****** but all they could fay

much fatigued
had no effect upon him. You know how humane
he is, and the being carried by his own fpecies is
no part of bis fyftem

*

Our chaife being taken to pieces, it was carried on the backs of mules. These animals make a droll appearance, with a wheel on each fide, and the body of the chaife on their back. They are fhod in a particular manner, to prevent their flipping; their shoes advance more than two inches beyond the fore-part of their hoof, and turn up again in front.

Our porters endeavoured to amuse us by their converfation. These poor inoffenfive people name over all the different travellers whom they have carried (particularly princes, ambassadors, &c.); and every the most trifling thing they have faid to them, which they retail to others, fuppofing it may amuse, and make them forget the tediousness of the way. But the information we wished for, was more about themselves and their mountains, as you have already feen by the intelligence procured from them.

The Glaciere, which appears at about four miles Glaciere distance, is, according to them, extremely curious. They told us, many English gentlemen had gone out of their way to fee it: that there were great Crystals, quantities of crystal found in the grotto; and that the peasants in the villages made ufe of it for faltcellars and small cups. That it was not always

&c.

white; but even fometimes nearly black. They make no doubt of crystal being formed from ice; and account for the ftraws inclosed in lumps of it, and the muddy appearance it often makes, to its having been once in a fluid ftate. But as the ori gin of cryftal has been, and ftill is difputed by the learned, who have not as yet agreed upon the matter, I certainly don't mean to give more weight to the Lanebourgian opinion than it may prove itself entitled to.

The rocks and ftones lying on all fides of the road have many of them the appearance of marble, with beautiful veins, of different colours; there are alfo large lumps of fpar, which glisten with great brightness in the fun. I picked up some fragments that are incorporated with ore. Lalande's account of the natural productions of Mont Cennis, and his obfervations on mountains in general, are curious and interefting. Juft before we gain the plain, the afcent augments in rapidity. On the fide of the mountain are small houses, which ferve the peasants in winter, as magazines for their forage, and in fummer as dairies, for they make butter and cheese in them during the three warm months. The plain is by no means fans aucun inegalité, (according to Lalande, vol. i. p. 23.) for there is great variety of ground; and what is called the plain, is rather a valley, extending along between high mountains, with feveral different roads through it, fome of which the mules take, others

the

the Porters. The grafs is exceedingly thick, fhort, and full of flowers: there were many in blow of the tribe of the Amuranthoides, or Everlastings; fome yellow, others of a fine crimson, and purple*. The Crowfoot kind in great abundance; their flowers were past, but I perceived great patches of the grass of Anemone and Ranunculus, Violet Polianthus, &c. with aromatic and odoriferous plants, several of which I had never seen before. A good Botanift might find entertainment on this plain for a month. The foreft on the fides of Mont Cennis

abounds with the Chamois, a fpecies of wild goat, whose flesh is eatable. The peasants fell their fkins at from eight to twelve livres each. The blood of these animals, dried, and taken in wine, is esteemed a fovereign remedy for the pleurify; the king of Sardinia is never without this medicine, it being allowed by the Turin phyficians to be admirable in many cafes. The Chamois are Chamois. fleet, and extremely fhy, concealing themselves in the most retired parts of the foreft, and in the clefts of rocks, the most difficult of accefs. They are fo alert, that they bound from rock to rock, and will stand with all their four feet close together on the most pointed of them. Their finell is fo exquifite, that no man can approach them without their perceiving it, except against the wind; and

Dans toutes les montagnes il y a une multitude des plantes curieuses & agréable à voir, dans les Fentes des rochers dont les fleurs font de couleurs eclatantes, & que je crois devoir être mises au rang des femper vivan. Note in Richard, tom. i. p. 19.

VOL. I.

E

they

they have the sense of hearing in such perfection, that it is scarce poffible to get within shot of them. The only way of killing them is, by lying in wait, concealed behind the bushes, and near their usual haunts, before break of day, taking care the wind is in your favour. No dog can catch them, not even a greyhound; for they run directly to the precipices as their fecurity, near which they are always found, and which are so exceedingly embarraffed and interfected, that a dog would break his neck that should attempt to follow them for any time. All kinds of game quit thefe mountains in the winter, the cold being too fevere for them. Even the wolves and bears feek a lefs inclement fky. The air was very keen on the plain; and I was obliged to wrap myfelf up in a pelice, lined through with fur, although the day was remarkably fine for that country; but it was early in the morning when we fet out, and I think it was not more than 8 o'clock when we found our felves on the plain, having been about three hours in mounting. My chairmen, to compenfate in fome meafure for the cold I complained of, expatiated on the good wine, and bread and cheese, that the bon Pere Nicolas would give us for breakfast. (This is the Curé mentioned by Lalande, who lives close to the Hofpital.)

Before I close this letter, I fhall give you a sketch of this extraordinary Priest, whofe purity of life, and benevolence of heart, has rendered him fo defervedly dear to the inhabitants of Lanebourg,

(who

(who look upon him as a father) that they cannot fpeak of him without tears in their eyes; fo much do they fear being foon deprived of him, as he is now very much advanced in years.

There is a rifing in the plain before you gain the borders of the Lake, which is a rough and rugged ftep. The Lake is about three miles in circumference, of an irregular fhape. The grass grows not only down to the water's edge, but under it for some way, as you see through the water; but this does not continue far, for the Lake is fo deep towards the middle, as to be deemed unfathomable, at leaft by the peafants. They find no other fifh here than trout, but these are in the utmoft perfection; their reported fize is enormous : fome weighing eighteen pounds.

Those we had at La Grande Croix, where we dined, were not larger than trout commonly are in England, but much better flavoured. I do not know whether or not trout have the peculiar quality of living in waters that are iced over for eight months of the year, as is the cafe with this Lake; but one is tempted to believe it must be fo, as the quantity of this fish has never been known to diminish here, although there is no visible inlet by which the Lake can be fupplied; no fprings, nor communication with other waters, having yet been discovered: yet it muft certainly be supplied from the adjacent mountains, which are covered with eternal fnows, and part of which fnow muft melt, and fo be filtered through

E 2