LILLE. 339 



have induced him to institute some inquiry into the real 

 qualities of their favourite food. 



One of the best private-gardens here, is that of M. Mal- 

 let. But Lille does not seem to excel in fruit-trees, nor in 

 other horticultural productions ; and we felt regret that we 

 had not enjoyed this delightful afternoon at Tournay. 



We now walked along a beautiful public Promenade, 

 shaded by trees, and proceeded to the Citadel, accounted 

 the chef-d'oeuvre of the great military engineer Vauban. 

 In returning along the ramparts, we came to a rising 

 ground, which has long been known by the title of Mount 

 Calvary. During the revolutionary period, a large cruci- 

 fix, which stood on the eminence, had been destroyed. It 

 has of late been replaced by a new one ; and when we pass- 

 ed, some hundreds of people, many of them well dressed, 

 were kneeling upon the grass bank in front of it, at their 

 evening devotions. 



All around Lille are numerous windmills, the greater 

 part of which are employed in the expressing of oil from 

 the seeds of poppy, colzat, rape, and other plants. The 

 finer and purer part of the poppy-oil, we learn, is used for 

 culinary purposes ; being, when fresh, thought little infe- 

 rior to olive-oil. A great deal is consumed in the cloth 

 manufacture. The coarsest and least pure portion serves 

 for burning in lamps. As the colzat-oil is generally rather 

 thick, its use is chiefly confined to the woollen-manufacture, 

 and to the making of black or soft soap. 



From Lille to Paris. 

 Sept 15. — We left Lille in the morning, being anxious 

 to get forward to Paris. 



We stopped a short time at Arras, the capital of Ar- 

 tois ; examined the fruit set out for sale on stalls, or to be 



y 2 



