe sight of the sun for a few hours in theday, the height of the surrounding moun-