1831 1832] Quarantine at Calais 247 



The Sismondis, accompanied by Fanny Allen, left 

 England in March. The quarantine mentioned below was 

 on account of the cholera in England. 



Fanny Allen to her brother-in-law Sir James Mackintosh. 



HOTEL RIVOLI, RUE RJVOLI, 

 MY DEAR MACKINTOSH, March 13 > 1832< 



. . . Sisrnondi told you of our bad passage and how 

 we fared in the Quarantine Station. The first, to be sure, 

 was as bad as possible, but it did not do either Jessie or me 

 as much mischief as your chicken-bone. 1 I do not know 

 whether I am indebted to the strength of my constitution 

 or to the merits of sea- water for my escape from cold or 

 fever after sitting 14 hours in clothes drenched through by 

 the waves. The Quarantine was not disagreeable; it was 

 rather more an odd position than a disagreeable one. I do 

 not consider the three days there as lost days; our com- 

 pany were more French than English, and I was amused 

 at observing their different manner and character. We did 

 not suffer from cold in our station, though it was a mere 

 wooden shed, divided into three parts for the men, women, 

 and our common sitting-room. The beds were excellent, 

 and our eating not bad, so that we were not to be pitied; 

 though I must add we enjoyed Dessin's Inn very much 

 when we were let out of our Quarantine. Sismondi bought 

 a French travelling carriage which took us and all our 

 luggage, very comfortably and moderately, my share for the 

 whole expenses of the journey from Calais being only 6 

 Napoleons. . . . 



Sismondi made a course of visits yesterday morning to 

 his friends. He reports the impression he received was, 

 that among the ministerialists, when they talked of and 

 rather expected the downfall of our ministry, they seemed 

 to him to look with something of satisfaction to the return 

 of Sir R. Peel and the Duke. Sismondi called on Madame 



1 This proved to be a fatal accident; a splinter lodged in his throat 

 and caused his death. 





