The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-01-30
ITALY..THE SALT MARSlIES.-A CITY
OLDER THAN ROME.
MILAN, ITALY, Dec. 80, 1877


the Adriatic coast seldom visited by
tourists and consequently not often de-
scribed. Among those worthy of note
l may name the small city of CESSNA,
located on the railroad from Bologna
to Rimini. 1t is at the foot of the
Appenine mountains, and 10 miles
from the sea coast, and reaches we'll up
the sides of the foot hills. It's buildings
are more modern in style than are
usual in Italian cities. The prosperity
of the place is in large measure due
to the proximity of an extensive and
rich sulphur mine that has been ope-
rated by an English company for the
past ten years. From this point we
in an open carriage rode to the city of
CERvIA, ten miles distant on the Adri-
attic sea shore. The route lay over Il
highly cultivated country for six miles,
thence across salt marsh through
which an elevated roadway of gravel
had been constructed. This marsh is
4 miles wide and Is miles long, and is
on level with tide water. In fact, it
is the result Of the ocean receding to
give place to the accumulating sands
that always make land on the western
side of shallow sea- The bar be-
*woan tho ,,,,.cb ,,,1 a. ~oo 80 .,lo,t
2 miles wide, and elevated about four
feet above ordinary high tide. Upon
this bar the city of Cer'ia is built, and
upon this bar also is beautiful pine
forest stretching un'froken fifteen
miles north to the city of Ravenna.
The city of CERvIA is ut least modern
if hot beautiful, for abe !. twenty years
ago its predecessor was overwhelmed
and laid in ruins by tidal wave that
spared only the most substantial struc-
lures. On first glance one would fail
to conjecture any reason why a city
should exist here at any time, much
less that ruined one should be re
built. A short walk, however, re
vealed the fact that this is the locality
of the government salt works, where
thousands of workmen find employ
ment The salt marsh contains thous-
ands of earth basins constructed for
the purpose of evaporating the salt
water supplied to them by canals from
the sea, regulated by tide gates. The
product of the season was gathered in
by the middle of October and stored
for market, being over 100000 tons.
Evaporation is wholly 10y the heat of
the sun. From the basins it is shov-
eled into open canal boats, taken to
the city, carried in sacks by men and
placed in store or loaded on vessels for
other ports. There are also many peo-
pie here engaged in the fisheries, which
at least produce them II good living.
The city is prosperous and notable for
the absence of beggars. counted
eighty vessels at one time at sea off
this harbor.
After a soiourn of four weeks in
Cervia, we passed by stage up the coast
road to the city of Ravenna, where bus
mess kept us for three weeks. OF this
city could say many things did your
space permit, but will he brief. 1t
is older than the city of Rome, and
many historical events are associated
with it. Here is the tomb of Dante,
of Placida, of Emperor Theodosius,
and many others of lesser note. The
tomb of Thcodosius l., is rude struct-
ure projecting from the street wall of
an old church-the wall seeming to
have been built to preserve and par
TALLY enclose it, and is on the site of
the monarch's old'palace. The inscrip-
tion is still legible, but shows the eff
fects of age. Tradition has it that
this emperor had weakness in the
matter of thunder storms, of which he
had great dread. To provide safety
against them he had an arched under
ground passage made from his palace,
one mile long to a point outside the
wall, where he erected building in
tended to be strong enough to defy the
aerial artillery. This building is still
standing in good preservation. 1t is
circular in form, built of massive
blocks of granite and fossil limestone;
40 feet in diameter, so feet high. The
wall of the lower story is feet