It Must Be Owned That All The Peasants Who
Have Wine For Their Ordinary Drink Are Of A Diminutive Size,
In
comparison of those who use milk, beer, or even water; and it is
a constant observation, that when there
Is a scarcity of wine,
the common people are always more healthy, than in those seasons
when it abounds. The longer I live, the more I am convinced that
wine, and all fermented liquors, are pernicious to the human
constitution; and that for the preservation of health, and
exhilaration of the spirits, there is no beverage comparable to
simple water. Between Luc and Toulon, the country is delightfully
parcelled out into inclosures. Here is plenty of rich pasturage
for black cattle, and a greater number of pure streams and
rivulets than I have observed in any other parts of France.
Toulon is a considerable place, even exclusive of the basin,
docks, and arsenal, which indeed are such as justify the remark
made by a stranger when he viewed them. "The king of France (said
he) is greater at Toulon than at Versailles." The quay, the
jetties, the docks, and magazines, are contrived and executed
with precision, order, solidity, and magnificence. I counted
fourteen ships of the line lying unrigged in the basin, besides
the Tonant of eighty guns, which was in dock repairing, and a new
frigate on the stocks. I was credibly informed that in the last
war, the king of France was so ill-served with cannon for his
navy, that in every action there was scarce a ship which had not
several pieces burst. These accidents did great damage, and
discouraged the French mariners to such a degree, that they
became more afraid of their own guns than of those of the
English. There are now at Toulon above two thousand pieces of
iron cannon unfit for service. This is an undeniable proof of the
weakness and neglect of the French administration: but a more
suprizing proof of their imbecility, is the state of the
fortifications that defend the entrance of this very harbour. I
have some reason to think that they trusted for its security
entirely to our opinion that it must be inaccessible. Capt. E - ,
of one of our frigates, lately entered the harbour with a
contrary wind, which by obliging him to tack, afforded an
opportunity of sounding the whole breadth and length of the
passage. He came in without a pilot, and made a pretence of
buying cordage, or some other stores; but the French officers
were much chagrined at the boldness of his enterprize. They
alleged that he came for no other reason but to sound the
channel; and that he had an engineer aboard, who made drawings of
the land and the forts, their bearings and distances. In all
probability, these suspicions were communicated to the ministry;
for an order immediately arrived, that no stranger should be
admitted into the docks and arsenal.
Part of the road from hence to Marseilles lies through a vast
mountain, which resembles that of Estrelles; but is not so well
covered with wood, though it has the advantage of an agreeable
stream running through the bottom.
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