Poitiers 6i 



de Broglio, one of the ablest and most active officers in the 

 French service. In his private capacity his undertakings were 

 of a national kind; this mill, an iron forge, and the project of a 

 navigation, proved that he had a disposition for every exertion 

 that could, according to the prevalent ideas of the times, benefit 

 his country; that is to say, in every way except the one in 

 which it would have been effective — practical agriculture. 

 This day's journey has been, with some exceptions, through a 

 poor, dull, and disagreeable country. — 35 miles. 



2nd. Poitou, from what I see of it, is an unimproved, poor. T 

 and ugly country. It seems to want communication, demand, '%\ 

 and activity of all kinds, nor does it, on an average, yield the 

 half of what it might. The lower part of the province is much 

 richer and better. 



Arrive at Poitiers, which is one of the worst built towns I have 

 seen in France ; very large and irregular, but containing scarcely 

 anything worthy of notice, except the cathedral, which is well 

 built and very well kept. The finest thing by far in the town 

 is the promenade, which is the most extensive I have seen; it 

 occupies a considerable space of ground, with gravelled walks, 

 etc., excellently kept. — 12 miles. 



yd. A white chalky country to Chateaurault, open and 

 thinly peopled, though not without country seats. Tliat town 

 has some animation owing to its navigable river, which falls 

 into the Loire. There is a considerable cutlery manufacture: 

 we were no sooner arrived than our apartment was full of the 

 wives and daughters of manufacturers, each with her box of 

 knives, scissors, toys, etc., and with so much civil solicitude to 

 have something bought that had we wanted nothing it would 

 have been impossible to let so much urgency prove vain. It is 

 remtarkable, as the fabrics made here are cheap, that there is 

 scarcely any division of labour in this manufacture; it is in the 

 hands of distinct and unconnected workmen who go through 

 every branch on their own account, and without assistance 

 except from their families. — 25 miles. 



4/A. Pass a better country, with many chateaus, to Les 

 Ormes, where we stopped to see the seat built by the late Count 

 de Voyer d'Argenson. This chateau is a large handsome 

 edifice of stone with two very considerable wings for offices and 

 strangers' apartments: the entrance is into a neat vestibule, at 

 the end of which is the saloon, a circular marble room, extremely 

 elegant and well furnished; in the drawing-room are paintings 

 of the four French victories of the war of 1744: in every apart- 



