Transcribe Ward, Henry A. Letter to Dewey, Chester (1857-03-21)

Vicinity some extensive beds of quaternary limestone lying a little above the present level of the Mediterranean and containing many fossil shells of which nearly all have their an out analogues at the present day although some now only inhabit tropical seas 12 miles west of leghorn rise the snow topped Apennines and at their base flows the river Arno on which is Pisa to me the finest city in Italy there I spent an hour on the famous leaning tower and the rest of my New Year's Day at the University visiting with and viewing the collection of Professor Meneghini who is unquestionably the greatest geologist in Italy he has studied in a very thorough manner the geology of Tuscany and has published a large work upon its sedimentary and irrupt of rocks these latter are very interesting both from their number and variety as well as for the metamorphosing action which they have had upon the Cretaceous and Jurassic lime stones which they have traversed producing the [socelitiated] Italian marbles another fact which professor Meneghini has sought out very strongly in his own in his work