The reason of this is that the upper part of the town is but thinly inhabited.

A gloomy air of silence and vacancy reigns around.

We could wander about every where without being stared at or annoyed by the vulgar and envious.

Mr.Bartlett, the Englishman, made a few sketches in his drawing-book of some of the chief beauties, such as the Gothic gateways, the windows, balconies, etc., and no inhabitant came to disturb him.
The pavement in the city, and even in the streets around the fortifications, consists wholly of handsome slabs of stone, often of different colours, like mosaic, and in such good preservation that we could fancy the work had been but recently concluded.

This is certainly partly owing to the fact that no loaded wagon ever crushes over these stones, for the use of vehicles is entirely unknown in these parts; every thing is carried by horses, asses, or camels.
Cannons dating from the time of the Genoese still stand upon the ramparts.