The Road Lay Along One Continued Precipice, And Was So Difficult,
That The Beasts Never Could Exceed A Walking Pace.
In some places
we were obliged to alight.
Seven hours were spent in travelling
fifteen short miles: at length we arrived at our old lodgings in
St. Remo, which we found white-washed, and in great order. We
supped pretty comfortably; slept well; and had no reason to
complain of imposition in paying the bill. This was not the case
in the article of the mules, for which I was obliged to pay fifty
livres, according to the regulation of the posts. The postmaster,
who came along with us, had the effrontery to tell me, that if I
had hired the mules to carry me and my company to St. Remo, in
the way of common travelling, they would have cost me but fifteen
livres; but as I demanded post-horses, I must submit to the
regulations. This is a distinction the more absurd, as the road
is of such a nature as renders it impossible to travel faster in
one way than in another; nor indeed is there the least difference
either in the carriage or convenience, between travelling post
and journey riding. A publican might with the same reason charge
me three livres a pound for whiting, and if questioned about the
imposition, reply, that if I had asked for fish I should have had
the same whiting for the fifth part of the money: but that he
made a wide difference between selling it as fish, and selling it
as whiting.
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