He Was
Satisfied With Our Reply In The Negative, And Allowed Us To Proceed.
A
gentleman afterwards asked me whether, in my travels through France,
I had not observed that the police was a mere political agent,
established for the purpose of strengthening the hands of the
government, and not, as in England, intended for the protection of the
people?
I could only reply, that we had lost nothing in France, and
that property there appeared to be as secure as at home. Certainly,
the interference of the gens-d'armes about the baggage, and the
continual demand for our passports, were very vexatious, detracting in
a great degree from the pleasure of the journey.
We found the rate of porterage excessively high; the conveyance of our
baggage to and fro, as we passed from steam-boats to hotels, proving,
in the aggregate, enormous; the whole went upon a truck, which one
man drew, with apparent ease, and for a very short distance, we paid
nearly double the sum demanded for the hire of a horse and cart in
London, from Baker Street, Portman Square, to the Custom House.
Upon getting on board the Megara, we found that the mails were in
the act of delivery, and that the vessel would start without delay.
We had now to take leave of the friend who had seen us so far upon our
journey, and to rely wholly upon ourselves, or the chance civilities
we might meet with on the road. Our spirits, which had been so gay,
were much damped by the loss of a companion so cheerful and ready
to afford us every enjoyment within our reach, and we in consequence
thought less of the danger to which we were shortly afterwards
exposed, the pain of parting being the paramount feeling.
There is always some difficulty in getting out of the harbour of
Marseilles, and the natural obstacles are heightened by the want of
a superintending power. There is no harbour-master, to regulate
the movements of vessels, and to appoint their respective places;
consequently, there is generally a great deal of confusion; while
serious accidents are not unfrequent.
Before we got under weigh, I saw my old acquaintance, Hussein Khan,
the Persian ambassador, go on board the French steamer, which was
anchored within a short distance of us. He was received with all the
honours due to his rank; which, by the way, was not acknowledged in
England; and his suite, whom we had seen lounging at the doors of the
cafes the evening before, made a gay appearance on the deck.
We got foul of one or two ships as we went out, and just as we left
the harbour, the clouds, which had threatened all the morning, burst
upon us in a tremendous storm, accompanied by thunder and lightning.
The rain came down in torrents, sweeping along the decks, while a
heavy squall threatened to drive us upon the rocks, which we had
admired so much as the guardians of the port.
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