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:
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