ITALY
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ITALY
right and flows through the pass of the Forello, to re-
ceive the Pagha near Orvieto. The third division is
in a south-easterly direction from the juncture of the
Paglia to Passo Corese, where the Tiljer receives the
Nera, its largest tributary. The Nera, near Terni, re-
ceives the waters of the Velino through the falls of
Marmore which are 530 feet high, the second waterfall
of Italy, the first being that of Toce. The fourth
division of the Tiber is through the Roman Agro, from
Passo Corese to its mouth. The river divides Rome
into two parts, and a little beyond the city it receives
the Aniene, or Teverone, which forms the waterfall of
Tivoli (347 feet) at the town of that name. The Tiber
always carries a great amount of alluvial material, and
consequently its mouth has always made encroach-
ment upon the sea, and does so now by about 13 feet
each year. The Isola Sacra divides the river into two
branches; the southern one which washes Ostia is not
navigable; the other, to the north, known as the
Fiumicino Channel, is navigable and is formed by the
so-called Trajan ditch. The Garigliano River in the
first part of its course is called the Liri (Liris), but,
after receiving the Rapido, it takes the name of Gari-
gliano, because the Rapido in its lower part pre-
serves its ancient name of Gari. Changing its direc-
tion, the Garigliano River flows around the Aurunci
Mountains into the Gulf of Gaeta. In its higher course
the River Liri, near Capistrello, receives the waters of
the basin of Fucino through a subterranean passage
nearly four miles long, the volume of the waters of the
Liri being increased by 10,600 cubic feet per second.
The rivers of Southern Italy empty into three dif- ferent seas, the Tyrrhenian, the Ionian, and the Adri- atic. With the exception of the Volturno, the Sele, the Bradano, the Basento, and the Sinni, none of the streams of Southern Italy tleserve the name of river; they have the nature rather of torrents, especially those of Calabria which, when running full, are very destructive. The rivers of the Adriatic watershed flow perpendicularly to the coasts, with the exception of the Candellaro, which flows in a south-easterly di- rection ; those on the Tyrrhenian in their upper courses form longitudinal valleys. The alluvial plain of Sibari, which is the largest plain of Calabria, was developed by the Crati and its affluents.
The principal rivers of Southern Italy are: the Vol- turno (115 miles) which rises at Capo d'Acqua, on Mt. Rocchetta, with a considerable volume of water, re- ceives the Vandra that flows from the plain of Caro- villi, increased by the waters of the Cavaliere, on the banks of which stands Isernia. The Volturno there- after flows through a broad valley, the bottom of which consists of the alluvial deposits of that river which, at the height of Presenzano, turns into a direction par- allel to the Ma tese Mountains; in formertimes it prob- ably maintained a southerly direction through the Teano depression and flowed along the present bed of the Saccione River. It receives the CalorefR iver which flows into the Volturno at almost right angles, while the latter, turning to the west, flows through the Cai- azzo Pass and opens onto the plain at Capua, with a breadth of about 500 feet, and from there on it is navigable as far as the sea (17* miles). It flows into the sea through swampy lowlands that have been de- veloped by its own alluvial deposits. The Sele takes its rise from numerous copious springs. Its principal affluent is the Tanagro, which disappears into the ground at Polla and appears again, about one-third of a mile farther down the valley. The most important river of the Ionian versant is the Crati, that rises on the highland plain of Sila, passes through Cosenza, and flows through the depression between the Sila and the coast chains of the Apennines, which constitutes the valley of ( 'osenza. Near its mouth it rec(>ives the Cos- cile or Sibari, flowing from the ( 'ampotencse Pass, after having been engrossed by the waters of (he PoUino. The liasento passes by Potenza and flows uito the sea
near the ruins of the ancient Metaponto. The Salemo-
Potenza-Taranto railroad lies along the whole course
of this river. The only stream of any importance on
the Southern Adriatic watershed is the Ofanto River
which beyond Conza describes an arc around the
Vulture mass, the waters from which flow into the
Ofanto through the Rendina River; the Locone is an-
other of its affluents. Between the latter and the
sea, the Volturno River supplies the waters of the arti-
ficial canal by which it is connected with Lake Salpi.
(2) Lakes. — The Italian region has more lakes than
rivers, especially on the plain of the Po, at the foot of
the Alps. They are usually divided into (a) pre-Alpine
lakes, (b) volcanic lakes, and (c) coast lakes, (a) Pre-
Alpine Lakes. — These lakes that temper the climate
of the Continental portion of the pre-Alpine region are
one of the principal causes of the fertility of the soil,
making possible the cultivation of the southern plains.
The zone that contains them extends from Lake Orta
to Lake Garda and is north of the moraine hills that
close the entrance of the valleys of the Central Alps.
Lake Orta or Cusio, north-west of Arona, is 950 feet
above the level of the sea and has an area of about
7 sq. miles, with a maximimi depth of SO fathoms;
its waters flow through the Nigaglia River into the
Strona, a stream that enters into the Toce River which
itself empties into Lake Maggiore (Lacus Verbanus).
This lake stretches from north to south, the principal
streams that flow into it being, at the north, the Ti-
cino and the Maggia ; on the west the Toce, and on the
east the Ti'csa, which flows from Lake Lugano, and
the Bardello which flows from Lake Varese. The River
Ticino flows into Lake Maggiore at Magadino and leaves
it at Sesto Calende. InitsGulf of Pallanza, Lake Mag-
giore contains the Borromean Islands, so famous for
their beauty. The principal towns situated on the
shores are Locarno in Canton Ticino, Pallanza, Intra,
Luino, and Arona, the birth-place of St. Charles Bor-
romeo, where stands his colossal statue in lironze, erec-
ted in 1697, having a height of 100 feet, including the
pedestal, and representing the saint in the act of
blessing Arona. Lake Lugano or Ceresio lies between
Lake Maggiore and Lake Como; the Agno is the prin-
cipal stream that flows into it, while its waters empty
into Lake Maggiore through the Tresa River. On the
shores of this lake are Lugano at the north, and Por-
lezza at the north-east, Capolago at the south, and
Ponte Tresa at the west. Lake Como or Lario is
formed by the River Adda that enters the lake at
Colico and leaves it at Lecco, to form the minor lakes
of Pescarenico, Olginate, and Brivio. Other streams
flowing from Lake Como are the Mera, which receives
the Liro, and the Pioverna. To the north of Lake
Como is the minor lake of Mezzola through which
flows the Mera. This small lake is in reality the nar-
rowed part of Lake Como, developed by the alluvial
deposits of the Adda. Bellagio Point divides Lake
Como into two branches, the south-western one,
which terminates at Como, and a south-eastern branch
called Lake Lecco. Its varied shores are a beautiful
garden of luxuriant vegetation, studded with villages,
chapels, inns, and sumptuous villas. Manzoni made it
still more celebrated by the description that he gave
of it in his immortal novel, "I Promessi Sposi ". Lake
Iseo or Sebino is situated between Lakes Como and
Garda, at the entrance of the valley of Camonica, and
is formed by the Oglio River which enters it at Lovore
and flows from it at Sarnico. It contains the island of
Monte Isola on which are two villages of fishermen.
Lake Garda or Benaco is the largest of the Italian
lakes and the most southerly one of the Sul)-.\lpine
region. The River Sarea is the principal .stream that
flows into it, while tlu' Mincio is its chief outlet. Its
smiling shores are covered with a growth of south-
ern vegetation, the most notable places upon them
being Riva, Salo, Desenzano, Pescliiera, and Bardo-
lino. The narrow peninsula of Sermione that pro-
