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many of whom are members of the legislative, or
judicial bodies; of the larger merchants and ship- '
owners; of members of the liberal professions; and of
those who hold official situations. These are not all
of one grade, and one circle in society; but all may
be properly included among the upper ranks. Having
mentioned the learned professions, I may observe,
that they are not in an enviable state,—barely affording
a return for the expenses of education. In the
medical profession, fees are on a miserably low scale
—a full practice scarcely affording a competency.
Old usages, however, are so greatly prized in Jersey,
that fees are likely for some time to remain stationary.
C H A P T E R VII.
Composition of the Resident Society—Position of the Native, and
the Resident Society—Mode of Life of the Residents—Jersey
as a Place of Residence—Markets, and Prices of Provisions—
House Rent—Incidental Expenditure—Enumeration of other
Advantages, as a Residence—Disadvantages—Comparison of
Jersey as a Residence, with the Principal Continental Resorts.
I t is certain, that there is no colony, or dependency
of Britain, in which there are so many resident English,
as Jersey,—meaning by the term, those who
reside in a place, without tie or employment: and,
with the exception of some few great cities, Paris,
Rome, Brussels, and Florence, I believe Jersey contains
more resident English, than any place abroad.
And indeed, in those cities, a great portion of the
English may be rather called a visiting, than a resident
population. When I visited Lausanne some
years ago, there were about four hundred resident
English: in the same year at Tours, there might be
about three hundred. It is needless to enumerate
other places, because these are the two favourite resorts
of our emigrating countrymen; and contain a
much larger resident English population than Pau,
Montpelier, Berne, Caen, Blois, St. Malo, Geneva,
Sienna, or Pisa,—which, I think, include almost all
the spots much frequented by the English; excepting,
of course, a fcAv of the great continental cities. As
nearly as I have been able to ascertain, the whole
number of English residents in Jersey, amounts to, at
least, three thousand, exclusive of the tradespeople
settled in the island. Of this number, at least three-
fourths consist of officers on the half-pay of the army
and navy, and their families: the remainder, is made
up of individuals, who, either with large families to
educate, or with limited incomes, find economy an
object; and including also, some few, who are
attracted to the island by the advantages of its climate.
I do not include that merely migratory summer population,
which glances at Jersey, on the way to France,
or in a short excursion from England.
The English society of Jersey, is quite distinct
from the native society: I do not say that they never
mingle; but the intercourse is limited, and nnfre-
quent. At a large party, given by a Jersey family, a
few English will generally be seen; and at an English