Part 9
_______________________________________ R. F. |R. F. |R. F. |R. F. | | | 80 212.00|51 146.75|23 83.75| 5 20.75 79 209.75|50 144.50|22 81.50| 6 18.50 78 207.50|49 142.25|21 79.25| 7 16.25 77 205.25|48 140.00|20 77.00| 8 14.00 76 203.00|47 137.75|19 74.75| 9 11.75 75 200.75|46 135.50|18 72.50|10 9.50 74 198.50|45 133.25|17 70.25|11 7.25 73 196.25|44 131.00|16 68.00|12 5.00 72 194.00|43 128.75|15 65.75|13 2.75 71 191.75|42 126.50|14 63.50|14 0.50 70 189.50|41 124.25|13 61.25|15 1.75 69 187.25|40 122.00|12 59.00|16 4.00 68 185.00|39 119.75|11 56.75|17 6.25 67 182.75|38 117.50|10 54.50|18 8.50 66 180.50|37 115.25| 9 52.25|19 10.75 65 178.25|36 113.00| 8 50.00|20 13.00 64 176.00|35 110.75| 7 47.75|21 15.25 63 173.75|34 108.50| 6 45.50|22 17.50 62 171.50|33 106.25| 5 43.25|23 19.75 61 169.25|32 104.00| 4 41.00|24 22.00 60 167.00|31 101.75| 3 38.75|25 24.25 59 164.75|30 99.50| 2 36.50|26 26.50 58 162.50|29 97.25| 1 34.25|27 28.75 57 160.25|28 95.00| 0 32.00|28 31.00 56 158.00|27 92.75| 1 29.75|29 33.25 55 155.75|26 90.50| 2 27.50|30 35.50 54 153.50|25 88.25| 3 25.25|31 37.75 53 151.25|24 86.00| 4 23.00|32 40.00 52 149.00|
The circle is divided by the French into 400 degrees; by the English into 360. Hence 10 French circular degrees equal 9 English.
APPENDIX.
A FEW USEFUL HINTS FOR TRAVELLERS.
Passports.--The office for passports in London is at Nē 6 Poland street, Oxford street, where an under-secretary of the embassy attends daily (generally from one till three.) Applications personal or written stating the name, profession and nation, is made one day and the passport is granted (gratis) the following one, on personal applications only.
To expedite the procuring of a passport, in a case of emergency, applications may be made to the French Consul, Nē 3, Copthal Buildings, where a fee of ten shillings is expected.
Members of the same family may have their names inserted in the same passport, but persons travelling in company should provide themselves with separate passports. Couriers and male servants should each have a passport.
A traveller intending to visit any other territory should have the passports _vise_ (backed) by the Ambassador or Consul of each country traversed.
Consuls residing at the outports also give passports, so likewise do British Consuls resident at foreign seaports.
The British Ambassador's residence, in Paris, is Nē 39, rue du faubourg saint Honore.
If the traveller should omit to obtain a passport till he reach Dover, or Brighton, or Southampton, he may procure one from the French Consul at any one of these places, on the first application, it will cost him ten shillings.
CASH.--The traveller will find English Bank-Notes, particularly of large amount the most profitable money he can take to France. The course of exchange has for several years been about six per cent in favor of England. Should he however object to carry a large sum with him, he may take _Circular_ or _transferable Exchange notes_. The object of these notes is to supply _travellers_ on the continent with money where they may require it, without there being any necessity for determining the route before hand; and to supply _other individuals_, who may have remittances to make abroad, with bills upon any particular place that they may desire. For this purpose a correspondence is established with all the principal places in Europe.
Notes on this plan may be obtained of Messrs. Coutts and Cē., Strand; Foreign Banking Company, (la banque Anglo-Etrangere), 82, Lombard Street, and of Messrs. Glynn and Cē., Lombard Street.
COIN.--The modern gold coins of France are pieces of 40 fr. and 20 fr. The silver coins are 5 fr., 2 fr., 1 fr., 1/2 fr., 1/4 fr.. The coins of billon (a mixed metal) and copper are pieces of one decime, or 2 sous, pieces of 6 liards, or 1-1/2 sou, of 5 centimes, or one sou, and of one centime. There are also liards and double liards, which are 1/4 and 1/2 of a sou.
In the monetary system of France, the coins, if accurately minted, may serve also as weights. Thus 5 francs in copper, 50 in billon, 200 in standard silver, or 3,100 in standard gold, should weigh one kilogramme. Hence the piece of one fr. weighs 5 grammes, and any other piece in the above proportion.
The gold coins of 20 fr. and 40 fr., struck under the government of Bonaparte, were called napoleons and double-napoleons, and such is the force of habit, that these, as well as pieces of the same value struck since 1814, continue to be so called.
They are also designated pieces de vingt francs and pieces de quarante francs. The silver coins of 5 francs each are frequently called pieces de cent sous; a piece of 2 francs is called piece de quarante sous, and so on.
The only notes issued by the Bank of France are of 500 fr. and 1,000 fr. These are changeable into silver at the Bank, without discount, except the charge of 3 sous for the bag which contains the change; or, at a premium, into silver or gold, at the different money changers.
The French money, being divided into decimal parts, in reckoning, instead of 25 sous it is said 1 fr. 25 centimes, instead of 30 sous, 1 fr 50 cent., and so on. When the course of exchange is at par between France and England, 25 fr. are considered equal to the pound sterling.
The gold as well as silver coins of France contain 1--10th. alloy.
Since the English sovereign contains of pure gold 7.318444035 grammes, and the gold coin of 20 fr. contains of pure gold 5.806449 grammes, therefore the _intrinsic_ value of the sovereign, in French money, is 25.2079 fr., or 25 fr. 20 c. Hence the respective intrinsic value of the following coins will be:
Guinea 26 fr. 47 c. Crown 5 fr. 80 c. Shilling 1 fr. 16 c.
Napoleon 15 s. 10-1/4 d. .9 Franc 9 d. 05
The rate of exchange, at Paris and the principal towns of France, is commonly 25 fr. 50 c. for L. 1 sterling: but it varies, and especially in the smaller towns, from 25 fr. to 25 fr. 75 c. If we assume it to be 25 fr. to L. 1 sterling, we have an easy proportion, by which we may find the value of the money of either country in the money of the other. Thus since 25 fr. are equal to 20 shillings, 5 francs are equal to 4 shillings, and therefore, any number of francs are equal to 4-5ths of the same number of shillings; and any number of shillings are equal to 5-4ths of the same number of francs. Thus 100 fr. will equal 80 shillings, or L. 4; and L. 5, or 100 shillings, will equal 125 fr. Hence.
Sovereign 25 fr. Crown 6 fr. 25 c. Shilling 1 fr. 25 c. Penny 10 c. nearly.
Napoleon 16 s. 0 d. Franc 9 d. 3/4 nearly Sou 1/2 nearly. or 1/4 9.
This rule will be found very useful for all small sums and the common purposes of life.
TRAVELLING.
LONDON TO CALAIS.--Persons who leave London by the evening coaches abridge their journey by not sleeping at Dover, and are equally in time for the packet-boats, the coaches always arriving before the packets sail, early the next morning either to Calais or Boulogne, whence safety coaches set out twice a day for Paris; by which, according to the quickness of the passage, the traveller pressed for time may go either that same evening or early the next morning, and will reach the French metropolis the day after.
Considerable saving will be experienced by booking throughout, and the best places secured in the coach. The coaches from the Golden Cross; 41, Regent Circus; and the Cross Keys, Wood-Street, are in connexion with the Messageries royales, rue Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, at Paris. Those from the spread Eagle office; Webbs hotel, 220, Piccadilly; and the Spread Eagle, and Cross Keys, Grace-church-street, are in connexion with the Messageries generales, Lafitte's company, Nos 9 and 24, rue du Bouloy, at Paris. Those from the White Bear Piccadilly, are in connexion with l'Aigle; the Eagle an opposition company, Nē 23, rue du Bouloy, Paris. The office at Calais is in rue St.-Michel, that at Boulogne is at the Hotel du Nord.
Steam packets go from the Tower stairs to Calais three or four times a week during the summer months, and once or twice during the greater part of the winter. The passage is generally performed within twelve hours. Carriages and heavy baggage must be sent by twelve o'clock on the day previous to starting. The passage from Dover to Calais, is performed in three hours or three hours and a half.
LONDON TO HAVRE.--The voyage is performed by companies, one French, one English. Havre is now greatly preferred to Dieppe.
SOUTHAMPTON has become a favourite place for embarkation, owing to the _Railway_, the London terminus of which is at nine Elms, near Vauxhall. Steam-Packets go four times a week, during the summer months. They call off Portsmouth, for passengers, and on their arrival at Havre meet the steam vessel which plies between that place and _Rouen_. Further particulars may be obtained either at Nē 25, Coventry street; at Portsmouth, or at Southampton. A sailing vessel also goes every week from Southampton to Havre; distance between the two ports, 139 miles.
POSTING. There are three modes of travelling in France: in private carriages (_voitures_), a hired carriage (_chaise de poste_), and the public diligence. As all English carriages have poles, it will be advisable, if the company do not exceed three in number, to have their poles replaced by shafts, by which means one-third of the expense of posting will be saved; for, instead of four horses and two postilions, they will only pay for three horses and one postilion. If more than three persons travel in the same cabriolet or limoniere, the postmaster will charge one franc per post extra for each person beyond that number.
The arrangements for posting are attended to with scrupulous exactness. There is no competition: and those who arrive first are uniformly first accommodated.
A book called the _livre de poste_ is published every year by the French government containing every information for the traveller which he may consult at any post-house, as the postmaster is compelled to keep a copy.
TRAVELLING BY THE MAIL IN FRANCE.
Persons who wish to proceed rapidly may travel by the mails. These light and commodious vehicles are made to carry four persons, and are supplied with horses at the post-houses. Each passenger may carry a sac de nuit or portmanteau, weighing fifteen kilograms. The price of each place is 1 franc, 50 centimes per post, and 75 centimes per post to the guard.
There are mails on the following roads:--From Paris to Caen; Calais; Lille; Valenciennes; Mezieres; Strasbourg, through Metz, and through Nancy; Belfort; Besancon; Lyons, through Chalons, and through Moulins; Toulouse, Bordeaux; Nantes, through le Mans, and through Vendome, and Brest.
Also from Tours to Havre, from Lyon to Strasbourg, and to Marseilles; from Avignon to Toulouse; from Toulouse to Bayonne; from Bordeaux to Bayonne and to Toulouse; from Limoges to Bordeaux; from Chalons-sur-Marne to Metz, from Bonnieres to Rouen; and from Troyes to Mulhausen.
DILIGENCE.--A conductor is attached to each machine: his proper business is to take care of the baggage, and this duty he discharges with the strictest integrity. When the traveller's portmanteau or parcels have once been consigned to him, every fear with regard to their safety may be dismissed. He usually presides at the dinner table of the passengers, and does full justice to what is provided. He accompanies the diligence through the whole of the journey, and at the close of it expects a gratuity of four or five francs. The latter sum includes the driver.
Fifteen pounds of luggage are allowed, and twenty-one francs per cent is charged for the overplus. The usual charges for meals to the passengers in the diligence are, for dinner 4 fr.; for supper 3-1/2 fr; for breakfast 3-1/2 fr. The average expense of travelling by the diligence, including the pour-boire of the coachman and conductor, is about 75 centimes per league. They usually travel about two leagues an hour.
Offices in Paris from which the Tours diligences set out.--Rue du Bouloy, Nos 9 and 24--Rue N.-D. des Victoires, Nē 22.
On travellers arriving in Paris we would strongly recommend Lawson's Bedfort hotel N. 323 rue St-Honore and N. 24 rue Rivoli where they will meet with every attention and English comforts at reasonable charges. It is situated in the most agreeable part of Paris adjacent to the palace and garden of the Tuileries. Apartments may be had by the day, week, or month; breakfasts are served in the coffee-room or in private apartments, and visitors may dine at the table-d'hote or in their own rooms. The greatest regularity prevails in forwarding and delivering letters, parcels, and information of every kind is furnished.
DILIGENCES start every day from Tours, to Paris, Bordeaux, la Rochelle, Poitiers, Nantes, le Mans, Caen, Chartres, Chinon, Orleans, Laval, and Mayenne.
The principal hotels in Tours are, the Boule d'Or; the Faisan; Hotel de Londres; Hotel d'Angleterre; and Saint-Julien.
DISTANCE TABLES.
The following tables have been expressly calculated to give the exact distance and intermediate distances, with reference to posting between Havre and Tours, on some of the routes referred to in the Memoranda.
FROM HAVRE TO TOURS, THROUGH ROUEN.
| M | | | | | | | | y | K | | F | | | | | r | i | M | u | Y | | I | | i | l | i | r | a | F | n | | a | o | l | l | r | e | c | | m | m | e | o | d | e | h | | e | e | s | n | s | t | e | | t | t | . | g | . | . | s | | r | r | | s | | | . | | e | e | | . | | | | _Havre to_, | . | . | | | | | | |----------------------------------| La Botte | 1 | 6 | | | | | | Lillebonne | 1 | 9 | | | | | | Caucleber | 1 | 5 | | | | | | Duclair | 1 | 6 | | | | | | Rouen | 2 | | 53 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 10-1/3 | Grande Couronne | 1 | 2 | | | | | | Bourg Theroulde | 1 | 5 | | | | | | Brionne | 1 | 8 | | | | | | Bernay | 1 | 5 | | | | | | Broglie | 1 | 1 | | | | | | Monnai | 1 | 6 | | | | | | Gace | 1 | 4 | | | | | | Nonant | 1 | 2 | | | | | | Seez | 1 | 2 | | | | | | Alencon | 2 | 1 | 90 | 2 | 18 | 2 | 4-1/3 | Le Mans | 5 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 69 | 1 | 9 | Tours | 8 | 1 | 50 | 2 | 59 | 2 | 9-1/3 | |----------------------------------| |36 | 3 |224 | 4 |171 | 2 | 9 | ------------------------------------
FROM HAVRE TO TOURS, THROUGH HONFLEUR.
_Havre to Honfleur|Myria-|Kilo- |miles.|Furlongs.|Yards.|Feet.|Inches.| by steam packet, |metre.|metre.| | | | | | Honfleur to,_ | | | | | | | | |------|------|------|---------|------|-----|-------| Pont-Leveque | 1 | 7 | | | | | | Lisieux | 1 | 7 | | | | | | Linarot | 1 | 8 | | | | | | Nimoutier | | 9 | | | | | | Gace | 1 | 8 | | | | | | Nonant | 1 | 2 | | | | | | Seez | 1 | 2 | | | | | | Alencon | 2 | 1 | 76 | 5 | 181 | 1 | 1-1/3| Le Mans | 5 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 69 | 1 | 9 | Tours | 8 | 1 | 50 | 2 | 59 | 2 | 9-1/3| |______|______|______|_________|______|_____|_______| | 25 | 5 | 158 | 0 | 80 | 2 | 7-2/3|
FROM HAVRE TO TOURS, THROUGH CAEN.
_Havre to Caen per|Myria-|Kilo- |miles.|Furlongs.|Yards.|Feet.|Inches.| steam packet,_ |metre.|metre.| | | | | | |______|______|______|_________|______|_____|_______| Langannerie | 2 | 1 | | | | | | Falaise | 1 | 4 | | | | | | Argentan | 2 | 2 | | | | | | Seez | 2 | 3 | | | | | | Alencon | 2 | 1 | 62 | 5 | 131 | 2 | 3-1/3| La Hutte | 1 | 4 | | | | | | Beaut-sur-Sarthe | | 9 | | | | | | Bazoge | 1 | 5 | | | | | | Le Mans | 1 | 2 | 31 | 0 | 69 | 1 | 9 | Ecommoy | 2 | 1 | | | | | | Chateau-du-Loir | 1 | 9 | | | | | | La Roue | 2 | | | | | | | Tours | 2 | 1 | 50 | 2 | 59 | 2 | 9-1/3| |______|______|______|_________|______|_____|_______| | 23 | 2 | 144 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 9-1/3|
12 Inches, 1 foot.--3 Feet, 1 Yard, 220 Yards 1 Furlong, 8 Furlongs 1 Mile.
TABLES OF FRENCH AND ENGLISH LONG MEASURE.
+----------------------------------+ | K | H | D | | D | C | m | | i | e | e | | e | e | i | | l | c | c | m | c | n | l | | o | t | a | e | i | t | l | | - | o | - | t | - | i | i | _English measure_. | m | - | m | r | m | - | - | | e | m | e | e | e | m | m | | t | e | t | . | t | e | e | | r | t | r | | r | t | t | | e | r | e | | e | r | r | | . | e | . | | . | e | e | | | . | | | | . | . | |----|----|----|----|----|----|----| One mile | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Do. furlong | | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Do. yard | | | | | 9 | 1 | 5 | Do. foot | | | | | 3 | 0 | 5 | Do. inch | | | | | | 2 | 5 | ------------------------------------------------------| _French_ | _Quantity_. | _English_. | _measure_. | | | ----- | ----- |-----------------------| | | | F | | | | | | m | u | Y | | I | | | i | r | a | F | n | | | l | l | r | e | c | | | e | o | d | e | h | | | s | n | s | t | e | | | . | g | . | . | s | | | | s | | | . | | | | . | | | | |----------------|---|---|---|---|------ | Myria-metre. |10,000 metres. | 6 | 1 |145| 2 |9 | Kilo-metre. | 1,000 do. | | 4 |212| 1 |9-1/3 | Hecto-metre. | 100 do. | | |109| 0 |9-1/3 | Deca-metre. | 10 do. | | | 10| 2 |9-1/3 | Metre. |Unity of length | | | | 3 |3-1/3 | Deci-metre. | Tenth part of | | | | |3-15/16| | a metre. | | | | | | Centi-metre. | Hundredth | | | | | | |part of a metre.| | | | | | Milli-metre. | Thousandth | | | | | | |part of a metre.| | | | | | +-----------------------+
On the Loire, the Rhone, the Seine, Garonne, and other large Rivers in France, steamers called _Coches d'Eau_, are established; the average expense of which conveyances is about 15 centimes per league.
The _Seine_ has become a favorite route to _Paris_,--by way of Havre, Honfleur, Rouen, etc.
EXPENSE OF LIVING
IN FRANCE.
The vicinity of Paris is, of course, dearer than other parts of France, but families in good circumstances, who wish to be near the metropolis, should fix themselves at Versailles or St.-Germain.
Persons who wish to economize must resort to the banks of the Loire and Lower Normandy, which are both much frequented by the English, who may here enjoy the comforts of life at a third less than in one of the provincial towns of their own country. A still greater reduction of expense will be found in the retired parts of Brittany, or in the towns of Saumur and Avranches, where living is one-fourth cheaper than at Caen or Tours. These situations are, however, inconvenient, as there are neither good schools nor genteel society.
Rouen, Dieppe, Boulogne, are little cheaper than Paris.
From the following statement, some idea may be formed of the expenses likely to be incurred by a family, residing in Tours or any of the towns in the central and Northern parts of France:
RENT. An unfurnished house, of eight or ten rooms, with a garden, may be had from 30 l. to 50 l. a year.
TAXES. Payable by the tenant, about 5 l. a year.
FUEL. Three fires in winter, and a fire in the kitchen throughout the year, will cost 25 l. to 30 l. a year. The usual fuel is wood: coals may be had in some districts. They are in use in Tours, but are expensive; coke is however to be obtained at more reasonable prices.
MEAT.--Beef, mutton, veal, 4 d. to 5 d.; pork, 5 d. to 6 d. per pound.
POULTRY. Fowls, 1 s. 6 d. to 3 s. the couple; a goose or turkey, from 2 s. to 4 s.
EGGS. About 5 d. a dozen.
BUTTER. Fresh, in summer, from 9 d. to 1 s.
MILK. From 2 d. to 3 d. a quart.
BREAD. Generally very good, about 1-1/2 d. the pound.
FISH. Near the coast, is plentiful and cheap.
GROCERY. Is much the same as in England.
TEA. Is rather cheaper, and sugar rather dearer.
WAGES. A man servant, 10 l. or 12 l. a year; a woman Cook, 8 l. to 12 l.; a house maid, 6 l. to 8 l. A mechanic 2 s. to 2 s. 6 d. per day; a labourer, 1 s. to 1 s. 3 d.
CLOTHES. Linens and silks cheaper; cottons dearer than in England; wollen articles dearer.
EDUCATION. Boarding-schools from 25 l. to 35 l. a year including extras. Board in a Family, with private tuition, boys 50 l. per year; girls from 35 l. to 40 l. Private lessons by the hour, in French, 2 s. to 4 s.; in music, 2 s. 6 d. to 5 s.
In the south of France wine is much cheaper, but other provisions are charged much the same as in the north and central parts. The brandy of the country, may be purchased in Tours for 1 s. 6 d. per bottle, and _Cognac_ of the best quality for 2 s. 6. d. per bottle.