List of STEAM-BOATS from ENGLAND to FRANCE, BELGIUM, HOLLAND, and * The iron boats of the Dover Railway Company are the best. i. LANDING ON THE CONTINENT-CUSTOM-HOUSE-COMMISSIONAIRES. When the steam-boat reaches its destined port, the shore is usually beset by a crowd of clamorous agents from the different hotels, each vociferating the name and praises of that for which he is employed, stunning the distracted stranger with their cries, and nearly scratching his face with their proffered cards. The only mode of rescuing himself from these tormentors, who often -beset him a dozen at a time, is to make up his mind beforehand to what hotel he will go, and to name it at once. The Agent or Commissionaire of the house then steps forward, and the rest fall back, while he takes the new arrival under his protection, extricates him from the throng, and conducts him to his quarters. Passengers are not allowed to take their baggage on shore with them; it is conveyed at once from the vessel to the Custom-house by the Custom-house porters, who are answerable for the safety of every thing. The owner, instead of appearing himself to claim it, had better send his servant, or the Commissionaire of the Inn, intrusting him with the keys, in order that he may open and clear each package. This is his usual duty, and the Landlord of the Inn, who employs him, is answerable for his honesty. Personal attendance at a Custom-house is by no means calculated to put the traveller in good humour. Indeed, it is a severe trial to his patience, first to wait till his turn comes, amidst the elbowing of porters, and next, to look on while his well-packed trunk is tossed over "with a cruel, hard-hearted sort of civility which leaves nothing to complain of, and everything to lament." Indeed, the search into the baggage is often more severe in the presence of the traveller, which seems sometimes to give rise to a suspicion of smuggling. He that would keep his temper, and does not grudge a fee of two francs to the Commissionaire, will intrust to him his keys, and dismissing the care of his baggage from his thoughts, amuse himself for an hour or so, when he will probably find his effects conveyed to his chamber, very often not opened at all, generally only slightly examined. If, however, the baggage contain any contraband articles, it is advisable to declare them beforehand, and to pay the duty. "Those who would travel with comfort should be particularly on their guard against rendering themselves liable to detention or penalty at the foreign Custom-houses. They should avoid taking any thing which is contraband, either for themselves or for their friends; for it too often happens that travellers on the Continent are meanly solicited to take those things for their friends who are abroad, which they dare not send by the public conveyance, thus rendering their travelling friends liable to penalty and punishment. This is more strikingly the case where they are requested to take letters, for which public conveyances are provided: in this case they suffer their friends to run a great risk for the sake of saving the postage. Such conduct is most unpardonable." Brockedon. The next service the Commissionaire will perform is, to obtain the signature of the police for the traveller's passport, so as to enable him to proceed on his journey. Travellers of respectability are scarcely ever required now, as they were formerly, to repair in person to the police office, to obtain a signature for the passport. The passport should be the traveller's first care; indeed, until it is visé, he is, comparatively speaking, not a free agent. k. BRITISH CUSTOM-HOUSE TRANSMISSION OF GOODS FROM THE CONTINENT. In England, the right of personal search exists only where the Custom-house officer has good cause to suspect that contraband goods are concealed about the person. The suspected individual may call upon a justice of the peace, or a comptroller of the Customs, to decide whether the suspicion is well founded. Travellers who send works of art, or other valuable property, from the Continent to London, should consign them to the care of an agent at the Custom-house in London, as such articles are frequently injured, and needless expense incurred, from want of a person to take charge of them when they arrive, and to see them examined, entered, and properly repacked. The charge is the same whether the goods are so consigned or not. The Author of the Hand-book has employed Mr. Chinnery, of Thames Street, London, on such business, and has found him attentive and trustworthy. Mr. Chinnery has licence from the Commissioners of Customs to act as agent for receiving and dispatching goods, and has given bond to the amount of 10007. for the safety of property intrusted to him. Messrs. M'CRACKEN and Co., 7. Old Jewry, London, are longestablished and highly trustworthy agents, and have a very large list of foreign correspondents, especially in Italy. Messrs. Lightly and Simon, 123. Fenchurch St., may also be mentioned. For lists of foreign correspondents, see the advertiser at the end of this Volume. N. B. Goods must be examined when they arrive in London; therefore packages that are locked should have the keys attached. 7. INNS AND INNKEEPERS. Foreign Innkeepers desirous of attracting English travellers to their houses, by studying the wants and wishes of their guests, will do well to attend to the following notes of information, which ought to be hung up by Innkeepers on the walls of every coffee-room for travellers: "Prices of all Articles supplied by the Hotel. d'hôte Wines Baths Carriages, &c. Meals -Table Steam "Public Conveyances. Mails their time of Starting - Price to various Places Time of Arrival - Diligences, ditto boats, ditto-Other Boats, ditto-Printed Papers of Steam-packets to England and down the Rhine - Fiacres. "There ought to be hung up on the walls a Map of the town, if there is one Map of the adjacent country-Map of the kingdom. A Directory of the town, if published, should always be kept in the coffee-room. "Distinct compartments on the walls should be secured for dif ferent advertisements, affiches, &c. In large cities, lists of theatres and operas. Every hotel ought to have in the hall, or where the keys are kept, a large board with the numbers of each apartment, and a space opposite in which the name of the occupier is written. The best hotels have this, and it is a very great convenience to enable travellers to discover their friends. A book is of little use, because it is never kept up to the time. 66 "If the card of the hotel has printed on its reverse a small map of the town, with a dark spot for the hotel, it is extremely useful. Every steamer or other boat ought to have hung up in it the tariff of prices. This is rarely omitted (except on the Lake of Geneva), and when omitted, travellers always suppose they are charged higher than the natives. "Steam-boats ought also to be furnished with printed lists of the time of starting of mails and diligences, from the points at which they stop. Many hotels, on the Rhine and elsewhere, charge a single traveller (who supped in the coffee-room and slept one night) a franc for wax candles. This is not to be admitted, unless he have a private sitting room. I have never paid it, finding it immediately withdrawn on remonstrance. If travellers will not resist, they will be compelled to pay it on the plea of custom. It is the interest of every hotel-keeper to supply his guests with information, relative to the modes of leaving him: this renders their return more probable.' - C. B. Caution to Innkeepers and others. A person or persons have of late been extorting money from innkeepers, tradespeople, artists, and others on the Continent, under pretext of procuring recommendations and favourable notices of them and their establishments in the Hand-books for Travellers. The Editor, therefore, thinks proper to warn all whom it may concern, that recommendations in the Hand-books are not to be obtained by purchase, and that the persons alluded to are not only unauthorised by him, but are totally unknown to him. All those, therefore, who put confidence in such promises, may rest assured that they will be defrauded of their money without attaining their object. — 1841. The characters of Inns, good and bad, inserted in the Hand-book, are given either from personal knowledge or upon unexceptionable authority of travellers whose names and residences are known to the Editor. Where the objections stated in this book no longer exist, and where a positive improvement has taken place, the Editor is always ready to listen to respectable and well authenticated testimony, and to remove in future editions the condemnatory epithets or passages. Thus he hopes to stimulate to exertion and amendment, to protect travellers from neglect and imposition, and to do justice to deserving Innkeepers. m. A FEW SKELETON TOURS UPON THE CONTINENT. WITH AN APPROXIMATE STATEMENT OF THE TIME REQUIRED TO TRAVEL FROM The first Column denotes the Hours or Days actually occupied in Travelling, not including stoppages at Night. The second Column gives the probable duration of the Halts to be made for sight-seeing. The brackets [] denote side excursions, which may be omitted if time require it. ........ ......... ........ ... 11⁄2 1 or 2 2 1 03 2 or 3 7 Schaffhausen...12 or 14 The excursions through Switzerland are given in HAND-BOOK FOR SWITZERLAND. Return from Switzerland to London down the Rhine. |