A Present Of A Bottle Of Wine Made Our Boatmen Very Happy.
They
produced one of those huge masses of bread, which seems the principal
food of the lower classes, and sate down to their meal with great
content.
Our dinner, which we had ordered rather early, was delayed by
the arrival of the boat at Vernon, where we were obliged, according to
the French phrase, to "mount the bridge." It was built, agreeably
to the old mode of construction, with a mill in the centre, and the
difficulty, and even danger, of getting through the arch, could not
be called inconsiderable. Letting off the steam, we were hauled up by
persons stationed for the purpose; and just as we got through, passed
the steamers going down to Rouen, the partners of the vessels which
went up in the morning; both were full, our star being the only
unlucky one. However, what might have been a hardship to many others
was none to us, it being scarcely possible to imagine any thing more
delightful than a voyage which, though comparatively slow, was the
reverse of tedious, and in which we could discourse unrestrainedly,
and occupy any part of the vessel most agreeable to ourselves. We
picked up a very respectable man and his daughter, an interesting
little girl, who spoke English very tolerably, and seemed delighted to
meet with English ladies; and also an exquisite, dressed in the first
style of the Parisian mode, but of him we saw little, he being wholly
occupied with himself.
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