How to Enjoy Paris in 1842 | Page 8

the
straightest line of any of the routes from London to Paris; but on
account of there being more sea, the distance is not generally
performed in so short a period as the other routes, from the uncertainty
of the Ocean. It is not therefore so much frequented by travellers as
those on which they can reckon with more accuracy; the same may be
said of the route by Southampton, which is performed by railway to
that town, and afterwards by steam-packet to Havre, which includes
above a hundred miles by sea, consequently but little resorted to as
compared with the former routes. There was another means of reaching
Paris, and that was from London to St. Vallery by sea; which being
near Abbeville and only 33 leagues from Paris, there was the least of
land travelling, consequently it was the cheapest if all went smoothly,
and this line was often adopted by strict economists, who however have
frequently found themselves much disappointed, as sometimes it
happened they could not make the port, and have either been obliged to
put back and lie off Ramsgate, or lay to, for some hours, and perhaps
after having landed, have been detained at St. Vallery, from not having
been able to find places in the diligences for Paris. This means,
however, of proceeding to Paris no longer exists, as the steamers have

been sold, but it is thought that they will be replaced by others. The
route which is by far the most frequented is that of embarking from
London direct for Boulogne, and is on the long run the most
economical, and maybe comfortably performed, living included, for
three pounds, at the present prices, which are 1l. in the best Cabin from
London to Boulogne, then about 1l. 4s., in the inside from Boulogne to
Paris; and the other expenses will amount to about fifteen or sixteen
shillings; with respect to the charges on the other routes, they are so
often varying that it might only deceive the reader by stating them as
they at present exist, when in a few weeks they may be higher or lower
as circumstances may arise. Some persons choose, the route by
Southampton and Havre as being the most picturesque, as from the
latter town to Rouen such exquisite scenery is presented by the banks
of the Seine, as you pass in the steamer between them, that the
passenger is at a loss on which side to bestow his attention, whilst
rapidly hurried through so delightful and fertile a country; in fact, he is
tempted for once to regret the velocity of steam conveyance, in not
permitting him to tarry awhile to contemplate the beautiful scenes by
which he is environed. Rouen, where the traveller should at least
remain some days, is an object of great attraction. As my work is
especially devoted to Paris, I cannot afford much space to the
description of towns on the road; but as the city of Rouen is the largest,
the most interesting, and the most connected with history and English
associations of any upon the routes to Paris, I cannot pass it over
without some comment. Its boulevards first strike the English, as being
not only most picturesque and beautiful, but as presenting a scene to
them wholly novel, the noble vistas formed by towering trees, mingling
their branches, shading beneath their foliage many a cheerful group, the
merchant's stone villas, seen amongst their bowers, the high shelving
grassy banks, and the lively bustle that is ever going forward, has so
animated an effect that the beholder cannot but catch the infection and
feel his spirits elevated by the enlivening spectacle. But what a contrast
on entering the city; the streets narrow, dark, and with no foot
pavement, have a mean and gloomy appearance, but many of them
being built mostly of wood, carved into fantastic forms, offer a rich
harvest to the artist, and those of our own country have amply profited
by the innumerable picturesque objects which Rouen presents. The

cathedral, built by William the Conqueror, is one of the most
interesting monuments of France; the Church of St.-Ouen is at least as
beautiful, and there are several others which well repay the visiter for
the time he may expend in visiting them. The statue of the Maid of
Orleans stands in the Marché aux Veaux, on the spot where she was
burnt as a sorceress under the sanction of the Duke of Bedford in 1431.
Above all, the traveller must not fail to visit Mount Catherine, which
rises just above the city, and commands a view equally beautiful and
extensive. The delightful environs of Rouen are displayed before him,
comprising almost every scenic beauty that a country can afford; even
the factories, which in most places rather