August 11, 1834
On 11 August, we embarked on the French bateau à vapeur [steamboat] Le Rouannais to make the voyage to Rouen up the Seine. At ten thirty the boat sailed. We had stayed in [Le] Havre three two and a half days. We sailed upriver to the harbor and then to the left into the Seine, which was here three or more times as wide as the Rhine. Then we sailed upriver [past] the city, in sight of the beautiful elevations covered with forest and country homes that I mentioned earlier. The boat was fairly loaded with passengers, as are all French [vessels]. Among [the passengerswere] many Englishmen. The cabin [was] very small and dark. Mr. Caire, notaire [notary] from New Orleans, [and] his little son, who had come with us [on the ocean crossing], was also there.
After noon We sailed past Harfleur, where we were recently with Mr. Meinel, and where, close to the banks of a promontory, the huts for ship quarantaine [quarantine] are erected on the beach. Later we came across Honfleur, located to the right, a town in a pretty, [narrow] valley in the heights on the left bank of the Seine. In the afternoon, hills covered with coppices were visible on the right bank; in some ravines, we noticed conifers, undoubtedly planted there.
The village Vilqué [was] on the same bank, then Meilleraie at the left bank, two lieues higher upriver; two more lieues farther up still [was] Duclair. Vilqué is in a charming location in a forest gorge; at the mountain, the trees were cleared; some brigs were anchored there [on the Seine].
Caudebec is an attractive place in a rocky gorge, with an old, strangely Gothic tower. Everywhere in the gardens, trimmed hedges and trees were still visible, just as at the time of Louis XIV. [Soon] Meilleraie followed at the left bank. [We saw] a type of ungainly ship [carrying] tall, large bins, partially loaded with coal, downriver; they are used on the rivers. They have a pair of very short masts. The river had [quickly] decreased in width and was already narrow here. Its banks are often edged with rock walls, similar to a quai [quay]. In its lower sections, the Seine is particularly full of shallow spots and sandbanks that change often and make shipping dangerous and arduous. In such spots, small flags [are placed] as markers. The banks are covered picturesquely with shrubs, forest, many tall Italian poplars, and homes. In some places, interesting churches [or, more] particularly, steeples, rise picturesquely out of the shrub-covered valley.
About five o’clock we were near Duclair, a charming small town on the right bank. The houses in all these towns and villages have an antiquated architecture and are painted very colorfully. They are very different in their neatness, in everything, generally-—particularly the steamboats-—[compared to their] American [counterparts]. The place is small, only a single street along the bank. The emptied fruit and vegetable baskets were all thrown overboard. The owners fished them out of the water. A white rock face extended on the bank above the [village]. The road ran in front of the rock face near the river. On [the road were] large freight wagons, as in Germany, and loaded pack animals. Gaps, in which houses had been built, were hewn into the rocks. Indeed, some of the houses were located entirely inside the rocks, [so that the rocks] served as a roof. Unusual formations appeared at the jutting rocks and bluffs. The area is in many places similar to those on the [river] Moselle.
We sailed by some islands that were overgrown with low-standing timber. The banks were mostly covered with Italian poplars. These poplars could be seen in numbers everywhere. Some meadows [on] the left bank were covered with herds of cattle and horses.
Walls of white sandstone with many quarries soon followed on the same bank. [The stone] lies in quantity everywhere and [is] used as building material, even in Rouen. Such quarries are located particularly at Caumont, a rather large place, and at Labouille, which soon followed. As night came, we saw ahead of us the numerous lights of the great city of Rouen, where we moored at the quai directly in front of the Hotel Rouen and disembarked together with some Englishmen and Mr. Caire.
Rouen is an imposing city of 100,000 inhabitants; [it is] built in the old style with tall houses [and] mostly narrow streets. [Rouen is] located on the Seine, [and a bend in the river] cuts off some sort of a suburb [across from the city]. There is much commerce and ship traffic; various factories; fine, diverse stores; many large, old churches; the city hall with a public promenade; and shady avenues. However, [the latter are] not extensive. Many curiosities and antiquities of historical value are located here.
The city has several squares, among them, one in front of city hall and a small one where an inferior statue of the Maid of Orléans is located. The figure is of stone, in erect position, her head bared and a sword in her hand, [the point] resting on the ground. She turns her back to the small old house where she was imprisoned.
Very much worth seeing is the old Gothic cathedral with its two tall towers, truncated on top. From its platform there is an incomparable view down toward the impressive mass of houses [in] the old city. One of the towers was damaged on top by lightning.
Various types of troops are garrisoned at Rouen. The French army generally wears red pantalons [trousers] now. The infantry [also] wears short white leather spats. It seems they have imitated the Prussians [with their uniforms]. For instance, [we saw] lancers with dark red Cjapkas [caps] [and] light blue coats (like the Prussian dragoons); the ones I saw here [had] yellow lapels and collars. The infantry wore collars and lapels of different colors. The officers [wore a] sword without a sword knot, the bandolier [was a] long cross of white leather like [that of] the Prussians and Russians, [and] their ljaeows [shakos?] were narrow, cylindrical, and high.
I looked up the natural history institutions but found only one dealer in natural history objects-—Bierman-—who had only a small cabinet. He also functioned as a barber. His collection could not be compared with those at [Le] Havre.