244 Travelling Particularities : [Sepr. 
and dropped into the water at a point where the ebbing tide will leave 
them dry, to be picked up by accomplices on the other side. They, no 
doubt, think this kind of “ free trade” all very just and honourable ; and 
it would be hard to prove that they are very wrong in so thinking, since 
they risk, and are prepared to take the consequences, of being caught in 
the pursuing of it. The somewhat ungracious truth perhaps is, that the 
only difference against smuggling, as compared with most other modes 
of “ getting an honest livelihood,” is, that the former engenders habits of 
reckless courage which sometimes lead to the most fatal crimes. In 
passing into and out of Gravelines, our traveller will remark the singular 
effect of the triple line of fortifications, by which it is defended on all 
sides but that of the sea. It is by far the strongest town he will pass 
through during his journey. On reaching Dunkerque he will get to bed 
as soon as may be, at the Hotel du Chapeau Rouge. 
WepneEspay.—As we cannot well allow our traveller more than one 
whole day at Dunkerque, we must engage him to “ be stirring with the 
lark ;” for the town is not ouly well worth a general examination, but it: 
includes several individual objects, each of which will repay a particular 
visit of an hour or so. As Dunkerque is built on a singularly regular 
plan for so old a town (the principal streets all branching off from the 
four corners of the Grande Place, and being intersected at right angles by 
the secondary ones, &c.), half of it may well enough be run over in the 
couple of hours preceding breakfast—that is to say, if our traveller is 
blessed with alimentary organs that admit of this liberty being taken with 
them. The rest of the day, till a late dinner, will be filled up by separate 
visits, during the course of which, the rest of the town will necessarily be 
seen. The port (which isa singularly fine and extensive one) and its 
dependencies, form the chief points of attraction. In particular, the 
great basin, with its sluices, which have lately been completed, and the 
object of which is gradually to wash away the bar which at present 
impedes the entrance of vessels of very heavy burthen into the harbour, 
is a noble work, finely imagined, and admirably executed If our 
traveller is lucky enough to have hit upon a day on which the sluices 
are put into action (which is, however, not more than about once a-week), 
he may witness one of the finest sights, of its kind, that can be seen, and 
one, the grandeur of which can scarcely be imagined beforehand, as 
connected with a work of mere art. The body of water, first retamed 
within the basin by the sluice gates, and afterwards (at low water) let 
out by them in a tremendous torrent durmg more than two hours, acts 
visibly upon the whole body of water at the mouth of the harbour, at not 
less than two miles distant from the shore; and so violent is the effect 
within the harbour, that a signal flag is hung out at various points, for 
several hours before the intended opening of the sluices, to warn the 
vessels of the necessity of putting on additional moorings. The objects 
next in point of interest are, the fine old square belfry tower, standing 
detached near one corner of the Grande Place ; and the noble facade of 
the principal church, close to the same spot. The view from the top of 
the first of these is well worth the trouble of mounting to see ; and the 
interior of the latter will of course be visited with some minuteness. 
Not that it contains anything in the way of pictures or decorations that 
‘calls for very particular attention: but there can be no such thing met 
with in a Catholic country, as a church that will not, on some account or 
other, repay a passing visit from the inhabitant of a Protestant country. 
The minor points of interest at Dunkerque are, the two other churches ; 
