As they have no servants, the presence of infants, though inconvenient, seems a necessary evil. The deportment of Friends was serious and becoming, and our friend L. M. appeared in testimony; at some length; and I thought, with good effect. In the afternoon, there were only twelve persons present. The meeting held about an hour.

"It is mournful to observe the indifference of the male population of France, to the duty of attending public worship. Four women to one man, even in the Protestant congregations. It seems to have infected all classes, Protestants as well as Catholics.

"I went to Codagnan, to visit a few Friends there; two of them are decided Friends, and one of them is a minister. "Second Month 11th. Took tea this evening with the Wesleyan Missionary stationed here, a young man of the name of Ocart. They have a congregation of about 100 persons. He preaches also at several of the adjacent villages. They have access, once in three weeks, to the large new Protestant Chapel, or Temple, as it is called. It appears there are sixteen of their Missionaries in France, three of whom preach to the English,—the rest to the French. They have also two in Spain. In answer to my inquiries, he informed me that the Protestant minister gives a New Testament to every child who communicates, for the first time, and a Bible to every couple, when they are married. He complains of the worldly spirit of the people, who urge, as an excuse for the desecration of the Sabbath, that they must work in the fore part at least of that day, in order to provide for their families. He said they were like the Gentiles of old, whose thoughts were chiefly centred on 'What shall we eat, and what shall we drink, and wherewithal shall we be clothed ?""

To his sister, he writes, "I find that thy opinion of this climate is much nearer the truth than mine. Like some

other Englishmen, who think there is nothing good out of their own country, my anticipations were much too low; having, however, this pleasing consequence, that I am most agreeably disappointed. I expected to find it warmer, but still to be winter, and to have what I supposed to be the invariable concomitant of winter, damp days, cloudy weather, and abundance of rain. Judge, then, of my surprise, to find the roads covered with dust, the wells dry, the brooks without water, the land suffering from drought, a cloudless sky, and the thermometer from 96° to 102o, in the middle of the day. I think I have only seen it rain three times since we crossed the Bay of Biscay; and my umbrella has never been unfurled. The thermometer varies from day to day, ranging from 34° to 58°, at three A. M., in the shade, and from 77° to 102° in the sun at noon.

"The air is sometimes cold, especially out of the sun; but it is always dry. Indeed, its dryness renders it too keen, when the thermometer is very low. Couldest thou be here when the grapes are ripe, the sight of them would afford thee a rich treat. Almost every field is planted with vines, and the crop is represented as most prodigious; especially beautiful in the morning, when covered with dew drops, and sparkling in the sunbeams. They bring them from the fields and vineyards to the winepress, in carts and waggons, so heavily laden that the road is strewed with what are shaken off. Besides the crop of grapes, they generally get one of wheat in the season, from the under growth; and another crop of olives from the same field; three crops in all. The vines are cultivated with the spade and dug three or four times in the year. Of course this requires a number of labourers, and, accordingly, we find the country thickly studded with villages. From a little eminence near Congenies, it is said, that in a clear day, we can count no less than thirty-four. Yet one cannot but

regret, that much of this industry, and this superabundant harvest, goes to make what? poison! brandy! It is first converted into wine, then sold, and re-converted into brandy, one of the deadly agents which sin has brought into the world.

"There are several circumstances here, which forcibly remind me of Scripture, history, as the cultivation of the country; the fig-tree, the olive, and the vine; the number of mules, the value of water, and the willows in rows by the water courses.

"But I think what pleases me most, is the shepherds; instead of driving their flocks, as with us, we see them walking before and leading them, as our Saviour says, 'When the good shepherd putteth forth his sheep, he goeth before them and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice; and a stranger will they not follow, for they know not the voice of strangers.'

"The passage of a flock of sheep along the road is announced, not by the barking of dogs, but by the tinkling of bells, which are suspended from their necks. The goats and cows have bells also; these are a common kind, but the horses and mules are honoured with a dozen or twenty good little bells, made of bell metal, which are continually jingling as they go along.

"Second Month 17th. Bid farewell to my kind friends at Congenies this evening, and came on to Sommieres, in order to take the diligence to Montpelier, at four o'clock to-morrow morning. Nothing could well exceed the kindness that Louis Majolier and family have shown to me, an entire stranger, during my sojourn among them. There are some valuable friends at Congenies."

After visiting Montpelier, he proceeded to Cetti, a small seaport, where he took the steamer for Marseilles, then to Nice, Genoa, and Leghorn, to Florence, from

whence, in a letter to his parents, dated Third Month, 1839, he describes the fatigue and oppressiveness to invalids, of the sort of conveyances used in these countries: then adds, "I do not think I derive much, if any, benefit; and, therefore, whilst inclination would lead me by way of Venice, Milan, Geneva, Mount Gothard, and Paris, my judgment seems to say that the primary object of my journey requires that I should re-pass the Straits of Gibraltar.

"I came by the mail from Nice to Genoa, and the carriage appeared to be lighter than our coaches; with only six passengers and four horses, we were twenty-nine hours in coming 140 miles. They are however, taking considerable pains to improve the road; making tunnels and embankments along the sea-shore, which, when finished, will afford an excellent level. The horses are certainly rather inferior, and the stages much too long. The other day, by a veturina, a kind of post-chaise, we travelled with the same pair of horses, for about six hours-from half-past six in the morning until after twelve at noon. When this is the case the speed cannot be rapid.

The main roads in France are maintained by the government, and are excellent; the bye-roads are bad, but are very numerous, almost one to every property. I averaged, by diligence, four and a-third mile per hour, at rather less than one and a half-penny per mile. A franc goes rather farther than one shilling with us, in current expenditure.

"The aspect of the south of France is very hilly and rocky. Rain seldom falls, but they have heavy dews in summer; a powerful sun, but cold dry air in wintersometimes freezing. The labourers are an athletic, cheerful race of men. They can earn 7s. 6d. per week, for seven and a-half hours' per day labour; after this is over-time. Women and boys earn sixpence per day. Their food is a fair proportion of meat, bread, vegetables,

wine, oil, and

white beans; of which last, three-pence worth will dine a family. Their clothes are rather coarse, but whole and clean. They appeared to be an industrious people. The government takes great pains for their education; but the people are careless.

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'Religion appears low, as indicated by the thin attendance at the places of worship, especially of men,—the neglect of the Sabbath, and paucity of books. Hospitals

are numerous.

"Houses are good, many of them four stories high, with Venetian blinds, earthenware floors, lofty rooms, windows, many of them down to the floor, but not air tight. It is next to impossible to warm the rooms. The towns are walleds, ometimes treble.

"I was disappointed in Montpelier; but there is a splendid elevated square, laid out with walks and shrubberies, handsomely ornamented with sculpture, with a bronze colossal statue of Louis XIV. The aqueduct is an imposing piece of masonry, with two tiers of arches, upwards of 200 in number. The reservoir is beautiful.

Aix, in Provence, is celebrated for a powerful thermal spring of mineral water. I took a bath: the thermometer 92.

"On arrival at Nice, I soon found that I had entered another kingdom. I was taken with my trunk to the policeoffice, where they demanded if I had any books. Of these they took possession, not even allowing me the dictionary to assist me in the language. It was not until the English Consul had been in person at the office, and made out a list of them, to be sent round to the inspectors appointed by the clergy, that I could get them again. I felt it very unpleasant, especially as I had three Italian Testaments; but these escaped their notice. I was taken to the office without being allowed to wash, or take any refreshment, though just coming off a journey, in which the diligence only stopped