In addition to our other occupations, the diligence afforded a daily and short amusement as it stopped at our inn-door. I can see now the great lumbering machine just drawn up, a clown in a blue smock-frock, linen forage-cap with a huge peak sticking straight out, and a long coach-whip in hand, seated on the near wheeler, guiding by cord-reins the three cart-horses harnessed abreast as leaders; and two tall soldier-like _gens-d’armes_, in their neat blue uniforms and cocked-hats, stepping up to the door, and whilst one examines the way-bill, the other mounts the step of the vehicle and scrutinises the passengers. They were fine fellows these, and we got tolerably intimate with them. Every evening Hitchins came to us and played a rubber of casino. One evening standing at our window, we saw some sheep come down the opposite street; two or three went into the passage of a house, the door of which was instantly closed by an old woman, and we both exclaimed, “Ah, the wretch! she steals the sheep.” Our servants who stood by laughed, and explained that the old shepherd (who now appeared sauntering slowly along) was the guardian of the town flock, which he conducted to pasture daily. Accordingly the next morning the old man again marched under our window towards the fields, blowing his horn, at which sound the door opposite again opened, and out sallied the same sheep following the old man, and forming with others assembling from all quarters a large flock, which we found him with in the fields when we went to ride. _22d._--Marched to Abbeville. Billeted on a velvet manufacturer with a pretty wife; excellent house, comfortable living. Visit the cathedral and walk about the town. Forgot that I tried one of my men by a court-martial at Airaines upon a charge of stealing bacon, brought against him by a peasant of the village where Maunsell was quartered. Sent on to Abbeville for a captain, and Close came over for the purpose. The _patois_ of the witnesses was so mixed up with English as to astonish us; one in particular we shrewdly suspected of being an English deserter. It was, however, only the _patois_ of Picardy. “Yes” was much oftener used than “oui” by them. On our way here from Airaines, descending to the Somme at Point de Remy, I saw a very large Roman encampment on a neighbouring hill: country about the river pretty as usual. Here most of my horses were put up in the riding-school of the cavalry barrack. Our host’s family consisted of himself, a grown-up son, a female cousin, and his pretty wife, who was very civil, and went shopping with F., but disgusted me at breakfast by holding up a beastly pocket-handkerchief and spitting at it.