⚫ and trading town, beautifully fituated on the SaoneMy entertainment was good, and a moderate bill at the Cheval Blanc-have this day travelled forty-five miles, through a delightful and extenfive plain, abounding with the richeft grapes of France, and in which fome of the highest growths of Burgundy are produced.

October 4th. Break fafted at Sennecey, at the usual rate of one fhilling English, or twenty-four fous-Dined and put up all night at La Maison Blanche-fortyfeven miles-On my journey this day, the face of the country has varied confiderably--For the first two posts, it is bleak, without production of vines, or any other crop except Turkish corn, refembling tobacco-of this we faw various and extenfive fields About half way between Sennecey and Tournus, we paffed a fteep hill, from which a delightful profpect opens down upon the river Saone, and fine extended fields on each fide of it, fill without large vineyards till we come near to this ftage On the latter part of this day's journey, I obferved fome fmall fields of turnip, and more than ordinary good paftures-The turnip is not of the fame form and fize as ours, but has a root like our parsnip and carrot Their cows are numerous, all white, which is reckoned a bad colour in our breeding countries--They are much employed in labour, both for carriages and plowing, which is very flightly performed, by one man. fometimes by a woman, and two cows-In the courfe of this journey, I have not obferved any field of potatoes. though I am perfuaded they might have great and useful crops of them in their light grounds.

I am habitually, if not naturally fhy in the compa ny of ftrangers-I do not remember, that in any part of Britain, I ever was the first to break filence to ftrangers whom I accidentally met, from an apprehenfion, I fuppofe in general miftaken, of an unkind or furly reception-From an opinion of French good humour and cheerful politeness, I have begun to take the first word with a ftranger, of which I have experi

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enced this day no less than three very agreeable inftances—About half way on the first stage, we met a postchaife; both poftillions ftopt to exchange horses-ȧ practice usual, and very convenient, for obvious rea fons- faw, in the other post-charse, a gentleman of a very pre-engaging appearance-He had much the air of a well-bred perfon, and the dress of a milita ry man of diftinction-He dropt fome queftions to my fervant in English, which he fpoke eafily, though he had never been in England-I took the hint; a conver sation enfued, which could not be latting;—but to ne it was very aggreeable-I gave him the firft intelligence of our commercial treaty, at which he expreffed great fatisfaction in the politeft terms-He recommended Arms de la Pays at Lyons, as an excellent and reasonable hotelMy fecond interview was with a prieit, as we both walked on the defcent of the hill above mentioned-He appeared to be a decent, fenfible man; and also expreffed, in liberal terms, his joy to hear of the commercial treaty with Britain-My third interview was with a genteel-looking man, who walked about while I waited for poft horfes at St. Albion-I understood that he had the management of an eftate, the property of a monaftery, in that neighbourhood-He invited me to take fome refreshment at his houfe adjoining--I excufed my→ felf, by telling him I was impatient to get on to a warm climate for health-It was then furprisingly cold-He told me, in that part of the country, the climate, from local circumstances, is unfavourable, and that I should find no material alteration tiil after I paffed Lyons. For fome time, I have paid four livres for bed and fireHe informed me, that this is the fettled rate for travellers by poft, though less than the one hai was commonly exacted from others-At my evening inn, the bill was very moderate; and here I find the white grapes are exquifite-I have no where yet found a mellow and highly flavoured red grape. Ñ. B. At Lyons, I found them excellent.

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October 6th. Breakfafted at St. George's-a paltry village, where the landlady attempted to impofe on me unfuccesfully In the afternoon, I arrived at LyonsAt Paris, I had been recommended to the hotel d'Ar tois; but I have no reason to repent, that, as advised on the road, Lwent to the hotel de la pays-The country through which I have this day paffed, is finely di verfified by hills moftly covered with vines to the tops

vallies of corn fields interfperfed with vineyards→→→ and a more extenfive track of meadow and pasture grounds along the banks of the beautiful river Saone, than I have yet feen-Some attempts to inclofe with thorn hedges appear they have mifcarried for want of kill and care There is a fhew of trees over the face of the country, and on fome hills; but not being fenced, they are not thriving.

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The city of Lyons. and its environs, as we approach, make a glorious appearance-wild and romantic, yet highly cultivated and populous-Near the city, I saw, for the first time on this road, a field of fine clover, which would certainly be one valuable product for the country-The French have this evident advantage over us in Britain, that they may profit by our example in the culture of grafs and grain, and in improvements by inclosures and planting-whereas we can derive no advantage by their skill and experience in the management of vines..

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October 7th. This day I prefented my letter of recommendation and credit from Monfieur Mary to Meffrs. Andrew Taye and Company here-Mr Faye is a man of sense, of very obliging manners, and agreeable converfation-He and other gentlemen of this place confirm my purpose of refiding, for mott part of the winter, at Hyeres, as a climate almoft invariably mild and ferene They reckon two hundred thousand people in this city-It is a common obfervation, that at Marfailles, where the occupations of the people are more in trade, than in manufactures, great numbers appear every day on the streets-but here they are all manu

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facturers or fhop-keepers-fo on ordinary weekdays, the streets appear almoft empty-but on fundays. and holidays, we fee a prodigious population.

I am very defirous to proceed on my journey, partly on horseback-I am told, that in this country they have a good breed of faddle-horfes, and they deal with Switzerland for ferviceable horfes-Monfieur Faye aflifts me in treating with a great and reputable dealer-He informs me of an agreeable, easy, and cheap mode of travelling from here to Avignon by water in two days and a half-I fhall confider of it-if I cannot find a proper horfe for my ufe, which indeed is difficult:

"A horse a horfe! my kingdom for a horie!"

1 hire a good carriage here at the rate of twelve livres per day My landlady is an excellent perfon; I have not been in an hotel where the accommodation is more commodious and elegant, the entertainment better, and the attention to a traveller more agreeable.

To be continued.

To the Editor of the Bee.

Notice of the early knowledge of the nautical ufes of polarity of the Magnet.

SIR,

As I defire to fee your excellent journal holding a high place among the periodical publications of Europe, and doing honour to that country, to illuftrate which has ever been my highest ambition, I freely impart to you the copy of a very curious manufcript, in the King of France's library, written by Guyot de Provins, an old French poet, about the year 1180, which proves the nautical use of the polarity of the Magnet to have been known and used long before the days of Marco Polo the Venetian, or Flavio de Gioia; fince a poet is feldom like a Bee, to gather honey very early in the morning, and to be the firft like your's to give literary intelligence,-I am, Sir, with regard, your fincere well-wisher, ALBANICUS.

Ifcelle eftoille ne fe muet,

Un arts font qui ne mentir ne puet
Par la vertu de la Manete,
Une pierre laide er brunete,
Ou li fers volontiers fe joint,
Ont refgardent lors droit point.
Puez c'une aguile l'ont touchie,
Et en un feftu l' ont fichie,
En langue la mette fens plus,
Et li feftuiz la tient defus;
Puis fe torne la pointe toute
Centre l'eftoille fens doubte;
Quant li nuis eft tenebre et brūne,
Con ne voit eftoille ne lune;
Lor font a l' aguille alūmer,
Puiz ne puent il affarrer
Contre l'eftoille vers la pointe.
Por ce fort li marinier cointe
De la droite voie tenir :

C'eft uns ars qui ne puet mentir.

Literal Tranflation.

This ftar is unchangeable †,
But there is an art which cannot err,
By the virtue of the Magnet,

A ftone, ugly and brown in colour,
To which iron kindly unites,
And points then right to that direction.
As foon as a needle has been touched,
And properly fixed upon a pivot,
It fets itself in motion immediately,
And the pivot holding it in balance,
It turneth itself to the precife point,
Directed towards the ftar without doubt

When the night is dark and brown,
When one fees nor ftar nor moon,

Then one betakes oneself to the needle as a beacon,

Since this cannot go aftray

In turning itself to the point of the star.
By this is the mariner made acquainted
With the right way to hold:

This is an art that cannot err.

* Alluding, no doubt, to the poletar