12.

Polybius tells us that in his time the gold mines were so rich about Aquileia, but particularly in the countries of the Taurisci Norici, that if you dug but two feet below the surface you found gold, and that the diggings [generally] were not deeper than fifteen feet. In some instances the gold was found pure in lumps about the size of a bean or lupin, and which diminished in the fire only about one eighth; and in others, though requiring more fusion, was still very profitable. Certain Italians1574 aiding the barbarians in working [the mines], in the space of two months the value of gold was diminished throughout the whole of Italy by one third. The Taurisci on discovering this drove out their fellow-labourers, and only sold the gold themselves. Now, however, the Romans possess all the gold mines. Here, too, as well as in Iberia, the rivers yield gold-dust as well as the diggings, though not in such large quantities. The same writer, speaking of the extent and height of the Alps, compares with them the largest mountains of Greece, such as Taygetum,1575 Lycæum,1576 Parnassus,1577 Olympus,1578 Pelion,1579 Ossa,1580 and of Thrace, as the Hæmus, Rhodope, and Dunax, saying that an active person might almost ascend any of these in a single day, and go round them in the same time, whereas five days would not be sufficient to ascend the Alps, while their length along the plains extends 2200 stadia.1581 He only names four passes over the mountains, one through Liguria close to the Tyrrhenian Sea,1582 a second through the country of the Taurini,1583 by which Hannibal passed, a third through the country of the Salassi,1584 and a fourth through that of the Rhæti,1585 all of them precipitous. In these mountains, he says, there are numerous lakes; three large ones, the first of which is Benacus,1586 500 stadia in length and 130 in breadth, the river Mincio flows from it. The second is the Verbanus,1587 400 stadia [in length], and in breadth smaller than the preceding; [Pg 312]
[CAS. 209] the great river Ticino1588 flows from this [lake]. The third is the Larius,1589 its length is nearly 300 stadia, and its breadth 30, the river Adda flows from it. All these rivers flow into the Po. This is what we have to say concerning the Alpine mountains.