Young's travels in francs. 625

lavifhed, and a debt contracted and increafing ; the fortifications not in good repair ;and report fays, that his army is neither well paid, nor well difciplined. Thefe featuresare not to be miftaken ; the King, though free from the vices which degrade fo manyprinces, and poflefiing many amiable virtues, is of too eafy a difpofition, which expofeshim to fituations, in which ceconomy is facrificed to feelings — amiable for private life,but inconfiftent with the feverity of a monarch’s duty.

It is a molt curious circumltance in the King of Sardinia ’s government, that there isin this court a great defire to fell the ifland of Sardinia . A treaty was opened with theEtnprefs of Ruflia for that purpofe, after the was difappointed in her negotiation withthe Genoefe, in the projected acquifition of Spazzie, and of Malta : but in all thefefchemes of a Mediterranean eftablilhmenf, the was difappointed by the vigorous and de-cifive interference of the courts of Verfailles and Madrid. One cannot have any hefi-tation in the opinion, that to improve this ifland, by means of a good government, wouldbe more political than fo ftrange a meafure as its fale *.

I (hall

* It may not here be unuftful to the reader, if I note fome minutes taken at Turin concerning thatifland, one of the moll negledted fpots in Europe , and which, of courfe, betrays the effects of a vicious fyf-tem of government fufficiently, for conclufions of fome importance to be drawn. The marfhes are fo nume-rous and extenfive, that the intemperia is every where found; the mountains numerous and high ; and wadesfound fo generally, that the whole ifle may be confidered as fuch, with fpots only cultivated. Ellates inthe hands of abfentees are large, the rents confequently fent away, and the people left to the mercy of ra-pacious managers. The Duke of Affinaria has 300,000 livres a year: the Duke of St. Piera 160,000livres : the Marquis of Pafcha as much ; and many live in Spain . M. de Girah, a grandee, has an eftatcof two days journey, from Poula to Oleaftre. The peafantsin a miferable fituation ; their cabins wretchedhovels, without either windows or chimnies ; their cattle have nothing to eat in winter, but browzing inwoods, for there are no wolves. The number of wild ducks incredible. Shooting them was the chiefamufement of an officer, who was nine years in the ifland, and who gave me this account. Provifionscheap ; bread, 1 f. the pound ; beef, 2 f. ; mutton, 2 \f ; a load of wood, of ten quintals, 4s. pd. ilerling.Wheat is the only export; in this grain the lands are naturally fertile, yielding commonly feven or eightfor one, and fome even forty. No filk ; and oil, worfe than eafy to conceive. They have fome wine almoflas good as Malaga , and not unlike it. The great want of the ifland is that of water ; fprings are fcarce,and the few rivers are in low bottoms. To thefe particulars ! fhall add a few from Gemelli.

Sardinia is a real defert, for the moll part; and where cultivated, it is in the moll wretched manner: everything confumed in the ifland (except the immediate food of the day) is imported, even their flax** andwood, from Corfica and Tufcany ; the miferable inhabitants know not even the art of making hay ; theircrops are dellroyed by wild animals, for the very notion of an inclofure is unknown. Leafes are annual -j-.The tunny filhery produces from abroad 60,000 fcudi\.

They have no mules; and the cities, as they are called, have been fupplied with corn from abroad ; withplenty in the ifland, which could not be brought for want of mules to convey it ; infomuch that a fourthpart of- the corn has been offered as a payment, for carrying the other three paits to the towns, and notaccepted §.

In 1750, there were about 360,000 fouls, in Sardinia ; in 1773, they were 42 1,597 ; fo that in twenty-three years the increafe was 61,597 ; occalioned by an inflitution called Monti Frumentarii, which furnifhesfeed on credit to the poor farmers, who cannot afford to buy it ||. Cattle in the ifland, in 1771 ; cows, &c.1,710,259 ; oxen for work, horfes, mares, and calves bred for work, 185,266 ^f.

Working oxen,

-

-

-

97»753

Cows in calf,

-

.

-

i3. 0 99

Calves, ammanfile ,

-

-

-

8,c8o

Horfes and mares,

-

-

-

66,334

Hogs,

-

-

-

I 5 Z >47 1

Oxen and calves, rudi,

-

58,770

Carried over, - 396,507

** Rifiorimente Della Sardegna Gemelli , 4to. vol. i. p. 50. f Ibid. p. 2. J Ibid. p. 54.

$ Ibid. p. 5. J| Hid. p. 46. If Ibid. p. 35O.

VOL. IV.

Cows