We Ascended A Steep Mountain By A Narrow
Road Formed For A Considerable Way Along The Brink Of A
Precipice, At The Bottom Of Which Brawls The Furious River Nera,
After Having Received The Velino.
This last is the stream which,
running from the Lago delle Marmore, forms the cascade by falling
over a precipice about one hundred and sixty feet high.
Such a
body of water rushing down the mountain; the smoak, vapour, and
thick white mist which it raises; the double rainbow which these
particles continually exhibit while the sun shines; the deafening
sound of the cataract; the vicinity of a great number of other
stupendous rocks and precipices, with the dashing, boiling, and
foaming of the two rivers below, produce altogether an object of
tremendous sublimity: yet great part of its effect is lost, for
want of a proper point of view, from which it might be
contemplated. The cascade would appear much more astonishing,
were it not in some measure eclipsed by the superior height of
the neighbouring mountains. You have not a front perspective; but
are obliged to view it obliquely on one side, standing upon the
brink of a precipice, which cannot be approached without horror.
This station might be rendered much more accessible, and
altogether secure, for the expence of four or five zequines; and
a small tax might be levied for the purpose from travellers by
the aubergiste at Terni, who lets his calasses for half a zequine
a piece to those that are curious to see this phaenomenon.
Besides the two postilions whom I payed for this excursion, at
the rate of one stage in posting, there was a fellow who posted
himself behind one of the chaises, by way of going to point out
the different views of the cascade; and his demand amounted to
four or five pauls. To give you an idea of the extortion of those
villainous publicans, I must tell you that for a dinner and
supper, which even hunger could not tempt us to eat, and a
night's lodging in three truckle beds, I paid eighty pauls,
amounting to forty shillings sterling. You ask me why I submitted
to such imposition? I will tell you - I have more than once in my
travels made a formal complaint of the exorbitancy of a publican,
to the magistrate of the place; but I never received any
satisfaction, and have lost abundance of time. Had I proceeded to
manual correction, I should have alarmed and terrified the women:
had I peremptorily refused to pay the sum total, the landlord,
who was the post-master, would not have supplied me with horses
to proceed on my journey. I tried the experiment at Muy in
France, where I put myself into a violent passion, had abundance
of trouble, was detained till it was almost night, and after all
found myself obliged to submit, furnishing at the same time
matter of infinite triumph to the mob, which had surrounded the
coach, and interested themselves warmly in favour of their
townsman.
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