Synopsis
A Hand Book Up The Seine by John Frederick Smith is a nineteenth-century travelogue and practical guide to the Seine valley from Havre to Paris. The author, a professor and historian, narrates a picturesque ascent by steamer and describes the river’s banks, towns, abbeys, castles, and landscapes with historical anecdotes, legends, and architectural notes. The work interweaves geography, antiquities, and culture, presenting chapters on Havre, Honfleur, Grestain, Jumiéges, Duclair, Caudebec, the Andelys, Vernon, Mantes, Rosny, and Rouen, as well as the ancient forest, dunes, bar, and sandbanks that challenge navigation. It blends travel instructions with stories of medieval chieftains, saints, and dynastic intrigues, including references to Coeur de Lion, Agnes Sorel, Robert the Devil, Chateau Gaillard, and the Breton legends of Pitres and Nina. Rich with topographical detail, it offers itineraries, pilot regulations, and nautical lore, capturing the Seine as a living corridor of history, art, and natural beauty for the European traveler of its era.
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