Travellers enter Milan through a beautiful marble triumphal arch, erected in honour of Napoleon. The Duomo or Cathedral is a wonderful building of white marble, the façade of which was not completed until he had conquered Italy, although the remainder of the building, which has been very costly, had been commenced in the year 1386. At the top of each pinnacle, and in various recesses, are placed marble statues, said to be 3,000 in number. This building should be viewed at night during the full moon, when it has the appearance of ivory, and is a sight rarely equalled. Being desirous of visiting Venice, I left my fellow-travellers at Milan; having arranged to rejoin them at Florence, I proceeded through the valley of the Po, by way of Bergamo, Breschia, Peschiera, Verona, and Padua, from whence I crossed the Lagoon to Venice. The Province of Lombardy is very beautiful, situated between the Alps and Apennines, and watered by many rivers. The country generally is divided into square blocks, and extensively irrigated. These blocks are surrounded by mulberry trees planted at regular intervals, and grape vines are festooned from tree to tree. The fruit, being ripe at this time, presented a rich and lovely scene. The fertility of the soil, consequent upon irrigation, is very great, producing generally three crops annually. The culture of silk is very valuable in many respects. It employs a large number of women and children at their own homes, and the annual export of silk, raw and manufactured, amounts to about four millions sterling.