249 Travelling Particularities : [Serr. 
narrow road for the small vehicles of the peasantry, shaded by a double 
row of beautiful young beeches. This continues almost unbroken till 
within a very short distance of Ghent. About four or five miles on this 
side of Ghent, the canal divides into two a most pretty village, consisting 
half of handsome country houses, half of bright-coloured cottages ; and 
immediately on passing this, the noble old city of Ghent rises dimly in the 
distance, out of the dense mass of trees which intervenes. This view is 
a fine exception to the general absence of any thing striking in the 
scenery of the day’s journey. 
On reaching, at about half past four o’clock, the quay of the canal, at 
the entrance of Ghent, our traveller will be besieged by numerous por- 
ters, lacqueys, and guides, from the whole of whom he will do well at 
once to escape, by putting himself and his portmanteau into the Brussels’ 
diligence, which he will see standing in an open space on the opposite 
side of the basin :—leaving Ghent to be visited on his return. This dili- 
gence is connected with the boat, and starts immediately on the arrival 
of the latter. The journey is performed at least as quickly and com- 
modiously as those by our ordinary stages, and is concluded about eleven 
at night. The expenses of the whole day, including an excellent dinner 
in the boat (the very best that will be met with on the journey) will 
amount to less than ten shillings. It should here be observed that, 
though in the journey from London to Calais, we have, by implication, 
advised our traveller to choose the inferior part of the vessel, on account 
of the great difference in expense, as compared with the merely ima- 
ginary difference in accommodation, we have ever since placed him, as 
a matter of course, in the best places out of three—because here it was 
not in the least degree worth while to dispense with the positive com- 
forts that the difference would afford him, especially in the case of bad 
weather. But it is right to mention, that in almost every case he might 
have made the journey, in the same vehicle, for considerably less than 
the price we have named. On reaching Brussels, he will desire to be 
conducted to the Hétel de Suede, Rue de l’ Evéque. 
Sunpay —Onur traveller has now reached a very lively, stirring, well- 
conducted, and agreeable city ; but one which is as much overrated in 
some respects as it is underrated in others. He will, however, not be 
so unreasonable as to expect, that the two or three days which his plans 
permit him to devote to Brussels, will enable him to do more than gain 
a general and superficial notion of it. It is to this end alone, therefore, 
that our desultory hints will be directed. 
The first random sally forth of our traveller from the central point, at 
which we have placed him, will give him the idea of a busy, flourishing, 
and populous provincial city, consisting of many poor, some tolerable, 
and afew good, but not one fine or striking street, or public place what- 
ever ; and, with a single exception, this impression will only be the 
more confirmed the more he sees. Further (still with one exception), 
he will meet with no fine public edifices finely placed—no richness in 
the private residences—no splendour in the shops—and no striking 
general effect in the ensemble of any particular spot, or collection of 
buildings, public or private. In short (still with the one general excep- 
tion that we have already made), he would, not knowing to the con- 
trary, never suppose himself in the capital of a kingdom, and the resi- 
dence of a court, but, on the contrary (as we have hinted above), in a 
crowded, bustling, and wealthy, but ill-constructed and_ ill-arranged 
provincial town. His first morning’s ramble will probably leave this 
