124 



CHAMPAGNE. 



of Burgundy, there appeared little to be worthy of my 

 attention till I should reach Champagne, and I therefore 

 made the best of my way for this town, the centre of the 

 district, in as far at least as the chief trade in Cham- 

 pagne wines is concentrated there. For the last two days 

 I had travelled through a bare uninteresting country, 

 consisting almost exclusively of a chalk subsoil, with a thin 

 layer of vegetable mould on the surface. After quitting 

 Dijon few vines were to be seen till after having passed 

 Chalons-sur-Marne, between which and Rheims are 

 situated the Sillery vineyards, which produce the famous 

 still wines of that name. The range of hills lies to the 

 left of the road, and has an eastern exposure, in some 

 places even to the north of east. The small town of 

 Sillery is three or four miles from the nearest of them. 

 During part of the journey from Dijon to Rheims, I 

 travelled in company with an officer of artillery, who had 

 gone to Algiers with the expedition, and had only re- 

 turned to France about a month before. The French 

 colony there remains almost stationary ; owing to the inse- 

 curity of the settlers there is little or no emigration. There 

 are now 1,500 French troops in the country, and it would 

 require not fewer than 40,000 to protect the settlers 

 within 25 miles of Algiers. Allotments of land are only 

 made to actual labourers, and not to a greater extent than 

 from 8 to 20 acres each, and there is generally also a house 

 and garden. The land granted by the French govern- 

 ment was the property of those who abandoned their 

 homes on the French taking possession ; those who re- 

 mained were undisturbed in their property. There are 

 also extensive domains which belonged to the dey or the 

 government. Merino sheep are plentiful, and in large 

 flocks,— the mutton is excellent. Beef is not so good. 



