v 
1803.] 
the bad fpots were paffed, the horfes were 
again put to the carriage. Before I at- 
tempt defcribing the country, I fhall firft 
give you a defcripfion of the French dili- 
gences, which, as I before mentioned, may 
be ‘confidered as the univerfal ‘mode of 
travelling in France, and which is the 
only way by which money is remitted be- 
tween Paris and the departments, whether 
for the national treafury, or the ufe of in- 
dividuals. 
France belong to two or three great elta- 
blithinents in Paris (the principal of which 
is the company of Sz. Simon.) They are, 
therefore, all of them fo much alike both in 
their appearance, and their regulations, 
that adefcription of one of them may be 
confiiered a defcription of them all; and 
whoever has travelled in one French dili- 
gence muft have a pretty good idea of the 
_.univerfal mode of travelling in France. 
Thofe carriages are, in general, as good as 
the ftage-coaches in England, of nearly 
the fame conftruétion, and, like them, ac- 
commodate fix infide paflengers. 
Frefh horfes and poftilions are taken at 
every poft (that is, every two or three 
Jeagues) and the drivers rewarded with a 
penny or two pence from each paffenger. 
As the carriage is driven by poftilions 
belonging to the poft-houles, there is no 
coachman; but, in the place of one, is fent 
4 confidential perlon to take care of the 
Carriage, be reiponfible for any inciden- 
-tal expences, and fee that the paffengers 
are properly treated at the inns. This 
man ts called le conduGeur, or the conduc- 
ctor. Inftead of a coach-box, there is, in 
the front of the coach, a cabriolet, where 
one fits as comfortably as in a Phaéton, 
having, in fine weather, the advantage of 
jair and profpe&, and having curtains, by 
drawing of which one can, in bad weather, 
fhelter one’s felf from its inclemency. 
This cabriolet is the ftation of the con- 
dudeur, and admits alfo two paflengers. 
The diligences are in general well ap- 
pointed and well regulated; the hortes 
good, and the traveliing as expeditious as 
the ftare of the roads will admit of, 
The roads have been very much neglect- 
ed fince the revolution ; or, to {peak per- 
haps more correétly, the government fas — 
‘been fo diftrefled tor want of money toy 
carry on the war, that they have been: 
obliged to feize on thofe funds that were 
deftined for the repair of the roads. This 
has been the caufe of the prefent ruinous 
ftate of the roads in this country. Al- 
though the diligences are, as betore faid, 
-very well appointed, yet it is impoffible 
foran Englifhman to avoid laughing at 
Latters of an American Traveller in France. 
Almott -all the diligences in- 
221 
the ftrange appearance of the French pof- 
tilions, in thofe abfurd and monftrous ma- 
chines, that they call boots. 
‘ They come up to the middle of the 
thigh, are thick enough for Ajax’s fhield, 
and are, I verily believe, mufket-proof. 
Sometimes thefe boots are not made of 
leather, but of wood, covered with lea- 
ther ; they ftand upright in the fable yard, 
and the poftilion fteps into them with the 
greateft eafe. I can confidently fay, that 
nothing of the burlefque has been exhibited 
on the ftage, or in the caricature fhops, 
waich is more ludicrous than the appear- 
ance of a French poftilion in his boots. 
As there is no circulation of paper- 
money in France, and all remittances 
muft be made in argent comptant, or ready 
cafh, which is fent by thefe carriages—= 
every diligence carries a confiderable {um 
of money. This gives fuch a temptation 
to indigent and defperate men to at- 
tack thefe carriages for the fake of plun- 
der, that the cafe occurs very frequently. 
The robbers are generally fo well armed, 
and fo numerous, that refiftance is in vain; 
but (luckily for the paffengers) in order 
to give refpectability to their vocation, 
they ufually make it a point not to plun- 
der or moleft the traveilers, and often ab- 
ftain entirely from what is private pro- 
perty. They only demand the money of 
the Republic,with which they fay they are 
at war, and profefs to be royalift-foldiers, 
and not robbers. There is another cla(s 
of brigands however, who are not fo feru- - 
pulous, but take whatever they can lay 
their hands on, without inquiring whether 
it is private or public property. This 
evil is grown to fuch an alarming height, 
that government has at length occupied it~ 
felf ferioufly in directing fuch meafures as 
will probably foon put an effeétual {top to 
this fpecies of brigandage. The conduc- 
leur, perceiving me to be a ftranger, and 
conicquently unacquainted with the cuf- 
toms of travelling, offered to pay my 
expences on the road, for which he would 
fettie with me on our arrival in Paris, [ 
gladly embraced this offer; it faved me a 
good deal of trouble, and tome money, as 
I fhould have certainly given more to the 
poftilions and fervants than what is cufto- 
mary in this country. On my arrival at 
Paris, he prefented my account, and [ 
found that my whole expence of traveiling 
from Bourdeaux to Paris (which is tarther 
than from London to Edinburgh) amount- 
ed to about feven guineas. The journey 
took up fix days, and we had fufficient 
time for fleeping on the road. 
This, I think, may convey to you a to- 
Jerable 
TTS ETE ee 
mae a SS ee ~ = 
Se 
