We have carefully read Mr Pickwick's notes about the four towns of Stroud, Rochester, Chatham, and Brompton. We think that his general opinion of what these towns look like is the same as the opinion of other people who have been there as well, so we can make his description much shorter.

'These towns,' says Mr Pickwick, 'seem to mainly produce soldiers, sailors, chalk, seafood, officers, and people who work with boats. In the public streets the things you find offered for sale are ship's stores, apples, fish, and oysters. The streets are lively and active, mainly because of the cheerful behaviour of the army. It is truly delightful to someone who likes people to see these brave men staggering along after too much partying and strong drink. Especially when we remember that following them about, and joking with them, is a cheap and innocent amusement for the boys of the town.

Nothing,' adds Mr Pickwick, 'can be more than their good humour. Just the day before my arrival someone was really terribly rude to one of these soldiers in the pub. This person was a barmaid who refused to pour the soldier another drink. In return the soldier had (just as a joke) pulled out his bayonet, and wounded the girl in the shoulder. And yet this fine fellow went straight down to the pub the next morning and said that he was ready to forget the whole thing and forgive the barmaid for what had happened.