July 26.

When we had arrived at Dover we breakfasted at the hotel, where the captain of the vessel, the steward, porters, &c. came and begged of us. We gave the captain half a crown a-piece, and something to the rest of the beggars; but were now obliged to get our French money changed for English, and to lose considerably by the exchange.

Afterwards we walked upon the High-lands at Dover, and viewed the castle and the town: and when the tide was up, our vessel arrived with our baggage: our trunks were searched at the Custom-house, and one in our company, who had brought a number of prints from Paris, had them seized, because they were prohibited goods. A thing he said he did not know till they were taken from him. He told me they were worth about thirty pounds.

When our business was done at the Custom-house, we returned to the hotel, where our lady, the lawyer, and one of the merchants, set off in a post-chaise for London, because they had not paid their fare any further than to Calais, and could travel faster in the chaise than they could in the diligences. I told the lady before we parted, that I intended to give the public a narration of my journey. She prayed I would let her have one, and promised to call on me when she came to London.

The two Spanish gentlemen, a Frenchman, and two other gentlemen, with myself, left Dover about noon, and dined at Canterbury, where we viewed the abbey, which is a very ancient and elegant building: A part of it has been built eleven hundred years. We were there in the time of divine worship. They chanted the service, and their vocal and instrumental music was very excellent: The former bishops of Canterbury are buried here, and there are many statues and paintings in commemoration of ancient kings, bishops, and generals.

Before we left the hotel we were obliged to pay for the wine we had drank.

At about ten in the evening we came to Rochester, where we called for supper: but were informed that if we had one we must pay for a part of it, as the money was all exhausted that we had paid for our passages and entertainment, excepting five shillings. We had a supper, and paid an extravagent price for it, but were careful to have the five shillings deducted.

After we had supped, we pursued our journey, and arrived at the White Bear Inn, Piccadilly, about five the next morning, greatly fatigued; as we had been but about eighty-nine hours upon our journey, which is nineteen hours short of the time commonly allowed for the performance thereof. I had not been in bed for three nights, only I lay down a few minutes on a mattress when we were crossing the English Channel.

I do not think that the owners of the diligences can afford to carry people to and from Paris for a less sum than what they demand, nor to give better entertainment than such as we received, as it is a great distance, and half a guinea is given, out of five for the conveyance of a passenger over the English Channel: but people ought to know how they are to fare before they set off to France; and for that reason I have been more minute in many circumstances, than at first sight might appear to some to be necessary.