The town by no means answers to the beauty of its promenades; but that is very frequently the case, and need not be a matter of surprise.

A series of rugged rocks, continued for some distance along the shore, add much to the beauty of the scenery.

The next castle is that of Bussac, which retains a part of its old walls and towers, though a modern building fills up the vacancies between.

It stands well, and must have been a fitting neighbour to Taillebourg; beyond this is a magnificent wood, Le Bois de Sainte Marie, which covers the hills for nearly a league, and has a very grand appearance.
During the wars of religion the river Charente, from the first fortress we passed of Tonnay Charente, the site of which and a few stones alone remain, to the town of Saintes, was a continued theatre of contention and violence.

One scene is curious; its hero was another of the redoubtable barons of Taillebourg named Romegoux, whose singular expedition is thus recounted: The town of Saintes, having changed masters several times, was in the hands of the Huguenot party, and the governor was the lord of Bussac when Charles IX.