24 Travels in France 



its richest features. The water-scenes from the town itself, 

 and immediately after passing it, are delicious. The immense 

 view from the descent of Douzenac is equally magnificent. 

 To all this is added the finest road in the world, everywhere 

 formed in the perfect manner, and kept in the highest 

 preservation, like the well-ordered alley of a garden, without 

 dust, sand, stones, or inequality, firm and level, of pounded 

 granite, and traced with such a perpetual command of prospect, 

 that had the engineer no other object in view, he could not have 

 executed it with a more finished taste. 



The view of Brive from the hill is so fine that it gives the 

 expectation of a beautiful little town, and the gaiety of the 

 environs encourages the idea; but on entering, such a contrast 

 is found as disgusts completely. Close, ill-built, crooked, dirty, 

 stinking streets, exclude the sun, and almost the air from every 

 habitation, except a few tolerable ones on the promenade. — 

 34 miles. 



<^lh. Enter a different country, with the new province of 

 Quercy, which is a part of Guienne; not near so beautiful as 

 Limosin, but, to make amends, it is far better cultivated. 

 Thanks to maize, which does wonders ! Pass Noailles, on the 

 summit of a high hill, the chateau of the Marshal Duke of that 

 name. — Enter a calcareous country, and lose chestnuts at the 

 same time. 



In going down to Souillac, there is a prospect that must uni- 

 versally please: it is a bird's-eye view of a delicious little valley 

 sunk deep amongst some very bold hills that enclose it ; a margin 

 of wild mountain contrasts the extreme beauty of the level 

 surface below, a scene of cultivation scattered with fine walnut 

 trees; nothing can apparently exceed the exuberant fertility 

 of this spot. 



Souillac is a little town in a thriving state, having some 

 rich merchants. They receive staves from the mountains of* 

 Auvergne by their river Dordonne, which is navigable eight 

 months in the year; these they export to Bourdeaux and 

 Libourn; also wine, corn, and cattle, and import salt in great 

 quantities. It is not in the power of an English imagination 

 to figure the animals that waited upon us here, at the Chapeau 

 Rouge. Some things that called themselves by the courtesy of 

 Souillac women, but in reality walking dung-hills. — But a neatly 

 dressed clean waiting girl at an inn will be looked for in vain in 

 France. — 34 miles. 



loih. Cross the Dordonne_b)^ a ferry; the boat well con- 



m^<' . 



