d_: poor
fellow, he was not above twenty. He told me that all the _young
conscripts_ were delighted to return to their homes, and that only the
old veterans were friends to the war.--I hope this may be true, but I
doubt it. The country here shows that the winter is not so far advanced;
many of the trees are still green; the roads had become heavy with the
rain that has fallen; we have had two days hard frost, but to-day the
weather is mild, and the air moist. We were recommended to the Hotel des
Allies here, but preferred stopping at the first good-looking inn we
found, as in great towns things are very dear at the houses of great
resort; we have had a very good supper and tolerable lodgings for 18
francs.

To-morrow, we set out at seven.--We find our way of travelling tedious;
but I think in summer it would be by far the best. Our three horses
seldom take less than 10, sometimes 13 hours to their day's journey, of
from 28 to 32 miles; but our carriage is large and roomy; and had we any
thing like comfort at our inns, as at home, we should find the
travelling very pleasant. The greatest annoyance arises from your having
always to choose from the two evils, of being either shamefully imposed
upon, or of having to bargain before-hand for the price of your
entertainment.

* * *

It was near eight o'clock this morning, the 16th, before we got under
weigh, and according to our coachman's account, we had been delayed by
the horses being too much fatigued the night before. He continued to
proceed so slowly, that we only reached Varrenes at four o'clock, a
distance of 22 miles from Moulins, where we had last slept. Moulins is
the finest town we have seen since we left Paris. The streets are there
wider, and the houses, though old and black, are on a much better plan,
and in better repair than any we have passed through; there is also
somewhat of neatness and cleanliness about them. It is famous for its
cutlery, and has a small manufacture of silk stockings; we saw some of
the cutlery very neat and highly polished in some parts, but coarse and
ill finished in others. The variety of shapes which the French give
their knives is very amusing.

The road between Moulins and Varrenes is through a much prettier country
than we have seen since we left Paris; there is more wood, with
occasional variety of orchards and vineyards and corn fields. The
ploughing, is here carried on by bullocks, and these are also used in
the carts. All