nnumerable mast-heads, denote the wealth and prosperity of the town. If
the day happen to be fine, you may devote half a morning in contemplating,
and mingling with, so interesting a scene.

We have had frequent thunder-storms of late; and the other Sunday evening,
happening to be sauntering at a considerable height above the north-west
Boulevards, towards the _Faubourg Cauchoise_, I gained a summit, upon the
edge of a gravel pit, whence I looked down unexpectedly and precipitously
upon the town below. A magnificent and immense cloud was rolling over the
whole city. The Seine was however visible on the other side of it, shining
like a broad silver chord: while the barren, ascending plains, through
which the road to Caen passes, were gradually becoming dusk with the
overshadowing cloud, and drenched with rain which seemed to be rushing down
in one immense torrent. The tops of the Cathedral and of the abbey of St.
Ouen were almost veiled in darkness, by the passing storm; but the lower
part of the tower, and the whole of the nave of each building, were in one
stream of golden light--from the last powerful rays of the setting sun. In
ten minutes this magically-varied scene settled into the sober, uniform
tint of evening; but I can never forget the rich bed of purple and pink,
fringed with burnished gold, in which the sun of that evening set! I
descended--absorbed in the recollection of the lovely objects which I had
just contemplated--and regaled by the sounds of a thousand little gurgling
streamlets, created by the passing tempest, and hastening to precipitate
themselves into the Seine.

Of the different trades, especially retail, which are carried on in Rouen
with the greatest success, those connected with the _cotton manufactories_
cannot fail to claim your attention; and I fancied I saw, in some of the
shop-windows, shawls and gowns which might presume to vie with our
Manchester and Norwich productions. Nevertheless, I learnt that the French
were extremely partial to British manufactures: and cotton stockings,
coloured muslins, and what are called ginghams, are coveted by them with
the same fondness as we prize their cambric and their lace. Their best
articles in watches, clocks, silver ornaments, and trinkets, are obtained
from Paris. But in respect to upholstery, I must do the Rouennois the
justice to say, that I never saw any thing to compare with their
_escrutoires_ and other articles of furniture made of the walnut