The passage of the eight locks
at Beziers, that is, from the opening of the first to the last gate
took one hour and thirty-three minutes. The bark in which I go is about
thirty-five feet long, drawn by one horse, and goes from two to three
geographical miles an hour. The canal yields abundance of carp and eel.
I see also small fish, resembling our perch and chub. Some plants
of white clover, and some of yellow, on the banks of the canal near
Capestan; santolina also, and a great deal of yellow iris. Met a raft
of about three hundred and fifty beams, forty feet long, and twelve
or thirteen inches in diameter, formed into fourteen rafts, tacked
together. The extensive and numerous fields of saintfoin, in general
bloom, are beautiful.
May 16. _Le Saumal. Marseillette_. May 17. _Marseilleite. Carcassonne_.
From Saumal to Carcassonne we have always the river Aube close on our
left. This river runs in the valley between the Cevennes and Pyrenees,
serving as the common receptacle for both their waters. It is from
fifty to one hundred and fifty yards wide, always rapid, rocky, and
insusceptible of navigation.
Pages:
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331