paid by all vessels in proportion to their tonnage, when
they enter the harbours of Nice and Villa Franca. Besides, all foreign
vessels, under a certain stipulated burthen, that pass between the
island of Sardinia and this coast, are obliged, in going to the
eastward, to enter; and pay a certain regulated imposition, on pain of
being taken and made prize. The prince of Monaco exacts a talliage of
the same kind; and both he and the king of Sardinia maintain armed
cruisers to assert this prerogative; from which, however, the English
and French are exempted by treaty, in consequence of having paid a sum
of money at once. In all probability, it was originally given as a
consideration for maintaining lights on the shore, for the benefit of
navigators, like the toll paid for passing the Sound in the Baltic.
[Upon further inquiry I find it was given in consideration of being
protected from the Corsairs by the naval force of the Duke of Savoy and
Prince of Monaco.] The fanal, or lanthorn, to the eastward of Villa
Franca, is kept in good repair, and still lighted in the winter. The
toll, however, is a very troublesome tax upon feluccas, and other small
craft, which are greatly retarded in their voyages, and often lose the
benefit of a fair wind, by being obliged to run inshore, and enter
those harbours. The tobacco the king manufactures at his own expence,
and sells for his own profit, at a very high price; and every person
convicted of selling this commodity in secret, is sent to the gallies
for life. The salt comes chiefly from Sardinia, and is stored up in the
king's magazine from whence it is exported to Piedmont, and other parts
of his inland dominions. And here it may not be amiss to observe, that
Sardinia produces very good horses, well-shaped, though small; strong,
hardy, full of mettle, and easily fed. The whole county of Nice is said
to yield the king half a million of livres, about twenty-five thousand
pounds sterling, arising from a small donative made by every town and
village: for the lands pay no tax, or imposition, but the tithes to the
church. His revenue then flows from the gabelle on salt and wine, and
these free-gifts; so that we may strike off one fifth of the sum at
which the whole is estimated; and conclude, that the king draws from
the county at Nice, about four hundred thousand livres, or twenty
thousand pounds sterling. That his revenues from Nice are not great,
appears from the smallness of the appointme