written—very nice little books in ^many respects—
there is no counsel given, to follow these roads; nor
any mention made of them, excepting as roads which
have been entirely superseded by the better and more
modern communications. It is said, that of old, some
of these were privileged paths; and were intended as
a safe communication with the sea, for those who had
taken sanctuary in the churches, and who had been
sentenced to exile. These privileged paths, or rather,
the privilege of these paths, terminated of course at
the reformation. Notwithstanding the formation of
the new roads, the country people still make great use
of the old. It is almost always possible to journey
between one point and another by the old as well as
by the new roads,—only somewhat more circuitously;
and during the summer heats, it is no small convenience
to be able to reach the neighbourhood of the
town, with heavy market baskets, through those shady
paths that admit but a straggling ray even of the
noon-day sun. In winter, it may easily be believed
that these lanes are dark and wet,—and that the air in
them is damp; and even in the later weeks of autumn,
it is wise to keep on the highways, as the decomposition
of accumulated vegetable matter, and the want of
a free circulation of air, cannot be otherwise than unwholesome.
Walking through the by e-paths of Jersey,
one is struck with the luxuriance of vegetation,—
especially in the south-eastern parts of the island: the
growth of ivy I have already spoken of; the high
banks, are everywhere overspread with a multitude of
shrubs, and wild flowers; and many kinds of garden
produce too, attain an enormous size.
But before leaving altogether, the subject of roads,
let me observe, that although the new military roads
of which I have spoken, contribute greatly to the improvement
of the Island, it is doubtful if they do not
detract from its security in a military point of view;
and yet it was the advantage expected to be derived
from these roads, in the defence of the island, that induced
government to grant 1000/. towards their construction
; for it was at that time argued, that greater
facilities would by their means be offered for the
transport of the island force to any threatened point.
But the question obviously is, whether the advantage
secured by this greater celebrity of transport, be not
overbalanced, by having opened greater facilities to a
superior force for penetrating into the interior,__
which, before the construction of the new roads,
would have been extremely difficult even in the face
of a greatly inferior force.
If, before these military communications were
opened, an enemy had made good his landing in any
of the larger bays, the ground in front of his position
would have required to be reconnoitred, before he
attempted to advance into the country. On leaving
the beach, every acre of ground would then have presented
a fortified position; for every field is enclosed
by a mound of earth, six or eight feet broad at the
base, scarcely less in height, and surmounted by rows
of trees, and hedges of brambles; and the only openings
would have been half-a-dozen of the narrow sunk
lanes flanked by these banks. It need scarcely be
said, that in an advance through these lanes, an
enemy would have been galled by a destructive fire a