Wednesday, October 21, 1829 Travel Journal (Partial Entry)

1829

October

Wednesday 21

8 1/4

Breakfast over at 10 5/60 – Out with Miss Hobart from 10 20/60 to 11 5/60 –

Off at 11 10/60.  Soon good village with good church.  Meet waggon with a wedding party in it, and then immediately at 12 10/60, large good town or village of Paupray (Poperinghe), brick and generally green, yellow, or whitewashed – Very handsome looking, large church – Stopt 5 minutes there to drink, and then off again – Another handsome church at the other end of the town –

Hops very much earthed up in little mounds – Poles piled lengthwise and neatly thatched over with straw, and looking little scattered all up and down.  Nice little straggling long village 5 minutes from the town – All along, good husbandry – Quantity of hops hereabouts – Once observed turnips on the little hop-mounds – Pollard willows and a few poplars – Thorn or alder hedges – Hedge row, timber beech and oak, and woods – Fine rich country in all the varied tints of autumn – A good white guidepost, pointing à Ipres, Bergues, Watou, as in England – Very fine day – Sunny – Another nice, neat little village at 12 50/60 –

At 1 50/60, the little one long narrow street of Rousbrugge, – Change horses – Long talk – I obliged to pay for 4 horses – Off at 1 40/60 – Neat brick, boring, partially whitewashed – At the end of the town, stop at the Douane to be Searched before leaving Belgium – Lady Stuart’s letter, being niece de l’ambassadeur, prevailed, and we were off again without searching in 5 minutes at 1 3/4 –

Low, flat country all the way from Ipres – At 3 20/60, stop to change horses at the little fortified town of Bergues – and off again at 3 40/60 – In 1/4 hour, close to the canal right, a little garrison and fort – Flat, uninteresting drive along the canal to Dunkerque in 3/4 hour at 4 25/60.

On being called at eight this morning, I just told her the hour.  She got up and went away without my seeing her at breakfast (I never kissed her).  There being like eyelashes in the butter, said I, do you remember the fate of two of yours ‘Have you thrown them into the fiery furnace?’ No, they are just where they were –

In walking out, said Lady Stuart asked me to be in her room last night, more than some people did’ – More perhaps than some people are expected to do now’ I made no answer –

Walked 3/4 hour in the town (of Ypres) this morning with Miss Hobart – Walked round one of the unopen churches and went into the others of the 3 including the Cathedral in the town – The latter church neat, whitewashed, Gothic within – Very plain brick Gothic without – This and the other standing in a sort of close or green –

Miss Hobart and I and Cameron quite far off last night from Lady Stuart and Wyatt, but very comfortable apartment – I should have no objection to sleep at this Inn again –

Lady Stuart with me the first and last stage today, Miss Hobart from Rousbrugge to Bergues. Nothing particular passed.  I agreeableized pretty well at Bergues.  She said we went slow because I never told the postillons to do otherwise because I did not wish it.  She looked

WYAS Finding Number SH:7/ML/TR/4/0011