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sensation was, if possible, greater than ever, for having taken our evening walk in the usual costume of straw hat, blue jerseys and flannels, we appeared rather conspicuous; but the curiosity of the people was easily smoothed down on these points, for one more clever and more learned than the rest undertook to inform his companions that that was the ordinary style of dress of an English gentleman. The Professor could not refrain from joining in 'the dance,' while he left 'the merry laughing' part of the business to us, for it must be said he cut a very comical figure among the sombre dresses of the natives.

We were in imminent peril here, however, for numbers insisted on our drinking beer with them; and it is probable that had it not been for the welltimed interference of mine host of the café, we should have been torn in pieces through their kindness, though eventually we got off safely, and retired for the night.

At three o'clock the next morning the people began again to collect in the yard, and continued increasing in numbers till nine, for it had been given out the previous night that it was our intention to start at that time in the morning. It was most amusing to hear these people talking about us,

ST. JEAN DE L'OSNE.

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each being thoroughly confident that he knew more than his neighbour.

'Mais oui! c'est un veritable bateau à vapeur! Je l'ai entendu dire hier soir par un de ces Anglais. Ils sont huit d'equipage.'

'Non, non! c'est ridicule ce que vous dites là; ils ne sont que six; quatre rames, le gouvernail, et un crampon, voilà ce que fait marcher le bateau! Et tenez ! remarquez les places pour les quatre rames," pointing out the rowlocks, which were adapted for double sculling. After our breakfast we were called upon to settle a dispute concerning the uses of the rudder. One man was willing to give up his idea, and own that it really was the gouvernail if any of his comrades would inform him to what possible use those strings could be put, but this he defied them to do.

The Captain and Professor, to indulge the people with a true and real notion of the speed we could get on the boat, pulled about a little in front of the town, and the dashing manner in which the bridge was shot earned us an undeserved cheer from the banks, for there was not really the slightest necessity for shipping our oars, yet it was a manœuvre, and much delighted the spectators.

It did not take us long to put our small amount

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ST. JEAN DE L'OSNE.

of baggage into the boat, and we left the scene of our great popularity amidst tumultuous cheering and great waving of handkerchiefs. Pulling merrily away for some distance up the Saône, we overtook a gang of barges to which we fastened our small craft-jumped on board-fraternized with the bargees, and partook of the very tolerable cheer that our companions civilly offered us.

They were much struck with the simple manner in which we lighted our pipes by means of a burning-glass, and every one of them immediately pulled out his pipe and filled it, that he might have it lighted by this machine diabolique as they called it. We joined them in some of their French songs as well as we were able, and thus continued during the heat of the day, till arriving at St. Semphorien, we ended our short course on the Saône and took to canal again.

CHAPTER VI.

BESANÇON-LE PETIT QUART D'HEURE.

Oppidum maximum Sequanorum, naturâ loci sic muniebatur ut magnam ad ducendum bellum daret facultatem; propterea quod flumen Dubis, ut circino circumductum pene totum oppidum cingit, reliquum spatium, non est amplius pedum DC., quâ flumen intermittit, mons continet magnâ altitudine, ita ut radices montis ejus ex utrâque parte ripe fluminis contingunt.-Cas. Com. lib. 1.

of a number of bargees, who presently drew around us, and paid us (as we presumed from

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CANAL DU RHÔNE AU RHIN.

their volubility of speech, and the emphasis they laid on many high-sounding words,) no end of compliments.

This canal is not kept in such good order as those in Burgundy; many of the locks, to our annoyance, worked very heavily; we therefore, in our capacity of canal inspectors, were constrained to take more copious notes, and frequently to complain of the sad state the account books were in.

The fall of water in some of these locks is very great, being sometimes as much as fifteen or sixteen feet, though generally averaging from ten to twelve; the water comes rushing in through the sluice, when opened, with great force, and forms, in fact, a complete jet d'eau of about two feet six inches square. It need not be hinted how very necessary it is to keep the boat out of the reach of this spout, or to prevent her scraping against the sides of the lock; but this is not always such an easy matter, there being so great a commotion of water in the lock. We calculated that it took us six minutes to pass a lock when one of the crew assisted the éclusier, and about twenty when we all remained in the boat.

Arriving at Dôle, a small but very picturesque looking town, with an extremely interesting church