“Eye nature’s walks, shoot folly as it flies,
And catch the manners living as they rise.”
I was apprised by a porter, at three o’clock, that the voiture was in readiness, and after bustling to be in time, was by no means pleased to find that I had been disturbed an hour too soon; nor was my dissatisfaction diminished, when the porter, by signs, gave me to understand, that I must traverse the greater part of the city with him to the coach-office; it was in vain to remonstrate with a person who could not understand me, and insist upon the fulfilment of my agreement; at length, however, to cut short the argument, my conductor, with a mixture of passion and impatience, seized my portmanteau, and gave me to understand, that I had no alternative but to accompany him, or lose my passage. In fine, I was obliged to submit, and after half an hour’s walk, we reached the voiture in safety. The next measure was to place my portmanteau in security, and which, unless I had interfered, would have been exposed on the outside of the voiture. Travellers in France should always superintend the stowage of their luggage, as it is not unusual to have it stolen from the exterior of the carriage. Dr. O⸺, a gentleman, whom I had the pleasure of meeting in the summer of 1820, at Aix in Provence, in travelling from Lyons to Geneva, lost his trunk, containing valuable collections he had made in Italy, and other property, worth some thousand francs, from the outside of the diligence. He was induced to commence an action against the proprietors, either to stimulate them to recover his property, or to make them compensate his loss; but finding that, after a tedious and expensive process, the utmost he could recover, would be a thousand francs, he thought it most prudent to abandon it.
At length our arrangements being completed, the voiturier made the customary signal with his whip, and we bade adieu to Bordeaux.
One of the earliest, and most obvious attentions of the traveller in a public stage, is to reconnoitre his companions, and endeavour to ascertain whether it be possible to elicit information or amusement from them; the group with which I was now thrown into collision, was not unlikely to be productive of interest; I was soon convinced, from the nature of their conversation, that my companions were not of the genteelest stamp. The women were at home in speaking patois, and the only one who could not join in this, was the person who, I suppose from his wearing a large cocked-hat, had been taken for an officer, but who, I afterwards found, had been a bootmaker in one of Bonaparte’s cavalry regiments.
At ten o’clock we halted, and were regaled with a breakfast a la fourchette, consisting of soup bouillè, ragoûts, roasted fowls, and little birds; the compliments of the table were paid me; my companions did not sit down until I had nearly finished; and the voiturier placed himself by my side, serving me with every dish as it was brought in, and appearing to expect me to partake of all of them. I confined myself chiefly to the soup and rôti; the little birds would have relished well, had not a slice of bacon placed on the breast of each, destroyed their natural flavour.
At one o’clock we recommenced our journey, and at six in the evening, reached our resting place for the night. After a delay of two hours, a profuse supper was served up in regular courses, and concluded by a dessert of grapes, pruins, apples, pears, nuts, and small sponge cakes. I was not a little surprised at their mode of cooking a cauliflower which I had inquired for; after a great many “toute a l’heure’s,” it made its appearance, boiled as soft as batter, and mixed up with oil, vinegar, and pepper, like a salad!
The wine was excellent, and the glass circulated freely. Who thought I, would not travel in a voiture, to live thus cheerily, and at so trifling an expense, for it will scarcely appear credible, that the proprietor had engaged to convey me to Toulouse, a distance of one hundred and twenty-five miles, occupying five days on the journey, and providing me with every necessary, beds included, for thirty-five francs, equal to about five shillings and ten pence English money per day!
Our supper party consisted of nine or ten persons, not indeed of the most select kind, but I had no right to complain, as with a view of avoiding trouble, and imposition, and at the same time, with some prospect of deriving gratification from the melange of characters I expected to meet with, I had engaged to put up with the general fare.