74 Mr Arnott'^s Tour to the South of France 



We crossed and got to Vallence, close to which is a great ar- 

 tillery arsenal. Leaving Vallence, the moon shone clear, and 

 illuminating the Rhone at the intervals we could see the river. 

 There was none besides another gentleman and myself in the 

 coach, and, stretched at full length on the seat, I enjoyed the 

 night extremely. It was so mild that we kept down both the 

 ■windows ; and although only in the end of March, I found it 

 much warmer to sleep here, than I have experienced on some 

 of the Scottish mountains, under a tent, in the month of Au- 

 gust. 



" This morning the sun rose upon us about 6 oVlock, shining 

 on the old fortress of Donzere. The scene is now much changed 

 from that of yesterday : we have now entered the " Region des 

 Ohviers,"" the " Region mediterrannee,'' or, as it is also called, 

 the ^* Midi de la France." The mulberry trees now cover the 

 plain ; low hills are at each side in the distance, studded with 

 white houses, which probably appeared more beautiful as the 

 sun was shining on them so very obliquely. Towards Pierre- 

 Late, the mountains again appear on the left ; and just before 

 entering this wretched village, there is a very singular, and ap- 

 parently isolated rock of great height, almost close to the road, 

 and which resembled, on a small scale, our own Duribarton 

 rock. Passing Mondragon, it is on the left side rocky and 

 hilly ; the olive trees now commence, and flank the hills like 

 the beeches on a Highland mountain. 



" Mornas. — I walked on while they changed horses. My eyes 

 were now beginning to get confused with looking on plants that 

 I had never seen wild before, growing out of all the dry dusty 

 walls that I passed. I had neither, however, time for gather- 

 ing them, nor means for drying them ; and it was of the less 

 consequence, as I expected to meet with them all at Avig- 

 non or Montpellier. On entering Orange, we passed the an- 

 cient triumphal arch of Marius. On leaving the town, we 

 saw large and apparently barren plains, covered with cail- 

 loux, or round hard stones : all the soil seemed of a plumpud- 

 dingstone nature, and by the dissolution and sinking of the ar- 

 gillaceous cement, the cailloux are finally loosened, and lie on 

 the surface. There was nothing on these plains but a few mul- 

 berry trees, which, however, I am told do well, if the soil is 



