A present of a bottle of wine made our boatmen very happy.  They produced one of those huge masses of bread, which seems the principal food of the lower classes, and sate down to their meal with great content.  Our dinner, which we had ordered rather early, was delayed by the arrival of the boat at Vernon, where we were obliged, according to the French phrase, to “mount the bridge.”  It was built, agreeably to the old mode of construction, with a mill in the centre, and the difficulty, and even danger, of getting through the arch, could not be called inconsiderable.  Letting off the steam, we were hauled up by persons stationed for the purpose; and just as we got through, passed the steamers going down to Rouen, the partners of the vessels which went up in the morning; both were full, our star being the only unlucky one.  However, what might have been a hardship to many others was none to us, it being scarcely possible to imagine any thing more delightful than a voyage which, though comparatively slow, was the reverse of tedious, and in which we could discourse unrestrainedly, and occupy any part of the vessel most agreeable to ourselves.  We picked up a very respectable man and his daughter, an interesting little girl, who spoke English very tolerably, and seemed delighted to meet with English ladies; and also an exquisite, dressed in the first style of the Parisian mode, but of him we saw little, he being wholly occupied with himself.

The steam-company are entering into an arrangement at Vernon for the construction of a lock similar to one already formed at Pont-de-l’Arche, which we had passed through in the morning, and which will obviate the inconvenience and difficulty of the present mode of navigating the river.

The next place of interest to which we came was Rosny, a village famous in the pages of history as the residence of the great and good, the friend and minister of Henry IV., the virtuous Sully.  Our boatmen, who were not great antiquaries, said nothing about the early occupants of the chateau, exerting all their eloquence in praise of a later resident—­the Duchesse de Berri.  This lady rendered herself extremely popular in the vicinity, living in a style of princely splendour, and devoting her time to acts of munificence.  Every year she portioned off a bride, giving a dowry to some respectable young lady of the neighbourhood, while to the poor she was a liberal and untiring benefactress.  The boatmen blessed her as they passed, for to all she sent wine, and upon fete-days gave banquets to the rural population, to whom her remembrance will be ever dear.  Our informants pointed out a small chapel, which they described as being very beautiful, which she had built as a depository for her husband’s heart; this precious relic she carried away with her when she left Rosny, which she quitted with the regrets of every human being in the neighbourhood.