On the day of our arrival at Paris, I went in a coach with the gentleman that had put up at the hotel with me, and viewed the Champ de Mars. Here we saw great multitudes of people, eating, drinking, and dancing at the sound of the bands of music. At this place the oaths of allegiance had been administered to the people on the preceding Wednesday; and both the king and the subjects were sworn to adhere to the constitution that has been framed by the National Assembly.

Some of the French took me by the hand when I entered into the Champ de Mars, and cried, "EntrÉe, entrÉe, Monsieur." I viewed the place with admiration, and was informed that it took about fifty thousand people near ten days to erect the seats and other great works there.

The Champ de Mars was formed into a grand amphitheatre, having at one end the military school, against which was erected a covered gallery two hundred and twenty-eight feet (French measure) in length, and twenty-one in heighth, for the king, queen, foreign ambassadors, national assembly, &c. &c. and at the other the triumphal arch; from which, to the military school, on either side were thirty rows of seats raised one above another, two thousand seven hundred and ninety French feet in length. In the middle of the area was an altar in a circular form, whose circumference was six hundred and forty-eight feet, French measure, and whose heighth was twenty feet, built of stone taken from the Bastille. The rest of the area, except the places for the federation, was filled with seats; the whole forming an oblong, capable of accommodating between four and five hundred thousand people. Out of these limits were a number of galleries, erected for a great multitude of spectators. Opposite the triumphal arch, a bridge of boats was thrown across the Seine, and the banks of the river was lined with cannon.

For a great distance round the Champ de Mars, a number of temporary buildings were erected for the entertainment of the people.

When we had surveyed these admirable works, we went to the royal palace, which was built by cardinal Richelieu, and given by him to Lewis the XIV. but is now the town seat of the duke of Orleans, who is a nobleman of royal blood, and enjoys the greatest revenue in France. This palace is a most elegant and magnificent structure, which is adorned and beautified with splendid ornaments, that dazzle the eyes of a spectator. In the centre of this structure is an oblong square, laid out in beautiful walks, interspersed with trees, flowers, &c.

Sometimes the duke resides in one part of the palace himself. But the other part is let out in shops, which are under piazzas, and the rooms over them to gay fashionable ladies and gentlemen.

In this palace there is a gallery, which contains most of the illustrious personages that France has produced, drawn by the greatest masters: Italy has been ransacked, and no expence spared to make the whole complete, with pictures, busts, statues, medals, and other curiosities worthy of being collected. It is thought that this building exceeds all in Europe for beauty and grandeur.

After we had viewed the palace we went to a grand hotel, where we dined with a great number of officers. We had a variety of dishes, very excellent wines, and was entertained with much civility and politeness, and at a very reasonable rate. At evening we retired to our lodgings, very well pleased with the entertainments of the day.