From Antibes We Had
The First View Of Nice, Lying On The Opposite Side Of The Bay,
And Making A Very Agreeable Appearance.
The author of the Grand
Tour says, that from Antibes to Nice the roads are very bad,
through rugged mountains bordered with precipices On the left,
and by the sea to the right; whereas, in fact, there is neither
precipice nor mountain near it.
The Var, which divides the county of Nice from Provence, is no
other than a torrent fed chiefly by the snow that melts on the
maritime Alps, from which it takes its origin. In the summer it
is swelled to a dangerous height, and this is also the case after
heavy rains: but at present the middle of it is quite dry, and
the water divided into two or three narrow streams, which,
however, are both deep and rapid. This river has been absurdly
enough by some supposed the Rubicon, in all probability from the
description of that river in the Pharsalia of Lucan, who makes it
the boundary betwixt Gaul and Italy -
- et Gallica certus
Limes ab Ausoniis disterminat arva colonis.
A sure Frontier that parts the Gallic plains
From the rich meadows of th' Ansonian swains.
whereas, in fact, the Rubicon, now called Pisatello, runs between
Ravenna and Rimini. - But to return to the Var. At the village of
St. Laurent, famous for its Muscadine wines, there is a set of
guides always in attendance to conduct you in your passage over
the river. Six of those fellows, tucked up above the middle, with
long poles in their hands, took charge of our coach, and by many
windings guided it safe to the opposite shore. Indeed there was
no occasion for any; but it is a sort of a perquisite, and I did
not choose to run any risque, how small soever it might be, for
the sake of saving half a crown, with which they were satisfied.
If you do not gratify the searchers at St. Laurent with the same
sum, they will rummage your trunks, and turn all your cloaths
topsy turvy. And here, once for all, I would advise every
traveller who consults his own case and convenience, to be
liberal of his money to all that sort of people; and even to wink
at the imposition of aubergistes on the road, unless it be very
flagrant. So sure as you enter into disputes with them, you will
be put to a great deal of trouble, and fret yourself to no manner
of purpose. I have travelled with oeconomists in England, who
declared they would rather give away a crown than allow
themselves to be cheated of a farthing. This is a good maxim, but
requires a great share of resolution and self-denial to put it in
practice. In one excursion of about two hundred miles my fellow-traveller
was in a passion, and of consequence very bad company
from one end of the journey to the other.
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