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The village of Tuet is fraall, and about a mile and a half from Efcarcne, a town,
Tituated at the foot of the pafs. Its inhabitants are poor, though induiixious; for their foil
is fo barren and ungrateful, as fcarcely to produce any of the moft common neceflaries of
life. Their chief employment is carrying to Tendc from Villa F r p c a or Nice (on his Sardinian
Majefty's account) fait imported from the iiland of Sardinia. They regularly attend
thofe places twice a week, whatever the inclemency of the weather may be, and load their
mule's back, either with rice, die produce of Piedmont, or with plaiiler taken from the
quarries above defcribed, which they difpofe of at Nice. So indefatigable and perfevering
are thofe poor creatures, that eyen their women and children arc employed in die fame
way; and though their refources are but fmall, yet diey are enabled to bring up their
families, which arc in general numerous.
From this village I arrived at Efcarene, fituated about twelve miles to die north-eafl: of
Nice. This town is not fo extenfive as Sofpello, and its inhabitants, bemg lefs indulhious,
enjoy fewer comforts. The foil on the foudi fide of the town is tolerably well cultivated,
and there are befides feveral plealant baftides belonging to merchants reiiding at Nice.
The forrounding hills are covered with olive trees, and the oil cxtrafted from the fruit
is much eileemed.
Although this paffage is generally computed to take up neai'ly five hours in croffing,
it is neverthelefs iixty-feven toifes lefs elevated than the mountain of Brovis, and three
hundred and fifty-diree Icfe dian Tende, its height above the level of the fea being only
five hundred and ninety-five. The town of Efcarene is alfo forty toifes lower than Sofpello,
its height above the fame level being only one hundred and fcvenly.
I cannot omit obferving, that in the different and various journeys I have made aero6
the Alps from the ftate of Genoa to Carinthia, I have not found any part where the elevation
of the three claiTes of mountains has been fo eonfpicuous as in this chain of the
Maritime Alps, not only from the primitive to die tertiary, but alfo in what relates to die
depth of the valleys which lie at their bafes.
DE P AR TUR E F ROM E S C A R E N E .
V A L L E Y O F P A G L I O N .
HAVING made but a ihort flay at Efcarene, I proceeded the fame day to Nice, it being, as
I have previoufly obferved, only twelve miles diitant. The firfl objedl which attrafied
my attention on leaving this town, which is furrounded by prodigious high mountainsj
was a beautiful bridge of frce-flone, conftruéted aerofs the Paglion; a river, or rather
torrent, which rifes towards the north, at the foot of the primitive chain of the Maritime
Alps.
Strangers who have vifited that part of the chain in fummer or autumn only, will
doubdefs exprefe their afloniihment at feeing here a bridge of fuch magnitude and expence,
whilil the fmall flream, or rather rivulet, wliieh at diofe feafons flows through it, appears
too infignificant to require fuch a fpecimen of mafterly dcfign and execution. But ihould
they, on the conti-ary, happen to fpend their winter at Nice, they will foon have an opportunity
of being made feniible of its neceflity, and approve of its plan ; for, in confequence of
this river taking its fource at the foot of the primitive chain, its rife, at the clofe of the winter,
or beginning of fpring, occafioncd by the melting of die fnowontheadjacent mountains,
added to die tremendous hun-icanes which arc there moft feverely felt towards the equinoxes,
is fo fudden and confiderable as to overflow its banks, and caufc inundations in
various parts of the country, notwithflanding the endeavours ufed by government to prevent
it. Thefe ravages are more immediately felt in the beautiful valley which takes its
name from the river, and particularly affc<E1:s the inhabitants of tlie upper part of that valley;
for wrecks of hovels, bams, gates, fcnces, &c. are frequendy brought down by the flood.
In 1785, being then at Nice, I with concern witneffed, at the place where tiic torrent
falls into the fea, the melanelioly fragments or remains of furniture, with even a part of
the habitations belonging to the poor but lioneft fufFerers, whofe humble dwellings lay too