444 TRAVELLING MEMORANDUMS. June 22, 



feel a milder climate, and fome benefit to my health' 

 fince I left Paris, from cliange of air and moderate jour- 

 neys. — This day 1 have advancedabout thirty-fix miles— . 

 I tnink. the grapes begin to be of a better relifh and 

 richer flavour — I fir.d the pears in France excellent — the 

 apphs and the peaches in general no bt>tter than our 

 own — the (Irawberries, goofeberrie.^, and other fniall 

 fruit not fo good. — I do not think, the ivheat bread fo 

 favoury and nourilliing as in Britain — I know not for 

 what reafon, whether Irona defefl of foil fit for producing 

 that gr.iin, from want of proper cultivation, or from 

 the circLundance, that they ufe leaven, and no barm or 

 yeaft — or from all thefe caufes — I obferve that through 

 all this country, they have at the inns, Stc. great plen- 

 ty of jigeons, turl^es and other pouUry. 



I ft Oftober. I dined very well and reafonably at the 

 poft-.oufe Auxcrre, a town of confiderable trade, and 

 pr.iceeded to Vermenton all night — about thirty-fix 

 miles ; a delightful day's journey, the hills covered with 

 luxuriant vineyards, and a very extenfive plain aUo 

 covered with rich Vineyards, and intermixed with fer"- 

 rile corn-fields — I faw little pafture — and niuft in- 

 quire how their cattle, fiieep and horfes are maintain- 

 ed. — 1 oblerve many odd carriages, commonly drawn 

 by two or four cows, for tranfporting wines and other 

 merchandile. — I was pirticularly captivated with a 

 fpecies of poplar or willow abounding in thiscountry — 

 rhcv are bi.autiful, finely bulked — -and grow both in 

 thickets and rows very fail, and to a great height — They 

 ti-'femble both the Lombardy poplar and Huntingdon 

 willow — but are of a different fpecies, and more beau- 

 tiful than either. — I am alTured I may have excellent 

 plants of them from the nuvfery-men near Lyons — and 

 am ref >lved to try the experiment of propagating them 

 in our country *. I obferve, that the peafants and vil- 

 lageis in this country, employ an uncommon, and fur- 

 prifing number of alTes for riding and petty carriages— 

 * In fad, I have done fo v/ith every prrmifing appearance of iu::er». 



