The New York herald., 1867-03-29


sous or about twenty nine cents day, and ordinary
laberers not than franc. How relative every
thing Is In THIS world Here, where everything
seems 30 cheap TO me, they complain OF the
terrible dearness Of prcvlsons. Beef ana mutton
cost sixteen the pound chicken ten francs and
eggs from twelve To eighteen sous the Dozen Bread
and cabbage however are cheap, and these form the
staple diet OF the larger portion OF the iaborng popua
tion Of Napoleon vendee. In my peregrinaiions !
stepped into one howell, where on the mud floor man
and hs wife and three four children were engaged IN
sorting out In their different sizes clans musses and
hmpets brought from the coast and snas gathered
ON tho vines In the surrounding country. This was
man tolerably ..wel to do" who owned donkey
eighteen miles distan. where he and bis wife
gathered their treasures OF shellhsh In the
in The two days which il took him 10 90 and come
he could usually gather six eight francs worth OF the
articles in which he dealt While We were talking an
old woman came along the street. and, looking wsfuy
al the basket OF snails, begged him To give her few,
stating that although three O'Clock in the after
noon she had eaten nothing that day These poor reo
pie kind 70 zach other and the fisherman poured
two or three dozen OF the shiny mouks into her ragged
her blessing with the generous eiver
Although al every entrance OF the town. and frequent
y along the high roads in the country signs placed
department Of La vendee" both town and country
swarm with beggars. Around the streets squald old
women men, boys and girls mplore strangers particu
iary for charity and ali have tho same story to tell
want Of hrcad-and most Of them bear upon their thin
and faces evidences Of the truth Of
their statements This morning. in making Of
my usual pedestrian excursions into the country
about Napoleon, rather handsome looking man.
dressed like a milkman, accosted me on the road
and politely touching his hat said he had great favor
10 ask OF "hc going to Napoleon be sa'd s'n
search OF work and had eaten nothing during the
ing and hoped would give him few SOUS with which
20 &c; something 70 eat "How did IL happen that he
was obliged 70 beg'" asked "a healthy strong man
carpenter by trade, and have been at work for
threc months at Les sables got thirty sous day for
larry when he has have sick wife and ten children
TO supports Besides my work is finished there now and
am roins Napo,con "a scacn % ~ lou no mr
wife and little ones ="
Was doing right in encouraging .'mendicty, = and
wha, the mawworms Of England and America call Sin
discriminate charity in yielding TO the impulse Of my
heart, and draining pockets OF all their loose change
dozen good mcslss Tears flowed from his eyes as he
thanked and blessed me, and he and both 'went on
And yei with all this poverty there is great deal of
wealth in this part Of the country aud the soil is rich
and yields good crops OF wheat backwheat hemp max
supply the wants OF the people, while In minerals pos
sesscs lead. snimony, iron, ochre and coal
hr 'ne mGnsyso ss cases asreioaa seem s 10
rich resources Scattered through Me whole OF La
vendee many families bsongng to the old nobility
OF France the descendants OF the royalsts who fought
against the republicans In the revolution. These, how
ever. devote their time and attention principally to
hunting and riding, and enjoying themselves generally,
and pay hut little attention 10 the misery and poverty
about them There Is good deal OF the old royaist
feeling still existing in these proud families, most Of
Thc condition OF the rural population Of Ia vend6e is
bad enough but not so bad by any means that OF the
people IN these dead towns and villages. Much Of the
far@us isr% lands % !. from from Sy'' Sfiy 70 WIN hundred
aud much Of il is held In very small tracts Of an
two by the people who live upon Tho small
gather in miserable little villages where the houses
very much OF the Character "a that have described IN
Napoleon with the usual addition OF heap Of manure
piled up against the house and pigstye alongside Of IT,
and without single comfortable look about it-every
thing cold wct and dismal In the country tho small
proprctors houses all Of the general charace
being ono story and about eight feet in height with mud
floors, dark and gloomy both inside and out Tho peas
antry who own these little tracts Of land are compare
lively happy They ike the aborers In the towns,
not AFFORD 70 cat much mcat, usually touching II
than once week. but feed principally upon cab
salt and water-not very closely resembling
the delicious ''buckwhsat cake' which is considered
Out The sac sSorers as
wages from fifteen to twenty-five sous day At pre-
sent Of the farm labor. wherever have
been In rural districts, 10 be performed by
old men and women. The terrible conscrpuon which
each year removes from the neld OF sctve labor tho
very bone and snew OF the country seems 10 have
drained this portion OF II OF its young men, and the
project for the increase Of the army nov before
the Corps IcgslStf Is excessively unpopular through
out ali the agricultural districts Of France
Farming and sells here from eight hundred to two
~ 1 N rarcns ihs 81 @
valley marsh and prairie, and seeing the miserable
In which the ters OF the soil are obliged 70 ve
millions OF OF broad prairie aud wooded land Of
smiling valley and pleasant upland which may be had
with hoe TO laugh with rich harvest" Any Ameri-
who travel through Europe and the poverty
and misery existing here wi.hou. having his heart
land Of the uure,ne refuge and the hope Of the poor
and downtrodden masses Of Europe and the world is
unworthy Of his birthriehI
The peasantry Of La vcndcc is hardy race. in spite
OF the neagrs stvie In VIII ch they nve neglected to
state that wine II 40 cheap being sold ct throc or four
n hOttie m Of % nd n
this luxury and this undoubtedly tends 70 keep them in
good physical condition Their habits are primitive,
and they are very industrious, as indeed they are
obliged be 10 live The universal dress Of the
is jacket and Of home made cloth, broad
in their the huh Of the Great Eastern the women
strong and hearty looking, some Of them very
preliy, wearing short kirte o. nomsspun; coiored
also wearing wooden shoca not quite SO large
and clumsy those worn by the men, but coming
down IRON the Great Eastern, approaching more nearly
the graceful proportions OF the Henrietta, while their
heads are surmounted with some one Of the many
Of the cap worn in La tsndee. Some OF these
are a simple cap OF white stuff fitting closely
head others rise up from the back 100, long, at
angle Of fory-ive degrees some end In Hat top piece,
and others the most beautIu OF a-ihose by the
pcasanlry the coast-are bell shaped, elabo
raely trimmed with falling in rich folds neir
brown faces. The cap i the article upon which the
lasses OF La vendee, Normandy and Brittany expend all
their coquetry.
Among the constitutions OF Napoleon.vendee Is an
American consulate. from the windows Of which the
starry flag of country, floating the breezes OF
March, creates the liveliest admiration and curiosity
among the inhabitants, who have yet been fully able
comprehend what Is doing there For all practical
purposes the American consulate here might well b.
rcmovedo the interior Of Timbuctoo the summit q
Popocatapetl. The duties Of the anabe accomplished
and efficient gentleman who occupies the position of
Consul here consist entirely In supporting the contiu
tion and dignity Of his country, which he does
in the very best style compatible with consular
position 70 which neither salary nor fees are
attached. The only earthly possibility of any
here results from the contingency Of the ship
ment Of sardines to the United States from ssbles a
Oonne seaport distant about eighteen miles, and the
principal occupation Of the incumbent here must be,
should suppose, looking with longing eye toward tue
coast ana with vide open nostrls, waiting patiently
impaiieny TO catch whit OF the sardlnc odor blown
up by the breezes from the sea. Unfortunately, how
ever although the sole hope and probability Of
relief rests upon sardnss. even they, in all their
multiplied Iittlenesss do not promise much,
these delicate picasory products were shipped to
Bordeaux and Havre aud Nantes, and the invoices Of
their shipment 10 America verified there This is d.
rectly in contraventon Of the consular regulations but
for II 10 permitted, very much 20 the detr
ar sl,s horn Whooe vnui IN all