Chapter XIX.
Sarconi.
I left Moliterno at noon for Sarconi, still in heavy rain, with a cold N. E. wind. This town, a place of extreme antiquity and probably of Greek origin, is not above two Italian miles, in a right line nearly, east of the former, crossing the valley of the Sciavra. It stands on the lowest level of the piano, probably 700 feet, if not more, below Moliterno, upon the very edge of the steep and lofty bank of about 100 feet in depth, of deep alluvium and clays, overhanging the north bank of the Moglia, here in winter a large river, whose stony bed is at least 700 feet wide. It is spread out at the town upon horizontal beds of green and grey thin-bedded marls, with calcareous breccias and deep clays above. (See Geolog. section, Diagram No. 242, and Sketch, section, No. 244.)
Directly to the N. E. side of the town, a low colline of limestone rock rises to the height of about 350 feet above it, the hard and nearly horizontal beds of which, pierce up steep and abruptly through the clays, &c. This colline bears round the town a good way, east and north. (See section, Sketch No. 245.) The opposite, or right bank of the Moglia shows limestone in highly inclined beds in some places, and covered with deep alluvium.
