Preniac. A small white wine, mentioned in Letter IV., from
Boulogne, as agreeable and very cheap.
Seafarot boots. Jack-boots or wading boots, worn by a Marquis of
Savoy, and removed by means of a tug-of-war team and a rope
coiled round the heel (see Letter XXVIII).
Sporcherie. With respect to delicacy and decorum you may peruse
Dean Swift's description of the Yahoos, and then you will have
some idea of the sporcherie that distinguishes the gallantry of
Nice (Letter XVII). Ital. sporcheria, sporcizia.
Strappado or corda. Performed by hoisting the criminal by his
hands tied behind his back and dropping him suddenly "with
incredible pain" (Letter XX). See Introduction, p. xliv, and
Christie, Etienne Dolet, 1899, P. 231.
Tartane. From Italian tartana, Arabic taridha; a similar word
being used in Valencia and Grand Canary for a two-wheeled open
cart. One of the commonest craft on the Mediterranean (cf. the
topo of the Adriatic). For different types see Larousse's Nouveau
Dictionnaire.
Tip. To "tip the wink" is found in Addison's Tatler (No. 86), but
"to tip" in the sense of to gratify is not common before
Smollett, who uses it more than once or twice in this sense (cf.
Roderick Random, chap. xiv. ad fin.)
Valanches. For avalanches (dangers from to travellers, see Letter
XXXVIII).
Villeggiatura. An early adaptation by Smollett of the Italian
word for country retirement (Letter XXIX).
APPENDIX C
Currency of Savoy in the time of Smollett.
