Page:Great Neapolitan Earthquake of 1857 Vol 2.djvu/197

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CHAPTER XLVI.

LAVIANO TO VALVA BY THE RIO TEMPATE.


Laviano stands nearly at the head of the great valley, which now gradually opens downwards towards the west to Eboli and the sea, and upon the head waters of the Rio Tempate, which, winding round the base of Monte Spagarino, whose large mass rises to the west and N.W., falls into the upper forks of the Salaris, below Calabrita.

The town, a small and poor place, is placed upon the summit of an eminence of solid limestone, which rather crosses, in its greater length, the main general line of the valley, which is here very sinuous, though not abrupt in character.

The mass of limestone upon which it is built is no more consistent than so much soft, sandy chalk. Close to the mass to the west and north is the junction of this cretaceous limestone with the beds of yellow-grey sandstone, which appear to overlie it, and whose strike here is N.W., and dip 35° from the vertical to the north and N.E.

The eminence on which the town stands is steep, almost abrupt, steepest and highest above the valley bottom at the north and N.W. sides, but nearly insulated to a considerable depth upon the south and east, by a deep ravine and small stream at the bottom.