360 ACCOUNT OP THE CITY OF HIERES, 



habitants every where civil and obliging ; and I have 

 brought away with me the moft advantageous ideas of 

 the hone ft and amicable character of the natives of 

 thefe parts. 



The country about Hieres is a low and level plain, 

 inclofed by mountains, excepting on the fouth lide, 

 where it is bounded by the fea. This plain is about 

 five engliih miles fquare. From the middle of it, it 

 feems fo entirely furrounded by mountains, that there 

 can be no outlet to it. However there is one to the 

 weft, along a narrow vale which reaches to Toulon. 

 This plain is watered by the little river Gapaucl , which 

 takes its rife northward among; the mountains and flows 

 into the fea, dividing it into two equal parts, whereof 

 the weftern lide, or the right hand of the river, is par- 

 ticularly fertile. 



The mountains that fur round this little territory are 

 fplit into a great multitude of hills of various magni- 

 tudes and forms. Many of them are naked rocks; 

 others are grown over with the pinafter and different 

 kinds of fhrubs. All thefe mountains are every where 

 rugged and fteep. The lower part of them is moftly 

 built upon ; but to this end they are all divided into 

 terrafTes. Yet all the parts of thefe mountains that are 

 built over, are very rough and itony. Only the olive 

 tree, with which they are every where richly planted, 

 will come to any perfection here. 



The low land extends gradually to the fea ; and is fo 

 boggy that it is only in few places poffible to get quite 

 to it. Oppoiite to this diftridr., at the diftance of a 

 couple of leagues from the fhore, lie pretty high above 

 the fea, the hlands of Hieres, between which and the 



firm 



