I Am
Acquainted With An Italian Physician Settled At Villa Franca, A
Very Good Sort Of A Man, Who Practises For A Certain Salary,
Raised By Annual Contribution Among The Better Sort Of People;
And An Allowance From The King, For Visiting The Sick Belonging
To The Garrison And The Gallies.
The whole may amount to near
thirty pounds.
Among the inconveniences of this climate, the vermin form no
inconsiderable article. Vipers and snakes are found in the
mountains. Our gardens swarm with lizzards; and there are some
few scorpions; but as yet I have seen but one of this species. In
summer, notwithstanding all the care and precautions we can take,
we are pestered with incredible swarms of flies, fleas, and bugs;
but the gnats, or couzins, are more intolerable than all the
rest. In the day-time, it is impossible to keep the flies out of
your mouth, nostrils, eyes, and ears. They croud into your milk,
tea, chocolate, soup, wine, and water: they soil your sugar,
contaminate your victuals, and devour your fruit; they cover and
defile your furniture, floors, cielings, and indeed your whole
body. As soon as candles are lighted, the couzins begin to buz
about your ears in myriads, and torment you with their stings, so
that you have no rest nor respite 'till you get into bed, where
you are secured by your mosquito-net. This inclosure is very
disagreeable in hot weather; and very inconvenient to those, who,
like me, are subject to a cough and spitting.
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