THE SPORTSMAN IN FRANCE. 91 



short, I was not a little pleased at my re- 

 ception. Quimper is decidedly the gayest 

 of the departmental towns in Brittany; at 

 least, I found it so, — it is the chef lieu of 

 the Departement of Finisterre, and con- 

 tains about ten thousand inhabitants. 



TheProcureur du Roi was polite enough 

 to offer me a seat in his carriage as far as 

 Brest, where his professional services 

 were required, in consequence of one of 

 the felons, condemned for life, having at- 

 tempted to escape. I was not sorry at 

 the opportunity afforded me of visiting 

 the bagnes, and he was so obliging as to 

 procure me an order to inspect this depdt 

 of human depravity and misery. 



It is a curious but melancholy sight — 

 a horrid one, I may say. The rules and 

 regulations by which this living hell is 

 governed are rigid and severe to a degree, 

 — the wretches under sentence at this sea- 

 port are huddled together, without dis- 

 tinction as to the several shades and cha- 



