4 LA MORTOLA, 



which here 531 feet above the sea -level turns round a well- 

 wooded ledge of rocks and leads into a narrow chasm in the 

 nummulitic limestone, rising on the other side to the village of 

 Mortola. Below, on the coast-line, the nummulitic rock stretches 

 forward as a sharp-jagged ridge into the sea, and forms the farther 

 side of the east bay of Mentone. The valley above the bridge 

 cuts through the property of Mr. Thomas H anbury, who has 

 built the schoolhouse mentioned above for the villages of Mortola, 

 Ciotti, and Grimaldi. The road passes by the entrance -gate of 

 this gentleman's property just below the graceful little church of 

 La Mortola, whose campanile may be seen from a great distance. 

 From the entrance-gate 338 feet above the level of the sea 

 the gardens lead down an incline of about 193 feet to the Palazzo 

 Orengo, and then again in a gentle slope to the sea. Along the 

 coast there are few practicable paths, and these are frequented 

 only by smugglers and coast-guardsmen. This property be- 

 longed in former times to the noble family Orengo of Venti- 

 miglia, the palazzo being then a modest edifice built on stony 

 ground and surrounded by a thin growth of olives ; the position, 

 however, being always a splendid one. The present owner has 

 made it his study since the year 1867 to collect an endless number 

 of plants, and without changing the former characteristics of the 

 landscape he has made for himself an original and unique garden. 

 He who looks for fountains, curiously-cut hedges, kiosques, art- 

 fully-formed paths, grottoes, and gay ribbon gardening, will be dis- 

 appointed ; but the garden is rich in stately groups of trees, and 

 in wonderful and lovely flowers and foliage. It is a peculiarly 

 interesting study to find out which plants will flourish best in this 

 dry climate, and in a soil which is anything but fertile. Mr. Han- 

 bury and his clever gardeners have managed, by means of their 

 widespread connections, to carry on a series of experiments with 

 plants from all parts of the world. The surface of the garden 

 covers about forty-nine acres. From the Cross of La Mortola on 

 the Corniche road down to the rocks on the sea-coast, and from 

 the old Roman road (Via Julia Augusta) 1 up to the eastern slopes 

 of the property, the ground is so diverse in character that a total 

 description of the whole can hardly be given. 



On coming into the garden through the main entrance -gate 



1 Made in the year 13 B.C. in order to establish good communication between 

 Albingaunum (Albenga) and Nicaa (Nice). 



