When they found some strangers had come amongst them they were seized with a fit of shyness, which I feared would put a stop to the scene altogether; for the chief songstress declared herself hoarse, and uttered "her pretty oath, by yea and nay, she could not, would not, durst not" sing again: however, at last the spirit came again, and, after a little persuasion, she agreed to recollect something.

"Ah, Ma'amselle Eugenie," said one of the older girls, "if I had such a voice I would not allow myself to be so entreated." Accordingly she began, and the chorus of her song was taken up by all the young voices.

I never heard anything more melodious and touching than the song altogether: Eugenie's voice was soft, clear, and full, and had a melancholy thrill in it, which it was impossible to hear without being affected; she seemed to delight in drawing out her last notes, and hearing their sound prolonged on the air.

The ballads she chose were _all sad_, in the usual style of the Bretons: one was expressive of sorrow for absence, and was full of tender reproaches, ending in assurances of truth, in spite of fate; and one, "Dis moi! dis moi!" was a lament for a captive, which, as well as I could catch the words,--partly French and partly _patois_--was full of mournful regret, and seemed to run thus at every close: "The north wind whistles--the night is dark; at the foot of the hill the captive looks forth in vain,--ah! he is weeping still! always at the foot of that hill you may hear his sighs.
"'Alas!' he says, 'what is there in the world that can compare to liberty?
and I am a prisoner.

I weep alone!'-- he sees a bird fly by, and exclaims, 'There is something still left worth living for--I may be one day free!'" "Helas! le pauvre enfant--il pleure toujours: Il pleure toujours! au fond de la colline." Perhaps this song might allude to some of those unfortunate patriots of La Vendee, whose fate was as sad as any romance could tell.
I never remember to have heard what seemed to me more real melody than this singing; and was very sorry when the young girls insisted, in return for their compliance, on one of the crew obliging them with a song; for he obeyed, and, in one of the usual cracked voices, which are so common in France, raised peals of laughter by intoning an _English air_--no other than "God Save the King." This effectually spoilt the pretty romance of the veiled Rochellaises; not one of whom we could see, in the darkness, and their voices seemed to come from the depths of the Garonne, as if they were the spirits of its waters, who had taken possession of our vessel, and were beguiling us with their sweet voices into their whirlpools and amongst their sands.
I thanked them for my share of the amusement, and remarked to one near me how beautiful the voice of Eugenie was.