in many directions; and tending, more perhaps than
any other alteration to which Jersey has been subjected,
to improve the land,—and necessarily, the condition
of the people. It is to the public spiritedness
of Sir George Don, one of the late governors of
Jersey, that the inhabitants owe the advantage of
which I am speaking : and it will scarcely be credited,
that the greatest possible opposition was offered, to
the construction of roads. This opposition was of
course fruitless; and Jersey can now boast of facilities
for intercourse, and for the conveyance of produce,
quite equal to those that are enjoyed in the most civilized
parts of Europe.
But having passed this exordium upon the new
roads, let me recur to the old ones, with which, at
present, I have more to do, as I am occupied in this
chapter, not with the facilities offered for trade, but
with the facilities offered to those who desire to obtain
a perfect acqftaintance with the interior of the island.
These old island roads, are extremely narrow; wide
enough for only one country c a rt; extremely winding;
and yet utterly regardless of maintaining a level,—
descending into deep dells,—or climbing the heights,
with a view only to the termination. They have
generally a very narrow paved footway, on one side,—
now however, greatly worn,—and everywhere out of
repair; and these roads, are almost without exception
overarched by trees. Once plunge into these bye-
ways, and you cannot tell when you may emerge from
them. Their number is almost uncountable; they
branch off at all angles; and it sometimes happens,
that the shade is so deep, and the banks so high,— to
say nothing of tlie windings,—that one may walk for
miles without having any opportunity of judging
where one is, or in what direction one has been
moving.
But during a day’s ramble through these roads,
much is seen of Je rs e y ; it is true indeed, as I have
already said, that one may walk a long way wdthout
catching a glimpse beyond the trees and the banks;
but it is not universally so : beautiful vistas are occasionally
laid open; quiet sequestered ‘dells crossed,
where one may linger long with nature ; and, as these
roads were originally constructed from the churches
to the sea, embracing in their turnings, the farm
houses, and other habitations, you are not only led by
them to the old Jersey houses, but also among the
orchards and pastures, whence the people have derived
their independence. It is in such walks, that you will
see the cows, celebrated over all the world, breeding
for export; and the loaded trees, blooming with the
blossom, or bent with the fruit, to be afterwards converted
into the great export of the island. I should
like much to know, how many miles of these old
roads Jersey contains. Considering their numerous
branches and sinuosities, and the diameter of the
island which they intersect, I should guess their whole
extent to be not less than from three to four hundred
miles ; and several persons with whom I have spoken,
and who are well acquainted with the island, consider
this to be greatly below the truth.
But, by the stranger who visits Jersey, these roads
are altogether untravelled; and 'even in the little
guide books which from time to time have been