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ENVIRONS OF NICE. 429 
forenoon’s ride of the town of Nice, one mile and a half from 
which, I resided. 
I may notice, however, that if the circle were narrow, the 
country possessed peculiar advantages, in the wonderful un- 
evenness of a surface, which, beyond the little plain, seldom 
presented one hundred yards of flat ground; and while it afforded 
the most ample opportunities for investigating its geological 
structure, the pleasing and diversified aspects, which this broken 
ground, clothed with the orange and the olive, every where 
presented, stimulated as well as recompensed the labours of 
research. 
On my arrival at Nice, I by no means anticipated much in- 
terest in my examinations, from the constant occurrence of 
limestone; but with the assistance of M. Risso, a gentle- 
man who has recommended himself to the scientific world, by 
several very interesting works on Natural History *, who kind- 
ly pointed out such objects as had previously attracted the at- 
tention of observers, I was quickly undeceived, and found, not- 
withstanding the apparent uniformity of the country, that it 
contained much matter for the contemplation of the geologist, 
and afforded materials which seem to bring down the ope- 
rations of Nature to a less remote period than is done by 
the 
a ts ee ee 
mainder continues only practicable to mules and pedestrians. So much were the 
Genoese (now also Sardinian subjects) sensible of the advantage which this road 
would be to them, that they offered, after the restoration, to accomplish the un- 
dertaking, on being allowed to reimburse themselves by means of a toll ; but the 
proposal was rejected. It is curious to reflect, that this road, now so unfit for 
the purposes of communication, was the great Roman way into Spain, and the 
same by which the armies of Cuartes V. invaded France during his contests with 
Francis I. 
* His last publication is entitled, Histoire Naturelle de Crustacés des Environs 
de Nice. Paris, 1816. 
