The time I had allotted for my residence at this delightful place, was now drawing to a close, and having provided a fresh supply of Herries and Farquhar’s notes, from my punctual and obliging bankers in London, I prepared to proceed to Aix in Provence, where I proposed to bathe for the remainder of the summer, staying a few days only at Nismes, on my way. I shall avail myself of this opportunity of recommending to travellers the superior advantages of Herries and Farquhar’s notes, in preference to letters of credit, and which I cannot do better than state in their own words. “The object of this plan is to supply travellers with money, whenever they may require it, without there being any necessity of determining the route beforehand. For this purpose, a correspondence is established with all the principal places of Europe. The traveller is furnished with a general letter or order, addressed to the different agents of the house, which letter, while it serves to identify him, gives a claim to any attention or good offices he may stand in need of.” A variety of clear and explicit arrangements are made, to facilitate the immediate supplies of the traveller, whenever he may need them; and excellent precautions adopted, to prevent forgeries, impositions, and the extravagant expenses, commissions, and discounts, which attend the negotiation of bills on merchants’ houses. CHAP. VII. NISMES. A short time before my departure from Montpellier, I had the misfortune to sprain my ancle, which abridged materially my usual pleasure of walking, but did not prevent me pursuing my original intention of proceeding to Aix. M. de C⸺ was kind enough to accompany me to the coach, and, with the best possible motives, recommended me to the care of the passengers and conducteur, but which I must admit I would rather have declined, as it disarmed me of that independence I wished to feel; I fancied it was placing me in the light of a school-boy; or perhaps of a package of “_Glass.—Keep this side uppermost._” I would prefer being treated with the little ceremony of a woolpack, which by its accommodating elasticity, not only avoids injury from slighter contact, but under more decided and ruder pressure, becomes so solid, so confirmed, so compact, as effectually to oppose additional restraint, and probably at length by its innate powers, to throw off the superincumbent weight, and immediately regain its original state; in short, I find less difficulty, and inconvenience, in travelling amongst strangers, than people imagine, and prefer being left to my own resources; habit has given me the power of acquiring, by a kind of undefinable tact, as correct ideas of objects as the most accurate descriptions would give; and unbiassed by the opinions of others, I feel more facility in forming my estimates of human nature.