2*74} Mr Arnott's Tour to the South of Finance 



count of the paucity of soil, it will readily be supposed that 

 there is no pasture for the larger cattle : indeed, there is scarce- 

 ly a dozeu cows in the country. Sheep-milk is chiefly in use, 

 but that cannot always be had, as in summer even the sheep 

 must be sent some days' journey to the north, to the mountains 

 ,Q& the Cevennes. How different is even poor Scotland, where 

 every hill has a valley watered by a rivulet. Here there are no 

 such things as springs ; no such things as streamlets : we find 

 iiither extreme aridity or a large riven The Lez (a river which 

 flows past Montpellier) commences close to Sir S. Bentham's 

 house. Where it issues from the rock, it is as large as a good- 

 sized mill-dam ; and indeed, before it is allowed to narrow into 

 a river, it is obliged to act on a mill. It resembles Vaucluse, 

 but seems much larger, although the surrounding rocks being 

 by no means so elevated, or on so grand a scale as the other, 

 prevents its being considered so romantic. Though scarcely 

 known, except to the natives of the country, I consider it one 

 of the most remarkable objects I have observed about Mont- 

 pellier. It deserves well a passing traveller's attention. The ri- 

 vers here generally decrease in volume as they flow outwards, thus 

 reversing the laws followed by nature in more northern climates. 

 Thqre seem three principal causes : the quantity taken off' for 

 irrigation ; the want of after supply, on account of the absence 

 of springs or feeding streamlets ; and the great evaporation to 

 which the river is subject. Hence, however improbable, there 

 is no impossibility in the circumstance of the African Niger 

 spreading out into a large surface, and being then evaporated. 



*' Besides the Castello di Roquetta, we saw a considerable 

 number of other forts on the north side of the Pic de Loup. 

 Every small hill was provided with one ; but they are all now 

 in a state of ruin. These served as strongholds to the different 

 families during the Languedoc wars. But now that all danger 

 is past, that private feuds have ceased, and that these castellos 

 have gone to decay, it is astonishing to see the same desire still 

 prevail here of building even their farm-houses on as elevated 

 a situation as they can choose. What are their motives for so 

 doing it is difficult to conceive. They are farther from water, 

 and more exposed to the sun ; for the all-destroying Revolu- 

 tion cleared this country of every tree. Is it to enjoy a view . 



