nfident
that all those strangers who now pass the Alps in their way to and from
Italy, would choose this road as infinitely more safe, commodious, and
agreeable. This would also be the case with all those who hire felucas
from Marseilles or Antibes, and expose themselves to the dangers and
inconveniences of travelling by sea in an open boat.

In the afternoon we arrived at Nice, where we found Mr. M--e, the
English gentleman whom I had seen at Boulogne, and advised to come
hither. He had followed my advice, and reached Nice about a month
before my arrival, with his lady, child, and an old gouvernante. He had
travelled with his own post-chaise and horses, and is now lodged just
without one of the gates of the city, in the house of the count de
V--n, for which he pays five loui'dores a month. I could hire one much
better in the neighbourhood of London, for the same money. Unless you
will submit to this extortion, and hire a whole house for a length of
time, you will find no ready-furnished lodgings at Nice. After having
stewed a week in a paltry inn, I have taken a ground floor for ten
months at the rate of four hundred livres a year, that is twenty pounds
sterling, for the Piedmontese livre is about an English shilling. The
apartments are large, lofty, and commodious enough, with two small
gardens, in which there is plenty of sallad, and a great number of
oranges and lemons: but as it required some time to provide furniture,
our consul Mr. B--d, one of the best natured and most friendly men in
the world, has lent me his lodgings, which are charmingly situated by
the sea-side, and open upon a terrace, that runs parallel to the beach,
forming part of the town wall. Mr. B--d himself lives at Villa Franca,
which is divided from Nice by a single mountain, on the top of which
there is a small fort, called the castle of Montalban. Immediately
after our arrival we were visited by one Mr. de Martines, a most
agreeable young fellow, a lieutenant in the Swiss regiment, which is
here in garrison. He is a Protestant, extremely fond of our nation, and
understands our language tolerably well. He was particularly
recommended to our acquaintance by general P-- and his lady; we are
happy in his conversation; find him wonderfully obliging, and extremely
serviceable on many occasions. We have likewise made acquaintance with
some other individuals, particularly with Mr. St. Pierre, junior, who
is a considerable merchant, and consul for Naple