318 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



and I then made my way, as far as the first bouchots, 

 across this enormous lake of mud, which has been 

 rendered productive and navigable by the ingenious 

 contrivances of Walton. In this excursion, I had 

 the pleasure of conversing for a few moments with a 

 descendant of the Irish captain. This man, who was 

 a simple boucholeur, and in no way to be distin- 

 guished from his fellow-labourers, was as proud of 

 his name as if he had been a Montmorency, and who 

 could blame him for this pride ? His name recalls 

 the services rendered for eight centuries to an entire 

 population, which owe to them their occupation and 

 their competency. Surely such a title of nobility may 

 bear comparison with that of many of our proudest 

 houses. 



Some time afterwards, I again visited the bouchots, 

 and passed beyond their lines in company with 

 M. Valenciennes, who had been commissioned by 

 the Minister of Marine to examine the coast fisheries, 

 in order to decide upon the spot many important 

 questions connected with their management and re- 

 gulations. A journey of this kind with a confrere 

 who is justly regarded as the first ichthyologist of our 

 day was a source of the greatest enjoyment to me. 



Having left La Bochelle in the evening, it was 

 already late at night when we reached Esnandes, 

 where, from want of accommodation at the only inn 

 of the village, we were obliged to accept the hospi- 

 tality of the Syndic. This worthy man who, like 

 the rest of the population, had led a seafaring life, 

 did the honours of his house in a truly patriarchal 

 manner. We passed the night in the same room 



