on the road, Eza appears below, singularly perched on a rock; and at the sea side, the castellated Monaco, also crowning a rocky promontory.

At Turbia (a corruption of Trophoea Augusti) stands the remarkable ruin of a Roman monument erected to commemorate the conquest of the various tribes of the Maritime Alps by Augustus; a design which would have long since been frustrated by the destruction of the inscription, had the fact not been recorded by Pliny. It is a vast circular structure surmounted by a tower. The village has been built out of its fragments and masses: the ground is strewn with blocks and inscriptions, and bas-reliefs are built into some of the walls.

We now enter the principality of Monaco, which, though only eight miles long by five broad, is yet governed by a sovereign prince, under the protection of Sardinia, who levies duties and taxes, and is occasionally very troublesome to travellers, by means of his douane and police officers. His revenues are derived chiefly from oranges and lemons, which grow abundantly in his territory. The principality was founded in the tenth century, in favour of the Grimaldi family; but when the male line became extinct, it descended through the females to the family of Matignon. The reigning prince resides chiefly at Paris.

Monaco, the capital, is a singular town, fortified, and containing 1200 inhabitants. It is built on an elevated rock, a promontory above the sea, on the shore of a little bay, on the right of our road. It is said to have been founded by Hercules, and was known to the ancients as "Portus Herculis Monoci." It has the honour of having been mentioned by Virgil. Close to the castle cactuses grow in profusion.

6 Mentone, also within the principality, is a much larger place, of 3000 inhabitants, provided with a port. Mentone, though counted 6

posts from Nice, is not more than 20 English miles distant.

Near Mentone a fine arch has been thrown across the gorge of the Baussi Rossi, on the high road to Ventimiglia. The traveller should not fail to alight, enter a vineyard on the right hand close to the bridge, and examine this extraordinary structure, in such a situation, it is called the Pont St. Louis.

1 Ventimiglia (Albium Intemelium). Inn: Hôtel de Turin. This small town has been recently fortified.

Near Bordighiera, and in other places along the coast, palm trees grow in the open air; but they will scarcely be recognised as such at first, owing to the practice of swathing their branches to protect their leaves, which form an important article of commerce, being exported to Rome and other large cities of Italy, to be used in the religious ceremonies of Palm Sunday.

3 St. Remy, or St. Remo, is a considerable town, of 11,000 inhabitants, situated on the slope of a hill. It exports large quantities of oil, dried fruits, and lemons.

21 St. Stephano. The scenery falls off in interest between Porto Maurizio and Oneglia. The route is chiefly on the shore, and is a wretched, uninteresting portion of the route.

23 Oneglia, a town of 5000 inhabitants, the birthplace of Andria Doria: it is famed for good oil. It was taken by the French in the campaign of 1792-4.

4 Alassio.

1 Albenga, a very ancient and interesting town. The Albium Ingaunum of the Roman itineraries contains many interesting relics of the middle ages, such as a circular baptistery. Several remarkably lofty towers, and the whole of the ancient feudal fortifications still remain.

The streets of many of the old towns through which the road is carried are so narrow, that the walls of the houses on both sides are grooved

the scarcity of ports in some parts of the coast, vessels of 30 or 40 tons burden are drawn up high and dry on the beach. Several of the torrents descending from the Alps require to be forded; a process attended, at times, with some risk, owing to their sudden increase after rain: they subside, however, equally fast.

The views of the bay of Albenga, from either of its headland boundaries, are singularly beautiful.

The last hill on the road remains to be surmounted before reaching Finale. Its ascent is not less than three miles long, and the descent by zigzags, on the east side, two miles. To avoid this unnecessary labour, the government are at present constructing a new line close to the sea. In 1838, at least 400 workmen were employed in opening a tunnel through a part of the mountain for it to pass, and thus preserve its level without ascent or descent.

3 Finale, a town of 7000 inhabit

rival, ruined the harbour for a time by sinking two old vessels laden with stones at its mouth, in 1525. The French afterwards repaired the damage, and it is once more a flourishing port, carrying on a considerable export trade of sail-cloth, cables, soap, fruit, and lace. There are several fine churches here. The Duomo, richly decorated, contains paintings by Albano.

Between Savona and Genoa the magnificent new road is conducted on a perfect level, near the sea, partly along arched terraces, partly through cuttings and blastings by gunpowder in the solid rock. As a work of engineering, it is not surpassed on any alpine pass.

Cogureto, or Cogoleto, a humble village, would be passed unnoticed, except for a claim which it sets up of being the birthplace of Christopher Columbus. The generally received opinion, founded on Columbus's will, is, that Genoa was the place where that great man first drew breath. Here, nevertheless, is shown the identical house by the sea side; and it is marked by more than one inscription to commemorate the fact. The will, it must be observed, does not express that he was born in the city of Genoa, but that he was a Genoese, "Siendo yo nacido in Genova," — being, as the will was written in Spanish and in Spain, as applicable to the state as to the city. At Cogoleto the torrent Leone is crossed by a ford: it is at times a dangerous stream, when swollen by rains.

4 Voltri.