Account of the Climate, §c, (yfthe North of France. 229 



vigation, — and serving also more effectually to carry off the 

 water from the innummerable small canals, (termed water- 

 gangs in the language of the country,) and from the ditches 

 which communicate with them. 



To a stranger, nothing is more novel and characteristic, 

 than the manner in which this tract of country is divided and 

 intersected by the small canals and ditches ; the meadows, 

 corn-fields, plantations, and gardens of each proprietor, being 

 divided by these watergangs into small and more or less regu- 

 lar squares, each of which is completely insulated, so as to ad- 

 mit of boats readily passing between them. The whole may 

 be compared to the streets and alleys of a large city, where 

 water and boats come in the place of pavement and carriages. 

 The execution of these works has been of incalculable advan- 

 tage to the country, — immense tracts of rich soil, otherwise 

 worse than useless, has been rendered highly productive ; 

 land-carriage is almost unknown ; and last, but not least, the 

 endemic diseases, which were formerly the scourge of the in- 

 habitants, have now nearly disappeared. 



The river Aa runs slowly on a slimy channel, and which is 

 fit for forming peat.* Hence the water has a peculiar brack- 

 ish taste, which is very disagreeable. Over the whole of this 



* In many places peats are dug out of the watergangs, &c. several feet 

 under the surface of the water. For this purpose, the person goes into a 

 large half-decked boat, and is provided with a very long-handled spade, 

 the rest for the foot being four or five feet from the cutting extremity. 

 With this instrument he digs up the peat, which is easily raised to the sur- 

 face of the water, but then requires a considerable exertion to place it on 

 the deck. Afterwards the peats are transferred to the land, to be thorough- 

 ly dried, and where, for a considerable time, they emit a most offensive 

 odour. When dry they are very different from the peat to be met with in 

 Scotland. They are very hard, black, and ponderous,— not easily kindled, 

 and in burning, give out a most disagreeable and almost unsupportable 

 odour. This odour Is well known to strangers who may have walked 

 round the old ramparts of Calais, though they may have remained igno- 

 rant of its true origin. The cause is doubtless to be traced to the great 

 quantity of decayed animal matter that enters into the composition of this 

 species of peat. As the canals afford a ready and cheap mode of convey- 

 ance, and as both wood aud pit-coal are high priced, these peats arc much 

 used by the lower ranks, both in the towns and villages, as well as in the 

 country. 



