Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-11-18
LETTERS FROM FRANCE, sc.

Now that the election has terminated, we
owe our miscellaneous readers some apoioSy
for the dull and daily detail Of politics, and Id,
tend TO serve them with letters from valued
correspondent in Europe, detailing what ne
heard and saw in plain and unsophis'ica'eo
manner giving closer insight into matters anu
things, than we are able 10 CLEAN from traVei>
Iers in general He makes US &C quainted WIN
facts, many heretofore unknown, because n"'
considered Of material consequence when 'ne
traveller has to detail The events Of his own az
urnal organizations, and we feel assured That
they will repay perusal:-N T. Eng
Havrs, France.
With the exceptions Of yesterday, IL mas been
for the last week, overcast every day, and most
Of the lime drizz!ing or raining, though not
cold, the thermometer varying from A. 10 So
Fahrenheit. Yesterday, there was sun and blue
skv, but to-day gale and rain from the D. w.
Thermometer F. down 10 A deg which drove
in the sea into the port is tremendous surges,
much 10 the annoyance Of the small craft moor
ed there
Yesterday, wen, on board the American ship
Henri Qaalre, one Of our new packets running
between this and New-York, magnificent
sample of naval architecture OF 500 tons. he
cabin is, indeed, most superbly finished.
The captain, quite young man told me ne
presumed nearly all Havre, men, women and
children, had been 10 visit her.
The finely carved wooden image oil Henry
w. under her bowsprit, and which cost 8 100,
was made here, and is considered chicf d'9u
ere. This image and the ship, illustrate IN a
very striking manner, The difference between
American and French genius; the former lnd'-
eating the perfection TO which this nation have
otnI he lat
more envia5le talent our own countr!men pos
sess in the useful arts.
The French are ende avouring to initiate our
style Of ship building in their merchantmen,
one of which, called the Charles Ell Picto're, a
ship of about 500 tons, is a very toleraole CO.
py, but still We could not fail 10 perceive the
awkw ardness of the imitation. The shrouds
are altogether too slender and unsu5s,anlial, &
the deck, for want Of suitable wood, not sutfi'
GENTLY solid: besides many other detects not
necessary 10 enumrrate. A very great improve
ment, however, introduced in the rigging, Is,
that the shrieves of the blocks all p0rceiaine
which is said TO have been found TO answer, &
10 be sufficiently strong for this purpose.
What is remarkable, the French do not know
what good oyster is, and rarely, or never eat
them cooked. The small ones, which they pre-
fer and also the large ones, are so Thin, wa,ery,
Shiny and salt, tina, they are Quite nauseatlDg
10 one, whose gasironomic propensites have
been pampered with York Bays, and Blue Pom
ferS They are Hinged OF an non, or yellow
colour, and taste also Of that metal; there being
a good deal Of ferruginous matter in the no.
dulles Of flint, which compose the substrata OF
this coast, from which, doubtless, this impreg-
nation comes. In like manner, the oysters Of
Liverpool are impregnaled with copper, from
the submarine beds Of that metal, near An.
eiesea. In one of eussint-sshe rnTg u me cap
lure oil The JaUa, oy the Constitution, under the
title of -4meriean gakianfry. No, little graf
flying, l assure you, 10 my national pride, to
see the cannailc gaping al it through the win
dow.
The Hasre people, finding 1t TO tn cir interest
are very ambi'ipns, ard proud Of learning the
English. | ha,, observed, indeed, that it is
spoken here IL he shops, and upon tn, Quays
much more than in ny place | nave been al in
France. Yesterday "a funeral passed under our
window; a frequen! occurrence here, at this wet
unwholeseme SEASON The CO rps was covered
with black pail, and the cof6 n supported or
frame, the handles Of which were held by m, n
in very awkward manner, walking by its side
preceding The coffin was the sexton in cooked
hat for every thing smacks of the esprit mills
iaire in France) then the priest ~ hood an
embroidered soIin cloak, carrying silver cross,
followed by 4 or boys as chorislers 10 white
gowns and red caps, chanting slow music in
broken accents as they hurried along at quio k
step
One or two women followed after the coffin
carrying lighted lanterns, and then came the
friends and acquain' ances, Two and two, as with
US, but with this difference, lha, they were all
dressed in black, Gas is the custom, also, IN
some parts of the West Indies. The women
Of HAVE are ill shaped, and ugly featured, gen
orally corpulent, and pug nosed, particu lary
the lower classes, and market women, &C.
The enormous caps worn by The common wo-
men are among the greatest curiosi,ies of
France, some Of them, by their huge borders
folding down The back, resemble the wings Of
a bird; others are like Roma helmets; s some
rs Of thetowers of an old Norman for>
tress, with banners floating from its battlemeuts
emblem Of the warli Ike character Of their an
cestors.
The large wooden shoes worn by the lower
classes are so loose upon the feet that they
make terrible clatter over the s!ippery Dave-