where she was seen waiting for a pilot. Accordingly a boat
put off to her assistance, and brought her safe into the harbour: since
which time she has continued to patronize the watermen of Boulogne. At
present she is very black and very ugly, besides being cruelly
mutilated in different parts of her body, which I suppose have been
amputated, and converted into tobacco-stoppers; but once a year she is
dressed in very rich attire, and carried in procession, with a silver
boat, provided at the expence of the sailors. That vanity which
characterises the French extends even to the canaille. The lowest
creature among them is sure to have her ear-rings and golden cross
hanging about her neck. Indeed this last is an implement of
superstition as well as of dress, without which no female appears. The
common people here, as in all countries where they live poorly and
dirtily, are hard-featured, and of very brown, or rather tawny
complexions. As they seldom eat meat, their juices are destitute of
that animal oil which gives a plumpness and smoothness to the skin, and
defends those fine capillaries from the injuries of the weather, which
would otherwise coalesce, or be shrunk up, so as to impede the
circulation on the external surface of the body. As for the dirt, it
undoubtedly blocks up the pores of the skin, and disorders the
perspiration; consequently must contribute to the scurvy, itch, and
other cutaneous distempers.

In the quarter of the matelots at Boulogne, there is a number of poor
Canadians, who were removed from the island of St. John, in the gulph
of St. Laurence, when it was reduced by the English. These people are
maintained at the expence of the king, who allows them soldier's pay,
that is five sols, or two-pence halfpenny a day; or rather three sols
and ammunition bread. How the soldiers contrive to subsist upon this
wretched allowance, I cannot comprehend: but, it must be owned, that
those invalids who do duty at Boulogne betray no marks of want. They
are hale and stout, neatly and decently cloathed, and on the whole look
better than the pensioners of Chelsea.

About three weeks ago I was favoured with a visit by one Mr. M--, an
English gentleman, who seems far gone in a consumption. He passed the
last winter at Nismes in Languedoc, and found himself much better in
the beginning of summer, when he embarked at Cette, and returned by sea
to England. He soon relapsed, however, and (as he imagines) in
consequence of