PARIS, the capital of France, is built on a plain on both sides of the river Seine, which, at this place, flows in a direction nearly from east to west. Of this city, the original name, as mentioned by Caesar, was Lutetia; a word, the etymology of which is unknown, though it is supposed by some to have been derived from a Latin term, (lama:, mud,) descriptive of the wet and marshy nature of the ground (pamus Jier/ietua, says Caesar,) on which the town stands. Whether this opinion be fanciful or not, it would now be in vain to inquire : but of its pre sent name, a more satisfactory account can probably be given. The Parisii, who anciently inhabited that district in which Lutetia was situated, would, in process of time, naturally impart their name to the capital of the province in which they dwelt. At what time, however, this modern appellation was first applied to it, cannot be exactly de termined ; it could not have been earlier than towards the end of the fifth century ; for Julian, who resided there for some time, speaks of it, in 458, as his dear Lu tetia.* Paris, built, as just mentioned, on both sides of the Seine, is situated about 260 miles south by east of Lon don, in 48° 50' of north latitude, and 2^ 20' 15" of east longitude. The country on all sides of the town is ex tremely level, and presents almost no diversity of physical appearance. Instead of being adorned, like the neigh bourhood of other large towns, with elegant villas, gar dens, and pleasure grounds, it exhibits, almost to the very gates of the city, all the features of a rural and sequester ed district. Even the roads do not display any powerful symptoms that a populous city is at hand ; they are en livened, when compared with those in the vicinity of the British capital, with uncommonly few travellers ; and we seem to pass at once from the silence and solitude of the country to the noise and bustle of a crowded metropolis. This peculiarity originates in the national character, in that love for social intercourse, and that aversion to quiet and retirement, for which the French, particularly the in habitants of Paris, have always been remarkable. approach to Paris, on one side, however, is incomparably beautiful. From the bridge of Neuilly, on the road from St. Germains, a spacious avenue of stately trees, skirted on either side by elegant houses and gardens, extend for a mile and a half in a straight line to the very gates of the city. By this entrance, some of the most splendid public edifices of the French metropolis present themselves in succession to the admiring traveller ; and, in the front, the view is beautifully terminated by the yet unfinished tri umphal arch, named L'Arc d'Etoile.
The air of Paris is sufficiently salubrious ; the town is in general well ventilated, and is free from the humidity which its situation would lead us to expect. The winter is a little colder, though shorter than in London ; the summer is considerably milder and more genial ; the weather is much less capricious ; and instances of longevity are more frequent in the French than in the English me tropolis. The mean temperature of Paris is 51°.08 of Fahrenheit.
The aspect of the Seine at Paris is not remarkably beau tiful or interesting. It is not above half the width of the Thames at London ; during the summer months its chan nel becomes comparatively dry, and large banks of mud are exhibited in every direction ; and it is adorned by no thing that merits the denomination of shipping. Though its banks are termed quays, and though a few small boats, chiefly for the purpose of internal navigation, are fre quently seen to diversify its surface, yet Havre de Grace, at the mouth of the Seine, may be regarded as the harbour of Paris, and the communication between this place and the capital takes place chiefly by land carriage, the river never being used, except to transport wood, or very bulky articles. Yet the Seine is far from being deficient in beauty and ornament ; its banks, or quays, which are built of stone, to the height of about 15 feet, and extend five miles along the river on each side, form one of the most pleasant walks about Paris ; they are decorated with various buildings, both public and private ; and on one side, along the southern bank, there extends, for more than a mile, a row of edifices of the most elegant and massy description. Nor are its numerous and spacious bridges less deserving of notice. The Pont Neuf, the largest and the most ancient in Paris, contains twelve arches, is 1020 feet in length, and 90 in breadth. The Pont Royal, and the Pont de Louis XVI. each consisting of five arches, were built respectively by Louis XIV and Louis XVI. In the time of Bonaparte, several bridges, of which the Pont de Jena, or des Invalides, and the Pont d'Austerlitz, are the most important, were erected, none of them deficient in elegance, and all contributing much to the convenience and comfort of the Parisians. It may not be improper to mention, that the arches of the bridges are characterised by only a slight degree of elevation, as the quays or stone embankments, on which they are :wilt, are very considerably raised above the level of the river.