Friday, October 22, 1830 Travel Journal

 1830

October

Friday 22

9 1/4

1 40/..

Breakfast at 11 – Out at 1 50/.. To the botanic garden.  The Virginiana Dyospiros Kaki, of which the fruit like a little round red yellow plum, is excellent.  Absolutely sweet as a compote. Kermes like a small leaved holly or evergreen oak dwarf, with large prickly capped acorns –

There 55 minutes – Then to the arsenal in 1/4 hour for 1 1/4 hour.  3 100-gun ships on the stocks, and 4 frigates of 64 – 5000 forcats, green caps for life, red, ditto pour le terme – 5000 workmen besides these, and 1500 soldiers in the arsenal – 2 sheds of 7 enormous  arcades, each over 2 of the 100-gun ships – Magasin general bomb proof and fire proof – On arches – Built only of iron and stone – Rebuilt since burnt in 1793 by the English – Almost empty, but filling again – All the ships from Algiers there –

Saw the room of models – Walked all round – The view of the bare white hills backing the enormous sheds – Very fine –

The arsenal parted from the port for the merchant vessels by a chain à fleur d’eau, even with or a little above the water’s edge – Very fine open port and wide way or street along it – Several vessels – but yet no foreign Commerce here – Very different from Marseille –

The rade very fine – Several vessels brigs etc. of war riding at anchor to very fine effect –

Our vice consul then took us to rest five minutes at his house close to the port and gave us liqueur à la rose de grange sur le port – Very good – Our little man had put M. Roux Vice Consul on his English uniform wanting only English buttons – Had the French naval anchor buttons very like ours, instead –

Home at 3 40/.. for a little while –

In 10 minutes, Sir Charles Lamb in sailor’s dress and his wife called – He just arrived  – Stopt at the Inn opposite us –

Went out again and took the children and Miss Hiriott at 4 20/.. Went to Messers Trebaud frères, my bankers.  Asked the exchange 24/50, so came away determined to wait till Lyons – Then went M. Cognard, Lady Stuart’s banker.  The exchange, he said, was yesterday 25/20 I think, but 25/. something.  But on naming Hammersley, he said he did not know him – and looked doubting when I desired him to send Lady Stuart 2000/.  He said his name was on the letter of credit – Shewed it him written by the banker at Marseilles.  Told him to come at 10 in the morning , and came away –

Then to the cathedral – Nave and side aisles all broad but not high and some side chapels besides – Good church – though not in any  way very striking –

Then home at 5 – Should have been out longer, but the calêche closed, and so wretched, impossible to be at ease in it – I would have walked, but thought Lady would think it not proper, as I had heard her say one could not walk about here, so many soldiers and sailors, without a gentleman.  So I tortured myself and saw nothing –

Dinner at 5 1/2 – Sir Charles Lamb and Lady Montgomery came about 8 and staid till 9 1/2.  She mother of Lord Eglington – and Captain de Suze, French Royal Navy, came and staid a little after them – Wanted Lady Stuart to go on board his frigate, but she declined, thinking it would make too much fuss –

Sir Charles Lambe’s courier came in and said Avignon hotel De l’Europe as at Hières, Valence and Montélimar la Poste, Vienne la table ronde –

Sir Charles came in again for a few minutes to ask Lady Stuart to get Lord Eglington permission to see the arsenal tomorrow –

Sat talking till 11 50/.., at which hour, came to my room – Fahrenheit 63° at 1 5/.. tonight –

WYAS Finding Numbers SH:7/ML/TR/8/0032,  SH:7/ML/TR/8/0033, and SH:7/ML/TR/8/0034