Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-09-19
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10. 1882.
from the Washington City Chroniele.]
Sketches of Europe.
No. III.

GketCIlSS vi EulOpc.
No. H.
FROM THE SKETCH BOOK OF STUDENT
Haure-Peasantry- Postilions-.7 6had oaaad
Singer at Bol5ec-Rouen--Joa Of .drc-- The
cathedral, etc.
Haurs. august 7th.-HOw strange Is the leel
ING that we are foreigners. that we are 10 every
one around Us like those we have often stared at IN
our own country, with curious inclination 10 pene.
trate their history; 10 stroll through crowded
streets and meet no ia niIiar face; to hear every
where a language lntellIgi bic only III lew words
aud see men aud things so changed, so very un-
like any thing To which we have been accustomed.
To ,lay has been like some recollect OF IN my
childhood, when have gone through library,
oGcrturning volumes OF iaterest ana lore. 10
seek the pictures they contained; serious
thou ,ht has not entered my head, and 1t in the
rest Of INV journey the scene Is to change as II
has within tue last twenty -four hours. adieu re-
Election aud study. Even man seems to be car
icarured; the very bIutes are in keeping with the
rest, and the only thing look upon as familiar
is the sky above the. The uncOuth. ridiculous
appearancs of the fishermen and their boats as
we approached the iand commenced the chapter
of oddities: the little villages with their pictur-
esque s,eeples, objects on shore grew more
tistiact: the strange fashion OF the vessels; our
pilot with his broken English, and. tu our eyes,
odd costume. (that being leie day with the pi-
lots, he exhibited to great advantage; and then
the multitude thai thron2ed tie quay a cur 'es-
sci entered the dock-where Viii il end? that he.
terogeueous assemb!ase, had 1t have ended there
would fiji a book Of wonders; but still the show
goes on: alread, do | feel the privilege OF
stranger, 70 laugh when | please. and like the
sou Ut Elm when the vessel struck. let the
k,,R ~
Wewere sufftred TO land as soon as the yes.
sci reached the wharf, and had undergone
the scrutiny of the health officer, slckly died
I'D old man tina, lonked more in need of ply
Stefan than aay If our company, and surrender
ed our passports to a srum looking police officer
in cooked nat and regDentals. The deck OF
our ship, however. was far more steady than the
land, when placed nv foot upon II, 1t seemed
10 move. felt conscious Of many steps that
must have appeared, to locker on, OF rather 4
Questionable character; the feeling has not vet
" rn If entirely, and last nig ht a comfortable
pyu ulu no, affud the rest ct cOnhned berth:
repeatedly IaAoke wondering at the calm, and
earlY this morning the hustle OF the market peo-
pie brought me to the window which overlooked
the scene OF perfect LARGE.
The peSsantry with their wooden clogs and
high Norman caps, chatterlus like flock OF mag
pies: hurry, hustle aud confusion, filled the
streets in every direction; presently there comes
a pile Of vegetables. fruit, and baskets, like a
moving market stall. preceded by an old woman,
soualinr, heaven knows what, in the exagSerat-
ed tones of famished cat; and then two ears,
and the feet of a ja,kass, little larger than a
Newfoundland dog IN every respect but his head,
can be made out with the help oi imagination, as
indication, of the foundation upon which this ve-
aetahIe fabric Is built up. One would think.
moor fellow, he had enough to keep hun quiet,
but no; let one Ut his tribe hut sound a pitch
nine. aud the noise of Bedlam is music TO the
uproar that commences; clubs, kicks and bullets
are of no use, he will have the last word. This
hardy little animal is made great use of here,
ard wonder that thew have not been introduced
into General use in the United States; they are
sure footed and active. aud could certainly be
applied profitablv to maay purposes in a country
where manual labor Is so valuable as In ours
Lettering about the town. procuring our passports
and post coach To Paris the diligence being
filed) has occupied the day. Tomorrow we
will be on the road 10 ROuen.
Rouea. .4ugua OH Wonders and objects
Of admiration follow each other in such rapid
succession, as to produce already confused re-
collection even of yesterday. remember once
of an old negro. whom met with ON a shooting
expedition in Virginia, telling me. that he knew
of place where squirrels came through the
fence so quick. one after another. it vas impos.
sible to get sight of one singly." The rapid
~ with Which scenes of interest present them
selves in tins strange land, to unprepared for
SO mu,h, reminds me continually OF the negroes
difficulty, and his remedy for it. {" pocket 'um -
In spite OF the beautiful view Of Havre aud
the sea, On leaving that city. and the novel ap-
pearanCe of the landscape, it seemed 10 me that
every thing was ecipsed by the figures mounted
on our horses. The eravest cannot resist smile
when he sees. for the first time, French Posta-
hon; to me he appeared nondescript in crea-
ton. dried up. mummy locking Frenchman;
a bundle of bones in a loose hide that looks as If
the tanner had already commenced operations;
long cue tied so tight as TO keep mouth aud
eyes upon the stIetch, and his very ears drawn
back like cross puppy; glazed hat adorned
with a bow of ribbon Or rose handed by some
chubby dapse as he mounts his horse-a little
fantailed blue coat, faced with red, loaded with
buttons. aud hight under the arms as TO make
them stand out like the wings of picked goose;
buckskln breeches fitting to the skin ITO the bone
OF counsel; nut all these together with a ouislcal