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If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: Wintering at Mentone - -Author: William Chambers - -Release Date: June 16, 2020 [EBook #62410] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WINTERING AT MENTONE *** - - - - -Produced by KD Weeks, Susan Skinner and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Transcriber’s Note: - -This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects. -Italics are delimited with the ‘_’ character as _italic_. A single -instance of superscripted characters is denoted as ‘2^{me}’. - -Footnotes have been repositioned to follow the paragraph where they are -referenced. - -The only textual issue of note is the repeated appearance of ‘at any -rate’ as ‘at anyrate’. - -[Illustration] - - WINTERING AT MENTONE - - BY - - WILLIAM CHAMBERS - -[Illustration: UNDER THE OLIVE TREES] - - - LONDON - - W. & R. CHAMBERS, 47 PATERNOSTER ROW, - AND HIGH STREET, EDINBURGH - - 1870 - - - - - PREFACE. - - ---------- - - -With health impaired by a strain of three laborious years as LORD -PROVOST of Edinburgh—and more particularly enfeebled by a malarious -fever caught in the course of making explorations with a view to -sanitary improvements in the older part of the city—I sought a -restorative by a visit to Mentone (or Menton, as the French prefer to -call it), in the winter of 1868-69. The object of my visit was gained; -but having been so indiscreet as to enter on a new term of office, in -the hope of helping to carry forward the city improvements, in which I -might be excused for taking some special interest, my health again -unfortunately suffered, for which and other reasons I resigned my post, -and again proceeded to Mentone; this time making a longer sojourn, with -corresponding advantage, in the winter of 1869–70. A result of these -efforts to secure the benefits of sunshine along with perfect -tranquillity on the shores of the Mediterranean, is the present small -work, the preparation of which furnished a degree of amusement when far -from home and accustomed pursuits. If it aid in directing attention to a -subject of importance to many—the hygienic value of passing the winter -in the south of France—I shall be satisfied. The book is of course -non-medical, and will not supersede the necessity of consulting -professional advisers. - - W. C. - - GLENORMISTON, _May 1870_. - - - - - WINTERING AT MENTONE. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - -When autumn has drawn to a close, and unmistakable symptoms of winter -are making their appearance, the swallows are seen to wing their way -from England, and betake themselves to the sunny regions on the shores -of the Mediterranean; thence returning to their northern haunts when -nature is reviving under the genial influence of spring. The example set -by these sagacious birds is not unworthy of being followed when -circumstances call for and permit an escape from the cold, the fogs, the -rain, and sleety drizzle of a protracted winter. - -Without undervaluing the comforts of an English fireside, when frost -dims the window-pane with its beautiful efflorescence, I am on the whole -disposed to think that health is best secured by a reasonable amount of -outdoor exercise in the sunshine; but that enjoyment is unfortunately -denied on anything like a salutary scale to those who are enfeebled by -pulmonary or bronchial affections or by advancing years, in any part of -the British Islands. No doubt, much may be done to avert the evil -influences of winter, by means of warm and well-ventilated rooms, having -windows facing the south, in a sheltered and airy neighbourhood. Various -places can be pointed out in the south of England recommendable as -winter and spring resorts for invalids—none, perhaps, better and more -agreeable than the Undercliff in the Isle of Wight; but there is this to -be said of the whole of them—that they less or more participate in the -humidity and variableness of our British climate. By no contrivance can -we get rid of a certain dampness in the atmosphere. Inside the best -constructed and best warmed dwelling, we still breathe the outer air, -however much it may be qualified; and as regards persons of delicate -constitution, who require a light and dry atmosphere, this may prove a -serious objection. Cold, damp weather is, in short, the great enemy to -health, and when we recollect that in all our large seats of population -the cold and the damp are aggravated by a smokiness in the general -atmosphere—to say nothing of sudden changes of temperature and other -unsanitary conditions—the malignant influences of winter are greatly -intensified. - -Invalids who propose wintering abroad will, of course, consult their -medical adviser with a view to selecting a locality suited as far as -possible to their respective cases. With such counsels I do not -interfere. The persons in whom I take a more special interest, or at -least to whom I can speak more freely, are those who, advanced in life, -stand in need of a remission of ordinary pursuits, along with that -salutary re-invigoration of constitution which may be brought about by a -change from a cold and moist to a dry and buoyant atmosphere—from a -peculiarly variable, to a comparatively steady, climate—from a cloudy to -a brilliant sky—from dinginess to sunshine. As to how many are swept -away by refraining from taking a step of this kind, let the -authoritative statistics concerning the mortality of the late severe -winter testify. - -When any man on the shady side of middle life has the fortitude to look -around to note the number of his old and valued friends, he is shocked -to find how meagre is the list. One after another has disappeared, from -no other perceptible cause than that their physical powers, originally -vigorous, had succumbed in the feverish, and we might almost say, -insane, battle of life. Too long and too diligently have they stuck to -their professional pursuits, or been fascinated by the allurements of -society, taking relaxation only by fits and starts, and seemingly under -the impression that they have still a long career before them. Having -realised a fair competence, they might very well ask themselves why they -should continue to toil, to speculate, and to rack their brains, when a -life of comparative ease and reflection would in all respects be more -becoming. This is exactly the question, however, which they never put. -The upshot is well known. Through sundry real or imaginary -entanglements, their day of safety is past. A cold, foggy, drizzly -November finishes them; and at about two o’clock on a wintry afternoon, -they are, in all the pomp of hearse and carriages, decorously conducted -to the burying-ground. That is why people advanced in life have so few -old acquaintances about them. They had forgot that Death is always busy -laying about him with his scythe, and that the art of long living -consists pretty much in knowing how to keep out of his way. - -A celebrated French writer on hygiene has a theory that dying at -anything under a hundred years of age is all a mistake—that it is -people’s own blame, or the blame of their progenitors, if they die -earlier. Far be it from me to dispute the accuracy of this very cheering -though somewhat irreverent theory. I would allow a handsome discount of -ten per cent., and take ninety as a fair age to attain to. The method of -living till ninety, however, is either not understood or very slightly -acted on. Lord Brougham was acquainted with it. He saw there was a knack -in giving fair-play to the system by means of an annual restorative. -Every year he went off at the right time to Cannes; cheating alike the -winter and the grave-digger as long as flesh and blood could do so. -Other individuals, making the necessary sacrifices, now adopt a similar -policy. They leave and return to England with the swallows; by which not -unpleasant contrivance they spin out their lives, if not to ninety, -still to something considerably beyond what, to all appearance, was to -be their allotted span. - -In contemplating a residence abroad for four or five months, it is, as -just hinted, all important to go to an appropriate place. Besides -consulting medical advisers, it might be well to peruse the well-known -work on _Climate_ by Sir James Clark, and also the singularly -comprehensive and entertaining work of Dr J. Henry Bennet, entitled a -_Winter and Spring on the Shores of the Mediterranean_. In his own -person, this ingenious author exemplifies the benefit of stopping in -time, and taking a long annual relaxation in a genial climate. He tells -us that five-and-twenty years devoted to a laborious profession, and the -harassing cares which pursue a hard-worked London physician, broke down -his vital powers. In 1859, he became consumptive, and strove in vain to -arrest the progress of disease. The choice was either retirement, with -the faint hope of restoration to health, or within twelve months Kensal -Green Cemetery. He chose wisely to relinquish a large and lucrative -practice, and to take the chance of benefiting by a residence in a -climate suited to his special condition. His book may be described as an -exhaustive research in quest of such southern climates as may be best -adapted to the assuagement of certain bodily complaints, including -general debility. He describes his visits to various parts of France, -Italy, and Spain, bordering on the Mediterranean, to Corsica, Sicily, -and also to Algeria; his narrative being everywhere interspersed with -such a variety of anecdote and adventure, as well as of remarks on the -vegetation, natural history, and geography of the countries visited, as -gives it an interest to the general reader. - -Summing up, he says, the health regions may be divided into three -sections. First, the mild and dry, in which are comprehended the Western -Riviera, and the east and south-east coasts of Spain; second, the mild -and moist, to which belong Corsica, Sicily, and Algeria; and third, the -west coast of Italy, which appears to occupy, meteorologically as well -as geologically, an intermediate position. It may be safely concluded -that no person from Great Britain who seeks merely for an agreeable -winter resort, would from choice go to a place reputably moist. We have -plenty moisture at home, and do not need to search for it abroad. What -we want is, a mild dry atmosphere, with as much sunshine and scope for -outdoor exercise, without recourse to greatcoats, as can possibly be -procured within a reasonable distance, and which abounds in the -attributes of civilisation. As may be learned from Dr Bennet, latitude -is not all in all. This original inquirer says very candidly that ‘five -degrees of south latitude do not make up in climate-questions for want -of protection from north winds.’ It might be added that, besides -protection from cold winds, we also need good house accommodation; for -without that, the best climate in the world can be of no use to -visitors. There is another important circumstance, and that is, the -discomfort of a voyage on a sea so capricious in its moods as the -Mediterranean; for which reason alone, we may leave Algiers out of -present consideration. - -The doctor has evidently a high notion of Corsica as a health-resort; -but there again is the drawback of a sea-voyage. Coming to the mainland, -he speaks approvingly of San Remo, which lies about twenty miles to the -eastward of Mentone. There, I can say something from experience. On -visiting it in January 1869, I found it a dirty, old-fashioned Italian -town, which had not even got the length of gas-lighting, though some -improvements were going on. Further, it had no public promenade along -the beach, and that I hold to be indispensable in any health-resort of -the English. Nice has a long and handsome promenade of this description. -Cannes has likewise high claims on account of its amenities—so high that -it is entitled to be spoken of as by far the most aristocratic and -expensive of the continental winter resorts. - -From the configuration of the coast, Hyères, Cannes, and Nice lie -farther south than Mentone, but that advantage is more than -counterbalanced by the superior shelter from cold winds enjoyed by -Mentone; for, as has been observed, a full exposure to the south, along -with shelter on the north, is worth several degrees of latitude. After -all, Mentone can modestly boast of being situated in latitude 43° 45´ -N., or upwards of twelve degrees south of Edinburgh. It may be deemed a -conclusive proof of Dr Bennet’s appreciation of Mentone, when we know -that among all the Mediterranean health-resorts he has chosen it for his -habitual winter residence; and that, after ten years, he has to outward -appearance overcome the malady which drove him abruptly to this species -of exile. My own experiences, poor in comparison, point to Mentone as a -place, all things considered, where any one not encumbered with -expectations as to social intercourse, and not fastidious on a few -points which will be particularised, may advantageously pass the more -dreary months of winter. It is, however, not what this or that one says -of a place, but the unerring testimony of Nature, as demonstrated in the -contour and vegetation of the district, which decides its character. So -far, as will be shewn, Mentone is highly favoured, and Art, under -considerate direction, is alone needed to complete its recommendations. -Unfortunately, the journey thither will to many be a serious objection -as regards not only distance but expense. The easiest way it can be -performed may prove too fatiguing for some invalids, but taken -leisurely, there is nothing in it to deter persons who are able to bear -railway travelling. - -There were times, not long ago, when travelling through France was -tedious and painful. Those were the days of diligences and passports, -and many other things that were very disagreeable. In the present day, -such has been the material and social progress of the country, that -travellers will find matters not greatly different from what prevails in -England. There are railways in all directions; the hotels are frequently -on a scale of great splendour; at very nearly the whole of them on the -main routes English is spoken; and everywhere visitors are treated with -marked civility. We all know what Paris has latterly become--the finest -town in the world, an attraction to strangers from all parts of the -earth. So lately as twelve years since, the railway from Paris was not -pushed beyond Marseilles. There it long remained, and to those who -wanted to get on farther, there was no help for it but to take the -diligence, or hire a carriage specially for the purpose. I can remember -hiring a _voiture_ with a pair of horses to go on to Nice, and of being -nearly three days on the journey, including stoppages of two nights, one -of those nights being spent at Frejus, in one of the worst and dearest -hotels I ever set foot in. Now all this is changed; there is a railway -from Marseilles by way of Toulon, Cannes, Nice, and Monaco to -Mentone—the trains going several times night and day to suit the -convenience of travellers. There are likewise telegraphic wires the -whole way, by which messages can be sent in advance to bespeak -accommodation at hotels along the line of route. - -In making their way southwards, there are many who drive on hurriedly, -never stopping night or day, as if under a vow to get to their journey’s -end in the least possible time. My plan is to stop a night, or, it may -be, two nights and a day, here and there, for which there are several -good opportunities—as, for example, at Paris, Dijon, Lyons, Avignon, -Marseilles, and Nice. The only drawback on these stoppages is the -annoyance experienced at the stations as concerns luggage. After getting -your ticket, you have to see your luggage weighed, paying for the same a -small sum; and then on arrival at your destination, some time has to be -spent in a cold _salle_ until the whole of the luggage has been -arranged, and you can claim your own. The way to avoid these wearisome -detentions is to get your luggage registered and sent on by the _grande -vîtesse_, or quick goods-train, to your final destination, be it Nice or -Mentone, where it can be reclaimed. Sending it by the _petite vîtesse_ -is cheaper, but as it may not get to the end of its journey by this slow -train for several weeks, the _grande vîtesse_ should by all means be -adopted as preferable. Following this plan, a traveller may take along -with him into the train a portmanteau or carpet-bag sufficiently small -to be accommodated under the seat, also any small bundle to be placed in -the rack overhead. The torment of waiting for luggage is, I observe, -driving the French into the practice of taking cumbersome articles with -them into the trains; and on several occasions I have experienced -personal inconvenience from their expedients. Professedly, dogs are not -permitted to be taken into the carriages; but the rule on this point is -not on all occasions strictly adhered to. Ladies may be seen with -favourite lap-dogs, either carrying them openly, or in small baskets, -without challenge. For such indulgence, much depends on the complaisance -of the guard. - -The preferable route from London is by Folkestone and Boulogne, and it -will save trouble if tickets are taken at Charing-Cross station direct -for Paris, getting luggage ticketed accordingly. The steam-boats between -Folkestone and Boulogne, though well managed, are certainly poor in -comparison to what they might and ought to be; but there is nothing -superior in the Channel service, and all we can do in the meantime is to -make the best of them. At the railway terminus at Boulogne there is an -excellent restaurant, where travellers have a choice of refreshments, -tastefully served, and with a composure which pleasantly contrasts with -the hurry and confusion which prevail on the English side of the -Channel. Any one, going or coming, who has occasion to stop for a night -at Boulogne, may be safely recommended to the Hôtel Christol, a -comfortable and well-conducted establishment not far from the railway -terminus. On each of my recent trips, I spent two nights in Paris at the -Grand Hôtel du Louvre; a night at Lyons in the Hôtel de l’Univers (good, -and near the station); and two nights at Marseilles in the Grand Hôtel -du Louvre et de la Paix. The reason why I remained more than a single -night in Marseilles was to note the extraordinary improvements which -have taken place within the last few years. If we except Paris, no city -in France has been so much changed for the better as Marseilles. Its new -streets and boulevards are a sight worth seeing, and so is its new port -of Joliette, constructed at a great cost with much engineering skill. -The most surprising novelty, however, is the system of water-supply, -effected by bringing the waters of the river Durance a distance of sixty -miles by means of tunnels and aqueducts, at an expense of fifty-two -millions of francs. One of the aqueducts, that of Roquefavour, measures -as much as four hundred mètres in length by eighty-two in height—a -gigantic work, creditable to French engineering, which may compare -favourably with some of the grandest of recent undertakings in Great -Britain. - -Quitting England towards the end of October, and pursuing the journey -across France to the shores of the Mediterranean, a visible change of -climate usually occurs about half-way between Lyons and Marseilles. We -leave the cloudy northern skies, and get gradually into the serene -sunshine of the south. The sensation of warmth increases during the day, -and at night a lustrous planet shines almost like a moon in the -star-spangled heavens. The vegetable world assumes new forms. The -mulberry-groves remind us of silk-worms and the tasteful industries of -Lyons and St Etienne. Approaching Marseilles, tracts are covered with -almond-trees, which, on our return journey in spring, are seen to clothe -the country with a mantle of delicate purple blossom. Passing onward, -the aloe and prickly pear grow by the wayside, and are planted as -hedges; and we observe that in the fields the small tufted plant -producing the yellow _Immortelles_ (a species of _Helichrysum_) is -cultivated as a branch of husbandry. The railway from Marseilles, though -only a single line, has been a costly and remarkable undertaking, for it -is carried through numerous tunnels and along heavy embankments near the -sea-shore. No doubt, we lose the picturesque scenery of the Estrelles by -this modern method of transit; but yet we are afforded glimpses of many -beautiful valleys and rocky mounts, garnished with fig and orange trees, -these last coming prominently into notice on crossing the Var and -getting into the vicinity of Nice. The olive, first seen as a shrub in -Provence, now attains to the dimensions of a tree, which, planted -profusely on hill-sides, imparts a greenness to the landscape even in -winter. - -Nice, ‘the Queen of the Mediterranean,’ has suddenly risen into beauty -and importance. Facing the south, close on the sea-shore, with a fringe -of verdant hills on the north, its situation has raised it to a high -rank as a winter health-resort, and its reputation in this respect has -been augmented by vigorous efforts, public and private, to render it -attractive to strangers. Formerly, visiting the town while it belonged -to Italy, there appeared to be a general stagnation. Great endeavours -had stopped short, and there was obviously much half-done work. In the -hands of the French, a new spirit has been infused into the place. -Streets just begun have been completed, and handsome quays with -boulevards stretch along both sides of the Paillon, over which several -new bridges have been thrown. One of these deserves to be styled -something more than a bridge. It is so broad as to afford space for a -public garden, in the centre of which is erected a statue of Masséna, a -native of whom, as of Garibaldi, the Nizzards are justly proud. -Nominally, the Paillon is a torrent, but it usually is little else than -a bed of dry gravel; the only water in it being a few puddles, in which -numbers of women are seen washing clothes in the ordinary continental -style. The Paillon offers a fair specimen of one of those numerous -torrents in the Riviera that are flooded only on the occasion of snows -melting, or heavy rains falling in the mountains, when, rushing -impetuously down, the tumultuous waters bear all before them. - -[Illustration: Promenade des Anglais, looking westward; Jardin Public on -right.] - -Looking to its crowds of fashionable loungers, who come to it -professedly for health, but seemingly as much for amusement, Nice may be -styled the continental Brighton. One thing, as at Brighton, has greatly -added to its fascinations. This is the Promenade des Anglais, stretching -a mile along the shore, and forming from morning to night the place of -concourse for throngs of idlers. The spacious promenade for pedestrians -is divided by a row of sub-tropical plants, including specimens of the -pepper-tree and date-palm, from a broad drive, where ladies in the -fantastic dresses of the period, with a taste for fast living and public -exhibition, indulge in driving backwards and forwards with a fury not -usual with their sex in our more sober-minded country. To do them -justice, they leave the lashing of the ponies to the driver, who sits -behind them with a long whip, with which he seems to have much pleasure -in inflicting pain on the poor animals. This species of cruelty meets -with no reprobation from the onlookers; and from the immunity shewn to -the practice, I should infer that in France there is no law repressive -of cruelty to animals. I regretted to observe that these fast young -ladies were generally English. With its promenades, drives, balls, -cercle, Jardin Public, musical band, theatres, shops of various kinds -where every luxury may be obtained, and abundance of street carriages, -Nice offers a choice of attractions, independently of its fine air and -sunshine. Besides the cathedral and numerous other Roman Catholic -churches, the town now possesses an English and a Scotch church, both -handsome new buildings. At kiosks on the Quai Masséna, several Paris -daily newspapers may be purchased. Letters and papers from England are -delivered twice a day, Sunday included. For persons studiously inclined, -there is a large public Bibliothèque supported by the commune, where -books (of course in French literature) may be freely consulted or read -by strangers as well as natives. There are likewise two good circulating -libraries with English books—that of Visconti a really excellent -collection, associated with a capital reading-room. To accommodate the -numerous fashionable visitors, as also the more steady order of winter -sojourners, there are now divers hotels of huge dimensions, and every -succeeding year seems to increase the number. They are for the greater -part situated on the quays overlooking the Paillon, also in the Jardin -Public, and in the terrace-like line of street along the Promenade des -Anglais. The house which after sundry trials I found preferable was the -Hôtel d’Angleterre, in the Jardin Public, kept by M. Steinbrück, who -speaks English and is married to an Englishwoman; both are most vigilant -in attending to the comfort of their guests. All the hotels have -omnibuses which wait the arrival and attend the departure of the trains. - -Although Nice is now a French town, the humbler classes remain -essentially Italian of the old Savoy type. The dresses of the women are -picturesque, and their favourite mode of carrying things is to poise -them on the top of the head. The peculiar costumes of the district are -well represented in the wooden mosaics which form a remarkable local -manufacture. I have never returned home from Nice without purchasing -specimens of these beautiful _mosaïques en bois_, at the shop of the -brothers Mignon, in the Rue Paradis. On the last occasion, I received an -interesting account of how they were prepared. The pictorial effects -are, it is said, wholly a result of the varying tints of different kinds -of wood grown in the neighbourhood; all being ingeniously shaped and put -together without any aid from artificial colouring. As the intrinsic -value of the small pieces of wood employed must be insignificant—a -pennyworth probably being wrought up in a mosaic which will sell for a -couple of napoleons—we have here a striking instance of how national -wealth may be increased by exerting artistic ability on materials which -are, of themselves, worthless. - -Considering its extent, its numerous attractions, its choice of society, -and its abundance of hotels, _pensions_, and villas and floors to be let -for hire, Nice, as a place of agreeable resort, has a prodigious -advantage over Mentone, which is in a comparatively primitive condition, -with much to be done to bring it up to the Nicean finish. To all its -recommendable qualities, Nice has further added a supply of pure water -led on in pipes from the hilly ground behind; and this is a thing of -first importance. If the public authorities would be but a little more -liberal in their supply of scavengers to scrape and sweep the streets -and by-ways, and to prevent the accumulation of nauseous rubbish on the -shore side of the Promenade, they would merit a tribute of thanks from -every one who makes a sojourn in the town. Granting all that can be said -in admiration of the Queen of the Mediterranean, the question remains as -to its availableness in a matter where health is so intimately -concerned. In its very imposing size and stylish way of living there is, -I fear, something objectionable. Health-seekers ought not as a rule to -care for balls, theatrical representations, or the lavish exhibition of -finery. What they generally want is the re-invigoration of an enfeebled -constitution, through simple and natural agencies. Wherefore, the -sea-side, the rural hamlet, or any other place where, by abandoning -artificialities, Nature has fair-play to strengthen the animal system, -is what is sought after. On this account, as well as on its higher -claims in point of shelter and climate, there is no room to hesitate. -Pleasure-seekers, or those to whom a town-life is indispensable, will -stop at Nice; the less sophisticated will go twenty miles farther, and, -with all its deficiencies, bask in the very garden of the Riviera. - -The time of transit from Nice to Mentone by railway is an hour and six -minutes, including stoppages at Villafranca, Monaco, and other places. -It is a cheap, easy journey; but the line is carried through a number of -dark tunnels, and to those who have sufficient time at command, and do -not mind the cost of a carriage and pair of horses, the road forming the -first stage in the Corniche will be preferred. On last, as well as -previous occasion, selecting this famous highway across the -mountains—the Alpes Maritimes, from which is derived the name of the -department—I hired a carriage for the journey. The route is the -commencement of the famous Corniche, which most tourists endeavour to -see at least once in their lives. Until 1806, when it was partially -completed, by order of Bonaparte, there was no other road along this -part of the coast of Italy than the very insufficient pathway, fit only -for mules, which had originally been made by the Romans on subduing the -Ligurians. Snatches of this old Roman road are still in use by the -country-people. It was only the pressing emergencies of the -Revolutionary army under the conqueror of Italy, at the beginning of the -present century, that led to the engineering of the Corniche—a name -significant of a pathway winding its way along a natural precipitous -cornice. On quitting Nice, the road rises along a mountain-side which -commands a magnificent prospect over the valley of the Paillon, dotted -with villas and orange-gardens. By and by, on attaining a great height, -it gets behind the hills, and we lose sight of the sea. In this respect, -the road was devised under the temporary but awkward necessity of -avoiding a cannonade from British ships of war. Now that there are no -longer any fears on this score, a new Corniche as far as Monaco is -partly constructed, and will be a great improvement on the old one; -though it will fail to afford such magnificent views as we now have of -mountain scenery, and will prevent travellers passing through and seeing -the ancient village of Turbia. - -On both occasions on which I have passed this way, the weather happened -to be of exceptional brilliance. The season was winter, and the height -attained was two thousand feet, yet the air was mild and balmy, and in -the open carriage, the only shelter required was an umbrella, to avert -the dazzling rays of the sun. On the left were the rugged Alpine peaks -stretching far away in the distance, while on the right we looked down -the precipitous banks, laid out in terraces for vines and -orange-gardens, to the picturesquely peninsulated shores of the -Mediterranean. Midway, on our right, we come in sight of the ancient -town of Eza, perched most picturesquely on the summit of a conical -mount, and which figures in the early history of this singularly -irregular line of coast. A more difficult piece of country for military -manœuvres can scarcely be imagined, for there hardly appears a level -spot in the whole territory; hence we have a pretty good idea of why the -Ligurians so long defied their enemies, and also why the district, in -its quality of Principality of Monaco, should have for such a length of -time maintained an isolated existence. Of the final success of the Roman -invaders we have an interesting memorial at the decayed village of -Turbia, through which the road passes. It consists of the shattered -remains of a colossal monument, erected in honour of Augustus Cæsar. -Occupying a prominent rocky knoll, it is visible from a great distance -at sea. Reaching it by an irregular path through the old village, we -find the ruin surrounded by a wall, to prevent further dilapidation. -What was the original form of the monument is nowhere mentioned. It was -certainly a tall ornamental structure, bearing a gigantic statue of -Augustus in white marble, of which fragments have been discovered. In -the middle ages, the building was altered and enlarged to form a species -of fortress, and thus it remained until it was destroyed by Marshal -Villars, during the wars of Louis XIV. (1705). The present name of the -village is said to be a corruption of Trophæa (_Trophæa Augusti_), but -this is mere conjecture. A few minutes bestowed in a visit to this noted -historical ruin, and in enjoying the outlook seaward, will not be -misspent. - -[Illustration: Ruin of Monument at Turbia, viewed from the south.] - -At Turbia, we come full in sight of the town of Monaco, perched on a -rocky peninsula jutting into the sea, and still walled all around as it -was in the days when it required to hold out against foreign enemies. -Divided from it on the east by a small port, rises Monte Carlo, a -plateau now noted for its gaming establishment, the only authorised -resort of the kind in the south of Europe. The only other place on the -route calling for a word of observation is Roccabruna, a cluster of -antique buildings, the capital of a commune, jumbled up in a strange -manner with huge brown rocks, that look as if they had been suddenly -arrested on tumbling down the lofty hill behind them. From this we have -a continued descent to Mentone. As we advance, the scene opens, and -turning a corner of the road, we see the place of our destination -stretching along the curve of a beautiful bay, backed by low hills, -covered with evergreens, while behind these rises a semicircular range -of arid mountains, towering several thousand feet high, and forming the -screen from the north, that, constituting Mentone an Undercliff, gives -it that peculiar mildness and dryness of climate for which it has -attained celebrity. A drive for a mile along an avenue of plane-trees, -environed with olive-grounds and villas, brings us to the spot where we -are to spend the winter. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - -The approach downhill from Roccabruna to Mentone offers one of the most -pleasing sights in the Riviera. Before us is the town, skirting the -sea-shore, backed by hills clothed in evergreens of varying tints. On -our right is the wide expanse of the Mediterranean; and in the distance -to the east are seen the headlands of Ventimiglia and Bordighera. It is -a peaceful, secluded scene, and, lying full in the blaze of sunshine, -comes up to our ideas of what is befitting as a resort for those in -quest of health, or who wish to reside for a time away from the turmoil -of the outer world. It is customary to say of Mentone, that here -civilisation ends. We have arrived at the last town in France. Going -farther in this direction, we enter Italy, where, generally speaking, -matters are in a less advanced condition. - -The whole of Mentone is comprehended in the curve of a bay, which, from -Cap Martin on the west to Cap Murtola on the east, may measure five to -six miles, by following the line of coast; but the curve is divided near -the centre by a projecting ledge of rocks, on which stands a conspicuous -square bastion or martello tower, forming an outwork of the older part -of the town. The sweep of the shore is therefore broken into two bays, -the western and eastern, a circumstance which imparts a divided -character to the place. As regards the residences of strangers, there -may indeed be said to be two towns, distinctly cut off from each other; -the only channel of communication between them being a confined -thoroughfare amidst old buildings. - -So closely do the mountains infringe on the shore of the eastern bay, -that in this quarter there is space on the level ground for only a -single range of hotels, with a roadway in front of them. On the western -bay, the level ground is much broader; it allows space for a public -promenade along the beach, also a succession of hotels and villas, not -very symmetrically arranged, and a long street, in which the chief -business of the town is conducted. Besides this degree of accommodation, -the western bay offers some scope for building in certain lateral -valleys, reaching to the base of the mountains. The valley first crossed -is the Gorbio, and then the Borigo and Carei, the two last mentioned -being the principal. They take their names from the torrents from the -north which empty themselves into the sea—that is to say, when they have -any running water in them, which is not very often the case. The valley -of the Carei is the most spacious, and has already been built on to a -considerable extent on both sides. The thoroughfare on the right bank, -overshadowed with plane-trees, is known as the Route de Turin, and -conducts to the railway station. - -The grand thing in the scenery of Mentone is the picturesque hilly -ground behind it. Standing on the bridge which crosses the Borigo at the -entrance to the town, we are presented with an amphitheatre of almost -matchless beauty. In the foreground is a series of round-topped hills, -detached from each other, and mostly laid out as groves of olive, -orange, and lemon trees, interspersed with vine terraces, and dotted -here and there with the cottages of the peasant proprietors. The height -of these hills, or _collines_ as the French call them, is from four -hundred to six hundred feet above the sea-level, an altitude that admits -of our seeing over and immediately beyond them that wonderfully striking -range of peaked limestone mountains towering in fantastic masses, and -prominently relieved against the clear blue sky. The scene is one which -we are never tired looking at, and leaves impressions which no length of -time can obliterate. I have often thought with pleasure on that -singularly picturesque landscape. - -As now seen, Mentone is of comparatively recent date. Its reputation as -a resort for health-seekers is only of ten or twelve years’ standing, -and the larger part of its extensions has taken place within that -period. At the end of last century, the town consisted of little more -than a dense cluster of antiquated buildings, covering a conical hill, -which rises from the sea-shore; the whole hemmed in by defensible walls, -with the remains of a castle crowning the summit (since transformed into -a cemetery), and a kind of sea-port claiming protection from the bastion -on the projecting reef. While in this antiquated condition, there was no -road through it fit for wheeled carriages. The only thoroughfare was the -old Roman road, about twelve feet in width, sufficient alone for -foot-passengers or mules, which wound its way as it best could along the -coast—sometimes creeping up hills, at other times diving into ravines, -and when arriving at towns, getting through them by narrow passages, -well guarded at each end by gates. Such was the sole means of -communication along the shore of the Western Riviera till within the -memory of persons still living. - -Good reasons for this backward state of things might be found in -political distractions, and more specially in the fact, that the whole -of this part of the coast was for ages so much beset by predatory bands -of Moors or Saracens, that it was advantageous to make every place as -inaccessible as possible. Villages were placed far up the mountains, -with a good outlook to the sea, and were approachable only by scarcely -distinguishable tracks. While the towns were walled, the palazzos of the -gentry adjoining the ancient route resembled the larger kind of -fortified Border keeps, and could be entered only by drawbridges and -strongly barred doors, protected by shot-holes. Several specimens of -these bastel-houses still survive, though in a decayed condition, and -are well worth investigation. The Saracens, however, established -themselves on various parts of the coast; one of their strongholds being -Eza, a small fortified town, already referred to as being seen on the -road from Nice to Mentone. According to tradition, the person chiefly -concerned in expelling these intruders was a noble Genoese, named -Grimaldi, who, for his bravery and public services, received a gift of -the territory of Monaco, in which his descendants afterwards bore rule. -As this event is said to have taken place in the year 980, the House of -Grimaldi must be reckoned one of the very oldest in Europe. - -Except as being involved in the wars of the Guelfs and Ghibellines, -little is heard of the Grimaldis for two or three hundred years. They -were known as seigneurs or counts, holding some local sway, but always -under the protection of superior neighbours, to whom they stood in the -relation of vassals. Any one curiously disposed regarding their -intermarriages and ongoings, will get full particulars in the recent -work of Mr Pemberton (_History of Monaco, Past and Present_), also in -the French work of M. Abel Rendu (_Menton et Monaco_); but it is not -easy to burden the memory with the annals of this noble and not always -well-behaved family. But for their instinctively clinging to France, -they would long since have disappeared. By Louis XIII., the family were -raised to the rank of Princes of Monaco, and they were likewise invested -with the Dukedom of Valentenois in the peerage of France. From this -time, they fought in the French wars, and were occasionally employed in -diplomatic missions. At the middle of the seventeenth century, the -principality had the honour of supporting the extravagances of Lewis I., -a prince who, in his ardent desire to shew off with becoming splendour -as an ambassador, accepted a mission to Rome from the court of France. -We are told that his prodigal outlays led to a system of taxation of -hitherto unexampled severity. The most idiotic of his acts consisted in -causing his carriage-horses to be shod with silver, each shoe fastened -only by a single nail, in order that it might be easily lost, and -ostentatiously replaced. In Anthony, the son of this madcap, the male -line of the Grimaldis terminated. With only daughters to succeed, there -arose a grand family consultation how Louise Hyppolyte, the eldest of -these female heirs, should marry some distinguished personage, -sufficiently rich to discharge certain heavy debts and obligations. If -we could extract any drollery from the history of the Grimaldis, it -would be in the straits to which they were put at this memorable -juncture. In a sense, the girl was put up to auction. It was made -generally known that the highest bidder, with the longest purse and -pedigree, might have her; one thing, however, being stipulated, that he -should sink his own identity, and assume the name and arms of Grimaldi. -After a good deal of looking about and chaffering, Louise Hyppolyte was -assigned to Count de Matignon, whose wealth was pronounced adequate, and -his ancestral rank in no respect impeachable. The marriage took place in -1715, and from it sprung the present family. - -[Illustration: The old town of Mentone with Quai Bonaparte, as seen from -Eastern Bay.] - -It does not appear that the new branch of the clan Grimaldi was a marked -improvement on the old one. When the revolution of 1789 broke out in -France, it spread to the principality; and so much was Honore III. -disliked for his arbitrary measures, that he had to flee for his life, -leaving his patrimony to its fate, which consisted in being absorbed -into the French republic. Unfortunately, the change of masters produced -only some new varieties of oppression. There was, to be sure, a very -distinct proclamation of liberty and equality; but it was associated -with relentless taxation and conscription, along with an assiduous -search for victims for the guillotine. Recesses in the mountains above -Mentone are pointed out where _suspects_ took refuge in these terrible -times, and to whom food was under great difficulty taken by their -families. With the fall of the Convention in 1793, and the rise of -Bonaparte, the Mentonians experienced a gratifying relief, although the -conscription continued as severe as ever. In the course of Napoleon’s -marvellous military feats in Italy, he visited Mentone; and observing -the imperfect character of the old road along the coast, gave orders to -construct that entirely new carriage-way, the existing Corniche, an -engineering exploit which was the making of Mentone. Previously, the old -road in proceeding eastwards ascended to a vaulted gateway, and was -thence continued in the Rue Longue, a curious narrow passage environed -by tall antique buildings on each side, the exit being by a gateway at -the farther extremity, whence the road descended to the eastern bay. For -this inconvenient thoroughfare, the French engineer substituted an -artificial terrace-road, raised within the sea-margin, and skirting the -backs of the gaunt old houses of the Rue Longue. All who have travelled -along the Corniche, will remember this ingeniously constructed part of -the route, styled the Quai Bonaparte, and how, after getting clear of -the town, it ascends to the Pont St Louis, on the front of the rugged -cliffs which overhang the Mediterranean. - -After having been connected with France for more than twenty years, the -principality of Monaco was assigned, by the treaty of Vienna, to its -hereditary claimants, who were to be under the protection of Piedmont. -Delivered up to Honore V., as the reigning Grimaldi was designated, the -unhappy people, to their dismay, soon felt themselves in the grasp of a -rapacious tyrant. Honest, industrious, and confiding, they were willing -to render loyal obedience to the old family; but so far from being -sympathised with, they were viewed as mere objects of the most -uncompromising extortion. What now occurred in the communes of Monaco, -Roccabruna, and Mentone—such being the entire territory—would, if -minutely told, form a history unexampled for despicable selfishness on -the part of the ruling authority. The account given by Pemberton, and -also by local French writers, regarding the fiscal abuses of Honore and -his successor, raises the deepest emotions of compassion. It is painful -even to allude to matters of this kind, and I do so only because a -knowledge of what took place enables us to understand why Mentone has -been absorbed into the French empire. The story—fit to form the subject -of a romance—is also not without interest, as revealing to what lengths -a despotic ruler may go when unchecked by considerations either of mercy -or public policy. - -Living at a safe distance in Paris, and governing by deputies, Honore V. -maintained a fair face to the world while issuing ordinance after -ordinance calculated to reduce his patrimonial territory to utter -poverty and ruin. Plausible and refined in manners, his hypocrisy was -equalled only by his intense avarice. What he wanted was money, and that -he was resolved to wring by every available means from his helpless -subjects. He began operations by taking possession of all property -belonging to communes, hospitals, and ecclesiastical establishments, all -of which were in future to depend on his bounty. Next, he imposed duties -on every article entering or going out of the country, or which was -consumed as food. The principal produce consisting of olives, oranges, -lemons, citrons, figs, and grapes, these were all placed under rigorous -surveillance, and subjected to heavy imposts. There had long been -manufactures of oils, essences, perfumes, and confections from one or -other of these fruits, for purposes of export, and the taxes now levied -upon them rendered the trade not worth carrying on. Then were issued -ordinances assigning to the prince an entire monopoly in the manufacture -and sale of linen, gunpowder, pipes, and tobacco. No one dared to -purchase linens for clothing or domestic use, or to be used as sails for -boats and shipping, unless they came from the prince’s factories at such -prices as he was pleased to impose. Following on these arbitrary -measures came the monopoly of selling vermicelli. This was a hard blow -on the poor, but nothing in comparison to the next financial device, -which was a monopoly in the importation of corn, meal, and flour. As it -happened that the territory produced scarcely any cereals, the people -depended on imports, and under this new policy they were placed at the -mercy of a prince who cared not though his subjects should perish of -hunger. - -To advantageously carry out this last ordinance, Honore procured the -assistance of a Frenchman named Chappon, with whom he divided profits. -Established as the grand purveyor of corn, Chappon became a terror to -the unfortunate community. At the very outset, there was experienced a -want of mills to grind the imported corn, nor could mills be erected -unless where there was water-power. The valley of the Carei at Mentone -offered this convenience, but its water-privileges were all secured by -olive-mills, and these necessarily had to be bought up. This was -speedily accomplished. The oil-mills were forcibly purchased at certain -prices; but as these prices were never paid, the transaction was nothing -else than a robbery. Possessed of the mills, the next thing was to make -a road to them fit for wheeled carriages. Instead of making the road at -his own cost, Honore obliged the proprietors of land on the right bank -of the Carei to construct a thoroughfare at their own expense, at the -same time mulcting them in sums to keep it up. The road so formed, lined -with plane-trees, is that now known as the Route de Turin. The -construction of such a road was certainly a great improvement; and the -only matter for regret is the injustice of the whole affair. Having set -the mills to work, Chappon imported parcels of damaged or inferior corn, -which, being ground to flour, was sold at such high prices as he was -pleased to impose. This extortion was not enough. It was discovered that -a good profit could be made by a monopoly in baking. The prince now -became baker in general for the principality, and the baking and selling -of bread, except under his authority, were declared to be penal. A cry -of despair—the wail of the poor—sounded through the land. Earnest, -piteous remonstrances were made to Honore. All were unheeded. There was -no earthly tribunal to appeal to. The press of Europe did not hear of, -or at least said nothing of these atrocities. The people, patient and -forbearing, continued to suffer. One can hardly realise the fact, that -within the last quarter of a century a person enjoying the rank of a -Christian sovereign should have been guilty of iniquities like those -here briefly referred to. The bread monopoly proved the worst of all; -for, besides the dearth and bad qualities of the article, excessive -penalties were incurred for attempting to bring even so much as a morsel -into the territory. If a labourer went across the frontier for a day’s -work, and brought back at night a portion of the bread he had had for -his dinner to succour his wife and children, it was taken from him, and -he might think himself well off if he escaped punishment. If a ship, on -arriving at any of the small ports, had bread or biscuits on board, the -whole had to be thrown into the sea, and a fresh supply procured from -the prince’s baker. Driven to extremity, the people ate as little as -possible of what they emphatically called the _pain de douleur_; but -this was met by a new expedient. A register was ordered to be kept of -all the bread which each family purchased, and if the quantity fell -short of a certain standard, they were exposed to a prosecution for -consuming too little. - -Things were not yet by any means at their worst. The only fuel used was -old decayed olive and fruit trees, and here was a fresh means of -exaction. An ordinance was issued forbidding any tree to be cut down, or -any branch removed, unless by a special license, which had to be paid -for, amounting to a tax on the fuel used for warmth or the preparation -of victuals. The next form of extortion was to impose a fine on any one -leaving his house after ten o’clock without a lantern. A fine of three -francs was also imposed on every license for a person going out of the -country. Hungered in the article of bread, taxed on their oranges, taxed -on their fuel, and taxed in their clothing, the people as yet were -allowed to eat their own poultry, eggs, and butcher-meat. That was a -great overlook, now to be remedied. A universal census was taken of -oxen, sheep, goats, pigs, and other animals raised for sale or private -consumption, and the amount of stock had to be rigorously accounted for. -A register was kept of all births and deaths of these various animals, -the sex of each being noted. The object aimed at was a tax payable for -every animal slaughtered. If a person wished to kill one of his pigs, he -had to intimate the fact to an officer, who attended to lay on the tax, -and make the appropriate deduction from the recorded stock on hand. Woe -be to any one who ate his own mutton or lamb, without being taxed, even -although the animal should have died or been killed by accident. We may -conclude the list of extortions, by mentioning that, to support the -several monopolies, it was necessary to employ a large staff of -custom-house and other officials. The _douane_ at the frontiers was -remorseless in severity. If a merchant declared the weight of his goods -to be a single pound less than they actually weighed, the whole were -confiscated. By all these and sundry other contrivances—one being a -right to all the scrapings of the streets, for there was nothing too -mean to be appropriated—Honore V. wrung an annual revenue of 320,000 -francs from a small population, a large proportion of whom were people -in a humble rank of life. There was folly as well as cruelty in the -exaction, for more than a third of the whole amount levied went to -defray the expenses of collection. Some of his schemes were -disappointing. He attempted to increase his civil list by coining and -putting in circulation five-franc pieces, containing thirty per cent. of -alloy, but as nobody would take his bad money, this proved an -unfortunate financial experiment. He was also rather luckless in his -projects for taxing education. In Mentone, he set up a school to which -children should be sent on paying certain fees, and at the same time it -was declared to be penal to teach children at home. The result was that -the school was deserted, to which melancholy fact is ascribable the -general ignorance of letters among the bulk of the humbler classes past -middle life. - -Honore V. died in 1841, carrying with him to the grave the execrations -of all he had misused and misgoverned. Strange to say, the people, from -a hereditary sentiment of loyalty, did not embrace the opportunity of -repudiating the Grimaldis. The heir of the principality was Florestan -I., of whom good hopes were entertained; but he continued the former -extortions and monopolies, adding the obligation, that the crushing of -all the olives in his territory should take place at his own mills, -under excessive penalties. This was little else than a sentence of -annihilation to the olive-growers, and general ruin was in prospect. But -the time had now come when the odious tyranny could be safely thrown -off. The ferment of the revolution in France in 1848 spread to the -principality of Monaco, and by a popular outburst of outraged feeling, -the authority of the prince was denounced and rejected. Florestan -appealed for help to Sardinia, but in vain. He made some overtures at -conciliation. They were treated with derision, and he was ordered to -quit the territory. It says not a little for the character of the -people, that in carrying through their revolution, not a single personal -injury was inflicted. Having rid themselves of the Grimaldis, the -communes of Monaco, Roccabruna, and Mentone declared their political -independence, in which condition, and unmolested, they remained for -twelve years. During this period they did much to restore general -concord and prosperity, and it was at this time that some improvements -were effected in the various towns. Florestan died in 1856, an event -which provoked no public manifestation in favour of the family. -Circumstances had already made it obvious that the communes would need -to unite themselves permanently either with Sardinia or France. On this -point there were protracted negotiations, judiciously conducted by a -patriotic citizen of Mentone, Carlo Trenca, who had been a moving spirit -in promoting the revolution and preventing public excesses. Trenca died -in the course of these public duties. Matters were at length matured, -and in April 1860 the people were left to vote whether they would belong -to Sardinia or France. The choice of the majority was wisely for France; -for by this means the country was incorporated with a nation which, -while advancing its material prosperity, could secure its internal -peace, and protect it against aggression. Charles III., the son and heir -of Florestan, protested against the union. At last, on the 2d of -February 1861, he agreed to a treaty, by which he ceded all his rights -and privileges over Roccabruna and Mentone for the sum of four million -francs, reserving only his sovereignty over Monaco under French -protection. - -Since 1861, accordingly, Mentone has in all respects been part and -parcel of France, and participated in its national progress. Monaco -alone, consisting of a patch of territory extending three and a half -miles along the coast, by a width at broadest of one mile, remains a -petty dependent sovereignty under Charles III., who lives part of the -year at Paris, and at other times in his palace in the town of Monaco. -His son and heir-apparent, Charles-Honore, born in 1848, was recently -married to a daughter of the late Duke of Hamilton. - -Since it was attached to France, Mentone, with some ground in its -neighbourhood, has been a commune of the Alpes Maritimes, with a mayor -and council for its local administration. So smoothly are its civic -affairs conducted, that one hears little or nothing of them. There is a -Hôtel de Ville, but it is by no means of an obtrusive character. It is -comprehended in the upper floor of a building in a lane which ascends -from the main street towards the cemetery. Adjoining is the office of -the police, an establishment of a very limited nature. The annual -municipal revenue is 120,000 francs, derived principally from an octroi, -or petty duties on articles of consumption brought into the town; and -the expenditure, including outlay on schools and hospitals, is the same -amount. The settled population of Mentone is 6000. Besides the few -sergents de ville who act as street police, there is a small body of -Gendarmerie Impériale, members of which may be seen lounging about in -military costume, but ready to mount and be off on any mission -appropriate to their functions. Though situated on the frontier, Mentone -has no garrison worth mentioning. The only soldiers observable are a -single company of one of the regiments of the line, exhilarated in their -marching by three drummers and a trumpeter. To the credit of the French -army, the soldiers when off duty conduct themselves with great -propriety. They may be seen reading on the seats in the public -promenades, or taking a walk in groups amidst the rural scenery, -circumstances which may be thought to speak well for their character. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - -The railway from Nice to Mentone, forming part of the line from Paris -and Marseilles, terminates at the frontier, where it is to be united to -the line from Genoa. The Italian portion, however, is in a very backward -condition, and to all appearance years may elapse before it is -completed; on which account many travellers for Genoa do not trouble -themselves with the railway so far as it is made, but hire carriages and -horses at Nice for the whole journey. Vehicles with two, four, or -sometimes five horses are seen daily passing southwards through Mentone. -The railway does credit to its constructers. Piercing Cap Martin by a -tunnel, it crosses the several valleys by bridges, holding close by the -hills behind the town. The station, situated on the right bank of the -Carei, and reached by the Route de Turin, is about a quarter of a mile -northwards from the main street. Omnibuses in connection with several -hotels, likewise an omnibus for the general service of the town, and the -diligence for Genoa, attend the arrival of the trains. Visitors -designing to remain for the season can have no difficulty in getting -apartments in any of the hotels having omnibuses, until they look about -them and make a choice of a dwelling. - -To help them in their selection, a few general observations may be -offered. Mentone, as has been shewn, is a town in two divisions, locally -known as the East and West Bays. The first thing, accordingly, for a -stranger to do is to make up his mind in which he prefers to reside. The -two bays are very different in character from each other. The East—that -which is farthest away on arriving from Nice—is reputedly the warmest, -and best adapted for invalids with pulmonary or bronchial affections. -Sheltered on the west by the projecting hill on which the old town is -built, and on the east by Cap Murtola, and closely overhung on the north -by the mountains, it is, I believe, the most sunny warm nook in the -whole Riviera. So completely is it enclosed that there is only space in -front for the roadway from the Quai Bonaparte. The hilly ground in the -rear, clothed in olive, orange, and lemon trees, is intersected by the -small and not very accessible valley of Garavan, which imparts its name -to the quarter. Far up, on the bare acclivities, are seen gray, -sun-dried cottages, though who live in them, or how they are reached, no -one can understand. Near at hand, on the lofty cliffs to the east, is -the Corniche road, pursuing its way by the Pont St Louis. - -Latterly, to meet the demand for accommodation in this choice quarter, a -number of houses of various kinds have been erected towards the ravine -of St Louis, and it seems likely that every available site will ere long -be occupied with dwellings of a class suitable for visitors. Singularly -favoured in various respects, the East Bay is not without some -drawbacks. If the weather be warm, the locality may be found too close, -and the mosquitoes somewhat troublesome. To go into and return from -town, pedestrians have to pass through a cold windy gorge at the end of -the main street, and the walk by the Quai is not pleasant. The greatest -defect is the want of a good public promenade near the sea-margin. No -doubt visitors can hire a carriage, or they can take the omnibus which -plies to and from the western extremity of the town, and so reach -promenades to their liking; but all that causes trouble, and one prefers -to saunter out at odd times for air and recreation when a pleasant -promenade is readily at hand. This deficiency is said to be in course of -remedy by the formation of a level stretch along the beach, but when it -will be completed is uncertain. With all its drawbacks and limitations, -there is much to fascinate in the East Bay, so quiet, so sunny is it; -and the mind carries away recollections of the pretty shrubberies in -front of one or two of the hotels, where, in mid-winter, you see parties -seated under the elegantly drooping foliage of the pepper-tree, as if -enjoying a cool shade in the heats of summer. To live at this spot is -truly to winter with the swallows, for there, when the season is -propitious, they resort, as if aware that in going farther they would -find few such haunts, till they reach the neighbourhood of the Pyramids. - -The West Bay, if less sheltered, is more spacious and airy. Living in -it, you are more in the world—near the shops, cab-stand, -railway-station, reading-room and library, new English church, -post-office, Promenade du Midi, and all the walks and rides in the -lateral valleys. I should say that this quarter is most suitable for -mere health-loungers—those who seek for recreation in open air and -exercise. With a south-eastern or south-western exposure, it is sunny -enough for all ordinary requirements, and is chosen by many invalids for -its amenities, as is observable from the number of persons who are drawn -along the Promenade in Bath-chairs, courting health from the -sea-breezes, tempered by the brilliant sunshine. In the West Bay, -beginning at Carnolles, and extending to the centre of the town, there -are numerous hotels, some pleasantly situated, so as to overlook the -Promenade, and others at the base of the rising grounds. Here, also, are -a variety of villas for hire, and a number of houses specially called -_pensions_, the distinction between which and hotels is not very clear, -so far as concerns the residence of strangers for the season. In all the -hotels, possibly with one or two exceptions, there is a practice of -receiving guests _en pension_—that is to say, they give board and -lodging at so much per day. Whether designated hotels or pensions, these -establishments are for the most part on a scale of considerable -magnitude. - -At these establishments no introduction is necessary. All are received -on an equality, no matter what be the nationality or rank in life. Some -houses are resorted to more by German or French visitors than others, -while some are preferred by English and Americans. The charge per day -for each person is usually from ten to twelve francs. For this sum you -have a small bedroom, fit for only one person, breakfast, luncheon, and -dinner, with generally the use of a public drawing-room. Candles, -firewood, and service are paid for separately. The object seems to be to -let as many bedrooms, and as few salons or private sitting-rooms, as -possible; at all events, the charge is made so high for a salon, that -comparatively few indulge in that luxury. The French way of living is -adopted. The meals are served to the guests in the _salle à manger_; but -in the case of breakfast, guests may ordinarily choose their own hour. -In fact, the breakfast, _petit déjeûner_, is a trifle, something to -carry you on till noon, and consists only of tea or coffee with bread -and butter. Luncheon at twelve is the _déjeûner_ proper, and is styled -the _déjeûner à la fourchette_. It is in reality a dinner with different -hot meats and omelettes, but without soup or dessert. Half a bottle of -_vin ordinaire_ is allowed to each person. Dinner, the great meal of the -day, takes place at six o’clock. This is the well-known _table-d’hôte_, -set out in good style. There is the same allowance of vin ordinaire as -at noon, but other wines are supplied to order. - -Under the pension system no tea is given in the evening. After dinner, -some go to their bedrooms, others to the drawing-room, for the sake of -music or conversation, or to look over a few old newspapers, for want of -anything better to do. The drawing-room is usually styled a _salon de -lecture_, because it is presumedly a reading-room. A tattered -_Galignani_, a week old, lying on the table, will constitute the room a -salon de lecture. This mode of living in public may be amusing to those -who do not object to racket and noisy talk in several languages. My own -experiences have not been very successful, particularly as regards the -drawing-rooms or sham salons de lecture, where usually some young lady, -with long hair hanging down her back, has, by her frantic performances -on the piano, banished everything like quietude and comfort. What with -one charge or another, the cost of living _en pension_ at Mentone is -rarely under a hundred francs, or four pounds, for each person per week. -In very many cases it will amount to five pounds. Preferring to occupy a -private salon, I submitted to a higher charge. Last season, I procured a -salon and two bedrooms on the first floor at a hotel overlooking the -Promenade at a charge of 105 francs, and for meals served privately 119 -francs, for two persons per week. A charge of 10½ francs was made for -service. Wine, fuel, and lights were paid for in addition. The sum-total -was usually about 267 francs, or £10, 14s. per week. These charges were -lower than I had paid the previous year at another hotel, but I do not -scruple to say they were exorbitant, for the _logement_ and _nourriture_ -were not worth the money. Like all, however, who capriciously depart -from the plan of eating and drinking in a crowd according to the routine -of the establishment, I ought not perhaps to complain. The table-d’hôte -system is unquestionably the cheapest, and also the best as regards -variety of dishes, wherefore comparatively few attempt the method of -taking meals in their own apartment. - -In appearance, the hotels and pensions of Mentone are well built and -substantial, with usually a coating of cement or paint of a light -colour. All the stairs are stone—in one or two instances marble. The -floors are laid with tiles, covered with carpets; the furniture good. -The rooms are arranged in rows along each side of the passages, and -communicate with each other. In one point of view, this is a convenient -arrangement, for it allows any one to occupy two or more apartments _en -suite_; but against it there is the objection that you are separated -possibly from noisy neighbours only by a thin and imperfectly -constructed door (of two leaves); and it is impossible by any precaution -to avert this contingency, for there is a frequent shifting of visitors. -A little annoyed by the vivacity of some neighbours who spoke in German -at about the pitch of their voice, we tried to deaden the sound by -hanging up a railway wrapper over the doorway. For such imperfect -arrangements the hotels of Mentone are not singular. The same thing -prevails at Nice, where, on one occasion, we had to vacate our rooms in -consequence of a lady and gentleman taking lessons in singing in the -next apartment—the pair going through the gamut for hours, one in a -shrill treble, the other in a deep bass voice, and both of course -regardless of the noise they created, or the inconvenience to which they -were putting their neighbours. There is another structural imperfection -which may be experienced in some of the Mentone hotels. It consists in -the fire-places being placed in the outer wall so near the connecting -doors, as not to admit of a party sitting around them in the English -fashion. Besides being awkwardly placed, the fire-places are not -furnished with grates for burning coal. On the occurrence of a stretch -of cold weather, the want of coal-grates is felt to be a serious defect, -for the heat derived from burning wood is very insufficient. The fuel -ordinarily supplied consists of billets of old olive and fig trees, two -and a half francs being charged for a basket which will last a day. I -have known persons who used two baskets in a day, or upwards of four -shillings’ worth of wood. As a kind of favour, during the coldest part -of the season, we were, for a fair consideration, indulged with some -pieces of coal to mix with the wood on the hearth, and in this way -contrived to strengthen the blaze a little. - -A few words may be offered respecting the situation of the principal -hotels, beginning at the western entrance to the town. The Hôtel du -Pavilion, on right, at Carnolles; well managed, with a small salon de -lecture; back overlooks the sea; rather distant from the town, and the -roads dirty in bad weather, but situation otherwise pleasant. Hôtel -Splendide, on left after crossing the Borigo; an elegant new house -facing the south; has an outlook to the sea, but this may be interrupted -if buildings be placed on an open piece of ground which is at present -offered for sale. Hôtel de Londres, a smaller house on same side of the -road a little farther on, good, but partially overshadowed by buildings -on south side of the road. Hôtel de Turin on right, with windows to the -south overlooking the Promenade; consists of two houses, one being -styled the Annèxe, but there is a connection between the two by a -covered passage; no salon de lecture, although one of the French -guide-books says there is; only a salle à manger, salons, and bedrooms; -clean; good service; convenient by means of a back entrance from -Promenade; but the noise of the sea troublesome. Hôtel du Parc, a short -way up the Route de Turin; new; overlooks the Carei, but seems much -darkened by rows of tall plane trees. Hôtels du Louvre and Beau Séjour, -at base of hills, facing the south, with orange gardens in front, -reached by the road on left bank of the Carei, also by cross-road from -main street, and situated near the town; good, and away from noise of -the sea; well adapted for invalids; resorted to by Germans and French; -the railway, after crossing the Carei, is carried near the back of these -houses. Hôtel de la Méditerranée, on left or north side of main street, -good, and used by strangers passing through the town; opposite is a -short lane conducting to the Promenade; as the situation is central, it -would be found convenient to reside in this hotel until permanent -quarters were secured. Hôtel d’Orient, new, situated back from north -side of main street near the Cercle; a southern exposure, but shut out -from view of sea. Grand Hôtel de Victoria, a very large splendid house, -frequented by aristocracy, on right or south side of the street; back -windows overlook the sea; and a back entrance communicates with the -Promenade; this house has a lift for benefit of residents on the higher -floors. Hôtel de Paris, same side of the street; best known for its -café, billiard-rooms, and restaurant. Hôtel du Midi fronts the -Promenade, which alone separates it from the beach; noise of sea -troublesome. Hôtel d’Angleterre, formerly called Hôtel de Turin, fronts -Place Napoléon, where travelling carriages arrive and are for hire; back -windows with a broad balcony overlook the sea. In this hotel, which is -at the heart of the town, a lady friend resided during the winter of -1862–63, and greatly enjoyed a seat on the balcony, the fine season -completely remedying a throat complaint. Since that period, the environs -of the house on the side next the sea appear to have deteriorated, being -not only dirty, but noisy, from crowds of boys who frequent the place -for outdoor sports. - -The foregoing are the principal hotels in the West Bay, and besides them -I may instance the pensions Hemmelmann, Camous, Miramar, and Bournabat, -overlooking the Promenade, and Imberti, prettily situated in a garden on -left bank of the Borigo. In the East Bay, the hotels standing in a row -near each other, and generally spacious and elegant, are as follow: -Hôtel de la Grande Brétagne; Grand Hôtel de la Paix; Hôtel des Anglais, -frequented by English and Americans (here reside during the season, Dr -J. H. Bennet, and Dr J. Martin, a skilled English dentist); Hôtel des -Iles Britannique; Grand Hôtel. All these, and there may be one or two -others, also some pensions, are on the level ground, entering from the -roadway, and having a southern exposure to the sea. There is a detached -hotel, Hôtel d’Italie, with a good outlook, situated on the hill above, -reached by a flight of steps and sloping drive; the landlady is English; -the only objection to this house is the difficulty of getting up and -down. - -[Illustration: Hotels in the East Bay.] - -As regards detached villas ready furnished for hire, there is a good -choice in the early part of the season, at rents ranging from fifteen -hundred to five thousand francs. Those occupying them will either have -to bring servants with them or hire them on the spot. Some superior -residences of this kind are situated at Carnolles. One of them in this -quarter, quite palatial in character, is the mansion which belonged to -the Prince of Monaco previous to his expulsion from the commune. There -are several villas of a respectable class on or near the Promenade; a -number equal, if not superior, in appearance are situated in the valley -of the Carei; and some of tasteful architecture have just been erected -at the farther extremity of the Eastern Bay. In general, the villas are -handsome buildings situated in gardens, with gateways for admitting -carriages to drive up to the door. The whole are provided with Venetian -blinds hung outside the windows, by which means the houses may be -effectually shut up at the close of the season. I observed that the -windows of some of the villas have frames covered with fine gauze to -exclude flies and mosquitoes; when a window is opened for air, the gauze -frame takes the place of the glass; a most luxurious piece of furniture -this. Some of the villas are provided with stables and coach-house. The -common practice, however, is to hire carriages and horses from persons -who make a business of lending them. A good carriage, either to open -landau-fashion or to shut up, with driver and pair of horses, the whole -turn-out in good style, may be hired at about 625 francs per month, for -which sum everything is included. In a few instances, a villa -comprehends two distinct dwellings, one in the lower and another in the -upper floor, and having separate entrances. For the most part prettily -furnished in the French style, the villas are not always well provided -with water, nor is their system of drainage very perfect. The whole, I -believe, like most of the hotels and pensions, depend on pump-wells, and -with few exceptions the drainage is into cess-pools. Here we touch on -two weak points in the character of Mentone. I cannot say that I -experienced any inconvenience from either; but things are certainly not -what we should expect in a community which depends, to a great extent, -on its colony of strangers. - -Another class of dwellings for hire are floors ready furnished, reached -by common stairs from the public thoroughfares. Houses so laid out in -floors for separate families, are styled _Maisons_—as, for example, -Maison Gastaldy, Maison Ribaud; being so called from the names of their -respective proprietors. Some floors are divided into two dwellings; each -dwelling is designated an _Appartement_, though consisting of several -rooms with kitchen. Many of these floor dwellings are on a respectable -scale; the rent for the season being from 800 to 2000 francs. Service is -not given, and will require to be procured separately, as in the case of -detached residences. An English family of my acquaintance hires a -dwelling of this kind by the year, going and returning annually. Every -year, at the proper season, the family arrives, bringing an English -female domestic, to whom a native servant is added to complete the -establishment. At the end of the season, the dwelling being locked up, -is left to the care of the proprietor till it is again wanted. No plan -of housekeeping can match this for independence and comfort. It is well -suited for families who, for some special reason, require habitually to -winter abroad. - -There is still one other class of houses offered for hire, furnished. -These are _Châlets_, or cottages of moderate dimensions, situated amidst -orange and olive groves on the sides of the hills, but to which access -is obtained only by winding pathways fit for pedestrians, or for donkeys -with panniers to bring all necessary provisions. Persons who have a -fancy for ruralising amidst very charming scenery, could find nothing -more suitable than a residence in these secluded spots. Water, I fear, -will prove a difficulty, but that must be looked to. - -When several members of a family have to be accommodated, I would -recommend a hired dwelling of some sort, be it a villa, a floor, or a -châlet, not only for the sake of economy, but for that degree of peace -and comfort which is not obtainable even in the best-managed hotel or -pension. In the furniture of houses let for hire, napery and plated -articles for the table are included, and it may lessen anxiety to know -that dinners ready cooked are sent out to order from certain hotels. A -confectioner and _pâtissier_ may be applied to for a like purpose. There -is a keen competition in the profession of the _blanchisseuse_. For -those residing in hired dwellings, the town is well provided with shops -where all things necessary can be procured, which was not the case only -a few years ago; and there is also a market daily for eggs, poultry, -vegetables, and other articles. - -The building and furnishing of houses for hire is evidently a great -trade in Mentone. It is a method of employing capital which, being -thought safe, appears to commend itself to French notions. Men of -considerable wealth, who make little show, embark in it. _Propriétaires_ -owning villas of an elegant and costly kind, which from their fortune -they would be entitled to reside in, may be heard of as living in an -obscure and economic way in the town. Houses for hire of all kinds are -for the most part let by commission-agents, who have lists for -inspection. Strangers who propose to rent such dwellings, will find it -to their advantage to seek the advice and assistance of Mr T. -Willoughby, a well-known English grocer and wine-merchant settled in the -town, who carries on a business as a house and estate agent, and looks -personally after the condition of every dwelling with which he is -concerned. To facilitate this species of business, he prints a list of -houses and apartments for hire, with a plan of the town shewing where -each is situated. He gives a copy of this useful pamphlet, which is -printed in English, along with all requisite information, gratis. All -English-speaking visitors know Willoughby, who may be considered to be a -kind of commercial adviser-general, and ready on all occasions to help -his countrymen. - -The season is said to begin on the 25th October, and terminate on the -25th April, when the heat becomes inconvenient. I observed, however, -that strangers have not fully arrived until the middle of December, and -many depart at the beginning of March. Those who come first have of -course the best choice of accommodation. According to a list published -on the 1st of January 1870, there were 215 English, 41 Americans, 116 -Germans, 13 Belgians, 12 Danes and Swedes, 98 French, 21 Dutch, 46 -Russians and Poles, and 20 of other nations—total, 582. But as a very -large number of the entries in the list were of husband and wife, or of -families and suite, we cannot estimate the whole at fewer than twelve -hundred adults, and it would be a moderate calculation to set down their -aggregate expenditure during the season at less than £200,000. - -There were few with whom I conversed who did not complain of the charges -of the hotel-keepers: one lady was quite excited on the subject, -speaking of the exactions for fuel, lights, and service as something -shameful. High charges are certainly more the rule than the exception, -and may in the fluctuations of fashion help to drive visitors elsewhere. -Nice, however, and other resorts in this quarter, are as dear as -Mentone. The hotel-keepers are not without a plausible excuse. They pay -high rents; they have to maintain an expensive establishment; their -harvest of visitors lasts only six months; two or three bad seasons in -succession might finish them. There is truth in this apology, but I -would counsel them not to rely too greatly upon it. They may with -advantage take into consideration the possibility of lowering the -sum-total of their weekly bills. Rivals have entered the field. The -people of San Remo, as if awakening from a trance, are making a push for -a share of the visitor traffic; and if they render their town attractive -by establishing a good promenade along the sea-margin, and by carrying -out sundry other improvements to meet the fancy of visitors, they may -seriously affect the hotel-keepers as well as the _propriétaires_ of -every French winter-resort. It may be years, as I have said, before the -railway is opened beyond Mentone (for Italy is in a sad state of -impecuniosity, or, more correctly, is suffering from a bad -administrative system, along with a want of credit), but there can be no -doubt that the railway will be completed as far as San Remo some time or -other; and when this event occurs, Cannes, Nice, and Mentone may look -for a degree of competition in their staple dependence which at present -they do not experience. They had better begin revising their tariff. - -It will be understood from the foregoing explanations, that furnished -lodgings, in the English sense of the term, do not exist at Mentone. -There are no houses in which you can hire one or two apartments by the -week, and be waited on by the servants of the keeper. That plan of -living is not according to French usage. The tickets hung out of -_Appartement Meublé_, signify a furnished suite of rooms without -service, and where the dwellers are left to their own resources. Those -who wish to be free of the trouble of independent housekeeping, go into -a pension, which suits the gregariousness of the French character. Many -English will feel this deficiency to be an inconvenience. It often -passed through my mind, that lodging-houses on the English system would -answer, and more particularly if that peculiar species of lodging-house -which prevails at Brighton were introduced. There, the lodging-houses -called ‘Mansions’—as, for example, the Belvidere Mansion—are ready to -let apartments and supply food and service at so much a day, each lodger -being served in his own apartment, if he pleases; or they will allow -lodgers to purchase what they require for themselves. Nowhere, in all my -ramblings, have I found any lodging-house system so thoroughly -convenient and agreeable as this, and it would be a great recommendation -to Mentone if it had something of the kind which we could point to. - -I may offer another remark. _Propriétaires_ at Mentone confine their -building speculations too exclusively to detached and costly villas, and -to tall houses in the main street. Visitors who wish to hire dwellings -do not all incline to pay a high rent for a villa, or to live over shops -and have windows looking into a dusty street, noisy with traffic. Many -would prefer, if it could be got, a house in a connected row, in a -sheltered and retired situation, with a southern exposure—such as may be -obtained in one of the crescents at Bath, or the famed _Lung’ Arno_ at -Pisa. Instead of setting down villas in all sorts of odd spots, some -facing this way and some that, and often one overshadowing and -interrupting the view of another, how much better would it be for -_propriétaires_ to unite, if at all possible, in erecting a score of -houses not too high, on the plan of a crescent, in some choice -situation, and which houses, while commodious as dwellings, would be -hailed as a tranquil and sunny refuge for invalids. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - -Something may now be specially said of the climate of Mentone, which as -yet is its sole attraction. The charm of the place is its fine air, -sunshine, and shelter during the winter months, and for these advantages -some petty annoyances may be endured. What will not any one rationally -disposed give for health, or a protraction of existence? A journey of -several days, much expense, an absence of months from home and from -valued friends, possibly professional inconvenience—what is all that -when weighed in the balance against a means of extending one’s length of -days, and making life a pleasure instead of a constant pain and anxiety! -Change of air and scene is in itself a good thing, as is universally -acknowledged; but doubly beneficial to the jaded and the enfeebled by -functional derangement is the substitution of a mild and exhilarating -for an inclement, humid, and depressing winter. - -Evidently, large numbers do not need to be stimulated to winter in the -more sunny regions of the south of France. At several places, the -accommodation offered is barely sufficient for the demand. The crowd of -emigrants is of a very varied character. Fashion, ennui, and love of -gaiety seem to send quite as many abroad as absolutely bad health. The -greater proportion of persons, old and young, whom you see frequenting -the promenades, and driving about in open pony phaetons, have nothing -apparently the matter with them. Many of them, doubtless, have come -abroad for a bit of fun, for personal exhibition in a new field, or on -some other frivolous ground, satisfactory to their own conscience. It is -at all events certain that if weakened by bodily infirmity, they act as -if it were otherwise, disregarding alike the laws of health and the -counsels which are offered regarding the peculiar winter climate of the -Riviera. - -To a stranger from a northern region, the striking thing about the -climate is, that during the day, while the sun brilliantly shines, there -is a feeling of, and a resemblance to, a fine autumn—say the heat of an -English September; but no sooner does the sun disappear below the -Mediterranean, than we are back in a minute to our old accustomed wintry -sensations. Why the atmosphere does not retain the heat imparted by the -sun’s rays is perfectly obvious. The air is so dry and thin that there -is little medium for retaining the warmth, and the heat generated -escapes in the clear sky overhead. What we have to expect, therefore, by -a winter sojourn in Mentone, is a species of summer while in the direct -rays of the sun, during daylight; and it is our own blame if we suffer -by neglecting the precautions suggested by the chills which settle down -immediately after sunset. It is, however, to be borne in mind, that the -cold of evening and night is only comparative. In an atmosphere so -rarefied, a temperature of 40° to 60° Fahr. feels more chilly than the -same degree of cold in Great Britain. The feelings and discreet -apprehensions are a better warning than a recollection of temperature -according to the scale of the thermometer. In the shade during the day -there is a sensation of bleakness, approaching to that felt at night. -Accordingly, to secure the full benefit of the climate, it is -indispensable to have rooms with less or more of a southern exposure. No -temptation of cheapness must induce the health-seeker to occupy -apartments facing the north, or under the shadow of buildings which -exclude the glow of sunshine. The sun rises earlier and sets later at -Mentone during winter than it does in England, a circumstance favourable -to invalids and outdoor promenaders. - -If the weather be good, the sunshine from half-past ten to half-past -three o’clock is delicious, and with the clear sky all nature is joyous. -Sometimes the rays of the sun are so inconvenient, that many persons -walk about under the shelter of white cotton parasols lined with blue or -green, and with hats shrouded in white gauze. It is during such warmth -that the visitors pour forth to ramble along the Promenade, and make -short excursions on foot or on donkeys, or drive about in open -carriages. Those who prefer to remain within doors, throw the windows -open, from floor to ceiling, and so far enjoy the pleasures of fresh -air. The fire, if lit in the morning, is at these times allowed to die -out, and the inmates have the satisfaction of depending exclusively on -the wholesome warmth of the sun. To derive as much benefit as possible -from the open air without bodily exertion, loungers seat themselves on -benches (with backs) commodiously placed for public use on the -Promenade, near the margin of the sea, the surging of which on the -shingle diffuses saline particles in the atmosphere advantageous to some -classes of invalids. - -Dr Siordet, an English medical practitioner who has been resident on the -spot for several years, mentions in his small work, _Mentone in its -Medical Aspect_ (1863), that the ‘small daily range of temperature is -one of the most important features of Mentone.’ He instances the -greatest for two years as being 15°·5 Fahr., and that in another year it -was 23°; also stating that the range was least in the colder months. In -the tables which he quotes, the mean temperature of the winter months -for ten years was as follows: November, 54°; December, 49°; January, -48°·75; February, 49°; March, 52°·9. During my stay on both occasions I -hung up a thermometer outside one of the windows, with a southern -exposure, but shaded from the sun, and recorded its indications twice -daily, at eight o’clock morning, and three o’clock afternoon, and these -pretty much corresponded with Dr Siordet’s tables. Frequently, the -temperature ranged from about 40° in the morning to 60° or 65° at from -noon to three o’clock. In November and December the temperature in the -morning was often 58°, and beyond this it did not rise if the day became -overclouded. In our bedrooms without a fire, the temperature in the -mornings, on rising, between seven and eight o’clock, ranged throughout -the winter at from 50° to 60°—commonly at about 54°. With these -generally favourable features in the climate, it has to be emphatically -stated that there are great differences of weather in different winters. -The season of 1868–69 was immensely superior to that of 1869–70, but so -was it everywhere throughout Europe, also on the northern coast of -Africa, and at Malta. Though well sheltered from the northern blasts, -Mentone lies invitingly open to winds from the south, south-east, and -south-west, and these can be cold enough when the Atlantic is encumbered -with icebergs, or when other causes of atmospheric disturbance greatly -lower the temperature of the European continent and African coast. - -While the vegetation of the district is a proof that the summers are -hot, and the winters on the whole mild, it is indisputable that the -mildness is sometimes broken in upon by days and weeks of cold weather, -in which few visitors, with any regard to health, venture out. At the -close of 1868 and beginning of 1869, the weather was beautiful; the -_jour de l’an_ as fine as could be desired, and the thoroughfares -crowded with holiday-makers. Let us contrast this state of things with -the weather twelve months afterwards. I quote from my notebook. - -‘_Dec. 21._ Dull, overcast, bitterly cold wind; temp. 54°-55°.—_Dec. -22._ There has been a stormy night; sea tempestuous, has destroyed -tramway on the beach; morning dull; the Promenade flooded with -sea-water; temp. 53°-56°; snow on tops of the mountains.—_Dec. 23._ -Fine; temp. 53°-65°; many people out looking at the havoc on the -beach.—_Dec. 24._ Fine; temp. 52°-62°.—_Dec. 25._ Dull, cold; temp. -50°-56°; a dismal Christmas Day; few people out; attempted a walk to the -Quai Bonaparte, but driven back by a cold stream of air down the -street.—_Dec. 26._ Dull, overcast, very cold; temp. 43°-41°; could not -venture out on account of the cold wind.—_Dec. 27._ Dull, overcast, very -cold; temp. same as yesterday; did not go out.—_Dec. 28._ Clear but -cold, with wind from south-east; mountain-tops white with snow; walked -out, and saw ice half an inch thick on pools in the Borigo and Carei; -temp. 40°–43°; am told that the temperature during the night has been -down to 26°.—_Dec. 29._ Clear and fine, but a cold wind; temp. 40°–63°; -children breaking the ice on the pools, and carrying pieces away.—_Dec. -30._ Cold but fine; ice still on pools; temp. 42°–43°.—_Dec. 31._ Clear -and fine; sun melting the ice; temp. 45°–55°.—_Jan. 1, 1870._ Dull, -cold, overcast, showers; temp. 39°–47°; minimum temp. by a registering -thermometer, north side of house, said to have been 34°·5; a miserable -_jour de l’an_ for the poor people; few out holiday-making; stalls of -books and toys, and a show of a fat boy at east end of Promenade, shut -up for want of customers; knife-grinder in disgust has left his wheel in -the rain, and retired for consolation to a neighbouring Débit de Vin.’ -The extracts need not be continued. - -For about a fortnight after New-year’s Day the weather was tolerable; -then, it became cold and frequently wet, until we left Mentone, at the -middle of February, to conclude the season at Nice. If we could have had -proper fires, the cold would have been of no account, for I walked about -almost daily, and sometimes made excursions; the torment consisted in -keeping up a sufficient degree of warmth while confined to the house. -The season was indisputably an impeachment of the reputed climate of -Mentone. The natives, who consider the district a sort of earthly -paradise, were much discomfited—the shopkeepers in despair. The -carriages which used to be open were sometimes seen shut up as closely -as if they had been driving up Regent Street. The keeper of our hotel -(an aged Italian with ear-rings) vehemently declared that he had never -known such bad weather in all his experience—‘_Jamais, jamais, jamais!_’ - -Our only resource in the cold weather were the wood fires, feebly -supplemented by bits of coal. By all our expedients we could not raise -the temperature of our salon above 63°; the _sensation_ of cold being -several degrees below that point. My fingers were at times too cold to -write, and we were fain to sit with hands and feet close to the -imperfect fire, which it required some dexterity to manage; for any -awkwardness with the tongs, which are mechanically on the sugar-tongs -principle, might have laid the whole in ruin. Yet from these brushes of -cold we suffered no ill effects. There was inconvenience, but not -injury. Cold days now and then, even to the extent of benumbing the -fingers, do no great harm. What kills in England is protracted cold, -accompanied with damp and a thick atmosphere. We experienced no fogs; -the air was comparatively light and dry—so dry as to have a visible -effect on the skin, and to suggest that there was a more than usual -exhalation from the system. The snow and mists never descended below the -tops of the distant mountains. The hills and gardens remained green. The -only damage to vegetation was the blight of exposed exterior branches of -some of the lemon, orange, and other trees. At Nice, as I afterwards -observed, there were similar marks of injury. The frost had not been -general. The low temperature of 32°, or under, occurred principally in -the openings of the valleys, where the pools were operated on by -currents of cold air. Had the frost been severe and extended over the -district, the lemon and citron trees, which are peculiarly delicate, -must have perished. Mingled with the troublesomely cold and wet weather -there were fine June-like days, when all was joyous, as befitted the -ordinary character of a southern winter. What we endured from the -intermittent cold of the season of 1869–70 was not for a moment to be -compared to what was experienced at home. And this is the way to -estimate a wintering at Mentone. We have to think not so much of what we -have enjoyed, as what we have escaped. - -Visitors are apt to make mistakes regarding the climate of Mentone. -Expecting too much from it, they neglect the precautions which are -necessary. Dr J. H. Bennet, the principal authority on the climate, -says: ‘It should never be forgotten that in winter the heat is sun-heat, -and that the air, barring its influence, is usually cold. Warm clothes -and woollen outer garments should be used.’ Dr Siordet says on the same -subject: ‘Too much stress has, perhaps, been laid on the excellence of -the climate of Mentone, and the expectations of visitors have thereby -been unduly raised. No greater mistake could be made than to expect here -perpetual sunshine and a perfectly equable temperature; a certain number -of rainy days do occur, as my weather-table shews; a moderate amount of -cold must be anticipated and provided for.’ - -Dr Edwin Lee in his _Notice of Mentone_ (1862) is less explicit on this -point. Speaking of the infrequency of frost, he says: ‘According to the -account of an influential resident (M. de Montleon), it appears that -during twenty-seven years the thermometer descended only three times -below the freezing-point (in three successive winters).’ No one can -doubt that so low a temperature as 32° is rarely reached. I have never -seen it below 39°. But what visitors have to contend with is not a -particularly low degree of cold according to the thermometer, but an -occasional chilliness and wintry feeling, for which warm clothing is -necessary in the open air, and a good fire becomes desirable within -doors. - -The cold which is endured at times in a sitting-room may not be -injurious to health, but it is exceedingly unpleasant, and greatly -poisons the enjoyment of a wintering in the south. It may look like a -heresy to speak with disrespect of wood fires. They answer well enough -for a short time in the morning and evening; but are a poor expedient in -days successively cold, wet, and boisterous. Movable grates with coal -fires should therefore be supplied when wanted on occasions of this -kind. It is perhaps too much to expect that hotel and pension keepers -will voluntarily remedy the deficiency. They have a superstitious -veneration for wood fires, and regard with traditional complacency the -practice of supplying _paniers de bois_ at 2·50—the more the merrier, so -far as their feelings are concerned. Cold weather is to them the opening -of a brisk trade in timber. French visitors who do not know much about -coal, and perhaps have a hatred of it, submit without murmuring to these -venerable usages. The English, as it may be supposed, have their growl, -and look on the whole thing as a downright imposition. It will not -surprise me, therefore, to hear that the 2·50 usage gets into disrepute. -On calling to see some acquaintances at the Hôtel du Pavillon on what -happened to be a cold day, I found a coal fire of proper proportions in -the salon de lecture, which I accepted as a step in the right direction. -As regards those who wish to hire ready-furnished residences, they have -the remedy in their own hands. I would recommend them to procure a few -movable small fire-grates. If they cannot be procured on the spot -(regarding which Willoughby may be consulted), they may be had from -Paris. There is a store for the supply of such things under the arcade -in front of the Palais-Royal. Coal is imported into Mentone, and can be -had in any quantity. It is not Wallsend, but it will do. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - -In a few things the French are a little behind. They have established no -uniform national time. The railways keep Paris time, which may be -learned from a clock exhibited at every station; but provincial towns -have all their own time, and that is somewhat distracting. At Nice, the -hotel and post-office clocks shew both Paris and local time. At Mentone, -time is in a chaotic condition. Some few years ago, according to a -floating tradition, an English clergyman in the town who was punctilious -about time, possessed a watch which was reckoned so great an authority -that people thankfully set their pendules by it. Since this -public-spirited individual quitted the place, time has become -disorganised, and as no one can tell the hour precisely, you may happen -to be too soon or too late at church or at any appointed place of -meeting. No doubt a horologer who deals in jewellery and mosaics has a -clock swinging in his window inviting the confidence of passengers, and -over the entrance of the _Eglise Evangélique_ there is a clock of -respectable appearance, but I never put much faith in their indications. - -The want of a good well-accredited town clock is only one of many wants -in Mentone, of which something severe could be said. Let us, however, be -gentle and considerate. It is easy saying ‘they’ should do this, and -‘they’ should do that, but where are ‘they’ to get the money to do all -these fine things? Any one who has been at the helm of civic affairs -knows that scarcely a day passes without the receipt of letters -patriotically pointing out great public works which should be undertaken -for the good of mankind, but never giving the slightest hint where the -money is to come from to execute them. It is an unfortunate thing that -everywhere money is in such urgent requisition, yet so it is. Mentone is -in the position of needing a good deal, in which respect it resembles a -man of small capital newly set up in business with great possibilities -of prosperity. We have seen something of its history. It is an old, very -old town, and should by this time have attained a decent maturity. But -think of what it has come through—held down, starved, taxed, cudgelled, -and brutalised by that ‘noble Genoese’ family which so long maintained -sway over it; think of the difficulty it had to get rid of these rulers; -how sore were its trials until it was taken in hand by the great and -gallant nation with which its fate is now associated; and how short a -time has elapsed since it found itself famous as a winter resort, with -obligations imposed on it which it had no means adequately to discharge. -A consequence of this unforeseen celebrity was that land suddenly rose -to ten or twenty times its former value. Capitalists, local and -cosmopolitan, made a rush to build villas, hotels, pensions, and houses -with shops, without any concerted plan. With the old town clustering on -a height like a bee-hive, nothing could be done. The new edifices spread -themselves westwards, eastwards, anywhere—the only thing that kept them -from falling into utter disorder being the obligation not to encroach on -the great Corniche road, or on the cross-way called the Route de Turin. - -In the scramble for sites, all kinds of mean selfishness came -vivaciously into play. Enormous prices were sought for the merest scraps -of ground. The rules of inheritance also stood in the way. In and about -Mentone it is not uncommon for several members of a family to own a -house, a garden, or even a single olive-tree. An inheritance may consist -of but one or two branches. Petty and complicated heritages of this kind -are not easily dealt with. At any offer to purchase, the proverbial -_pretium affectionis_ undergoes a marvellous development. Attempts to -effect improvements on a sweeping scale are everywhere difficult without -the potent statutory spell of ‘compulsory powers;’ here, from the -divisional heritage system, they are scarcely practicable unless central -despotic rule interposes. From one cause or another, the opportunity to -lay out the newer part of Mentone on a symmetrical plan was lost. The -most genial as well as most beautiful spot in the Riviera was -architecturally spoiled. There was no attempt to construct buildings in -harmony with the surrounding scenery—a too common fault everywhere, but -especially to be lamented where Nature has been so prodigal of beauty. -The most conspicuous instance of bad taste has been the setting down of -a square box-like villa, painted a glowing buff colour, on the top of -the pyramidal hill which lies between the valley of the Borigo and -Carei. Go where you will, this eyesore stares you in the face—an -offensive blotch in the midst of a glorious amphitheatre of gray -picturesque mountains. Will the proprietor not take pity on strangers, -and at least tone down the colour of his box? For a tint, he has only to -look behind at the old château which crowns the heights of Ste Agnes. - -It will take a week to see Nice. You may walk all over Mentone in a -forenoon, and two or three days will make you fully acquainted with it. -The long main street, named at one end the Rue Victor Emmanuel, and at -the other the Rue St Michel, offers nothing to attract. In winter, the -plane-trees, which line the roadway for a certain distance, are bare. On -our arrival at the beginning of November, the leaves were falling, and -encumbered the thoroughfare, until they were cleared away to be used for -litter to horses and cattle. Some of the houses in the street are of a -huge size; those on the south side throwing those of the north partially -into the shade. The newer parts of the street are provided with side -pavements; in the older parts towards the east, the buildings stand -close to the roadway. Foot-passengers have accordingly to take their -chance of being interrupted by carriages, but no other inconvenience is -experienced, because here the street is laid from side to side with flat -paving-stones, as at Genoa, Naples, and some other Italian cities. In -the eastern or older division, the chief shops and other places of -business, also public offices, are situated. Few of the shops make much -display, and there is little regularity in their appearance; some with -large, others with small windows. It would be unreasonable to expect in -so small a town the variety of Nice. Yet there are evidences of -progress. Those who visited Mentone seven years ago, could have -purchased few of the delicacies which are in constant request by the -English. Now, all that is changed. Wines, biscuits, pickles, sauces, -preserved meats, and other odds and ends, are now supplied as profusely -as at home. There are _tailleurs_ and _tailleuses_ ready for any -equipment. You might be furnished with a Highland kilt if you wanted it. -The town has a carnival in a small way. Previous to the beginning of -Lent, when balls are in the ascendant, there is a glow of ladies’ -dresses spangled with gold, fancy costumes, masks, feathers, frippery, -and artificial flowers in the shop-window of the Amarantes, whose -well-known establishment comprehends a store of knick-knacks, where -there is no difficulty in getting rid of money. Speaking of money, there -are two banking-offices in the street, ready at a moment’s notice to -cash your Bank of England or circular notes, at the Paris rate of -exchange. - -I should infer there is no police regulation to restrain shop-keepers -from placing goods outside their doors. The side-paths, though often of -scant width, are in sundry places occupied by stalls for the exhibition -of miscellaneous articles—calicoes, fish, poultry, meal, flour, fruit, -and vegetables, with glass cases of combs and cutlery. To all -appearance, any one may set down a stall anywhere, commence to sell -articles by auction, or draw a crowd about him as a tooth-extractor, or -curer of corns. All goes on in public. The pedicurist, a well-dressed -gentlemanly looking personage, takes his stand behind a table and chair. -He lays out his instruments. Harangues the masses as to what he has -done, and what he can do for them. He has cured the most inveterate -corns in all the courts of Europe. He shews a string of eight gold -medals given to him in gratitude by emperors, kings, queens, and -princesses. He has been sent for to Moscow. He has cured corns in the -Kremlin. He points exultingly to a large picture hung on a pole behind -him, representing the members of a royal family, each with a bare foot -on a richly embroidered cushion preparatory to be operated on, and all -of whom he cured one after the other, not a vestige of corn remaining. -And he is prepared this instant to cure the worst possible corn of any -monsieur or mademoiselle present, _sans souffrance_—insists greatly on -that—_oui, messieurs, sans souffrance; certainement sans souffrance_, -for the insignificant charge of _cinquante centimes_! One can scarcely -fail to be diverted with the volubility, the audacity, and the antics of -these wandering charlatans, who remind us of characters inimitably -touched off in the brilliant comedies of Molière. - -[Illustration: Promenade du Midi, looking north-eastwards.] - -A sea-side health resort without a promenade for loungers along the -beach can expect to do little good. What would Brighton have been -without its Parades? The Promenade des Anglais has in a sense been the -making of Nice. At Mentone, the working out the idea of a promenade was -not thought of till it was too late to do the thing rightly on the -Nicean principle. The villas and houses lining the south side of the -main street were set down in such a way as not to leave a sufficiently -commodious space next the sea, the view from which consists to a great -extent of irregular outs and ins, and backs of dwellings of various -heights. The blunder is irrecoverable. All that has been latterly -effected is a Promenade about forty feet wide, retained by a sloping -sea-wall, extending from the older part of the town on the east to the -Borigo on the west, and forming an unbroken line except at the Carei, -which foot-passengers cross by a wooden bridge. Styled the Promenade du -Midi, because it faces the south, it is on the whole a creditable -effort. It has been strongly represented that ‘they’ should extend the -Promenade to Cap Martin, which is quite practicable, and certainly -desirable, but whether ‘they’—or, to speak more plainly, the -municipality—have means or spirit to undertake so large a public work is -somewhat doubtful. Such as it is, the Promenade is a boon to visitors -who dwell in the West Bay. If the weather be fine, they are out, as has -been said, to enjoy the air and sunshine, also to walk about and -exchange courtesies with acquaintances, to see the fisher-people in -their picturesque costumes drawing their nets ashore, or to lounge on -the seats, and as far as possible think of nothing but the beauty of the -sky, and to be lulled with the ceaseless murmur of the waves. - -Walking or driving, visitors prefer the Promenade, so far as it goes, -for a thoroughfare east and west. It is not very well kept, but it is -better than the main street, which one soon gets acquainted with, as it -is the only continuous passage for traffic. At a central part of the -street, where there is a cross entrance to the Promenade du Midi, will -often be seen a mixed throng of loungers of the ouvrier and vetturini -type, through which passengers have to thread their way. This place is -evidently the favourite lounge for town gossip, where there is -frequently something to excite critical remark in connection with the -octroi. At this spot is the receipt of custom for duties on animals -coming into the town for slaughter, and which must go through the -preliminary ceremony of being weighed. One after the other is urged to -walk on to the flat top of a steelyard, level with the ground, and -scarcely distinguishable from the street. What the poor animals cannot -rightly comprehend is the reason for making them stand on a particular -spot and no other. Oxen—great horned beasts of a light dun colour, which -have been driven from distant pasturages—are tolerably docile, and -require little management. They stand stupidly with their heads bowed -down, till the man in the adjoining office records their weight. Pigs—a -dark-skinned race like the Hampshire brocks, but with long legs, and -nearly as nimble as greyhounds—are more difficult to deal with. Disposed -constitutionally to take their own way, they can by no artifice be -persuaded to go or stand quietly on the machine. They move, they -wriggle, they bolt. Then begins the popular merriment. The onlookers -shout with laughter on seeing the abortive manœuvres of the drivers -to bring their charge to a proper sense of obedience. One of the -obstreperous pigs at length darts off in a state of indignation down the -street, with twenty gamins full cry after it—the groups of loungers all -the time frenzied with delight, and one of the _sergents de ville_, a -merry personage who seems to spend his days in chatting and smoking, -evidently relishes the _contre-temps_ with all his accustomed humour. - -It may not be thoroughly _comme il faut_ for a visitor to notice such -popular diversions, but then what is he to do? Getting some amusement -from the harangue of a loquacious street charlatan, from the capers of a -long-legged pig scornfully refusing to be weighed, or from the playing -of a monkey on a miniature sham fiddle, seated on the hump of a -peripatetic dromedary—is it not better than having no amusement at all? -Mentone is a dull—a very dull—place. That is its reputation, and I am -not going to deny or qualify the fact. The town has not yet got so far -ahead as to have a regularly constituted system of public -entertainments, such as one has the opportunity to fall back upon for -recreation in Nice, Paris, or London. Nor does private society offer an -equivalent which can with safety be embraced by professed invalids or -the health-seeking sexagenarian. There are few natives with whom -visitors are likely to make an acquaintanceship. Dinner-giving is not -the custom of the place, and if it were, it would perhaps be so much the -worse. We are to keep in mind that it is not very advisable to go out -after sunset, which, in the depth of winter at Mentone, is about -half-past four o’clock. If visitors can make up an agreeable society -among themselves in the house in which they reside, they may be -congratulated. The chances are against their being able to do so, in -consequence of a difference in languages and tastes, as well as from the -peculiarities of hotel usages already referred to. Unless visitors be -specially fortunate, they will have to rely on themselves. The evenings -will probably be dull. You may occupy a neatly-furnished room, provided -with a wood fire, and a lamp on the table—a pair of candles being -useless for reading—and that is what has to be looked forward to. No -callers. The surging of the Mediterranean is heard outside. The moon and -a sparkling planet shine on the waters. It is a beauteous scene, but you -are alone in a strange land. Is it surprising that the heart should -yearn for home, and for the friends whose companionship and sympathy -count for so much in reckoning up the sum of earthly happiness? - -Isolation, less or more—a monotony in daily routine—what the world calls -dulness—will have to be submitted to for the recurring hours of -brilliant sunshine, and the possibility of reinvigorating a frame wasted -by functional or organic derangement, or by a too assiduous pursuit of -professional, or it may be needlessly self-imposed duties. What -sacrifices, it has been asked, will not one make for the possibility of -improved health? Curiously enough, many will make no sacrifices -whatever. This I discovered during my last visit, and it is proper to -speak plainly out on the subject. Numbers of people go abroad -professedly for the benefit of their health. They have been advised to -winter in the south of France or Italy, and no doubt they have been -cautioned as to a mode of living suitable for effecting their cure. If -quitting home be a sacrifice, that they make, but it would be hard to -say what other privation they endure. They have probably never been -accustomed to restrain their inclinations, and have lived in a perpetual -holiday humour. Possibly, they are under the strange hallucination that -mere climate is to do everything—that no care on their own part is -necessary. Such is the most charitable view that can be taken of conduct -that could be more frequently explained by a deficiency in self-control, -and a heedless recklessness of consequences. They like gaiety, and will -have it at all hazards. The pleasures of dressing, dancing, and evening -amusements are what they alone greatly care for. Ladies bringing -enormous boxfuls of fashionable attire, wish to shew it off somehow. -Favoured with good looks, liveliness of manners, and a fair stock of -jewellery, it may be possible to become that most envied of women, ‘the -belle of the ball.’ Young gentlemen, however (and some not young), have -also their aptitudes for amusements, which involve a necessity for going -out in the evening. - -Parties of twos and threes of this indiscreet order of invalids come to -Mentone. Fun must be had, though the forfeiture of health, and even of -existence, should be the penalty. Here arise some strange reflections as -to wintering in Mentone. Several English medical practitioners reside in -the town during the winter, among whom Dr J. Henry Bennet acts as -consulting physician. It is customary for invalids on arrival to ask -advice regarding their respective complaints from one or other of these -professional gentlemen; but frequently the advice is not strictly -followed, and fatal consequences ensue. The sunshine and azure skies -tempt to take unjustifiable liberties. The more staid order of visitors -of course remain in their hotels in the evening, there finding such -slender means of amusement as these houses afford. Others, indifferent -to what may ensue, and unable to resist temptations, accept invitations -to dancing-parties, although perhaps aware that one of their lungs is -already gone, and that the other is in process of decay. They have come -to Mentone to have that one lung healed, and with care the object might -be accomplished; but how is it possible to resist going to that -delightful party! As well, they say, go into an infirmary at once! These -perverse indiscretions cause the death of several visitors every year. -Such conduct gives fair-play neither to the climate nor to the physician -who is consulted. I was told of a young gentleman of fortune with lungs -very much gone, who, two years ago, contrary to advice, attended a -dancing-party. The result was very abrupt. He dropped down in the room, -was carried out, and died in the passage. In that ‘Dance of Death’ he -had finished the last atom of lung—gaily ended his days in the revelry -of a waltz. Last season, a young lady, considered to be the reigning -beauty, was pointed out as having only one lung, which it was alleged -she was doing all in her power to get rid of. What is the use of -invalids of this stamp coming to Mentone, unless it be for the pleasure -of finishing their career abroad? Dr Bennet, with whom I had some -conversation on the subject of climate and hygiene, spoke despondingly -of these errors, and mentioned a number of cases which proved fatal, but -might have been effectually cured had his professional advice been -followed. But the same thing, I suppose, could be said by all medical -men whatsoever. ‘I _will_ die, and nobody _shall_ save me.’ - -As a contrast to these instances of thoughtlessness, we have -opportunities of recognising cases in which the utmost care is taken to -derive the fullest possible benefit from the climate. The anxiety shewn -by relatives for the recovery of some young person under their charge is -matter for daily and interesting remark. It may be the case of a boy -affected with phthisis in its early stage—the hope of a family in a -decline. With what solicitude is the pallid youth wheeled out to the -Promenade; there, under the shelter of a white parasol, to breathe the -fine air wafted from the Mediterranean. How, on any symptom of a cold -wind, is his Bath-chair drawn aside to a protecting wall! What means are -taken to amuse him by conversation, and observations on natural -phenomena! How, at the proper hour, the attendant wheels him home, and -remarks made as to the circumstances which amused the passing hours! In -one case of this kind, we took especial interest. It was that of a -French gentleman who day after day brought out his partially paralysed -child to enjoy, and, if possible, benefit by, the animating sunshine. -Towards the end of the season there was a visible improvement in the -languid countenance; and at our departure we ventured to hope that -parental care had not been unblessed or unavailing. - -If the irregularities to which I have adverted admit of any excuse, it -will be in the deficiency of rational and available amusement. At Nice, -there is a military band which plays almost daily in the Jardin Public, -much to the gratification of the visitors. There is nothing of this kind -at Mentone, neither, as may be gathered from previous remarks, does -there exist any means of genial or social intercourse on a scale worth -speaking of. The English-speaking population are scattered about among -the hotels and villas, and are generally unknown to each other; while -the obligation of not venturing over the door after dark, if one has any -regard to health, is in itself an insuperable difficulty. In these -circumstances, it would greatly contribute to the pleasure of a winter -sojourn at Mentone were a few mutual friends, with similarity of tastes, -to sojourn at the same establishment. It is pleasant to note that -croquet parties are getting into vogue among the younger class of -visitors. The turf—if there be turf at all—is not what English players -are accustomed to; but if the weather be good, the deficiency is not of -serious import. The introduction of croquet is something, at anyrate, -set agoing in the way of wholesome recreation and companionship. More -may follow. - -It is fortunate for invalids that there is good medical attendance at -Mentone, in consequence of English practitioners residing at least for -the season in the place. The fees expected are said to be higher than -what most persons are in the habit of paying at home. On this point, I -am unable to offer any personal experience. I believe napoleon fees are -common, but more is given for special consultations. I cannot say -whether things are conducted on the rigorous business principle which a -lady a few years ago experienced at Nice. A medical practitioner to whom -she gave a sovereign for a piece of advice, said he would call again -next day, which he did, and before leaving said ‘it was proper she -should understand that for every visit he expected a fee of a napoleon.’ -The money was paid. If this was a trifle too _exigeant_, we may perhaps -be reminded that the English practitioners have but a limited field of -operation, and further, that they must have been put to the -inconvenience of procuring a diploma from the University of France. Both -at Nice and Mentone there are druggists who dispense medicines according -to the authorised British pharmacopœia, at whose establishments -English assistants are employed. All sorts of patent medicines with -which we are familiar are seen on their counters, but high in price, on -account (as is alleged) of custom-house and octroi duties. - -Mentone is pretty nearly destitute of means of intellectual recreation. -What can be furnished in the way of books is not much. Therein lay my -chief privation. There was nothing within doors to fall back upon to -relieve the tedium caused by the absence of accustomed resources; and -doubtless this species of desolation will press heavily on the more -thoughtful class of visitors. At the Hôtel de Ville, there is a -_Bibliothèque Publique_, consisting of a roomful of books in French and -Italian literature, including some old encyclopædias and historical -works, which may be consulted daily by persons studiously disposed. -Strangers have little recourse to this collection of books, for besides -that they are not the kind of works ordinarily wanted, they are not -given out. Let us, however, give credit to the municipality for -maintaining an establishment so meritorious. Not many towns in Great -Britain, of only 6000 inhabitants, keep up a free consulting library for -public use. - -For reading, visitors chiefly depend on a circulating library kept by -Papy, a bookseller in a central situation in the main street. The -library consists of a collection of English books, mostly of a light -kind, not particularly new, and of works in other languages; though -limited in point of choice, the library is gladly hailed by visitors as -something better than no library at all. Papy also offers the -attractions of a reading-room, in which will be found copies of the -_Times_, _Standard_, _Illustrated London News_, _Punch_, and -_Galignani_, and several French and German papers. The subscription for -the reading-room is five francs per month, or eight francs for -reading-room and library; and for a longer period, less in proportion. -Papy is a civil fellow; he speaks no English, but here, as elsewhere, a -very little French is sufficient for visitors to procure all they want. -The shop (which is open on Sundays, to accommodate the French and -Germans) is a considerable resort for books and stationery. There is -another bookseller in the town, Giordan, who circulates the Tauchnitz -editions. Near his shop is the photographic establishment of M. Noack, -whose productions are of an unusually high order. Few parties quit -Mentone without carrying away some of his views of the neighbouring -scenery. - -Opposite Papy’s, in an open space back from the north side of the -street, stands a handsome building of recent erection, known as the -_Cercle Philharmonique_. This is a club-house partly on the English -plan. It does not aspire to rank with the famed Cercle on the Promenade -des Anglais at Nice, yet is much beyond what might be expected in a -place of such moderate size as Mentone. The building, erected by an -association on shares, is under an administrative committee. It -comprehends a large, splendidly decorated apartment for balls, concerts, -and other entertainments, French and English billiard-rooms, a -reading-room provided with French, English, and German newspapers, a -smoking-room, and what is called a _salon de reunion pour les dames_. In -the large apartment, styled the _grande salle de spectacle et de bal_, -take place balls about Christmas and Carnival time, balls given by the -members of the Cercle to a select number of the visitors, and balls -given by the visitors to residents who have paid them some attention. -Here, also, by means of a small stage at one end of the room, take place -amateur theatricals, for which some Parisian and other ladies who are -annual visitors have a special fancy. The invitation is by private -ticket. Entertainments of this kind are in the afternoon, and are given -for charitable purposes, a voluntary collection being made by which a -few hundred francs are raised for distribution among the poor. (The heat -from artificial lighting, and the crowding, not advantageous for -invalids.) During the day, few persons are seen in the reading or other -rooms. - -If the intention of the originators of the Cercle was to accommodate -male visitors in the town, it has signally failed. No means are adopted -to make the character of the establishment known; no one having any -curiosity on the subject knows whom to apply to for information. So far -as the general body of strangers are concerned, the establishment might -as well not exist. Only a few days before quitting Mentone, was I able, -by particular inquiries, to learn anything satisfactory regarding it. -Subscribers, it seems, are admitted to the privileges offered at the -charge of 20 francs for a month, 45 francs for 3 months, and 80 francs -for the season of 6 months. As in most cases, the only thing cared for -is a reading-room, these charges will appear too high, and tend to -exclusion. The stock of newspapers on the table sought after by the -English, appeared to me inferior to what can be seen on much more -moderate terms at Papy’s. The administration is sleepy, and needs -rousing. - -Many visitors, invalids in particular, will depend on newspapers ordered -from England. The time of transit of letters from London is two days, -and deliveries are regular. Newspapers, for some incomprehensible -reason, cannot be reckoned on with the same certainty. Frequently, no -paper arrives, and then perhaps two or three come together. Such -irregularities, often complained of, but never redressed, are the -reproach of the French postal system, and it is useless to say any more -about it. There can be no complaint as regards cost of transit. A penny -stamp takes an English newspaper to any part of France. - -There is no local newspaper. All that the press produces is a small -weekly sheet, with lists of strangers, advertisements, and some -miscellaneous literary matters. It purports to be issued every Saturday; -things, however, are taken easily. Sometimes it does not appear till -Sunday or Monday, and on one occasion it did not appear till the -succeeding Thursday. Since the opening of the railway, a hawker with a -basket goes daily about calling out the names of Parisian newspapers -which he has for sale. Some of the cheap literary drolleries of Paris -may be obtained at a kiosk in the Place Napoléon. - -At all the winter resorts in the Riviera, there are found English -churches, also chapels in connection with the Established or the Free -Church of Scotland. In the East Bay, Mentone, a Church-of-England chapel -has existed for a number of years. More recently, for the accommodation -of residents in the West Bay, a neat and commodious chapel, known as St -John’s, has been erected at the entrance to the Route de Turin. It is -built in the Gothic style, and with the trees about it reminds us of -that usually interesting object, an English parish church. Services are -here frequent throughout the week and on Sundays. The chapel has a good -organ, and also an effective choir, which is aided by the voices of -young ladies who kindly volunteer their assistance. The Free Church of -Scotland has a mission chapel in the Rue Pieta, a narrow cross -thoroughfare. It consists of the first floor of a house on a common -stair, with windows commanding a view of an orange-garden adjoining the -Hôtel de Ville. The situation is central, but not otherwise -satisfactory. Yet here, during the season, a congregation of about fifty -persons, Scotch, English, and American, ordinarily meet on Sundays. The -expenses are defrayed by voluntary contribution at the door in going -out. I attended on several occasions, and it was not without emotion -that I joined in the simple psalmody of ‘The Martyrs,’ while overlooking -gardens blazing with orange-trees and other sub-tropical vegetation. - -These chaplaincies are of use, not alone as regards the appointed -services of public worship. The ministers may be said to form a -pastorate to the whole English-speaking community, irrespective of -national distinction. The reputation of Mentone as a health-resort has -reached the United States (where Dr Bennet’s work is, I believe, fully -as well known as in England), and every season numbers of Americans in a -jaded state of health make it a place of abode. I heard of a family who -had come eight successive winters from Philadelphia, every year crossing -and recrossing the Atlantic, as if it were a holiday trip. Last season I -had the honour of becoming acquainted with an American clergyman, of -most apostolic character and appearance, Bishop Whipple of Minnesota, -whose health had been grievously impaired by arduous professional -labours at his distant see, and who here sought for its restoration. -Among the visitors generally, denominational differences are in a great -degree laid aside. When distant from home and friends, and when life is -perhaps felt to be waning, sectarian and other distinctions in a great -measure disappear. The consolations of the Gospel are thankfully -accepted from any kindly disposed administrator. As far as I could -learn, the several ministers are zealous in their sacred calling, and -hold themselves ready to help on any occasion, when their services, -secular or spiritual, are in request. A little incident, which occurred -in the season 1868–69, is worth relating. - -It is the custom to hang up in the lobbies of the hotels English-printed -notices of the different chapels, with the names of the officiating -ministers, and hours of divine service. Late one evening, an American -gentleman, with several ladies, drove up to a hotel in Mentone for the -night. They had hired a carriage at Nice to go on to Genoa, only -stopping at certain places on the way. In coming from Nice, one of the -ladies had been taken ill. To proceed in the morning was foreseen to be -impossible. What was to be done? Not one of the party could speak -French, so as to be able to adjust the matter with the voiturier. In -this dilemma, the gentleman, in looking around the lobby, saw the -printed notice about the Free Church: ‘Rev. James Stuart, parish of -Yester, minister.’ ‘Take me to that person,’ he said to the hotel -porter, who spoke a little English. He was conducted accordingly to the -villa Guibert, where Mr Stuart, roused from bed, listened to the painful -story, and heard that there was a written contract, which it would be -necessary for him to see before offering advice. Accompanying his -visitor to the hotel, the contract of hire was examined, and it was at -once obvious that unless the party went forward to their destination, -they must at once pay the whole prescribed fare. In these circumstances, -and the voiturier being inexorable, all that could be recommended was, -that the sick lady should be left in charge of the landlady of the Hôtel -d’Italie, who was an obliging Englishwoman, while the others proceeded -on their journey—a few days’ repose being all that was necessary, and it -would be easy afterwards to go by the diligence. The proposed -arrangement being acceded to, Mr Stuart without delay kindly saw the -lady carefully bestowed, and next morning the party went on their way to -Genoa. It is by such self-sacrificing labours as this, that an English -or Scotch minister stationed on the continent may shew his lively -perception of the precepts which ought to rule the Christian character. -It need hardly be said that, for clergymen so missioned abroad, a -knowledge of French is of exceeding importance. - -Besides the chapels above mentioned, there is a French Protestant church -(_Eglise Evangélique_) in the town, ministered to by a much esteemed -pastor—the whole body of Protestant clergy in the place uniting to carry -out objects of common concern. For the accommodation of the Protestant -community, a portion of ground at the public cemetery, on the top of the -hill surmounting the old town, has been specially set apart as a -burying-ground. It is provided with a neat mortuary chapel, to which -bodies are brought shortly after decease, and where they may remain for -any reasonable length of time previous to interment. This fact in itself -may tend to soothe the feelings of those whose relatives chance to die -at Mentone. All is done becomingly according to the usage of the -English, and ordinarily a small party of visitors interested in the -deceased attend in honour of the obsequies. If there be such a thing as -cheerfulness in a burying-ground, it is at the slip of terrace -appropriated as a necropolis some hundreds of feet above the sea-level. -The elevated spot is sunny, secluded, and beautiful. How solemnly is -borne on my remembrance the circumstance of attending the funeral of a -young Englishman from one of the midland counties, who had sunk under a -mortal ailment, and was here interred with the usual service of the -church! His grave occupies the edge of the declivity, and on it rest the -last rays of the sun as it declines in the blue waters of the -Mediterranean. - -[Illustration] - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - -With little in the way of public amusement or general intercourse, -Mentone and its neighbourhood offer some subjects of interesting -inquiry. If employment does not come readily to hand, it may possibly be -evoked by looking about. The medieval old town; the character and habits -of the people; excursions on foot or donkey to the mountainous region, -with its decayed castles and sun-baked villages perched thousands of -feet above the sea-level; the picturesque sea-coast, with its caverns -and traditions of Saracenic invasion; the mouldering tokens of Roman -sway—all will yield matter for agreeable exploration. Turbia and Monaco -should be deliberately seen, if not already visited; and so likewise -should Ventimiglia and Bordighera—the latter for the sake of its -palm-trees. I am sorry to say there is no handy local guide-book, -affording that minute explicitness of detail expected from works of this -nature. The native topographers write prettily, and even poetically, of -the surrounding district; a guide-book, however, is not bought for fine -writing, but, like an almanac, is looked to for plain trustworthy facts. -The best of the books of the kind is entitled a _Guide des Etrangers à -Menton_, by M. Pessy; it comprehends a good map, which is at all events -indispensable. In the prevailing state of things, the explorer will have -to rely greatly on his own powers of investigation, assisted, if it -happily may be, by friends well acquainted with this outlying part of -the Alpes Maritimes. - -The ever present, and often noisy Mediterranean can scarcely fail to -suggest historic recollections. Around it were clustered all the great -nations of antiquity. It is the sea of the Bible, that on which Paul -encountered misadventures. It is the sea which the Crusaders had to -cross in their delirious expeditions to the Holy Land. Now, in -comparison to the great oceans of modern discovery, it is only a -salt-water lake, yet rich in the legends which undyingly hover about it. -Physically considered, it is curious. Barred out by the Strait of -Gibraltar, the tidal wave of the Atlantic operates but feebly on the -Mediterranean. Residents at Mentone recognise little difference in the -height to which the water flows on the beach. The sea may be twice a day -a few inches higher or lower; but except in the case of winds affecting -it somewhere, and causing it to dash high up on the shore, it has a -monotonous uniformity of appearance. The beach consists of rounded -stones and gravel, not agreeable for being walked on, and on that -species of gray shingle the waves are everlastingly surging. Sometimes -in the calmest days and nights, its roar is most outrageous and trying -to the nerves. Suddenly, when level as a pond, it will assume an angry -aspect, with white breakers in the distance. In short, it is very -whimsical and incomprehensible in its varying moods; and those who -dislike its more placid or its more uproarious proceedings had better -live away from its shores. A distance of a hundred yards, with -intervening trees or houses, will be enough. - -As the sea neither ebbs nor flows to a perceptible degree, rocks on the -beach are not periodically uncovered and exposed to the atmosphere, the -consequence being that there is scarcely any marine vegetation—no large -sea-weed, and no sea-like smell. Along the coast from Nice the beach has -a rapid descent to depths ranging from three thousand to five thousand -feet. So abrupt is the declivity that, unless at particular spots, -bathing is somewhat hazardous. We observed preparations for bathing at -Nice, in March; the wheeled machines employed being carefully tethered -by a rope to the shore, lest they should dart down headlong into the -depths. The occasional appearance of sharks adds another danger of which -bathers need to be cautious. - -The Mediterranean is said to abound in many species of fish; visitors, -however, see little of them. The kinds which appear at table, and that -very sparingly, are sardines, red mullet, mackerel, tunny, and whitings. -Mentone has a fishing population nestling in the older part of the town, -who with all their toil and patience make but a poor livelihood. -Proceeding to sea in boats at an early hour of the morning, and keeping -within a few miles of the shore, parties of them may be seen from nine -to ten o’clock laboriously drawing in their nets to the beach. The -produce is very insignificant, often not more fish than will fill a -small basket, yielding perhaps three or four francs—sometimes the whole -not worth a single franc. Since the railway opened, a few of the shops -have begun to procure supplies of fish from distant and more productive -quarters, and the selling of fresh oysters brought from the Atlantic -coast, if not from the Channel, has in the winter season become a -considerable trade. Amateur anglers using fishing-rods of cane try to -lure a prey; the Quai Bonaparte, against which the sea is incessantly -dashing, being a favourite spot. On no occasion did I ever see one of -these anglers draw a fish from the water. The sport seemed to consist of -a more than ordinary exercise of hope and patience. - -Although hitherto styled a sea-port, Mentone has little pretension to -that character. The few small craft that belong to it are, along with -the fishing-boats, drawn up high and dry at an open space adjoining the -beach. After being in a primitive way delivered of their cargoes—barrels -of wine, for instance, being lowered overboard and floated to dry -land—the vessels are tugged up the ascent to their resting-place by a -windlass, at which men, women, and children lend their assistance. Last -winter, the French government commenced to form a harbour with landing -quays; the first step taken being to lay down a tramway along the beach -for conveyance of blocks of stone from Cap Martin. The tramway was so -insufficiently executed that the greater part was washed away by the -storm on the night of the 21st of December. It was replaced on a better -footing, and the works were begun. Whether they will endure the -impetuous battering of the heavy rolling waves may be gravely doubted. -The spot selected adjoins the old martello tower, which remains -invulnerable on the ledge of rocks in front of that medieval old town of -which it was once the protector. - -Possessing in some degree a resemblance to the steep and crowded lanes -of the older parts of Edinburgh, I made this ancient town a kind of -study. Originally walled for defence, it consists, as has been said, of -a dense cluster of tall tenements, rising pile above pile from the -sea-shore to the summit of one of those low hills which stand out in -advance of the higher mountains. From the modern street, forming part of -the thoroughfare of the Corniche, we ascend into this strange mass of -buildings by steep paved lanes, which turn and wind in different -directions, until we reach the top, where, on the site of the ancient -castle, is found the cemetery of the town, from which there is an -extensive prospect over sea and land. - -At the foot of the ascent, wheeled carriages are left behind. The lanes, -though dignified with the name of streets, are accessible only to -foot-passengers or donkeys. The principal one is the Rue Longue, noticed -as having been an ancient thoroughfare, protected at each end by a -vaulted gateway and guardhouse. The gates have been long since removed, -leaving free access to all who feel any interest in perambulating the -narrow passage, now sunk into the character of a back street. Being -paved with small rounded stones, with an inclination to a central -gutter, and environed with tall antique buildings, you feel pretty much -as if walking along the bottom of a drain; but there the resemblance -ends, for, to do the inhabitants justice, the road is remarkably clean, -which is more than can be said for some of the pretentious -thoroughfares. The massive tenements, five or six stories in height, are -laid out in separate dwellings, reached by narrow common stairs. In the -lower floor were the shops, consisting of dingy vaults with round-topped -doorways, some down and others up a step, and a good deal of -irregularity throughout. The Quai Bonaparte having drawn away all -general traffic, the Rue Longue has, in a business sense, -correspondingly declined. You see vaults which had been great shops in -their day, sorrowfully shut up, their clumsy old-fashioned doors -dreadfully in want of paint, fastened with queer-looking decayed -padlocks. As, however, there must still be a demand in the crowded -floors above for the essentials of existence, the street is not without -some traces of commerce. When grand concerns disappear, hucksters step -in to occupy the field, just as when some imposing order of forest trees -is swept to destruction, shrubs of various species start beneficently -into existence. In the Rue Longue, accordingly, you will not be -surprised, but rather on the whole gratified, to see a certain class of -dealers—old women selling bread, oranges, and candles, modestly -exhibited on a slip of shelf outside the door, with meal and flour in a -small way in bags inside the threshold, along with possibly cheap cuts -of salt fish in steep to meet demands on Fridays; establishments -purporting to be a _Débit de Vin_; a _Boucherie_, authorised to sell -_bœuf, agneau et de veau au 2^{me} qualité_; or a respectable -middle-aged spinster retailing a miscellany of tapes and other small -wares. Dull and composed even at mid-day, the long Rue has an air of -solitude. There is little stirring. The only sound heard is that of a -shoemaker, who, seated outside his door for the sake of light, is -industriously hammering his leather; besides which spectacle of activity -you will have the satisfaction of observing a wrinkled old crone airing -herself on the outside step of a doorway, and spinning with the -distaff—a picture for your sketch-book, if artistically inclined. - -What traditions of historical events and distinguished personages could -be told of the Rue and its surroundings! Some of the houses, the backs -of which overlook the East Bay, and in old times reached down to the -water’s edge, have still a wonderfully aristocratic aspect; and it might -be safely affirmed at a venture that they had been the residence of -dukes and counts in the stirring bygone times. A mansion of this kind, -with tall windows and heavy cornices at the eaves, is pointed out as -having been the dwelling of the Princes of Monaco. It is said to have -been built by Honore II. in the early part of the seventeenth century. -This prince, one of the best of the Grimaldis, rendered himself popular -by causing the reconstruction of the church of St Michael, a puissant -archangel in whom all classes of the Mentonians have ever in their -emergencies placed great confidence; and it is a matter of no little -pride to them that the handsome spire of the church under his invocation -dominates over every other edifice. It is further said of Honore II. -that he erected the martello tower or bastion on the ledge of rocks at -the port. This would place the date of that conspicuous structure at -about 1620. From appearances, I am inclined to think it is of greater -antiquity, and that the prince only caused it to be repaired in the -shape in which it has latterly remained. - -[Illustration: Old Martello Tower.] - -Wandering through the sinuosities of this ancient town, we are apt to be -destructively inclined. In one sense it would be a pity to tear down -what long ages have spared. To the archæologist, the whole cluster of -buildings is a curiosity which he would consider it a species of -sacrilege to destroy. Sanitary reformers, though not devoid of respect -for antiquity, are forced to be less scrupulous. Knowing the evils that -had ensued in Edinburgh from overcrowding in tall buildings closely -packed together, I thought a clearance here and there would be -pardonable. Archæologists, however, may calm their apprehensions. -Looking to the slow and apathetic way public affairs are conducted in -Mentone, as well as to the general indifference which prevails on -matters of social concern, there is no reason to fear that the visitor -fifty years hence will find any change whatsoever on this clustering old -citadel. - -Outside the Rue Longue on the south, where things have a more modern -aspect, there is a street running east and west, now called the Rue -Brea, possessing some good specimens of domestic architecture, dating -from the seventeenth century, if not earlier. A tenement at the west -corner on the south side, bearing traces of frescoes on the walls, is -that in which General Brea was born in 1790, the fact being commemorated -by an inscription on a marble slab over the doorway. Mentone has some -credit in having put up several inscriptions of this nature in memory of -incidents of local or historical interest. Brea was killed in the -streets of Paris on the 24th of June 1848, when fighting in the cause of -order, wherefore the inhabitants honourably acknowledge him as a native. -In the same street, near the middle on the north side, there is a wall -enclosing a piece of ground in which stands a house that had been -temporarily occupied in 1814 by Pope Pius VII., on his return towards -Italy, after a compulsory residence in France. This visit of the pope, -and the circumstance of his having graciously blessed the people at this -spot, are matters carefully recorded on a marble slab inserted in the -wall. - -One more incident needs to be recorded concerning the Rue Brea. Here for -a night or two resided General Bonaparte, when, in April 1796, he was, -as commander-in-chief, proceeding with the French army along this -difficult piece of coast to open his famed Italian campaign. The -tenement, marked No. 3, on the north side of the street, is a tall -building, distinguished by a handsome doorway, leading to a spacious, -and what had formerly been a finely ornamented common stair. The stair, -consisting of intermediate landings, is at first of blue slate, and -afterwards of tiles faced with wood. There are two dwellings on each -floor. Eighty years ago, the house on the second floor, entering by the -door on the right hand, was occupied by a M. Pretti, a _négociant_ of -some local importance, and was selected as the most suitable for -accommodating General Bonaparte. At present, there is a decayed look -about the stair, the houses in it having been relinquished by its former -genteel inhabitants, though, still, they have by no means sunk to a -degraded condition. Ringing a bell by a cord which hung at the side of -the door, we were admitted by an aged female domestic through a lobby -into a singularly elegant _salle de réception_, such as could scarcely -have been expected in this back street. It measured upwards of thirty -feet in length by about twenty in breadth, with two windows at each end, -hung with figured lace-curtains. The floor of smooth tiles was carpeted -in front of a sofa, which, like the chairs ranged along the sides of the -apartment, was covered with yellow damask. From the centre of the -ceiling depended a handsome chandelier. The most remarkable feature of -the room were the decorations on the walls, consisting of classic scenes -in raised stucco, disposed in panels, serving the place of pictures. -While noting these particulars, the abbé entered the room, and there -ensued the ceremonial of introduction. Made acquainted with my views, -the abbé proceeded in the first place to say something of the house. The -room in which we were seated was that in which Bonaparte gave his -receptions, and here, during his stay, there was a dance. The small -dingy room adjoining, into which we were conducted, was his _salle à -manger_, and beyond that was his _chambre à coucher_, now forming the -bedroom of the abbé. In one point of view these were small particulars, -but anything which concerns the life of a noted individual is worth -knowing. I considered it rather curious that Napoleon the Great had -dwelt even for a short time in a house on a second floor in a common -stair in Mentone. - -In the still more modern street immediately below, forming the roadway -through the town, is a mansion which, by an inscription, we learn was -the residence of the patriotic Carlo Trenca, who, in the course of his -onerous public duties, died in 1854. The example set by the town in this -species of mural commemoration, might, as some will think, be -advantageously followed in places of greater size and importance. - -As regards the inhabitants generally, who are crowded into the narrow -passages in the old town, we have, I believe, a proper specimen of the -aborigines—a people illiterate and uninstructed, but from naturally good -dispositions, industrious and well conducted. The older among them are -said to be unable to read, which is not unlikely, considering their past -history; at anyrate, I never saw either book or newspaper in their -hands. Since the expulsion of the Grimaldis, the town has been provided -with schools, at which there is a large attendance of children; but -beyond some efforts of this kind, nothing is attempted to enlighten the -humbler classes. The town possesses no school of arts for the -improvement of mechanics, no lectures on miscellaneous subjects of -interest, no popular concerts, no native newspapers to concentrate and -direct public opinion. The young are suffered to grow to manhood without -intelligent direction. The only provision for their leisure hours is -made by the keepers of cafés and billiard-rooms. This state of things is -not very creditable to the more thoughtful part of the community; and -does not come up to what is frequently represented as the activity of -continental governments in stimulating advancement in arts and science. - -The humbler operations of the day-labourers employed on the tramway were -on an awkward, and to us amusingly rude scale; the implements they used -were such as an English navvy would have treated with disdain. In rough -manual operations, things are far behind, and we are painfully reminded -of the fact, that a country may excel in science and the fine arts, and -yet not be acquainted with the use of a shovel and wheelbarrow. The man -who repairs the roadway of the Promenade does so by the slow and painful -process of bringing small basketfuls of shingle on his shoulder from the -beach, thus taking days to perform what, under a more intelligent -system, might be effected in a few hours; and, after all, the thing is -badly done. There is not that amount of knowledge which prescribes -making provision for water to run off to each side; the consequence -being that, after rain, the roadway is in pools. - -To make up for the absence of local public spirit, the central -authorities in Paris beneficently prepare and circulate a news-sheet -gratuitously all over France. It is designated the _Moniteur des -Communes_, and resembles a page of a newspaper, closely printed in -columns. Dispersed from the Ministry of the Interior, it is stuck up as -a placard in every commune. Besides scraps of news on such subjects as -the opening of the Suez Canal, the paper contained, when I saw it, a -variety of information regarding movements in commerce and agriculture, -with advices as to the treatment of vines. The thing is really well done -and well meant, but so far as Mentone is concerned, it experiences the -usual fate of all that is given for nothing. Although this sheet is -regularly stuck up at the market-place, no one is ever seen reading -it—not that the people despise the information which is offered, but -because it is not their practice to read anything. - -With such an entire absence of wholesome mental exhilaration, it does -not surprise us to see that there is an inordinate number of _Débits de -Vin_, dingy vaults, furnished with deal tables and benches, where the -imbibing of thin potations drawn in jugs from the cask, forms a popular -solace. I am bound, however, to add, that whether from the weakness of -the liquor, or an indisposition to spend, there is little or no external -demonstration of drunkenness. As a whole, the people are sober and -thrifty in their habits. Here, as in other towns in France, intemperance -in tobacco-smoking is greatly more conspicuous than in stupefying -liquors. I see it stated among national statistics that the quantity of -cigars smoked in France during a year, would, if put end to end, go -twice round the globe at the equator. In this monstrous wastefulness, -the female population take no part. It is impossible to over-rate the -painstaking assiduity of the humbler class of women, both old and young. -Their small industrial occupations for a subsistence are most -meritorious. One of their pursuits is the sale of roasted chestnuts, an -article much in request. In one of these female vendors I took some -interest. Verging on eighty years of age, and with a wrinkled -countenance that would have been the delight of Rembrandt, this poor -woman carried on business in a packing-case, which stood on end without -a lid, placed at the termination of the Quai Bonaparte. Here seated in -her box with her chauffer and bag of nuts, and cheerfully chattering to -her customers, or to the _douaniers_ who loiter hereabouts in sky-blue -uniforms, she made a living by her petty merchandise, exemplifying what -may be done under depressing circumstances to rise above a degrading -dependence on charity. - -As at Nice, the carrying of articles poised on the top of the head is a -common practice of the women of Mentone. They may be seen coming daily -into the town loaded with baskets of oranges or lemons, or with huge -bundles of sticks for fuel, in some instances their hands being employed -in knitting. As suitable for this kind of drudgery, they wear a -straw-hat, almost flat like a trencher, with a small round space raised -in the middle, on which the load is balanced. These hats, formed by an -ingenious interweaving of straw and cotton, are one of the peculiar -manufactures of the district around. Some hats of a superior quality, -with fanciful trimmings, are becomingly worn by young ladies. Besides -fruits and sticks, bundles of fir-cones are brought into the town for -sale. Of all the toils of the women of Mentone, this is the most severe. -The cones, called here _pommes des pins_, are gathered among the -scattered forests of pines high up on the mountains, and brought down in -bags to be sold for lighting fires. Arrived at the market-place, the -girls sit down patiently with their loads, which are offered at the -price per bag of twelve sous—sixpence for all this excessive labour. I -could not help pitying these females, brown, skinny, and bare-footed, -with faces like leather, who are engaged in these rude occupations; but -painful as is the sight, is not the labour honest? and how much more -distressing is the spectacle of flaunting vice and wretchedness in our -own country? - -The want of water led in pipes to the houses, entails another heavy -department of labour on the humbler class of women. In the older part of -Mentone, there are some public fountains, supplied from the hills, and -from these all water has to be carried for domestic purposes. Subject to -this inconvenience, the water so obtained is pure and wholesome, though -yielding a slight limy deposit. In this respect, therefore, the -inhabitants at the centre of the town are better off than the occupants -of hotels and villas, which depend on pump wells. The Hôtel d’Angleterre -has the advantage of being close to the fountain in the Place Napoléon, -and of readily getting water from it. The husbanding of water does not -seem to engage the attention of the authorities. During wet weather, -there is such a profuse and wasteful overflow at the fountain situated -at the end of the Quai Bonaparte, as to suggest that, by proper storage, -supplies could be widely distributed. It is the destiny of every town, -with any regard for health or decency, to have a ‘water question’ forced -some day peremptorily on its attention. Mentone’s day is coming. - -The custom of washing clothes in rivulets or pools leads to some -difficulties in the profession of the _blanchisseuse_. It cannot be easy -to wash when there is no water possessing washable qualities. Cheerful -in this as in everything else, the women of Mentone are exemplary in -making the best of things. They will wash clothes in a dub which a dog -would not drink out of. Kneeling in a kind of basket, to keep their -knees from the stones, and using square lumps of white soap streaked -with green, like old Stilton cheese, they cluster in groups around pools -in the Borigo or Carei, and there carry on their operations. The pools -which have settled among the rubbish of the Carei, dirty and offensive -though they be, are the recognised washing-tubs of the town. Around one -favourite gutter, I one day reckoned as many as fifty-two washerwomen, -all kneeling as close to each other as possible, and all using the same -opaque frothy liquid. The sight of these bands of kneeling figures at -the outlet of the Carei, where a pool accumulates, after having served -the like purpose farther up the bed of rubbish, is about as -extraordinary as can be witnessed. How clothes can be cleansed by -washing in such puddles is somewhat incomprehensible. Persons knowing on -the subject ascribe all to the force of soap, and the detergent power of -fine air and sunshine in drying. The explanation is not very -satisfactory. - -In this as in other toilsome occupations, the women of Mentone exhibit a -spirit of ceaseless and uncomplaining industry. Be the weather cold or -hot, there they are at their work. When frost put a film of ice on the -pools, they still continued their labours. Poor as the females evidently -are, they shew uncommon skill in the patching and mending of clothes. -The needle must be in frequent requisition, for nowhere is there to be -seen a ragged garment on man or woman. It does not detract from the -ingenuity of the needlewomen to say that, in patching, they do not -concern themselves greatly as to harmony of colour. A light patch on a -dark ground, or dark on a light ground, red upon blue, or any other -incongruity as it may happen, answers every required purpose. A square -patch of bright green on the back of a fisherman’s gray jacket, shews a -fine indifference to public opinion, and is rather amusing than -otherwise. The grand thing evidently is to overcome raggedness, no -matter about colour, and the design is fully realised. By the mending -process, garments of all sorts, masculine or feminine, are spun out to a -respectable longevity—that is to say, as long as they will hold decently -together. This thriftiness, I think, speaks well for the character of -the humbler classes. There is poverty, but no squalor. The only -unpleasing feature is street-begging. In all quarters we were beset by -mendicants. Public begging is doubtless forbidden, but where there is no -comprehensive method of succouring the necessitous, and no proper -police, how is it to be prevented? The feeling we had about it was, that -the _sergents de ville_ benevolently winked at the practice. However -this may be, the letting loose of beggars on the _Colonie des Étrangers_ -is not a very discreet procedure; neither is it very commendable to take -so little trouble to enforce cleanliness in some of the highways and -by-ways. - -These blemishes, along with certain excesses in tobacco-smoking (which -must drain the not over-enriched pocket of many a sou), and some -carousing in a mild way in _Cafés_ and _Débits de Vin_, constitute the -leading social defects. An absence of crime of a serious, or it might -almost be said of any, kind must be deemed a favourable characteristic. -In this respect the surrounding district, whether nominally French or -Italian, differs greatly from those southern parts of Italy which were -colonised by Greeks. The ancient Ligurians, a brave but docile Celtic -race, have left their impress on the inhabitants of the Riviera. All -strangers concur in speaking well of their honesty, sobriety, and -industry. The late Rev. Dr Robert Lee, who spent a season at St Dalmas -di Tenda, and afterwards gave an account of his experiences, compliments -them highly for these and other good qualities. In conversing with the -abbé who occupies the house in the Rue Brea in which Bonaparte resided, -I learned that the more odious vices common in our large (and some -small) communities were next to unknown in Mentone; and this coincided -with what I had often casually observed. The people, men and women, said -this clergyman emphatically, were _bon pour la morale_. This good moral -conduct is, I believe, greatly owing to a prevalent tone of courtesy and -refinement among even the humbler classes. Coarseness of manners and low -habits are at the root of much that we lament as evil. - -Quoting from Dr Bottini on the medical statistics of Mentone, Dr Siordet -states that among the native population ‘epidemic diseases do not occur -to any great extent,’ and that some other diseases are very rare. This -may be true. I was informed, however, on what seemed good authority, -that the death-rate of the settled inhabitants of the commune was as -high as 26 per 1000 per annum, which is 6 or 7 above what it ought to -be. Assuming that I was correctly informed, the comparatively high rate -of mortality might be explained by hard work, poor living, and -overcrowding of dwellings, with perhaps other insanitary conditions. - -Hard grinding labour in all states of the weather might alone account -for much. It would be a great mistake to imagine that the French, with -all their light-heartedness, are an idly-disposed people. Taking them -all in all, they work too much; for as there is no law in France against -working or transacting business on Sunday, many who are so inclined -labour seven days a week. The _blanchisseuse_ knows no recurring weekly -Sabbath—not because she is irreligious, for she is frequently seen -popping into the churches to go through some devotional exercises; but -that a regard for a periodical day of rest is not part of her spiritual -system. As in the case of the humbler orders generally, her reverence -for Sunday is merged in the great solemnities of Christmas, Good Friday, -and Easter, at which times alone do we observe that there is a -scrupulous laying aside of ordinary occupations. Such a constant round -of drudging labour cannot have a beneficial effect. The sight of it -gives one the heart-ache. We feel that an error is committed, not only -in a religious point of view, but in social economics, and in all that -tends to elevate and adorn humanity. A residence abroad convinces me -more powerfully than any argument, that a due and reasonable observance -of a weekly rest on Sunday is one of the noblest attributes of -civilisation. I am glad to observe that a change for the better is in -this respect creeping over France. At Mentone, from whatever cause, -there is a growing abstinence from work on Sundays. The practice of -closing the shops is more common than it was some years ago; -comparatively few loaded carts are seen in the streets; building -operations are for the most part suspended; and scarcely any donkeys -with their burdens are observed trooping in from the country. These may -be deemed gratifying symptoms of an improved tone of feeling, the more -creditable for being spontaneous, at least without legal obligation. - -It might perhaps be argued that the cessation of donkey-traffic on -Sundays is as much due to commercial as to religious scruples. I am not -aware that any animals are kept ready for hire at the _Stations des -Anes_. These establishments are only dépôts for ass-saddles, where -orders can be executed. The donkeys come from the hills in the morning -laden with fruits or other articles, in charge of a female; and having -done what might be thought a fair day’s work, are ready for hire at the -_Stations_, to go on excursions with invalids on their backs to and from -places in the neighbourhood. As few visitors employ them on Sunday, it -may seem advantageous not to bring them to town on that day. If so, the -donkeys have reason to be thankful. These docile creatures, contriving -‘a double debt to pay,’ might be styled the true bread-winners of the -peasant proprietary. Travelling by pathways wholly inaccessible to -wheeled carriages, they are seen not only bringing down loads of native -produce, but carrying up stones, lime, and other building-materials to -places two thousand feet above the sea-level. But for these useful -animals, the hilly region would be in a great measure valueless. So far -as the Riviera is concerned, the ass must be considered to be a -beneficent gift of Nature. - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - -In making excursions in the neighbourhood it is advisable not to attempt -too much in one day. During the season there is plenty time to take -things deliberately. A good beginning may be made by a forenoon walk to -the Monastery of the Annonciade, or Annunciata. It is situated on the -high ridge of the hill between the Carei and Borigo—that hill the front -promontory of which is defaced by the buff-coloured, box-like villa -dignified with the name of the Château Partouneaux. The pathway to the -monastery leads off from the Route de Turin, a short way beyond the -railway viaduct, and will be found a curious zigzag lane, fit only for -pedestrians or donkeys. To relieve the steepness, the path is formed -like a series of steps four to five feet broad, cut in a rude way in the -sandstone rock, and now much worn. Winding upward among olive and orange -trees, and passing some dwellings, the road has an antiquated -broken-down look, significant of the misfortunes of the religious -establishment to which it leads. - -On the spot occupied by the monastery originally stood a small chapel, -where, according to the account of M. Ardoin, wonderful cures were -effected by the intercession of the Virgin. We are told that about 1660, -a sister of the Prince of Monaco, afflicted with a distressing leprosy, -made pilgrimages to the chapel to offer prayers for her cure. The -prayers were successful: and, in gratitude, the princess built fifteen -niches or small chapels along the pathway, dedicating them to the -‘fifteen mysteries of the rosary.’ This recognition gave what may be -termed a great lift to the institution, which forthwith swelled from a -simple chapel with one or two priests into a regular monastery with -twelve monks. In the eighteenth century, all went on flourishingly until -the French Revolution, when the whole was abruptly put an end to, and -the property taken possession of by the nation. In this state matters -remained until in recent times some renovations were effected. Finally, -in 1867, a small number of monks of the order of St Francis, who had -been unhoused at Genoa by the appropriations of the Italian government, -got leave to plant themselves down here; and, favoured by local -munificence, the monastery was once more set on foot. So there it is, -with its monks in brown woollen gowns and hoods, wearing sandals on -their bare feet, and going about as walking curiosities. The piety of -the district has not managed to restore the niches placed by the -princess at different points of the ascending pathway. They stand in -hopeless ruin, and we see, only by fragments of plaster, that they had -at one time been pictorially decorated. Yet they continue to be used as -praying stations by those who, on pious errands, mount to the -Annonciade. The walk to the top is charming—the view of the -hill-terraces fine. If a little fatigued, the excursionist can take a -seat in the chapel, which is always open, and there note the votive -offerings hung about the walls. Among these I observed two pairs of -crutches, which had belonged to persons who (it is said) were cured of -lameness by intercessions similar to those which had effected such -wonders on the skin of the princess. M. Ardoin gives some historical -details concerning the spot, which may interest visitors. His small -pamphlet, _Du Sanctuaire de N.-D. de l’Annonciade_, may be procured in -Mentone. Scattered about in bosky situations on the top and sides of the -hill near the monastery, there are several small cottages, some of them -more fanciful than are elsewhere to be seen. One is placed like a nest -among the branches of a tree—a very pretty Jack-and-the-beanstalk idea, -but not to be complimented on the score of convenience. - -Another but more lengthened excursion can be recommended—that to the -heights of Ste Agnes (pronounced _Anèse_). Invalids and persons stiff in -the limbs will find the journey too fatiguing to be undertaken on foot. -They will require to hire a donkey at a _Station des Anes_, and either a -boy or woman will go to lead it up the steeps. Walking, however, is -preferable, if the fatigue can be encountered; for much of the pleasure -consists in sitting down now and then to loiter over and mark the -beauties of the scenery. The route is, for about a third of a mile, -along the right bank of the Borigo, and then the ascent commences. -First, it winds by the usual broad and rudely made steps amidst orange -and lemon gardens, laid out in terraces, irrigated at certain seasons by -water gathered with the greatest possible care in well-built tanks. The -design apparently is to conduct all the rain that falls by channels and -gutters into these receptacles. When I made the ascent, the tanks were -either wholly dry, or had a residuum of dirty fetid water. What the -dwellers in the cottages did for water, was past my comprehension, -unless supplies were brought to them in small barrels on the backs of -donkeys. - -The solitude, the simplicity of these hill-dwellings, furnish -interesting matter of contemplation. Of the old Ligurian type, and -speaking a blended patois of Italian and French, with some words of -Arabic and Spanish, the people occupying the slopes of the hills cling -with tenacity to their old usages and habits. From generation to -generation, they have occupied their small properties. Simple and frugal -in their way of living, consuming no foreign or taxable luxuries, they -follow out their obscure destiny in a manner that entitles them to -respect. Conquered by the Romans, harassed by the Grimaldis, they have -been so fortunate as to suffer no absolute robbery of houses and lands. -Dynasties may come and go. It is pretty much the same who are their -nominal superiors. What they have to do is to attend to their patch of -olives, oranges, or lemons. All the year round, the sun beats down on -their little properties; and provided they can secure a proper supply of -water for irrigation, they bask amidst permanent luxuriance. Water is to -them most precious. Every proprietor must have a tank for receiving the -runs of water from the pathways, in case of rain; and all along the -hill-sides are constructed channels for bringing supplies from distant -sources. With such appliances, a craggy steep, with but faint traces of -soil, becomes fertile and beautiful. In buying pieces of ground, -therefore, care is taken to stipulate for some sort of water privilege; -such, for instance, as a right to have water turned on one or more days, -or hours, per week. When there has been a long drought, as was the case -previous to my visit, the suffering is considerable; though personal -inconvenience is less thought of than loss of crops. In summer, when the -heat becomes excessive, it is not unusual for these hill-dwellers to -quit their small cottages, and live entirely in the open air. A whole -family will, gipsy-fashion, bivouac under one of the leafy boughs of a -fig-tree, and thus far exemplify in a European country the Asiatic usage -referred to in Scripture. - -Gaining the summit of the _colline_, and passing through a forest of -pines, the path at length ascends the face of the mountains, becoming -continually more steep until the top of the pass is reached at the small -decayed village of Ste Agnes. The circumstance of snow occasionally -powdering the summit in winter, appears to have suggested the dedication -of the old church to Our Lady of the Snows. By a steep footpath, an -ascent may be made to the ruined château, which is perched on the rocky -peak. Tradition associates the ruin with a lady, canonised as Ste Agnes, -and a redoubtable Saracen chief, the occupant of the castle, whom she -Christianised; there is, however, no end of romantic legends of this -kind in the Riviera, and any one so inclined might fill a volume with -them. The fête of Ste Agnes takes place on the 21st of January, when a -miscellaneous concourse gathers for the occasion, some on foot, others -on donkeys, while ladies of infirm health are carried up in an -arm-chair—the carrying being managed by poles, on the principle of a -sedan. The ceremonies include a procession with a large _pomme d’or_, or -golden apple; and besides gifts of money, some devotees place an apple -covered with gold-leaf on the altar of the saint by way of offering. At -the termination of the ceremony, pieces of the apples are freely -distributed. M. Pessy, who mentions the fact, is unable to explain the -origin of this strange and ancient usage. The peak of Ste Agnes may be -considered as the central eminence in the wide semicircle of limestone -mountains which shelter Mentone from the north and north-western blasts. -It is not nearly the highest of the mountains, but it is prominent and -singularly picturesque. In a fine day, the view from it is magnificent, -the heights of Corsica being clearly outlined on the southern horizon. - -We need say nothing special of excursions to Castellare, Castillon, the -lofty Berceau, the sunny knolls of Gorbio, Cabrole, or the quiet nooks -in the recesses of the different valleys. It is a common practice for a -party of visitors, ladies and gentlemen, to go off in the morning for -pic-nics to some choice spot, selected for its beauty. Seated under the -olive trees, the baskets borne by the donkey-boys are opened, and their -contents displayed. The grouping (faintly represented in the vignette -frontispiece) is sometimes made matter of tasteful arrangement, and the -_tableau vivant_, blended as to colour and figure, brings to remembrance -the pictures of Watteau. - -In none of the excursions do we see the pasturing of sheep, such as we -are accustomed to at home. There is a general absence of animal life. -The scenery communicates the feeling of perfect repose. In the recesses -of the valleys, there is a sort of supernatural stillness. You are -environed by trees, rocks, and hill-terraces, with châlets far up on -which the sun is shining; but not a leaf is stirring, although at that -moment, perhaps, there is a breeze on the sea-shore. I never quite -understood what was done for supplies of mutton for market. The only -sheep visible consisted of a single flock, under the charge of an old -man and boy, dressed in antiquated costume. Standing high on their legs, -the sheep had remarkable Roman noses, and long pendent ears like hounds. -So thin, so lank were they, that a Scottish store-farmer would have -looked on them with contempt. It was my impression they were -half-starved. Every afternoon about sunset, they might be seen conducted -into town for the night. They came down the dry rubbishy torrent of the -Carei among the washerwomen at their dirty frothy pools, eagerly -catching at every blade of grass that happened to be growing among the -stones, eating, as a windfall, any bit of orange-peeling that happened -to lie in their way. Then, getting out of the Carei to the sea-beach, -they had a leisurely walk along the shingle, where possibly a stray -turnip-top or decayed potato rewarded their explorations. Next morning, -after being housed somewhere, they were out again for the day, and might -have been observed grubbing in the by-ways, and on odd pieces of waste -ground, where a mouthful of green food could be picked up. Such is all I -can say about the feeding of sheep in this pleasant Arcadia. As for -cows, they are not seen at all, but are kept within doors, where they -are fed on the waste pulp of oranges, lemons, and citrons, the rinds of -which fruits are for the most part manufactured as confections. Milk -good, nevertheless, which I thought strange. - -[Illustration: Pont St Louis.] - -Few will refrain from hiring a voiture to make a trip across the -frontier by the Pont St Louis, as far at least as that projecting part -of the mountains on which stands the old tower of Grimaldi. From the -level space in front of the hotels in the East Bay, the Corniche ascends -amidst gardens and villas until, at the distance of a mile, arriving at -the ravine of St Louis, it is carried by excavation along the face of -the precipice. It is really a grand work of art. The ravine, rugged and -singularly picturesque, is spanned by a bridge of a single arch, -connecting France and Italy. A rivulet trickling down the hollow is -conducted by artificial channels to the immediately adjoining gardens, -and issues some hundreds of feet below on the sea-beach. To have a -proper idea of the value of the road, we would need to walk along the -bottom of the cliffs bordering on the sea, making use of fragments of -that ancient Roman way which was the sole thoroughfare previous to the -construction of the Corniche. The walk is a scramble, with barely -footing for a single individual. It is, however, in various respects -worth seeing. We here have an opportunity of visiting several caverns in -the overhanging cliffs, in which bones and flint weapons of the -pre-historic era have been discovered, and may likewise see the arch of -a Roman bridge, which spans like an attenuated thread one of the -ravines. - -The road from the Pont St Louis, cut by blasting out of the rocks, is -the finest part of the whole Corniche. On our left we have the huge -overhanging cliffs, and on our right the Mediterranean—view superb. -Tourists will remember that at the top of the ascent, the road wheels -round to the left, and becomes a little more tame in character. Just at -the point of turning, we are opposite the old tower, which had been a -residence of the Grimaldis. It resembles a Border keep, stuck high on -the side of the hill, with a good outlook seaward. Adjoining it, and -reached by an awkward pathway over some broken rocky ground encroached -upon by a quarry, is a garden made in the face of the steeps by Dr J. H. -Bennet. The thing is a marvel of artificial beauty. Five hundred feet -above the Mediterranean, and with incalculable labour and taste, has -this garden been established, ‘with a view to the cultivation of -flowers, and to the tranquil enjoyment of invalid lazaroni life.’ Such -is Dr Bennet’s own explanation of this singular garden among the rocks -of Grimaldi. On entering, you walk along an avenue with built pillars on -each side, whereon climbing plants are ingeniously trained. At my last -visit, the garden had been considerably extended by a fresh purchase of -rocks. Where the earth comes from, is at first sight a little puzzling. -It is discovered to consist of what through ages had accumulated amidst -small crevices in the gray limestone, and being carefully preserved when -making the pathways, is found to be of immense fertility. Dwellers in -northern climes can have no adequate idea of the productive power of -even a single handful of earth in this favoured spot. A large bush will -be seen growing out of a hole in the rock barely sufficient for its -stem. - -Although the season is winter, when most English gardens wear a doleful -aspect, all around is gay with salvias, lavateras, geraniums, myrtles, -pelargoniums, and other plants less or more in blossom. Specimens of the -aloe and cactaceæ grow luxuriantly on the jutting points of the rocks. -The mesembryanthemum is in great profusion on the terraces. Garden -plants which with us are only small bushes, grow here to the dimensions -of moderate-sized trees. The grounds are tended by a native gardener, -who conducts the engineering of the ascending and descending pathways, -and has the whole in charge during summer, when the rays of the sun -blaze fiercely on the gray limestone cliffs. I ventured to suggest to -the doctor the purchase of that time-worn ruined tower of the Grimaldis, -which, amidst a group of olive trees, overhangs the entrance to the -gardens. Cannot be done. The ruin, practically valueless, is held in -heritage by six individuals, whose demands are too enormous to be dealt -with. At an opposite corner of the gardens is a slip of flat ground -bounded by a wall on the verge of the cliff, and here, at a projecting -angle, stands a round pepper-box-looking turret, which in the olden time -had been a watch-tower of the Grimaldis, commanding a fine view -westwards as far as Cap Martin. From a flag-staff on its summit, the -union jack—‘the meteor flag of England’—is unfurled on holiday -occasions, and may have been seen incomprehensibly waving far overhead -by travellers along the Corniche. - -The level patch of ground which is so distinguished seems to form a kind -of open drawing-room or lounge, for playing croquet, reading, and other -recreations. At the inner side of it there is an arched alcove with a -slight trickle of water, affording growth to ferns and some other -plants; and here in the cool shade, swinging his hammock, Dr Bennet at -certain hours indulges in the pleasures of a lazaroni existence. While -his old friends the London physicians are driving through drizzling -sleets and choking smoky fogs, he, by an intelligent if not compulsory -restraint, is lolling in his hammock on the cliffs of Grimaldi, enjoying -the pure air and sunshine in the midst of a little garden of Eden—the -elegant pursuit of botanical science in a bland climate skilfully -protracting a life which had formerly been in jeopardy. All cannot -follow his example, nor is it desirable they should do so, but to how -many professionals approaching their grand climacteric is the example, -at all events, eminently suggestive? - -The slopes to the sea-shore, after passing Grimaldi, if less -picturesque, possess an interest from archæological circumstances. The -land, rich and beautiful, had pertained to a number of families of -distinction, each with a palazzo of old Italian architecture, the -approach to which had been by lofty gateways, surmounted by heraldic -devices, and opening on the old Roman way. As that way is now broken up, -and all but impassable, the palazzos are in the awkward position of -being left without a road. All that can be done is to make pathways down -to them from the modern Corniche, and in a country where donkeys play so -important a part in social economy, the absence of regular roads is -perhaps not esteemed a serious inconvenience. If anybody wants to buy a -palace with fifty to a hundred acres of land on the borders of the -Mediterranean, here is his chance. Revolutions and what not have cleared -out the old families. The actual proprietors are living somewhere in -penury and obscurity; their palazzos are shut up, with boards in the -windows instead of glass; and the only major-domo is a peasant dwelling -in an outhouse, to take charge of the grounds. Several properties were -pointed out to me (1869) as being for sale. - -The idea of making an investment in Italy may not be pleasing. One never -knows what may turn up. Possibly, this is being too sensitive. Distance -is said ‘to lend enchantment to the view,’ but it sometimes also lends -unnecessary apprehensions. On the spot, everything looks as composed and -harmless as may be, and whatever political turmoils may occur, this cosy -nook in the Riviera offers a retreat not likely to be molested. It is a -great thing to acquire a palazzo and the importance of a seigneur for -two or three thousand pounds—to make your own oil and wine, eat your own -oranges and figs, and have boating and yachting to any imaginable -amount. It is something in the catalogue of recommendations, that the -authorities at the neighbouring town of Ventimiglia are delighted (and -no wonder) to see Englishmen buying properties about them; any one, -therefore, settling down in the neighbourhood, may expect to be treated -with profound civility and consideration. Then, think of being within an -hour’s drive of France—Mentone quite at hand, whence friends can come to -see you on all occasions during the season, and the douaniers at the -frontier giving no sort of trouble. I retain a vivid recollection of the -richly-prolific grounds which environ these old and traditionally -dignified palazzos. Peeping within the gateway, you see an enclosure -exuberant in orange, citron, and fig trees, with vines trained from -pillar to pillar over the silent approach. Amidst the foliage towers the -old gray battered edifice, shut up, and sorrowful, with nothing to -animate the scene but the swallows wheeling in their busy flight around -the deserted mansion. My visit to these palazzos was in the month of -January, when peas (probably raised for market) were in full bloom. - -An English gentleman has bought one of these properties, the Palazzo of -Orengo, near Cap Murtola, and renovated it in first-rate style. The -mansion occupies a site so prominent as to command a view of Mentone. -With the grounds and some water privileges, it was a cheap purchase. -Even with cost of repairs, it was a prodigious bargain. Politely invited -to the palazzo, we went in a hired carriage from Mentone, but -unexpectedly found that it could not take us further than a point on the -high-road overlooking the house, two hundred feet beneath. A walk down, -and the use of a donkey up for Madame, made all easy. I was of course -interested in the interior of the structure, with its white marble -stairs, its inlaid floors, and loggia off the drawing-room, in the upper -floor of the mansion. In every old palazzo two things appear to have -been essential, a draw-well and a loggia. The draw-well is here situated -at one side of the marble-paved entrance-hall; being, however, -tastefully enclosed, it does not appear out of place. Without a loggia, -it would be scarcely possible to exist in the heats of summer. At -Orengo, the loggia is a square apartment, open on two sides, the roof -being supported on pillars. Seated in this shady retreat, the family -enjoy the pleasures of the open air, with a view of the gardens beneath -and the adjacent sea-beach. A flight of steps on the side next the sea -leads down to the original entrance to the grounds from the old Roman -road, here distinctly traced, about twelve feet wide. - -Conducted over the gardens, I had the pleasure of being shewn a variety -of trees and shrubs natural to a tropical climate, and rarely seen in -the open air in Europe. During the short ramble, I learned some facts -regarding the antiquity of the water channels which one observes -everywhere, and of the punctilious way in which custom and legal rights -guard the privileges of the proprietors. The water for the grounds is -led from a torrent, which at certain times turns a mill for pressing oil -from the olives. In consideration of the priceless value of water, -something like a grudge was felt that there was somewhere hereabouts a -subterranean river which had its outlet in the sea, where it could be -seen boiling up and running to waste. Nobody could tell where it came -from. All that could be conjectured was that it found its way through -the limestone rocks from some place far distant, it might be a hundred -miles off. If that river could be but tapped, and diverted to some -useful purpose, what visions of wealth for the neighbourhood! Perhaps, -thought I, this may come about. What a prize for the Mentonians if they -could manage to tap and impound a subterranean and ever-running river! A -gold mine would be nothing to it. - -[Illustration: Palazzo of Orengo.] - -Observing English newspapers on a table in the house, a talk ensued -about the irregularities of the French postal system. On settling here, -the _Times_ was ordered from London _viâ_ Mentone, but so frequently was -it late in arriving, that at length the expedient was tried of procuring -it by way of Turin and Genoa (some hundreds of miles about), and ever -since it had arrived with regularity and despatch. I am glad to have at -least one good thing to say of Italian administration, and were the -circumstance properly known, it might shame the French into an improved -system of forwarding English newspapers to strangers residing in their -country. In the pleasant society at Orengo, a few hours sped quickly -away. On our departure, after being hospitably entertained, a school of -little girls, under charge of their mistress, stood awaiting us on the -road. It was an agreeable surprise. At a signal, before entering our -carriage, which had been in attendance at the village, they united in -singing a hymn expressive of good wishes. Having concluded, they -individually presented us with bouquets of sweet-scented violets, and -kindly courtesied an adieu. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - -There is one other excursion which ought not to be omitted. It is to Cap -Martin, and will be comprehended in a forenoon walk. What, I think, may -particularly interest strangers, is a sight of the largest and finest -olive trees in the whole Riviera, and also some curious Roman remains, -of which no one can give any perfectly satisfactory explanation. A few -days before my departure from Mentone, I made this excursion. -Fortunately, I was not alone in the journey. I was favoured with the -escort of Mr M. Moggridge, an English gentleman of nearly my own age, -who has resided a number of winters in Mentone with several members of -his family. Uniting a singular saliency of disposition with scientific -tastes, and happily possessing a wiry frame, which seems to defy fatigue -and exposure, he has been able to undertake journeys over a lengthened -tract of the Riviera, from the sea-shore to the tops of the highest -mountains. In 1862, he occupied himself in exploring the caves in the -limestone rocks on the shore near Pont St Louis, already noticed, -bringing to light bones, pieces of charcoal, and flint instruments, -which are the puzzle of historians. In the midsummer of 1868, he made an -expedition to the mountainous region of the Laghi delle Meraviglie, -thirty-two miles north of Mentone, and there, at the height of 7825 feet -above the level of the sea, copied certain hieroglyphic inscriptions on -rocks, which bear some remote resemblance to those remarkable stone -carvings in Scotland which have engaged the inquiry of antiquaries. Ever -on the alert, chiefly with a view to investigating the nature of the -plants in the Riviera, and so aiding the inquiries of his son, who has -written some elegant brochures on the botany of the district,[A] Mr -Moggridge readily consented to be my cicerone to Cap Martin and the -vicinity of Monaco. - ------ - -Footnote A: - - _Contributions to the Flora of Mentone_. By J. Traherne Moggridge. - With Coloured Engravings. London, 1868. - ------ - -At ten o’clock I was ready to start, equipped in my strongest shoes, -which, however, were not half strong enough; for the weather had been -wet, and the roads were in about as bad a condition as possible for a -walking expedition. Feeling the inadequacy of my equipments, I could not -help admiring and envying my friend’s whole set-out. On presenting -himself, you might see at a glance that you had to deal with an -enthusiastic mountain pedestrian. Attired in a pair of knickerbockers, -ribbed woollen stockings, and stout ankle boots, he carried a pole five -and a half feet long, with a pike at one end and a hook at the other, -calculated either to steady him on the acclivities, or to pull down the -branch of a tree which he wished botanically to examine. Besides this -formidable pike-staff, he carried a green-painted tin box, slung by a -belt round his shoulder, as a receptacle for specimens of plants; while -around his waist was another belt, bearing two leather sheaths, one -containing a large knife, and the other a saw, both serviceable in his -explorations. In his visits to the hills, as I learned, he does not -burden himself with provender. Ordinarily, he is satisfied with a few -oranges in his pocket, and a brown tobacco-pipe, which he has the knack -of smoking while talking to you, holding the pipe adroitly between his -teeth. - -It was in this guise that he proceeded to lead me to Cap Martin. Passing -Carnolles and the last house in the western suburb, we left the main -thoroughfare, and struck to the left, down a narrow road, dreadfully cut -up with wheel-tracks, and environed by grounds, on which grew a forest -of olive trees of considerable size, and evidently, from their -appearance, of great antiquity. I had seen none so large elsewhere. -According to tradition, many of these trees were upwards of a thousand -years old, and such, in a qualified sense, is likely to be the case. -Branches and part of the stem of the olive tree decay, but life remains -in the roots and lower division of the trunk, from which new boughs -spring time after time through a succession of ages. From these causes, -while many of the trunks are rent in antiquated hollows, the mass of -branches above are youthful and luxuriant. Such trees may command a -degree of veneration from their age, but I cannot coincide in the notion -of their beauty. Evidently the whole require frequent manuring around -the roots. Old woollen rags, if they can be obtained, are used for the -purpose. There is a belief that the Romans brought the olive from -Palestine and introduced it into the country. Nowhere, as I have said, -has it attained such a gigantic size as on the soil of Cap Martin. - -Having floundered along the pathway for about a mile, turning and -winding, and at length ascending to the higher ground forming the -flattish ridge of the Cap, we paused a little to have a view over the -Mediterranean and the environs of Mentone. Mists hung on the summits of -the higher mountains, a few peaks being slightly whitened with snow. One -sharp point stood out clearly against the sky. - -‘Do you see that tall jagged peak,’ said Mr Moggridge, ‘that one clear -of clouds, immediately behind Castellare?’ - -‘Of course I do,’ I replied: ‘it seems so narrow that a person could not -find footing on the summit.’ - -‘Quite a mistake,’ he replied. ‘I have often pic-nicked with parties on -the very top, which is only 2745 feet high.’ - -‘Surely, ladies cannot have climbed to such a height?’ - -‘Yes, they have,’ replied my friend. ‘The last time I was up, there was -a lady in the party who was a grandmother, and she is quite ready to -make the ascent again at the first opportunity. You have no idea what -spirited ladies—English visitors—we have in Mentone; they will walk for -miles up the hills, and afterwards dance half the night at a ball at the -Cercle. This is the place for exercising the limbs.’ - -‘Perhaps,’ said I, ‘sometimes rather more dancing than discretion; -however, that is not my affair. What is your idea about the climate of -Mentone?—you must have had a good experience of it.’ - -‘My idea is very conclusive; I care nothing about popular fancies, but -go to Nature. Two things I take as a criterion—contour and vegetation. -See that semicircle of mountains, the whole a mighty rampart sheltering -the lower grounds from the cold and moist winds of northern and central -Europe. Then, see what is the vegetation. Lemons and citrons, two most -delicate fruits, growing in profusion in the open air, like apples in -Herefordshire. Look around you, also, and see these noble olive trees, -as old and as tall as oaks in England. I might speak of the carouba and -various other trees, but it is unnecessary.’ - -‘Is not dryness a peculiarity of the air?’ - -‘Yes, the air is generally dry and light, which adapts it for some -classes of invalids; but I do not consider it as being too dry; the sea -must have a certain modifying influence. The benefit derived by members -of my own family wintering here, enables me to speak with confidence of -both air and climate.’ - -Speaking of the adaptability of the Cap for a pleasure-ground, with -drives for the enjoyment of visitors, I learned that the land had been -put in the way of being saved from exclusive private use by being -purchased by a Parisian gentleman, a winter visitor, M. Sabatier, to -whom, as well as to his family, Mentone was under many obligations. -Having bought the property, he has given the municipal authorities an -opportunity to acquire it at the purchased price for the use of the -public. Whether the liberal offer will be embraced seems doubtful; for -besides the purchase-money, there must be a considerable outlay in -forming a proper road along the beach to join the Promenade du Midi. - -After a little chat on this interesting topic, we walked on, immediately -striking upon a narrow road through the forest, differing in some -respects from the miry path in the lower grounds. It was bounded by low -walls, and here and there we came upon a remnant of pavement with large -stones; such being portions of the old Roman road through the country. -Excepting what produce might presumably be gathered from the huge olive -trees, the district was a waste. Along the road, we met only two or -three labouring men going to their work somewhere, to all of whom my -companion said: _Bonjour, mon ami_, to which greeting there was a -gracious response. - -‘I see,’ said I, ‘that you make a point of speaking to every one you -meet—I suppose that is the common practice.’ - -The reply was: ‘Some do it, and some do not. It has been my custom -through life to always have a kindly word for every one when walking -through the country. It is a bit of civility that gives pleasure. I have -never been the worse, but often the better, for it. Years ago, when -helping a canvass in Wales, I secured a great many votes from people I -knew nothing at all about; the explanation being, as they candidly told -me, that I had spoken to them long before, when I asked for and expected -nothing. Since I came to France, I have followed the practice, and am -the best friend in the world with all the poor people in the -neighbourhood.’ - -‘The opinion I have formed,’ I said, ‘from a comparatively limited -observation, is, that the humbler classes in Mentone and its vicinity -are an industrious, quiet, well-disposed people—does that consist with -your experience?’ - -‘Most assuredly it does: they are old-fashioned in their ways, possess -no enterprise, but in all my experience I never saw such a decent, -well-behaved people. Crime is almost unknown amongst them.—But here we -are at the ruin.’ - -At the distance of about sixty feet north from the side of the road, on -a raised bank surrounded by olive trees, stands this fragment of -masonry. Approaching it, to have a close inspection, we find it to be a -building of stones squared, and laid in regular courses. Fronting us is -a façade, measuring twenty-seven feet across, and twelve feet high; but -as the top is broken and ragged, the original height must have been -greater. The thickness of the façade is five feet six inches—so thick as -to admit of three alcoves or recesses in a row, each recess arched, and -about two feet in depth backwards. The wall above the arches shews a -handsome string-course, with a lozenge-shaped figure over the two side -arches. Over the central arch, there is a square recess in the wall, -which had evidently at one time been occupied by a slab, probably -bearing an inscription. Behind the mass forming this frontage, there had -been an open quadrangle, enclosed by a wall two feet thick. Of this wall -the west side only remains, but we trace where the other sides had been. -The depth of the quadrangle over the wall had been twenty-eight feet six -inches, by twenty-seven feet—very nearly a square. These walls, as is -observed by significant traces, had not been above seven or eight feet -high. - -Having examined the structure at all points, we can have little -difficulty in assigning its origin to the Romans; but at what period it -was erected, or what were its uses, are questions less easily solved. -There it stands, without date or mark to tell its mysterious tale; and -from no ancient writer do we learn aught concerning it. To strengthen -the opinion that the ruin is of Roman origin, it is known with all but -absolute certainty that on the flat ground hereabouts was the military -station of Lumon or Lumone, indicated by Antoninus as being on the Roman -way from Ventimiglia to Turbia. Of this station there is now no visible -trace, such as the mounds of an encampment, but this may be accounted -for by the universal trenching caused by the culture of the olive trees. - -‘Well,’ inquired my companion, ‘now that you have had a good look of the -ruin, and taken its measurements, what is your opinion about it? I have -made up my mind, but I will be quite fair, and let you speak first.’ - -This was putting me on my mettle. I took a little time to think. ‘My -first notion,’ I said, ‘on seeing the building was, that it was the -relic of some habitable structure; then the idea of baths crossed my -mind; but on looking closely at the façade, I am fully of opinion that -the building has been of a commemorative character; and I will shew you -why. That empty square space over the middle arch had, no doubt, been -originally filled with a slab bearing an inscription; and it is quite as -likely that in each alcove there had stood a figure in marble; in the -central one, possibly, a bust, and an appropriate heathen deity on each -side.’ - -‘Not badly guessed, so far,’ said Mr Moggridge: ‘now, I will tell you -what I think. This had been the mausoleum of some distinguished Roman -family, connected with the station of Lumone. The burial-place had been -the enclosure behind; and in front had been the inscription. Such, in -fact, is the opinion of several French antiquaries who have written -about the place. I believe, however, no one has thought of the figures -in front; but that conjecture, I allow, is very feasible.’ - -We argued the point as to whether the mausoleum was that of a family or -an individual; but having no basis of facts whereon to found our -respective theories, the discussion settled nothing. I suggested that -the space behind the façade should be trenched, to discover if there -were any sepulchral remains; and that at anyrate the whole ruin should -be enclosed, and protected from further injury. There is no photograph -or drawing of the ruin, and I likewise hinted that something of that -kind was very desirable. I have attempted a small sketch of it from -memory, and put it at the conclusion of the present volume. - -Leaving this relic of antiquity, we continued our walk westward till, -getting clear of the woods, and still on the old Roman road, we came in -sight of Monaco and the very picturesque shores of the Mediterranean in -its neighbourhood. The ground was an open uncultured steep. Far below on -our left was the sea-shore, while on the face of the hill above was the -town of Roccabruna, which can be reached by a steep pathway. Around us -on the sloping bank, trees and small flowering plants were growing in a -state of nature. This wild condition of affairs was highly relished by -my companion. He was on the outlook for a particular plant, which he -described as being never found except in the south. I drew his attention -to a modest-looking shrub about the size of a whin-bush, bearing very -small purple blossoms along the outer stems. - -‘Why,’ said he, ‘that is a common plant here; it is rosemary—the -well-known rosemary of Shakspeare; and if we look about we shall also -find rue, another plant of poetic renown—there it is. You remember what -Ophelia says about rue: “There’s rue for you; and here’s some for me.”’ - -‘Ophelia says something more than that: in tendering the rue to Laertes, -she says, “we may call it herb-grace o’ Sundays,” and what is meant by -that has been subject of subtle inquiry among critics; I suppose, -however, that rue was called herb-grace simply as figuring by its -sorrowful name the grace of repentance.’ - -The remark introduced a conversation on the practice of laying a bunch -of rue before persons on trial at Newgate—an impertinent practical pun -on their unfortunate position at the bar. While discussing the subject, -Mr Moggridge made a sudden rush to a plant with small slender leaves, -being the one he was in quest of, and seemed to feel more happy in -securing a specimen of it than if he had fallen upon a mine of the -precious metals. ‘I daresay it is a valuable plant that you have got -hold of,’ said I; ‘unfortunately, I am not able to see anything -remarkable about it; that, of course, is my ignorance. I go in for -admiring the rosemary, which is flowering hereabouts in great profusion; -so, “for remembrance,” I will take the liberty of carrying off a sprig -in my button-hole.’ - -Glancing down the steep, I observed a donkey climbing a pathway under a -load of sticks, with a lad behind driving it. ‘What a wonderfully useful -animal the ass is in this mountainous region,’ I observed. ‘I don’t see -how the people could get on without it. And so patient, so docile is the -creature, I am sometimes sorry for it. Talking of that, I have heard the -donkey-women address a few words to the animal, as if to cheer it on, -which I did not understand. The words sounded like _alla eesa_. Can you -tell me what they mean?’ - -‘Yes,’ was the reply. ‘The meaning is a pious exclamation of kindly -import from the Arabic, and is traced to the Saracens, who at one time -held possession of parts of the country along the coast. The -hill-dwellers certainly take the work out of their donkeys, but on the -whole treat them kindly; they are, in fact, their companions, their -friends, their dependence.’ - -Conversation now turned on the remarkable absence of wild animals, -particularly birds, along the whole Riviera. There was, doubtless, no -deficiency of butterflies, but this only confirmed the notion, that -insects injurious to plants had gained in numbers by the vicious -practice of shooting almost every kind of small bird. - -Mr Moggridge confirmed me in this opinion. ‘Some of the tracts on the -higher hills,’ said he, ‘have been wholly stripped of their pine forests -by a destructive caterpillar, the _Bombyx processiania_; so called -because these caterpillars follow each other in long and very strange -processions. One goes in front as a leader, two follow close behind, -then three, and so on, all hard upon each other. As they are marked -brown and black, a procession of them looks like a triangular piece of -old carpet on the march with one of the corners foremost—a very queer -sort of thing, I assure you. Two or three years ago, when on an -expedition among the mountains, I came to the forest of Braus, which was -already half destroyed by these voracious caterpillars. Many trees were -merely withered stumps, others were dying, and to all appearance the -remainder would ere long perish. A good way to get rid of these -destructive caterpillars would be to gather and set fire to their nests, -which resemble bunches of fine wool placed among the branches of the -trees. I suggested to the government that women and children should be -employed to pick off the nests, otherwise the country would be denuded; -but I was referred to the communal authorities, and they would do -nothing. I suppose the woods are all gone by this time. All this comes, -of course, from shooting the small birds which are appointed by Nature -to keep down the number of insects. There has been, I believe, some -formal edict of the French government against killing these birds, but -little or no attention is paid to it. The insects which prey on plants -have full swing. The time may come when, alarmed for the consequences, -the French, like the people of Philadelphia in the United States, may -have to import batches of live sparrows from England.’ - -Taking the road back to Mentone, and leaving Mr Moggridge to pursue some -inquiries in the neighbourhood of Roccabruna, I had not an opportunity -of following up his remarks on the folly of killing small birds. It is -more than a folly. It is a gross public outrage. At Mentone, persons are -seen sallying out with guns slung by a belt over their shoulders, on the -watch for every stray sparrow, lark, or robin. Shooting these small -birds goes on with perfect impunity in the streets and by-ways. The -practice is not carried on in a mere spirit of idleness or mischief. The -little creatures are killed for the sake of picking up a few miserable -sous. The birds are disposed of to shopkeepers, who hang them up in -bunches for sale outside their doors; and in due time they make their -appearance cooked at the tables-d’hôte: a _menu_ with an _Entrée des -alouettes et des rouges-gorges_—in plain English, a dish of roasted -larks and robin-redbreasts! Greatly to the credit of the visitors -residing last season at the Hôtel Splendide, they protested against the -barbarity, and the remonstrance, as under, obtained publicity in the -small local journal.[B] - ------ - -Footnote B: - - (_Translation._) The undersigned, members of the colony of strangers - at Mentone, penetrated, as every one ought to be, with the great wrong - done to agriculture by the destruction of insectivorous birds, and - anxious to contribute on their part towards the disappearance of a - practice as hurtful as it is barbarous, make it known as their wish - that the keepers of hotels and pensions will never again serve up this - species of game at their tables-d’hôte.—_Journal de Menton_, Nov. 27, - 1869. - ------ - -Besides being injurious to agriculture, the systematic slaughter of -insectivorous birds must tend to increase the number of mosquitoes. I -cannot say we were annoyed with these insects, for the season was -winter, and from any stray one that happened to be in the apartments at -night we were protected by fine gauze curtains hanging in copious -drapery around the beds. They become, however, a serious trouble in -spring and summer, more particularly in the neighbourhood of trees. If -it were for nothing more than lessening the numbers of mosquitoes, the -settled inhabitants should interpose by some general movement to -preserve the small birds from indiscriminate destruction. If they do -interpose, they may as well, while in a lecturing mood, offer some hints -to the municipal authorities regarding their neglect in sundry other -little matters; some of them so obvious to the senses, that they do not -need to be particularised. When a town professes to lay itself out as an -attractive health-resort, it should not have been left to strangers to -make these remonstrances. The self-interest of the people, as well as -good taste, ought before this to have applied a corrective. - -Before quitting the country, I visited Monaco, partly with a view to see -what I had heard sufficient talk about, the Casino of Monte Carlo. The -principality, shrunk to moderate dimensions, is now visited almost -exclusively on account of the Casino. Few trouble themselves about the -old walled town on the rocky peninsula, though it is interesting from -historical circumstances. Occupying a pleasant situation on an elevated -plateau east from the town, Monte Carlo consists of the Casino, a hotel, -and a few villas, shops, and restaurants. The whole are intermingled -with gardens, promenades, and terraces. On the principal terrace grow -some fine date palms. The place has an air of splendour. Everything has -been done to render it attractive. Much money must have been spent by M. -Leblanc, the lessee of the Casino, which bears a considerable -resemblance to the similar establishment at Homburg. The edifice -comprehends several large and very highly-decorated apartments for the -gaming-tables, balls, and concerts. There is likewise a reading-room, -provided with a profusion of English, French, German, American, and -other newspapers, open freely to visitors from morning to night. A band -of musicians plays in the open grounds twice a day. _Les jeux_ are of -the usual character—_rouge et noir_ with cards, and _roulette_. As the -railway station is at the foot of the slope immediately behind, the -Casino can be reached many times a day in a quarter of an hour from -Mentone, and in less than an hour from Nice. The resort is considerable, -more particularly from Nice; every train carrying a flock of persons of -both sexes with an appetite for gaming. Natives of the district are, I -believe, forbidden to enter the establishment, but this is a rule which -could not be easily enforced. I heard of cooks and waiters from the -hotels in Mentone occasionally winning or losing a five-franc piece. - -It would be easy to enlarge on the gambling which, day by day, Sunday -included, goes on in this authorised temple of Pluto; but with every -disposition to say something condemnatory on the subject, one is -awkwardly reminded of the old injunction about first taking the mote out -of your own eye before trying your hand on the eyes of others. On this -matter of Monte Carlo, I feel as if my mouth were shut by a knowledge of -prevalent gaming practices at home—I mean the wide-spread system of -betting on horse-races, which is nothing else than inveterate and -disreputable gambling under the cover of sport and fashionable usage. - -Wandering about the sunny knolls near the Casino, I had pointed out to -me a pretty spot on the sea-shore, as the original site of the shrine of -Ste Dévote, the patron saint of the small sovereignty. I had been lately -reading the legend of this highly appreciated female martyr, which I may -condense into a few lines, for the amusement of those who care for this -class of stories. - -Dévote was a young maiden of Corsica, who, for her faithful adherence to -Christianity, was cruelly put to death during the frightful persecutions -of Diocletian and Maximilian. Warned by a vision, two priests, who had -hid themselves in a cave, carried away her body, and putting it on board -a boat, set sail for the coast of Africa. A storm, however, arose, and -there appeared to be a danger of being wrecked. In this emergency, when -all was given up for lost, the priests were again favoured by a vision; -the spirit of the girl announced that the storm would soon cease, and -that a dove would issue from her mouth, which they should follow with -the boat till they arrived at a certain spot on the Italian coast near -Monaco. They accordingly saw a dove come forth from the mouth of the -corpse, and they gladly followed it to the spot indicated. There the -body was interred on the 27th January, which day remains the festival of -Ste Dévote. The relics of the saint have been transferred from her -original shrine to the church in Monaco, and are carried in great -ceremony at the annual festival. It has long been a custom, on this -occasion, for the inhabitants of Monaco to prefer a request to the -prince, which, if they all agree upon, and is reasonable and -practicable, is graciously granted. - -The implicit belief in the legend of Ste Dévote may be taken as a fair -specimen of the credulity still prevalent in the Riviera. At Monaco and -several other places, the passion of our Lord is dramatised in a public -procession every year on Good-Friday, when an immense concourse of -people attend. - -Efforts, as I understand, have been made by some of the higher order of -clergy to put an end to these practices, which have degenerated into -little better than sacrilegious burlesque, but such well-meant attempts -have hitherto failed. The occasion is hailed as a sort of ‘Holy Fair,’ -of which the lower uninstructed classes are immensely fond. To -accommodate the fluctuating crowds, Roccabruna holds its Good-Friday -entertainment on the 5th August. The maintenance of the revelries is -said to be partly due to the keepers of _Débits de Vin_, who find it to -their account to encourage them; and there are persons who cling to them -for histrionic reasons. One man is good at playing Pontius Pilate, -another (the villain of the piece) is clever at representing Judas -Iscariot, a woman is proud of being able to simulate the tenderly -weeping Mary Magdalene, and so on with other personages. There is -sometimes a difficulty in finding a person with sufficient self-command -to endure the contumelies heaped on the meek and suffering Saviour by -the Roman soldiers. A few years ago, at Roccabruna, one who undertook to -represent the sacred character was, as he thought, so maltreated as to -lose his temper, and using his fists in defence, broke out in -imprecations which greatly shocked the onlookers. From what I heard, -these pretended solemnities are losing hold on popular feeling. At -Mentone they are of a subdued character. Education and intercourse with -strangers are year by year lessening the general respect for them. Let -alone, I doubt not that, like the mummings of the olden time in England, -they will gradually disappear. - -The concluding part of the season, as has been said, was spent by us in -Nice, where, as well as in Paris subsequently, I found something to -interest in the method of forming foot-pavements and roadways of a -species of artificial stone, which was introduced a few years ago with -perfect success into France. The material employed is a bituminous -limestone rock ground to powder; the powder is heated, but not melted, -in a caldron, after which it is laid evenly, as a sort of hot mortar, on -a bed of concrete; lastly, it is pressed smooth with rollers, and is -allowed a short time to cool and harden previous to being used. In the -case of foot-pavements, after pressure, it is stamped with indentations -to resemble sandstone. When finished, it is smooth, beautiful in -appearance, hard, and more durable than any stone ordinarily employed. -In Paris, it has latterly come extensively into use for the roadways, -and is only now becoming known in London. The rock which furnishes this -remarkable material is a hard limestone dug from mines in the -Val-de-Travers, canton of Neufchâtel, Switzerland. The proportion of -bitumen in the rock is eleven to twelve per cent., just sufficient to -fuse the material when ground, and to take a firm consolidated form by -pressure; on which account, it is a very different thing from the pitchy -asphalt mixed with sand with which we are accustomed. Any one who is -acquainted with the newer streets in Paris will recollect their -smoothness, and the ease with which carriages are run upon them. The -wonder is, how the invention should have been so long in making its way -to England. - - -------------- - -My little tale is told. I have endeavoured to offer a fair outline of -what may be experienced, and what seen, by a WINTERING AT -MENTONE—extenuating nothing, overpraising nothing. More might have been -said regarding the climate without trenching on the province of the -physician; yet enough has been stated to shew invalids and -health-seekers in advanced years that, with care, very considerable -benefit may be experienced. It will have been seen that certain -discomforts, possibly extortions, may have to be submitted to. The -dreariness of exile in a place so unfortunately devoid of means for -rational amusement as Mentone, will in itself be hateful. The inadequacy -of various public arrangements may cause personal inconvenience and -dissatisfaction. But seriously considered, what is all that and much -more, when balanced against the probability of returning home with a -reinvigorated constitution? My latest sojourn, not free from annoyances -which are vanishing from memory, effected every desired end. On losing -the last glimpse of the Mediterranean, I felt something like a pang of -regret, though its noisy movements had at times been troublesome. Its -pleasant sunny shores had restored the health that had been impaired on -the banks of the Firth of Forth. - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - - - - - - Edinburgh: Printed by W. and R. Chambers. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Wintering at Mentone, by William Chambers - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WINTERING AT MENTONE *** - -***** This file should be named 62410-0.txt or 62410-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/2/4/1/62410/ - -Produced by KD Weeks, Susan Skinner and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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