122 



THE EOULEVARDS. 



la Grande Armee. The footways of tlic most frequented 

 boulevards are about twenty-six feet wide on eacli side, and 

 sometinaes more. 



But^ notwithstanding their general similarity,, there are a 

 few distinctive enough for special mention^ and among 

 these none more so than the Boulevard Richard Lenoir, 

 which runs from the Place de la Bastille to the Rue du 

 Paubourg du Temple. This often escapes observation from 

 visitors, as the Boulevard Beaumarchais drains most of the 

 traffic from the Bastille to the fashionable boulevards ; but 



Fig. 47. 



it is one of the most remarkable in Paris^ and more than 

 usually ornamental. It is nearly 2000 yards long, and is 

 in great part built over a canal. It was thought desirable 

 to cover a large portion of the canal, and to make a wide 

 boulevard over this huge bridge, in order to facilitate the 

 traffic and improve the appearance of the district. It 

 became necessary to have ventilating and lighting shafts 

 for the canal, and eighteen pairs of these openings occur 

 in the course of its length. These have been ingeniously 

 and tastefully hidden by eighteen little railed-in parterres. 



