when lodging in Salisbury Street, in the Strand, having packed up my
things for my departure for Paris, when a porter came to carry them to
the Golden Cross, he said it was impossible that any man could take them
at once, and the people of the house joined in saying that it was far
beyond one man's load, consisting of a moderate sized trunk, a large
portmanteau, and a well-stuffed carpet bag; when I declared that the
first porter I should meet with at Paris would take them all the same
distance without raising an objection, a sort of smile of incredulity
passed from one to the other, expressive of how absurd they thought such
an assertion. On arriving at Paris, however, the very first porter I
spoke to in the Diligence-yard took them all, without a question as to
their weight. In several cases, when persons have been quitting London
for Paris with me, I have proved to them how much heavier a burthen the
French porters will carry than the English. I believe the cause arises
in a great degree from the latter not being addicted to drinking ardent
spirits, which is ruinous to the strength and constitutions of such
numbers of the lower classes in London. But the Greek and Turkish
porters will carry twice as much as the French, and their beverage is
nothing but water and their food principally rice. In almost every
description of labour the Englishman has the advantage when what may be
styled knack or method be required; the consequence is, that they make
the most of what physical strength they possess; hence he will plough,
mow, or reap more in a day than a Frenchman. Not only is the machinery
which the Englishman employs much better, but he is what may be termed
more handy in making use of it; in every thing which relates to
husbandry or mechanism the Frenchman is generally awkward; a more
powerful instance cannot be cited than that of their always employing
two men to shoe a horse, one man being occupied to hold up the horse's
leg, whilst the farrier performs his part of the work; is it not
astonishing that after an uninterrupted communication with England for
twenty-seven years, that they should never have observed, that an
English farrier, by taking the animal's leg between his own, is able to
effect his purpose just as well as if two men were employed; but the
French must have remarked that custom in England; only, the besotted
prejudice that exists in that class against every species of innovation
causes them to persever