But I Found Myself Altogether
Unequal To The Task.
I have neither health, strength, nor
opportunity to make proper collections of the mineral, vegetable,
and animal productions.
I am not much conversant with these
branches of natural philosophy. I have no books to direct my
inquiries. I can find no person capable of giving me the least
information or assistance; and I am strangely puzzled by the
barbarous names they give to many different species, the
descriptions of which I have read under other appelations; and
which, as I have never seen them before, I cannot pretend to
distinguish by the eye. You must therefore be contented with such
imperfect intelligence as my opportunities can afford.
The useful arts practised at Nice, are these, gardening and
agriculture, with their consequences, the making of wine, oil,
and cordage; the rearing of silk-worms, with the subsequent
management and manufacture of that production; and the fishing,
which I have already described.
Nothing can be more unpromising than the natural soil of this
territory, except in a very few narrow bottoms, where there is a
stiff clay, which when carefully watered, yields tolerable
pasturage. In every other part, the soil consists of a light sand
mingled with pebbles, which serves well enough for the culture of
vines and olives: but the ground laid out for kitchen herbs, as
well as for other fruit must be manured with great care and
attention. They have no black cattle to afford such compost as
our farmers use in England.
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