THE EUROPEAN JOURNALS 309 



seldom go anywhere without meeting some one w^ho has 

 met me, I found among the guests a Fellow of the Lin- 

 naean Society, who knew me well. The Baroness now 

 came in — a good-looking, motherly lady, and the com- 

 pany, amounting to sixteen, went to dinner. The Baron- 

 ess led the way with a gentleman, and the Baron took in 

 his daughter, but made friend Swainson and me precede 

 them ; Swainson sat next mademoiselle, who, fortunately 

 for him, speaks excellent English. I was opposite to her, 

 by the side of the Baron. There was not the show of opu- 

 lence at this dinner that is seen in the same rank of life in 

 England, no, not by far, but it was a good dinner, served 

 a la fran^aisc. All seemed happy, and went on with 

 more simplicity than in London. The dinner finished, the 

 Baroness rose, and we all followed her into the library. I 

 liked this much ; I cannot bear the drinking matches of 

 wine at the English tables. We had coffee, and the com- 

 pany increased rapidly ; amongst them all I knew only 

 Captain Parry, M. de CondoUeot (?), and Mr. Lesson,^ 

 just returned from a voyage round the world. Cuvier 

 stuck to us, and we talked ornithology ; he asked me the 

 price of my work, and I gave him a prospectus. The 

 company filled the room, it grew late, and we left well sat- 

 isfied with the introductory step among /^.y savans franqais. 

 Sunday, September 7. The traveller who visits France 

 without seeing a fete, such as I have seen this day at St. 

 Cloud, leaves the country unacquainted with that species 

 of knowledge best adapted to show the manners of a peo- 

 ple. St. Cloud is a handsome town on the Seine, about 

 five miles below Paris, built in horseshoe form on the un- 

 dulating hills of this part of the country. These hills are 

 covered with woods, through which villas, cottages, and 

 chateaux emerge, and give life to the scene. On the west 

 side of the village, and on its greatest elevation, stands the 



1 Rene Primevere Lesson, a French naturalist and author, born at 

 Rochefort, 1794, died 1S49. 



