The Diary of a Girl in France in 1821 — John Shaqi
The Diary of a Girl in France in 1821Browne, Mary
History
The Diary of a Girl in France in 1821
Browne, Mary
France -- Description and travel; France -- Social life and customs
... to their mouths to make him understand, but he always returned the
same answer, 'O nonononono, nononono,' so they were obliged to leave
him. Only a few people went in the boats. We laid down on the deck,
with our head on a basket and a coat over us. The deck was covered with
people lying in a heap like pigs. It was so disagreeable, that when I
heard that we could not get in till six or seven o'clock, I thought
that I would almost sooner go in the next boat than stay where I was.
Soon after, Euphemia told me that the next boat was come, but we did
not go in that either. Soon after, almost everybody went down to the
cabin, except Carruthers, the affected lady, and me. The old man again
began to be troublesome: he wanted to get to a chair at the opposite
side of the cabin, and all at once down he got on his hands and knees,
and began to crawl over the ladies, who called out, 'O! O dear! he
will crush us.' He then wanted to go to bed, and kept poking about: he
came to Euphemia's bed, and said, 'I'll get in here. Why mayn't I get
in here?' and he stood upon a chair, and peeped into the bed. One of
the ladies called out, 'There's a child in that bed.' 'Nononono-no,'
said he, and there he stood. Euphemia prepared herself to jump out of
bed if he got in, but after looking a little while he went away. Every
time she spoke to Catherine he held up two of his fingers, and said,
'That won't do, that won't do.' The affected lady had laid her head on
our knees, and she was never still for a moment. She kept continually
asking how long it would be before we got in; it was very foggy, and
the sailors had lost sight of the fort, so this lady thought she would
direct them. 'Oh!'said she, 'I wish I could look up; I've got such
famous eyes,' and then she sat up. 'Oh yes, I can see it.' One of the
sailors tried to persuade her that one might fancy anything in a fog,
but she still wanted to direct them. 'I'm sure,' said she, 'I see the
fort. It would be much better if you were to go into the harbour.' They
at last said they thought we should not get in all night.[3] Whenever
they moved the helm, the lady screamed out that it would crush her. I
felt very stupid and sleepy, and in a short time I fell asleep. When
they were going in to Calais we went into the cabin; they took me
down half asleep, and when I awoke I could hardly tell where I was;
it looked like a burial-ground; the floor was covered with people and
basons, and it was almost dark; in a little while we heard that we were
going into the harbour, to our great joy; I thought I would sooner stay
all my life in France than cross the sea again. We reached Calais a
little after eight; every person got up and groped about: a gentleman
said it was like a resurrection. One of Mr. Wilkinson's little girls,
about three or four years old, said, 'Papa, must my kisses and cakes
go to the custom-house?' When Euphemia[4] was getting up she said,
'I think we all look like wild beasts in our dens'; one of the plaid
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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