lafs. This large luftre, is furrounded with plates of the thickest French glafs, fixed in fquares of iron, and discharges a prodigious light, in dark nights. A furnace of coal was formerly ufed, but this has been judiciously superfeded by the prefent invention, Round the lantern, is a gallery with an iron baluftrade, the view from this elevation upon the beach, the entrance of the Seine, Honfleur (where our HenIII. is faid to have fought the French armies, and to have diftinguished himself by his valor) the diftant hills of Lower Normandy, and the ocean, is truly grand. It brought to my mind that beautiful def. cription of Shakespeare ry The murmuring furge That on the unnumbered idle pebbles chafes, We did not vifit the other tower, as it was uniform with this. The woman who has the charge of the light, was very good humoured, and very talkative, the feemed delighted to fhow us every thing, and faid fhe preferred seeing Englishmen in her tower as friends, to the view the frequently had of them from it as enemies, alluding to the long, and masterly blockade of this port by a fquadron of English frigates. She carried us to her little museum, as fhe called it, where he had arranged, very neatly, a confiderable collection of foffils, fhells and petrefactions. Here she showed us with great animation, two Britifh cannon balls, which during the blockade, had very nearly rendered her husband and herself, as cold and as filent as any, of the petrefactions in her collection. In this little cabinet was her bed, v where, amidst the war of winds and waves, he told us fae flept as found as a conful. 3 In the bafins of Havre, we faw feveral rafts, once fo much talked of, conftructed for the real, or oftenfible purpofe of conveying the invading legions of France, to the fhores of Great-Britain. I expected to have seen an immenfe floating platform, but the veffels which we faw, were made like brigs of an unufual breadth, with two low mafts. The fincerity of this project has been much difputed, but that the -French government expended considerable fums upon the fcheme, I have no doubt. I must not omit to mention, the admirable mode, which they have here, and in most parts of France, of constructing their carts. They are placed upon very high wheels, the load is generally arranged fo as to create an equipoife, and is raised by an axle, fastened near the shafts. I was informed by a merchant, that a fingle horse can draw with eafe thirtyfix hundred weight, in one of these carts. Thefe animals have a very formidable appearance, owing to a ftrange custom which the French have, of covering the collar, with an entire theep's fkin, which gives them the appearance of having an enormous fhag, At night, we fettled our bills which amounted to forty livres each. A confiderable charge in this country, but we had lived well, and had not thought. it worth our while, on account of the probable fhortnefs of our stay, to bargain forour lodging, and board, a plan generally proper to be ufed by thofe, whọ mean to remain for fome length of time, in any places in France. CHAPTER IV. Cheap travelling to Paris-Diligences-French Poftillions-Spanish Poftillions.-Norman Horfes, Balbec.-Natives of Caux-Ivetot. Return of Religion.Santerre. Jacobin.-The Mustard Pot.. -National Property... BEFORE I proceed on my journey, I must beg leave to prefent a very cheap mode of travelling to Paris, from Havre, to those who have more time at: their command than I had. It was given to me by: a refpectable gentleman, and an old traveller. D 2 de roduq ile new bus Sols. From Havre to Honfleur, by the paffage-boats 10 From Rolleboife to Pontoife, by water This progrefs, however is tedious and uncertain. 30 $30 At day-break we feated ourfelves in the diligence. All the carriages of this defcription have the appearance of being the refult of the earlieft efforts in the art of coach building. A more uncouth clumfy machine can scarcely be imagined. In the front is a cabriolet fixed to the body of the coach, for the ac commodation of three paffengers, who are protected from the rain above, by the projecting roof of the coach, and in front by two heavy curtains of leather, well oiled, and smelling fomewhat offenfively, faftened to the roof. The infide, which is capacious, and lofty, and will hold fix people with great comfort, is lined with leather padded, and furrounded with little pockets, in which the travellers depofit their bread, fnuff, night caps and pocket handkerchiefs, which generally enjoy each others company in the fame delicate depofitary. From the roof depends a A large net work, which is generally crowded with hats, fwords, and band boxes, the whole is conveni ent, and when all parties are feated and arranged, the accommodations are by no means unpleasant. Upon the roof, on the outfide, is the imperial, which is generally filled with fix or seven perfons s more, and a heap of luggage, which latter alfo occupies the basket, and generally presents a pile, half as high again as the coach, which is fecured by ropes and chains, tightened by a large iron windlass, which alfo conftitutes another appendage of this moving mafs. The body of the carriage refts upon large thongs of leather, faftened to heavy blocks of wood,] inftead of fprings, and the whole is drawn by feven shorfes. Thethree first are fastened to the cross bar, the <reft are in pairs, all in rope harness and tackling. The near horfe of the three firft, is mounted by the poftilbelion, in his great jack boots, which are always placed, with much ceremony, like two tubs, on the right fide of his Rofirante, juft before he afcends. Thefe curious protectors of his legs, are composed of wood, band iron hoops, foftened within by stuffing, and give him all the dignity of riding in a pair of upright portmanteaus. With a long lash whip in his hand, a dirty night cap and an old cocked hat upon his head, hallooing alternately « à gauche, à droit," and a few doccafional facre dieus, which feem always properly applied, and perfectly understood, the merry postillion drives along his cattle I must not fail to do: justice to the scientific fkill with which he manages |