22 
NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  EUROPE. 
Nice  is  a  spot  in  much  favor  with  English  invalids  in  winter,  situated 
directly  on  the  sea,  and  sheltered  from  the  north  by  the  outlying  spurs 
of  the  Savoyese  Alps.  The  public  squares  and  walks  are  ornamented  with 
the  date  and  other  species  of  the  graceful  palm  and  other  exotics,  which  give 
a  tropical  character  to  the  landscape,  while  numerous  flowering  shrubs, 
tastfully  arranged  in  groups,  add  variety,  beauty  and  perfume.  A  species 
of  "  medlar  "  (Mespilus  *  *  *  )  is  common  here  ar.d  in 
Italy,  bearing  a  fruit  about  the  size  of  a  medium  plum,  when  ripe  of 
a  bright  yellow,  and  quite  agreeable  to  the  taste,  especially  acceptable 
when  one  is  thirsty.  Here,  as  in  nearly  every  considerable  city  frequented 
by  the  English,  there  is  an  "  English  Pharmacy/'  where  medicines  pre- 
pared according  to  the  British  Pharmacopoeia  can  be  had,  and  prescrip- 
tions compounded  in  the  English  style.  This  not  only  shows  the  number 
of  English  travellers  on  the  continent,  but  especially  exhibits  the  national 
habit  of  taking  medicines  freely,  a  habit  which  we  Americans  inherit 
with  truthful  legitimacy  from  the  parent  stock. 
A  ride  to  the  top  of  the  Chateau,  a  hill  about  320  feet  elevation,  gave 
us  a  magnificent  panorama  of  old  and  new  Nice  on  the  north  and  west, 
and  the  port  of  Nice  and  Villa  Francha,  on  the  east,  whilst  to  the  north, 
over  and  far  beyond  the  adjacent  mountain  range,  we  obtained  our  first 
good  view  of  the  snow  clad  alps  of  Piedmont.    The  vicinity  of  the  City  of 
Nice  is  almost  enveloped  in  foliage,  largely  the  olive,  intermingled  in  the 
numerous  villas  with  tropical  and  sub-tropical  trees  in  great  variety.  The 
Agave  Americana  grows  luxuriantly  in  the  open  air,  and  is  used  in  many 
hillside  villas  as  a  most  effectual  hedge  plant  for  precipitous  rocky  ledges, 
where  a  little  soil  exists  in  the  crevices  to  give  its  strong  roots  an  oppor- 
tunity to  insinuate  themselves.    There  are  several  distilleries  of  oils  and 
waters  and  makers  of  perfumes  here,  and  in  returning  from  the  Chateau 
we  called  at  the  laboratory  of  M.  March e,  and  were  politely  afforded  an 
opportunity  of  inspecting  some  of  the  processes  going  on  and  the  instru- 
ments used  in  others.  Being  early  in  the  season,  only  orange  flowers  were 
under  treatment ;  around  several  heaps  of  the  blossoms  just  brought  in 
from  the  suburban  orange  groves,  women  and  girls  were  seated,  busily 
picking  out  the  green  parts  and  impurities  capable  of  influencing  the  oil  of 
neroli  and  orange  flower  water  unfavorably.    They  are  then  transferred  to 
the  tinned  copper  still  which  holds  100  kilogrammes  of   the  flowers, 
(about  215  lbs),  with  a  diaphragm  below.    In  this  establishment  direct 
heat  is  used,  which  is  true  of  the  best  factories  at  Cannes  and  Grasse,  ac- 
cording to  Mr.  Hanbury.    The  process  is  continued  from  five  to  ten  hours, 
according  to  the  activity  of  the  fire,  and  the  product  is  about  five  ounces 
of  oil  of  neioli  and  a  large  quantity  of  orange  flower  water  which  is 
fractioned,  some  being  sold  as  first  obtained,  and  some  strengthened  by 
cohobation.     The  apparatus  for  extracting  the  more  delicate  odors  of  the 
tuberose,  jasmine,  etc.,  not  subjectable  to  distillation,  by  the  process  of 
enfleuiage,  as  well  as  those  for  making  pomades  by  infusion,  were  arranged 
