ET. 28.) JOURNAL. 211 
away with unpaid bills, — to ascertain this point is said 
to be the chief object of all this inquiry. When you 
arrive at any hotel and remain over night, you are 
presented with a blank formula comprising still more 
particular inquiries, which you are required to fill up, 
and it is sent to the police office. You give first your 
name, then your country, age, religion, occupation, 
state whether you are married or not! whether you 
are traveling alone or in company; where you came 
from last ; your probable stay; whether you have let- 
ters of credit or not, with some equally particular 
inquiries! I went next to my banker’s, found no 
letters!’ I drew some money, and obtained a ticket 
of admission to a commercial reading-room, which is 
‘well supplied with English and French newspapers. 
Here I stayed until sunset, reading up my English 
news, in which I had got far behind, and which on 
the present occasion I found very interesting. I 
gleaned occasionally a little news from home, but 
vaguely. The information seemed in general satisfac- 
tory, but one letter from home were worth it all! 
I have this morning changed the plants I have been 
drying, and have taken care of my companion Philip, 
who is quite sick with the fatigue of his journey and 
so forth. I have endured it very well, but must get 
into bed. Not having had my clothes off for three 
nights in succession, nor enjoyed rational sleep, I 
wonder much that I am not more fatigued. Endlicher 
asked me to go to the opera this evening, where there 
is some especially fine music, as he says, but I de- 
clined, telling him that under present circumstances 
I should sleep through the finest music in the world. 
I suppose it would be perfectly impossible to make 
him undefstand how one could have any scruples 
against this amusement. 
