Twenty years around the world (part 3 of 4)

Twenty years around the world (part 3 of 4)

It was curious to see the variety of costume of the deck hands as they left port; it was Sunday at the time, and they did not doff the costume of the holiday until we left the harbor. I noticed more particularly the gay-colored turbans, white frocks and fancy belts of the Lascars, and the long tails of the Chinese, while many of their female friends were in boats around the ship, keeping up a constant discharge from bunches of firecrackers. We were only seven passengers, English gentlemen and officers of the army, myself the only American. The system adopted throughout by the steam navigation company is to charge enormous prices, more than double the rates of fare of our Atlantic steamers; for instance, from Hong Kong to this place, the passage, including exchange, costs one hundred and seventy dollars, the passage to Calcutta being upwards of four hundred dollars. They furnish a profusion of everything available in the way of supplies, rendering the consumption of liquors, wines, and soda, greater than in the West India line, where each individual signs a card for the steward as he gives his order, and settles weekly, or at the expiration of the voyage.

The English officers and gentlemen are particular in dressing for dinner; considerable etiquette is observed, and they generally occupy much time at table. I am frequently called upon to combat error and prejudice against my country in a variety of ways. The minds of some have been poisoned by such works as those of Mrs. Trollope, and others.

I was told that I was the first overland California traveller. I could answer the interrogations about lynch law, rapid eating or bolting of food at hotels and on board of steamers; and in the latter charges, I could only admit, American-like, that we were a young but fast people, and that we could not enjoy the luxurious ease of old countries, as time did not permit; that pioneer life on the borders cautioned the sovereign people where laws did not exist, to rid themselves of robbers and assassins.

Throughout the East the Punkah is made use of while the guests are at meals; it is a long frame from three and a half to four feet in depth, covered with white cloth, with a fringe running the whole length of the table, and suspended on hinges from the ceiling, to which is attached a cord passing over a pulley, and put in motion by an invisible hand behind a screen, or passing through the wall into the adjoining room. We have three Lascar boys in costume, who are seated on the opposite side of the dining saloon, keeping up a constant circulation of air during meals.

I have been under the surgeon’s hands since I embarked, with a slight attack of Hong Kong fever; consequently I could not enjoy my passage, and was disgusted with the sight of eatables and drinkables. I am now quite recovered, and a drive about the environs of this city in a palanquin has had a good effect. These palanquins are small carriages with forward and back seats, adapted for two persons, and on low wheels, drawn by small Sumatra ponies full of spirit. The drivers, or rather runners, are Malabars from Madras, of a dark ebony color. The costume of my man is a white scarf bound round the head, loose white pants coming to his knees, and a red sash about his loins, so that his limbs are perfectly free, and he runs beside the horse at the top of his speed, holding one rein and the trace at the same time for safety and support. These men will run to the end of the island, sixteen miles, if occasion requires. You not unfrequently see persons galloping on horseback, and the man running along to take the reins when the rider dismounts.

Singapore, near the Straits of Malacca, is a small city on a small island, well built by the English. It is a free port, and large numbers of vessels from all parts visit it for purposes of traffic.

Great numbers of Chinese, say as many as thirty thousand, have migrated to this point, and can be seen in every kind of pursuit; they monopolize almost every species of labor, and being more vigorous than the others, can work cheaper at the various mechanical branches. The greatest variety of costume and language is found here, congregating from all the East and all the islands, Singapore being in the high-road from east to west.

I shall proceed to Penang upon Prince of Wales Island, by steamer, and thence to the island of Ceylon, on the other side of the bay of Bengal, where I shall wait for the steamer from Suez, on her way up to Calcutta, and as Ceylon is represented as being a beautiful island, and I shall be there some two weeks, you may expect to hear from me.

LXV.

KANDY, ISLAND OF CEYLON, Sept. 16, 1851.

I find myself now one hundred and forty-four miles from Point de Galle, the place where I left the steamer on my route from Penang to Singapore. Galle is a small fortified town which was first occupied by the Portuguese, taken afterwards by the Dutch, and finally acquired by the English, who are now in full and complete possession of this large island, extending from 6° to 10° N. Lat., from the Tropic of Cancer, at the west entrance of the Bay of Bengal opposite the Coromandel coast. It is about two-thirds the size of Ireland, and once contained a large population, but at present only one and a half million. From Point de Galle I proceeded to Colombo, the chief commercial mart, distant by land seventy-two miles, winding along through almost uninterrupted cocoa-nut groves, for some sixty miles, with long lines of thatched cabins, villages at intervals, and the most peculiar and primitive population in many respects I have ever met with. The natives along the coast are copper-colored, with fine features and slender forms; they wear long hair, falling half down their backs when loose and male and female wear two shell combs, one over the crown, and the other of great height to make the coiffure behind; it is difficult at first to distinguish the sexes among the young. The cocoa-nut tree is the chief support; they pay some attention to fishing, however, in the oddest vessels that ever floated, consisting in many instances of simple “dug-outs,” with an outrigger of bent boughs, which are lashed to the side of the vessel, and to the end is attached a pointed log, floating on the surface, and if the canvas is carrying the bark over, they balance it by sitting on the outrigger, sailing with great rapidity.

The harvest of the cocoa is now at hand. The milk is refreshing, and quenches thirst; the fruit is not only eaten, but large quantities of oil are made from it for use and exportation. The bark is rotted in pits of water, and bruised, then the fibres are pulled and made into cordage and rope of different kinds. The trees stand from six to fifteen feet apart, and are from fifty to eighty feet in height; large use is made of the liquid that exudes from the off-shoots near the top of the tree, which is distilled into arrack, and the natives may be seen like ourang-outangs, moving from the tops of the trees on the cordage made from the fibre to aid in climbing, while lower down are the earthen vessels in which the juice is collected. After passing through the cocoa-nut forests the cinnamon plantations present themselves, within a range of eight to ten miles of Colombo, and are mostly owned by foreigners.

One of the vices to which the natives are mostly addicted is the excessive use of the betel, which is a composition of the betel-leaf, the areka-nut, and chanam or luire, made from the muscle-shell, to which is sometimes added tobacco; it not only has a stimulating effect, but causes the lips, teeth, and inside of the mouth to appear blood-red, and tends in time to blacken the teeth, which is considered by some a mark of beauty. The stranger, when he first finds himself among a group of dark, ebony Kandians, and copper-colored Cingalese, with a sprinkling of Malabars in the primitive state, and in the costume of our first parents, with their mouths full of betel, imagines he has fallen among demons; at least I did, though I soon became accustomed to the sight.

The old kingdom of Kandy successfully resisted the Dutch and Portuguese, and for a long time the English, as from their fastnesses in the mountains, without roads to facilitate the enemy, the natives were long enabled to keep possession of the interior, after their sea-ports were occupied, and until they finally succumbed to the English. It lies seventy-two miles from Colombo, and fourteen hundred and sixty-seven feet above the level of the sea, and is characterized by the grandeur of the mountain scenery, and its wooded hills and luxuriant vegetation. The climate is very pleasant, its average temperature being 74°. The approach to this place is full of interest and novelty.

You find the paddy or rice fields in the valleys cultivated by the natives, who subsist mostly upon rice, made into curry, adding a sauce composed of cocoa, pepper, ginger, and coriander seed. Most of them are Boodhists, and touch no animal food, it being contrary to their religion to take life. They are often seen with almost naked skins, and hatless heads, their hair tied up in a bunch behind or falling over their shoulders, following black, uncouth, and sluggish buffaloes, which drag a rude wooden plough through the muddy field, inundated from the mountain streams.

Since the English have occupied the country, the colonial government has opened good roads, and much attention has been given to the planting of coffee, which is the chief source of profit, and enables it to place its troops in different parts of the island. An attempt at rebellion in this the most warlike province, two years since, after a considerable massacre, was soon suppressed. The road to Colombo is now much travelled by two-wheeled carts with high covered tops of cocoa-nut plaited branches, drawn by diminutive black cattle, about three or four feet high, with short horns, looking not unlike large calves, but tough and strong. Travelling Bandys are frequently seen; they are about the size of a good dog cart, with a small bullock in the shafts, and a cord running through his nose and over his head, to the sides of which a pair of lines are attached; two or three persons sit inside with their knees drawn up to the chin. The cabins by the road-side are in low and sheltered positions; they are furnished with two or three stools, a few plaited mats, earthen water-jars, a rice mortar, and some few culinary articles. Such of the women as are not engaged in weeding and reaping in the fields busy themselves in preparing betel, cooking curry, or in attending to their children. In approaching Colombo, as also this place, appearances change, the difference of caste, of which they were very particular under the old regime, being still seen.

The Kandians, despising the effeminate combs of the low-country people, wear a gay-colored handkerchief tied around the head, leaving the top exposed; they wear a white or fancy colored cloth of double breadth wrapped around the loins, while Mormons or Mussulmans with turbans, and Hindoos with painted faces, and also Malabars and other races, make up the picturesque masquerade. The Rhodias, or outcasts, a sort of Gipsies, are not permitted to wear any garment other than a sense of propriety suggests. The better caste of women appear here with heads uncovered, a long cloth of single breadth wrapped around the loins and falling to the ankles, and a portion thrown over the left shoulder. They wear silver, crystal, and brass bangles or bracelets, and flat ear-rings about the size of a quarter dollar, and the thickness of a child’s tin whistle; the holes of the ears are cut and distended by weights while young, to receive their flat rings; they also wear gold clasps in the top of the ear, which gives them a strange appearance, particularly with the addition of rings in the nose and on the toes. Umbrellas and dried branches of the tallipot tree are much in use to prevent the action of the sun’s rays. This is the residence of Governor Anderson, whose houses and grounds are quite pretty. There are some fifty foreigners, inclusive of ladies, as civilians, in addition to a regiment of troops, partly Europeans and partly Malays.

From Singapore we passed up the Straits of Malacca to Penang, on Prince of Wales Island, where we coaled and remained one day, which gave an opportunity for a ride to see the town, and then proceeded to Ceylon, making the distance of some fourteen hundred miles within eight days to Point de Galle, where I left the steamer on my way north to Calcutta, while she proceeded to Suez.

LXVI.

KANDY, ISLAND OF CEYLON, Sept. 20, 1851.

I am surprised to find such remains of civilization among a people who once had a dense population, and were somewhat advanced in the arts, as their relics testify, but who had fallen to the darkest period of the middle ages. The palace of the king, the hall of audience, with its elaborately-carved wooden columns, the hexagonal tower two stories high, and the chief Boodhist temple of the island, formerly under royal patronage, present a front of some six hundred feet of ground, with a wall and moat with drawbridge, supplied with water from a beautiful artificial lake, with a long line of parapet with triangular centres whereon to place lamps during the illuminations, and when the king addressed the people from the balcony overhanging the canal, and witnessed the religious processions with elephants which are annually continued.

These buildings are now all occupied for government purposes, except the temple of Boodh. On its archways and walls are sculptured hideous figures of dragons, and images of gods and devils; the paintings are rude, and bear a mixed resemblance to those of China and Egypt. The present powder-house is in a small building in the centre of the lake, which was a great resort for the king, while the harem-building on its banks is the hospital for sick soldiers.

We have just had a festival day, and I have occupied some time among the Boodhists. Their daily hours of worship are from six to eight in the morning, and the same time in the evening, and on this occasion the noise of the silver tom-toms, or kettle-drums, and the harsh sound of as many instruments resembling the Scotch bagpipe, with their discordant sounds, were almost deafening. One of the sanctums of the temple, which is ascended by a small flight of steps, has two immense pairs of elephant tusks, also the carved and painted figures of devils, to guard the entrance, and the room is about twelve feet square, hung with gold brocade, somewhat rusty. Upon a raised platform, inclosed by railings, and hourly unlocked, is seen a figure not unlike a huge bell, thirty-four and a half feet high, and nine and a half feet in circumference. It is in three pieces, which are joined, and which contain within each other seven smaller caskets; the smallest is supposed by the people to contain the tooth of their god Boodh.

The outer casket, or figure, is ornamented with rich gold chains and gems; the most remarkable is the figure of a gold bird, suspended by massive chains, beset with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. This is considered by the natives the most valuable acquisition in the world. Another of the sanctums contains the figures of gods, of gold and silver gilt, and of colossal size; the entrance is guarded by lions, the altars are covered by sweet smelling sacred flowers, which the devotees of all classes and sexes make as offerings before prostrating themselves and retiring in succession, and which the priests, with shaved heads, in yellow robes, receive. The people came loaded from the country with supplies suspended at the two ends of poles, borne upon the naked shoulder--the usual manner of carrying burdens; and at twelve (noon), the priests partook of a repast. It reminded me of a vegetable and fruit market, with heaps of rice, cocoas, pineapples, and prepared betel, to the use of which the priests are addicted, besides a variety of presents. As I stood alone among these half-clad heathen, who stared at me with surprise, I accosted a boy whose dress indicated Christian discipline, and who, speaking English, was able to give me much information, having been educated by a Protestant missionary.

I saw one marriage party in the country, a few days since; they marry young, and ordinarily in the presence of a witness, and according to caste; where they are of any rank, the parents arrange the matter. The girl in this instance carried presents to the house of the groom, when both parties sat around a pail of paddy and ate with their hands, exchanging balls of rice and cocoa-nut milk, with presents of clothes and jewels. The order of things is reversed here, for it is quite common for women to have two husbands, who seem to live happily together; they think it polite to do so, besides being less expensive; while in the event of the death of either husband, the family is provided for. Boodh came from the east, consequently in life they lie in that direction, but in death they turn the body; the higher castes here burn the corpse, the lower bury it in shallow graves. The funeral pile of the former is a layer of cocoa-nut shells, a layer of husks of the same, then a layer of wood; the nearest relative fires the heap in presence of a priest, and then returns home. Strips of young cocoa-nut stalks split are put up to mark the locality, which is visited after seven days; stones are erected to mark the spot, and a devil called “Sohou-Yaka” is appointed to the care of the burial grounds; at night, the natives will not approach these places, fearing malignant influences. The Boodhists have a great variety of devils, and have the greatest fear of evil spirits, some of which preside over the cocoa-nut, toddy and other trees. The favorite devil of the Kandians is called Gaveleyaka. He takes care of the children, cattle, and grounds, and the people feed him well with rice and curry, to keep him in good temper, otherwise he gets vexed, and they are attacked by the misfortunes against which they strive to propitiate him.

The other morning, at an early hour, in the country, I heard music, and saw lights beaming in the wood. It was, I found, a devil-dance. Some one having fallen sick, it was attributed to witchcraft, and a devil-priest was called to cure him. They had made a house of bushes and put the sick man in it, and had commenced dancing at eight o’clock at night, and the priest was just concluding, and performing a charm of some sort. Taking the leaves of a certain tree, they make up several dishes, and put rice on top with a lighted match, that the surrounding devils may inhale the odor; the priest then says another charm, and commands all other devils to “vamose.” He then says they have “put out,” and they throw everything in the bushes and leave them there, and he gets well paid for his trouble.

This is a remarkable country for elephants; the government employs them for heavy work on the roads; the immense carts and wagons are drawn by them, and the rollers for flattening the earth are made in proportion to their strength. I visited the stables and saw them on the road, but none have crossed my track, though they are still very numerous in the jungle, and sometimes very destructive to the plantations. I was informed that eleven were taken from this region and shipped to New York not long since, and presuming that you are familiar with the manner in which they were caught, I will not attempt a description. We are subject here to a land leech, which during wet weather is very troublesome, and makes leggings necessary for protection in the grass and woods. A gentleman travelling in our company found the blood flowing freely, not having provided himself with leggings; the natives have remedies against the bite. Ceylon is famous for the variety of rare and precious stones found in Galle and Colombo, which are a source of considerable traffic with vendors. The pearl fishery of the coast was formerly very productive, but of late years it is of little value; the cause is supposed to be over-fishing the original stock of oysters when nearly exhausted.

LXVII.

CALCUTTA, INDIA, Oct. 8, 1851.

I left Ceylon by the steamer Hindostan, on her way from Suez, with the overland mail, having about forty passengers, mostly from England. I now find myself in the so-styled city of palaces, upon the banks of the Hoogley, one of the many branches of the Ganges, and about one hundred and forty miles from the Sand Heads of hazardous navigation, while the jungle, on its lower banks, is haunted with the famous Bengal tiger, a terror to the shipwrecked mariner. Strong indications of a heavier storm than we had already encountered, two days below the entrance, induced our captain to turn back and run south, which was most unusual and unwarrantable, with a well-found steamer of fourteen hundred tons burden, and caused a delay of thirty-six hours, proving an error of judgment.

This city, the capital of the Bengal Presidency, is said to contain from five to six hundred thousand inhabitants, the foreign population not exceeding one thousand, besides the troops. The public buildings of the East India Company, inclusive of the Governor’s palace, and private residences of the employees of government, are well constructed, and discover a good deal of taste in their erection and site. The course or esplanade, and general drives along the river banks to Garden Reach (the out of town residences), are extensive and beautiful, and display more luxurious vehicles, and finer horses with outriders, and bearers in costume, than can be found for the same population anywhere in the world. The evening six o’clock drive before dinner being the greatest means of enjoyment in this hot climate, every sacrifice is made on the part of all classes to sport their equipages. I arrived here just after the commencement of the annual Hindoo festival called the Doorgah Poojah, during which all business is suspended. The heat is most oppressive, and no white man of any means is seen walking in the streets during the day, but palanquins are in general use. They are not unlike small houses with sliding doors on each side; they contain a mattress to lie upon, covered with matting, and sofa pillows of light material upon which to recline the head, and are supported on the shoulders of four Hindoo bearers, whose black shining skins, reeking with perspiration, denote the fatigue they endure. It is astonishing how fast they get over the surface; they are to be found in all public places and anxious for employment. It is a luxurious mode of travel, and long journeys are performed by Dawk, so called, with relays of men, but to me it is a painful mode of conveyance, and scarcely fast enough for an American. The Punkah here is indispensable; in the large hotel where I am staying, and which equals in size some of our large New York hotels, all the rooms are furnished with them, suspended from the ceiling, and necessity obliges each occupant to employ a punkah driver, who by means of his cord and pulley in the passage, keeps up a constant circulation of air. The great diversity of caste among the Hindoos, makes it necessary that housekeepers should employ a multitude of servants. The punkah driver being inferior, cannot be employed as bearer or body-servant, and he in turn will not wait at table. They must be employed as grooms, coachmen, footmen, cooks, water-carriers, washerwomen, and an infinite number of occupations. In dining with an official in the East India Company’s service, of large appointment, who had been a fellow passenger, and who had a large retinue of servants, he informed me that he required fifty for his establishment. Their wages are low and they furnish their own supplies, which are mostly rice and curry, as they disdain the food of the Christians. The Mussulmans, of which I have one, are not so tenacious, and turn their attention to different kinds of work. The expenses of life here are enormous, exceeding those of all other oriental cities. They grow out of the luxurious extravagance of the East India Company’s servants, through its extensive patronage, and the officers of the Queen’s troops, who not only exhaust their liberal salaries but are heavily in debt.

The native portion of the city, which extends for miles, exhibits a striking contrast to the palaces of the European quarter. The bazaars are worthy of being seen, but having visited those of Constantinople and Grand Cairo, they were no novelty to me. The other evening I attended the “nautches,” a species of ball or entertainment given by the native princes some three miles distant from the hotel; driving my buggy through immense masses of the populace, with the continual cries of my servant and footman to clear the track, I made my way slowly, coming in contact with a variety of vehicles in the darkness and confusion. At last I emerged from this chaos of equipages, and managed to get up to the extreme end of the lane to the Sohha Bazaar, where my vision was dazzled with the immense number of torches. The illuminations of the princes were intended to out-rival each other, and were got up with a good deal of fanciful display in oriental style. On pressing among the crowd through the spacious arena of the building amid the display of tinsel and torchlight, I found a large assembly of mixed nations and great variety of costume. The interior was covered with matting and chairs, with divans around the wall for the multitude. The Rajah was very polite, offering his divan with refreshments, and ordered the “nautch” or dancing girls before us to perform their different evolutions, which delight the natives, but to a European are anything but chaste or graceful. They were loaded with ornaments in their ears and noses, and on their necks, arms, wrists, and ankles; their voices were put upon a nasal half key, which enabled them to keep it up much longer.

The Hindoos burn their dead, but the funeral pile is not desecrated as formerly with widows of deceased husbands. In the upper part of the city is found a hollow square on the river bank, enclosed by three high walls, the water-side being open; a large gateway receives the remains of all Hindoos whose friends can afford to furnish the wood for burning. I saw them congregated thither and throwing, according to custom, small broken sticks upon the burning bodies. It was a revolting and disgusting sight to witness the burning bodies, particularly when fuel enough is not provided for their destruction, in which cases they are devoured by hundreds of carrion birds, like the adjutant and vulture. Very many are thrown into the river, and not unfrequently you meet them in passing up and down, though that method of disposing of them is contrary to law. We have just had the great annual Tumasha, and the worship paid to the goddess Kallee, by immersion. I suppose there must have been one hundred shrines mounted on platforms and supported on men’s shoulders, representing the goddess in tinsel of gold and silver, surrounded by artificial flowers, with her six arms, and a variety of other figures upon the pedestal. The procession of votaries to consign this inanimate but adored goddess to the holy waters of the Ganges, consisted of thousands of men, women, and children, with bands of music; the tops of houses, terraces, and balconies were filled with human beings. The different priests of the goddess came from different parts of the city, and congregated at the strand, where this rash tide of humanity despatched their deity on her cloudy voyage in the muddy waters of the sacred stream.

The drive up the river to Barrackpore, some fourteen miles, over a perfectly level road, with rows of trees almost the entire length, is beautiful, and a great relief from a heated city. It is a military station, and the country residence of the governor, besides being the finest park in India; there is also found there a large collection of wild animals, among which the giraffe, the tiger, and ostrich are seen in perfection. Ten miles higher up, the French have a small possession called Chandernagore, which they have retained during all the conquests and battles of Europe. It is antiquated, but prettily situated, a small town without back country; their whole force consists of twenty Sepoy soldiers, but the tricolor is floating from the government house. It is a favorite asylum for unfortunate debtors and persons of small means, and is a nuisance in the eyes of the English, but the rights of France and treaties must be respected. The Danes had a settlement near by, which the English bought, but “la grande nation” declined selling.

The Hindoos have a great fancy for painting their faces, with a streak down the nose and across the forehead, as well as lines on the cheeks, and bars of a yellow color made from powdered sandal-wood, which looks like gold upon a black ground. The eyes and nails of many are dyed with henna; a part of the foot is also dyed red. A great variety of character is to be found in the bazaars, not forgetting the beggars with daubed faces, and hair filled with ashes; they are not in such favor as the fat Brahmin bulls of the priests, which walk along and eat where they please, until the poor benighted Hindoo raises his hands together to his head, and cries, “Now, good bull, pray go eat at some other shop.” The Chinese population are at full liberty to enjoy their opium, to which they are so much addicted, and it is curious to see the effect produced upon them by the use of the drug. You will find some fifteen at a time lying upon couches, inhaling the fumes, which seem to put them in a happy state, after which they gradually recover. The opium leaves its bad effects in prostration of the system, and the habitual smoker may readily be known from the expression of the face and eyes. The manufacture and sale of the article, which is a monopoly of the East India Company, is its greatest source of revenue.

LXVIII.

STEAMER PEKIN, FOR BOMBAY, Oct. 20, 1851.

From Calcutta I came down to Madras, the capital of the Presidency of the same name, by the steamer Haddington, on her way to Suez. It lies some six hundred miles south of Calcutta, and is a city of considerable trade, notwithstanding its bad roadstead, where the surf is most formidable. We landed in a masoolah boat, of great depth of hold, entirely open, built of elastic wood, the joints stuffed with oakum and sewed together, without a nail in the construction, which enables them to spring and give when they strike bottom. These boats are worked by twelve boatmen, who keep up a singular chant or howl as they pass through the almost irresistible surf.

I found here a means of floating, which surpasses the Ceylon or Sandwich Island boats, being more primitive; they are called catamarans, and the natives manage them in the most skilful manner. Imagine to yourself a small raft eight feet in length, of three logs tied together and pointed at one end, which they go out upon, and which, when they return, is untied, and dried upon the shore. One or two men are seen upon these slight supports in the heaviest surfs, like black imps sitting crouched upon their heels and making good use of their paddles. Sometimes they are thrown off and hidden in the waves, but like magic they catch on again. One of the great objects of attraction for strangers is the civil and military service club, about three miles from town, and prettily situated with all the comforts and luxuries of the east. The hotels of the city are miserable.

There is but little to interest the traveller at Madras, which is on a flat sandy plain, with reddish-colored soil. Black Town, the native part, is poorly built, and the people are a cringing, menial, lazy set, kept under great subjugation and treated as brutes by the existing powers. The climate is better than that of Calcutta, on account of the sea breeze, and the drives along the sea beach, which in the suburbs make the place supportable. The jugglers and mountebanks of this country are celebrated, and perform some remarkable feats. We were infested with them in the street in front of our hotel, performing somersets, springing through hoops, and passing over swords, &c., without the aid of spring boards upon the solid earth. Next come the snake charmers, who bring their snakes in baskets, which are placed upon the ground; they then play a sort of bagpipe, after which they blow at the snakes and play again, when they open the basket and a large cobra-de-capello rises up with a peculiar hood spread back of the head, his long neck arched like a horse’s; he attempts to strike, but the charmers know their distance. We had half a dozen snakes dancing at the same time, around their masters, while another group was waiting to swallow swords and stones. In landing or going out, self-defence compels one to jump into a buggy or palanquin, as these poor people are very persevering, being better paid by Griffins, or foreigners, than by residents.

The Sepoys, or native troops, appear well on parade early in the morning; they are completely dressed in white drill, and the officers in red coats and white pantaloons. The Madras Presidency has some forty-two thousand Sepoys and eight thousand European troops, which serves to keep all the population quiet between the Bengal and Bombay Presidencies.

Our steamer is slow, making only eight knots an hour at the top of her speed. She has just been caught by a typhoon in the China sea, which has swept away decks, yards, and spars, with a loss of five out of her six boats, and will have to go into dock at Bombay. Since leaving the bay of Bengal, and the last of the south-west monsoons, we have had quiet and beautiful weather, running up the Malabar coast of the Arabian sea. I will finish this letter in Bombay.

LXIX.

BOMBAY, Nov. 7, 1851.

It was my good fortune to arrive here the first evening of the new year, and the commencement of the Hindu festival Tumashee, in which the Parsees unite in a general illumination of the bazaars and private residences, with shade lamps of variegated glasses, and a large display of Chinese and other paintings, the shops being open and occupied by the people of all races, Mahrattas, Parsees, and Hindoos of every caste, but no Moormans, or Mussulmans, the latter having had a religious contest with the Parsees, in which several houses were destroyed and pillaged. The Mussulmans being followers of Mahomet, have a strong aversion to the Parsees, or fire worshippers, as well as the Hindoos, or worshippers of idols. About five thousand of the former had collected at the mosques, and threatened to exterminate the Parsees, causing great anxiety. The Governor ordered out a large special constabulary police, and the troops were in readiness at given signals; the corners of streets and public places were placarded with orders in different languages to close all spirit and opium shops, and restrictions against carrying or selling arms. The great variety of picturesque costumes during this festival exceeded those of any city I had yet found. The display of bandys, drawn by oxen with ribbons of silver and gold-gilt, and filled with women and children, literally loaded with bracelets, nose and ear-rings, amulets, &c., in which the wealth of many consists, surpassed what I had seen at Calcutta. Among my introductory letters I had one to a Parsee house, from which I received much civility, and which gave me an opportunity of informing myself about this peculiar people, who are called fire-worshippers, and of whom so little is known. It is a small sect in comparison with others, and its members are a commercial and trading people; many live in good style, and drive fine equipages, and one of their number was knighted by the Queen for his many noble acts. The bequests of Sir Jamtsejee Jejeebhoy to many charitable institutions rank him as one of the most benevolent individuals of the age. The Parsees are the followers of Zoroaster, who lived about 389 B.C., and who was their lawgiver; his doctrine teaches them to believe in one God. They worship no other Being or symbol like him, and believe in a future state of existence.

They say they take the sun, moon, and fire as emblems of purity, and as the most powerful and obvious evidence of the supreme government, and in performing their five prayers daily they face any of these mighty elements. They are the descendants of the ancient rulers of Persia, from which country they were driven away in the seventh century, being unwilling to embrace Islamism, when eleven thousand were compelled to become Mahometans within twenty-four hours, under the penalty of death. The refugees were received by a lenient Hindoo prince, who gave them shelter and protection provided they would agree to certain stipulations. First, To throw away fire-arms. Second, To lay aside the original costume and adopt the peculiar one which they now wear. Third, not to kill or eat a cow, that animal being one of the favorite idols of the Hindoos. Pressed by necessity, they adopted these and other restrictions, and offered a solemn pledge, to which they still adhere. They wear a white garment and girdle around the waist, composed of seventy threads, about as large as a lady’s stay-lace. These are worn as insignia of religion. Children after seven years old wear it, and parents are morally responsible for them till they are ten years of age. If they die before ten, they are considered innocent, and are supposed to go to heaven. They feed and clothe their poor in a liberal manner. They drink wine and eat animal food, with the exception of beef, veal, and pork; have one wife, and are betrothed in infancy; the males marry at fourteen, and the females at twelve, and the marriage festival and procession costs some thousands where it can be afforded.

My Parsee friend will marry his son of fifteen to his bride of twelve in a few months. They cannot eat with us or drink out of the same vessel that we do. I accept civilities among the Parsees, but we eat at separate tables, and I have noticed among the most devoted a prayer murmured over me, and a glance of kindness. The Hindoos cannot assign any reason why the body should be burned, the Mahometan why it should be interred, nor the Parsee why it should be placed in a circular, high-walled, amphitheatrical cemetery, where the bodies of men, women, and children are placed in separate exposures for decay, and destruction by birds of prey; and they deny the assertion made by their enemies that the condition of future existence is denoted by the part of the body first attacked by the birds. I saw one public and one private cemetery of the kind on high hills; no one was permitted to enter. The position of Bombay, in Lat. 18° north, at nearly the head of the Indian Ocean, with a good harbor and sea-breezes, with its suburbs and fine dwellings, and forests of cocoa and date trees along good drives, makes it more agreeable and less hot than Calcutta. Within the inclosure of the old fortified town stands the arsenal, mint, cathedral, and other public edifices. I attended the cathedral last Sunday, but found few worshippers, although every appliance for comfort and ease. I counted fourteen long punkahs suspended from the ceiling, and as many men employed outside pulling the cords. Open rail pews, bamboo seats with arms, marble pavement, and a free circulation of air, but poor preaching and bad delivery, had driven the congregation away. The dock-yard here is the finest in the East, and is resorted to by all vessels for repairs; I noticed in it a frigate of the Imaum of Muscat, built of teak thirty years old. The mint for coining--the chief coins are rupees, nearly the size of half-dollars--is admirably well arranged, and would do credit to any country. They had nine presses at work, and were turning off one hundred and fifty thousand daily, out of the sycee silver, which comes from China, in payment for opium.

Having visited the hospital and benevolent institutions, to see what was doing for humanity in this part of the world, I was induced to visit the most extraordinary institution I had ever heard of: a hospital for diseased animals, established by the Parsees. I found there not only hundreds of horses, oxen, buffaloes, goats, and other cattle, but dogs and cats, which are never killed, but are allowed to enter the hospital gratis, and are kept until they recover or die. The great curiosity is the caves of elephants, on an island opposite Bombay. Taking supplies, we started early, in a covered boat; the tide being down, we were carried a long distance on men’s shoulders, to the shore, and around the mountain side through the trees to the bungalow of the Sepoy guard, and then entered the cave to see the Hindoo idols. The entrance is fifty-three feet wide, the height of the ceiling eighteen feet, and the depth one hundred and forty-three feet; it is nearly as wide as deep, and is supported by massive pillars, carved out of solid dark trap rock.

In the recess in the rear is seen a gigantic tri-formed god. Brahma is in the middle as creator, with placid face and jewelled cap. Vishnu, the presiding deity, is represented with a beautiful face, and with the sacred lotus flower in his hand. Siva, who fills up the other side of the tri-formed gods, holds a cobra serpent; he frowns, being the destroyer. From the chin to the crown of the head is six feet, the caps are three feet more. There are steps behind the bust where a Brahmin might have hidden for priestly imposition. The courts of death are at the right and left, as are also pilasters and figures fourteen feet high. There are various chambers and large colossal figures of divinities within the cave, which to me were interesting, being of a different style of sculpture from either the Egyptian or Chinese idols, and were once very beautiful, though they have been much defaced by the Portuguese in the early possession of the country. A few miles from town, on Malabar Point, is the place of pilgrimage for the Hindoos. It is a village with a community of some five hundred persons or more, subsisting upon charity. It is situated upon the side hill, inclosed by walls, and descending towards the ocean, with a water-tank, or large reservoir, some hundred feet long and square, and about twenty ghauts or stone platforms, to descend, and is surrounded with houses and temples. The front verandas are filled with bells of all sizes, and the idols of various deities. The half-naked priests, with painted faces and long hair and beards, were sitting in groups, quarrelling for the division of the spoils.

I had a good opportunity of seeing the mode of worship here, notwithstanding that the jealousy of the people allowed me to go no further than the threshold. One family came covered with jewelry, and had their own priest. Vessels filled with water were suspended over the stone of fertility, which constantly drips upon the flowers placed upon it; and the devotees touched each other’s hands, and went through various acts of devotion before the idols of the five different gods, while offerings were made.

LXX.

ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT, Nov. 24, 1851.

I have felt more like writing you since I left Bombay, where I confidently expected advices from friends, which I have been deprived of for some months; and having heard indirectly, without particulars, of the death of a beloved sister, I was anxious to arrive at this place, where I am put in possession of that which is so highly valued by the traveller--letters from home. From Bombay I embarked with the Achilles down the Indian Ocean to Aden, some one thousand six hundred and forty miles, situated near the entrance of the Straits of Babelmandel, and recognised in her an old acquaintance, having made a passage by her from Glasgow to Liverpool, some years since.

Aden is the coal depot of the Peninsular and Oriental Company’s line of steamers, and here we were obliged to wait during three days for the arrival of the steamer Erin, which replaced the Precursor, that had been caught in a violent hurricane and disabled, at the mouth of the river, below Calcutta. The Erin is the steamer that sunk the Pasha, by collision off the coast of Malabar, some time ago. I feel thankful in having escaped typhoons, hurricanes, and accidents, of which many have occurred while I have been in the East, and hope to be favored for the future in my peregrinations, until I once more return to my friends and native land. Aden is a strongly fortified place, called the “Gibraltar of the East.” It was constructed by the East India Company, in order to resist the encroachments of the Arabs, and is situated in a desert country, without a sign of vegetation, a portion of it being in an extinct volcano. It is one of the most disagreeable spots in the world for a long sojourn, with no attractions aside from the camp, and all necessaries come from abroad when the Arabs do not choose to supply them. The heat at times has been almost insupportable; the Red Sea is considered the Tophet of the East by travellers. Not unfrequently in summer, passengers become perfectly exhausted, and some sudden deaths occur. The shores in general are barren and arid, with high volcanic mountains at intervals, with exceptions, of course, as we sighted Mocha, which is forty miles above the entrance of the Straits, and is celebrated for its choice coffee. We passed the usual landing-place for Mahometans proceeding to Mecca. We had about forty passengers from Bombay, and northern India, mostly officers on leave, or retired pensioners; among the number were several ladies, and twelve children, going home to be educated, so we were not at a loss for juvenile music. We made the passage up the Red Sea in five days and a half, and found, as we advanced towards Suez, that the weather became cooler.

Mount Sinai and the localities designated as the spots where Moses and the Israelitish army crossed, were pointed out and commented upon. As we approached Suez the sea narrows, and a place some thirty miles below, where the water is thirty fathoms, or one hundred and eighty feet in depth, is said by the Arabs to be that where Moses crossed. It is twenty miles wide, and the rise and fall of tide is very small; so that the most sceptical must allow the crossing to be quite as miraculous as the sustaining of vast bodies of people in these arid plains and mountains for a long sojourn. The arrangements are now very perfect in crossing the isthmus, and it scarcely merits the name of desert in comparison with the fifteen days’ journey across the Arabian sands to Palestine, during my former travels in the East.

The Pasha deserves great credit for his transit accommodations. At Suez, a dirty village upon a sandy plain, is a large stone hotel, and in approaching the town a small steamer meets and conducts you to the wharf, where camels in large numbers are ready to convey luggage and cargo across to Cairo, a distance of eighty-five miles. They are started off, and passing us, we are sent in vans with two high wheels, and a double shaft for two horses or mules, with a pair of leaders. These vans contain six persons and their luggages, and are changed every five miles. There are four places for supplies on the desert, where most articles can be obtained desirable for comfort, including couches to repose upon during the halt. I found them so much improved since I was last in Egypt, that I was agreeably disappointed. The road is beaten by constant travel, except that there is heavy sand in some places. The greatest objections are the rays of the sun, and the fiery sand, which affect the eyes; but it is of short continuance, as we cross in sixteen hours. The supply of water, and, indeed, every trifling article, must be carried on the backs of camels. The transit across the isthmus and down the Nile from Grand Cairo to the canal at Atfeh to Alexandria, is in the Pasha’s name; and arrangements are being made for the construction of a railway between the first and last named cities.

At Grand Cairo I found that great changes had taken place since I last visited it, not only in the hotels, but in the general appearance of the city. The most beautiful edifice, or monument, is the new alabaster mosque, with its nobly gilded domes and interior decorations, its lofty minaret towering above the citadel, and inclosing a catafalque in one corner, with the remains of Mehemet Ali, who had massacred the Mamelukes at a spot hard by, one only escaping by a fearful leap, killing his horse under him. I once described to you my visit to, and reception by, this extraordinary man, whose remains I am now gazing upon, while a thousand reflections cross my mind. Turning my eyes from the spot, there stood in the distance the almost imperishable pyramids, and the Nile, flowing without change, bathing the land of Goshen as in days gone by. The bazaars were filled as usual with an immense multitude of men, veiled women, and children, and donkeys, and camels. The streets being very narrow, our carriage was preceded by a runner, cracking his heavy whip to clear the passages. I find small, but not uncomfortable steamers now coming from Cairo to Atfeh, the termination of the Mahmoud canal, making with the current some twelve miles per hour; also barges for passengers, towed by small steamers on the canal, with very fair living accommodations. Alexandria has become more like a European city; the suburbs near the banks of the canal are occupied with the residences of foreigners, and the vicinity of the Obelisk, or Cleopatra’s needle, and Pompey’s pillar, looks less deserted than formerly.

LXXI.

STEAMER SEVERN, ISLAND OF TENERIFFE, Dec. 22, 1851.

From Alexandria, Egypt, I embarked on board of the steamer for Malta, with the privilege of continuing to Gibraltar or Lisbon, to await the arrival of the steamer from England, on her way to South America. The weather was heavy and boisterous for the first two days, which caused some delay, and required four and a half days to make the passage of eight hundred miles to Malta.

Our leisure time was passed in rowing about the harbor, viewing the English fleet; and I amused myself in the Lazaretto in visiting my old quarters where I was confined in quarantine twenty-one days, coming from Egypt during the prevalence of the plague. The fortifications are very strong, and the island is an agreeable place for sojourn in the winter; the rides to the bay where St. Paul was shipwrecked and landed, and where a chapel is erected on the spot; the so called Grotto of Calypso; the Church of the Knights of St. John; the ancient catacombs; and the general drives and views, make it well worth tarrying at; but having been all over the ground, there was no incentive to remain, so we proceeded to Gibraltar, one thousand miles further, with beautifully fine weather, coasting along the bay of Tunis, with Sicily and Algiers in view, and then branched off to the opposite coast of Spain, passing close to the bay of Malaga, with white-capped mountains in the distance, and the famous quicksilver mines of Adva at their base, until we approached the frowning rock of Gibraltar.

Those of our passengers who had never passed along the Mediterranean, enjoyed all the sights and various changing views; I, however, could not feel the same interest, except in the way of reminiscences of past scenes. Gibraltar, as you are aware, is considered invulnerable; its strength surpasses any fortification in the world, and as long as Great Britain retains her present ascendency, it would be useless to attempt its capture, as starvation of the garrison would be the only successful artifice. We were informed here that the French had just bombarded Tangier, on the opposite coast of Morocco, and knocked down the town about the ears of the Moors. On the opposite side of the straits is Ceuta, a strongly garrisoned fortress belonging to the Spaniards; the straits here are seventy-two miles wide. The current was setting into them at the rate of two miles per hour, and always running in the same direction. The nearest point to the African coast is St. Cruzes, towards Tarifa Light, on the European side; it is seven miles wide.

Gibraltar is considerably improved, many new buildings having been erected, but its contraband trade with the south of Spain is now much reduced, and the people complain of hard times. Trafalgar Bay, famous for the victory and death of Lord Nelson, lies only a short distance north. I don’t recollect, while travelling in the beautiful country of Malaga, Grenada, Seville, and Cadiz, to have said anything of Portugal, to which my travels were also extended, at that time, but at the risk of repetition I must remark that Lisbon is prettily situated on the Douro, about twelve miles from its mouth, and were it not for the dark aspect of the city, the effect of climate upon the sandstone, it would show to great advantage, situated as it is upon an undulating surface, with portions of its pinnacles looking like a tower of stairs. It is much cleaner than formerly, filthy streets then being its chief characteristic. The trade of Portugal has declined, and the government and people have become more and more impoverished. They have had no rain since last May, and the country is suffering. Processions were being held from the churches to invoke the Virgin for refreshing and copious supplies of the vivifying element. One of the most extraordinary mosaic pictures of large size is the Annunciation of the angel to the Virgin Mary; it is here in one of the churches, and is said to have cost a million of dollars. The stone aqueduct which rests upon several ties of arches, and supplies the city with water, is considered a stupendous work; it is much shattered by a former earthquake. The promenades and gardens are tolerable, as are also the quays and public squares, but the port seems deserted by merchant vessels. A part of the English fleet lay in the river, and among the number was one which, although small in comparison with the other craft, had given evidence of her sailing qualities to the world, and all eyes were directed to her. It was the little, low, raking-masted yacht, America.

I found myself once again on board the ship Severn, having made a passage with her in the West Indies, under the same commander, three years since. We had a mixed company of passengers, consisting of duchesses, countesses, not forgetting Lady Wortley, who visited the United States some time since, military and civil officers, South American Spaniards, Portuguese Brazilians, Frenchmen, Germans, and English, some twenty of whom we left at Madeira for the benefit of their health; the rest will continue to Teneriffe, Cape de Verde, Pernambuco, Bahia, Rio Janeiro, &c., where we land and take supplies of coal. The rigid formality of strict English society is confounded with the life and liberty of the different races thrown together, and five languages are continually heard at table.

Madeira is a pretty and picturesque island. Its vineyards, which are its only resource, have acquired for it a lasting name; its climate is renowned, and is much resorted to, particularly by English invalids, the number of whom amounts ordinarily to about three hundred, who are a source of great profit to the poor people, subjected to Portuguese rule. The harbor of Funchal is an open roadstead, and as there was a heavy rolling sea the night before our arrival, the landing was bad, especially for ladies, but once ashore, horses and palanquins were at command. The latter are so unlike the conveyances that bear the same name in the East Indies, that I must describe them. They are in the form of colossal shoes with the front part cut or pared down one-half, the heel being a support for the back, as you sit upon cushions with head erect; they are supported by rods attached to the pole, each end of which rests on the shoulders of a man, and in that way you are carried up and down hill, having a sort of top to protect you from the sun’s rays.

Madeira lies two days south from Lisbon, and Teneriffe one day and a half from Madeira. There are nine islands in the group; the people are generally poor. The chief town is Santa Cruz; it is pretty well built, and streets are clean; wine is its chief means of support. There are some fine views all through the islands; the peak of Teneriffe is the most remarkable, towering some twelve thousand feet high, and covered with snow.

1852.

LXXII.

BAHIA, BRAZIL, Jan. 2, 1852.

From the island of Teneriffe, on the opposite side of the Atlantic, we proceeded south to the Cape Verde islands, and stopped one day to receive coal at St. Vincent, but had difficulty in getting a supply, as fever and starvation had destroyed one hundred and fifty out of the small population of six hundred, and laborers were procured from the island of St. Antonio, and fed and kept by the English consul, who is the agent of the Cape of Good Hope Steam Company. Several coal-vessels were waiting impatiently to be discharged. A small American whaler had lost her mate, and five of her crew, and the captain was not expected to survive. We were besieged for medicines, which we gave as liberally as we could, and also landed the contributions of flour, corn, &c., from Madeira. Our passengers were much alarmed, particularly the Brazilians, who imagined that they inhaled the pestilence with every breath, and brought forth large supplies of cologne and volatile salts. The purser, doctor, and myself were the only persons who landed, and we found the people dying from sheer exhaustion; many would not take the medicines which we offered them. Such squalid wretchedness I hope never to witness again. We had constant trade-winds from the N.E. for some days, with warm, delightful weather, and when we crossed the line, the sailors, not having forgotten the former visits of Neptune, amused themselves and the passengers, by dressing in couples, one on all fours under a sack, imitating a donkey, with long ears and false tail, mounted by a third, and beaten with sticks by the whole cavalcade.

The following day these jolly fellows listened with attention to the prayers and services of the Church of England, which were read by the officers. The first land we sighted towards the American coast, was the island of Fernando Norona, some three degrees south of the mouth of the river Amazon; we ran close under the rocky shore. It is used by the Brazilians for transportation of prisoners, and rarely visited. Whaling vessels sometimes touch, and for supplies of cattle and vegetables. The scenery of the island appeared enchanting. We arrived at Pernambuco, Lat. 8° south, sixteen hundred miles from Cape Verde, in advance of the usual time, which gave us a good opportunity of seeing the city, and riding several miles in the country. The view from the steamer, the natural reef of coral rocks, fifteen miles in length, forming the harbor; the town of Olinda on the hill to the north, with its white houses amid groves of green cocoa-nut trees, strike the beholder as exceedingly beautiful, and I found the town more cleanly than I expected, as the Brazilians, like their predecessors, the Portuguese, are renowned for filth. The city is prettily situated on three islands connected by bridges; it has some nine thousand population, one-third whites and two-thirds slaves; the buildings are high and well-constructed, but the interiors are poorly furnished; the narrow streets are offensive, but those of tolerable width are in better order. We found immense numbers of mules and horses, which come long distances from the interior, laden with cotton and sugar. The foreign population is small, some five hundred in all, French, English, and Germans; the latter predominate in the Brazils, as several colonies of them have been formed under the auspices of government. Of Americans there are only eight or ten; their numbers are usually small, but they are to be found at all commercial points of importance, and to them we are indebted for the great luxury of ice, which the people here had been deprived of for a long time; we could also obtain supplies of fruit.

We have some disaffection on board among passengers of different races and tastes, as to the supplies, and a committee was formed to wait upon the commander, who is a worthy and excellent person. But the system of the West India and South American Steam Co. which allows the captain equal to one dollar and eighty-seven and a half cents per day per head, wines, sodas, and other refreshments being ticketed, and settled for weekly, is found obnoxious by many passengers, who pay monopoly fares, and is entirely different from the liberality displayed by the Peninsula and Oriental Company, who, notwithstanding the mail contract and monopoly systems, are much more liberal in their provisions and accommodations. But with the increase of American steamers, their influence will be felt, not only in this respect, but more particularly in point of speed. The English mail contract throughout the East exacts only eight knots running time, and the West India and South America nine knots per hour, which is slow work for one accustomed to American steamers. Necessity is driving the English to a higher rate of speed, and the company is now constructing new and faster boats to run to Chagres, in order to prevent the tide of travel from setting to New York. We found two American whalers in quarantine at Pernambuco, which had touched at St. Vincent, and had some fever on board; we had obtained a clean bill of health, and having no sickness, we were permitted to pass. It was a great relief to get a drive of six miles, in the country where nature appears so beautiful even during the heat of this, their summer, with the thermometer at eighty-five, passing through groves of cocoas, palms, breadfruits, tamarinds, oranges, and other tropical trees, with melons and other fruits to satisfy thirst. We first learned here that war had been actually declared between Brazil and Buenos Ayres, and that the government had granted a loan and part of the fleet to blockade the port of the latter, while the Banda Oriental attack with the land forces. The son of Gen. Manzilla, and nephew of Rosas, the Dictator of the Argentine republic, is a fellow passenger; he promised to accompany me in the interior of Buenos Ayres, but the shock is rather astounding, and we can only learn the facts at Rio Janeiro.

The entrance to Bahia, or Bay of All Saints, is really beautiful; it lies four hundred miles south of Pernambuco, and the entrance is seven miles broad; its fine harbor is protected from all winds, and the rich country about it receives the waters of several small rivers. Americus Vespucius discovered it in 1503, under the patronage of the King of Portugal, and his carrying home a species of dye-wood, which, when cut, resembled coals of fire, gave Brazil its name, from Brazas, or coals. Bahia owes its foundation to the fact of the captain of a shipwrecked vessel in 1510 having his life spared by the Indians, after most of the crew were killed. The town is divided into two parts, the Praya, or Citada Baxa, under the hill, and Citada Alta, above, which appears quite antique. The descent is difficult, but by well paved roads and cadeiras or ornamented chairs supported by two negroes, which are in general use, it is quite practicable. The streets are clean, as Yellow Jack has improved the habits of the filthy Portuguese. New Year’s day is kept here as holiday, and our passengers enjoyed themselves in visiting the public gardens and riding about the suburbs, while a party of sixteen dined together at the hotel on the summit of the hill, with a fine view of this magnificent bay, which in some respects recalls the harbor and site of Naples in miniature. The hedges are of lime trees; grapes are in season, bananas and melons abound; the seedless orange here is superior to that of any other part of the world. The public garden is situated on the boldest and most commanding height of the old town, one side looking upon the ocean, and the other upon the bay, with iron railings to prevent falling down the precipice.

The large Jaca tree which furnishes fruit larger than the cocoa, and affords fine shade, is found here. Formerly the privilege of the whale fishery was sold for a considerable sum, but at present it is reduced. The island of Itaporica, in the bay, has some oil establishments, and whales are occasionally killed; the flesh is much admired by the negroes, and is found in the market for sale. There are extensive plantations in the country, with two or three hundred slaves, and large quantities of sugar, cotton, and tobacco are produced. It is the Havana of Brazil for the manufacture of cigars. Large quantities of American flour are imported, but the food of the common people is farina made from the root of the mandioca. There is a fine race of negroes here, and they appear better dressed than I had expected to find them; but from what I can learn, their condition will not compare favorably with the negroes of our Southern States, whose enhanced value in the absence of the slave-trade induces kind treatment aside from motives of humanity.

LXXIII.

RIO JANEIRO, BRAZIL, Jan. 13, 1852.

From Bahia, I came down by steamer, a distance of seven hundred and twenty miles, under the most favorable circumstances, in three days, making the moderate average of ten miles per hour. The entrance or mouth of the harbor lies between two small islands, and is one mile wide and skirted on each side by immense masses of solid rock, six hundred feet high, if not higher; the hills are steep and fortified. The view of this splendid harbor is majestically grand, increasing in size to eight or ten miles, and in this gulf are many small islands distributed about and occupied by small villages: the sheet of water is fringed with green verdure, bright villas, and immense high craggy peaks of mountains, forming one of the most beautiful pictures. The city lies low in a valley, and appears from an elevated spot of a semicircular form; the streets run at right angles, with public squares without trees, but as the Brazilians and Portuguese idolize filth, don’t expect much in the way of cleanliness. The hotels are vile for a city of three hundred thousand people, even if one-half are negroes; in this warm climate, with the thermometer in the month of January at 92°, you can well imagine the annoyance from vermin in badly conducted dens. I was obliged to fight a bloody battle the first night with the bugs, who disputed possession, and the following morning I abandoned my quarters for better ones. There is a considerable French population here, and one street is supplied with every variety of Parisian fancy goods, so much so that one for the moment would almost imagine himself in Paris; but he would soon be undeceived on demanding prices, and finding them double or treble what they are in France, the Brazilian duties being from eighty to one hundred per cent. on many articles, which offers a premium for smuggling. It is said the customs are here ten million dollars, but the Emperor receives four hundred thousand per annum, and has now a war on hand with Buenos Ayres, and a force of from thirty to forty thousand men to be kept up. As some one must pay for this, it falls upon the consumers, and for the benefit of those who expect to reside here, I will state that the expenses and luxuries of life, inclusive of carriage hire, exceed those of Calcutta or London. The country is rich and fertile; sugar, coffee, and hides enter largely in the exports. Our people know how to appreciate Rio coffee, particularly along the valley of the Mississippi, and we have become for our population the largest consumers of coffee in the world.

I have escaped the odoriferous smells of the narrow streets and the heat of the city for a few days, in visiting the new city and private summer residence of the Emperor Pedro II. called after him, Pedropolis, where he has founded a colony of Germans, in the valley of the mountains, two thousand four hundred feet above the level of the sea and about twenty-seven miles from Rio, and where the temperature of the air is from 68° to 70° Fahrenheit, while in the city the thermometer ranges from 85° to 92°. We proceeded by a small steamer across the bay, winding among many little islands in a second bay, and thence up a small meandering river to the landing-place, where we took land-carriage to the base of the mountains, where our vehicle containing four persons was drawn by four mules, over a zigzag, well constructed road, with parapet walls and stone arches for the mountain torrents, built by government at heavy cost; the entire distance was accomplished in seven hours. The panorama of the bay and city in the distance from the crowning point is superb. There were some fourteen hundred families of Germans composing this colony, and they have employment upon the roads, in the erection of houses, and improvement of the town, which is well laid out, with streams of pure water passing through it. Many fine mansions have been erected by city gentlemen; the Emperor is building a palace of solid construction, which has already occupied four years, and cost two hundred thousand dollars, and will require two years more to complete it, as the work progresses slowly, and is a fat job for the builders. Many of the Germans have sold out their grants of town lots, and bought lands in the neighborhood, which they are cultivating, and I could almost imagine myself in parts of Switzerland, for the style of the dwellings, and the costume and figure of the German peasants carried me back to Faderland. As long as the Emperor spends money freely, all will work well, but if his patronage is withdrawn the place will decline, it being too expensive for the masses and too difficult of access.

I saw here a group of German girls in Bloomer costume, with a part of the palace band, who were playing from house to house. I met with an American on his way to the diamond mines, some five hundred miles in the interior--a persevering pioneer from old Kentucky, who had not been home in twenty-four years. He had married a Portuguese who had died, and he had his family with him, who had been educated in England, his second wife being an English lady. He had some two hundred hands engaged in his business--a profitable one, as Brazil exports some four million dollars’ worth of diamonds annually. Droves of mules were constantly passing to the different mines of gold, diamonds, and other precious stones in the interior. I was shown some handsome specimens said to be worth two thousand dollars per ounce in the rough. The Emperor and Empress are seen almost daily in their promenades about the suburbs or through the town, with a small escort, and sometimes quite alone; the people speak well of their kindness and liberality. The Emperor is only twenty-four years of age, and his consort, the sister of the King of Naples, is his senior by three years, and not at all remarkable for beauty. I saw them at the opera last evening, in full costume; they appeared to advantage, it being the close of a gala day, the Emperor having received at his palace all military officers of distinction. He was clad in full military dress; he is of good stature, with a well developed figure, a face of the Austrian or Russian type.

The frigate Congress is now in port, proceeding to Monte Video, and our Minister, Mr. Schenck, whose health is somewhat feeble, accompanies her. If the city of Rio Janeiro is remarkable for its filth, and the depravity and immorality of its inhabitants, it can boast of the beauty of its suburbs, which extend for many miles. La Gloria and Botafogo, and other villages situated upon the little indentations and bays, are very pretty, and nature is very prolific in her supply of fruits and flowers. One of the most beautiful drives is to the botanical garden, some six miles from town, the road winding along the beautiful bays, the shores lined with the villas of foreigners and wealthy residents, and the gardens filled with a great variety of fruit trees and flowers peculiar to the climate. I found in the botanical garden avenues of stately palms, not unlike the cafetals in the island of Cuba; a bamboo labyrinth, and an acre or more of the tea plant, as a reminiscence of China; a grove of cinnamon trees of large size, equal to those of the island of Ceylon; and in fact, all the productions of the tropics except the cocoa-nut, which I have lost sight of since leaving Bahia. The city is supplied with water from the mountains by aqueduct, and some three hundred tanks have lately been placed at the corners of the streets; but I drink river water of an underground culvert in the city. The offal is carried in vessels upon the heads of the negroes at night, and thrown upon the beach and in the harbor.

It is only surprising that the yellow fever does not always exist here; it is a blessing instead of a curse, if it only improves the cleanliness of the people. The currency of the country is government paper, from one milreis upwards. Of gold there is considerable, of the value of twelve dollars each piece; there is no small silver, but the quantity of copper in circulation is enormous. It is not as bad as in China, where twelve hundred small coins go to the dollar; but here, if a milreis, valued at sixty cents, is exchanged, you obtain a thousand reis; the smallest coin is valued at ten reis, making it necessary to ballast equally well your pockets; but fortunately, however, ferry boat and omnibus tickets go well, and remind one of our own shin-plaster days.

LXXIV.

MONTE VIDEO, Jan. 20, 1852.

The continuation of the South American line of steamers is maintained by the Prince, of only four hundred tons burden, which takes the mails and passengers from Rio Janeiro to this place and Buenos Ayres, one hundred and twenty miles further up the river. It is always agreeable to meet with old acquaintances, and in this instance I was surprised to find that our captain had formerly been in command of a mail packet from St. Thomas to La Guayra, which had carried me down to Venezuela. Our passage, of something more than one thousand miles, was made in a little over four days.

Monte Video lies at the north of the Rio de la Plata, one of the largest rivers in South America after the Amazon; it was discovered in 1515 by Juan Diaz de Soles, who proceeded as far as 34° 23´ south latitude, but was killed, as were also his crew of four men. A few years later Sebastian Cabot, who went to discover the Straits of Magellan, and penetrated as high as the conflux of the Parana and Paraguay, some two hundred leagues, had a fight with the Indians, and succeeded in taking their treasures of silver from Peru; and supposing the supply inexhaustible gave the stream the name which it now bears, Silver River. It is over a hundred and fifty miles wide at the mouth, but at Buenos Ayres it is reduced to forty. The influence of this formidable river is seen by the water being colored more than four hundred miles at sea. The position of this port is desirable on account of its ready access and geographical position; it has a temperate climate, and moderately dry winds from the land to counteract the humidity of the sea air. It once had a population of seventy thousand, which has been reduced to twenty-five thousand by a nine years’ siege, which was successfully resisted with the aid of the French, who have paid for some years annually forty thousand dollars per month to sustain the place against the besieging army of Oribe, at the head of the Buenos Ayrean forces of the Dictator Rosas. I found that the town had suffered severely, particularly in the deserted houses and crumbling walls; the pavements of the streets are badly broken up, and everything had the appearance of desolation; but the siege being raised last October, much life and activity have since been displayed in repairs, and the blockade has been removed from vessels proceeding to Buenos Ayres.

Oribe, the tool of Rosas, has now retired to his quinta, or farm-house, and is said to be poor. His army was headed by General Urquizas, in connexion with the allied forces of Brazil, and those of the provinces of Entre Rios and Uruguay, and they are now proceeding to “beard the lion in his den,” having crossed the river Parana, on their way to Buenos Ayres by land, while the Brazilian fleet are occupying the river. The French have eleven vessels of war now in port, and in the town are quartered fifteen hundred troops, reminding one of a garrisoned town in France. Brazil has now taken upon herself the charges of the war, and relieved the French; she has a large number of German troops employed, and the Monte Videans feel sanguine that with an army of thirty thousand men on a good war footing, they will be able to overcome any force that the tyrant Rosas can produce, although his infantry and cavalry are estimated at from twenty-five to forty thousand, by far the greatest force ever brought together in South America.

The houses here have mostly azoteas, or flat roofs, which afford a fine promenade for the ladies, who have the advantage of seeing all that passes over the parapet. Notwithstanding they have suffered so severely, and have made such sacrifices, many families having been beggared, they support an opera which is well attended, and the fair sex looks as graceful and charming as in most Spanish towns.

I am now proceeding to Buenos Ayres, where I will finish this epistle.

LXXV

BUENOS AYRES, Feb. 1, 1852.

My first impressions on approaching this city were highly favorable, the line of shore appearing fresh and verdant in comparison with Monte Video after its long and devastating siege. The city, built upon the banks of the river, some thirty feet high, with its forts, and public and private buildings and temples, as seen in approaching from the outer roadstead, looked quite imposing. The outer anchorage is five or six miles from the shore, and only vessels of a light draught of water can get to the inner anchorage, half a mile from town, where small boats carry you towards the shore, and you take large carts, drawn by a pair of mules, nearly up to their backs in water, from the many obstructions in the river. At the landing the son of General Mansilla and myself were met by the captain of the post and several other officers, dressed in the Rosas, or sanguinary costume, which every native is obliged to wear, viz. a red vest, a ribbon of the same color around the hat, and one at the button-hole, with the inscription, “Viva la Confederacion! Mueren los salvages unitarios!” (Long life to the Confederacion! Death to the savage Unitarians.) The offices of the Government, I noticed, were painted red, and everything indicated that I was in the country of a despot. The misnamed republic of Buenos Ayres extends along the Atlantic from the Rio Negro south to the Rio de la Plata, along the shores of its estuary to the southern bank of Parana, near to Santa Fè. Its soil is fertile, and affords the finest of pasturage for cattle. Millions of horned cattle and horses run upon the pampas, or plains, and its exports in hides, horns, jerked beef, and tallow, are immense. Its climate is most agreeable; we are now in midsummer, and the thermometer seldom goes higher than 85°; every variety of fruit found in warmer latitudes may be produced here; but the energies of the people are blunted from the excessive abuses of the tyrant Rosas, who has been for twenty years the governor, so styled, but really the modern Nero of the world. I had heard of his many acts of atrocity while at Montevideo and Rio, but was unprepared to believe the thousand charges alleged against him, until I learned from those who had passed through the reign of terror, and who are protected by their consuls, whereby they can express their minds, although not loudly, that half the wholesale butcheries which have occurred here for opinion’s sake, cannot be portrayed. I came here with the intention of crossing over the pampas and the Cordillera mountains to the west coast at Valparaiso, which is about twenty days’ travel on horseback; but I find that I cannot proceed ten leagues from the city without the strongest probability of being assassinated by stragglers or deserters from both camps; so I shall have to abandon my intention, and proceed to Rio Janeiro, retracing my steps twelve hundred miles in order to procure passage by a British steamer going through the Straits of Magellan to take her position on the west coast line from Chili to Panama. The most intense excitement prevails in the city. Levies are made of all the native forces, from boys of ten years of age up to old men of eighty, who are called out daily at three p.m. by bands of music for the purpose of drilling until sunset; all places of business are closed, and the poor people, who have no means of support, must work at night to keep from starving. Husbands and brothers are dragged off to the army, often leaving their families entirely destitute.

The residence of the dictator, called Palermos, a beautiful drive about three miles from town, where millions of dollars have been spent in reclaiming a marshy country near the river bank, is intersected by canals and lined with avenues of willows which grow in great profusion and afford a fine shade, as do also oranges and other fruit trees. The drives through the country are beautiful, and the whole arrangement is of a princely character. The review of the troops, whose barracks are within the inclosures, was an interesting spectacle; they were dressed in red cloth-caps, with coats of the same color; gaucho pantaloons of white, with heavy fringe at bottom, and as a finale the whole regiment, say three thousand strong, responded to the cry of “Viva la confederacion!” “Death to the fool and traitor Urquizas!” “Death to the savage Unitarians!” All of which I listened to with horror and disgust, and thought, “It will not be long before your tunes are changed,” and I have just had the satisfaction of seeing them flying to the city for safety, as an engagement has taken place several leagues from the city, in which two thousand of Urquizas’ cavalry put to flight some thousands of their opponents, who made good their escape as fast as their horses would carry them, throwing away all their accoutrements of war, even to their blankets.

It is an exciting time, and the issue will soon be known. Rosas is leaving the country. To prevent the approach of the enemy, all the supplies of hay and provender are embargoed for the use of the troops, and prices have been advanced from two to three hundred per cent. The currency of the country is all paper, and the dictator has supreme control of the bank of issue. Ounces of gold command three hundred and five dollars of paper. He has gone to the camp, as he must make a stand at the head of his army to encourage his people, who secretly wish his reign of tyranny over; his daughter, Manuelita, whose political character is quite established, has left Palermos. It is surprising that the combined nations of the earth should have so long sustained such an infamous government, but the facts are that the world has not been enlightened on the subject; foreigners have been protected by the policy of this chief, and the wily arts of the second in command, his talented daughter, who has many good traits of character, have inveigled Chargés and Consuls, who have received such high favor at court, that they have been infatuated and blinded to the monstrosities of the father, while the governments that they have represented have remained in ignorance of the true state of things. Our former Minister, Mr. H----, on his departure, wrote one of the most fulsome and disgusting of letters, very flattering to the vanity of these persons; but our present Minister conducts himself as an American should, with proper sentiments for suffering humanity. The government is seizing private horses for the use of the army; the crisis is approaching, and in a few days we shall know the result.

LXXVI.

STEAMER PRINCE, OFF MONTEVIDEO, Feb. 5, 1852.

My last was written the day before the final blow was struck by Gen. Urquizas, at the head of his forces, upon the camp at Santos Lugares. The battle commenced at six in the morning and terminated at ten; the first shock was received by the cavalry of Rosas, who were put to flight and completely routed. At twelve o’clock the lancers had fled around in the city, announcing that all the cavalry had been destroyed, and it is supposed that four thousand infantry and horsemen have been slain or wounded. The ministers and consuls of the different nations, as well as the commodores and captains of the vessels of war, English, Spanish, Swedish, Sardinian, and American, conferred together and resolved to bring their marines ashore to protect the lives and property of their countrymen, and applied to Gen. Mansilla, he being in command of the city, who replied that at six P.M. he would give an answer, but within half-an-hour he sent word by an officer that they could land and take such measures as they wished, at the same time requesting the assistance of a deputation of ministers to carry a flag of truce, and sue for terms, and cessation of hostilities. The city was filled with troops, and the greatest possible excitement and confusion reigned; but the policy of Urquizas is pacific, and we may now hope that all will be harmonious soon.

The steamer Locust has just come down and informs us that Rosas and his daughter escaped under cover of night in a small row-boat disguised as sailors, and bare-footed, their shoes having been drawn off by the mud. They were passed by the Locust on board the British steamer Certain, and it is supposed that he will go to England, where it is said he has large investments in the funds. This news of the downfall of the tyrant is received with great demonstrations of joy in Montevideo, and succeeded by the merry peals of all the church bells, and an illumination. Mr. Schenck, our minister from Rio, is with us on his return, having gone down with the frigate Congress, Commodore McKeever, whom we left at Buenos Ayres.

I could have wished to have remained a few days longer to know the final result of the affair, but as there is only a monthly steamer of the mail line, I must avail myself of this occasion, to be able to meet an anticipated opportunity by steamer to Valparaiso. While at Buenos Ayres I visited the Salideros, which is one of the most remarkable sights. It is well known that the slaughter of cattle is unprecedented here, and the execution is remarkable; some of these establishments dispose of from five hundred to eight hundred per day. They are driven in from the estancias in herds, in inclosures made of sharpened stakes placed upright, and sufficiently high to prevent escape; this inclosure is gradually contracted and separated by means of hoisting gates, until the animals are closed compactly near the slaughtering sheds, where they are lashed by the horns and drawn to a ring in a cross piece of timber, over a truck cart upon a railway, where they are quickly despatched by a single blow of the knife in the neck, back of the horns; they are drawn up by horse power acting over pulleys; fifteen in eleven minutes were disposed of in my presence. The hides are removed, and dried or salted for exportation; the meat is jerked or cut in slices for drying, and sent to the West Indies; the horn is peeled, and the pithy particles within are used for making fences or bridging places or roads; the offal is put in immense reservoirs, containing two hundred barrels each, of which I counted ten in the establishment. Large pipes from an immense boiler convey the steam into these repositories, and the tallow runs out of tubes at the bottom like molten lead, and is put up in tierces while in a liquid state for shipping. The refuse of the vats is used for making steam, and in fact every particle of the animal is consumed, except the blood; the ashes from the bones answer the purpose of guano, and are contracted for in quantities. In consequence of the war and the uncertain tenure of this kind of property, which is liable to be taken by the army, cattle have been sold at two dollars each, our currency. It is a horrible and disgusting sight, but it forms the chief branch of commerce of this country. We will now carry the war news to Rio, which will be gratifying and relieve the treasury.

LXXVII.

STEAMSHIP WINFIELD SCOTT, PACIFIC COAST, March 17, 1852.

When I last wrote you I think I was returning from Monte Video to Rio Janeiro, to obtain a passage in a new steamer which was expected out from England, designing to continue my voyage through the Straits of Magellan, and up to Chili, but I found myself disappointed. Soon after this, the arrival of the noble ship from which I now write gave me an excellent opportunity to do so, being well commanded, and having accommodations for six hundred California passengers, while we are but two in number. The detention at Rio, on my second visit, gave me the advantages, or rather the annoyances, of the Carnival season, as it is there conducted. For three days from twelve at noon until night, it was unsafe to appear in the streets, where you ran the risk of being drenched with water, the contents of colored wax balls of the appearance of lemons, thrown by ladies, gentlemen, and children; in fact, all classes entered into the sport, from the doors and balconies across the streets. The Carnival commenced on Sunday, Washington’s birthday, and for three days business was mostly suspended. I had taken a social and quiet dinner in the suburbs with our minister, under the protection of a large and magnificent star-spangled banner, recently received, and floating in remembrance of the Father of his Country, to whom we are so much indebted for gifts possessed by no other people. In returning my vehicle had to run the gauntlet amid the showers of lemon balls. Theatres were crowded with masquerades, which I did not attend; having looked in upon them, however, the evening previous, which was the commencement, I found thousands of spectators occupying the boxes, and a multitude dancing with a violence that I had scarcely ever seen in cold latitudes. Prior to the Carnival they had an annual ball for charitable purposes, to which I was invited. It was given in an immense building in the centre of a long inclosure called the Garden of Paradise, but it appeared to me more like a Purgatory. Several thousand persons were present, to whom every variety of iced refreshments were offered; the extreme heat of the saloon, which was nearly one hundred degrees, and the ridiculous costume of the gentlemen (black coats and pants) oppressed me so much that I was induced to leave at an early hour. The ladies wore more dresses of rose and pink than of white, which appeared to add to the heat, and were sparkling with diamonds more attractive than their persons, but less diversified in complexion, the Portuguese race not being remarkable for beauty, while the color here is much mixed.

Our ship, which is about twelve hundred tons burden, took in eight hundred tons of coal and put to sea, and at the expiration of four days and a half we found ourselves at the mouth of the Rio de la Plata, with muddy water and no soundings, two hundred miles from shore, which shows the force of this river. We saw nothing of interest along the coast, except immense flocks of aquatic birds, opposite the Guano Islands. At the termination of nine days and a half we were in Lat. 52° south, at the entrance of the Straits, Cape Virgin at the north, and forty miles wide. The cold having increased gradually, we had made accession of clothing, and put up a stove two days before. Our steamer hove to off the cape, and we entered by daylight, with a cold, strong head-wind; the banks were from one hundred and sixty to two hundred and fifty feet in height; large numbers of walruses or sea-cows basked in the sun, and many birds of large size flew foolishly in and through the rigging. Guanacoes and ostriches are seen on the Patagonia shores, and the country appears dreary and barren.

I became interested as the scenery improved in grandeur and majesty, and occupied a place in the pilot-house, being well muffled up in overcoat and cloak; still it was cold and cheerless, and I could not avoid reflecting upon the inconveniences of a shipwreck. The first narrows dividing the Patagonian coast from Terra del Fuego are about nine miles long, and one mile and a half wide, with strong tide ripples, and we can see distinctly the two shores; the water is of a greenish river color, but quite salt. The Indians, of whom some few are seen, trade for beads, petty trinkets, liquor, ammunition and lead, of which they make balls, and with which, attached to the ends of cords, they entangle the legs of the ostriches. In the afternoon of the day we entered we had passed the second narrows, with Elizabeth Island in view, in an open bay, when we espied the first small sail, and supposed it to be some man of war’s boat, cruizing with the French flag, bearing down for us. We were heading off and should have passed her, had we not accidentally observed the tri-colored flag half-mast, when we altered our course and came up. We discovered a French lieutenant clapping his hands with joy, and crying out in his native tongue, “We are shipwrecked!” When shall I forget the scene of excitement and ecstasy manifested by himself and his six men composing the crew, as well as ourselves, on learning their condition, and being the means of saving them? His launch was twenty-one feet in length, and six feet wide, with mainsail and jib; it contained his supplies of red wine, salt-beef, and biscuit, but was leaky, and kept two men bailing; they could not have lived twenty-four hours longer. The facts are these: The French brig of war, Entreprenant, coming from the Pacific on her way to the Falkland islands, had entered a false bay, of which there are many, and the constant westerly winds resisted every effort of her crew of one hundred and thirty-five men to get her out; they were surrounded by mountains of snow and ice, without any chance of escape. At the expiration of eleven days, the launch started in pursuit of relief to Port Famine, a penal settlement, and the only habitable neighborhood along the straits. On arriving there they found that the convicts had risen and massacred the governor and other officers, and escaped, after hanging and burning the captain and owner of an English brig and an American three-masted schooner, taking possession of the vessels and all the treasure obtainable. The only recourse for the launch was to continue with the wind towards the Atlantic, when fortunately we met and saved them from a frightful death. The lieutenant explained to me the position of his ship, which I interpreted to our commander, who readily consented to go in pursuit of her. The next day we discovered a sail, and heard the discharge of guns, and found it to be the brig of war, which had just emerged from the bay, after an imprisonment of eighteen days. A perfect calm had enabled them, a desperate effort of their oarsmen, to tow her eight miles out into the strait, when the commander, Count Pouget, espied us, and expressed his obligations, sending a letter to the French Commodore at Valparaiso, requesting me to call upon him personally with the Captain, and to receive his thanks. The two ships parted amid the general rejoicing of all parties.

We had a cold but beautiful sail through scenery of the most majestic and romantic character, mountains rising from two thousand five hundred to three thousand feet in height, with jagged forms and snow-clad, with the gilding of the sun’s rays upon them.

There are various kinds of scenery as you pass west. Sometimes the peaks resemble those about Rio, high and conical; I almost imagined myself among the ice-mountains of Switzerland, and then again, in the scanty undergrowth of some localities, in Norway. With the strong westerly winds in some parts, the stunted trees rise from the sheltered side of rocks to a level with the summit, and seem as if cut and trimmed off at the top, and all the branches extend towards the east. The mountains rise in succession, retreating as you approach the ocean, the influence of the salt-air melting the snow and bringing down avalanches, while those in the rear are constantly white, and those on the margin are of grey granite in layers. On the shores of South Desolation we descried the smoke and fire of the Fuegean Indians, who came off in bark canoes, making signals with seal skins; the men, women, and children, notwithstanding the severe atmosphere about us, were nearly in a state of nature. The distance through the straits from Cape Virgin to Cape Pillar is two hundred and seventy miles, the most southern point being Cape Froward, in Latitude fifty-four south; our distance from Rio Janeiro to Valparaiso will be three thousand and six hundred miles, and the views through the passage are certainly among the most rough, wild, desolate, and exciting in the world. When the California trade first opened, many small vessels passed through, but now the clippers have replaced them, and a sail is rarely seen.

We had fine weather until we approached the Pacific entrance at Cape Pillar, which is a singular rock or column, five hundred feet high, when a heavy gale of wind, with a strong current from the west, set in, bringing in tremendous seas, which nothing but the immense power of steam could resist; the smallest accident in the machinery must have dashed the vessel on the rocks. The qualities of the ship have now been fully tried, and nobly has she conducted herself for three boisterous days, with but slight damage to the wood-work about the guards. She rode the billows handsomely, through a perfect white sea of foam, and rarely have I seen or enjoyed more grand and majestic waves. During the squalls we had some magnificent rainbows, which appeared to approach the ship in circular form, like colossal wheels, until almost within grasp. We also saw large numbers of albatross, with wings measuring from eight to ten feet from tip to tip, and with two joints, which gives them the most graceful motion as they skim over the waves.

My travelling companion from the Bay State is making his first voyage, and has suffered intense agony of mind for fear we should be lost. He says he has already seen the tusks of the “elephant” off Cape Pillar, and for two nights he did not close his eyes in sleep, as he thought every moment we should be capsized by the heavy roll of the waves; I, however, had full confidence in the ship and officers. My friend says he must try to get home by land, as the value of the ship and cargo would be no inducement to him to pass through the same scenes again. The weather is now clear, the winds are hushed, the sea is smooth, the nights are brilliant, with the white Magellan cloud in the heavens, as an index for the mariner, and the weather is becoming warm and pleasant. We have passed Ascension, and are now approaching Valparaiso, where I shall leave the steamer and proceed after a few days to Santiago, the capital of Chili, ninety miles in the interior.

LXXVIII.

SANTIAGO, CAPITAL OF CHILI, March 24, 1852.

On entering the harbor of Valparaiso, I was struck with the number of vessels anchored in its deep bay, sheltered from all but the northers, which are at times most destructive to shipping. It has great depth of water, say from sixty to eighty fathoms, near the shore; from the broken and peculiar formation of the many clay-covered hills in the background, with deep ravines, and huts, and frame dwellings clustered on the side, above the narrow city below, it appears not unlike a town of stairs, the dry and parched appearance of the summits affording no vegetation, there having been no rain for many months. Much movement and commercial life are there; the shattered buildings of last year’s earthquake are mostly repaired; the hotels are very fair; the number of foreigners large, and the population upwards of fifty thousand. The civil war of last autumn having ceased, the newly elected president has been received by all classes on his arrival from the capital, and remains the guest of the city. He is a lawyer, and occupies a high judicial position; he is the first civil governor Chili has ever had; his opponent, General Cruz, who attempted to nullify his election, was defeated with the loss of four thousand men in one battle.

I had brought letters from Rio Janeiro for the officers of the flag ship Raritan and St. Lawrence, and had gone on board the former to pay the commodore a visit, when the latter entered the harbor, having left Rio two weeks before us, going round the Horn; but our ship had made the quickest passage on record--fifteen days and twenty-two hours, moving time, via the Straits. A salute of thirteen guns was received, and nine returned, agreeable to rank. The Portsmouth has also just arrived from Rio. Mr. Peyton, our Ambassador here, tells me that he has just received advices from Ecuador, that General Flores has been fitting out an expedition from Callao to Guayaquil, and the presence of this ship will be required there. These South American Republics, which do not merit the name, are almost always in confusion, you perceive. We found that the American vessel which had been seized by convicts at Port Famine, had arrived in the harbor of Valparaiso, having been rescued from the pirates by an English steamer; the ringleaders will soon be executed. I regretted to learn that the owner, who was barbarously hung, and whose body was burned, was an acquaintance, he having on one occasion conveyed me from New Orleans to Havana; I saw him last at San Francisco. The Captain is now here, accompanied by Mr. Duer, our consul at Valparaiso, prosecuting claims against the Chilian government; but I fear it will be very slow work. The usual mode of travel from Valparaiso, a distance of ninety miles, is in biloches, a sort of heavy gig with two and three horses, each mounted by postillions, the outside ones attached at will by heavy straps at each side of the shafts, and fastened with hooks to a heavy saddle; the riders attach or detach themselves at full speed, going with the greatest velocity up and down mountains and over a desert country, where nothing is seen but bushes and scraggy shrubs in a sandy soil. A few places are seen on the road where peach and pear trees, as well as grapes, are found, but the country is destitute of water most of the distance. The horses are driven ahead in a drove, and changed as required.

The Bilocheros have the habit of racing; a certain rivalry exists between them, and where opportunity offers they go at full speed up and down the hills, and over the plains, regardless of horse-flesh, which is only nominal in price. We made the distance in twenty-four hours, passing part of the night at a small village, where the fleas disputed possession stoutly, and we were glad to make a start at three in the morning to escape them. We had clouds of dust from the large numbers of laden mules and ox-carts. The entire elevation is some two thousand five hundred feet to the base of the Andes, a chain of Cordilleras, which show their snow-clad summits beautifully as you approach the delightful and extended valleys of Santiago, and it is gratifying to discern the well watered plain, with its long lines of poplars and willows in the distance. Bridges are thrown across the river, or mountain torrent, which is not unlike the Po at Nice, and the rides along the banks of the stream in this genial climate, with its vineyards and fruit trees, amply compensate for the trouble of getting here. The rides up the mountains give you a fair view of the city, which is extensive, and has a population of some ninety thousand. It is the residence of all the foreign ministers, and the seat of government; it derives its revenues from silver mines, and its agricultural products; it has a good supply of red porphyry for sidewalks; its streets are wide and long, and paved with small pebbles; its houses are mostly built of adobe, or unburnt brick, which resist the shocks of earthquakes. The cathedral is rather dangerous, being somewhat shattered. There is a corps of United States astronomical engineers here, whose observatory is placed on the summit of the little hill of Santa Lucia. I find an acquaintance here, in the person of the French minister, whose family came out with us in 1849. One of the church festivals has just taken place by torchlight, in the Alameda, the pride of the city, a promenade of a mile in length, with six rows of tall Florentine poplars, and pure streams of running water the entire distance.

Large numbers of ladies are seen in church-dresses, with black mantas covering the head; the people are not of the pure Castilian type as in the south of Spain, many showing signs of descent from the Indian race. The countrymen all wear the ponchos, of various colors; the poncho is a blanket with a hole in the centre, through which the head is passed, and falls over the shoulders. The women of that class wear men’s panama-hats, with long hair plaited, and falling in two parts over the back. It is curious to notice the primitive manner in which some things are done here. The watering of the streets is done by a muleteer on the back of his animal, which carries two small twenty gallon kegs, one lashed on each side; these are filled at the top from the fountain. When he arrives at the dusty spot he pulls the cork from the bottom and starts his mule on a trot until the contents are scattered, and then returns for fresh supplies. One of the curiosities shown here is the first house built by Valdivia in 1560. It is a one-story adobe dwelling, with gratings above near the roof, in order to give ventilation and light, and to prevent attacks of Indians by openings below; it has had additions since. The wheat crops are excellent, and the exportation of flour and beans from Chili to California is very heavy. We visited the chacras or farms in the valleys, where thousands of bushels of grain were exposed in heaps in the open air, without fear of rain, having been trodden out by cattle, and numbers of men, employed at fifteen cents per day, and found, were throwing up the wheat to the breeze, which carries off the chaff and winnows it perfectly. Labor is improving, however, and in the cities fifty cents per day, and one dollar twenty-five cents for mechanics, are paid, in consequence of the great emigration to California. Two vessels lately sailed thither with two hundred emigrants each, and from personal experience I know that very many Chilians are found in that country. Vast sums have been realized here from Eldorado for products, and large mills are now being erected in the south for the supplies of that market, though too late, I think, as Oregon can produce immense quantities when once the population becomes more dense. The transportation of products from this capital to Valparaiso is performed by heavy ox-carts, many with covers resembling small round-top houses with windows; these covers are a protection during the winter months, which commence in June, also against the sun’s rays in summer, which has already passed; they travel now mostly by night, with a brilliant sky, and you see families of women and children occupying their tenement by the desert road-side, or cooking the supplies brought with them. They train their oxen not only to pull, but to hold back the load by the horns; they have four yoke for the immense zigzag cuttings, a mile and a half in the ascent; they then reverse the order of things, and the poor beasts are seen behind, with heads bowed to the ground, holding back, and almost tripped off their legs, and not unfrequently off go the whole troop down the precipice and are dashed in pieces.

A nephew of the president joined me in coming up from Valparaiso, his family having left earlier, and we overtook them and dined on the road. They were going to his chacra, in another direction. At the little village where we stopped at night, he introduced me to the Catholic curate of this poor place, who regaled us with cakes and matte from Paraguay; matte is the leaf of a tree much in use as a substitute for tea and coffee, and sucked through a tube; we passed the evening in conversation and smoking cigarettes, until the time came to be devoured by fleas in bed.

The English steamers touch at half-a-dozen towns on the way up to Peru, giving an opportunity of passing a day at each. I shall embark from Valparaiso in a few days for Callao and Lima.

LXXIX.

LIMA, April, 1852.

My last was from Santiago, the capital of Chili. I now address you from the renowned city of Lima, the seat of government of Peru, having in the interim touched at many of the small ports along the coast from Valparaiso to Callao, spending part of a day at each. Our first landing-place was Coquimbo, where are some important copper mines and smelting furnaces. The town, which was the seat of the insurgents in the last civil war, is about two leagues from the little port. Our steamer was the Santiago, recently from England, and she proved rather a failure, making only one hundred and ninety miles in thirty hours. Her machinery became heated, the wheels dipped too much; they attempted to account for it, however, by the bad quality of the coals. We arrived the following day at Oasco, which is surrounded by a small valley, very grateful to the eye, in comparison with the volcanic and iron-bound coast. The next point was Caldeva, the port of Copiapo, fifty-two miles distant, where the first South American railway was during the past year put in operation by American mechanics. We landed there one hundred and forty passengers of mixed classes, bound for the mines. They were a noisy set, grasping at table, and continually dancing their Samba Queca on deck; there were also some amusing groups of half-Indian and Spanish races, in costume of the country.

We received there considerable quantities of silver in bars, destined for England. It was a great relief to find our passengers reduced down to twenty-five, as the living had been poor, and a change was much needed. No good excuse could be offered for neglect, as the price of passage was enormous; but nothing to warrant American competition, as the line is now firmly established, with large capital, and determined to drive off all opponents. Our next point of debarkation was Coliza, the only port of Bolivia, a miserable town of huts, with only three wells of water, which is divided out among the inhabitants in proportion, from small kegs on the backs of donkeys. The mountains about it are barren, and not the slightest sign of vegetation is seen. Silver and copper induce people to live there. We visited the guano deposits, where about one hundred state prisoners were at work putting it up in sacks for exportation. The following day we arrived at Iquique, where one of our fellow passengers is established, though he is now from Valparaiso on his way to England. He was evidently the Alcalde of his miserable town, which relies mostly upon saltpetre for its support; not a blade of grass or drop of water is to be seen, reminding one of the shores of the Red Sea; still about one thousand persons exist there. A small mill grinds the wheat brought from Chili; seventeen Chinese were employed on it. Many are brought over to the coast and sold for a limited period for their passage money. The escape steam from the machine distils the salt water, which is sold at six reals, or seventy-five cents per keg of eighteen gallons. Fruit and vegetables are brought from Arica, eighty miles further down the coast. The village looks like an Egyptian one, being composed of mud huts thatched with leaves. The mules and donkeys are the most miserable specimens, dying with thirst, and wading in the salt water, laving their mouths and picking up sea-weed. These animals come down laden with saltpetre, one day’s journey, and the mules return immediately; the donkeys generally rest a day or two, but frequently their drivers are unwilling to pay a real, or twelve and a half cents, for a bucket of water, so the poor brutes are compelled to return without a drink. Our friend’s house and stores were large frame buildings near the beach, two stories high, with balconies, and comfortably furnished and supplied.

I was particularly struck with his despidida, or farewell departure, after a residence of nineteen years. A handsome collation of fruits and wine of various kinds was served to his friends, and among the number appeared a lady of the country with her child. She was dressed in velvet, with a rich China shawl, diamond necklace and ear-rings, and fingers loaded with precious stones. While the champagne corks were flying I had a glance from the balcony over the desert with its heavy sands and rocky mountains in the distance, and could scarcely realize my position; but the figure of Commerce presented herself among the shipping and explained the circumstance. The town of Arica appeared like an oasis in the desert, the streets being paved and well laid out; the houses were built with flat roofs, and there were two churches, badly shaken by earthquakes. Our Consul had very comfortable quarters, with a fine garden of fruit and flowers. The country in the interior in many places is productive, but the chief fertility consists of silver mines. Islay, the next town, is difficult to access, being high and rocky; it has some decent houses, and is the port of Arequipa. Water is brought in by aqueducts, and it was a refreshing sight to see the donkeys drinking at will. I called with a friend upon an old Spaniard, whose two daughters gratified us with music upon the piano, even in this almost uninhabited country, and seemed contented with their home and climate. The following day we found ourselves at Pisco, celebrated for its wine and liquors. We mounted horses and rode in the country, visited some of the vineyards, and returned to town about two miles from the beach; it happened to be Palm Sunday, and we visited the cathedral built by the old Spaniards, saw the procession and entrance into Jerusalem, by knocking at the side-door, and heard some extraordinary music. Palm branches were distributed, and the motley group of half-castes, Indians, Negroes, and Spaniards dispersed. We had the day previous picked up a launch with six men, who had been out twenty-three days from Valparaiso, and without water and provisions for two days. We supplied them with biscuit, beans, candles, wood, and water; not forgetting cigars, which were among the first articles which they demanded.

Our final landing-place was the Chinchas Guano Islands, the present great source of wealth of the Peruvian government; a supply still exists for perhaps a century, sufficient to pay the interest on the national debt of some twenty millions of dollars, the bonds of which, from being almost valueless, have advanced to par in England. I was surprised to find ten ships and brigs waiting for loads. One can scarcely realize that the immense deposits or hills have been produced by birds, but the flocks which are seen, and which are prohibited from being destroyed, and the known voracity of the species, reconcile one’s doubts, particularly in a climate where it never rains.

The use of the guano has long been known in the interior of the country; it is transported on the backs of animals to the valleys, irrigated by the waters from the melting snows of the Andes. The people, I learn, are substituting negroes for the Chinese, as the latter, being disappointed in this kind of servitude, have frequently destroyed themselves by hanging, many in groups, joining hands and leaping over the precipice, in the belief of restoration to their happy homes. I arrived here at the commencement of the Passion Week, and found that all Lima had had the peste, or plague, a species of yellow fever; it had nearly exhausted itself for want of victims, but strangers of course were expected to take it. The Italian opera company, of seventeen persons, just arrived from the north, were all taken, save three, and out of our number of twenty-five at the hotel at table only five were left. I have been exposed, with my fellow-passengers, but in consequence of having had the original Yellow Jack, have thus far escaped. The churches of Peru are the finest in South America; there are about fifty-two in the city, with a population of ninety thousand persons. They date their riches and luxury in the time of the Spaniards. Some of the temples were decorated with a great variety of flowers, in vases furnished for the occasion, by private families, forming avenues of tropical vegetation through these deep edifices, while the light of a thousand candles illuminated the high altar, and disclosed the faces of hundreds of the beautiful Limanians of the Andalusian race, who were kneeling in their rays, in black shawls or mantillas; after a short prayer they rose and visited other churches. I visited twelve of the most important in the evening, and found, as in Havana, that at these festivals, some new attractions are held out for visitors, who continue the rounds until overcome with fatigue. In one church the last supper was represented by Christ and his twelve apostles, sitting at a well-covered table of fruits, flowers, and wine, the approach to which was difficult, on account of the rush of negroes and half-castes. In another church the figures of the soldiery and the crowning with thorns were represented; a grotesque zapatero, or shoemaker, in a crouching position, looking up with a huge pair of spectacles, seemed to excite the mirth of the common people. The balcony of my apartment faces the Plaza, or Cathedral Square; at the right is pointed out the spot where Pizarro lost his life, fighting nobly; in the crypt of the cathedral is shown what are called his remains.

On Noche Buena, the night after the Passion Week, the whole square was roasting and stewing. Negroes were there in great numbers, with fire and cooking utensils; hot fritters boiled in oil, sausages, garlic salads, and aguardiente; and there were booths, or stands, on three sides, with every variety of trinkets for sale, and an immense concert of Indians, negroes, and other races; while in front, respectable ice-cream and confectionery stands accommodated the gentlemen and ladies with seats, and cooling drinks, made from fruits and ice, brought from the mountains, seven leagues distant, on the backs of mules. The river Rimac flows through the city, and running water passes through many of the streets. The mountains around are arid and forbidding, without the least verdure; but by irrigation the gardens of the valleys are made productive. At a charge of four reals, or fifty cents, the railway, eight miles in length, brings passengers from the port of Callao. It is a new construction, and has an elevation of five hundred feet. The chief place of resort for the Limanians, are the ocean baths of Churillas, whither I propose going.

LXXX.

STEAMER QUITO, April 29, 1852.

The old Spanish custom of bull fights is still kept up with all its vigor in Lima, and the long looked-for combat came off after the church ceremonies of Passion Week had ended. Having, as a traveller, witnessed this barbarous sport in Spain, where it is countenanced by the nobility and the dignitaries of the government, I was induced to attend it here chiefly to observe the ladies in their saya mantas--a garment which entirely prevents recognition, as it leaves one eye only exposed. The sayas are falling into disuse, and not seen so often as formerly in the public streets, except on festive occasions. Any lady may be addressed, but under no circumstances can the veil be removed by force, without calling down the vengeance of bystanders. An immense building of circular form stands near the Alameda; it is a public promenade, with palcos or boxes for parties and families, and seats in the form of an amphitheatre, capable of containing some seven thousand persons. The authorities of the city occupy a prominent place, as well as the military officers and judges. A programme is sold, containing the names of the twelve bulls to be killed, and describing the characteristics of the prominent matadores, two of whom, father and son, have recently arrived from Spain.

The trumpet sounds; mounted horsemen come forth and clear the ring; others appear with lances in hand; and then appear six flag-men with red and yellow scarfs, round jackets, and short clothes of silk and velvet, embroidered with gold and silver lace, shining knee-buckles, and silk stockings. The sliding gate is opened, and in rushes the tortured bull, with his eyes glaring, and makes for the horse, but is diverted by the blazing colors of the scarfs. Sometimes a mantle is thrown over the shoulders; the animal pursues it, when the wearer dashes it aside and dodges the infuriated beast, escaping behind a side partition fence, while he takes after another, and barbed arrows with feather or paper plumes are planted in his neck, causing him to roar and paw the dust, and make another attempt at his adversary, in which he sometimes upsets horse and rider, goring the former, to the delight of the multitude, whose cries and waving handkerchiefs attest their pleasure. After the ineffectual efforts and hair-breadth escapes of the actors, the matador, while attracting the bull with his red flag, with one thrust of his long sword gives him a mortal stab, which passes through the neck and heart, and appears between the fore-legs. The enthusiasm is then at its height. The trumpet sounds, the gates are thrown open, two pairs of heavy mules appear, bedecked with feathers, and mounted by two riders. The head of the defunct is raised upon a pair of small wheels, and attached by the horns to the traces; the band strikes up, the dead carcase is removed under the full gallop; the gates are closed, and a new victim soon appears. I felt it a relief to escape and stroll along the beautiful Alameda, upon the river bank. The ride to the baths of Churilla, a few leagues from Lima, is over a heavy, sandy road, dusty, dreary, and of no interest.

The Indian village situated on the bay is much resorted to during the summer months. The bath-houses are of cane or reed, and form a sort of labyrinth, with a few flat stones in each for seats; they are occupied by both sexes, but are rather exposed. Gambling seems to be the order of the day, or rather night, as all classes, male and female, enter into the sport, it being the ruling passion of the Peruvians as well as the Chilians. Among the passengers in the diligence or public conveyance was a grey-headed, thin-visaged, lank old man, whose whole dress, including his poncho, would not have sold for twenty dollars; yet this confirmed old gambler had amassed two hundred thousand dollars in play, and notwithstanding that he was lame with one foot in the grave, his passion, which was the object of his visit, must still be gratified. Many persons have private residences for the enjoyment of the sea breeze and bathing, but they are of a primitive character. Ludicrous dances in grotesque costumes are performed by the negroes, which help to pass their evenings.

Lima is considered the gayest city on the South Pacific coast, and enjoys a mild, equal climate, being uninfluenced by the near approach of the mountains, and of a much more agreeable temperature than the same latitude on the opposite side in Brazil. The houses, which are two stories, have balconies of latticed work, which gives the ladies an opportunity of seeing all passers in the streets. The ladies are less celebrated for constancy than for sprightliness, grace, and beauty, and are a far superior race to the men, who are much inferior to the Chilians. The use, or rather abuse of the saya manta was formerly a means of intrigue even in the presence of husbands and brothers, as exchanges of robes were easily effected. The adoption of European costume is fast reducing the use of this garment.

To a stranger the alarm created by a shock of an earthquake upon the natives appear ridiculous, as they rush out of their houses into the open square, and if the shock is in the night, of course in undress; all who experience these shocks, however, are soon overcome by the same kind of terror. The earthquake of the last century swept Callao and its entire population into the sea. We had a considerable shock a few days since, while I was in a heavy stone and brick building, used in part for a museum, and where some interesting specimens of antiquity of the times of the Incas are found, as also mummies from the Indian mounds, and the portraits of the former viceroys of Peru. I was examining these objects attentively, when I found myself suddenly alone, with the balance of the party making for the inner court or square, crying out “un temblor!” The dust was flying about me, and I followed hurriedly; I observed that the sky was remarkably bright, that there was a perfect stillness of the elements, and that the air was filled with birds in confusion; however, it soon passed, and without damage.

The steamer from which I write is new; she is just out from England, this being her first trip. We are fortunate in having fresh supplies and attentive servants, with few passengers, and every comfort. We have just met the Santiago, and exchanged civilities, and received English papers from Panama. I learn from her captain, who has just recovered from the pest, that all my fellow passengers from Valparaiso, who touched at Callao and Lima, with one exception, were attacked, and among the number a family of seven persons. I find I have great reason to be thankful in having escaped.

We shall make the distance of eighteen hundred miles in seven and a half days, passing nearly one day at Paita, which has a fine harbor, and was formerly resorted to by whalers for supplies; they now go to Tumbes, seven leagues above, where water is to be had, with which water Paita is supplied, not a blade of grass or a drop of the liquid element being produced at the latter place, the few plants there in boxes being looked upon with much pleasure. It is far superior to many other small towns along the coast. There are some comfortable houses built of cane, and covered with flags, which earthquakes cannot shake down easily, and several long and narrow streets which afford shade. An extraordinary event had just occurred, it having rained for a part of a day, for the first time in seven years. The natives are mostly Indians; a quiet, docile, and well-looking people. The residents seem satisfied with their position and climate; they say that they are deprived of vegetation and water, but that they can get supplies from along the coast; that they are not infested with venomous reptiles and noxious fleas, the accompaniment of rank verdure, and that the people die of old age, citing instances of ninety and one hundred years longevity. I had made a passage with the son of the English Consul, whose father had been there for nineteen years, and enjoys the climate. I breakfasted and lunched with him, with some other guests from the ship, and certainly there was no want of the good things of life, even in such a desert place. The reputed wife of General Bolivar resides here; she was with him in many of his campaigns, while Liberator of South America. A friend took me to her house, and I found a stout, fat, but well featured elderly lady, in her hammock, which I learn she rarely leaves, unless for her bed. She had her two poodle dogs nestling beside her; she received us kindly, and conversed intelligently and in a diplomatic manner upon matters of politics. She is a great friend of General Flores, whose expedition is now approaching Guayaquil with fourteen hundred men, and with the prospect of overthrowing President Urbini, of Ecuador, who, she says, was educated by General Flores while former President, to whom he proved an ungrateful wretch. I found there the daughter of Flores with her husband and aide de-camp, awaiting news from the seat of war. This lady, who once lived in Lima in almost regal style, now subsists upon the charities of her numerous friends. As I had once visited the tomb of Bolivar in Caraccas, and received the hospitalities of a cousin bearing his name, in his rancho, near Porto Cabello, the old lady seemed interested in me, and insisted on my joining her in smoking a choice Havana, an occupation which she appeared to enjoy.

To-morrow we shall arrive at Panama, which place I had not expected or hoped to see again, and I can scarcely realize the fact that since my last visit I have made the circuit of the globe, and since my departure from home have passed almost the entire length of North and South America on both sides. After fourteen winters’ travel in southern latitudes, and several years’ absence at intervals from home, I find that my table of distances amounts to six hundred thousand miles, from the snowy regions of Canada, Norway, and Finland in the north, to the barren shores of Patagonia in the south--having traversed by sea and land, at different periods, almost all the practicable portions of the earth, in making the circuit of the world. Although what has passed appears not unlike a dream, my ambition for the present is satisfied, and I have reason to thank a kind Providence, whose protecting hand has carried me through almost all the perils of life, and has been the means of preserving a constitution endangered by the severity of northern winter-climates. I shall proceed via the isthmus to Havana, and thence to New Orleans, on my way home, where I hope to arrive in the early part of June.

1853.

LXXXI.

PARIS, Jan. 31, 1853.

Since I left the Pacific coasts of Chili and Peru last spring, I have hesitated about afflicting you with correspondence, and thinking and hoping that my voyages around the world were complete. Time and circumstances, however, have since carried me to Cuba (by the way, it is my eighth visit), and I have traversed the waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the city of New Orleans; steamed up the mighty Mississippi and Ohio rivers for the sixth time; besides visiting Canada and Niagara. Notwithstanding the thousand incidents constantly occurring, I held my peace. Having left my native village in the latter part of November, in pursuit of a more genial climate, I find myself once again on European soil, and in the capital of the French empire. So many important events have transpired since I left home that you will pardon me for once more taking up my pen, and breaking silence. Our steamer took the southern passage in crossing the Atlantic; the early part of our voyage upon the edge of the gulf-stream was delightful, until at length a famous combat arose among the great opposing elements. For five successive days we had a continuation of the most violent gales, more properly speaking hurricanes, such as our officers had never experienced, and it was with difficulty that I could recall reminiscences of equally grand and awful scenes. The good ship Hermann, although obliged to manœuvre, or lie to, as the sailors term it, for thirty-six hours, at last got the mastery over Neptune: and when we arrived in England, we found that the steamer Washington had been disabled, and obliged to return. The same gales had carried destruction along the entire coast. The then approaching holiday season of Christmas was anxiously looked for, in England, particularly by the poor, for charities are more freely exercised at that time, and the English markets and butchers’ stalls are beautiful to gaze upon. But instances are rarely if ever known, as in our favored land, of the working classes trudging home under the weight of turkeys, geese, or chickens for a Sunday or Christmas dinner. How little do we know of the miseries of the laboring population abroad, and how slightly do we appreciate, as a people, the eminent advantages which we enjoy in our own favored land!

The universal practice of giving étrennes, or presents, on New Year’s day, among the Parisians, has led to the granting of privileges to boutiques, or temporary wooden shops, along both sidewalks of the Boulevards, for one week before, and one week after the first of January; they form a continuous bazaar for more than a mile, composed of all the indescribable knick-knacks and fancy articles that the ingenious brain of a Frenchman can contrive to gratify youthful taste or fancy, dolls and cheap jewelry figuring largely. This exhibition, with the flood of humanity to the extent of some hundreds of thousands, military, foreign, and domestic, in every variety of costume of holiday attire, added to the gay equipages and liveried servants, struck me as one of the great sights of the capital.

The season thus far has been remarkably mild; we have had much rain, but no winter, and fears are entertained for the future crops should the mild weather continue. In the Jardin des Plantes, some trees indicate the putting forth of new leaves.

This being the gay season, and Paris full of strangers from all parts, opportunity is not wanting for the gratification of the most fastidious. One would judge, from the announcement of balls, concerts, and theatres (of which latter I think there are thirty-two, of all sizes), that they could not be sustained; but on the contrary they are fully attended. The work of Madame Beecher Stowe has caused a perfect furore in Paris. Authors and editors run a steeple-chase in their hasty translations, which pour from the press with exaggerated engravings to gratify the tastes of the eager purchasers. Two large rival theatres, the Ambigu Comique and the Theatre de la Gaité, conceived at the same moment the idea of dramatizing Uncle Tom. The Ambigu won the race by a few days with immense success, but the Gaité followed close after; and now may be seen the affiches everywhere, and large transparencies in front of the theatres, emblazoned in great letters, “La Case de l’Oncle Tom.” My curiosity as an American, besides my familiarity with the institution of slavery as it exists at the south, induced me to visit the Ambigu, where I found the piece well mounted, with superb decorations, but full of exaggeration. The cries of the blood-hounds in pursuit of fugitive slaves; the brutal conduct of the masters; the tender scenes of separation; the discharge of fire-arms; the sale of negroes in New Orleans, all helped to bring the ladies’ handkerchiefs into frequent use; their tears, however, were readily dispersed by some ludicrous scene not in the novel. At the Gaité the scenes are entirely changed, the state of Kentucky being the theatre of action. The sale of Uncle Tom, the flight of George and his wife, Eliza with her infant child, the crossing of the Ohio upon the ice, the arrival in Canada, the land of promise, amidst the most beautiful tropical vegetation, were greatly exaggerated; but worse than all, and shocking to the moral sense, Uncle Tom, who was a perfect black, was represented as the father of Eliza, a beautiful quadroon. One of the Parisian editors lately remarked that he was not at a loss to decide which condition was the most deplorable, that of the well-fed and well-clad negro in bondage, free from care, or that of the thousands of poor creatures in Paris, who shiver in the garret of a six-story tenement, after a hard day’s service for one franc, or twenty cents, to sustain their starving families.

The Parisians are emphatically a theatre-going people, and they have juvenile theatres expressly for nurses and parents with their children; of course the latter imbibe the passion early, and Sunday being their gala day, all places of amusement are naturally crowded. It would appear that all Paris is dancing at present; the imperial court dances, the ministers of war and of state dance, and the senate is preparing to dance, all of which is gratifying to the fancy dealers of the capital. The great event of the season took place yesterday, Sunday. It was the marriage of the Emperor at the cathedral of Notre Dame. The civil marriage was performed at the Palace of the Tuileries, the evening previous, by the minister of state, in presence of the family of Napoleon. After the ceremony was concluded the Countess Montijo was reconducted to her private residence in the Champs Elysées. Yesterday presented one of the most gorgeous pageants that Paris has ever witnessed. It would occupy too much time and space to attempt a description, and it would be useless to repeat what may be found in the public journals. The distance passed by the cortège from the Tuileries to Notre Dame, more than a mile, gave the Emperor, as he proclaimed in his speech to the Senate, an opportunity of presenting as he desired, to the army, and the French people, the bride of his choice, and if one could judge from the vast multitude which thronged the streets, the quays and bridges of the Seine, the windows, balconies, and every point which could be occupied, not only Paris, but the whole country was represented. The brilliant cortège left the palace at twelve M., preceded by detachments of mounted lancers, cuirassiers, guards, and divers others, followed by the imperial family and ladies of honor, in glittering state carriages with liveried coachmen and footmen, drawn by four and six horses with beautiful caparisoned harness, and a long train of foreign ambassadors, representatives and members of the Senate; then appeared the magnificent equipage of the Emperor, surmounted by an imperial crown, with sides of plate glass, drawn by eight white steeds, with plumes and gold-gilt trappings, containing himself and beautiful bride, responding gracefully to the salutations of the multitude. The same carriage was used but once before, at the nuptial ceremonies of Napoleon I. with the Empress Josephine, so much beloved by the French people. A double hedge of bayonets on each side of the line of march, composed of the regular troops of the national guard of Paris, prevented encroachment. The interior of Notre Dame was festooned with great taste and much splendor, while the exterior was enveloped in floating banners. The archbishop having performed the imposing marriage ceremonies, the cortège returned by another route, giving the masses the opportunity of seeing their imperial majesties.

The vast interior of the Place du Carrousel was one living mass of humanity, awaiting the return and appearance of the happy pair upon the balcony of the Tuileries; at length they appeared and bowed to the multitude to close the scene. While men and boys were crying the sale of effigies and medals of the Emperor and Empress, amid the anxiety and excitement of a French population, I could not forget witnessing a review of the troops by Louis Philippe, on the same ground, and his then enthusiastic reception. Time makes great changes, and what may be the fate of those in power to-day! The French are fond of pageants, and always ready for a change. As long as commerce flourishes, and the condition of the laboring classes is tolerable, things go on smoothly; but amongst the thinking and reading portions of the community, who are deprived of the liberty of speech, and the press, there must be a deep hatred of the present dynasty.

Louis Napoleon has certainly had an eventful career. An exile, a prisoner at Ham, he returned to France after the fall of Louis Philippe, under the provisionary government, and was a member of the National Assembly when I visited that noisy assemblage in the autumn of 1848. On my departure for Italy in 1847, all was quiet under the royal rule of Louis Philippe; on my return, the trees of liberty were planted throughout Paris, the public buildings proclaimed in large capitals, “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité”; the press was free and untrammelled, also liberty of thought and speech, as was seen placarded upon the bulletins. Things have changed. Liberty is crushed; her name, with those of her sisters, is scrupulously effaced from the public monuments. The constitution was declared, and there was an extensive display of two hundred thousand troops, and gorgeous decorations and fireworks upon the Place de la Concorde. I hoped that the government would become consolidated in a true republic, but I had my misgivings. The next news brought the election of Napoleon as President for four years; afterwards his power was extended for ten years; next came his famous coup d’état; then followed the proclamation of the Empire, and yesterday his marriage. The telegraph has proclaimed the joyous event to all France, and now all that is required is the confirmation by the Pope, which may probably take place next spring.

Within a week the Carnival commences. I am preparing to leave for the south of France, and Spain.

LXXXII.

BARCELONA, SPAIN, Feb. 28, 1853.

After the marriage of the French Emperor in Paris, whence I wrote you last month, we had nothing remarkable until the Carnival, and nothing notable then except the fête du bœuf gras, or the Sunday promenade of the fat ox. This novel ceremony seems to be a vestige of remote antiquity, and has been preserved up to the present time, as it gives the multitude an opportunity of diverting themselves. It appears that the poor fishermen of Lutèce formerly adored the zodiacal bull, and as late as 1711, in constructing a sepulchre under the choir of the church of Notre Dame, several bas-reliefs were found, one of which represented a bull clothed in sacred orders. It is the remains of the equinoctial spring ceremonies, when the sun entered into the zodiacal sign called Taurus, and the people of the agricultural provinces conducted the bull in great pomp with the sound of various musical instruments. This being altogether novel, I must describe it to you. The procession was got up by the butchers of Paris, who formed a cavalcade of one hundred and fifty persons on horseback, provided with various costumes, from the time of the crusades down to the court robes of Louis XIV., and guards of the Emperor Napoleon. This procession, with bands of music, was followed by an immense fat ox called Père Tom, or Uncle Tom, raised in Normandy, decorated with bouquets of flowers, ribbons, and laurels, followed by an immense gilded car drawn by six white horses, with the figures of several heathen deities, Venus being surrounded by a bevy of young girls, dressed in white with garlands of flowers. The day was occupied in their visits throughout Paris, to the imperial palace, the various ministers of the empire and foreign embassies, the police departments; and finally the poor beast, having slowly dragged his heavy carcass of two thousand three hundred pounds about town for the amusement of the populace, brought up at the abattoir, or general slaughtering establishment of the city.

Indications of approaching cold weather after the extremely mild season, induced me turn my face towards Spain. The railroad from Paris soon conducted me to Chalons, upon the Saône, whence I took steamer the next day for Lyons, the great silk-manufacturing city of France. Small steamers are employed upon these rivers; they are constructed of iron, very long, but exceedingly narrow, not much wider than an ordinary Erie Canal boat, but with the strong current they dash along at a frightful rate when the rivers are full. They are provided with jointed smoke pipes, to pass the numerous bridges.

On one occasion descending the Rhine we were obliged to lie-to, not being able to pass under the crossings from the heavy inundations, but in this instance the want of water prevented our continuing further than Valence; I took the diligence some sixty miles to Avignon, where the railroad conducts us to Marseilles. The sail upon the Saône and Rhône, with their numerous manufactories, agricultural towns, and villages, and wine districts, is quite entertaining to the traveller. A large population is engaged in the culture of the grape, but I have seen only two drunken men since I have been in France, and those seemed to be the amusement of groups of boys and men who surrounded them. We were caught by the first snow-storm of the season, and the mistral blew with its full force. The almond trees in blossom felt its effects; it will probably shorten the crop.

This being my third visit to Marseilles, I have nothing to write about it, except its progressive condition in commercial importance. The new port, in course of construction, an extraordinary enterprise, is progressing rapidly. The old port, which was small and crowded to excess, rendering vessels liable to entire destruction in case of fire, and the difficulty of egress, induced the creating of an artificial port of solid masonry. Two days’ delay gave me an opportunity of embarking for this city, where I find a temperate climate, being sheltered from the northern blasts by the high mountains of the Pyrénées.

Barcelona, for size, is the second city in Spain, and the first in importance for manufactures. It is a walled town with ramparts as promenades around it, closely built, narrow, and rather intricate streets, and tall houses, mostly of stone. The Muralla or sea wall affords a good promenade, and a fine view of a harbor rather indifferent for vessels of heavy tonnage, with a commanding fortification called Mont Juich on the summit of a high hill overlooking the sea and the city; the latter is cleanly kept, and in good order, and well worth a visit. The suburbs of the city for some miles are occupied in part by manufacturing villages, and among the number is a large town called Gracia, resorted to by summer residents to escape the heat of the city; it is a pleasant retreat. The population of the city and suburbs is two hundred thousand. The province of Catalonia is perhaps the most industrious and enterprising portion of Spain. The Catalonians, whose language is a patois, pride themselves in being more advanced than the Castilians. In 1835 the first steam-engine was introduced in manufacturing, and from the unfounded prejudice of the working classes the establishment was destroyed by the populace. But at present steam is freely used, the supply of coal being brought from England; the mountains of Spain abound with the article, but the want of communication precludes a supply from this source. Railroads are being introduced moderately; the only one yet constructed in this department is from Barcelona to Mataro, a town along the coast. It runs along the sea-shore some seven leagues, passing through fishing villages.

The Spaniards are famous for their public promenades or almedas, and the Rambla is the chief attraction. It presents a gay, picturesque sight on Sunday, when thronged with all classes in the holiday attire of the country. The two principal theatres are situated upon this promenade, as well as the great hotels, which gives one an opportunity of seeing the sights from the balconies. The Barcelonians boast of the largest theatre and the most luxurious cafés in the world. Certainly the Eliseo is nearly or quite as large as La Scala in Milan. The club room, called the circulo, and the casino, adjoining the opera and theatre, are fitted up with great taste, containing libraries, and many periodicals of the day from France and England. There is a numerous French population here, and the character of the people is not so decidedly Spanish as further south. In times of reaction or opposition to the government, this place is generally at the head of the movement. This is perhaps attributable to the superior intelligence of the people, and to its proximity to France. The direct commerce is trifling with the United States in American bottoms, but the exportation of wine, oil, soap, brandy, and dried fruits, is very large; these articles are sent to Havana in Spanish vessels, which in return bring cargoes of cotton and sugar from the Southern States and Cuba.

The American corvette Levant is now here, having been detained some time with small-pox on board; her destination is our naval station at Spezzia. The health of the crew is now good, and the ship is looking finely. I was kindly received by the officers; and the Levant being the only American ship in port, and myself the only American traveller here at present, it was gratifying to be once again under the protection of the stars and stripes. The climate is mild, but the mornings and nights are cool. One would suppose, from the manner in which the Catalonians are enveloped in their large Spanish cloaks, which cover their noses, that the thermometer was below zero, while the same atmosphere in New York, in the month of April, would be considered delightful. Strange as it may appear, in our hotel, with seventy rooms, there is not a chimney; and when fire is absolutely required, we make use of braseros, a flat brass vessel with raised edges, which contains live coals, and ashes from well burned wood, in place of charcoal, to avoid suffocation from the gases.

The chief amusements are the promenades, cafés, opera, theatres, and bull fights, at all of which the fair senoritas assist. The bull fights I described fully last year from Peru. They are not so famous here either for their bulls or swordsmen as in Seville or Madrid; neither will the ladies compare for beauty with the graceful Andalusians. In all public places you are enveloped in cigar smoke; the lobbies of the opera during the scenes are filled with devotees of the weed, whose smoke penetrates throughout the house, and by common consent is tolerated in all public and private houses and conveyances.

The lower orders are poor; they fare meagrely, and are poorly rewarded for their labor. The city is not remarkable for its public monuments. The cathedral is a noble Gothic structure, and possesses some works of art, but it would be idle to compare it or the other churches with those of Italy.

LXXXIII.

PALMA, ISLAND OF MAJORCA, March 10, 1853.

My last letter was from Barcelona. I was then preparing to visit this island, and notwithstanding its proximity (it is only one hundred and fifty miles distant) and its belonging to Spain, one has to go through all the silly formalities of procuring a Spanish passport, with the visé? of the American Consul, and a certificate of health from the Casa de Sanidad, which latter is a sure and easy mode of robbing the traveller. I embarked on board of a small weekly steamer for Palma, the capital city, on the south side of the island, situated upon a deep bay, and having a good and secure harbor for large vessels, and a fair trade with Havana. I was agreeably surprised in finding a city of forty thousand persons, occupying a healthy and eligible position, with many fine public buildings, some of which are very antique, denoting its great commercial importance when it enjoyed the trade of the Levant.

By reference to my books I find that the Romans granted it the privilege of a colony; it was afterwards conquered by the Arabs, who made it the residence of their kings, and it continued such after the conquest of Don Jayme the First, of Aragon, in the year 1229, and its most extraordinary monument of that period, commenced during his reign, is the citadel, upon the summit of a high hill, about one mile from the city, commanding a most extensive view of the town and sea. In the centre of it, passing over a deep and wide moat, by a drawbridge, one enters a tower of Cyclopean construction, of great height, and by easy circular stairs of heavy stone arrives at the summit, from which the eye beholds one of the most magnificent prospects of the entire valley and the suburbs of the city, dotted with cottages, and olive and almond trees in blossom. From the prisons within there was no escape, particularly from the lower one, where the culprit passes a final trap, never to be withdrawn.

Some comfortable quarters are fitted up for the use of the governor during the heat of summer. The polite and civil colonel of the governor’s staff conducted me in his cabriolet with the aid of an extra mule, nearly to the summit. I have received, by the by, many marks of courtesy from the commandant of the marine as well as other Spanish officers in Barcelona, to whom I was recommended, notwithstanding that our national character has suffered through the acts of the filibusters in the island of Cuba. The houses and the streets of the city are clean, and the population industrious; the hotels are poor. The chief branches of industry are those of the zapateros, or shoemakers, whose work is exported to Havana, and the abundant supply of olive oil for the manufactories in the suburbs, of the famous castile soap. The exportation of wine, dried fruit, and almonds, is also very considerable. The language of the country is the Mallorquin, a patois of the Arab, Spanish, and French languages; the common people do not speak the Castilian. One of the finest estates is that of the Conde de Monte Negro, about three hours’ drive from town. The Cardinal Monte Negro, now deceased, while at Rome made a famous collection of antique statues, and founded a museum on his estate, which is surrounded by valleys of orange, almond, and olive trees, with vineyards upon amphitheatred walled patches of earth extending up the mountain side, and affording the most changeable and picturesque views imaginable.

The little town of Soler, some five leagues distant, on the north side of the island, with a population of eight thousand, is almost entirely dependent upon the culture of the orange. The high mountain over which one crosses is unproductive, but the valleys are extremely fertile, and the scenery is varied. The roads are indifferent; their zigzag windings and tropical views bring to mind the mountains of Caraccas, and the heights of Brazil, and although I rode behind a mule, in a rude sort of gig without springs, with low cover to protect me from the sun’s rays, not sufficiently elevated to wear a hat, my driver perched upon a rude box at the tail of the mule, with a cudgel in hand, now yelling hideously expecting to increase his speed, then jumping down in disgust at the obstinacy of the animal, and trudging along on foot, I felt fully compensated by the magnificent prospect in the distance, and a growing appetite for even a Spanish dinner, tinctured with oil and garlic. My driver attempted to describe the objects about us in Spanish, but finding himself embarrassed, he branched off in his own jargon, presuming that I understood him perfectly.

I had ridden through orange groves on horseback in the West Indies, plucking the fruit in passing, but I was not prepared for a league square of orange trees loaded with their golden crop, the branches extending over the walls, uniting and forming an arcade across the narrow streets on entering the town. Soler is situated about two miles from the port, along the banks of a mountain torrent, the sides of which are strewed with fallen oranges.

This is the fruit season, and many small vessels are employed in carrying cargoes to Marseilles, and other ports in France and Spain. Those that are picked by hand and delivered on board, are worth two rials vellon, say ten cents per hundred; such as fall from the trees, detached by the wind, are worth the same price for five hundred. I was struck with the fine faces of the children, and the Arabic type and complexion of the women. The people are poor but industrious, and their wants are few. They have bread, some meats, garabanzas, a species of pea much in use, with oil and wine; the latter, of the choicest quality, is called malvoisia, or alba flor, and enjoys a high reputation in Barcelona. The little port is round as a bowl, and placid as a lake, entirely protected, and landlocked with high projecting cliffs above its narrow and bold entrance, and bears resemblance in miniature to Acapulco, on the Pacific coast. A few fishermen only reside there, and a few small orange vessels are seen.

The peasants of the country are very primitive in their costume, wearing broad-brimmed conical hats, and long pantaloons, girded about the loins, with goat skins which cover their shoulders; holes are cut in the side of the undressed hide to pass their arms through, and the entire form of the reddish-brown skin, with the tail in some instances, is suspended down the back, presenting a grotesque appearance. The women wear men’s straw hats, with handkerchiefs round the head and under the chin, and round, white, expanding collars, falling a foot in length, with a priestly look, and the groups of both sexes on foot, and mounted upon donkeys, carrying panniers loaded with charcoal, wood, and products of the soil, form a droll caravan. Their copper coins are about the size of small dress-coat button, and nine of them are given for a rial vellon, valued at five cents; and singular as it may appear, the people refuse the copper coin of the main land, while the circulation of five franc pieces is current here, as also in Spain. The old-fashioned pistareen, or peseta, is in general use. In most things they are full a century behind the age, but the light of civilization is beginning to extend here as on the main land. The climate is delightful, nature prolific, and the people in general honest, civil, and polite. I could prolong my stay with pleasure, visiting other portions of the island, but I must not, as I proceed to Valencia, which lies one hundred and fifty miles opposite, on the Spanish coast.

LXXXIV.

VALENCIA, SPAIN, March 22, 1858.

I am in the ancient city of Valencia, surrounded by many antique buildings and relics of Moorish architecture peculiar to the south of Spain. The city contains a population of sixty thousand, and has a fine old cathedral, from the tower of which is seen to advantage the verdure of the valley in the extreme distance, irrigated by water drawn from a mountain torrent which passes near the city, and which at this season presents little but a gravelly bed. The mulberry is cultivated largely, and the production of silk and velvet is the most important branch of industry. There are many churches adorned with fine old paintings by the Spanish masters. The ceilings of two large saloons in the Casa de la Ciudad, or City Hall, are of heavy timbers, about a foot apart, and ornamented with an infinity of carved allegorical figures of most exquisite workmanship, in a high state of preservation; they belong to the thirteenth century, and differ from anything I have ever seen before. Notwithstanding the foreign and civil wars, the code of laws of that period, written on parchment and illuminated with the most precious designs and colors, is almost as perfect as when written. The city library, of four thousand volumes, has also some of these gems of antiquity, the labor of a lifetime, executed in the calm and quiet cloister of the monk, free from the cares and anxieties of the world. Aside from museums, churches, paintings, statues, and Moorish architecture, my time has been employed in visiting the public institutions of the city, and the manufacturing establishments peculiar to the country.

The Presidio, or state prison, which has two thousand convicts, each of whom has his occupation in the different departments, reminded me of Sing Sing, with this exception: that here almost all branches of industry are prosecuted, and often to the detriment of the poor free mechanic, which is not the case with us. The most interesting portion of their employments is the weaving of velvets of rich colors. The manufacture of our staple cotton enters largely into the production of common cloth; basket-work, shoe-making, blacksmithing, and the making of chairs and furniture are important branches, also. The kitchen department, and the extreme cleanliness of the whole institution, refute the charge of filthiness, so frequently alleged against the Spanish race. Not a soldier is employed; the prisoners stand sentinel over each other. No cells are used; the mattresses are rolled up and suspended according to number, to be spread in large airy halls. The obstreperous and unruly wear chains; they seem to be easily governed, although many hard subjects are found among them. The hospital is an immense establishment, covering a large extent of surface; it comprises three departments, for the infirm, the reception of new-born infants, and the lunatic asylum, and contains in all some six hundred persons of both sexes. The sick are in charge of sisters of charity, whose devotion is well known. I can scarcely say what is most painful in this establishment--the groans of the sick and suffering, the pitiful cries of the new-born and abandoned infants, or the wild ravings of the maniacs. Certainly sympathy is excited, and our moral nature is exercised, but we experience a sensible relief in escaping the inclosure of so much concentrated misery. The same system is practised here as was until recently in Paris; the poor or culpable mother puts her charge upon the revolving wheel, which places it in the hands of the nurses, for whom there is one large apartment; there are forty of these nurses, each one in charge of three suspended cradles rocking upon a pivot from the walls. The arrangements are perfect, but the pitiful cries of one hundred and twenty infants of tender ages induced me to pass hastily to the apartment of the larger children; I saw groups of them at table, of the ages of two years and upwards; they appeared happy and joyous.

The insane were classed according to their malady, in different departments; there were some fifty at dinner when we entered, who behaved well. In the next apartment, containing about twenty, we were addressed by one who had in hand a bowl of pottage, and who, in the most eloquent and appealing language, complained loudly of barbarous and despotic treatment, and want of nourishment; the keeper replied in reproachful terms, when a combat commenced between them which threatened to compromise our safety, as the maniac got the advantage of our guide, who escaped with the blood trickling down his scratched figure. We pacified the surrounding group with presents of cigars, which they sought for eagerly; in the next department they were the most violent, and were placed in chains, with their arms strapped and rendered powerless; they begged lamentably to be released from captivity. Iron cages still exist in the prison, but the use of them is now abandoned; not so in Egypt, where I saw the poor maniacs in cells like wild beasts, in a state of nudity, with collars about their necks, attached by a chain, and climbing the iron bars.

The article of tobacco in Spain is a government monopoly, and various manufacturers of cigars and snuff are found in the principal cities; the estancos, or shops for their sale, are appointed throughout the kingdom, producing a net revenue, under the best administration of affairs, of nine millions of dollars per annum. The establishment here is an immense solid stone structure, resembling a palace, three stories high, and employing three thousand eight hundred female operatives in making cigars, and two hundred men in cutting smoking tobacco. The director informed me that they had orders ahead to the value of sixty thousand dollars, and had not hands sufficient to supply them. Every department of the upper stories is occupied with females, there being from six to eight at each table; these tables are placed in double rows on each side of halls some three hundred feet in length, of a quadrangular form; the centre of the edifice is an open court. They commence at seven A.M., and leave at six P.M., bringing their simple repast with them in the morning. The basement is occupied as store rooms, in which are found all the different qualities of Havana and Philippine tobacco, not forgetting eleven mammoth hogsheads of one thousand pounds each, which I recognised readily as the staple of Kentucky and Virginia. I once visited the factory at Seville, where eighteen hundred females are employed, and thought it an extraordinary sight; but I was astonished to see such masses of the tender sex as were here, and the amount of work they performed.

The entire process of the silk manufacture, from the opening of the cocoon to the making of stuffs for ladies’ robes, is an interesting study. One large and well regulated factory that I visited employs from two hundred and fifty to three hundred females. In the upper story of this building are seen one hundred and twenty girls, placed in rooms sixty feet long, with a permanently set kettle in brick-work, and pipes of hot and cold water supplied by the engine pumps. The cocoons are put into the warm water and circulated with small brush brooms; the silk attaches itself to the fibres, and by motive power is drawn off on reeling machines. The worm is dislodged from the cocoon, and the silk completely drawn off; it then passes into the hands of the spinners, and thence to the weavers, and finally appears as the choice fabric of Valencia.

The manufacture of porcelain of various designs and colors, is curious for one not familiar with the method. The preparation is made from ground clay, moulded as in our brick and pottery works, then kiln-dried for fifteen hours, then passed through a composition of liquids, which is immediately absorbed, and which whitens it; it then goes into the hands of the artist, who designs with a brush the different figures and colors; it is then dried in kilns with faggots, for sixty hours. The principal trade is in squares for floors and staircases. Tiles for the domes of churches are also made of different colors. Valencia has a miserable harbor, which is now undergoing reconstruction; the roadstead is bad and dangerous, and it is at times impossible to land or embark, on account of the breakers. On landing from the steamer, which came from Barcelona, and which lay a mile distant from the shore, escaping from the surf on one side, we were beset by a clamorous horde of tartana drivers, each determined to have his portion of the spoils. The luggage has to be carried and examined at the custom-house, and thence transported from the village of Groan to Valencia, a distance of three miles.

The tartana is an odd-looking and hard riding vehicle; it is the carriage of the country for all classes. I can only compare it to a butcher’s cart without springs; it has a baggage-wagon top, seats suspended lengthwise, slightly raised from the axle, with heavy netting for the bottom, and steps in the rear; the driver has his seat on the shafts. The wealthy manage to fit them up with springs, and have them cushioned inside, with glass windows fore and aft, and tastefully painted; they are large enough for a family, and the captivating glances from the flashing eyes of the dark-browed senoritas, peeping from the openings, compensated in some degree for the ill-looking conveyance.

LXXXV.

MURCIA, SPAIN, March 29, 1853.

Leaving Valencia, by steamer, we arrived at Alicant the morning of Palm Sunday. The city contains some twenty-five or thirty thousand inhabitants; has a small artificial harbor, a tolerable roadstead, and is the seat of considerable commerce. It is well protected by a fort on the summit of a volcanic rock, of a dull grey color. The houses are clean and well built; but they suffer here from drought, having had but little rain for several years, and large numbers of the peasantry have emigrated to Algiers. The cathedral was crowded with groups of men, women, and children, bearing palm-branches, artificially braided, and fancifully ornamented with ribbons and sugar-plums, with which they paraded in the procession to the sounds of violins and bugles. The priests, in full church-robes, followed by the multitude bearing torches, passed out of the church, making a circuit, and returning knocked for admittance at the closed doors, which were finally opened to the triumphant group, a symbol of the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem. The huertas, or valleys, in the distance, irrigated by artificial means, are rich and fertile, and produce olives, grapes, and a succession of crops. The palmtree flourishes in certain localities, and the fresh dates are not to be despised. From Alicant I proceeded to Carthagena by steamer, some hundred miles. Carthagena is in a decayed state, for the want of commerce; still it is the best port of Spain on the Mediterranean. King Charles III. made it a naval establishment; the fortifications, bulwarks, hospitals, arsenals, and ropewalks, are upon a magnificent scale, and well worth a visit; but it has a dull, inanimate appearance, only a few naval vessels being there; the trade is mostly with English craft, bringing coal for the foundries in the neighborhood, and taking cargoes of lead in return. The mining of lead and copper is a very important branch in this portion of Spain. I visited some works which are extensively carried on by English capitalists, but I thought the lead ore which I once saw in Galena, Illinois, was superior in quality. There is a Presidio, or government prison, at Carthagena, which contained one thousand two hundred persons, employed like those described in Valencia. Large numbers were engaged in braiding Esparto, a species of mountain grass, which is made use of for sacking, carpeting, and various purposes. Not a little amusing was it to see groups of male convicts engaged in the unmanly employment of knitting fancy stockings for ladies.

From Carthagena I came to the capital of the old kingdom of Murcia by diligence, a distance of about thirty miles, and arrived in time to witness the principal ceremony of the Holy Week. The road passed through a dull and uninteresting country, traversing a grey volcanic region for a considerable distance across the mountain, without vegetation, when the fruitful valley of Murcia appeared of a sudden, not unlike an oasis in the desert. The irrigated valley is prolific in orange, lemon, mulberry, and other trees. The city contains forty thousand inhabitants; it is very quiet, being the residence of many aristocratic families, as may be seen from the armorial bearings on the fronts of the houses. The streets are narrow, and the buildings fancifully painted. There is an air of ease and comfort about the male peasantry, with their gay striped mantles, and the fancy embroidered drapery of the women, in groups on festival occasions, fills up the picture. The public walks, here, are very agreeable. The view of the Vega, or valley, from the Cathedral dome, and the circular city, with its blue flat roofs and cane pigeon-houses, is charming, as also the prospect of the country in the distance, with its drooping palm trees and flowery fields and gardens. The cathedral rises in divisions not unlike a spyglass drawn out, and surmounted by a dome.

The Holy Week has just drawn to a close. Having passed several of these festivals in Jerusalem, Rome, Havana, and Lima, I was anxious to witness the religious ceremonies, here, and compare them with those of the countries I have named. I find they outstrip the latter in the detail, but are less grand and impressive. The people pride themselves on the rich wood carvings of one Francisco Larcillo, who lived in the last century, and whose work is found in the churches, also in the figures which form part of the procession, and which are admirably executed. It was curious to watch the country people, of both sexes, in their gay Spanish costumes, crowding the streets to see the figures personifying the acts and sufferings of Christ; the Saviour being represented to the life, supporting the weight of a heavy cross, the wood-work of which was covered with tortoise-shell, and tipped with gold, his hair streaming at full length, and the blood trickling from the wounds of the golden crown of thorns. The platform rested upon the shoulders of twelve men, who were provided with crutches with which to rest themselves at the stations. The figures of Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalen, and St. Peter, with the keys, were upon similar platforms, covered with silks and satins, tinsel and gold, with a profusion of artificial and natural flowers. Among the number is Christ and the Twelve Apostles surrounding the table of the last supper, which is abundantly supplied with meats, fruits, and confectionery, very tastefully arranged. The almost naked and bleeding form of Christ submitting to the flagellation, is represented by the hideous figure of a monster who has fallen from exhaustion, while others are drawn to take the cords that bind him to the stake. The immense procession is headed by bands of music, the priesthood in full regalia, the military and civil officers, followed by a company of Nazarenes in armor, with lances, who go through a sham fight, the whole succeeded by the military, and as many as five hundred persons, bare-footed, of all ages and sizes, dressed in white cotton cloth hoods and skirts, their loins girded with cords. The hoods or masks contain two holes for sight. The persons who wear these masks support a black crucifix of some weight upon their shoulders. The streets are crowded to excess, and the balconies are filled with sparkling-eyed senoritas and groups of friends. The anxiety of the crowd to get a peep at the procession, with the confusion, made it more a festival or jubilee than a religious ceremony. The night procession with torches, after the crucifixion, with the lifeless and mutilated body of Christ, surrounded by his weeping mother and the attending groups, was more quiet, and more solemn and imposing. High mass was numerously attended in the Cathedral on the morning of the Resurrection, when at ten o’clock the bells of the city churches thundered forth the glad tidings that the Saviour had risen, and induced many to huzza it. I had to take refuge in a shop for a half hour from the merciless peltings of those on the house-tops and in the balconies, who threw ashes, sand, and earthen missiles, not unlike the Brazilian wax-balls of lemon size, filled with water, only more difficult to dispose of. It was a temporary diversion, and was taken in good part: but some funny scenes and dirty faces were the consequence.

Having visited on a former occasion all the southern cities of Spain, and having now completed the eastern coast on the Mediterranean, I must turn my face towards Madrid, and have a fatiguing ride for upwards of two hundred miles, in heavy lumbering diligences, over rough roads, with miserable Posadas, or inns. The roads are now considered tolerably safe, being protected by civil guards, who have arrested and shot many of the highwaymen.

I shall take Aranjuez, the Versailles of the Spanish court, en route to Madrid.

LXXXVI.

MADRID, April 15, 1853.

Ensconced in the bedina, or front compartment of a huge lumbering diligence, at two o’clock in the morning, I left Murcia, behind eight mules, a postillion, and two drivers, with the prospect of a hard ride, over a very uninteresting country, of sixty Spanish leagues--which are unlike any other for length--the “Camino Real,” or royal road, being neglected, and in consequence of the winter rains, in horrible order. The wheel mules are attached to the pole, and guided without bits; the others draw by long straggling ropes; the coachman sits in the box with his long whip, and his assistant, who jumps down from time to time and pelts the animals with sticks, stones, and mud. The postillion rides a horse beside the first led mule; he is required where the roads are the worst, and he keeps the track. The mules all have their titles, and seem to understand the incessant cries, from the India-rubber lungs of the driver, of Carpintero, Zapetero, Carbonero, and the whole catalogue of names. The long ears of the animal named, are pricked up, and his best efforts are made under the cut of the lash, or the whizzing of a stone past his head.

We pushed through a dreary and uninteresting country some twenty leagues, with occasional fertile valleys and indifferent villages, to the Sheffield of Spain, the town of Albacete, where we passed the night. It is noted in Spain for the manufacture of arms. Population ten thousand. We were soon surrounded by venders of poniards, stilettos, and small punalicos, or knives, which the women are said to conceal in their garters. The Spaniard is very expert in the use of the knife, and with it concealed under his capa, or cloak, is a dangerous enemy. The inns are generally great, barn-like stone buildings, with open patios, or courts, for the entrance of animals and vehicles. The rooms are generally dirty, with no furniture except cot-beds; and after an oily garlicky supper, the fleas, and kicking and thrashing of the mules all night, one is prepared for a comfortable nap in the diligence over a rough road. The bread is generally excellent throughout Spain, and chocolate can always be procured.

We made long, tiresome distances, over barren treeless plains, with no water for irrigation, and no signs of birds or animal life, when we would suddenly strike a fertile valley, tolerably cultivated by the scratching process of rude ploughs, but without hedges or landmarks, to denote proprietorship.

At break of day, and late sunset, the peasants may be seen mounted on donkeys, or carrying their implements of husbandry, after the hard toils of the day, returning to their mud or stone hovels, comfortless and cheerless, not unlike the country people in the interior of Sicily, who congregate in villages in like manner, and for a motive similar to the one which actuates them here--safety from the hordes of bandits which the wars of the Peninsula have produced. The guardias civiles, whom we met from time to time, have made sad havoc with the Ladrons, shooting several, and taking many prisoners, so we came through in safety.

Some of the villages of La Mancha through which we passed, were very poor, with many beggars; others appeared comfortable, and the people gay and cheerful, notwithstanding the heavy exactions and badly administered government. The country, however, was full of historical interest, as at the left, not far distant, lay Argamasilla del Alba, in the prison of which Cervantes wrote Don Quixote. Near the villages many flat, square, open threshing floors, were found, for bruising the grain with the feet of mules and oxen, after the custom of oriental countries. I was forcibly reminded of the exploits of Don Quixote as we approached the village El Toboso, the reputed residence of the crack-brained knight of the windmills; for here the mills were numerous, and used for grinding the grain of the country. They look not unlike giants in the distance, and hence it was perhaps that the Don assured Sancho that they might get elbow-deep in adventures. It was a festival day with the peasants, and the dulcineas, with their half Swiss, half German appearance, in blue and green petticoats, with handkerchiefs tied under their chins during the Cachucha, the national dance, and castanets in their hands, and their Cabeleros, in low crowned, high rimmed, velvet-bound hats, with fancy colored, round clothes, jackets and leggings, had a happy effect.

On the morning of the third day we breakfasted at Ocana, memorable for a battle in 1808, in which Marshal Soult, with twenty-five thousand men, put to flight sixty thousand Spaniards, through good generalship; the French killed five thousand and took twenty-six thousand prisoners, with the loss of only one thousand six hundred men, a stroke of luck reminding one of the famous Texian fight at San Jacinto. The town was pillaged and almost destroyed--the people left poor and miserable. The diligences and other vehicles concentrate here from the south and east, and give it some importance.

From Ocana we passed through a hilly, dreary, and treeless country, until suddenly, as if by enchantment, burst upon the view the fertile valley and banks of the Tayos, upon which is situated Aranjuez, the early summer residence of the royal family, the spires and cupolas of the palace and outbuildings, looming up like signals for the benighted traveller in the desert waste. Here is found the only railroad, which enters the capital, a distance of nine leagues. As I design visiting the palaces and the gardens when the trees are in full bloom, I shall defer my remarks until that time.

Upon a small eminence, approaching Madrid, is seen a monument denoting its geographical position, in the centre of Spain. Madrid is, comparatively speaking, a modern city; for Spain having risen under Charles V., who, gouty and phlegmatic, found the cool bracing air from the mountains adapted to his complaint, he deserted the ancient capitals of Valladolid, Sevilla, Granada, and Toledo, and fixed his residence upon several hills upon the banks of a small river, almost dry in summer, at an elevation of two thousand four hundred feet above the level of the sea. It was declared the capital by Philip II., in 1560. The country about is flat, and without trees; it produces but little, the climate being changeable; but being the residence of the royal family, and seat of the government, with its three hundred thousand population, from all parts of the empire, as well as strangers, it became the grand focus of attraction and extravagance, exhausting the revenue and the resources of Spain, both foreign and provincial. Every article of use is brought from abroad, or from the provinces, over the caminos reales, or royal roads, which branch off, but meet north and south. Notwithstanding the aridity of the soil, the lavish expenditures of former governments have, by means of irrigation, produced magnificent shaded drives and promenades in the suburbs; among the number figures the Prado, the resort of all fashionable Madrid in the evening. It is ten thousand feet in length, and two hundred feet wide, with fountains and statuary. The salon, or part most frequented, is about one thousand five hundred feet long, and is occupied by promenaders of both sexes, in full dress, while thousands of ladies in mantillas, seated in chairs, are being passed in review by Cabeleros smoking their cigaritos. The side carriage road is occupied by a long procession of brilliant equipages and liveried attendants. It is necessary to sprinkle the grounds, as the fine grey dust is prejudicial to dress, and destructive to the eyes and lungs.

The Spaniards think there is only one Corte, one Madrid in the world, and it is not surprising, for the resources of the country concentrate here. The palace is beautifully situated, and one of the finest in Europe. The Royal Museum contains the famous national paintings of Murillo and Velasquez, as well as some of the best gems of Raphael, Titian, and Michael Angelo; and the immense galleries of all the different schools of European art, demand several days’ close examination. The chief public amusements are the theatres and bull-fights; in the former, you see the national dances in all their perfection; in the latter, which are attended by all classes, to the extent of some thirty thousand persons, eight or ten bulls, and seven or ten horses pay the forfeit of their lives. One of their famous matadors, or swordsmen, died recently, and was interred with great pomp and ceremony, his coffin being exposed, covered with a black pall, for twenty-four hours before the high altar, surrounded by tall burning wax candles. The stately, silver-mounted hearse, with waving black plumes, was drawn by four horses, in black drapery, followed by a large number of bearers with torches, and one hundred and ten vehicles, several of which were of the nobility; then followed a multitude of the middling classes, while the balconies were filled with ladies.

Near the Palace, on the opposite side of a beautiful circular promenade, surrounded by trees and the statues of the former kings of Spain, is situated the opera-house, a fine edifice, erected by Ferdinand VII. for his convenience. The night piece to the close for the season is Fra Diavolo. We had a full house, the queen, as well as the ex-queen Christina and daughters, being present.

Things are in a bad state in Spain; the treasury is bankrupt; the abuses of the general government are great; constitutional privileges are only in name; the taxes and imposts upon the farmers are heavy; the people in the interior are poor; the liberty of the press is abridged; and all this in a country possessing every variety of soil and climate, and rich in its productions, both agricultural and metallic.

The all but universal want of honor and good faith of the royal family and upper classes of society is notorious. The queen mother, one of the wealthiest capitalists of Europe, is grasping and avaricious; undertaking enterprises with great benefit to herself, but disastrous to the tax-payer. The people detest her, but are currying and subdued when she presents herself.

I was in the Cortes when Bravo Murillo was defending himself from the charges alleged against him for his acts in granting railway privileges while minister. The House of Deputies is magnificently fitted up; but the members, in handsome attire, with white kid and colored gloves, and gold-headed canes, differ from our working members, surrounded with their budgets and documents, and up to their eyes in paper, ink, and public journals. The opposition were exposing the acts of the government in influencing the public elections, thereby securing their own instruments of power. This could not be endured, and a royal order closed the Cortes. The excitement soon passed over; for what can the reformer do when the whole force of the army is ready to put down any attempt, and when that arm of strength is the only official department sure of pay, even when other branches of the public service are neglected? My opinion is that the day is not far distant when a change must take place in the affairs of this ill-governed country.

LXXXVII.

THE ESCORIAL, May 1, 1853.

On this busy, bustling day at home, I find myself wandering quietly and solitary through the untenanted gorgeous palace of the Escorial, with its minute combinations of convent, royal cemetery, and residence of the former kings of Spain. My guide is nearly seventy years of age, and has been blind for the last fifty-six years; yet he is active, mounts the cupola through the numerous passages, and describes the particular localities and points of view. This immense edifice measures seven hundred and forty-four feet by five hundred and eighty feet, and the entire square covers more than three thousand feet. In the centre is the chapel, surmounted by a dome. There are, so says the guide, sixty-three fountains, twelve cloisters, eighty staircases, sixteen court yards, and three thousand feet of fresco work, commenced in 1553, and finished in 1584.

The chapel has three naves three hundred and twenty feet long, two hundred and thirty feet wide, and three hundred and twenty feet to the top of the cupola. It is built of granite, in fine proportion, and superb for its simplicity, with richly decorated altars of jasper, and various marble and bronze gilt statues of great size. The painting, statuary, frescoes, and other ornaments are in proportion, to give you a faint idea of this immense work. Philip II., half monk, half king, died here in 1598, boasting that from the foot of a mountain he governed half the world with a scrap of paper. The lavish expenditure of millions upon millions could only have been supplied from newly discovered America.

From Madrid the distance is eight leagues by diligence, most of the way over a barren, desert country, where the immense glowing piles are discovered, at the base of the mountain, with its small village which is resorted to in summer by the citizens of Madrid, to escape the heat, glare, and dust of the city. The royal family never visit here, as it is the resting-place of their deceased relatives. The lawns, gardens, and promenades are pretty, as is also a miniature country house, ornamented with marble arabesques, rich paintings, and all the paraphernalia of a palace. Philip II. accumulated some seven thousand relics, which are preserved in five hundred and fifteen shrines. The French carried off much of the bullion of gold, but the exhibition is still sufficient to satisfy the most fastidious. The Pantheon, or burial-place, is a vaulted chamber under the high altar, approached by green and yellow colored jasper staircases, by torchlight; it is an octagon-formed chamber, thirty-six feet wide, and equally high, where in niches repose the kings and mothers of kings, the sexes being on opposite sides. The hosts of monks who were formerly here under the patronage of the king, no longer exist; and the services to the departed dead, and the few living who repair here, are performed by a limited number of priests.

Since I last wrote you from Madrid, I have visited the antiquated city of Toledo, and the summer residence of the royalty at Aranjuez. From Madrid to Toledo is twelve leagues, over a dull, dusty road, with straggling villages; among the number Illescas, which merits its reputation of having served up a stewed cat to Gil Blas, instead of a hare; but on approaching the venerable and imposing old city, the country improves, and is tolerably cultivated. It is built upon an almost impregnable rock of seven hills, and is two thousand four hundred feet above the level of the sea; the river Tayos rolls through the gorge which separates it from the opposite eminence; it has only one approach by the land side, which is protected by mammoth towers and castellated walls. The diligence enters on the outside road, which is of modern construction, and can only pass through the old gates and the narrow and circuitous lanes by means of cutting places for the form of the hubs to pass. It was a relief to escape from the heat, and glare, and dust of Madrid, and find oneself in the elevated, fresh, and invigorating atmosphere of this old city, with its shaded terraces and huts, protected from the sun’s rays by tall, substantial, Moorish-like houses, with clean courts, not unlike those of Seville; and although it was gloomy and tomb-like, its dilapidated population having dwindled down from two hundred thousand to fifteen thousand, it was an agreeable change from the noisy, bustling capital. My eyes having suffered from the dust, which in Madrid, at this season of the year, amounts to an epidemic, I wore blue goggles. I went quite opportunely, however, to see the town in convention, as the following day the ex-queen Christina and daughters came to see the Cardinal, her confessor. It being her first visit to this old city, it was quite a festival day; the priests were in full regalia, and the troops under arms; high mass was performed in the old cathedral; this, and the firing of cannon from the towering platform of the Alcazar, the banners, curtains, and counterpanes suspended from the balconies of the curious antique Plaza, gave the old city an animated appearance. Christina, in her gracious, smiling, and captivating manner, responded to the salutations of the people, who at heart despise her for her intriguing and audacious disposition. She was remarkably well, and appears nearly as young as when I saw her in Rome during her exile.

In the heart of the city towers one of the finest cathedrals in Spain; it is two hundred and four feet wide, and its central nave is one hundred and sixty feet high. It is a perfect museum of art, architecture, sculpture, and painting, which cannot well be described on paper. The illuminated stained glass windows, when seen at sunset, resembled rubies and emeralds. The view from the tower is very extensive. The chiming of the many ponderous bells, coming upon you while in the tower, is deafening. There are various churches and galleries, of antique and Moorish architecture, which occupy one’s time to advantage. Toledo, famous for its arms, has still its government manufactory, which employs about two hundred men; it is situated about one and a half miles from the city, on the banks of the river, and is well worth a visit. Although the machinery is dull and heavy, the work turned out is very superior. The finest armory I have seen was in Madrid, which has a vast collection, and contains a variety of ancient as well as modern blades. The collection of horse and warrior armor is of the choicest and most exquisite composition. The blades are of fine temper and polish, and so elastic that they can be coiled like the mainspring of a watch, and packed up. The collection of new arms in the form of all the antiques, Arab and Turkish, in use, is very interesting. The introduction of fire-arms was destructive to the interests of Toledo.

From Toledo I proceeded along the river bank six leagues to Aranjuez, through a rich agricultural and beautiful country, the property of the queen; it was sparsely populated, and little productive, from its unnatural tenure. The shady avenues for nearly a league approaching the royal abode are agreeable. The court resides here until the middle of June, when fevers sometimes prevail from the miasma of the river, then the town is quite deserted, and royalty departs to La Granza for the summer and autumn, until it returns to Madrid. Nature was in her prettiest attire, the vast and extensive gardens were filled with shade-trees of all countries. In the long walks, studded with thickly covered foliage, among the flowering fruit-trees, the fountains abundantly supplied with water, the statues and groups of Neptunes, Tritons, Dolphins, and hosts of allegorical figures, among the singing of birds, and the murmuring of the cataracts of water, one is transported as if by enchantment into a fairy land. The workmen were all busy in getting the grounds in order for the arrival of the queen.

I returned to the capital. The usual display of military took place at the departure of the queen, whose absence gave me an opportunity of seeing the royal stables, carriage houses, and harness rooms, which are among the richest in Europe for equipage. Some of the antique carriages were superbly decorated with gold and silver. The stable contained two hundred horses, one hundred and fifty mules, and one hundred and fifty equipages, which can be turned out on state occasions with appropriate harness and trappings. The employees in and about the palace are about eight hundred in number, so a very good idea may be formed of the expenses of a monarchical government, and an easy solution of the enormous imposts and taxation. Spain, with a population reduced from twenty-four millions to thirteen millions, pays the queen two and a half million of dollars per annum, while the glorious Republic of double the population, considers twenty-five thousand pretty good pay for a President. How often, while standing at the gates of the walled cities, noticing the wrangling between the officials and the hardy peasantry of the country, who are obliged to submit to the impost upon every article of production, have I reflected upon our free and untrammelled farmers at home, enjoying liberty of action, opinion, and religion, and free from passports and spies. How much we have to be thankful for, and how much we undervalue the privileges we possess.

I shall proceed across the mountain to La Granja, the last royal seat I have to visit, and shall continue to the ancient cities of Leyena and Valladolid.

LXXXVIII.

VALLADOLID, SPAIN, May 9, 1853.

Leaving the Escorial I proceeded on horseback, with my guide, across the Guadarama chain of mountains, which divides old and new Castile, a distance of some nine leagues to San Ildefonso, the residence of the Court in the months of July, August, and September, about eighteen leagues from Madrid. We had had rain at the Escorial, which proved to be snow on the mountains. The road was constructed in 1749, by Ferdinand; at its extreme height is a marble lion, five thousand feet above the level of the sea. The view from the summit, with the valleys and villages spread out like a map, was very beautiful, while the tall forest pines with their white mantles among the jagged rocks, and the cascades from the melting snow, were truly Alpine, and reminded me of the Simplon. Here, also, Napoleon crossed on Christmas-eve, in 1808, with great loss from the extreme cold, leading his army in person, and in his impatience leaping from his horse, and walking on the snow, encouraging his troops. During the winter the road is frequently impassable; but notwithstanding that my horse was plunging through snow banks in the narrow passes up to his middle, I felt little inconvenience from the cold under the rays of the mid-day sun, and the highest pinnacles once past, descending rapidly into the valley, a two hours’ ride carried me to the village of La Granja.

In 1722, Philip V., while hunting, discovered this Granja, or farm house, of the Segovian monks, and being of a retiring disposition, bought the site, and commenced building a palace, and laying out the grounds, levelling rocks, forming lakes and fountains, which surpass many in Europe, for there is no want of water here. The gardens are planted in avenues and adorned with marble statues. There are twenty-six great fountains; among the number are the baths of Diana, with twenty female figures. The fountain of Fame throws water one hundred and twenty feet high. The mountain rises abruptly here eight thousand feet high; the snow on the craggy, rocky sides and forests, the fresh vegetation of spring in the valley, and the mountain cataracts, produced one of those magnificent sights which are so difficult to describe, and so hard to forget. The season was still backward, as the fruits of spring ripen in autumn: everything was artificial; rocks were levelled and hollowed to admit pipes and roots of trees, and earth brought from the plains. The expenses were so enormous, that this infatuated king died owing forty-five millions of reals. The palace is pleasantly situated, and looks over the royal grounds; the royal apartments are light, airy, and well finished, but not strikingly magnificent. The saloons have some fine paintings and statuary, but many of these works of art have been removed to Madrid. Here, in January, 1724, Philip V., who was a bigot and hypochondriac, abdicated his crown and resumed it the same year, after the death of his son, being urged to become a king again by his wife, who was tired of private life.

Here, Ferdinand VII., in 1832, revoked the decree by which he had abolished the Salic law, and declared his daughter, the present Queen Isabel, heiress to the crown, which act brought upon Spain her civil wars, and the imputed succession of “Don Carlos,” for here were carried on the court intrigues by Christina, who induced her royal husband to sign the document while on a sick bed. Ferdinand died in 1833, and then commenced the civil wars, which distracted the kingdom. In the same palace, in 1835, this same Ex-Queen Christina, in turn, was deprived of her royal privileges, and forced by the soldiery to proclaim the democratical constitution of 1812, after which she was exiled until the present restoration of things took place. A few leagues further on is the old Castillian city of Segovia, with its giant houses and balconies; it resembles Toledo somewhat; the population is reduced from thirty thousand to nine thousand. Its position is cold and bleak, three thousand three hundred feet above the level of the sea, surrounded by picturesque old walls and towers. Here is the most remarkable Roman Aqueduct I have yet seen. The steep banked rivers of the Erisina and Clamores which girdle the city, were difficult of access, and induced the ancients to bring the pure stream of the Rio Trio several leagues by this aqueduct. It has several angles from two hundred to nine hundred feet, to break the force of the water; the arches rise in proportion as the ground deepens, until they become double; the upper tiers are uniform; the three central ones, which are the most stupendous, being one hundred and two feet in height. This mammoth work is of solid granite blocks, without cement or mortar, of similar form to those in the Campagna of Rome. This immense structure was probably erected by Trajan, but nothing is known of its history. According to some antiquarians, it was built by one Lucinus, but the common people call it the Puente del Diablo, or devil’s bridge, because his Satanic majesty was in love with a fair Segovian, and offered his services for her affections, which she promised him provided he would build an aqueduct in one night, which he did. One stone, however, being found deficient, the church decided the contract void, and Satan was foiled. The lower classes believe the story, and give no credit to other accounts. The aqueduct was respected by the Goths, but broken in part by the Moors of Toledo, in 1071, who destroyed thirty-five arches, which remained in ruin until 1483, when Isabella, Queen of Spain, repaired them. One of the finest old Gothic Cathedrals of Spain is Segina. From its square tower, covered with a cupola three hundred and six feet high, is a beautiful panoramic view of the city with its gardens, convents, aqueduct, and La Granza, lying at the base of the towering mountains.

Valladolid, the city from which I write, has no diligence communication with Segovia. I was therefore, obliged to make a circuit of ninety miles to reach this point, spending a part of a day at San Raphael, the angle of two roads in a miserable Venta, a halting-place for muleteers; it was an open, barn-like barrack, with a stone floor; a huge kitchen, black as night from the smoke of the past twenty years; the ceiling hung with sausages, garlic, bacon, and dried calf skin, while the sides were covered with the whole battery of the cuisine, not forgetting a strolling tinker at work repairing the copper vessels. The huge fireplace in the centre, was some ten feet square, rising conically through the roof, not unlike the smoke-stack of a furnace. The grape-vine fire burned brightly, surrounded by dark-visaged and bearded muleteers in their bandit-appearing costume, singing and cracking their jokes, awaiting the contents of the various copper pots distributed upon the embers and suspended over the flames. In manner I was awaiting my puchero, one of the best Spanish dishes, divested of oil and garlic, and composed of beef and vegetables boiled. My appetite was arrested, however, by the bleating cries of a poor calf three weeks old, which was being massacred by the fire-side. It had no effect upon a poor famished soldier, who had entered and ordered a bowl of broth and a morsel of bread, which seemed to restore him until he disclosed his poverty and inability to pay. In vain he solicited relief from those present; the cook took his handkerchief in payment, and drove him away. I interceded and relieved the poor man, to the satisfaction of the guests, but the cook looked daggers, for he had lost his prize. Travelling in the interior of uncivilized Spain is doing penance, but one is amply compensated for it in the enjoyments of the large cities, and in the examination of the monuments and works of art.

Valladolid was, in the sixteenth century, the seat of royalty, and as such was adorned with splendid edifices, under Charles V.; but its beautiful river and fertile country were abandoned for upstart Madrid, situated in a desert plain, to gratify the caprice of a monarch. Its population dwindled from fifty thousand to half the number. Buonaparte made sad work with the convents in 1809, as the relics of art now collected in the museum testify. Some of the finest specimens of woodcarving by Juan de Juani are found here, while exquisite and elaborate façades of convents in marble still exist in perfection. All the public archives of Spain are preserved at Simancas, a town and castle about two leagues from here. The strong castle, surrounded by a moat, was a well selected site when the capital was here; but it is now too far removed from Madrid. There are some thirty rooms filled with state papers, the correspondence of foreign governments and the provinces. The papers of the Inquisition are very numerous; also war orders and original dispatches of the Grand Captain, letters of the different monarchs, the correspondence of Christopher Columbus, the Inventory of Isabella’s jewelry, and her last will and testament besides the title deeds to the Duke of Wellington’s estate. Napoleon ordered the most curious documents to Paris, as he had already plundered Vienna and Rome. Some eight thousand packages and bundles were sent to Paris, but after the battle of Waterloo most of them were restored. The French soldiers destroyed large numbers, as the strings were useful, and the papers served to make beds, and to light camp fires.

Documents bearing date in the 13th and 14th century are dry and perfectly preserved, as are those of the present day.

There is sufficient of interest to occupy one pleasantly a few days, but having diverged considerably from the main route, I shall proceed to Burgos, celebrated for its Gothic Cathedral, and from thence branch off to the left and visit the Basque provinces of the north. Having strong recommendations here to the husband of the Infanta, or king’s sister, who occupies the palace of Philip III., I was hospitably entertained. It was in this palace that Buonaparte was lodged, and he looked out of the window upon two of the noblest specimens of religious Gothic art in the world; the interior is destined to destruction, but the exterior sculptures of these convents still remain in their purity. Invited to dine en famille, I found myself with a little circle of five persons, the seat of honor being reserved for me beside the Infanta. A sumptuous repast and choice old wines were served by three full-liveried servants, after which the conversation turned upon our beloved country, who found a defender present, and one disposed to portray her beauties and capacities as far as was consistent with his position. The evening closed agreeably at the opera. You will probably hear from me again from Santander or Bilboa, in the north.

LXXXIX.

SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN, May 23, 1853.

From Valladolid to Burgos, some seventy miles by diligence, the road was dry and dusty, and the country uninteresting; the villages were poor, and the soil badly cultivated. The land tax, and the conscription for the army, are discouraging to the cultivator of the soil; the youth are liable to be taken and forced to quit their native country, and sent to the Island of Cuba, or the Philippine Islands, as was the case recently while I was in Santander. Some two hundred were sent off in a crowded vessel at this unpropitious season, to arrive in the yellow fever months at Havana.

The city of Burgos was sacked and burnt by the French army in 1808, and its population of fifty thousand dwindled down to twelve thousand; but it is mostly rebuilt, and presents a tolerable appearance. The great attraction for strangers is its Gothic Cathedral, one of the finest in Spain, and of great antiquity, having been commenced in the year 1221. It was respected by the French during the war. This immense edifice has two towers with spires of open stonework, which in the distance appear as light as lace-work, and one wonders how it can endure this blustering climate. The chapels are as large as some churches, and filled with tombs of sculptured marble and stained glass. The white stone of some of the interior walls and buttresses inclosing the choir represents in sculpture the life of Christ, his agony, the supporting of the cross, the crucifixion and ascension; the building, like other edifices of the kind in Spain, is a perfect museum of art, pictures, statuary, and carved wood. The ceremonies of the Ascension were consummated while I was there, in the presence of a vast assemblage from town and country, giving one a good opportunity to observe the variety of character and costume.

From Burgos to Santander, the northern Atlantic shore of Spain, is ninety miles; the first portion is dreary and badly cultivated, and the hills are high and arid; but suddenly some of the most charming valleys appear, and the face of nature as well as the condition of men changes, as we approach a commercial port. Santander is an important trading town of sixteen thousand souls; it has fine stone quarries, and the air of activity of trade. There are large quantities of flour exported to the island of Cuba, which is protected by a heavy duty against our American productions, and should Spain lose this jewel of the crown the blow would fall heavily upon the grain-producing countries of the north. Another eighteen hours’ ride, after leaving Santander, brought me to Bilboa, the capital of Viscaya, situated upon the little river Nervion, which divides the old and new town, and is navigable from its entrance at Portugaleta, a small town, to the city. Bilboa lies in a gorge of hills, and has a damp climate; the vegetation is luxuriant, the country is most romantic and picturesque, and the town has a population of some fourteen thousand. Although still in Spain, appearances have changed, as the Basque provinces of the north, comprising Alava, Viscaya, and Guipuzcoa, forming the mountainous angle of the N. W. of the Spanish Peninsula, are the home of the aboriginal inhabitants who were never subdued or expelled, but were the first to sally forth from the mountains and beat back the invading Moors, a feat from which they derived their nobility, which afterwards extended throughout Spain; they consequently enjoy certain privileges not granted to any other portions of the country. They are free from conscription, or, as the Spaniards say, blood-tax, and are exempt from land-tax, stamps, and a variety of imposts, to which other parts of the empire are subjected. They regulate their church matters, and construct their own roads; hence the great and striking difference discernible in the manners, agriculture, manufacture, and general well-being of the people.

Tobacco is the great government monopoly in Spain, but here it is free, cheaper, and of better quality than elsewhere, which affords a great opportunity for the contraband trade. It is a great annoyance in Spain to have your luggage searched in every town you arrive at; mine has already been examined some fifteen times, without leaving the territory, or having any Spanish property in addition to my own. The Basques are a strong, hardy, and athletic race; they were invaded by sea in the year 879 by the Norwegians, and partly overcome, which accounts for their light complexion and form. The women perform the work of men. Arriving at the diligence office and giving the name of my hotel, as an American I felt mortified on seeing my trunk moved off on the head of a woman; but I soon discovered it was customary, and submitted.

Their holidays are celebrated with song and dance and ball playing. On Sunday the public promenade near the Cathedral was filled with children of all ages, with their nurses, enjoying the dance, while on the opposite banks of the river, within fifty yards of the Basilica, were assembled some one thousand grown persons, male and female, of the middle and lower classes, forming various groups and circles, in their curious costumes, dancing to the sound of tambourines and fifes, until fatigued, taking refreshments, or returning to the church, which, during the month of Maria or May, is a perfect flower garden. Banners were suspended from cords extending from the church to the refreshment hall.

From Bilboa to San Sebastian, is another eighteen hours’ ride, through a most luxuriant, charming and picturesque country. The farms are small, some only five or six acres--just enough for man, wife and family to work with spade or prong fork, which turns up the mould a great depth. The valleys and hill sides are covered with trellised grape vines, and reminded me much of Switzerland; indeed the people resemble the Swiss from their hardy habits and attachment to their country.

A fair was held at Bregada, a town at which I halted; it was a festival day in the villages. It rained, but not sufficient to stop the dance of the peasants, who stood in brogues made of skins, tied with strings, and were cutting it down in the mud, the water oozing out from the openings. The women, with hair in long plaited tresses and heads tied round with handkerchiefs, seemed to enjoy it hugely. The language no one but those bred in the country pretends to understand. Authors differ as to its history. One asserts that Adam spoke Basque, and that it was the language of the angels, and was brought pure into Spain before the confusion of tongues at Babel; another says, that angelic or not, it is so difficult that the devil, who is no fool, studied seven years in the Bilboas, and learned only three words. The use of various tongues in the same empire is a source of great evil, and causes distrust and jealousy, giving despots great advantage. The Basques proper are not understood out of their jurisdiction; the Catalonians are not understood by their neighbors, the Valencians; the Majorcans have a jargon of their own; the Gallicians are in like manner mixed up with the Portuguese. The Andalusians do not speak the true Castillian, consequently it is only in Castile and a part of Aragon that the language is spoken in its purity; quite unlike the enlightened republic of our country, where free education and the liberty of the press, and constant unrestrained communication absorb all other tongues, and make the English language general and intelligible through the land. This is the last important town in Spain before crossing the frontier of France; the distance now to Bayonne is only eleven leagues. San Sebastian is built on an isthmus under a conical hill which rises some four hundred feet above the sea, and is crowned by a castle. The approach is made easy by walks planted with trees, and here are found the graves of many English officers, to whom monuments have been erected, with the inscriptions in their own language. It was the theatre of several sieges between the French, English, and Spaniards, and the town was sacked and destroyed. The new town which is of rectangular form, with its plazas, shops, arcades and tall houses with balconies of uniform appearance and color, looks quite un-Spanish. It has a handsome beach, and is much resorted to in summer for sea-bathing. The greatest difference is observable between these Basque towns and those in the south, for the attractions here are those of Nature and not of Art. The fruits of the north are found here. Fruit is abundant in the mountains, and many valleys and points of view on the road carried me back to the magnificent scenery of the valley of the Schuylkill and Delaware. I find myself far removed from the orange groves, but apples are here in profusion, and the tables are served by the light Chacoli wine and cider of the country. The solid balconied stone manor houses of the wealthy appeared like fortresses, bearing their armorial shields sculptured over the portals, for the Basques pride themselves on being the original nobility of Spain. The law of primogeniture still exists as in England, but with the modification that the inheritor may dispose of one half of the inheritance; and as they are a money-getting and commercial people, the purse is getting the ascendency over title. Having formerly seen the south and west of Spain, and in this journey the east, centre and north, I have had a fine opportunity of judging of this peculiar country, closely bound together under one form of government, but composed of as different materials, in point of language, manners and costume, as of soils and climates, full of provincial prejudices, but loyal to the crown, unanimous in religion, and opposed to foreign innovations. In private life civil and polite to the stranger; warm friends, but implacable enemies. I shall now proceed to Bayonne; thence to Pau, and the famous baths of the Pyrenees, in the south of France; thence I shall return, via Bordeaux, Rochefort, La Rochelle, and Nantes, on my way to Paris.

XC.

PARIS, June 20, 1853.

From San Sebastian to Irun, the first frontier town on the high road to Madrid, we rode along the coast through a wild, scraggy, shrubby country. At that place I was relieved of my Spanish passport, and visé for France with an additional charge of two francs. We soon crossed a small stream which separates the two countries; the little bridge was guarded on each side by sentinels, one of whom examined the passport to see if it was properly visé to leave Spain, the other if it was en règle to enter France. We were accompanied as far as the frontier by two distinguished refugees from France, who had received a visit from their families at the first town, but dared not cross the line under pain of transportation to Cayenne.

I had previously met with several in different parts of Spain, who had narrowly escaped by crossing the Pyrenees, exposed to hunger, cold, and exhaustion. Over this bridge had passed half a million of French troops during the invasion of Spain under Buonaparte, half of whom never returned alive. The luggage once examined at the frontier custom-house, a few hours carried us to Bayonne, through a rich and cultivated soil, with fine houses dotting the country, so unlike the uncultivated wastes in the interior of Spain. Bayonne is an old, walled, seaport town, of considerable commerce, situated upon both banks of the Duoro, with shady ramparts and pleasant wooded environs. Its citadel was the key of Marshal Soult’s position in 1814, and was the scene of one of the most bloody conflicts between the English and French, which cost the lives of two thousand men. Here the Bayonnais used their knives in the muzzles of their muskets, which gave them the name of bayonets, and introduced that weapon in modern warfare. A few miles from Bayonne is Biaritz, much resorted to for sea-bathing; the shore is high, rocky, and iron-bound, but the bays are sandy, and the village, with its snug cottages and tenements, has somewhat the air of our own Cape May.

From Bayonne I diverged to the east to Oleron, along the base of the Pyrenees, in order to visit Pau, a place much frequented by foreigners for the mildness of its climate, and to make excursions to the celebrated watering-places. Pau is a lovely and attractive spot; its natural scenery is the admiration of all visitors; the beautiful chateau of Henry IV. is in the centre, upon a very commanding position. It is now undergoing repairs, and preparing for the reception of the French emperor in July.

Les Eaux Bonnes, the favored resort of the Countess Montejo, the present empress, and Les Eaux Chaudes, or hot springs, are situated in the mountain gorges of the towering Pyrenees, where we found excellent hotels, and all the recreations and diversions, and agreeable winding walks which nature and art can contrive, and which induce thousands of fashionables and invalids to resort thither during the hot months of summer.

The bathing establishments are on a stupendous scale. The valleys are teeming with a numerous and industrious population in their simple garb, and we see women and children with their simple utensils of husbandry in hand; the little patches are worked by hand, as the land is divided in small parcels, and frequently women are seen holding the scratching sort of plough, while the husband takes the place of the horse, or vice versa, when the representative of the animal is fatigued. These simple peasantry, who are buried in snow six months of the year, now employ every moment of their time to provide their winter supplies. They look forward with great pleasure to the arrival of the empress in July.

From Pau, in another direction, a distance of forty miles, lies Tarbe, a considerable town in a beautiful valley. I stopped there to visit the Hara, a government establishment which contains one hundred and twenty of the finest horses in France, imported from Europe, Asia, and Africa, for the improvement of the race. Thence I proceeded to the baths of Bagniere de Bigore, a pleasant town, famous for its hot ferruginous baths, and greatly resorted to. The largest marble manufacturing establishment I had ever visited, I found here, employing some one hundred and fifty hands. The great variety of marble found in the Pyrenees enables the stone-cutters to work to great advantage; the execution is on a larger scale than in the mines of Carrara, in Italy, where a large population is employed, but upon smaller work. Here the huge blocks are sawed by water power, and the work, from heavy altar pieces down to ladies’ ornaments, is skilfully and delicately wrought.

Not unlike our Kentucky farmers, who produce large droves of mules for the Southern States, the mountaineers here derive a handsome profit from the raising of these animals for the Spanish markets. In France horses are almost universally in use, while in Spain the hardy mule endures better the coarse fare of the road. In making my excursions I found myself reduced from a Spanish diligence with eight or ten mules, to a pair of horses and caleche, as the summer lines were not yet established. Another twenty hours’ ride from Pau, brought me to Bordeaux, upon the banks of the Garonne--the city most renowned in France for its wines, and having an extended commerce to all parts of the world. Bordeaux will soon be in direct connexion with Paris, by means of railroad, a distance of some three hundred and fifty miles, in ten to twelve hours. I found that the city had improved extensively since I visited it in 1847. It was then a fatiguing ride by diligence, but it will soon be a pleasant trip from Paris. Instead of returning by the same route, I descended the river by steamer to Blaze, and thence passed through the beautiful grape districts en route to Rochefort, famous for its arsenal; there, as well as at Toulon, the French marine is seen in its perfection. The town is regularly planned, with wide streets, well-paved sidewalks, and large gardens laid out in miniature, in the form of the Tuileries of Paris. The walls or ramparts are planted with shade trees, which have attained an immense size, and form beautiful promenades.

The head-gear of the peasant women is the most peculiar in France. They wear plain white or embroidered caps upon a form suited to the head, rising eighteen inches in height, the top extended like a fan; the elderly women are more moderate in their patterns, but the young girls seem to rival each other in the quantity and quality of the floating material. The next town en route is La Rochelle, in striking contrast to Rochefort for cleanliness and beauty. Its commerce consists chiefly in the exportation of brandies, as the region of country about Cogniac is almost exclusively devoted to and dependent upon the spirit trade.

From La Rochelle I proceeded to Nantes, one of the principal cities of France, situated upon the Loire. I arrived on a Sunday morning, and large preparations had been made for a church festival and procession from the cathedral. Nantes, like all other towns in France, as well as Spain, has its octroi duties, and every article of consumption pays its tribute at the gates, for the municipal support of the city. The conductor of the mail coach had carefully concealed a leg of mutton and a basket of peas for his festival dinner. His negative reply to the general question, if he had anything to declare, did not satisfy the officer, who, after a diligent search amongst the luggage, brought out the unfortunate treasure, which was put upon the scales, weighed, and taxed, much to the annoyance of its owner, as well as the detention of the passengers and mail. The houses and balconies of several streets were hung with tapestry, and adorned with garlands of natural and artificial flowers, immense altars with gold and silver tinsel ornaments occupying the angles and squares through which the procession passed, with long lines of musicians, the military, the church, and civil officers, followed by a thousand girls in white robes and veils--all got up with French delicacy and taste; it had a happy effect. At Nantes I first availed myself of the railroad, as I had made a long detour along the coast in order to visit the places named, avoiding other cities on the main route which I had formerly visited. It was with no small satisfaction that I took the express train, at the rate of forty miles per hour, for Angers, an antiquated city within, surrounded by a boulevard of noble trees upon the former rampart. It has a famous castle of immense size, built by the Roi d’Augon; it covers a large surface, and has seventeen towers. A fair was held there at the time, which attracted a large concourse of people. My next stopping point was at Amboise, where I visited the chateau which was the property of the Orleans family; it is eligibly and magnificently situated upon the banks of the Loire, and is a perfect fortress in itself. Here was shown the apartments where Abd-el Kader and his suite were confined nearly six years, as his captivity in the chateau of Henry IV., at Pau, was of short duration. The gardens and grounds, upon an elevation more than one hundred feet, are very picturesque, and here he delighted to pass most of his time. In one corner of the grounds which he occupied are seen the mounds of twenty-six out of ninety Arabs who died during their confinement. The country through which I passed was the garden of France. It was a continuous village; the cultivation was close, and the small farms abounded in products of every variety; vineyards and fruit were in profusion: cottages and farm-houses were almost within gun-shot of each other. From Amboise I continued by railroad to Tours, which contains one of the finest cathedrals in France. The fast line soon carried me to Blois, to visit its famous chateau, partly restored under the administration of Louis Philippe; the interior wood-work, painting, and gilding, are of the most choice execution. From Blois to the modern and unfinished chateau de Chambord, belonging to Henry V., the present legitimate incumbent to the French throne, is five leagues distant from the main route. I was well repaid for my ride. The structure is gigantic, the style of architecture is of varied character, and is a souvenir of monuments of different European ages, as well as Oriental styles. The buildings were never finished, but appropriations have been made by government to continue the work. The grounds inclosed occupy about eight miles square, with several villages of tenantry. Orleans, the next large city en route, has one of those mammoth Gothic cathedrals so much bepraised; but I have spoken so frequently of the works of art, that the subject must have become tiresome to you. The city was full to overflowing, and with much difficulty I procured quarters; the agricultural and horticultural fair and cattle-show produced such multitudes as we see in our own State. Finally, I was not a little rejoiced to return to Paris, after the fatigue of a somewhat protracted voyage. I might have gone into detailed accounts and filled several sheets since I last wrote you, but I desisted, as my eyes have not recovered their full force since I left the glare and dust of Madrid. I expect to leave Paris the early part of July, on my way home.

1854.

XCI.

MARSEILLES, February 27, 1854.

My apology for not writing since my departure for Europe, in November last, is of the most plausible nature. I have been under the care of two of the most scientific oculists of Paris for the past six weeks, for the relief of a species of ophthalmy, produced by the excessive glare of light, and fine dust during my journeyings in Spain last year. Finding myself partially relieved, and once again on my winding way, I will briefly state that less than a month had elapsed from the time I stepped on board the fleet and gorgeous steamer Arctic, for Liverpool, before I found myself in the great Babylon of modern times, London.

After a hasty visit to the manufacturing establishments of Manchester and Bradford, looking in upon the famous steelworks of Sanderson & Son, and the cutlery shops and depots of Joseph Rodgers & Son (both of Sheffield), spending a Sabbath in the old city of York, and enjoying the chanting of melodious voices, from a numerous choir in its much renowned Cathedral, I made an excursion to a cheese fair, where I found John Bull up to his shoulders in tons of choice Cheshire and Stilton.

The powerful agency of steam, and the perfection of the railway system, soon transported me across England to the eastern counties, the land of my ancestors, famed for its agriculture and game; thence to Yarmouth, the old town celebrated for its fisheries and sea-bathing, with its labyrinths of lanes, numbering from one to a hundred, through its very centre; only accessible for donkeys and foot passengers, impenetrable to foes without, and impracticable to home police in case of revolt. The herring fisheries were prodigious, and I recognised the cut of the Hollanders, who were attracted thither with their vessels. Providence in his wisdom had caused the ocean to yield a substitute for that which the soil this year refused, and in return for ingratitude the surplus was thrown upon the land.

Several excursions were made from the city of Norfolk to the farms of some of the branches bearing our family name, over well macadamized roads, and through highly cultivated grounds, surrounded with hawthorn hedges, inclosing herds of Devonshire, Hereford, and other famous breeds of cattle, not forgetting the flocks of Southdown and Leicester sheep, feeding from hurdles, upon the large Ruta Baga turnip; the scenery is interspersed with game forests belonging to the lords and nobility; they were delightful to the eye. But it was necessary to look further, and inquire into the working of the system. The products of the country bring high prices, but tithes and taxes reduce them. Labor is ill rewarded, and the distinction between the rich and the respectable poor is too strongly marked. The cry is for reform, and the British Parliament will be obliged to listen to it. One of the parties whom I visited pays eighty pounds, or four hundred dollars, church-tithes annually, in lieu of one-tenth part of the crop, and without the enjoyment of any of the advantages, for he is of the reformed religion, and has a small church upon his grounds.

The season was cold and wet, unfavorable for a long sojourn in England. I remained some ten days in London, revisiting some of the public monuments and works of art, which I had formerly described to you; also, the famous brewery establishments of Barclay, Perkins & Co., and Henry Meux & Co., which are among the great sights of the metropolis; the former, particularly, has been visited by thousands of strangers since the expulsion of Gen. Haynau, the Austrian butcher, by Barclay & Perkins’s draymen.

These works are gigantic, covering several acres of ground, and employing millions of capital. The quantity of ale manufactured on the average is equal to a thousand barrels (of thirty-six gallons) each per day; the gross quantity is four hundred thousand barrels each per annum, which enters into ordinary consumption, as ale and porter are the general beverage of the nation, and its first source of revenue under the excise is the malt and hop-tax. It is curious to look over the stables of one hundred and fifty of their mammoth dray-horses; the name of each is lettered over the stall. A small engine is used for cutting hay and straw, and cracking the grain, for feeding.

I attended the Smithfield Cattle Show, which gave me an opportunity of seeing the finest specimens of English and Scotch fat cattle, of the choicest breeds I had ever seen, the famous heifer of Wm. H. Worrall, of Dutchess county, being the only exception for her age. Prince Albert took the first prize for the finest exhibit of pigs.

Having attended the State Fair at Saratoga last autumn, I was better enabled to judge of our Poultry Show, which certainly compared favorably with the exhibition which took place while I was in Norfolk. The drove of Kentucky cattle, after a long drive to Saratoga, will be admitted by those who saw them to have been a beautiful sight, and gratifying to American pride.

Having made a sort of pilgrimage through one branch of my ancestry, I was anxious to visit in detail the work of another branch, the Guy Hospital in London, founded by Thomas Guy, whose honored name I bear. This noble Institution, one of the most celebrated in the world for its usefulness, was founded in 1722, upon a gigantic scale, in the Borough, across London Bridge. The founder, a bachelor, who had amassed a large fortune in trade and in the South Sea Expedition, conceived the laudable project of establishing an institution for all time, for the relief of suffering humanity. The buildings are airy and spacious, the residences of the governors exceedingly comfortable. He lived to complete the work, and enjoy the pleasure of its fruits for some twenty years, leaving an endowment of two hundred thousand pounds. The grounds have been enlarged, and new structures have been added with all the recent improvements for heat as well as ventilation, and it is now capable of containing from three hundred to four hundred patients, with a degree of comfort and cleanliness almost equal to a well regulated hotel. A small lunatic asylum, separate and distinct, is within the grounds, inclosed. The museum is a collection of wax figures, for the use of medical students, portraying almost all the diseases to which the human family is liable; it is a separate building, and is equal in merit to the famed exhibitions which I had visited in Montpelier in France, and Florence and Bologna in Italy. The institution is in the most flourishing condition, thanks to the legacy of the generous Mr. Brooks, who left it his entire fortune, upwards of a million of dollars. Medicines are distributed to all who apply, which privilege is abused, as I noticed in attendance, in airy, comfortable halls, in one wing of the buildings, seated upon benches, scores of men, women, and children, many even handsomely dressed, who, through avarice, avail themselves of this charity; but the will of the testator must be observed.

Notwithstanding the agitation of the Oriental Question, and the high price of provisions, I found Paris in the midst of its holiday festivities. The government understands so well the wants and desires of the small dealers in fancy articles, that all sorts of amusements are encouraged, whereby money is put in circulation. Several magnificent balls have been given by the Emperor at the Tuileries. The Municipality of Paris has also given grand balls at the Hotel de Ville. Masquerade balls take place weekly at the Grand Opera. The condition of my eyes prevented my joining in many of the gaieties of Paris. The evening of my presentation, however, to the Emperor and Empress, I assisted at the Court Dress Ball at the Tuileries, where were present some three thousand persons, and it was certainly the most brilliant affair I had ever seen in Europe before. We were some twenty-five persons in the saloon adjoining the imperial apartments, awaiting a special presentation; after which, following in the train of the ladies of honor to the grand saloon of the Marshals, the dense multitude opening in line, we formed ourselves in front of a sort of throne, with an orchestra for the music alone. Their Imperial Majesties being seated, were surrounded by the ex-king Jerome Bonaparte, the Grand Duchess of Baden, and other distinguished members of royalty. The Emperor opened the ball with the wife of the Ambassador of Belgium, the Empress dancing with the Minister of Austria; the quadrille was made up by the Minister of Finance, Mr. Fould, and Marshal Magnan, and their partners. The dance then became general in the vast saloons adjoining, and the music of an additional fanciful kind. Waltzing was followed by beautiful young ladies and their cavaliers, who aspired to the privilege of displaying themselves in the presence of the Imperial group. The vast gilded saloons of this immense palace were brilliantly illuminated from suspended candelabra; the great variety of uniforms, Military, Naval, Diplomatique and Civil, Turkish, Greek, and Hungarian, and others, with the rich costly robes of the ladies, certainly presented one of the most magnificent spectacles the eye could behold; diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and other precious gems, were dazzling to one’s eyes.

Mr. Mason, our Minister, appeared in court dress, notwithstanding the request of Secretary Marcy to all diplomatic functionaries to appear only in plain garb, which instruction should have been made positive, if made at all, and it would not have led to the unpleasant incidents already experienced by our representatives.

As simple citizens of the Republic, we must subscribe to the rules of foreign courts, or exclude ourselves from such festivities; consequently necessity obliged me to take my rank as aide-de-camp, with a sword and chapeau. One of the most “observed of all observers,” was a German Prince, the Duke of Brunswick, who was a burlesque on royalty. He wore a peruque with curls, thick rouge on his face, a court dress emblazoned with gold and precious stones; white doe-skins, with diamond knee-buckles; silk stockings, and pumps with diamond shoe-buckles; his epaulettes were of topaz and diamonds, the scabbard and hilt of his sword were of gold, beset with emeralds, rubies, and brilliants; his breast was covered with orders and massive gold chains, encircled with gems; even his chapeau was decorated in like manner. In a word, he was an eccentric, and in my eyes a vain and conceited personage.

The early refreshment saloons, and the two o’clock supper halls at the two extreme ends of the banquet rooms, were visited by the imperial party, after which they retired.

The entertainment was sumptuous, and what might be expected from imperial munificence, with the art and taste of the French cuisine.

From Paris to Chalons, by railway, eleven hours’ ride, a night’s repose, and eight hours’ descent of the Saone by steamer, through what would be a picturesque country at a more favorable feature of the year, and one finds himself at the great silk manufacturing city of Lyons.

The navigation of the Rhone was interrupted by low water. Last year I made half the distance to Avignon by steamer at the same season; now I had no recourse except a twenty-four hours’ ride in the diligence; two hours’ additional by railroad brought me to this commercial city of Marseilles for the fourth time. Of course I have nothing new to offer you.

I propose visiting two islands of the Mediterranean, which I have not seen, and of which little is known by travellers. The first, Corsica, which gave birth to Napoleon, is improving; but the other island, Sardinia, remains in a primitive state, so I shall probably meet with something that will interest you.

XCII.

AJACCIO, ISLAND OF CORSICA, March 12, 1854.

I wrote you from Marseilles, the great southern commercial port of France, where much activity prevailed at this season among the vessels, in consequence of the excessive imports of grain, through the failure of the French harvest. I responded to the civilities of our Consul, in dining with our Chargé d’Affaires from Naples, and embarked the following day for Porto Torres, a small seaport upon the island of Sardinia, a distance of some two hundred and fifty miles, by steamer, touching at Corsica. A heavy sea and head wind delayed us; the journey occupied some thirty hours. Thence I proceeded to the principal city, which is called Sassari, and contains a population of some twenty thousand persons.

I found the people more benighted than in any of the other islands of the Mediterranean I had yet seen.

The population of the entire island is estimated at three hundred and fifty thousand; its length is one hundred and fifty miles, and it is from sixty to eighty miles in width. It belongs to the kingdom of Sardinia. The peasantry live in villages, and, not unlike those of the interior of the island of Sicily, go long distances to cultivate the soil, and may be seen at early morn in their coarse black cloaks, with hoods as substitutes for hats, and dark leggings below white cotton pants extending to the knees, trudging out with their donkeys, which bear their implements of husbandry.

The women and children, while watching their flocks of sheep and goats, have a sort of distaff in their hands, and spin with their fingers the coarse wool which serves for their rude covering.

In the mountains large numbers are found who have no habitations, and live in a state of barbarism, covering themselves with skins, bruising grain between two flat stones, and making a sort of paste which is cooked upon the ground, after the fashion of the Arabs on the desert sands.

The country is infested with bandits. Game is abundant, and fire-arms are kept by all who can afford them. Life is unsafe, and comforts are scarcely known in the cities; certainly not outside of them.

The roads are somewhat protected by gens d’armes, who are useful in pursuing the banditti. We picked up eighteen gens d’armes on the road; they say that the bandits fly at their approach, but if cornered, fight desperately.

My casual travelling companion was going to see a person under sentence of death for the murder of his brother; the culprit was in his employ and confidence, but he basely shot him in the back while they were riding their horses quietly along the road. My companion’s object was to ascertain what induced the commission of the crime. The custom is to execute the criminal, if possible, upon the spot where the assassination was committed.

The soil is fertile, but poorly cultivated, and thinly inhabited. The island has but little commerce. The olive groves look well, and furnish oil in abundance. Cork forests abound.

The town of Sassari is encircled with walls and gates; the streets are narrow, and badly paved; the houses are of stone, lofty, but filthy; the inhabitants are dirty. A very small portion of the people seem in easy circumstances. They have a theatre, which is not indifferent, as all the Italian races must have an opera. The cathedral, built in the thirteenth century, is the only respectable monument of antiquity which I found.

The clergy swarm, the profession being resorted to as a military exemption, and more profitable than that, without regard to fitness or qualification; consequently they have a bad reputation.

I could not have believed that I should have found, in such proximity to the continent, a people so behind the age, and so far below the standard even of the Corsicans under French rule.

I was not sorry to escape and get to this place, some seventy miles by water, where one finds the journals from the continent, and a much higher state of civilization, and where fire-arms are prohibited, which is producing great changes in the habits of the people.

Ajaccio is situated upon a gulf of some ten miles in depth; it has about fifteen thousand inhabitants, and contains some fine public buildings; unfortunately, however, it has but little commerce. It is the birthplace of Napoleon, who is the pride of the Corsicans. The house where the hero was born still stands in an obscure part of the old town, upon a little square called Piazza Letizia. It was in those days considered a fine edifice. The identical spot is shown, and the circumstances related of his birth, on the return of his mother from the solemnities of the mass on Assumption Day, 15th August, 1769. The property has been purchased by the present Emperor of France, who has appointed a person to guard it, and preparations are now being made for its restoration.

The family of Bonaparte was of the ancient nobility, and originated in Florence, Italy. Charles Bonaparte, the father, was appointed Deputy of the nobles of Corsica, in 1779, and died in Montpelier, France, in 1785, being only 38 years of age. His wife, Letitia Burnolino, born in 1750, gave birth to thirteen children, all born here; five died young, and the remaining eight comprised one emperor, three kings, one prince, one queen, and two princesses.

A monument has been erected in the public square, to Napoleon, by his nephew, Napoleon III., since his elevation in France.

The Hotel de Ville contains the portraits of the family, and a good life-like statue in marble, of Jerome, while king of Westphalia.

In the Grotto Napoleon, about a mile from the town, after winding through olive-groves, the ambitious boy delighted to pursue his youthful studies.

The public promenades, adorned with orange trees and almonds in bloom, the gardens filled with olives and a profusion of tropical fruits, afford a grateful sight, after escaping from the chilling winds of the continent.

All through the south of France I had noticed great activity in the movement of troops for embarkation for the East. In descending the Saone, our steamer’s deck was occupied by the conscripts, mostly young men, who were leaving home and quiet occupations for the first time perhaps, for the uncertain chances of war. They are distributed to points where actual duty is not required, replacing well-formed troops who are sent to the seat of war. Some thousands who had been held in reserve until needed are now sent from Corsica for the marine and land service.

Under the French system, every able-bodied male is liable to army duty, at twenty-one years of age. On a certain day, which is publicly proclaimed, the parties draw for their chances. In the absence of the young man, his mother or some other authorized person draws for him. He is then liable, and when the call is made he must either supply his place or serve; even after an absence of years, on his return, he is seized for the service. Eighty thousand men are thus drawn annually; the term of duty is seven years. The necessities of the nation have not required the number drawn; but now the balance or reserve of four or five years past is called upon here, more particularly to fortify the marine. The Corsicans from the mountains make good soldiers, and distinguish themselves as officers, and are a brave and warlike people. The sea-coast furnishes good sailors.

It is curious to observe the difference in the habits, customs, and governments of two islands which at their extreme points nearly touch each other, at least by a chain of small islands. In Sardinia the language is a patois, and changes in character from one point to another, partaking strongly of the Italian on one side; partially of the Arabic in the south; and in the west slightly of the Spanish; while here the French is commonly understood, though the Italian patois is the language of the people. But what can be expected where every restriction is placed upon communication?

I had my passport examined and visé five times in Sardinia, at considerable expense, notwithstanding it bore the Ambassador’s visé of the kingdom of Sardinia at Paris, for which he had exacted his fee. All these checks upon intercourse, and these annoyances, only tend to put a little pocket-money into the hands of officials.

In Sardinia, tobacco is cultivated, but the Government seizes the product, and pays its price. The sale of cigars is a monopoly, consequently the quality is very bad, and the prices are double those of this place, where the people are exempt from the tax which exists on the article there, and also in France.

I was strongly reminded of the Basque provinces in the north of Spain, at Bilboa and St. Sebastian, where the people enjoy a similar privilege in the free sale and manufacture of the weed. There, as here, the poor employ themselves in making cigars, which are superior to those for which you pay double at the government shops on the peninsula. The consequence is that everybody smokes by common consent.

One of the most remarkable features in the Corsican race is the spirit of vengeance, which for centuries has existed among them, and which is most difficult to eradicate. Thanks to the government of the emperor, the carrying of arms is strictly prohibited here, and eight thousand gens d’armes are scattered over an island three hundred and sixty miles in circumference.

A most salutary, but arbitrary law, applicable to the case, arrests and imprisons the parents, family, and friends of an outlaw or bandit who has fled to the mountains, or is concealed. In this way his maintenance is cut off; and a reward is offered for his head. Frequent instances have been known where persons have harbored bandits through fear, and have performed the execution of the law, and divided the reward with the gend’armerie.

Instances were not rare, before such rigorous measures were adopted, of sending anonymous letters demanding sums of money, or submission to the consequences. Families exterminated each other. The mother guarded sacredly the linen of a murdered husband, until her son was capable of resenting the act, when his vengeance was excited by the blood-stained garment of the father. A gentleman acquaintance informed me, that when he came on the island, some years since, he gave a little soirée, to which were invited the élite of the little town where he resided. His daughter had misplaced her handkerchief; observing another upon a hat, she took it up and discovered pistols, and could not conceive the object. When the party retired, the report of fire-arms was heard in all directions. The friends and servants of the parties opposed had chosen the opportunity for revenge.

This characteristic is said to have existed since the wars with the Genoese, and the feuds that grew out of those contests.

The people are hospitable and civil, and a stranger can now travel over the island in perfect safety, if he comports himself properly, and avoids exciting their prejudices.

Steam communication with the continent, and the light of civilization, are producing considerable changes in the condition of this people.

XCIII.

BASTIA, ISLAND OF CORSICA, March 24, 1854.

Having secured my place in the coupé, or front seat, of a small and rather rickety diligence, I started for Corte, a military station and town of some five thousand inhabitants, about the centre of the island, passing through a picturesque and mountainous country, some three thousand to four thousand feet above the level of the sea; the road was in good condition, but at times, in winter, it is impassable for the snow.

The mountain tops and tall pine forests, still covered with their white mantles, in striking contrast with the bloom and verdure of the valleys below, spread out like a map, presenting new beauties at each turn of the vehicle in ascending the zigzag route, upon the amphitheatred walled roads.

The Corsicans, under their great leader Paolo, defended themselves nobly in these mountain passes against their invaders, the Genoese; the loss of the French troops, before they were conquered, was estimated at twelve thousand men.

Aside from the temperature, I was forcibly reminded of the kingdom of Kandy in the island of Ceylon, which is about an equal distance from the coast, in the mountains, and which could not be conquered by the English until roads were constructed for the transportation of their troops.

The hardy Corsican mountaineers subsist upon the chestnuts which abound here; a species of cake, or bread, made from the flour, is their only aliment, aside from the milk of their sheep or goats. The skins and wool supply their covering; the cheese and surplus chestnuts are bartered in the towns for wine, and what they consider the luxuries of life. The varied temperature enables them to produce wine of good quality, olive oil, figs, oranges, raisins, lemons, apples, pears, and nectarines; but, in general, the Corsicans are not ambitious in culture, contenting themselves with small tracts of land; the necessaries of life are few indeed.

They are great aspirants for position in military pursuits, persevering and indomitable, and frequently rise to rank in the French army. Most of the villages can boast of one or more of their members who have distinguished themselves.

Notwithstanding all the efforts of government, assassinations are still committed, and the old family spirit of vengeance cannot be fully appeased; some important cases among the upper classes are now pending.

At a village in the mountains, where we halted, a case had recently occurred. A party of eight or ten were at play, of which they are fond, when an altercation took place; two of the number left, the landlord discharging a double-barrelled gun as they left the house; he deliberately reloaded, in the presence of the others, and, accusing a third of taking part in the affray, shot him dead; he then loaded again, embraced his family, and escaped in the mountains. The magistrate of the district, questioning those present, and calling them cowards, asked them why they did not prevent the crime; they replied that the persons assaulted were not friends or relatives of theirs.

In the vicinity of Corte there are some valuable quarries of blue marble. The Palais de Justice, now being erected here, has large and massive columns of that material transported thence.

From Corte, the road passes to the north-western part of the island, and to this place.

Bastia, a small and indifferent port, now in process of improvement, is a city possessing a population of some twenty-five thousand, heterogeneous races; it is the chief commercial point of the island, and the seat of government.

The old town, with its lofty stone buildings, narrow tortuous streets, built upon the hill-side, and rising from the water’s edge, is really curious; it reminded me of the Grecian island of Scios, and Joppa in Palestine, resembling at certain points a town of stairs.

The new part of the town struck me with astonishment; it had broad streets, with mammoth stone structures, five stories high, cream yellow, and white, with modern green sashes; a new public square, and a handsome Italian marble statue of Napoleon; good hotels, cafés, and baths; markets, finely supplied with fish, game, and fruits; besides a delightful climate, protected by the mountains from the northern blasts. It struck me as a sort of paradise, after what I had seen in the interior.

The secret of its prosperity is its trade with Leghorn and Marseilles, and it being the residence of a race possessing considerable enterprise. Many persons from Cape Corte, just above, and here also, have made fortunes in the West Indies.

The views from the heights, upon the Mediterranean, with the islands of Cabraya, Elba, and Monte Cristo, are very pretty, and a drive along the coast, bordered by amphitheatred walls for the culture of the grape and olive, is not without interest.

A few leagues from town, upon the mountain side, somewhat elevated, is a curious cave, much resorted to, and particularly worthy of a visit, since it is one of the most unique of its kind that I have ever seen. I taxed my memory to find something to compare with it; it is not the cave of Matanzas in extent, neither is it that of the island of Curaçoa, nor the Catacombs of Egypt, nor the Salt Mines of Cracow, which two latter are works of art; but it is a perfect gem of a grotto. At this season of the year it is very dry. It is private property, belonging to a government officer, who has erected near by a stone cottage with stalactite chimney-pieces of beautiful proportions, and miniature flower gardens among the rocks, and an observatory with a delightful prospect upon the sea and fishing villages; it is a rustic retreat for parties of pleasure in summer from Bastia. The grotto at its entrance is walled, and the door is bolted. Its guardian, for an established fee, will light it up with forty lamps; its depth is about one hundred and fifty feet. Stalactites form there in summer from the dripping of the water. The great variety of forms presented is really enchanting. One imagines himself for the moment in the illuminated chapel of a Gothic cathedral, with pillars supporting the roof, the half-formed pointed column rising gradually by crystallization, resembling with its lamp a huge church candlestick; the flowing white drapery falls upon the tomb of the departed, and the weeping willow is seen with its drooping branches. Forms the most grotesque are presented to the imagination. The stalactites are as white as alabaster; one could visit the cave without soiling his white kid gloves.

In going to the grotto, we leave the carriage road, which is only partially completed, and take the mule path for nearly a league, passing through the fishing village of Brando, where stands a small church dedicated to their saint, Our Lady of the Vasina, to whom annual pilgrimages are made on the 7th of September. The sailors of the island, in cases of peril or extreme danger, make certain vows; and it is curious to see the results and read the names and circumstances as related by each. The walls are curiously carved with figures and scenes. Here may be found an exploded gun, with a description of the miraculous escape of the holder by the intervention of the patron saint; white robes, and satin shoes, wreaths of flowers, and other insignia of the funeral rites displayed by females saved from the tomb at the last moment; representations of narrow escapes from shipwreck, the angry waves lashing the frail bark, the lightning falling upon the masts, and the Virgin appearing and conducting the vessel in safety; one person is falling from a citadel; others are escaping from the monsters of the deep.

They have a curious custom here, which would not answer in our country of progress. Their houses are of stone, and lofty, from four to five stories high, and arched throughout, little timber being used other than for flooring. Consequently fires are unknown. The contractor puts up his building, and sells the different stories, whereby there are as many owners as stories; the stairing is in common, consequently neglected and filthy. The gaping, dark entrances, without doors, in the night, seem to invite the perpetration of crime.

The modern buildings have doors, which are closed at night, as in Ajaccio, where assassinations drove the mayor to the issue of a general order for front doors, without exception.

I was strolling quietly last Saturday, which was Beggars’ Day, the only time in the week the police allow that class to ask alms publicly, amusing myself in distributing among a group of urchins a quantity of chestnut-flour cakes, which they were looking wistfully upon, when I found myself surrounded by a crowd of beggars, old, infirm, and lame, in tattered and torn rags, or garments of many colors. Distributing my coppers among them, I was glad to escape, and soon found myself near the entrance gate of the city.

Upon looking up, I saw the Republican motto, effaced under the Empire, but still peeping through--“Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité.”

Conviction, the most positive, strikes the mind, of the entire incapacity of such masses of ignorance, superstition, and poverty to appreciate the blessings of pure republicanism, as it is enjoyed in our favored land.

Their republicanism means license and anarchy. The moral and social condition of the people must first be improved, and the blessings of general education diffused; their early prejudices for monarchy must first be eradicated. In a word, to be a good republican, one must be educated, or driven by the tyranny of rulers to adopt a home in a country where the rights of all classes are respected.

The surplus agricultural population of the Italian states of Parma, Modena, and Lucca, migrate after the harvest to this island, where there is a demand for manual labor. They are now returning in swarms with their hard-earned savings out of thirty sous per day. It is computed that some twenty thousand visit the island annually; and being exceedingly frugal, they take considerable sums away with them, which helps to impoverish the people here.

Having seen the birthplace of Napoleon, as described in my last letter, from Ajaccio, and being familiar with most of the localities of his exploits, I cannot resist visiting his place of imprisonment upon the island of Elba. There are also extensive iron mines, which are represented as very remarkable.

XCIV.

SIENNA, ITALY, April 7, 1854.

I reached Leghorn just in time to catch the little steamer Gilio, of one hundred and fifty tons burden, which composes the entire Tuscan government marine, with the exception of a few small feluccas. She makes regular trips to the island of Elba, for the conveyance of troops and their supplies. After passing the usual strict examination at the Custom House for the contraband articles of cigars and fire-arms, as Leghorn is a free port, and going through the farce of signing passports, I embarked for Porto Ferrayo. This strongly fortified place bears some resemblance to Malta, and appears almost impregnable; the streets are well paved with flat stones; the houses rise upon the side hill, and are approached by flights of stairs and passages; the crown of the lofty, craggy cliffs is surmounted by immense fortifications, well mounted and manned. The town has a population of five thousand, and about one thousand troops. By means of a fosse, the tide-water is permitted to surround the city. From an angle of the wall on the summit of the citadel is a small observatory, erected by Napoleon, which gave him views from all points of the compass. The house where he lived, a few miles from the city, still stands, and is now the property of Prince Demidoff, who is erecting a palace which will contain all the relics which have been preserved of the Emperor. The island of Elba is only about sixty miles in circumference, and about fourteen hundred troops are kept there by the Tuscan government. The bays and shores are picturesque, and the valleys are fertile. There is great suffering this year in consequence of the failure of the grape, wine being their principal resource. I procured a conveyance to Longone, a free port on the south side of the island, now a fishing town. The immense citadel commanding the height was built by the Spaniards while in possession. It is now dismantled, and unoccupied, except as barracks for the land guard, and is fast going to decay, looking mournful and desolate. Trees are growing where once was heard the busy tread of the military, and goats are feeding and cabbages growing where once was piled the shot for the enemy. From Longone to Rio there is no carriage road, so I mounted a pony, with a guide to run beside him, and passed over a path through a hilly country, to the great iron mines. I had heard of the richness and abundance of the ore; I had seen the extensive mines of Dannemora, also mines in England and America, where the work is mostly subterranean; but was not prepared to find an inexhaustible mountain of iron, where three hundred men were employed in cutting down and blasting out the ore, which ranges in richness from forty-five to eighty per cent.; four hundred donkeys were wending their way by zigzag paths, laden with this valuable product.

The village has an active appearance, but is of a dirty red color; there were vast inclosures for the ore, like huge coalyards, where it was piled preparatory to loading for different ports for smelting. The brick-dust colored earth, which remains after the excavation, has a shining and dazzling appearance, from the particles of minerals in it. The gardens of the valleys on the margin of a small rivulet, with their orange and lemon trees, form a striking contrast in the view. The Grand Duke farms out the privilege to a company for twelve millions of livres, about one million eight hundred thousand dollars. From Elba I returned to Leghorn, which city has been materially improved and enlarged since my last visit; but being still in a state of siege, and protected by Austrian troops, the same civil liberties are not enjoyed there as formerly. The little island of Monte Cristo, lying sixty miles north of Elba, is thirteen miles in circumference. It has been purchased by a wealthy Englishman, who has retired thither with his family, and is now erecting his buildings upon it, employing many Italians from the mainland in carrying out his improvements. He is building a yacht at Leghorn, after the model of the America, and putting in an engine, which will be a pretty affair. From Leghorn by railway a half hour’s ride brings us to the old city of Pisa, with its memorable Leaning Tower, Duomo or Cathedral, Baptistry, and Campo Santo; the latter is considered sacred from its containing a portion of the earth brought from Jerusalem, in which repose the dead. It was agreeable to me to visit the spots I had frequently trod during a long sojourn in this old city, and to find numbers of those I had formerly known, still pursuing quietly the same course without change. A branch railroad took me to Lucca, to call upon some old acquaintances, and, on my return, I proceeded to Florence, the capital, and residence of the Grand Duke, and the seat of the arts of Tuscany. However captivated, and even infatuated, one may be upon a first visit to the solid, massive, and majestic palaces, with their beautiful frescoes, their well-filled galleries of sculpture and paintings, the colossal bronze statues of the public fountains, the decorations of the churches, the chaste and delicate mosaic work of the altars, it is not to be expected that I should now go into raptures upon a third visit to Italy.... The eye tires in gazing upon vast collections of works of art, and finds relief in escaping to the beautiful and extensive ducal gardens of the palace, where one may enjoy the works of nature amid long avenues of shady trees, listening to the sound of bubbling fountains, with groups of nymphs, heroes, gods and goddesses, in marble, as mute, silent auditors. Returning from a ramble, I took my favorite seat in the café Doney, much resorted to by strangers, and reflected upon the events which occurred during the revolution of 1848--the granting of constitutional privileges, the liberty of the press, the marching of troops against the enemy, the illuminations of victory at night, the songs of patriotism, the wailing and lamentation at the defeat of the Italian troops in Lombardy, the funeral mausoleums, and the lighted candles over the uniforms and arms of the victims in the churches, the transparencies and anathemas of the clergy, the mournful procession of the masses by torchlight with the crucifix at the head. All had passed away, liberty was crushed; the Austrian troops now occupy the ground and keep down revolution; the police are active and vigilant. One cannot drive to the Casino, a favorite forest ride, without showing his passport at the gate. Within three days from one’s arrival, a protectional passport must be procured, at an expense of twelve pauls, or a dollar and twenty-five cents. In my reflective mood, up tripped a flower-girl, in her picturesque Florentine costume, with flowing Leghorn hat and red ribbon, basket in hand, and presented a bouquet, with the salutation “Come sta signore, Come sta su Amico?” It was pleasant to be recognised and awakened from my reverie; but the excellent person of whom she inquired, and who had occupied so frequently the same seat beside me at table, had finished his mortal career.

The ancient city, Sienna, from which I write, is situated upon an elevation of some thirteen hundred feet, rising from the borders of a dry and dreary tract of country. Many of the streets are narrow, and impassable for carriages. This is one of the few points in Italy I had not seen, and I make the visit on my way to Rome, for the Holy Week. Its lofty antique palaces are the monuments of its former grandeur, while a Republic and rival of France. It possessed then two hundred thousand inhabitants; the number is now reduced to twenty-five thousand. The Cathedral is a fine old structure of the 13th century, and contains many beautiful works of art. The mosaic-work of the choir is covered with planks, to shield it from the tread of visitors, but a fee to the custode enables one to see the flight of the Israelites from Egypt. The wood carving of the stalls of the choir of the 13th and 14th centuries is exquisite, but not superior to work of the same style found in the old churches of Valladolid. Some of the frescoes of Raphael, representing different events in the life of Pius II., are remarkable for their color and preservation. The choir books, of large size, on parchment, are beautifully illuminated, and resemble a collection at the Escorial. In the chapel of one of the churches, begun in 1220 and finished in 1465, is a large, beautiful, and celebrated picture of the Madonna, by Guido; the Siennese claim the honor of being the earliest in the art of painting. I was struck with the preference of the pretty women for this chapel, and was led to inquire its history. In fact, the ladies here are celebrated for their beauty. The public palace, with its lofty tower in the form of an escalop shell, and its circuit of one thousand feet, sloping down like an ancient theatre, and filled with the peasants of the country on a market-day, is a gay and novel sight.

The people of this district speak Italian with greater purity than the inhabitants of any other part of Italy--they are the reverse of the Milanese, Genoese, and Neapolitans, who have a distinct patois of their own, which tends to prevent that unanimity and nationality so much required for the future welfare of Italy.

XCV.

ROME, ITALY, April 20, 1854.

Once again in this old city, the mistress of the arts, and at the close of Passion Week with its gorgeous functions and church ceremonies renowned throughout the world. On two former visits, one under Pope Gregory XVI., the other under the present Pope Pius IX., I attempted to describe the magnificence and splendor exhibited on these annual festivals. It would require volumes to speak of modern, aside from ancient Rome, with its one hundred and fifty thousand population, now largely augmented by foreigners from every clime; its three hundred churches, rich in sculpture, paintings, and frescoes; its three hundred and thirty-five palaces, and thirty villas; its five hundred streets and two hundred and seventy-three lanes; its one hundred and forty-eight public piazzas or squares; its aqueducts, bridges, and twelve Egyptian obelisks, aside from its fifty public fountains, more bountifully supplied with water than perhaps any city in the world.

As to antiquities--they abound on all sides, an evidence of what Rome was in her glory, an inheritance of which she cannot be deprived, and in which now consists her chief resource. Being destitute of commerce, without the annual concourse of strangers to the seat of the Catholic church, the modern city would dwindle down to a village. I find since my last visit that the hotels have increased in number and size, and that the shops for the manufacture and sale of mosaics, cameos, and other objects of art, have been enlarged and beautified. Gas has been recently introduced to a limited extent, and telegraph communication extended to Florence north, and Naples south; but here public or government enterprise ceases. The railroad system was vetoed, the Pope’s advisers deciding against it. Beggars are as abundant as ever, and in the country pauperism is fearful. The short crops of the past year, and the over taxation of the badly administered Italian governments, drive many to mendicity from necessity. One requires leather pockets to carry copper coin in to supply the tribe, for no sooner is one hungry swarm satisfied than another as hungry arrives. This is the most disagreeable feature of Italian travel.

I came down from Sienna by post, a distance of some one hundred and twenty miles. And here, to draw a comparison in favor of our own happy country, abounding with plenty for which we cannot be sufficiently thankful, I must cite the fact that in some of the mountain villages the number of beggars was so great that the conducteur, to my horror, provided himself with a dog-whip to resist their importunities. The paper currency of the country is at a discount of seven per cent. Since the Republic an issue of a million of dollars has been made in copper coin, like large medals, of five Baiocchi, equivalent to five cents each, which in the scarcity of gold and silver enters into general circulation. We required a large sack to pay postillions. Everything is quiet here under the protection of some seven thousand troops, who may be seen daily on parade, and standing guard throughout the city; they are very civil and under good discipline. The weather has been delightful during Holy Week; the city thronged with strangers, every means of conveyance in requisition, the almost daily visits to St. Peter’s and the Vatican, with the other sights of the city, gave much animation. The heavy carriages of the cardinals, with wheels and bodies of gold and silver gilt, the famous black horses with massive gold plated harness, with two coachmen and three footmen in richly embroidered livery, added greatly to the scene. On Palm Sunday took place the presentation to the Pope of the cardinals in full regalia, bishops, priests, the noble guard, princes and foreign ministers in full costume, and the kissing of his Holiness’s slipper; then came the blessing singly of palm leaves tastefully wreathed and braided, of which some three hundred were provided for the officers and soldiers of the army who had made special application for them. The rush of thousands to witness the ceremonies of washing the feet of twelve pilgrims by the Pope in person, in St. Peter’s; their banqueting at a well furnished table in commemoration of the Last Supper; the services in the Sistine Chapel, the beautiful music of the Miserere, and the Lamentations of Jeremiah; the exhibition of the Holy Relics; the nails which it is said fastened our Saviour to the cross, some of the wood of which is shown; the handkerchief, inclosed in crystal, with which Santa Veronica wiped the face of Christ; the baptism with oil and water of a converted Jew and a negro girl at the Baptistry of Constantine, and the ceremonies of confirmation at the Basilica of San Giovanni de Laterano; all were calculated to keep up the excitement of strangers, and employ them fully during the Holy Week.

Having witnessed these ceremonies for the third time here, as also on a similar occasion at Jerusalem, with all the rites of the Greek and Latin Catholics, Armenians, and Copts, not omitting the extravagant exercises of Spain, Peru, and the island of Cuba, the scenes have become so familiar that I cannot describe to you the gorgeous display under the same impressions as formerly. Still it must be admitted that high mass on Sunday, at the close of the week, the Pope officiating in person in the vast edifice of St. Peter’s, in full pontifical robes and jewelled mitre, surrounded by thirty or forty cardinals, with a host of bishops and other members of the clergy, in their rich attire; the temporary loges festooned with red damask drapery fringed with gold, and occupied by the Princes of Prussia, Saxony, and France, in uniform; the Swiss Guards, with helmets and coats of mail; hundreds of the fair sex in black church dresses; hundreds of soldiers with fixed bayonets, and again other thousands of the masculine race in dress coats and white kid gloves--the whole together presents perhaps the most dazzling group of court, religious, and the military display in the world. At the close of high mass the Pope, in his pontifical chair, supported upon the shoulders of twelve bearers in red silk costume, with a brilliant cortege, is carried to the balcony of St. Peter’s in the presence of the expectant multitude of some fifty thousand persons, composed in part of cavalry and infantry. The vast square as I saw it from the top of the colonnade was one dense mass of humanity; heads were uncovered during the brief service, then the whole multitude at a given signal fell upon their knees, and the benediction was pronounced. The bells of all Rome send forth their merry peals, the thundering cannon of St. Angelo roar along the Tiber, and the crowd disperse. The evening illumination of the cathedral St. Peter’s with its immense façade of colonnades, and three domes brilliantly lighted as if by magic, with eight thousand lamps, closed the ceremonies and sights of the week. The exhibition of fireworks took place the next evening, with fine effect, at the Porto del Popolo, one of the gates of the city. The former Girandolo from the Castle of San Angelo, representing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, when the waters of the Tiber seemed in flames, was a magnificent spectacle.

I have never seen so many strangers in Rome as during the past Holy Week. My last visit was during the European revolution of 1848, which prevented general travel; we have visitors now, however, from all countries, though fewer Russians than usual. The Coliseum has become a great resort by moonlight; groups of ladies and gentlemen may be seen climbing its old and antiquated walls, or wending their way through its melancholy corridors by torchlight, which has a happy effect, bringing out their beauties more boldly, and hiding the deformities and decay visible by daylight. While standing upon the heights of this vast ruin, whose broken walls have contributed to the erection of many of the palaces of Rome, and reflecting that sufficient material remains for the construction of a small town, one cannot but be struck with the grandeur and power of the former in comparison with the present fallen race. While figuring to myself the grand and imposing spectacle of the mammoth amphitheatre, under the patronage of the Roman emperors, filled with the élite of the city, during the gladiatorial contests, and the combats of the wild beasts, rushing out from their dens in the vast arena, I could find no better comparison in miniature for the enthusiasm of the multitude in the well filled galleries, than that which is shown at the barbarous bull fights of Spain and Peru; the ancients, however, carried off the palm for brutality by throwing the innocent Christians among the wild beasts. The stranger in Rome, however fastidious, may have his taste gratified, and his time constantly occupied here, after repeated visits; his labors for the first trip may be pleasant to the mind and refreshing to the eye, but they are arduous.

The long picture galleries and avenues of statuary of the palaces, the suburban drives to the various villas, as well as the villages Frascati, Albano, and the falls of Tivoli, with the picturesque costume of the peasants, all afford variety.

The antiquarian strolls among the triumphal arches of the Roman emperors, the broken columns of the Forum, or wanders among the ruins of the palaces of Nero and Cæsar, and the baths of Caracalla. When the eye tires with the sight of marbles, bronzes, or the interior decorations of churches, which are perfect museums of fine arts, by the old masters, one can mount the dome of Peter’s, or the Campidolio tower, and grasp the seven hills of ancient and modern Rome, with all their beauties and all their deformities, not forgetting one pretty spot which it is profitable to visit, and where, under the shady willows and rosebuds of the Strangers’ Cemetery, he can read the epitaphs of his friends or countrymen whose career is ended.

XCVI.

NAPLES, ITALY, May 12, 1854.

I came to this city over a route which I once had occasion to describe to you, passing through Albano, the pleasant summer resort of the Romans, and crossing the once much dreaded pestilential Pontine marshes which have been improved by drainage. I spent a night at Terracina, the frontier coast town of the Pope’s dominions, passed Gaeta the following day, where his Holiness was exiled under the protection of the King of Naples, during his political troubles, and found myself here within forty-eight hours, from Rome, after three searchings of my luggage and five examinations of my passports.

You will naturally ask, “How have you passed your time on a third visit to Naples?” The question is easily answered. The half a million of population of this city and its suburbs is a study in itself. The race of lazzaroni deserve special attention; the beautiful garden, Villa Reale, with its fountains and statuary, on the borders of the bay, now abounding in foliage and flowers, is an agreeable retreat for those who occupy the large and commodious hotels which overlook these grounds. Or there is a ride along the coast to the ruins of Baiæ, the Grotto Pozzoli, or a quiet stroll through the grounds of Prince Roca Romano, an old gentleman of much taste who devotes his entire time to the embellishment of his villa, and is very civil to strangers. Aside from its beautiful position on the bay, its arbors, flowers, and tropical fruits, it has a collection of rare birds and animals, also a miniature museum, where I found preserved the Eyeless Fish from the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky, the gift of an American. The grottoes excavated on the margin of the sea are adorned with statuary and lighted on festival occasions; they contain a goodly number of flying fish of a bluish color, which are regularly fed, and of larger size than those found for sale in the markets of Curaçoa. A steamboat excursion to the island of Capri, to visit the Blue Grotto, occupies a day. The steamer lies off and on the rock; the passengers in small boats enter through the narrow opening at a favorable state of the tide. Sitting in the boat the hat touches the rock, so small is the entrance. One is struck with the beautiful mercurial-like color of the vaulted natural roof, and the great depth of the azure and limpid water. The boatmen for a fee throw themselves in, and to all appearance come out dripping with shining quicksilver.

Mount Vesuvius is now quiet. Having on a former visit ascended the summit and descended one thousand feet to the verge of the boiling crater, and with difficulty (from a change of wind) regained the point of descent, suffering from the inhalation of the sulphurous vapor, with boots burnt off, I had no desire to renew my acquaintance with it. I joined a party of ladies to visit the Hermitage about midway to the top of the volcanic mountain, where an excellent view of Naples and the valley is obtained, and a good idea is formed of the rolling action of the lava in its destructive descent upon the plain, and also of the fertility of the gardens which are formed from decomposed lava and cinders, and which produce the Lacrima Christi wine, which here enters in as part of a cold collation. A melancholy accident has just occurred. A young German gentleman, who breakfasted at our hotel in full health the morning of his ascent to Vesuvius, was brought down a corpse. While on the summit a small portion of the earth gave way and he was precipitated down the chasm; his cries were heard by his companions for an hour, but before cords could be obtained from below he had ceased to breathe. A few days may be spent profitably and delightfully in visiting the ancient cities of Pæstum and Salerno, and the villages of Amalfi, Minori, and Majori, all lying on the sea-coast. Things have changed since I first trod the silent streets of Pompeii; then it really appeared like the city of the dead. Many excavations have since been made, the results of which are mostly to be found in the Great Museum of Naples; now the railroad passes by, and the station of Pompeii is an important one. If those who still sleep under the cinders and lava of these entombed cities could awake to the shrill whistle and hoarse cough of the locomotive, they would be as much startled by them as they were by the fiery flames and ashes of Vesuvius. Invalided sentinels are quartered to protect the relics of antiquity from the ruthless hand of travellers. Many gates are to be opened, and of course the purse strings must be frequently unloosened. The ride along the railway to Castelmare passes through a number of sailing ports. The rock excavation gives a good idea of the quality and variety of lava as it rolls down to the bay.

The drive from Castelmare to Sorrento is most picturesque. The views of the Bay of Naples, and the islands of Capri, Ischia, and Procida, from bold rocky cliffs surrounded by orange groves, which abound here, have been much extolled, and I was almost inclined to become as enthusiastic as others, as I listened to the harp players, and watched the graceful forms of the peasants in the national tarantula dance.

The anniversary or festival of the patron saint of Massa, a small village across the mountain, took place while I was here, so, mounting a donkey, I found myself, preceded by about a dozen priests in black robes and three-cornered hats, mounted like myself, with boys beating the sides of the stupid animals. Our train was considerably augmented by peasant boys and girls in holiday costume trudging along, and we finally found ourselves in the square of the parochial church, which presented the appearance of a fair.

The temporary booths were supplied with all the eatables and drinkables requisite. The countrymen occupied their time in the examination of goats, sheep, and pigs, and in making sundry purchases, while the villagers and country lasses, with tidy white veils, were listening to a full military band playing church music during high mass. The priests of the surrounding villages were in full regalia, and the interior of the building was hung in red drapery fringed with gold leaf borders. Small cannon were mounted for a grand volley, which was given, after which these simple people returned home as much enchanted as if they had witnessed the pompous ceremonies of Rome, and heard the thundering cannon of San Angelo. My boy had loaded the donkey’s head with rosaries of stringed filberts and chestnuts, which fruit were much sought after by those who had not attended the festival.

The royal residence of the king at Caserta is well worth a visit, and easily reached by railroad. It is fourteen miles from Naples; the king spends most of his time here. The palace is one of the most extensive in Europe; the interior, aside from a few of the saloons and the staircase, is not remarkable. The grounds, gardens, and parks are eleven miles in circumference; they are well supplied with water, which is brought twenty-seven miles by aqueduct, forming some beautiful cascades. The soil is rich and fertile, and the Botanical and Horticultural Gardens very fine. In many respects I was strongly reminded of the royal grounds of the Court of Spain at La Granja, but the fountains here, and statues in marble and bronze, will not compare with similar works there.

The military force of the kingdom of Naples is one hundred thousand men. There are three regiments of cavalry and infantry stationed at Caserta, and soldiery and sentinels may be found at all points where one goes. The police are very rigid. For instance I retired to bed early the night of my arrival; at eleven P.M. I was roused by a rap at the door; I asked what was wanted; a peremptory order was given to open; I struck a light, and in marched two officers in uniform, who inquired if I had a passport. I replied in the negative, my passport being in the hands of the authorities at Naples. “Have you a Carta di Segiorno?” or permit; fortunately I had provided myself with one, or I should have been marched off to the Carcel. I was then questioned as to the object of my visit, and how long I intended to stay, all of which was exceedingly vexatious.

The flower and fruit season is fairly opened, and the sun begins to make one look for a shady spot. The glare of light is fatiguing to the eyes, and as I am a sufferer I shall make my way north to Genoa and Turin.

I shall take the steamer, notwithstanding the recent frightful accident and loss of the Ercolano from this place, caused by collision with the Siciliano, whereby forty-nine passengers and crew, in a few minutes, at midnight, were sent into eternity. It is attributed to gross carelessness, for it was proved that not an officer was on the deck of the Siciliano when she struck the unfortunate steamer. The culprits are in prison awaiting their trial. Many persons are now going north by land, but without doubt the caution now exercised will for some time at least make steam travel safer.

XCVII.

TURIN, KINGDOM OF SARDINIA, June 5, 1854.

Our steamer was a French one, and the commander having reputation for skill and caution, the little boat of two hundred and twenty horse power was inundated with passengers from Civita and Leghorn.

It was ridiculous but amusing to notice the rigor of the Neapolitan police. At the quay, before embarking, one has to have his baggage examined, or to slyly slip a piece of coin into the hands of the sentinel; then he passes to the office and gets a permit to embark, notwithstanding that his passport has already been visé by his own minister, the Neapolitan Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Inspector of the Marine, and a permit de sejour has been granted previously--all of which costs several dollars, for the benefit of the Neapolitan officials.

Once on board, you suppose yourself clear of the annoyance; but it is not so. Another scene of counting heads and calling names, to be sure that none are on board without being regularly labelled.

Our boat had arrived from Sicily, and what with Sicilian and Neapolitan passengers, every berth was occupied.

After leaving the bay of Naples, the sea was sufficient to quiet many passengers, and to give a seat at table, which by right could be retained. The following day, at Civita Vecchia, there came a rush of passengers from Rome, on their way to Leghorn and Florence. Fortunately the weather was fine, with a quiet sea; had it been otherwise, with hatches down, those below would have suffocated. Tents were pitched for the ladies on deck, and mattresses scattered about for the gentlemen. Such a democratic party of one hundred and thirty-seven passengers I had not met lately. It comprised a French consul and his family, and Greek servants, from Turkey, Italian counts and countesses, marquises, Spanish generals, English nobility, North and South Americans, German and other travellers, with all the dialects and tongues of Babel.

In such cases most parties are willing to conform to circumstances, although those who embarked first with us had great reason to complain of the abuse of the directors. The first breakfast was at nine, and dinner at four, and those who had to wait for the second and third tables were to be pitied.

At Leghorn we remained ten hours, and received as many passengers as we had landed; so our condition was not much improved.

My trip was just the opposite of one which I made last winter from France to the island of Sardinia, on board of a steamer of great size, when I occupied the entire cabin, the commander being my only table companion.

I rejoiced to get ashore, in the thriving city of Genoa, with civil custom-house officers and few police nuisances, breathing the air of constitutional liberty, and lodging in one of the former palaces, now the Hotel Feder--the inconveniences of the passage made me appreciate good quarters. I found myself casually occupying the apartment where the great Irish agitator, O’Connell, breathed his last.

Notwithstanding several visits to the City of Palaces, I spent a few days profitably. I shall not again describe the contents of the churches, the style of architecture, the marble and gilded decorations of the costly edifices, of the famed republic, but simply state that the intricate streets and numerous lanes, with their tall houses, not unlike those of Venice, have charms after leaving the broad and quadrangular streets of many of the cities of Southern Italy. Horse power is in requisition only in the broad streets and thoroughfares; but it is curious to watch the multitude threading their way through the winding passages, with little shops on each side--the women particularly, with white veils suspended from their heads, and falling over their shoulders.

The cafés and refreshment rooms are, as in all parts of Italy, supplied with the melody of harpists and violin-players of both sexes, who make the circuit, and pick up the crumbs from a musical people.

The gardens and promenades of the Aqua Sole, on the height commanding the harbor and valley, are frequented by all the beauty and wealth of the city on Sunday and other festival days.

On my last visit here Charles Albert, the liberal king, had undertaken the Italian cause against Austria, but had lost his throne, and died in exile.

Then the journey from Genoa to Turin was a fatiguing one of twenty-four hours; now the great railroad is open, and the trip is made in five hours. The distance is one hundred and ten miles; the work was done by the government at an immense expense. The tunnels (one of which, three miles in length, is a stupendous work) are all of arched masonry. Too much money was expended in the construction of this road to permit any interest to be paid: it cost over two hundred thousand dollars per mile.

Turin of late years has made greater advances in improvements than any of the cities of Italy; it may be attributed to its liberal government and the concentration in it of many thousand exiles, including many wealthy families from Lombardy. The full liberty of the press is enjoyed here, and quite as much liberty of speech as is consistent with constitutional government.

The great difficulty in harmonizing or bringing about a union of the Italian states, will be the different dialects. Here the Piedmontese patois is spoken. The journals are in Italian, also the shop signs, and the theatrical performances; but strange to say, the conversation of almost all classes is in the patois, and it is only the shopkeepers and the educated classes who speak Italian or French to strangers. In Genoa, another dialect prevails. In Milan, Venice, and Naples, they have their patois, and cannot understand each other. All this contributes to jealousy instead of unanimity, and enables designing rulers to keep the people in ignorance. The general introduction of railways and common schools would bring about a change.

The Constitutional Anniversary has just passed off with great satisfaction. The son and successor of Charles Albert, king Emanuel, is popular with the masses. He assisted in person, a few days since, at the opening of the new railroad to Suza, at the foot of the Alps.

A famous Amazon race came off on a recent festival day. The parade ground was about three-quarters of a mile in circumference; circles and stands were erected, similar to those in a race-course, to accommodate twenty thousand persons, the centre being occupied by the ladies of the royal household. Thirty thousand persons were spectators. The ladies rode well in the steeple-chase, their horses clearing the bars and mounds with frightful leaps; but they clung to their steeds beautifully.

Just before sunset there was a circus performance on a grand scale. Among the riders was a Hercules in the shape of a mulatto, who galloped two horses, standing erect, one foot on the back of each, and supporting one of the Amazons on his shoulders. The deer hunt was a failure. The deer was but little alarmed, and took it very kindly: the dogs sympathized with the deer, and some of them took to their heels in another direction, much to the amusement of the crowd and the annoyance of the manager, who made an explanation and gave an entertainment for the benefit of the poor.

Turin is, I believe, the only city of Italy where clubs are tolerated. The principal one is composed of the most respectable persons of the city, and occupies a commodious palace, with all the advantages of a library, reading-room, rational amusements, and an excellent table. Through the politeness of Marquis Palavecini, who, with his bride, was with us in southern Italy, I found myself registered upon the privileged list for a fortnight. Upon the tablet of sixteen invited guests, composed of counts, marquises, and barons, two of the number had no title; one of whom, however, was of the sovereign people from America; he dined at the round table d’hôte of eight with the diplomatic circle of Spain, Prussia, Belgium, and Naples. The liveried servants, and the presence of distinguished personages, did not seem in the least to suspend his appetite or prevent his enjoyment of a good dinner.

Turin, with its population of nearly two hundred thousand, its broad and well-paved streets, its long line of porticoes surrounding the public square and extending along the principal thoroughfare, protecting from sun and rain, has its attractions. Its position upon the banks of the Po, with long avenues of shade trees throughout the suburbs, affords fine views. The collection of antique horse armor and coats of mail in the palace, is the finest in Europe after the collection of Madrid.

The scarcity of grain this year diminishes the size of the bakers’ loaves, and the outcry of high prices is general, particularly among the poor, whose principal sustenance is bread and wine, both of which are deficient.

Turin is celebrated for its pipestem bread, a peculiarity of the city.

It is laughable, at the table d’hôte, to see each person take a handful of sticks nearly a yard long, and amuse himself in cracking this crisping and delicious article.

The coming crop promises to be abundant. The wheat appears of a strong and hard growth. The heads of rye begin to turn already a golden color; and the hay harvest has commenced. The strawberry and cherry season is passing, as I noticed apricots are already in market.

XCVIII.

PARIS, June 30, 1854.

I find myself once again in the bustle and activity of this great city, after my return from Italy and Switzerland. My last communication was from Turin. The railroad to Suza, recently opened, brought me to the foot of the Alps, where the diligence, with its ten mules, was in readiness to ascend Mount Cenis, whose lofty crest was buried in snow. The rich and luxuriant growth of the valley is gradually lost as the dwarfish and stunted trees appear; the cold winds from the frozen surface and the absence of vegetation prove that the summit is nearly reached, and the traveller rejoices in the descent to the verdant and smiling valleys of Savoy. The macadamized, winding, and zigzag roads upon the borders of frightful precipices are, however, well provided with parapet walls, and tall poles or landmarks indicate the route when it is blocked with snow. The Government has also constructed, at intervals, one-story cottages, with roofs and bare walls, as a temporary refuge for benighted travellers. The passage at this season of the year is comparatively easy, and unlike what I had to contend with in crossing the St. Bernard, some years since, during the same month, upon mule-back, wading through snowbanks in the mountain gorges twenty feet in depth. The scenery is less grand and majestic than that of the Simplon, or great road of Napoleon, which I once passed in the month of October, upon jumpers made of hoop poles, and drawn by a single horse, for one person alone, under constant dread of avalanches and mountain torrents.

A seventy-four hours’ ride brought me to Chamberry, and thence three leagues further to Aix, celebrated for its baths from the time of the Romans, some of whose monuments are still found. It is situated in a beautiful valley, between a double chain of mountains, with most picturesque eminences, bordered by the Lake Bourget, some twelve miles in length. This pleasant little town, with a Savoyard population of three thousand, derives its principal support from the influx of strangers during the bathing season. Almost all its inhabitants--loungers, doctors, &c.--draw a portion of their revenue from the rent of their dwellings.

From its position between France, Italy, and Switzerland, it is a convenient and agreeable place for invalids. The waters are of iron and sulphur, and the supply is more abundant than any I had ever seen, and of a high temperature. The quantity discharged from the rock into the Royal Bathing Establishment, which is situated against the sidehill, is sufficient to turn an ordinary mill-wheel. The building, a handsome structure, is composed of four divisions, comprising thirty-six pieces. Here are found swimming and simple, as also vapor baths; shower, vertical, and oblique douches; with the volume and force of the shock required, or all the shades and varieties possible. There are also two dark underground rooms, whose high temperature of sulphur has given them the name of Division d’Enfer, or Hell Division; there is one for females as well as males. Two streams of hot sulphur water break upon the place, while clouds of steam make the atmosphere suffocating. While the invalid is in this he receives the shower-bath, which must produce an active effect. All the employees of the establishment are in uniform, and, when there are many visitors, they have full employment. The alum-water is most used for drinking, it being less heavy for the stomach than the sulphur-water, and its odor less disagreeable.

The Douchers employed in the baths are said to be very clever in their mode of friction, rubbing the limbs, and cracking the joints of rheumatic patients. I had no occasion for them, however. I have not yet forgotten the shampooing or vapor-bath at Constantinople, where one is almost scalded, and every bone of the body seems to be broken; then you are laid out in a winding sheet to be revived with coffee and sherbet, and finish off with a chibouck, or Turkish pipe. These waters and shady grounds being suggested as a relief for an eye-difficulty, I was induced to make a sojourn of some ten days at this pleasant spot. There are not the same attentions here as at Baden Baden and Wiesbaden. The Casino, however, is a handsome edifice, with spacious grounds and gardens, to which visitors subscribe, and have the privilege of a reading-room, a café, and restaurant; a military band plays morning and evening, and in the dancing and concert halls. The most corrupt places are the public gambling-rooms, where are seen groups of both sexes around the roulette tables, and the bankers with their little rakes in hand drawing in or paying out; the glittering gold dazzles the eye of the novices, and frequently induces them to stake their last Napoleon. The government has farmed out this establishment, with the promise that no officer of the crown, or citizen of the place shall be allowed to gamble--a very excellent provision; but the influx of strangers keeps up the traffic, and affords occupation for those who have a taste for play. I arrived in season for the festival of the baths. The programme was attractive, and calculated to draw a large assemblage from the neighboring villages. The firing of cannon, ringing of bells, and church service, the eating and drinking at the baths, made it a sort of Fourth of July affair; it was succeeded by donkey races, closing with an illumination under the tall elm and sycamore trees, with bands of music, and the national dances of the peasant girls and boys in their gay and picturesque costume. A display of fireworks added to the enjoyment of this simple and happy people, who seemed to disperse with reluctance. Rides upon the mountain, fishing, and excursions upon the lake, make up the pleasurable employments of visitors. A lady and gentleman, who came in company from Turin, joined me in an excursion down the lake, to visit a convent containing the royal tombs of the house of Savoy, which, with the chapel, are exquisitely wrought. The intermittent spring was also visited; at intervals of ten or fifteen minutes a rumbling noise is heard, and the rush of water (the volume being the size of a man’s body) soon fills a natural basin, when it gradually ceases, to be renewed after taking breath, as it were, from exhaustion. We had embarked upon this placid lake, when a heavy squall came up; the Lilliputian sea became agitated, and the little sail of the frail bark fluttered in the wind; the lady went into hysterics! The idea of being shipwrecked in that manner was ridiculous to me. We made for the mountain shore, and, ensconced under the rocks, escaped the driving rain, until it beat the little billows into subjection. The fright was sufficient to draw forth a promise from the husband and wife not to go sailing again this summer.

From Savoy I went into Switzerland; it was my third visit. I found at Geneva many changes since I was last there: a portion of the old rampart had been thrown down, and streets opened and built upon. Beautiful as it then was, reposing gently upon the margin of the lake whose name it bears, it is rendered more beautiful by the march of improvement; new hotels are being added to those already existing. The opening of railways in France has brought Geneva within twenty-eight hours of Paris, which time will be shortened when other projects are carried out. In visiting the principal of an institution at Geneva, I found eight American boys from different parts of the Union. The little fellows seemed quite delighted to meet with one who was from their native land, and familiar with most of the localities they came from, and, more than all, acquainted with some of their parents. They seemed happy and contented, and under good discipline.

The country never looked better; the prospects of the farmer are encouraging; the disease of the vine, which has made such havoc and caused such loss in southern Europe with those whose only resource is the production of wine, has not yet appeared, and strong hopes are entertained that the vine will escape it. In sections of country where for scores of miles the cultivation of the grape is as general as Indian corn or wheat in our country, the failure and consequent distress may very well be conceived.

I formerly described the chateau of Voltaire, and the few relics remaining of that philosopher. It is situated at Ferney, a few miles from Geneva, and is frequently visited by strangers. The present proprietor has beautified the grounds and remodelled the edifice. He was my travelling companion by the mail coach to Dijon, and amused and interested me much with many anecdotes of this singular man, as well as the remarks of visitors, strongly prejudiced for or against that peculiar philosopher.

I am not yet decided what course I shall take from Paris, but you will hear from me in due time.

XCIX.

AIX-LA-CHAPELLE, July 25, 1854.

The facilities for travel have so greatly increased since I first visited Europe in 1841, that I can scarcely realize that I am now writing from Aix, in Prussia, and that a portion of my last letter from Paris was descriptive of the baths of Aix en Savoie, in the north of Italy, where I was some six weeks since, thence passing through Switzerland to the French capital, making a considerable sojourn, with excursions to Versailles, Enghien, Fontainebleau, &c.; proceeding to Belgium, visiting Brussels, Liege, and the waters of the Spa. These points were all familiar to me, consequently only agreeable as souvenirs of the past. I found Brussels the same miniature Paris, but augmented in size, and containing some two hundred and forty thousand of population, partaking less of the Flemish character than formerly; the houses, shops, and streets very cleanly, with a great amount of industry. Dogs are there turned to account, and seen drawing carts as in Germany. The window shutters of the first floors of many of the houses are supplied with small projecting mirrors, for the convenience of the ladies, as in Holland, enabling them to see the foot passengers up and down the sidewalks, without showing themselves obtrusively. The Park opposite the royal residence, and near the former palace of the Prince of Orange, is a miniature Tuileries, and affords an agreeable promenade. The manufacturing town of Liege, upon the banks of the Meuse, in a fertile valley with most romantic scenery, is well worth a visit. It is noted for its manufacture of cloth and fire-arms. Owing to a free use of coal, the old city is black and dirty, not unlike the manufacturing districts of England. The most delightful valley is that of Spa, celebrated for its ferruginous waters, which are highly charged with iron. The country is fertile; the roads and public walks are bordered by tall and expansive shade trees. The winding alleys, little pavilions and look-outs from the heights, give great variety, and induce one to sojourn here, as the lodging houses and hotels are good and clean. The cuisine for reading, music, and play are attractive, and encourage many English to visit this picturesque spot, as the route is so practicable by way of sea to Ostend, and a railroad being within six miles, families are enabled to get here with little difficulty. The place is famous for painted fancy articles of every description, which are its only commerce; consequently it is a neat, genteel, and quiet watering place.

I had called upon our Minister at Brussels, and upon the Prussian Ambassador, and found them both absent, but had the pleasure of a rencontre with them at Spa. The only privileged bank or roulette in Belgium, is at the springs; the owners are very liberal, and contribute largely to the entertainment of guests. A handsome ball and illumination was given while I was there.

Aix has forty-eight thousand inhabitants, and numerous hot mineral springs in and about the city. Its name, Aquæ Grani, and its origin and prosperity, date back to the Roman era, when the Proconsul Granis and his legions stopped here in their passage from the Gauls to Germany. Its healing springs decided Charlemagne to make it his favorite sojourn with his numerous court. It was the place for crowning the German emperors, from Louis le Debonnaire, in 873, to Ferdinand I., in 1531. There are eight huge sulphur baths, to which are attached good and commodious quarters, giving invalids the advantage of bathing without exposure. At this season of the year the baths and hotels are full; the arrivals thus far reaching several thousands; the names of strangers arriving from all sources are published daily in a small sheet, with their places of residence. The city lies in a valley, and is defended by the now verdant hills, which protect it from high winds; it may be considered a desirable place for health during the inclement season. The principal places of resort for strangers and citizens, within the city, are the Kurhaus, containing library and reading rooms, the concert halls, and a ball-room with a garden, enlivened with an orchestra in the evening. There may be found here a large re-union of ladies and gentlemen, wherein most of the languages of Europe are heard. The fountain Elise, and the garden adjoining, are most frequented in the morning by those who imbibe; glass in hand you see them strolling under the pavilion, reconciling themselves to a disagreeable draught, with an air from the military band. The municipality has here the benefit derived from the gaming tables, which has enabled them to erect a fine new hospital. It is curious and instructive to notice the passion for play--the anxiety manifested upon the countenances of those not accustomed to this unfortunate vice. It is not confined to the male sex, but numbers of beautiful and fashionably-dressed ladies are seen surrounding the tables, staking or drawing in with tiny rakes the glittering pieces of gold. From a height called Louisberg, is presented a beautiful panorama of the city and suburbs. The avenues for a drive and walks through the woods are really charming; an excellent restaurant, erected by the city authorities, with occasional fêtes and bands of music, are among the attractions. As I was strolling alone through the forest, towards evening, I reached a culminating point on an eminence, where I had one of the most magnificent landscapes lying before me, and my mind was involuntarily carried towards home. I heard the shrill whistle and the tread of the iron horse in the distant valley beyond me. I could almost fancy myself gazing from a certain knoll, upon which I have often stood, a little south of Poughkeepsie, with the distant hum from the railroad trains. Although nature had done much, art had not yet accomplished what was required. I looked in vain, however, for the majestic Hudson, whitened with sails, and the towering summits of the Highlands, and awakening from my reverie, I came to the conclusion that there are but few spots which nature and the work of man, combined, have rendered more attractive and agreeable than the Spring side of our beautiful city.

The remains of Charlemagne, the most powerful of Emperors, lie in the old cathedral founded by him. It has now withstood the ravages of more than a thousand years, having been consecrated by Pope Leo in the year 804. It contains many relics preserved in gold and silver cases set with precious stones. The most valuable of these relics were presented by Queen Isabella of Spain, in the sixteenth century, and are only opened once in seven years, for a fortnight, which occasions the pilgrimage of thousands of believers at that time. They are taken from their envelopes of silk, covered with cloths of gold and silver, and beset with jewels. They consist of a white cotton dress, supposed to have been worn by the mother of our Saviour; the linen with which the infant Jesus was clad; the cloth upon which the head of John the Baptist was placed; and the sack with which Christ girded his loins.

A large portion of the population is employed in the manufacture of cloths, silks, pins, needles, and various branches of trade. The Americans are among the best customers for cloths. We had a small fair here the other day. The country people stared and gazed and made their little purchases; mountebanks, menageries, trained monkeys and dogs, flying horses, and albinoes were plentiful; there were moving wax figures of Christ and his disciples at the table; and a living representation of his condemnation and flagellation, with verbal descriptions in German. Lager beer, cheese, and pipes were in general demand.

It must not be supposed that these people know nothing of California. I saw once a panorama of the trip to the land of gold, via the Isthmus of Panama. My curiosity led me, a few evenings since, to look in upon a much vaunted panorama now exhibiting here, painted by two artists who had crossed the plains. The gold diggings, the view of Sacramento city, the descent of the river to Benicia and San Francisco, were tolerably executed. A frightful shipwreck upon the Mexican coast made the audience shudder; the South American pirates seizing and burning a vessel, made them promise without doubt, to stay quietly at home. The beautiful tropical vegetation of Nicaragua was enchanting, but the serpents were frightful. Finally, after a long voyage, via Havana, we were brought safely to the port of New York. The Battery and Castle Garden, with a multitude of shipping, were before us; the spire of Trinity church soared up high; large and beautiful steamers with upper deck saloons were represented--the Reindeer being just ready for departure. The description given as the canvass rolled by, was interesting, although exaggerated; but when, in conclusion, the above-named steamer exploded, with five hundred passengers on board, I thought it was carrying the joke too far. I told the exhibitor, at the close, that we admitted the explosion and the loss of seven lives, but as the tide of emigration was great from Germany to America, we could not afford such wholesale slaughter.

C.

BATHS OF EMS, DUCHY OF NASSAU, Aug. 20, 1854.

In the little village of Graefrath, a few leagues from Dusseldorf, in the kingdom of Prussia, lives an oculist, who is celebrated throughout Holland and Germany, and whose address was given me at Aix-la-Chapelle. Requiring his services, I went in pursuit of him, and found, to my surprise, from two hundred to two hundred and fifty patients, who make a sort of pilgrimage there from all quarters. His success with royalty has given him several badges of honor, which he wears, and has made the village a place of sojourn for the afflicted, who are its chief resource. The doctor is kind and liberal in his treatment of the poor, and no respecter of persons. Each takes his turn, and I considered myself fortunate on my first interview, in meeting with the rank and file; it gave a fair opportunity of witnessing the sufferings of the partially blind, young and old, in the different conditions of life, and studying the hopes and fears of this pitiful class of invalids, and of thanking Heaven that my difficulties were small in comparison with those of many others present. Obtaining the necessary remedies for treatment, I was advised to proceed to this place, and make use of the waters.

Dusseldorf, which I had just left, is renowned for its school of modern paintings, and has three galleries now open, which contain many gems of art. It is also the residence of some three hundred artists. The gallery in New York, which bears its name, as we all know, contains a good collection of pictures.

I shall say little of the city so famous for its Cologne water, its vast, unfinished cathedral, its church with the bones of the eleven thousand virgins, which I have described on former occasions, but simply say I took there the steamer to ascend the much-vaunted Rhine, so full of interest, with its thickly settled villages, the rich vegetation of its banks, whose amphitheatred walls are covered with the vine which has given such celebrity to the Johannisberger, Rudesheimer, and other choice wines, its old castles upon the verge of the mountain crags, with its many legends, all of which are calculated to call forth the enthusiasm of the tourist. The day was fine; the long but narrow and tolerably fleet iron steamers made rapid exchanges of passengers at the principal villages, adding to the interest of the trip. The awning was spread as a protection from an August sun, and dinner served on deck to a numerous party of different races and tongues, who seemed to enjoy exceedingly not only the charming panorama but the light and delicious beverage produced from such clustering vines as covered the mountain side. This being the fourth time that I had navigated this stream, I could gaze upon its beauties with less emotion than formerly, and, must add, for the grand and majestic, the scenery of the noble Hudson surpasses the Rhine, although the former is deficient in variety of detail. The frowning castle of Ehrenbreitstein (the Gibraltar of the Rhine), and the smiling banks of the Moselle, which here discharges its waters, denote our arrival at Coblentz; and a two hours’ ride brings us to the village of Ems, deservedly noted for its picturesque and charming site, lying in the valley, upon the margin of the little river called the Lahn, skirted by mountains on both sides. I find myself somewhat at home here, being lodged in the same quarters in which I spent a month in the summer of 1848.

The discovery of the thermal waters of Ems dates from an early period of antiquity. When the Roman legions, under Augustus and Tiberius, occupied these mountains, they erected baths in honor of the nymphs, protectresses of the mineral waters, whose fountains mysteriously came from the earth. After the decline of the Roman power, they were lost sight of until the twelfth century, when Ems passed under the domination of the Counts of Nassau. It was not until 1803 that the house of Nassau erected the convenient and commodious buildings now forming part of this establishment. Since my last visit the improvements have been considerable to accommodate the great number of invalids who come here in search of health. Ems being a village with no other attractions than its beautiful rides and walks, everything has been done to render it agreeable; large and fine hotels have been erected, where every comfort may be obtained. The band plays morning and evening; the Kursaäl is a fine architectural structure for concerts, plays, and general reunions. The gardens are agreeable. The walks and romantic sites are covered with pavilions, accessible for pedestrians and donkeys--which latter abound, with red side-saddles with cushioned backs for ladies, and it is amusing to see the competition among the drivers: groups of both sexes, young and old, are seen winding up the serpentine ascents, presenting a droll appearance. The waters of Ems are celebrated for the relief of bronchial, pulmonary, and nervous diseases; more than one half of the visitors are ladies. Here one meets princes, dukes, counts, senators, merchants, etc., with their wives, daughters, and friends; Russians, Poles, Germans, Hollanders, Danes, and Frankfort Jews, whose object is certainly the restoration of health. The usual term for employing the waters for bathing and drinking is four weeks, and the hours from six until eight A.M.; you see at the hot sparkling fountains of the Kesselbrunnen and Kruenchin from six hundred to eight hundred persons, with fancy-colored Bohemian glasses in their hands, sipping the not unpleasant bi-carbonate fluid, and after a promenade at intervals of from a quarter to half an hour, returning to the same, the band playing all the while inspiring airs. At one P.M., there is a table d’hôte in all the hotels, and parties who occupy lodgings change, if desirable, from day to day, and are more generally thrown together, and seem to become more acquainted, than at many watering places. At six P.M. all congregate at the springs, and after imbibing and strolling through the grounds, to the sound of a march or waltz, disperse; at eight, all is quiet, and the trees, plants, and flowers are left alone in their glory. Such as choose to sup at the Kursaäl, and repair to the concert and gambling saloons, do so.

The waters of Nassau are renowned, and are a source of wealth to the Duke, who is commander-in-chief of this little province, which contains only three hundred and sixty thousand inhabitants. Large quantities of Seltzer water are exported over Europe.

In the history of this little duchy of Nassau, the discovery of one of its springs, as told by a traveller, is so full of simplicity that I cannot refrain from repeating it. It seems there was once a heifer with which everything in nature seemed to disagree; the more she ate the thinner she grew; the more her mother licked her hide the rougher it became; the flies of the forest would not bite her; she was never known to chew her cud; but, hide-bound and melancholy, her hips nearly protruded through her skin; no one knew what the matter was, and no one could cure her. At last, deserted by her owner, she was abandoned for lost. A few weeks after, she appeared among the herd with ribs covered with flesh, eyes like a deer’s, and skin as sleek as a snail’s; her breath smelling sweetly with milk; every day seemed to re-establish her health. The incident was so striking that the herdsman was induced to watch her; he perceived that every evening she wended her way to an unknown spring of water, from which she refreshed herself and returned to the valley.

This circumstance was nearly forgotten by the peasant when a young Nassau lady began to show the same symptoms as this heifer. The herdsman heard of her case and advised her to try the waters, which she did, and became one of the plumpest girls in the duchy.

Deaths never occur here, at least they are not known, for the poor patient is quietly disposed of at an hour when none but the undertaker is on duty. The sympathies of the living are not thereby excited, and the bright side of the picture is the only one gazed upon.

This water-drinking, bathing regimen and daily routine becomes monotonous where necessity demands it, and one is rejoiced at the approach of the period when he is exempted by the physicians. The latter are found invariably in the morning promenades, to consult with their clients. But for fear you will be gorged and saturated with mineral waters let us change the subject.

The eyes of all Europe are directed to our country; its gigantic strides, its wonderful progress excite the admiration of those who sympathize with our republican institutions, and the envy of those who detest and fear the march of democracy. The loss of the better classes of German emigrants, who leave the country with means, is a source of anxiety to the crowned heads, and every obstacle is thrown in their way to prevent emigration.

CI.

FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAINE, GERMANY, Sept. 20, 1854.

I have, within the last month, touched and visited so many points that I scarcely know how to go into detail in the short space of one letter.

I went from Coblentz up the Rhine, whose beauties from that point to Mayence I shall not attempt to describe. I embarked at Biebrich, the residence of the Grand Duke of Nassau, whose grounds and parks must not be neglected, and went by vehicle to Wiesbaden, the great thoroughfare, as a watering-place. Its hot chicken broth fountain, with its numerous pipes, supplies scores of hotels and bath houses. Its Kursaäls, with play rooms and dining halls, got up on a grand scale, with the adjoining galleries, filled with fancy shops of infinite variety, attract the stranger. The lovers of secluded and sheltered serpentine walks, bordered with flowers, but deprived of the autumn scenery, may find comfort and delight at Wiesbaden; and children may gambol upon the grass, and feed the ducks in the little artificial lakes, while the lordly white swan sails along and claims his authority. The weather was dry and fine. I had got away from the rainy streak, and all was pleasant; but as I was not a stranger in Wiesbaden I shortened my visit and resumed my march. From thence, by railroad, I came to this free German city. From Frankfort we go to Homburg, within two hours, by railroad and omnibus. Among the thirty odd divisions into which Germany is unfortunately cut up and divided, this small landgrave is perhaps the smallest, and will die out with the death of the present incumbent, who is already old. It will pass into the Duchy of Darmstadt adjoining. The celebrity of the waters of Homburg for dyspepsia, its superior position for high and varied scenery, and the privilege granted by Count Alexander for gambling the entire year, a privilege which exists only here, have made Homburg a flourishing village. The sum paid for the privilege of gambling is thirty thousand dollars annually. The bank is not only able to pay this large sum and give greater favors to players than other banks, but has expended an enormous amount upon the buildings; the saloons are the most gorgeous of the kind in Europe, and play is higher and more general here than at any of the watering-places in Germany. Ladies are among the heaviest players. It is a strange and fascinating passion, and leads to great abuses. I will cite an example: on Saturday evening I noticed a lady risking a large number of sovereigns, with unusual nonchalance. The next morning I saw her at the English Episcopal Church. My curiosity induced me to see, on returning, if the same person would enter the gaming rooms that day. To my surprise I found her at her post, with her pile of gold before her. I had heard that in this district, surrounded by Germans, there existed a colony of French, and I was induced to pay a visit to their village, which interested me much. I found a neat pretty settlement of one thousand souls, the descendants of thirteen Protestant families who escaped from France after the revocation of the edict of Nantes, under Louis XIV., and were protected by Frederick II. They have a church which cost thirty thousand florins (twelve thousand dollars) and two institutions for boys and girls, where children from different parts of Germany are educated in French. They always converse in French among themselves, and have preserved their language remarkably. They are all familiar with German, and talk with outsiders in German, the language of the country. They have several branches of industry in cotton, flax, and wool. It was curious and novel to witness this happy, tidy, industrious little community, surrounded by other villages quite impoverished, and in a little territory about equal to the size of one of our counties, heavily taxed to keep up the dignity of a court with palace and grounds, with its quota of military; but how hard is the fate of a poor man with a family toiling and striving for the pittance of eight groschens, only twenty cents per day, as several have told me when I have stopped and asked the price of labor, and in this almost famine year. When they hear of America they are eager to be off, but the means are not provided.

From Homburg I proceeded to Darmstadt and Manheim, in order to make a detour to Speyer, which is celebrated for its Cathedral. At Manheim the river to Ludwigshafen, on the opposite shore, is crossed by a bridge formed by some thirty iron flat-bottomed boats of canal-boat size, fastened together, upon which the structure is laid, with draws for the passage of steamers, as is the case all along the Rhine. An hour’s ride by railroad carries one to the old town of Speyer. It was once populous, but is now reduced to six thousand inhabitants, and contains only one object of interest, a cathedral, which may be considered the pride of Germany, as uniting the work of the best modern artists. This cathedral, which was commenced under the Emperor Conrad II., in the year 1030, has been burnt and rebuilt three several times, and now, under the auspices of the king of Bavaria, in whose dominion it lies, has been renovated in the modern style, with exquisite taste, differing so widely from the antiquity which we so constantly find in these old memorable edifices, that the contrast is the more striking and more gratifying to the eye.

On my return I went to Heidelberg and Baden Baden. I visited all the points I had formerly seen and described to you, but none struck me as new, or worthy of description. Heidelberg is a lovely spot for scenery, and Baden may claim the preference as being the gayest and most charming watering-place in Germany.

In getting out of the cars I was greeted by an old travelling friend in Italy and Germany--our Consul at R----m, formerly a bachelor, but now married and here with his wife. We were soon joined by two former acquaintances, the American Minister from Belgium, with his sisters and cousin. We made a very pleasant excursion party in two carriages, and for three days castles tenanted by grave ancestors, and patriots, situated upon high mountain tops, and in dark-wooded forests, were hunted up and examined. The party was not disposed the less to climb the moss-covered walls of the schloss or chateau to points where the most extended views might be obtained. A trout and game dinner in the country, well served, restored us from the fatigue attending such exercise, and we drove to town in time for the evening band and concert.

I left for Strasburg, in order to descend the Rhine, which I had not seen from that point to Mayence, and also to change the route. A sad sight presented itself at my departure, another evidence of the uncertainty of life. A new car, in three compartments, with extended roof and balcony all round, and doors opening from the sides, was put on, which car I chose to take, notwithstanding the Germans say that none but princes and fools travel in first-class cars; the second-class is good, but the third-class is very rough. I was standing on the balcony when the cars moved off, and saw a well-dressed man, who had escorted three ladies and just taken leave of them, come out. Finding he was late, he attempted foolishly to get off while the train was in rapid motion; he tripped, fell under the wheels, and was cut in two under our eyes; only three of us witnessed the accident. I gave an alarm hastily, and succeeded in stopping the train. My sympathies were strongly excited for the afflicted ladies, and his only daughter, who is now an orphan.

Lightning speed soon carried us to Kehl, on the left bank of the Rhine, and then we took an omnibus across the bridge of boats to the French Alsatian shore, where, after the usual delay of visitation of passports and baggage, we passed a few miles further, to the well-fortified city of Strasburg. It has ninety thousand population, and is noted for its cathedral and tower of a remarkable height (I believe the highest in Europe), also for its extraordinary clock, with machinery denoting the changes of the weather, the action of the hours, &c. At twelve at noon an anxious group assembles in the building to witness the performance of the figures upon the frontispiece of the mammoth clock. When the grim figure of Death, hammer in hand, strikes the hour of twelve, the figures of the twelve Apostles revolve in succession, and make reverential bows before Christ, who in return pronounces the benediction. A huge cock, perched above, flaps his gilded wings strongly, and crows three times with a voice sufficiently strong to make a tame chanticleer take to his heels. The original clock, which I was shown years since, has been removed, but is still on exhibition. Its inventor, who was suspected of the design of building a second for another city of France, had his eyes put out; he then revenged himself by breaking certain springs which baffled the ingenuity of others to replace.

During high mass I noticed a group of emigrants paying their last addresses to the Virgin before embarkation. I had seen the healthy, robust men and women on the road with their heavy chattels marked for America. They told me they were going to Wisconsin, and had friends there.

Embarking upon a small steamer, a few miles of canal navigation bring us to the Rhine, and down its circuitous current we go at a rapid rate, mostly through a flat country, without much of interest except the towns of Worms and Speyer, which I had already visited by railway. I debarked at Mayence, and returned again to this busy, active city, with its sixty-thousand population, noted for its money operations, fairs, seat of the German diet; its numerous picture galleries, public buildings, and its beautiful suburbs, are attractive to the tourist.

CII.

HANOVER, GERMANY, Oct. 20, 1854.

Since I wrote you from Frankfort, I have visited Hesse Cassel.

The chateau of Wilhelmshohe, the summer residence, about three miles from town, with its hydraulics, and the effect produced by the cascades and jets d’eau, are superb. The great cascade is nine hundred and fifty feet long, and forty feet wide, interrupted by basins from one hundred to one hundred and fifty feet apart, as the water descends from a high hill, the summit of which is covered by an octagon tower, surmounted by a colossal Hercules of bronze, club in hand, thirteen feet high. Walking through the grounds alone, I could scarcely realize the fact that twelve years had elapsed since I climbed up the height and peeped out of a little opening within the huge club which the gigantic figure holds in his hand; that I had wandered, since, nearly twice around the globe; had been exposed to all the accidents and casualties of life, in every variety of climate; and that I found myself, through a protecting Providence, on the same spot again. I should not have made these remarks but from hearing of the frightful loss of life by the steamer Arctic, in which I came last to Europe, and have reason to believe that four of my fellow-travellers, who were in Rome during the Holy Week, and who accompanied me in excursions from Naples, have perished. I was waiting the departure of a steamer from that city to Leghorn, when we heard of the frightful catastrophe, and sinking of the Ercolano by the steamer Siciliano, an affair similar to the one just mentioned. This deterred these persons, among others, from taking the sea route, and they left by land. My logic has been, usually, after an accident, to take the same means of conveyance, as more care is then exercised.

From Cassel, I went by post to Gottingen, famed for its University, with some six hundred pupils, and its extensive library.

The contrast between the railroad travel of the present day, with its rapid transition from one city to another, and the slow mail coach of the past, was striking; and I was reminded fully of my first journey through Austria, Hungary, Prussia, and Saxony, by all sorts of fast and slow conveyances, when all the countries named had not two hundred miles of railway. It was certainly tedious, and occupied much time; but the country was seen to better advantage, and the halts at small towns and villages were entertaining and instructive, and gave a better idea of the people and their customs than the present lightning line of communication.

Although great improvements have been made, the people seem to toil as formerly for the necessaries of life, and the weaker sex is made to bear largely its share of the burden.

Not only are fine-looking, healthy girls seen constantly in the fields, performing men’s labor, but in the cities they perform the most menial service of wood-sawing, sweeping streets, and loading carts with offal. How often I think of our blessed country, the paradise of women, and the thousand advantages they enjoy there, in comparison with their sisters in continental Europe. Not only is the sex compelled to perform a full quota of the service, but the brute creation must also perform its part. I have often thought how odd it would appear with us, to see the butchers’ and bakers’ carts, and milk wagons, drawn by collared and harnessed dogs, and the novel sight of single cows, or spans of cows, coming to town with loads of grain or vegetables. The truth is, when carpenters and masons obtain but fourteen groschens, or forty-two cents, per day, and laborers from twenty-five to thirty cents, and the necessaries of life are at the present dear rates, every measure is resorted to for earning an honest living.

The lager, or encampment, of fourteen thousand men, is situated in the suburbs of the city. The citizen army is composed of thirty thousand men.

We have just had a sham fight, which was seen to great advantage from a hill in the vicinity of the plain upon which the manœuvre took place, and gave a good idea of the battle-field. The approach of the marching forces, to the sound of drum and fife, and shrill tones of the bugle, and the bayonets glittering in the sun’s rays, were exciting. The cavalry was led by the king in person. Then came the conflict, the thundering noise of the cannon; the continued volleys of musketry from the infantry; the reconnoitring movements of the riflemen; the dashing charges of the horsemen, half-buried in smoke; the retreats, the reforming of the ranks; the advantages gained and lost; the leaps of the horsemen over artificial stockades and sloughs of water; the queen and royal family, with liveried outriders, drawn by and mounted upon magnificent steeds, hovered around the borders of the battle-field.

The thousands of citizens on this festival day crowning the heights, and the enthusiasm manifested, gave interest to the scene.

CIII.

BREMEN, GERMANY, Nov. 21, 1854.

My last was from Hanover. I now write from this free port and commercial city, situated upon the banks of the Weser, which river divides the old and new town. Its gardens are laid out in English style, giving the new town a neat appearance, and many improvements have been made since my visit in the summer of 1848.

Small vessels come to the city, but the larger class of steamers and ships remain at Bremen harbor, a few leagues below.

The chief trade is with America. The quantity of cigars manufactured from our tobacco is enormous, employing some thousands of persons, and scattering the manufactured article throughout this land of smokers.

The number of emigrants forwarded to America is scarcely credible.

In most of the German cities, under the “Rathhaus,” or town hall, is a wholesale and retail wine cellar, the profits of which accrue to the church, bishopric, or city authorities, according to the circumstances of an early granted privilege. Since the German reformation the right here belongs to the municipality: and the cellars under the town-hall are shown to strangers as among the prominent curiosities of the city. The long succession of basements contains the choice qualities of Rhine wine, in huge oak casks, varying in size, the largest containing thirty-six thousand bottles of “Rudesheimer,” of the vintage of 1806. The heads of the mammoth casks are well braced by cross pieces, with sculptured allegorical and historical figures in wood, and highly gilded. In one room, the god Bacchus, and his followers, of life size, all gilded and crowned with wreaths of grape vines filled with fruit, are seated upon the centre of one of three large vats, dating back as far as 1624. One of the cellars most renowned for quality is called the Rose, and another the Twelve Apostles, from its containing only twelve casks, whose names are painted upon metal plates, which are attached to the heads. The wine in these casks is the delicious, light Hockheimer Rhine wine of 1718. The rivalry lies between Peter, Simon, and Judas. A manager is appointed by the city authorities, subject to the supervision of the director, and monthly reports are made. City funds are appropriated, and the supply is kept up from the last vintages, so that the public may be supplied with a pure article at moderate prices. A large old sign, in the Rose Keller, has the following inscription, literally translated from the German: “What to the stomach, to the body, and to the heart, health, vigor and spirit can give, can console the afflicted, can revive half dead persons, yields this Rose wine.”

CIV.

HANOVER.

Hanover lies on the small river Liene, and is the royal residence. It contains the city palace, the summer palaces and grounds; among the number is the Herren Hausen, with fountains, orange and botanical gardens. In the latter is a palm house, of iron and glass, a crystal palace in miniature--which is unique of its kind. It is kept at an oriental temperature, and almost all the varieties of palm and date trees familiar to me in the East and West Indies, are to be found there. The mausoleum, at the extremity of the ground, is a snug edifice, containing the royal remains of the late king and queen. The beautiful, full length figure of the deceased queen, in white Carrara marble, is a fine specimen of art, and is very like the much-admired reposing statue of the queen of Prussia. The wilds and forests of the king, extending for miles in the suburbs, give the citizens a variety of walks and drives in different directions.

It is evident that the Germans, unlike the English, never paid for light and air in the shape of a window tax. The old part of the city is literally a town of windows; many are beautified with plants and flowers, fancy screens and porcelain views, which give it an enlivening appearance, in contrast with the gable-ended, projecting, overhanging houses.

The Konigliche Hoftheatre is a pretty monument to the memory of the late king, Ernest Augustus, standing upon a beautiful site, two hundred and eighty feet front, and one hundred and ninety deep; the front portico is surmounted by life-size statues of twelve celebrated writers and composers, among whom are Goethe, Schiller, Mozart, Beethoven, Shakespeare, Molière, and others. The interior decorations are luxurious for Germany. In the middle of the front range of boxes, is the king’s loge, the inside of which is white and gold, covered with the royal arms; outside are velvet curtains.

The theatre is regarded as instructive and moral, and is unlike what it is in many countries. I was accompanied thither by a very worthy minister and his wife, and the daughter of another divine, whom I had travelled with up the Rhine, and who accidentally visited the city.

The officers of the army, nearly a hundred in number, are obliged to subscribe monthly; their uniform gives the theatre a stiff, military air, unlike that of the Thalia Club, which has fifteen hundred members, or annual subscribers, with reading rooms, billiard rooms, refreshment saloons, and a theatre four times per week, which is fully attended by the respectable middle classes of ladies and gentlemen, and looks quite democratic.

The Museum Club, of which I am a member, is composed of three hundred, a large proportion of whom are active or retired civil and military officers.

Here all is marked out by rule. So many branches of trade of each description are allowed by royal authority. Application must be made for permission to engage in an occupation; if it is considered that there are already sufficient of that branch, the applicant is refused.

Such is the fondness for title or rank, which pervades most classes, that the smith, shoemaker, tinman, or tailor, is delighted when he attains the privilege of putting up the royal arms on his sign, to signify that he is employed by his Majesty.

We have had a German Fair, which brought together a multitude from the surrounding country and cities. Aside from the cattle show, I was struck with the varieties of manufactured articles, the exhibition of toys, curious costumes of the peasant girls, the playing of mountebanks, and the general consumption of honey cakes.

CV.

BRAUNSCHWEIG, GERMANY, Dec. 26, 1854.

My last was from Hanover. Braunschweig, the capital city of the duchy, notwithstanding its princely residence and forty thousand inhabitants, has not the life and activity generally observed in Hanover. The palace and grounds of the Herzog, or Duke Wilhelm, merit attention. Having no wife, or family, his court is not brilliant in proportion to the royal family of Hanover, although his own private revenue and ducal appointments are equal to two hundred thousand dollars of our currency; a very respectable sum for a population of two hundred and fifty thousand. The former Duke, who had his palace burned over his head, and was chased from his country for malconduct, I had occasion to speak of last winter, at a court ball given at the Tuileries. The present duke is the last of his family, and, being without issue, the reversion goes to the Prussian crown.

Christmas is an important festival in Germany; the city presented a gay appearance in consequence of the many preparations for this event. The market places were covered with Tannen Baumer, or fir trees, with booths and tents filled with every variety of fancy articles, for presents, not forgetting a profusion of honey cakes in every form, for which the town has a celebrity. All classes must have large or small fir trees standing upon platforms, some of which are decorated with inclosed garden houses in miniature, and other designs.

Returning here in time for the Christmas-eve ceremonies, which I had a good opportunity of seeing at a friend’s house, you will pardon my describing, at this holiday season, what may interest the young. In the centre of the saloon stood a small tree, nearly the height of the ceiling, its branches hung with variegated colored glass balls, round cakes, nuts in gold-and silver-leaf foil, confectionery of various kinds, the infant Jesus in a lying position suspended from the branches, the whole interspersed with wax tapers. The tables were spread with a variety of clothing, and other useful and ornamental articles for the children of from eight to fourteen years of age, who were anxiously waiting outside the closed folding doors until the illumination took place; then, each one rushed to his or her table, expressing childish astonishment and delight. Once recovered from their emotions, the parents were surprised in turn by the children, who had prepared a miniature tree and many little articles of embroidery, wrought at intervals unknown to the elders. The expressions of wonder and joy are general. Grandmothers, aunts, and nieces, had been industriously employed for the past three weeks in preparing gifts. The servants next received their presents. The evening closed with refreshments.

Speaking of Christmas Eve, I am reminded of Polterabend, or Nuptial Eve: some evenings since, I was startled by extraordinary sounds upon the sidewalk, opposite my house, and on inquiring, found that it was caused by the throwing of glass bottles and a perfect shower of old crockery plates, which singular custom was the greeting of the friends of a young lady who was to be married on the following day; and, at the appointed time, the carriages arrived to take the lady-bride to the church over which the minister-groom presided. I have passed houses, where the front entrances appeared as if a family quarrel had made a perfect wreck of the porcelain.

The people in Hanover are dazzled with palaces, horses, carriages, and liveried court-dresses, and servants. Ladies look with admiration upon the queen, and her richly-clad maids of honor; children exclaim, “There goes the pretty little crown-prince and the princesses!” And how often have I observed in theatres and concerts the patient people waiting a half hour or more the arrival of the royal suite before the exercises commenced, when the impatient Americans, in similar circumstances, would have brought down the house over the ears of the manager. Then the cringing manner of the employees and military officers, keeping an eye on the king: when he applauds, the applause becomes universal, while, if he is silent, a meritorious artist receives, perhaps, not the slightest compliment.

One great source of annoyance in Germany, is the great variety of coin and weights in use among the thirty and more different empires, kingdoms, duchies, and landgraves, whereby we must always lose in exchange in going from one point to another. An effort has been made in the Bund, or confederacy, at Frankfort, to bring about more uniformity, but the great quantity of base metal, of little value, in use in some districts, causes the measure to be opposed.

1855.

CVI.

BERLIN, PRUSSIA, Feb. 27, 1855.

When I last wrote you from Braunschweig I was on the eve of departure for Berlin and Vienna, and thought it not improbable that I might go again to Italy; but the severe winter weather coming suddenly on induced me to quiet myself in comfortable quarters in this city, where from the conveniences for heating with the use of wood, the cold is less felt than in some parts of Italy. Hamburg, Magdeburg, and Potsdam, en route to Berlin, I had once visited in summer, under more favorable circumstances, consequently my stay in them was short.

I was reminded in Magdeburg that Martin Luther, one of the great men whom Germany has given to the world, and to whose former abode in Wittenburg, where the Reformation commenced, I had wended my steps, was a poor student there, and often sang in the streets to assist in supporting himself, as many others are doing daily. Potsdam is to Berlin what Versailles is to Paris. Frederic the Great made it a lovely retreat for the court. Here are seen the apartments of the great warrior nearly as he left them, remarkable for simplicity; the truck-bed upon which he slept, his writing-table blotted with ink, silken covered chairs partly torn by his dogs, and the plates upon which they were fed.

The windmill stands behind the palace of Sans Souci, an emblem of justice in Prussia. Though the story is well known I cannot forbear repeating it. The great Frederic, wanting to buy the mill with the grounds, to augment his gardens, was resisted by the miller, who gained the lawsuit. The king erected the present large mill for him. Since then the descendants of the miller, being in embarrassed circumstances, offered to sell it to the late king, who would not accept the offer, but settled a sum sufficient to enable the family to retain possession, saying the mill belonged to history, and was one of the monuments of the country.

It is now some years since I strolled over the grounds of the Kremlin in Moscow, and it was a reminiscence to find here a little chapel belonging to the Russian colony, surmounted by three domes, of miniature Kremlin form, and beautifully fitted up by the royal munificence for the Greek service.

While in this capital on two former occasions in summer, it struck me as being lifeless. We have cold weather, with ice and snow; the splendid sleighs and horses, adorned with variegated colored feathers, present a lively appearance. The city appears full of life and gaiety; the opera and theatres seem well attended, dancing and music being striking traits in the German character; balls adapted to all classes are continually taking place. The Kroll establishment of the Brandenburg Thor which corresponds to Niblo’s in New York, but is on a more stupendous scale, and compares favorably with anything in Paris for its elegance, among other entertainments, has lately given masquerade balls. Curiosity induced me to attend one, in order to compare it with those of other countries, and found, as I expected, that the people are not adapted to this species of amusement, as in Spain, and in the colonies, where, during the carnival, all classes unite in these diversions in every variety of costume, assuming particular parts, and sustaining them admirably. I had passed a far more agreeable and rational evening, under the folds of the stars and stripes, at the house of Gov. Vroom, of New Jersey, our present worthy representative at the court of Berlin, on the anniversary of the birthday of Washington. There were some twenty-five in number present, representing different States of the Union, who responded to the calls, sentiments, and toasts naturally called forth by the handsome entertainment. The night was cold, cheerful American grate-fires were blazing, and the party conversed together upon home topics. My mind wandered as I saw the beautiful silk banner hanging against the wall, to the last occasion I had had of commemorating this festival. It was at our minister’s house in Brazil, three years since, we mustered a small party of half-a-dozen; the flag was flying from the balcony overlooking the beautiful bay of Rio Janeiro, and the doors and windows were thrown wide open to get a breath of air, the perspiration starting from every pore, and this in the height of a South American summer on the 22d of February.

Most of the Americans here are students who have the advantage of lectures in the University on law, medicine, botany, Egyptian antiquities, and other subjects.

The royal library contains five hundred thousand volumes, and has a public reading-room for students and strangers, who, when recommended, can obtain books the day after their application, to take to their homes. German is badly spoken by the common people of Berlin; the educated classes in society speak the language purely.

You are aware that for many years I have not passed a winter in a northern latitude, and notwithstanding that the present is considered a rigorous one, it is not so cold as we have it at home; still I have felt it sensibly, and suffered while exposed out of doors. Having procured good quarters in a central position, in the vicinity of churches, universities, the museum, opera-house, reading-rooms, with a southern exposure, I should not say that Berlin life is disagreeable, notwithstanding my occasional longing for the balmy temperature and ripe fruits of a West Indian climate. The heating apparatus is called “Ofen;” I have two of them in my apartments. They stand like monuments of white porcelain in the corner of the room, eight feet in height, four feet wide, and two feet deep; they are useful and ornamental; are heated morning and evening, and throw out an agreeable and uniform heat, without any of the noxious vapors of coal. The windows are double sashed, as in Russia, and plants, of which the German people are fond, are flourishing in my parlor.

CVII.

PRAGUE, BOHEMIA, April 5, 1855.

Since my last from Berlin, I have revisited Dresden, the capital of the kingdom of Saxony, and am now again in the old city of Prague, the former residence of the Bohemian kings.

While in Berlin, our minister addressed a note to Baron Humboldt, the world-renowned traveller, desiring an appointment, at his convenience, to present an American of some experience, which note was promptly responded to. We were cordially received, and passed an hour very delightfully in the society of this venerable old gentleman, now eighty-five years of age, surrounded by books, charts, and a little museum of his own collection.

The noble old man is still active, and fully retains his memory; he speaks fluently the English, French, and Spanish languages. He inquired ardently about countries it had fallen to my lot to visit, which he had not seen, and expressed regret at my early departure, which prevented further civilities on his part.

He is a great favorite with the king, and is of course a royalist; but he has much sympathy for our country, and regrets the late filibustering movements for the unlawful seizure of our neighbor’s possessions.

Dresden is noted for having the finest collection of paintings north of the Alps, the work of three hundred and thirty-four masters; the masterpiece is Raphael’s Madonna. A number of years had elapsed since I had strolled through these galleries, containing upwards of two thousand pictures, and I saw them with renewed pleasure.

Dresden is also noted in Germany for its musical associations. Madame Goldschmidt, formerly Jenny Lind, has made it her residence. As I had made her acquaintance through her countrywoman, Miss Fredrika Bremer, in the Havana, politeness induced me to pay my respects; she was absent on a tour to Holland.

From Dresden to Bodenback, the Austrian frontier, is two hours’ ride by railway, with a delay of an hour when the passports are demanded, certificates given, examined, and then exchanged, and the luggage changed.

The railways in north Germany belong in part to the different governments, and in part to incorporated companies. Here the cars are differently constructed, being larger and capable of containing more persons, resembling somewhat the American; while in most parts of Europe they are like the English ones, with separate apartments, of coach-form, for eight passengers.

The Austrian custom-houses and police are extremely rigid, and they keep, I am informed, a sharp eye upon Americans since the affair of Kosta. Perhaps the warm reception of Kossuth in our country, and the late European Congress of American Ministers, has had its influence.

In order to show you the smallness of the custom-house here, I will state that I was detained a full half hour in the payment of duty upon twenty-one cigars, which, with the official stamp, were taxed at thirty kreutzers, of which the officers retain one-third. I told them the document was worth the money, as an evidence of pitiful meanness, which I had found in no other part of Europe. On a former occasion, in entering Vienna, my travelling companion had two sealed and fifteen open letters of recommendation seized, which were addressed to different parts of Europe. The next day he was cited to the custom-house, and found two sheets of foolscap paper written over, and a fine of twenty florins imposed, which he resisted, as he spoke German, and threatened to apply to our Minister, when he escaped with the charge of five florins upon the sealed letters.

On entering my room here, I was immediately furnished with a printed sheet, to fill up for the police, with my name, birthplace, occupation, married or single, age, where now from, time of stay, religion, &c.

The language of the Bohemians is unintelligible to the Germans; and I am assured that there are native born persons here, among the lower classes, who cannot make the slightest communication in the German tongue. The names of the streets, and signs, are in both languages.

The strength of Austria, which contains a population of seven millions of Germans against twenty-nine millions of the different races, consists in the variety of languages and religions, as is the case with the British East India Company, through the jealousy and religious feuds of Hindoo, Buddhist, Parsee, and other castes.

I am told that throughout the Austrian domain as many as eighteen languages and dialects are spoken.

The Jewish population is some twelve thousand; it occupies a certain portion of the city, formerly inclosed and locked at night, though now all the barriers are removed. Their old synagogue and churchyard are curious; the former is the most antique in Europe, being considered one thousand years old. Its walls are dark and dusky as those of a prison, and for centuries have remained unrenovated. Here is suspended a banner, presented by royalty, some five hundred years since. The laws of Moses, written upon rolls of parchment, in the Hebrew tongue, and many other curious relics, are exhibited.

The new edifice is a pretty building, and when illuminated at night, in its peculiar style, has a handsome effect.

As I am just departing for Vienna, I shall be there in time for the prominent ceremonies in the Cathedral of St. Stephen.

CVIII.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA, April 26, 1855.

A ride of eighteen hours by rail from Prague, the Bohemian capital, brought me to Vienna, the imperial city of Austria, passing through Brunn, a town of some importance, leaving Austerlitz and its battle ground on the left. A former visit to the places named, taking Iglau and Czaslau en route to Prague, over much tedious and uninteresting country, occupied five days; but by the aid of the iron horse the journey is now accomplished in the time mentioned. I find the old city quite unchanged; so unlike many of our American cities, where, on a return visit, after a few years’ absence, one can scarcely recognise the localities formerly familiar to the eye.

I arrived here in time for the festivals, at the close of the Holy Week, and found the old Cathedral of St. Stephen’s filled with the multitude as I had last seen it on the occasion of the annual departure of the devotees or pilgrims to the mountain chapel of Maria Zell. It seemed that only a brief interval had elapsed; but hundreds of those whom I then saw have probably made the pilgrimage from which there is no return, while I have been permitted, during the lapse of fourteen years, to pass three similar annual festivals under Popes Gregory and Pius, in Rome; another at the tomb of our Saviour, in Jerusalem; one in Murcia, in Catholic Spain, and two in Havana. The altars here, bedecked with natural plants and flowers, reminded me of a much greater horticultural display on a similar occasion in Lima.

The new chapel has been erected in commemoration of the preservation of the young Emperor from the hands of an assassin; and, on the anniversary of his marriage, about a year since, a brilliant mass was performed in presence of the imperial family. Notwithstanding the attempt upon his life, he seems to have full confidence in the loyalty of his people. I met him recently with an aide-de-camp only, walking in the vicinity of the palace, and we saluted each other politely. I met the mother of the emperor in the palace garden, in like manner, with a lady of the court and a servant, and she also responded politely to my civilities.

The empress, who is of the House of Bavaria, appears youthful, and rather pretty. She is not yet nineteen years of age, and is much esteemed by the public for her simplicity of manner.

On the occasion of the recent birth of a princess an amnesty was granted to many prisoners.

The Prater, with its dense forestry, is the grand lounge, where thousands may be seen on a fine day, and occasionally the cortege of the Imperial family.

The trees are now in bloom, and the country wears a pretty appearance.

The police are very rigid; I found myself closely catechised at the bureau, when I presented myself for an Aufenthalt’s Karte, or permit to remain longer than six days.

The language of the people is corrupt German, but the educated classes speak the language in its purity. The many tongues here spoken make it a sort of Babel.

The Slavonians, who number sixteen millions, extending throughout Bohemia, Illyria, and Dalmatia, and whose language is difficult, seem to have the faculty of acquiring other languages; they are of the Czeck race, one of the three families Mech, Lech, and Czeck, who occupy Poland and Russia; and, although they are remote from the others, they understand much that is said in conversation. The Hungarian or Magyar language has not the slightest resemblance to the Slavonic or German, being an eastern or Asiatic language, the Magyars having migrated from Asia to Hungary about nine hundred years ago.

There is a vast deal to be seen in the capital of Austria. Its amusements are abundant. The Strauss Band, so justly celebrated, gives Sunday and holiday concerts in the Volks or People’s Garden.

Schönbrunn, the Imperial summer palace and grounds, is within a few miles of the city.

The pretty neighboring village of Heitzing is overrun in summer by denizens of the city.

The immense summer palace has one thousand and three hundred rooms. I passed through fifty-two of the principal apartments, many newly furnished with elegance and taste, and rich in historical and family paintings, reminiscences of the legions of Napoleon, and of his son, the young Duke of Reichstadt.

The park contains the largest menagerie or collection of wild animals, and the best exhibition of rare birds I have seen in Europe, the present emperor having a fondness for natural history. The vast inclosures, of some acres, are of a circular form, radiating from the centre, with walls, and barriers, and outbuildings for the winter, heated to an African temperature, for the giraffes and other animals that require it.

The glass summer-houses, resembling military barracks in size, contain all the varieties of tropical vegetation.

Upon the summit of the hill, in the rear of the Park, stands the Gloriette, a massive stone structure, three hundred feet long, and sixty feet high, with columns; it is an Observatory, whence one gets a good view of Vienna and the Danubian banks.

A favorite excursion is by rail to Laxenburg, the favorite summer residence of the young Empress; she manifests, I think, good taste in her selection, nature is so beautiful here; and shade and retirement must be a great relief after the blaze and excitement of court life, particularly for one who is remarkable for her quiet primitive manner, and her fondness for fishing, so my guide informed me; her liege lord’s passion is for the chase, which brings him out of his bed at four o’clock in the morning.

The art of man has produced upon the level surface of the Park, elevated mounds and islands, from the earth thrown out to form ponds for fishing and sailing, in which ponds scores of neatly painted boats are seen; grottoes are formed from heavy blocks of stone brought from the mountain quarries. Upon a small island, called Franzenburg, the miniature Ritterburg Castle is a perfect gem, with its castellated walls and towers; it has several rooms adorned with horse and war armor, and all the antique weapons of war artistically arranged; coats of mail, and lances used in tournaments, etc.; the sculptured oak-ceilings, three hundred or four hundred years old, the paintings, furniture, decorations, marble statues and portraits of the Hapsburg family, illuminated glass windows, cabinets of vases, relics of gold, silver and precious stones, form quite a museum, and give a correct idea of the grandeur and magnificence of the original.

The Viennese have their Baden, a place of summer resort for invalids, and noted for its beautiful mountain scenery, and its valley, called Helenenthal; but it cannot be compared favorably with the celebrated Baden-Baden in any particular, aside from its sulphur waters, which resemble those of Wiesbaden in smell and flavor. It lies twenty miles from Vienna by rail, and is well worth a visit.

The great gala-day of the year is the 1st of May, when nobility and plebeians, great and small, resort to the Prater, and is looked forward to as the chief event of the season.

A sojourn of nearly a month will give me an opportunity of revisiting much that I had seen formerly, and acquiring a better idea of the peculiarities of the different races of mankind.

CIX.

PESTH, HUNGARY, May 9, 1855.

In my last, from Vienna, I remarked that I should remain over the 1st of May jubilee, when all classes feel it incumbent on them to hail the return of springtime and flowers--and to sip their coffee, drink their beer, and enjoy themselves according to their means.

The long shady avenues of the Prater are crowded with observers, regarding the double procession, up and down, of closely hemmed carriages, with liveried footmen, filled with the beauty and wealth of the capital, following in the wake of the many gilded and brilliant court equipages containing the imperial family and ladies of honor, foreign ambassadors, &c. Within neat inclosures, in summer houses, are seen the nobility, dining sumptuously, as Royalty also dines here, on the occasion. But what is more novel, is the Wurstel Prater, on another avenue, and its novel surroundings. Here are found Punch and Judy, or Marionettes, flying horses, miniature railroads, with weighing machines, theatres, boat and revolving swings, panoramas, bands of music, and scores of recreations for the masses, mostly permanent establishments for the summer, coffee-houses, with thousands of tables under the trees; and bread and cheese, sausages, coffee, and light beer, disappear in marvellous quantities, at short notice, and, strange to say, in that vast multitude, I only saw one partially drunken man, a soldier. No fighting, no quarrelling, all harmony, all were in pursuit of rational amusement, rich and poor, men, women, and children.

The Imperial Steamship Company employ their steamers upon the Danube, the Save, the Drave, and Theiss, and terminate their line at Galatz, where the Lloyd line for Constantinople connects. The steamers are small, but much improved since I was last in this country, being constructed after American designs.

From Vienna to Presburg, the banks of the river are low, with nothing of interest, except the battle-ground of Wagram. Presburg is prettily situated, with delightful environs. A bridge of boats crosses the river here; I counted twenty-nine boats in passing over to the forest promenade, which is much resorted to, and contains a summer theatre and refreshment houses. The town has forty-two thousand inhabitants. The Cathedral, built in the year 1090, was the crowning place of the Hungarian kings; it has some remarkable statuary in metal. The festival of the recently declared dogma, by the Pope, of the immaculate conception of the Virgin, took place while I was there--which brought out the ladies in large numbers, and Hungary may boast of the beauty of her daughters. Upon the summit of the hill overlooking the town, still stand the royal castle walls, burnt in 1812, and from which a magnificent view of the city and Danube is obtained.

Descending from Presburg, the river becomes wider; at this place is the celebrated chain bridge, finished in 1849, and one of the wonders of the age; it is fifteen hundred feet across.

Komorn, en route between the two cities named, has seventeen thousand inhabitants, and possesses one of the strongest fortifications in Europe. In the revolution of 1849, the Hungarians held out for a long time, and finally gave it up voluntarily.

Gran, lying below, has an equal population, and is the residence of the Primate of Hungary, Cardinal Rudnay, who has erected a cathedral, which is not yet finished. From this place the steamer runs between porphyry rocky shores, whose scenery resembles that of Saxon Switzerland. One of the striking features of the river scenery is the thousands of water mills built in boat-form, and occupied, after the ice disappears, for the grinding of the products of the country. Hungary is rich in wine, wheat, horses, horned cattle, and sheep. The quantity of wool produced is enormous--Prince Esterhazy’s estates counting their thousands of shepherds.

When I travelled through this country before a railroad was suggested, it was by “Bauer” or Farmer’s Post, in a rude wagon, upon hay seats, with four raw-boned nags upon the full gallop. I had an opportunity then of judging of the dependent condition of the serfs. Since that time they have been made free by the Ex-Emperor, their freedom growing out of the revolution.

I counted yesterday a procession of three hundred and thirty-five men and women coming over the bridge, with banners flying, and crucifixes in the hands of the priests, after a four days’ pilgrimage to Mount Calvary, which I had seen from the steamer; the chapel is on the summit of a hill, with different stations in ascending. They came in singing, and looked pretty well jaded out. The populace stood along the sidewalk, in masses, to witness the return; they were mostly of the lower classes, and poorly clad.

Offen, opposite this place, has a population of thirty-two thousand. It was in possession of the Turks for one hundred and fifty years, at different times, and in 1684 taken from them; but the traces of its possession by the Musselmans are still left, particularly in its baths, which remind one of old Stamboul, from the heavy massive work, columns and domes; among the number the poor people’s bath costs a kreutzer (three-quarters of a cent). My guide led me through the dense vapor produced by the copious supply of flowing water of a high temperature, and I could scarcely discern an object; but presently figures appear to the eye, as one passes through the mist: there sits a woman washing her clothes; another washes her children; then come men and boys, old and young, diseased and sound, promiscuously thrown together. There were twenty-nine in all, but the bath is capable of containing one hundred and fifty.

The idea is certainly repugnant, and discovers a low state of morals--the blending of the sexes together in a state of nature. With the perspiration rolling out of every pore, I was glad to make my escape.

An excursion to the Kaiser Bad (Emperor’s Bath), a few miles by steamer, gives an opportunity of seeing fashionable invalids, bathing in, and drinking the waters.

The fortification which commands the summit at Offen, and from which Pesth was bombarded during the Kossuth war, and which contains the palaces of the Palatine and castle gardens, is now occupied by the Erzherzog Albrecht, and is a town in itself; and, from its commanding position, one has a fine view of the country villages and retreats in the rear, as also of Pesth and the whole surrounding country. Here stands a new monument, erected to the memory of General Heutzi and Oberst Alnoch, and four hundred and eighteen other Austrian officers and soldiers, who lost their lives in defending the place against the Hungarians, who occupied the heights in the neighborhood. Many buildings on both sides of the river still retain the marks of the cannon and musket balls, and many are entirely destroyed, giving an idea of the destruction caused by the revolution, and of the ravages of war.

In Presburg, the Hungarian’s nationality seems to be, in a measure, absorbed by the German’s. Here, he stands out more in his native form. The shop signs are chiefly Hungarian, and unintelligible to most foreigners. The journals are in both languages, German and Magyar. The officers and troops are from other parts of the Austrian provinces, while the Hungarian soldiery are sent to Vienna, Lombardy, and other points. The language is unlike all the other living languages of Europe, being of Oriental origin, and difficult to acquire.

CX.

SALTZBURG, AUSTRIA, May 25, 1855.

From Pesth I returned to Vienna, and made my way up the Danube to Linz, a sail of twenty-four hours, which would be lessened did they not lie by at night for the Strudel, where the river, breaking through its rocky barriers, divides into three parts. The most navigable portion is through the whirlpool, on approaching which a cannon is fired, as only one vessel at a time can pass this narrow point, which is from thirty to forty feet, where the fall is three feet in the distance of five hundred feet. Up to the last century, vessels and crews were frequently lost, but by the blasting of rocks, it is no longer hazardous, and bears no comparison to the running of the rapids of the St. Lawrence.

From Nussdorf, the starting-point on the main branch of the Danube, one hour’s ride from Vienna, as the steamer advances, leaving the already beautiful environs for which the latter city is noted, the scenery becomes bolder, the stream is divided by islands, and, as the Germans estimate, one quarter of an hour across. As we proceed, an old fort presents itself, with its associations in the thirty years’ war; the hill sides are covered with green leaves of the grape vines. Then we land at Tulm, one of the oldest cities on the Danube. Here Rudolph of Hapsburg figured in 1278; and the plain in the environs contained the sixty thousand men, in 1683, who rescued Vienna from the Turks. Further on at Gottweih, is a Benedictine Convent, founded in 1072, standing seven hundred feet high. Still advancing, new objects of interest are coming forward, comparing favorably with the Rhine travel. We landed the prelate of the Benedictine Abbey at Melk, a market town at the foot of the mountain. This immense edifice, looking more like a huge palace than a cloister, built between 1702 and 1736, stands one hundred and eighty feet high, on a precipice hanging upon the river bank. It has been frequently besieged, but is defended with bastions and arms which Napoleon, after the battle of Asperne, established in it from its important position, lying on the highway of the army to Vienna. He levied heavy contributions upon the monks’ wine cellars for the use of the troops.

As we mount the stream, we see scores of boats, containing from fifty to eighty persons, with flags flying, and singing lustily, on their pilgrimage tour to Maria Tafel, which upwards of one hundred thousand visit annually.

At one of those small villages we landed a certain Baron B. and his family. He is a Minister in Vienna for one of the German States, and was taking his family for the summer to his chateau, with parks and grounds of four thousand acres attached.

His family consisted of the lady, two daughters, and three sons, with a French governess and male preceptor, and an equal number of servants. I had made their acquaintance through a friend, and found them an excellent specimen of the nobility of the land. The young ladies were nearly as familiar with the French and English languages as with their mother tongue. As we were detained for coaling the steamer, I was invited to visit the chateau, on shore. Cannons were fired at their arrival, and the peasantry flocked down to salute the return of the party. It was annoying and mortifying, as the weak-sighted old women and children kissed my hands, mistaking a simple American for an Austrian Baron, as I escorted the ladies to the house.

The general tourist, of course, comes in contact with all classes of society, and necessarily has an opportunity of studying character. It was my fate this trip to fall in mostly with the upper classes. No sooner had we left the party named, than a quiet young gentleman, a Russian, approached me, and made some inquiries about my route, and I found he was disposed to join me in my excursions. When cards were exchanged, the following day, at Linz, I found that another Baron was announced, which did not prevent the Republican and the Autocrat going along harmoniously together, particularly as the former had circulated more generally than the latter. He is still with me, and disposed to continue to Munich.

Linz is the last town of importance on the Danube belonging to Austria. It was there that I abandoned the river in order to make the most interesting tour through this portion of the Empire. Linz has thirty thousand inhabitants; the suburbs are very pretty; the laying over of passengers, and exchange of steamers, with its internal trade, give it some advantages. A festival day was occupied here in surveying the town and its environs, and in looking at the interesting groups of peasantry, in peculiar costume, in and about the churches.

The second Eisenbahn on the continent, with a flat rail, is here; it was moved by horse power, until this spring. A small locomotive was put on and run from Gmunden Lake, via Wells and Lambach, where a tiny little steamer makes the trip in an hour, through most romantic and enchanting scenery.

It was a reminiscence of the early days of railway travel; the venerable coach cars with small, low wheels; the narrow bed and strap rails; the snail pace movement, avoiding the danger of what we formerly called snake heads, from the breaking of the thin rail, and its flying through the body of the carriage.

Omnibuses run from the head of the Lake to Ischel, a celebrated Austrian watering-place of two thousand inhabitants, the bathing resort of the Emperor, who is now erecting a new summer residence.

The valley and mountain scenery of the Salz-Kammergut, and the position of this place, thirteen thousand five hundred feet above the level of the sea, can scarcely be described for their beauty. The Government Salt Works here are on a stupendous scale, and are a source of great revenue.

The governments derive large sums from the sale of wood, which is seen piled by thousands of cords upon the banks of the Traum and Ischel streams, and the quantities dashing down the mountain torrents from the melting of the snows, afford a curious spectacle. All possible contrivances, through barriers, to unite the floating masses and aqueducts to bring the required quantities together, for piling and drying, before they are sent to navigable water for sale, or for the boiling of the salt flowing through pipes from the bowels of the mountains, are seen.

The town from which I write has a population of less than twenty thousand; it is in a most romantic position, and is full of interest. The birthplace of Mozart, with a monument to his memory, an immense cathedral of freestone and marble, and the fortification upon the summit of Monchsberg, make a lovely picture in the distance. The rock was tunnelled between 1763 and ’67 by Archbishop Sigismund III., four hundred and fifty feet through, twenty-two feet high, and twenty-two feet wide; it forms one of the entrances to the city, and resembles somewhat the grotto of Posilippo, near Naples.

An excursion for a day to Konigsee, an inclosed lake, with its occasional precipitate rocky walls, and water six hundred feet deep, with its echoes and the rumbling sound of the avalanches from the towering snowy mountains, from seven to eight thousand feet high, rowed in flat bottomed skiffs by two lusty women with men’s black hats, is something novel, to say the least. The Hunting Chateau, the Ice Chapel, and the Cataract, come in for a part of the interest, and one is rejoiced to get back to the little hotel of embarkation with an appetite for Lachsforellen, or salmon trout, and the wild game of the country.

We returned by Bechtesgaden, a small town, occupying a high picturesque position, and celebrated for wood, horn, and ivory cut work, similar to the Swiss ware. The population are in part employed in this business; their manufactures find a market abroad, and were it not for the continual annoyance of custom-houses and travel, one would be tempted to fill his trunk and carpet-bag with their pretty trifles.

The Salt Works at Hallein, about seven miles from here, which I have just visited, are of an entirely different character from those of Cracow. Instead of the rock salt being excavated from the bowels of the earth, the mountains are filled with the saline material, which is extracted by means of fresh water introduced into the pits, and then conveyed through wooden logs to the two salt establishments in the valley below.

The ascent to the summit of the Durenburg, from the town, is about two and a half miles; it is rather tiresome to climb, but the constant changing views relieve one from the fatigue. When we arrived at the house where the descent begins, we rested ourselves, before entering, in a cooler atmosphere; and giving our hats and superfluous garments to our valet, with orders to meet us at the place of egress half way down the mountain side, we put ourselves in miner’s costume, with a cap and heavy buck-skin gloves, to relieve the friction of the cables or ropes, in sliding down the rollers.

Preceded by our Steiger, my Russian companion and myself, flambeaux in hand, entered the gallery of Obersteinberg, and passed two thousand two hundred and twenty-eight feet to the first Rollen, or inclined plane of forty degrees. The gallery road bed is of plank, with wood rails on each side for the truck carts to remove the sand, after the salt is extracted, and for the bringing in of materials to support the sides and roofs of these narrow passages. Branch avenues, right and left, extend in different directions in the mountain. The Rollen leads from story to story, as we descend (there are five stories in all), until we find ourselves one thousand five hundred feet below. They are formed of two parallel ranges of round slippery beams, joined at the end, and connecting from top to bottom. One places himself behind the miner-guide, who carries the torch, sitting astride with one thigh resting on a cable rope, grasping the same with the right hand, which serves to moderate the speed, and to establish his position, and then with locomotive motion finds himself two hundred and forty feet below in short notice. As we pass through the different passages, a fairy scene suddenly presented itself: a hundred lights are reflected in the splendid sheet of water, three hundred feet long, and one hundred and eighty feet wide, and our ferry boat, by means of a rope and pulley, is drawn down to the opposite side, when we continue our march.

This is one of twenty-two similar lakes, where fresh water is introduced, and the saline properties for a month absorbed, when it runs to the salt houses for the process of boiling and crystallizing. The mines date from the fifteenth century. The quantity annually extracted is four hundred thousand centners, of one hundred pounds each; it may be increased if needed. In 1761 the mines fell in, and fossil salt was discovered. A museum, or collection of specimens, with monuments to the memories of the founders and Emperors, are within these deep recesses.

The egress from the mine below is through a narrow, calcareous stone arch, two and a half feet wide, six feet high, and six thousand feet long, commenced in 1541, and finished in forty-two years. One comes out seated astride a car running upon a slanting rail bed, drawn by one boy, and pushed by a second, at full trot. When the distance is half accomplished, the light through the opening looks like a brilliant star in the distance, and one hails with pleasure the cheering blaze of day.

CX.*

RATISBON, BAVARIA, June 8, 1855.

From Saltzburg, near the Austrian frontier, I proceeded by mail coach eighty-five miles, through an interesting country, to Munich, formerly described, the Bavarian Capital, deservedly renowned among the lovers of the fine arts, as the modern Athens of Europe, and celebrated throughout the Fatherland for its Bayerisch beer, being to Germany what London is to England, for its extensive manufacture of that beverage.

The museum and studio of Schwanthaler, the celebrated German sculptor, is a source of great interest, and reminded me of Thorwaldsen’s collection at Copenhagen.

Munich is celebrated for its Erzgiesserei, or Bronze Foundry, and for its glass paintings; the latter work is finely executed, and the new church windows which display it are strikingly beautiful. The colossal bronze statue of Bavaria, a female figure of victory, with a huge lion reposing by its side, was not complete when I saw it in 1848, but is now upon an eminence commanding the Theresien Meadows, standing upon a pedestal of thirty feet, which gives it a height of eighty-four feet. It weighs one hundred and fifteen tons. A staircase of sixty-six stone and sixty-five iron steps leads one into the head, where two benches of cast metal accommodate twelve persons; it is a rather warm berth at this season of the year. I found the great equestrian statue of Washington, for the capitol at Richmond, Virginia, in process of construction at the foundry; it will probably require considerable time for its execution.

A few miles from the city one relieves the eyes, and escapes picture galleries, in the shady avenues of the royal summer residence at Nymphenburg, with its fountains ninety feet in height, and its beautiful sheets of water, winding through this vast inclosure, which occupies two hours’ walk in the circuit. The Botanical gardens are not devoid of interest. The supply of water is more copious than in any royal site I recollect having seen in Europe, except the Neapolitan Caserta, and La Granja, in Spain. The deer park, in the vicinity, is also a pleasant drive for the ladies and children, who occupy themselves in embroidery, drinking their beer, and feeding the young animals out of their hands.

In less than two hours, one rides from Munich to Augsburg, by railroad.

The old town has considerable of interest in its churches, architecture, monuments, &c. It being my second visit, one day at Augsburg sufficed, as I was en route to Ratisbon, and had to make the circuit by railroad to Donauworth, in order to descend the Danube. A little iron steamer, eighty feet in length, and narrow in proportion, with a tiny cabin, came to the place named as the head of steam navigation, with a small party of first-class passengers. We darted down the rapid stream at a lively rate, at times walled in by precipitous limestone rocks; the scenery was highly romantic and picturesque, with much to interest, but compared unfavorably with the views described in my last, from Vienna to Linz. We landed passengers at Menburg and Ingoldstadt, important towns, and in eight hours’ sail found ourselves at this place.

As I have formerly remarked, most of the German governments have different weights, coin, measure, and regulations. One day one has fifty pounds luggage free, and paper money in use; cross the boundary, as is the case here, no baggage is allowed; it must be paid, for even moderate distances, at one cent per pound. If you happen not to have changed your money, you submit to a heavy discount. My Russian friend had a large sum of Austrian paper florins over, and lost forty guldens or sixteen dollars, by not exchanging as I advised him, and was consoled by the money changer, saying: Mann muss lehr geld zahlen. One must pay for experience.

Regensburg, or Ratisbon, whence I write, is beautifully situated upon the south bank of the Danube. It was formerly the seat of the Imperial Diet; it has a population of only twenty-four thousand, but is an interesting old city, with enchanting shady walks surrounding the city, giving the occupants breathing room. Sunday being Frohnleichnamstag, or Corpus Christi, the service in the old cathedral was fully attended. This vast Gothic edifice, built in the year 1400, was crammed with furniture, offerings, pictures, and relics, which destroyed its beautiful proportions, until King Ludwig, with the eye of an artist, in 1838, saw its deformity, and ordered a general sweeping out, and renovated its magnificent illuminated glass windows, representing the life of Christ and historical Bible scenes.

Strolling from one church to another, I found the current setting across the river to the Dreifaltigheitsberge, upon the summit of which is a pilgrimage church with fourteen stations and monuments on the ascent indicating the bearing of the Cross, and sufferings of Christ, up to the Crucifixion. So I fell in with the train, and passed over the old stone bridge, one thousand and ninety-one feet long and twenty-three feet wide, placed upon thirty arches of thirty feet in width, and well worth remarking, for the early period of 1140. Once on the top, I found the ground occupied mostly by Bauern, in their novel costume. The girls in short frocks of fancy colors, with balloon sleeves, and silver chain across the corsage; the men in red vests and short-waisted coats, with two dozen silver and gilt buttons thereon, about the size of a half dollar.

Tents and booths contained the eatables and drinkables. Service was going on, and the temple jammed full. A thunderstorm came up, and I took refuge in the house of the church guardian, in a small room ten feet square, with a bed in one corner, thirty small prints of saints hanging around the walls, a table covered with mugs, ham, and sausages, eight persons, and cigar smoke in clouds.

The weather soon cleared up, and after dinner I found the town deserted. Protestants and Catholics escape the city, and the society gardens, as well as the public grounds, are crowded. The musicians are playing, and the adjacent environs are planted with trees, among which stand large buildings, over deep cold beer cellars, for summer use.

The former Abbey of St. Emmeran, now the residence of the Prince von Taxis, one of the wealthiest nobles of the country, is one of the lions to be seen. His picture gallery is not large but select; his stable of sixty horses is a choice pattern of neatness and convenience; his riding house is adorned with many equestrian groups of ancient combatants by Schwanthaler, and is a gem in its way. The family chapel and vault will compare favorably with those of the kings of Prussia and Hanover; add to which, he has a large brewery in connexion, in active operation, which was erected and worked by this order of monks. Under the roof of the same previous ecclesiastical establishment, are the refreshment rooms for the sale of the article manufactured. What strikes the stranger here is the universal use without the abuse, and it redounds to the honor of the German character, for the rarest spectacle is an inebriated person. In the deep and dark recesses of the Rath House here are seen the whole apparatus of the inquisition; parts of it I had seen in Italy and Spain, but here it is completed. I saw the latticed screen of the judge, with his desk, and the bored holes for candles; the penitential benches for culprits, while listening to the groans of comrades inducing confession; the chair of pointed spikes, resembling a flax hetchel, upon which the victim sat, with the stone weights suspended from his ankles; the platform upon which the naked body lay during the scraping of the skin from the back from head to foot; bolts in the floor to fasten the feet, and heavy fifty pound weights, attached to the arms, while the shoulders were strained by the windlass; with a variety of other tortures too horrible to describe. The seat of the doctor is also shown, whose business was to decide how much the sufferers could endure, without expiring under the treatment. Also cells with small openings through which the prisoners received their food; they were chained in such a manner that they were obliged to sleep with the blood flowing towards the head and heart, inducing, as was believed, contrition; there were dungeons, too, in which they were let down, with no opening except from above, cutting off all hope of escape. In witnessing such an exhibition it is consoling to reflect that civilization has made much progress since the last century, when these hellish instruments were in use.

CXI.

WIESBADEN, DUCHY OF NASSAU, June 20, 1855.

From Ratisbon, I went to the famous Walhalla Temple, occupying the summit of a rocky cliff upon the banks of the Danube, about two hours’ ride from that city, composed entirely of marble, stone, and metal, and of which I must attempt a feeble description.

It seems that the artist ex-king, Ludwig, as early as 1807, when crown-prince, and while Germany was bowed down under French despotism, conceived the design of erecting a monument to the memory of the meritorious sons of the Fatherland. As early as 1821, German sculptors had already prepared a portion of the busts, when the preparatory ground-work was commenced, and on the anniversary-day of the battle of Leipsic, 18th of October, 1830, Ludwig, then king, laid the foundation-stone, and which he opened complete in 1842; the cost of which is reported, but probably incorrect, as I notice an article in a public journal, saying that during his reign forty millions of guilders, say seventeen millions of dollars, were expended in the fine arts, and constructing and beautifying churches, palaces, and temples. A considerable portion is represented as out of his private purse.

The majestic Walhalla stands three hundred feet above the water level, and the ascent is effected by double flights of broad marble steps, three hundred and fifty in number, uniting upon wide platforms, and then recommencing in like manner until the height is reached, giving a magnificent view of the river and surrounding country, as also a front view of the edifice. The terrace wall is built of many-cornered cyclopean blocks of stone, and from the second division corresponds with the underground foundation of the building, nearly one hundred feet in depth. The length of the wall from this platform, from north to south, is four hundred and eighty-three feet, and width two hundred and eighty-eight feet. The temple, bearing some resemblance to the ancient Parthenon at Athens, is two hundred and thirty feet in length, one hundred and eighteen feet in width, and sixty-four feet in height. It has seventeen marble columns on each side, and eight each, front and rear, thirty-one feet high, and six feet in diameter.

The gable pediments contain the splendid marble sculpture work of Schwanthaler, each group comprising fifteen figures. The one at the north occupied that artist eight years. The colossal form of the national hero, Herman, ten feet high, forms the centre of the group in the final struggle with the Romans, whose leader has struck his sword in his own breast to avoid the sight of the overthrow of his legions. From the time of Roman and Greek antiquity, perhaps, so large a gable-group has not been seen, being seventy-two feet in length. The inside is one hundred and sixty-eight feet by forty-eight, and fifty-three feet to the roof, and may be considered a rare gem. The floor is of polished white, yellow, and black marble mosaic; one draws on felt overshoes to slip and slide over the surface. The roof is of gilded bronze plates, with three plate-glass windows to admit the light, the crossbeams of sky blue, and stars of gold, with full-sized figures of gods and heroes. The various polished marble sides contain tablets and busts of one hundred and sixty of the most renowned and distinguished Germans. The different divisions are protected by six figures of Victory, in white Carrara marble; these female forms, with extended wings, are the work of the celebrated Rauch, at Berlin. The bas-reliefs, executed in Rome, of the same material, extend entirely around the hall, two hundred and ninety-two feet in length, in eight divisions, and mark the history of the German race, settlement of the country, conquests, arts, religion, knowledge, &c.

From Ratisbon, twelve hours by mail coach brings one to the old city of Nuremburg, the most antique in Germany. Its former population, ninety thousand, now counts fifty-two thousand; it is surrounded by a wall forty feet high, upon which are seventy-two towers and bastions; the four towers of the principal gates are built in the form of cannons. Its cathedral and churches are remarkable for their old illuminated glass windows, woodcarving of the altars, and life of Christ, by the renowned artists Veit, Stoss, and Adam Kraft; also paintings from the original school of Albert Durer and his master, as early as 1485. A remarkable old cemetery contains the tombs of the artists named. The venerable château, erected in the tenth century, recently fitted up for the royal family, who are soon expected, is worth a visit, not only for the view, but its contents. In the courtyard is a large linden tree, seven hundred years old. The city hall, built in the sixteenth century, is a fine structure, and contains remarkable stucco-work of that period, and paintings of Albert Durer, particularly the triumphal procession of the Emperor Maximilian I. The bridges over the stream which runs through the city, the fountains, monuments, and style of architecture of the old town, generally interest travellers. Nine hours by rail transports one, via Bamburg and Würzburg, through an interesting and varied country, to the free city of Frankfort-upon-the-Main. Being on my way to this favorite resort for a rest, and the use of the waters, I tarried but little on the Rhine, and as these points are as familiar as old acquaintances, nothing strikes one as new. Wiesbaden I find on each repeated visit much improved; the usual concourse of guests is from fifteen thousand to twenty thousand annually; its position on the slope of the Taunus hills, gives it the beautiful valleys that surround it, and the advantage of healthful and recreating excursions to the mountains.

I shall remain here a few days longer, then make my way to Paris, for the Exhibition, after which I may conclude to take steamer to my own Vaterland.

1856.

CXII.

PARIS, FRANCE, Jan. 28, 1856.

You have been kept advised from time to time for so many years past of my whereabouts, that I fancy you inquiring, “Where are you? What are you doing? What kind of passage had you out?” and the like. The heading of this epistle will show you that I am once again, and for the tenth time, in the great metropolis of the continent, which is a sort of culminating point for European travellers going and returning. The first day of January, for the first time in some ten years, I was permitted to remain late enough in the north to unite with the denizens of our great Empire City in keeping up the good old Knickerbocker custom of wishing a “happy new year;” on the fifth I stepped on board the good steamship Pacific bound for Liverpool.

We stood shivering upon the upper deck, gazing after those left behind us, until reminded of the comfort of a cabin.

We soon found ourselves at Sandy Hook, in the commencement of a north-east snow storm, and with much difficulty disposed of our pilot. One of the roughest and most boisterous nights followed. Those of our passengers who were at sea for the first time, suffered all the horrors of sea-sickness. Our gallant ship combatted nobly the mountain waves, the decks were swept from time to time, and one life-boat was carried away; so passed the first twenty-four hours. Sunday morning, the sixth, I found three passengers out of fifty-eight at breakfast, and our dinner was not served as usual, “à la carte,” as the cook’s galley had been flooded and things temporarily deranged.

We had a succession of head winds and snow flurries for several days, with seldom a nautical observation. The first day we only made sixty-five knots, as we could not see to run, but our noble ship did her duty, and made up for lost time, doing the passage in twelve days. I had just taken up the papers from New York, and noticed that the snow storm ashore was one of the worst ever experienced by that venerable gentleman, the oldest inhabitant.

Passengers at sea are disposed to accommodate themselves to circumstances, and being more dependent upon each other for the means of passing the time than ashore, generally make themselves as amiable as possible. Our commander I had formerly known; our steward had catered to my wants from Panama to San Francisco; we had several gentlemen and ladies--old acquaintances--and passed our time as pleasantly as our rolling and pitching would permit. We had a great variety of character for so limited a number of passengers--American, English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, who finding your humble servant was familiar with their several countries, rather taxed his vocal organs in the exercises of their different languages.

Once landed at Liverpool, the great commercial mart of England, our party were soon scattered to the four winds. I started for Chester, one of the oldest and most curious towns in England, with its porticoes and colonnades which enable the pedestrian to walk long distances without exposure to sun or rain, and remind one of Bologna.

The Marquis of Westminster, one of the wealthiest noblemen of the kingdom, has a princely palace and parks in the neighborhood well worth a visit.

From Chester I proceeded to the great manufacturing city of Birmingham, and on to Bristol, in the west of England, a large seaport upon the Severn, with its suburban places of resort, Clifton and Hotwells, much frequented by families and invalids during the winter, on account of the mildness of the climate, and the picturesque and romantic scenery. The first steamships, the Sirius and Great Western, were sent to New York by a Bristol Company. It is a curious old city, but contains nothing very striking for the traveller.

Bath, renowned by the bards and poets, lies upon the Avon, and has some forty thousand inhabitants; it is prettily situated and well built; is celebrated for its hot springs, and is quite full at this season of the year with invalids. The weather was mild for the winter; the fields were still quite green, and vegetables were exposed in the gardens. The Great Western Railway passes through Bath. The living is good, after the English style, roast beef, mutton chops, plum-pudding, Cheshire and Stilton cheese, ale, porter, and old port wine, being the chief articles of consumption; there is no table d’hôte at the public houses; parties dine separately at hotels in a very unsocial manner.

The approach to Birmingham via Wolverhampton, for twenty miles along the railway line, early in the evening, presented a curious spectacle, and reminded me of a close proximity to the infernal regions; the hundreds of furnaces for the manufacture of coke, iron, and steel, throwing out their lurid glare of light and smoke, whose fires rarely die out, surpassed those of any part of England I had seen, and filled me with awe and admiration of this immense branch of industry.

Coming over the Great Western Railroad to London, there is much to admire, and many places worth a detour or a visit; among these are the Universities at Oxford, and the residence of the Queen at Windsor Castle, all of which I had formerly seen.

At Sydenham, twenty miles from London, now stands the Crystal Palace. Its lofty towers, two hundred and forty feet in height, are not yet complete; its elevated position commands the whole country; the parks are being beautifully ornamented. It so far excels what it was when I saw it in Hyde Park, at the time of the Exhibition, that I shall not attempt to describe it. Suffice it to say, the Egyptian, East Indian, Moorish, and Italian departments, representing so faithfully the architecture, painting, statuary, and inscriptions of those countries were to me an invaluable souvenir. The Oriental department, kept up to tropical heat in midwinter, with fragrant plants and flowers, fish swimming in the fountains, birds chirping and singing in the presence of huge Indian deities upon the façades of temples, almost transports one to the banks of the Ganges.

A return to the city, with its teeming population of two and a half millions, crowded thoroughfares, bustle and confusion, soon dispels the illusion. The winter is no time for sight-seeing in London, as the smoke or fog oftentimes prevent your seeing more than a few steps before you; indeed at eleven A.M. the gas lights are sometimes still burning. All navigation upon the Thames is suspended; horses and vehicles and foot passengers grope their way in the dense obscurity.

The communication from London to Paris, via Dover and Calais, or Folkstone and Boulogne, is made in twelve or fourteen hours, at an expense of three pounds five shillings, say fifteen dollars. The English railway fares are more than double those of the United States. The same remark will apply to the general expenses of life.

The Parisians are preparing for the Carnival, when masked balls will be all the rage, and the “Bœuf Gras” or fat ox, will be paraded through the streets on “Mardi Gras”.

CXIII.

FLORENCE, ITALY, May 2, 1856.

Yesterday, the 1st of May, a gala-day in many countries, happening to be the anniversary of the Ascension, it united the church festival and the annual rejoicings of citizens and peasants; all business being suspended, and the entire populace at liberty, there was an unusual movement of the masses, and from early dawn until night might be seen the working-classes with their baskets of provisions, and flasks of wine, making their way to the shady groves of the Cascina, or royal farm. The wealthy denizens, in carriages, reserved their drive until towards evening, to enjoy the music of the band, which had already assisted at the church exercises and processions of the morning.

Having left the gay throng, I wandered along through the forest upon the banks of the Arno, listening to the changing notes of the nightingale, until I came to the junction of another stream, which arrested my progress. I was startled by the tread of the iron-horse in the distance, on his way to Leghorn. My thoughts, with more than locomotive speed, carried me back to the advantages enjoyed through steam power. One year before I was strolling upon the shores of the Danube, through the shady woods of the Prater, watching the movements of the people, and the gay cortege of the Imperial family of Austria, on a like occasion. The same power had since conveyed me twice across the Atlantic, through our Western States, and to the head waters of the Mississippi, and how much reason I had to be thankful for my almost miraculous preservation from the perils attending that power which I had so recently praised, in the superior qualities of the steamer Pacific, in my last passage to Europe. If she be now unfortunately added to the list of lost, it makes the sixth of the first-class steamers gone to the bottom, from which I have escaped within the past few years.

My reverie was broken by the appearance of a group of ruddy-faced peasant-girls, some with broad-brimmed straw-hats and long ribbons floating in the breeze, and some with pearl necklaces and crossed ear-rings. It was a bridal party. Some of the girls were remarkable for their beauty and freshness of complexion, notwithstanding their exposure to hard labor in the vineyards. The bridal portion of the peasant girl consists in the dress and valuable ornaments presented to her by the groom a few days before the marriage.

As I returned through the broad and solitary avenues, I met at intervals the forest guards, of which there were ten in number, in picturesque hunting dresses, with rifles in their hands, and plumes in their hats. Then I came to the joyful and giddy throng--music, dancing, eating, and drinking.

Winter is past, spring time has come once again, and all strive to be happy. Little country urchins are offering children miniature corn-stalk cages containing crickets, whose singing qualities they proclaim to inquiring nurses.

The annual races were held recently for three days in the same vicinity, which attracted large numbers of the upper classes of the community. The concourse of beauty and fashion in carriages was quite different from what it is with us, and gave strangers, of whom large numbers are now here on their return from Rome and Naples, a fine opportunity of seeing the aristocracy, and witnessing the sports of the turf. Curiosity led me to be present on one occasion, and I found things went off better than I had expected. Considerable interest was manifested by many for the success of a horse mounted by a negro jockey, rather a rare personage in this country, but poor Cuffy was almost distanced. It seemed to me, however, the fellow was not disheartened, for I saw him in the evening sipping his ice with a well-dressed white woman in a respectable café. I cite this as one of many examples seen in England and on the continent, however shocking it may be to the American mind to witness, of the practical amalgamation of the races carried out among the sympathizers of poor Uncle Tom.

Inasmuch as all Europe have had their demonstrations of joy upon the return of peace, so also has this government manifested its satisfaction in a jubilee. I suppose even the Duchy of Parma has done the same, although recently put in a state of siege, growing out of the frequent attempts at assassination of government officers. All fire-arms must be given up, and strangers are closely watched.

The people are looking anxiously for the publication of the articles of peace, hoping that Italy may also have real cause for rejoicing.

Although the carriage horses here are of large size and well-proportioned, there is quite a passion manifested for small ponies of the Shetland stock, for little tiny wagons, well adapted to run over the hills, and glide in and around the city, over the well-paved streets.

My ears have been bored several days past with the continual chiselling of the Scarpellini, or stone-cutters, who are repaving the street under my windows, and the solid arched stone bridge over the river. From seven in the morning until seven in the evening, with an hour’s intermission for a frugal meal, they are measuring, picking, and cutting huge granite blocks into suitable forms, close jointed; the street has no sidewalk, the descent being gradual from the houses, and the water carried off by culverts from the centre. It is a pleasure to look upon such beautiful work; a carriage rolls without impediment, and where there is an ascent it can be nitched or chiselled, as may be needed, for the foothold of horses. These poor mechanics earn from thirty to forty cents per day, our currency, and consider themselves well paid, notwithstanding the increased price of provisions, while large numbers in other pursuits have only the miserable pittance of from one to one and a half pauls per day, say from twelve to eighteen cents.

Begging in the capital is prohibited by law, but tolerated in consequence of the distress of the poor. Public beggars are frequently unworthy of charity, but a Howard would have a fine field here for the exercise of benevolence. The other day, emerging from the Palazzo Pitti, or royal residence, wearied in gazing through long galleries at the pictures of Raphael, Rubens, Titian, Salvator Rosa, Murillo, Carlo Dolci, and a host of other celebrated painters; at the statuary of renowned artists, the allegorical frescoed ceilings, and seeking relief in the shady walks of the Boboli, or palace garden, my attention was arrested by the Ducal family riding out with a splendid equipage. Happy children of wealthy families fed the gold fish in the basins surrounding the fountains, decorated with the colossal figure of Neptune, with the waters of the Ganges, Nile, and Euphrates gushing forth, while nurses and liveried servants were in attendance.

Continuing my walk quite into the suburbs, and reflecting upon the concentration of so much treasure in the hands of the nobility, and the inequality of society in monarchical countries, I accidentally met a little boy quite alone, poorly clad, with dejected air, trying to gather a few sticks. On inquiry I found he had eaten nothing for twenty-four hours, and had left his poor mother and four children in a suffering state. His hunger was soon appeased at the first baker’s shop, and it was pleasant to see the little fellow going to the relief of the others with something more substantial than his errand called for.

After repeated visits to the same city, one becomes so accustomed to the remarkable sights which first attract the stranger, that if he attempts to describe them he scarcely knows where to begin.

We pass and repass the Palazzo Vecchio, an old palace of Grecian and Etruscan architecture, with its lofty tower of the thirteenth century, and its gigantic figures, at the entrance, of David slaying Goliah, and Hercules slaying Cacus, with but slight notice, casting a glance at the open gallery opposite, with its pretty front of columns and arches, containing the beautiful bronze figure of Perseus and Medusa, with the bleeding head of the latter severed from the body, the marble group of a young Roman warrior carrying off a Sabine female, whose father is prostrate at his feet, the statues of priestesses, figures of huge lions, &c.

One strolls along through the city, on some church festival, to the Duomo, or cathedral of the thirteenth century, the walls of which are of black and white polished marble, four hundred feet in length. The front never was finished, but a project is now on foot for its completion. The square tower, or Campanilla, of Arabic and Greek architecture, of white, black, and red marble, stands beside it, and rises two hundred and eighty feet in height. The baptistery, of octagon form, somewhat resembling the Parthenon at Rome, stands opposite and completes the trio.

The bronze doors are exceedingly beautiful, with festoons and foliage prettily wrought. The marble columns, the altars, the twelve statues representing the Apostles and the written laws, the trophies of victory, won by the Republic against the Pisans--these, with other adornments here, become so familiar to the eye, that when one drops in on some festival occasion, or christening, his attention is more directed to the personages and ceremonies than the contents of the edifice.

Instead of wearying you with descriptions of works of art, I would rather revert to the beauties of nature, at this season of the year, in the neighborhood of Florence. The rides, walks, and views from the surrounding hills, are now most agreeable and rarely excelled.

CXIV.

BOLOGNA, June 3, 1856.

Before leaving Tuscany, I passed a couple of days in revisiting Siena, from which place I wrote two years since on my way to Rome. It is accessible by railroad from Florence. Although dull it possesses much of interest, and its airy mountain location induces many to spend a part of the summer in it. Its delicious water, from a fountain constructed in the year 1193, and famous for its quantity and quality, is spoken of by Dante, in his Inferno. The people, however, do not consider it the best substitute for their favorite wines, which they have been in some measure deprived of by the partial failure of the grape crop of late years; they look forward, however, to a good return season.

The cathedral, the position of which was once occupied by a temple dedicated to Minerva, is a masterpiece of Tuscan Gothic architecture, incrusted without and within with black and white marble, of the fifteenth century. Notwithstanding the eye may tire of gazing at churches and their contents, still this old edifice, constructed by the celebrated sculptors of Siena, will well bear re-examination, and the mosaic pavement, among the most celebrated in Italy, is a study in itself, consisting of sculptured history, the story of Moses, also that of Joshua, and the emblems of cities once in alliance with Siena; the elephant of Rome, with a castle on his back; the lions of Florence and Massa; the dragon of Pistoia; the hare of Pisa; the unicorn of Viterbo; the horse of Avezzo; the she-wolf of Siena, in memory of Romulus and Remus; and many other animals and armorial representations of the different cities and republics. Abraham’s intended sacrifice of his son is most esteemed. The art of description in mosaic as early as the fourteenth century, strikes many persons with surprise; but it appears from the pavement which I saw in one of the disinterred houses among the ruins of Pompeii, and which represented the battle of Darius with the Persians, that the art was known before Christ, Pompeii being buried by the irruption of Mount Vesuvius in the year 72. The painted glass of the year 1549, with the busts of all popes down to Alexander III., and some original frescoes of Raphael, are all well worth attention.

Some years since, coming to this city, I employed the Vetturino mode of conveyance, taking the mountain route, with the privilege of stopping when and where I pleased, with an agreeable party. For the first trip it was decidedly pleasant; we had a fine view from the summit of the Apennines, of the Adriatic and Mediterranean; now halting for a rest, or gratifying our curiosity; again strolling off to visit some remnant of antiquity, and passing the night in some solitary inn or obscure village; then came a scramble to the top of a hill called Monte di Fo. High up over the rocks there was a small volcano, some fifteen feet in circumference, disgorging its bright flames much to the satisfaction of some of our party, who had not yet climbed Vesuvius or Ætna, or seen Stromboli in a state of eruption. As we are apt to judge by comparison, I naturally looked at it as a small specimen of a volcano. Having since seen the burning mountains and craters of the Sandwich Islands, I was not ambitious to retrace my old route, so I took the railroad to the old city of Pistoia, with its wide, straight, and well-paved streets. It contains some objects worthy of notice, but appears dull for want of population; it was famous among the ancients for the defeat of Catiline, and in more modern times for the factions of the Guelphs and Ghibelines.

The country around is rich and fertile in the extreme, being amongst the best cultivated in Tuscany. At this season of flowers and early fruits, the hedges and climbing vines in festoons upon the trees, forming continuous arbors, present a gay and cheerful appearance.

From Pistoia, taking the coupé or front compartment of a diligence, in company with a French baron and his lady, and nine passengers inside and on top, besides a heavy load of baggage, with from four to seven horses, and a pair of oxen for the steepest ascent of the Apennines, we accomplished the distance of fifty-four miles in thirteen hours, along a most picturesque and romantic route, winding around the brink of precipices and upon the margin of mountain torrents, with their deafening roar, not apprehensive of avalanches of snow which I have sometimes dreaded in Switzerland; they have an occasional land slide here. We passed one spot, in particular, where twenty-four persons lost their lives.

Crossing the frontier into the Papal States, we had, at the first custom-house, the usual scenes, such as I described to you two years since, in going south; also swarms of beggars, blind, halt, and lame, affording an opportunity of disposing of small coin, no longer of use in the adjoining territory.

Descending the mountain, following the course of the river Reno through a beautiful valley, the road lined with the tall poplars of Lombardy, we arrive at Bologna, the second city in size, and first in commercial importance, of the sovereign Pontiff Pius IX.; it is pleasantly situated upon the river just named, and famous for other things besides its sausages. History reports its existence, under the name of Felsina, as an Etruscan town, previous to its capture by the Boii, who changed its name to Boina, and in time converted to Bologna. 653 B.C. it received a Roman colony, but suffered by civil war; it was restored by Augustus after the battle of Actium, and afterwards became one of the most powerful cities of Italy.

It is now commercial, with a population of seventy thousand. It is the most remarkable city for porticoes I have ever seen. It is rainy to-day, but you may walk for miles without an umbrella. About three miles from the city, on the summit of a hill, is the church of the Madonna, the ascent to which is fatiguing; it has a continuous arcade, containing six hundred and forty columns, constructed at the expense of different ecclesiastical establishments, and the bequests of the rich. We went up the carriage road in our vehicle, putting in advance of the horses a pair of oxen. From the summit is a vast and extensive view of the neighboring mountains, the extended valley, and the city, almost at our feet.

A curious old tower stands nearly in the centre of the city, called Asinelli, erected in 1109; it is said to be three hundred and twenty-seven feet high, and inclines four feet. Another, near by, built about the same time, is one hundred and forty feet in height, and inclines eight feet from the perpendicular. They are constructed of brick, and have been restored at different periods. A slight shock of an earthquake would tell a sad tale for the neighbors. A canal, or race, runs through the city with an abundance of water, supplying the mills. The Piazza del Duomo, or principal public square, upon which stands the venerable cathedral, the Government House, and other public buildings, has a noble but antique appearance. Here is a colossal statue of Neptune, in bronze, by the celebrated Giovanni of Bologna. This gigantic figure holds a trident, one foot rests upon a dolphin, and at the base of the four angles of the pedestal are seated four female figures, with their hands across their breasts, from which issue jets of water; their nether limbs, terminating in the form of fish, are seated upon huge dolphins, whose nostrils spout the liquid stream in the basin beneath. The Campo Santo, or burial ground, ordered by Napoleon in 1801, is interesting to visit.

Bologna boasts of giving birth to Guido, Domenichino, Annibale Caracci, and of course has a good gallery of paintings. Its anatomical collections, with the one in Florence, are the most curious and extensive in the world. Its university is supposed to have been founded by the Emperor Theodosius, in the year 425 of the Christian era; others say by the Countess Matilda, much later. It is said to have contained six thousand students once, and professors in proportion; its celebrity is not now so great. Some of the palaces are well worth seeing, for those who have not seen Italy generally.

Strangers, I notice, make but a short tarry here generally, but push on south for Florence and Rome, or further north to Milan and Venice. I design to reach the latter place in a few days, after visiting Modena and Mantua.

CXV.

VENICE, ITALY, July 1, 1856.

The Duchies of Modena and Parma (the latter is in a state of siege since the assassination of the Duke), were among the few points in all Italy I had never visited; so I was induced to diverge from my route to this city to look in upon these little courts, whose fortified capitals contain some forty to fifty thousand inhabitants each, and whose territories might bear some resemblance in size to the little states of Rhode Island and Delaware, surrounded by their more opulent neighbors; but the usual forms of visitation of baggage, examination of passport, and other annoyances of the police, must be submitted to.

The strict censorship, and tax upon the home press, and the suppression of liberal foreign journals--even those of patriotic Sardinia, across the frontier, are forbidden--and keep the people in ignorance. The country is rich and fertile, closely cultivated from necessity by a redundant population. The palace of the Duchess Regent of Parma is strongly guarded by Austrian soldiery, which is also the case in many parts of the Pope’s dominions.

Strangers are looked upon with suspicion by the authorities, as they well know the masses are much dissatisfied with the result of the Peace Congress at Paris, having hoped for reform in Italy; they fear, therefore, an outbreak of popular resentment. The parade and pomp observed by the small potentates of Italy and Germany, aping their superiors in all the forms and etiquette of court life, to the exhaustion of their subjects, often brings to my mind the burlesque on royalty of the black emperor Soulouque, before whose palace entrance I noticed more ebony soldiers than I had ever seen Cossacks before the winter palace of the late Czar Nicholas.

From Parma I proceeded north-east some forty miles, passing over a perfectly level agricultural country, with waving fields of wheat, rye, hemp, hedges of trees, and festoons of climbing grape vines. The peasantry were picking the leaves of the mulberry for the silkworms, which are here a great source of revenue.

We crossed the rivers Po and Olio in scow boats, and came to Mantua, renowned for its gallant defence during several sieges. This Lombardian city and fortress, which contain some thirty-five thousand inhabitants, have been much strengthened under Austrian possession, and look impregnable. There are some objects of interest, but not sufficient to detain the tourist long.

Crossing a famous stone bridge over a river, seven hundred and eighty yards in length, at a distance of three miles, one is rejoiced again to strike a railroad, which conducts to this extraordinary city. Had it not been for several days’ indisposition, I really think I should have enjoyed this my third visit to this unique city as much as the first. After having escaped the noise, bustle, and dust of continental cities, it is a great relief to get where you are surrounded with comparative quiet and solitude, away from the rattling of carriages and tread of horses, with free circulation of salt air from the lagoons of the Adriatic, and particularly during this season of salt bathing. I am located on the Grand Canal near the Piazza San Marco, and am annoyed with the continual chattering of the Gondoliers, whose songs are inspiriting, but whose noisy disputes are disturbing to the temporary invalid.

You are aware that Venice is built upon many small islands, mounted upon piles, and connected by means of bridges and canals in the lagoons, thus separated from the sea. I will not undertake to describe this wonder of the world, the seat of the Doges; the vast commerce of its two hundred thousand inhabitants in the fifteenth century, now reduced to one hundred and twenty-five thousand; its gorgeous palaces, its magnificent churches, its narrow streets, its theatres, its valuable collections of art by the old masters, and its four hundred and fifty bridges, connecting one hundred and thirty-six islands with its water communication by one hundred and fifty-four canals. The natural bubbling of a fountain is unknown, and horses are objects of curiosity; thousands of gondolas and other craft supply the places of carriages, both private and public; you step out of your palace or hotel door into your vehicle to be transported for pleasure or business, as in a cab. The Grand Canal winds in the form of an S through the city, and is divided into two parts.

A gay scene presents itself these bright moonlight nights, with the hundreds of boats, containing families, beautifully dressed ladies, and a fair share of strangers, floating gracefully along, while the balconies of the antique marble palaces of Gothic, Byzantine, and other styles of architecture are filled with their residents. The grateful and refreshing breeze disperses the smoke of the lovers of good cigars, and new objects of attraction are continually presented to the eye.

We will here step out for the present and wind our way through the narrow streets lined with tiny stores and shops filled with all that art and taste can conceive of, following the multitude like a swarm of bees through the intricate lanes and alleys from four to twelve feet in width, in order not to lose our way; we will suppose it is eight or nine o’clock in the evening, and they are proceeding to the public square San Marco, which has been lighted with gas since my last visit here. Venice has some four hundred cafés, and here under the porticos of the palaces forming the large piazza, or square, are twenty-five of them, with thousands of chairs and benches for the accommodation of the immense throng, where fashion and beauty partake of ices, and other refreshments, listening to the music of the Austrian band, the interim being filled with the songs and recitations of strolling minstrels. Baskets of confectionery are moving about in the crowd, and groups of promenaders saunter along the well-paved and commodious piazza, which has scarcely a particle of dust to soil their beautiful dresses. There in front stands the Cathedral San Marco, now nearly eight hundred years old, with its symmetrical cupolas and façade of porphyry and other antique marbles, its scriptural figures in golden mosaic, and its four bronze horses brought from Corinth, taken to Paris by Napoleon, but afterwards restored.

There stands the Campanilla, three hundred and thirty-four feet in height, from which a fair view may be obtained by daylight, and near by is the Doge’s Palace, in all its grandeur, communicating by the Bridge of Sighs with the prisons. The columns of the Lion of San Marco and Saint Theodore stand towering in bold relief as you approach the water’s edge, where hundreds of gondolas are waiting to receive their precious freight.

This is the bright side of the picture. My letter is now too extended to give in detail the private communications of those who suffer in spirit and in purse from the arbitrary exactions of the power which now gores them.

CXVI.

COMO, LAKE OF COMO, July 29, 1856.

Recovering from temporary indisposition at Venice, I made up for lost time in revisiting several cities already seen, such as Padua, Verona, Milan, Bergamo, Vicenza, and made several detours to visit points that I was not familiar with, such as the Lago di Garda, whose beautiful waters will compare favorably with Lago Maggiore and Lago Como.

The whole distance from the fortification of Peschiera to Riva, at the head of the Lake, is made by a small Austrian steamer in six hours, touching at the different villages upon its well cultivated banks, abounding with millions of orange and lemon trees--a source of a great profit for exportation. This region is protected by mountains, some as high as six thousand feet, with deep blue waters, romantic waterfalls, amphitheatred walls, olive groves and climbing vineyards all around. Although in the north of Italy, approaching Switzerland, the climate in winter is mild, and fogs are quite unknown; the Lake never freezes.

Proceeding to Milan, the Lombardian capital, by rail and land conveyance, I was induced to strike off south-east to visit Pavia, noted for its University containing nine hundred students, and its collection of anatomy and natural history. Twenty miles distant is Lodi, rendered memorable by Napoleon in the famous battle crossing the bridge over the rapid river Adda. I found great preparations making for the festival of the patron saint of the city, whose remains, dating from the fourth century, were being transmitted from the old vault in the basement or crypt of the cathedral to a new sculptured marble tomb. The sarcophagus was of solid silver, with double crystal plates inserted in the sides and cover, exposing to view the skeleton; the bones were joined together with silver wire, and reposed upon a couch of silk and velvet. The rush of the multitude was so great, I could scarcely gain access to the altar; men and women were there with rosaries and handkerchiefs in their hands; and a priest in attendance was busily engaged in passing these articles over the relics of the consecrated saint; after which, when communicated to an afflicted part, they were thought to give relief.

The beautiful plains through which I passed are irrigated at will with abundance of water; the aqueducts were lined with willows, and other trees, affording shade the entire length of the road between the two cities. The rice plantations are beautiful indeed, surpassing in verdure anything I have seen of the kind in the Carolinas or East Indies; but the miasma is productive of fevers, and the peasantry live in villages remote from the inundated fields.

Each city has its objects of interest. Padua boasts of the villa of Petrarch in the vicinity; its stupendous church of the patron saint Antonio; its University with fifteen hundred students, bearing upon its walls the antique armorial insignia of the many noble youths educated there; its library, its anatomical collection, and fifty-five thousand inhabitants.

Verona, rather more populous, has its attractions; its old amphitheatre, in the same style as the Coliseum at Rome, one thousand four hundred and seventy feet in circumference, with forty-five rows of seats, and with places for twenty-five thousand persons, is in remarkable preservation; in the arena is now erected a Teatro Diurno. These day-theatres are without roofs; the performance commences at six P.M., and is generally frequented. The tomb of Juliet, in an old convent, is only of interest for the romantic story of herself and of her lover Romeo. The house of the Capulets also exists. The position of Verona, divided by the river Etsch, with its high hills strongly fortified by the Austrians, is almost impregnable withal, and picturesque; it has become, with its garrison, a second Mantua.

Vicenza, a smaller city of thirty-five thousand population, has its antique public square, government house, palace of justice, with arcades worth looking in upon, and a fine view from the summit of a hill in the suburbs. A covered gallery some two thousand feet in length leads the pilgrim to the convent of the Madonna of the Mountain. An antique Olympic theatre in the city attracts strangers. From the benches of the amphitheatre I was struck with a singular perspective receding from the stage of a miniature city of Greekish architecture, representing streets, houses, and professions. While examining the old structure of wood, decorated with ornamental figures, I made some comparisons which were responded to by my conductress, a beautiful girl of light complexion and golden locks. Upon questioning the girl, I found that she spoke English, although of Italian birth; every city and province has its peculiar tongue, and only the educated speak Italian. It is in Tuscany alone where the language is spoken in its purity. I have been in dining rooms where there were several groups at the tables speaking Neapolitan, Genoese, Milanese, and other dialects, without understanding each other, yet all were Italians. One can well conceive the difficulty of regenerating a people where such objections to unity are met with, and where local prejudices are so strong. One fine morning in Milan, twenty-one guns announced to us the telegraphic news from Vienna of the birth of a princess to the House of Austria. Notwithstanding the disappointment (a prince had been hoped for), great preparations having been made at the Duomo for the celebration, it came off in this world-wide renowned edifice with the usual pomp and ceremony of church, civil, and military parade.

The Corso Francesco in Milan has many elegant cafés, which were quite desolate for two or three days, in consequence of the seizure of foreign journals giving the debates in England upon Italian affairs. The old papers were read and re-read, and almost worn through; the evident disgust and under-toned denunciation of the powers that be could not pass unobserved.

CXVII.

ZURICH, Aug. 16, 1856.

Leaving the beautiful lake of Como, with its lovely villas, cultivated gardens, vineyards, and picturesque views, I started for Switzerland, via the lake of Lugano.

The Austrian frontier of Lombardy is soon reached, and one finds himself in the Canton of Ticino. Upon crossing the bridge of Chiaso into Swiss territory, one soon discovers the effect of free government and liberal principles in the public schoolhouses, in the culture and manufacture of tobacco, in the relief from annoyances of passports and examination of luggage. A quarter of a mile from there, tobacco is a monopoly, and its growth is prohibited; here it is produced in considerable quantities, and manufactured for exportation.

The town of Lugano, prettily situated upon the borders of the lake, surrounded by romantic scenery, is considerably frequented, and foreign journals may be read there without the intermeddling of the censor-police.

On the opposite side of the lake is the village of Castigleone, in Austrian territory, at the foot of a steep mountain; it is accessible only by land, over the Swiss high-road. Here the people enjoy comparative freedom, and are exempt from military proscription; but in these mountainous regions of Switzerland many women are afflicted with huge swellings of the neck, which are frightful to behold, and are attributed to the water of the country.

Among the twenty-two Cantons of Switzerland, there were four which I had never seen; neither had I yet passed the Splugen and St. Bernardino, which are of great interest; so I was induced to finish the work. The St. Bernardino must not be confounded with the great St. Bernard, which I passed some years since on mule-back, with my guide, in the early part of the month of June, among the avalanches and snow banks twenty feet deep, and was happy to find refuge among the monks of the convent, who greeted me as the first traveller of the season, and were longing for the news of Rome during the Holy Week. The Simplon I had formerly crossed in the month of October, upon a sled for one person, made of hoop-poles, with my trunk lashed thereto. Mount Cenis I passed two years since, on my way from Turin to Chamberry, under favorable circumstances, without exposure or fatigue, and now with the lateness of the season I had nothing but beautiful scenery to expect, four months of the year being considered free from danger.

From Lugano I proceeded to Bellinzona, in an open carriage, having a fine view of the valleys and lakes in the distance below; it was a five hours ride. We departed at midnight. With the early dawn we found ourselves climbing up the zigzag mountain sides, among its scattered villages, and houses of rude stone construction, whose slate-roofs were secured from the high winds by huge stones; the shepherds were in simple costume, tending their herds of goats and sheep; the limited culture of grain was still green, while in the valleys it was already harvested. We breakfasted at a village of five or six houses, mostly inns, near the summit of the mountain, covered with snow, where the stunted pines show that vegetation nearly ceases. This place, called Bernardino, had some one hundred and fifty visitors making use of the waters, which are strongly charged with iron; this and bracing mountain air and climbing walks are particularly strengthening for some constitutions. The mountain once passed, the gorges and ravines of the Splugen and Via Mala are singularly grand and beautiful, with every variety of romantic and picturesque scenery. At one moment I could imagine myself, on some accounts, upon the mountains of Chili, from the winding and circuitous road; then again the descent into one valley for some miles, brought to mind our own Alleghanies from Frostburgh to Cumberland. But the Via Mala caps the climax for its excavations, bridges, stone-covered arches and tunnels, deep ravines and precipices, where the head-waters of the river Rhine, gushing and foaming between high ledges of rocks, may almost be leaped. The warm rays of the sun, the cheerful villages, the grape fields, the farmers gathering their grain, the disappearance of the chestnut-trees, upon the fruit of which the mountain peasantry subsist, the throwing off of overcoats, the Italian tongue replaced by the German and Swiss, all show conclusively that we are in the valley, and across the Alps.

The Rhine receives another branch at Reichenau, and requires another bridge to cross it; this bridge is directly in front of the chateau where Louis Philippe served two years as a schoolmaster.

We are in the Canton Grison, the largest of Switzerland, and at five P.M. we find ourselves at Chur, a post town of five thousand inhabitants, in a lovely country. After eighteen hours ride from Bellinzona we were disposed to rest, and take a few baths at Pfaffers, some miles beyond.

The place just named has become somewhat celebrated of late years among the Germans, and is much resorted to for its healing waters, and its elevated position in the mountain gorges. There were some two hundred and fifty visitors. The Duchess of Orleans, with her family, passed the summer at Ragatz, and now Count Nesselrode is expected.

From the last point named, in the Canton San Gall, I proceeded across the country to the Wallenstadt Lake, upon which steamers are employed, and by diligence to the head of Lake Zurich. Lake Zurich, with its well-cultivated borders, numerous villages, and many steamers, I have seen before; still the whole trip was full of interest. Our boat was crowded with tourists of all races. One heard all the different languages, a perfect Babel, or confusion of tongues, which is not to be wondered at, as the present railroad and steamer facilities bring at this season of the year multitudes from all sources over the beaten tracks and most accessible parts of the Swiss territory. Among our passengers was a party of young men from one of the Swiss Cantons, with their arms, flags, and distinguishing badges, going to the Turn-Verein yearly festival, at Winterthur, a two hours ride by rail from this city. I was curious to witness this celebration, represented by delegations or companies from the twenty-two Cantons of Switzerland. A large building was put at the disposition of the Union, with an inclosure in the rear, and stages were erected for ladies and gentlemen who desired to see the gymnastic exercises, leaping, jumping, climbing, etc. A tower was constructed, covered by the colors of all the Cantons. The prizes, many wrought by the ladies, were suspended within; judges were appointed to decide upon the merits of the performers; and it must be admitted that among the number, which was upwards of five hundred, some extraordinary feats of agility were performed. The free use of arms and target firing, which I have noticed, and in which they are expert, and which would not be allowed in despotic countries, reminds one of home, and the freedom of the people there.

Switzerland has also its Baden, which may be reached by rail in one hour from this city. It is a charming place of resort for those who cannot go to the banks of the Rhine. The German watering places have more attractions, and the waters are more salutary.

I am desirous of seeing the upper portion of the Cantons St. Gall and Appenzell, after which I purpose taking the Lake of Constance via Schaffhausen into Germany, where I hope to use the waters of Wiesbaden, which were of service to me the early part of last summer.

CXVIII.

WIESBADEN, GERMANY, Sept. 15, 1856.

Zurich is not only justly celebrated for its lovely position and beautiful lake, and its good hotels, but for its increasing silk trade, which rivals to some extent that of Lyons in France. It now has connexion by railway with the industrious canton of St. Gall and the Lake of Constance.

I was struck with the marked progress the Swiss have made in the manufacture of cotton, and noticed in several places many large factories, four and five stories high, comparing favorably with the mills in the villages of New England. The raw material used in the eastern counties is mostly Egyptian; transportation is long and tedious, via Trieste or Venice over the railway and mountain routes.

St. Gall is appreciated by the ladies. Its ten thousand population live and thrive, and its merchants grow rich, out of its fancy embroidery trade, now greatly extended in our country.

The inhabitants of the Canton of Appenzell, situated from one thousand to fifteen hundred feet above the level of Lake Constance, are mostly engaged in this kind of labor. The Canton is nearly equally divided between Protestants and Catholics, who live separately, scarcely ever intermarrying, and pursuing different styles of work. The country is a grazing one; the people subsist mostly upon cheese and milk. The supply of wheat and rye comes from Bavaria, Wirtemburg, and Austrian Tyrol, and from Roorschach, upon the Lake.

It is curious to see the occupants of all the houses in the villages and in the country, boys and girls, men and women, when not engaged at other work, busy with their forms and patterns before them, plying the needle. In the villages the children commence at eight years old, but in the country they put them at it at the age of six. As persons advance in years, and their sight becomes weak, they perform coarse work. The houses are all constructed with a line of front windows, close together, for the admission of light. The gain derived from this kind of labor is about ten cents per day, upon the average. The Catholic portion of the Canton still adhere to all descriptions of light work; the others turn their attention more to Vorhang Stuckerei, or curtain embroidery, dresses, and under-garments, and succeed better. One of the worst features in this early application is the entire deprivation of education, and the consequent ignorance of the masses.

Weisbad is an agreeable, quiet resort in that mountainous country, with good hotels, shady walks, pleasant company, but with little virtue in its waters. A number of the party who had not climbed mountains, and seen the sun rise, started off at three A.M. for a peak some thousands of feet high. My souvenirs of Norwegian, Chilian, Teneriffe, Spanish, and Sicilian sunrises and sunsets were still vivid, and I declined the invitation.

A very excellent view is had from a mountain called Peter and Paul, a few miles from St. Galls; this view extends over the Lake of Constance, Bregenz in Tyrol, Lindau in Bavaria, Friedrichshafen in Würtemberg, and Rorschach, which is a part of St. Gall, six miles distant. At Bregenz, the St. Gebhardsberg, or mountain, a place of pilgrimage, is the most frequented. The great festival is on the birthday of St. Gebhard (August 27), who, in the 12th century, was Bishop of Constance, and whose history is rather interesting. The church, built upon the site of the old family castle, was commenced by a hermit in the year 1670. The ascent is rather fatiguing for three-quarters of an hour, but one is well repaid for the labor. A magnificent view is obtained from its summit over the lake and surrounding country. Here the Rhine flows into the lake.

At Lindau, where I once had debarked en route for Augsburg and Munich, a tedious mail-coach ride, I now found the railroad complete, and at Friedrichshafen another to conduct one to Ulm and Stuttgart, over a road which I had travelled formerly at snail’s pace. When I was first in Europe, in 1840–42, and travelled pretty generally over the continent, I found only six pieces of railway, and now we have a perfect network in all directions; except in Spain, Southern Italy, Greece, Turkey, and the extreme northern regions, facilities are constantly multiplying. The transport from one point to another is without loss of time, as formerly; consequently, the tourist has more opportunities to see the cities.

The length of the lake from Bregenz to Constanz is about thirty-eight miles; then, by steamer, you take the meandering Rhine, as it flows out through the valleys, with its hills, chateaux, and vineyards, to the town of Schaffhausen, near the falls. Coming down the lake, before landing at Friedrichshafen, we met the Queen of Würtemberg and suite, on a pleasure excursion. The steamer was decorated with flags, and salutes of cannons were exchanged. The presence of the royal family in the palace and pretty grounds forbids the entrance of strangers, but the gate-keeper, in the absence of his royal mistress, could not resist the silver-key, and conducted me throughout. Here royalty is inclosed in high stone walls, with an ample park, trees, shrubbery, and flowers, bubbling fountains, and elevated shady look-outs upon the margin of the beautiful sheet of water; surrounded with luxuries and liveried servants, it is unconscious probably of the want and privation of many within a stone’s throw. But if Germany is satisfied to support thirty-two princes and potentates in pomp and extravagance, we have no right to complain.

The city of Constanz has nothing of great interest, aside from its antique cathedral, built in 1052, and now in process of restoration, and the old building and saloon of the famous Council of 1414–1418, with their contents.

We left there at twelve A.M. and arrived at Schaffhausen at five P.M. Passengers dine on deck à la carte, and enjoy the varied views in passing.

I found great changes since my last visit to the falls of the Rhine. The huge rock upon which stands the castle, containing picture galleries, sale rooms and Camera Obscura, has been tunnelled, and the stone arches for the railroad bridge are being constructed across the river. We visited all the attractive points of view, and shortly after ferrying across with our light skiff, in the misty clouds of spray and the deafening roar, and getting in the large Hotel Webber, on the summit of the hill directly in front of the waterfall, there came up a severe thunderstorm, and in the dulness of the night, the repeated flashes of lightning lent additional interest to the scene. The weather cleared up, however, and the full moon’s rays gave us all the advantages of a night view. An hour’s ride brings one by diligence to the frontier of the Duchy of Baden, and seven hours more, to Freiburg, which is one of the cleanest towns I have met with. Streams of water course through all the streets. The Cathedral, built by the celebrated Erwin von Steinbach, the architect of the Strasburg edifice, with a tower almost as high as that of the Cathedral; the illuminated glass windows; things there attract even when one is fatigued with works of art.

Here we strike a lightning line, or “Schnell Zug,” which carries one to Baden-Baden.

This being my third visit, I was not induced to make a long sejour, but came by rail to Frankfort on the Main. I spent a day or two at Homburg, in the vicinity. My object was to get to this place to avail myself of the benefit of these waters for bathing and drinking; and here I am, up at six in the morning, and at the hot, boiling spring, guzzling my three or four glasses, at intervals of a short walk, with no lack of company. Then comes a bath, repose for a while, warmly covered, and afterwards a light breakfast. There are two table d’hôtes, at one and four P.M., and music in the morning at the Healing Fountain, and in the afternoon at the Kursaal, with its beautiful shady walks through the extended grounds.

CXIX.

HANOVER, Nov. 15, 1856.

I came down the Rhine to Cologne and Dusseldorf, and took the road to Elberfeld, a large German manufacturing place, worth looking at. Its trade in woollen, cotton, and silk goods amounts annually to some twelve millions of our currency, and is well known to our importers.

The cross road took me to Dortmund, another manufacturing town, on the main road leading to this capital. Stopping at Ham, a branch road to the north conducted me to the old catholic city of Munster, which I had never seen, and gave me an opportunity of visiting some acquaintances with whom I had crossed the Atlantic. The gothic antiquated town hall of Munster, with its saloon, memorable for the Westphalian treaty in 1648, is of unusual interest, as well as its cathedral, three hundred and sixty feet long, and one hundred and twenty-five feet wide, with two towers. Upon the tower of the St. Lamberti church, two hundred feet high, were placed in three cages the corpses of the leaders of the rebellious Anabaptists. The arches and colonnades of the houses of the principal street are not unlike those of Bologna; they afford protection from sun and rain, and give the city a peculiar aspect. Munster has a population of twenty-five thousand. Many public and private literary and charitable institutions, and agreeable suburban walks, make it a pleasant residence.

A few hours ride brought me to the royal Prussian Salt Baths of Rehme, whose Director and wife I had promised on an ocean passage to call upon, should I ever find myself again in this part of Germany. The grounds are well laid out, and large improvements are in progress. The mineral salt works in the neighborhood are supplied with water from a depth of two thousand two hundred and fifty feet, sufficiently warm for the supply of the Baths. The season was about over, and most of the guests had departed.

An excursion to Minden, upon the river Weser, five hours from Bremen, with a population of twelve thousand; charming walks and drives in the vicinity, with old friends, with reminiscences of mutual dangers escaped at sea, and the occurrences and events of the interim; so a couple of days slipped by agreeably, and I found myself again on the road for this city, the residence of the King of Hanover, where I made a halt some two years since, of which I gave you some details at the time.

The deceased King Ernest, who had a great passion for horses, had one of the finest stables in Europe. The present king is blind, but he rides a horse handsomely. In company with one of his councillors, I met him a few days since in a deep wood, his steed on a gallop, and his adjutant beside him. The adjutant held a check-rein attached, and gave the signal for a salute, when the king made a graceful bow; his infirmity would scarcely be noticed by a stranger.

When last in Austria I noticed the use of horse flesh as food, and now I find its introduction here also. I have before me a newspaper advertisement, with the figure of a capering horse, and three hands, with index fingers pointing to a plate of prepared food, with the announcement that at the slaughter-house stall may be had daily tender horse-flesh, liver, and stewed meats, with warm strengthening sauces, at all hours. Of course the poor avail themselves of this supply at low prices.

1857.

CXX.

BERLIN, PRUSSIA, Jan. 7, 1857.

After an absence of nearly two years I find myself once again in the Prussian capital, and when I recognise my former friends and acquaintances who have remained stationary, and answer their interrogatories, I can scarcely believe that most parts of Europe have been revisited by me within this short period; the Atlantic crossed and re-crossed; the head waters of our great Mississippi gazed upon; and I return here without finding any noticeable changes. I tell them from my own experience, that in 1844 the prairies were crossed from the head of Illinois river navigation to Chicago, and from Galena to Milwaukee, in ordinary coaches, with indifferent accommodations for man and beast; that wild waving grass and flowers bounded the horizon, and scarcely a sound was heard except the cries of the wolf and prairie hen, when the places named were villages. Then I tell them what great cities, with teeming population, I found in their stead during the past year, with lines of railway, expanding like arteries from the human heart, spreading life and activity in all directions. If they are inclined to doubt statements which appear fabulous, the fortunate presence of a famous bill of fare, of the Chicago Hotel, gives demonstrative evidence of the progress of civilization.

The Americans are becoming notorious on the continent as extensive travellers, which is not surprising, as our country is so extended, and the opportunities for locomotion are so great. During my first visit to Egypt it was rare to meet one of my countrymen; but five years since I was informed at Grand Cairo that more of them, than of English, had gone up the Nile that winter.

Our political system is to Europeans an enigma. A well-dressed person, at a public table, asked me how large a court Buchanan would have, and the emolument he would receive; and seemed greatly surprised that we had no court, and that the salary of twenty-five thousand dollars per annum would not equal the livery expenses of some crowned heads; and that the emoluments of four years would not equal the christening expenses of the imperial infant of France; that we travel without passports; that the press is as free as the air we breathe; and that our national army is scarcely seen or known.

Christmas-day I found myself the only stranger at the table, in a family gathering of twenty-five persons. The Germans dine much earlier than the French. At half past two P.M., an abundant repast, with various kinds of Rhine wine, was served, enlivened with the usual touching of glasses, and toasts. At the close of the dinner, the host struck up a hochlied, or hymn, accompanied by one of the ladies on the piano, which hymn was followed by shaking of hands and congratulations. The gentlemen retired to smoke, and the ladies amused themselves with dancing and waltzing. An hour later, we were seated again at the table, with coffee, conversation, and recitations from the younger members of the family. There was a constant change of diversions: juvenile violin players, exquisite performers upon the piano, vocal music, dancing, tableaux vivants, &c., kept the company incessantly occupied until about half-past ten, when abendbrod was announced. This meal (literally evening bread) consisted of a copious hot supper, not unlike the dinner, and required a stronger stomach than mine to digest, at that late hour. At midnight, with cordial salutations, after having enjoyed every moment of time, the company separated.

When the bulletins announced that the Eisbahn was in condition, hundreds of persons of both sexes might be seen upon the ice of the Thiergarten, or Royal Park. A small fee admits you on the ice, where seats are prepared, and gardrobe for clothing; supplies of skates are on hire, with servants to strap them; there are chair-sleds for those who do not skate, or for lady invalids, drawn by gentlemen skaters; and hosts of fashionable and beautiful city ladies, gracefully waltzing and performing various evolutions, or gliding rapidly in groups over the frozen surface; it is a pretty and characteristic scene of winter life in this region.

With the present railroad and steam advantages, travellers are brought together singularly. At the hotel, a heavy-whiskered gentleman at my right opened a conversation in German--the language spoken at the table--which was for a time continued, when it struck me suddenly who he was, and I asked if he recognised me? I received a negative reply. I asked if he had travelled in Egypt? He answered, “Yes, but many years since.” “True,” I responded; “you called upon me in Jaffa, in the Holy Land. You made the passage to Alexandria with us; you are an American,” and I called him by name. We were both mutually surprised and delighted.

I notice across the street, outside of the double window sashes, heavy coarse curtains drawn up, which are lowered at night to protect from cold and storms. What are the white and colored objects hanging against the glass, and what do the flower-vases contain? They are a counterpart of the porcelain variegated transparencies suspended from mine, with similar tulips; but it strikes me that my two India rubber trees, with their long green leaves, are more attractive. The people are very fond of these window decorations.

The droschki drivers, thickly clad, are dozing upon their seats. Here comes a customer. The driver gives him a ticket, as he enters, with the number of his vehicle, in case of reclamation, in default of which he is amenable to the police. He receives so many checks from his employer daily, and is responsible for them.

Our American ladies are shocked at seeing women sawing wood, carrying coal, making mortar, working upon the land, and performing all sorts of manual labor. A pair of harnessed cows before a wagon containing five or six ruddy-faced, thick-waisted, bare-headed, or cap-covered, country costumed bauerinnen, or peasant women, is quite a ludicrous sight.

This last sentence, I notice, partakes a little of the German form of writing. It must be atmospheric. In the works of some German writers, one sometimes reads a third of a page before finding the meaning of the sentence, the construction of the language having the advantage of keeping up and increasing attention to the end. The word which least defines the subject is placed at the beginning of the sentence. Then come those words which define it in a higher degree, so that the word which most determines the meaning of the phrase, is at the end. It is one of the richest and most beautiful of living languages for its literature, but exceedingly difficult to acquire, and few Germans speak their language grammatically. Dialects are found all over Europe; and in many parts, the distance of a few miles changes the patois. In no single country, for its extent, is a language (notwithstanding the slang, or provincialisms) so generally well spoken, as in the United States. With a knowledge of English, the traveller may visit all parts of our country, with slight exceptions, and hold intercourse with all classes, which cannot be done even in some parts of Great Britain.

Unconsciously this letter has been drawn out to an unusual length, and I fancy I hear you cry out, “Halten sie an!”

CXXI.

BRESLAU, SILESIA, Feb. 10, 1857.

On my way south to the Austrian capital, instead of taking my former route, via Dresden and Prague, from which cities you heard from me two years since, I have made the detour to this place ostensibly to visit a travelling acquaintance, who had passed several months with me in Turkey, Greece, Egypt, and the Holy Land.

Breslau, with its suburbs, has a population of one hundred and twenty-five thousand, and has its attractions for the students, nine hundred of whom attend the University, which has a public library of three hundred thousand volumes. There is an interesting Zoological Museum, some antique churches, and other objects worth seeing. The public walks upon the former bastions, now planted with trees, with views upon the river Oder, whose branches traverse the city, are quite pretty, but fevers are the natural result there in summer. It is a bustling, active, trading city. The carnival season is now at hand. At a citizens’ masked and unmasked ball, given at the theatre, I noticed more variety of costume, more characters assumed and carried out with more life and animation than is generally manifested in Germany on similar occasions. I was struck with the contrast, having in Berlin recently attended the first of a series of three balls, given at the grand opera-house, and attended by the king and royal family. The attendance consisted only of those whose names guaranteed the privilege of a ticket, and ladies could not appear without the expenditure of large sums in dress; foreign ministers, civil and military officers, were covered with orders. The galleries, passages, and stairs, as well as the rear of the stage and parterre, which were planked over, were converted into a tropical garden of plants, flowers, and festoons of laurel. There was an excellent orchestra, and the supper halls were well garnished with dainties and substantials. The quantities of diamonds, emeralds, and rubies, with the scores of gas-lights, dazzled the eyes; the value of these baubles, properly applied, would prevent any further increase of taxation, a subject which is now agitating the country. The ball was numerously attended by the leading nobility and the whole retinue of the court; beauty and ugliness were there in the richest and most extravagant apparel. The variety of characters and uniforms in the waltz and dance, was undoubtedly calculated to strike one at first glance with wonder and admiration, but with a certain amount of restraint; the guests did not seem to enjoy themselves very much.

I adverted in my last, or meant to if I did not, to the practice of duelling still kept up by the German students, and winked at by the authorities, and even the professors themselves, who not unfrequently wear the marks of old duels upon their faces. Many clubs exist among these youths, whose different colored caps denote their members. They have their different places of rendezvous for pastime, drinking, and smoking.

An opportunity presented itself recently at Berlin to witness this foolish and shameful spectacle, which some consider a source of amusement. They fight for fifteen minutes, unless one or the other cries enough. The weapon is a straight sword, somewhat over three feet long, with a sharp blade; the end is about three fourths of an inch wide. The duellists are clad in a leather suit, the whole body protected except the head; the neck is bound with a scarf, and the right arm heavily bandaged with cloths; it is supported by a second during a halt, while a third stands with a sword to parry side-blows. Judges give the word of command, keep the time, and decide the contest. The students of both corps sit and stand around, smoking their pipes, without manifesting any particular concern, further than regards the manner in which the work is executed. It is incumbent upon each member to pass the ordeal, and the others have no hesitation in taking a hand for amusement. A cut upon the face or head, sometimes the loss of an eye, or a broken nose, is not unfrequently the result of this barbarous relic of the days of chivalry. I am happy to say that our Americans, with two exceptions, avoid this foolish exposure; one of whom has a mark upon his face, which he will always carry. Disgusted with the whole system, I was glad to escape.

The German railroad companies are yet far behind in the comfort of their cars. In France, the coaches are heated with vessels of hot water under the carpet; going last winter from Paris to Marseilles, I found it as comfortable as in a parlor. From Berlin to this place I noticed that only the ladies’ carriages were warmed with bags of hot sand; fortunately, I obtained a seat in one of them. I learn that from hence to Cracow, and also to Vienna, in Austrian territory, they are not warmed, and shall make my arrangements accordingly. The people in these latitudes in winter accustom themselves so much to the use of furs that they don’t seem to require this precaution.

The houses, cafés, and places of amusement, are well warmed, and one suffers less from cold than in northern Italy.

Since the release of the royalists from the Swiss prisons at Neufchatel, and the anticipated call of the Prussian Landwehr to the battle-field, the war excitement has cooled off, and the community have been excited with the judgment and execution of Verger, for the murder of the Archbishop of Paris.

CXXII.

VIENNA, March 15, 1857.

The movements and doings of this gay and mixed population during the Fasching, or Carnival season, may be of interest to you. I notice in the papers that in the city proper and suburban cities, there have been given in all over one thousand public and private balls during the festival season. The corners of many of the streets were provided with transparent lights, announcing the different balls, from the Citizens’, Jurists’, Lawyers’, Professors’ and Students’, to the Cab Drivers’ and Servant-girls’. It seemed as if the chief occupation was dancing, and all were disposed to employ the time until the beginning of Lent, when the famous musical Strauss and Sperl Bands could lay down their instruments, and a tired population repose their wearied limbs. It is computed that an inveterate dancer here, in the waltz gallop and dance, will travel over several English miles of surface in the course of the night. The Burger Ball, given in the Palace, was a brilliant affair; some two thousand five hundred persons present. In the absence of the Emperor in Italy, his father, the Archduke Charles, represented him. Fanny Ellsler, the danseuse of so much notoriety, who is now a resident of this city, was among the number of guests. She was bedecked with diamonds, and was in conversation with the Archduke. Prince Metternich, the renowned Austrian statesman, even at his advanced age, was present. Vienna is noted for its beautiful ladies; they belong to a variety of races, the city being a concentrating point, during the gay season, for the fair daughters of Hungary, and of the Bohemian, Polish, and Italian provinces.

The education of young ladies is more superficial here than with us. Music, dancing, and the languages, seem to be the most important branches of an education; not that all other acquirements are neglected, but that the practical is not considered so essential as in our institutions at home.

The Emperor, Empress, and suite arrived day before yesterday from Italy, and were received at the railroad depot by a large body of Italian residents, who addressed thanks for the Emperor’s acts of clemency in Lombardy. He was received by the citizens in large numbers, who formed a line of protection for the imperial cortege to the gates of the city, where the Burgermeister and authorities of the metropolis attended him.

The Italians have gained through his visit a Viceroy, in the person of his brother, who is to reside at Milan and Venice alternately, dispensing with the military government of Radetzky. Political refugees have been pardoned, and granted the privilege of returning. Confiscated property has been restored; the revolutionary events of 1848 buried in oblivion; the prisons for felons have been in many cases opened, and a sort of jubilee produced among all, except those whose national prejudices cannot submit to Austrian rule. Culprits and cut-throats in despotic and monarchical countries never divest themselves of the sheet anchor Hope, for the marriage of a Prince, the birth of a Princess, or an accession to the throne, bring amnesties frequently. These are paraded and published as acts of magnanimity; and with their consummation, not unfrequently come many breakers of the peace and pests upon society.

On Washington’s birthday, the Secretary of our Legation and his Austrian wife, our Consul and family, and some eight or ten American students and travellers, accepted a sumptuous dinner at the house of our patriotic Minister, Judge Jackson of Georgia. The stars and stripes of our beloved country were attached to the wall, encircling the portrait of the illustrious father of his country, whose memory we are proud to honor.

A twelve hours ride by rail brought me from Silesia to Vienna. At the Austrian frontiers our luggage was visited as usual, and our passports examined. I designed revisiting Polish Cracow, by taking a branch line to the left, but as the cars were not heated, declined doing so. I made some remarks relative to the discomfort and slowness of the train, which were responded to by one of the officers of the company, who was passing over the road in consequence of a collision which had occurred the day before, attended with loss of life and property. We Americans are so frequently called upon to reply to the gross calumnies upon our steamboat and railroad disasters, that I was curious to see if an account of this accident would appear in print, but I never saw it. The officer remarked that it was very important to keep it secret, as the apprehension of the travelling public would affect the interests of the road. The press being under censorship, and the government being a party in the construction of the road, we can understand the silence.

CXXIII.

TRIESTE, April 15, 1857.

The distance from Vienna to this free Austrian port is about three hundred and fifty miles, which, upon the completion of the railway, in the month of August, will probably be accomplished in eighteen or twenty hours; I was once four days in accomplishing the same route.

The Semering Pass is about fifty miles this side of Vienna. It is a gigantic work, and excites the admiration and wonder of all travellers. The immense arches of the granite aqueducts spanning the mountain torrents, and the road winding in a serpentine manner, with extraordinary curves, through the valleys, penetrating the huge long tunnels in and out, afford a fine rear view. The iron horse climbs continually up the ascent, to a height of two thousand seven hundred and ninety feet; then a tunnel four thousand feet long is passed, and the rail continues to Murzuschlag, in connexion with the southern or Trieste road, to Gratz, in Steyermark, or Styria, a city with a population of some sixty thousand inhabitants, the residence of the Archduke John, uncle to the Emperor, whom I saw at the German Congress of nine hundred, in Frankfort, in 1848, when the city was illuminated, and he was proposed for the Emperor of United Germany. I saw him here under other circumstances, sitting quietly in a provincial theatre. The town is beautifully situated in a healthy position, and in it are some objects of interest.

March is a bad month in Vienna for coughs and colds, and suffering from the same, I made my escape to Gratz, where I spent several days to recruit, and then took the railway to Laibach, distant some one hundred and twenty-five miles, noted for the Congress of sovereigns in 1820.

At Marburg, some fifty miles south, the German language, badly spoken as it is in Styria, begins to be lost; and at Cilley, in Carinthia, a language, entirely unintelligible to the Germans, is found. It is the Sclavisch tongue, which is used by many millions of Austrian subjects.

At that period I was travelling by post, which prevented a visit to the great quicksilver works of Idria, which demanded a ride of twenty-five miles over a bad road, some one thousand five hundred feet high, over the mountains. I had always regretted having lost the opportunity of seeing those immense government mines, and I now resolved to make up for it, notwithstanding that the season was early for the trip. Having in the interval of time visited the Almedan quicksilver works, in the Valley of San Jose, California, the silver mines of Peru, the lead mines of Galena, the iron mines of Sweden and of the Island of Elba, my curiosity was the more quickened to inspect this mountain of quicksilver ore, particularly as I had recently heard a series of lectures on these subjects, at the University in Vienna. Procuring a close carriage and a pair of strong horses with a driver, for a three days’ excursion, I was enabled to accomplish this tour, and also to visit the renowned Grotto of Adelsberg, on my way to Trieste.

The village of Idria, of four thousand population, lies in a valley of a round bowl form, with an abundance of water power. The ascent of the mountain is by zigzag roads, with at intervals a peasant’s cottage, bleak and dreary; the summit once reached, we can scarcely realize that a smiling village, with gardens and fruit trees, exists in the low grounds. There are seven hundred men employed in these works. A ticket of admission is granted, a miner’s suit is provided, and a guide, with lights, procured, all to be paid for in turn. The descent commences through narrow arches and long galleries, of a man’s height, of stone work; then by flights of steps cut in the rock, from seventy to one hundred and forty in number, leading from one gallery to another. They are more fatiguing than the salt mines at Hallein. Some two thousand steps are here made to the fourth gallery, whose perpendicular depth is seven hundred and fifty feet. At a depth of three hundred feet I noticed that the timbers employed in the passages were charred, and learned that only a few years since fire had occurred by accident, which cost the lives of many miners, whose bodies were drawn out after suffocation. A portion of the pits have also been flooded with water; the steam and water pumps were exhausting it. The heat at this great depth is apparent, and the miners who are on duty with picks and axes, and blasting the rocks, have a warm berth of it. The poor fellows, in shirt and trowsers, with the dull light of the lamps in the close murky atmosphere, sweating at their toil, look certainly haggard, and excite one’s sympathy when he learns that the recompense is only sixteen kreuzers (or fourteen cents) per day. The government furnishes flour and fuel at fixed rates, which are less than current prices. The ore in some cases will average sixty parts, and the liquid quicksilver is seen in the pores of the stone formation. They turn out annually from two and a half to three million centners, of one hundred pounds each. The price is now low, being about fifty cents per pound.

The ascent is by steam or water power. From the bottom, seven hundred and fifty feet, a perpendicular square shaft communicates with all the galleries, for hoisting the ore. One puts himself in a square box, of solid wood construction, with a board seat, supported by four chains from the corners, attached to a rope cable, and trusts to its strength and the movement of the water wheel to see daylight once again. The reflection is anything but agreeable; for should an accident occur, not a vestige of frail humanity would remain. The ascent on foot is too fatiguing, although many persons prefer it.

The smelting furnaces here are on a large scale, as also the manufacture of red vermilion from quicksilver and sulphur combined, under the action of great heat. It is a singular fact that those employed in these works not only lose their teeth early in life, through the salivation of the mercury, but the atmosphere being impregnated, young people of twenty-five years of age show the same signs of decay. They had recently four shocks of earthquakes, and a house near the pits was considerably cracked, but the miners said the vibrations were only slightly felt below.

A singular idea prevails, not only in this country, but in other parts of Europe, among certain classes, which reminds me of the days of Miller. It is the prophecy of the destruction of the world on the thirteenth of June, by a comet. I have seen several newspaper articles confirming the probability. I tell the people they must emigrate to America, where the vicinity of icebergs will keep them thawed out.

A seven hours’ ride brought me to the cave of Adelsberg, recently visited by the Emperor, Empress, and suite, on their return from Italy. Some three hundred laborers were employed for several months, carrying in sand for the purpose of making dry walks, repairing the bridge over the rushing waterfall, which loses itself here and appears again some miles distant, and in the preparation of the twenty thousand lights, along all the passages, and the grand illumination of the Dome of Neptune chapel, whose death-bell music is produced by beating sticks upon the suspended stalactites, and the riding school, organ, altars, and the ascent to Mount Calvary, with its twelve stations. The roof from the base of this enormous cave at this point is scarcely visible, but from the summit of Calvary, it is strikingly grand. The immense dancing hall is used once a year, for the people’s festivals. The distance walked over is probably four miles. I cannot describe the beauties of this nature’s wonder. Thousands of columns are formed and are forming, from the dripping, and one can see the most exquisite imitation of curtains, and drapery like lace of various colors, and the imagination conjures up a thousand forms of animals, antiquities, Hindoo and Egyptian deities. The amount expended for the Imperial reception was twenty thousand guldens, or ten thousand dollars. I happened along at a favorable time, as the decorations and evergreens were not removed, and the cave was perfectly dry; and I fortunately found two Austrian officers who were willing to join in employing twelve guides and torch-bearers, for lighting up, with one hundred and forty wax candles, in order to examine the old, as well as the newly discovered grotto, and see all to advantage.

Another six hours by mail coach, and we were on the summit of the mountain, descending to Trieste, with the beautiful placid waters of the Adriatic before us, the blue sky and an Italian sunset above us, the almond trees in bloom, and the city lying at our feet, with its hundred thousand inhabitants, and the flags from the ships, of all nations, waving in the mild and gentle breeze. The sight of the sea is refreshing after so long an absence, and on this occasion the elements conspired to make it particularly striking. The growth of the city has been rapid, and great changes have been made since I was last here; the new part is most substantially built; the streets are wide, and paved with flat slabs. The costumes are various, from all parts of the Levant and Archipelago. It is a perfect Babel for languages.

CXXIV.

VENICE, ITALY, May 15, 1857.

A seven hours’ passage by steamer brings me across the head-waters of the Adriatic from Trieste to this city. The contrast between the rumbling noises of rolling wagons and carriages over the broad, well-paved streets of the trading city, in addition to the heat and oppression from clouds of dust from the calcareous mountain roads, to the clean, quiet quays and landing-place of the steamer at Venice, strikes the stranger upon his first visit, away from noise and dust, and breathing a pure salt atmosphere. We left Trieste with the beginning of a howling Bora, or north wind, which, being after us, had no other effect than to quiet most of our passengers, giving them a taste of the horrors of sea-sickness. Both cities are free ports, and notwithstanding they are under Austrian rule, the dissimilarity is very remarkable in every particular. The dialect is different; the currency is metallic, the Lombardian states never having accepted the paper medium of the Empire, being the only exception in all the Austrian provinces; their weights and measures are not the same; the habits and customs of the people are quite unlike. In Trieste commerce predominates, and early hours are observed; here it is the reverse, the habits of the people are late, the dining hour being five P.M.; the theatres commence at nine and are out at twelve or half-past twelve; many places of refreshment are open at midnight, and others never close; during the heat of summer, the bright moonlight nights are almost wholly passed in the open air, or in excursions in gondolas, and the quietude and tranquillity of the city induces repose by daylight.

It is now nearly a year since I wrote you from Venice, and this being my fourth visit, I will not reiterate the remarkable sights of this remarkable city. Sunday evening I was standing upon the Rialto Bridge, which crosses the grand canal, admiring by moonlight the marble palaces with their quaint architecture of Byzantine, Gothic, and other styles, when I noticed the steeple of St. Apostoli, illuminated in the distance; and on inquiry, I learned that it was a festival in honor of the admission of a priest to full privileges. How many lanes or passages, called calle, from four to twelve feet in width, in this labyrinth of a city, I travelled, I know not; but prosecuting my tortuous way through the multitude, I came at last to the Campiello, or little square of the church, whose neighboring houses were gleaming with lighted torches. Bengal lights and rockets were exploding in the air; the cafés were filled; the masses, mostly the working classes, were out, the brunettes without bonnets; the booths of the Fritolero, with their bright copper kettles of boiling oil, preparing pastry, were quite surrounded; dark-eyed damsels were overhanging the balconies, listening to the sound of a guitar, or the merry song of a gondolier, whose tiny bark lay in the canal underneath. I had so often witnessed similar spectacles, that I should have been almost unconscious of the novelty, but for the presence of an American friend on his first visit, whom I was desirous of gratifying; his expressions of surprise awoke me to a sense of the peculiarities of the scene. As gondolas are used by strangers generally, who are unacquainted with the intricate passages which require long experience, much of interest is lost. One steps in his bark from the hotel door, and is rowed from church to church, from palace to palace, as well as to the theatre, by means of these intersecting canals, without the necessity of dodging in and out, and around corners, and over bridges; when time and experience permit, however, the land-route is of great interest, for one learns thereby the characteristics of the people; one may walk for miles, and find always something new and interesting.

Isolated as is Venice, every comfort and luxury can be procured here, and one naturally seeks out the sources of supply. The flower girls trip along in the morning under the porticos of San Marco, presenting strangers with early-plucked roses. Fresh butter and milk are found at the cafés. The water carriers, mostly country village girls, in funny costume, wearing boys’ fur hats of peculiar form, with feathers, are trotting bare-footed along with a pair of small copper kettles suspended from flat elastic rods over their shoulders; the markets are well supplied with shell and other fish; the landing-place for vegetables is filled with boats delivering their cargoes; the water barges are moving up the lateral canals; the wood market furnishes its quota; foreign vessels contribute the colonial supplies; oranges, cherries, strawberries, green peas, asparagus, are seen in all parts exposed for sale, and the stranger looks in vain for any signs of vegetation, or the bubbling of a fountain. The gardino publico, the work of Napoleon, at the extreme end of the city, where, within a given circuit, horse exercise may be taken, is resorted to more by foreigners than by natives. Eight of these strange quadrupeds are kept in hire for the purpose. They are now regarded less as a curiosity than formerly.

Italy is the school for music, and the nursery of the arts; but dramatic artists must not expect to acquire fortunes in it. The operas and theatres are frequented for the purposes of coquetry, and the exchange of salutations replaces visiting to a certain extent. Shakspeare’s Othello, or the Moor of Venice, translated in Italian, has had several repetitions lately here; it loses in the translation, but the scene being laid here, the costume of the Doges, the canals and bridges in the decorations, give it additional attractions. It is curious to see the cushioned and richly furnished gondolas by the light of a full moon, driving up like cabs to the front door steps of the theatre, taking in the well-clad aristocracy, or such as live remote, and do not wish to thread the narrow streets on their way home.

CXXV.

LUZERNE, SWITZERLAND, June 12, 1857.

In order to vary my plan in proceeding north into Switzerland, I was obliged to again take Verona, Vicenza, Brescia, and Milan, en route. It is not a year since I described to you my visit to these cities, and my excursions upon the Lago di Como, Guarda, and Lugano. I now wished to accomplish the last of the five great passes of the Alps, the St. Gothard, and include Lago Maggiore once again in the circuit, having last year crossed the Splugen, and on former occasions Mount Cenis, the Simplon, and the great St. Bernard.

From Milan, I took the poste to Sesto Calende, on the Lake Maggiore, where our passports were visé, as we were leaving Austrian territory. The next landing place on the opposite side, in Sardinia, is Arona, near which stands the bronze monument of San Carlo Boromeo, sixty-six feet high, upon a pedestal forty-four feet in height, to the head of which I had once ascended by an inner staircase. The remains of the saint are in a crystal and gold coffin, in the crypt of the Domo of Milan. We soon reached the islands called Isola Madre, Isola Bella, Isola Pescatore, belonging to the same family, and noted for their beauty. The two first are perfect gems. Isola Bella, with its palace, picture galleries, terraced gardens, fountains, tropical vegetation, gold fish, guinea fowls, &c., gives it the air of a little paradise. The length of the lake may be made in five hours, to Mogidorro, where an omnibus conveys you to Bellinzona, from which point the road strikes off over the Splugen Pass to the right, which I took last year from Como. I now passed in to the left, by diligence at the foot of the mountain, to Airolo, where I passed the night. Leaving in the morning, our horses climbed steadily up the zigzag walled roads, until at mid-day we reached the Hospice, a height of six thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight feet above the level of the sea, where we partook of refreshments, and commenced the descent. The height is, you will perceive, seven hundred and sixty-two feet less than that of the location of the convent on the great St. Bernard, the highest habitable point in Europe, once described to you, and which is one thousand feet above the growth of timber. The mountains were snow-capped, the weather was fine, and we suffered but little from cold. The snow banks did not affect the passage. During eight months in the year sleighs are used. Some of the passes, which are subject to avalanches, are protected by long galleries, over which the huge masses slide into the gorges and ravines below. One of these galleries is one hundred and eighty feet long, and twelve feet wide. The melting snow produced beautiful cataracts, and the foaming and rumbling of the waters were at times deafening, particularly near the Teufel’s Brücke, or Devil’s Bridge, over the torrent Reuss, ninety-five feet in height, about four thousand feet above the level of the sea. The dangerous passes, on the verge of precipices hundreds of feet perpendicular, are protected by parapet walls. In two instances, from the encroachment of the snow upon the border of the deep chasms, our wheels were blocked with loaded wagons going in contrary directions, which obliged us to dismount, and caused some delay. The scattered stone houses of the peasantry in the valley, from the lofty eminences, looked like bird-cages, and the cultivated patches in the green fields I could only compare to brown rugs which had been washed and were lying out to bleach upon the grass. The descent in the valley, the wild, romantic scenery of the mountains, the deep greens foliage of the pines and cedars, the neat and airy Swiss villages, the herdsmen, with flocks of goats, the peculiar costumes of the peasants, the roaring of the torrents, and the splashing of cascades, were well calculated to keep up a lively interest, even in one who had traversed most of the mountains of Europe. The village where William Tell was born, and the spot where he is represented as having shot the apple from his son’s head, lent an historical interest to the route.

At Fuelen, the head of the lake, a small steamer was in readiness to conduct us, in two hours and a half, to Luzerne, one of the prettiest positions for a town in Switzerland. I had made the tour of the lake some years since, and was then, as now, struck with its majestic and magnificent scenery. The hotels here are excellent.

At the period alluded to, my health did not permit the ascent of Mount Riga; I have now accomplished it. An hour’s sail, by steamer, takes one to Waggis, where horses and guides are procured, and where the ascent to Riga begins. The mountain lies free on all sides, and stands on one of the most interesting points, in reference to its beautiful views, also its near approach to the great chain of the Alps, and the neighborhood of so many lakes and valleys; I counted eleven of the former. Its height is five thousand five hundred feet. Its extensive view, not only over north, east, and west Switzerland, but also over a part of Germany, well repays the tourist, if he be fortunate enough to have clear weather, in which one is often disappointed. The road or path is good, but it is laborious on foot, and places for rest and refreshment are found. The better way is, for ladies and gentlemen not accustomed to climbing, to take horses; in three hours the ascent is made. A cold water cure establishment is found half way up. The Stafelwirthshaus is about a mile from the summit, and on the extreme top is the hotel called Riga Kulm, where we passed the night. We were favored with a fine sunset, after which the horn sounded for dinner, which our party enjoyed under the bracing atmosphere. The sky was serene, and the moon in the full. We retired early, and the echo of the morning horn saluted us a half hour before the sun rose on this grand and imposing spectacle, whose beauties cannot be described with the pen. Cloaks and overcoats were in requisition, a warm breakfast enjoyable, and we descended by another route to the village of Kussnacht, where a vehicle was chartered to convey us to Luzerne. My next may be from north Switzerland, or from the banks of the Rhine.

CXXVI.

BATHS OF EMS, DUCHY OF NASSAU, July 14, 1857.

About the time I left Luzerne, in Switzerland, the sympathies and anxieties of the public were highly excited by the report of fire and explosion in the railroad tunnel, which is to intersect that city with Basle. Twelve persons, who had volunteered in the rescue of upwards of forty workmen who were thus suddenly cut off, had perished in the attempt. When our passengers took the diligence to cross the mountain, in the depths of which the accident occurred, three of our number took a short cut across, hoping to obtain some information of the sufferers. It was melancholy to reflect that so many human beings were probably suffering the agonies of death under our very feet, without our being able to relieve them. I learned subsequently that thirty-three corpses had been taken out and interred. A horse was found slaughtered, but not eaten.

The Swiss cars are constructed after our American model; passengers see the scenery of the country better from them than from the coach cars generally in use in Europe.

A railway ride of three and a half hours, by express train from Basle, brings one to Baden-Baden, upon the west slope of the Black Forest, in one of the most beautiful valleys of Germany.

A few days’ sojourn, and I proceeded to Homburg, which is much frequented; but neither that place nor Baden-Baden was as full as I found them last year.

At Wiesbaden, however, I found larger multitudes than I had ever met there on my former visits. This I attribute in part to the facilities for play, newly granted by the Bank.

Having detailed to you, on former occasions, the baths, qualities and uses of the waters, amusements and excursions, it will be needless to go into repetition.

In addition to the plebeian movement, it would seem that royalty has turned out in every direction. The King of Bavaria and ex-Empress of Russia were at Baden-Baden; the Emperor and Empress of Russia are at Kissengen; the Grand Duchess Constantine and her suite live opposite to me, occupying the entire building called the Panorama, belonging to the Ducal Kurhaus, where I am lodging. Having seen all these imperial and royal personages in their own territories, my curiosity is not excited; but it is a curious spectacle for an American to witness the sycophancy and idolatry of the masses for crowned heads; and one naturally asks himself, “Are such people capable of enjoying any other institutions than those they have been educated to adore?”

Those who remain at Ems, do so ostensibly for health; and no waters in Europe are so valuable for bronchial diseases, incipient pulmonary disease, nervous complaints, and many other difficulties; the fair sex predominate.

The Russians have the privilege of travelling since the treaty of peace; the presence of the wife of the Grand Admiral Constantine has brought large numbers here. The other evening, on the occasion of her birthday, the Duke of Nassau gave a grand celebration. In the middle of the little river Lahn, which flows through the valley, opposite the quarters of the Grand Duchess of Constantine was an illuminated barge, with thirty musicians. The Swiss Cottage Restaurant, upon the hill-side, was brilliantly lighted; and on the opposite mountain-ridge was a display of Bengal lights, and other fireworks, which produced a pretty effect, much to the edification of visitors and the peasantry, who seemed to enjoy it highly. Last night a ball was given by this lady in the honor of the Russians.

One is elbowed on all sides by Dukes, Duchesses, Counts, Countesses, Barons, and Baronesses, and the whole aristocratic race.

The German aristocracy are easy and approachable. You find that you have made the acquaintance of your neighbor; cards are exchanged; you see, perhaps, the arms and title of a Count, Baron, or some high functionary or dignitary, in return for which you give him a plain American address, without a handle to the name.

The demoralizing and destructive practice of open gambling is only tolerated in the German duchies, and is a source of great revenue to their rulers. In France it is prohibited: Prussia has withheld the grant at her watering places: in Belgium it only exists at Spa: Sardinia has stopped it at Aix les Bains. But all the efforts of the great princes have not yet succeeded in destroying the system established at Baden-Baden, Homburg, Wiesbaden, and Ems.

Next month I go to Paris, and expect to be in the United States in September.

1858.

CXXVII.

MARSEILLES, FRANCE, Jan. 15, 1858.

I must apologize to many of my friends and acquaintances whom I could not have the pleasure of seeing during my last short sojourn at home, and also for my sudden departure, which was the result of cold and indisposition.

From the time I left New York, on the 25th of last month, I experienced no cold weather until recently in Paris, where the prevalence of the grippe, or influenza, induced me to take flight for a more congenial climate. Our passage by the steamer Fulton was one of the shortest and most comfortable winter passages I ever made. Christmas and New Year’s festivals were passed in Paris. The great city, as usual at this joyous season, was extremely gay.

The Boulevards, from the Madeleine to the Bastille, a distance of three miles, were lined on both sides with booths, offering every variety of fancy and useful articles for presents and use, as at this period all classes expect gifts and souvenirs, which tax the ingenuity in the selection, and the purse in the acquisition. In this manner several millions of francs change hands. The number of Americans is much less than usual this season, but at a ball given by our Consul in Paris, I should judge that three hundred of both sexes were present.

The crisis is less visible in France than in most of the countries of Europe. One would scarcely infer from the manner in which the theatres, operas and masked balls are frequented at the opening of the carnival season, that a money panic existed in the capital of France; in fact very little publicity was given through the press, as the Emperor had declared the thing a humbug, and not intended for his Empire. At the grand Hotel du Louvre, near the Tuileries, where I lived, I noticed that the number of arrivals kept up pretty well for the season. It is the St. Nicholas of Paris, and a stupendous structure, far exceeding anything of the kind in Europe as a hotel, for its style of architecture, decoration, magnificent marble staircases, luxuriant dining and reading rooms; the former has splendid crystal candelabra and six hundred gas lights at the six o’clock table d’hôte. It is better adapted for travellers who have been accustomed to warmer heated apartments in winter than most French hotels, as the halls and passages are heated by registers throughout. Russians, Americans, English and Hollanders are the best paying guests. The French, with more strict notions of economy, are unwilling to pay for the extravagant outlay and parade. The transition from the recent cold in Paris to the mild temperature of this region, which one reaches in the short space of twenty hours by rail, a distance of five hundred miles, is most striking. Here the almond trees are in blossom, and the silvery leaf of the olive has a more cheerful aspect. The contrast is more marked now than before the construction of the railroad; I once experienced a similar change, but after a tedious journey of four days and nights; the lightning line now accomplishes it in less than one day.

The community is now excited, as well as all France, at the recent attempt on the life of the Emperor, which, had it been successful, would have put all Europe in a blaze of revolution. Marseilles is particularly interested as a commercial port in the preservation of the existing dynasty, since its growing commerce with Algeria, as well as its other interests, would suffer by a change of government.

It has been suggested that the Emperor designed visiting Africa, and the project of railroads has been proposed. The Kabyle districts and warrior tribes having been subdued by the French troops, a good opportunity is offered of visiting the northern part of Africa; and, as I wish to escape the cold changes which occur even in Italy in winter, I have decided to embark for Algiers, where I shall find a race of Moors and Arabs differing perhaps from the Bedouins of Syria and Egypt, and find many monuments of Moorish architecture more antique than those of the Alhambra of Granada, and the Alcazar and Giralda of Seville, continued after the Arab conquest of Spain, I shall be able to judge of the effects and progress of French civilization over barbarism, and shall in addition have something to communicate.

I notice many changes and improvements, each time I return to this point of departure for Italy, Spain, Egypt, and other lands on the Mediterranean.

CXXVIII.

ALGIERS, AFRICA, Feb. 1, 1858.

Notwithstanding we had some boisterous weather in the Gulf of Lyons, our voyage across the Mediterranean brought us in less than forty-eight hours in sight of the African coast. The city seen from the sea with its triangular form upon a steep slope, appears like a white mass of chalk surrounded with verdure. The Arabs compare it poetically to a diamond set in emerald and sapphire. Its primitive appearance, as occupied by the Dey before the conquest by the French, in 1830, is greatly changed by the opening of wide streets near the base, and the erection of buildings of modern style, and public squares and gardens. The new port and quays give portions of the city an European air.

The blending of Moorish and French architecture, and the great variety of costume worn by Arabs, Moors, Jews, Spaniards, and government troops and officials, strike the stranger with astonishment; and had I not been familiar with Egyptian, Turkish, Greek, and Continental races, I should have been as much astonished as some of our fellow passengers seemed to be.

The day of our arrival was fine, and the sun’s rays warm, as the thermometer in winter always keeps considerably above the freezing point, although the Atlas Mountains in the distance are at times tipped with snow. The venders of fresh dates, oranges, bananas, and other fruits, advised us of a much warmer climate than we had left.

The summit of the triangle is crowned with the chateau La Casbah. A half league to the left of this ancient fortress, the last residence of the Dey, stands the famous Fort of the Emperor, the explosion of which, by the French, in 1830, decided the fate of this well-fortified city.

Algiers was founded by the Berbers Mosgan tribe of the BeniMezarhama, and the companions of Hercules the Lybian, who left the army of the hero and fixed themselves here. It then became part of the Mauritanic Cæsariene.

On the fall of the Roman empire, it became the prey of the chief of the Vandals, and was destroyed. It was reconquered by the Arabs, who armed piratical vessels, which became so formidable that the Spanish king, Ferdinand, fitted out an expedition, and occupied a small island in front of the city, where the lighthouse now stands. The Algerines called to their aid the celebrated pirate, Barbarossa, who was checked by the Spaniards. Furious with his defeat, he seized and killed the sovereign, and took possession of the city.

All the efforts of the Spaniards were defeated, and the fleet destroyed by tempests or otherwise.

The brother of Barbarossa, Kair-ed-din, with the aid of thirty-six thousand Christian slaves, for three years united the island with the main land, and formed a port for his vessels. After his death it became the property of the Turks.

The city suffered various changes of masters, and was desolated by plagues and earthquakes, and other scourges, too numerous to mention, until the French Consul-General was insulted in 1827, which led to a strict blockade, maintained in 1829, and finished with thirty-five thousand troops in 1830, by blowing up the fort mentioned, which commands the city; the Dey was shortly after transported to Italy.

I notice the results of the earthquake of last year in many of the mosques, as well as private buildings. The government botanical gardens, on the sea-shore, beyond the pretty residences of the Europeans, in the village of Mustapha, are worth visiting.

Here are found date trees filled with fruit, sugar-canes, bananas, oranges, lemons, indeed all sorts of tropical fruits and productions, calculated to encourage the Arab races in agriculture; and as the caravans of mules, donkeys, and camels, pass along loaded with articles for market, their owners and drivers can see what the labor of man is capable of producing. The principal agricultural colonists are Spaniards and Maltese. The French, it would seem, are unwilling to leave La Belle France, excepting those engaged in commerce and mechanical operations; their ideas are still confounded with apprehensions of fever, the attacks of Arabs, the ravages of lions, jackals, hyenas, and other beasts of prey, the legitimate result of the thousand and one narratives of returned soldiers. The government makes every effort to induce colonists to accept concessions of land, but the work moves tardily, and they learn with surprise that thousands and hundreds of thousands of Germans and other Europeans emigrate to America, while Algeria affords a home for all who choose to accept it. The truth is, these people are tired of monarchy and military rule, and breathe freer in the United States, with a brighter prospect for the future.

The theatre is a structure of some pretensions; a ball was recently given there, under the patronage of Madame Randon, the wife of the Governor-General of Algeria, for the benefit of the poor, and was well attended by the élite of the city. The balcony of the first tier was occupied by about fifty Jewesses, in full Algeria costume, and produced a pretty effect. They wear vests or bodices of colored silks, embroidered with gold; sashes and flowing robes of rich stuffs; head-dresses of silks, or conical caps made of gold coins; head-bands of diamonds, as well as necklaces of emeralds, pearls, and rubies; armlets of gold, with jewels piled on in profusion, producing a blaze of light eclipsing the gas of the establishment. The second tier was occupied with quiet, grave Musselmans, with the red fez, and white turbans. These two classes, of course, do not dance, but watch intently the fashionable crinoline-dressed European ladies, joining in the giddy waltz or polka upon the stage or platform below. The foyer, or saloon, was fitted up for refreshments and gaming, and I noticed that both Jews and Musselmans of the wealthy class like the excitement of play.

The whole of Kabyle is subject to French rule, since the conquest of last autumn, and all is tranquil in that direction. Having lost all hope of recovering his liberty, the Arab, formerly accustomed to a wandering life in the interior, must now see the necessity of fixing himself on the soil in the neighborhood of towns and villages, and supplying the markets with his productions. Their habits of economy and frugality enable them to accumulate and hoard money; their consumption of French articles is small, however; consequently, the money concealed or kept out of circulation is a loss to the empire. The possession of this large territory by France, say two hundred and fifty leagues of coast from east to west, and fifty leagues from north to south, may prove in time a source of revenue, but at present it is attended with great expense. The outlay is some twelve millions of dollars, the receipts about two millions. It is a fine military school for the fifty thousand troops employed in keeping possession. If once properly colonized, it would give France a full supply of grain. As to the product of cotton, I doubt if it can ever be cultivated here in competition with our Southern States, notwithstanding the proposition of introducing the apprentice system for negroes from Soudan. The African wheat and barley are of excellent quality; corn is tolerable; tobacco can be raised in great quantities, but the quality does not compare with ours. At the Museum or Exposition of Industry, I have examined all the products of the provinces. In the event of a general war in Europe, and a rising of the Arabs, France might be obliged to abandon the interior and occupy the sea-ports only.

We have had some rain, and the roads are bad. As soon as they improve I shall go in the interior, and reconnoitre the ground, visit the towns and villages, and attend the fairs of cattle, sheep and horses.

CXXIX.

MEDEAH, PROVINCE OF ALGIERS, AFRICA, Feb. 15, 1858.

Medeah is built in amphitheatre form, upon an inclined plane beyond the first chain of the Atlas Mountains, some twenty-three leagues south of Algiers; it is some three thousand six hundred feet above the level of the sea, and is rather difficult of ascent. It is the site of the ancient kingdom of Tittery.

Medeah has been occupied four times by the French troops, since 1830, and indefinitely in 1840. The hostilities of 1830 demonstrated that so long as the Arabs were free to organize forces in the mountains and make sudden attacks, there was no safety. The occupation of this point with troops makes it perfectly tranquil. Abd-el Kader, whose prison I visited at Amboise in France a few years since, and whose exploits are often brought up in this country, gave the French much trouble.

One of the greatest achievements was in the zigzag road constructed by the French army through the gorges of the river Chiffa, some four leagues in length, which enabled them to conquer the country of the warrior Arabs of the mountains. The points of view through these rocky passes, with their precipices, towering masses of rock above, and deep chasms below, in many places without parapets, look frightful in making the ascent. I was reminded by it of a road constructed by the English in the Island of Ceylon, which I once described to you, and which was the only means of conquering the mountain King of Kandy. In one of these mountains there are large numbers of monkeys, which may be seen clambering up the rocks and branches of trees, and basking in the sun’s rays. Gibraltar is the only point in Europe where they exist, and they are supposed to have been introduced there from Africa. One passes through several large towns on his way to this place. Douera, which was a camp in 1830, is now quite a town, with a wall around it, and gates for protection, and the imposition of octroi duties. The country produces cotton, tobacco, cereal grains, and pasturage for animals. When water is not abundant, as they are subject to drought on the plains, wells are dug for irrigation.

Boufereck was the first post established on the plain of Misidza, in 1830, when the army advanced to Blidah for the first time. It was then humid, surrounded with marshes and bad exhalations. It was known for a long time as the cemetery for soldiers and colonists; but it is now quite healthy. The weekly market of the Arabs, bringing in all the tribes from the surrounding country, with horses, cattle, goats, &c., is a striking feature in that settlement. The inclosure of the grounds is ample, with a mosque adjacent for the Mussulman to say his prayers in. One often sees them by the road-side prostrating themselves towards Mecca in the east. Often in towns and cities you pass from the bazaars and densely-crowded streets directly into the mosques, with fountains of water in the court, as in Constantinople, where they wash their feet and trip in upon the matting and carpet rugs to pay their devotion, while you hear the cry of the muezzin from the lofty minaret adjoining, calling the faithful to prayers. The mosques are generally plain, with whitewashed walls, and lamps suspended, as well as ostrich eggs strung upon cords. Some, however, are of beautiful Moorish architecture, with an infinity of columns, and a great variety of arabesque work. The mausoleum or tomb of the Marabout is much venerated, being a sort of pilgrimage for the devout believer.

An anecdote was related to me in visiting the edifice erected to the memory of the Marabout; it is upon a hill, a beautiful position, outside the walls of Algiers.

The Koran forbids the use of wine and all alcoholic drinks, still the holy man indulged freely, being supplied by the persecuted Jews, who took this way to obtain the favor of the chief of the sect. There being a sort of veneration for idiots, this besotted individual was once aroused by the cries of the people, that the enemy’s vessels were off the port and approaching the city. With difficulty awakened from his stupor he cried out, “Where are the infidel dogs? Give me a whip and I will lash them off the surface of the great deep.” Reeling on the seaside he slashed away upon the calm surface of the water, venting his anathemas and imprecations. As fortune willed it, one of those sudden tempests arose, not unfrequent in this latitude, and the vessels were driven off or dashed to pieces. He was shrewd enough when he witnessed this singular phenomenon to take advantage of it, and exhorted the people to exhibit greater faith for the future. A temple was erected over his tomb, and his memory perpetuated to posterity.

I passed a couple of days at Blidah, some twelve leagues from Algiers. It is the chief place of the first military division, at the foot of the Little Atlas mountain. It has a population of fifteen thousand Arabs and foreigners; it is surrounded with a belt of foliage, forests of orange, lemon, fig, olive, and palm trees, which give it the air of a delicious garden. The Arabs call it The Voluptuous. In 1825 it was visited by an earthquake, which entirely destroyed it, with one half of its eighteen thousand inhabitants. On the 23d of July, 1830, after the occupation of Algiers by the French, the General advanced to this place, and was well received, but in returning was attacked by the Kabyles.

The European part of the town is well built, with regular streets, public squares, cafés, and a theatre; the Arab part has narrow streets, low, one-story, whitewashed houses, with a single door or hole in the wall for entrance, and little portholes or latticed windows for the women to peep out. The women are rarely seen in the streets, and never in the mosques; when they come out they are closely veiled in white shawls, which show the eyes only.

The Arab market at Blidah exhibited horses, cattle, grain, dried fruits, hog skins, or rather wild boar skins, filled with olive oil, wool, charcoal, &c.; the Arabs buy iron, hardware, coffee, sugar, thread, and such things as are actually necessary.

I visited the haras, or government stables of the Arabian, Persian, and Syrian stallions, some eighty in number, one of which, El Haz, presented by the emperor, cost forty-four hundred dollars.

The environs of Blidah are enchanting; the supply of water for irrigation, from the mountains, is abundant, and the climate lovely even at this season of the year. The Arab poet, Hamed Youssef, said, “They call thee a little city, I call thee a charming little rose.” I was reminded of a lovely little spot, called Soler, in the island of Majorca, where one rides for miles through orange groves, which, like those of Blidah, are exported to France. I noticed, in passing through the village of Ben Mered, an obelisk erected to the memory of twenty-two soldiers who were attacked by three hundred horsemen of Ben Salem, in the year 1842, and all killed after the most heroic resistance. Only one, a sergeant, who was wounded and left for dead, could give the details. The young sergeant, in the midst of the conflict, fell, mortally wounded, with the words upon his lips, “Friends, remember that the French never surrender, but defend themselves to the death.”

The Arabs in this part of the country are now turning their attention to agriculture; the plough merely scratches the surface, and without doubt, is the same used in the primitive days of Abraham. Herds of sheep and goats are seen in the mountains with Arab boys and dogs.

CXXX.

CONSTANTINE, AFRICA, Feb. 27, 1858.

Returning from Medeah to Algiers, I embarked on board of a French government steamer for Stora. We landed troops at Delys, Bougie, and Dzidzelle, and after a two days’ run, arrived at Stora, and proceeded to Philippeville to procure a conveyance for this city, which is situated some seventy miles in the interior.

Constantine is the Cirta of the ancients, the Cossentina of the Arabs. It is situated upon the river Rhumel, at the point where the torrent crosses the elevated mountains to penetrate the upper basin of the plains of Milah. The ancient capital of Jugurtha is now the chief city of the eastern province of Algeria. It lies some eighteen hundred feet above the level of the Mediterranean, upon a triangular plateau. This plateau is surrounded by the two branches of the river, and crowned by the heights of Mausourah and of Sidi-Merid, from which it is separated by deep chasms and precipices, at the bottom of which courses the Rhumel, with its wild and magnificent cataracts. It has the aspect of a lofty island, with its high rocks, almost perpendicular, rendering the city almost, or quite, invulnerable, with its strong gates and fortifications. Constantine has been the scene of great events in the grand history of Africa. The founder of the city was said to have been a Greek adventurer, 250 years B.C. Marva reigned over the Mumides. It was in turn occupied by Masinissa and his sons. Juba sided with Pompey, and was chased by Bogad, king of Sittius, who founded a Roman colony.

Cæsar undertook great works, and one finds many of the old walls, ramparts, and inscriptions remaining. The ancient aqueducts, the ruins of which still stand, some forty feet high, about a mile from the city, are said to be the work of the emperor Justinian. The invasion of the Arabs destroyed the opulent city, and it passed from one to another among all the African conquerors; it was in the hands of the Turks in the sixteenth century, and afterwards in the hands of the Deys of Algiers, many of whom were assassinated.

The last, Hadz-Ahmed Dey, kept it the longest, but it was by oppressing his subjects. From 1826 to 1830 he cut off the heads of some three thousand of his people, and committed the most revolting deeds. At that time the French government denounced his acts, and named the brother of the Bey of Tunis his successor; but he managed to keep possession until 1836, when Marshal Clausel attacked them, at the head of an insufficient army, but was driven back from this stronghold, and obliged to retreat.

The next year, however, a body of ten thousand men, with the second son of Louis Philippe in the avant garde, took the city by assault, General Damremont losing his life in the attack. I find his monument in an inclosure of the ancient casbah or fort, near the caserne and hospital grounds, which are now crowned by large structures. I have just visited them in company with my present travelling companion, a captain in the Russian army, sent out for general observation. The French officers have shown us much civility and attention, making our stay here agreeable.

The reservoirs constructed by the Romans upon the summit are repaired thoroughly, and contain a full supply of water for a long siege. The view from these points is of the boldest character. The city is now divided in two quarters, Arab and French, and offers the most striking contrast.

The Arabs said that Constantine was a rock in the middle of a river, and that it would require as many French to take it as ants to take an egg from the bottom of a pot of milk; but in this they found their error, and concluded it was the will of the Prophet. The trade of the city with Biskarah is large in dried dates, and with Setif and other ports in wool; ostrich feathers, elephants’ tusks, and gold dust are seen in small quantities. At Philippeville, on the coast, I found some English officers who came out to join the famous Jules Gerard, the lion slayer. They were going to form a camp in the neighborhood of Bona, further up the coast. I shall probably meet them again when I get up there, and learn what success they meet with. The conductor of our stage has assured us that at one point near El Cantour, a dreary mountainous country, lions are known to follow the vehicle when driven to extremity for want of food. Not a very pleasant prospect for a traveller. I saw the skin of a famous fellow, some sixteen feet in length, recently killed. The jackals, hyenas, and wild boars are abundant; the latter may be seen in quantities in the market places, filled with olive oil, which is brought on the backs of camels. We passed through sections of the country entirely uninhabited, where the wild olive and cork wood grow in abundance. In the settlements they engraft the domestic olive, which does well.

The Arab cultivation here is meagre and primitive; the plough is drawn by a camel and donkey yoked together--rather a ludicrous sight. If the Arab has a surplus of grain, or the price does not suit him, having no barns, he buries it in pits prepared for the purpose. His tent can be transported easily with his small household effects, consisting of a few earthen or copper cooking utensils, or he can throw up a mud hovel and thatch it with the leaves of the date or other trees.

He mounts his horses or camels, with his wives and children upon their backs, and emigrates to another place where the land suits him better. The women, whose faces we occasionally get a peep at, wear a profusion of bracelets, anklets, and huge rings from the top and bottom of the ears. One would suppose them too weighty for this tender part to sustain. In the city the wives of the wealthy Moors are beautifully clad with ornaments; they are fond of monotonous music and the lascivious dancing of the professed dancing girls, not unlike that of the dancing girls of Egypt. The fair daughters of Judea, whose faces are always uncovered, have preserved their type of beauty here. I have seen the howling and whirling Dervishes of Constantinople, the adoration of brazen bulls in India, the prostration of the Chinese before their heathen gods, the Parsee worship of the rising sun, the dancing of Shakers, as well as most varieties of worship, but I have never yet witnessed such a horrible exhibition of fanaticism as in a little temple here. The building was a plain one, not unlike a whitewashed Mohammedan mosque, with arches and columns, ostrich eggs strung upon cords, and suspended lamps. Upon the matting and rugs squatted a centre group, of musicians, with tambourines and tamtams, a sort of kettle-drum. Around the walls were seated rows of men and boys. My companion and myself crossed our legs, tailor-like, in line with the devotees, and awaited the working of the spirit.

Then commenced monotonous, plaintive singing, accompanied by the musicians moving their heads backwards and forwards until the sounds became wild and discordant, when a huge, dark, Bedouin-faced figure unrolled his turban, threw down his red fez, while a heavy tuft of long hair floated over his shoulders like the mane of a lion, then his eyes rolling furiously, and his head swaying as if it was on a pivot, he threw himself among the crowd, raving and snarling like a dog, and attempting to bite all who came in his way. At length he was appeased, with horse nails, scorpions, &c.; he licked red hot iron, much to the enjoyment of the audience, who indulged in the wildest strains of music and songs of delight. After which performance, dancing, the most extravagant and arduous, was continued until several fell frothing at the mouth, and were carried out of the circle. This curious spectacle continued about two hours on the Musselman sabbath, which is Friday. It was curious to see the boys imitate the shaking of the head and body of the leaders of the sect. The turmoil ceases at intervals, prayers are muttered, incense burned, and the parties take breath only to renew the frenzy and excitement. On the public square you see snake charmers and jugglers, who rival those of Madras.

CXXXI.

TUNIS, AFRICA, March 13, 1858.

From Constantine, the capital of the eastern province of Algeria, seventy miles in the interior, I proceeded to the sea-coast at Philippeville and Stora, to embark for Bona and Tunis.

Philippeville is a modern French town on the site of the ancient Russicada, with an open roadstead; Stora, a league distant, serves as a seaport, and is protected from almost all the winds. Philippeville has a future, being the commercial and military centre for Constantine and eastern Algeria. The environs are picturesque and productive of tropical fruits. The remains of a Roman amphitheatre are found there, also statues, Corinthian columns, and the cisterns or reservoirs which formerly supplied the ancient city. Nine of them have been repaired, and now furnish the town with water.

From Stora I came by steamer to Bona, the seat of the second military division. This city was constructed in the year 497 by the Arabs with the remains of the ancient and beautiful city of Hippona, about two miles distant. It was founded by the Carthaginians and called Ubbo. It lay at the foot of two hills, with the river Seybouse passing by, and vessels came up at that time to the city. In the year 709 of Rome, Scipio, a fugitive, beaten by the tempest, took refuge here with his little fleet, which was destroyed by Sittius, the lieutenant of Cæsar.

In the year 429 A.D. the Vandals besieged Hippona and destroyed it in part. It was retaken by Belisare, but the Arabs took it again in 697, and transported to Arabia the present French town of Bona. The kings of Tunis built the Casbah or citadel in the year 1304. It has changed hands many times, and has been burnt and destroyed; in 1832 the French took complete possession. Many improvements have taken place; the country is tolerably cultivated in the environs, and some fine works have been established.

We had cleverly got to sea from Bona when a sudden norther came down upon us and obliged our steamer to take refuge under the lee of a fort and projecting cape; after it subsided we pushed on the next day to the Bay of Tunis, and landed at the village and port of Goletta, some twelve miles from the city; it can be reached by land or water, the latter way by a salt lake.

Here, in this city of one hundred thousand inhabitants, the largest proportion of whom are Arabs, one finds himself out of the pale of French civilization. In Algeria life may be considered tolerably safe, but here, such is the fanaticism of the Musselman, and so little the respect paid to Christians, that one is naturally cautious in his movements. The mosques cannot be entered as in Constantinople, Algiers, and other places; the cemeteries cannot be defiled by infidels. The five gates of the city are closed at six in the afternoon. All persons found out by the armed sentinels after seven in the afternoon, without lanterns, are taken to the guard-house and released upon the consul’s application in the morning. An instance of intolerance occurred last June, which created a sensation far and wide. I passed the gate recently where the Jew (you will recollect the circumstance), meeting with some obstacle, anathematized Mahomet; he was maltreated, thrown into prison and condemned to be executed, and notwithstanding the protestations of various consuls, was decapitated and literally cut into pieces by the exasperated populace. The French sent down a squadron, and at last obtained redress from the Bey, in promises for the future privileges of Jews and Christians. Here one finds African life in its natural condition, beyond the reach of French officers and soldiery.

The miserable, sallow-looking troops are dressed in round jackets and pantaloons, with the fez, or cap of red cloth, ill adapted to a hot climate. The streets are narrow and wretchedly filthy; all the offal is thrown into them, and where hogs do not exist as scavengers, the dogs, who are always numerous, supply in some measure the defect. When it rains, the black mud is difficult to wade through, as there is no pavement, and pattens are brought in requisition. The stench from filth is abominable.

The bazaars are interesting to visit, on account of their display of rich silks, costumes, smoking pipes with amber mouth-pieces, otto of roses, embroideries of all kinds, and rich trappings for saddles and bridles.

The Arab cafés, with their thirty to forty inmates, sitting cross-legged, sipping coffee in little cups, and listening to guitars and national airs, are curious to look into. The little barber shops are found everywhere, and busy enough are their masters, shaving the skulls of the faithful. A pile of shoes is always at the door, as the Arabs step upon the mats and rugs, and then draw their shoes off, and draw their feet up under them. You are elbowed in the streets by negroes and Arabs of the different races, dark-eyed boys, camels and mules laden with olives, olive oil, fruits, and vegetables, and surrounded by the cries of vendors, and the confusion of tongues. The exterior Moorish architecture of some of the mosques, and the light and airy minarets, are attractive to the eye as you look up and espy the Muezzin crying out the hour of prayer. The supreme power is vested in the Bey, who has several palaces in the city and country. He is now residing some nine miles hence, along the shore, whither I have been to witness an Arab fantasie, or display of horsemanship.

An artillery regiment lay encamped directly opposite the immense palace, with its latticed windows, domes, terraces, and four hundred and fifty inmates, including the harem, eunuchs, servants, officials, and relatives of the Bey’s wives. Two huge, uncouth, painted lions were seen over the inner porch; sentinels, stacks of muskets, and officers, civil and military, were in the front of the doors, together with the sons of the sovereign, and when the Bey presented himself at the window, the equestrian exercise commenced. There were forty horsemen, accompanied by two Kadis and three Scheiks of tribes in the interior, who were dressed in the most luxurious costumes of silks and embroidered cloth flowing robes, their arms, saddles, and bridles glittering with gold and silver filigree work. Starting at some distance, they came down singly, and in groups of three or five, upon full gallop, drawing and discharging their carabines as they passed by, and suddenly reining up and whirling their guns in the air--a most exciting and wild scene, beautifully executed. Others were dancing their horses to the sounds of drums and flutes, and making all sorts of evolutions around the sentinels, describing a figure eight, and embracing the sentinels without treading on their toes. The homage paid was recompensed by rich and costly presents sent out to the victors.

While the authorities are revelling in luxuries, the poor suffer the penalty. Three thousand troops have just been sent out, to be absent some months, for the purpose of collecting taxes and imposts, which are enforced by the bayonet.

The country is beautifully fertile and productive. We rode through miles of olive groves. The Bey has a famous oil mill, driven by steam power, under the direction of Europeans. The olives, when fully ripened, are sent in panniers upon camels’ backs, and crushed by machinery; the oil is then pressed out. Our Consul and some others made up a party for Gomart, twelve miles distant, where we found some catacombs; but to one who had seen those of Thebes they afforded but little interest.

The friends we visited occupied a palace which had been built by Christian slave labor during the piratical days of this people. The amount of labor performed in the construction, with its fountains, basins, orange, lemon, and date groves, must have exhausted the patience of these poor prisoners.

The ancient city of Carthage lies along the sea shore, some twelve miles from Tunis, and is quite accessible by carriage drive. We visited Mr. Davis, the gentleman employed by the British government in excavating the antiquities, and accompanied him in these explorations. The site of the great temple of Esculapius is plainly visible, and a portion of the foundation walls and staircases. He has forty men employed, and we discovered the basements of several houses where the mosaic floors were quite perfect and very beautiful. Many large boxes have been sent to the British Museum. The ancient port of the city is still distinguishable.

The traces of the aqueducts are well defined, and large masses of stone still stand. The reservoirs for water, seventeen in number, are in the best state of preservation; they are evidently of Roman construction.

The circuit of twenty miles, where stood the great city, is now under cultivation, scarcely leaving any vestige of existence above the surface.

CXXXII.

TRIPOLI, COAST OF BARBARY, AFRICA, April 1, 1858.

The land route from Tunis is attended with so much fatigue and risk, that I took the steamer for Malta, and embarked for this port, where we arrived in the midst of a violent norther, the waves dashing violently among the breakers, and landed, much to the satisfaction of all concerned; particularly, two Turkish Beys, with their harems, from Constantinople, who were my fellow passengers. The women were under lock and key, but notwithstanding the sea-sickness of their liege lords, as well as the eunuchs, I noticed the jealous glances cast outside of their berths from time to time.

There are two small hotels at Tunis, but here, none; and as I had letters for our Consul, Mr. Gaines, I accepted his Virginian hospitality. This territory, which extends to the Egyptian frontier, is under Turkish rule, and the now presiding Pacha is Osmand Bey, a worthy old gentleman, to whom I was presented, and with whom I had a long chat through his interpreter. Coffee, sherbet, and confectionery were served, and long pipes, or chibouks, of jessamine wood, with amber mouth-pieces encircled in diamonds, gave the Latakia tobacco a good relish. As strangers are seldom seen here, the communication being rare, it is rather gratifying to resident consuls and others, to extend facilities. I am the first native American visitor, the consul tells me, since his residence here of nine years. An English government steamer brought down a gentleman whose friends reside here, and who has done service in the Crimea, and is now appointed consul in Russia. His friends, being mine, have given me an opportunity of joining in the festivities and recreations offered to the officers. Horses have been put at our disposition for social and shooting parties in the country. Dinners and evening parties have been constant, and the time passed pleasantly. Consuls here, as well as at Tunis, wear the uniform and cap with gold band, which is much respected by the natives.

As our dragoman goes round the city with his silver-headed massive stick, it is quite amusing to hear the sergeant present arms in Turkish as the sentinels are passed. There are some four thousand Turkish troops here from Constantinople. The population is chiefly Arab, with a sprinkling of Jews and Maltese. The city contains fifteen thousand inhabitants; it is much cleaner than Tunis, and is in a healthier position, and warmer, being further south and nearer the desert. The country between the sea and the sandy waste is very picturesque; it is mostly cultivated by means of irrigation, as the Persian wheels, driven by cattle, are seen in all directions, attached to the wells.

The date groves in all quarters, interspersed with olive, fig, and almond, give it an oriental appearance. The scenery, as well as the costume and habits of the people, is African. Every variety of color may be seen, the ground being contiguous to the races of the Sahara and the starting point for Timbuctoo. The weekly fairs upon the beach are most primitive. Sheep, goats, and camels are driven in and butchered upon the sand. You see the Arabs squatted, bare-footed, or in red and yellow sandals, around piles of skins, fruits, vegetables, or grain; tinkers, in little date-leaved tents, repairing copper cooking utensils; itinerant barbers plying their avocations; donkeys loaded with wood and charcoal; squalid figures, black, brown, and yellow, cooking a scanty meal of pumpkin, red pepper, and oil; others indulging in the national and savoury repast of kouskous;--and a thousand other sights and eccentricities that we, as civilized beings, can scarcely dream of.

The previous war steamer that was down here brought the English Vice Consul, and among the guests two English ladies. The Pasha gave a review of the troops and a picnic in the country. He drove one of the ladies in his own carriage, followed by a cavalcade--so unusual a thing for a Musselman, that the Arab women thought he had taken a new wife, and commenced chanting a merry song, much to the lady’s annoyance.

A splendid dinner was given to the officers, with abundance of wine, contrary to the usage of Musselmans, but in accordance with the Pasha’s notions of propriety; and when the lady left he presented her a beautiful pony. He is more European in his conduct than Turkish, and has set an example for others in having only one wife.

Visiting a country-seat a few days since, I noticed upon an observatory overlooking the seat the wooden figure of a hand nailed up, a custom, I presume, in accordance with that of more civilized countries, where horseshoes are fastened over the doors, to keep off the witches. I asked if it was to keep off the evil eye, and the reply was that the carpenter would not continue his work until it was fastened there. We frequently see the impressions of hands, in red and black marks, upon the buildings; such is the superstition of the natives.

The birthday of Mahomet will soon take place, when it will be unsafe for Jew or Gentile to appear in the streets. For several days before the festival the Marabouts or holy men commence eating Indian hemp seed, which produces delirium; they then rush out, shaking their heads and bodies violently, followed by men and women chanting and shrieking. They then perform miracles by swallowing knives, nails, glass, and putting red hot shovels to their tongues, and sometimes their fanaticism induces them to maltreat or tear to pieces Jews and Gentiles; and the Pacha warns Consuls to keep their protégés or servants at home, as he cannot be responsible for them.

We have had some excellent gun practice from the English gun boat Vigilant, now in port, in honor of the Pacha. The distance fired was nearly half a mile, with two sixty-eight pounders; she carries also two thirty-two pounders. The target was a rock in the roadstead, painted white. Rounds of shot, shell, and grape, were fired with much precision. After the conclusion, and the partaking of a collation, the captain carried us in his gig to examine the effect, and we found chain shot and broken shell.

I am invited by the commander of this beautiful screw steamer, of six hundred and forty tons, to occupy a part of his cabin. Although I had paid my passage on board the steamer which has already departed, my friends induced me to stay a few days longer and accept the invitation. The old Pasha was to have been on board, but a plea of indisposition excused him. Several consuls and vice-consuls were among our number. On another occasion we had a trial of firing at a floating target, which in this case was a barrel sent adrift, with a couple of sixty-eight pound shot suspended to keep it steady, and an old flag staff stuck in the bung. We then described a circle of a half mile, and fired while in motion; the shot told remarkably as line shots, and the surface of the water sometimes looked like the spouting of whales. The English have now one hundred and thirty, large and small, of this class of steamers or gunboats. The Vigilant carries ninety men, and has an engine of two hundred horse power, with a screw twelve feet diameter; the boilers and machinery are below water mark; she draws twelve feet of water, and is admirably calculated for destruction.

Within the harbor of Malta, and encircled by the strong walls of these immense and world-wide renowned fortifications, lay the flag ship and part of the squadron of Admiral Lyons. Having once made a quarantine of twenty-one days there, coming from Egypt, which quarantine is fortunately abandoned now, besides spending ten days in sight seeing, nothing stuck me as new.

CXXXIII.

GRAND CAIRO, EGYPT, April 10, 1858.

I reached Malta on board of an English war steamer, in time to connect with the Peninsular and Oriental Company’s packet, with the India overland passengers. An agreeable passage of three and a half days brought us to Alexandria, and instead of taking canal and river boats as in former times, occupying four days, I proceeded by rail to this city in eight hours. The distance is about one hundred and thirty miles, and the road is to continue to Suez, across the little desert, some ninety miles more. There only remain some twenty miles to complete it, when Alexandria and its port will be in communication with the Red Sea. The Pasha has constructed this great work at his own expense, and must ultimately derive a large revenue from it, as the tax upon each passenger crossing is ten pounds or fifty dollars.

This being my third visit to Egypt, I am able to judge of the changes that have taken place, particularly since the introduction of the railway. In 1842, when I first made the ascent of the Nile to Upper Egypt, we met only four passenger boats; the past winter the number has been forty, which is much less than usual, owing to disturbed monetary relations throughout the world. Then, Alexandria was a village, surrounded with the ruins of the former city. Now, it is a place of large commerce, with a population of seventy or eighty thousand, and instead of camels to carry one’s luggage, and donkeys to ride up a miserable hotel, one finds carriages and four-horse omnibuses around the railway station. The whistle of the locomotive, and the cry of “clear the track,” is calculated to wake up the most lethargic races. When I passed through Egypt in 1855, en route from the East Indies, I was struck with the changes. We descended the Nile in a steamer from Cairo, which was a great improvement.

Pompey’s Pillar and Cleopatra’s Needle still stand, towering high, as solitary spectators of the progress of the age.

I find here some familiar faces; the Dragoman who accompanied me to Upper Egypt and crossed the desert to Palestine, meets me with a smile; Paul, who is spoken of in Stephens’s work on Egypt, I find again. I have just visited the Mausoleum of the great man Mohammed Ali, the regenerator of Egypt, with whom I once passed an evening with accompaniment of the chilbouk or pipe, sherbet and coffee, talking over the affairs of this country. He was of humble origin, but through his military prowess and energy of character rose to the throne, conquered the Bedouins of the desert, massacred the Mamelukes, dug canals, regulated the embankments of the Nile for irrigation, forced the natives into the army and into useful employments, introduced the growth of cotton, built a fleet, which was destroyed by the allied forces, erected manufactories and palaces; in a word, he was a tyrant, but a benefactor in advancing civilization.

He succeeded in creating a Dynasty for his family, and his remains now are inclosed within the walls of the new and gigantic alabaster mosque, with its pointed minarets, standing upon the citadel inclosure, within the walls of which the unfortunate Mamelukes were shot, one of whom only escaped by jumping his horse over a steep precipice.

I find here some of my countrymen, and a few English, who are returning from the Nile trip, as the season is about over and the water low. In June the rise commences. Some are making excursions to Heliopolis and to the Pyramids, others visiting the bazaars and Schrubra, the garden of the Pasha, which, with its brooks, fountains, fruit, and flowers, is well worth a visit.

The great vehicle of locomotion for the multitude is the donkey, which threads the crowded and narrow streets at a rapid rate, flogged by the boy running at his heels and keeping up the cry of “right, left, legs, arms,” in Arabic words. The veiled women ride crosswise like men. Officers in gay costumes go by on richly caparisoned horses; droves of camels laden with merchandise, and Arabs with hog skins on their backs, filled with water for sprinkling to keep down the dust in this warm climate. The smell of otto of roses and other perfumery keeps under other disagreeable odors as you ride through the bazaars. Then comes the cry of avant couriers, who run before and behind carriages, staff in hand, to make way. The Court passes in European carriages with gilded trappings, and outriders in fancy-colored Oriental costumes, the women of the Harem scrupulously veiled, only their black round the eyes being seen. Then comes a drove of goats for the supply of milk. Altogether it is a mixture, such as cannot be described, of all races, colors, variety of dress, but must be found in this city of three hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants, where, particularly as the kemsing winds have just set in, custom demands that every person should appear and snuff the air. The festival continues three days, and the people are out in their best attire.

Two of our guests have just started for Jerusalem, via the desert. Their caravan consisted of twelve camels, a dragoman and servants, with camel drivers, &c., an English lord and his companion. The Arab Scheik taxed him five pounds or twenty dollars per head for the use of the animals alone. I was thankful I had not the same journey to repeat; for to be perched up sixteen or twenty days upon the back of a dromedary is no small task. Another party have left for Memphis, also to visit the monster Sphinx, the Pyramid of Cheops and others, the establishment for hatching chickens by heat, &c., I enjoy these things as souvenirs, having on a former occasion seen and mounted the great Pyramid at Gizeh, crept into the interior chambers and breathed its dust of ages and its close atmosphere. Its dimensions are seven hundred and thirty-two feet square, and four hundred and sixty feet high, and it covers some twelve acres of ground. There are many smaller ones, which are almost equal in size. Herodotus says that one hundred years were employed in constructing the two largest. Pliny says seventy-eight years, and the number of men three hundred and sixty thousand. The facilities for travel in Upper Egypt are greatly increased since my first visit; then we had to procure a boat and dragoman by the month; every article of supply, with cooking utensils, had to be purchased, and a suitable cook selected. The Reis or captain and his crew of twelve men were paid by the month; every delay was to them a profit. Now a dragoman takes upon himself the entire outfit and supplies, relieving the party from all responsibility for a stipulated sum, averaging from five to eight dollars a day per head, according to the numbers. The charges on the Peninsular and Oriental steamers are about sixteen dollars per day. The passengers are abundantly supplied, as you will see; coffee and tea early in the morning, soda water if wanted, breakfast at nine, lunch at twelve, with ale or porter, dinner at four, with four kinds of wine, tea at seven, grog or hot drinks at nine P.M. The servants form themselves into a band and play from eleven to twelve M., and from eight to nine in the evening, for which passengers contribute. The consumption of provisions on board this line is excessive. The French and Austrian steamers have two substantial meals only, and charge considerably less.

There is a general complaint throughout the East of the increased hotel charges and the expenses of life since the Crimean war. I intend returning to Alexandria, and embark via Jaffa for Beyrout. I shall probably visit Damascus, the Cedars of Lebanon, and the ruins of Balbeck from the latter place. When I was in Palestine before, the Maronites and Druses were at war, which prevented travelling in the mountains. I now hope to avail myself of the present opportunity.

CXXXIV.

CONSTANTINOPLE, May 1, 1858.

I find myself at a remote point from Grand Cairo, having extended my route in order to visit the Crimea and other parts of the Black sea.

On our arrival at Jaffa we found some thousands of pilgrims waiting opportunities to embark for their homes. Immense numbers had been at Jerusalem, but as I had passed the Passion Week once in the Holy City, had climbed the Mount of Olives, wandered through the Valley of Jehoshaphat, bathed my eyes in the Pool of Siloam, refreshed myself at the Brook of Kedron, swum in the Jordan and reposed at Bethlehem, I was unwilling to lose first impressions by a revisit. At that period, after a voyage across the desert of sixteen days upon camelback, the Land of the Philistines and the Gardens of Sharon were quite refreshing, but now steam has revolutionized travel, and distance is quite annihilated. There were several steamers in the dangerous roadstead taking away the pilgrims. One of the number had been wrecked and stranded in a late gale, and twenty-nine of her passengers and crew lost. We took away some three hundred, mostly deck passengers, consisting of Greeks, Copts, Armenians, and Latins, from all the countries of the Levant. Such a beggarly looking party of all races and costumes it would be difficult to scrape together. They were penned up like cattle on the deck, men, women, and even children; and you may imagine what effect a heavy sea produced upon the party.

We coasted along the shore of ancient Tyre and Sidon with Mount Carmel in full view, and debarked at Beyroot, a pretty town with picturesque environs, backed by the mountains of Lebanon, and occupied by the Druses and Maronites.

After a sojourn of a few days I took passage for the island of Cyprus, interesting for its historical reminiscences and famous for its sweet wine; then proceeded to the island of Rhodes. The old city is in a dilapidated condition. Earthquakes have made sad havoc from time to time, one of which is said to have destroyed the great Colossus. The old streets of the Knights of St. John, with their armorial insignia upon the fronts of the houses, are well preserved.

Smyrna I found improved. The rebuilding of good, substantial stone houses upon the sites of the burnt districts, where miserable, rickety wooden buildings stood, has greatly changed the appearance of this large commercial city. The fruit trade brings vessels of all nations into its capacious bay. A view from Mount Pagos, where are the remains of an old Genoese fort, embraces one of the most beautiful of panoramas.

Having had three passages by the Lloyd Austrian steamers, I there took the French Messagerie, imperial packet, via the Dardanelles and Sea of Marmora, touching at Gallipoli and other points, for Constantinople.

My souvenirs of this renowned capital of the Sultan are now revived. The visit to the Seraglio and palaces, the church of St. Sophia, the mosques of Sultan Mahmoud and others, and the tombs of the distinguished monarchs, is made by means of a firman. The visits to the bazaars, excursions on the Bosphorus, and to Scutari on the Asiatic shore, and the sweet waters of Europe and Asia, are delightful beyond description. And as I gazed from my windows from the lofty Frank quarters of Pera down upon the Golden Horn, separating old Stamboul from Galata; the Bosphorus, dividing the two continents; the lofty minarets of the white mosques; the deep evergreen cypress of the cemeteries, in contrast with the blooming trees of the Seraglio Point gardens; the forest of masts of all nations; the numerous war and commercial steamers, I am led to exclaim, “This is certainly the most magnificent view of the kind which the eye can behold.”

Rio Janeiro for its majestic scenery can only surpass it. The Bay of Naples has its peculiar beauties. The harbor of New York we all admit is lovely. Stockholm, situated upon its seven islands, is entitled to consideration. San Francisco can boast of a noble sheet of water, as well as many other countries, but the palm must be awarded to the position of the Turk.

The allied armies have fought, bled, and expended great treasure, but one discovers few changes for the better. The improvements are in the European quarter chiefly. The sick man may linger along for an indefinite period, but it is doubtful if he can be resuscitated.

We are in the midst of the Ramadan, or fast of the Mussulmans. The faithful partake of neither meat nor drink from sunrise to sunset, during forty days, and consequently cannot be very good-humored. Joyous voices may be heard at the evening meal if one dares thread the narrow, ill paved streets, lantern in hand, and prepared to resist the multitudes of half starved dogs without masters, who are the public scavengers, and breed, live, and die in the streets.

The minarets are now illuminated, and present a pretty appearance on a dark night. During the war the mosques were easily entered, now greater rigor is exercised, and the devout follower of Mahomet who makes his five ablutions daily, washing his hands, face, and feet, at the fountains in front of the mosques, and fasts from morn till night, cannot look with favor upon the Christians eating and drinking, and treading the sacred precincts of his Holy Temple, and defiling it with their unwashed feet.

They look with surprise and astonishment at the wars of the sects in Jerusalem, at the threshold of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Turkish soldiery preserving order at the point of the bayonet. Fortunately for the reputation of Christianity the late ceremonies of the Holy Week passed off without scandal in the sacred city.

The Greeks, notwithstanding the efforts of consuls to suppress rejoicings after Lent is over, have had their fireworks, discharges of cannon, &c., with loss of limbs, much to the annoyance of the Turks. The Latins have their rejoicings, and illuminate as in Rome, and the faithful will have feastings and a jubilee when the season of Ramadan comes around, and the penalties of the Koran are complied with.

We have here three Sabbaths: on Friday the Turkish bazaars are closed; on Saturday the Jews keep their Sabbath; and Sunday all the Christian races keep theirs, at least a part of the day. Those who wish to make purchases should select the early part of the week.

Steam has here made its innovation. We formerly had only the small egg-shell caique for the waters about the metropolis; now steamers for ferries and excursions are employed, and packed full. A bridge of boats connects old Stamboul with Galata, across the Golden Horn. Many more carriages are employed, richly gilded with gold. The ladies of the harem are seen more frequently riding out; and the white gauze veils, disclosing only the eyes and nose, seem to be lighter in texture than formerly, showing more of the beautiful features of the Georgian and Circassian beauties.

The currency of the country is unsettled; little but paper and copper is seen; consequently speculation has increased, and the people complain of increased charges making Constantinople one of the most expensive cities in Europe.

CXXXV.

SEBASTOPOL, May 12, 1858.

The voyage from Constantinople up the Bosphorus and to the head of the Black Sea, was made in forty hours, on board of the new steamer Grand Duke Constantine. This was her first trip, and with fair weather, a comfortable one. The Russian Company, through a guarantee of five per cent. interest for a term of years, from the government, have ordered in all fifty steamers, to compete with the Austrians and French in the navigation of the Mediterranean and Black Seas; and it is thought by the travelling public that competition will reduce the extravagant charges on these lines, which is detrimental to commerce.

The great grain city of Odessa suffered but little during the war from the allies. It lies somewhat elevated from the harbor, with private houses, rather scattered, covering great distances, and large public and private buildings of cut sandstone; its unpaved streets, and the immense number of droskeys, grain carts, and other vehicles, with a light clay soil, make it one of the dustiest cities I ever was in. The birthday of the Empress was celebrated in the cathedral, and as a holiday, and in the evening there was an illumination upon the Boulevard, an elevated drive commanding a fine view of the harbor; and the turn-out of fine horses, and carriages filled with ladies in rich robes, presented a scene seldom equalled.

A Russian passport had to be procured for the Crimea. For the information of all those who design visiting Russia, I would say, bring nothing printed, as all books, maps, &c., are seized at the custom-house and sent to the censor office. On leaving, one must advertise three times in the paper his intention of quitting the empire, in order to show that he has contracted no debts, or committed no offences; then a passport will be granted by the police. When I travelled through Finland and the north of Russia, I was provided with documents as bearer of despatches, thereby avoiding all annoyance of examination of luggage, and met with much civility.

I embarked for Eupatoria at twelve A.M., and was landed the following day; it is the first point of debarkation of the united squadron. The town is partially destroyed, and is a small miserable place. The batteries of the allies are still recognizable near Wind Mill Point; these and the Jewish synagogue, of much beauty for this country, are all of interest to be seen. I posted to Sympheropol, the capital town of the Crimea, a distance of seventy-two wersts, or fifty-four miles, passing salt lakes, which are productive, and worked largely for exportation; a long distance of rolling prairie country, with little timber; occasional small streams, with valleys and shade or fruit trees, thinly settled, bearing some analogy to parts of our western country. The city has fourteen thousand population, and is rather pleasantly situated. The hotels are bad throughout the land, and war prices are still maintained. The Greek churches are the prominent monuments, with a great profusion of ornaments, outstripping the Latin Catholics in decoration. From Sympheropol I took a two horse fourgen, a sort of covered baggage wagon, there being no post route to Bourlouk, or the battle field of Alma, in company with a young Russian officer to whom I was recommended, and who kindly offered to accompany me. He had received two orders for his zeal and bravery in the battles and eleven months’ occupation of Sebastopol, during the siege, and was a valuable guide and companion. His sister owned the land and village which stands near the scene of combat. The Russians burnt the huts of the Tartar peasants, the mansion house, and stacks of grain, to prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy. We made the thirty wersts, and arrived at nightfall. After the national dish of the Tabaif, a sort of vermicelli paste, baked, with honey and tea, which can be procured all over Russia, beds were made upon the divan in the new stone cottage, and to my surprise and delight I slept upon the folds of the stars and stripes of an American flag, preserved from the wreck of a vessel on the coast.

In the morning, our accomplished hostess, who spoke French like a native, mounted her horse, and we rode over most parts of her possessions, some seven wersts square, comprising the battle grounds, and the different heights and valleys occupied by the Russian, French, and English troops, crossing the Alma at different points, visiting the cemeteries of thirteen thousand slain of both armies, and reading the epitaphs on such few tombs as had been erected.

The route of the invading forces can yet well be traced, by the quantities of woollen and cotton cloth fragments, leathern straps, cannon balls, and débris of all kinds. It was a melancholy sight, and made my companion sad when he recollected many of his companions who fell upon the field.

The name of Alma is taken from the Tartar for apple, of which large orchards existed in the valley, and along the water course. The country was desolated by the war, and the fruit-trees and crops were destroyed; but the people are now returning and building up their little cabins, and commencing the cultivation of grain and the vine, of which they give one-tenth to the land proprietor. The predominant race are Tartars, and they speak corrupt Turkish; they are Mussulmans, or of the Mohammedan religion, and are an indolent people, and without enterprise.

I here left my companion, and had a lonely ride of some twenty wersts over a high rolling prairie, some mountainous country, and deep valleys, which brought me to Batschi Seray, the former residence of Tartar royalty, and could scarcely help believing I was passing the long streets of a Turkish town; their costumes, habits, bazaars, carts, and market stands, all indicating the same. I visited the old palace, with its inclosures, mosques, minarets, cemetery, and tombs of the Tartar kings, some twenty-four in number, before it fell into the hands of Russia. The style of architecture, the fountains, gardens, and chambers of the harem, are strictly Turkish.

Some four wersts hence, on the top of a mountain, is a most curious old Jewish walled and fortified town, called Tschufout Kale, which formerly contained one thousand or more families, but is now reduced to thirty. It reminds one of Pompeii, or the city of the dead, and is fast tumbling into ruins. They date back their emigration from Jerusalem in the early centuries, and while persecution reigned were in their fortresses, but are now scattered to the four winds. The Rabbi and his companions have still the old synagogue, and are well supported by the absentees. Not far distant is a fraternity of monks, who have the steep mountain side walled amphitheatre-like, and a monastery and chapel built in the grottoes of the rock, with the altars and interior decorated with images in gold and silver. On the outside façade, where the precipice projects, are seen the colossal figures of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and Apostles, in figures of gold, which are visible for a mile, and are attractive as a pilgrimage. The lamps and candles are kept constantly burning, as at Bethlehem.

After making these excursions, I proceeded to Sebastopol. Through unavoidable delay, I arrived at nine P.M. of a dark night, upon the shores of the north bay; there were no accommodations for travellers, an unusual heavy sea was on, and the boatmen were unwilling to cross without extortion; I succeeded, however, in getting across safely with my Tartar guide, and found among the ruins of the town one of the two little inns erected since the destruction of the city. Such a scene of devastation as I found, when awakening next morning, I had not pictured to myself. Out of one hundred thousand inhabitants, comprising soldiers and marines, only eleven thousand remain, and one can only judge by the light of lamps and fires, where they live at night; some in barracks, cellars, and corners of buildings where the walls are standing, rudely covered over. The temporary frail huts thrown up, remind one of Texas in its infancy, or the early frame houses of California and Oregon. The government has erected a Greek Church, buildings for servants of the crown to reside in, and individuals have put up some good stores for places of business; but dwellings are scarce, and rents dear.

It is painful to gaze upon the beautiful but ruined walls of palaces, libraries, club rooms, churches, hotels, and private residences, either destroyed by the shot and bombs of the enemy, or exploded by the Russians. You are so familiar with the localities, as shown by charts during the progress of the war, that I shall not attempt a description, but merely state that my time has been occupied in strolling over the devastated city, visiting the ruined docks, aqueducts, and hospital sites, mounting the famous Malakoff and Redan batteries, riding out to the different camp grounds of the English, French, Sardinian, Russian, and Turkish troops, visiting portions of the cemeteries, of which there are said to be three hundred and fifty in number, and a half million of men mouldering in the dust. Cannon balls, bombs, and bullets are still strewn in all directions. Teamsters are employed in gathering and drawing them to the magazines. Some curious persons have lost their lives by picking up and throwing down infernal projectiles, which exploded.

The camps look like decayed villages of rough stone huts; some of the walls of the English are whitewashed, and the door-ways paved with coarse stone, carrying out ideas of comfort. A little frame building is still standing and preserved in a valley, near a spring of water, on our way to Inkerman, some twelve wersts from town, where we dismounted and refreshed ourselves. It was the pavilion of Lord Raglan. On the summit near at hand is a monument to the united forces engaged in the battle; it was raised by the British army. One of the English burial grounds is well inclosed, and has many tombstones. The descent to the plain, and scene of strife at Inkerman, through which the Russians advanced, is a deep gorge, with high palisades of white sandstone, quarried out of the building material of Sebastopol.

Our countrymen are succeeding well in destroying and fishing up the fragments of the Russian wrecked vessels which obstructed the harbor. I have just had the satisfaction of being on board one of the four flats, or caissons, of twenty-five horse power engine each, and assisting at the first success in raising a twenty gun schooner. There are twenty-four sunk, large and small. It is curious to see the divers go down, with their india-rubber suits and helmets, glass eyes, and a keg of powder under the arm for explosion; also the fishing up of copper, iron bolts, portions of the wreck, &c.

CXXXVI.

YALTA, Crimea, May 20, 1858.

A few miles down the coast from Sebastopol, are to be seen the remains of the ancient city of Chersones, and the little bay and port upon which it was situated. It is most interesting to the Russians, as being the spot where the first Bishop Vladimir was converted to Christianity from Paganism, which was the means of establishing the Greek Church, the prevailing religion in Russia.

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