st be known to be, we passed
unnoticed; and when we stopped near a cottage to eat our hedge dinner,
neither man, woman, or child came near us, till I asked for water, and
then they brought with it, unasked, dried grapes, and chesnuts, but
instantly retired. I was charmed with the Arcadian inhabitants, and
visited the inside of their cabin; but its situation upon a little
_tump_, on the bank of a brook, shaded by ever-green oaks, and large
spreading fig-trees, was all it had to boast of; it had nothing within
but straw beds, Indian corn, dried grapes, figs, &c.

From _Figuere_ to _Girone_, which is a good day's journey, the country
is enclosed, and the hedgerows, corn fields, &c. had in many places the
appearance of the finest parts of England, only warmed by a hotter sun,
and adorned with woods and trees of other species; instead of the
hawthorn, I found the orange and the pomegranate, the myrtle and the
cypress; in short, all nature seemed to rejoice here, but man alone.

From many parts of this road we had a view of the _Mediterranean_ Sea,
and the Golfe _de Royas_, a fine bay, over which the heads of the
_Pyrenees_ hang; and on the banks of which there seemed to be, not only
villages, but large towns; the situations of which appeared so
enchanting, that I could hardly resist the temptation of visiting
them;--and now wonder why I did not; but at that time, I suppose I did
not recollect I had nothing else to do.

We entered this town rather too late, and were followed to our inn by an
armed soldier, who demanded, in harsh terms, my attendance upon the
Governor; I enquired whether it was customary for a Gentleman, just off
a journey, to be so called upon, and was assured it was not; that my
_passa-porte_ was sufficient. I therefore gave that to my conductor, and
desired him to take it, and return it, which he did, in about half an
hour; but required to be paid for his trouble--a request I declined
understanding.

This is a fortified city, well built, but every house has the appearance
of a convent. I went into the market, where fruit, flesh, and
vegetables, were to be sold in abundance; but instead of that noise
which French and English markets abound with, a general silence and
gravity reigned throughout; which, can hardly be thought possible, where
so many buyers and sellers were collected together. I bought a basket of
figs, but the vender of them spoke to me as softly as if we had been
engaged in a conspiracy, b