A summer jaunt through the Old world: a record of an excursion made to and through Europe, by the Tourjée educational party of 1878

Front matter

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Preface

In submitting the accompanying volume to the members of the Tourjee Excursion Party of 1878, and to the public, the author and compiler feels that some apology for its late appearance is called for. It was designed that it should appear soon after the party returned home, but the execution of this plan was prevented by unavoidable circumstances. Duties of an engrossing nature greatly delayed the beginning of the work of preparation, and when this was at length entered upon, it had to be carried forward amid such continued cares and responsibilities, as inevitably surround a busy journalist. Thus the labor has been performed hurriedly, notwithstanding the months that have elapsed since it should have been undertaken ; and the writer finds that while the ink from his pen is yet undried, he is upon the eve of a second "Summer Jaunt Through the Old World," under the same wise leadership that made the first such a constant source of pleasure and profit. In a great measure, then, the compilation of these records has been not only in retrospection of happy experiences, but, in some degree, anticipatory of pleasures yet to come.

Very valuable assistance has been given by several members of the party, who were connected with divisions other than the one of which "the writer was a member ; especially by Mr. A. F. Lewis, of Fryeburg, Me., who has given in

VI PREFACE.

Chapters X., XI., XII., and XIII., an interesting account of the travels of the First, or "Italian" Division. Mr. E. Emory Johnson, of Moodus, Conn., in behalf of the Second Division ; Mr. Frank Bolles, of Washington, D. C, representing the Third Division ; and Mr. O. B. Bruce, of Binghamton, N. Y., the Fourth Division, have likewise rendered kindly aid by furnishing notes of travel, which, from necessity, inasmuch as the book has grown into large proportions, have been considerably abridged in Chapters XIV., XV., and XVI. Mr. Bruce, who was early made familiar with Dr. Tourjee's plans and purposes in connection with the excursion, has also prepared, by request, the introduction to the work.

The volume is intended as a pleasant souvenir of a delightful round of European travel, in which nearly three hundred Americans — a larger excursion party than ever before went from our shores — had, at least in part, a common experience. The writer trusts, that in spite of any imperfections hasty work may have caused, this purpose will be fully met. While in pursuance of the chief plan to present a faithful history of that excursion, much subjectmatter of little interest to others may have been included in its pages ; he trusts, nevertheless, that the book may prove a source of much information to the general reader, and, as such, form, in some measure, an instructive and agreeable hand-book of travel.

Boston, 1879.

Contents

Dedication, Page iii

Preface, " r

Contents, " vii

Chapter II. Scotland

An Early Visit to Glasgow — St. George's Square, the Cathedral,

&c. — A Charming Excursion through Loch Lomond, Loch

Katrine, and the Trosachs — The Land of Rob Roy — The

Scenes of Scott's " Lady of the Lake " — Stirling and its Ancient

Vlll CONTENTS.

Castle — Edinburgh and its Beautiful Situation — Its Monuments and Historic Sites — Calton Hill — Holyrood Palace, and its Reminiscences of Mary Queen of Scots — A Walk through Old Edinburgh — The Castle and its Sights — The Queen's Drive — The University and its School of Music — A Memorial to Canine Fidelity — Reception by the Sabbath-School Teachers' Union — Interesting Addresses — The Journey to Melrose — Melrose Abbey — Abbotsford and its Relics, ... 47

Chapter III. England

Entering England — By Special Train to London — The Midland Railway and the Midland Country — European Railways and their Peculiarities — The Approach to the Metropolis — The Midland Grand Hotel — Seeing London — The Metropolis and its Immensity — How London has Overgrown its Ancient Limits — The Busiest Spot in the Whole World — Means of Travel in the Great City — The Metropolitan Railway and the Hansom Cabs — The Houses of Parliament and their Adornment — Westminster Hall — Westminster Abbey — Whitehall — Charing Cross — Trafalgar Square and its Monuments — The National Gallery — The Strand — Temple Bar — The Temple, &c, . 103

Chapter IV. England Continued

More about London — St. Paul's and its Sights — The Post-Office

— The Tower of London — Its Mournful History and its Wonders— The Crown Jewels — Fifteen Million Dollars' Worth of Gewgaws — The British Museum and its Vast Collections — The South Kensington Museum — A Magnificent Art-School — The Albert Memorial — The Royal Albert Hall and an Organ Concert therein — Parks and Palaces — The Thames Embankments — Cleopatra's Needle — Sights on the Thames — The Docks and the Shipping — The Bank of England and the Royal Exchange — Band of Hope Fete at the Crystal Palace — Singing by Ten Thousand Children — A Glimpse of Royalty — Spurgeon and his Work, &c, 159

Chapter V. France

Leaving London for Paris — The Route via Newhaven and Dieppe

— Crossing the English Channel — A Famous French Watering- Place — The Railway Ride through Normandy — Rouen — The

CONTENTS. IX

Valley of the Seine — Entering Paris — The Hotel Bedford — The Boulevards — The Cafes — The Fortifications — The Sewers— How the Paris Streets are Cleaned — The Champs Ely sees — The Place de la Concorde and its History — The Obelisk of Luxor — The Arc "cle Triomphe — The Bois de Boulogne — The Church of the Madeleine — The Church of Notre Dame — Ancient Lutetia — The Palais de Justice and Sainte Chapelle — The Morgue — The Hotel de Cluny — The Pantheon, &c, 203

Chapter VI. France Continued

The Louvre and its Treasures — The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel — M. Giffard's Captive Balloon — The Palais Royal — The Hotel des Invalides, and the Tomb of Napoleon — The Vendome Column — The Column of July — The Bibliotheqae Nationale — The Grand Opera and the Opera Comique — The Conservatoire de Musique — The Cemetery of Pcre-la-Chaise — The Park of the Buttes Chaumont — The Markets — A Peep at the Exposition Universelle — The Exhibition Buildings and the Arrangement of the Grounds — General Characteristics of the Display — Two National Concerts — An Excursion to St. Cloud, Versailles, and Sevres — The Palace of Versailles and its Art Galleries — A Lunch with Mr. Thomas Cook — Leaving Paris — The Railway Journey to Geneva, 238

Chapter VII. Switzerland

Entering the Country of Lakes and Mountains — Geneva and its Charming Situation — Its Interesting Features — An Organ Concert at the Cathedral — Lake Leman — Lausanne — The Castle of Chillon — Fribourg — Its Famous Orgau and a Concert thereon — Bern — Another Organ Concert — Market Day and the Peasantry — Thun and its Beautiful Lake — The Bodeli Railway — Interlaken — The Jungfrau — Lauterbrunuen and the Fall of the Staubbach — Grindelwald and its Glaciers — A New Way to Repulse Clamorous Guides— An Effectual Discharge of "Greek Fire" — The Alpine Horn — The Lake 01 Brienz and the Falls of the Geissbach — Swiss Music —The Brunig Pass — An Ascent of the Rigi — Suuset and Sunrise as seen from the Summit — Excursion on the Lake of the Four Cantons — William Tell — Lucerne and its Quaint Bridges — More Organ Music — The Inevitable " Storm-piece V — Zurich — Schaff hausen and the Falls of the Rhine, . . . . . 272

X CONTENTS.

Chapter VIII. Germany

Leaving Switzerland — Basel and its Clocks — Strassburg and its Famous Cathedral — Marks of the Siege of 1870 — The Storks and the Geese — The Astronomical Clock — Climbing the Cathedral Tower in a Thunder-storm — Baden-Baden and its Beautiful Surroundings — The Black Forest — Heidelberg — Its University and Ruined. Castle — The Great Tun— The Rich City of Frankfort — Wiesbaden and its Attractions — The Storied Rhine — Its Towns and Vineyards — Its Castles and their Romantic Legends — The Bromserburg — The Mouse Tower — The Devil's Ladder — The Pfaizgrafenstein — The Lurleiberg — The "Cat" and the "Mouse" — "The Brothers" — Roland and Hildegunde — The Drachenfels — Cologne — Its Great Cathedral — The Church of the Eleven Thousand Virgins and its Relics — Other Objects of Interest in Cologne, . 322

Chapter IX. Belgium And Holland

From Cologne to Brussels — Aix-la-Chapelle — Liege — Louvain —

Belgium's Capital — The Hotel de Ville and the Guild Halls —

The Galerie St. Hubert — The Cathedral of Ste. Gudule — The

Park and the Neighboring Palaces — The Museum of Paintings

— The Wiertz Museum — Monuments, Statues, and Fountains — The Conservatoire de Musique — The Lace Manufactories — The Battle-field of Waterloo — Mechlin — Antwerp in Gala Attire — The Cathedral and its Art Treasures — Quentin Matsys's Well — The Church of St. Jacques — Celebrated Works of Art — Rubens and his Pictures — A Quaint Church Exhibition

— The Plantiu Museum — The Zuid-Bcveland of Holland — A Glimpse of the Land of Dikes and Ditches — Crossing the North Sea — Back again in London, 373

Chapter X. The First Section — Italy

The Journey from London to the Continent, and through Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland — Mont Cenis Tunnel — Milan — The Cathedral — Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" — Verona

— Romeo and Juliet — The Capulet Mansion — Juliet's Tomb

— Venice — The Gondoliers — Venetian Painters — St. Mark's Church — The Doge's Palace — The Bridge of Sighs — The Piazza of St. Mark's — The Doves of Venice — Reception of King Humbert and Queen Margherita — Carnival of Venice —

CONTENTS. XI

Florence — Its Palaces and Churches — The Baptistry — The Cathedral — Sante Croce — Dante — The Medicean Chapel — The Pitti Palace — The Uffizzi Gallery — The Venus de Medici

— The Group of Niobe — American Artists — The . Powers Family — The Protestant Cemetery, 401

Chapter XI. The First Section. — Italy Continued

Rome — St. Peter's — The Arch of Constantine — The Arch of Titus

— The Colosseum — The Ancient Gladiatorial Contests — The Capitol — The Forum — The Pantheon — The Baths of Caracalla — The Appian Way — The Tomb of Cecilia Metella — The Footsteps of St. Paul — The Mamertine Prison — St. Paul's "Hired House" —The Basilica of St. Paul's Beyond the Walls

— The Holy Staircase — The Vatican and its Treasures — The Sistine Chapel — Raphael's " Transfiguration " — The Apollo Belvidere — The Laocoon — The Catacombs — A Visit to the Pope — The Church of St. Clement — Recent Excavations — The Roman Aqueducts — The Column of Trajan — The Castle of St. Angelo — Beatrice Cenci — Presentation to Siguor Barattoni, 446

Chapter XII

THE FIRST DIVISION. — ITALY CONTINUED. Naples — Its Matchless Bay — The Museum — Celebrated Paintings and Statuary — "The Roman Charity" — Pompeii, the Buried City — A Perfect Picture of Roman Life Eighteen Centuries Ago — Vesuvius — Ascent of the Cone — Descent into the Crater — The View from the Summit of Vesuvius — Italian Guides and Beggars — Pisa — The Leaning Tower — The Cathedral — The Campo Santo — The Baptistry — " Genoa, the Superb" — Its Palaces and Churches — A Moonlight Sail on the Mediterranean — Turin — An Exciting Incident — Encounter of a Brave American Girl with Italian Pickpockets, 509

Chapter XIII

THE FIRST DIVISION. — THROUGH FRANCE, ENGLAND, ETC. From Turin to Paris — London Again — Oxford and its Colleges — The Students — The Martyr's Memorial — Wesley and Wickliffe

— The Bodleian Library — Stratford-on-Avou — Shakespeare's Birthplace — Interesting Relics — Anne Hathaway's Cottage — To Ireland, via Birmingham and Holyhead — Dublin and its Sights — Irish Jaunting-Cars — The Ocean Voyage Homeward

— Concluding Words, 554

Xll CONTENTS.

Chapter XIV. The Second Division

Notes of the Tour through Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and France — Interesting Incident at Zurich — Congratulatory Resotions Passed at Paris, 574

Chapter XV. The Third Division

Notes of the Journey from London over the Continent, and hack to Eugland — Interesting Celebrations at Brussels — Gilmore's Band at Cologne — Saluting the Sirens of the Rhine — Glorious Scenes on the Rigi, &c, 584

Chapter XVI. The Fourth Division

Notes of the Continental Journey — Amusing Incidents — Grand Illumination by the Students at Heidelberg — Two Days on the Rhine — Visits to Coblenz and Ehrenbreitstein — The Return to England, &c, 594

Chapter XVII. The " Circassia " Party

The Advance Guard of the American Invaders — The Tour through. Scotland, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and France — Another Section Visits Italy, 606

Chapter XVIII. Homeward Bound

Once More in London — Supplementary Tours by Members of the Party — Notes of a Visit to Sorrento and the Blue Grotto of Capri, and of a Tour of Lakes Como and Lugano — A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land — Setting Sail for Home — The "Rolling Deep" — Entertainments on Shipboard — Benefit of the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society — Congratulatory Resolutions — Arrival at New York — The Custoni-House Officers — Dr. TourjeVs Christmas Greeting, 609

ArncNDix, Page 633

Index, "643

ILLUSTRATIONS.

The Scott Memorial, Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle,

Westminster Abbey,

Henry Seventh's Chapel, Westminster Abbey, .

Tower of London,

Joan of Arc's Tower, Rouen,

Place de la Concorde, . . . .

Church of the Madeleine, .

Sainte Chapelle, Paris

Colonnade of the Louvre,

Dome of the Hotel des Invalides, ......

Palace of the Luxembourg,

The River Seine in Paris

The Park and Palace of Versailles,

Lausanne and the Savoy Alps

Grindelwald

The Tell Chapel near Fluelen, . . . . .

Lucerne and Mont Pilatus, .

A Stork's Nest in Strassburg, *

View of Strassburg from near Erwin of Steinbach's

Monument,

Heidelberg and the Old Castle,

Frankfort-on-tiie-Main,

Caub and the Pfalzgrafenstein

The Hotel de Ville, Brussels, .......

A Row of Holland Giants,

The Cathedral of Milan .

Palace of the Doges at Venice,

The Arena of the Colosseum,

The Roman Forum,

Roman Temple of Hercules, called the Temple of the

Sybil

The Herculaneum Gate, Pompeii, as it was, .... Ehrenbreitstein,

491 517 602