  The Latitude, Longitude, and Description of Calais.—The Doctor and others obliged to wear National Cockades.—English Money and Bank Notes not passable in France.—How Strangers ought to be dressed.—A Table of French Coins, with their Value in English Money.—Of French Measures, in Length. Calais is situated in latitude 50 deg. and 58 min. North, and longitude 1 deg. and 49 min. East from the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. It is a very pleasant town, invironed with ramparts thrown up at a vast expence. At this place we found the people under arms, and they seemed to be filled with joy in consequence of the Revolution. We that were strangers, were obliged to put on and wear National Cockades, to prevent being insulted by mobs; and no lady or gentleman was suffered to travel without. Whilst we tarried at Calais we were informed that English money would not pass in France, and that it would be best for us to get our guineas changed. We therefore took change for some, and received 26 livres for each guinea, although an English guinea commonly passes for but 24 livres in France. Hence, about twelve-pence is lost by the exchange. Bank notes are not negotiable in France; therefore those that travel into that country, ought to take gold and silver, otherwise they will meet with much difficulty. If you draw on the bankers, they will charge you eight per cent. discount; but sometimes it is done at par by French merchants who want to send money to London. No money is allowed to pass in France, unless coined in the present king's reign. Strangers ought therefore to be upon their guard, lest they get imposed upon by taking old coin. They that go to France ought to dress in the French mode, to prevent being known by sharpers, who sometimes try to take the advantage of those they find to be foreigners. As it may be of some utility to strangers going into France, I will just add A TABLE of FRENCH COINS, with their value in ENGLISH.
A louis d'or is a gold coin. A grand ecu, the ecu, vingt quatre sols piece, the livre, a douze sols piece, and the six sols pieces, are silver: though a livre is no coin, but nominal only. The deux sols, and the sols and half, are a mixture of copper and silver, and the other coins are all copper. The French measure the distances between their towns by leagues, posts, &c. and a post is two leagues, of their measure. A French league is fifty-seven yards and nine inches longer than an English league. A French toise, or fathom, is 76¾ inches longer than an English; and a French foot is equal to 1279/100 inches English measure, &c. |
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