"TUESDAY, _Boulogne_—Landed here half dead, having lost the tide, and obliged to pass another night at sea. All very ill. Pa's lumbago confirmed, and Ma's rheumatism _très mal_.—Unable to go to Paris; and our places having been paid for all the way, obliged to forfeit the money; Pa very cross, Ma very uncomfortable. 5 O'CLOCK, P.M.—Pa has just been in to say that the French lady refuses to give up Ma's _sac de nuit_, containing all her valuables; and that, as it was landed in her name, there's no remedy.—A call from Marquis—advises us not to make a rumpus about it, for fear of being taken up as smugglers. His lordship's valet not being yet arrived, under the unpleasant necessity of borrowing five pounds of Pa. Pa very suspicious, until Marquis showed us his passport, where they have taken him two black eyes, a nose _aquilin_, black _cheveux_, and five feet three inches of _taille_. Only think, Adelaide dear! what a picture of a lover!
"WEDNESDAY.—Passed a dreadful night, not having been able to sleep a wink for the _punaises_. Ma bit all over, and her face as big as two. _Moi aussi_, my eyes completely swelled up, all but one little corner, just enough to see what a fright I am in the looking-glass. Unable to get any assistance from the people at the inn, our _manuel du voyageur_ not containing any dialogue between a chambermaid and a lady bitten by bugs; and Pauline, Ma's maid, that she hired by advertisement, having left us the moment we landed, her only motive in engaging herself at all being to get her passage paid back to her native country.—Can't get anything that we can eat at the inn, and reduced to sea biscuits and water. I have again tried to make our wants known to the _fille de chambre_, but without success, they _do_ speak such very bad French in the provinces—quite a _patois_, in fact. Hope we shall do better in Paris.—Marquis called, and recommended Pa to hire a _valet de place_. Kindly undertook to provide him one, who speaks French and English, and understands the horrible _patois_ of the Boulognese. This will take a good deal off my hands, who am obliged to be _interpreteur_ to the whole party.—_Alexis_, the new _valet de place_, arrives.—Got something eatable at last, and are to start for Paris _demain matin_.