FRANCE. 117 



road I had before travelled, I took the road 

 to Fifmes, by the river Vefle, a fmall 

 ftream, which runs through a remarkably 

 rich tract of country, occupied either with 

 meadows that Teemed to be of great value, 

 or with vineyards ; the corn-lands are at a 

 greater diftance from the road : fainfoine 

 alfo is cultivated pretty generally through 

 all this tract. Taking a dinner there at a 

 farm-houfe, among fome uncommunicative 

 people, I turned afide for Ay, which I 

 reached by night, flopping feveral times by 

 the way to make enquiries into their cul- 

 ture : the whole way I pafTed through a 

 very fertile and well-cultivated country, 

 abounding greatly with vineyards and corn-j 

 fields, and many large tracts of fainfoine ; 

 the produce of a vineyard, o.n a good foil, 

 properly managed, they made to be from 

 20!. to 30!. an acre, and the nett produce 

 about 4!. 155. This does not at all agree 

 with the accounts I had before received, 

 which gave no greater profits from a much 

 larger grofs product ; but the French pea- 

 fants, though they give very fenfible gene- 

 ral accounts, yet are apt .to be inaccurate 

 when you come to calculation of profit and 

 I 3 lofs. 



