further acquainted with the Patois, I will endeavour to procure you
satisfaction. Meanwhile, I am, in plain English,--Dear Sir, Ever yours.

LETTER XXII

NICE, November 10, 1764.

DEAR SIR,--I had once thoughts of writing a complete natural history of
this town and county: but I found myself altogether unequal to the
task. I have neither health, strength, nor opportunity to make proper
collections of the mineral, vegetable, and animal productions. I am not
much conversant with these branches of natural philosophy. I have no
books to direct my inquiries. I can find no person capable of giving me
the least information or assistance; and I am strangely puzzled by the
barbarous names they give to many different species, the descriptions
of which I have read under other appelations; and which, as I have
never seen them before, I cannot pretend to distinguish by the eye. You
must therefore be contented with such imperfect intelligence as my
opportunities can afford.

The useful arts practised at Nice, are these, gardening and
agriculture, with their consequences, the making of wine, oil, and
cordage; the rearing of silk-worms, with the subsequent management and
manufacture of that production; and the fishing, which I have already
described.

Nothing can be more unpromising than the natural soil of this
territory, except in a very few narrow bottoms, where there is a stiff
clay, which when carefully watered, yields tolerable pasturage. In
every other part, the soil consists of a light sand mingled with
pebbles, which serves well enough for the culture of vines and olives:
but the ground laid out for kitchen herbs, as well as for other fruit
must be manured with great care and attention. They have no black
cattle to afford such compost as our farmers use in England. The dung
of mules and asses, which are their only beasts of burthen, is of very
little value for this purpose; and the natural sterility of their
ground requires something highly impregnated with nitre and volatile
salts. They have recourse therefore to pigeons' dung and ordure, which
fully answer their expectations. Every peasant opens, at one corner of
his wall, a public house of office for the reception of passengers; and
in the town of Nice, every tenement is provided with one of these
receptacles, the contents of which are carefully preserved for sale.
The peasant comes with his asses and casks to carry it off before day,
and pays for it according