In some streets arcades, higher and wider, have been newly erected, which are tolerably ornamental; but the more antique they are, the lower, narrower, and closer.

The Rochellois are very proud of their arcades, boasting that they are, by their means, never kept prisoners or annoyed by either rain or sun; they forget that these heavy conveniences completely exclude the light in winter from the lower part of their houses, and, confining the air, must make the town damp and unwholesome.
When we first walked along beneath these awnings we found it extremely difficult to distinguish one street from another, and were continually losing ourselves, as they branch off in all directions, with no change of aspect to distinguish them: "Each alley has a brother, And half the _covered way_ reflects the other," but we got used to them by degrees.

There is a sort of _Palais Royal_ effect in the pretty shops under the neatest piazzas; and from the beautiful wooded square, the Place d'Armes, the range which forms one side looks remarkably well.

This Place is peculiarly fine and agreeable; it was formed on the sites of the ancient chateau, demolished in 1590, of the chapel of St.Anne and its cemetery, of the grand Protestant temple, and the old Hotel des Monnaies; it, therefore, occupies a large space, and is planted on two sides with fine trees, called the _Bois d' Amourettes_, and closed on the fourth by the cathedral; part of the ramparts of the town, open towards the sea, are behind, and thus a good air is introduced into the square.

On moon-light nights it is a charming promenade; for the effects of the sky here are admirable: a range of handsome _cafes_ extends along one part, whose lights, gleaming between the trees, have a lively appearance, and the groups of lounging citizens seated under the shades give a life to the scene which the rest of the town does not possess.