I was very impatient till I had drove my horse from the British to the
Mediterranean coast, and looked upon a sea from _that land_ which I had
often, with longing eyes, viewed _from the sea_, in the year 1745, when
I was on board the Russel, with Admiral Medley. I have now compleatly
crossed this mighty kingdom and great continent, and it was for that
reason I visited _Cette_. This pretty little sea-port, though it is out
of my way to _Barcelona_, yet it proves to be in _the way_ for my poor
horse; as I found here a Spanish bark, upon which I put part of my
baggage. I was obliged to have it, however, opened and examined at the
Custom-house; and as the officer found in it a bass viol, two guittars,
a fiddle, and some other musical instruments, he very naturally
concluded I was a musician, and very kindly intimated to me his
apprehensions, that I should meet with but very little _encouragement in
Spain_: as I had not any better reason to assign for going there, but to
fiddle, I did not undeceive this good-natured man till the next morning,
when I owned, I was not sufficiently _cunning_ in the art of music to
get my bread by it; and that I had unfortunately been bred to a worse
profession, that of arms; and if I got time enough to _Barcelona_ to
enter a volunteer in the _Walloon_ guards, and go to _Algiers_, perhaps
I might get from his Catholic Majesty, by my services, more than I could
acquire from his Britannic--something to live upon in my old age: but I
had no better encouragement from this Frenchman as an adventurer in
arms, than in music; he assured me, that Spain was a _vilain pays_, and
that France was the only country in the world for a _voyageur_. But as I
found that France was the only country he had _voyaged_ in, and then
never above twenty leagues from that spot, I thanked him for his advice,
and determined to proceed; for though it is fifteen miles from
_Montpellier_, we are not got out of the latitude of the _Moschettos_.
On the road here, we met an infinite number of carts and horses, loaded
with ripe grapes; the gatherers generally held some large bunches (for
they were the large red grape) in their hands, to present to travellers;
and we had some from people, who would not even stay to receive a
trifling acknowledgment for their generosity and politeness.
Nothing could be more beautiful than the prospects which every way
surrounded us, when we came within three or four miles of this town;
both sides of the road were covered with thyme and lavender shrubs,
which perfumed the air; the sea breeze, and the hot sun, made both
agreeable; and the day was so clear and fine, that the snow upon the
_Alps_ made them appear as if they were only ten leagues from us; and I
could have been persuaded that we were within a few hours drive of the
_Pyrenees_; yet the nearest of them was at least a hundred miles
distant.
The great Canal of _Languedoc_ has a communication with this town, where
covered boats, neatly fitted up for passengers, are continually passing
up and down that wonderful and artificial navigation. It is a convenient
port to ship wine at; but the people have the reputation of playing
tricks with it, before and after it is put on board; and this opinion is
a great baulk to the trade it is so happily situated to carry on, and of
great benefit to the free port of _Nice_.