1808. ] 
of the vintage, /a vendange, is the feafon 
of merriment with the peafants of the 
South of France: the labour, though fe- 
vere, is varied by dancing, and enlivened 
by mulic. 
The rich foil of the neighbourhood of, 
Bourdeaux is very favourable to Indian 
' Wheat, of which they have large planta- 
tions ; itis here ufed principally for feed- 
ing and fattening fowls. This corn, which 
we call Indian wheat, the French call 
bled de Turquie, or Turkey-wheat; and, 
on the other hand, the bird, which we 
eall Turkey-cock, from the country we 
fuppofe it to have originally come from, 
they call cog d” Inde, or Indian-vock, This 
is the etymology of their words Dinde, 
Dindon, which alfo fignify a Turkey. 
‘The country, in this neighbourhood, and 
indeed in the greatefl part of the South of 
France, is not only highly cultivated, but 
fo elegantly laid out and planted, as to 
give the appearance’ of a rich demefne to 
extenfive diftricts. ‘Ihe trees are princt- 
pally chefnut and walnut, which are fuf- 
fered to grow to a great age, and which 
pay, not only by their beauty, but by 
their fruit, for the ground they occupy. 
They are planted fometimes in clumps, 
though oftener fingly. In was formerly 
the cuftom in France for the owners of 
eftates to keep them entirely in their own 
- hands, and cultivate them by dailkes or 
ftewards, who accounted annually for the 
profits, and could be difmiffed at the plea- 
fure of the lord: at prefent it is not much 
better 3 a leafe or bail (as they call it) for 
three or four years, is as much asa farmer 
can expe@ ; the trees are referved for the 
landlord, who makes: more by their fruit, 
than he would by cutting them down. 
"This is the reafon the country is fo beauti- 
fully ornamented with fine old trees. I 
cannot perceive that this cuftom of giving 
fhort Jeafes has checked, in any degree, 
the cultivation of the ground; but it 
makes aneftate much more valuable to a 
purchafer, when neither old leafes, nor the 
cuftoms of the country, prevent his re- 
gciving the annual value of his Jand, ac- 
cording to the rife of times. In the firft 
day’s journey from Bourdeaux, the River 
Dordogne, which is neither half as broad 
or as deep as the Garonne, is croffed by a 
ferry.boat. It appears to me, that it 
would be a very good {peculation for any 
company or individual, that has a com. 
mand-of money, to propofe to the govern- 
ment for leave to build wooden bridges 
acrofs thofetwo rivers. A -veafonable coll 
would-give.a very. ample intereft for the 
money expended. After crofling the Dor 
Letters of an American Traveller in France. 29: 
= 
dogne, we paffed through a pretty con- 
fiderable town, called Barbezzioux, on our 
way to Angouléme, which is the principal 
town of the rich department of la Charente. 
Angouléme is the moft romantically fitu- 
ated town I have yet feen. 
It lies fo high, that, on viewing it from 
a diftance, its fteeples and its towers feema 
elevated to the clouds. It is a large towns 
ftrong by fituation, and fortified in the 
old manner, without outworks. It was, 
‘in the Vendee war, confidered a very re- 
fpectable and important poft, and was al- 
ways well garrifoned. 
The view of the country from the ram- 
parts is uncommonly bold and beautiful ; 
the ramparts are very fteep, and at the 
foot of them, on one fide of the town, runs 
the River Charente, which gives the name 
to the department, and which can be feen 
for many leagues, directing its winding 
courfe through a rich vale and luxuriant 
{cenery. 
The ramparts are the nathie walk of 
Angouléme, and a more delightful one 
can hardly be feen in any country. Here, 
as in the public walks of Bourdeaux, 
there are a number of chairs, and the tn- 
habitants pafs the greater part of a fum- 
mer’s evening on the ramparts. » 
From Angouléme we pafled through 
Chatelleraut; ; the Birmingham of the South 
of France, to Poittiers, which is alfoa 
chief town of a department, and famous 
for a complete victory gained by the En- 
glifh army, commanded by Edward the 
Black Prince, over the French army, 
which was confiderably more numerous, 
and commanded by their King in perion. 
The memory of this battle gives a par- 
ticular intereft to this town, and makes 
the furrounding country claffiic-ground. 
This town 1s alfo fortified, and has a noble 
public walk, which is a raifed terrace, 
near a mile in length, having an extenfive 
view of the river and the furrounding 
country. I dwell particularly on the 
public walks, as it is in this refpe@ that 
the French: towns, although by no means 
fo well built as the Englifh towns, have 
a confiderable advantage over them. It 
appears to me, that, whether the caufe is 
inthe climate, or, as I rather think, in the 
attractions of the walks themfelves, which 
collegts all the inhabitants of a town 
together in the evenings, it mu pro- 
duce a confiderable effect on the manners 
of the people, and improve their focial 
habits. From Poittiers..to Tours, there 
is no tewn of confequence, except 
St. Maure. As Tours and its neigh- 
bourhood deferve a particular defcrip- 
tion 
