Villeneuve de Berg 199 



in the centre into a sort of promontory. The height, form, and 

 figures, and the decisive volcanic character the whole mass has 

 taken, render it a most interesting spectacle to the learned and 

 unlearned eye. Just before Aubenas, mistaking the road, which 

 is not half finished, I had to turn; it was on the slope of the 

 declivity, and very rare that any wall or defence is found against 

 the precipices. My French mare has an ill talent of backing too 

 freely when she begins: unfortunately she exercised it at a 

 moment of imminent danger, and backed the chaise, me, and 

 herself down the precipice; by great good luck there was at the 

 spot a sort of shelf of rock, that made the immediate fall not more 

 than five feet direct. I leaped out of the chaise in the moment 

 and fell unhurt : the chaise was overthrown and the mare on her 

 side, entangled in the harness, which kept the carriage from 

 tumbling down a precipice of sixty feet. Fortunately she lay 

 quietly, for had she struggled both must have fallen. I called 

 some lime-burners to my assistance, who were with great diffi- 

 culty brought to submit to directions, and not each pursue his 

 ovm idea to the certain precipitation of both mare and chaise. 

 We extricated her unhurt, secured the chaise, and then with still 

 greater difficulty regained the road with both. This was by far 

 the narrowest escape I have had. A blessed country for a 

 broken limb— confinement for six weeks or two months at the 

 Cheval Blanc, at Aubenas, an inn that would have been purga- 

 tory to one of my hogs: — alone, — without relation, friend, or 

 servant, and not one person in sixty that speaks French. — 

 Thanks to the good providence that preserved me! What a 

 situation — I shudder at the reflection more than I did falling in 

 the jaws of the precipice. Before I got from the place there 

 were seven men about me, I gave them a 3 livre piece to drink, 

 which for some time they refused to accept, thinking, with un- 

 affected modesty, that it was too much. At Aubenas repaired 

 the harness, and leaving that place viewed the silk mills, which 

 are considerable. Reach Villeneuve de Berg. I was imme- 

 diately hunted out by the milice hourgeoise. Where is yoiir 

 certificate ? Here again the old objection that my features and 

 person were not described. — Your papers ? The importance of 

 the case, they said, was great: and looked as big as if a marshal's 

 baton was in hand. They tormented me with a hundred ques- 

 tions; and then pronounced that I was a suspicious looking 

 person. They could not conceive why a Suffolk farmer could 

 travel into the Vivarais ? Never had they heard of any person 

 travelling for agriculture ! They would take m.y passport to the 



