that come from sea. We here saw several persons that in the midst of December had nothing over their shoulders but their shirts, without complaining of the cold. It is certainly very lucky for the poorer sort to be born in a place that is free from the greatest inconvenience, to which those of our northern nations are subject; and indeed, without this natural benefit of their climates, the extreme misery and poverty that are in most of the Italian governments would be insupportable. There are at St. Remo many plantations of palm-trees, though they do not grow in other parts of Italy. We sailed from hence directly for Genoa; and had fair wind that carried us into the middle of the gulph, which is very re. markable for tempests and scarcity of fish. It is probable one may be the cause of the other, whether it be that the fishermen cannot employ their art with so much success in so troubled a sea, or that the fish do not care for inhabiting such stormy waters: -Atrum Defendens pisces hiemat mare. Hor. Sat. ii. lib. ii. v. 16. While black with storms the ruffled ocean rolls, And from the fisher's art defends her finny shoals. We were forced to lie in it two days, and our cap. tain thought his ship in so great danger, that he fell upon his knees, and confessed himself to a Capucin who was on board with us. But at last, taking the advantage of a side-wind, we were driven back in a few hours time as far as Monaco. Lucan has given us a description of the harbour that we found so very welcome to us, after the great danger we had escaped. Quaque sub Herculeo Sacratus nomine portus Lib. i. v. 405. |