The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-05-29
From me Ne,o York Epcning Star.
VANS. a.= H4.|.E

Behold me, mon ami. in the capital Of Eastern
France. Travelling day and night from Paris brought
in 81 hours TO Chslons sur Saone The distance
about 230 English miles, that we have taken hour
| to get every four miles. The Male Postc or
mail does the distance in half the e but all the seats
were secured fortnight in advance. ! came in the
diligence. and paid A francs for the coupee from Paris
TO Chaons. This is the best seat, and consists Of
small carriage in front. The Iatcrieure, 3 common
coach, with SIX seats, Is next The third the Rotonde
a small carriage behind, with fonr The last and
cheapest is the Banqucc sort Of Cabolet the top
Of the CouPee covered above but open in 'front.' and
mus, be extremely cold during the winter.
We changed horses once every 10 miles The Dr.
lgence stops half hour for breakfast III o'clock.
and forty five minutes for dinner about seven in the
evening.
From Paris to Fontainbesu is level country and as
well cultivated garden. As you advance the
Try becomes hliy aud is thus Gibbons The hills Tex
cept about Antun,) long ridges OF from 200 to 400
feet high, with straight outline and few prec,pces
crags The tocks soft the surface and frable
This s part Of The ancient kingdom Of Burgundy, and
there vines every place almost. where could
get sunshine. The fields not divided by fences as
in England The people live in villages. and detached
houses are rare--From Avalon 10 Chaons, there
scattered hamles, and few Indigenous and trees.
There forest tracts besides Of great These
to furnish fuel The forests Of Franco occupy l6
millions Of acres, nearly one-eghth Of the country,
including those of building timber. The fuel is cut
M,
and then GATED away.
The roads usually keep in straight line without re-
gard 10 hills or hollows They usually from go to
100 feet broad They not good in winter. They
deep and wet often seeming like canals Of mud.
They are better in the chalk districts where nts cap be
had TO repair them.
The cottages which saw, as we passed along, look
well as English cottages None Of them. however,
have gardens All along the limo from Paris to Lyons,
the country is In state Of progression, with new houses
building, and now roads making. The houses bnilt
cf the soft limestone Of the country, and covered with
red tiles The better ones painted in 'front.' and the
windows have jeaIousies
We dned at Au,nn an old town famous in ancient
and modern history. II the ancient Bibractc the
chief city Of the Edin the first Gallo tribe who joined
Cesar, and helped to bring their countrynen under the
Roman yoke. There Roman ruins even yet at
Autun. When the French Revolution commenced,
Taleyrand was Bishop Of Autun. ,~
Al Chaons. slept and at SIX in the, morning left 1t
for Lyons, which we reached at two the afternoon
The distance is IS niles the fare four and half frances
and the conveyance English bull, steamer, with Eng
lish machinery, worked by English Goals, under the
superintendence of English engineers The steamer
had catfish bottom, drawing only "a inches water;)
this is account Of the shadows Of the Rhone. we
sailed the Saone (Which meets the Rhone Lyons
and the vessel went nine miles hour still water
On the Saone, the current small that this rate is
the up and down the river, but the Rhone they
60 five miles faster do,cn the current. and four miles
slower coming up That it, fourteen miles one way
and FIVE miles an hour the other.
The steamers are not all splendid. They are
neat and comnodious. Eich boat Is 100 feet long
by 25 wide Steamboats, have been plying on The
Saonf and Rhone about eight years There are six
b.twgD Chalons and Lyons, and ten between LYONS
and NJ sea, and this though the coal which works
the,pis English and costs Sl2 Ion.
foD see Lyons [morr properly Lyon to most adj
vantage from The Observatory in the tower OF Prat
bnilt on rock 10 the north Of the city, and rising
90 French feet above the level OF the river Lyons
lies al you ieet,spread along the banks of the Saone
and Rhone, and covering the Peninsula between.
Paris and most other French stand isolated as
u were, 10 the country, 10 the barriers within which
meadows, fields, and gardens come up. Lyons is
The centre OF a great tract including villages ham
lets, villas and factories. Even miles off Won see
the country dotted with buildings, some of which are
perched on the southern and western declivities Of
The hills which grid The plain. Tothe west Of Lyons,
the country is sterile and hilly--even of a moun-
famous character. But il has chaleaux villages
and factories. Beyond the hills which bound the
plain Of Lyons the northeast, is seen Mont Jura,
on the east part Of the Alps, and above this-l00
miles IRON Lyons, is Mont Blanc, like white cloud
10 the distance.
Lyons has three bridges over the Rhone and six
over The Saone The Rhone here is $50 feet w,de
ana the Saone $50. The rivers often overflow and
90 much damage. They are lined with Uharves.
Inc modern part OF the city is handsomely builf.
VI % squares IN Lyons, the finest is ;ha, ui Belle
cour, or Louis le Grand whose statue stands in the
centre, The Town hou>e or Hotel de rifle. i only
second to that OF Amsterdam. Ii would be tedious
to count up all It's public buildingshe library with