LETTER XL

SIR,

HAMBURG.

URSUANT to what I wrote you in my laft, I left Bremen, and came in the common Poft-Waggon for this Place. What they call a Poft-Waggon, which is the ufual travelling Carriage in Germany, cannot be more adequately defcribed, than by comparing it to a Country Dung-Cart, with Boards nail'd a-crofs it for Seats; fome of which Seats have Backs to them, about a Foot and a half high, but others are without any; and to these bleffed Vehicles was I confined for twenty-fix or twenty-feven Hours; curfing, at every Jolt, the Stupidity of the more ancient Germans, who could think of no better Conveniency, for the Accommodation of Strangers, and the Folly of the prefent Race, who will be A-s, for no other Reafon, but because their Fathers were A-s before them. We left Bremen between one and two in the Afternoon, and came about feven in the Evening to the firft Stage, call'd Ottersburg, a Fortress or País on the Borders of the Stifft (Bishopric) or Duchy of Bremen, three German Miles from the City of that Name. We were fix in Company, feated on three Seats, two and two, behind one another, and the Waggon was befides fo loaded with Goods, that we had hardly Room fo fet our Feet in; infomuch that when we came to alight, I was fo crippled, I could hardly put a Foot to the Ground; and was already so fatigued with this

Way

Way of travelling, that I fhould gladly have staid behind, if the Poft-mafter could have given me any Hopes of procuring me a more convenient Vehicle the next Day.

WE were allowed about an Hour to refresh ourfelves, and then were pack'd up again in two Waggons, lefs, and confequently more inconveniert, than the former: But Patience was here a Virtue. We were hardly fet out, when it began to rain very hard, and continued to do fo 'till we arrived at the next Stage, which is three long German Miles, at a Place call'd Clofter Saven, and as we had only two miferable Boor's Horfes before our Waggon, it was near two in the Morning before we got thither. We alighted at a Hovel, which they call'd the Post-house, little better than that I defcribed to you as my first Lodging in Weftphalia. We look'd like fo many half drowned Rats, and I, for my Part, not being used to this Way of travelling, nor fo well provided for it as my Companions, fhould have been in a worse Pickle than the Reft, had it not been my good Fortune to be placed at the left Hand of a goodnatur'd bulky Female, who fiting to Windward of me, not only fcreen'd me from a good Part of the Rain, but let me partake of fome Conveniencies fhe had to fhelter her from the Weather, which I was glad to accept of, tho' under the Mortification of certain Circumstances I fhould hardly have put up with at another Time.

WE found a Wood-fire, in the Middle of the Hovel, but the Waggons, with Paffengers from Hamburg for Bremen, being come in before us, it was so befet, that we were little the better for it 'till they were gone. Wet as I was almost to the Skin, I could gladly have lain down on a Trufs of Straw fpread on the Floor; but was told we must mount again in less than an Hour. However, I no fooner got a Seat by the Fire-Side_than I fell asleep, and

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was

was not a little difpleased, when disturb'd by the Squeak of a Poft-Horn, a little Brafs Inftrument, of about eight Inches long, twisted almoft like a French Horn, which tho' otherwife mufical enough, I now thought the most difharmonious Sound I ever heard. We departed between three and four for the next Stage, call'd Boxtehude, being four German Miles, upon Waggons, if poffible, worfe than the former. The Rain continued, but we baited about half Way, for an Hour, at a Hovel, where, at the Expence of about a Penny each, we had an Opportunity of drying ourselves. We came to Boxtehude, a little City, on the River Efs, formerly fortified, but now in a ruinous State, about ten. We ftaid only to breakfast, and then went down this fmall River to the Conflux of it with the River Elb (or Albis) at a Place call'd Crantz, about a German Mile from Boxtehude. Here we took another great uncouth Boat, with a large high Sail, which tho' only to carry over a few Paffengers and fmall Goods, was big enough for a Ferry, and might have carried twenty Ton. In this Boat, we only cross'd the River Elb, to a Fisher-Town, call'd Blankenese, in Danish Holstein, which is but two little German Miles from Hamburg.

THE Whole Country, from Bremen to the Banks of the Elb, is the Duchy of Bremen, bought by the late King George of the King of Denmark, who took it from the Swedes in the last Northern War. This Part of it is mostly Heath, and has the Appearance of a poor barren Country; but the reft of it, together with the Principality of Verden, transfered to King George, at the fame Time, is, as I am inform'd, a very fertile Country, and particularly productive of very fine Fruit, of all Sorts. The Banks of the River, on that Side are very low, and would be frequently overflown, were it not for artificial Banks or Dikes. On the other Side, the

the Banks are naturally very high, from fomething below this Place quite to Hamburg.

THE Elb, in this Place, is near an English Mile broad, and has the Appearance of a fine, noble River: But I obferved our Boat, tho' flat-bottom'd, was obliged to go a great Length downwards to avoid a Sand, in the Middle of it. As foon as we came out of the Efs, into the Elb, we had a fine Profpect of the famous City of Hamburg, which, with its fix very high Steeples, makes a grand Appearance. At our Landing, we found a larger and more convenient Waggon than any we had hitherto had, ready to receive us, which carried us in about an Hour and a half to Altena, a pretty large open Town, belonging to the King of Denmark, a little English Mile below Hamburg*. It being Sunday, and during Afternoon's Service, we were obliged to wait here, as I had been at Bremen, 'till the Gates of the City were open'd, after Service. I foon began to form a different Idea of the Inhabitants of these Parts, from those of the Place I came from: For inftead of that formal affected Sanctity which appeared in them, here Libertinifm feem'd to ride triumphant. In the feveral Public Houfes we pafs'd by, and in particular that we stopp'd at, were Mufic, Dancing, Nine-pins and all Manner of Diverfions, infomuch that the whole Place had the Appearance of a Fair. We had not been there above an Hour, before we were made fenfible, that the Gates were open, by the Shoals of People who came flocking out of the City to partake of these Diverfions, which,

* That the Reader may not be deceived by Monf. Voitaire's Account of this Place, in his Life of Charles XII, King of Sweden, it may not be amifs to obferve, that our Author justly calls it an open Town below Hamburg, as it is, and not above Hamburg and fortified, as that otherwise ingenious Author, by Miftake, affirms.

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I found afterwards, were not allow'd in the public Houses, in Town, tho' in private Houses, nothing is more common: But more of that below.

THE Space between Altena and Hamburg is quite open, and very pleasant, with agreable Walks on the left Hand, and the River, at the Foot of very high Banks, on the Right. The Walls and Fortifications, which ly open to view, are cover'd with Grafs, and planted with feveral Rows of Trees, one above the other, which make a delightful Profpect, and are befides fo high, that the Churches only, but none of the Houses, are feen, 'till you come within the Gates. Being enter'd the Town, we pafs'd thro' feveral large Streets, of poor Houses, and feemingly very mean Inhabitants, chiefly Jews: This, I was told, was the new Town. When we came into the Old City, which is feparated from the former by a Canal only, we found both the Houses and the Inhabitants make a better Appearance, but the Streets narrow and crooked. Our Waggon drove us to the Bremen Poft-house, from whence I was conducted by a Man, who carried my Baggage on a Wheel-barrow, to the Houfe where I was recommended to lodge, call'd the Little English Houfe, to diftinguilh it from another call'd the Great English Houfe, where the Society of British Merchants have their Public Meetings and Chapel. This Little English Houfe is fo far from being little in Fact, that it is efteemed the best House of Entertainment for Strangers in the City, and, being under the Protection of the British Society, is allow'd to fell all Manner of Liquors, which all Public Houses are not, and is free from all Taxes and Duties to the Town. This privileg'd Houfe has formerly been always kept by English-men, put in by the Society, but the Perfon who now keeps it is a French man, for

merly