io 
with occafionally alittle common wine.— 
Formerly the manufacture of {word blades 
was pretty confiderable ; but, notwith- 
ftanding the long continuance of human 
flaughter, and increafed neceffity fer but- 
chering fools, this manufa@ture has great. 
Jy declined here, and has fucceeded in the 
more northern departments.’ Some cf the 
fmaller anchors, and other coarie fimith- 
works, are {till manufaGured ; bur the 
emaciated bodies of the workmen are ill 
adapted to fuch laborious trades. The 
fuel, too, principally charcoal, is very 
{carce and very dear, and many poor fami- 
lies will be weeks, perhaps months, with. 
out ever havinga fire. Nor is theclimate 
warm: the innumerable ranges cf hills, 
many of which have a northern direc- 
tion, occafion almef continual currents of 
air, that are chilling, and often pinching 
cold. Inthe adjacent country are many 
rural fcenes of piturefque beauty, which 
only want the clufering arbour and ruftic 
Cottage, the abode of health, innocence, 
and content, to render them objeéts of 
Lifting pleafure and delight. On the bor- 
der of the river Jere, not far from Vienne, 
LT found fome beautiful fpecimens ef mica, 
gneils, calcareous {par, ‘ome fragments of 
a-compact copper ore, quariz, rock cry!- 
tal, calcedon, and chryfolite of the Cape 
of Good Hope, or what has been called 
Prehnite.* There-is alfo avery great va- 
riety of limeftone, flate, and gypfum, in 
thefe diftriéts. 
The official {tatements of the population 
ef Vienne and fuburbs have varied from 
5000 to 11,662, all of which were reports 
of Mayors of the Commune! Its real po- 
pulaticn, in September 1802, was 4050; 
fince that time till May 1804, above two 
hundred have emigrated, and the deaths 
have exceeded the births ene-eighth, fo 
that the actual number of inhabitants can- 
not be more than 3800 fculs. The fas 
and obfervations upon which this eftimate 
is founded fhall be’ given on a future oc- 
cafion. Vienne pays so00!. per annum to 
the Government, and about 45001. to the 
Civil Officers (Prefect, &c.), the Tribu. 
nals of Juftice, and the Public Schools. 
* This fpecimen was of a greenith grey, 
changing a little from grey to green, and 
green to white ;. cryftallized in four-fided ta- 
bles 5 femi tranfparent paffing, into tranfpa- 
rent ; hard and eafily frangible ; fragments 
fomewhat angular and wedge-fhaped. Its ana- 
lyfis gave 51 filica, 19,4 alumina, 22,3 lime, 
exyd of iron 5,10, water 0,10, magnefia 0,3. 
Specific gravity, 26,120. It has received, 
very unphilofophically, the name of its dif- 
eoverer, the Dutch Colonel Prehn, 
_ Prefent State of Orange, Avignon, Se. 
[ Feb. ¥, 
VALENCE 
Ts feventeer leagues from Vienne, princi- 
pally of barren and uncultivable moun- 
tains, in afcending and defcending ridges, 
which form the inclined planes of the Alps. 
Its fite is a very agreeable amphitheatre, 
formed by a ridge of furrounding hills, 
which the Rhone interfeéts, and at once 
pleafes and furprizes by the rapidity of its 
rolling waters. This town -is fomewha* 
lefs than Vienne, is much cleaner, and leis 
ruined by the dilapidators. Thechurehes, 
univerfity, and other public buildings, 
thovgh not fo completely dilmantled as at 
Vienne, are yet fuficiently ruined to pre- 
fent nothing but the naked walls. Here 
areno vettiges of Roman antiquities, no 
monuments of ancient art ; and the moul- 
dering ruins of modern fortréffes, fo far from 
exciting emotions of regret and veneration, - 
arerather pleafing profpeéts of the progrefs 
of civilization. “The manners and cuftoms 
are nearly the fame as thofe of Vienne. 
Penury and mifery are every where evi- 
dent, but not quite in fo intenfe a degree. 
Wages are much the fame; bread and 
foup-meagre are not better, but are fome- 
what cheaper, being fo much farther re- 
moved fom Lyons, which greatly ang- 
ments the value cf every neceflary of life. 
There is alfo much mere ruftic fimplicity 
and innocence ; the decorum of fociety is 
not publicly violated ; ner are nocturnal 
ameours made mid day exhibilions, as ts 
common in Lyons. ‘afte, genius, and 
learning indeed are littl known; but 
there are fome traces of honefty and genero- 
fity, not a little cénfoling to the mind that 
feels for fcenes cf depravity and humapg 
nature degenerated. Here are fome gar- 
dens, and even valiies, tolerably laboured ; 
and there appears not only more induftry, 
but more’efficient power than in Lyons. 
A few of the inhabitants are occupied 
in the manufacture of filk-ffockings, and 
fome Jace. The. general appearance of 
the people is rather more agreeable and 
delicate than thofe of Lyons; and there 
are a few. women as fair as thole of Ro- 
apne, and much mcre beautifal, grave, 
tender, modeft, and lovely. It*muit be 
confefied, indeed, that fome of thefe qua- 
lities are rather the eff & of misfortune 
than conftitution and principle. . 
The oficial returns of the nu; ber of 
inhabitants of this city have been from 4 
to 8ceo perfons. The true prefent popu- 
lation Is 3500. © . 
Valence pays 4oool. flerling to the Ge- 
vernment, and 36ocl. to the Civil and Le- 
gal Officers of State, and the Profeflurs in 
the Public Schools. Thele taxes, which 
Ge oe are’ 
\ 
