OF PROVENCE. 



99 



quotes two authors, De Solier and Raymond, showing 

 how much the cultivation of this fruit had fallen off' 

 within the last two centuries. The former, who wrote in 

 the I6th century, after describing the means then pursued 

 in drying them, adds, " that those of the inhabitants who 

 had least, could sell from 100 to 150 quintals" — from 

 10,000 to 15,000 pounds. " Two centuries later," the 

 latter says, *' the quantity of figs which the inhabitants 

 dried formerly was their principal produce, but now each 

 proprietor only gathers about 40 quintals, (4,000 pounds), 

 not more than enough for the consumption of his own 

 family ! ! " 



The next object which attracted my attention, was a 

 quantity of large earthen jars, capable of containing from 

 40 to 60 gallons each. These were filled with capers of 

 different sizes, from the size of a small nut to that of a 

 very small pea, or rather to half the size of a very small 

 pea. The latter are called Nonpareils, and are worth 

 32 sous (16 J.) a pound. The former being the coarsest 

 quality, are worth only B sous a pound. Between these ex- 

 tremes there are 8 or 10 different qualities, all varying in 

 price according to their size, the smaller being always 

 the more valuable. They are put into vinegar as soon as 

 they are gathered, after the different sizes are separated by 

 means of a succession of coarser and finer sieves ; and they 

 need no other preparation. I observed a quantity of olives 

 spread out upon some dales on the floor ; they did not 

 appear to have suffered in any degree from the worm, as 

 was the case with most of the other olives I had seen. 

 Many of them still retained a greenish, or rather a whitish 

 colour, while the majority were either of a deep purple 

 colour, or perfectly black. M. Brest said these light 



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