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LETTER XII.

Gambetta, Oct. 25th.

H

ERE are we to lie this night; the reason

we cannot reach Afti, and much less Aleffandria, is, that this is the post-road (but it has been newly made, in order to avoid a steep moun tain), and is extremely bad at prefent; being one continued flough, like parts of Gloucestershire, for twenty miles together, which we have been ploughing through for five hours; fo that we cannot get to Genoa until after to-morrow. Before we quitted Turin, we got an order from Count Tane for the cambiatura, which it seems can convey us no further than Aleffandria; it is dear enough, though a third cheaper than the post; cofts us by ordinance eleven Piedmontefe livres for five miles; that is, nine livres for four horfes, and a livre a piece for the poftilions; but it is cuf tomary to give them fomething more. From Aleffandria forward, the expence of posting is ten livres, and thirty fols a-piece to the poftilions for each poft. I have not mentioned the courier's bidet, as that, as ufual, is charged over and above, This has been a tirefome day's journey, affording no fort of entertainment. Good-night. Our inn is as wretched as the obfcurity of the place befpeaks.

LET

LETTER XIII.

Novi, October 26th,

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FTER almost as dull a day's journey as

that of yesterday, we have fafely reached Novi, and are still thirty-two miles from Genoa. We have been obliged to come by cross-roads, the great road being rendered impaffable by the heavy falls of rain for fome days paft. From Gambetta to Aleffandria we drove through a deep fand the whole way; but from this last place hither, the road has been tolerably good. As to the face of the country, I have nothing to fay in its favour.

Aleffandria is a large ftraggling town, and Aleffanfeems thinly inhabited. We paffed by one house, dria. the architecture of which is in a very good tafte. There is also a theatre, but not worth feeing; nor does this town afford any thing to gratify the curiofity of a traveller. It is fituated on the river Tanaro. The country from thence to this place is thickly covered with vines (corn growing between), but they are not cultivated and dreffed with the fame care as in Burgundy, the Orleanois, and moft parts of France.

bor-mia.

We croffed the river called Labor-mia in a bark, River Laor rather upon a raft; for it is not neceffary to Bark. get out of the carriage. The poftilions drive over planks, till they have got the carriage on the raft,

do

Novi.

do not give themselves the trouble to get off their horses, and when arrived at the other fide, they drive out again in the fame manner. I forgot to tell you, that we purchased at Turin a fourwheeled carriage, ftout, and fit for our journey, with feveral conveniencies belonging to it, for travelling.

This town [Novi] is pretty confiderable, the outfides of fome of the houses, which have been painted, feem, by what remains, to have been tolerably executed. The inn is not very bad. Curtains to beds is a luxury unknown in this country, and our hoft affures us we fhall find none at Genoa. I in vain attempted to persuade him to nail up something by way of a curtain; but, unfortunately, he had a respect for the bed which he destined us, that nothing could prevail upon him , to forego. A great coat of arms adorning the head-board, and which fhewed it had belonged to fome familia nobili, feemed to be the caufe of his veneration. However, as foon as he had left the room, I endeavoured to turn the high and projecting parts, the coronets and fupporters, to fome ufe; for the weather is very fharp, and there blows a cold wind. You would have laughed, had you feen my curtains, composed of neckhandkerchiefs and pelices. However, this contrivance was better than no curtains. Adieu, till

to-morrow evening, when I hope we fhall have

reached Genoa.

LET

LETTER XIV.

Genoa, October 27th.

W

1

E are fafely arrived, and lodged at the poft house, the best inn at Genoa, and very near the famous church of the Annonciata. This day's journey has been fatiguing enough, although we got here by dinner time, and did not quit Novi till about nine o'clock. Our road has lain entirely amongst mountains. Most of them under clofe cultivation, particularly about Gavi, a Gavi. ftrong fortress of the Genoese, from whence there is a very fine profpect. The road lies under it, and the defcent is extremely rapid; the town ftands below the fortrefs. In the bottom appears a torrent, called Lemo; we paffed through the village, now called Voltagio, which was the Voltagio. ancient capital of a people of Liguria, known formerly by the appellation of Veituria. This place is twenty miles from Genoa, and fix from the Buchetta; namely, from the fummit of the Appenine. The road over the Appenine and the defcent is all paved. This great mountain affords nothing entertaining or beautiful. The pavement is exceedingly rough, in many places very rapid, and the appearance of the mountain on all fides dreary and bleak. Having paffed the Bu

chetta,

marone.

Campo chetta, we came to a village, called Campomarone, from the great quantities of Spanish chefnut-trees which abound here. It is fituated eight miles from Genoa, and affords a tolerable inn, called Della Rofa. Here the houses are all covered with flate, and the tables made of the fame material, called lavagna, of which there is a great quarry, about twenty-five miles diftant from Genoa.

About three miles from Genoa you are obliged to traverse a kind of valley, which is in reality the Folcever- bed of a river, called Polceverra. This bed is a

ra.

most disagreeable morfel to contend with; water finds its way here and there, and in many diffe rent channels, which form narrow rivers, necef fary to be croffed frequently: there is no fixed road, the river changing its course continually; and when the waters are out, travellers are obliged to wait for three or four days, till they are fufficiently retired. The whole furface is covered unequally with loofe ftones and pebbles, and the jolts and fhocks were fo violent, that I expected the carriage or wheels to break. However, we got acrofs fafely, and without the leaft accident. There are feveral veftiges of bridges, the arches ftanding, fome entire, others partly in ruins, where they have in vain endeavoured to make the road more convenient; but the violence and fudden fwellings of this river, have rendered all their labour hitherto ineffectual. This valley is fkirted on the right and left by many beautiful countryhouses, and terminated, as it were, at one end, by

a great

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