the food of the poor. The day-labourer in
Savoy has to deduct, from the amount of
his labour, about seventy days in the year,
including saint-days and Sundays, on whicli
he receives no wages. During part of the
winter months, also, he is without employment,
or is obliged to work at reduced
wages. It is well known that the quantity
of animal food consumed in the families of
those who may be considered rich, is much
smaller in the southern parts of Europe
than in England; but to prove that meat
IS considered rather as a delicacy than as a
common article of food, I was told that in
Savoy, when female domestics are hired, it
is not uncommon to stipulate, that they
should not eat any of the meat that came
from their master’s table, as they are only
allowed soup and vegetables.
The above observations apply principally
to the western and more level and fertile
parts of Savoy, in the neighbourhood of
Chamberry, Rumilly, Aix, and Annecy.
In these parts, agriculture had made a considerable
progress during the last twenty-
iive years ; but since Savoy has been reunited
to the government of Sardinia, the
motives for improvement are withdrawn,
as the Savoyards are deprived of a free
market for their produce in France and
Switzerland, and the Alps oppose a barrier
to a free intercourse with Italy, or to the
sale of produce, except for mules and cattle,
and these are taxed by the government on
leaving Savoy.
The inhabitants of the mountains are
richer and more industrious than those of
the plains, the land being chiefly occupied
by the proprietors ; and those who are
tenants occupy on more liberal terms than
in the neighbourhood of towns. The riches
of a mountain peasant, are estimated by the
number of cows he can keep during the
winter. An old peasant from the mountains
at the head of the lake of Annecy,
was pointed out to me as remarkably ric h ;
he kept twenty-five cows. This implied
that he had a quantity of land in cultivation,
sufficient to supply them with fodder
during the winter months, when they
are kept entirely in stables.
The description given by Saussure of the
mode of pasturage in Chamouny will apply
with little variation to all the alpine communes
in Savoy. “ The rich peasants in
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