these, several other small villages, or large hamlets,
are to be found along the sea coast, both east and west
of St. Helier. The hamlets in Jersey, are like
hamlets everywhere else,—consisting perhaps, of a
parsonage, a school house, a public house, a blacksmith’s
shop, probably another small shop of all wares,
a farm house, and a few cottages: and these dwellings
are scattered about, and mingled with orchards, and
gardens. Of the interior of the houses, I shall afterwards
speak, when I am occupied with their inhabitants.
Besides the farm houses which one meets with, in
exploring the island, you occasionally stumble upon a
very large, massive, and shapeless building—evidently
of some antiquity, and meant to be the habitation of
persons of some distinction: perhaps there is an arched
gateway, and an uncouth emblem in stone surmounting
It; and it.m ay be, there is an avenue of well
grown trees, extending in a straight line from the
gateway. These are the manor houses, of which
there are several in the island. They are not worth
going expressly to see; but if one stumbles upon
them, it may be worth while to stand still. I would
except the manor house of St. Ouen’s, which I think,
repays a journey. It is a fine venerable place; but it
is in a sadly neglected condition.
Nor is the interior of the island altogether deficient
in modern villas, and cottage residences; though these
are not numerous, and not in general, remarkable for
their beauty. Nearest to the towns, these are of
course more numerous; but they are also scattered
here and there, over most parts of the island; and are
generally prettily situated; and have the usual accompaniments
of orchard and garden-ground. And
this leads me to remark, as another feature of the
external aspect of Jersey, the pretty peeps one gets
into the flower gardens; and the variety of flowers
which one finds in them. It is seldom,—I might say
never,—that one sees a house or cottage not absolutely
in a street, unaccompanied by less or more garden;
and in many of the gardens, especially those nearest
to the town, a fine blow of beautiful flowers is generally
seen. Besides the flowers and shrubs, that are
met with in any English garden, we find many that
are usually considered green-house plants in England.
All kinds of myrtles grow luxuriantly, and flower
regularly in the open air; the hydrangea is seen at
almost every other cottage door,—measuring, perhaps,
from eight to twelve feet in circumference, and four
or five in height. The verbena, or lemon plant,
is also common. Trees too, that are strange to
English eyes, are seen in the course of a morning’s
ramble,—particularly the fig; and I have pulled this
fruit, in as great perfection, from trees in Jersey, as
anywhere in the southern parts of the continent.
Among the timber trees too, the Spanish chestnut, and
the evergreen oak, are oftener seen than in England.
All these little things, are distinctive features in the
external aspect of the island; and cannot be omitted
in this general view.
The climate of Jersey, is always understood to be
one of the chief attractions of the island; and although
I cannot but think that its superiority in this respect
has been overrated, yet it has certainly, upon the