VISIT TO A MUSSEL-FARM. 2'79 



fusion. I found my AiguiUon at the port of Esnandes, Whicli 

 is itself a curious out-of-the-way place. 



In order to see the mussel-farm, it is necessary first to get 

 to Paris, and to take the Orleans Eailway to Poitiers, then to 

 change to the line for La KochcUe, after reaching -which place 

 a voiture must be hired for the rest of the journey, Esnandes 

 being about seven kilometres from Rochelle. I need not weary 

 the reader with a description of all that is to be seen on the 

 Orleans Eailway; which, as all the travelling world at least 

 knows, runs through the most historical part of France. 

 Looking from the wiudow of the railway carriage, I enjoyed 

 for a few hours the lovely champaign scenery of the claret district 

 of France. There are vine-fields, and big joint-stock walnut 

 trees, and cherry orchards — and cherry orchards, walnut trees, 

 and vineyards, over and over again, all the way to Bordeaux. 

 Then there are little patches of water ; and dark-green grassy 

 quadrangles laid down every here and there, guarded by those 

 tall alder trees one sees in such profusion all over the Conti- 

 nent. Every here and there, too, may be seen a distant chiteau 

 on its finely- wooded ; hUl ; then come a few old farmhouses, 

 their inner yards alive vrith the minute industry of the plodding 

 husbandmen. Anon we pass the outskirts of old historical 

 towns, tempting one to break one's journey. 



It might have well suited others to perform these pleasures 

 of travel ; my errand was to see la moule. Histoiy had no 

 charms for me tiU I had seen the mussel-farms, which I had 

 come so far to visit. To my exceeding astonishment, almost 

 no one in La Rochelle knew anything about the industry of 

 AiguiUon. I had to search far and wide to obtain information 

 as to how to get to the place ; another exemplification of the 

 old story, that one may live all his life in London, and not be 

 able to find his way to St. Paul's. By virtue of a little Scottish 

 perseverance, and the expenditure of much bad Frenchj I at 

 length found out that it was at Esnandes that they cultivated 

 la moule. So, grocuring a voiture, and a garfon to drive it, I 

 sallied away out through the gates and barriers of La Rochelle ; 

 and after a pleasant drive through the vineyards and small 

 farms of the district, on each of which there appeared to be a 

 little flock of black sheep, I arrived in about an hour's time at 

 my destination, much to the astonishment of the idle poultry 

 and young dogs of the neighbourhood, which looked and acted 

 as if they never had seen a voiture or a Scotchman before. 



