The Dress Of
The Ladies, Which Was Perfectly Neat, Consisting Of Printed Muslin
Dresses, Black Silk Shawls, And Drawn Bonnets,
Seemed so completely
English, that we could scarcely believe that they were not our own
countrywomen; they were the most
Diligent of the workers and
readers, and as we never went down into the cabin unless to take some
refreshment, or to fetch any thing we wanted, a few brief civilities
only passed between us, but these were so cordially offered, that we
regretted that want of inclination to enjoy the air and prospect upon
deck which detained the party below.
There was a restaurateur on board the steamer, who supplied the
passengers, at any hour they pleased, with the articles inserted
in his carte; every thing was very good of its kind, but the boat
itself was neither handsomely nor conveniently fitted up, and I should
recommend in preference the new iron steamers which have been lately
introduced upon the Rhone.
It was about nine o'clock in the evening when we reached Beaucaire;
one other boat stopped at this place, but the rest, to our
mortification, went on to Arles. We were told that we must be at
the river-side at four the next morning, in order to proceed, and we
therefore could not reckon upon more than four or five hours' sleep.
The night was very dark, and a scene of great confusion took place in
the disembarkation. We had agreed to wait quietly until the remainder
of the passengers got on shore; and Miss E. and myself, glad to escape
from the bustle and confusion of the deck, went down below to collect
our baggage, &c. The quay was crowded with porters, all vociferating
and struggling to get hold of parcels to carry, while the
commissionaires from the hotels were more than ever eager in
their recommendations of their respective houses: their noise and
gesticulations were so great, and their requests urged with so much
boldness, that we might have been led to suppose we had fallen into
the hands of banditti, who would plunder us the moment they got us
into their clutches.
Miss E. had posted herself at an open window, watching this strange
scene, and while thus employed, was startled by hearing a piercing
scream, and a plunge into the water; at the same moment, the clamour
on shore became excessive. We instantly rushed upon deck, where we
found our other friend safe; and upon inquiring what had happened,
were told that a box had fallen into the river. Not quite satisfied
of the truth of this statement, we asked several other persons, and
received the same answer, the master of the steamer assuring us that
no more serious accident had occurred.
We soon afterwards went on shore, which was then perfectly quiet, and,
preceded by a commissionaire, who had persuaded the gentleman of our
party to put himself under his convoy, we walked into the town. At
a short distance from the water, we came upon an hotel of very
prepossessing appearance, which we concluded to be the one to which we
were bound. The windows of the lower and upper floors were all open,
the rooms lighted, showing clean, gay-looking paper upon the walls,
and furniture of a tempting appearance. Our conductor, however, passed
the door, and dived down a lane, upon which we halted, and declared
our resolution to go no further. After a little parley, and amongst
other representations of the superior accommodations of the unknown
hotel, an assurance that the stables were magnificent, we gained our
point, and entered the house which had pleased us so much. We were
met at the door by two well-dressed, good-looking women, who showed us
into some excellent apartments up-stairs, all apparently newly-fitted
up, and exceedingly well-furnished.
Ordering supper, we descended to the public room, and as we passed
to a table at the farther end, noticed a young man sitting rather
disconsolately at a window. We were laughing and talking with each
other, when, suddenly starting up, the stranger youth exclaimed, "You
are English? how glad I am to hear my own language spoken again!" He
told us that he was travelling through France to Malta, and had
come by the other steam-boat, in which there were no other English
passengers beside himself. He then inquired whether a lady had not
been drowned who came by our vessel; we answered no; but upon his
assurance that such was the fact, we began to entertain a suspicion
that the truth had been concealed from us. It was not, however, until
the next morning, that we could learn the particulars. The gentleman
who had accompanied us, and who had likewise been deceived by the
statements made to him, ascertained that the accident had befallen
the elderly French lady, with whose appearance we had been so much
pleased. She had got on board a boat moored close to ours, and
believing that she had only to step on shore, actually walked into
the river. She was only ten minutes under water, and the probabilities
are, that if the circumstance had been made known, and prompt
assistance afforded, she might have been resuscitated. Amid the number
of English passengers on board the steamer, the chances were very much
in favour of its carrying a surgeon, accustomed to the best methods
to be employed in such cases. No inquiry of the kind was made, and we
understood that the body had been conveyed to a church, there to await
the arrival of a medical man from the town.
We were, of course, inexpressibly shocked by this fatal catastrophe,
the more so because we all felt that we might have been of use had
we been told the truth. The grief and distraction of the son and
daughter, who had thus lost a parent, very possibly prevented them
from taking the best measures in a case of such emergence; whereas
strangers, anxious to be of service, and having all their presence of
mind at command, might have afforded very important assistance.
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