It Is Certainly Worth While For Any Traveller
To Lay In A Stock Of Linen Either At Dunkirk Or Boulogne; The
Difference Of The Price At These Two Places Is Not Great.
Even
here I have made a provision of shirts for one half of the money
they would have cost in London.
Undoubtedly the practice of
smuggling is very detrimental to the fair trader, and carries
considerable sums of money out of the kingdom, to enrich our
rivals and enemies. The custom-house officers are very watchful,
and make a great number of seizures: nevertheless, the smugglers
find their account in continuing this contraband commerce; and
are said to indemnify themselves, if they save one cargo out of
three. After all, the best way to prevent smuggling, is to lower
the duties upon the commodities which are thus introduced. I have
been told, that the revenue upon tea has encreased ever since the
duty upon it was diminished. By the bye, the tea smuggled on the
coast of Sussex is most execrable stuff. While I stayed at
Hastings, for the conveniency of bathing, I must have changed my
breakfast, if I had not luckily brought tea with me from London:
yet we have as good tea at Boulogne for nine livres a pound, as
that which sells at fourteen shillings at London.
The bourgeois of this place seem to live at their ease, probably
in consequence of their trade with the English. Their houses
consist of the ground-floor, one story above, and garrets.
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