Calculation and estimate of expenses at Paris.—List of hôtels, traiteurs, &c. p. 266. LETTER XXXII. General view of Paris, principally taken as compared with London. p. 282. A ROUGH SKETCH OF MODERN PARIS. LETTER I. Reflections on landing at Calais.—Custom house officers, municipality, commissaires, Dessein’s, theatre.—Montreuil.—L’hôtel d’Angleterre at Amiens.—Chantilly.—State of the roads.—Difficulty of getting lodgings at Paris.—M. Peregaux. Paris, october the 30th, 1801 (4 brumaire, an 10.) MY DEAR SIR, At length, arrived in this celebrated city, I execute my promise in commencing a correspondence, which, on my part, shall in future be strictly confined to the curiosities of the place. As I have been only three hours at Paris, I shall in this first letter speak of nothing but my journey. On the 26th of october, I left the York house, at Dover, (of which Payne is still the civil landlord); and embarking at one o’clock on board a neutral vessel, which I was compelled to hire, no english packet boat being yet allowed to enter the ports of France, found myself, after a safe and pleasant passage, at four, on the continent. Though I have before crossed the Channel, and in as rapid a manner, I was forcibly struck by the wonderful and almost magical change of situation which this short voyage had effected. Rising at my usual hour, I had breakfasted, and walked about the streets of Dover, surrounded by english faces and english customs. The sun had not yet set, and I was now in a foreign country, and that country so lately the enemy of mine, and the seat of such extraordinary and many coloured events. I had changed a monarchical for a republican government. I saw a different people, different dresses, and different countenances, and I was subject to different laws, and different customs. As soon as the vessel entered the port of Calais, two custom house officers came on board, in a military uniform (for every _fonctionnaire public_ has here a regimental dress); and, after taking the names of the passengers, one of them retired, to make his report at the municipality, while the other stayed to prevent our landing, till the return of his companion. In the mean time, the _jetée_, or pier, was crowded with spectators, the greater part of whom were military men, of different ranks and different descriptions. They seemed highly amused in staring at the dresses of the ladies, and in examining the body of my carriage, which was hung on the deck of the ship; while we were equally entertained with the great _moustaches_ of the grenadiers, the wooden shoes of the peasants, and the close caps of the _grisettes_.