The Sun.
London, England, 1814-04-28 00:00:00

(No. II.)

AIR. EDITOR,---PUrStlal4 to thy promise in a
letter from Dover, T sit down:topresent you with
a " Journal of a Trip to Paris."

CALAIS, 20th APRIL, 1,314,-7(Wednesday

Having waited for the arrival of the Mails from
London till near one o'clock, and seen the Dukes
of LUIYEMBEIG and DURAs depart for Hartwell, I
went on board the Lady Frances packet, Captain
RUTTER, the first regular packet which has sailed
for France from England
.for• many year's. Pre-
vious to this, however, it'was necessary to at-
tend at the Custom-botise, where the baggage of
every Traveller was examined and marked with
chalk by the Officer, that it might be known to
contain no contraband goods. This ceremony
occupied 'about five minutes, and is rather un-
pleasapt, as it deranges th.c economy of packing,
which is so necessary for the preservation of
clothes, linen, &c,

The Mail at length entered Dover with great
ceremony, awl the spectacle from the Pier was
very fine. The /romantic heights above the Town
were crowded with Spectators looking down on
the bustle below, and. the general 'exprOsion of
joy at returning peace and " good times," aided
by the effect of a beautiful day, created a delight-
ful' sensation. This was speedily interrupted by
the embarkation of the passengers, and the hurry
incident to 41tese weighty 'affairs which •ottach to
persons setting out to see the world ! We at
length sailed 'about two o'cloCk, in number about
twenty of both sexes, with several carriages, 'and
a rare assortment of trunks, )mndboxes, bags,
and portmanteaus. A French vessel had sailed in
the morning with the more impatient travellers,
who mere in despair at, having been detained above
three whole hours at Dover !
At six o'clock we were anchored iralf a mile
from the :shore at Calais, the detention on the
other side having thrown us nponlow water. As
I write for the information, as Well as the amuse-
ment, of you and your readers,. I may stop here to
say, that the accommodation on hoard these boats
is excellent ; and though,on so short a passage one
might put up with any inconveniences, I would
strenuously recommend it to travellers, especially
where there are Ladies of the. party, not to be se-
duced by the fallacious representations.respecting
extra boats and pleasure yachts (so called as an
example of lucos a on lueendo), to trust them-
selves out of the regular course. There are a
thousand inconveniences attached to these expe-
dients, both in the passage and On landing, which
it is needless to svoify.

A six-oared boat from the shore soon came
alongside, which was speedily filled with men
and luggage, and 'pulled off for the shore. llere
that novelty of scene commenced, which employs
. ,
the mind, and gives a zest to the fatigues."and
troubles
.of travelling. HOGARTH himself could
not caricature the grand -exhibition of a disem-
barkation of 117ilors Angluis at a French port.—
Along- the beach, several hundred perso;ts, taco,
women, and children, were seen running to the
point towards which the boat rowed. It was a
race of the most ludicrous kind ; but the scram.-
ble which succeeded it beggars description. The
sand shelves so gently that ,the boat could not
approach the shore by about two hundred yards.
Instantly it took the ground we were made ac-
(painted with the object of the racers. The
whole number rushed with headlong speed into'
the sea, and splashed through the waves, up to
their middles, towards the boat. Hwy .was 'the
French man, the French. woman, or the French
boy, who reached it first. Every one seized some-
thing or another; one a trunk, a second a bas-
ket, a third a hamper, and so on, till the whole
luggage disappeared from the boat, and took flight
towards terra firma. But the most humorous part
of the scene consisted in a similar disposal,
of the passengers. We were all laid hold of
vi et ar;nis, 'awe hoisted upon the back or into the
arms of our busy and industo ions visitors. Little
men were borne off like bablei—those more robust,
and possessing more of the John Brill in bulk,
were hoisted upon the shoolders of the bearers ;
for, my part,
.a sturdy fisherwoman, with a long
paddle in her hand, took violent possession of my
persott, which she disposed of as the Indian fe-
males do their children ; and thus the whole pat;ty
rushed toWards the beach with as 'much rapidity
as they had advanced. ft was- in vain that some
struggled—all resistance to the new order of
things was vain. • 'What with rain from above, and
dim plunging of our Porters below, we were all
rendered as wet'as if we had been dragged, instead
of being carried, through the waves. The Boat,
men charged five franks (about 55.) for each per-
son ; the shore
,adventurers, two' franks for
each load ; and as we were assailed at the
same time by a dozen of Conductors to shew
us the best Tuns, and do, our " draires " in ,