Never Was Situation
More Inconvenient, Unpleasant, And Unhealthy.
It stands on the
edge of an ugly morass formed by the stagnant water left by the
tide in its retreat:
The very walks of the garden are so moist,
that, in the driest weather, no person can make a tour of it,
without danger of the rheumatism. Besides, the house is
altogether inaccessible, except at low water, and even then the
carriage must cross the harbour, the wheels up to the axle-tree
in mud: nay, the tide rushes in so fast, that unless you seize
the time to a minute, you will be in danger of perishing. The
apartments of this house are elegantly fitted up, but very small;
and the garden, notwithstanding its unfavourable situation,
affords a great quantity of good fruit. The ooze, impregnated
with sea salt, produces, on this side of the harbour, an
incredible quantity of the finest samphire I ever saw. The French
call it passe-pierre; and I suspect its English name is a
corruption of sang-pierre. It is generally found on the faces of
bare rocks that overhang the sea, by the spray of which it is
nourished. As it grew upon a naked rock, without any appearance
of soil, it might be naturally enough called sang du pierre, or
sangpierre, blood of the rock; and hence the name samphire. On
the same side of the harbour there is another new house, neatly
built, belonging to a gentleman who has obtained a grant from the
king of some ground which was always overflowed at high water. He
has raised dykes at a considerable expence, to exclude the tide,
and if he can bring his project to bear, he will not only gain a
good estate for himself, but also improve the harbour, by
increasing the depth at high-water.
In the Lower Town of Boulogne there are several religious houses,
particularly a seminary, a convent of Cordeliers, and another of
Capuchins. This last, having fallen to decay, was some years ago
repaired, chiefly by the charity of British travellers, collected
by father Graeme, a native of North-Britain, who had been an
officer in the army of king James II. and is said to have turned
monk of this mendicant order, by way of voluntary penance, for
having killed his friend in a duel. Be that as it may, he was a
well-bred, sensible man, of a very exemplary life and
conversation; and his memory is much revered in this place. Being
superior of the convent, he caused the British arms to be put up
in the church, as a mark of gratitude for the benefactions
received from our nation. I often walk in the garden of the
convent, the walls of which are washed by the sea at high-water.
At the bottom of the garden is a little private grove, separated
from it by a high wall, with a door of communication; and hither
the Capuchins retire, when they are disposed for contemplation.
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