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turn over the leaves of it until he found a map of the English Channel, with all the different routes across the water, between England and France, laid down upon it. He trundled the chairs up to the table, opened the map, and began, with the aid of a railway guide, which he also found upon the table, to study out the different routes.

The English Channel, as will be seen by an inspection of any map of Europe, lies between England and France, and is quite narrow at the eastern end, while it widens gradually toward the west. At the narrowest place toward the east it is only about twenty-five miles wide, whereas in the other direction its breadth increases to more than a hundred miles. The different routes leading from France to England of course give sea passages of very different lengths, according to their situation.

"Now, first," said Grimkie, "let us count up the number of routes and see how many there are that we have got to choose from."

So he counted the steamer tracks that were laid down upon the map, and found that there were six.

"Let us go across in the narrowest place," said Florence, "so as to have only a short voyage.'

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"We can not go across in exactly the narrowest place," said Grimkie, "for that would be from this point, in the middle between Calais and Boulogne ; and there is no steamer that goes across there. I suppose there is not any harbor."

This supposition of Grimkie's was true. The nearest harbors to the narrowest place are those of Calais on one side and of Boulogne on the other. From Calais to Dover it is twenty-eight miles across, three miles farther than it is in the narrowest place. From Boulogne to Folkstone it is twenty-nine miles, that is four miles. farther.

After ascertaining these facts Florence thought it would be best to cross by the way of Dover and Calais.

Indeed this used to be the chief place of crossing in former times, and Dover and Calaiș are consequently very famous places in the history of the Middle Ages. But now the favorite place of crossing is between Folkstone and Boulogne. The reason is, that though Calais was nearly as accessible from Paris, as Boulogne, in former times, when common roads only were used, now, in consequence of some peculiarities in the conformation of the country, the railroad to Boulogne is much more direct than it is to Calais, and this much more than makes up for the

difference of one mile in the length of the crossing.

Dover, Calais, Folkstone and Boulogne are all very interesting towns, with much striking and beautiful scenery in the environs of them, and all are connected with many curious historical associations. These circumstances make it very agreeable to spend a few days in either of them.

When Grimkie had ascertained these facts from the map and the guide book, and had explained them to Florence, she said that she was decidedly of opinion that it would be best to cross from Boulogne to Folkstone.

"Unless," she added, "we go by the way of Calais and Dover, so as to have a longer railroad ride in France, before we get to the sea."

"But let us look out the other routes first," said Grimkie, "before we decide."

The next route in order, as they were laid down on Grimkie's map, was that by the way of Dieppe and Newhaven. The only advantages of this route are that it is the shortest and cheapest. It is the shortest, that is the shortest in distance, because the course of it lies more nearly in a direct line between Paris and London, than any other.

It is, however, not so short in time as that by

the way of Boulogne and Folkstone, on account of the fact that so much larger a portion of the route is by sea-the speed of a steamer through the water being usually much less than that of a locomotive on the land. This very circum. stance, however, that so large a portion of the route is by sea, makes it the cheapest route, as sea transportation, though slower, is cheaper than that by land.

Neither of the two advantages of the Dieppe and Newhaven route seemed to be of much value in Florence's estimation. As to the shortness of it, that was rather an objection to it than otherwise, and as to its cheapness, she said she was sure her mother would not care for any difference of expense, provided they could enjoy themselves more in any other way.

"The next route is a capital one," said Grimkie. "It is from Havre to Southampton. In the first place we shall have a delightful journey, down the river Seine to Rouen, which they say is a very curious old town. We can stop at Rouen a day or two if we like. Then we can go from Rouen down to Havre in a river steamer. Havre is a great place for docks and shipping." "Is it ?" said Florence, speaking rather despondingly.

"Then," continued Grimkie, "in sailing across

the Channel we should see the Isle of Wight, and perhaps cruise along the shores of it. Then we should sail through Spithead.”

"I don't see how we can sail through any kind of a head," said Florence.

"Oh, Spithead is not a head," said Grimkie, "it is a great anchorage ground for the English navy off Portsmouth. We shall see some of the biggest ships in the world there riding at anchor. The road is sheltered by the Isle of Wight."

“The road ?" repeated Florence, rather puzzled.

"Yes, the roadstead,-the shallow place in the water where the ships anchor."

"Oh !" said Florence.

"Then," continued Grimkie, "we shall pass up here," pointing as he said this to the map, between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight; "up Southampton Water which is a kind of river. And you will see a castle and an old ruined abbey on the shores of it."

"I should like to see the castle and the abbey," said Florence, "but I don't care so much about the docks and ships."

"I think it would be a charming way to go," said Grimkie, "take it all together, that is provided we had good weather. If the sea should chance to be rough we should all be sea-sick."

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