Young und Okey - 1915 - Travels in France and Italy during the years 1787,

Travels in France and Italy/47
olives, which are young, thriving, and well enclosed, yet the soil is so
stony that no earth is visible; some of his walls are four feet thick, and
one of them twelve thick and five high, whence it seems he thinks moving
the stones a necessary improvement, which I much question. He has
built three or four new farmhouses; I suppose he resides on this estate
for improving it. I hope he does not serve; that no moonshine pursuit
may divert him from a conduct honourable to himself and beneficial to
his country.—Leaving Sauve, I was much struck with a large tract of
land, seemingly nothing but huge rocks; yet most of it enclosed and
planted with the most industrious attention. Every man has an olive, a
mulberry, an almond, or a peach-tree, and vines scattered among them;
so that the whole ground is covered with the oddest mixture of these
plants and bulging rocks that can be conceived. The inhabitants of this
village deserve encouragement for their industry, and if I was a French
minister they should have it. They would soon turn all the deserts around
them into gardens. Such a knot of active husbandmen, who turn their
rocks into scenes of fertility, because I suppose THEIR OWN, would do the
same by the wastes, if animated by the same omnipotent principle. Dine
at St. Hyppolite, with eight protestant merchants returning home to
Rouverge from the fair of Beaucaire; as we parted at the same time, we
travelled together; and from their conversation, I learned some circumstances
of which I wanted to be informed; they told me also that mulberries
extend beyond Vigan, but then, and especially about Milhaud, almonds
take their place, and are in very great quantities.
My Rouverge friends pressed me to pass with them to Milhaud and
Rodez, assured me that the cheapness of their province was so great that
it would tempt me to live some time amongst them. That I might have a
house at Milhaud, of four tolerable rooms on a floor furnished, for twelve
louis a year; and live in the utmost plenty with all my family, if I would
bring them over, for 100 louis a year: that there were many families of
noblesse who subsisted on fifty, and even on twenty-five a year. Such
anecdotes of cheapness are only curious when considered in a political
light, as contributing on one hand to the welfare of individuals; and on
the other, as contributing to the prosperity, wealth, and power of the
kingdom; if I should meet with many such instances, and also with others
directly contrary, it will be necessary to consider them more at large.—
30 miles.
30th. Going out of Gange, I was surprised to find by far the greatest
exertion in irrigation which I had yet seen in France; and then pass by