13G 



THE GENESEE FARMER 



April 30, 1832, 



LETTERS FROM EUROPE. 



LETTER III. 



Paris, Dec. 31, tg30. 



My dear H. — This must, of course, be a let- 

 ter of first impressions. I have taken my po- 

 sition in a central part of the city, at a Hotel 

 fronting on the famouB Rue fit. Honors, the 

 scene of so much bloodshed during the recent 

 revolution, and having an entrance on the Rue 

 Itivoli, and looking out on the Palace and gar 

 ilen of the Tuilleries. From this position, du 

 ring my brief stay in Paris, my excursions into 

 the city and to the environs will be made, and 

 from this, must be dated such crude specula 

 tions as I may offer you, on men and things. 

 The first news which has greeted my eurs on 

 u»y arrival has been that of a very serious 

 popular commotion, connected with an alleg- 

 ed conspiracy to subvert the government, 

 which broke out a few days since, and which 

 threw the whole city into confusion, and 

 threatened, for a while, to renew the appalling 

 scenes of former times. Happily the national 

 guard proved themselves worthy of the high 

 trust and confidence reposed in ihem, and or- 

 der has been restored. The opinions which I 

 have, as yet, heard expressed concerning the 

 stability or instability of the present order of 

 things in France, have been as various as the 

 hopes, the fears and the prejudices of the per- 

 sons from whom they have come, could make 

 them. If I were obliged to make up a hasly 

 opinion on this subject, or on that of a conti- 

 nental war, I would look to the Exchange. — 

 I am satisfied, that with some few exceptions, 

 the state of the political atmosphere here, 

 may, generally, be pretty accurately ascertain- 

 ed by the great barometer which is hung up in 

 the Bourse. Judging from this, it would 

 seem must probable that France is to enjoy a 

 period of internal quiet, and not the le-s so, 

 because she is likely to he forced into a foreign 

 war. Bui I will not suffer myself, at present, 

 to speak of this subje:t. It is too intricate to 

 be understood in a moment, and too important 

 to he lightly treated of. At another day and 

 before I leave Paris, I will give you my opin- 

 ions fully, for belter and for worse, on the 

 leading political topics connected with this in- 

 teresting country. At the present lime, I trust 

 it will not be wholly uninteresting to you, if I 

 go back a little to review, briefly, the ground I 

 have passed over since landing at Hivre. — 

 Let me. however, premise that lam not about 

 to inflict upon you, in the usual manner of 

 modern travellers, a detailed accouut of all my 

 own movements, nor a minute and ladious his- 

 tory uf every place, and every object, that 

 met my eye. In short, I em not about to fa- 

 vour you with a geography, or a iruido book. 

 A hasty sketch of ibe mo-t prominent objects, 

 done in crayon, but taken from the most com- 

 manding positions, is all I promise, and all you 

 will expect. 



Havre contains fewer inhabitants than the 

 city of Albany, though it is an important sea- 

 port, founded by royalty more than a century 

 before the landing of the pilgrims al Plymouth, 

 and has enjoyed, from that day o this the fa 

 vour and patronage of successive kings under 

 three different dynasties. As an evidence of 

 what these important personages have done 

 for it, its walls and moats and harrier-gates 

 have been constructed at great expense, and 

 are Indeed exceedingly imposing ; and yet for 

 the purposes of military defence, 1 confess 

 they seemed to me almost ludicrans when I 

 looked at them from an elevation of five or si,\ 

 hundred feet, on the high bank of the Seme, 

 within point-blanc cannon shot, constructed 

 as they are around a settlement clusiered on 

 a low ground, scarcely rising above, the level 

 of the river, and evidently formed of alluvial 

 dep'/sits from it. 



A more important work for Havre, and one 

 much more creditable to the government, is 

 the construction of the spacious basin and the 

 numerous quays connected with 11, which in 

 truth give to the town all its importance. — \ 



These are situated in the very heart of the 

 city, which is built up around them as their 

 adjunct, and it is no otherwise a sea-port, than 

 it is made so by these works of art. The 

 docks are kept full with the tides which flow j 

 into them, and which are prevented from es- j 

 caping by means of gates which close, in a vol- j 

 untary manner, on the imprisoned waters as 

 they begin to ebb. In these docks the ship-' 

 ping being admitted from the basin at high tide, j 

 rides at all times in its own element, while! 

 that which remains in the basin, twice every! 

 day, when the tide leaves it, is deeply enibad- ! 

 ded in the mud. The day of my arrival >n this! 

 catholic country, being Christmas day, 1 tool;! 

 occasion to witness something of the impos-i 

 ing ceremonies of their pompous religion. — ] 

 The spacious Cathedral was thronged with 

 worshippers, of whom, as is pcihups tlie casei 

 to some extent with worshippers in all reli- 

 gions, by far the greater portion were females 

 The music was splendid and ravishing, pealing 

 from an organ of uicommon power, and from 

 a numerous choir, with whom, at intervals,! 

 the whole congregation seemed to join in send- ! 

 ing up a shout to rend the vaulted roof of the 

 temple. The females present were "onerally I 

 of the middle and lower classes, These all, i 

 from the infant to the grandmother, wear caps, i 

 but no hats, and that, whether within doors ori 

 without. The weather atthe time was wintry &j 

 severe — even the sleighing was good — and I J 

 saw hundreds und hundreds of these women ! 

 and children enjoying their holiday promenade 1 

 along the streets and in the boulevards, with 

 nothing but their muslin caps to defend their! 

 heads from a biting atmosphere. Among 

 these, I distinguished the cauchoise, the peco-J 

 liar ancient headdress of the women of Nor- ! 

 mand'A" rising several stories high, and arrang- 

 ed with the •' front to the rear." 



That which most attracted my attention all 

 Havre, and which struck me as being almost 

 the only thing worthy of peculiar note, was; 

 whut is there called the Cote. Havre, on the 

 right bank of the Seine, resembles, in its po- j 

 sition, the city of Troy on the banks of the: 

 [Hudson. On the north eastern side of the | 

 town, as at Troy, there rises, from the level ofl 

 the city, a mountain elevation of several hun- 

 dred feet, the acclivity of which is at an angle 

 of nearly forty five degrees. The whole of 

 this steep ascent, for a mile in length, and as- 

 cending to the very summit, is occupied with 

 beautiful country seats. The entire mountain 

 side, though of rock thinly covered, has been 

 terraced. Excavations have been made for 

 roads, of a width just suthcient for the passage 

 of a single carriage, running along nearly par- 

 allel with the course of the mountain, and wil- 

 led up with heavy stone mason work, frequent- 

 ly to the height of twenty-five feet. Through 

 the lower wall of these roads or paths, an o 

 pening will be made, leading to a beautiful 

 mansion, which may show perhaps a single 

 story on the upper side, while, from its posi- 

 tion, it will exhibit four or five on the lower.— 

 The upper wall is made to susiain the extrem 

 ity of the terraced and hanging grounds and 

 gardens which are the ornament of another 

 mansion occupying a position higher up ihe 

 steep. In this way, by excavations, walling 

 and embankments, executed evidently at run 

 mous expense, this whole mountain side has 

 been brought into use and cultivation, and 

 forms one of the most romantic and pictur- 

 esque spots that the eye can rest on. Besides 

 . visa lo it in the day lime, I was induced to 

 mount it on a cleai and beautiful moonlight 

 night, and was amply paid for the exertion. — 

 The spacious channel, the quiet river and the 

 lights of the town, to which distance certainly 

 lent enchantment, were all under my eye, and 

 the chime of the cathedral bells suit up its pe- 

 culiar peal to the top of the mountain, the 

 music of which was heightened and varied b) II 

 ihe varying strength of the breeze on which itH 

 was borne. I do not know that I ever enj ped 

 a scene in nature so much. Ever yours, B, If 



POOR LAWS AND INSANE PAUPERS. 



The report by Mr. Potter, from the se- 

 lect commitlec to which was referred so 

 much of the governor's message as relates 

 to these subjects, is published in exlen<o, 

 on our first page, to-day. It is so, from 

 the convicton that the topics are of per- 

 vading interest, and entitled to consider- 

 ation both as question* of philanthropy 

 and sound policy, and that they have been 

 prrsenied in a perspicuous and interesting 

 manner. 



With regard to the lunatics, the com- 

 mittee stale that there are about 1100 in 

 the state, of w ich 350 have the means 

 oi supporting themselves ; the remaining 

 750 are either town or county paupers, otr 

 are supported by the chanty of their 

 friends. The aggregate annual expense, 

 therefore, of the pauper lunatics, under 

 the present system, even at the low esti- 

 mate ol $1 each per week, is §39.000; an 

 expense which is likely to continue du- 

 ring the lives of these unfortunate per- 

 sons ; whereas under the proposed plats 

 of a state asylum, as proposed by the 

 committee appointed at the last session, 

 and by the select committee of the pre- 

 sent house, the counties would not only 

 be relieved from the burthen of support- 

 porting them directly, but, in the language 

 of the report, " would extend the bles- 

 sings of Christian ciiarity to these loc 

 lung neglected objects of our compassion, 

 illuminate their darkened understandings, 

 return to their anxious and afflicted 

 friends those who have been shunned and 

 avoided as outcasts, and restore to soci- 

 ety many of its once most valued and 

 useful members." And the gratifying 

 t.'ct is added, that it is- susceptible of de- 

 monstration, that in 90 out of 100 cases 

 ol a malady, once considered incurable, a 

 perfect cure can be effeoeted by a prop, 

 per ami judicious course of treatment. 



Whether the subject can be sufficient- 

 ly considered, and the plan completed at 

 this late stage> of the session, and under 

 the present ptes.-ure of the buisiness of 

 the legislature, is uncertain ; but that a 

 state Asylum will be ultimately auiiiori- 

 sed, we have no more doubt, than it is 

 apparent that it ought to be. — [Albany 

 Argus. 



SEED STORK. 



THE subscribers, in connexion with Mr. N. Goodscl]. 

 Editor of the Genesee Farmer, have made arrangement? 

 to suppiy tins village and the Burrouuding couutr> w itb 

 every variety of Agricultur.iL, Horticultural and Flower 

 Seeds, together with Fruit and Shade Trees, Grape RnoU, 

 Flower Pots, Garden Tools, etc. Orders will In 

 ved for Troes and other articles, from the following Nil r- 

 series and Seed Stores: — I'riuce's, ami Parnitutier's 

 Long Isjaud ; Floy's, XAilson's, Thorburn's, nod A, 

 Smith und Co. r e, Ne« York ; Burl'., Albany; and I.:in« 

 dreth's, Philadelphia. Orders which ore left previous 

 lo the 1st of April, will be tilled as soon as ihe canal o- 

 I" i. A? ilie -ahsciihers tulend gradually lo establish 

 ,n extensive Seed Store, they uu.-i that the friendsof 

 tgriculture mid Horticulture in tin.- vi< iniiy, will rendu 

 tie in all tie {ucilitteaond encourage m ems in ibeir power. 



A XI.'IISI' 1LY, under the control of Mr Good?. II. is 

 now in progress, flrosn which many first rate Trees and 

 , , , pe Vines may he selected fi i his spring's transplant' 

 ins; m:irl9 KOS6ITER and KNOX. 



The President of the United t-U.es has re- 

 cognized Henry Dagger as Vice consul of the 

 United Mexican Slates for the port of iVIobi'c, 



