Great Neapolitan Earthquake of 1857/Part II. Ch. XXII
CHAPTER XXII.
JOURNEY TO MONTEMURRO.
We passed the Agri again, narrowly escaping the loss of one of the laden mules, owing to the large stones in the bed, the torrent of muddy water taking them above the girths; and commenced a long and toilsome ascent, along the small lateral valley of the Fiume Levada, or Laderana, crossing it several times, from the west to the east bank.
This stream is not named on the maps of Zannoni, or of Bachlet d'Albe, and no two people hardly, seemed to pronounce its name quite alike. Once landed on the left (north) bank of the Agri, we reach a new set of formations. The limestone and breccia here disappear, and are succeeded by thick argillaceous beds, with thin bands of something approaching to clay iron-stone; some beds of calcareous clays, much indurated, and occasionally, heavy beds of a yellow and grey calcareous soft sandstone, all not very far from horizontal, and dipping to the north and N.E. The whole of these are overlaid, by enormous deposits, of dense tenacious clays, red, brown, and yellow, almost without a pebble. These stand, as soft shedding cliffs, above this stream—now a brawling torrent of liquid mud, which is undercutting and sweeping them away, in masses. In many places 400 feet in depth of these clays, overlay the soft rocks beneath. Near the junction of this torrent with the Agri, I had noticed many fragments, and some large lumps of lignite in its bed, and when ascended, to within about a mile of Montemurro, I was enabled to see the lignite beds in situ beneath the clay cliffs at the opposite (east) side of the Laderana, and nearly on the level of the water. They appeared to be from 1 to 2 feet in thickness, perfectly black, but as fuel, of very inferior quality; they are unused, and apparently unknown to the inhabitants.
A good while before reaching this elevation, Gallichio, Missanello, and other distant towns, to the east and S.E., perched amidst the lateral valley recesses of the Agri, had been visible, all showing with the telescope, evidences of devastation. St. Archangelo is the most remote, that I have had a glimpse of, distant about 20 miles to the S. E.
END OF VOL. I.
LONDON: PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS.