NISMES. 



season for gathering the fruit of the latter. They place 

 large ladders against the trees and ascend to pull them^ 

 instead of beating them down with poles, as is the prac- 

 tice in Spain. The women are very generally employed 

 in this way, and from all parts of the road are to be seen 

 with small baskets slung round their necks, either perched 

 upon a ladder, or mounted into the interior of the 

 trees. Half-way from Montpelier to Nismes lies the 

 town of Lunel, which with Frontignan, also in the same 

 neighbourhood, is famous for its sweet wines. These I 

 did not, however wait to visit, being now satisfied that 

 whatever may be the case with regard to the quality of 

 dry wines, it requires only a good grape, a hot sun, and 

 a particular management, to make excellent sweet wines. 

 A gentleman in the Diligence informed me that the Liinel 

 is only produced on one estate, but in this I think he was 

 misinformed. 



1st December. — The Diligence for Tarascon not start- 

 ing till half-past eleven, I had time to visit many of the 

 beautiful and highly interesting remains of Roman archi-- 

 tecture which are to be found in Nismes. The cold, last 

 night and this morning, has been excessive. I have 

 seldom found any thing more keen and penetrating than 

 the north wind out of doors, and the air of my chamber 

 was almost intolerable till a large fire (for which the 

 charge of two francs was made in my bill) had been some 

 time burning. Even then, and with the assistance of a 

 screen, it was still difficult to keep off the cold. The 

 tiled floors are ill calculated for the winter, however suit- 

 able they may be for the summer temperature of these 

 climates. In the morning the canal was frozen over, and 

 there were pieces of ice of six cubic inches in thickness 

 about the fountains. 



