The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 128: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE STEAM PACKET. 95 down the newly-greased grooves it fell, quick as the eye can wink; and the head was here—and the trunk was there! And then the crowds began to disperse—but less rapidly than they had assembled ; and one by one the spectators withdrew their heads from the windows,—and the casements themselves were closed, or had their curtains drawn down,—and in an hour after the execution not a trace of that supreme act of the law was left—no, not even the blood of the criminal upon the pavement, nor a rafter of the guillotine in the market-place. ‘ CHAPTER X. IN WHICH ARE RECORDED THE PARTICULARS OF A VISIT TO A BEAU- TIFUL MUSEUM OF CURIOSITIES AT MOUNT CASSEL.—A TRIP TO ST. OMERS. THE small town or village (the French seldom distinguish between the appellations) of Mount Cassel stands upon the southern acclivity of a steep hill, the base of which is three or four miles in circum- ference. From the summit of the height a most beautiful view is ob- tained; and the eye catches several important features of interest in the extensive landscape spread all around. Upon a very clear day the sea in the neighbourhood of Dunkirk is easily discerned: the strong and ancient town of St. Omers is discovered in the midst of a vast plain to the south-west; and in a north-easterly direction glimpses: may be caught of the far-off towers of Ypres and Poperingue, the former of which is one of the best fortified placesin Belgium. In the same neighbourhood may be seen the ruins of a monastery of the order of La Trappe—a religious fraternity remarkable for the ascetic habits and severe discipline practised by its votaries. All these various fea- tures were pointed out to the Luminaries by-a commissioner belonging to the Hotel d’Angleterre, and who accompanied them in their ramble to view the “lions” of Mount Cassel. ‘Fyrom dis pint of de view, gentelmen, you may obtain vary good sight of tree grand kingdom !.” said the self-sufficient commissioner. “¢ And pray which may they be?” demanded Captain Pentonville. ' ‘¢ Here be de France,” was the reply, delivered with immense so- lemnity ; ‘and dis you know de greatest kingdom on de face of von airth. Den dare be de kingdom of de Belgique—a vary preity; ittle Gomicbooks (E(0)