the harbour is surrounded
to seaward by a curious bulwark founded upon piles driven in the water,
consisting of a wall, ramparts, casemates, and quay. Vessels lie very
safe in this harbour; but there is not water at the entrance of it to
admit of ships of any burthen. The shallows run so far off from the
coast, that a ship of force cannot lie near enough to batter the town;
but it was bombarded in the late war. Its chief strength by land
consists in a small quadrangular fort detached from the body of the
place, which, in a particular manner, commands the entrance of the
harbour. The wall of the town built in the sea has embrasures and
salient angles, on which a great number of cannon may be mounted.

I think the adjacent country is much more pleasant than that on the
side of Nice; and there is certainly no essential difference in the
climate. The ground here is not so encumbered; it is laid out in
agreeable inclosures, with intervals of open fields, and the mountains
rise with an easy ascent at a much greater distance from the sea, than
on the other side of the bay. Besides, here are charming rides along
the beach, which is smooth and firm. When we passed in the last week of
April, the corn was in the ear; the cherries were almost ripe; and the
figs had begun to blacken. I had embarked my heavy baggage on board a
London ship, which happened to be at Nice, ready to sail: as for our
small trunks or portmanteaus, which we carried along with us, they were
examined at Antibes; but the ceremony was performed very superficially,
in consequence of tipping the searcher with half-a-crown, which is a
wonderful conciliator at all the bureaus in this country.

We lay at Cannes, a neat village, charmingly situated on the beach of
the Mediterranean, exactly opposite to the isles Marguerites, where
state-prisoners are confined. As there are some good houses in this
place, I would rather live here for the sake of the mild climate, than
either at Antibes or Nice. Here you are not cooped up within walls, nor
crowded with soldiers and people: but are already in the country, enjoy
a fine air, and are well supplied with all sorts of fish.

The mountains of Esterelles, which in one of my former letters I
described as a most romantic and noble plantation of ever-greens,
trees, shrubs, and aromatic plants, is at present quite desolate. Last
summer, some execrable villains set fire to the pines, when the wind
was high. It continued burning for