A fine bright morning - the Seine in front of my room window. Several small English coal schooners and the Steamer Normandie smoking for her departure for Havre - sallied out. The Quays and streets full of merry looking people, Sunday morning and in their best clothes. Took a passing view of the two bridges, the suspension and stone bridge. The bronze statue of Corneille, who was a native of Rouen on the latter, up the Rue Grand Point to the cathedral. A venerable highly ornamented Gothic structure. The marche des fleurs was holding in front and mass performing inside. The Tour de Beffroy and the Grosse Horloge were not far.
At the palais de justice met with an intelligent boy (Le Moutardiere) in a blouse who offered me his services - to conduct me to all the antiquities of Rouen for 50 sous. Struck by the ugly names to the streets, as Rue du Massaere and Rue coupe Gorece - La place de la Pucelle with Jeanne d'Arcs statue in the centre. And when she was burnt alive in 1431 - an ancient house called the hotel du Bourgtheroulde. The walls covered with curious bass reliefs cut in stone representing historical subjects and among them the interview of Henry 8th and Francis 1st at the camp of Drap d'Or.
In rue de la Pic the house where Corneille was born, of wood and curiously carved. The church St. Patrice with its windows of highly colored glass and St. Maclou with its Gothic doors, rich in ornaments and sculpture, but the most beautiful of all the church of St. Oven. Commenced 1318 and finished 1522. Highly pleased with its clustered columns and lofty arches, light airy and cheerful, the best proportioned Gothic building I have ever seen. The architect that planned it deserved a high rank for taste in either ancient or modern times.
Understand that in the revolution, smiths forges were erected in it and holes pierced in the roof - some of the columns still blackened by the smoke. It belonged to a very rich monastery of Benedictines - the monks of St. Oven - contiguous to the church is a part of the monastery now used as the hotel de ville and galleries of paintings,which occupied me an hour in looking over.
The other parts of the monastery have been pulled down and the place turned into a large and ornamental square. At the Musee d' histoire naturelle is the usual assortment of birds and animals on a small scale, also the dried and black body of a negro or Abyssinian, disinterred from the sands of Africa. Among the antiquities are some of Roman origin, mostly from Lillebon near the mouth of the Seine and were a Roman circus has existed. Dined at the toble d'hote of my hotel. In company with Mr. & Mrs., just arrived from Canada and who will probably be fellow passengers in the Acadia to Halifax. In the evening my conductor took me to the salle de la Renaissance at St. Sever over the Seine. Crowded with grissettes - well dressed and of respectable deportment. All as merry as dancing and music could make them, but not all young or handsome -
The fineness of the weather induced me to take passage in the daily steamer for Havre. Left the Quai of Rouen at nine o'clock, going at a rapid rate with the current. The Seine is very crooked which increases the land distance of of 19 leagues to 34. Passed a number of picturesque villages on the banks, the principal of which are Meilleraie and Candebec and the imposing ruins of the monastery of Jumieges, whose possessions were of great extent supporting 900 monks and 2300 convents.
