The Dry River-beds of the Riviera

Abstract

MR. H. T. WHARTON'S letter (NATURE, vol. xiii., p. 448) does not seem fully to explain the difficulty expressed by Mr. R. E. Bartlett (NATURE, vol. xiii., p. 406), a difficulty which is often felt by many of the visitors to the Riviera. Mr. Wharton is quite correct with regard to the Paglione. This stream has, I believe, within the last few years been often in high flood, and has been more than once within a foot or two of the top of the arches of the bridge which Mr. Bartlett seems to think is unnecessarily large. The Paglione, where it passes through Nice, is not, however, a fair representative of the river-beds of the Riviera. When the river-walls were built, which now retain the Paglione, the river-bed was, in all probability, made much narrower than it previously was, on account of the value of the land for building purposes, and only so much of the river-bed retained as was necessary to carry away the water, so that the Paglione now completely fills its channel when in flood. This is far from