The bridge of Gard having been broken down at the two extremities, at a period very remote and uncertain, it is thought that this destruction may be attributed to the Barbarians who invaded the country of Nismes a short time after their first invasion, which is fixed at the commencement of the fifth century, about the year 406, and it is supposed that by this means they would deprive the inhabitants of Nismes of the water furnished by the Aqueduct, and force them to yield. But by this supposition, which is very probable, the water had been running in this Aqueduct for more than four centuries; and this structure which has been out of use during fourteen hundred years, is still in such a state of preservation that it could be restored without a very great expenditure of money. THE ANCIENT AQUEDUCTS OF LYONS. Nothing gives a better idea of the splendour of the city of Lyons under the reign of the first Roman Emperors, than the remains of the ancient monuments. We see there at the present day, remains of temples, of palaces, of amphitheatres, of basins for mock sea fights, of baths and of many Aqueducts, of which three were constructed under the reigns of Augustus, of Tiberius and of Claudius, for conducting water to that part of the ancient city situated upon the mountain. The first and the most ancient of these Aqueducts, constructed by Mark Anthony, brought the waters from _Mount-d’Or_, by means of two branches which embraced that group of mountains. The water furnished by the first Aqueduct having been found insufficient, they constructed a second one to bring the water of the Loire. The third Aqueduct was built by the Emperor Claudius to furnish water to the palace of the emperors situated upon an elevated mountain. The Aqueducts built at this era are all of the same construction; that is to say, from the plan and construction adopted by the Romans. A fourth Aqueduct was also constructed for this city, but there is some doubt whether it was built by the Romans. AQUEDUCT OF MOUNT PILA. This Aqueduct was built by Claudius, who was born at Lyons, to conduct water to the emperor’s palace, situated on the highest part of the city. The sources which supplied it, were in the neighbourhood of Mount Pila, and they were brought into the main Aqueduct by branch aqueducts. The main Aqueduct was forty miles in length; and adding the branches, the length of the Aqueduct was forty-five miles.