chiefly females; whose high caps and enormous ear-rings, with the rest of
their paraphernalia, half persuaded me that instead of being some few
twenty-five leagues only from our own white cliffs, I had in fact dropt
upon the Antipodes! What a scene (said I to my companion) for our CALCOTT
to depict![20] It was a full hour before we landed--saluted, and even
assailed on all sides, with entreaties to come to certain hotels. We were
not long however in fixing our residence at the _Hotel d'Angleterre_, of
which the worthy Mons. De La Rue[21] is the landlord.


[17] [Mons. Licquet, my translator, thinks, that in using the word
"_Antiquaire_"--as appears in the previous edition of this work,
incorporated in the gallicised sentence of "_Voyage Bibliographique
Antiquaire_, &c."--I have committed an error; as the word
"_Archéologique_" ought, in his opinion, to have been adopted--and he
supposes that he best expresses my meaning by its adoption. Such a
correction may be better French; but "Archaeological" is not exactly
what is usually meant--in our language--by "Antiquarian."]

[18] This smart little vessel, of about 70 tons burden, considered to be
the fastest sailing packet from Dieppe, survived our voyage only about
eighteen months. Her end had nearly proved fatal to every soul on
board of her. In a dark night, in the month of September, when bound
for Dieppe, she was struck by a heavy London brig. The crew was with
difficulty saved--and the vessel went down within about twenty-five
minutes after the shock.

[19] The English are not permitted to bring their own vessels into
harbour--for obvious reasons.