Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-11-16

those now found at the most popular sum-
mer resorts of the world. Pliny the
younger describes these magnificent villas
and towns placed at intervals along the
beach, and even boasted of the salubrlty
and convenience of his own.
The drainage of the Pontine marshes
has been undertaken from time to time
with varied success. As early as 100 b.
C. they were dried up, but only for a
time. 1t was resumed with partial sue
cess by canals during the pontihcates OF
Boniface VIII, Martin ", Sixtus V. and
Plus VI. In 1850 law was enacted by
Sixtus w., severely furnishing ''any lay or
clerical proprietor, baron, bishop or car
dinal who forbade his tenants to sow the
land and kept it under pasture" But the
most benefcent improvements were effected
under the orders of Popes Plus VI. and
Plus VII, who endeavored, by law, to
compel the cultivation of large extent OF
land in the Campagna. This operated a
manifest check on the fever, and the
health of the entire neighborhood was i'm
proved. The planting of the eucalyptus
tain quarters. A splendid monastery at
the Ire Fontane, deserted for many years,
was bestowed by Pope Plus TX. upon a
community of French Trappists in 1867.
At first they only ventured to visit their
new possession during certain hours of the
day. One of the monks proposed plant
ing eucalyptus trees around it. This was
done, and in the course of time the mon
astery became habitable.
The tourist of modern times visiting the
vicinity from June to October will find II
deserted by all who are able to remove to
the hills. No villages or cottages are now
to be seen; but here and there, at long in
tervals, dismal-looking caSGle, or farm
house, or, rather, cattle ranch. As there
is no fixed population in these plains,
laborers are engaged during the farming
season from the highlands OF the Apen-
mines, where scanty soil, though under a
healthy climate, does not furnish sufficient
occupation for the native peasantry. These
soon fall victims to the fell disease, and by
the end of the harvest season scarce half
the original number remains. These re-
turn to the mountains. Some die on the
road, and others reach home, exhausted
with illness and fatigue, to return, if they
live, to go through the same ordeal next
year.
The only stationary population in the
Maremma consists of buffalo keepers.
These are always mounted and armed with
lance, with which they keep in subjec-
tion the wild COWS and fierce bulls which
roam about this region. These keepers
lead life of freedom and comparative in
dependence like the Arab of the desert
They are paid yearly wages, and they man
age, besides, to raise cattle of their own,
During the heats of summer they retire to
the shady forests which line the seeshore,
and where the air is not unwholesome as
in the open plains. The buffalo of the
Campagna, originally from Southern Asia
and Northern Africa, was introduced into
Italy toward the close of the sixth CEN
tury. 1t is an invaluable beast of burden
in the marshy districts, where the great
breadth of its feet-somewhat resembling
in this respect those OF the reindeer-gives
it decided advantage over horses. 1t grazes
in herds in the Pontine Marshes, and
will lie for hours immersed in water, with
nothing but its head above the surface, and
often enveloping itself in mud, as protec-
tion against insects. The Roman OK, too,
is beautiful specinen-large and we'll
proportioned, always of a mouse color
and with magnificent horns, white, with
dark bases and tips, starting from the brow
and winding in a most perfect uniformity
with graceful and really majestic spread
to sometimes three feet apart at the points.
Akin to the peasants who come down
from the mountains IN the planting and
harvest season to earn a few lire on the
farms of the Campagna are the Piferar,,
or pipers, who may be seen playing, singly
or in groups, upon a sort of clarionet, very
much after the fashion of the little Ger
man bands that have become so numerous
in our large cities. Their garb, 50 tattered
and worn, has brigand air about it
which never fails to attract attention and
secure few sold for the performers.