same; a total want of trees, and of variety of scenery of any kind. No
peasants houses to be seen scattered over the face of the country; the
peasantry all crowd into the villages.--Yet there is no want of
cultivation. The situation of the lower classes is yet extremely
comfortable. The girls are handsome, and always well drest. The men
strong and healthy. The young women wear little caps trimmed with lace,
and the men broad-brimmed picturesque-looking hats: both have shoes and
stockings. The parish churches in this part of France are in a miserable
condition. It is no longer here, as in England, that the churches and
_Cures'_ houses are distinguished by their neatness. Here, the churches
are fallen into ruins; the windows soiled, and covered with cobwebs. The
order of the priesthood, from what I have seen, are, I should conceive,
little respected.----Distance 29 miles.

* * *

_Saturday_, the 25th.--We left Castelnaudry at five o'clock, and have
travelled to-day through a country, which, from Castelnaudry to
Toulouse, is uniformly flat and bare, and uninteresting. We were
surprised to-day by meeting on the road a party of English friends, who
had set out for Bourdeaux, returning by the same road. They informed us,
they had heard by private letters, that Bonaparte was at the gates of
Paris, on which account they had returned, and were determined to pass
into Spain. They told us, that the roads were covered by parties of
English flying in every direction; and that all the vessels at Bourdeaux
were said to have already sailed for England. It was, however,
impossible for us now to turn back; and we continued our route to
Bourdeaux with very uncomfortable feelings, anxious lest every moment
should confirm the bad news, and put a stop to our progress to the
coast, or that, when we arrived, we should find the sea-ports under an
embargo. Near Toulouse, are seen a few country seats, which relieve the
eye; but the town is old and ugly, and situated, to all appearance, in a
swampy flat. We shall see more of it to-morrow. The road from
Castelnaudry to this is very bad, the worst we have seen yet in the
south of France; it has been paved, but is much broken up.----Distance
41 miles.

* * *

_Sunday_, 26th.--It has become necessary now to change all our plans of
travelling. Upon visiting our banker this morning, I received from him a
full confirmation of the bad news--Napoleon is in Paris, and again
seated on the throne of Fr