1828.] Dunkerque. 157 



the most agreeable one in the town. There are no other, of what may be 

 called the public streets of Dunkerque, so extensive or so well maintained 

 as the above named. The next to them, of the same kind, are those 

 which run off at right angles from the centre one. The principal of 

 these is the rue de la Vierge, running from the north-west corner of the 

 Grand Place to the Port. The others are the rue de Berry, rue St. 

 Julien, and rue de Pierre, running in the same direction. There is 

 also another long and very lively business street the rue Neuve 

 running nearly parallel with the rue d'Angouleme. The above streets 

 (with the exception of the rue du Moulin) are devoted chiefly to the 

 retail trade of the town, and include by far the greater share of it. But 

 of the town itself, they form but a small proportion. All the great 

 streets lying on the east and south sides of the Grand Place, are more 

 spacious than the above, much more regular in their style of architecture, 

 and, consequently, produce a more imposing, if not a more lively and 

 agreeable effect. Most of them abut upon the plain in front of the 

 barracks, or upon another open space, planted with trees, which lies on 

 the banks of one of the principal canals. They consist of the rue des 

 Vieux Remparts, rue du Sud, rue de Soubise, rue de 1'Ancienne Poste, 

 rue de Sechellers, &c. There are many other excellent streets, several 

 good ones, a very few that are indifferent, and not more than one or two 

 that can be called bad. In this latter respect, perhaps, there is scarcely 

 any other town of its size so advantageously distinguished as Dunkerque ; 

 you may perambulate it for days in every direction, and scarcely be able 

 to persuade yourself that it includes many of the very poor among its 

 inhabitants. I am afraid this is very far indeed from being a true indi- 

 cation ; but, nevertheless, it is a great and noticeable advantage, as far 

 as it goes. 



Dunkerque includes within its limits several fine open spaces, besides 

 the principal one in its centre. The chief of these is, the Place Jean 

 Bart a handsome oblong square, planted at regular intervals all over 

 with lofty elms and poplars, and having in the centre a fine bust of the 

 celebrated sea-captain whose name it bears. The next in size and regu- 

 larity of appearance, is the Place de Louis XVIII. This is surrounded 

 by good houses, and has several of the best streets branching from it. 

 There is, close to the last named, another Place, planted with trees, and 

 extending on one side to the quay of one of the canals ; and another close 

 to the Grand Place, where the fish and the meat markets are held, which 

 has a public fountain in the centre. Besides these, there is a pleasant little 

 green enclosure, turfed and planted, called (somewhat too ambitiously) the 

 Park one side of which forms the bank of the great inner basin of the port. 

 But the most agreeable promenade of the town is a large open space in 

 front of the barracks, called the Plain. It consists of a fine piece of turf, 

 running along nearly the whole of one quarter of the town, and present- 

 ing the rarity (in France) of a regular unbroken lawn, almost flat and 

 smooth enough for a bowling-green kept so by the horses and other 

 cattle that are allowed to feed upon it. 



Dunkerque is not very rich in public buildings ; but it has two, well 

 worthy of notice ; namely, the great detached tower, which you meet 

 with in so many of the continental towns, and which serves the joint 

 purposes of a belfry, a clock tower, and a look-out ; and the cathedral 

 church of Saint Eloi, the fa9ade of which is the only part claiming 

 attention. The great tower stands quite detached, a few paces from the 



