Thursday August 29th, 1872

Thursday Aug 29th after breakfast started at 9 in a carriage to Pere la Chaise cemetery 150 acres in extent, saw four funerals, many of the friends in colored clothes, from here to the Pantheom the dome is 450 feet high, paid ½ franc to go into the vaults saw some tombs of noted men, such as Voltaire, Rousseau, and others, there is a most wonderful echo, by striking your hand against the flap of your coat it sounds as loud as the report of a cannon.

From there to Notre Dame, passing lots of buildings in ruins; but there are thousands of men at work repairing them, especially the shops and houses destroyed by the Communists, then on to the Tomb of Napoleon 1st which is superb, it is a marble polished tomb, about 9 feet high, in a pit most beautifully made, all of marble about 16 feet deep, with lots of flags taken at different battles by his soldiers. 

It is a most extensive display of polished marble, in the other parts of the building are the tombs of many of the Bonaparte family, the top of the Dome outside is beautifully gilded the whole of it is a most gorgous place all visitors to Paris should go and see it, the building joins the Hotel de Invalides (or home for old soldiers like Chelsea it is in a nice open part of the City of Paris with large gardens attached).

From here to a café, to have some refreshment, Mrs M preferring a empty stomach, and to walk about certainly she would not have so much to carry, Mr P, Mr M, Mrs T and myself thought there was no fear of our overloading our stomachs and we being of such industrious habits did not mind carrying the burden. After we went to the Tullieres one of the finest buildings in Paris in 1848 and now in ruins, then to the Louvere, all adjoining, spent two hours here, looking at the most beautiful paintings in the World.

Then to the Palais Royal, here is some splendid shops, we made some purchases, then on to the market, bought a basket of fine black grapes 6 ¾ lbs for 4 franc’s basket into it, the woman asked me 7 franc’s and I offered 3 ½ in my broken French at last I rose to 4 and had them, with a promise to send the empty back but I forgot the address, they generally ask the English peoples nearly double the right price.

Our visit to Paris was only a flying one more about the City when I come again, went to Hotel had dinner, about 4 Oclock had some beef steaks very good, settled up and off to the Train which left Paris at 20 past 6 for Dieppe, arriving there at ½ past 10, went on board the steamer, had a very cold night; I stopped on deck, the other friends went to the cabins.