When You Land On The Wharf At Genoa, You Are Plied By The Feluca
Men Just As You Are Plied By The Watermen At Hungerford-Stairs In
London.
They are always ready to set off at a minute's warning
for Lerici, Leghorn, Nice, Antibes, Marseilles, and every part of
the Riviera.
The wind being still unfavourable, though the weather was
delightful, we rowed along shore, passing by several pretty
towns, villages, and a vast number of cassines, or little white
houses, scattered among woods of olive-trees, that cover the
hills; and these are the habitations of the velvet and damask
weavers. Turning Capo Fino we entered a bay, where stand the
towns of Porto Fino, Lavagna, and Sestri di Levante, at which
last we took up our night's lodging. The house was tolerable, and
we had no great reason to complain of the beds: but, the weather
being hot, there was a very offensive smell, which proceeded from
some skins of beasts new killed, that were spread to dry on an
outhouse in the yard. Our landlord was a butcher, and had very
much the looks of an assassin. His wife was a great masculine
virago, who had all the air of having frequented the slaughter-house.
Instead of being welcomed with looks of complaisance, we
were admitted with a sort of gloomy condescension, which seemed
to say, "We don't much like your company; but, however, you shall
have a night's lodging in favour of the patron of the gondola,
who is our acquaintance." In short, we had a very bad supper,
miserably dressed, passed a very disagreeable night, and payed a
very extravagant bill in the morning, without being thanked for
our custom. I was very glad to get out of the house with my
throat uncut.
Sestri di Levante is a little town pleasantly situated on the
seaside; but has not the conveniency of a harbour. The fish taken
here is mostly carried to Genoa. This is likewise the market for
their oil, and the paste called macaroni, of which they make a
good quantity.
Next day, we skirted a very barren coast, consisting of almost
perpendicular rocks, on the faces of which, however, we saw many
peasants' houses and hanging terraces for vines, made by dint of
incredible labour. In the afternoon, we entered by the Porti di
Venere into the bay, or gulf of Spetia or Spezza, which was the
Portus Lunae of the ancients. This bay, at the mouth of which
lies the island Palmaria, forms a most noble and secure harbour,
capacious enough to contain all the navies in Christendom. The
entrance on one side is defended by a small fort built above the
town of Porto Venere, which is a very poor place. Farther in
there is a battery of about twenty guns; and on the right hand,
opposite to Porto Venere, is a block-house, founded on a rock in
the sea. At the bottom of the bay is the town of Spetia on the
left, and on the right that of Lerici, defended by a castle of
very little strength or consequence.
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