SECRETARY'S REPORT. 247 



a thousand little details which strike us at every step, indicate 

 the presence of an entirely dilFerent people. 



After suffering from the damp, heavy atmosphere of London, 

 liable to be caught in a shower every time one stepped out 

 doors, it was no small relief to come into a bright, warm coun- 

 try of sunshine, to meet the merry, laughter-loving people of 

 France. 



About seventy miles south of Paris we saw the first hills of 

 Indian corn that we had seen in Europe, and here only a square 

 rod or so, of a sickly growth, that seemed almost ashamed to 

 raise its head. Wheat and the smaller grains appear to be 

 more common, but as we got farther south large fields of corn 

 increase, till it becomes a staple crop. At the end of a delight- 

 ful day, and an easy journey of two hundred miles, relieved 

 from monotony by the novelty of changing scenery, and a new 

 language, we arrived at Dijon. 



I have thus far said nothing of the modes of conveyance. 

 They differ widely in some respects from our own. The cars, 

 always called carriages, of an English railway, are divided into 

 coupes or partitions running crosswise, with doors at each 

 side. Each division will seat eight persons, four facing each 

 other. The doors are usually locked when the train starts, I 

 do not like the arrangement. It is unsocial and exclusive. 

 The first class cars are furnished with luxurious cushions, while 

 the second class, though arranged in the same way, are far 

 rougher, but still comfortable enough. 'The third class has no 

 cushioned seats, and is a good deal inferior to the first and 

 second classes. 



In France the first and second classes are also divided into 

 coupes or divisions, while the third class is usually more open, 

 more like our own. As we wanted to see the people, to learn 

 something of their habits, their thoughts and their ideas, we 

 tried all classes, beginning with the first and coming to the 

 third. In this trip from Paris we tried the third, for the first 

 time, and rather as a matter of experiment. It was vastly 

 more agreeable than we had found the first and second classes, 

 as we had a far better view of the country, and I am sure, if 

 the price had been the same, we should have taken tlie third 

 class in preference. Indeed, the third class cars in France are 

 nearly, if not quite as good, in other respects, as the second 



