To This Place I Would
Retire In The Month Of June, And There Continue Till The
Beginning Of October, When I Would Return To My Habitation In
Nice, Where The Winter Is Remarkably Mild And Agreeable.
In March
and April however, I would not advise a valetudinarian to go
forth, without taking precaution against the cold.
An agreeable
summer retreat may be found on the other side of the Var, at, or
near the town of Grasse, which is pleasantly situated on the
ascent of a hill in Provence, about seven English miles from
Nice. This place is famous for its pomatum, gloves, wash-balls,
perfumes, and toilette-boxes, lined with bergamot. I am told it
affords good lodging, and is well supplied with provisions.
We are now preparing for our journey to England, from the
exercise of which I promise myself much benefit: a journey
extremely agreeable, not only on that account, but also because
it will restore me to the company of my friends, and remove me
from a place where I leave nothing but the air which I can
possibly regret.
The only friendships I have contracted at Nice are with
strangers, who, like myself, only sojourn here for a season. I
now find by experience, it is great folly to buy furniture,
unless one is resolved to settle here for some years. The
Nissards assured me, with great confidence, that I should always
be able to sell it for a very little loss; whereas I find myself
obliged to part with it for about one-third of what it cost. I
have sent for a coach to Aix, and as soon as it arrives, shall
take my departure; so that the next letter you receive from me
will be dated at some place on the road. I purpose to take
Antibes, Toulon, Marseilles, Aix, Avignon, and Orange, in my way:
places which I have not yet seen; and where, perhaps, I shall
find something for your amusement, which will always be a
consideration of some weight with, - Dear Sir, Yours.
LETTER XXXVIII
To DR. S - AT NICE
TURIN, March 18, 1765.
DEAR SIR, - Turin is about thirty leagues from Nice, the greater
part of the way lying over frightful mountains covered with snow.
The difficulty of the road, however, reaches no farther than
Coni, from whence there is an open highway through a fine plain
country, as far as the capital of Piedmont, and the traveller is
accommodated with chaise and horses to proceed either post, or by
cambiatura, as in other parts of Italy. There are only two ways
of performing the journey over the mountains from Nice; one is to
ride a mule-back, and the other to be carried in a chair. The
former I chose, and set out with my servant on the seventh day of
February at two in the afternoon. I was hardly clear of Nice,
when it began to rain so hard that in less than an hour the mud
was half a foot deep in many parts of the road. This was the only
inconvenience we suffered, the way being in other respects
practicable enough; for there is but one small hill to cross on
this side of the village of L'Escarene, where we arrived about
six in the evening. The ground in this neighbourhood is tolerably
cultivated, and the mountains are planted to the tops with olive
trees. The accommodation here is so very bad, that I had no
inclination to be a-bed longer than was absolutely necessary for
refreshment; and therefore I proceeded on my journey at two in
the morning, conducted by a guide, whom I hired for this purpose
at the rate of three livres a day. Having ascended one side, and
descended the other, of the mountain called Braus, which took up
four hours, though the road is not bad, we at six reached the
village of Sospello, which is agreeably situated in a small
valley, surrounded by prodigious high and barren mountains. This
little plain is pretty fertile, and being watered by a pleasant
stream, forms a delightful contrast with the hideous rocks that
surround it. Having reposed myself and my mules two hours at this
place, we continued our journey over the second mountain, called
Brovis, which is rather more considerable than the first, and in
four hours arrived at La Giandola, a tolerable inn situated
betwixt the high road and a small river, about a gunshot from the
town of Brieglie, which we leave on the right. As we jogged along
in the grey of the morning, I was a little startled at two
figures which I saw before me, and began to put my pistols in
order. It must be observed that these mountains are infested with
contrabandiers, a set of smuggling peasants, very bold and
desperate, who make a traffic of selling tobacco, salt, and other
merchandize, which have not payed duty, and sometimes lay
travellers under contribution. I did not doubt but there was a
gang of these free-booters at hand; but as no more than two
persons appeared, I resolved to let them know we were prepared
for defence, and fired one of my pistols, in hope that the report
of it, echoed from the surrounding rocks, would produce a proper
effect: but, the mountains and roads being entirely covered with
snow to a considerable depth, there was little or no
reverberation, and the sound was not louder than that of a pop-gun,
although the piece contained a good charge of powder.
Nevertheless, it did not fail to engage the attention of the
strangers, one of whom immediately wheeled to the left about, and
being by this time very near me, gave me an opportunity of
contemplating his whole person. He was very tall, meagre, and
yellow, with a long hooked nose, and small twinkling eyes. His
head was eased in a woollen night-cap, over which he wore a
flapped hat; he had a silk handkerchief about his neck, and his
mouth was furnished with a short wooden pipe, from which he
discharged wreathing clouds of tobacco-smoke.
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