EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH AMERICA!^ SPECTACLES. BY CHARLES CARROLL FULTON, EDITOR OF THE BALTIMORE AMERICAN. O. C. IF. Ci PHILADELPHIA: J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO. 1874. TUB UB&ART WABUimOttOM zsssx Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by CHARLES C. FULTON, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. Lippincott's PrE9( Philadelphia. .^«e cheeks of an old countess, who has lain here four hundred years, look and feel quite plump. One is the remains of an English officer, shot in a duel ninety years ago, with a bullet-hole in his breast and a shattered shoulder. A corpulent old general is still corpulent, and a dozen chickens hung up ninety years ago have their feathers all intact. The vault in which they lie is about thirty feet long and fifteen wide, and is above-ground, in one of the crypts of the church. There is nothing peculiar about it, and there seems no reason why it should preserve bodies from decay more than any other room in Bremen. The exhibition of these curiosities gives an income to the church of about twenty dollars per day, and is quite a valuable source of revenue. It is not everybody who can expect to be so remunerative after he has given up the ghost. NEWSPAPERS AT BREMEN. There are two newspapers printed here, but nobody seems to care anything about them. There is not a newsboy to be seen on the street, and the newspaper files in the hotels are seldom disturbed. Visitors sit and drink their beer and wine, but seldom read. The citizens of Bremen are decidedly a talking people, and seem to take no time for reading or studying the current of events as recorded in the public prints. BERLIN. Berlin, May 14, 1873. We reached Berlin, the capital of Prus- sia, at breakfast-time on Tuesday morn- ing, after a long night ride from Bremen, passing through Hanover about two o'clock in the morning. Railroad travel in Europe is accompanied by many trials and annoyances that are not experienced in the United States, the detention and trouble with baggage not being the least of them. At Bremen our luggage was all examined on leaving the city, and then weighed, and, although nothing was found strictly contraband, the oflicer was in great doubt about the propriety of passing a small bundle of paper on which we propose to write the notes of our journey. On our explaining to him the purpose for which it was intended, it was allowed to pass. A box of fifty choice cigars was not allowed to remain in a trunk, but we were permitted to carry it in our hands, the result of which was that before reaching our destination it was lost. At Hanover we were compelled to change trains, having to wait over an hour in a reception-room crowded M'ith men, women, and children, on emerging from which the ladies of our party dis- covered that they had made acquaintance with a goodly number of those pests of Europe that are only to be found in dog- kennels on our side of the Atlantic. TRIALS OF TRAVEL. We arrived at Berlin at seven o'clock in the morning, the time from Bremen being nine hours. Quite a storm was in pro- gress as we reached the depot in Berlin, when, with our baskets, bundles, shawls, and valises, we were seized ujion by a Commissionnaire and a military-looking official with a spiked helmet. The said Commissionnaire assured us that tiiei-e was no Hotel de Russie in Berlin, and that the best hotel was the Hotel de I'Europe. Be- ing anxious to get located, we were packed in a carriage and sent off. On entering the hotel we came to the conclusion tliat if " de TEurope" was the best house in Berlin it had a shocking bad exterior appearance. We Avere shown up to cham- bers on the second floor, carpetless, and almost furnitureless, whereupon we came to the conclusion that the Kaiser's depot regulations are calculated to allow stran- gers to be swindled. Being in a strange city, and our carriage having departed, we concluded to make the best of a bad bargain, and called for breakfast, which AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 15 we will do the proprietor the credit to say was palatable and well served. Leaving the ladies for a short time, we strolled out, and soon found the Hotel de Russie, and also the Hotel du Nord, two hrst-class houses, in the latter of which we secured quarters. The swindle cost us about five dollars, which we charged to '"experience," hoping to profit by it before we leave Germany. The complaint we have to make to the Kaiser is, that one of his spiked-helmet officials, when appealed to as to the truth of the Commissionnaire's story, assured us that it was all right. IMPRESSIONS OF BERLIN. Our first impressions of Berlin were decidedly unfavorable, though the cold and dismal rain-storm which has followed us thus far is not calculated to make any place look very bright and attractive. But Berlin is a sombre, massive city, lacking the bright and brilliant aspect of Paris. Its public buildings, although equal to those of any other city in Europe in imposing grandeur, are more solid than beautiful. There is no section of the city that is exclusively devoted to elegant stores, they being scattered about in every direc- tion, intermingled with warehouses and junk-shops. It is said to be the deter- mination of the Emperor to make Berlin rival Paris as the most attractive city of Europe, but we rather think that it will require rebuilding, almost, to accomplish the undertaking. A grand arcade has just been completed, running diagonally through two squares, similar to the mag- nificent establishment at Milan, which is quite Parisian in its beauty and propor- tions. THE ROYAL MUSEUM. We spent several hours to-day in the Royal Museum, which is a vast structure, to which there is no chai-ge for admittance. The painting-gallery is very extensive, but not very attractive. The pictures are decidedly ancient, and consequently not appreciated by the average American. There are some few paintings here that all can admire, though the vast majority are graceless and unnatural in their presenta- tion of the human figure. The coloring is, however, very rich and natural, for which they are mostly admired. Most of them, if seen anywhere else than in a royal gallery, would be regarded as the daubs of amateur artists. Ai'ound the few good paintings there were generally two or three artists busily engaged in making copies. Another portion of the Museum is de- voted to plaster casts of ancient sculpture, including copies of nearly all the great masterpieces to be found at Rome and Florence. As we had seen the originals of these, the copies commanded but little of our attention, except such as could be given during a leisurely stroll through the extensive galleries. THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. We next proceeded to the Zoological Gardens, which are outside of the walls of Berlin, adjoining the grand Park. Here we found a collection of beasts and birds equal in number and extent to the menageries of Forepaugh, Barnum, and all the other traveling institutions of the United States combined and multi- plied by six. The grounds are very ex- tensive, and the buildings in which the animals are kept have been erected re- gardless of expense. Quite a number of small but beautiful lakes are filled with an extensive variety of aquatic birds, many of them of the most brilliant plum- age, and each species in great number. The aviaries are also large and fine, and the lions, tigers, leopards, and panthers embrace many fine and rare specimens. Take the gardens altogether, they are su- perior to those of London or Paris ; but in the latter city many of the animals were eaten during the siege. WORKING WOMEN. German women are undoubtedly able to do a man's work, and some of them do more in that line than most men are will- ing to do. The very hardest species of manual labor is spading ground and turn- ing over the sod. In the Park to-day we passed nearly fifty women, all strong and muscular, busily driving their spades into the earth. They worked in gangs of five, side by side, apparently as con- tented as if they had been piercing a cam- bric handkerchief with a needle. When women can perform this kind of labor, they are certainly on an equality with men in some things if not in all, and need no protectors. Only think of marrying a woman who can dig all day with a spade ! It would not do for most of the lords of creation to have such wives, or at least to provoke them to a trial of strength. LOCOMOTION IN BERLIN. There are no street passenger railways in Berlin, and there are comparatively few omnibuses. The population is now said to be nine hundred thousand, or nearly 16 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH three times that of Baltimore. The car- riages, however, are very cheap and numerous, being of three classes, and at three grades of prices, first, second, and third class. A second-class carriage, with one horse, carrying four passengers, charges about sixty cents per hour in our money, the first class eighty cents, and the third class forty cents. The first chiss has two horses, and the other classes have one horse. WORKING DOGS. In all parts of Germany the dog is a beast of burden, and works with as earn- est a will as the horse or the mule. Hundreds of hand-carts can be seen mov- ing through the streets, with one or two dogs harnessed, and they never allow their traces to slacken. The size of the wagons, and the loads they pull, are truly surprising to those who only know the dog as a lazy, sleeping animal. The man or boy accompanying the dog merely keeps his hand upon the tongue of the wagon to steady or guide it, whilst the faithful ani- mal does all the work. These dogs are all muzzled, as they are apt to bite any stran- ger who approaches the wagon, especially during the absence of the master. Whilst resting anywhei'e, they lie down in their traces and sleep, but at a word are up again, and intent upon their work. They are of no especial breed, but all kinds, including the Newfoundland and the bull- dog, are to be seen in harness. All that is required is strength and muscle and proper training. There are very few idle dogs to be seen in Berlin. THE COST OF ROYALTY. The American traveling in Europe is astonished at the vast expenditure and waste of money that is required to main- tain royalty. There cannot be in Ger- many less than fifty palaces for the accom- modation of the royal family, each one of which is ten times larger than the President's house. None of them have less than one hundred rooms, and some of them from two hundred to three hun- dred, all decorated and furnished in the highest style of art, with picture-galleries and halls of statuary, whilst temples, fountains, monuments, and every man- ner of ornament adorn the surrounding grounds. At Potsdam, about ten miles from Berlin, there are five magnificent palaces, and there are quite a number in this city. They are all in charge of hosts of retainers, ready for the reception of royal visitors at a moment's notice, and each guarded by garrisons of soldiers larger than those in charge of all the for- tifications in the United States. However, the people seem to take pride in all this as evidence of the greatness and glory of their country, and if they are satisfied there is no reason why any one else should grumble about it. Everybody here wonders how it is possible that the United States is so steadily and persist- ently paying ofi" its national debt. It is no matter of wonder to us why the na- tions of Europe are so persistently increas- ing theirs. There must, however, be an end of all this some day. A STROLL THROUGH BERLIN. We took a long walk to-day, to the dis- tance of six or seven miles, away from the centre of Berlin, winding around through all sections of the business por- tions of the city. We found it all alike everywhere, fine buildings intermixed with ancient structures, and no one sec- tion much superior to another in its attractiveness. Stores of every variety and character are intermixed, and military barracks with bristling bayonets inter- spersed through all sections of the city. We came across an extensive market, occupying a whole square, upon which were hundreds of booths, the principal articles on sale being wooden ware, bas- kets, and brushes, with a few cake and toy stands. It was thronged with purchasers, and presented quite a stirring scene. These baskets and wooden-ware booths also extended down all the neighboring streets, and it seemed strange that there should be a demand to warrant such an immense exposure of such goods. The streets generally are broad and well paved, but the houses and stores by no means attractive, though many very fine buildings are in the course of erec- tion all over the city. But when one has walked two hours through the streets of Berlin he may conclude that he has seen the whole city, the characteristics of all sections are so similar. In most respects it is so like an American city that it is difiicult to note anything in the habits or ways, or even in the appearance, of the people, that would prove of interest to your readers. MONUMENT TO FREDERICK THE GREAT. Nea^the eastern extremity of the Lin- den, opposite the palace of the Crown Prince, stands the statue or monument of Frederick the Great. It is in bronze, by Rauch, and is said to be the grandest monument of its kind in Europe. The AMEEICAN SPECTACLES. 17 pedestal Is divided into three sections. At the corners of the upper are represented Moderation, Justice, Wisdom, Strength. On the sides of the monument are eight reliefs, — representing the birth of the King, his education, Minerva presenting him with a sword, Frederick after the bat- tle of Kolin, his love of art, his taste for music, his promotion of commerce, and his apotheosis. At the corners of the central section are four equestrian figures, on the east the Princes Henry of Prus- sia and Ferdinand of Brunswick, and on the west Generals Ziethen and Seydlitz. Around the monument are grouped life- sized figures of distinguished officers. The lower section contains names of other prominent men, especially soldiers of the time of Frederick. The monuments in Berlin, are not numerous, but they are of a superior character. Berlin, May 16, 1873. BERLIN AND ITS PEOPLE. Berlin improves with acquaintance, and the more we see of it the better we like it. It is, however, by no means a gay city. The people are neither gay nor merry, except on the occasion of some commemoration of victories in Avar, or in honor of the Kaiser and "Our Fi-itz." They are even silent over their beer and Schweitzer cheese, and there are no jolly gatherings of an evening such as can be nightly witnessed in the gardens and saloons of Baltimore. We walked sev- eral miles the other evening in pursuit of such an establishment as that of Franz Gardiner on High Street, and were con- tent to finally drop into a quiet resort in a basement on the Poststrasse, where there were a number of visitors, all as silent as possible, with no singing or music or jollity of any kind. Geinnans in America are an entirely different class of people from those in the great cities of the Fatherland. The most enthusiastic Americans I have met with here are the German-Americans on a visit to their old homes. They find fault with everything, and complain that the people are too slow and lack energy and enterprise. Mr. Raster, the editor of the Chicago Sfaais Zeitung, Avas out of patience even in the lively little city of Bremen. IIoav he has gotten along in the more staid and solemn cities of the interior, it is not easy to imagine. THE MILITARY DISPLAA'. The fact that Prussia is a military gov- ernment is apparent all over Berlin. 2 Almost one-fourth of the men to be met on the streets are in military dress, with epaulets and sAvords, and the "man Avith a military Avalk " is no curiosity here. Soldiers on guard are in and around all the public buildings, the police are in military dress, Avith spiked helmets and swords, the railroad officials Avear uni- forms, and the telegraph operators and boys are all arrayed in a semi-military costume. So also with the post-office of- ficials and the custodians of the public buildings. Regiments of soldiers march through the streets Avith brass bands, and the relief-guard parties seem to be ahvays in motion. The store-windoAVS are tilled with prints of the Kaiser Wilhclm and his staff, in full feather, and the minor military dignitaries are presented in the photograph establishments as the greatest attraction. They, however, did Avell for their country in the late war, and are deserving of all the honor they receive. Every man in Germany must serve in the army from one to three years. If he has passed a good examination at a mili- tary academy, his term of service is but one year, but otherwise he must serve for three years. Thus it Avas that there were no raAv recruits in the immense army brought so suddenly into the field to resist and drive back Napoleon. Every man was a soldier, trained and accustomed to the life of a soldier, under the greatest soldier of the age, and the most strict disciplinarian CA'en in times of peace. Fortunately, we can do Avithout such ex- pensive ornaments as a standing army, and this is the reason why so many Ger- mans are thronging the steamers for America. The number would be still greater if they Avere all possessed of the means to carry out their desire to escape from military service. Regiments of cav- alry, infantry, and artillery are parading the streets to-day, but they attract no attention from the people. The sight is evidently too common. THE BERLIN OPERA. The operatic spectacle, Avith an inter- mixture of Avhat is knoAvn in America as the " leg opera," called " The Loch/ in Tr7;?/e," has been attracting the attention of the Berlinese for the past one hundred and fifteen nights at the Grand Opera House, and thither Ave Avended our way last evening. Reserved seats for our party of four cost seven thalei-s and ten groschen, AA'hich is about one dollar and thirty-four cents per head. We Avent early, for the purpose of seeing the audi- 18 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH ence assemble, and to notice whatever else might seem to us of interest. The ladies will be interested in knowing that an entirely new mode of dressing the hair is in vogue here, and that there seems to be very little false hair used. The hair is frizzed all over, and the back hair con- fined in an invisible net, W'hilst the front stands out in crimped confusion. On the tof) of the head a bow of ribbon is worn similar to a gentleman's neck-tie, with short fringed ends. All ear-rings are in- finitesimally small, and mostly of dia- monds or pearls. The ladies were largely in excess of the gentlemen, and, singular as it may seem, they came in without male escort, some- times singly, sometimes in groups of four or five. These independent ladies were mostly young, and among the best dressed in the house, and were without bonnets, as were nearly all except stran- gers. The inevitable brass buttons and shoulder-straps predominated among the gentlemen, and a glance in any direction was sure to encounter a bevy of handsome young patriots. As to the theatre itself, the interior or auditorium is about twice as large as Ford's Opera Plouse, though it would not seat double as many, as the single seats are each fully four inches wider. One- half the Berlinese ladies and gentlemen could not wedge themselves into a nar- rower space. The seats are automatic, and if you rise they fly back, so that there is no difficulty in persons passing to in- terior seats, the rule being to rise. You are almost required to leave your hats, coats, canes, etc., outside with the cus- todians. Most Americans object to this, however, having a vivid recollection of ball-room scenes at home, and of missing coats, hats, bonnets, and furs. People here wonder why they refuse. Perhaps it would not be well to inform them. The Opera House is a very grand afi'air, elaborately decorated with statuary, paintings, and rich carving. Next to the stage come what we would call the stage-boxes, only, instead of there being but three on each side, there are, in- cluding the top boxes, twelve on each side, or twenty-four stage boxes in all. The remainder of the house is divided into five tiers, including the parquet. The royal box is circular, very elegant, and elaboi'ately decorated, and is capable of seating at royal ease about twenty- five persons. The height of the box is that of the three lower tiers, and the canopy at the top is surmounted by the crown and other royal insignia. No one enters this box without the royal sanction, and, with the exception of a lady sitting alone throughout the per- formance, it was entirely empty. The parquet was full, most of the seats in the five tiers of stalls occupied, and the stage-boxes about one-third full. The upper tier, or what in American par- lance is styled "the peanut-gallery," was thronged with very respectable peo- ple, mostly ladies. The performance was very good, and the piece was presented on the stage in grand style. The orches- tra consisted of forty-four j^erformers, and the chorus and villagers on the stage numbered fully one hundred. The scenery was perfect, and was evidently gotten up by the hand of a master. In- stead of flies, the side scenes were solid, giving the sides of the room or castle chamber to be represented ; so also Avith the ceiling, presenting the appearance of a closed room on all sides except that to- wards the auditorium. The rural scenery was equally artistic and natural in its perfection. THE BERLIN HOTELS. The best hotels in Berlin are about equal to those of the second and third class in Paris. Indeed, they are not so good here as at Bremen, nor are the accommoda- tions or the table so good, whilst prices are considerably higher. Such a thing as an elevator is not known, nor are there any public parlors for the accommodation of guests. Hence it is that strangers, and especially Americans, make but a brief stay in Berlin and hurry on to Dres- den, where the accommodations and at- tractions are said to be much better. The tahle-dliote comprises a variety of inex- plicable dishes, potatoes being about the only thing that is recognizable. One hour and a half is the shortest time required for this daily nuisance, and we have come to the conclusion that life is entirely too short to be thus wasted on unsatisfac- tory dinners. The Germans and the English seem, however, to enjoy them, .and remain at the table a half-hour after the Americans have retired, smoking, and munching raisins and nuts. The ladies like it as an opportunity for the display of rich toilettes and diamonds, and a means of killing time. Gentlemen who are traveling with ladies are usually com- pelled to submit to the infliction rather than to forage among the restaurants. The principal street in Berlin, on which most 01 the public buildings and hotels AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 19 are located, is Unter den Linden, — a dou- ble row of lime-trees and a promenade adorning the centre of it. The number of fine stores upon it is. however, ex- tremely limited : and it possesses but little more attraction for the stranger than any other street. Immediately outside the Brandenburg Gate is the Thiergarten, a magnificent park, shaded by fine old trees, two miles in length and half a mile in breadth. For two miles on each side of the park there is an array of the most magnificent pala- tial residences, the extensive gardens around which are adorned with statuary and fountains and brilliant with flowers and ornamental trees. DRESDEN. Dresden, May 16, 1873. "We left Berlin at noon to-day, and at five o'clock this afternoon were drivif^g through the city of Dresden, the favorite city of Saxony for American residents. There are said to be a large numlier of American families permanently located here, the object being the education of their children, though P^nglish is so gen- erally spoken that it is beginning to be difficult for them to learn German. Some families who came here to teach their boys and girls to speak German have been compelled to change their location to the interior on that account. SCENES ON THE ROUTE. The country through which we passed on our route from Berlin was mostly rough and poorly cultivated, the land being thin and sandy, and at times the road was lined with jjine forests, similar to those in North Carolina, the trees bearing marks of having been tapped for turpentine. At other points the country was as rough and barren as the worst portions of that on the railroad between Baltimore and Washington. We saw no one working in the fields except women, who were handling the hoe and spade. Scarcely a fence was to be seen for the whole hundred miles, this being an ex- pense that is not known to European fai'mers. When they let their cattle out to graze, they have a man or boy to watch them, which is much cheaper than the labor and expense of keeping up fences. MASCULINE KISSES. We were much amused at many of the stations on the road to see great, rough- bearded men kissing each other at parting or meeting. They would first salute each other on the cheeks, and then bring their lips together. It seemed to the gentlemen spectators a burlesque on kissing, whilst the ladies declined to express any opinion on the subject, but it may be presumed that they regarded it as about on the same level as a matter of enjoyment with the practice of kissing each other whenever they meet or part. FIRST-CLASS TRAVEL. In Germany nobody but " princes, fools, and Americans" travels in first-class cars, the principal difference between the first- and the second-class car being that one is upholstered with velvet and the other with cloth. Any one who gets in a first-class car is regarded by the people on the platform as an object of curiosity, and so at all the stopping-places on the road ; no one looks at second-class pas- sengers, whilst the first-class are stared at as being either " princes, fools, or Ameri- cans." One of our party, being a novice in European travel, desired to test the dif- ference in the cars, so we to-day traveled first-class to Dresden. We had scarcely got seated before we heard ourselves spoken of as " rich Americans," and the attendant who came to examine our tickets saluted us with, " Will your honors please show me your tickets?" When traveling second-class, an official jerks open the door and exclaims, " Tick- ets!" without even adding the American salutation of " gentlemen" to it. There is, however, an advantage in traveling " first-class" that is sometimes worth the additional cost, especially at night. There are so very few who take first-class cars, that a party of tliree or four are sure to have the entire section to themselves, and not be annoyed by strangers intruding and crowding upon them at every station. The ladies of the party can then lie down and sleep as comfortably as if in a sleep- ing-car. The additional cost is about one-fourth more than second-class fare. The fare from Berlin to Dresden is, in American money, as follows: first-class, $4.00; second-class, $2.64; third-class, $1.75, the latter being plain board seats without any kind of upholstering. The distance is about one hundred and thirty miles, so that " first-class" is only about the same as the American rate of travel. BEER-DRINKING. Everybody in Germany drinks beer, if; being part of the daily food, as much so 20 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH as coffee is In America. Mothers wean their infants on beer, and tliey are brought up accustomed to drink it as freely as water. At all the stations on the road an oppor- tunity is given to the passengers to secure a supply, and it is more easily obtained than water, and almost as cheap. The Ger- mans attribute the absence of dyspepsia to beer, and jioint to the rosy cheeks of their daughters as the result of this wholesome beverage. Our party are all giving it a fair trial, and hope to return home with a new lease of life and health. With all due respect to our American brewers, we do not think that any of them come up to the quality of the German article, which is of a bright and clear amber color and sparkles under a heavy froth. The taste for it is an acquired one, and we are all getting quite accustomed to its use. It seems to be free from all intoxi- cating effects, and if it proves a cure for dyspepsia, as is claimed by our German friends, it will do much more than the doctors have been able to accomplish in most cases of the kind. FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF DRESDEN. We had no sooner secured our rooms at the Victoria Hotel than we started out for a promenade through the main thor- oughfares of Dresden. We found it to be a much more Kvely and stirring city than Berlin, the streets being so densely thronged that it was difficult to make our way through them. The population is nearly two hundred thousand, and the city is divided by the river Elbe, one side being called the old town, and the side upon which we are located the new town. The houses of the new town are gener- ally five stories high, and are very simi- lar in their appearance and construction to those on the boulevards of Paris. The streets are mostly broad, and beautiful little squares with fountains are thickly interspersed. The stores ai'e quite ele- gant, and make a fine display of all kinds of rich and rare goods. A city passenger railway, the first, we believe, in Germany, has just been completed, and the cars are running through the city. They are of the large double-deck species, — the top seats being for the accommoda- tion of smokers. The number of English and Americans we encountered on the streets was truly surprising. We could hear boys calling to each other, girls chatting on the street- corners, and misses simpering along with their beaux, all speaking good and plain English. PRUSSIAN MONEY. An American traveling in Germany longs for a return to his native greenbacks and paper currency. The confusion of money growing out of the union of Ger- many is almost inexplicable, and when making a purchase you are tempted at times to hold out a handful of ragged coin and let the seller help himself. An- other mode is to commence dropping the smallest coin into the outstretched hand, and stop as soon as the countenance of the receiver indicates satisfaction. The silver and copper coins are innumerable, com- mencing with a thaler and going down to a pfennige, one hundred and sixty of which are equal to an American dollar. They are also of a dozen different styles of coinage, all, probably, as plain as a pike-staff to a native, but a monstrous puzzle to strangers. Prussian money is, however, good all over Europe, and we learn that Prussian paper money com- mands a heavy premium in Austria. In Europe, nothing more clearly proves the power of a government than the value of its money across the border; and Prussia is to-day the recognized master of Europe, both in strength and brains. IJIPRESSIONS OF DRESDEN. Our first impressions of Dresden have been more than realized by a five-hour drive through all its thoroughfares and suburbs, and we do not wonder at its being selected as the favorite resort for Americans residing in Europe. It is very much like beautiful little Bremen, though on a larger scale and more magnificent in its attractions. The ancient city of Dresden was inclosed by a wall and moat, the site of which now forms a magnificent promenade, extending through the heart of the present city. Extensive palatial residences, surrounded by flower-gardens, statuary, and fountains, border this grand public squai-e, which, to-day being bright and beautiful, is now thronged with people and blooming with flowers. The whole city has a gay and lively appearance, and the display of the stores far exceeds that of Berlin. The hotels are also better, and that in which we are stopping, the Victoria, as well as the Bellevue and the Saxe, would do credit to Paris. We are in what is called the English quarter of the city, the houses in all directions being occupied by English and American fami- lies. Each floor has its separate family, like the houses in Paris. The houses are very large, being five and six stories high. A family can live here in good style for al- AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 21 most one-hfilf what it would cost eitliei* in London or the United States. THE GREEN VAULT. One of the greatest curiosities here is the "Green Vault," consisting of eight rooms in the palace, so named from the color of their original decorations. It contains one of the most valuable collec- tions of curiosities, rare works of art, jewels, etc., in the world, the contents of one of the rooms alone being valued at fifteen million dollars. The immense wealth accumulated in the Green Vaults is attributed to the fact that the Saxon princes were formerly the richest mon- archs in Europe. Most of their Avealth was derived from the Friedburg silver- mines, which, previous to the discovery of America, Avere the richest in the world. Much of the proceeds of the mines they expended in the ornamentation of jcAvels and works of art. It is impossible for me to mention in detail the numerous works of art which fill up these eight large cham- bers. As to the value of the contents of the difierent rooms, it may safely be set at eighty million dollars. The first room is filled Avith magnificent bronzes, the second Avith works and ornaments of all kinds carved in ivory, the third with mosaics principally, in Avhich dia- monds and precious stones arc inserted in the most lavish profusion ; in the fourth room is all the Court plate, in Avhich are also diamonds and precious stones; in the fifth room are various articles of ornament, including a number of jcAvel-boxes orna- mented with rubies and diamonds; in the sixth room are magnificent jewels, carved ivory and ebony, curious caricatures, etc. In the seventh room are the regalia of Au- gustus II., King of Poland, carvings in wood, of the Resurrection, Descent from the Cross, the Archangel Michael's con- test with Satan, also tAA'O little pieces in wax. The eighth room greatly surpasses all the others in the costly splendor of its contents, consisting of diamonds, crowns, sceptres, chains, and collars, Or- ders of the Garter, the Golden Fleece, and the Poland Eagle ; coat-buttons, all dia- monds of the purest Avater, weighing from forty to fifty carats. All the gala ornaments of the Elector of Saxony, con- sisting of his coat-buttons, A^est-buttons, sword-belt, scabbard, and collar, ai*e set with diamonds. There are also several magnificent rings, tAvo of Avhich belonged to Martin Luther. There are thousands of rare and curi- ous articles in these rooms, every one of which is worthy of close and critical ex- amination. The cost of admission for from one to four persons is one thaler and ten groschen, or about ninety-six cents in our money. There Avere about fifty visitors at the time of our visit. DRESDEN BA' GAS-LIGHT. In a European city, thei*e is no night in the week like Saturday night to take a general survey of gas-light scenes. We accordingly, after supper last even- ing, took an extended stroll over the city, finding ourselves at ten o'clock in the suburbs, amidst a tangle of streets through A\diich Ave Avended our Avay, hop- ing soon to strike upon some thorough- fixre that Ave Avould recognize. We Avere finally compelled to employ an express- man to guide us back to our hotel, Avhich we reaclied in good order and condition, though rather tired, considering that we had been roaming and riding, and per- ambulating palaces and vaults and gar- dens, all day long. Dresden at night is almost as lively as Paris. The streets everywhere Avere thronged with men, women, and children, and the restaurants well filled Avith cus- tomers, sipping their beer and eating their ScliAveitzer cheese in as merry a mood as possible. There was no music, how- ever, as in our beer-gardens; indeed, Ave have not heard a band of music in Ger- many, unless in attendance on a company or regiment of military. At the great restaurant near the bridge, on the banks of the Elbe, there Avere hundreds of visitors, all enjoying themselves in com- parative- quiet. The stores were nearly all closed at dusk, and the work of clean- ing the streets everywhere progressing, Avhich appears to be done principally by the people in front of thejr own doors. The students, A\'ith their red caps, were promenading with the girls and studying German as Avell as German character and habits at the same time, under most agree- able circumstances. The Brlihl Terrace, rising on the bank of the Elbe, approached by a broad and handsome flight of stone steps near the old bridge, is the most popular prome- nade, and presents a fine view of the river and the city. This was crowded with promenaders, and, being brilliantly illuminated with gas-jets, presented quite an interesting scene. The boats on the river and the lights on the long stone bridge, with its ceaseless throng of travel, presented a stirring scene from the Terrace. EVROPE VIEWED THROUGH DRESS OF THE PEOPLE. If the prediction of General Grant that the English language is likely to become the language of the world is rather prob- lematical, there is no doubt of the fact that the English and American style of dress is already universal throughout Christendom. On this bright Sunday morning, as we look out upon the thronged streets of Dresden, so iur as the dress and manner of the people are concerned, were it not for the fine and cleanly Belgian pavements, we might imagine ourselves gazing on the streets of Bal- timore or any other American city. The people are dressed precisely in every respect as they are with us, excepting, perhaps, that the gentlemen, or at least some of them, sport broader brims to their hats. The ladies are all attired pre- cisely as those of Baltimore are, and the array of bright and light spring bonnets would do credit to Charles Street or Broadway. At the Dresden Cathedral this morning there was as fine an array of handsomely-dressed ladies as was doubt- less to be seen at the Baltimore Cathedral, or at Mount Vernon or St. Luke's. The only diiference to be observed here is the vast number of men in military dress, who are swarming all over the city, gen- erally fine-looking youths, dragged from the walks of private life to learn the art of soldiering. SUNDAY IN DRESDEN. Precisely at eight o'clock this moi-ning all the church-bells in the city sent forth their sonorous announcements, and on looking out we found the people in com- motion, in their best Sundaj^ attire, mov- ing towards the churches, whilst all the carriages in the city appeared to be in procession, filled with men, women, and children, heading towards the country, evidently on picnic enjoyment intent. The stores were all closed, and all out-of- doors presented as quiet a Sabbath aspect as it doubtless did in Baltimore. A Sab- bath morning in Germany is as quiet and impressive as in more strait-laced sections of the world, but after two o'clock the devotions of the day cease, and pleas- ure and enjoyment assume full sway. It is the day in Dresden for social calls, friendly reunions, family entertainment, and not only a day of rest, but of freedom for both the mind and body from the labors of the week. The streets soon be- came thronged with husbands, wives, and children, beaux and belles, the old and the young, all in commotion. The grand promenade is packed with people, the bridges are crowded with citizens passing from one side of the city to the other, and the " Restaurations" attract and refresh the weary, or furnish the usual evening meal of Schweitzer cheese, bread, and beer. Very few Gerjnans take any regular meal after dinner, depending entirely on this evening lunch. The stores, with the exception of those for the sale of cigars, cakes, and eatables, were closed, and the day was generally observed as one of rest and devotion, the amusements and recreations being of the most innocent character. The churches wei-e all largely attended in the morning, and the immense cathedral was literally packed with people. High mass wparently so kind and courteous, are so given to deception and downright knavery in all their dealings. The ladies of our party, in their little shopping excursions, have invariably found an attempt to in- crease charges from their first agreement, under some plea of error or mistake. There is an attempt to overcharge in everything, unless the agreement is in writing. In conversation to-day with the proprietor of the American restaurant on the Exposition grounds, he aptly re- marked that " the people of Vienna were the most courteous and agreeable he had ever met with, and as lavish with their money as Americans; but," he added, " they seem to take pleasure in cheating everybody they deal with." STOCK GAMBLING. The people of Vienna have a general mania for dealing in all manner of fancy stocks, lottery tickets, policies, etc., and the recent failures have affected all classes of people, but especially those of the middle strata, who had their all invested. Small storekeepers, seamstresses, actress- es, and those who had accumulated a few hundreds or thousands of florins, had everything swept away. At the Bourse, among the throngs of excited men called curb-stone brokers, at least a thousand of whom surround the building every morning, can always be seen large num- bers of equally excited women, who fall easy victims to the more experienced sex. Indeed, Ave find everything in Austria so contrary to our previously conceived no- tions of German character that were it not for the language we might suppose ourselves among a population of vivacious and excitable Frenchmen. Hundreds of boys are always on hand at the Boui-se, who rapidly copy the bulletins of prices, and rush off through the Ring- strasse, offering them for sale to every passer-by, and finding more purchasers among the women than among the men. The females are also the principal pur- chasers of the lottery tickets, being easily deceived by the flaming announcements of fortunes gained by the investment of a few florins. How contrary to the Ameri- can idea of the German character is all this ! BEER AND COFFEE. We have found the most healthy and palatable drinks in Germany to be beer and coffee. The water is certainly not palatable, especially without ice, and ice is scarcely a marketable commodity here. Nobody uses it, and hence it is very diffi- cult to find. The water is as hard as a dissolved paving-stone, and it is impossi- ble to make a lather with soap when wash- ing one's hands. It appears to curdle the soap, and makes it adhere to the flesh. All the washing is done on the creeks outside the city, it being impossible to wash with the city water. It may or may not be healthy, but, as nobody drinks it, the question is yet to be settled. Most excellent coffee is made of it, however, as can be decided at any one of the thousand coffee-houses spread over the city. Beer and coffee are the only drinks used in Vienna, with some wine, and they are in- variably good. THE VIENNA GENERAL HOSPITAL. A few mornings since we visited the Vienna Hospital, which is one of the largest in the world, having over two thousand beds, and sometimes they are increased to three thousand. Being accompanied by our friend Dr. Franck, of Baltimore, who is attending the lec- tures on the eye and ear, intending to make this a specialty in his practice on his return, we had unusual opportunities to view the whole interior of the estab- lishment, which wculd make an excellent study for the gentlemen having charge of the construction of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, of Baltimore. Each difl'erent class of disease to which the human system is liable has separate wards and a sepa- rate professor, as well as separate lecture- rooms. The first lecture-room we entered had over two hundred students awaiting the coming of the professor. They were of all nationalities, including a dozen or more Americans, and we were pleased to learn that the latter are the most studi- AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 59 ous and attentive to the lectures of any who attend. The professors all admit this, and hold them up as examples to the German students, most of whom come here merely to enjoy Vienna life. The patients are brought into the lecture- room, and operations are performed in the presence of the students. We passed through another department where a lec- ture on skin disease was in progress and a number of students were attentive lis- teners, and then through the wards, where an average of ten thousand children, only two hunclred of them legitimate, are an- nually born. Several little Viennese Avere just making themselves heard in the world for the first time. The most inter- esting, however, was the department for diseases of the eye, where the eminent Professor Von Ault was operating on several cases, surrounded by a throng of attentive students. We afterwards visited him in his lecture-room, where he receives out-door patients for one hour every day, and operates upon them without charge. There were at least fifty of these awaiting their turn, each having been given a num- ber stamped upon a piece of tin on mak- ing application, and they must be in daily attendance until their number is called. On the same afternoon Ave called upon him at his house in the city, and found not less than fifty private patients, simi- larly waiting their turn. He is renowned all over Europe as the greatest oculist living, and has accumulated an immense fortune fuom his practice. THE DISSECTING-ROOMS. In the course of our rounds we dropped in at the dissecting-house, one of the peculiarities of this great hospital being that all who die AA'ithin its Avails must be sul)jected to a post-mortem examination. With so many patients, the number of deaths daily ranges from thirty to fifty, and every morning the professors Avith crowds of students are present to witness the opening of this hecatomb of dead, and to decide upon the cause of death in each case. Relatives or friends of the dead are allowed to take them away when the professors are done with thein, and pro- vide for their burial ; but if they are friend- less, as is generally the case, they are cut up and quartered off among the students, one taking a leg, another an arm, another a head, as the case may be. Each body is brought into the rooms with a tin token tied to the right great toe, numbered and telling the ward in which he died, whilst around the ankle is tied a piece of paper, upon which is the opinion of the physician attending as to the cause of death. In one of the basement rooms was a row of twenty-six bodies just from the dissecting-room, the breast of each of which Avas split open, presenting a most ghastly spectacle. In another room Avere those Avho had recently died, they being kept there for twelve hours, Avith strings leading to a spring clock tied to their hands, so that an alarm would be given in case of recuscitation. The stu- dent who spends a year in this extensive hospital ought certainly to learn some- thing about the internal structure of the " human form divine." THE JOLLY STUDENTS. Many of the thousands of young gentle- men who are sent here to finish their medical education live a jolly life, and pay more attention to the enjoyments of this gay metropolis than to the pursuit of their studies. They all soon learn to like the life, and to like the city, and Avhen their time of attendance expires, leave it with regret. They can be found of an evening scattered around among the cafi§s and restaurants, or studying German by intimacy with the German girls. They can generally talk German like a native before they have been here a year, as they mix among the people, and never lose an opportunity for an argument. There Avere upAvards of fifty American physicians here the past winter, the most of them from New York and Massachu- setts, a number of tliem being professors of some of our medical schools. Among the number, we mention Drs. Pomeroy, Merrill, Sinclair, Morgan, and Lefferts, of New York ; Drs. Jorne, Green, Ring, Sprague, and Hunt, of Boston ; Franck and Seldner, of Baltimore; and a great many from other States. [We were absent from Vienna about two weeks,' at the Iodine Springs of Hall, about two hundred miles from Vienna. Our letters from this place will be found in another part of this volume, under the heading "Life at the German Springs."] Hotel Hamarand, Viknna, Juue 25, 1873. RETURN TO VIENNA. After a few days of inactivity at Hall, Ave have returned to Vienna. Hall is a very healthy place, and a very pleasant place in which to while away the lazy hours of summer, but does not abound in such matters of interest as are calculated to amuse or instruct. 60 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH A FENCELESS COUNTRY. From Hall to Vienna the distance is about one hundred and fifty miles, the road passing its entire length through the broad and magnificent valley of the river Ems. The land in this part of Austria is decidedly rich, and on the whole route tiie cottages of the farmers were bright and beautiful, bearing evi- dence of being inhabited by a prosperous and happy people. The fenceless fields, with scarcely a hedge except at the road- side, were Avaving with heavy crops of wheat, rye, and barley, indicative of the most careful cultivation. To an Ameri- can, accustomed to the perpetual network of rail- and worm-fences, the sight of a country without fences is quite a novelty ; and when tiie hundreds of millions of dollars spent by our farmers in this really useless luxury are considered, the wonder is that the European practice is not adopted, especially in the far West. They have fences around their stable-yards to keep the cattle in, but none even on the turnpike or roadsides. In all this distance not a single cow could be seen running loose, though occasionally a cow or a horse could be observed, led by hal- ter, and allowed to nibble the grass along the roadside. The turnpike, visible from the cars, was marked by rows of tall pop- lar-trees, as it swept along through fields of grain or grass, without a fence or a hedge to divide it from the tilled lands. There is evidently no necessity here for self-opening or any other description of patent gates, which are so abundant in America. The barns along the route of our jour- ney were generally immense structures, forming squares, with a court-yard for the cattle in the centre of the square. They are built of brick, and very massive, nearly all having thatched roofs. Some of the longest of them were about two hundred feet on each of the four sides of the square, and in many of them one of the corners is occupied by the family of the farmer. Thus all his interests are under one roof, and the cattle are con- fined to the limits of the court-yard. We were assured that the Avhole establish- ment is kept scrupulously clean, and that the family section usually abounds in rural comforts. THE VIENNESE EXTORTIONS. Having reached Vienna again, we will sweep oS' in the present letter such notes on general subjects as are upon our note- book. The Vienna papers contain a list of over eight hundred hack- and carriage- drivers who were arrested and fined dur- ing the past month, charged with imposing upon and taking advantage of strangers. There are very few Englishmen in Vi- enna, fewer than M'ere here at this time last year. The London Times continues to urge them to keep away on account of the extortions, and an Englishman never goes where the Times advises him not to go. At the Anglo-Austrian Bank the number of Americans recorded daily is fully twenty to one Englishman. A gentleman and his wife from Kouma- nia. who stopped two days at the Grand Hotel last month, informed me that they were charged thirty florins, or fifteen dollars, per day for sleeping accommoda- tions alone. The charges now are not so excessive. Good single rooms can l)e had at most of the hotels for from two to three florins per day, and none of them are more than half full at these reduced rates. The immense increase in the number of hotels, there having been more than a dozen large houses opened on the 1st of May, has completely overthrown the combination for excessive charges, and they now get as much as they can, but are also inclined to take what they can get. The cost of living at the restaurants has come down to the old standard, and is extremely motierate, compared even with Baltimore prices. Coffee of the very ))est quality, with butter and bread, costs but fifty kreutzers, or twenty-five cents. A good dinner, of three or four dishes, including beer, costs about one florin, and supper, with beefsteak or other meat, less than a florin. Everything is fresh cooked and well cooked, and no one need desire Ijetter living than can be had at one dol- lar and a quarter per day. MORALS AND MARRIAGE. In our former letters allusions have been made to the condition of morals Avhich pervades Vienna and is rajiidly spreading among all classes. In order that no unjust impression may be given the reader as to the character of the people of Austria, who are so different in every respect from the Germans of Prussia, we have made special efforts to obtain au- thentic information as to the causes which are leading to this extensive demoraliza- tion. That there are many good and virtuous people here, there is no manner of doubt, but that the next generation will greatly deteriorate is equally cer- AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 61 tain. Ten years ago it was regarded as somewhat degrading to a woman to live with a man without marriage. Now no woman is considered as having lowered herself much in the esteem of her neigh- bors unless she becomes a brazen cour- tesan. Of this class it is but proper to say that Vienna, with its million of popula- tion, has fewer than the smallest of the principal cities of the United States. There are, however, more people living together without marriage than with mar- riage, and this condition of life, with the privilege of separating at pleasure, Avhich often takes place at the birth of the first child, is becoming daily more popular. The laws regulating marriage are, we have ascertained, diiferent from those of any other civilized nation. The Church is forbidden to marry any man or woman without the consent of his or her parents. The parties proposing marriage must also have the written consent of the burgo- master and authorities of the place of their nativity, which will not be given unless they can prove that they have means sufficient to support a family and will not become a charge upon the com- munity. During the three years which every able-bodied man is required to serve in the army, he is not permitted to man-y except he has also the consent of the Secretary of War, or of the general under whose command he is serving. Some of these laws can be evaded by going to some other section of the country ; bvit the bars to marriage are so great, and the difiiculties to be overcome so numerous, that vast numbers prefer to do without the ceremony, and start off in life just as so many of their neighbors and friends have done before theni . There is a recent law which is intended to protect the female in these left-handed marriages. If she ascertains that her " man," by whom she has children, is about to con- tract marriage, she can enter protest and put a stop to the ceremony. It does not, however, prevent him from abandoning the mother of his children and taking wp with his new love, just as he in days long past took up with her. The novels daily published here all recognize this new phase of life, and the most popular are those which represent the heroes and he- roines falling in love with and eloping with wives and husbands. Matrimony is ignored entirely in most of them. The marriage ceremony is daily growing more unpopular, and bills fair soon to come, in Vienna at least, to be regarded as one of the follies of the past generation. MARRIAGE AMOXG THE WELL-BORN. The ladies of America, as well as the gentlemen, would be apt to enter an earn- est protest against the system of mar- riage prevalent all over the Continent of Europe, but especially in Austria. Young ladies here, among the well-to-do and wealthier classes, are seldom allowed to go into company until they are en- gaged to be married. They are not al- lowed, in going to or coming from school, to have young gallants to trot along by their side and carry their books and whisper complimentary nothings in their ears. They are mostly sent to boarding- schools, and kept in such rigid seclusion that the sight of a man is almost a novelty to them. If allowed to come home during vacation, it is under strict family guard, but most of them remain until their edu- cation is finished and they have budded into early womanhood. Both father and mother then put their heads together and fix upon the amount of dower which they are willing and able to give her on hei wedding-day. The next move is to look for a suitable husband, who will be able to bring to the common stock a similai amount of hard cash. If they cannot find one among their acquaintances to suit them in all respects, they call in the ser- vices of a professional matrimonial agent, who is Avell posted as to all the marriage- able 3'oung men in the market. He, or she, as it may be, keeps a journal of the mar- riageables, not only in Vienna, but in the provinces, and proceeds to negotiate with the parents of some young man to receive the applicant as their daughter-in-law, and draws up the agreements and lionds neces- sai'y for the security of the money part of the transaction. Sometimes the young lady is allowed to see the youthful Adonis selected for her life-partner, before the agreement is closed, but in most cases she must accept the choice of her jiarents. Love comes after marriage in many cases, but is by no means a general result. If the money part of the contract is fulfilled, nothing is allowed to j^revent the mar- riage, as this seems to be the main con- sideration. There are constantly cases occurring here in Vienna where the ex- pected marriage is either postponed until the dower is paid up, or broken off" en- tirely on account of failure to put up the money at the appointed time. The recent money crisis has led to many cases of aljandonment, and there are no broken hearts to be mended. Thus, marriage has nothing to do with love, but is a 62 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH purely business transaction, — a question of dollars and cents. Children are often pledged to each other by their parents before they enter their teens, and are then allowed to associate and form attachments, but this is not often the case. The parents of the daughter, who must pay down the money agreed upon, in hard cash, are somewhat at the mercy of the parents of the groom, who may put up their share of the money as a mere matter of form, and receive it back from the aifectionate son the day after the wedding is consum- mated, with a good share of the bride's dower. But in matrimonial alliances everywhere the woman and her kindred are at the mercy of the husband. We met, during our sojourn at Hall, a very handsome and intelligent lady from Roumania, who was sojourning there with her husband. She was undoubtedly most happily married ; indeed, it would be difficult to find anywhere a more de- voted couple. They had been married ten years, and she showed us a family photograph of herself and husband, wdth four bright and lieautiful nestlings around them. In reply to our Yankee curiosity on this marriage question, she assured us that she had never seen her husband before she was engaged to him, and was married six weeks after they first met. She was educated at Paris, at a boarding-school, where she had been for seven years without seeing her parents. When she had nearly finished her education, and was preparing to start for home, her mother sent her the names of seven gentlemen who had pro- posed for her hand, with their photo- graphs. She duly examined them, and finally selected the last on the list, her present husband. She then {lurchased her wedding trousseau, and started home to get' married. On her return she met him, and learned to love him during the six weeks that intervened before thelnar- riage. In looking at the subsequent ca- reer of her other six proposers, she assured me that she had never any cause to regret her choice. Glancing over the Vienna papers to-day, Ave find that they are at Schonbrunn Palace, the guests of the Emperor, in company with the Prince of Roumania, in whose suite the husband holds a high position. Vienna, June 26, 1873. THE WEATHER. The Baltimore papers of the 11th of this month have reached us, and re- cord the commencement of " the heated term." We have had two or three warm days in Vienna, but on the morning of this 26th day of June we found an overcoat quite comfortable, the wind being cold and piercing. The " weather," as a rain is called here, was pouring down, as it has been almost daily for the past two months. Let the sun be shining ever so brightly, it is always unsafe to venture out without an umbrella, and this " weather' bids fair to hold out during the entire season. THE NEUE WELT. To visit all the places of recreation and amusement in and around Vienna would require a month of successive evenings, and each one appears to be more attract- ive than the last. The gardens, especi- ally, present scenes that would be as- tounding to the denizens of Baltimore. Schneider's Neue Welt, a garden at Hitzing, in the suburbs of Vienna, which we visited a few evenings since, presented a scene that was truly sur- prising. It is about three times the size of the Baltimore Schlitzen Park, and every portion of it was almost as bril- liant with gas-jets as the famous Mabille Garden of Paris. Three bands of music, each of not less than sixty performers, occupied elaborately-decorated and illu- minated music-stands in different por- tions of the garden, the central one, called the Alhambra, being, with its wings, not less than three hundred feet in length, brilliantly illuminated with thousands of gas-jets. The central por- tion of the garden was filled with tables, sufficient to seat comfortably five thou- sand persons, and they are usually all filled, whilst an army of waiters' are rushing to and fro to supply the calls for refreshments. Near the farther end of the garden is the dancing-circle, with another music-stand, whilst beyond it is the open-air theatre, with boxes and par- quet, where there are nightly perform- ances ; one of the attractions, at present, being a band of Ethiopian singers, with tight-rope and slack-rope dancing. The price of admission to the garden is about thirty cents, and the number of visitors on all clear evenings is from five to ten thousand. On holidays and Sunday even- ings everything is in full blast, and it would be impossible to convey to your readers any adequate idea of the' im- mensity and brilliancy of the scene pre- sented. The festivities are kept up until after midnight. On last Friday evening, in addition to all the musical attractions, AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 63 the singing associations of Vienna, to the number of over one thousand trained voices, gave a grand open-air concert from the celebrated wings of the Alliaui- bi-a, the central portion being occupied by tlie combined orchestras of the Neue Welt, numbering over two hundred string-instruments alone. The illumi- nated grounds in front of the Alhambra afford seats at tables, with rooms left for the free access of the visitors, for eight to ten thousand spectators. The character of the orchestral music on ordinary nights, from each of the sev- eral bands, is of the highest oi-der, being mostly by the great military bands, all the members of which are required to he proficient performers on string-instru- ments also. Every member of Strauss' s Band can perform on two or more in- struments ; and so it is with all the great bands of Vienna. But the people of Vienna are critical judges of music, and do not applaud indiscriminately, no hired claquers being allowed. If the pieces are well rendered, there is applause ; if not, a dead silence ensues. Hence, whenever there is even moderate ap- plause, the leader comes with apparent delight to the front, bows, and repeats a portion of the air. Whenever any great success is achieved by an orchestra, the applause is renewed until the entire or- chestra rise and bow to the audience. There is a constant demand for new mu- sical productions, and Johann Strauss devotes his whole time to the labor. MORE ABOUT CAFE LIFE. Not desiring to be shut up to the mo- notony of hotel life, we have invariably, whenever it was possible, mixed with the people, as affording better opportunities for obtaining correct information in re- gard to national peculiarities and modes of life. To-day we dine, breakfast, or sup in one restaurant or cafe, and to-morrow in a similar establishment in another sec- tion of the city ; and they are so numer- ous that they can be found at every turn. They are all excellent, and are invariably crowded with customers, including ladies, many of whom drop in unattended, par- take of their meals, and depart. It would almost seem that three-fourths of the population live entirely in these estab- lishments, as there are many hundreds of them which are also visited by the poorer classes. We took supper last evening at the Riedhof, where there could not have been fewer than twelve hundred ladies and gentlemen partaking of their evening repast. At the table on one side of us were four Turks, on the other side were four officers of the Austrian army, and in front of us four elegantly dressed ladies. No sooner was a table vacated than others waiting rushed to secure it. This establishment, with hun- dreds of others, is similarly crowded from seven to ten o'clock in the morning, from twelve to three in the afternoon, and from seven to eleven o'clock in the even- ing, but at all hours of the day there is a good attendance. They were mostly eating in the court-yard, under the trees, an abundance of gas-lights being inter- spersed. To eat out-of-doors is the de- light of the Viennese, and those estab- lishments that can furnish this luxury do the largest business in summer. In Paris the restaurants are chiefly up-stairs, whilst in Vienna they take the ground floor, and occupy the most valuable prop- erty and locations in the city. The food is also superior, in cooking and quality, to any that can be found in Paris, except in the fashionable and high-priced restau- rants. Everything is cooked to order, and served up fresh and hot from the kitchen. In the cafes, where coffee, bread, and eggs alone are served, the coffee is made fresh every half-hour, and in quality it is equal to the best that can be found at some of our old Maryland family tables. If all visitors to Vienna would do only their sleeping in the hotels, they would find it to be the most delightful city in Europe fur a prolonged sojourn. THE MODES OF GERMAN LIFE. Having heard much of the modes of social life of the German in the Father- land, both in approval and in condemna- tion, one of the purposes of this visit to Germany has been to give the readers of The American the opportunity of form- ing a fair judgment on what we hope they will deem unprejudiced and impar- tial testimony. If the love of music, and a high appreciation of its charms, are commendable, then no one can find fault with these assemblages, which are as quiet and orderly, and as free from all manner of excesses, as one of Theodore Thomas's concerts. Whilst listening to music they like to eat, drink beer, and smoke in the open air, the eating being, to the great mass of them, their usual evening repast. Many take coffee instead of beer, whilst the ladies are eating cakes or ices ; but even the children partake of beer. It is part of the food of every household, and there is nobody of any 64 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH class of the community too high or too exclusive to join in these nightly gather- ings, which are to be found in all parts of Vienna. They are places of relaxa- tion after the labors of the day, and are so regarded and enjoyed liy the best peo- ple of the city. The good order that pre- vails is remarkable, and any unseemly noise or excess Avould cause the prompt removal of the offender. ABSENCE OF INTOXICATING LIQUORS. There is not in the whole city of Vi- enna a place to obtain strong, intoxicat- ing liquors, in which any one of the visitors to Levell's or Geekie's could be coaxed to enter. It can only be found here, in any of its varieties, in what we would call low " rum-mills," frequented by hack-drivers, who are, in fact, the only class of people in Germany who have come down to the American level of making beasts of themselves. They are the only drunkards in this immense city, and, in fact, the only men who show in their countenances any evidence that their beverage is other than cold wjiter. We have seen Germans at home whom we regarded as swollen up and bloated with lager-beer, but now we are rather in- clined to suspect them of j^roducing this result by mixing whisky with their beer. The women here drink nearly as much beer as the men, and more healthy and finely developed specimens of feminine humanity cannot be found anywhere than are to be met in the restaurants of an evening, with their j^arents, husbands, brothers, or lovers, partaking of their evening repast, washed down Avith one or two goblets of the national beverage, which most of them were reared upon and vreaned with from the cradle. An American gentleman who has sev- eral times visited Vienna, and has traveled extensively in Europe, remarked to me to-day that he Avas* satisfied that there is no other people living who understand how to enjoy life so well as do the Vien- nese. Husbands, wives, and children all move about together, and enjoy them- selves in company. There are no anxious wives Avaiting and AA'atching for the com- ing home of husbands from convivial gatherings, and no occasions for " Caudle lectures" among the family men of Vi- enna. If nothing more could be alleged against them than their mode of eating and the quantity of beer they drink, they Avould be a very exemplary people. This mode of out-door life certainly has the merit of relieving the Avife from that greatest of all vexations of the present day, the management of the culinary de- partment. The old axiom, "As to to- morroAv, it will be time enough to consider it when it becomes to-day," is the favorite sentiment of the people, and, under the conviction that " a fresh mind keeps the body fresh," they have adopted as their practice and rule '• to take in the ideas of to-day, and drain off those of yester- day." They hold to the idea that by the enjoyment of life themselves they are con- tributing to the enjoyment of others. As to their Christian duties and the obser- vance of the Sabbath, no man has the right to judge theni. They attend church on Sunday morning, doff their hats and cross themselves before each of the numerous shrines erected along the thoroughfares as they pass, and spend the afternoon and CA'enings on Sunday in listening to music and engaging in social converse in the gardens, or attending the theatres or the opera. They consider life too short to lose any opportunity for its full enjoy- ment. SCARCITY OF AVATER. In connection with this subject of beer- drinking, the fact ought to be mentioned that drinking-Avater is not only scarce, and is a merchantable commodity, but that it is very unpalatable, and if drunk exclusively it is apt to lead to chronic affections of the bowels. It is so hard that it is difficult to wash the hands in it with any hope of their purification, the soap curdling and forming a sticky substance on the surface of the water. The only supply is from slow-running hydrants on the public streets, the water for other household purposes being obtained from cisterns, and being meted out in small quantities to the residents of the houses. The hydrants on the streets are thronged night and day by croAvds of girls and AA'omen waiting for their turn to fill their buckets and tubs, many of Avhora make a business of carrying supplies to families. Arrangements for a more extensive sup- ply of better Avater are being made, but it Avill be two or three years before the work is completed. THE BELVEDERE. Among the curiosities of Vienna is its Belvedere, an imperial chateau, erected by Prince Eugene of Savoy in 1722, Avhich consists of two separate buildings, the Upper and the Lower Belvedere. They are located on the eastern suburbs of the city, and are surrounded by grounds about a mile in length, laid out in gar- AMERICAN SPECTACLES. dens, and brilliant with flowei-s. Indeed, the flowersi, fountains, and gardens had more interest to us than the old paint- in;>;s, by the great masters of the Italian, Netherland, and German schools, with which the walls of these extensive pal- aces are covered. We spent about two hours in passing through these galleries, viewing some of the masterpieces of Paul Vei-onese, Rembrandt, Rubens, and others of the great masters. They were un- doubtedly very fine, but the wing devoted to modern paintings suited our taste much better, and we regretted that we did not enter this side of the palace first, as be- fore we got through with it one of the custodians gently hinted to us, by silently closing the blinds, that the hour for "shutting up the shop'' had arrived. It is always necessary to go to these old galleries, and it is always fashionable to go into ecstasies over the great pro- ductions of the "masters," if one wishes to be regarded as capable of appreciating high art ; but we would not give a view of the productions of the modern masters, as displayed in the gallery at the Expo- sition, for all the old paintings in Europe. We have spent a full day viewing these great productions, as well as the statuary and other works of art, and regretted that we could not give them more time ; but these musty old galleries, the Belve- dere being about the one hundred and fiftieth we have entered during our tra- vels, have long since lost all their attrac- tions. The structure itself, which was built just one hundred and fifty years ago, is very elegant, and the Marble Saloon is a fine specimen of the good taste of its builder. There are two or three other painting galleries, but, as we can find matters of considerably greater interest in and about Vienna, both to our- selves and the readers of The American, we have concluded to imagine that they are very fine, and all who read these let- ters will please to consider them wonder- ful specimens of ancient art. THE VIENNA BOURSE. After several unsuccessful attempts, on Friday we succeeded in getting admission to the hall of the Vienna Bourse. We fortunately had in our company Mr. A. G. Hutzler, of the firm of Ilutzler Bro- thers, of Baltimore. His fluent German secured us from the Director a ticket of admission, and we were soon in the midst of this extensive hall, surrounded by a seething mass of humanity, all in the 5 highest state of excitement. Old and young were mingled together, occasion- ally rushing about with as much fury as if they had suddenly discovered that the house was on fire. Some were yelling out offers of stock, and others bidding, and violently gesticulating. A stranger might suppose that it was a revolutionary gathering, and that the rush and croM^d around some of the bidders meant per- sonal violence. One of the most excited men in the room was an old fellow who had lost his eyesight, and was rushing hither and thither, literally " going it blind," in his anxiety to buy or sell stock. He seemed to distinguish persons by the sound of their voice, and addressed them by name. None of the meml)ers are allowed to enter the room with either a cane or umbrella, as they often come to blows on what are called " field days," and it is considei-ed unsafe to allow the presence of anything that might be used to punch out each other's eyes. The hall is nearly as long as the House of Representatives at Washington, and has a small gallery on one side for spec- tators, no one being permitted to go on the floor except members, unless with a special permit. We pleaded the privilege of the pass to go everywhere, and, after the exercise of considerable Yankee per- tinacity, the doors were opened to us. There are forty-six pillars around the hall, which are all numbered, and are the standing places of various prominent brokers, who are always to be found at their base whenever they have any stocks to dispose of There are also numerous stands throughout the room on which the names of difierent brokers are lettered. The "curb-stone brokers" gathered in front of the Bourse, -who are not permit- ted to enter, were quite as numerous, and almost as much excited, though it was represented to us as an extraordinarily quiet day. AUSTRIAN WOMEN. Whilst it would not do for any one to assert that Austria, and especially Vienna, is distinguished for the beauty of its women, it may be safely said that there are more really handsome women in Vi- enna than in any other city in Europe. To be sure, the great mass of the women of Austria are neither handsome of feature nor graceful in person, but whenever you find one of these prerequisites they seem to be all combined to a greater extent than is seen elsewhere. A woman here is either homely and ungraceful, or else she 66 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH has all the graces and attractio-ns of the sex to perfection, Avith a bright and ani- mated countenance, sparkling eyes, and rosy cheeks, which are the essentials to female loveliness. The more elegant of them promenade the streets, with their robes trailing after them in the dirt and mud, with all the dignity of queens, and as erect and graceful in their movements as if they had been under military train- ing. Their blonde tresses, which appear to be the accompaniment of beauty here, are luxurious, and they have the more solid quality, generally, of being colored by nature as well as genuine. As in all blondes, the complexion corresponds ; and a young Baltimorean whispered in my ear last night, whilst gazing at one of these admirable specimens of female beauty, " She is as sweet as a peach." They dress, too, with the greatest taste, avoiding all mixture of colors, the tight- fitting velvet coat or jacket, trimmed with lace, being in great favor. But elderly Austrian ladies may be classed as among the decidedly homely and ungraceful. They do not seem to retain the beauty of youth long, but grad- ually develop into obesity, a waddle taking the place of the graceful step, and a saf- fron hue that of the peach-bloom which in early life graced their cheeks. They sparkle for a time, are gay, vivacious, and abound in animal spirits, but with matrimony and maternity they disappear like stars gone into an eclipse, and, as they age rapidly, the widow has but little opportunity of" recuperating and reap- pearing to reassert her claims to the admiration and devotion of the other sex. However, money, not love, governs every- thing here, and Avhoever will bring the most wealth to lay at her feet, and is willing to accept her from her parents Avith the smallest dower, can command beauty ; and if the widow happens to have been left well provided for by " the late lamented," she often becomes a formid- able rival to youthful charms. The laboring women, who are exposed to all weather from early youth, are very coarse, and have but little of the grace or attrac- tions of ordinary womanhood. Indeed, they appear more like men dressed in female attire, and most of them are strong and muscular enough to fell an ox with their fists. There are no tapering waists or ethereal forms among them, even in youth, and their blonde tresses become of a brick-dust hue from exposure, whilst the carrying of burdens on the head thins out the hair, and often before bhey reach the age of twenty -five a bald spot asserts itself on the top of the cranium. THE MILITARY ADONIS. His ]Majesty Francis Joseph is by no means a handsome or graceful man. Al- though of good height, he has a puny and effeminate appearance, and has the gen- eral aspect of a man who might, by sheer accident, break in two in the middle. He sits a saddle gracefully, however, and when mounted and arrayed in soldierly trappings, makes a very respectable ap- pearance. He evidently thinks that good- looking youths make the best officers, as it would be difficult to find a more pre- sentable-looking body of men than the thousands of colonels, majors, captains, and lieutenants who are strutting through the thoroughfares at all hours of the day and night, in their bright and elegant uniforms. They are all of good size, faultless in form and carriage, and walk along with the apparent conviction that they are objects of admiration. These men are seldom so indisci-eet as to marry, unless they should be proposed for by some youthful beauty with a large dower, but spend their days in scheming and their nights in executing all manner of lascivious designs against female virtue. The whole sex, whether married or single, are preyed upon, and the wife or daughter of their bosom friend is neither shielded nor protected from their wiles. They are so bold and unblushing in their lustful pursuits, that a lady without male com- pany, having any personal attractions, would be accosted twenty times in passing a few squares along the Ringstrasse. This practice has been so long in vogue that it creates none of that indignation that it would in an American community, and even the ladies no longer take off'ence at it. When thus accosted, a virtuous lady will exclaim, " You are mistaken, sir," but feels no more aggrieved than if she had been asked the simplest and most innocent question. Indeed, they seem, many of them, to regard such a salutation as a compliment to their personal attrac- tions. When it is taken into considera- tion that these youthful and middle-aged Adonises, glittering with tinsel and brass buttons, number several thousand, that they are all elegant specimens of human- ity, with all the airs and graces and se- ductive wiles of the professed libertine, and that they are known to be always on the war-path for new victims, the present state of morals in Vienna is not at all surprising. A striking instance of the AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 67 boldness of these officers was given a few weeks since. A respectable gentleman was sitting with his wife in one of the con- cert-gardens, when a waiter was handed a card to deliver to the wife by one of these officers, sitting at an adjoining table. The lady quietly passed the card to her husband, who immediately called the offi- cers to account, and struck one of them in the face. Swords were immediately drawn, and the spectators took sides with the insulted citizen. The swords were seized and wrested from the officers' hands, and one of them broken in pieces. The po- lice rushed in and arrested all the parties, and cliarges were made against the officers. A court-martial was promised, but in a few days they were transferred to one of the provinces. They were afterwards tried, and, it is reported, were acquitted. Besides, there are thirty thousand men in their commands who emulate their offi- cers and are ambitious to excel them in the number of their triumphs. EXCESS OF MILITARY. The number of military in and about Yienna is over thirty thousand, mostly youth under twenty years of age. They are serving the three years required by law, and have a pretty rough time of it. Youths are constantly arriving to take the place of those who have served out their terms. These boys are put under the severest training, and during the first year are exposed to all manner of hard- ships. Before six o'clock in the morn- ing they march out for company drill, and during most of the rest of the day are drilling in squads on all the parade- grounds in the city. The regimental pa- rades pass and repass through the city without attracting the slightest attention, unless they should have with them a good band of music. They are thus in- ured to all the exposure and hardships of a soldier's life, and their faces are al- most burnt black in the sun. If there are any of our people still so stark mad as to express a preference for monarchial government, let them come here and see the youth and flower of the land drawn away from their homes and crowded into these barrack prisons for three long years, all to aid in keeping in subjection their fathers and brothers. Thus the people are used to rivet their own chains, or to go out and be slaughtered by the thousand, to assist some neighboring po- tentate to carry out his ambitious designs or capricious whims. WAXT TO GO TO AMERICA. There is no doubt that, large as the emigration from Germany to the United States is, there are thousands here who are only waiting money and opportunity to join in it. In looking at the mam- moth press at the Exposition grounds a few days since, the pressman, on being informed of the nature of our calling, begged us to take him and his wife to America. Car-drivers and all manner of mechanics express a desire to go, but have not the means. Almost every one of them to Avhom we speak is looking forward to emigration, or expresses the hope that he may be able to join friends aud relatives there before many years. The laboring and agricultural women seem to regard America as the haven of all their hopes, and if there were three thousand miles of desert instead of water rolling between them there would be a general rush. In short, there is a great deal of militai'y pride, l)ut there does not appear to be much love for the " Father- land" on this side of the water. Among our Germans at home it is possibly dis- tance that lends enchantment to the view. Those who have wealth or have got into a money-making groove can live as well and happily here as in any other country in the world ; but as the poor man is by no means a curiosity, and the poor woman can be found without a very diligent search, and as the sons of these poor men and women think they can do without learning the art and mystery of war, the tendency of almost everybody is decidedly "Westward. A FIRST-CLASS FUNERAL. All funerals here are very much alike, but we to-day witnessed what is regarded as a first-class funeral. First came two mounted outriders, on black horses, with black cloth swallow-tailed coats, trimmed with silver lace, epaulettes on their shoul- ders, and swords at their sides. They each carried in their hands black poles, about six feet in length, on the tops of which were large silver lanterns, with a light burning within. They wore black chapeaus, also trimmed with silver lace. The trappings of the horses were heavily covered with black trimmings, present- ing a very sombre aspect. Next came the hearse, not much different from th'e most elegant of our city hearses, but more ponderous, and drawn by six sol- emn black horses, arrayed similarly to those of the outriders, they being almost covered with mourning harness. The 68 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH two foremost horses of the six drawing the hearse also had postilions mounted upon them, wearing the same funeral uniform as the outriders. Two men, similarly ar- rayed, occupied the driver's seat, and on the sides of the hearse twelve more of these ^?'at"e-looking gentlemen marched along, with large silver-gilt candlesticks in their hands, with candles burning. Eight carriages followed, horses and everything else of the blackest black, and a driver and footman upon each, wearing the funeral garb. These men make a business of burials, and take charge of everything, keejjing carriages' and horses that are not used for any other purpose. The extent of the dis- play they make is governed entirely by the amount paid. Sometimes the body is carried to the grave on the shoulders of the same men, in the same uniform, with the same candles and other para- phernalia of death. POSTAL CARDS. The " postal cards," which have just been introduced in the United States, are a European notion, and if they should prove as popular at home as they are here, will yield a large revenue to the Depart- ment. Everybody seems to use them hei'e, both for mail and local delivery. It is said that not less than fifty thou- sand pass through the Vienna post-office daily, and sometimes the number is even larger. The letter-carriers are kept con- stantly in motion delivering them, they being largely used for local business pur- poses. We have had occasi(Tn to use over a dozen of them during our sojourn here, and have found them very convenient, as a sharp lead-pencil answers the purpose of ink. We frequently see a gentleman lay one on top of a letter-box in the streets, write a note, direct it, and drop it in. The post delivery, both here and in Prussia, is very pronipt, and notes thus sent from one part of the city to another are generally delivered in about two hours. Instead of having the letters in the boxes collected by carriers, they are taken to the post-office in wagons, boxes and all, a new box being left in place of the old one. The letter-box is an oblong iron box, with a hole in it, which is locked up inside of a larger iron box, with a corresponding hole. The empty boxes are brought in the carriage and exchanged for the full ones. The ar- rangement is very simple and expeditious, the wagon flying around on its route Avith great rapidity. RESPECT FOR THE LAW. The Austrian has great respect for the law and its officers. Such a thing as an attempt to escape from a police-officer is never known in Vienna. It is not ne- cessary for a policeman to arrest and drag an offender to the station-house. All he has to do is to say to a man, " You are under arrest," and the man will stand stock still until the officer has time to attend to him. The certainty of punish- ment if he should do otherwise may have much to do with this. The resistance of an officer of the law would, however, bring every bystander to his assistance, as it is not the officer, but the representa- tive of the law, that they would regard as being outraged. In the public squares, if a citizen should witness any violation of the rules and regulations he would feel it his duty to arrest the offender at once and hand him over to an officer. There is no class of people who disregard the law except the carriage-drivers, and they are brought up by the fifties every day. As their offenses are mostly against strangers, who do not wish to be at the trouble of informing upon them, they can afford to pay the fines in a few cases for the profits they make from the many. A citizen pays what the law allows, and if the driver demurs he jumps back in the carriage and tells him to drive to the station-house. This has the desired effect, and the growling ceases. But in all other respects the law in Vienna is supreme. Punishment of the severest character is sure to follow its slightest violation. Noise or improper conduct on the streets is never heard ; but as men here never get drunk, that may be one of the causes of this differ- ence from other large cities. LOVE OF MUSIC. In no Other city of Europe are there so many large bands of skilled musicians as there are in Vienna. They each number between fifty and sixty per- formers, and there are at least sixty or- chestral bands each of which is as perfect as that of Theodore Thomas. On Sunday afternoons every garden around the city, even those where the working classes resort, has one or more of these bands in attendance, the price of admission being from thirty to fifty kreutzers, or from fifteen to twenty-five cents. They per- form operatic music, or some of the lively productions of Strauss, and all classes seem to be equally critical in their judgment of the character of their per- AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 09 formance. Yesterday (Sunday) eveninfr we visited a number of the gardens, and '"""ind whole families, including the chil- dren, taking their evening meal or in- dulging in beer and cigars, and listen- ing to the music. In most of them there were as many ladies as gentlemen pres- ent, and they all jDresented scenes of innocent recreation and enjoyment. At the Volksgarten the celebrated band of Strauss, led by himself, was in attend- ance, and there was here assembled as fashionable an audience as could be found at any of the great two-dollar concerts in America, the price of admission being only thirty cents. At the Neue Welt there were five bands in attendance, and an audience of several thousand around each of them. Music is both good and cheap, and a poor or inefficient band would be nowhere tolerated for a moment. We took our suppers at a garden in the southern suburbs of the city, which is principally visited by mechanics, and here found one of the great bands that was performing on the grounds of the Ex- position at our last visit, discoursing most delightful music, the pieces performed being successively announced by placard. The same quiet and good order prevailed as at the more fashionable resorts. On Saturday night we visited the Blunien- saal, or Floral Hall, being an immense hall with two wings, in the shape of the letter T. Here the orchestra consisted of sixty females, a portion of them being the same orchestra that visited the United States a few years since. There was an immense audience, and their performance elicited great applause. The military are, of course, the organizers of the l)est of these bands ; but still there are a number of independent organizations of great merit. The great Baden-Baden Band, which per- forms every afternoon from four to nine o'clock at the principal stand at the Ex- position grounds, is an independent orga- nization, and is believed to have no superior in the world. Gambling having been stopped at Baden-Baden, their oc- cupation was at an end, and they are under engagement for the entire duration of the Exposition. THE POLICE OF VIENNA. The police of Vienna wear a semi- military dress of green cloth, with a jacket-coat closely buttoned up to the throat with brass buttons. Each police- man carries a sword at his side, and pre- sents quite a military aspect. Around his neck, suspended close under his chin, is a brass j^late, crescent-shaped, upon which, in large black figures, is engraved his number. What is the extent of the force, we have not ascertained ; but the highest numbers we have yet seen upon these plates was three thousand four hun- dred and twenty-seven. These policemen are to be seen everywhere, in all sections of the city, but seem to have little or nothing to do. The city is so orderly that they merely walk their rounds, their presence, apparently, being all that is necessary for the preservation of the peace. There are a few of them mounted ; but perhaps these are merely for the llingstrasse during the time of the Ex- jiosition. They wear their swords grace- fully, having all served their three years in the army. Most of them are not over thirty years of age, and they are selected with great care as to their private stand- ing in the community. DOGS AND HORSES. The dog is not so generally used for work in Vienna as in Berlin and Dres- den, though dogs can occasionally be seen drawing small wagons. Those that work are, however, the happiest of dogs, as they tug at the harness Avith all their strength, and the greatest good will. We saw a man pulling a wagon for a short distance the other day, he having unhar- nessed his dog, which was yelping at him, and taking hold of the shaft with his teeth, being apparently unwilling that the wagon should move without his having a share of the burden. Nearly all the hauling here is done by horses, and they are mostly large and elegant- looking animals, of great strength. A carriage never moves along the street at a slow pace, but is driven with great speed, regardless of the people who may be crossing the streets. A few evenings since, in returning from the Neue Welt, the speed was so great that we feared every moment we should be run over by the passing vehicles, or be overturned at some of the corners. [We again left Vienna for a trip down the Danube and through Hungary to Trieste and Venice, the letters describing which will be found in another portion of this volume. We returned to Vienna again on the 17th of July.] Vienna, .July 18, 1873. RETURN TO VIENNA. We are back again in Vienna, intend- ing to bid it a final adieu one week hence. We have become so familiar with the city, 70 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH and are so charmed with its attractions, that it seems almost like going home to get hack here again from our wanderings. We know exactly where to go to find good quarters, good music, and good eat- ing. We know all the multiplicity of signs on the various street-cars which crowd the Ringstrasse, and we jointly know sufficient German to make ourselves understood in an emergency. STRANGERS BETTER TREATED. We are pleased to find that the catei-- ers of Vienna have at last come to their senses, and are more kind, courteous, and liberal to the strangers visiting the Expo- sition. There is now little or no com- plaint anywhere, and visitors are not hur- rying away after a hasty view of the Ex- position. The hotels are not, however, so crowded as those of Paris are reported to be, and it is becoming the settled opinion that there will be no such rush of strangers here as was anticipated. There is an intense feeling among the better class of people against those whose grasp- ing propensities have so greatly damaged the character of the city, and upon them is laid the blame of having rendei'ed the Exposition a comparative failure in a fi- nancial point of view. Good rooms can now be had at the best hotels at from two to four florins per day, and the restau- rants have all come down to ante-Exposi- tion prices. MISFORTUNES IN VIENNA. The cholera is making its appearance in the suburbs of Vienna, and there are a dozen or more cases reported daily. There have been some cases in the hotels, but they were parties who came from Turkey, where it is prevailing to a considerable extent. The financial losses to Vienna from the Exposition, which was looked forward to with such confidence as a means of placing it at the pinnacle of prosperity, have already been immense. A good crop in Hungary was looked to as a sure means of resuscitating business and saving Vienna, but from all parts of that grain-growing country come ac- counts of serious damage to the wheat crop from rust. The fates seem to be arrayed against her. Three months ago everybody thought that the people would be rolling in wealth by this time, and that the whole world would be pouring in its tribute. Then the Exposition was regarded as the " goose that was to lay the golden egg." Now it is viewed as having been the cause of all their woes, no one being willing to acknowledge that their own folly has brought upon them most of their troubles. All now are anx- ious that the time should come for killing and cooking the goose that has brought disaster instead of prosperity to Vienna. RESPECT FOR THE LAW. We have already alluded to the uni- versal respect for the law, and for the oflicers of the law, which is main- tained throughout Austria. To resist an officer of the law, as we before stated, is regarded as a most heinous offense, not against the man, but against the majesty of the law. Such an offense as that of attacking a member of the City Council as he came from the Council Chamber, as recently occurred in Baltimore, would have given the oSender imprisonment for life at hard labor. A case has recently occurred here in Vienna illustrative of this sentiment, which we will relate for the benefit of Judge Gilmor and all other judges who may have in charge the trial and sentence of parties guilty of such offenses. Since the commencement of the Exposi- tion, several mounted policemen have been stationed at the head of the Priiterstrasse to carry out the published regulations with regard to carriages coming from and going to the Prater. A few weeks ago, the young Baron von Heine dashed along with his team of spirited horses, and was halted by the police and directed to pro- ceed on the other side of the street. He was indignant at the interruption, gave the whip to his horses, and drove on, but was soon interrupted by two other police- men, when he again applied his whip to both the horses and the officers. He was immediately dragged from his seat and sent to the station, where he presented his card and was allowed to depart. A trial was, however, ordered, and he Avas sen- tenced to fifteen months' imprisonment at hard labor, and to forfeit his title of Baron, with all its rights and privileges. He is now in jail, waiting the result of an appeal to the Supreme Court, which lias the power to modify the punishment, but cannot restore to him his title. This can only be done by the Emperor, and not even by him until the expiration of five years. Thus it will be seen that neither money nor station is an exemjition to those who violate law or resist an officer in the performance of his duty. Baron von Heine is a nephew of the celebrated Ger- man poet Heinrich Heine, and his father is a millionaire, being also the editor AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 71 and proprietor of the Fremden Blatt, one of the leading papers of Vienna. It is thought that the court will reduce the time of imprisonment to six months, but that the general verdict will be approved. THE GERMAN BIRTHDAY. The celebration of the anniversary of the birthday is observed in Germany to a much greater extent than in any other country. We Americans, who allow our birthdays to come and go almost without remembering or noting their occurrence, cannot but admire the kindly feeling evinced by relations and friends, especially towards ladies and children, on these occa- sions. During our stay at the springs at Hall, a number of the lady guests cele- brated their annivers.aries. All their friends and acquaintances at Hall sent them immense bouquets, one lady receiv- ing as many as twenty, whilst boxes fi-om home were at hand, with cakes and pres- ents and letters with loving greetings. We had the pleasure of participating in one of these anniversaries, the lady being a native of Baltimore, of German parents, temporarily residing in Germany. At least ten immense bouquets decorated the room, whilst the presents from friends and relatives were spread out upon a table like bridal oflerings. Her acquaint- ances called during the day to congratu- late her and partake of cake and wine, and all went on as merry as a nmrriage bell. Her parents were too distant to participate in the festivities at Hall, but she assured us that the day was being similarly celebrated at a certain mansion on Madison Avenue, and that cake and wine would be partaken of by a band of little orphan children in whom she felt a deep interest. Although far from home and relatives, many presents and kind greetings reached her from friends in Vienna, where she has made her home for the past year. These observances at a summer resort were, of course, but tame aflairs compared to the day cele- brated at home, surrounded by parents, sisters, and brothers, but were sufficient to give us some idea of this l)eautiful cus- tom of the Fatherland. Everything is done, however, to make it a merry festival, even the servants di-essing the dinner- table with flowers, whilst the health of the absent ones is toasted, and the whole day is devoted to innocent festivities. PROGRESS OF THE EXPOSITION. The main building of the Exposition, in which all the shop-goods of England, France, and the other European nations are exhibited, has become the least in- teresting portion of the display. To the rural visitor the attraction still holds good, but to those who come from large cities it soon becomes like gazing in at the shop-windows of their own stores, on displays of rich goods and fancy novelties. The machinery department, the agricultural buildings, and the gal- leries of paintings and statuar^r, are the great attractions. These will interest the visitor after a dozen visits ; but the main structure is now little more than a promenade hall, through which the peo- ple stroll to see each other, giving little more than a glance at the goods on exhi- bition. They view it rather as a whole, presenting a grand scene to the vision in every direction, scarcely ever stopping to examine anything, unless it be to take a glance at some of the' cases in which there is a magnificent display of dia- monds, which have a never-failing in- terest to the ladies. THE AMERICAN DEPARTMENT. The goods on exhibition in the Ameri- can department continue to command as much attention as those of any other country in the Exposition, if not more. They have the merit of being nearly all novelties, and the only articles of their kind to be found in the Exposition. There are no fancy goods, and very few of the ornamental, but they partake rather of the necessary and the useful. The ap- preciation of visitors is shown by the fact that, comparatively small as the dis- jday is, there are more articles marked " sold" than in the department of any other country. It is, in fact, the only department in the main building where visitors closely examine everything, for the reason that they are mostly articles which have never been seen before in Eu- rope, and have been brought here because they are new. The American division of the machinery department attracts great attention, and nearly every piece of ma- chinery has upon it a card with the word " sold" printed in large letters. This of itself is a mark of appreciation that is unmistakable. So also in the American agricultural building nearly all the reap- ers and mowers are marked " sold," as well as many of the drills, horse-rakes, and plows. Indeed, it is evident that there will be very little of what has been brought here from the United States to be taken back again ; and when at Trieste last week our consul told us that one of 72 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH the vessels which brought the floods over was about to be sent home. The Ameri- can machinery for the manufacture of shoes, of which there is a good disphiy, attracts great attention. It was in mo- tion to-day, and so great was the throng of s2:)ectators that we could not get within ten feet of the rail that surrounds it. It is also all marked " sold," and many oi'ders have been received for similar machines. In photography the American display not only exceeds that of every other country in the way of execution, but the ladies whose likenesses are presented are regarded as wonderful specimens of female beauty. Many of them are of life size, and are presented in rich and tasteful attire, with none of that expo- sure of the person by low-necked dresses which distinguishes the European photo- graphs. TUE CATHOLIC SHRINES. Austria exceeds Italy in the number of its roadside and street-side shrines. They are also more elaborate and costly, and most of them are kept constantly decorated with fresh flowers, especially during the season of flowers. On the road between Hall and Steyer, a distance of less than ten miles, there are more than a dozen, and in the town of Steyer they stand sentry on the ])ri(lges and are to Ije seen at every turn in the streets. Most of them are life-size images of the Saviour on the cross, whilst others are paintings of the Virgin and Child. Dur- ing our extensive journeyings on the railroads in Austria similar represetita- tions of the Crucifixion were to be seen in the fields, on the roadside, and along the turnpikes. There are thousands of them in every direction, and they are all kept bright and attractive. The field- hands in passing them invariably cross themselves, and many of the women and children kneel and say a brief prayer. Our carriage-driver on the way from Hall raised his hat to every shrine; and in the streets of Steyer a similar token of prayerful recognition was observed on the part of every man and woman who passed them. They are not so numer- ous in Vienna, but they are seldom passed by any one who does not either cross himself or raise his hat. That the largest religious freedom is enjoyed in Austria, however, is evident everywhere. A weekly illustr.ated paper, called Der Floli ("The Flea"), something like the London Punch, but far more amusing in its wit, striking right and left at men and things, and unsparing in its sarcasm, has a full-page illustration every week that might be regarded as most ofl'ensive to the Catholics. The Pope is lampooned more freely than Nast presents him and the Catholics in Harper's Weekly. Crowds of people can be seen at the paper-stands laughing at the bites of "the flea," and apparently enjoying the fun of the thing. In a country so intensely Catholic this would never have been allowed before the days of " infallibility," which has loosened the power of the Church over the Eeople throughout Europe. The shrine, owever, is undoubtedly an hourly re- minder to the people of their religious duties, and no Christian of any denomi- nation can fail to recognize its utility. LOVE OF FLOWERS. The Austrians are passionately fond of flowers in all grades of life. Every little cottage or hovel has its flower-garden, whilst the windows are always decorated with flowers in full bloom. The dwell- ings of the wealthier classes also abound in flowers, and the demand for bouquets in town and country is immense. A birthday celebration brings a bouquet from every friend and acquaintance, — not a little bunch of flowers, but a huge col- lection of all the flowers in bloom, ar- ranged with artistic taste. Tiie ladies of our party, when they left Hall yester- day for Vienna, found themselves literally covered with huge bouquets, as we sat in the carriage about taking our departure. Every friend sent a floral ofl'ering ; and thus it is invariably at the parting of friends. Another birthday was being celebrated when we left, and, after a serenade at seven o'clock by a lull band of music, the floral offerings commenced to flow in. When we left, at nine o'clock, the room of tbe lady whose birtliday was being celebrated was decorated Avith flowers, and in the centre of the room a large circular table, with a floral wreath around the edge, contained a disjilay of the more substantial and enduring pres- ents that friends and relatives had sent her. The display of flowers in the public squares of Vienna is truly grand. The artistic arrangement of floral colors is sometimes attempted in Paris and in London, but never reaches the perfec- tion attained in Vienna. Indeed, flowers are universally cultivated here so as to variegate the colors of both leaves and flowers, difl"erent plants being intermixed and grown in the same bed, so as to present AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 73 distinctly-marked lines, circles, parallel- ograms, and even figures and lettering. These iloral displays are not protected by fences, but are in most cases open to the street, and any one attempting to disturb them would be arrested by any citizen who happened to witness the act. Cows are not allowed to run at large in this country, and cattle are never driven through the streets. If a cow should nuxke its appearance, it would be made beef of on the spot. If the freedom of Vienna were given to cows, they would make sad havoc in twenty-four hours ; and if it is intended to make an attractive city of Baltimore, they must either be kept up or ke^Jt out of its limits. POODLE DOGS. Whilst the lai-ge dogs in Austria are taught to work, and make themselves use- ful in various ways, the little fellows are taken to the bosoms of the ladies and treated as if they were veritable angels. It is not uncommon when traveling to see almost every lady with a dog in her arms, occasionally accompanied by a foot- man or maid, whose duty in traveling with the mistress is to take care of the dog and see that it has water and food on the route. The doctors tell many amusing anecdotes of being called up at midnight and finding that their services are needed for a poodle that has been overfed in the efibrt to kill it with kindness. They could make heavier charges with the assurance of prompt payment in such cases than if the patient were a child or a husband. " Love me, love my dog," seems to be the sentiment of these ladies : on one occasion we saw a finely dressed lady who had her dog in her arms take off her gloves wliilst standing in a depot, and diligently jiursue and kill a flea wliich she had discovered depredating among the fleece of her favorite. It is quite common to see dogs led tenderly along with ribbons, and in some cases to see a gold chain attached to a lady's belt, and at the other end of the chain a poodle dog traveling by her side or reposing in her arras. Signs in the shop-windows tell you that "Dog soap is sold here," and that various patent compounds that will induce canine health and longevity are on sale. A lady walking in any of the public grounds without a dog is sure to be accosted by a number of seedy-looking individuals who will draw out of their pockets pups, which they offer for sale. The offering for sale of anything in the public grounds being prohibited by law, they keep them concealed in their pockets. In the upper grades of life a mother trusts her children to servants and governesses, but her pt)odle dog she keeps under her own eye, and a scream from the nursery might pass unheeded, but a yelp from the drawing-room or the boudoir would scartle madam from the soundest sleep. Of course these are ex- ceptional cases ; but the passion for pet dogs is shared by most of those who aspire to fashionable life. We see dogs caressed much more than children are, and their comfort studied with jealous care. SCARCITY OF ArOTlIECARIES. An hour's walk this morning through the most populous parts of Vienna, in search of a Seidlitz powder, was a fail- ure, so far as the object of the search was concerned. We could not find an apothecary-shop in all this long walk and diligent search. In the same space we could have found fifty in Baltimore, or in any other American city. Being in pursuit of knowledge, we made inquiry as to the cause of this scarcity, desiring to know whether the sages of Vienna had discov- ered that Shakspearc was right when he consigned "physic to the dogs." The physicians of whom we inquired as- sured us that, although the ])eople did not physic themselves much in Vienna, an average amount of medicine was con- sumed. The scarcity of apothecaries grew out of the fact that the law was very strict as to the qualifications of all as[)irants, and that they must oljtain a certificate from an examining board, all of whom are apothecaries, and interested in restricting the number. Thus it is that the luisiness is kept in certain fami- lies, and that very few, except such of their children as take a fancy to the business, are inducted into its mysteries. The diffi- culty that a stranger experienced in find- ing them was partly owing to the fact that they had no competition in their sev- eral neighborhoods, made very little dis- play, and very often had their establish- ments in back streets or courts, where convenience or cheap rent induced the location. They charge high prices, and are generally quite wealthy. Vienna, July 21, 1873. AMERICAN CnURCH-GOlNG. Yesterday was Sunday, and we at- tended the American Chapel, which has been opened during the Exposition, ex- pecting to find a large attendance of Americans, as there must be over a thou- 74 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH sand of them now in the city. On the contrary, when the minister came to the desk there were precisely eleven persons in the church, including Minister Jay. Before the sermon commenced they had increased to sixteen. From this it is evi- dent that when Americans are traveling in Europe they are more disposed to join in the merry out-door life of the people than to attend to their religious duties. AVe dropped in during the afternoon at the Volksgarten, where a concert by one of the great military bands was in progress, and found at least one hundred Americans among the audience, sipping their coffee and ices. There was a large and fashionable audience in attendance, including a large number of Viennese ladies. Many of the latter had gentle- men accompanying them, but a still larger number came unattended, took their seats at the tables, and called for refreshments and coffee with as free and easy a manner as those of the sterner sex. The rule is that a woman has the right to go wherever a man can properly go, and thus far woman has obtained and maintains her rights in Vienna. These concerts commence at five o'clock and continue until eleven o'clock, admission thirty cents, and during that time the audience changes two or three times, people being always coming and going. THE AUSTRIAN LADIES. A young lady writes to us from Balti- more, urging us to let her know " how the Vienna ladies dress," " how they wear their hair," " whether they are pretty," or "whether they are only youthful prototypes of the stout, red- faced German women who arrive in the emigrant-steamers." As there are proba- bly many others of our lady readers de- sirous of categorical answers to these important questions, we will endeavor, to the best of our ability, to give them the required information. If by beauty our correspondent means that description of prettiness termed ethereal, with slight- ness of form and delicacy of feature and expression, there are no beauties in Aus- tria. If, on the other hand, a well-devel- oped form, with a bust such as is only at times attained by matrons of other coun- tries, but not so great as to prevent a slender waist and expanding hips, need- ing neither bustles nor distending con- trivances to make up a good figure, is her estimate of one of the requisites of beauty, then the young women of Austria are nearly all beautiful. If to these quali- ties are added a bright countenance and lively expression, then we would consider all reared in gentle life as having some claims to the beautiful. So far as features and complexion are concerned, the num- ber of beautiful women is rather limited, but still there are enough to charm the eye at every turn on the Pkingstrasse or on the promenade at the Prater. They nearly all have good forms and erect car- riage, rather graceful than otherwise ; and when these are accompanied by a beautiful complexion, regular features, and flowing ringlets, which is very often the case, it would be difficult for even Baltimore to excel the beauties of Vienna. The Hungarian women, of whom there are a large number always in Vienna, are famous for personal beauty, having all the form, feature, and complexion re- quired to charm the eye. We may also add that a Viennese lady is always full of animation and vivacity, and has been reared to the enjoyment of life regardless of many of the constraints that are put upon her sex in other countries. HOW THEY DRESS. " HoAT do the Vienna ladies dress ?" Well, the ladies of Vienna wear no bus- tles, and we may as well speak plainly, and add that it is because most of them need none. In all other respects they follow the same fashions that the ladies of America adopt. Their dresses and overskirts have all the folds, frills, plaits, points, ruffles, laces, and trimmings that are to be found in Paris, and their skirts drag in the dirt of the pavement just as long, and gather up as much filth, as those of the sisterhood of the rest of the civil- ized nations. The only difference that we have observed in this respect is that they wear all their underskirts with trails also, and when the pavements are wet and dirty they let them drag much more reck- lessly than the ladies of Baltimore do. They seldom raise them to avoid a puddle, but move on as unconcernedly as if their skirts were trailing over a velvet carpet. HOW TIIEY WEAR THEIR HAIR. " IIow do the Vienna ladies wear their hair?" In answer to this query we must inform our querist that most of the ladies wear tlieir own hair. Being compelled to dress it in simple plaits whilst children and until they enter society, it is not pre- maturely destroyed by crimping-irons and frizzing and twisting into tight knots, but obtains its full natural growth. Thus, most young ladies have a splendid head AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 75 of hair, " all their owu," which costs nothing. Perhaps for this latter reason they do not value it as much as they would if it depended upon purchase, and hence they do not evince much skill or good taste in dressing it. It is generally gath- ered into a loose and careless-looking knot on the back and top of the head, or carelessly packed into a net, and looks as if it had been tossed about in a wind- storm. Sometimes there is a flower stuck on the side of the head, without regard to size or quality, so that it is red. The practice of " banging " the front hair and allowing it to straggle over the forehead is almost universal among the young ladies, and detracts much from their per- sonal beauty. They do not wear the hat down over the eyes, but place it on the back of the head, leaving the front hair and the " bangs " exposed in reckless and careless abandon., which seems now to be the ruling fashion. But, notwith- standing this neglect of the greatest or- nament of the sex, they look beautiful as they promenade the streets, and, if in conversation, the countenance is always beaming with animation and the eyes arc sparkling with fun. Some, however, wear ringlets hanging down their backs. The Viennese, whether male or female, are intent on the present enjoyment of life, and are always in a merry mood. They never think of to-morrow, " nor meet troubles half-way." They are not cen- sorious or proud, but treat every one vrho behaves like a lady or a gentleman in pub- lic as if his or her record were untarnished. They all live a free and easy life, and if any of them choose to carry their freedom to extremes they regard it as their own business and nobody else's. ladies' bonnets. Having given this summaiy of the per- sonal appearance of the ladies of Vienna, in response to our fair correspondent, the picture will not be complete without de- scribing their head-gear. As to bonnets, they have been entirely discarded by both the young and the old, and hats are now universally worn. They are precisely the same description of hats as are worn by the ladies of Baltimore, being of every conceivable shape and material. They are profusely trimmed with artificial flow- ers, with streamers of lace and flowering vines trailing down the back. In short, they are precisely the same " loves of bon- nets" that the ladies of Baltimore aspire to, but, being worn on the Imck of the head, instead of close down on the fore- ' head, look much prettier in the bandbox than tliey do on the promenade. If a dozen of these Viennese ladies were to stroll out Charles Street, they would not, by any peculiarity of dress or personal appearance, except the way they wear their bonnets, be suspected of being for- eigners. Many of them are as pretty and graceful as the handsomest of our Balti- more ladies, and they all seem to be in the enjoyment of excellent health. A delicate-looking young lady is seldom seen among the belles of Vienna. THE WOKKING-WOMEN. The " stout, red-faced German women who arrive in the emigrant- steamers" come from the rural districts, and have been raised to a life of toil which has hardened their muscles and made them short and shapeless specimens of hu- manity. Most of their mothers for seve- ral generations back have lived in the same daily routine of masculine labor until the female has lost all her traces of grace- ful form and feature. They are, however, sober and industrious people, simple in their tastes and wants, and are free from the vanity which is attributed to the sex of most other countries. There are very few of these to be seen in Vienna, except at the markets. The laboring women of the cities are of an entirely dilferent class, and, though strong and muscular, have none of the healthy complexion that the countrywomen carry with them. Men who do coarse laboring work at home be- come rough and coarse, and these women, from constant exposure to the sun and the hard lives they live, become even coarser in their features than men. Be- fore they are " out of their teens" they look like rough and dirty boys in female attire, though they all wear long boots, and many of them old and ragged coats. They climb up ladders to the tops of five- story buildings, with buckets of mortar or brick balanced on their heads, wheel wheelbarrows, and handle the shovel and pick with all the muscular agility of men. They are arrayed in a mixed attire, with long boots, old coats, pantaloons ; and the skirt or petticoat is about the only femi- nine garment that is distinguishable. They eat their meals on the curb-stone, and sleep in cellars and sheds. They have never known any better life, and seem to be contented. The rest of the community pays no attention to them, regarding them rather as beasts of burden than specimens of humanity. "What's the odds, so we are happy?" is the Viennese motto; and EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH the general impression is that these peo- 1 pie are as happy in their way as those in the higher grades of life. THE GEXTLEMEX OF VIENNA. The gentlemen among the wealthier class of Vienna are remarkably fine-look- ing, being generally tall, well formed, and graceful in their movements. They also dress with excellent taste and ele- gance, and are wholly different in ap- pearance from the American idea of Ger- man characteristics. Not one of your fair readers would be able to decide from their appearance whether they were Ger- mans or Boston Yankees, except that they have more ruddy complexions and are generally more robust in their physi- cal development than the latter. The offi- cers of the army, of whom there are thou- sands in Vienna, are seldom less than six feet in height, and are, as abody, the finest-formed men to be found in any part of the globe. They dress in tight-fitting uniforms, and, as we once before re- marked, move along the streets with the air of men who know themselves to l)e objects of admiration. At the Keidhof to-night about thirty of them were taking their supper, and every one of them would be classed in New York or Balti- more as a handsome man, of more than ordinary good physical development, fine form and feature, and all the. other requi- sites of perfect manhood. The men in the lower strata of life are, however, neither handsome, well formed, nor graceful in their motions. A considerable portion of them are, on the contrary, short and un- gainly in appearance, with the exception of those who come from Hungary, from which country come the brains, muscles, and sinews of Austria, as well as ^nost of the food consumed by the people of Vienna. Vienna, July 22, 1873. As we propose to take a final adieu of Vienna to-morrow, we have spent our last day at the Exposition, and ran rapidly through all the departments." In the vast machinery departments everything was in motion, and the throng of people among the revolving machinery was very great. This large attendance has given renewed hope that the last days of the Exposition will be more prosperous than its com- mencement. In taking our farewell of the Exposi- tion, we cannot but repeat that it is won- derful in its immensity and glorious in its varied attractions. It is too large for any one to see in a dozen visits, and we do not believe that one in a thousand of the visitors sees one-half that is on exhi- bition, whilst many get wearied and ex- hausted before they have entered one-half of the buildings. We have spent about twenty days in exploring its wonders, and we yesterday got into several buildings, by mere accident, that we had never be- fore entered. That there are still others that have escaped our vigilance, we have not the slightest doubt. THE AMERICAN DEPARTMENT. In the American machinei'y depart- ment there are one hundred and forty- nine depositors, some of them having sev- eral machines on deposit. In one of my recent letters I noticed the fact that nearly all the machinery in motion, and many of the agricultural implements, had upon them cards with the word " sold." I learn upon inquiry that not only have all these machines been suld, but that orders have been received for large numbers of duplicates, which have been sent home to be filled. In fact, there are no depositors here in better humor than those from America, and they find that they have dune a good stroke of business in coming to Vienna. We close our notice of the Exposition with the expression of the belief that, though it may prove a pecuniary failure to the government, its efiect upon Aus- trian agriculture and machinery will more than recompense for all the pecu- niary loss. It will tend to the develop- ment of the resources of the country, and to the promotion of all the great interests that go to making up a great nation. The agricultural implements on exhibitiun have been heard of, but never seen before, by Austrian and Hungarian farmers, and our plows will take the place of the primitive wooden instruments that are so extensively used. Mowers, drills, horse- rakes, and the thousands of articles in use in other countrie-; were wholly un- known in Austria; and it is curious to see the old farmers roving about in the exten- sive agricultural buildings among steam- plows and pieces of machinery as large as some of the houses in which they have been accustomed to live. THE EXPOSITION BVILDINGS. We have frequently alluded to the num- ber of buildings on the grounds, inde- pendent of the grand hall, the three art- galleries, and the machinery department. An official list just published shows the number of these outside buildings to be I AMERICAN SPECTACLES. one hundred and sixty-eight, and others are still building. The following struc- tures are very interesting : English work- men's dwellings, Hungarian peasant huts, Saxon huts, Gfuydalerhouse hut, Rouma- nian hut, cotter's cottage of Borkowsky, Alpine hut, Lapland hut, Hungarian shepherd's cottage, Alsatian farm-house, and Russian dwelling-house, — all of which had escaped our attention until our last visit. The palace of the Sultan of Turkey is now completed and finished, as well as the Persian villa. Most of these outside buildings are large, and very elegant in their structure. There is nothing on the grounds of the Exposition that has the appearance of being merely intended for temporary use. The Turkish palace is as large as the Peabody Institute, and has two tall tow- ers and two domes. The Persian villa is a gem of sparkling beauty, both inside and outside, and will be the reception- house of the Shah when he visits the Ex- position. FOREIGN AND HOME FOOD. We are living well in Vienna, notwith- standing the great luxuries of the season in America are almost unknown here. Good meat, well cooked, sweet and crisp bread, the best-made coffee in the world, sweet butter, and good beer, can alwa3's be had in Vienna. Of course, any one can live well upon these solids and sub- stantials, and to those who know no bet- ter they are the summing up of human happiness. That anything else should be wanting is regarded as ridiculous ; and when an American undertakes to describe the variety of human food that tempts the palate in his favored land, he is lis- tened to with a shrug of the shoulders, ex- pressive partly of doubt, and partly of disgust that any one should want to eat such things. The Viennese regard fruits as unhealthy, and most of them will never venture further than to eat a half-dozen cherries. There are peaches here, but they are very poor, and sold merely from the fruit-stands. There are also plenty of apricots, which no one seems to care about. Last evening, at the Reidhof, whilst the merits of the food of different countries were being discussed, and the several Americans present were describing a number of our special luxuries, a Cuban gentleman, who has been roaming over the world for the past eight years, and has resided much of his time in America, was appealed to, Avhen he delivered him- self in substance about as follows: "If you want good beef and mutton, with good ale, eo to London for them ; if you desire the best pastry and fancy dishes, go to Paris for them ; if you prefer tha substan- tials, well cooked and served, and the best-made coffee, and excellent beer, coma to Vienna for them ; but if you desire all these essentials to good living combined, together with soft crabs, oysters, terrapins, canvas-back ducks, and an endless supply of the most luscious fruit, you must go to America for them." There are several American Germans now here, among them Mr. Raster, editor of the Chicag-o Staais Zeitung, who are more enthusiastic on the subject of American living than the Americans are, declaring that the real enjoyment of life is unknown in Europe. " I KISS TOUR HAND." Kissing the hand is a national custom in Austria. A gentleman on meeting a lady with whom he is acquainted, es- pecially if she be young and handsome, kisses her hand. On parting from her he again kisses her hand. At the Reidhof last evening a young man Avho is paying his addresses to a young lady, on taking his seat at the supper-table around which the family were seated, kissed the mother's hand, and also the hand of his affianced. It is very common to see a gentleman kiss a lady's' hand on the street, on meeting or parting with her. If you give a beggar- woman in the street a few coppers, she either kisses your hand or says, " I kiss your hand." We have had our hand kissed twenty times since we have been in Austria, by chambermaids and beggars, and on one occasion by an old man. The words " kiss your hand" appear to be the *ame in German as in English, or at leasl sound the same. The gentlemen kiss the hands of married women as well as the single, and it is taken as an ordi- nary salutation and a token of respect. American ladies are startled Avhen they first experience the application of this custom, but soon. submit to it with a good grace. Children also, when presented to a stranger, take his hand and kiss it, showing that it is a custom to which they are educated from their cradles. BLONDES AND BRUNETTES. We ought to have stated in our last letter, in reference to the Austrian ladies, that there are very few blondes in this section of Germany. The ladies are mostly brunettes, with dark hair and eyes. There are, however, some blondes, with light complexions and blue eyes, and they 78 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH are as much admired here as they are in America. They take much more care of their hair tlian the brunettes do, glorying in ringlets and curls, and dress it with great taste and skill. There are no arti- ficial blondes here, however, with dyed hair, that being a fashion which has not yet reached Austria. The German blondes all come from Northern Germany, and they are probably more numerous in Bal- timore than they are in Vienna. AUSTRIAN FUEL. Throughout Austi-ia, along all the lines of railway there are piled up large masses of a species of lignite, which is used as a substitute for coal in generating steam. It is in the form of flakes rather than of lumps, and is of a brownish black, re- sembling rotten or decayed wood more than it does coal. It is broken up into small pieces, and piled in baskets, from whence it is supplied to the tenders of passing locomotives. It emits a strong black smoke, but it does not annoy the passengers with dust or soot. Judging from the immense quantities to be seen, the supply must be as extensive as coal is with us, and it must be very easily mined. There is an abundant supply of wood, mostly pine, in Austria, her mountain regions being dense pine forests ; but this fuel is used even on the Crown-Prince Rudolph Road, which passes through pine forests and over mountains clad with heavy timber. The fuel used for domes- tic purposes in Vienna is wood and char- coal, and, as most of the people do their eating in the restaurants, there are many houses in Avhich a fire is never lighted for six or eight months of the year, except a spirit-lamp or a pan of charcoal. PESTH AND TRIESTE DOWN THE DANUBE. On the 2d of July we proceeded from Vienna to Pesth, taking one of the steam- ers on the Danube, a distance of nearly two hundred miles. Our letter describ- ing this interesting trip,.which was mailed at Pesth, the capital of Hungary, failed to come to hand, as well as a letter de- scriliing Pesth.. We find it impossible to supjily either at this late day. We found the Danube almost as interesting as the Rhine, though not so romantic. It passes through the rich agricultural re- gions of Hungary, and is a broad, rush- ing stream, our boat going down the current at the rate of almost twenty miles an hour. From Pesth we took the railroad to Trieste, a long and wearisome ride, ■which is described in the following letters. Hotel de la Ville, Trieste, July 5, 1873. We spent the anniversary of American Independence in the very unpatriotic way of traveling some four hundred miles over the dominions of Francis Joseph, I]m- peror of Austria, and eating our meala as we could gather them on the roadside. We did not hear a cracker explode, nor smell gunpowder, until we reached Trieste at nine o'clock last evening, when the United States vessels in port were closing the observance of the day by the firing ofi" of rockets and the burning of Costar's signals in full view of the thousands of people assembled in front of the cafes and ice-cream saloons along the quay. It was a very pretty sight, and stirred within us those patriotic emotions which had lain dormant all day under clouds of railroad dust and the scorching rays of a semi- Italian sun. We gave three cheers in- ternally, and called for a lemonade. FROM PESTH TO TRIESTE. We left Pesth, the capital of Hungary, at nine o'clock in the evening, and at daylight this morning found ourselves in tlie midst of the garden spot of Europe, the great grain-growing region of Hun- gary, from which England draws her supplies during seasons of scarcity. The wheat stood very heavy in the fields, but it is said to be budly damaged by rust on account of the protracted season of rain, there having been until recently scarcely a clear day for the past two months. A great deal of Indian corn is also groM^n here, which looked promising, though it Avas not so far advanced as with us at this season of the year. The fields were well filled with women, either hoeing corn or reaping the rye-fields. There were some men, but the women predominated. Thence we pjassed through the regions known as Galicia, Styria, Croatia, the Tyrol, and Carniola, the land becoming tliinner and less productive as we ap- proached the Italian coast. For fully one hundred miles through Carniola the road wound its way through a region that was probably never inhabited before the road was constructed, as nearly all those now living there seem to be connected with the road. It is the military frontier of Austria, and we should regard it as dif- ficult for even a scouting-party intent on destroying the road to reach it either on foot or horseback. It reminded us of a legend applied to the dominion of one of the Northern princes. It is to the purport that the angels of the Lord, after A ME RICA N SPECTA CLES. 79 the world was made, had a large lot of loose stone left, which they hurriedly dropped, and thus his territory was formed. The whole face of the earth is nearly covered with loose stone of all shapes and sizes, with bushes and grass interspersed. The residents had contrived to clear small spots for the cultivation of their vegetable-gardens, but this seemed to be a herculean task, judging by the mountains of loose stone that were piled up around their claims, which ranged from a twenty-foot square lot to the fourth of an acre, according to the en- ergy of the explorer after mother earth. At one point it had been necessary, in this inhospitable country, to erect im- mense stone walls, twenty feet high, and a quarter of a mile long, to protect the trains from tornadoes, to which the district is frequently liable, from northeast winds. So great is their violence that loaded wagons have been overthrown ; and these stone walls are used as a sort of break- water, behind which the trains can run for protection if a storm should be immi- nent or prevailing. The only interesting points of the route were those through the Tyrol and Hun- gary. In Hungary the road ran along the shore of the Plattensee, which is fifty miles in length and abounds in fish. The great summer resorts of the nobility of Hungary are here, and resorts for ama- teur fishermen abound along its banks. After passing Pragerhof, the mineral baths for which this portion of the woi-ld is famous Avere frequently encountered as we sped on our journey. Whilst steam- ing along the banks of the river Laibach, in Tyrol, with an atmosphere in the cars ranging about ninety degrees, in the near distance could be seen the Julian and Car- nic Alps, with their snow-clad summits glittering in the sun. THE ADRIATIC SEA. About twenty miles before reaching Trieste the road breaks away from its mountainous and rugged tracks and boldly strikes on to the shore of the Adriatic, which presented quite a reviv- ing scene as the closing one of our long journey. The sun had just sunk below the horizon, and its lingering rays were reflected from the bosom of the deep-blue waters. In the distance could be seen the domes and spires of Venice, the Queen of the Adriatic, and at the head of the Bay the city of Trieste was soon spread out before us like a map. A few miles before we reached Trieste, Ave saw Punta Gri- gnano, a rocky prominence extending out into the sea, upon which stands the cha- teau of Miramar, the favorite residence of Maximilian and Carlotta before ambition lured them to seek the crown of Mexico. It is truly a magnificent structure, Ijeing built of white marble, and surrounded by a fine park and gardens, with the blue Adriatic spread out before it. It is a princely home, and will always have a mournful interest connected with it as the former residence of " poor Carlotta," whose sad fiite as a confirmed maniac has won for her the heartfelt sympathy of the whole world. It is open on Sundays and holidays for public enjoyment. In a few minutes after passing Miramar, we dashed into a tunnel, from which we emerged into the streets of Trieste. THE CITY OF TRIESTE. The city of Trieste is the only seaport of the Austrian dominions. It contains a population of about one hundred and twenty thousand, composed of all nation- alities, the Italians predominating, and it has all the characteristics of an Italian city. After reaching our hotel last even- ing we started out for a stroll through the city, and found the streets literally thronged with men, women, and children, whilst thousands were taking creams and refreshments in front of the large cafes on the Piazza Grande. The main streets are broad, and are paved with large oblong blocks of granite, kept very clean, and the promenaders filled up the whole street, walking indiscriminately everywhere. Turks and Greeks and Armenians min- gled with the Italians and Germans, whilst there were also abundance of Eng- lish and Amei-icans. The peasants of the surrounding districts, with their pic- turesque costumes, are Sclavonians, whilst the sailors and fishermen are principally Dalmatians and Istrians. There is on the streets of Trieste the greatest commingling of tongues that can be found anywhere in Europe except at Marseilles. Trieste holds the same commercial relation to South Germany that Hamburg and Bre- men do to North Germany. So strictly Italian are the habits of the people that it was very easy in the gas- light, as we strolled along the Corso, the principal street of Ti-ieste, and through the Piazza Grande and the Piazza della Borsa, to imagine ourselves in the city of Naples, or in the Piazza of St. Mark, in Venice. There was the same indiscrim- inate mingling of the sexes, the same free and easy manners, whilst loud conversa- 80 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH tion and the humming of popular airs were to be heard in every direction. The streets of the old town, which are too narrow and steep for vehicles, were simi- larly crowded with the lower classes, and in some of them pandemonium seemed to be let loose. If any other evidence were required of Trieste being a genuine Italian city, it would be found in the fact that we have caught two black Italian fleas on our hand since commencing to write this letter, and that this morning we were aroused from our first morning nap at early dawn by the shrill scream of a native Italian donkey directly under our chamber window. HUNGARY. PESTH AND OFEN. Our sojourn in Pesth satisfied us that Baedeker has not done justice to this thriving capital of Hungary. We spent the day in walking through the city, or riding on its passenger railway cars, by which we accidentally struck upon many places of interest which arenotmentioned in this usually correct guide-book. One of these is a large and very fine park, called Yarosliget, which we found thronged with people, whilst the fashion of the city were driving around the main drives in tlieir fine equipages. Like all the public parks in Southern Germany, it is given up entirely to the enjoyment of the people, and numerous refreshment-gar- dens are to be found in all sections of the grounds, in and around which men, women, and children were listening to the strains of music, though not such as we have become accustomed to in Vienna. Hungarian music may be very good, but we do not think it would be much ad- mired far away from its native soil. Nor is there any but the briefest mention by Baedeker of Margaretta Island, which is one of the greatest attractions of this thriv- ing and enterprising commercial city of the Danube. THE CITY OF OFEN. The city of Ofen, or as it is more gen- erally called, Buda, Avhich is connected with Pesth by a magnificent suspension bridge, also abounds in interest. Ofen and Pesth are so closely connected as to seem but one city, the Danube merely dividing them. The royal palace, the base of which is at least three hundred feet above the roofs of the houses along the line of the river, presents from Pesth one of the most picturesque views imaginable, it being, with its gardens and out-buildings, fully one thousand yards in length. The rock upon which it stands rises almost perpendicularly, and the upper level can be reached hy cars drawn up an imdined railway l)y a stationary engine, similar to that at Pittsburg. In order to give expeditious access to that portion of the cify beyond this rock, a tunnel for car- riages, about a half-mile long, has been excavated through it, being a continuation of the bridge. This bridge, by the way, is not a wire suspension bridge, but is a succession of immense steel plates, with swinging bolts, hanging from towers one hundred and fifty feet high, like a wire bridge, but much stronger and more massive. It was built by an Englishman named Clark, and, being four hundred yards in length, is considered one of the finest specimens of bridge architecture in Europe. The bed of it is laid with the Nicholson pavement, and, although it is always thronged with carriages and pe- destrians, there is not felt the least vibra- tion. A second bridge, for passengers, and one for railroad purposes, are being constructed. On a still higher rock, to the left of the city, not less than six hundred feet above the water-level, is an immense fortress, 'with winding carriage- way, by which it is approached. The weather was too hot, and the rays of the sun were too powerful, for us to venture the ascent. Among other interesting matters in Ofen (Buda) are the remnants of Turkish ai'chitecture, this city having been in past ages, for one hundred and fifty years, in possession of the Turks. Like Pesth, it is also ambitious, and all the new build- ings in course of erection are of a very elegant and elaborate architecture. THE CITY OF PESTH. The city of Pesth is, however, the great attraction, and its commercial importance is evidenced by the number of steamers constantly arriving and departing, many of them carrying on trade with Constan- tinople and the various ports on the Adri- atic, the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea. Its domestic commerce is also im- mense, and the scene along the wharves would do credit to Baltimore, whilst the attractions of the city front have no superior in any of our commercial cities. It is earnestly contending with Vienna in its ornamentation, and a Ringstrasse running through the heart of the city AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 81 and torminating at the Park is in course of constnietion. Central avenues are being laid out and trees planted, whilst the buildings going up along the line of this broad thoroughfare are equal to the tall and graceful structures of Vienna. The Gi-and Hotel of Pesth is also another evidence of the ambition of the people. It seems strange to find in this comparatively remote city the largest and most elegant hotel in Europe. It is more truly " grand'" than any other hotel we have entered bearing this high-sounding name, not even excepting its namesake of Paris. Both the exterior and interior are finished in the most elaborate style of art, and it is furnished with equal elegance and taste. Among its other peculiarities, it has in its upper story a handsome chapel for religious worship. There are also a Grand Assembly saloon, a large glass-covered and lighted court-yard, din- ing-saloon and cafes, and three hun- dred and two chambers, with over five hundred beds. For a good room with two beds, facing the Danube, we were charged but three florins per day, or one dollar and a half in our money, for two persons. This elegant building is, however, only one of an extended line along the greater portion of the river front, on a level with the grand promenade. There is also in Pesth a Zoological Garden, with a large collection of wild beasts ; and the same care is taken in everything to furnish amusements for the people. The large boats, crowded Avitl^ passengers to Margaretta Island and the bathing establishments in the upper part of Ofen, were arriving and departing during our sojourn at all hours of the day, and tug-boats towing lighters and barges laden with merchandise were 9,lways puffing up the river against the heavy tide, many of them doubtless bound for Vienna. FOR VENICE. Desiring to spend Sunday in Venice, which is but six hours' run across the bay, we will go this Saturday evening and spend a few days with the Queen of the Adriatic, returning to Trieste on Tuesday. [The account of our trip to Venice, and a full description of this most inter- esting city, will be found in another por- tion of this volume.] Trieste (Austria), July 12, 187.3. We returned from our very pleasant and interesting trip to Venice yesterday 6 morning, having left that city on the steamer Milano at midnight, in the midst of an outpouring of rain which was pe- culiarly Italian. We, however, had a pleasant trip, the weather clearing shortly after we took our departure. There was an abundance of passengers, among whom were several Americans. They are on their way to Vienna, the length of their stay depending entirely on the question as to whether they can get accommodations at fair prices. They say they expect to be plucked everywhere whilst traveling, but they decidedly oljject to staying long where the people have hung out the sign of roguery so distinctly as they have in Vi- enna. However, prices are now much lower, but they are still fifty per cent, higher than anywhere else in Europe. The American flag greeted our vision this morning as we entered the harbor of Trieste, flying from the peak of the frigate Wabash, which was also flying the broad pennant of Admiral Case. She arrived during our absence at Venice. THE BLUE ADRIATIC. Trieste is situated at the head of the Adriatic, the harbor being formed by a sea-wall, or breakwater, which protects the shipping from the turbulence of the sea during storms. The scene from our hotel windows at sunset is very beautiful ; and of an evening, when the moon is casting its rays over the deep blue of this beautiful sea, a more picturesque view can scarcely be imagined. No matter how oppressive may be the rays of the sun during the day, the evenings are al- ways cool and pleasant, and yachts and boats are moving about on the water till a late hour. During the afternoon the fishing-boats can be seen coming in well laden with the products of thenet and the line, and steamers are always coming from or departing to the neighboring islands and towns on the coast. Next to Naples, the harbor of Trieste is the most beautiful in Europe. On a clear day the steeples of Polo can be seen in the dis- tance on the opposite coast. A fine turn- pike runs along the coast for many miles close to the seashore, and aff'ords a pleasant evening drive in summer. The steamer to Venice runs three times a week, making the passage across in six hours. THE GREEK CHURCH. There are a great number of Greeks in Trieste, some of whom retain their turbans and flowing robes, though most of them are in European attire, save the 82 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH \ red skull-cap and black tassel. One of the most elet;;ant churches in the city is that of the Greek Catholics on the quay. We were allowed by a fee to the sexton to enter and examine it yesterday, and found its arrangements and ornamenta- tion of the altar quite different from those of the Roman Catholic churches. There are a number of very elegant scriptural paintings on its walls, and the silver figures of the apostles in bas-relief are not only fine specimens of art, but show that the congregation must be a very wealthy one. The whole interior of the church, , which is comparatively new, is magnificently painted, gilded, and deco- rated, and, though not excessively large, is sufficient to accommodate about eight hundred worshipers. PLENTY OF FRUIT. The city of Trieste is famous for its fruit, and a visit to the market yesterday morning was quite refreshing to an Amer- ican Avho is used to an abundance of this healthy summer sustenance. Apricots, peaches, plums, pears, and cherries were displayed in great profusion and at very moderate prices. There were also figs, larger than a peach, both ripe and lus- cious. The cherries are much larger than those in our colder climate, and are very fine" to the taste. The tour of Europe during summer subjects the American lover of fruit to great deprivation. Thei-e is but little fruit, and that of an inferior quality and of high pi'ice, in Central Europe, until the grape crop is gathered, with the exception of the apricot, which, from its insipid taste, soon wearies the appetite. For the sake of good fruit and plenty of it we are willing, for a few days at least, to stand the heat and tolerate the company of the fleas. TUE PEOPLE OF TRIESTE. The people of Trieste seem to live more at home than those of Vienna. There is scarcely a restaurant in the whole city where a good meal can be had. Indeed, they are so few that it is difficult to find any of them of any description. Beer- houses are also very scarce, and it is evi- dent that beer-drinking is not much in vogue. There is a good demand for coffee, lemonade, and ices, the saloons being very abundant, but there is little drinking done here, with the exception of wines. It seems that America is al- most the only country where intoxicat- ing liquors are drunk as a beverage, and where a large proportion of the people think it manly to make beasts of them- selves. There are some dirty shops where the lazzaroni oljtain an intoxicating bev- erage, somewhat resembling our Avhisky, but there is no place in Trieste where even a glass of brandy can be had, and of course there are no first-class drinking- saloons. If there was any demand for such drinks there would be plenty of them ; and, as there are none, it may be taken for granted there is no demand. THE CITY OF TRIESTE. The city of Trieste is peculiarly a com- mercial mart, and has but few attractions for the stranger. The wharves along the city front, for more than a mile, are lined with vessels stern foremost to ^he shore, over which they discharge and take on their cargoes. There are. so far as we have been able to discover, but few private residences in the city, all of the better class of citizens residing in beautiful villas high up on the mountain- side to the north of the city. Nearly all the houses seem to be devoted to some species of trade, except those occupied as hovels for the poorer classes, and as hotels, eating- and beer-houses. It seems strange at night where all the well- dressed people who throng the streets and the cafes come from, but they may be supposed to be, in a great measure, the wives and daughters of the shop-keepers, who reside over their respective places of business. A STROLL THROUGH THE CITY. We took an extended stroll after din- ner yesterday through all sections of the city, and find that, with the exception of the fine buildings and hotels fronting the bay, it has all the characteristics of an old Italian town. The Italian women from the country were moving off with their piles of baskets on the backs of their donkej^s, and hundreds of lazzaroni were lying about on the pavements, asleep. In the narrow streets, varying from eight to twelve feet in width, the women and children were sitting on the pavements, and sailors of all nations wandering about among them. On Via del Torrento, a broad thoroughfare, for several squares the street was lined with booths for the sale of old clothes, most of which appeared to be so old, dirty, and ragged as to be only fit for the paper- mill. Everybody appeared intent ujion selling something, including articles which in almost any other part of the world would be considered unsalable. AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 83 In the middle of Via del Torrento a large wooden shanty is erected, labeled Tea- tro, which must be a jolly place at night. In the lower section of the city, along the water-front, the buildings are very large and ornamental, and the theatre, which is also in this section, is a large and elegant structure, but is now closed for the season. In one or two of the ad- joining streets are some very fine stores and numerous coffee and ice-cream sa- loons, which at certain hours of the day are all well attended. The city puts its best foot foremost, and will not bear an inspection of its interior. During the middle of the day the heat is more intense than we have ever felt it. An hour's exposure in such heat as we had yesterday would be death to almost any one : even in crossing the street its effect was most oppressive. All out-of- door labor ceases during this heated term, and does not commence again until three o'clock. THE WOMEN OF TRIESTE. The ladies of Trieste are of all com- plexions and all nationalities, and speak so many different languages that it is dif- ficult to describe them. They dress well, and the better classes have all the grace of carriage which distinguishes the Ital- ian woman in all grades of life. Dark hair and dark eyes predominate, but the coun- tenance is sallow, and harsh rather than pleasing. Occasionally a German blonde is seen among them ; but, although this is an Austrian city, the language most spo- ken is Italian, and the number of Ger- mans is comparatively small. Among the lower classes there is but little female beauty to be seen. They appear to com- mence to age before they are out of their teens, and are sallow and sunken about the eyes, with but little vestige of the sprightliness of youth left. They live a terrible life of exposure, and toil for their living from the time that other children are but just commencing their education. Children of this class have no youth, and are early inured to all the sufferings and responsibilities of mature life in other countries. Hall, near Steyer, July 15, 1873. We arrived at Steyer on Saturday last, from Trieste, after a journey of precisely twenty-four hours, and soon reached this cool resting-place in the mountains. Steyer is about one hundred and twenty miles from Vienna, and about five hun- dred miles from Trieste, and is in the cen- tre of the iron region of Lower Austria. It has about fifteen thousand inhabitants, and, being situated at the confluence of the river Enns with the river Steyer, does a very extensive business in lumber, which is floated down the Enns from the pine-clad mountains through which it passes. But before taking a glance at Steyer we must give the reader some ac- count of our journey from Trieste, with the incidents and sights of travel. A RAILROAD EXPERIENCE. There are no sleeping-cars in Europe, and, as a general thing, those who travel at night must sit bolt upright, with merely a head-rest. We left Trieste at seven o'clock on Wednesday evening, having before ns a twenty-four hours' ride. Myself and companion were placed in a section with six other passengers, filling it up to its utmost capacity, some smoking pipes, and others cigarettes and cigars, but all puffing away to the fullest extent of their smoke-generating abilities. To make the matter worse, a heavy rain- storm was in progress, which compelled the closing of the windows, and we deter- mined to see if we could not do better at the first stopping-place. Here we inti- mated to the conductor that if he could give us a separate section to ourselves we would make it all right. In a few mo- ments he made a sign to us to come out, which we did with our valises, and, fol- lowing in his wake, we were soon ushered into a section which was entirely empty. Whether he had removed the passengers or had reserved an empty car for such an emergency, we were not informed, but upon our placing in his hands a couple of florins he smiled blandly, took out his key, and not only fastened, but, with a wink, locked both doors, as much as to say, "You are alone for the night." In a few minutes two other gentlemen, who had doubtless followed our example, were brought forward and locked in the other section, the bell was sounded, the conductor blew his little brass horn, the locomotive whistled, and we were off. Each having a long seat, extending all the way across the car, we stretched ourselves out, and were soon sleeping as soundly as if reposing in a Pullman Palace car. It will thus be seen that with a little man- agement sleeping-cars can be had on European railroads much cheaper than upon our roads at home. The conductor was as good as his word, and we were alone until after we changed conductors at Griitz at ten o'clock the next mornina;. 84 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH AGRICULTURAL NOTES. We passed through the rocky fields of Carniola during the night, which is a re- gion of country strongly resembling Cap- tain Jack's lava beds, especially if they should ever be plowed up. The whole country is a heap of loose stones, from the size of a piece of chalk to a grind- stone, from the interstices of which cedars and green bushes are sprouting up. At daylight we were approaching Gratz, in the heart of the rich agricultural re- gion of Styria, where everything was green, bright, and beautiful, and the farm- ers were busily at work harvesting their rye crops and making hay. We did not observe, nor have Ave anywhere in Aus- tria seen, a single agricultural implement of any kind except the plow and the hoe, nor have we seen any wheat that appears to have been planted with the drill. Crowds of women and girls were work- ing in the fields with the hoe, or reap- ing with the sickle. The proportion was about ten women to one man engaged in farm- work. There was, however, evidence of good husbandry everywhere. There being no fences, the division of land is marked by small square stones with the initials of the owner carved upon them. Small farms appeared to be the rule, as scarcely more than an acre of one species of grain could be seen in one plot. The mode of planting is generally in lands, — one of wheat, one of oats, another of potatoes, and another of corn, the latter planted so thick as to indicate that it was raised for fodder. But little ground is anywhere spared for clover or timothy, and in sowing it the greatest care is taken for its preserva- tion. Instead of i-aking it up in the field in cocks, as our farmers do, a num- ber of poles are stuck up in the field, having pegs interspersed so as to hold up the hay which is piled up around them. By this means it is kept almost entirely off the ground, and in case of rain is not damaged. This is a universal practice, and a larger class of poles are used for wheat and rye. Many of the poles are made of young cedar-trees, the limbs being cut ofi" so as to leave protrusions of five or six inches, which answer in- stead of pegs. The poles stand about eight feet out of the ground, and when clothed with the hay present a very strange aspect, being entirely concealed from view. The hay barely touches the ground, and there is no doubt that its sweetness is better preserved than by our process. They have but little ground to devote to this purpose, and they desire to make the most of the yield. The farm-houses are generally small, of but one story, but their surroundings bore evidence of cleanliness and thrift. Their little flower-gardens were in full bloom, and the whiteness of the walls of their dwellings indicated that the white- washing season arrived at least once a year. Ko cattle could be seen unless tied to a stake or in charge of boys. The farm-buildings were generally sufficiently large for small farms, but none so exten- sive as the barns in Lower Austria, M'here the farms are evidently very extensive. AUSTRIAN RAILROADS. The railroads of Austria are construct- ed and managed with a greater regard to safety than those of any other country on the Continent. Accidents are almost un- heard of, and next to impossible. They all have double tracks, and, although they mostly pass through very mountainous country, especial effort seems to have been made to give assurance to the mind of the passenger that, though he may be gliding along the edge of a precipice, he can ad- mire the scenery with no dread of acci- dent. A heavy stone wall, six feet thick, covers all embankments, whilst a similar impediment guards the track at all dan- gerous points. A telegraphic bell at the road-crossings announces an approaching train five minutes before it dashes along, and at every mile-stone on the road a guard in the livery of the company, with his rolled-upflag in hand, gives a military salute to the engineer as he passes, that lieing the assurance that all is right on his division of the road. All the stations on the road are neat and elegant structures, with fine floral displays, and everything clean and in order around them. A train arrives, the officer in attendance, with three strokes of the depot-bell, announces all ready to depart, the conductor sounds a half-note on the little brass horn sus- pended around his neck, the locomotive responds with a whistle, and we are off again. A WILD COUNTRY. The Austrian roads, though under no supervision of the government, being owned and run by companies, are all named after royal personages, as, for in- stance, the " Kaiser Franz Josef Bahn,"' the " Kaiserin Elisabeth Bahn," and the " Kronprinz Rudolph Bahn." Desiring AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 85 to strike across the country from Brlick, so as to reach Steyer without going to Vienna, we took passage at that place on the Kronprinz Bahn, a new road, which has been many years in construction, passing through the Wienerwald Moun- tains, a portion of the Swabian Alps. The road follows a mountain torrent, the Ernsthal, and the scenery eclipses all that is to be seen on the Alleghany or even the Rocky Mountains. At times the pre- cipitous rocks towered over our heads to the height of five thousand feet, and again we were flying along with a precipice of many hundred feet under the car-window. We passed over innumerable viaducts, and through intermina1)le tunnels, hewn out of the solid rock, so solid and immov- able that arching would be altogether un- necessary. Many of the tallest mountains were clad with snow, whilst those of less altitude were covered with pines. For about a hundred miles there was presented a succession of surprises, which rendered the journey quite interesting. The coun- try through which the greater portion of this road passes is the great iron region of Austria. The great Erzberg mines are in this vicinity, which are worked by the government. The "ore mountain" is so productive that the ore is quarried in summer without the aid of mining opera- tions, whilst in winter the subterranean mode of operations is more convenient. The mines and furnaces, some of which have been in operation for a thousand years, employ about five thousand hands, and yield twenty thousand tons of iron annually. The river Ernsthal is a rush- ing torrent, somewhat resembling the Rhine at its mountain source, and the roar of its waters added to the picturesque aspect of the country through which we were passing. At seven o'clock in the evening, after pre- cisely twenty-four hours' run from Trieste, we landed at the l)risk little city of Steyer, the last fifty miles of the journey being through the beautiful valley of the river Enns ; our destination being the Springs of Hall, ten miles distant by carriage, which we reached at ten o'clock in the evening. Having had a few days' rest, we concluded to make an excursion to-day to Steyer, to view some of its attractions as enumerated by the faithful Baedeker. THE CITY OF STEYER. Steyer is a purely manufacturing town, iron being the basis of its wealth, and wood from the mountains a source of in- creasing importance. Here is the manu- factory of all the arms for the Austrian army, which is now being supplied with the famous needle-gun. We visited most of its establishments, clambered up to the eminence upon which stands the Castle of Steyer, and were assured by the custo- dian that Prince Lamberg, who makes his residence here, would be pleased to see us, but was not at home at present. He hoped we would call again ; but, as we came to see the castle, and not the prince, we left our cards, and expressed our re- grets that our stay would be so short that it would not be possible for us to avail ourselves of the pleasure of meeting his excellency. AVe also visited the old churches of the place, one of which was consecrated in 1443 and has some very fine old paintings. Indeed, we found but little in Steyer worthy of note in this correspondence, though we spent a very pleasant day in roaming through its ancient streets and viewing the rushing waters of the Steyer and the Enns as they come together and mingle and then move on to swell the waters of the Danube. The only thing we brought away from Steyer to remember it by is a pair of well- made calf-skin boots, for which we paid six florins, or precisely three American dollars. THE GERMAN WATERING-PLACES. Hall Springs, Austria, June 13, 1873. " WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?" We are now, as will be seen by the date of this letter, nearly two hundred miles northwest of Vienna, at one of the Ger- man springs, known by the simple name of "Hall," but famous for its curative properties for a variety of " the ills that flesh is heir to." The fact is that there are very few people who visit the springs of Germany unless they suS"er from disease of some kind, and they are consequently not places of fashionable resort, as with us in America. " What is the matter with you?" is the question asked of all new- comers 5 and most of them place them- selves in the hands of the doctor, who prescribes the number and temperature of the baths, and the amount of the water to be taken internally. The arrival of a party of Americans at a place like Hall is of course a novelty, and is regarded by the people as an indication that the fame of their little town up here in the mountains has spread across the Atlantic. Certain 86 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH it is that we never heard of " Hall" before, or of the virtues of its waters, but are here to see life at a German Avatering-place, and to enjoy the company of some kind friends who are visitol's at the springs. HALL, AND HOW WE GOT THERE. We reached Hall at a very untimely hour, about two o'clock in the mornina;, tumbling into one of its hotels after a car- riage-drive of over two hours, preceded bv some five hours in the cars. Such a thing as the arrival of guests in the night was itself a novelty, and that they should be Americans was still more cu- rious. Sick people never travel at night, and everybody who comes to Hall is either sick or accompanying sick friends. Then Germans never do anything in a hurry, and to travel in a carriage at night to reach a summer resort would be consid- ered contrary to all precedent, a thing unheard of before in the quiet village of Hall, where everybody goes to bed early and is sound asleep before ten o'clock. We were acting contrary to all precedent, and by way of explanation to the worthy people of Hall, not one of whom it is probable ever heard of the English lan- guage, and who are not likely soon to aid in verifying the prediction of President Grant, we will detail how it all happened, as well as some of the mishaps which ren- dered it necessary for us to come post- haste, in the small hours of the night, to this retired and retiring village. A CHAPTER OF MISHAPS. Before proceeding further, let me advise all your readers whose education has been so far neglected as not to have acquired a knowledge of the German tongue, never to enter the dominions of the Emperor of Austria unless they have some one to take charge of them who is thus qualified. We have never spent a month in Europe so pleasantly as the past month in Austria, l3ut have been in charge of good friends, who not only understand the language, but understand the people and all their peculi- arities. To make a long story short, it may as well be acknowledged that, as on a memorable occasion in the wilds of San Domingo, we got lost, and were in pursuit of our friends, being both anxious to rejoin them, and to relieveltheir minds as early as practicable of the uneasiness which we knew they felt on our account. HOW IT ALL HAPPENED. On Wednesday morning we settled our bill at the Hotel Austria in Vienna, and requested our baggage to be sent to the railroad depot, stating that our desti- nation was Steyer. We had previously made arrangements to join our friends at the depot and travel with them to this sum- mer resort. The hotel ofiicial procured us carriages and dispatched our baggage, and at the appointed time we were at the depot, and, not finding our friends, soon be- came convinced that the stupid porter had sent us to the wrong depot, to the Ostbahn instead of the Westbahn, the depots being about five miles apart. Here we were with a pile of trunks, two ladies, and all their satchels, shawls, baskets, etc., and a half-dozen porters and depot bummers, each seizing hold of a trunk or a basket, and all talking to us at once in an un- known tongue, desiring, we suppose, to know where we were going, not one word of which was understandable. None of them had apparently ever heard of the English language before, and French was as much Greek to them as their German was to us. If we had been at the right depot we could have dispatched our busi- ness easily enough ; but it was impossible to explain to them that we did not want to go anywhere, — in fact, that we were lost innocents, and perplexed as to what we should do and where we should go. After aljout an hour of vexation we dis- covered an ofiicial who actually under- stood English, and to him Ave explained our difficulty and the stupid blunder of the hotel porter. It was eleven o'clock — and our train started at nine — when we succeeded, after much tribulation, in get- ting ourselves and baggage transferred to tiie Westbaiinhof, and there we learned that another train would start for Steyer at half-past four o'clock in the afternoon. It being impossIl)le for us to communicate with our friends by telegraph, or for them to communicate with us, until after their arrival at their destination, we determined to start oft' as rapidly as possible in pur- suit ; and it was thus that we broke in upon the quiet village of Hall in the small hours of the night, and brought joy to the hearts of our friends by arousing them at early dawn with the information of our safe arrival. Their dispatches had not reached us, and we had a jolly time over the incidents of our mishap. We had reached Steyer about ten o'clock at night, and, after an hour's renewal of our lin- guistic difficulties with railroad-officials and carriage-drivers, started, with our- selves in one carriage and our baggage in another, for a two hours' night drive into an unknown region, ovei hills and AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 87 plains, through villages, but along a smooth road, and with rapidly-traveling horses. The distance, about ten miles, was accomplished in two hours, and at one o'clock the clanging bell of the Hotel Karl sumnioned master and mistress and several half-dressed servants to receive us and care for our baggage. After a refresh- ing sleep we joined our friends in the morning at the Hotel Kaiserin Elisabeth, and determined never again during our sojourn in Austria to trust ourselves out of leading-strings. The English language we found to be just about as useful to the traveler in Austria as Greek would be among the Choctaws. ADVICE TO TRAVELERS. When any one speaks to you, especially in or about a German hotel, and you do not wish to show your ignorance, it is safe to pull out your wallet and hand your questioner a piece of money. The answer will seldom fail to be the right one. If you know the legal charge for any- thing, hand the precise amount and walk quietly away. It is very convenient on such occasions not to understand the language, and to be uncertain whether it is blessings or curses that are being- showered upon you. If you happen to be sent to the wrong depot, keep your pocket-book closed, as no one will do anything for you or with your baggage or your bundles without being paid for it, and consequently they will not be sent off in the wrong direction. If you want to purchase anything, never get any one about a hotel to show you the way to a store. The riile is for the storekeeper to pay all such persons a heavy commission on the amount of sales. Of course the purchaser has the commis- sion added to the price of the goods he buys. If you want to go to the opera or a thea- tre, always employ some one about the hotel to get tickets for you. It is impos- sible to get them without paying a heavy price to the speculators, and by yielding gracefully there will be a saving of both time and patience, and no loss of money. Never enter a bank, a store, or a place of business, in Austria, without taking off your hat and bowing to the proprie- tors. Never leave any such establishment without making your obeisance to all present. A neglect of these observances is considered downright rudeness, and on a second visit you will be treated coolly, even by a shopkeeper. When you are dealing with any one who has anything to do with horses, be on your guard for deception and jilunder. Our horse gentry are so proverbial for their honesty, probity, and fair dealing, : and so seldom take advantage of any one, that this distinguishing trait of the Vienna horse-dealers will be the more remarkable. THE ATTRACTIONS OF VIENNA. We have left the city of Vienna, which, with all its faults, is one which few who have enjoyed its gay and merry life for any length of time are anxious to leave. The young students, who spend a year or more here to finish their medical educa- tion, carry with them a bright memory of the happy season of enjoyment, and long for a renewal of their visit. The free and easy life that is led by those who mingle with the people is a glorious relief from the monotony of social exist- ence in hotels, which many strangers who visit Vienna fail to enjoy. The last evening of our sojourn will dwell long in our memory, and may induce us to pay Vienna another visit before our return to America. There were nine in our party who sat down to supper in a " restaura- tion" with fully one thousand Viennese ladies and gentlemen, all enjoying them- selves in groups around the two hundred tables, as few could do even in the bright- est home-circle. Everything that could be called for by the most fastidious appe- tite was served up in excellent style, and the clatter of a thousand tongues in so- cial converse, with the moving panorama around us, added to the pleasure>of the occasion. Most of the people, in fiimily or friendly parties, thus spend the even- ing, nothing stronger than beer being partaken of, and continue at the tables talking and smoking up to a quarter of ten o'clock, when they all disperse to their homes. Drunkenness or excessive drinking of beer is almost unknown, the latter being a beverage that is used by the mass of the people as we use coffee and tea, and having very little more exhila- rating effect when taken in moderation. Among this mass of people scarcely a loud word could be heard, and thus it is everywhere among the thousands of cafes and " restaurations" that are to be found on every street throughout this immense city. Whisky, brandy, or any strong drink, is used only for medicinal purposes, except by the hack- and carriage- drivers, who are nearly all bloated drunk- ards, and care no more for beer than the EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH more respectable portion of the Viennese do for water. One of our party, on this memorable evening, called for a goblet of milk, which is regarded as among the unhealthy fluids. Its passage through the hall in the hands of the waiter excited general remark, and a Gei-man friend from the interior, Avho was supping with us, ex- pressed his surprise that any one should drink milk, as well as that it could be had on call at an eating-saloon. It is rated, like water, as unhealthy, and probably with about as much cause. SOMETHING ABOUT HALL. Hall is regarded as the most costly summer resort in Germany, except Baden- Baden, and consequently very few come here, unless ordered to bathe in and drink its waters by their physicians, and we learn that the whole number of visitors last year did not exceed two thousand eight hundred. For two of the best rooms in the best hotel, with three beds, Ave pay four florins, or about two dollars, per day. AVe take our meals in the restau- rant attached to the hotel, at a cost of less than nine florins per day, or four and a half dollars, making the entire expense about six dollars and a half per day for three persons, or two dollars and sixteen cents each. Our rooms are far better than the best of those at Cape INIay, are on the first floor, and we call for what- ever we desire at the table, all of which is well cooked and {palatable. Still, these Springs are regarded as very ex- pensive. ATTRACTIONS OF HALL. There are five hotels in Hall, all of them rather small in American estima- > tion, but every house in the village has furnished rooms to let, and there are several furnished cottages in the vicinity for rent to families. The iodine water, it being more strongly impreg- nated than any similar water in the world, is pumped from a well by water-power, and forced to the tanks that supply the bath-house, which is an immense build- ing with two wings, and is now being enlarged. On each side of the long halls are rows of bath-rooms, some of them fitted up very elegantly, with marble tubs, and all supplied with hot and cold water, the attendants arranging the tem- perature according to the written order of the physician, as well as the time which is to be spent in the bath. In other rooms there are wooden bath-tubs, like everything else in Europe, first and second class, and first and .second prices. The marble-tubbed rooms cost seventy- five cents per bath, and the wooden-tubbed thirty-five cents. In the second story of the bath-house there are a reading-room, acofiee-room, and a ball-room. In the ro- tunda the drinkers of the water assemble at seven o'clock in the morning and take their draughts from a fountain, and walk around the beautifully-arranged grounds between the glasses, whilst a fine brass band discourses mostexcellent music from a canopied music-stand in the midst of the lawn. It would be difficult to find a more beautiful and attractive spot than the Park, with its finely arranged gravel- walks, extending through the shaded groves for a mile or more to the west of the building. There is also a cold-water douche- l)ath, in a thickly shaded vale, which is for gentlemen at certain hours of the day, and for ladies at specified hours. It has all the attractions for a popular resort, and will probably Ijecome fashionable when the railroad reaches it, which is expected very shortly, in antici- pation of which arrangements are mak- ing for new and larger hotels by the company which owns and manages the place. They will then, it is presumed, abandon the plan now adopted of putting everybody who arrives here on the sick- list, and taxing him, if he remains more than five da^-s, for the use of the water, whether it is drunk or not, and for the privilege of strolling occasionally through the promenades which they have pre- pared for visitors. FESTIVAL OF " CORPUS CHRISTI." When we entered Hall on Wednes- day night, we could see by the bright moonlight that all the houses were fes- tooned with evergreens and hung with wreaths of flowers, whilst in the centre of the town a floral arch was erected across the broad thoroughfare, under which we were probaljly the first to pass. We observed that numerous shrines wei'e illuminated as we drove along the ro.ad from Steyer, and that pictures of the Virgin and Child were displayed in some of the windows, with candles burning be- fore them, although, it being past mid- night, the people were evidently all sound asleep. Knowing that we were in a country intensely Roman Catholic, we supposed that they indicated some Church festival that had passed, but were not well enough posted to know that these were all preparations for the festival of Corpus AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 89 Christi, which was observed as a general holiday throughout Austria on the day of our arrival. At early dawn we were aroused by the sharp rattling of a drum under our win- dow, which passed through the town, being intended to arouse the people for the early morning services. Soon after, a company of volunteer militia, finely uniformed, with a full band, marched past to the church in close proximity to our hotel, to which the people were all moving, with numbers of children dressed in white and wearing on their heads wreaths of flowers. At about eight o'clock, as soon as the services were over, the military, the firemen, children and nuns, and the clergymen in their vest- ments, a scarlet canopy being carried over the head of the officiating priest, moved in procession, followed by the whole pop- ulation, the men and women marching in separate bodies. They passed through all parts of the town, the streets on the whole line of the procession being thickly sti'ewn with fresh-mown hay. Along the fronts of all the houses, limbs of trees were stuck in the ground, and an altar under a canopy of evergreens was erected in close proximity to the floral arch. On the return of the procession, the clergy- men stopped at this altar, and the people knelt whilst mass was said, a choir of singers being present, who took part in the ceremonies. Immediately at the con- clusion of the services, the crowd scram- bled to get possession of pieces of the evergreens that formed the canopy under which the altar was erected. Several volleys of musketry were fired by the soldiers, and the assemblage dispersed. During the march, the throng of men and women following the procession were chanting prayers in a loud voice. THE AUSTRIAN WOMEN. The ceremonies being over, the balance of the day was spent in merry-making, the farmers and their wives and daugh- ters from the country for many miles around having come to town to spend the day. During the afternoon the streets were literally massed with people, the women being all dressed very nearly alike. They had their heads tied up in heavy black silk scarfs or handkerchiefs, the two stiff ends floating like black wings behind them. The hair was en- tirely concealed, and the only ornaments worn were heavy gold ear-rings and breastpins. They all wore either black silk, satin, or velvet coats, some of which were either braided or trimmed with lace. This is the national costume, and it is strictly adhered to throughout this sec- tion of Austria. It seemed singular to see youthful and handsome faces peering out from this gloomy head-gear, and bright laughing eyes sparkling between the sol- emn black wings. The young men ■were all dressed like their fathers, black velvet vests with silver buttons being a distin- guishing feature of their costume. This annual gathering in the streets of Ilall on the festival of Corpus Christi is one upon which fathers and mothers arrange for the marriage of their sons and daughters, and there is a great deal of match-making perfected under the groves lining the main streets of the town. There was no evidence of poverty among them, all seeming to be well-conditioned people. It is also an occasion for the sale and exchange of horses, the purchase of lands, etc., as well as for friemlly inter- course. In number the women largely exceeded the men, and they seemed to be the ruling power in whatever business transactions were in progress. They were all stoat and strong in appear- ance, looking, indeed, as if they had more muscle and strength than the men, and were generally more energetic in their appearance and manner than the sterner sex. Their quilted skirts were largely dis- tended by immense hoops, and some of the younger ones allowed a glimpse of the color and texture of their hair by a rippling wave on their foreheads peep- ing from under the solemn black scarf that bound their heads, whilst others showed the edge of a white collar and light-colored scarf between their chins and the closely-buttoned coats. It Avas evident that vanity is commencing to make inroads on the solemn and funeral garb that has come down to them from their mothers and grandmothers. There could not have been less than two thou- sand of these highly respectable and sub- stantial-looking females, assembled as if in mass-meeting under the linden-trees that form a grove near the centre of the town. Not a loud voice could be heard, and, with the exception of some of the younger lasses chatting with their beaux, the countenances of all seemed as solemn and serious as the outer garb. STRONG-MINDED WOMEN. The women of Austria, in the agricul- tural regions, are, like those of Switzer- land, the master-minds of the family. They are strong-handed and strong- 90 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH minded, and can take care of themselves, and of their husbands also when necessary. They are evidently the " lords of crea- tion" outside of the cities, and need no one to take care of them. There is no labor too hard for them to undertake and perform a full day's work at. Whilst I write, my eye is upon twenty or more of them engaf^ed in the construction of the new Trinkhalls in the rear of the hotel. The Avhole business of mixing and pre- paring the mortar is in the hands of stal- wart women ; the carrying of brick and mortar up the ladders, in tubs balanced on their heads, is being gracefully, and with apparent ease, performed by bright- eyed lassies and their more grave-looking mothers. They work as if they were used to it and liked their vocation, and would scorn to be pitied by what we call the sterner sex. For all that we know, they may be the wives and daughters of the dozen or more automatical-looking men on the scaffolds who are slowly laying the brick and spreading the mortar which are brought to them on the top of the blonde locks or auburn curls of the " gen- tler" sex. That these Avomen should be allowed to vote, and will have the fran- chise whenever it is given to their hus- bands, there is no manner of doubt, and they Avill then virtually have two votes, as no husband in the rural districts of Austria or Switzerland would dare to vote against the sentiments of his wife. In the cities of Austria, such as Vienna, the woman, and especially the wife, is the abject slave of the man. The wife works and toils, and carries on her shoulders all the burdens of the household, whilst the husband spends his leisure hours jovially in the restaurants and cafes. Husbands are scarce in Vienna, and the poor woman who can claim alegal father for her chil- dren thinks she has reached the summit of earthly happiness and is blessed beyond her deserts, let the man to whom she is bound be ever so brutal or worthless. Hall, Austria, June 16, 1873. SUNSHINE. One day of warm sunshine and bright weather has ena])led us to come to the con- clusion that the Springs of Hall are located in the midst ofthemostcharming mountain scenery, and that its natural advantages have been availed of to the greatest possible extent to add to its rural beauty. To the south, the lofty mountains of the Tyrol, Avith their peaks clad in perpetual snow, are distinctly visible, although fifty miles distant, Avhilst range after range of lesser mountains intervene, bright Avith forest foliage. It is the close proximity of these mountains that keeps the climate of Hall always cool during the summer months, and makes a blanket comfortaljle for cov- ering at night, and a shaAvl or overcoat in the evening a necessity even in the month of August. THE WATER CURE. The iodine springs of Hall are famous throughout Germany, and even in Russia and France, for cleansing the blood from all impurities. Some bnth drink and bathe in it, whilst others bathe in it but drink the waters of other springs, which are to be had here in great purity and variety. Must of those who come here do so under orders from their physicians, and are pro- vided with written instructions as to the quantity of water to be drunk, the time of drinking it, and the temperature, time, and duration of the bath. There seems to be a systematic course of treatment as to mineral spring Avaters in Germany, some having instructions to remain at Hall for a certain time and then proceed to some other spring to follow up a similar course with a different character of water. Thus one water is used to prepare the system for the action of another, just as a physi- cian Avill frequently use different kinds of medicines. HALL AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. The village of Hall and its surround- ings contain a population of about tAvo thousand five hundred, most of them be- ing engaged in the keeping of stores and lodgings, and in providing the other usual necessities of a summer resort. During nine months of the yearthey are preparing for their summer harvest ; and the latter three of these nine seem to have been spent in painting and Avhitewashing and otherAvise rendering their habitations bright and cheerful. The village consists principally of one main street, about a half-mile in length, upon Avhich are located all the hotels, the city hall, and the finest of the houses in Avhich furnished lodgings ai"e proA'ided for the summer season. The main street is about tAvo hundred feet Avide, having three rows of broad-leaved horse-chestnut trees doAvn the centre, under the shade of which there are multitudes of seats, and about the centre of the village a music-stand is erected, on which every morning, from eleven to half-past tAvelve o'clock, an ex- cellent band of string and Avind instru- ments, numbering about tAventy per- AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 91 formers, discourses most admirable music. This is located directly iu front of our hotel, and whilst we are writing the band is performing the overture to Der Frei- sch'dtz. This band also performs in the promenade at seven o'clock in the morn- ing, and from six to eight o'clock in the evening. There are also on the main thor- oughfare three handsome fountains. The shady groves around the village are laid out as promenades in every direction, and there are other villages scattered around, within twenty minutes' walk, to which fine gravel-paths lead, where re- freshments, fresh milk, cream, honey, and fruit can be had in abundance. THE GAME TRUMBULO. In the rear of our hotel there is a small shady grove, which in clear weather is used as a place for serving up meals to the guests of the hotel, no one in this country eating or drinking in-doors when the weather permits doing it in so pleas- ant a retreat as this. Here, also, in the afternoons, a variety of amusements are gotten up for the enjoyment of the guests. On Sunday and Thursday after- noons, after dinner, the game of Trumbulo is played here, better known as the game of '' Lotto." The tickets are sold at about ten cents each in our money, and the bag containing the numbers is carried around so that tli-e ladies may draw them. The record of the numbers drawn is kept on a large movable blackboard, and some two hours of amusement is afforded. There are fifteen prizes, in three different grades, consisting of a variety of fancy articles, ladies' fans, etc., all of which are displayed upon a table. It is a game of chance, costing but little and afibrding a fund of amusement. The numbers are called out successively in German, French, and Hungarian. " THE GERMAN" BY GERMANS. There was quite a fine hop on Saturday eveaingin the saloon over the bathing-hall, which was attended by nearly all the visit- ors here, consisting mainly of Germans, with some Russians, Hungarians, and French, and our party of six Americans. The reading and coffee-rooms were also filled by those who did not take part in the dance, showing a larger number of guests than Ave had supposed to be here. The German was danced as only Germans can dance it, and is much more intricate and tortuous than is attempted on our side of the Atlantic. The ladies and gentlemen who took part in it, to the number of nearly one hundred, seemed at times to be wound up into an inextricable knot, but all unraveled in the most easy and graceful manner. The American ladies who participated in the dance returned to their seats almost exhausted by the intri- cate and rapid lesson which they had taken in the "poetry of motion." The etiquette of the ball-room at the German springs is somewhat peculiar. A gentle- man does not wait for an introduction to ask a lady to dance with him, but merely steps up and asks the pleasure of her hand. He is forbidden by etiquette to enter into any conversation with the lady whilst dancing, unless she invites it. At the conclusion of the dance he conducts her to a seat, politely bows, and leaves her. Acquaintances thus made end with the ball, unless invited and encouraged by the lady. Thus much of the difficulty in making up cotillions and quadrilles and furnishing partners is avoided. SUNDAY AT HALL. The only difference between Sunday and other days at this summer resort is, that from six to eight o'clock in the morn- ing the residents are out in their best Sunday attire, going to or coming from church, and a good many people from the country around, having come to the village church, spend the rest of the day viewing the visitors in their prom- enades, among whom there are a prince, several young barons, and two counts and countesses. The sight of one of these has charms unspeakable to the simple peasant. The women have their heads all decked out in their sombre black hand- kerchiefs, with the ends flying, completely hiding their hair, and ail but the lower tips of their ears, from which most of them have quite handsome ear-rings pendent. This has been for centuries the univer- sal head-dress among these people, with whom the bonnet, in all its varied shapes, has never been known. They all wear immense hoops, widely distending their skirts, which was also the fashion here ages before the Empress Eugenie adopted them for the sisterhood of all creation. They have evidently no idea of discarding them, now that they have disappeared from the skirts of the fashionable guests at the hotels, and waddle about with them with the air of peacocks. With such im- mense busts as the peasant ladies have, the hoops seem a very suitable appendage for the continuation of the figure. The short dresses and distending hoops tend to the display of substantial continuations 92 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH and ankles that are more stout than grace- ful and more useful than ornamental. The more youthful of them all have rosy- cheeks, and are pictures of comfort and good health. The orchestral band performed as usual on Sunday at noon, in the centre of the village, and both morning and evening on the promenade. At five in the afternoon the game of Trumbulo was played in the grove, at which there were about two hundred ticket-holders, and the prizes were contended for and distributed. The stores were all open, but the working- people generally suspended labor, and were strolling about and gazing at the fashionably-attired strangers, who, as usual at the summer resorts at home, were promenading in the finest dresses their trunks could furnish. The o])ser- vance of Sunday ends always in most European countries with the close of the morning services, and the rest of the day is devoted to all manner of innocent recreation. There is, however, the most perfect order and quiet, and no excesses of any kind are indulged in, social con- verse being the main feature of the Sab- bath recreation of the Germans. Their fondness for out-door life, which they con- sider eminently conducive to health, at- tracts them to every shady retreat where refreshments can be had, and thus the Sunday is spent. One of the never- failing injunctions of the German physicians to their patients here is, " Never eat in-doors when the weather will permit the taking of your meals in the open air." THE VISITORS. The visitors now here exceed three hun- dred, a goodly number of whom are Hun- garians, Bavarians, Tyrolese, Russians, and French. There are many who are lame, others with diseases of the throat or swellings of the glands, and not a few who are drawn about in chairs on M-heels. The larger portion, however, exhibit no outward evidence of ill-health ; but there are few who do not take the Ijaths or drink the waters. All are supposed to be here for special ailments, and all who remain longer than five days are taxed for their share of the water-expenses, which are collected by the village authorities. The continuous cold Aveather has caused the number of visitors thus far to be unusu- ally small, but to-day has been warm and pleasant, and we are ex]iecting a rapid increase. The money panic at Vienna, whence most of the guests usually come, has also had its effect in rendering the season thus far very unprofitable to the hotel-keepers. THE PROMENADE. The scene on the promenade in front of the bathing-house last evening whilst the band was performing was very inter- esting. All the visitors were here assem- bled, either strolling thi-ough the avenues or sitting around at the tables sipping their cofl'ee, whilst the country-lolks were gathered at the outskirts, viewing the scene. All nations were here represented, and the variety of tongues, and the varied toilets of the ladies, added to the novelty of the scene. It was probably the hist time when America had been so strongly represented, we at present numbering eight, having two new recruits in the persons of Mr. and Mrs. Kahler, from San Francisco. As we moved around on the promenade, it was evident that we excited something of a sensation, and we were consequently all on our good be- havior, feeling that we had the national reputation to sustain. The country-people especially seemed to be greatly interested in us, as coming from a part of the world where so many of their friends and coun- trymen have settled, and to which many of them are contemplating an early emi- gration. THE AUSTRIAN-GERMAN. Among our guests are quite a number of the business-men of Vienna. The Austrian-German, as developed in Vi- enna, is as essentially different in his habits of life from the Prussian-German as the French are from the English. It is from Northern Germany that most of the emigrants to the United States come, and with the economical and thrifty habits of these we are all familiar. They, as we know, are industrious, prudent, economi- cal, and careful of their earnings, and are not given to speculation or the running of dangerous risks. The Viennese Aus- trian, on the contrary, thinks only of " the day, and takes no heed for the morrow." Life to him is a game of chance, and he takes the prizes or the blanks as a part of the lottery. He works and schemes and speculates with all the energy of a Wall-Street broker, and spends his gains as freely as if they had come to him without eflbrt on his part. When adversity comes, he strug- gles manfully against it, and dreads more the loss of position, which wealth gives him, than the loss of money. The nu- merous suicides which accompanied the AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 93 recent financial troubles in Vienna were of those whose reputed wealtli fjave them the entree to the palaces of royalty. The thousands who lost all merely shrugged their shoulders and have gone to work, scheming and speculating, and confident that the next turn of the wheel will bring them to the top again. A Vienna banker now here, whose fortune was swept away, remarked to me to-day that he had a few thousand guilders left, and would resume business in the fall, confi- dent of recovering his losses during the winter. But these characteristics pervade all grades of life in the cities. All are given to speculation and a desire to accu- mulate money rapidly, and take but little care of it when they are successful. The purchase of lottery-tickets and lottery- policies SAveeps ofl" the earnings of the working-people, while the traffic in fancy stocks is indulged in by all who have accumulated a few hundred guilders. Where so much money is lost, a great deal must be won, and there are con- sequently numbers of millionaires in Vienna whose equipages and villas com- pare favorably with those of royalty, and there are always enough at the top of the ladder to make up for those who lose their hold and fall to the ground. Those who have money, however, spend it freely, and live a life of reckless jollity. A man's wealth is often estimated in Vienna by the number of mistresses he keeps, and by the magnificence of their equipages, diamonds, and dresses. VICE IN THE CITIES. There is no other city in the world, not even Paris, that can rival the metropolis of Austria in sensuality and immorality, and in these respects there is a universality of sentiment that is quite remarkable. There are no establishments in Vienna, however, like those which have proved such a nuisance to the citizens of the Eastern School District of Baltimore, for the reason that professionals of that class do not exist there. There are, in short, no flaunting courtesans in Vienna, as are to be seen on the streets of Paris, or even in New York or Baltimore. Where virtue is such a rarity there is no opportunity for making a specialty of vice, and it has no special locality. In this respect Vienna Avould appear to the casual vis- itor more free from this species of social evil than any other large city in the world ; but a visit to the foundling hospital, where upon an average about forty in- fants are received daily, or to the general hospital, where the illegitimate births ave- rage thirty a day, shows the pre-eminence of Vienna over all other cities in the world. There are twenty thousand soldiers always in the city, mostly young men from the pro- vinces, Avho could not marry if they would, and would not if they could. They have no means to support a wife, and seldom have money sufiicient to pay the Church char- ges for the performance of the marriage ceremony. They can be seen in crowds with the young girls on the Ringstrasse and the Prater. They form attachments, but are never expected to marry. Their example is followed by the young men in other walks of life, and we are told that there are fewer marriages in Vienna than in almost any other city of one-third the population. There seems to be no attempt made by the authorities or by the Church to remedy this evil, which has become so universal that, among the laboring classes especially, there are few mothers who have husbands. VIRTUE IN THE RURAL DISTRICTS. Whilst this is the condition of aSairs in all the large cities of Austria, virtue is the rule and vice the exception in the rural districts. There are no more vir- tuous people in the world than the agri- culturists of Austria. They are indus- trious, cleanly, and temperate, and it would be difficult to find a people any- where, male and female, whose personal appearance gives more complete assurance of the possession of all these virtues. They are all robust in health, physically strong, comfortably but plainly attired, remarkable for cleanliness, and seem both happy and contented. They come to town in good carriages, drawn by strong and well-fed horses, ^nd no country can pre- sent a finer peasantry. To expect lewd- ness among such a people M'Ould be like looking for it in a Shaker settlement. The formers' daughters dress precisely as their mothers do, nothing but solemn black being allowed. Indeed, if there is any difference it is in the quality of the silk, satin,, or velvet, and the mother is always clad in the more costly raiment. The young men are also dressed like their fathers, and their strong limbs and ruddy faces indicate that they have been brought up to work. They are never seen about the towns except on Church holidays, and they participate in the ceremonies with an earnestness and enthusiasm that are not to be seen among the young men of the cities. They are all given a limited 94 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH education ; they are at least taught to read and write, and occasionally the most precocious of them are sent to col- lege. They are compelled to serve three years in the army, and whatever vices they may have contracted during their service must be abandoned on their return to the family homestead. BIRDS OF GER5{ANY, The birds of Germany, like the crows of Ireland, are the pets of the people, both in the city and the country. They are protected by law ; but no law is needed for their protection. They are so tame that many of them build their nests inside of the houses, and are never dis- turbed by old or young. Throw down a few crumbs, and they will come doAvn from the trees and almost eat out of your hand. The consequence is that fruit- gi'owers never suffer from the invasion of worms, and the plum and damson, which have almost disappeared from our mar- kets, grow here to the greatest perfection. The holidays are not distinguished, as they are with us, by a throng of boys and men with shot-guns pouring into the country and slaying out of mere wanton- ness the feathery tribe, which are regarded here as the most efficient co-laborers to the agriculturist. GERMAN TEMPERANCE. Horace Maynard, in his address before the managers of the Harlem Inebriate Asylum of Baltimore, alluded, I see, to the baneful effect of that social sentiment in America which regai-ds a refusal to accept an invitation to drink as a cause of personal offense, whilst a refusal to take a cigar or to eat is not so regarded. This is un- doubtedly the foundation of intemperance ; but it has no existence in Germany. No one here invites or urges another man to drink with him or at his expense. Men sit down and drink together, as a general rule ; but no man pays for what the other drinks unless that other is too poor to pay for it himself. Each drinks as many glasses as he may desire, and when the waiter comes for the money each pays for what he has drunk. According to our sys- tem, if a half-dozen men sit down to drink, each one must treat in his turn, and thus each must drink six times, whether he desires it or not. It is thus that drunkards are made and fortunes are ac- quired by tavern-keepers. If it were not for our system of " treating," excessive drinking would not be so common, and inebriate asylums would be as unnecessary as they are here. Nothing stronger than beer or wine finds any sale, and even this is drunk in moderation. It is not gulped down, but drunk slowly, or rather sipped, whilst eating. If you desired to offend a German you could not accomplish it more successfully than by insisting on paying for what he has drunk or eaten at the same table with you. " Do you wish to insvilt me?" would be the exclamation that would greet you on the introduction of such an American idea at the social board in Ger- many. WEALTH OF THE CHURCH. The Catholic Church in Austria is al- most the only Church, except in the Hun- garian portion of the empire, although full liberty in religion is granted to every one of late years. Hungary is Protestant, and Hungary is the heart of the present Aus- trian Empire, and to satisfy Hungary all the barriers against religious freedom have been swept away. The Catholic Church is, however, the great land- and property- holder of the nation, and from its income could pay the interest on the national debt without seriously feeling it financially. A fine property is seldom offered for sale that the Church is not the purchaser, even to dwelling-houses in Vienna. We have been surprised very often, whilst passing through the country, to find such immense possessions pointed out to us as belonging to the Church, and in Vienna we have been assured that nearly one-tenth of the popu- lation reside in houses which are the prop- erty of the Church. Among these Church houses in Vienna are several covering en- tire blocks, in which the number of people who are residents ranges from twelve to twenty-eight hundred, all occupying sep- arate suites of rooms or renting furnished apartments. EXTREME POLITENESS. We have before noticed the extreme po- liteness of the Austrians, which we find to be as general in the country as among the Viennese. A nod of recognition is not sufficient, but you are deemed rude and unmannerly if the hat is not raised clear from the head every time you pass any one to whom you have been introduced. The people of the village are equally per- sistent in the exchange of bows ; whilst the waiters, chambermaids, and everybody about the hotels make a set bow to their guests every time they pass them. " To . do as the Germans do," every one must 1 1 constantly be on the qui vim to return T ' a salutation with the same measure of AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 95 politeness with Tvhich it is given. Even at the store of the village apothecary you are expected to uncover on entering, re- turn the polite bow of the proprietor and his clerks, and keep your hat off until you make your bow on retiring. GERMAN SUMMER RESORTS. We have during our journeying had some experience at German watering- S laces, and especially at the Iodine _prings of Hall, which we have made a resting-place, as a point where we could always find a cool atmosphere, and some kind friends who are availing themselves of the use of its waters. Whilst Baden- Baden had the attractions of its gambling- saloons, people went there who were not sick. It was a place for frolic and fun and gambling; but it has now, like all the rest of the German springs, become almost exclusively the resort of those who are suffering from some of the ailments that " flesh is heir to." European tour- ists always stopped to see life at the Ger- man springs, but life has suddenly gone out of those resorts. At Hall we have hops, music on the promenade, theatricals, Hellman the magician, etc. The lame and the halt are the spectators at the balls, and those whose ailments do not interfere with their locomotion help to make up the quadrilles. But one-half of the visitors have their jaws tied up, a goodly portion are wheeled about in chairs, and some hobble along with crutches and canes. This is the case at most of the summer resorts of Germany, and those who pro- fess to have come for the " fun of the thing" are laughed at. The first question of a new acquaintance is, " What is the matter with you ?" The presence of Americans who profess to be sound is a marvel to the ailing visitors. A young Baltimorean who asserted that he came for the " fun of the thing" was caught drinking the waters the other morning, and, in response to a query of doubt, re- plied that he wished to see if it would not make his moustache grow. However, a visit to these resorts of the suffering and afflicted is apt to cause a feeling of thank- fulness among those who are enjoying good health and who have the full use of their limbs and faculties. Is is sad to see the number of children here who have been sufferers from their cradles, many of them prostrate and helpless at an age when all should be life, joy, and activity. No one is allowed to drink the " iodine water," or to take a bath, without a pre- scription from the physician. This, of itself, will show how few visit these springs who are not compelled to do so under the direction of their physicians. Singular as it may seem, most of those who are here for medical treatment are in the spring-tide of life, and the place is not without gaj'^ety and amusement. Hall being ten thousand feet above the level of the sea, with snow-clad mountains glittering in the sun in the distance, the summer solstice is disarmed of its powers, and whilst the heat of Vienna, a hundred miles distant, is reported as almost un- bearable, we are only comfortable in woolen clothing. THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. Among the guests at Hall are quite a number of Russian and Austrian children, nearly all of whom can speak the English language. This is the case especially with the Russian and North German children. They are in charge of govern- esses, and t^eir general conversation is in English, though they speak French and their native tongues also. A little Rus- sian here, not five years of age, speaks very correctly in English, French, and Russian. We were astonished a day or two since at hearing a voice under our window exclaiming, " William, if you do not come here this minute I will tell your mother." The children are taught to speak English, although their parents have no knowledge of the language. This would indicate that the next gener- ation will at least speak our language more extensively than the present does. So much for President Grant's prediction. THE USE OF TOBACCO. We have been rather surprised to find SO few persons smoking pipes in Austria. Indeed, a pipe is very seldom seen ex- cept among the laboring classes. The favorite mode of using the weed here is in cigai'ettes, almost every gentleman being provided with a silver box, which contains Turkish tobacco and small slips of paper with mucilage on them, ready for rolling. They make them as they use them, and are very expert in the handling of the tobacco. The chewing of tobacco is universally repudiated, being regarded as the height of vulgarity. The Turkish tobacco is of fine flavor, and commands high prices. It is very much in appearance like the fine-cut chewing- tobacco so extensively used at home. The cigars made by the Austrian govern- ment, which are the only description to be had, are very inferior, and it is not to 96 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH be wondered at that the cigarette is so generally used in preference. The smok- ing of cigarettes by ladies is quite com- mon, especially among the higher classes. [The following letters were written a short time before the famous gamViling- saloons were closed. These saloons must have been the main attraction of Baden, as its numerous hotels are now nearly empty, and many of them closed.] BADEN-BADEN. gambling as a science. Hotel d'Angleteree, Baden-Baden, August 18, 1872. We left Geneva at noon on Saturday, after four days very pleasantly spent in that beautiful city, en route for the great German springs of Baden-Baden. The distance being rather great for one day's journey, we divided it by stopping over- night at the beautiful town of Neufchatel, on the Lake of Neufchatel, where we ar- rived about six o'clock in the evening. Like all Swiss towns, it is famous for its hotels, and the Mont Blanc, at which we spent the night, is one of the most ele- gant houses we hav^ seen in Switzerland, it appears to have been constructed re- gardless of expense, and in all its ap- pointments and furniture is equal to the finest of the New York hotels. Neufchatel is beautifully situated on the slope of the Jura mountain, and is immediately on the lake, rendering it a delightful place for a few days' sojourn. The excursions into the mountains are very fine. TO BADEN-BADEN. Being desirous always to spend Sun- day, or at least as much as possible of it, in an important place, we determined to push on with our journey, so as to reach the famous watering-place of Baden-Ba- den as early as possible on Sunday. Leaving Neufchatel at seven o'clock in the morning, we hoped to reach our des- tination early in the afternoon, but it was six o'clock in the evening before we ar- rived. It Avas the most difficult day's travel Ave have yet encountered, having had to change cars six times during the journey, and, the orders being given in German, we were constantly upon the alert lest we should find ourselves oS" the route. At Basle, on passing from Switzerland to Germany, we not only had our luffiraffe examined, but were trans- ported from one depot to another, about three miles across the city, in omnibuses. We came to the conclusion that it would be a blessing to travelers if a Tom Scott should turn up here who would contrive to consolidate their roads and run through trains. It was a long and tedious jour- ney, but nothing of interest occurred on the route. On the Swiss side of the line musical societies, with their bands and banners, were arriving and departing from the different stations. BADEN-BADEN ON SUNDAY. It was almost dark in the evening by the time we had secured quarters, which was only done after application at three diiierent hotels. We made our first move- ment on the streets of Baden-Baden just as the lamps were being lit, leisurely strolling along in front of the principal hotels. We were musing upon the simi- larity of the scene to that presented at Saratoga on a summer evening, when, turning a bend on the street, there sud- denly appeai-ed to our vision one of the most brilliant gas-light scenes we have ever witnessed. It had become quite dark by this time, and the lights were all ablaze in every direction, but immediately before us the profusion of gas was almost dazzling, and was shining upon an assem- blage of not less than ten thousand people, male and female, who Avere congregated around an immense palatial building with Corinthian columns, from every door and window of Avhich Avere streaming rays of light. Directly in front of the centre of this building stood a temple or pagoda, somewhat similar in shape to the music pagoda at Druid Hill, but made of iron, and light and graceful in its pro- portions. In the centre of this pagoda hung a single chandelier, Avith nearly one hundred lights, and between every two pillars was a very large glass globe, con- taining several gas-jets. A band of fully sixty performers was stationed in the pagoda, playing, as we approached, the concert being interspersed Avith occasional solo performances by distinguished artists. The front of this structure is fully three times the breadth of the mansion at Druid Ilill, and both inside and outside, to the extent of several hundred yards each way, Avas a mass of jieoide, either seated or walking, through which it was difficult to make one's Avay. Immediately in front of the building thousands of ladies and gentlemen were taking refresh- ments, furnished from an elegant restau- rant located in the farther end of the AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 97 building, whilst an extensive array of ladies, flashing with diamonds, were seated under the porticoes, and conversing with groups of gentlemen congregated around them. This of course proved to be the famous Conmrsationshaus,ov more properly speak- ing, the great gambling-house of Baden- Baden, the most splendid establishment of the kind in the world. Immediately to the right of the grand promenade in front of the building were two rows of stores, probably numbering a hundred, all of which, notAvithstanding it was Sun- day evening, were open, and their goods displayed under a full blaze of gas-light. They consisted of such fancy and jewelry stores as we usually find at watering- places, and people were strolling around and making purchases. The outdoor scene was undoubtedly very brilliant, the grounds and gardens in front being also interspersed with numerous gas-lights and thronged with pi'omenaders. THE GAMBLING SCENE, We finally made our way into the building, and found the immense assem- bly-room in the centre thronged with most respectable and decorous people, and a large number of men in showy liverjr, with breeches and knee-buckles, running about. The gentlemen were all required to take off their hats upon enter- ing, and if they failed to do so one of the attendants would politely jog them on the elbow with an invitation to remove their chapeau. Profound silence was main- tained, and groups of ladies and gentle- men were reclining on ottomans near the windows, listening to the exquisite music of what is said to be the finest band in the world. We had no thought of find- ing gambling in progress on Sunday even- ing, but observing at the upper end of the room a table about thirty feet long, with a throng of men and women around it, three or four deep, we made our Avay towards it. Here we found four elegantly- dressed gentlemen sitting on either side of the centre of the table. One was turn- ing the roulette-wheel, and the other three were paying the losses or hauling in the winnings of the bank, from piles of gold and silver heaped up before them. They each had a stick with a wooden block upon the end, with which they pushed the losses to the throngs of players, or hauled in their winnings. Numerous similar sticks were lying around the table, which the players used in pushing their money to the figure or color on which they desired to bet, 7 or in hauling in their winnings. The inner line of players around the table, among whom were seven females, were seated in chairs. The outside players would occasionally lay down a five-franc piece, which is the smallest sum allowed to be bet. Some of those on the inner circle at times bet qviite heavily, as high as five or ten napoleons on a figure or color, and, so far as our observation went, the bank was largely the winner. The female players all showed their feelings in their countenances, but most of the men re- minded one of the automaton chess- player ; their countenances were immova- ble and stolid to a degree that was most remarkable. Whether winning or losing, they made no sign of feeling. After viewing this novel scene for some time, we passed into an adjoining room, and here found a second table, thronged with players at roulette in full blast, some bet- ting gold and others silver. In the rear, to the right of this room, was a third roulette-taljle. similar to the other two. surrounded with players and spectators. The women betting at these tables were more numerous than the men. and most of them invariably bet gold. They were nearly all elderly women, elegantly dressed, with a profusion of diamonds. I observed one young man, with his bride at his side, betting very heavily, and in- variably losing. When his j^urse was empty she drew forth hers and placed a pile of gold in his hand. He played on, and tliis was soon gone also, when, taking his wife's arm, they both walked off as cheerful, apparently, as if their losings had been so many grains of corn. But many have left these tables at night, making no sign of feeling or remorse, to blow their brains out before morning. ROUGE-ET-NOIR. Observing a fourth one of these elegant apartments to be pretty well thronged, we entered there also, and found the game of rouge-et-noir progressing. This is played by the dealing out of seven cards, the players betting on certain numbers on the table on either side of the dealers. The same throng of players, male and female, were here also, and the same surrounding of spectators, some of whom would occasionally make a bet. Our attention was attracted to a young man who was standing next to the inner line of players, with the most immovable countenance. He was not over twenty- five years of age, and whilst the others seemed to be playing and betting at hap- 98 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH hazard, his whole mind was upon the game. He aloce seemed to be playing upon system, and, whilst others were nearly always losing, he was continually drawing in his winnings. His whole mind was so intent upon the game that he noticed nothing that was going »n around him. He had no eyes for any- thing but the table or the player. An old lady who was sitting near him had lost everything, when her attention was at- tracted by his success. She had risen up to retire, when she borrowed a five-franc piece from a woman behind her, and, re- suming her seat, pushed the coin towards the young man, asking him to bet for her. He pushed it back to her without a word or a gesture, and went on with his playing. The woman behind whispered to her, and she then commenced to bet just as he bet, and to win just as he won. An hour afterwards, as we passed through this room, the silent man was betting and Avinning, and the woman availing herself of his luck, or his skill in playing, we wei-e unable to decide which. Certainly he must have won many thousands of francs during the evening, unless his luck deserted him at a later hour. The other players were so intent on their own bettings that they did not note this little side-game that was in progress. Our impression was that he had discovered that the best plan was to place his money where no one else was betting, and where the bank would lose the least by allowing him to win. Sometimes, at the last moment, he would push his money from one point to an- other, and the woman would imitate him, always with success. FIRST IMPRESSIONS. Whilst all this gambling was progress- ing inside the hall, it attracted no atten- tion from the great mass of people assem- bled who were sitting around the balconies in conversation, or promenading. Those who were looking on seemed, like our- selves, mostly strangers, and the betters may possibly also have been the green- horns of the same class. It was altogether a novel scene, and a most brilliant one in all its surroundings. Meantime the band was performing the most artistic music, and occasionally round after round of applause would greet its rendering of favorite airs. The whole mass of visitors to Baden-Baden undoubtedly were here assembled to spend the evening, and there could not have been less than ten thou- sand. Baden-Baden, August 19, 1872. Baden-Baden is described in the guide- books as the greatest and most famous watering-place in the world. It may possibly be the greatest in Europe, but it cannot in any respect be compared with Saratoga. It is beautifully located in a mountain valley, and is at all times cool and pleasant, with a temperature seldom exceeding eighty degrees. It has all the accessories of fine drives and walks and shady retreats, but its waters are nothing better than can be obtained at home from the spout of a tea-kettle with a little fire- under it. A drink of hot water upon an empty stomach has been discovered by the German doctors to have the same good efiects as one drawn from the springs of Baden. We went up this morning at seven o'clock to the Trinkhalle, where the water is conducted from the springs in pipes, and where the people go to drink it. We did not find a dozen persons there, and those were mostly old people who are endeavoring to cheat old Time out of his dues. We tasted the water, and it was hot, decidedly hot, and the steam was ascending from the stone basin into which it was running. Most of those who were drinking stirred something in it from a paper which they brought with them, and others mixed it with liquid from a bottle. Whether they were mak- ing hot whisky punches or merely en- deavoring to make the hot water more palatable we do not know ; but very few drank it simple and pure as we tasted it. THE BADEN HOTELS. We expected to find the hotels here something superior to anything in Europe, but in size and appearance, and all their appointments, the best of them are scarce- ly up to the second-class hotels to be found all over Switzerland. There can- not be said to be more than three first-class houses here, and they are not, all com- bined; as large as the Metropole in Ge- neva. Congress Hall and the Union, at Saratoga, can accommodate more than all the hotels, large and small, in Baden. The number of visitors here this season, up to this seventeenth day of August, is just forty thousand. None of the hotels here are more than three or four stories high, and there is not an elevator in the place. There is a stream of water run- ning down from the springs through a walled-up sluice passing through the city, which borders the grand thoroughfare on which the Trinkhalle, the Conversations- haus, and the nrincipal hotels are located. AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 99 This street, with its dense foliage of shade- trees and vines, is very beautiful ; but the back streets, upon which no hotels are located, have very few attractions. They are narrow and winding, and plentifully supplied with small stores and restaur- ants. The local population is about six thousand, and, including the boarding- houses, there is accommodation at anyone time for more than a thousand strangers. THE SPRINGS " HELL." That portion of the city in which the springs are located is called by the people " Hell." The hot springs ai'e thirteen in number, the principal one being of a tem- perature of 153° Fahr. The water is very clear and tasteless, but has rather a dis- agreeable smell when it first issues from the springs. It is said by some to taste like weak broth ; but we could discover nothing but the ordinary taste of hot water, though we all imbibed it very sparingly. The chemists say that its quality is saline, with a mixture of muri- atic and carbonic acid and small portions of silex and oxide of iron. A building is erected over the principal spring, but we could not see that any one was troub- ling the waters. It is conveyed from the springs in pipes to numerous bath-houses, which are very complete in all their ar- rangements. Hot baths could be had, heated from the fires below, in either Turkish or Christian style. They do not seem to be much attended, the whole rush of the town being to the Conversations- haus, where from two to eleven o'clock P.M. all the visitors to Baden seem to have congregated in and about it, old and young, grave and gay. Those who don't play seem to like to look on, whilst others are attracted by the music, or come to see the throng who congregate here daily. It is a beautiful spot, and would, with its accessories, prove an endless attraction anywhere. Its broad portico, lofty ceil- ings, splendidly decorated walls, its bril- liant chandeliers, the main one with over three hundred lights ; its abundance of chairs, sofas, and ottomans, and every ap- pliance of comfort ; its free open-air con- certs, its shady walks and promenades, all combine to make it the most perfect temple for the pleasures of life that could be devised. Here idlers, pleasure-seek- ers, and invalids from all parts of the world are congregated, and the fools with more money than brains come to Baden to try their luck. Last week the Prussian Minister was here, and lost seventeen thousand dollars at one sitting. THE GAMBLING-HOUSE. The Conversationshaus or gambling- house of Baden is undoubtedly the great attraction of this place. Without it, — and the law for its abolishment will go into force at the close of the present season, — Baden will no longer attract visitors from all parts of the world. There is nothing in its waters to attract, and nothing in its mountain scenery that is not far excelled at Interlaken and other places in Switzerland. But it is not alone the gambling that attracts, but the ad- juncts of the establishment, — its extensive reading-room, supplied with all the papers of Europe, its fine music, its spacious and elegantly furnished halls for conver- sation and social intercourse, its shady walks, its theatre, concert-hall, and ball- room, all of which are part and parcel of this great gambling establishment, out of the profits of which these attractions are furnished, and are free to the visitors of Baden. This banking-house is the property of one man, and all the ele- gantly-attired operators at the tables are his employed clerks. For the exclusive privilege of keeping a gambling-house in Baden he contracted to furnish all these adjuncts to his establishment, and he has foithfully adhered to his contract. The band performs three times a day, from seven to eight o'clock in the morning, from three to four in the afternoon, and a regular concert at night, commencing at eight o'clock and closing at half-past ten. The performei's are all solo artists, and many of them are at high salary. The players and cashiers at the tables number over fifty, there being two sets for each table, and the liveried attendants are at least fifty more. It is their duty to furnish seats and cards for the players, take charge of their coats, shawls, and parasols, and to preserve order and de- corum in and around the building and grounds. Over the Corinthian columns in front of the main entrance is the word "Conversation" carved in stone, but it should be "the hall of silence." With more than a hundred persons sitting and standing around each of the four tables in the four largest rooms, everything is so profoundly quiet that, were it not for the lowly-uttered announcement of the game, a person blindfolded might suppose the rooms to be empty. All conversation is conducted in the lowest whisper, and the players never exchange words with each other. The pliiying commences at eleven o'clock in the morning, and closes 100 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH promptly at eleven o'clock at night, the game going on without the slightest in- terruption for twelve hours. GAMBLING SCENES. We spent several hours yesterday in the vicinity of the gaming-tables, and watched the game and the players very closely. Our conclusions were that the jjrolits of each of these four tables were not less than five thousand dollars for the day, or twenty thousand dollars for the whole. The con- stant change that is going on among the players indicates that the losses of each are comparatively light, and that the number of players at each table during the day is probably several hundred. Every moment some one draws off and leaves, with his money all gone, endeav- oring to conceal the chagTin which is too apparent to one who closely watches his countenance. His place is imme- diately taken Ijy another, who in his turn is cleaned out and departs. Some of the players bring large amounts of gold with them and play heavily, betting from fifty to one hundred dollars on each deal of the cards or turn of the wheel. These we closely watched, and saAV the last gold coin depart. Some, as their stock became low, would send for more ; but most of them withdrew, assuming a careless and nonchalant air. As we passed around among the tables it frequently happened that scarcely any who had been playing a half-hour previous remained, their places being filled by new aspirants for fortune's favors. At some of the tables mothers and their daughters were playing side by side ; at others, husband and wife, and lover and betrothed. It was curious to watch their rising and falling fortunes. In numer- ous instances we witnessed wives en- deavoring to draw their husbands away from the table ; but the etiquette of the gambling-saloon required that it should be done by si'gns rather than by words. In one case the wife stood by with trem- bling lips and watched her infatuated hus- band lose a handful of gold coin, until the last one had slipped through his fin- gers. He then rose, and they walked quietly away arm in arm. In about ten minutes they returned, and the husband took his seat at the table with about thirty gold coins in his hand. He played wildly, laying down from three to five coins. at each bet, and when he won he would leave the whole amount on the number. Finally they were all gone but three, and both seemed in great distress. The wife leaned over her husband's shoul- der and whispered something in his ear, when he handed her the three coins and left, she taking his seat. She played cau- tiously, and gradually won, having, when we last saw her, about forty napoleons in her hand. The sign of sorrow on her countenance had departed, and she was looking around for the return of her hus- band. Whether she withdrew before her luck changed we do not know, but an hour after, when we returned to the table, neither husband nor wife was there. The young man whom we left at the table on the previous night with his pock- ets full of gold that he had won, was not to be seen about the saloons to-day. Whether he continued to play and lost, or whether he retired with his winnings, we do not know ; but, as it was near the closing hour, the latter is most likely. The woman who retrieved her fortune by following and imitating his bets was, however, early on hand yesterday morn- ing, and was very flush. We passed the table several times during the afternoon, and she was still playing ; but on our re- turn after tea she was sitting on one of the sofas, her countenance too plainly indicating the result of her day's venture. Several times she held up her fan before her face to conceal the act of wiping away her tears ; and this was but one of several similar instances that passed under our observation. Several old men, bent and decrepit with age, maintained their seats nearly all day. They never bet more than one dollar, and their losses were con- sequently light, but we saw them fre- quently hand in notes to be changed. In- dependently of those who would sit down regularly to play, there was a constant throng of men and women, standing two or three deep, who would occasionally venture a dollar, and, losing two or three, would depart, wiser if not wealthier. In a game of chance those who are look- ing on can generally see more of the game than the players. Those who were play- ing and losing doubtless thought that others around them were winning ; but we feel confident that not a man or a wo- man of the thousands venturing on these tables did not leave with less money than they brought with them. Men who win money at gambling never stop playing ; those who lose all must stop. Several times we picked out a player who had a large sum of money piled up before him, and watched his varying fortunes.and his pile. Invariably the pile decreased, and invariably the player retired. The AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 101 ■women seemed to be the most persistent, and several times we observed them return with more money, to endeavor to recover their losses. Still, all was quiet as death in the hall and around the tables, not a word being uttered, except the announce- ments of the games. AN HOUR IN THE TEMPLE OF SILENCE THE ATTRACTIONS OF BADEN. Baden-Baden, August 21, 1872. Everybody has heard of Baden-Baden and its attractions and peculiarities, though but few have any idea of the sin- gular scenes hourly presented. There are not many Americans here, and of these very few approach the gaming-tables otherwise than as spectators. Some of them occasionally throw down a dollar, lose it, and depart ; but among the per- sistent players we have not yet seen either an American or an Englishman. The mass of players, male and female, are Germans, with a few French ; and, from the fact that fathers frequently have their sons by their sides trying their luck, and mothers their daughters, it is evident that they do not regard gambling in the same light that American mothers and fathers generally do. They may possibly be "showing them the folly of it," but their manner would seem to indicate a desire to inculcate a love for '• the little joker." The temptation to take a 'chance is un- doubtedly very great, especially when the players happen to be winning freely, as of course sometimes is the case. We saw a young man to-day, who had been look- ing on for some time, lay down a five- hundred-franc note. In an instant it was doubled. lie still left the whole amount on the table, and in a half-minute more his five hundred francs were increased to two thousand. He deliberately put the money in his pocket and left, having in two minutes won three hundred dollars. Had he remained ten minutes longer, ten chances to one he would have been pen- niless. " ROUGE-ET-NOIR." This is the favorite game of all the heavy players. At these tables the prin- cipal betting is with gold. It often hap- pens that several thousand francs are on the table at one time. The heavy players are generally elderly men, who go on playing as if it were the business of their life, and, so far as the countenance or manner would indicate, show not the slightest interest as to whether they win or lose. AVe saw an old gentleman to- day, who had played heavily and lost his last napoleon, get up from the table, quietly draw out his box and take a pinch of snuff, then, taking up his hat and smoothing it with his silk handker- chief, move otf towards the door. He had evidently lost more than a thousand dollars ; but there was not the slightest indication in his manner that it troubled him in the least. The elderly female players also prefer rouge-et-noir, and seldom approach the roulette-tables, where the younger ladies generally congregate and bet their five- franc pieces. The latter play very cau- tiously, and are not generally so success- ful in concealing their emotions as the elderly ladies. They are compelled by the rules to maintain absolute silence ; but their countenances are apt to betray their feelings. Rouge-et-noir is played with cards, which are handled only by the dealer. lie has four packs of cards carefully shuf- fled together, and cut by the players. The betting is made upon squares and diamonds on the green baize tables, and when he deals out nine, and sometimes ten or twelve, cards, the result of the bets is in some instances very decided, most of the betters either losing all or doubling their money. It does not require a half- minute to settle each game, and the board is swept by either the bank or the player at least sixty times per hour. As the game continues without the slightest in- termission from eleven o'clock in the morning until eleven at night, there must be over seven hundred games played at each table during the twelve hours. There are seats for eighteen players, one dealer, and three bankers, at each of the rouge-et-noir tables, whilst there are rows of spectators and occasional betters surrounding the table three or four deep. The occasional betters are tempted by degrees to venture more deeply, and when those that are seated retire they take their places. There is never any scarcity of players, as a crowd is always on hand waiting for the bank to open at eleven o'clock. This morning, ten minutes after the opening all the tables Avere in full blast, the seats filled, and a circle three or four deep formed around them. THE ROULETTE-TABLES. The roulette-tables have four bankers, one of whom turns the wheel, and two men seated at each end of the table, who see that the bets are all properly laid and generally superintend the game. 102 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH These tables seat about eighteen players, whilst those among the spectators who occasionally make a venture are much more numerous than at the rouge-et-noir tables. "Whilst the betting is not so heavy, the number who play is considerably larger. The bankers each have before them long rolls of silver five-franc pieces, and rolls of gold in sealed packages, — twenty- five napoleons in each. We should judge there are not less than twenty thousand dollars on each table, and al- though they are constantly changing notes for the players, which go into boxes, their stock of coin never appears to diminish. The bankers are relieved every two hours, others taking their places, and the game goes steadily on without the slightest intermission. In this game, by placing the money in certain ways the winner receives several times as much as he lays down, but most of the bets are merely to duplicate the sum mentioned. No one is allowed to play who is not of mature age, unless accompanied by his or her parents, which, singular to say, is very often the case. Husband and wife sitting side by side and playing, he with gold, and she with silver, can be seen at all times at all the tables. Last evening the tables were more densely crowded than at any time during our visit. A grand concert was in pro- gress on the lawn in front, which drew an immense assemblage, but the yjlaj^ers heeded not the outdoor attraction, con- tenting themselves with listening to it at a distance. The betting, as usual at night, was heavier, and we could not dis- cover that any one was winning. Not one of those whom we left at the tables before supper was there on our return. THE TEMPLE OF SILENCE. "What strikes the stranger as most sin- gular is the extreme order that is pre- served in every part of the building. On entering the outer colonnade a notice meets his eye to the eifect that gentlemen must not smoke. If he fails to regard the notice one of the liveried attendants politely calls his attention to it. On entering the door he finds a large as- semblage of ladies and gentlemen, the latter with their hats off, either sitting on the sofas or moving about as quietly as if they were in the house of death. A little stretch of the imagination might conceive that the silent throng bending 9ver the long table at the other end of the room were surrounding and paying the last tribute to the lamented dead. No one for a moment, unaware of the fact, could possibly conceive that he was in a gambling-saloon, and that these silent people were all intent upon win- ning money at a game of chance. Passing into the next room, and the next, and the next, a repetition of this scene is pre- sented, amid the most solemn silence. People appear to walk upon their tip- toes, as not the slightest shuffling is to be heard, and when conversing, do so in the lowest possible whisper. Order and quiet are here more strictly observed than in the churches, and were it not for the gay scene by which one is surrounded, the strains of music from the band outside, the frescoed walls, lace curtains, gilded ceilings, and brilliant chandeliers, the voice of Brother Slicer, " Brethren, let us pray," might not sound altogether out of place. The reading-room at the upper end of the grand saloon is fitted up in the most elegant style, and is always thronged with both gentlemen and ladies. On the long table which passes through the centre of the room are to be found files of all the principal papers of the continent of Europe, carefully arranged, as well as those of London and New York. The table is surrounded by elegant easy-chairs, and along the walls sofas and divans are ar- ranged for the ease and comfort of visitors. The reading-room is brilliantly lit up at night, and, enter it when you will, there is always a full attendance of visitors poring over the papers. The cafe at the opposite end of the building is very extensive and finely conducted, and a great number of the boarders at the hotels take their meals here in preference. There is also a coat and shawl and umbrella room, where the players leave any articles that would otlier- wise incumber them, and receive checks from the attendant. Retiring-rooms for both ladies and gentlemen are also pro- vided, and everything arranged that is calculated to make gambling appear re- spectable and reputable. The theatre is a separate building, about the size of the Holliday Street Theatre, but is not open at present. There are two ar- cades of stores between the theatre and the grand promenade, which are stocked with rich and rare goods. All these com- bine to make the Conversationhaus the grand focus of attraction at Baden, and the afternoon and evening are spent here even by tliose who could never be induced to lain board counter across the room, and behind it two barrels of beer mounted on skids, with two men to attend to the spigots, which, Avhen once turned, are seldom stopped until the barrel is empty. At 114 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH the other end of the room was a trough Avith running water, and a row of shelves with empty beei*-mugs upon them, just as they had been brought in from the tables, without being washed or cleaned. Any one ay ho desires a mug of beer must enter this room, take one of these mugs and wash and clean it himself, carry it to the counter, and hand it to one of the men at the spigots. On its being filled, it is handed back to him, when he pays his eight kreutzcrs and hunts a seat and table where he can sit down and enjoy it. There are no waiters of any kind about the place, except a few old women, who, in return for the privilege of selling radishes in the court-yard, are required to bring in the empty mugs and place them on the shelf in the tap-room. Here we saw well-dressed gentlemen and laboring people all on an equality, the ofiicer and the private soldier, the lady and the sewing-girl, not only sitting side by side and drinking their beer, but rinsing and Avashing their own mugs at the same trough. The prince and the beggar are hei-e on an equal footing, and good beer, better than can be had elsewhere, is served out to all alike ; pride or position can claim no special privileges after entering the court-yard of the royal brewery. There are also rooms on the lower floor of the left wing of the brewery building, provided with benches and tables suffi- cient for four or five hundred persons, which are used in winter or during rainy weather. A CASE IN POINT. Immediately in front of us we noticed a young couple, whom we supposed to be man and wife. The man vi'as as well dressed as either of us who were noting his move- ments, and his companion bire all the outward indications of refinement, and her countenance indicated extreme deli- cacy and modesty. They Avalked into the court-yard with the air of persons who had been there hundreds of times before. Having reached the tap-room door, he entered, and she waited outside until he had washed his mug, had it filled, and paid for it. On coming out she again took his arm, and they walked over the cobble-stone Eavement in search of a vacant seat, laving secured seats, they alternately sipped out of the same mug until it was empty, Avhen they retired arm-in-arm, as graceful and as pleasing to the eye as any young couple that may promenade on Charles Street this bright summer evening. The probability is that this young couple were reared on beer, — that it has been part of their daily nourishment from their cradles down to the present day. We frequently see whole families dining in the " restaurations," and the beer-mug is handed around to the youngest of the children. Even nursing infants are accustomed to drink it, and will stretch out their little hands in entreaty before their tongues have been taught to lisp the Avord " beer." THE innkeeper's COMMANDMENTS. Whilst traveling through the moun- tains of Bavaria we stopped to rest our horses at a Avayside inn, and on the top of one of the immense beei"-jugs was en- graved on the china the folloAving modest inscription, from Avhich it will be seen that the innkeeper holds himself in high esteem, Avhatever may be the opinion of others. " Ten Commandments of the Innkeeper: "1. Du sollsttaglich bei mir einkehren. (Thou shalt visit me daily.) '■ 2. Du soUst mich nur rufen um zu zahlen. (Thou shalt only call me to pay.) " 3. Du sollst keinen Ilund mitbringen. (Thou shalt bring no dog here.) "4. Du sollst mich ehren dass es dir gut gehe. (Thou shalt honor me that ttiou mayst prosper.) "5. Mache aus den Glasern keine Scher- ben. (Make no fragments of my glasses.) "G. Vergreif dich nicht an Frauen und Kellnerinnen. (Keep your hands ofi" my wife and Avaitresses.)- " 7. Nimmnichtsmitals einen Rausch. (Take nothing with thee but tipsiuess..) "8. Du sollst eher mehr als zu wenig zahlen. (Thou shalt rather pay too much than too little.) "9. Du sollst nur begehren was zu ha- ben. (Thou shalt demand only what is to be had.) " 10. Du sollst nie mit der Rechnung durchbrechen. (Thou shalt never abscond without paying.)" Another mug had the following inscrip- tion over a mug of beer, with pipes crossed, surrounded by playing-cards : " Bei Spiel und Bier schmeckt Pfeifchen mir." (When I play and drink beer the pipe tastes best.) Munich (Bavaeia), July 29, 1873. We have had several hot days, proba- bly as hot as you have them at home, but the evenings and nights in Germany are always cool and pleasant. We sleep un- der covering, with our windows closed, although the thermometer at noon is AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 115 among the nineties. For sight-seeing, and wandering through galleries of paintings and sculpture and museums of antiquities, which are open only dur- ing the heat of the day, tlie weather is, however, decidedly unpropitious. These abound in Munich, and we find them all thronged with strangers, who have stopped here for a few days, going to or coming from Vienna. A party of some sixty Americans (Cook's excursionists) are stopping at our hotel and roaming among the galleries to-day. About half of them are ladies, and most of them are school-teachers, spending their vacation in a hasty tour of the Continent and a visit to the Expos-ition. The German papers express their surprise at school- teachers being able to make a tour of Europe, as they are a class who are so poorly paid in this country as to be al- most dependent on the charity of their scholars for their daily bread. MORE ABOUT BEER. It is difficult to pass a day in Munich without striking upon a new phase of the beer question, and it is equally difficult to write a letter without taking it as a text for at least one of the chapters. There is probably not a human being, from the infant in the cradle to the old man or woman tottering to the grave, who does not drink at least one litre of beer per diem, which is equal to four full glasses such as are sold in the beer-saloons of Baltimore. Most men and women drink two litres per diem, and some four, five, or six, and it must be understood that each litre, independently of the froth, rep- resents a full solid quart of beer. There are, besides the saloons and " restaura- tions," forty-three " kellers," or brew- eries, in Munich, where the people assem- ble a.s in mass-meeting, and drink these huge litres of beer. At these places there are no waiters, everybody being com- pelled to wash his mug and wait upon himself. Let the reader imagine forty-three Schiitzenfests, similar to those we some- times have in Baltimore, all in daily progress, and some idea can be formed of everyday life in Munich. At these kellers all classes of people, with their wives, daughters, and sons, young men with their sweethearts, and children in arms, are among the visitors. Beer is part of the daily food of every one, and is drunk at the breweries and gardens be- cause it is always cold and fresh there. At every one of these places a barrel is emptied every few minutes from sunrise to sunset, and stale beer is consequently an impossibility. When the Germans drink it at home they send their servants with their glasses to the kellers, and have it always fresh and good. Whisky, brandy, gin, or any other intoxicating liquor, is not known in Munich. Brandy can only be had at the apothecary-shops on a physician's pre- scription. If brandy or whisky were called for at any of the restaurants, there would be as much surprise as if laudanum had been demanded. Beer is part of the daily food, and it is called for and drunk with as much innocence of any idea of intoxication as if a cup of tea or coffee was being partaken of. Sometimes a man who has drunk too much beer will fiiU asleep, but intoxication is entirely un- known. The workingmen drink a litre of beer at dinner-time, and another at supper, but seldom go beyond this, except on Sunday, when they have nothing else to do. Being accustomed to it, the effect on them may produce drowsiness, but never drunkenness. We were called upon last evening by Professor Rothmund, of Munich, who de- sired ixs to accompany him to one of the kellers in the western section of the city, to see Munich life as it really is. We reached there about eight o'clock, and, although there were seats and tables for fully two thousand persons, it was Avith difficulty we could find room in any part of the grounds. It was in a section of the city"whei-e the laboring people reside almost exclusively. Nothing could be had here but beer, bread, cheese, and rad- ishes, and all that vast mass of people were sitting together, with their wives and children, partaking of this simple food, to the great majority of whom it was their only supper. We remained until nearly ten o'clock, at which time the company had thinned down more than one-half, and during the two hours we heard not a loud word spoken, nor anything said at one table so loud as to be heard at another. Everybody had to wait upon himself and wash his own mug, and sometimes the throng at the windows of the tap-room was five or six deep. The tables were closely packed together, each being about sixteen feet long, with plain wooden benches of the same length, and just room left be- tween them to pass in or out. All classes of people were here mingled together, and we observed at some of the tables peo- ple who bore all the outward evidences 116 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH of being of the very best class in Munich. There were a number of carriages waiting to take home parties Avho had come here to spend the evening. We got into con- versation with a German lady at the table at which we were sitting, who we found could speak some English. She was sur- prised — almost shocked — at one of the ladies of our party refusing to drink beer, and laughed heartily as she saw her drink- in"; water from a brown beer-mug, the only drinking-vessel we could find. She told us that she and her hu.'Jband made a practice of visiting this keller every clear evening, and that it was always precisely as we found it, and equally thronged. The only question ever asked as to a place was as to the quality of its beer. AH were served alike and treated alike, whether prince or peasant, laborer or mendicant, and all were expected to behave themselves alike. There were no police-officers in attendance, and none were required. Both this lady and her husband (he proved to be a clergyman, and she the sister of the Chief Justice of Bavaria) made many inquiries as to the beer question in America, both of them persisting in regarding beer as an essential and necessary article of food. They contended that it was also healthy, much more so than coffee ; and, although they admitted that some persons injured themselves by drinking too much of it, they insisted that they should be classed among the gluttons, who were still more numerous, and injured their health by eating too much. To drink beer to per- sonal injury they regarded as a long and arduous undertaking, requiring so much time and so much beer that few ever suc- ceeded in it. MATRIMONIAL CUSTOMS. It may be an interesting item of news to some of your lady readers to notice the fact that on every Monday morning a list of all the engagements for marriage that have taken place during the preceding week is published in the morning p-a- pers. They proceed to state that "John Schmidt, son of Tomas and Marie Schmidt, has entered into a contract for marriage to Fraulein Katherine Von Jones, second daughter of Josef and Emile Von Jones, and that all the papers have been signed and approved by the parents of both contracting parties." How would our ladies like this formality of proceed- ing, which virtually cuts them off from the society of all gentlemen except that of the afBanced one ? He is allowed to spend only one evening a week with her, in the company of father and mother until the ceremony is performed. How would our youthful Benedicts like this, especially as they are not expected to give much time to their lady friends after the publication of this formal announcement? THE CHURCHES OF MUNICH. There are no old Gothic cathedrals in Munich to compare with those of Vienna, Strasburg, and Cologne, but yet there are several whose external peculiarity of style, and internal magnificence of proportions and dazzling pomp of orna- ment, are well calculated to interest and ■] attract the lover of art and things that are "' ancient. The Church of Our Lady is an immense structure, being three hundred and forty-six feet long, one hundred and twenty-eight wide, and in height to the top of the roof two hundred and thirty feet. The two towers are three hundred and eighty-six feet high. It was built in 1408, over four hundred years ago, and is constructed of hard-burned brick, with liut little interior or exterior ornament. It has twenty different altars, all orna- mented with statuary, carving, and paint- ings. Most of the churches, of which there are about a dozen, were erected during the present or towards the close of the last century, and, although all are worthy of a visit, we imagine that a de- scription of thcin would not prove of much interest to the reader. The churches built by King Ludwig the First surpass in completeness of execution any others built in Europe during this century. The magnificent Basilica of St. Boniface, the beautiful Gothic church of Our Lady of Succor, with its exquisite stained-glass windows, the Church of All Saints, which is wonderfully and richly decorated, and the Church of St. Louis, Avith the splendid picture of the Last Judgment, by Corne- lius, are, however, more to our taste, and have the merit of having been built by those who woi'ship in them. THE ART-GALLERIES. We have visited nearly all the great art-galleries of INIunich, which are very numerous and rich in their collections of paintings, statuary, and antiquities. These structures are themselves among the finest specimens in Europe of the |j leading styles of architecture, which are || represented by perfect examples with their appropriate decorations, thus mate- rially facilitating the study of the art. The city is indebted for these advantages to AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 117 King Ludwig I., who died in 1868, who everTprevious to his accession to the throne was a munificent patron of art. We have visited the Old Pinakothek and the New Pinakothek, the former a reposi- tory of pictures by the old masters, and the latter exclusively for the productions of modern artists. They are both very large and grand collections, and it is needless to say to the readers of these letters that the modern gallery com- manded most of our attention. We visited them both on the same day, and there were ten .visitors enjoying the mod- ern paintings for one who was roaming among, the ancients. We liked them bet- ter than the pictures of Rubens, Vandyke, Murillo, Titian, Guercino, Raphael, and Correggio, and the other great masters of past ages which adorn the walls of the Old Pinakothek. They are very interesting as specimens of what the ancients could do. The Glyptothek, with its fine collec- tion of ancient and modern sculpture, is another of these great art-galleries erected during the past twenty years by King Ludwig I., as well as the gallery for the exhibition of modern works of art, and the magnificent Gate of the Propylseon, which rears its massive columns between them. These are, however, matters for the eye, and cannot be described. If any of your readers desire to know what they are, and what they contain, they must come and see them ; only we would advise that they take a cooler season of the year for the laborious task than we have se- lected. Munich, July 30, 1873. THE YANKEE SCHOOL-TEACHERS. Quite a sensation was created in Mu- nich yesterday by the arrival of Cook, the great European traveling-agent, with a party of American tourists, consisting of thirty-three Yankee school-teachers, about one-third of them ladies. They took quarters at our hotel, " The Belle- vue," and the first intimation we had of their presence was the appearance of a large number of people in the corridors who really seemed to be enjoying them- selves, and laughed and talked like a parcel of children going on a picnic- party. A little observation discovered them to be Americans, and on inquiry we learned that they were the veritable school-" marms" and school-masters on their vacation-frolic. They assured us that they had enjoyed themselves hugely, and had just come through Switzerland from Paris, having on account of the heat agreed not to go to Italy. It seems that there were a hundred and fifty in the party originally, and that they divided ofl" in London, in three sec- tions, on three separate routes. Of course the whole party wei-e not school-teachers, but a large majority were. They ex- press themselves as highly delighted with Mr. Cook, who accompanies them, and ^ declare that he has done all and more than he promised, and that they have been shielded from all the annoyances that befall travelers in Europe. The hotel- porters and waiters, whose wdiole salary (consists of what they can bleed out of the gii^sts, don't like to see Cook coming along, and it would not be surprising to hear of a strike among them to prevent his being received in the hotels. His people are told to give " nothing to no- body" unless they feel charitably in- clined, as he pays all their traveling- and hotel-expenses. He says, and I give his words for the satisfaction of the frater- nity at home, that he never ti*aveled with a party of ladies and gentlemen who gave him so little trouble or who seemed so thoroughly to enjoy themselves. They were always " up to time" when the de- pot- or the excursion-carriage was at the door, and always, in his own language, "jolly." As many persons will doubtless like to know what the expenses of this party are, we will state that they are to be back at New York in eight weeks from the day they sailed, and that the whole cost for traveling and hotels, including their meal-tickets, to each of the party, is four hundred dollars in gold, or about seven dollars per day. They crossed the ocean in nine days, and have thus far had not a single mishap of any kind. They landed in England, visited Glasgow and Edinburgh, spent five days each in Lon- don and Paris, passed through a large part of Switzerland, have spent two days in Munich, and are o^" to-day for Vienna, where they will arrive to-night, and revel in the Exposition to-morrow. They, of course, pay their own sight-seeing ex- penses, and generally separate in parties of four or five for this purpose. Fifty-six days is undoubtedly a short time in Avhich to seeEurope, but still, to those who cannot spare more, it is much better than seeing none of it. It is a jolly summer frolic, much better than being cooped up at a summer's resort, and not much more ex- pensive, especially to the ladies. They can wear out their old clothes in Europe, 118 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH and have no anxious toilet-preparations for the trip. THE MUNICH PARK. Munich, although well provided with squares and plazas, has one of the grandest parks in Europe, called the English Gardens, on the northern envi- rons of the city. It is five miles long by one and a half broad, and was formerly a marshy woodland, but has been made into a grand drive and promenade. The trees are all of virgin growth, and some of them are really immense. Count Rumford M'as the projector and improver of this fine park, for which all Munich is now truly thankful. Some branches of the river Isar have been carried through the park by canals, and, being bright, running streams, add greatly to its at- tractiveness. At various points in the park are houses of refreshment, where beer and coflee, and even a good dinner, can be had at a moment's notice. Thus in Europe all these breathing-places are utilized for the enjoyment of the people. Two afternoons in the week the best bands of Munich give open-air concerts in the vicinity of the pagoda, and here, on the occasion of our visit, thousands of people were listening to the music, and eating and drinking. Carriages, with citi- zens and strangers, were moving around or halting near the band. There are also several asylums for old soldiers, and other institutions, within the limits of the park. RAILROAD PRECAUTIONS. In the American of the 10th of July, just received, there is an account of an attempt to throw a train of cars oif the track by placing timbers on it. In Austria this species of villainy is guarded against by a system that renders it next to an im- possibility. On every mile of road there is a watchman, who is provided with a cot- tage and a small tract of land, and a part of whose duty is to walk over and examine the track between his post and that of the next watchman, and to be constantly on the look-out for any obstructions. The cottage of each of these watchmen is also clearly in sight of the similar cottages to the right and to the left of him. He is bound to present himself to every passing train in front of his cottage, with his red flag rolled up in his hand, and make a military salute to the engineer, as much as to say, "Go ahead, all is right," or, if " all is not right," to unroll and raise his flag for the train to stop. But this is not all. At every one of these stations a tall pole is erected, having two arms at the top of it, one pointing towards the road, and the other from it. The moment a train passes to his right, the inner arm is lowered, and if to his left, , the outer arm is similarly lowered, which says to the next watchman on either side of him, " The train has passed my station all right." These watchmen also have con- trol of all the gates of roads crossing the track, and are enabled to lock and unlock a gate even a half-mile distant, and ring a bell the moment they ascertain that a train is approaching. This is done by means of a strong wire carried along the ground on short posts attached to a lever , . at the station. The telegraph is also 1 1 used from the main station ; but this sys- ll tem of watchmen and signal telegraphing is for the intermediate stations. At night, instead of the arms on the post, red and green lights are hoisted and lowered as signals. AVith such arrangements, ob- structions of the track or accidents by land- slides or loose rails are next to impossible. It is costly, but the saving in damages is believed to be greater than the cost, whilst the security to life and property adds greatly to the business of the companies. The watchmen are generally old soldiers, who know the necessity of watchfulness, and are disciplined to the faithful perform- ance of their duties. THE ROYAL PALACE. We put off to our last day in Munich a visit to the royal palace, which we found to be a very capacious establish- ment, full of faded royal gilt and crimson splendor. The walls are frescoed with war scenes and peace scenes in the history of Bavaria. We passed through from forty to fifty spacious halls and rooms, consisting of ball-rooms, concert-rooms, and chambers, the ceilings of which were fully thirty feet high, paneled, and orna- mented with gilt and frescoes. War scenes figured everywhere, most of them seeming like a mass of horses, men, ban- ners, cannon, and warlike accoutrements, thrown together in inextricable confusion, each warrior with sword, battle-axe, or dagger, just about to plunge it into the bowels of his next-door neighbor. In- deed, in most cases, if the fight should have gone on as it was in progress when the painter caught a glimpse of the scene, in a very few moments there would have been no one left to tell the tale. There were two large rooms, however, which contain a collection of paintings of Bavur rian beauties. Old King Ludwig had a AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 119 passion for ordering a painting of every very handsome woman that he met, and there are about sixty of as beautiful specimens of humanity in these two large halls as the world can produce. The two handsomest of the collection were from the lower strata, one of them being the wife of a circus-rider, and the other a cobbler's daughter. The famous Lola Montez, who bewitched the old king, had a place here once, but she has been re- moved. The throne-room is very large and elegant, the ceiling being forty feet high, and paneled in gilt, whilst along the walls of the room are stationed statues of the sixteen kings of Bavaria, more than life-size, cast in bronze and richly gilded. The present king is quite a fine-looking fellow, but he keeps him- self shut up in his country palace, and will seldom see any one. lie is only a king by name, as Bismark is the master of Bavaria, and he is probably disgusted with the empty bauble he holds by divine right. STATUE OF BAVARIA. Among the various wonders of art in Munich are the Hall of Fame and the co- lossal female figure, in bronze, called the Bavaria. This statue is on a marble base, and is reached by forty-eight broad steps leading to the level on which the pedestal stands. The figure is fifty-four feet high, and from the feet to the top of the wreath held by the uplifted hand the height is sixty feet. The pedestal is thirty-six feet high, thus making the whole height ninety-six feet. Sixty steps lead up through the pedestal to the feet of the figure, and from the knee an iron stair- case of sixty feet enables the curious to ascend inside of the figure to the head, within which two seats, capable of hold- ing six persons, are placed. From here, by looking through the eyes of the figure, a view of the beautiful environs and mountains can be obtained. The Hall of Fame, surrounding the statue on three sides, is a temple built in the form of a triple hall, supported by Doric columns, which was erected by King Ludwig the First to receive the busts of celebrated Bavarians. It was built in 1853, and is two hundred and thirty feet long, with twc advancing wings, each one hundred and five feet long, and is sixty feet in height. The relievos on the two ped- iments, in each of which are two female figures, with the symbols representing the different races of Bavaria, and various statues, adorn the frieze over the arch- itrave. Forty-eight representations re- ferring to the social history of Bavaria are placed between forty-four statues of victory. The ceiling of the temple is adorned with lions and sphinxes, and the inner compartments with stars. The interior walls are divided into compart- ments, on which the busts of celebrated Bavarians are placed on consoles, accord- ing to the order of time. At the pres- ent time there are seventy-five busts in position. This is undoubtedly the grandest of all modern architectural displays in Europe, and is on a scale that has never been at- tempted since the palmy days of Greece and Home. It is not a building, but an open temple, of the same description as the famous Grecian temples at Psestum. The view of this immense statue from the base of the hill on which it stands, with this grand temple in the background, is undoubtedly the most imposing to be found in Europe. This wonderful statue is still more wonderful on a close inspection. We drove out in the cool of the morning yes- terday, before the sun had concentrated its rays on the burnished metal, and thoroughly explored it. A winding iron staircase passes up through the white marble pedestal, and continues on through the body of the statue, the whole number of the steps being about one hundred and thirty, one-half of which are through the pedestal, and the remainder through the internal portion of the statue. The stairs are narrow, only large enough for one person to go up, but until the waist of the figure is reached the baluster on each side is fully four feet from the outer metal. A gentleman and lady had passed up liefore us, and when we reached the head they were seated side by side in one of the cheeks, leaving room enough for four more inside of the capacious head. We looked out of her eyes on Munich and the mountains, and also, by standing erect, through a hole, about as large as a man's hand, at the base of her waterfall, or twist of hair. To do this, the reader will please to understand that we had to stand erect inside of the head and rise on tiptoe. It was too hot at this early hour to remain long, and, hearing some more visitors coming up, we concluded to beat a hasty retreat. At the foot of Bavaria a lion is sitting, and on the inside both the lion and the dress of the figure form one cavity. The appearance of this statue as it is approached across a broad meadow, with a large white marble 120 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH colonnade to the rear and on each side of it, is that of a magnificently-formed giantess, with her right arm extended over her head, holding a wreath. The idea that the figure itself is sixty feet high from the heel to the top of the wreath seems preposterous, and that it is possible for six persons to enter the cavity of the head at one time you feel disposed to doubt. However, we thoroughly tested it, and although there were four of us in it at one time, we assure the reader that there was almndant room for two more ordinary-sized moi"tals to be comfortably seated. It stands on the summit of a hill, and forty-eight broad marble steps have to be mounted to reach the level on which the pedestal and the marble tem]ile stand. The wreath in the hand of Ba- varia is, therefore, nearly two hundred feet above the level of the surrounding country. ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS. In company with Mr. Keyser, of Bal- timore, who is studying sculpture in the Munich Academy of Fine Arts, Ave to- day visited that establishment, where we found about thirty of the students busily at work moulding groups of statuary. Most of the work was very fine, particu- larly several groups by a young Greek, who is regarded as the most promising of the class. There are about seventy aspirants for fame at work in this insti- tution, including a goodly number of Americans. Instruction in painting is also given here, and Munich is beginning to rival Florence as the home of the artist. An immense old monastery, so large as to have four court-yards within its domains, is used for the Academy, and we regretted that most of it was closed and the students absent, enjoying the summer vacation. Mr. Keyser is en- gaged on several busts, one of them a member of his own family, working it out from a photograph, and evinces con- siderable skill in his chosen profession. RETURN OF BAVARIAN TROOPS. A regiment of Bavarian troops which has been quartered in France since the war, holding one of the provinces as se- curity for the French indemnity, re- turned home last night. They were re- ceived at the depot by a large throng of citizens, and feebly cheered as they passed through the streets on their way to their barracks. Some flags were suspended from the houses near the depot, but there was no such enthusiasm evinced as we had expected on the return home of the veterans. There has been so much of this, however, during the past two years, that the enthusiasm has probably exhausted itself. The peculiar- ity of the cheer of these phlegmatic Ger- mans struck us as very strange, and dif- ferent from anything we had ever heard. It sounded like '' Ho ! ho ! ho !" each long drawn out, and had not the hearty and cordial sound of the American hur- rah. BEER ! BEER ! ! BEER ! ! ! We continue to be astounded with the beer question as it is presented in this Bavarian city. Just imagine our water- tanks spouting beer, and all the hydrants running with the essence of hops and malt, and you will have some idea of the amount of beer consumed here. Indeed, we have some doubt whether the dogs and horses do not turn up their noses at water. The number of breweries is in- creased annually, but they fail to keep up a supply of the winter-brewed article, and before the summer is gone the stock on hand is consumed. The summer- brewed beer is already being dispensed at most of the establishments, and notices are posted informing the beer-loving com- munity that on a certain given day the stock will be exhausted, and their estab- lishments will probably close. It is, per- haps, on this account that so much is now being sold, as everybody is looking for- ward with dread to the coming famine. There are certain famous breweries that make good beer, and others that make a very inferior article. So long as the former have any stock on hand the latter can do no business, but when the royal brewery is closed, and the stock of the good breweries is exhausted, these second- rate establishments commence to monop- olize the business. The people must have beer of some kind, and if they cannot get the good they take the inferior article. A visit to the breweries and beer-estab- lishments of Munich would astonish the most inveterate of the beer-drinkers of Baltimore. We dropped in last night at a garden near the depot, where the lower and laboring classes mostly resort. The beer was being dispensed from five different points, and there were no waiters in attend- ance. All who wanted beer had to wash their own mugs, carry them to tlie win- dows of the tap-room, wait their turn, pay their money, and then search for a table. Some were eating bread with it, others radishes, and a very few meat and cheese. AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 121 There could not have been less than one thousand persons at the tables, though we were assured that it was a dull even- ing. All were quiet and orderly, but in earnest conversation around the tables, as is usual with the Germans. Occasionally some one would strike up an operatic air, in which others would join, and although there was occasionally loud laughter, it never became boisterous, or annoying to others. ART IN MUNICH. We have not alluded to one-half of the grand artistical and architectural struc- tures which adorn different sections of Munich, nor to the numerous elaborate buildings, monuments, and statues erect- ed in the various public squares. Beyond the handsome bridge over the Isar, on an elevation, stands the Maximilianeum, an institution for students about to enter the service of the government, and destined for the reception of a gallery of modern historical paintings. The Felderhalle, or Hall of the Generals, a successful copy of Orcagna's Loggia dei Lanzi, at Flor- ence, at present contains the statues only of Tille and Wrede. Then there are the arcades of the Polar Garden, with their fine frescoes ; the Library Building, the Ethnographical Museum, the llofgarten and its arcades, and the several palaces ; the new City Hall, and the new bronze historical monuments and fountains, are all modern, though an imitation of the ancients, and are correspondingly more handsome than the dilapidated structures of a similar character. The Siegesthor, or Gate of Victory, erected in 1850 to the Bavarian army, in imitation of the Triumphal Arch of Constantine at Rome, is surmounted by a figure of Bavaria in a chariot drawn by four bronze colossal lions, and is one of the grandest works in Europe. The bronze monument to Max Joseph, erected by the city in 1825, is very elegant and elaborate. But bronze statues are distributed about in every direction, and are executed with all the artistical skill in this branch of art for which Munich is so famous. MUNICH BROXZE FOUNDRY. We drove out yesterday afternoon to the famous bronze foundry of Munich, where most of the bronze statues erected throughout the world have been cast. The United States has been a liberal patron of this foundry, as is fully evidenced by the models wliich are now standing in the museum connected with the foundry. The largest of these models is that of the colossal equestrian statue of General Washington, erected at Richmond, to- gether with the figures of Jefferson, Mason, Nelson, Lewis, and Henry, which stand at the foot of the pedestal. The monument ordered hy the Legishiture of ]\Iaryland for Chief-Justice Taney wf>.s cast here, and a model of the female figure by Reinhart which adorns the lot of Wm. T. Walters, Esq., at Greenmount Ceme- tery, is in the museum. A monument for Spring Grove Cemetery, Ohio, commemo- rative of the bravery of the Ohio troops, is in progress ; also one of a similar character for Massachusetts, on the main shaft of which is to be the Goddess of liiberty, with four soldiers, representing the cavalry, infontry. artillery, and engineer corps, on the base. Two tablets for the latter, one having President Lincoln on it, and the other Governor Andrew, are already completed. We also observed a statue of President Lincoln, but could not under- stand where it was to be erected. There are statues of Henry Clay, Thomas Hart Benton, George Peabody, and Horace 3Iann, of Boston, also one of Beethoven, which has been erected at Boston. All the models for the great Davidson foun- tain at Cincinnati are here, where the work was executed from models by Rod- gers. The government has sold out this foundry, and it is now carried on by the old superintendent, Ferdinand MuUer, who purchased it. An immense amount of work is now in progress, and the monu- ment of Stonewall Jackson, by Rein- hart, had, we were informed, just been forwarded to Virginia. SCARCITY OF WATER. Water — that is to say, pure drinking- water — is scarcer in Munich than in any other part of Europe. Nobody seems to want it or care about it. Unless it happens to rain, the gutters are always as dry as dust, indicating that very little water is used, even for household purposes. At the hotels it is necessary to ask for it a half-dozen times before it is brought to you, and when it comes it is sufficiently warm to indicate that the vessel from which it was taken has been standing in the hot sun for several hours. It is too trouble- some to get for any one to rely upon it as a beverage, and too unpalatable to have any serious longing for it. As much beer as a person can drink, cold and s^ ark- ling, can be had for four kreutzers, or al)Out two and a half cents, from fresh- tapped barrels, at every turn of the streets, and it is not to be wondered at that 122 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH everybody relies upon it. One of the ladies of our party persists in demanding water, and it is obtained only by bribing the servants and feeing the kellner. There is no sprinkling of the streets here ■with vrater, as in Vienna, and when the wind blows the clouds of dust are almost impenetrable. A wind-storm last evening brought such clouds of dust from those portions of the city that are macadamized that the vehicles passing our hotel were completely hidden from view. We could hear the rolling of the wheels and the tramping and snorting of the horses, but not the slightest sign of them was visible. The people ran into the houses on the right and the left, as if fleeing from a sirocco on the desert. Before it commenced they seemed to know what was coming, and began to run. Those who were caught out riding returned to the hotel almost suffocated with dust. A shower of rain that followed soon cleared the atmosphere, and the city became as bright and charming as ever. A CHEAP CITY. Munich is undoubtedly a very cheap city. Even the rates at the hotels are lower than we have found them anywhere else in Europe. The expense for rooms i« about seventy cents per day, and al- though the hotel restaurants charge nearly double the price for meals that is charged elsewhere, it is difficult to make the entire living expense exceed two dollars and a half per day. Carriage-hire is very cheap, and cigars are better and cheaper in Mu- nich than anywhere else in Europe. Eng- lish goods of all descriptions are sold as cheap as they are in London. There is abundance of fruit here, such as cherries, peaches, apricots, plums, greengages, and some very good peaches, all of which are sold at moderate rates. Cherries are to be had throughout the summer, they be- ing brought to the city from so many dif- ferent surrounding climates that so soon as they are over in one section the supply comes in from another. We have been eat- ing cherries for two months, and obtained this morning some of the largest and finest whitehearts that we have yet tasted, for about twelve cents per pound. A gentleman's well-made calf-skin Congress boots cost less than three dollars. They are as soft as buckskin, and most admir- able to travel in. I see English razors in the windows for twenty-six kreutzers (about eighteen cents), and three-bladed penknives for about forty cents. Full business suits of cassimere are marked at about ten dollars, and everything else is at corresponding low rates. Thus, beer is not the only thing that is cheap, and we expect labor is correspondingly cheap. Many of the laboring men and women who flock to the breweries at noon seem to make their dinner off a mug of beer, with a big radish and salt, and a roll of bread and sausage, all of which costs Ijut thirteen kreutzers, equal to about eight cents in our money. They are, however, strong, stout, and muscular, and look as if they were well fed. Our party, numbering six, have just taken dinner at oue of the best restaurants. We had soup, beefsteak, roast beef, roast duck, potatoes, and pie, with a full supply of beer, and good ap- petites, each calling for what he or she wanted, and the whole cost was less than six florins, or about forty cents apiece. The inferior qualities of meat are obtain- able at the restaurants at much lower rates than the better qualities, and a good din- ner is served to the carriage-drivers, who eat in a separate apartment, for less than twenty cents in our currency. MUNICH NEWSPAPERS. With all its art treasures, and its other evidences of high civilization, the city of Munich has not within its limits a decent newspaper. Indeed, there appear to be but two small affairs published here, and they are records of amusements rather than newspapers. To-morrow morning's paper is puljlished at one o'clock to-day, and sold upon the streets by a few old women, who also have with them some Frankfort papers, and occasionally one from Cologne or Vienna. All the newspaper-reading is done in the cafes, where tlie journals of other cities are kept on file, and handed around to the customers while sipping their coffee. This seems singular, with a population of two hundred thousand, amid the evidences on every hand of active business energy, and with a people all of whom are at least so far educated as to lie able to read and write. They contain no advertisements, except of amusements and banks, and although not much larger than a half-sheet of the American^ about half the space is occupied by stories, sketches, etc. STUDYING ENGLISH. The German lady to whom we have alluded as the sister of the Chief Justice of Bavaria, assured us that she had been studying English for two years, and added " that everybody in Munich is studying English." There are so many English and AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 123 Americans constantly visiting Munich, and so many students and others perma- nently residing here, that all people in business find it to their advantage to have some knowledge of the language, whilst others are picking it up by coming in contact with American and English families. English is also taught in the schools. A few evenings since, as we were taking supper at the garden of the Maxi- miHan Restauration, a large family of Germans were sitting at the adjoining table, including eight grown persons and three children. The children were play- ing around the table, and although the conversation among the elders was en- tirely in German, the children talked to- gether in English, and whenever the mother addressed them it was always in broken English. The children would occa- sionally come up and take a sip of beer out of the father's or mothers glass, at the same time exchanging kisses, and slip off to their play again. HOTEI--GREETINGS. Munich is decidedly an interesting city, a very interesting city, and if it were not for the heat we should probably remain here some days longer. We do not ex- pect to get into a cooler climate, but we have studied the poetry of motion so thoroughly that we are never so well con- tent as when on the move, " strange sights for to see." We shall, therefore, hasten to finish up Munich, pack our trunks, pay our bill, and run the gauntlet of cham- bermaids, waiters, porters, etc., which the European tourist always finds so de- lightful an experience. To have a string of them bowing at you all the way from your room-door to the carriage-steps, and looking beggary without exactly soliciting alms, gives the traveler some idea of his importance, and he tries to persuade him- self that " it is always pleasanter to give than to receive." However, beggary is the business of their lives, as they re- ceive little or nothing for their services but what is gathered up from the guests. The Cook tourists, who left our hotel a few days since, had printed instructions from Cook not to give a farthing to any one, unless they did so as charity ; that their tickets embraced all manner of ser- vice. When they left for Vienna, the whole household was bol)bing and smil- ing around them, and they persisted in not understanding what it all meant, and quietly shook hands, bidding them all an affectionate adieu. Most of them were Yankee school-teachers who had no flo- rins to spare, and, traveling hastily as they do, it would require a heavy outlay every day to meet all their demands. They had no sooner left than the smiles changed to frowns, and all hands were abusing Cook and his people. Fifty Americans passing through a hotel and leaving no money with the servants was not to be borne, and it would not be sur- prising if the servants on the Continent were to strike against allowing Cook's people to enter the hotels. WiJRTEMBERG. Stuttgart, Wurtembeug, August 3, 1873. We left Munich yesterday morning, and shortly after noon took up our quar- ters in the city of Stuttgart, the capital of the kingdom of Wurtemberg. Thus we iiy over these little kingdoms, none of which are as large as the State of Pennsylvania, and some of them scarcely as large as " My Maryland." Two hours' more of travel will carry us to Heidel- berg, the heart of the grand duchy of Baden, and a few hours more to Frank- fort, which now belongs to Prussia. NOTES BY THE WAY. * Four hours' run from Munich brought us to Ulm, which is on the boundary of Bavaria, and is a very ancient city, containing about twenty-five thousand in- habitants, largely engaged in iron manu- factures of all kinds, and said to be the most wealthy and prosperous city in the kingdom. We were surprised to find along the route so much barren land, overgrown with pines, whilst thousands of acres were bogs, from which peat was being dug in immense quantities and carried ofl" by rail. After passing Ulm the coun- try became quite mountainous, and the scenery very fine, the foot-hills being carefully cultivated, whilst the cottages of the farmers looked more cheerful. Little villages and towns occurred nearly every mile, and large factories for the manufacture of linen were quite numer- ous. The harvest-fields were thronged with men and women, busily at work reaping and gathering in a fine crop of oats. We passed also two quite large cities, Esslingen and Cannstadt, both of which, from the cars, presented a pros- perous appearance. Indeed, everywhere throughout Prussia and its vast depend- encies great improvements are in pro- gi-ess, the war with France having been a 124 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH very remunerative speculation to the peo- ple. The supplies required by the gov- ernment were immense, and fortunately it got the money to meet promptly all claims upon it. We reached Stuttgart about noon, and were rather surprised at our first glimpse of the city. The depot into which we were ushered was so magnificent and immense that we turned to Baedeker, and found that he had credited Stuttgart with the finest depot in Europe, which is say- ing a great deal, as the poorest of them are very much finer than those of either the Baltimore and Ohio or the Northern Central Railway at Baltimore. As to the Philadelphia depot, those of the country way-stations are more elegant and im- pobing. THE CITY OF STUTTGART. As we proposed but a short stay in Stutt- gart, we started out after dinner to get a view of the city. Stuttgart is the capital of the lively little kingdom of Wlirtem- berg, and has recently improved so vastly that the old town can scarcely be discov- ered. It has a population of one hun- dred thousand, and there are evidences everywhere of great business activity. The retail stores are very numerous, and make a much finer display than those of Munich, whilst the private residences in the new portions of the city will compare with the finest we have seen in Europe. As a general rule, people live here in sep- arate houses, if they are able, though there are a goodly number of the Vienna flats in all sections of the city. Some of the private residences, all of which are built of a light-blue stone, are of the most elaliorate architecture, and are richly or- namented with statues and carving. Hun- dreds of new mansions were also going up in all directions, and, depend upon it, Stuttgart is on the high-road to pros- perity. The king's palace and gardens are very elegant, and are extensively orna- mented with statues, monuments, and two of the most elegant fountains in Europe. The public gardens are very large, but have no fences, and the grass is everywhere interspersed with beds of flowers arranged with artistic skill. The new palace is very extensive, having in it three hundred and sixty-five rooms, and is quite an elegant structure. The main street of the city, called Klinigsstrasse, is equal in attractions to the Rue Rivoli at Paris, especially along the front of the palace gardens. The principal trade of Stuttgart is in wine, it being located in the heart of a wine-growing district. The city is sur- rounded by mountains on every side, which are cultivated to their summits with the vine, and thus is like the centre of an amphitheatre, presenting a very picturesque view. It has the rep- utation of being excessively ■warm in summer, though we found it so cool last evening whilst listening to the music in the Stadt Gardens as to compel us to retire before the close of the concert. The public buildings are all new, and very elegant, and there is a Polytechnic Institute here, said to be the very best in Europe. SUNDAY IN STUTTGART. We spent Sunday in this rejuvenated ancient city, and found it quite different from Sunday in Austria. This is a Prot- estant country, there being but ten thou- sand Catholics in this city to ninety thou- sand Protestants. As usual, we started out in search of fruit, but found every- thing closed up, as if hermetically sealed. The market-house was not only empty, but cleaned and washed, so that you could scarcely tell whether it was a market-hall or a ball-room. The bells all over the city were announcing the Sabbath day, and the people were out in their best attire for early morning worship. The beer- shops were all closed, and all manner of business was suspended. A more staid observance of the day could scarcely be found in Old England, though in the even- ing the strictness was somewhat relaxed so far as all kinds of eating and drinking were concerned. The beer of Stuttgart is not inviting, and tastes very much as if it were the rinsings of the Munich breweries. It is not, therefore, drunk to any great extent, except by those who cannot afford wine, which is so cheap and abundant here. In fact, we are grateful to be able to record the fact that we are again in a city where water is used lor some other purpose than squirting it through fountains. There are plenty of fountains here, and the water is good and palatable. We record it to the honor of Stuttgart, that it is the only city on the Continent where drinking-cups are sus- pended at the fountains, giving an oppor- tunity for man to slake his thirst in pass- ing, without being compelled to lap up the water like a brute. But Sunday in Stuttgart is so anti- continental that we do not wonder that it is becoming a favorite place of residence AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 125 for both English and Americans. A large number of American and English families have located here to educate their chil- dren. At the hotel-table this morning a majority of those present were using the English language. On the corners all over the city posters were up with a rep- resentation of the American flag, under which was a notice to Americans to at- tend the Fourth of July celebration. At all the hotels the waiters speak English, as the clerks do in most of the stores, which fact please report to President Grant, in proof of the approaching mil- lennium of language, when all the world will say its prayers and call for its beer in good plain English. Although we liked the opportunity of returning again to good water and finding the English language spoken, we felt a longing this morning for the rich and luscious coffee of Vienna, where no one knows how to make bad coffee. We could stand the bad beer of Stuttgart by doing without it, but we think we have seldom tasted worse coff'ee, even when brewed in a hut in San Domingo, than that placed before us at the most fashionable hotel in Stutt- gart this morning. VISITORS TO THE FATHERLAND. We met to-day in the cars on our way to Stuttgart a German who has for manyyears resided in California, and who is now re- turning from a visit to the home of his childhood. He had his youthful remem brances of its attractions, and of the joyful days when all seemed bright and beauti- ful. For many years he had longed for the time to come when he could revisit the Fatherland. lie even imagined that the fruits of Germany were more luscious and sweet than those of California, and had oft- en boasted that such was the case. He had finally come to spend a few months amid the scenes of his youth, and was now re- turning disgusted with everything. Most of his old acquaintances Avere either dead or gone to America. INIany of them had been killed in battle. The fruits Avhich had tasted so sweet were insipid as com- pared with the fruits of California. None of the comforts of life were known here, except to the titled and wealthy. Hotel life, as compared with hotel life in San Francisco, was worse than living in a hovel at the mines. He had found it a constant struggle to get anything fit to eat since he landed at Liverpool. The table-d' hote he regarded as a burlesque on good living. He had found everybody he came in contact with planning some mode to swindle him, or begging for money for services that had not been rendered, or for which he had already paid. A more thoroughly disgusted individual we had never met with, unless it was Mr. Raster, editor of the Chicago Staats Zeitung, who is also on a visit to the Fatherland. When we last met him ho was more in love with his adopted country than ever, and longed for the comforts of his home. This is the case with nearly all the American Germans whom we have met with. They have been thoroughly cured of their long- ing for home, and will return better Americans than ever. They can no longer see any pleasure in the glitter of royalty, or admire the costly palaces and monuments to the memory of dead ty- rants, whose whole glory consisted in leading to slaughter hecatombs of their • •1*1 countrymen to maintain kingly preroga- tives or avenge personal grievances. The young men of Europe, cooped up in bar- racks, and marched and drilled in the scorching sun, that they may be ready to lay down their lives at the bidding of their masters, are to them a sad sight, Avhen they remember the freedom of their own children from military service. It would do good to many of our natural- ized citizens to pay a visit to the Father- land. Many of them are like the grum- bling husband who imagines that nothing tastes so good as that Avhich his mother cooked, forgetting that he then had a youthful appetite that sweetened his food and helped his digestion. PREPARING FOR WAR. Although Prussia, Bavaria, and Wlir- temberg have just come out of a suc- cessful contest with France, there is no cessation of warlike preparation for any emergency that may arise. Regiments and brigades are marching and counter- marching, or holding camps for instruc- tion, new recruits are being drilled, and to the eye of an American it looks as if the country might be on the eve of another war. At Ulm, on the boundary of Ba- varia, extensive fortifications are being built, and are swarming with workmen. They are of the most formidable charac- ter, and are being constructed of brick and granite. This place has always been extensively fortified, but new works that are deemed necessary to make it impreg- nable are being rapidly constructed. We also passed a great number of immense barracks, covering acres of ground, swarm- ing with soldiers, whilst others were in course of erection. The Bavarian 126 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH troops who had been holding several of the provinces of France as security for the indemnity to Prussia, after rest- ing a fevr days at Ulm and getting new uniforms, were in the cars on their way to Munich.. The cars were dressed with evergreens, as were also the depots, whilst the i3avarian and Prussian flags were suspended in great profusion. At Mu- nich, not only during the day, but in the middle of the night, regiments of in- fantry and troops of cavalry passed our hotel, generally with full bands of music. What they were doing, or where they were going, we could not ascertain, but presume they were on their way to the camp of instruction, as they were gener- ally accompanied by baggage- and ammu- nition-wagons. Prussia is gradually overshadowing all these petty kingdoms, and will soon get rid of the kingly incumbrances attached to them. Their military system is under the supreme control of Prussia, and the Prussian uniform is being gradually made to take the place of their own pet colors. Here, in Wlirtemberg, the spiked hat and dark-green coat of Prussia have already been substituted ; but Bavaria resists, and still holds to her national colors of blue and white. The Prussian fatigue-cap and other peculiarities of trimming have been accepted by the artillery of Bavaria ; and it will not be long before the whole national suit will disappear. THE MARRIAGE QUESTION. Whilst driving around and viewing the sights of Stuttgart, yesterday afternoon, a conversation with the carriage-driver was thoroughly corroborative of a state- ment made in a former letter as to the difficulty a poor man had to encounter before he could get married in any of these German countries. It will be remem- bered that, as one of the reasons for the great disregard of the marriage relation in Austria, we stated that men and women were driven to lives of shame by the ob- structions of the law to marriage ; that unless a man could prove to the Mayor and Council of the town in which he was born that he was able to support a family, and that his children, if he should have any, would not become a charge on the town, no priest or clergyman was al- lowed to marry him. It seems that this law prevails throughout all German-speak- ing countries, and is rigidly enforced, for the protection of each other from pau- perism. The carriage-driver inquired whether there was any law to prevent a man from marrying in America, and, on being assured there was not, proceeded to state his own case. lie was a man but little under forty years of age, of more than ordinary intelligence, having all the appearance of a sober, industri- ous, and honest man. He said he had been driving a carriage for a great num- ber of years here in Stuttgart, and had saved sufficient money to enable him, on the death of his employer, seven months since, to purchase from his widow not only the carriage and horses which he was driving, but the license and number, which it seems are also marketable com- modities. Being now fully convinced in his own mind of being able to support a wife and family, he had applied to the authorities of his native town for a per- mit, forwarding them also proof of his present prosperous condition. Several months had elapsed, and no permit had yet been given, though he was not with- out hope that recent efforts which he had made would be successful in procuring it. But unless it was given he could not be lawfully married. He might go on, as we rather expect was the case, and have a family without marriage, but they would not, if illegitimate, in case of his leaving them destitute, become a charge on his native town. Is it any wonder that the poor are fleeing from such a country, where a man is born a slave to military service in the prime of his life, and forbidden all the rights of manhood in his maturity ? This carriage-driver had spent the best portion of his life in military service. Thus it is that the fact of a man and woman living together with- out marriage in Austria does not lower them in the estimation of their neighbors, even if they should change their " part- ners" annually. We were not prepared to find such obstacles to marriage in this more staid and solid portion of Germany. Human nature revolts at such laws, which are unworthy of a civilized com- munity in any part of the world. DUCHY OF BADEN. HEIDELBERG. Heidelberg, August 4, 1S73. We left Stuttgart at noon yesterday, and reached the ancient and romantic town of Heidelberg for early dinner. The country through which we passed AMERICAN SPECTACLE Fi. 127 was very beautiful, and in a high state of cultivation, the mountains and hill-sides being; clothed with the vine, and the valleys devoted largely to the growth of tobacco and hups. In two hours we passed the boundary of the kingdom of Wiirtem- berg and entered the duchy of Baden, to which Heidelberg belongs. Tliere was no work going on in the fields, the roads being lined with the agriculturists going to and from their churches, the steeples of which indicated that they were mostly modern structures, built by those who worship in them. Wherever the old churches are most numerous, Sunday is seldom observed, except to say an ex- tra prayer in the morning before break- fast. As we approached Heidelberg the country became more hilly and moun- tainous, the foot-hills being cultivated with the grape, and the sides of the mountains ledged and walled and green with the running vine. At length the famous Castle of Heidelberg, looming on the mountain-side over the town, could be seen in the distance, and in a few minutes we were in the depot, where from three to four hundred tourists daily arrive during the summer season to visit these historical scenes. THE TOWN OF HEIDELBERG. Heidelberg has a population of seven- teen thousand, about two-fifths Catholics and three-fifths Protestants, with five hundred Israelites. It was a Roman town, Avith castles and towers for the protection of their frontiers, in the first century. For the next seventeen cen- turies there was perhaps no other spot on earth that was so severely afflicted by the ravages of war as this little town, it being the key to the valley of the Neckar. It has been totally destroyed a half-dozen times by contending armies in the inter- vening centuries, and twice destroyed by fire. The castle, which was first built at the end of the thirteenth century, was several times blown up and burnt, and again rebuilt, only to meet the same fate again in succeeding years. When partly rebuilt by King Theodore, in 1764, it was struck by lightning, and the whole of the interior destroyed, leaving it a blackened ruin, as it now stands. The walls are of vast extent, and form the most magni- ficent ruin in Germany. Its towers, tur- rets, buttresses, balconies, lofty gateways, fine old statues, and extensive courts and grounds, render it the Alhambra of the Germans, who flock here annually by thousands. The ivy-clad ruins are con- nected with innumerable historical asso- ciations, and the striking contrast here presented between the eternal rejuvenes- cence of nature and the instability of the proudest monuments of men has called forth many a poetic effusion. The main street of Heidelberg is over a mile long, and is devoted principally to business and a superabundance of beer-saloons and refectories. The two back streets be- tween the mountain and the river are very beautiful, consisting principally of hotels and boarding-houses, interspersed with gardens, groves of trees, and several fine promenades. A majority of the visitors are Americans and English, and on that side of the city the English language is very extensively spoken. The number of Americans here, either stopping for a few days or making a prolonged stay for excursions into the mountains, is quite surprising. The atmosphere is very cool, and in the evenings and at night cloaks and overcoats and blankets are in demand. As in all German towns, the "whey cure" is extensively practiced, and no more cool and pleasant retreat could be desired than Heidelberg. Last evening we found overcoats and water-proof cloaks quite comfortable while strolling along the river. The city lies between the mountain on one side and the river Neckar on the other, and is necessarily long and narrow, the villas and cottages on the mountain-side being built high up among the rocks. ASCENT TO THE CASTLE. Several hundred enthusiastic tourists present themselves every day at the foot of the mountain, intent upon visiting these extensive ruins, perched three hundred and thirty feet above the level of the river Neckar, which winds around its. base and flows on to swell the waters of the Rhine at Mannheim, near the head-waters of steam- boat navigation on that historical river, only about six miles distant from Heidel- berg. The mountain is ascended to the level of the ruinsof the old castle, either by a winding carriage-way or by a bridle-path, on the backs of mules, which are always waiting customers at the corn market, though the majority of the inveterate mountain-climbing Germans who come here ascend on foot, with alpenstock in hand. We joined the explorers at an early hour this afternoon, proceeding in a car- riage from our hotel by the winding road that leads to the ruins of the castle. Quite 128 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH a number of tourists were proceeding up a shorter but steeper bridle-path, mounted on mules, whilst the enthusiastic German, who scorns to ascend a mountain other- wise than on foot, was climbino; up the ascent. It was a bright and clear day, with a warm sun, and a cool breeze blow- ing from the surface of the river JS'eckar. It required about a half-hour to make the ascent to the old embattled gate, and we were astonished at the extent of the ruins, as well as at the excellent state of preserva- tion in which they are kept, the govern- ment having for the past fifty years taken the greatest care to protect them from further decay. THE CASTLE OF HEIDELBERG. Looking up at the castle from the east end of Heidelberg, it appears to hang di- rectly over the town. From this point no conception can be formed of its extent, as only the front walls of the main build- ing and the towers are visible ; but on reaching the summit it is found to extend over at least ten acres of land, including a large garden without the walls, which has l)een restored to the condition it M'as in when the castle was in all its glory and the home of the rulers of the Roman Empire. On entering the garden, imme- diately to the left is seen the Elizabeth gate, built "by the Elector Frederick the Fifth, in 1615, as the inscription says, "To his dearly beloved wife, Elizabeth of En-g- land." Each side of the stone gateway represents four trunks of trees, entwined with ivy, and above the archway are two female figures holding cornucopias, whilst the frieze of the arch is decorated Avith the lions of England and the Palatinate. This gate is the entrance to the Common Garden, which at one time was part of the ramparts, but is now a beautiful grove of lime-trees, from which a splendid view of the town and the fertile valley of the Rhine is obtained. On the noi'th side of the Common Garden are the walls of the Thick Tower, a colossal building which closes the north side of the castle. It is ninety feet in diameter, and in it was the banqueting-hall, sufficiently capacious to contain a hundred tables and dine four hundred guests. In the niches in the wall, partly concealed by ivy, are the statues of two of the Electors, and a Latin in- scription giving a history of the building. At the destruction of the castle by the French in 1689, the tower was blown up, and half of it fell in the town. The Eng- lish building, likewise blown up at the same time, adjoins the Thick Tower. Be- yond the castle ditch are Rupert's Hall, Rudolph's Building, and Rupert's Build- ing, underneath all of which, as well as the gardens, are subterranean passages, extending to the large watch - tower, and communicating with other parts of the fortifications. Inside of the gardens stand the bridge-house and the large watch-tower. Over the gate to the bridge are the statues of two clumsy-looking squires. Over the Gothic doorway of Ru- pert's Building are two angels bearing a wreath of roses, in the midst of which is a pair of half-open compas.^es, which are supposed to have had a Masonic significa- tion. Farther to the left of the entrance is a stone tablet with the following in- scription : " One thousand four hundred years were counted when Palsgrave Rupert was elected King of the Roman Empire, and governed and inhabited this castle, which Palsgrave Louis restored. lie Avas ever gay, and in his 44th year, the year 1500, he departed this life. May Jesus Christ keep them both in his blessed care, Amen." In this hall, which is in a tolerable state of preservation, a museum of antiquities found in the vicinity of the castle is ex- hiliited. Under an effigy of Christian II. of Denmark, exhibited here, is the fol- lowing inscription : " His spouse of royal ancestry. Dame Dorothea is her name, born Princess of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, three mighty kingdoms." From these inscriptions it would seem that these old-fogy kings thought more of their wives than some of their succes- sors of the present day do. The Rupert Building has been roofed, and is now used for festivities of various kinds. The most richly decor.ated of these old palaces within the walls of the castle is Frederick's Building, built in IGOl. It is of three stories. On the front, facing the court-yard, are four rows of statues, sixteen in all, some of them partially di- lapidated during the various wars, and from the conflagration of the castle. Over the doorway is the following in- scription : " Frederick, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, and Duke of Bavaria, caused this palace to be constructed for divine service and commodious habitation, and ornamented it with statues of his ances- tors, in the year of our Lord 1669." This building has l)een also roofed, and in the second story are a picture-gallery and a collection of antiquities which pai*- ticularly refer to the history of the ca&tle. AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 129 Connected with this building is the bal- cony of the castle, from which a fine view is to be had of the surrounding country. The decorated vestibule leading to the balcony, with Doric pillars and vaulted roof, is very imposing. We next viewed the ruins of the arsenal, which has been partly restored, and passed on to the building which holds the great tun or wine-bari-el of the castle, built in 1751, to replace the old one which was built in 1591, but had become decayed. It is thirty-two feet long, and from the middle of the barrel twenty-three feet high. It is bound with eighteen wooden hoops eight inches thick and fifteen inches broad. In 1752 it was filled for the first time, holding equal to two hun- dred and eighty-three thousand bottles, but it is now empty and unused. Near the tun is a little statue of Clemens Perko, the court-fool, who, like other fools, drank from fifteen to eighteen bottles of strong wine daily. The Octagon Towers and Otto Henry's building, the latter of which was the palace of the castle, are especially in- teresting. The court-facade is decorated with masterpieces of statuary and sculp- ture, representing the figures of men struggling with lions. The statues on the front are Joshua, Samson, Her- cules, David, Strength, Faith, Hope, Charity, Justice, Saturn, Mars, Venus, Mercury, Diana, Sol, and Jupiter. On the gable ends are eight medallion heads, representing distinguished Romans. There is nothing special about the Lewis Building, the Towers, or the Foun- tains, worthy of description, except to show the extent and perfection of this vast mountain-ruin. Over the door of the Fountain-house is this curious in- scription, showing that water was once deemed a healthy drink in Germany : " New and very Avholesome spring of Charles Theodore, the father of his coun- try, and of Elizabeth Augusta, the mother of her country, is also recom- mended as a new source of health." As Ave passed through the old chapel, the sound of a piano was distinctly heard, and on inquiry of our guide we were in- formed that an English family had rented a suite of rooms in that part of the cas- tle for three years, and were educating their children in Heidelberg. We also passed high up on the mountain, fully five hundred feet above the castle, a beau- tiful little villa, which, we were informed, was owned and occupied by Dr. Sprague, an American gentleman. 9 MOUNTAIN RAMBLES. Higher up in the mountain are the ruins of the old castle, which was the residence of the old Roman Palsgraves, before the large castle was built, as far back as the year 1200. It was after- wards used as a magazine, and in 1537 it was struck by lightning, and the whole castle was scattered around the mountain by the explosion. Here is now located the Molkenkur, or AVhey-cure establishment, at which there is a large throng of guests, resorting to this mode of curing all va- riety of diseases, and taking exercise by exploring the castle and the mountains. From thence we proceeded to the cave of Enchantress Gheta, commanding a fine view of the ruins of the castle, the town, and the surrounding mountains, and the Rhine can be seen winding along in the far distance. AVe are now one thousand seven hundred and fifty-two feet in the upper air, and have pointed out two rocks, named respectively Konigsstuhl (King's seat) and Kanzol (the Pulpit). A tower is erected on the former, and from thence we passed to the Riesenstein Inn and to the Pavilion, there being, in addition to the restaurant in the castle garden, an abundance of provisions for the inner man during the trip, beer being the principal commodity consumed. The castle is kept in excellent condition, and the garden is very beautiful, a good band of music being in attendance every after- noon at the restaurant. THE GERMAN TOURIST. The German tourist is generally a man of sedentary habits, whose idea of sight- seeing has combined with it the recovery of health and good digestion, and he goes into it with a vim that is not exhibited by other nationalities. He generally takes with him his wife or daughters, and they, being of the sisterhood not afflicted with "weak backs," accompany him in all his excursions. They ai'e never satis- fied with looking up at the snow on a mountain, but have an ambition to look down on mother earth with their feet im- bedded in the snow. The sight of a waterfall rushing over from rock to rock, and taking long leaps over precipices, is tame to them compared with tracking it vip the ascent, reveling in the spray, and finally examining the source whence it comes. They carry neither trunks nor bandboxes with them, but with a blanket shawl strapped over one shoulder, and a field-glass suspended from the other, and 130 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH alpenstock in hand, they climb over the mountain and make a circuit of the coun- try, taking to the rail only when they de- sire to reach some distant point from whence more pedestrian researches are undertaken. The men wear loose jackets with belts, and sometimes a small knap- sack on their backs, and the ladies are at- tired in traveling-dresses, with broad- brimmed straw hats. At six o'clock this morning, thus equipped, they could be seen plodding along towards the ascent to the Heidelberg Castle, and were doubtless among the ruins long before the tourists of other nationalities took their seats in the carriages before their hotels. The latter will spend a few hours among the ruins, and return in time for the evening train to carry them to Munich or Stutt- gart, whilst the former will spend several days in their wanderings over these his- torical heights, the history of which they had well conned before leaving their homes. They generally spend the whole day at the castle, ruminating among the ruins, reading the guide-books and scraps of history in relation to the diiferent wings of the castle, and staring the old statues out of countenance. It is their greatest remnant of antiquity, and as a visit to Heidelberg had been the longing desire of their previous lives, they make the most of it. There are numerous other historical points in the surrounding mountains, all of which must be visited, and they plod along, male and female, with unwearied enthusiasm that no his- torical stone may escape their inspection. The site of this castle was selected by the Romans in the first century as the key to the valley of the river Neckar, which flows at its base, and the fact that in suc- ceeding ages it was so often destroyed by contending armies shows that the " flank- ing" process was not practiced in those days. Heidelberg, August 5, 1873. STUDENT-LIFE AT HEIDELBERG. During our sojourn at Heidelberg we have paid considerable attention to a sub- ject with which the whole world is some- what familiar, though generally only in the form of incidents and anecdotes illus- trative of student-life in this ancient University city. We all know that a goodly number of the students here live a rollicking life, and that some of them are occasionally killed in duels, whilst others carry home with their diplomas scarred faces, and sometimes broken con- stitutions, from the effects of the wild and reckless course of living into which they fall here when freed from parental restraint. Of the thousand students who annually attend the Heidelberg Univer- sity, there are, of course, a large propor- tion who are no worse than other young men attending similar institutions in all parts of the world, but Heidelberg is re- nowned for the lack of restraint, and the practical approval which seems to be ex- tended to those who choose to pursue vicious courses. In all these military countries the duello is regarded as chival- ric and honorable, and if anything would tend to render it ridiculous, it seems to us that the way in which it is practiced by these beardless youths ought to have that effect. That the reader may be cor- rectly informed as to what student-life in Heidelberg really is, wdiat is the character of the associations which lead to this con- dition of affairs, we have collected from authentic sources such facts as could be obtained during a brief visit. THE GERMAN STUDENT. We took a stroll yesterday afternoon along the main street of Heidelberg, which is about a mile and a half in length, pass- ing the various buildings of the Univer- sity, and were much amused with our first sight of the Heidelberg student in full feather, making his Sunday rounds. It appears that they are divided up into a dozen or more societies, each having a combination of colors to distinguish it. These colors are displayed in the color of the cap and of the band around it, as well as by a broad tri-colored ribbon worn across the bosom of the shirt. Two or more members of different societies are sel- dom seen together, as the whole object of the societies seems to be the generation of feuds and quarrels and the resort to the duello. One party of five, walking arm in arm, particularly attracted our atten- tion from the fact that each of them had scars aci'oss his face, indicating recent wounds, and one of them still wore strips of adhesive plaster. We passed a good many going singly or in couples similarly marked, and regretted that the close of the lecture season a few weeks since had taken so many of these chivalric youths to their homes. So universal is this duel- ing practice that a scarred face among professional men in Germany is regarded as signifying the possession of a Heidel- berg diploma. They are, however, a fine- looking set of young fellows, all strong and athletic, with a rakish devil-may-care AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 131 air about them. It is one of the peculi- arities of German universities, that no student can gain admission unless he has not only previously graduated in a college, but has also graduated from a gymnasium, and has all his muscles strong and well developed. Hence there are no sickly students here, and none appear to be much under twenty-one years of age. Any youth of a wealthy family coming here and going earnestly to study, and refusing to join any of these roistering and beer-di"inking societies, at once incurs the animosity of all of them, and partic- ular members are appointed by each soci- ety to seek an opportunity for a quarrel with him. They have thus frequently stumbled upon adversaries who were not to be trifled with, and Avho paid no atten- tion to the code, which regards a scratch drawing blood as sufficient for the satis- faction of an intended insult. In times past, some students have thus been killed, especially such as had been universally successful in carving the faces of fellow- students, and imagined themselves suffi- ciently skillful t* make it safe for them to insult and encounter army officers. ■ A HEIDELBERG DUEL. Less than a year since, a student of quiet and gentlemanly demeanor had been frequently insulted by these Hot- spurs with the view of a fight, but re- fused to be thus dragged into personal conflict. All their efforts having proved unavailing, they imagined that it was cowardice that induced him to refuse to take offense. The matter was taken up at the meeting of one of these societies, and a young student, who was very ex- pert in the use of his sword, named Knelling, was selected to dog his steps and seek every opportunity of insulting him. His efforts were unavailing, until one morning he met him at the depot, whither he had gone to see a lady friend off in the cars. Here Ruelling so grossly insulted him in the presence of the lady that forbearance ceased to be a virtue, and he was forthwith challenged. To the surprise of all who had doubted his courage, the quiet youth indignantly de- clined to recognize the Heidelberg code, but demanded that the encounter should be with broadswords and to the death. The matter was taken up by the society which had appointed Ruelling to insult him, and, under the belief that their ex- pert champion would be able to disarm and overpower him, if not slay him, the terms of the challenge were accepted, and a place of meeting selected. The matter was kept secret from the authorities, and at the appointed time they met, wnth their seconds and medical attendants. So con- fident were all in the triumph of Ruelling that bets of ten to one were offered on the result, with no takers. Their swords were, however, scarcely crossed before it became evident that the youth whom they regarded as a poltroon was not only dreadfully in earnest, but that he was thoroughly master of his Aveapon. The fight had not lasted very long when Ruel- ling fell mortally wounded, and none of his valiant backers and instigators were found willing to take up the quar- rel. This ought to have put an end to these duels ; but the fresh-scarred faces to be seen on the streets show that it has only had the effect of causing more care in the selection of their intended victims. THE DUELING CODE. The term for studying in the Univer- sity is five years, and these young bloods of wealthy parents seldom attend a lec- ture during the first four years of their residence in Heidelberg. The fifth year they usually abandon the societies and commence to study, and it is a singular fact that many of them have subsequently become eminent in their several profes- sions. The majority of them are turned out upon the world professors of nothing but roistering and beer-swilling. After four years of such life as they have led at Heidelberg, it is not all of them that can recover their manhood, and devote themselves to study and subsequently to a career of usefulness. The occasional fatal results that have ensued from these duels have led to gov- ernment interference, so far as to require them when they fight to wear a peculiar style of spectacles for the protection of the eyes, long padded gauntlet buckskin gloves, extending to the shoulder, for the protection of the hands and arms, and a similar padded buckskin apron for the protection of the breast and body. A peculiar broad-bladed sword, sharp only at the point, was also established as the regulation weapon, with which a stun- ning blow may be struck on the head, and the face gashed, which are the only parts left unprotected, a thrust or blow anywhere else being deemed a violation of the code. It is thus arrayed, and thus they fight, a cut across the countenance leaving a scar being deemed a mark of honor. As we seldom see these caps and 132 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH ribbons unless they are accompanied by a scarred face, some idea may be formed by our Southern chivalry what a glorious time they would have at Heidelberg to satisfy their cutting and slashing propen- sities. So dearly are these scarred faces valued, that when the wound is not deep they keep it festering with nitrate of sil- ver, and it is not allowed to heal until there is an assurance that it will leave its mark. Of course there are plenty of students here who come to study, and live very exemplary lives, having neither the money nor the inclination to join these roistering and fighting societies, which are composed mostly of the sons of wealthy parents. They have their club-rooms, and generally spend largely in excess of the allowances sent them from home. The better class of students have all gone for the vacation, and it is only some of these young bloods who are still here finishing their line of dissipation, and probably waiting for remittances to enable them also to leave for home. THE SOCIETY HONORS. The fighting proclivities of these socie- ties are the main features of the organi- zations. They have their teachers of sword-exercise, and when they walk the streets they occasionally swing their canes over their heads, or twirl them in the air, as if conning over the lessons they had received, and aiming to become dexterous in the execution of certain movements with the weapon. They have, in connec- tion with their club-rooms, apartments for practice, in which the clashing of swords is constantly to be heard. When they cannot get up any personal quarrels six or a dozen of their members are named, and a challenge sent to some antagonisti- cal society to name a similar number, to meet them at the dueling-house opposite the castle, and fight out the point of difii- culty. So soon as blood is drawn the fight ceases, and the victorious student is required to encounter another of the se- lected champions. Thus the fight pro- gresses from day to day, and whichever society has the fewest scarred faces at the end of the contest is proclaimed the vic- tor. Thus it is that so few escape with whole faces, and that the scar is the in- signia of personal prowess and bravery. In selecting the officers of these societies the man who can prove that he has done the most cutting, and has thus maintained the credit of the organization, is usually chosen as President, and the other officers are graded in accordance with the num- ber of scalps they carry at their belts. Another grade of honor is awarded to the member who can drink, at one sitting, the largest number of glasses of beer. To attain this honor, they have sometimes been known to secretly swallow an emetic when their capacity to take down more was about to cease, go out and empty their stomachs, and return ready to carry on the contest indefinitely. They swag- ger along the streets with the air of princes, and appear to expect everybody to get out of their way, and as a general thing the town-peojile appear to have a wholesome dread of coming in contact with them. UNIVERSITY FENCING-SCHOOL. Close to the main University buildings we observed a sign with the following in- scription : " University Fencing-School." As a means of self-protection, every new student is expected to take lessons at this academy. lie cannot, if insulted, knock down the man who insulted him, and fight it out on the gre*n, but must be in readiness with his sword to encounter those who have been for a long time un- der instruction and practice. Fist-fight- ing is voted vulgar and unchivalric, and not such a mode of settling disputes as gentlemen should resort to. Hence the necessity of this department for study, which is regarded as under the patronage of the Professors. A young man who comes here and declines to take lessons is looked upon Avith suspicion, as he is sup- posed to have perfected himself in the " manly art" before leaving home. He is suspected of being an expert, which of itself is a sort of protection, almost equal to that obtained by the student who has proved himself superior to all his fellows in the handling of the weapon. No one being desirous to be the first to test his ability, gives him an immunity from in- sult. Many come tluis prepared, and they are seldom troubled until the extent of their proficiency is known. It might be supposed that parents Avould keep their sons from such associations, but it must be remembered that there are few who come here under twenty-one years of age, and that many of them are their own masters. Then the University has a high reputation, and many parents think that the "rough and tumble" life which they lead here will best prepare them to en- counter the trials and cares of the life upon which they are about to enter. AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 133 THE students' PARTING. This afternoon three or four of the members of these societies started for their homes, and they were accompanied to the depot by all the members still re- maining here of the two prominent socie- ties which are on good terms. They filled about twenty open barouches, and each had on the cap which they wear on im- portant occasions, some with crimson worked all over with silver, and others of blue and silver. These caps are not much lai-ger than an old-fashioned tea- cup, and seem to be fastened on the tops of their heads with strings, as they are all too small to stay there without some fast- ening. They were all in great glee, and brimming full of wine drunk at the part- ing dinner from which they had just arisen. At the depot they kissed each other in the most affectionate way, and parted with all manner of cordial greet- ings. THE HEIDELBERG BRAND. Whilst returning yesterday from our visit to the Castle of Heidelberg, we passed on the mountain-road six carriages filled with students, lying back in their seats and smoking, with their little skull-caps perched jockey-like on the sides of their heads. Having met them at a bend in the narrow road, they all had to stop whilst we passed, giving a good opportu- nity to scrutinize their countenances. Of the twenty-five, four had both broken noses and scars, three had their faces patched with strips of adhesive plaster, one had a black silk handkerchief tied around the upper portion of his forehead, and the faces of all the others but one had scars or cuts. They were, as usual, in a merry mood, and evidently intent upon a jollification at the restaurant in the castle- garden, which is kept open and the band playing until ten o'clock at night. They were all dressed elegantly, and were evi- dently aware of the aggregate good looks of the party. A few minutes after, as we reached the mountain-road overlooking the Neckar, our driver pointed out to us the restaurant on the other side of the river, beyond the bridge, a large white house, which he informed us was the place in which the students had rooms in which they fought all their duels. It is a restaurant, whither they also repair on the occasion of any extraordinary jollifi- cation. On our way to the depot we passed a restaurant where some fifty of them were assembled, arrayed in their silver-braided coats and caps, with a band of music, all hands accompanying the in- struments with a merry bacchanalian song. Note. — Tlie following incident, which occurred at Heidelberg a few weeks after our visit, will satisfy the reader that there is no exaggeration in our statement of "Life at Heidelberg." A game of cards, in which a human life was at stake, was played on the 9th of September, at the Ritter Hotel, Heidel- berg, by four j^oung students, one of whom, Silfred Meyer, was an American from Chicago. It appears that the four men had formerly been intimate friends, and they met, it seems, on the above day at the Swan Tavern, where they drank a good deal, and finally began to quarrel. One of them. Count Ottendorf, called Meyer a cowardly Jew, whereupon the latter promptly challenged him. Otten- dorf accepted the challenge immediately. Meyer, in a tone of great excitement, pro- posed that all four should repair to the Hitter Hotel and there play a game of " sixty-six." The loser should shoot him- self with a pistol. This proposition was accepted, and the four students repaired to the hotel. They ordered wine and cards to be brought up to a private room, and Ludeken, one of the four, procured two loaded pistols from a neighboring ar- morer. The four students dealt the cards, and Ottendorf and Meyer seated them- selves, a pistol lying by the side of each. The first few minutes the game remained almost even. But when Meyer obtained a single advantage, Ottendorf, seeing that he was lost, suddenly jumped up, and ex- claiming, " Adieu, my friends," seized his pistol and shot himself through the right temple. He fell a corpse to the floor, while his companions stood as if petrified for a moment, then hurried from the room. When the proprietor of the hotel hastened into the room, he found the dead count ly- ing on the floor. He gave an alarm, and the police started in pursuit of the fugi- tive students. Late in the afternoon they succeeded in arresting Immich, who made the above statement. Meyer and Lude- ken escaped across the French frontier. Ottendorf was the son of a wealthy landed proprietor in Westphalia. At the time of his death he was only nineteen. DARMSTADT. Darmstadt, August 9, 1873. We left Heidelberg, in the duchy of Baden, at noon yesterday, and in two 134 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH hours were at Darmstadt, at the capital of the dukedom of Darmstadt, another of those petty principalities that still bar the way to a united Germany. The Duchess of Darmstadt is a sister of the Emperor of Russia, and the wife of the heir to the dukedom is the Princess Alice of England. These two influences alone f>revented Prussia from wiping out this ittle dukedom and incorporating it in the kingdom of Prussia. England and Russia would have been offended, and hence Bismark contented himself with the control of the military power of Darm- stadt, all of the soldiers of which are now clad in the full uniform of the Prussian service. Although still a dukedom, all the power and control of the diplomatic and military relations of the country are in the hands of Prussia. THE CITY OF DARMSTADT. This is a bright little city, more modern in its appearance than most of these old German cities. It was remodeled by the Grand Duke Ludwig in 1830, and has broad and well-paved streets running- through it in all directions, and the build- ings generally have a modern aspect. It has a population of thirty-nine thousand, and, with the exception of two thousand five hundred Catholics, it is a Protes- tant city. On the Louisenplatz, in the centre of the city, a very elegant monu- ment of red sandstone, about one hundred and fifty feet high, has on it a statue of the Grand Duke Ludwig, erected "by his grateful people." It has several fine palaces, that of Prince Charles being handsomer and finer than that of the Grand Duke or of the Princess Alice, who is a great favorite with the people. But these palaces are tiresome to look at, and would be much more tiresome to the reader if we were to attempt to describe them. In the Schloss Palace there is a very fine collection of paintings, some seven hundred in number. In the first saloon there is a good collection of modern paintings, from the middle of the last century to the present day, which plainly shows that those of the present day are better even than those of the last century. The rest of the gallery is of the old Dutch and Italian schools, which are very fine in the eyes of those who can see nothing good or perfect in the present, and have no hopes for the future. In the steeple of the Schloss Palace there is a very remarkable musical clock. About two minutes preceding the close of every hour the bells, of which there are about forty in the steeple, of all sizes, play an air, which is distinctly heard at night at our hotel, about two squares distant. It resembles the Swiss bell- ringers, and is vei-y perfect in its per- formance. THESE OLD TOWNS. We have roamed over Darmstadt, as we have during the past week over Stutt- gart and Heidelberg, and, with the excep- tion of the palaces and the public squares, one looks as much like the other as two peas. The people, too, look and dress just as the people of Baltimore look and dress, and the ladies are pretty, in our eyes, everywhere. They are mostly blondes in this section of Germany, and are finely formed, with delicate expres- sion of countenance and bright eyes. They dress with great neatness, and do not take to the gaudy colors to which the ladies in Austria are so partial. In roaming through these old cities, eat- ing breakfast in one and dinner in another, we feel at times a singular sensation of surprise that one is thus able " to hop, skip and jump" over the Old AVorld. Sometimes we have to stop and think where we were yesterday, and the day before, and, waking up almost every morning in a strange hotel, we are puz- zled at times to remember where we are to-day. AVhere we will be to-morrow, or next day, or next week, is always un- certain. The cholera having thrown us off of our track of travel, we are wander- ing about, without aim or destination. We may go to Frankfort, or we may go down the Rhine, to-morrow, just as the whim or notion may take us at the time of starting. But to be walking on the streets and among the people of one country in the morning, and elbowing those of another in the afternoon, is an odd sensation, even to those accustomed to roam around the world. If the people would only dress different and look difi'erent, or build their houses in a different style, the novelty of travel would be much greater. But there, right around the square from our hotel, stands a building that looks very much like Guy's Hotel, though it lacks those modern steps of that popular establish- ment. The palace of the Princess Alice, at the opposite corner, with a sentry-box on either side of the front door, somewhat resembles the residence of Enoch Pratt, Esq., but it is not so handsome. The monument to the Grand Duke Ludwig, in the centre of the square, is like the AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 135 Washington Monument, only not so large or high, and of red sandstone instead of white marble. The palace of the Grand Duke, on the other side of the square, is too plain a building to compare with even our court-house, and the Post-Office, at the other corner, looks very much like that ancient structure which, in the olden days, stood on the corner of Baltimore and Liberty Streets, in which the Con- gress of the early days of the republic is said to have assembled. The large public building in the centre of the north side of the square looks very much as the old Fountain Inn on Light Street did in its palmy days ; and the hotel in which we are taking our ease, although sur- rounded by such brilliant company, is an extremely plain three-story white stuccoed building, with a long row of garret-win- dows peeping out from its steep slate roof. These old cities not only resemble each other, but look just like a good many of our American cities, and the people who walk the streets might be transferred en masse into the streets of any of our large cities, and no one would suspect that there were any strangers in town, unless there should happen to be a few stray Turks among them. There is one thing, how- ever, in which the meanest German city excels Baltimore, and that is in its street pavements, and the universal cleanliness in which the streets are kept. In this respect Darmstadt is worthy of a visit from our City Fathers. RELIGIOUS TOLERATION. South of the river Main, all Germany is devoutly Catholic, whilst north of that river the Protestants predominate, eleven- twelfths of the people of Darmstadt being anti-Catholic. Everywhere, however, we are happy to be able to state, the largest liberty in all spiritual matters is enjoyed. We entered an immense brown-stone church in Heidelberg the other day, with imposing steeple, and statues in the niches on the walls, which we supposed to be a Catholic cathedral. On entering we observed that it was divided in two parts by a wall in the centre, and actually discovered that one end of the church was Catholic and the other end Lutheran, both worshiping under the same roof. We remember last year at Interlaken, in Switzerland, to have met with something similar, — a Catholic and an Episcopal congregation assembling at one time un- der the same roof, within the walls of an old monastery. This is all so different from what was the case ten or twelve years ago, that it may be hailed as the commencement of a new era. PROVISION STORES. There is no regular meat-market in any of the German cities, and, with the excep- tion of Stuttgart, we have not met with a market-house of any description. There is usually a public square set apart for a market, well paved with stone, but with- out even a shed or permanent stall upon it. The market-people merely set their baskets down and stand alongside of them, though some bring stalls with them, and have large umbrellas. All kinds of meat are obtained from the provision stores, which are very numerous, and are fitted up with great elegance. To look in at an American provision store on a warm day is enough to spoil one's appetite, but the German provision store makes a man hungry to look at it. The meat is dis- played on white marble slabs, the win- dows are ornamented with specimens of meat, sausages, and other articles, ■with a little fountain playing over an urn full of gold-fish. There is an air of cleanli- ness and sweetness about the whole es- tablishment, and the duty of salesman is usually performed by a bright, rosy- cheeked lass, who handles the weapons of her profession with all the skill of a professor. We always make it a rule to stop and look in at these neat little estab- lishments, and wonder why it is that we, with our superabundance of ice, cannot present similar stores. Fruits and vege- tables are not eaten here as with us. With the exception of pears, plums, and cherries, there is nothing in the markets, and these are in such limited quantities that one of our fruit-dealers at the Lex- ington or Marsh Market would monopo- lize the whole stock offei-ed this morning to a population of forty thousand people. A pound of plums was an extensive sale to any one purchaser, and most satisfied themselves with a half-pound. Peaches are a curiosity, and are hard and sour. They are always sold at so many kreutzers apiece, and never by the measure. Truly, the American tourist deprives himself of many of the joys of life by spending his summer in Europe. Only think of the loss of cantaloupes, watermelons, jieaches, and hot corn, and having to put up with a spoonful of strawberries or raspberries without cream. TOBACCO AND CIGARS. During the Southern rebellion, when tobacco got to a very high figure, all the 136 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH German States commenced experimenting on raising tobacco for themselves, and, although the quality is very inferior, an immense quantity is now raised, and every farmer grows suiEcient for the con- sumption of himself and family. Be- tween this city and Stuttgart we passed hundreds of acres of it, and it looks well on the field. The cheapness of cigars has almost driven the pipe out of use, as one is seldom seen now, except in the hands of some octogenarian who persists that the old mode of doing things is best. The cigars offered for sale in the stores, made of Germpn tobacco, look well, and are of all shades of color, but no one need fear having his nerves troubled by smok- ing them. Their flavor is not bad, for the simple reason that they are nearly flavor- less. The prices range from a half-kreut- zer (about one-third of a cent) to ten kreutzers, and a person lighting one of them blindfolded could not tell whether it was the higher or lower article that he was smoking. A call for some of their best cigars last evening at a restaurant brought two on a plate for three kreut- zers, and we came to the conclusion that they were among the best we had yet smoked. The probability is that they furnish all prices out of the same box, giving the purchaser the choice as to the price he may desire to pay. However, they are not bad cigars, and are pretty nearly equal to our American cigars at four dollars per hundred. FEMALE CLERKS. Throughout Germany, wherever fe- males can be employed to advantage, they are taken in preference to young men. At Munich the clerks and book- keepers in the banks are nearly all young and handsome girls. Like the female clerks in the Departments at Washington, beauty seems to be one of the require- ments to secure an appointment. At the depots many of those who attend the windows for the sale of tickets are girls, and the cashiers in all the cafes and res- taurants are of the same sex. They are generally very expert at figures, and in mental arithmetic have no superiors. In view of the fact that so many females are employed in the rougher and hardest de- scriptions of laboring work, it speaks well for the sex that they are seeking and securing more desirable and lucrative employment. It may possibly arise from the fact that the young men are generally of the " fast" order, and are not to be re- lied upon in positions of trust. We are under the impression in America that our young men are not as steady and staid as they ought to be, but they are miracles of steadiness compared to the average young men of Germany. The students at Heidelberg can give them a start of half a day and beat them before bedtime. They don't drink strong liquor ; coffee, beer, or wine being the extent of their libations ; but they devote the best part of the day to the cafe or the beer-saloon, reading the papers, playing billiards, chatting or studj^ing the plates in the nu- merous satirical illustrated papers. How the many thousands of young men in Vienna obtain a living and good clothing, who are ahvays to be found in the coffee- houses, is a mystery " that no fellow can find out." It is equally a wonder to the people of Vienna as it is to the stranger. GERMAN BABIES. The babies of Germany are not allowed as large a liberty as those of America. They are, for the better part of the first year of their earthly pilgrimage, tightly wound up in swaddling clothes, with both arms and legs pinioned, and carried about on a pillow especially made for the pur- pose. After they escape from their wrap- pings a bag of feathers is tied on their backs, so that when they tumble over they have something to fall upon. Those of the poorer classes are laid in a basket with a little bag of sugar in their mouths, and are expected to behave themselves without much further attention from mother or nurse. The nurses on the streets generally carry the babies in their arms on a pillow, and they are tied to it with pink ribbons, lying as still and as motionless as if they were little mum- mies. They cannot kick or use their arms, and evidently they are not allowed to know during their puling days what their legs and arms are intended for. We don't think that our babies would stand it, as we observe that German ladies when they come to America don't attempt to practice any such tyranny on their babies. FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN. Frankfort-on-the-Main, August 9, 1873. Being within but thirty minutes' travel of this enterprising and prosperous city, we could not withstand the temptation, notwithstanding the excessive heat, of taking a run down this morning from AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 137 Darmstadt, for a rapid view of its many attractions. The heat must have _ been away up among the nineties, as it was undoubtedly the hottest day we have yet experienced during our three months' tour through Germany. Securing a carriage at the depot, and a very intelligent driver, he took us on a round through the various attractive parts of the city and suburbs. THE CITY OF FRANKFORT. Frankfort-on-the-Main has a population of over eighty thousand, Avhich Baedeker sets down at sixty thousand Protestants, eleven thousand Catholics, and eight thousand Jews. It was until 18GG one of the free towns of the German Confed- eration, but it is now under the Prussian government. Old watch-towers indicate the extent of the ancient city in which the Emperors were elected and crowned. It is situated in a spacious plain, bounded by mountains, on the river Main, which is navigable for vessels of considerable size, and a source of great commercial advantage. The public grounds and promenades encircle the old city on three sides, and are splendidly laid out and adorned with flowers and shade-trees. Like all the German cities in modern times, the space formerly occupied by fortifications, walls, moats, and parade- grounds has been used to ornament the city, which has largely outgroAvn its for- mer dimensions. Bordering these public grounds a succession of magnificent pri- vate villas and mansions have been ei-ected. surrounded by gardens and the finest floral display, which gives to the citj^ an air of wealth, indicative of the success and extent of its commercial relations. The business sections of the city are very fine, the streets being broad, and the houses generally constructed of a light pink or red sandstone. The retail stoi-es are elegant and attractive, one of the surest signs of the wealth of a city. The old portions of the city are full of quaint and antiquated houses, many of them doubtless several centui'ies old. Some of the streets are so narrow that two vehicles cannot pass, whilst the houses tower up to the height of four or five stories. The spirit of improve- ment is gradually invading these anti- quated places, and new and spacious streets are being opened, and fine modern buildings erected. THE MONUMENTS. The most famous monument in Frank- fort, which all strangers are sure to visit. is that of Gutenberg, the inventor of printing. On the pedestal, which is about twenty feet high, stand three bronze figures. The central one, with types in the left hand, is Gutenberg, with Faust on his right and Schofi"er on his left. On the frieze are thirteen likenesses of cel- brated printers, Caxton among them. In four niches beneath are the arms of the four towns where printing with types was first introduced: Mentz, Frank- fort, Venice, and Strasburg. On four separate pedestals are figures represent- ing Theology, Poetry, Natural History, and Industry. The heads of four ani- mals, which serve as water-spouts, indi- cate the four quarters of the globe and the universal difi'usion of the invention. Near this monument in the Goethe- platz is Schwanthaler's monument of Goethe, this being the city in which he was born. The poet holds a wreath of laurels in his left hand. The pedestal is covered with bas-reliefs, emblematic of his literary pi'oductions, Faust and Mephistopheles, etc. We were also shown the house in which Goethe was born, which bears an inscription recording the birth of the poet on tlie 28th of August, 1749. It is open for public inspection, and the rooms facing the court are pointed out as those in which he wrote his Gotz and Werther, and as the scene of the adventures which render his biog- raphy so interesting. We also visited the monument to Schil- ler, which is a plain pedestal, with his statue surmounting it in bronze. The Hessian monument, ei'ected by Frederick William II. of Prussia " to the brave Hessians who fell victorious on the spot in December, 1792, fighting for the Fatherland," is very peculiar. It con- sists of masses of rocks, on which a pil- lar stands, surmounted by a helmet, sword, and ram's head, the latter em- Ijlematieal of the attack made upon Frankfort by the Hessians, then occupied by the French under Custino. Their re- mains rest here, and on the pillar their names are all recorded in letters of gold. THE JEWISH QUARTER. Frankfort is famed for its old Jewish Quarter, and the carriage-drivers take all strangers through it as one of the curi- osities of the city. As early as the twelfth century many Jews settled here, and founded this street in 1642, w^hich, until 1806, had a gate at each end of it, which was closed and locked at nights, after which no Jew could venture into any part 138 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH of the town, under a heavy penalty. The house in which the senior Rothschild lived, and in which the present genera- tion of this opulent family was born, was pointed out to us, as well as the dwelling and birthplace of the great Baring family, who now rule kings and princes by the power of their wealth. The houses of this quarter are very peculiar in their construction, being a combination of stone and wood, four stories high, and gen- erally not more than eight or ten feet in Avidth. Many of them are in such a dilapi- dated condition that they are closed up, the authorities having compelled the removal of the tenants, for fear they would be crushed in the ruins. The houses on the opposite side of the street have all recently been removed for the same reason, most of them having fallen down, and as many as twenty-three were killed in one house. In a short time this old quarter will en- tirely disappear, though the locality is per- manently marked by a fine Jewish syna- gogue and the Jewish Hospital, founded in 1830 by the Rothschild family, who have also built recently a magnificent hospital for all creeds in Vienna, which is regarded as the model hospital for the world. ARIADNE ON THE PANTHER. We have not viewed anything in the way of art, during our tour, which gave so much satisfaction as on the occasion of a visit made this moi-ning to Bethmann's Museum, a circular building erected for the purpose of exhibiting Dannecker's exquisite groupe of Ariadne on the Pan- ther, a work regarded as the youthful sculptor's masterpiece, which would add to the laurels of any living or dead art- ist. It is the property of a Avealthy banker of Frankfort, Avho has put up this building for its exhibition, there being no charge for admission, except a trifling dcmation to the custodian. In order that the visitor may be able to compare this modern masterpiece with the works of the ancients, its owner has procured casts of Achilles, Silenus with the young Bacchus, Germanicus, the Gladiator, La- ocoon, Apollo Belvedere, Venvis de Medici, and Diana of Versailles, — all taken from the originals. The Ariadne is exhibited under a pink canopy, through which the light from above penetrates, and, as it is slowly turned on its pedestal, the perfection and beauty of the figure are truly marvelous. The reflection makes it almost seem like flesh and blood. The position and ease of the figure have given it a world-wide renown, and the building was surrounded by carriages of visitors, among whom were many Americans. EMIGRATION AND MILITARY SERVICE. In the little province or dukedom of Darmstadt, in which we have sojourned for a few days, the military is, as else- where in Germany, an important part of the population. The territory of Darmstadt is about equal to that of the State of Mary- land, or somewhere between Delaware and Maryland, but it is required to keep, al- ways ready for the field, thirty thousand well - drilled troops of the different branches of the service. The standing army of Darmstadt is, to-day, on the peace-footing, nearly equal to all the Federal troops of the United States, even with the Modoc war on hand, and an ex- tensive boundary to protect from Indian incursions. The ofiicers are all very fine- looking men, most of them of good stat- ure, and are dressed with great elegance in bright new Prussian uniforms. They nearly all wear the iron cross, as do many of the men, indicative of personal bravery in the recent war with France. The military law in Darmstadt requires every man to serve three years in the army, from eighteen, if of sufiicient stat- ure, to twenty-one. For the next nine years he is in the reserve, required to re- port for monthly drill and inspection, and in case of war to hasten at once to the standard of his regiment. Each man knows where to find his place and his officer and who stands next to him in the ranks. Thus it was that the landwehr, as it was called, followed the regulars in solid phalanx, and enabled Prussia to overpower France. They were better drilled and more experienced soldiers than the regular army, each man having served three years and been regularly held under military supervision. The only escape from this military service is emigration ; and as most men are too young to emigrate before they are eighteen, and have no means to emigrate when they are twenty-one, having received literally nothing but food and clothing for their three years' service, they are compelled to become mere military chattels. Many remain permanently in the army, as the only pursuit they have any knowledge of. Whilst emigration to America is the great earthly heaven of all the poorer classes of Germany, it is only the few who are ever able to accumulate sufficient money to enable them to leave. When you see I AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 139 on the street an emigrant followed by his •wife and children, you see a brave and determined man, who has overcome more difficulties to get where he is than most of us are required to encounter in our earthly pilgrimage. In the cities there are young men's associations for emigra- tion, and also in the country towns. They each contribute to the funds of the asso- ciation a few kreutzers per week, and when the treasury is sufficiently replen- ished to pay the passage of one or more the ticket is purchased, and lots are cast among the members as to who shall have it. Thus it is that some of the young men reach America ; but most of them come through the aid of funds sent to them from America by friends who have gone before them. PUBLIC GARDENS. From the Romer we proceeded to the Zoological Gardens, which are very ex- tensive, but the collection of large ani- mals is not equal to some we have viewed in other cities. It is a beautiful resort, and the evening concerts and a good restaurant attract throngs of peo- ple, who assemble here to take their sup- pers and listen to the music. Nobody in Germany will eat without a musical ac- companiment, if they can help it. The Garden of Palms, about a mile from the city limits, is another great at- traction, where music and good eating add to its charms. It takes its name from having an immense crystal palace in its centre, in which are growing all the varie- ties of tropical palm-trees, just as they can be seen in Cuba. It was formerly the private property of the Duke of Nas- sau, but has been purchased by the city as a public resort. In .all the German cities a resort of this kind is gotten up by the authorities, and the expense borne by charging a small admission-fee. A city passenger railway traverses the city, and passes out the road upon which both of these gardens are located. BEET SUGAR. It is not generally known by the rest of the world that the people of the Old World depend upon the sugar-beet J or the manufacture of nearly all the sugar they use. This is the case on the Conti- nent, and even in France, every former raising as part of his crop the sugar-beet, which meets with I'eady sale at the sugar- houses; though most of the farmers raise their own sugar. It would be difficult to produce a more pui'e article from the su- gar-cane than that furnished at the hotels and for sale in the stores. It is generally in small, square cakes, though it is also manufactured in long, cone-shaped loaves, like our best sugar, and sold at about the same price as in America. Along the road betvreen Darmstadt and Munich fully one-third of the growing crop was the sugar-beet. DOWN THE RHINE. We start down the Rhine from May- ence this morning, and will be in Paris to-morrow, having sojourned for precisely three months on German soil and among German-speaking people. DOWN THE EHINE. On the Rhine, August 9, 1873. We left Darmstadt at half-past seven o'clock this morning, after an early break- fast, for Mayence, and within an hour we were on board the steamer Humboldt on the Rhine, awaiting our departure down the Rhine to Cologne, with between two and three hundred other tourists. The boat, which is built like our ordinary American river boats, and about two hun- dred feet in length, was literally crowded. The promenade-deck, which extends the whole length of the vessel, is covered with awnings ; and here were the choice positions for which every one was strug- gling. To give some idea of the number of tourists now swarming over Europe, it is only necessary to state that three boats leave Mayence for Cologne every morning, one having started an hour before our arrival, and another was to start one hour after our departure. These are what are called hrst-class boats ; but there are others of a smaller class that start higher up the river, and stop for passengers at all the small places on the route. In addition to all this flood of travel, the two lines of railway, one on each side of the river, flying along at the water's edge, carry as many passengers as they can accommodate. The railroad time from Mayence to Cologne is six hours, while the fastest boats take nine hours. They must necessarily have pow- erful engines to enable them to make the up trip against the current, and conse- quently they go down stream with great rapidity. 140 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH OUR FELLOW-PASSENGERS. This is the second time within a twelve- month that it has been our fortune to pass down the Rhine, and we have not been able on either occasion to go into an ecstasy of enthusiasm over its great wonders. We this time fortified our im- agination by reading Kiefer's Legends of the Rhine, but found them to be a collec- tion of impossible and improbable stories, in which an eifort is made to people the walls and ramparts of the old castles with spirits and fairies, gnomes and devils. Being exceedingly matter-of-fact in our temperament, we threw Kiefer overboard, and with Baedeker in one hand, and an opera-glass in the other, we stood on the watch for something that would startle us. But, gentle reader, we were not startled, and of all the throng of passengers going down stream with us, we do realiy believe that we were more deeply interested than any one of them. About one-third of the whole number were eating and drinking all the way from Mayence to Cologne. The German rule is, " when you have nothing else to do, always eat," and, as three- fourths of all on board were Germans, the waiters had a busy time of it. We no- ticed every bend in the river, every change in the conformation of its towering rocks, the ledgingof the mountain-sides to form shelves for the growth of the vine, and the remnants of towers and castles. But the great m.ass of our passengers were apparently as little interested in the moving panorama as if they had been born on the Rhine and its beauties had lost their attractions. A little knot of enthusiasts, mostly English and Ameri- cans, had fixed themselves near the bow of the boat, -where they could see either side of the river at a glance. FROM MAYENCE TO BINGEN. We left the wharf at Mayence at nine o'clock, and for the first two hours, until we reached Bin gen, the Rhine is about as plain and unj^retending a river as the Ohio. It has a few venerable-looking old towns, whilst those on the Ohio are bright and beautiful, and for the first two hours the Ohio has decided advantage. The river- banks are hidden from view either by bushes or marshes, and may be very beautiful if the deck was only high enough to see over them. Thus it is that when taking to the Rhine, even as low down as Mayence, a feeling of disappoint- ment comes over the tourist. He had heard of the wonders of the Rhine, and imagined that it was all wonderful, all startling, and that he was to encounter a succession of such grand and ecstatic scenery as can be found nowhere else in the wide world. For two hours after leaving Mayence, there is but little to admire, excepting a few fine villas, built close to the water's edge, and surrounded by gardens and shrubbery. Small towns with their steeples can occasionally be seen on the high grounds in the distance, but the banks of the river are generally low and flat. At eleven o'clock, after two hours' run, we approached Bingen, which the poets have descriljed as " Sweet Bingen on the Rhine." It is a very small town, of six thousand inhabitants, and, as viewed from the river, has a very ancient appearance. It is at the mouth of the river Nahe, which forms the boundai'y between the dominions of the Duke of Darmstadt and Prussia. The scenery around it is very fine, and perhaps the poet had this in her mind when she went into ecstasies over Bingen. On a mountain-side, directly over it, are the ruins of the old castle of Klopp, and on the other side the mountains of Roclmsberg and Elisenhohe, on the lat- ter of which is a very fine Gothic chateau. Here, however, at Bingen, commences the beautiful scenery of the Pihine, with its vine-clad mountains, and old towers, fortresses, and castles. It is that portion of the Rhine between Bingen and Cob- lentz, where the river forces its way through the mountains on either side, the passage of which in the olden time was controlled by the robber nobles, who lived in these old castles, and exacted toll from all vessels passing them, amusing themselves with occasionally cutting each other's throats and storming and taking possession of the castles of their enemies. In our day they would be called pirates or freebooters, but history proclaims them noble, some of them saints, and monuments to some of them are still standing in the towns in the vicinity, FROM BINGEN TO COBLENTZ. This is the only portion of the river that can be called attractive. We passed Bingen at eleven o'clock, and at one o'clock the majestic fortress of Ehren- breitstein, Avhich is justly termed the Gi- braltar of the Rhine, directly opposite the city of Coblentz, loomed up before us. Thus the beauties of the Rhine are all viewed in two hours' travel, as below AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 141 Coblentz the river widens to the extent of about one mile, and with the excep- tion of the seven mountains, as we approach Cologne, its shores are generally low and flat. Most of the German tourists stop a few days at each of the prominent points on this portion of the river, changing their location after pe- destrian tours among the ruins of the old castles and the surrounding moun- tains. Opposite the castle of Klopp, near Bin- gen, on a rock in the middle of the Rhine, is the Mouse-Tower, which derives 'i\s name from the well-known legend of Bishop Ilatto, who built this tower as a sort of custom-house, where tolls were forcibly levied on all passing vessels. lie was a great tyrant, and during a famine which prevailed bought up all the food in the district and sold it at such exorbitant prices that the people soon had no more money, and were in a starving condition. They sent to the bishop a large delega- tion, begging for bread, hinting that they would take it by force if he did not give it to them. He received them very affa- bly, and told them to go to a barn, where they would be supplied, but no sooner were they in the doors, than he closed and locked them, and set fire to the barn. On hearing their howling cries of pain, he exclaimed, " Hear how the corn-mice squeak. I treat rebels as I do mice ; when I catch them I burn them." The legend goes on to say that out of the ashes of the barn came legions of mice, which swarmed through the castle, com- pelling his retainers all to fly, and finally to escape them the bishop proceeded to his tower in the river, but the insatiable mice followed him, and finally gnawed the flesh off his bones. This is a sample of the legends of these old Rhine castles ; but there stand the ruins of the castle and of the tower, and, if the story be true, the old fellow deserved to be eaten up, even if he was not. The next tower is Ehrenfels, which was erected in 1210. The steep slopes of the neighboring mountains form one of the finest wine-districts of the Rhine. These mountain-sides look from the river as if planted almost to their summits with pea- vines. Concerning this castle of Ehren- fels there is a love-legend, in which a horse is the hero. His mistress Avas being taken to church by her cruel father to marry her to a wicked knight. Just as they reached the church-door, the horse, instigated by the saints, to whom the girl had prayed, ran away, and car- ried her to the castle of her true love, both the father and the bad knight having fallen and broken their necks in the effort to overtake her. The castle of Falkenburg ccmies next, an immense I'uin, which was l>uilt by one of the boldest robbers of the Rhine ; then follows the tall tower of Sonneck, which commanded the entrance to a ravine. Sonneck belongs to the Prussian royal family, and has recently been entirely restored, as one of a number of the finest of these old ruins. Near the village of Lorchhausen, six hundred feet above it, on the mountain- side, are the ruins of the castle of Nollin- gen, of which the legend records that a knight of the Lord, with the assistance of certain mountain-spirits, once scaled the Devil's Ladder, leading up to it, on horseback, and thus gained the hand of his lady-love. On a rocky eminence be- low this rise the picturesque ruins of the castle of Furstenburg, which was several times rebuilt and destroyed during the last eight hundred years. In 1700, the French blew it up for the last time. These ruins, as well as those of the great castle ofStahleck, which next come to view, belong to the royal family of Prussia, and it is the intention to rebuild and restore them all as nearly as practicable to their ancient condition. Above the town of Caub, rising in the middle of the Rhine, appears the castle of Pfalz, reminding one of the Chateau d'lf, on the Mediterranean. It was erected in the beginning of the thirteenth century, as a toll-house for exacting tribute from passing vessels. This castle has also a love-legend connected with it. The stately castle of Gutenfels, which must have been one of the largest on the Rhine, rises behind the town of Caub. History says that it was there, in 1269, that the English Earl of Cornwall, then Emperor of Germany, became enamored of the beautiful Countess Beatrix of Falkenstein, and married her. Next come the picturesque ruins of the castle of Schonberg, the birthplace of Marshal Schonberg, who fell in the battle of the Boyne, and whose remains are buried in Westminster Abbey. The imposing rocks of the Lurley were next pointed out to us, connected with which is the well-known legend of the siren who had her dwelling in the rock, and, like the sirens of old, en- ticed sailors and fishermen to their de- struction in the rapids at the foot of the precipice. This has long been a favorite theme for the poet and the painter. Next 142 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH comes the castle of Katz, but it is insig- nificant as compared with the ruins of Rheinfels, three hundred and ninety-three feet above the Rhine, rising back of the town of St. Goar, which in 1692 success- fully withstood a siege of fifteen months by an army of twenty-four thousand men. Thurmberg and Deuzenberg,near the town of Welmich, erected in 1363, is also an ex- tensive ruin, and must have been a most formidable castle. The nest point of interest is the town of Bornhofen, on a rocky eminence, above which are the castles of Sonnen- berg and Liebenstein, better known as the Brothers, connected by a short chine of rock. The legend of these castles is that Conrad and Ileinrich, sons of the Knight Bayer von Boifard, owner of Lie- benstein, were both enamored of their foster-sister, the beautiful Hildegarde. With rare generosity, Ileinrich tore him- self away and joined the crusades, leav- ing his brother Conrad to win the prize. The old knight built the castle of Son- nenberg for their reception, but, his death occurring before its completion, the nup- tials were postponed. Meanwhile, Con- rad's heart grew cold towards Hildegarde, and, hearing of the valiant deeds of his absent brother, he joined the crusades. Hildegarde, brooding over her sad lot, but not doubting the love and return of Conrad, passed her days in the lonely castle of Liebenstein. Suddenly Conrad returned with a Grecian wife, and Hilde- garde, stunned by the blow, shut herself up in her castle, refusing to see any one. Late one night, Heinrich, hearing of the perfidy of his brother, returned to avenge his foster-sister's wrongs. He challenged Conrad to single combat; but, just as the brothers' swords crossed, Hildegarde's figure interposed between them and in- sisted on a reconciliation, to Avhich they reluctantly consented. Hildegarde then retired to the convent at the base of the rocks. Conrad's Grecian wife soon proved unfiiithful, and he, overcome with shame and remorse, threw himself on his gener- ous brother's breast, and abandoned his castle, after which they lived together in harmony and retirement at Liebenstein. The castle of Marksburg next looms up, near Braubach, and is a very impos- ing ruin. Konigsstuhl, which was the castle where emperors were elected, treat- ies concluded, etc., near Kapellan, has been partly rebuilt. The castle of Lahn- eck, behind Oberlahnstein, is owned by an Irish gentleman, Mr. Moriarty, who has rebuilt it, and occupies it as his country villa. The next and the last of the old castles of the Rhine is Stolzenfels, near Kapellan, which has been completely re- stored, at an expense of a quarter of a million of dollars, and attracts numerous visitors. Next we approach Coblentz, where the narrow and beautiful portion of the Rhine terminates, the river spread- ing out to more than a mile in width, with low and level shores, dotted here and there by cities and towns. The grandest and most imposing view on the river, however, is that of Coblentz and the immense castle and fortress of Eh- renbreitstein. The Rhine is here spanned by two bridges, one of boats, and the other an iron railroad-bridge. Ehren- breitstein is an immense aifair ; it was first built in 1018, but has since been enlarged and strengthened and rebuilt, at the cost of many millions of dollars. It is on a precipitous rock four hundred feet above the Rhine, and is unapproachable on three sides, whilst the exposed side is de- fended by double lines of bastions. It has stood many a siege, and was once captured by the French and blown up, but they were afterwards compelled to pay three millions of dollars to the Prus- sian government for its restoration. BRIDGES OF BOATS. On our trip to Cologne we have passed half a dozen of these bridges, which are similar to those used by our army during the war, though of much larger propor- tions. They are opened for the passage of vessels by floating out a section of the boats, and require a large force of men to be in constant attendance to draw them back into their places against the rapid current. They are, however, very cheap in their construction, and where labor is so low and abundant as it is in Ger- many, the attendance of the draw may not be so very costly. The vessels used upon the river are very much like canal-boats, except that they are about three hundred feet long. They float down stream with the tide, and occasionally use their sails, but in ascending the river have to be towed by steamers, which are very powerful, and draw after them a half-dozen of these vessels laden with coal or merchandise. ENGLISH TOURISTS. Among our passengers were a large number of young Englishmen, returning from the tour of Switzerland. They were all gotten up in approved Alpine outfit, — • shoes with heavy nails, pants to the AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 143 knees, and blue woolen stockings, short shooting-jacket, round-top felt hat, with a white scarf or a blue veil around the crown, hanging down behind, and alpen- stock in hand. They had spent their time at the public resorts, but all admitted that they had climbed no mountains. "It's such deuced hard work, you know," was their response to our inquiry. They had looked at the Jungfrau from Interlaken, got a glimpse of Mont Blanc from Genev.a, and sailed upon the lakes. A RHINE DINNER. Having reached Coblentz at one o'clock, the bell summoned us to dinner, and a meaner dinner no civilized company was ever before asked to partake of. They have American boats on the Rhine, but no dinner that an American can eat. The roast beef had done previous duty in the soup-pot, and the juice of the decayed stewed plums was served up as sauce for a brown-bread pudding. There were eight courses, and when the plates were removed the knife and fork was left to do duty throughout the meal. Up and down the table every man and woman could be seen between every course scouring knife and fork on their napkins, which, when the meal was over, all resembled greasy dishcloths. We would advise all who go down the Rhine to carry some crackers and cheese with them, and with a bottle of Rhine wine they can make a much better dinner than the boat can afford. The Germans were generally thus provided, and kept clear of tahle-d' Tiote dinner. By the time dinner was over, we were within an hour's run of Cologne, where we are now about to land, at half-past four o'clock in the afternoon. THE RHINE EXAGGERATIONS. It is the historical events connected with these old castles that give to the Rhine most of the interest with which it is viewed. The mountain scenery, the vine-clad hills, and the old castles between Bingen and Coblentz are well worth see- ing, but they lack the natural grandeur and ornamentation of the mountains of Lake Como, or the rural and scenic beauty of Lake Lucerne and Lake Zurich. In order to appreciate the beauties of the Rhine we were assured that we ought to have seen it before going to Switzerland, and, we might have added, before seeing the Hudson, Lake George, and Lake On- tario. To view the Rhine you must go down stream on a rapid steamei: fourteen hours ; and were it not for the historical associations of the ruins and the castles, and the poetical fancies of Byron and Southey, we think that the Rhine would never have obtained the fame it has for unrivaled attractions. It has become the custom, the world over, to speak of the Rhine as the most beautiful of all rivers, but we think there are few Americans who will admit that it is superior to the Hudson, or few honest travelers who will claim for it any equality with the lake scenery of Italy and Switzerland. The Konigs-See, which we visited a few weeks since, with its precipitous moun- tains seven thousand feet high, and its wonderful mountain echo, swelling the explosion of a pistol to clap after clap of rolling and reverberating crashes of thun- der, caused a feeling of ecstasy as some- thing above and beyond our expectations ; but we have been unable to get up any ecstatic feeling of surprise at the scenes and sights of the Rhine. It is fine, but not grand, and does not come up to the high expectations of the tourist, who has been reading such startling and poetic descriptions of it from his school-days. The greater portion of the trip is rather tiresome on a croAvded boat, six of the eight hours being little more than ordi- nary river sailing, with little to claim the attention but a wearisome waste of water. CITY OF COLOGNE. Cologne, August 11, 1873. We arrived at Cologne at dusk last evening, and never in all our travels were we beset by such a horde of ravenous porters, commissioners, and hack-drivers. They seized hold of and endeavored to drag our valises out of our hands, and succeeded in so thoroughly separating our party that it was ten or fifteen minutes before we got together again. When that was accomplished, our luggage was scat- tered we knew not whither, and, what seemed most strange, the finely uniformed and accoutred police seemed to encourage them in their rascality. After much tribulation, we finally got into a carriage, and paid the gang of meddlers all the small change we had, when we discovered that one of the trunks was not in the carriage. We called to the driver to put it up, when it was seized by another por- ter and put upon the top of the carriage, who came to the door and demanded pay for doing so. We gave him two small 144 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH German coins, all that we had left, -when he demanded more, and his tongue clat- tered like a wild man's, as he jerked open the carriage-door and made motions and gestures as if he Avas about to attempt to drag us out of the vehicle. One of the military police came up and sus- tained the porter, when we pulled the carriage-door to and called to the driver to go on. We finally got off; and when we arrived at the hotel the driver de- manded the pay for the porter, and we settled with him with the aid of the hotel-keeper, giving him much less than the coin we had in hand ready to pay him for his service alone. VIEW OF THE CITY. We succeeded in getting excellent quar- ters at the Hotel Diseh, and started out early this morning to view the city. We found the streets very narrow, and the pavements in front of the houses seldom more than two feet in width, the pedestrians taking to the streets along with the horses. The stores on these narrow streets are very fine, and the dis- play of goods equal to that found in al- most any European city. But the streets proved such a labyrinth, winding to the right and left every hundred yards, that it was with difficulty we could find our way. At no time can the eye command the prospect half a square in advance, and the stranger must roam about at ran- dom amid the almost inextricable maze. The houses are well built, and the city very clean, although Coleridge many years ago wrote of it : " Ye nymphs who reign over sewers and sinks, The river Khine, it is well known, Doth wash your city of Cologne; But tell me, nymphs, what power divine Shall henceforth wash the river Eliine?" Since Coleridge wrote these lines, a great change has taken place, and we can bear witness that the Cologne of to- day is a sweet-smelling city, and worthy of its fame as the great depot for the manufacture of eau de Cologne, the liquid of all Christendom. This article is here manufactured in all its purity, and is ex- ported in very large quantities. We looked in vain in the windows of the dif- ferent establishments for the "Grand Duchess," which we presume is manu- factured exclusively for the Baltimore market. The population of Cologne is about one hundred and thirty thousand, including that of its suburb Deutz, with which it is connected by a bridge of boats. It is the third city in importance in the kingdom of Prussia, and is built in the form of a crescent, which may account for its crooked streets. The walls of the city form a circuit of nearly seven miles, and are strongly fortified. CATHEDRAL OF COLOGNE. This immense structure, which looms up so high over the surrounding build- ings, is the only guide-post which the stranger has to assist him in threading his way through its labyrinth of streets. It is the glory of Cologne, and when completed will almost rival the great Cathedral of Milan as a specimen of Gothic architecture, although its spires will reach a much great- er altitude. It was commenced over six hundred years ago, but is still unfinished. The work is now rapidly progressing, nearly two million dollars having been expended upon it during the past forty years by the kings of Prussia, and we could see that much work has been done since we visited it last year. The face of the marble of that portion first construct- ed is crumbling Avith age, whilst the rest of the building seems entirely ncAv. The body of the structure is completed, and the work is now progressing upon the towers. The two main ones, when com- pleted, Avill be five hundred and seven feet high. The length of the building is five hundred feet, its breadth two hundred and thirty, and the height of the choir one hundred and sixty one. There is a society formed, with branches all over Europe, for the purpose of soliciting money for the completion of this cathe- dral, it being estimated that about one million dollars more will be required for that purpose. Behind the high altar is the Chapel of the Magi, or the three Kings of Cologne. We were assured by the custodian that the silver case contains the bones of the three wise men who came from the East to Bethlehem to offer their pjresents to the infant Chi-ist, and that the case, which is ornamented with precious stones, and the surrounding valuables in the chapel, are Avorth six million dollars. The remains of the wise men are said to have been presented to the Archbishop of Cologne by the Emperor Barbarossa, when he captured the city of Milan, which at that time possessed these wonderful relics. The skulls of the Magi, crowned Avith diamonds, with their names written in rubies, are shoAvn to the curious on the payment of six francs by a party, and charges are made for admission to the AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 145 choir and gallery. Among the numerous relics exhibited in the sacristy is a bone of St. Matthew, whose bones seem to be scattered all over Europe. In the Chapel of St. Agnes there are some very fane paintings, including one of St. Ursula, Avith her seven thousand virgins. RELICS OF ST. URSULA. Cologne abounds in sacred relics, and those in the Church of St. Ursula present one of the most remarkable sights in Christendom. The tradition of St. Ursula is this : She was the daughter of the King of Brittany, who sailed up the Rhine as far as Basle, and then, accompanied by eleven thousand virgins, made a pilgrim- age to Rome. From Basle she traveled on foot, and was received with great honors at the holy city by the Pope. On her return the whole party was barbar- ously murdered by the Iluns because they refused to Ijreak their vows of chastity. St. Ursula was accompanied by her lover, Conan, and an escort of knights. St. Ursula and Conan suffered death in the camp of the Emperor Maximin. Ur- sula was placed in the Calendar as the patron saint of chastity, and the bones (if all the attendant virgins were gathered together, and the pi-csent church erected to contain the sacred relics. On every side you turn, skulls and arm- and leg- bones meet your eye, piled on shelves built in the wall. In every direction these hideous relics stare you in the face. Hood says it is the chastest kind of architecture. St. Ursula herself is ex- hibited in a coflSn which is surrounded by the skulls of a few of her favorite attendants. The room in which she is laid contains numerous other relics •, among these are the chains with which St. Peter was bound, and one of the clay vessels used by the Saviour at the mar- riage in Cana. We saw two other chains with which St. Peter was bound in Rome. HO I FOR PARIS. We start this evening for Paris, and expect to spend a few weeks in that beautiful city. FRANCE. THE CITY OF PARIS. Hotel de l'Athenee, Paris, Aug. 12, 1873. We left Cologne at half-past ten o'clock at night, and reached the Paris depot at 10 ten o'clock on Sunday morning. On our way to the hotel we observed that many of the stores were open and their goods displayed, whilst workmen were busily pursuing their avocations, such as house- building, street-paving, etc., though the great mass of the population were on the streets, moving about in their Sunday at- tire. GAYETY OF PARIS. Paris never appeared more " gay and happy" than it is at present. The people are rejoicing over the departure of the German troops from the provinces, and the payment of the last installment of the indemnity to Prussia. The days of their humiliation, which they have borne with commendable fortitude, have passed, and they now look forward to revenge and retribution. They are justly proud of the bravery they have exhibited under adversity, as Avell as of the recuperative power of the nation which has been so strongly displayed. Whilst engaged in paying this enormous indemnity, the Avork of restoring and beautifying Paris has gone steadily on, with a determina- tion that every outward mark of her hu- miliation shall be removed as rapidly as possible. The rebuilding of the Tuileries has not been checked, but the mansard roofs are now to have frameworks of iron instead of wood. The great and crowning work of resto- ration has been commenced in the Place Vendome. The base left of the Vendome column has now erected around it, and towering above it, a massi.ve scaffolding to the altitude of two hundred feet, and a throng of men Avere yesterday at Avork putting up the tackling and guy-ropes necessary for the commencement of its erection. The large open space around the column has been inclosed with a high fence, and inside of this inclosure the stone and plates, many of the latter having been recast, are being piled up preparatory to the work of reconstruction. One year more, and the Vendome column will be restored, and the question Avill in the mean time be decided Avhether it Avill be again surmounted by a statue of Na- poleon or the Goddess of Liberty. The work on the Academy of Music has also steadily progressed, and it is thought that in one year more the ornamental work of the interior Avill be completed. PARIS AND VIENNA. The hotels of Paris are doing a much more extensive business than those of Vienna, notwithstanding the great Expo- 146 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH sition. To secure rooms in any of the large hotels here, it is necessary to tele- graph in advance of your arrival. Vis- itors to Paris come to make a prolonged stay, whilst those going to Vienna rush through the Exposition and immediately pack their trunks for departure. The Exposition, instead of benefiting Vienna, will be a permanent injury to it, and Paris will be more popular than ever. It is the only city in Europe that could have rivaled Paris, but it has lost its opportu- nity. There are hundreds of Americans here who have given up all idea of going to Vienna, mainly on account of the bad reputation it has secured for itself in the matter of plundering strangers. Paris has profited by the fate of Vienna, and is more fair and liberal than ever in its treatment of tourists. There are no com- plaints in any quarter, and the cost of living is less here than it was last year. PARIS BY GAS-LIGHT. The boulevards of Paris, extending for miles through almost all sections of the city, present a gay scene at night. The thousands of cafes, brilliant Avith gas-jets, have their tallies out on the broad pave- ments, and from eight to ten o'clock in the evening it is difficult to obtain a seat at any of them. Ice-cream and coffee is the extent of the Parisian's indulgence, though a few add a little cognac to their coffee. They spend their summer even- ings in promenading the boulevards and occasionally stopping for a cup of their favorite beverage. The sidewalks of the boulevards are at least thirty-five feet wide, and in many prominent places wo- men are stationed along the curb-stones with chairs to rent, on which those who are tired may for a few centimes rest themselves and view the promenaders as they pass. The broad streets are also filled with carriages, so that it is difficult to effect a crossing. They are required by law to have their lamps burning. Strangers in the city who w^ish to view these gas-light scenes generally engage carriages and drive slowly through the different boulevards, and vast numbers of carriages are constantly passing to and from the various places of amuse- ment. Everybody seems happy and in- tent upon enjoyment. The people of Vienna are equally fond of this out-door life, but prefer to assemble in the gardens and listen to the music of their unrivaled bands. Eating, and drinking beer and coffee, seem to employ all the leisure hours of the Viennese. They seldom care to walk, the streets of Vienna being com- paratively deserted at night, and most of the stores closed. The very reverse is the case in Paris. The stores are not only brilliantly lighted, but nearly all of them have rows of gas-lights on the outside, making the streets almost as light as day. The display of the stores last night on the Boulevard des Capucines exceeded anything we had ever before seen even in Paris. It seemed as if all the goods in the grand central building of the Vienna Exposition were spread among these mag- nificent estalilishments. The tastei'ul ar- rangement of the goods, the disposition of the lights, and the reflection in the side-glasses with which the shop-windows are always provided, presented a continu- ous spectacle of surpassing beauty. Ten years ago the Palais Royal was the great central attraction of Paris, but the boule- vard stores have so greatly excelled these small establishments that it is now com- paratively deserted at night. The hun- dreds of jewelers' windows were spark- ling with diamonds and precious stones, and even the fancy and dry-goods stores tried to excel one another in the effort to attract the attention of the throngs of promenaders. We walked through some of these cen- tral boulevards for nearly two hours, and everywhere the pavements were so filled that it was difficult for three to walk abreast without being continually jostled by the promenaders. This was also the case in the arcades running through the interior of the squares, where the display was equally attractive. The best possible order was everywhere preserved, and the gensdarmes, with their huge cavalry- swords, stood like statues on the corners of the streets, having no occasion to do more than remain quietly at their posts. There being no cobble-stone pave- ments in Paris, the carriages and omni- buses make little or no noise as they glide along on the smooth asphaltum, nor is there any dust for them to stir up to vex the eyes and lungs of the people. The sweeping-machines are going all night and until ten o'clock in the morn- ing, making the streets as clean as they could be swept with a corn-broom by hand, and lest any dust should be left in the crevices they are washed off with hose. In short, Paris is grand. She has passed through her tribulations, and has again presented herself to the world more beautiful and attractive than ever. That the world is pleased is evident from the many thousands of strangers no^v AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 147 linc^ering here to enjoy the brilliant spec- tacle. SOCIAL STATISTICS OF PARIS. The population of Paris at the last cen- sus, taken this year, was one million eight hundred and fifty-one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two souls, or about six times as many as the city of Baltimore, and double that of New York. This number is exclusive of strangers, so that the whole population must average nearly two millions. The number of deaths of males in Paris always exceeds that of females by several thousand, al- though the females are most numerous. This is such a marked feature of Parisian life that families constantly residing in Paris soon become extinct ; that is to say, the name disappears on account of the death of the male children. The statis- tics, notwithstanding, show a considerable excess of male children born in the city annually. The vital statistics of the city show these facts, which may probably be owing to the loose life led by so many of the young men of the rising generation. The philosophers can give no satisfactory reason for this anomaly, as the health oi> the city is undoubtedly good. Of the population of Paris nearly one- half are reported as working-people. There are about eighty thousand servants and one hundred and fifteen thousand paupers. Nearly twenty-one thousand patients are always in the hospitals, and four times that number pass through them in the course of the year. The cost of maintaining the hospitals and other establishments for the relief of the poor during the past year is set down at the enormous sum of twenty-two million three hundred and forty-six thousand francs. All public places of amusement pay a tax of eight per cent, on their re- ceipts towards the support of the hos- pitals, and a heavy tax for their support is levied upon every piece of ground pur- chased for the purpose of burial in the cemeteries. Private munificence also contributes largely towards their main- tenance. During the past year the tax on theatres and places of amusement amounted to one million seven hundred thousand francs. With a population so large, a proportion of which is merely able to make a living whilst in health, it is necessary to have an abundance of hospitals for them when sick. THE DEAD OF PARIS. The whole arrangements for burying , the dead, and furnishing coffins, carriages, ' and all the requisites for funerals, are in the hands of an incorporated company, no one else having the right to interfere with the business. In fact, it is, like the to- bacco business, a source of large revenue to the government. The monopoly is granted to this incorporated company under the title of Entreprise des Ponipes Euntbres, whose principal office is at 10 Rue Alibert, whilst it has branch-offices in each of the arrondissements into which the city is divided. The officers of this company take charge of the body, and pre- pare for the funeral upon just such a scale and at such expense as the family may desire. Their schedule of prices is such as to suit the purses of all parties, and they are required to bury the very poor gratuitously. A " first-class fu- neral" is set down on the schedule as costing seven thousand one hundred and eighty-one francs (about one thousand five hundred dollars), the cost of each item of expense being enumerated. There are nine other classes, the lowest costing eighteen francs and seventy-five centimes, including the religious ceremonies. There are, however, no limits to the cost of first- class funerals, as it depends altogether upon the means of the family and its desire for funeral pomp. The horses, hearses, carriages, and drivers are all of a different character for each of these ten classes, the difference being in the age and spirit of the horses, the good looks of the drivers, the quality of their cloth- ing, the harness of the horses, the ancient or modern build of the carriages, etc. The hearse is graded from a splendid structure down to a hand-cart, and the extremely poor are merely furnished with a hand-barrow to enable the friends to carry the body on their shoulders to the grave. The quality of the grave-clothes, of the coffin, and of everything else, is graded to the price, as they may be or- dered, from class No. 1 to class No. 10. Besides getting the dead poor buried without cost, the government receives from the company thirty-three and a third per cent, on the produce of funeral ornaments, and fifteen per cent, on that of all other articles furnished. The reve- nue from these sources is quite large, and, as the cemeteries are also the property of the city government, the dead, as well as the living, contribute their quota to beauti- fying Paris. The dead poor are allowed to occupy the ground for only five years, when their bones are carted off", jjrobably for agricultural purposes, and the space they occupied is given to some new claim- 148 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH ant for the privileges of the soil. There are three kinds of graves in the ceme- teries, even for those who pay for the right of sepulture. Some persons pur- chase the perpetual right for their friends to occupy the soil, but it is generally con- ceded for five years or more, subject to renewal. If not renewed, the bones are taken up, and the ground is prepared for lease to some new-comer. In the common graves, or, as they are called, fosses com- munes, the poor are gratuitously buried four and a half feet deep in coffins placed close to, but not on top of, each other. This economizes space, as well as saves labor in their removal when the five years have expired. Among the items of city receipts last year in Paris are the following : Dues on burials, 690,000 francs ($120,000) ; sale of lands in cemeteries, 1,54(3,000 francs ($255,000). We do not, however, find any return for the sale of human bones, which is probably a perquisite of the grave-digger. PARISIAN FOUNDLINGS. The official returns of the hospitals of Paris show that of the fifty-five thousand births in the city during the past year, fifteen thousand three hundred and sixty- six were illegitimate. The proportion of illegitimates to the number of inhabit- ants is not quite up to that of Vienna, which has ten thousand for one million inhabitants, whilst the population of Paris is nearly two millions. In various parts of Paris boxes called toiirs are es- tablished, each of which revolves upon a pivot, and, on a bell being rung, is turned around by the person inside to re- ceive the child that may have been de- posited in it, without attempting to ascer- tain who the parents are. The child is taken to a hospital and cared for, and so soon as a nurse from the country can be procured, it is given into her charge. Nurses from the country, of good charac- ter, are alwaj-s applying for these infants. The nurses are paid by the city from four francs to eight francs per month, accord- ing to the age of the child, care being taken to assign the children to nurses liv- ing as far as possible from their birth- places. After the second year, the nurse may give the child up, when, if no other nurse can be found for it, it is transferred to the Orphan Department. Sometimes the nurses become so attached to the children that they retain them. The number of children thus placed out in the country to nurse is about four thousand annually. The abolition, in some of the departments, of this humane custom of re- ceiving these little waifs and asking no questions has caused infanticide to be- come very frequent. As for infanticide before birth, the number is said to have doubled and trebled in some districts, and to have risen to four and five times the usual amount in others. The average number of foundlings maintained at the Paris Hospital is four thousand four hun- dred. At the age of twelve the boys are bound apprentice to some trade at the ex- pense of the city. A portion of one hun- dred and forty-eight francs is awarded by the city to female foundlings when they marry, provided their conduct has been unexceptionable throughout. The Hospice des Enfants Assises, founded in 1640 by St. Vincent of Paul, is for the reception of foundlings. For a child to be received at this hospital, how- ever, it is necessary that a certificate of abandonment be produced, signed by a Commissary of Police. The Com- missary is bound to admonish the mother or party abandoning the child, and to procure for them assistance from the hos- pital fund in case of their consenting to retain and support the child. Every en- couragement is thus given to those who relinquish the idea of abandoning their oflspring and consent to support them at home. Of the children received at this hospital, those that are healthy are put out in the country to nurse, whilst those that are sickly are retained at the hos- pital until they die or recover. The number of beds in this hospital is about six hundred, and the children annually sent from it to the country are about three thousand four hundred. The children are first placed in a general reception- room, called La Creche, where they are visited in the morning by the physicians and assigned to the difi'erent infirmaries. In each of these infirmaries, as well as in La Creche, cradles are placed around the walls in rows, and several nurses are con- stantly employed in attending to them. An inclined bed is placed in front of the fire, on which the children who require it are laid, and chairs are ranged in a warm corner, in which those of sufficient age and strength sit part of the day. Every- thing is admirably conducted, and to all outward appearances they are kindly and humanely cared for. THE LOVE OF DOGS. . All over Europe the love of dogs among both sexes is remarkable, although they AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 149 are made to work in Switzerland and some parts of Germany. Here in Paris it is quite common to see a mother drag- ging her almost infant child by the hand, weary and fretful, and carrying a dog in her arms, which she will occasionally stop to kiss, or dispose of so as to make it more comfortable. This trait is pecu- liar to no one class, but all seem to have a strong affection for the dog. To see a lady at her door or window without a lap-dog is almost a novelty, whilst many of them carry them in their arms or lead them by a ribbon in the streets. The corners are posted Avith handbills of hos- pitals for dogs, where the best medical attendance can be had, and dog-medicines and do4 -soaps are placarded in all direc- tions. On the boulevards, at night, the dealers in dogs are constantly perambu- lating with two or three pups in their arms, and ladies will stop and bargain for them on the public thoroughfare. They teach them all manner of tricks, and they are valued according to the education they have received and the in- telligence they display. When they travel they take a nurse with them to attend to the wants and comfort of the dog, and these nurses can be seen in the public squares airing and exercising the dogs, and leading them by ribbons. Some idea of the extent of this dog mania may be obtained from the fact that the dog-tax paid into the city treasury last year was four hundred and twenty thousand francs, or nearly one hundred thousand dollars. The men, also, have their dogs, but not to such a great extent as the ladies. The lap- dogs are mostly beautiful little animals, as white as snow, and are kept scrupulously clean, more care being evidently bestowed on them in this respect than many of the children receive from their mothers. Paris, August 16, 1873. YANKEE DOODLE IN PARIS. The throng of Americans coming to Paris from all parts of the Continent averages two or three hundred per day, and more than half the guests in all the principal hotels are of the same nation- ality. The L'Athenee has two hundred and ninety-nine of its rooms occupied by Americans, and one occupied by a Rus- sian. At the Grand Hotel, which has six hundred rooms, the proportion is not so great, but nearly all are Americans or English. The itinerant musicians who drop in at the hotel court-yards invariably wind up with the " Star-Spangled Ban- ner" or " Yankee Doodle," and the lady guests strike up these national airs on the piano in the parlor whenever they go in for practice. One little specimen of Young America persists in playing "Yankee Doodle" every morning before the time for us stroUin"; mortals to be getting out of bed. In the dining-room, the reading-room, and all through the passages of the house, the only language spoken is English, and all the waiters speak it fluently. The only persons who speak French are the chamber»M«/(?s, who, by the way, are all men. They make the beds, sweep the rooms, till the pitchers, etc., and there is one female in each story who follows after them with a duster, to see that all is right and straightened up as it should be. The females superintend the chambers, but the men do all the work. This is reversing the usual order of things, but it seems to work very sat- isfactorily here, whei-e men are willing to work for women's wages, and are happy if they can get enough to eat without re- sorting to laboring work. They probably receive more money from the guests than their wages would be as common laborers. A GRAND FETE-DAY. Yesterday was what is called in Paris "Mary's Day," the greatest and most strictly observed religious festival of the year. The stores were more generally closed than on Sunday, and all manner of business was religiously suspended until the evening. Most of the large stores were closed all day, and the Amer- ican ladies intent on shopping were com- pelled to take holiday also. For two days past, in anticipation of this festival, all the prominent squares have been occu- pied by the florists and flower-girls, and all the vacant stores occupied by the dis- play of plants and bouquets. It is cus- tomary for the friends of every lady named Mary, all of whom are dedicated to the Virgin in their infancy, to present her with either a bouquet or a blooming plant on the morning of the festival of Mary, and in the evening people carrying home flower-pots were as common as those with bundles of toys on Christmas eve in an American city. The display of flowers was everywhere very elegant, and there is perhaps no other people whose love of flowers is so distinguishing a trait as those of France. In order to Avitness the religious ob- servance of the fete, we repaired at an early hour to the Madeleine, where high mass was in progress. The altars were all dressed in flowers, but the side-altar, 150 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH with a statue of the Virtjia and Child, was literally massed with bouquets. At one side of the altar was an iron rack with sharp prongs, on which were burn- ing more than a hundred tallow candles, and others were constantly being added to them by an old lady in attendance. It seems that it is customary for all ladies and children named Mary to bring to the church at which they attend a candle, to be burnt near the altar of the Virgin, and that this old lady was receiving and lighting the offerings as fast as they were handed to her. The music of the services was very fine, and two civilians stood on the steps of the main altar to assist the officiating clergyman in the chants and intonations. We passed the Madeleine and other churches during the morning, and up to one o'clock there was a contin- uous throng of people passing in and out of them. The religious observance of the festival closed atone o'clock, and the balance of the day was given up to rejoicing and merry-making. The Champs Elysees was massed with people during the afternoon and evening, and all manner of amuse- ments were injjrogress. After five o'clock the broad drive to the Bois de Boulogne, through the Arch of Triumph, was thronged with vehicles, it being the am- bition of the Parisian to secure a carriage for himself and family and to spend his fete-day in driving to the Bois de Bou- logne. The number of these open car- riages in Paris is incredible, and they are so cheap, two and a half francs per hour, holding four persons, that they are used by every one. There are omnibuses, but no railways on the streets, and for a party of four the carriages are nearly as cheap as the omnibus, and much more pleasant and desirable, as the drivers seem to know every street in this immense city, and drop you at any point you may name. It would be impossible to attempt to describe the scene last night on the bou- levards. We shall endeavor in another portion of this letter to picture their ap- pearance on ordinary occasions ; but on the evening of this fete-day the scene was more bright and brilliant than ever, and the throng of people so great that it was at times impossilde to move along the sidewalks. The stores were mostly closed, but the cafes were illuminated with more than ordinary brilliancy. We finally gave up the attempt to promenade, and secured seats at one of the cafes on the Place de rOpera, and had a fine view of the moving panorama. The observance of Mary's Day was, however, so far as the suspension of busi- ness was concerned, much more general than it is on Sunday throughout Paris. With the exception of the cafes and cigar- stores, nearly all were closed throughout the day and evening, and all manner of mechanical work was suspended. THE PARIS BOULEVARDS. Those of our citizens whose experience of city life is confined to Baltimore, or even those who have made an occasional visit to New York, would be startled if they were to be transported to the Boule- vard des Italiens or Capucines, or indeed to be suddenly set down on a warm sum- mer evening anywhei-e within the extend- ed limits of the city of Paris. Such stir- ring scenes can be witnessed nowhere else in the world. London is as dull of au evening as Baltimore ; the people of Vi- enna live under the trees after sun-down. All Paris is adrift before the lamps are lit, and thronging towards its great thor- oughfares, which are soon blazing with gas-lights for their reception and enjoy- ment. There are no streets in any other city like these boulevards, which are from house to house one hundred and sixty feet wide, ninety feet being given to the car- riage-way, and thirty-five feet on each side for the pavements. Fine rows of trees line the curb-stones, and the car- riage-way is mostly asphaltnm. Let the reader just imagine this carriage-way so filled with carriages and omnibuses that it is necessary to eS'ect a crossing to wait and watch an opportunity of dodging your way between them, and generally being compelled to stop in the middle to take a fresh start. The pedestrian is ex- pected to get out of the way of the car- riages, which never turn aside or hold up for any one. They dash on at full speed ; hence it is necessary to keep a sharp look- out to avoid being run down. To look up or down one of the boulevards at night, reminds one of a torch-light pro- cession, everv vehicle being required to carry two bri-ht lights. Thus it will be seen that, wide as the carriage-way is, it is none too wide for the rush of vehicles. The moving mass of promenaders on the pavements is also so great that it often becomes necessary to stop and stand aside until there is an opportunity of moving on. Along the curb-stones are lines of chairs for rent, and the thousands of cafes are allowed to occupy a1)out eight or ten feet along their front with their refresh- ment-tables, where the people sit and AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 151 rest, and refresh themselves with coffee and ices. The untraveled reader will imagine that there are two or three of these broad streets in Paris, and that the whole popu- lation masses at night on these. This is true with regard to the better classes, who are generally to be found on the Italiens, Capucines, Haussmann, and other central boulevards ; but many of the others are equally thronged but not so brilliant. There are in the city of Paris fifty-seven of these wide thoroughfares, called boule- vards, running in every direction, and all teeming at night with life and animation. Indeed, the whole city seems to be abroad at night, and every class has its popular localities for congregating in. But to understand and to properly ap- preciate the view on these boulevards it must be borne in mind that the houses lining them are nearly all of uniform construction, none less than five stories high, and many of them towering up to six and seven stories, including the man- sard roofs. The ground-floors are one continuous line of stores and cafes, with the exception of those of a few private mansions distant from the central portions of the city, but many of these have stores below. On the principal Ijoulevards the first, second, and third stories are gener- ally devoted to business, and at night are all brilliantly lighted. PARIS UNDERGROUND. On retiring last evening we were star- tled by hearing some one, apparently under our window, ranting through por- tions of Othello. We looked out into the court-yard, but could see nothing but a skylight down where the pavement ought to be. A band of music would occasionally perform some operatic air, and then " the tearing of passion to tat- ters" would be renewed again, inter- spersed with milder male and female voices. It continued till nearly eleven o'clock, and we rose at a loss to know what it all meant. This morning, on sur- veying the building, we found that there was a theatre attached to the Hotel I'Athe- nee, and that the skylight down in the yard under our window was the dome over the parquet. Mr. Swinbourne, the English tragedian, was perfirming Othello in English to an audience nearly all American, which was then being re- peated for the ninth time. The theatre, which is about the size of one of our smaller establishments, is down in the bowels of the earth, under the hotel, out of the way of all noise and confusion. It is a very elegant little affair, and quite a fashionable resort for the Parisians. In Vienna we frequently took our meals in a very elegant saloon, considerably larger than the Assembly Rooms, and with quite as high a ceiling, which was down under a row of six-stoi'y build- ings, the skylight of which protruded a few feet above the pavement of the court- yard ; but we were not prepared to find an underground theatre, and that we were sleeping up four flights of stairs, directly over a stage on which Othello was smothering the gentle Desderaona with a pillow. Ground is costly in Paris, and they make the best possible use of it. When you build the new American office, be sure to have an Academy of Music down under the press-room, with a sky-parlor box for Mr. Keyser, the pressman, and his engineer and " feeders." BEAUTIFUL PARIS. Paris, August 18, 1873. It is not an easy matter at this late day to write letters from Paris that will inter- est and instruct. It is a city which every- body is familiar with, it having been so often described, and its attractions and beauties so vividly spread before the gen- eral reader that it would almost seem like undertaking to write something new about Baltimore. We have visited it so often, and ridden and walked through its multi- farious thoroughfares until all its crooks and turns are as familiar to us as those of any of our leading American cities. Still there is something about Paris that makes it always appear bright, gay, and spark- ling to the visitor. The Parisian does not worship the ", dust of ages," or take pride in smoked and begrimed walls, as the Londoner does. If he has anything that is handsome he tries to make it hand- somer, lie is always rubbing, scrubbing, and polishing old things, or tearing them down to make room for something new and more beautiful. The four handsome clus- ters of gas-lamps in the centre of tlie Place de rOpera are not only kept as bright and elegant as they were the day they were put up, but the elaborate bronze lamp- posts are polished with as much regularity as the glasses of the lamps. If the slight- est defect is observed in one stone in the street, it is relaid or replaced by a new one ; and if a flaM' in the asphaltum as large as a man's hand is discovered, a re- pairing party is at work in a few hours, and the defect removed. Every tenant is held responsible for the cleanliness of the 152 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH street before his own door, and neither dirt nor rubbish of any kind is permitted. As in public matters, so also in those of private concern. They never allow their houses or store fronts to become dull or dinf^y. They make them handsome and they keep them handsome. They are al- ways arranging and rearranging the goods in their windows and striving to make them more attractive. All these scores of miles of boulevards are planted with sycamore-trees. When they plant trees they take good care that they shall have a fair chance to grow, and they are all flourishing beautifully. Around each tree an iron grating, extending three feet each way, is inserted in the pavement, in order that its roots may have breathing- room and water. There are hundreds of thousands of these trees all thus planted, and all tended and watered by the city authorities. If one should happen to die, a tree of similar size is brought to take its place, that the uniformity may be un- broken. These trees are the pride of Paris, and are yearly becoming more ser- viceable as a shade to the broad sidewalks as well as a grand ornament to the boule- vards. Thus it is that the attractions of Paris are always increasing. No rust or decay is permitted, and old things are swept away as having served their day and gen- eration. Antiquity has no M-orshipers, and is made to yield to the spirit of im- provement. New squares, gardens, and fountains are following the march of im- provement in the subui'bs, and even in those quarters of the city where the poorer classes mostly reside, these pleas- ure-grounds are being fitted up as ele- gantly as in the wealthier sections. Paris is not beautiful in spots, but every por- tion of it abounds in attractions. THE ABATTOIRS OF PARIS. These establishments are located on the suburbs of the city, the buildings of which cover sixty-seven acres of land near the fortifications between the Canals de rOurcq and St. Denis. The slaughter- ing of cattle of all descriptions is re- quired 1)y law to be done here, the average per week being tAvo thousand beeves, eight hundred cows, a thousand calves, and ten thousand sheep. There are, also, a good number of horses slaughtered, their meat being sold to the poor, it having been found during the siege to be quite palatable. Worn-out horses are fattened and sold to the butchers, the supply from the carriage and omnibus stalls being very extensive. The principal entrance to these exten- sive slaughter-houses is by the Rue de Flandre. It is inclosed by an elegant iron railing, with eleven gates for en- trance and exit, and its numerous build- ings give it the appearance of an inclosed town. There are now sixty-four pavil- ions in active operation, some of which are reserved for stalls, in which the cat- tle awaiting their doom arc kept. The others are divided into one hundred and twenty-three places of slaughter, called " echaudoirs." The cleanliness which prevails throughout is admirable. Every echaudoir is provided with abundance of water, and the stone floor is scrupulnusly scoured every time an animal has been killed, and the foul water runs ofi" into sewers intersecting the grounds in every direction. The ventilation is also excel- lent, so that, even at this season of the year, there are no foul smells about this extensive establishment. At the entrance to each there is a strong iron ring im- movably fixed in the ground. Through this ring the rope is made to pass which has previously been secured to the horns of the animal to be slaughtered. The rope is then drawn tight by means of a pulley, and when the victim's head has l)een forced down as much as possible, it receives the death-blow with a heavy club. There are also on the premises buildings called iriperies, where tripe and calves' feet are washed and boiled, melt- ing-houses for tallow, with attics for dry- ing skins, lofts for fodder, etc. Cattle and sheep are kept here at the butchei-'s expense. The slaughter-men get from one franc to one and a half francs for each animal, besides the entrails, brains, and blood. The butcher-shops in the metropolis, which are daily supplied from the abattoir, number eight hundred and sixty-nine. WAGES IN PARIS. From an official inquiry set on foot by the Chamber of Commerce of Paris, it appears that there are employed in the various trades and manufactories 407,311 hands, of whom about 300,000 are men, 120,000 women, and 47,000 children. Of these there are 60,000 males, earning from 50 centimes (10 cents) to 3 francs (60 cents) per day ; 211,000 earn from 3^ to 6 francs (65 cents to .$1.20) per day ; and 15,000 from 6i to 20 francs ($1.30 to $4). Of the females, 17,200 earn from 50 centimes (10 cents) to 1 franc 25 centimes to 4 francs (25 to 80 cents) ; and 700 from 4j to 10 francs AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 153 (90 cents to $2). The wages of children are from 10 cents to 25 cents per day. The shoemakers, carpenters, briekhiyers, stonemasons, and paintei's ai'e among the 211,000 who receive from 65 cents to $1.20 per day. It is not surprising tliat these mechanics come to the United States whenever they can raise money enough to pay their passages. Our me- chanics at home, by denying their own sons the privilege of learning trades, al- ways keep the supply short, so as to pro- vide places for the foreign mechanic whenever he is ready to come. They all deserve leather medals for their phi- lanthropy. AMERICANS IN PARIS. The people of Paris are astounded at the American invasion. They have not only filled up all the hotels, but the boarding-houses on Boulevard llauss- mann are thronged with them. Those who come to stay over a month or two invariably abandon the hotels and take to the boarding-houses, where they can live much more comfortably and fare better for half the expense. The charge at these houses ranges from eight to twelve francs per day, including finely-furnished chambers and the use of the parlors, pianos, etc., wine at dejeiiner and dinner. Many American families are located here permanently, finding the cost of living much cheaper than at home. For three chambers and a private parlor at Madame Feron's, No. Ill Rue Neuve des Mathu- rins, we pay thirty-six francs per day, which embraces everything, including the very pleasant American company which is usually to be found at these houses. The table is good and the at- tendance excellent, and we have no doubt that for a prolonged stay much lower rates could be obtained. The papers are filled with advertisements of rooms and apartmp.nts to be let to Americans, and every one is finding the importance of speaking English. All the stores are providing themselves with English-speak- ing clerks. Colored nurses with Ameri- can children in charge are quite common all over Paris, and the American citizen of African descent walks up and down the boulevards with his yellow kids and ivory-headed whalebone under his arm without being any longer an object of curiosity. American dressmakers are in- vading the precincts of the famous Worth, and have their establishments on Rue Scribe and Boulevard Haussmann throng- ed with customers. The American Club- room, the American caf^, and a number of fancy-goods establishments havi; been recently started by Americans, and four English newspapers are published in Paris. The American flag is to be seen in various sections of the city, and the carriage-drivers as well as the store-keepers reap a rich harvest. The number of American ladies here is unprecedented, and there is no city in Europe in which they love to linger as they do in Paris. FEMALE DOCTORS. The irrepressible American girl is to be found alt over Europe, endeavoring to force her Avay as a student of medicine in the leading universities and hospitals. When she is rebuffed at one point she proceeds to another, and has at last suc- ceeded in getting up a very general dis- cussion of the question. Whenever there is a vote taken on the propriety of ad- mitting females to the universities or the hospitals, the main issue is dodged, as it has just been at the University of Tu- bingen. It was resolved to admit female students upon the presentatiim of the proper certificate that they have passed through the classes of a regular grammar- school and have withstood the abitiwient examination. The conditions imposed are equivalent to a vote of exclusion, as female students are not as yet allowed to attend the grammar-schools. At Vienna the female students who were endeavor- ing to obtain admission to the lectures were refused in all depai'tments except that of midwifery, which is very generally in the hands of women throughout the Continent. Indeed, it is only within a few years that male doctors have com- menced to practice in this department of the profession in the private pi-actice of Paris. Some inferior institutions in Europe have opened their lecture-rooms to females, but this does not satisfy these American female aspirants, arid they are endeavoring to force their way where the best education can be had. They meet with many rebuffs, but are earnest and determined. Kate Fields takes up the cudgels for them this week in the Ameri- can Register^ published in Paris and Lon- don, in reply to the London Times, and has certainly the best of the argument. She denies that all medical pi-actitioners are opposed to female doctors, and con- tends that those who do are governed by the same influence that induces Paddy, the Irish laborer of California, to hate Ah Sin, and declare that Chinese pig-tail 154 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH has come to take the bread out of his children's mouths ; or that one corner grocery does not adore the next corner grocery. When she took to lecturing, all her friends told her that they would rather see her dead. She knew, however, that the prejudice against women lecturers was only temporary, and would cease so soon as 'woman on the platform ceased to be a novelty. " Every step forward taken by women," she declares, "has been over burning plowshares, and she can al- ways look back to a time when the oc- cupation most abjured by our fastidious friends was of all others the most com- promising to womanhood." Miss Fields takes up every olijection made by her op- ponents, and answers them with both ability and logic, quoting from history to show that women lack neither " phy- sical strength" nor "brain-power" ne- cessary for the profession. The strongest point of her argument is probably the following : " I make bold to say, not only are women-doctors to be tolerated, but they are to be heartily welcomed as ne- cessary to their own sex. In many cases it is most unpleasant for women to employ male physicians. Nothing but the knowledge that to them only is the door of science thrown wide open recon- ciles women to a sometimes revolting necessity. Many a young girl's health has been ruined because of an unconquer- able aversion to consult a male phy- sician." She concludes by asking whether, ten years hence, society will draw the line " unfeminine" against women who, having too much pride to hang as bur- dens about the necks of friends or re- latives, take up active business and dare to make as much money as their brothers. The census of England just taken shows that there are one-sixth more females than males in that kingdom, and the same is the case all over Europe, the re- sult of war and emigration •, hence it is argued that marriage is no longer woman's chief calling. Girls are advised to look upon man-iage as an accident, not as a career, and full opportunity must be given them to seek some oppor- tunity of livelihood by proper training in youth. The three thousand pounds left by John Stuart Mill, in his will, to any university in Great Britain or Ireland that shall be the first to open its degrees to women, have not yet been taken up. The time will come, however, when women will have an equal chance in life : For, as Kate Fields says, " the Deity has created a female, and man cannot get rid of her. The world is wide enough for both sexes. Place mix dames T^ HOTELS IN PARIS. The hotels of Paris have greatly ad- vanced their prices during the past year, which has induced most Americans who have ladies with them to seek quarters at the pensions, or boarding-houses, where thev fare much better at one-half the cost. At 'the Grand Hotel, on the "first floor," which we would call the third floor, the charge for sleeping-accommodations alone is from twelve to twenty-five francs per day. The intermediate floors to the " fourth," w^hich we would call the sixth, are a shade lower, whilst on the " fourth" the charge is from five to twelve francs per day. For a te67e-cZ'/io«irope where the American is so systemat- ciety that exists in Paris, these establish- " " - ■ ■ - - ments are not quite as necessary as the matrimonial agency. tion, and only ten minutes left to reach the depot and catch the departing train when he received his bill ? Then, again, to the American tourist " time is money,'' and he would rather part with his money than waste time in quarreling over a few florins or lose his temper when he is on a pleasure-trip. Then, as to the servants, the American feels a commiseration for these poor devils, who receive no wages from the landlord. He charges heavily in the bills for "service," but puts it all in his own pocket. The American I'eels, with respect to these servants, that he is doing a charitable act when he nu\kes them happy with a few florins and pays them for service to himself and family for which they would otherwise go unpaid. It is a part of his enjoyment of travel to do a little good as he goes along through the Old World. But there is no place in Eu- ENGLISH AND AMERICAN TRAVELERS. Our English cousins from across the Channel who are traveling on the Conti- nent have just vented their grievances against American tourists in a very able article in the Saturday Review. They say that the Americans are demoralizing ho- tel-keepers, servants, beggars, and the w'hole host of people with whom they come in contact, to such an extent that the plain English traveler, with limited means, is invarialily snubbed and given poor ((uarters and attention wherever Americans are abundant. Americans are charged with coming to Europe to run hastily over the Continent, limited in time, but unlimited in means, and that they de- mand the best rooms, the best attendance, are lavish in their fees to servants, and never dispute the landlords' bills. This is all very true; but Brother Bull must remember that most Americans don't understand the language, and could not dispute the bills if they were so disposed, as it would require something more than linguistic knowledge to read and under- stand any part of most of the bills except the figures at the end of the lines, and the grand total. We remember having sub- mitted a bill which we paid at Dresden to a good German scholar, and he could not decipher one charge in a dozen on the long list of items covering two foolscap pages. How was it possible for an American to dispute such a bill, especially if he had no words at command to vent his indigna- tempt to commence conversation by signs ically fleeced as in London. This is the experience of every American that we have met with. In Paris the charges are high, but not so high as in London, and here the American gets good food and good attendance, neither of Avhich can be had in London. The London Times, whilst denouncing the extortions of Vi- enna, ought to look to the condition of affairs at its own doors, which are equally bad. Good beds, without bugs, can be had in Paris and Vienna, but we have never been able to find them in London. And as to the begging of servants, Lon- don is ahead of the Continent. If a ser- vant in a London hotel is asked the simplest question, he expects to be paid for his answer, and everybody about the building is watching and waiting for an opportunity to put in his claim. Ameri- cans who travel in Europe are used to good living and good attendance when they travel at home, and they are willing to pay something extra for the best they can get when away from home. AMENITIES OF TRAVEL. The Saturday Review is correct when it says that the American and Englishman do not assimilate when traveling. Al- though in the same section of a car or on the same boat on one of the lakes, they seldom exchange a word, and never unless the American breaks the ice. Their an- swei^s to questions are in monosyllables, and the questioner feels as if he were being snubbed for having asked them. After one or two attempts of this kind, the American feels more disposed to at- AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 169 and motions with a Turk than to make an efibrt to open any social intercourse Avith the Englishman who may be sitting on the other side of him. The fact is that John Bull is a surly and suspicious character. He thinks that every man who approaches him without an intro- duction has some evil intentions, and at once becomes so watchful that he is as dumb as an oyster. In a good deal of experience in Continental traveling we have never known an Englishman to commence or invite a conversation, al- though we have met with some who have ultimately proved very pleasant and agreeable traveling companions. But this money-question is the one that is in- variably predominant in their minds. They always pant to know how it is that so many Americans are able to bring their whole families to Europe and spend money so lavishly ; how it is possible for us to go on so rapidly in the payment of our national debt, etc. The natural and only answers that can be given to these questions they set down as American gasconade, American boasting and exag- geration. It thus often happens that what might otherwise have been a pleas- ant traveling acquaintance ends with ill-feeling, and the American resolves in future to stand aloof from all intercourse wath Englishmen. During five months' travel, we have exchanged words with but one Englishman, and he was intro- duced to us by a Hungarian. Duval's "boucherie." We never pass this magnificent estab- lishment, right in the heart of the city, within a stone's thi'ow of the Madeleine, on the corner of one of the most central of the boulevards, without conjuring up the ghosts of Colonel Mabe Turner, Ster- ling Thomas, Marcus Wolfe, Harry Kim- berly, and a host of the departed Balti- more butchers, who years ago fought so energetically to induce the City Council to prevent the sale of meat from the pro- vision stores. We remember that we dif- fered with them as to the propriety of tlieir proposed action, and we think they all lived to admit that they were wrong. But we would like them to be hei-e, in spirit at least, to take a stroll through the boulevards, and to stand with us, as we do almost daily, and view the internal arrangements of this "boucherie," and the stirring scene alM'ays in progress within its precincts. The establishment fronts about one hundred feet on Rue Neuve des Mathurins, and about sixty feet on the Boulevard Tronchet. There is but one door for entrance and exit, but nearly the entire of its combined front is of iron bars, making it virtually open to the street in warm weather, though there are inside sashes which can be closed in winter. Directly opposite the entrance is an elegant white-mai'ble inclosure, be- hind which sit two clerks, one a very handsome and elegantly-dressed lady, icho handles all the money, and the other a spruce young Frenchman, who makes the entries. There is another smaller elabo- rately-ornamented desk at the left side of the door, at which another clerk takes note of all the cards that are passed up to be settled. Between these two desks there is a variegated-marble fountain, in the basin of which tripe and calves' heads are kept for sale. The walls of the " l)Oucherie" are faced with white marble, and all the tables are of white marl)le, with ornamental iron legs finely gilded. On the racks on the walls the cattle are suspended in quarters, and are dressed with all the care that our butchers some- times bestow on show-beef. We counted yesterday morning thirty quarters of beef, fifteen calves, and forty sheep, hanging up Avhole, besides the cut meat that was on the blocks and tables. The salesmen in their neat white dresses — fully twenty in number — were waiting on their customers, and all kept busy. The Parisian never buys his meat until he is ready to cook it : hence the necessity of these establishments, which are to be found, to the number of nine hundred, in all sections of the city, though we have seen none that will compare in extent with Duval's "Boucherie." Everything is kept scrupulously sweet and clean. The hooks upon which the meat is sus- pended are of polished steel, and are always kept polished. The floors are sprinkled with clean sawdust, and bear the evidence of being daily scrubbed, and, what is most singular, even in this Au- gust weather scarcely a fly could be seen within its precincts. The strangers in the city invariably stop as they pass, and regard it as an appetizing curiosity, keeping in remembrance the numerous unsavory establishments of a somewhat similar character at home. There does not appear to be a market anywhere in Paris in which meat is sold, though there are poultry-markets, flower-markets, fruit- markets, grape-markets, and vegetable- markets in abundance. The butcher transacts his business at home or in rented shops, — which is much more convenient to 170 EUROPE VIEWED THBOUGR the people, and probably equally profit- able to himself. He buys his cattle, but has nothing to do with its killing or dress- ing for the inarket. We have something to learn from Paris in this respect before Baltimore gets rid of the droves of cattle passing through the streets, and the naus- eous smells in the vicinity of slaughter- houses. The window-sills of this " boucherie," and indeed of nearly all similar establish- ments, are always ornamented with flow- ers and i-are exotics in full bloom. In the pork department, across the ceilings are iron racks, upon which hams and tongues are suspended, the hooks of which are kept clean and bright. There are rooms in the rear in which the meat is cut up, and in which a reserve supply is kept to be brought forward when de- sired. Calves are seldom slaughtered until they are five or six months old, and the veal of Paris is of a very superior quality. HORSK-BUTCHERIES. In some sections of Paris the butcher- ies keep for sale horse-meat, which is sold at about one-half the price of beef, and is extensively used by the poor. AVhen cut up and hanging on the shambles, sit is difficult for the inexperienced to tell it from beef, and when tolerably young it is said by those who use it to be equally tender and palatable. It is preferred to the meat of old cows and bulls, with which our army was so extensively fed by some of the contractors during " the late unpleasantness." The abattoir or place of slaughter for horses is at the village of Les Vertes, where about twenty thousand horses are slaughtei-ed per an- num, and the meat sent to Paris. Before the late siege, horses were worked to death ; but now when they cease to be active they are sold to the butchers, who fatten and kill them. A dead horse is worth nothing, but a live horse has his price, although he may be good for noth- ing else but the tender mercy of the butcher. Horses in Paris have heavy loads to draw, and if used in omnibuses or carriages must be able to travel fast. When incompetent to meet either of these requirements, a horse soon finds his way to the village of Les Vertes. A NEW CLASS OF EMIGRANTS. A throng of emigrants passed through Paris yesterday on their way to America, which is but the commencement of a more extended emii^ration of the same character. They consisted of fifty nuns and Sisters of Charity, from the old de- yiartments of Ilaut-Pihin and Bas-Rhin. There is undoubtedly a superabundance of these good people in all parts of France, and they can supply the world with all they want of them, without suf- fering in the least on account of their absence. An immense number of priests, of the Jesuit Order, who have been ex- pelled from Germany, are also taking passage for America. It is hard to say what the Old World would do with all its supernumeraries if it had not America to ship them off" to. We have always imagined priests and soldiers to be the pests of Europe, eating up the substance of the people and producing nothing. It is to be hoped that these emigrants will try and make themselves useful in America. EXEMPTION FROM FIRES. The great fires we are constantly having in the United States give to Europeans a very poor idea of the construction of our great cities. The outcry against the man- sard roofs, as the cause of these great con- flagrations, is amusing to the people of Paris, where almost evei-y house is con- structed with that appendage, and none but the public buildings have \vo\\ super- structures to them. Fires in Paris are always confined to the building in which they originate, and if they commence in the lower part of the building they sel- dom reach the mansard roofs. The fact is, these houses are not built to be burned, but to stand until time and the spirit of improvement call for their demolition. In the more modern buildings iron is substituted for wood, inside and outside, and it takes a long time for a fire to get under way to such an extent that it cannot be extinguished with buckets. Even the lattice window-shutters are now made of iron, and they are so simple in their con- struction that they are cheaper than the ordinary wooden shutters. They are of one solid piece of sheet-iron, and the lat- tice portion of an entire window is made by machinery at the rate of one per min- ute, by being run under a roller, which cuts and presses them into shape. In the whole city of Paris there is but one steam fire-engine, and it is so seldom required that it is periodically put in motion, to be sure that it is always in order. We have n(nv been four weeks in Paris, and there has not been in that time even an alarm of fire, and we see no notices in the papers of any conflagrations. When it is borne in mind that the population is AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 171 more than six times as lari^e as that of Baltimore, some idea may be formed of the genei-al exemption. The houses here are packed more closely together than they are with us, and extend some twenty or thirty feet on an average higher up in the air than ours do. There are also from six to a dozeu or more fomilies in every house, which of itself would seem to render them more liable to accidental combustion. The stairs and balusters are required to be constructed of stone and iron, and the lower floors are generally arched and laid in cement. The law is peremptory as to the manner of construc- tion, but, instead of attempting to evade the law, builders contrive in every way to make their buildings more thoroughly fire-proof. Board-yards and packing-box factories are never allowed to be in con- tiguity to thickly-settled neighborhoods, and hence when such tinder-boxes take fire they burn out without damaging any one but themselves. The firemen of Pai-is, called " sapeurs pompiers," consisting of a regiment of two thousand men, are organized on a militai'y footing, and under the orders of the War Department, but in case of fire they obey the oi-ders of the Prefect of Police. A portion are on duty every evening at the theatres. They are effi- cient as soldiers no less than as active firemen, and are carefully drilled and trained in gymnastics. Medals are an- nually awarded to such as have distin- guished themselves by their exertions and good conduct. The annual cost of the force is five hundred and seventy-five thou- sand three hundred and ninety francs, or about one hundred and twenty thou- sand dollars. The incendiary fires of the Commune in no case spread farther than the struc- tures in which the flames originated. The Communists did their best to destroy all the central portion of Paris, and with any American city would have succeeded. They had no combustible buildings to work with, no tinder-boxes in the heart of blocks, and the flames were generally extinguished as rapidly as they were ig- nited, by the residents of the neighbor- hoods. A MYSTERIOUS WORK OF ART. There is now exhibiting in Paris one of the most startling works of genius and art that we have ever witnessed. It is a diorama of the siege of Paris, and all Paris is running wild to view it. There is some species of optical illusion in con- nection with it, that no one seems able to understand. Although a painting, it so closely resembles nature that on suddenly entering the hall the spectator is bewil- dered, and invariably complains of diz- ziness as his eye scans the intervening scenes and the distant horizon presented to view. Of course, as we could not understand, we cannot describe, and we scarcely expect the reader to believe that it was dilficult to realize that we were not standing on a lofty eminence between the lines of the contending armies, view- ing the progress of the siege. The build- ing in which the diorama is exhibited is circular, and about three hundred feet in diameter, with a glass dome. On enter- ing it the visitor passes along a rather dark passage to what seems the centre of the building, and then proceeds up a circular series of stone steps, aljout forty in number, and finds himself on a circu- lar platform on the top of a veritable hill of earth, strewn with cannon-balls and shell, the object of the artist being to place the spectator in the Fin-t of Issy, surrounded on every side by the incidents of the siege, with the city of Paris, and its monuments, domes, and steeples, in the distance. By close examination it could be discovered that the nearer earth- works of the picture, and even some of the cannon, for a distance of fifty or sixty feet from the edge of the platform, were veritable earth, and undoubted cannon, and real willow gabions and sand-bags ; but the exact spot where the substantials ended and the canvas began was not so easily detected. The reader must take our word for it that, as we stood on the platform, representing an elevated posi- tion on one of the bastions of Fort Issy, it appeared to the mortal vision of all of us just as if we were there in reality in the midst of the siege. We could scarcely believe we were inside of a building, as nature was so closely imitated that it seemed as if the vision embraced every tree and hillock up to Fortress Mont Va- lerien, eight or ten miles distant. The horizon was perfect all around the circle, and there was nothing to indicate that we were not out in the open air, ex- cept a circular canvas, suspended as if from the clouds, high up over our heads, and nothing visible anywhere to indicate that we were in reality inside of a build- ing, viewing a painting. The whole seems to be a piece of legerdemain in art that has never been attempted before. AVhen we came out of the building we involun- tarily turned around and measured its 172 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH size with our eyes, in a vain attempt to unravel its mystery. HOW PARIS IS PAINTED. It would astonish some of our old house-painters of Baltimore if they could witness the manner in which the painters of Paris climb over the fronts of these six- and seven-story houses and paint them from roof to door-sill without the use of ladder, scaffold, or any other wooden contrivance, either for themselves or their paint-pots. One man, without assistance of any kind, can paint the en- tire front of one of these tall houses in two or three days. Directly opposite our quarters, a six-story buildinsf, fronting about eighty feet, is undergoing a com- plete renovation, and the painting of the entire walls has been accomplished by two youths, apparently not over nine- teen years of age. They are each pro- vided with a rope about an inch in di- ameter, extending from the apex of the roof to the pavement, on which knots, one foot apart, are made throughout its entire length. By means of an appa- ratus with straps, clamps, and hooks, to v^rhich is appended a board on which they sit, and stirrups to rest the feet in, which are strapped to their legs, they move up and down the rope with great rapidity and apparent ease. They move the clamps from knot to knot, and with- out changing the position of the rope are enabled to paint about six feet on either side of them. Their smaller brushes are stuck in little loops appended to the seat, and the paint^pot is suspended by a smaller rope, on which it is fastened by a spring of some kind, and is raised or lowered with ease as they may desire. Long practice has given them great agility, and they move up or down, and pirouette and oscillate along the front, with a great deal more ease than if they were on ladders. They use brushes for most of their painting nearly double the size of those used in America, and make rapid progress with their work. Ilouse- painting in Paris is a very extensive business, as a periodical renovation of the houses is rendered imperative by law, no one being allowed to disfigure a neighborhood by presenting stained and darkened walls. The houses being all built of a soft cream-colored sandstone, many of the finer structures, instead of being painted, are re-dressed by the stone- cutter, and come out, after undergoing the process of scraping and scrubbing, as if fresh from the quarry. In alluding to the amount of work these lads perform in a day, it should be understood that tliey commence work at six o'clock in the morning and stop at seven o'clock in the evening, twelve hours being a day's work among the mechanics in Paris. GOVERNMENT OF PARIS. It may be of interest to our City Fathene to know in what way the means for car- rying on the expensive city government of Paris are obtained. Everything that is brought into Paris in the shape of food for sale must pay an octroi, or entrance- duty, at the gates of the city, or, if by boats, at the wharf before it is lauded. The receipts from this source last year amounted to 102,286,000 francs, or $20,448,000 ; market-dues, $2,000,000 ; weights and measures, §21,020 ; supply of water, $1,028,000 ; slaughter-houses, $000,000 ; rents of stands on the public ways, $90,060 ; dues on burials, $140,000 ; sales of lands in cemeteries, $139,000 •, taxes for paving, lighting, etc., $2,100,000; trade-licenses, $3,500,000 ; dog-tax, $90,- 000 ; sale of night-soil, $132,000 : total receipts, $39,556,410. Among the items of expenditure are, interest of debt and sinking-fund, $9,- 214,000 ; expenses of collections, salaries, etc., $1,689,000; primary institutions, $1,100,000 ; public worship, $36,000 ; na- tional guard and military service, $576,- 300 ; repairs of public buildings, $346,000 ; assistance to the poor, including hospitals, $4,469,200 ; promenades and works of art, $653,340 ; public schools, $123,200 ; pub- lic festivals, $152,000 ; the police depart- ment, $3,124,000 ; new public works, $4,924,000; lighting streets, $783,200: total expenses, $39,416,000. It will thus be seen that, notwithstand- ing the tribulations through which Paris has passed, she spent last year nearly $5,000,000 on new public improvements, whilst the receipts exceeded the whole expenses of the city by nearly $150,000. Poor Baltimore, with its "rings" and political hunkers, spends literally nothing on public improvements, and runs deeper in debt every year. The city government of Paris is a model for the world, and if we must continue to keep the incompe- tents in control, do send them over here to learn something. BUSINESS OF PARIS. The stranger visiting Paris is aston- ished at the vast numljer of stores and places of business which line every street, even the narrow thorouohfares in the old AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 173 portions of the city. Every house, almost, has a store iu its lower story, and thou- sands of them are occupied for business purposes up to the second and third stories. On the new boulevards many of these stores are empty, and for rent, but they are all expected to be occupied sooner or later. The wholesale establish- ments are g-enerally back in court-yards, and can only be found by those who know where to look for them. We spent a day amon;^ theai with Mr. Samuel Child, and in almost every case they were located back from the streets, and completely out of sight. By the official record we see that the whole number of business-estab- lishments in the city is set down at 101,171. Of this number there are 3199 jewelry-stores; 28,806 in which clothing and material for clothing are sold; 7391 furniture, 2836 textile fabrics, and 29,069 establishments in which food, groceries, and all manner of goods for the inner man are provided. The number of hands employed in these establishments is set down at 417,311. The sales of the in- dustrial establishments are estimated at 3,379,000,000 francs, or $675,980,000, per annum. If England can be called "a nation of shop-keepers," it would seem that France is in a fair way to rival her. There are about 1000 manufactories of haberdashery ; 141 of paper-hangings ; the shawl-trade counts 752 looms ; the number of ladies in dress-making estab- lishments is 879 ; stay-makers, 653 ; hat- stores, 644 ; upholsterers, 519 ; of looking- glasses, 120; bronze and gilt work, 450; and pastry-cook establishments, 622. The sales of this latter trade net twenty-one millions of francs per annum, and restau- rants one hundred and four millions. The rag-collectors, or chiffonniers, of Paris, number 22,000, and realize from one and a half to two francs per day. The number of bakeries in Paris is 960, em- ploying 4500 men. In 1863 the price of bread was two sous for a pound loaf ; it is now four sous. In 1863 the average price of meat was twelve to fifteen sous per pound ; it is now twenty-two to thirty sous. The total number of persons of independent fortune, or engaged in lib- eral pursuits, is 400,000. Paris, September 10, 1873. THE FETE OF ST. CLOUD. The fete of St. Cloud commenced on Sunday last, and continued for three weeks. We went out during the after- noon to see it. It is held at the town of St. Cloud, which is rapidly rising from its ashes, having been totally destroyed, with the magiiiticent palace, during the siege. The Prussians having obtained possession, the guns of Mont Valerien were turned upon it, and the palace set fire to by tlie shells. The town, after being half destroyed by the French shells, was set fire to by the Prussians, and nothing left but the blackened walls. The palace, which had l)een the favorite residence of Napoleon, is still a mass of ruins, but the greater portion of the town has since been rebuilt, and the new Ca- thedral of St. Cloud, which was in the course of erection, has been completed, and here the services of the fete were held. We reached the upper part of the town by raih-oad, and the whole charac- ter of the fete was a surprise to us, in view of the fact that it is proclaimed that a great religious revival is iu progress in France. This fete is a Church festival, under the direction of the clergy, and lasts for three whole weeks, commencing every morning with services in the ca- thedral. CHARACTER OF THE FETE, What we expected to see on our visit to St. Cloud was a mass of people as- sembled to witness the playing of the great fountains, which, next to those at Versailles, are the finest in France. Hav- ing landed at the depot, we walked on through the town, stopping occasionally to look at the ruins still standing. The town is located on the side of a hill, de- scending all the way towards the banks of the Seine. The streets were filled with people, and we followed the crowd until we reached the cathedral, which is not far from the entrance to the park. Here the visitors first entered and made their devotions and moved on. It was too much crowded for mere spectators to venture upon entering, and we passed on towards the park. We would like, if it were possible, to photograph for your readers the scene that was presented to our view. The gates open on a wide avenue of chestnut-trees, nearly a mile in length, running parallel with the river. Either side of this avenue was closely lined with stalls and booths, and packed with people, throughout its entire length, whilst flags and streamers and parti-colored lamps were everywhere suspended for the grand illumination that was to take place at night. The booths had displayed all manner of fancy articles, cakes, and can- dies, not for sale, but to be gambled for by the drawing of numbers, turning of 174 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH wheels, or firinii of air-guns at glass balls suspended on the top of jets of water over little fountains. The number and variety of the games of chance in this portion of the park exceeded anything we have ever witnessed, many of which we could not understand the mode of op- erating. The simple manner of buying what you wanted seemed to be entirely ignored. This portion of the exhil>ition was nearly one mile in length, and the avenue, more than one hundred feet in width, densely packed with people. After passing slowly through this scene to the immense cascade fountain, located about the centre of the avenue, the char- acter of the exhibition commenced to change, and the woods on either side of the road were densely packed with other attractions. First came fully fifty large tents with revolving horses, not such small affairs as we sometimes have for chil- dren, but immense establishments, capa- ble of sending on a flying circuit fifty persons at a time. And they were all fully employed, with grown men and women mounted on the backs of the wooden horses. They were elegantly ornamented, with looking-glasses flying around on the centre-boards, and flags and streamers so closely packed together that but a small passage was left between them for the spectators to pass. Beyond these were revolving wheels, with boxes attached, carrying men and women thirty feet up in the air, and down and up in rapid succession, circular railways, upon which car-loads of men and women were spinning like tops, and other contrivances too numerous to mention. Coming as we did to witness a religious fete, all this seemed strange and startling, and we looked on in amazement, but we must ad- mit that everybody was happy and cheer- ful, and was fully intent upon making everybody else happy. A LIVELY SCENE. After extricating ourselves from this scene of revolving animation, we turned to gaze upon it en masse, and as a mov- ing panorama we have seen nothing so animated, rnless it was the machinery de- partment of the Vienna Exposition. Here, however, the people were revolving with the wheels, and the flags were revolving, and tents were spinning like tops, and everything was in rotary motion. As we moved farther on, the scene changed, and we were almost deafened by horns, trum- pets, drums, bands, cymbals, hand-organs and hurdy-gurdies, all playing different tunes, and each endeavoring to drown the sound of the other. Immense canvas tents filled the woods on either side, covered with paintings representing fat women, dwarfs, strong men lifting weights, giants and giantesses, women with beards, circuses, theatres comiques, theatres olympiques, etc. They were all, to the number of about forty, just open- ing for the afternoon performance, and had their horses, performers, bands of music, dancing-girls, clowns, ponies, strong men, and claqueurs out on platforms in front to induce the people to enter. On some of the platforms girls in semi-nude apparel were dancing, knights in armor glistening in the sun, and the claqueurs were shouting at the top of their voices descriptions of the wonderful performances that were about to commence. The ex- hibition of the performers was to give some idea of the performance, just as the exhibitor of the fat woman paraded the petticoat she wore, that the width of the waistband might be seen. All the inter- vening space between the tents was massed with men, women, and children, soldiers, sisters of charity, and priests, and some of the latter entered the tents to witness the performance. We have been at horse-races, cattle-shows, Schlitzen- fests, and Mabille gardens, but we have never witnessed anything to equal this bright Sunday afternoon demonstration in honor of St. Cloud. The people were, however, enjoying the occasion with all the zest of school-boys on a Fourth of July frolic. On returning from this portion of the park, without having reached its end, we found a mass of people pouring in which rendered locomotion almost impos- sible. The boats were landing thousands of visitors from Paris, the railroads were bringing in all their trains could carry, and the splendid stone bridge across the Seine was literally crowded with pedes- trians coming to witness the illumination and take part in the feast after nightfall. There could not, at this time, have been less than one hundred thousand people in the park, and they were still pouring in from every quarter. We had previously visited Versailles, explored its gardens and galleries of paintings, and were too wearied with sight-seeing to remain for the illumination, but doubt not there was a gay time after nightfall. There were also, we must not omit to mention, a half- dozen dancing- establishments, placards announcing that grand balls would com- mence at eight o'clock in the evening. From all this we should judge that St. AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 175 Cloud must have been a merry fellow. A large number of pilgrims, from dif- ferent^parts of France, are going daily to St. Cloud. PLAYING OF THE FOUNTAINS. We went to St. Cloud to see the foun- tains play, and the grand cascade. The cascade is divided into La Haute Cascade and La Basse Cascade ; at the summit of the first is a group of statuary represent- ing the Seine and Marne, each reposing on the urns from which water issues. Upon an elevated flight of steps are placed urns and tablets, from which water falls into basins situated one above another, the last supplying, by means of an aque- duct, the lower cascade. The Basse Cas- cade is in the shape of a horse-shoe, and is remarkable for the abundance and rapid descent of its waters, Avhich fell in sheets, from one basin to another, into a basin two hundred and sixty-one feet in length by ninety-three in its greatest breadth, along which are twelve Je^s cVeau. The grand, /e< d'eau, known by the name of the Jet Geant, is to the left of the cas- cades ; it rises with immense foi'ce to the height of one hundred and forty feet from the centre of a basin, and throws up five thousand gallons per minute. It is un- doubtedly a majestic spectacle when in full play, and, having secured some chairs, we enjoyed the scenefornearlyan hour he- fore our departure. We should judge the highest point of the cascade to be nearly one hundred feet, but it is impossibly to describe it so as to be understood by the reader. We returned to Paris by one of the steamboats on the Seine, having a fine view of the surroundings of Paris and the numerous elegant stone bridges by which the river is spanned, most of which have the letter N emblazoned on them, signi- fying their erection during the reign of Napoleon, and all are ornamented with statuary and bas-reliefs. MORE SUNDAY AMUSEMENTS. On this same Sunday afternoon, in honor of the fete of St. Cloud, we pre- sume, the first grand fall races took place at Longchamps, the race-ground of the Bois de Boulogne. On our return to Paris the Champs Elysees was thronged with carriages and pedestrians, as far as the eye could reach, returning from the rac<;s, full reports of which appeared in the papers of Monday morning. Gali- gnani says the attendance was not as good as usual, as the fashionable world is still at the seaside and watering-places, "and the fete of St. Cloud formed a rival attrac- tion for pleasure-seekei's of the multitude." To the stranger coming from England or America these scenes are rather startling, especially when accompanied by long details in the papers of great religious revivals, pilgrimages, etc. The Punch and Judy shows, concert- gardens, etc., in the Champs Elysees were in full blast during the afternoon and evening, and at night all the theatres and opera-houses, to the number of eighteen, were crowded with visitors, whilst the usual scene of life and gayety was to be witnessed on the boulevards. AMERICANS EUROPEANIZED. "When I was home I was one of the pillars of the church, but here in Paris I can hardly be regarded as a brick," was the remark of an Amei-ican lady, when discussing the tendency to almost wholly disregard the Sabbath in France. " Yes," remarked another, "when I first came to Pai'is the playing of operatic airs on Sun- day shocked me, but now I find myself occasionally doing the same thing without a thought as to its impropriety." Ameri- cans residing in Paris any length of time soon get over their antipathy to the Sun- day operas, Sunday concerts, and Sunday amusements of all descriptions. All their staid notions disappear, and they learn to do as the Parisians do, and if a ftivorite opera is to be performed on Sunday even- ing they do not let that prevent their attendance. " When I first came to Paris I resolved I would not visit the Mabille Gardens, but when I found that so many nice people went there I thought I would like to go also," remarked another lady. "Well, I have been there also," was the reply, "and I did not see any- thing so very bad ; but perhaps it was not a good night." The last census of Paris gives a total of thirty thousand Americans permanently residing in Paris; of these nearly twenty thousand are from Louisiana, five thousand from Virginia, three thousand from other Southern States, and only two thousand from the North and West. The South- erners have located here during and since the war, and have made it their permanent home. There are, in addition to this, fully ten thousand Americans here temporarily, some of them for the purpose of educating their children, but most of them are tourists. With all this population, the great majority of whom are Protestants, there is a very light attendance, not ex- 176 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH ceeding four or five hundred, at the Methodist and Episcopal churches, and most of these are tourists, who have not been here long enough to learn that church-going is not fosliionable in Paris. It is customary on vSunday morning to take a cup of coffee in bed, then a morn- ing nap until ten or eleven o'clock, get dressed for breakfast by twelve o'clock, and take a drive in the Champs Elysees or to the Bois de Boulogne in the after- noon. It is a tempting habit, and very few fail ultimately to fall into it. The American Protestant churches here ai"e mainly supported by the tourists, Avho give liberally. The English government supports its churches by contributions equal to all the amount received from worshipers, but has given notice that after the expiration of two years all aid will be withdrawn from them. BOARDING-SCHOOL FRENCH. Mark Twain, in his " Innocents Abroad," makes many apt hits on the experience of visitors to France who have previously become proficient in what is known as " boarding-school French." He says, in his quaint way, that the Frenchman is great on pronunciation, but a very bad speller. The American is very apt to pronounce a word as it is spelled, and if he does so he might as well talk Greek to a Frenchman and expect to be understood. The slightest deviation from the proper pronunciation renders your words unin- telligible, and hence the novice gives up in despair of success, and finally writes the word he is trying to pronounce, and submits it for inspection. We vainly en- deavored to tell a coachee the other day to drive to Rue Vantemill, pronouncing it as it is spelt, and every other way that we conceived it possible to torture the word into articulate sound, but all to no eflFect. He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, and gave other indications that he did not know of any such thor- oughfare. In despair we drew out a card and wrote upon it ''Vantemill," when his eyes glistened and a broad grin suffused his countenance as he exclaimed, with a sharp, quick pronunciation, "Oi«", oui, Voiit-e-meeV^ »So also "R^ith Rue Scribe; we pronounced it every imaginable way, but it was not until in despair we acci- dentally hit upon Screhe, pronounced sharp from irritation, that we were un- derstandable. The word Jete must be pronounced /e.?< to be undei'stood, and any deviation from the French pronunciation of the commonest word is totally non-un- derstandable. At dinner, surrounded by twenty xVmericans, mostly ladies, and all of them fortified with '• boarding-school French," their linguistic experience of the day is truly ludicrous. They expected to be able " to get along witli the lan- guage," but find that pronunciation is of much more importance than the spelling. Thus it is that those who learn to talk the language here before they learn to read or spell it make the most rapid progress, and ultimately master all its peculiarities of pronunciation. Among our guests is a young American girl of sixteen, who, with her mother, has spent five years in Europe, and speaks French, Italian, Span- ish, a id German fluently and correctly. She mastei-ed French in three months, having been placed at a boai"ding-school, with sixty scholars, not one of whom could speak a word of English. So also with German, Italian, and Spanish, she lived and associated with those who knew no other language. AMERICAN FOOD TROUBLES. Nearly all the American families resid- ing in Paris soon break away from the boarding-houses, hire a suite of furnished rooms, employ servants, and go regularly to housekeeping. They endure French cooking and French living until they can stand it no longer, and then start oti' " on their own hook." During the five weeks we have been at a French pension two families have already left and gone to housekeeping, and a third is now prepar- ing to follow their example. They are here for the education of their children, and, proposing to remain a couple of years, soon discovered that it would be impossi- ble to endure French living. Still, this house has the reputation of keeping the best table in Paris, but the manner of serving the dishes is so unreasonable that the enjoyment of the food is destroyed. Think of serving roast beef without po- tatoes or vegetables, and, when it is mas- ticated, having peas or beans, that would have been so delightful to eat with it, served separately. Then the desserts are alwaj's a melange of some kind, so mixed that it is impossible to tell what you are eating, and would puzzle an Andrews or Cole- man and Rogers to analyze them. A lady remarked at the table to-day that she ate everything mechanically, without a thought as to what it was, contenting her- self with the reflection that she would relish hoane food better when she got there. '' Well, mother," responded a sharp-witted daughter at her side, who AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 177 nad probably been reading Mark Twain, " you can't expect to enjoy sweet potatoes and hot corn, with Michael Angelo and Worth the dressmaker, all at one time." Breakfast is served in the rooms to each boarder as soon as it is called for, consisting of coffee and bread and butter. At twelve o'clock a lunch is served, of three or four separate courses, generally fried eggs, then beefsteak, or veal-cutlet, and fruit, after all of which is disposed of, coffee is served. Dinner is ready at six o'clock, requiring an hour and a half to dispose of it, each article being served separately and the plates changed, the vegetables invariably following the meat, but never with it. The food is all good enough, and much more abundant than at the hotel iahle-cthnte, and would be very palatable if not served up in this nonsen- sical way. There is also an aljundance of wine at both lunch and dinner. " H'jw I long to get home to enjoy a good square meal !" is the constant exclamation of the American wanderer. We must not neg- lect to add that the parties who have gone to housekeeping since our sojourn here reported progress, and are delighted with their experience, viz. : muffins, waffles, or flannel-cakes for breakfast, with beef- steak and ham and eggs ; dinner at two o'clock, with roast chicken and boiled ham, potatoes, peas, and Baltimore pearl hominy, all spread out on the table at once, to the horror of the French cooks and servants ; supper at eight o'clock, with coffee, cold chicken, and hot rolls from the Boston Bakery, on Boulevard Malesherbes. They are seriously con- templating buck-wheat-cakes and pump- kin-pie. The only boarding-house in Paris which serves meals in American style is Madame Dejon's, No. 29 Rue Caumartin, but her table has become so popular that more than a hundred Ameri- cans from the Grand and other hotels in the vicinity dine there daily. They have literally turned this once quiet boarding- house into a refectory, much to the dis- comfort of the home-guests. We should not wonder if some of these American ladies who have just started housekeep- ing on a small scale should ultimately develop into American boarding-house- keepers, and revolutionize the mode of eating in all these establishments. To an American it seems contrary to reason and common sense to be eating peas or beans as a separate dish, and meats with- out vegetables. Their guests are all Americans or English, and the sooner the revolution is commenced the better. 12 FRENCH SUICIDES. Another of those eminently French suicides took place in Paris on Saturday night, which for a few moments occa- sioned some excitement, but with the re- moval of the body the matter was thought no more of than if a candle had been snuffed out. A young man named Jules Iluttin, a non-commissioned officer of the Ninth Chasseurs, committed suicide at Hill's Ptestaurant, on the Boulevard des Capucines. lie had come to the city with a woman of loose character, and had for some days been living a rollicking- life. On the evening of his death he came to the restaurant with his compan- ion, and called for a luxurious supper, with the most costly wines, and they ate, drank, and were merry for about two hours, when he quietly stepped out on the veranda overlooking the boulevard, and blew his brains out with a pistol. He is said to have been a young man of excellent family and good education, but, having spent all his money, and having come to the city without leave of absence, he killed himself rather than face the disgrace of returning to his corps. On the same evening a young woman at Versailles committed suicide by jumping from the balcony on the fifth story of the house in which she lived ; and of the seven bodies exposed at La Moi-gue this morning, five of them were supposed to have committed suicide. MENDING THEIR MANNERS. The large number of American ladies in Paris is having the effect of checking the offensive manners of young French- men to unprotected ladies on the streets. A year ago a lady of youth and personal attractions was sure to be accosted if she attempted to go out alone, and persist- ently followed by these young street- loungers. Two or three of them have, in the mean time, been punished for their offensive conduct to American ladies, which has had the effect of very gener- ally remedying the evil complained of. On the boulevards, and in the neighbor- hood of all the large hotels, American ladies move about shopping or promenad- ing, singly or in couples, with perfect immunity, and ai"e as respectfully treated as if on Baltimore Street or Broadway. We record this gratifying improvement with pleasure, and in behalf of the ladies return thanks to those who have taught them better manners. The police are also very watchful, and are doing their 178 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH best to render the streets of Paris as safe to the unprotected lady as those of any other city. The young French ladies, who never venture on the streets without a gentleman friend or a duenna, are as- tonished at the bravery of American ladies in venturing abroad alone, and persist that it would not be safe for young French ladies to follow their example. If their fathers and brothers would knock a few of these scamps down, it would soon give them immunity also. But the fact that respectable ladies do not venture on the streets leads to the inference that those who do are not respectable, and they are regarded as such. A French- man, however, can tell an American lady at a glance, and, knowing that she refuses +o pay any attention to French customs, gives her a wide berth. Paris, September 19, 1873. THE FINANCIAL PANIC. If there had been an earthquake on Rue Scribe and the Boulevard des Ital- iens, it could not have created more con- sternation among the Americans who usually congregate in that neighborhood, than was visible on Friday morning when the bulletin-board of the American Regis- ter announced the failure and suspension of Jay Cooke & Co., and Clarke & Co., of Philadelphia. There was a general rush to the banking-houses of those who held letters of credit from these firms, and groups and knots of excited men and women were assembled in every direction. Those who held letters from the old Pea- body house of Morgan & Co., or Brown Brothers, or McKim & Co., were congrat- ulating themselves on their good judg- ment, and the unfortunates were foraging around to find friends who could loan them sufficient money to take them home. The Philadelphians especially are the greatest sufierers, most of whom seem to have done business with the house of Jay Cooke & Co. The banks all refused to pay any more money out on the letters of credit of either of these houses, though Messrs. Monroe & Co. offered to cash the drafts of all responsible parties. A sim- ilar course was pursued by other leading bankers; but there are still many here who will find it difficult to raise funds. Fortunately for the sufferers, most of their letters of credit were very nearly " played out," they being just closing up their European trip and preparing to start for home. The failure has not, however, had the effect of injuring the credit of American tourists, which stands very high in Paris. The bankers are cashing their drafts on our principal cities with reckless liberal- ity. We were present at Monroe's when a gentleman stepped in and introduced himself, stating that he desired a draft on America for two hundred pounds dis- counted. The answer was, " Certainly," without requiring him to produce any other proof than his own word that he was tlie party he represented himself to be. He drew up the draft, and in a few minutes departed with the money. So also with shop-keepers, tradesmen, and even dressmakers. On hearing of the trouble that some of their customers were in with regard to their letters of credit, they have very generally proffered the acceptance of drafts for the amount of their bills. NO " rings" in PARIS. The city of Paris has a costly muni- cipal government, which hesitates at no expense to make the city beautiful, clean, and healthy, but it has no "rings" to manipulate the public funds. It has something to show for every outlay, and the people have the satisfaction of know- ing that every dollar levied on them is economically spent. There is something tangible to show for it, as is the case with a giraffe just purchased for five thousand francs, to replace the one eaten up by the Commune. Public functionaries in Paris never grow rich off their small salaries, and, as they are poorly paid, there is no scramble for their places. Twelve hun- dred francs (about two hundred and twenty dollars) is almost the highest salary paid to any municipal officer, and there is such a system of checks and bal- ances that fraud or unfair dealing is wholly impossible. A police-officer re- ceives from twelve hundred to fifteen hundred francs per annum, or from two hundred to three hundred dollars. The highest salary under the govern- ment is to the head of the Police De- partment, which is twelve thousand francs, or about two thousand four hun- dred dollars. This is the most important office under the city government. There are twenty-two mayors, one for each arrondissement or ward of the city, whose principal functions relate to births, mar- riages, and deaths, and one Prefect of the Seine, whose functions correspond very much with those of our own mayors, he having authority over all parts of the city. In connection with the Mont de Piete, oi city pawnbroker establishment, there are m AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 179 three hundred officers, whose combined salaries amount to live hundred and one thousand two hundred francs, being an average of about three hundred and thir- ty-three dollars each. Some receive more than this amount, and some less. The yearly average of money that passes through the hands of these throe hundred officers is nearly eight million dollars : so that it will be seen the positions they hold are equal in responsibility to any under our city government. THE MONT DE PliT^. This is one of the most important and extensive establishments connected with the city government of Paris. It is a municipal pawnbroker establishment for the relief and protection of the poor, and, indeed, of all classes who may by either poverty or misfortune be compelled to borrow money on their personal effects. That the extent of this establishment may be understood, it is only necessary to state that it has two principal offices in oppo- site sections of the city, twenty auxiliary offices in different wards or arrondisse- ments, and has three hundred officers con- nected with it. The average number of articles pledged daily is three thousand, but no pledges are received from any one unless they are known to be householders, or produce a passport or papers en regie, showing who they are, and that the prop- erty they offer is their own. The privi- lege of loaning money on deposits is enjoyed exclusively by this establishment: hence thieves have but little opportunity of disposing of their plunder. Out of two millions of articles pledged per annum, the average number delivered to the police on suspicion of theft is three hundred and ninety-one, representing loans to the amount of eight thousand nine hundred francs. Thus this establishment, instead of encouraging theft, leads to detection, punishment, and the restoration of stolen goods. The Mont de Piete is under the author- ity of the Minister of the Interior and the Prefect of the Seine, and is managed by a Director, appointed by the former. It has a Council or Board of Managers, consisting of three members of the City Council, three citizens of Paris, and three members of the Council of Public Assist- ance. The number of officers employed in its management is over three hundred, and they are kept busy for twelve or four- teen hours per day. Everything that is brought to be pledged is carefully ap- praised, and the amount loaned is four- fifths of the value of gold and silver arti- cles, and two-thirds of the value of other effects, provided no loan at the two cen tral offices exceeds ten thousand francs, and at the branch establishments five hundred francs. From this it will be seen it is not used entirely by the ex- tremely poor, but all classes at times avail themselves of its advantages to en- able them to ride over temporary diffi- culties. The establishment is conducted with money borrowed on its own credit, and it requires a capital of about thirty million francs, for the use of which it pays about four per cent. The interest to the public upon pledges used to be twelve per cent., but it is now reduced to nine percent., or one-half per cent, for fifteen days, being the shortest term for which it can be lent. After the lapse of the first month, the interest must be paid entire, even if the loan last but a few days. The pledges of the previous day are brought every morning to the central establishments or the two storehouses, and it would be diffi- , cult to find in the whole of Paris a scene^ of more stirring business activity. The system with which the whole business is managed is wonderful, there being one department where borrowers are enabled to refund by installments the sums ad- vanced : even one franc is received. Whilst the work of redeeming pledges is constantly in progress in one part of the establishment, another is crowded with men, women, and children with bundles to offer for small advances, which continues from nine o'clock in the morn- ing until four o'clock in the afternoon. In another section an auction is daily held for the sale of forfeited pledges, which have not been redeemed within the time specified. After a year, or rather fourteen months, the effect-s, if the dupli- cate be not renewed by paying the inter- est due upon it, are thus sold, and the auction-room is a scene for a painter. Here all the old-clothes establishments in the city are represented, and at times the bidding is very lively, nothing being sold and no bids received for a less sum than the amount advanced. ETIQUETTE OF THE STREETS. American ladies visiting Paris are apt to be much annoyed until they learn the etiquette of the streets. In the first place, a respectable young lady in Paris seldom appears on the streets in anything but a plain black dress, unless when with a male escort or a duenna. If in a white ISO EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH or light dress her character is liable to be mistaken, especially if she should be young and interesting. If she is without escort she must, to maintain her character, push sti'aight forward, without looking to the right or to the left. If she should stop to take a look at the fine displays in the store-windows, for which Paris is so famous, she must not be surprised if some of the young men who lounge around the cafes walk up to her, nudge her elbow, and enter into conversation. It is the practice of the demi-monde to thus stop when a gentleman is approaching whose attention they desire to attract, and the masculines of loose morals choose to re- gard any one who may stop to look at the gorgeous array of diamonds in a window as having invited their attention. So also in riding. A lady seated alone in a carriage, either on the street or in the Bois de Boulogne, is regarded as re- serving the seat beside her for any chance gentleman whom she may attract. Thus ladies who have no male companion either take their servant with them when they ride, or borrow a neighbors child, if they have none of their own. To ride alone would be to invite insult or oifen- sive attention. The same is the rule in London, and almost throughout Europe. Females of the most respectable classes seldom Avalk the streets. In London you seldom see what we would call at home a well- dressed lady walking in the streets. Those Avho seem, and undoulitedly are, reputable are arrayed in plain suits of black, evidently intending and desiring to shun rather than court observation. A finely-dressed female on the streets of London is regarded as a woman of loose character if she have no escort with her, and even then she must carry a very demure face, and her escort must not put on any foppish airs if he does not desire to compromise the character of his com- panion. But a black dress and a fast walk, as if in a great hurry, will insure for a lady alone in the street entire freedom from improper attentions or insult. LOVE OF FLOWERS. The Frenchwoman must have her daily supply of flowers, even if she is compelled to stint her table to obtain them. When she purchases the substan- tials for her breakfast she is sure to take home with her a bouqnet of flowers. One will scarcely pass a window in an inhab- ited house where, from the basement to the pens ei-ected upon the roofs, six and seven stories from the ground, there is not a display of flower-pots. Having during a former visit to Paris secured quarters high up in the Louvre, we could look doAvn upon the upper stories of the neigh- boring houses, in each room of which there appeared to be a separate family. The men seemed mostly to be tailors, and at daybreak in the morning would be plying their needles whilst the women were preparing for breakfast and arrang- ing their bouquets for the table. The cultivation of flowers in all the palace- gai-dens and squares, and even by the street-sides in the Champs Elysees, is carried to perfection. The Luxembourg Garden presents the finest display of flowers cultivated in the open air we have ever seen, and it is thronged every even- ing with admiring visitors. So also at the Jardin des Plantes. The latter will always be found crowded with visitors, the flowers attracting more attention than the great exhibition of the cattle of the field, the birds of the air, the beasts of the jungle, and the fish of the sea, here collected and open free to the inspection of the 2Jublic. CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES. The houses on the boulevards, and in all the new portions of Paris, are re- quired to bo five stories high, and of uni- form appearance. They are in their interior arrangements diS'erent from the houses of almost any other city, being constructed with the special view of ac- commodating a great number of families. On the fourth and fifth stories there is an iron balcony extending across the front, and, if the house is on the corner of a street, around the entire building. This balcony is used for communicating with the different rooms, by which the sjiace for passage-way inside is saved. We were in one of these houses to-day, to visit a very respectable family occupying the fifth story, wdiich is considered one of the best, as the tenants have the use of the roof. It was a corner-house, with stores underneath, the upper floors being occupied by not less than six families. A porteress has charge of the door, and one winding stairway, which is neatly carpeted and as clean as that of most private houses, is used in common by all the tenants. We were assured that there was little or no intercourse between the tenants, and that there were several families in the house our friends had never seen, and did not even know their names. ^R| AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 181 PARIS ITEMS. The nurse-girls of Paris who are to be seen in Palats Royal and in the garden of the Tuileries of an afternoon, keep the little boys and girls in their charge out of mischief by having red or blue rib- bons tied around their waists, holding the end in their hands. They are never allowed t> go farther in advance of their nurse than the limit of the ribbon, which is about four feet long. They do not appear at all restive under the constraint, and have evidently been raised under lead- ing-strings. The nurse-girls in " Frank- lin Square" would have a merry time of it if they were to attempt to constrain Young America in this wa}'. " ALL ROADS LEAD TO PARIS." " All roads lead to Paris," from all parts of the Continent. The tourist, when traveling in Italy, Switzerland, or Ger- many, can turn westward from any point, and in ten to fifteen hours find himself in the gay and brilliant thoroughfares of Paris. It is easy to get to Paris, but very hard to get away again, as most of the Americans now congi*egating here find, especially if there are ladies among them. There is no place for the lady tourist like Paris, its attractions being so novel and varied, and its stores so brilliant and ex- tensive in their display of all manner of fabrics. There are delightful excursions to be made in every direction, palaces to visit, drives in the city and out of the city, its daylight scenes and its gas-light displays. All that is gay, attractive, and beautiful in the other great cities of the Continent are here concentrated in one, affording never-failing scenes of interest to the stranger. There are no people in the Avorld so proud of their city as the Parisians, and the marching of a German army through its broad avenues must have been a terrible infliction upon their national pride. They are not only proud of the appearance of the city, but the true Parisian really seems anxious to main- tain its general character for fair dealing with strangers in contradistinction to the rapacity and knavery displayed in so many other cities. SHOP-KEEPERS OF PARIS. The shop-keepers of Paris have the art of making the most of their wares, and spare no labor to give to their windows and show-cases a new and attractive ap- pearance every morning. This is not only the case with the most brilliant and costly goods, but even with those of tri- fling value. If the stranger expects on the morrow to recognize a store by any- thing he may have seen in the window to-day, he will be greatly mistaken. Even the arrangement of the goods will be found to be difi"erent, an effort being made to render them more attractive than on yesterday. They also add to the bril- liancy of their establishments by the ex- tensive use of mirroi'S inserted in the sides of their windows, Avhich multiply and magnify the stock and make a small store appear large and commodious. There is scarcely a show-window in Paris that is not provided with side- glasses, so placed as to give the appear- ance of double the width w^hich they really have. At night they have outside their windows a number of very brilliant reflectors, casting a glare of light upon the tastefully-arranged articles. This is especially the case in the colonnades of Palais Royal, a favorite resort for stran- gers in Paris. With the exception of the few large stores, such as Au Bon Marche, the Lou- vre, the La Paix, and Petit St. Thomas, which sell everything, the stores of Paris consist mostly of establishments for the sale of special articles. There are lace stores, silk stores, cloth stores, mourning goods, and even doll-baby stores, where nothing else can be had. Of general retail dry-goods stores, such as are so abundant with us, there are very few. They make a specialty of some given article, and it is useless to look elsewhere for them. In the large establishments there is a fixed price marked on all arti- cles, from which they will in no case deviate. An American who goes into a store where the prices are not fixed, must expect to pay one-third more than the regular prices, as there are few who will not take some unfair advantage of the stranger. The dressmakers, who persist in fur- nishing the material for their dresses, charge heavy prices, very nearly as much as a dress would cost at home. An American lady told me yesterday that slie had just paid fifteen hundred francs, or three hundred dollars in gold, for a silk dress. She was of opinion that Miss Sallie Johnson would have turned out as fine a dress for less money. Silks and velvets are sold at the stores for about two-thirds of the price demanded for them at home, whilst it is contended that the quality obtainable here is superior to that which is exported. 182 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH FRUITS OF FRANCE. The people of France appear to care very little for any fruit except grapes, whicn are for sale on the streets in great quan- tities at a half-franc, or ten cents, per pound. Peaches are not raised to any considerable extent, and are sold at three to five cents each. Good pears cannot be had for less than four or five for a franc. They are very fine in appearance, but do not have the rich flavor that our fruit has, and seem to be bought nearly alto- gether by strangers, the Parisians evi- dently caring but little for them. Canta- loupes are very large, and have all the aroma of our melon, but yet are very insipid to the taste. They are eaten here vrith sugar ; but very few are brought to market. The only vegetables which the Parisian seems to care about are cabbage, potatoes, beans, peas, cauliflower, and lettuce: at least no other kind is ever seen at the hotels or cafes, and ver}^ little of these. Cabbage is served with fresh meat, and lettuce with chicken, the latter being scalded or soaked in oil. When peas or beans are served at the table-cVhote you are expected to eat them by themselves. Potatoes are only served with fish. AVhen called for at a restaurant, potatoes are served to you fried, but they have evi- dently been previously boiled, mashed, and then baked, and thus puS'ed up after the manner of a doughnut. They look like sliced potatoes, but they have gone through some mysterious process Avhich renders them no longer potatoes. THE MADELEINE. We paid a visit on Sunday morning to the Madeleine, the most chaste and magnificent of all the modern churches of Europe. The fury of the Commune was spent upon its outer walls and fluted columns and shrubbery, but they did not succeed in making their way to the inte- rior, which presents the same solemn and grand aspect that it did twelve years ago, with its white marble altars and central group of statuary representing the Mag- dalen borne to heaven on the wings of angels. A large congregation was assem- bled at the time of our visit, and the regular Sunday morning services in pro- gress. Of the thirty-two massive columns that surround the structure there are but few that do not bear bullet-marks, whilst the walls and many of the statues of saints in the thirty-two niches in the walls were also considerably damaged, but have since been repaired. They appear at some places to have discharged whole volleys of musketry at the solid stone walls, which left their mark but did but little damage. The statues of St. Anne, St. Theresa, St. Agnes, and St. Elizabeth were considerably damaged, that of St. Theresa having had a large bullet-hole directly over the left breast. The work of renovating and removing all evidences of the popular insanity has, however, now been completed. PARISIAN DRESSMAKERS AND TAILORS. The fashionable dressmakers of Paris, like our best tailors, will not make dresses unless they furnish the goods themselves. They keep on hand large stocks of silks, satins, and velvets, and tell their customers at what price they will furnish adress from the piece selected, with trimmings and all complete. They are most particular with regard to fitting their customers, requiring them to make three visits before delivering their work, — the first to be measured, the second to be fitted, and the third to try the dress on and have made any alterations that may be desired. The best tailors of Paris are equally careful with regard to gentlemen's clothing; their customers must be meas- ured, afterwards fitted, and then they must see the coat and vest on before they are willing to deliver them. This is perhaps the reason why Paris tailors have such a high reputation the world over for making well-fitting suits. HOW IS IT? The estimation in which America and Americans are now held by both French- men and Englishmen is a matter of pride to all who have visited Europe this year. The number of Americans, and their lavish expenditure of money, together with the anomaly of a nation paying off its debt, perfectly beAvilder them. They are constantly asking for explanations, which can only be given at the ex]iense of their own national pride. We tell them we have no standing armies of a million of men to clothe, feed, and pay, while those who are under arms here would be, with us, producers; that we have no immense navy and no royalty to sustain at the expense of the people — no one to hold in subjection — and no palaces to construct and maintain. In reply to inquiries from Englishmen how it was possible for so many Americans to be traveling over Europe with their families, and making extensive purchases of rich and costly I AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 185 goods, the only answer that could be given was that when an American accumulates money he desires that himself and f\xmily shall enjoy it, whilst an Englishman hoards it up that he may vie with the aristocracy in having a country-house and a city-house, or marry some of his daughters to a banki-upt nobleman. They often admit that it is so, and take no offense at the only response that can truthfully be given to their inquiries. " AU BON MARCH^." We spent several hours to-day at Au Bon Marche, the greatest of the three large dry-goods establishments of Paris. A more stirring scene of business activity it would be impossible to find anywhere. At all times during the day the whole building is surrounded with carriages waiting for parties inside making pur- chases, and the interior is so thronged that it is at times difficult to move about. The number of cashiers and bookkeepers at their desks was thirty-three, and the clerks and salesmen, male and female, ex- ceed three hundred. The most active and probably the most important of these em- ployes we found to be a colored man, who speaks fluently French, Italian, German, and English. He is called hither and thither to sell to all nationalities, or to interpret for the other salesmen, who un- derstand no language but French. In this establishment there are departments for everything that can be called for, from the richest and rarest to the most ordinary goods. The price is marked upon every article, and no amount of purchase can induce the striking off of a franc from the bill. The depiirtment for coarse goods was equally thronged by the poorer classes with those for finer and more costly goods. There was a large repre- sentation of American ladies, but very few English. There is a refreshment saloon for lady customers, where wine and cake and ice-water are spread for them, and retiring-rooms fitted up in most magnificent style. At one end of the building, on the third floor, is the dress- making establishment, where about two hundred ladies are employed in cutting, fitting, and making dresses to order, whilst thousands of ready-made dresses of every material are ready for sale, even those made of the richest velvets, satins, and silks. The throng of purchasers passing in and out was very large, whilst the cashiers were kept busy in settling accounts. The stables of this establish- ment have over forty horses, and twenty elegant carriages for the delivery of goods, which can be seen flying through the city at all hours during the day. Some idea of the purchases made by Americans may be judged from the fact that Madame Francois, one of the princi- pal dressmakers, stated to-day that she had just completed twenty-seven silk dresses for one lady from Chicago, "the city," she added, " that was burnt up." An American gentleman at Drexel's banking establishment this morning re- marked that his wife had just called upon him for twenty thousand francs to pay for the purchases she had made yesterday ! SCARCITY OF WATER. "You must not drink water," is the constant cry of the hotel-keepers in Paris, and the addition of ice to it, we are as- sured, makes it rank poison. It is pretty much the same all over the Continent, water being regarded as of no nxmnerof importance except for fountains, cascades, and to drive water-wheels. If at dinner you tell the waiter that you do not wish any wine, he looks at you aghast, and i:e- peats the question two or three times to be sure that he has properly understood you. He reports the fact to the head- waiter, and he, confident that the stupid fellow has misunderstood, comes himself to inquire, " What kind of wine will mon- sieur have ?" Then the wine furnished at the hotels is so horrible in quality that it is not fit to be drunk. They evidently export all their best wines, and keep the common kinds for home consumption. The prices are also exorbitant, and it is evidently the large profit that the hotel-keeper makes which occasions so much anxiety that all his guests shall have large wine- bills, and that all shall dine at table- cVhute, where it would be rank heresy for any one to fail to call for wine. When water is called for it is brought so warm as not to be drinkable, and it requires a half-hour's notice to obtain a few small lumps of ice to cool it. In Italy and Switzerland we made a practice of carry- ing a cup in order to obtain a drink of cool fresh water occasional!}'' from the springs and fountains. If water is called for in a store or private house, they bring the sugar-dish with it, the idea being that water is unhealthy without being mixed with something else. HOT BREAD. The next most deleterious article to cold water, in the estimation of a Frenchman, 184 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH is bread that is eaten befoi-e it is twelve hours out of the oven. It is then nearly all crust, and requires the best of masti- cators to chew it. Most elderly French men and women have their teeth worn down to stumps, probably from long ser- vice on the very hard bread universally eaten by rich and poor. Those who ex- pect to find superior cakes in the confec- tionery stores will be greatly mistaken, as they all seem to be made out of greasy pie-crust. Nothing can be more beautiful than the display of cakes and condiments in the stores, but to an American fond of home-made cakes they are both unpala- table and unwholesome. If an ice-cream is called for they serve with it a tasteless kind of wafer-cake so thin as to be curled up in little rolls, and so brittle that it will break to pieces with the slightest pressure. This is the only cake that can be had in the ice-cream saloons. The cost of a small wineglass of ice-cream is twenty cents, and it is much inferior in quality to our American cream. Ice- water is served with it, the ice being frozen in a decanter by chemical process. This may possibly be costly, and adds to the price of the cream. " GET OUT OF THE WAY." The people of Paris have been educated to keep out of the way of all carriages and vehicles passing on the streets. In the narrower streets most of the pedes- trians walk along the carriage-way, the pavements being too narrow to accommo- date more than half of them. The streets are paved with asphaltum, and the car- riages move along almost noiselessly, with great rapidity, and the gait of the horses is never checked for any one, even if the throng on the street should be women and children. The drivers will halloo, but never check their speed, and you must run or jump to save yourself from being run over. Reckless driving is the rule here, and, in fact, all over the Continent. PARISIAN STREET-CRIES. The street-cries of Paris commence at daybreak in the morning, and continue pretty steadily throughout the day. Hun- dreds of women and girls with hand-carts are always passing thi'ough the streets, selling vegetables, fruits, and flowers, and crying their wares. There is an abun- dance of fruit and meat shops, and the re- tail vending of such articles seems to be all done in this way. The family sup- plies, including charcoal to cook with, are pui-chased at the curb-stone, and during the summer season breakfast is about the only meal eaten at home by those who are able to get out of doors. The caf§8 are numerous in all parts of the city, where a substantial dinner can be obtained for from one franc to five or ten, accord- ing to the taste and purse of the customer. Everything e.atable is much cheaper here than in London, and is better cooked and better served. PARISIAN LOCAL ITEMS. The Garden of the Luxembourg Palace is a regular baby-show every afternoon and evening. We do not think it would be an exaggeration to assert that several thousand children, from six months to four years of age, can be seen here every afternoon with their nurses. ,^- The glove-makers have at last exter- minated all the rats in the sewers, which were formerly so numerous as to be be- yond computation. The manufacture of ladies' kid gloves from the skins of these animals made the demand so great that but few are now to be found anywhere in the city. Carriage-driving, like everything else, is systematized in Paris. The driver is com-, pel led by law to hand you a printed card with the list of charges. For four per- sons the charge is two and a half francs per hour, or about fifty cents. Four hours' drive to-day, visiting points of interest, cost ten francs. What would our Balti- more hackmen think of that? There are no street-railways in Paris, and they are hardly needed. The smooth asphaltum pavements that are being laid everywhere enable the broad-wheeled om- nibuses, with about forty passengers, in- side and outside, drawn by two horses, to move along as easy as railroad cars. There is one line of omnibuses, resem- bling our city cars, that seat forty-six persons each, inside and on top. Three horses draw them with great rapidity, and they seem always to be full. CITY OF MARSEILLES. Marseilles, July 7, 1873. It is not a very easy matter to get away from Paris, especially if there are ladies in your party. This is generally the case with all who stop in Paris on the way to Italy, whilst a great many find the attrac- tions so great that they prefer spending all their time there rather than ramble over the Continent. However, we broke away on the morning of the 6th, and, AMERICAN- SPECTACLES. 185 after eighteen hours' ride, reached Mar- seilles on Sunday morning at six o'clock. PARIS TO MARSEILLES. The route through the southern portion of France has many attractions, passing as we did numerous large cities, including Lyons and Dijon, and the famous region where the grapes employed in making Burgundy wine are grown. Notwith- standing the ravages of recent war, and the destruction of numerous bridges, we found the country most bright and beau- tiful. Scarcely a foot of ground for the whole distance has not been cultivated to its fullest capacity. Fields of waving grain, meadows redolent with new-mown hay, and miles of vineyards, with the tall poplar, almost the only timber, except cherry- and pear-trees, interspersed with thriving towns and villages, made up the landscape presented from Paris to Mar- seilles, a distance of nearly six hundred miles. The people appeared gay and happ3', and it was difficult to conceive that this whole country had been recently overrun by a hostile army. What a happy thing would it have been had there been industry and energy sufficient in our Southern States to have so rapidly re- covered from the effects of the ravages of war ! No one could possibly suppose that the country through which we passed had been disturV)ed by foreign occupation, were it not for the numerous bridges now be- ing rapidly reconstructed. This destruc- tion of bridges in time of war is one of the follies of a past age : as armies now carry their bridges with them, their de- struction really causes little or no deten- tion. SUNDAY IN MARSEILLES. Sunday in Marseilles is the gayest and brightest day in the week, and there is no day upon which the stranger can see the people and the city to so much ad- vantage. It is a day upon which the whole population are out-of-doors, and intermixed with them are natives of many parts of the inhabited globe, dressed in their native costumes. Turks, Arabs, Algei'ines, Greeks, Italians, Egyptians, Spaniards, and on this occasion, we must add, a few plain Americans, were encoun- tered in the thronged streets and squares. It must be remembered that the popula- tion of Marseilles is equal to that of Bal- timore, over three hundred thousand, and that on Sunday no one stays at home that can possibly get out-of-doors. Marseilles is famous for its fine drives, extending through the southern section of the city and out to the banks of the Mediterranean. The principal avenue is about two hundred feet wide, with three rows of immense sycamore-trees on each side, forming a perfect arch and shade over the main drive. At the end of these drives, which are probably four miles in length, bounded on either side by elegant mansions, or, as they are here called, cha- teaux, is a magnificent public garden or park, with fountains, cascades, grottoes, and an extensive race-course. The whole park, embracing five or six hundred acres, bordering on the Mediterranean, is adorned with beds of flowers, arranged in the most artistic style of floriculture. Be- tween the walls of the garden and the Mediterranean there is a broad turnpike, along which bathing-houses are erected, where thousands of persons in bathing- dresses, male and female, enjoy them- selves in the ocean. Among the bathers here we noticed about one hundred Alger- ine boys, from twelve to sixteen years of age, in charge of Catholic priests, by whom they are being Christianized and educated. PUBLIC GARDENS OF MARSEILLES. The public gardens of Marseilles, at- tached to the Palace Beauchamp, situated in the heart of the city, are unsurpassed in beauty and cultivation by anything that beautiful Paris can boast of It would be impossible to attempt a descrip- tion of the mammoth fountain and cas- cades by which you approach the entrance to the gardens. The sculpture, statuary, and ornamentations of this fountain and cascades must have cost at least a million of dollars. The water first bursts out in an immense volume from a central arch at the base of a group of statuary about one hundred feet above the entrance to the garden, and falls down over seven beautifully arranged cascades, until it reaches a small circular lake in front of the entrance gate. The fountain itself is on the .summit of this rising grijund, and is located in the centre of a grand colon- nade, extending about one hundred feet on either side, with wings, which consist of two fine marble buildings in which are a museum of curiosities and a gallery of paintings. In the front basin of the fountain are four more than life-size bulls, as if struggling to escape from the water, which falls upon their backs, and pour- ing over on to a rocky bed in front of them. However, it is impossible to con- vey to the reader any adequate idea of 186 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH the vastness of this work of art, further than to say that its front is not less than five hundred feet in length, and tiiat it presents a spectacle of grandeur exceeding anything we have ever beheld. The ascent for pedestrians is by circular Avalks on either side interspersed and bordered with beds of flowers ; and there are also two flights of circular stairs by which the level of the fall of water is approached, and the entrance to the museum and the upper garden reached. Placards every- where remind the people that this attract- ive place is their property, and they are all called upon to act as a police for the preservation of its beauty and adorn- ments. In the garden there are a num- ber of living animals, including two immense giraifes. SCENE ON THE STREETS. It Avill not do to say that Sunday is not observed in Marseilles, as all the churches were open, and a large majority of the stores closed. But in some sections of the city the stores were all open, and mechanics were at work at their trades, the same as on weekdays. In the old portions of the city, which resemble an Italian town, the houses being seven and eight stories high, and the streets only about twenty feet in width, there was more activity in business matters than on a weekday. The streets were literally jammed, so that it was almost impossible to get through them. Every house was a store of some kind, and all doing a thriving business. The cafes were open in all sections of the city, and their num- ber beyond computation. The brilliant display of these establishments, decorated as they are with flowers and plants, is scarcely surpassed by the most attractive of those in Paris. There are markets in Marseilles entirely for the sale of flowers, the love of which is proverl)ial throughout France. These were all in full blast on Sunday, and the young girls in attendance were kept busy in preparing bouquets for the crowds of customers. They stood in the centre of an elevated circular stand, around which were arranged flowers of all descriptions, and the rapidity with which they formed them into graceful bouquets was truly as- tonishing. At six o'clock on Sunday evening a grand concert is regularly given by the military bands of the regiments at the public square in the heart of the city. There could not have been an audience present of less than fifteen thousand men, women, and children. The majority of these were seated on chairs rented at a sou an hour to those who may desire them. The music we found to be truly grand, the two bands in attendance each comprising about forty performers. Among the shipping in the harbor with their flags displayed, we were gratified to observe two flying the " Stars and Stripes." The number of soldiers in the streets we found to be greater than at Paris, in- dicating that a very large military force is stationed here. They are mostly young men ranging from eighteen to twenty-two years, probably a portion of the recent conscription. Sunday is the only day upon which beggars are allowed to ply their vocation in Marseilles, and the number on the streets to-day was very large, particularly of children, including some Italian boys and girls, singing and dragging after them, as a means of exciting sympathy and extracting pennies, the younger mem- bers of their families. LAW AND ORDER. Marseilles boasts of the devotion of its people to law and order, and points to its escape from the ravages of the Cora mune, as an instance of the manner in which the people united for the protec- tion of their beautiful city. The Com- munists rallied strongly here, joined by the refuse of all nations, but were sup- pressed before they had time to do any damage. Every Frenchman conscien- tiously believes that the leaders of the Communists received from Prussia three millions of dollars to inaugurate the work of destruction, and that the motive was revenge for the sullen manner in which the Germans were received on entering Paris. In Paris, as well as throughout France, every palace and public building now has carved on its walls, "The property of the people," as well as those rallying-cries of the revolution of 1830, " Liberty, Equal- ity, and Fraternity." Here in Marseilles these inscriptions are regarded as mean- ing something, and were it not for the Napoleonic nightmare of military glory, which every Frenchman considers neces- sary to the existence of his nation, the people of Marseilles would make first- class republicans. SCENE AT THE BOURSE. The Chamber of Commerce or Bourse of Marseilles is a large and elegant i AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 187 building, having been completed about ten years ago. It is built of sandstone, and is ornamented with bas-reliefs and statuary emblematic of commerce. The hall of the Bourse is very large, capable of holding three thousand persons, and has neither desks nor seats of any kind in it. The principal dealers have posi- tions at which they are always to be found during business hours, when to the un- initiated a scene of confusion ensues that is only approached by that of the Gold Room at New York. The hall we found crowded to its utmost capacity, so that it was difficult to pass through it, whilst a similar tlirong of excited people were on the outside, where what we would call the curb-stone brokers were assembled, filling the area between the hall and the railing on all sides. An estimate of five thousand persons inside and outside the hall, all talking at once, and some of them at the top of their voices, would not be an exaggeration of the scene presented at the Bourse. We are assured that such is but the ordinary scene during dull times, and that when the market is ex- cited it is almost impossible for a stranger to get near the building. THE PORT OF MARSEILLES. Marseilles was founded by the Greeks six hundred years before Christ, and was coHquered by Julius Ceesar in the year 48 B.C. The positions occupied by the Temples of Diana, Apollo, and Neptune are pointed out, on which churches and cathedrals are now erected. It was here that, in 1792, the Marseillaise Hymn was written, which subsequently became the battle-hymn of the Republican armies. Since 1850 the harbor of Marseilles has been extended to four times its former size, notwithstanding which there is still a demand for increased accommodation. Since 1853 the Basin de la Jolliet has been added to the ancient port, and is now the «tarting-point of most of the Mediterra- nean steamers. Several other basins have since been added, and it is now pro- posed to add two new docks and an en- trance-harbor, which will render Mar- seilles one of the finest seaports in the world. Nearly twenty thousand vessels, of an aggregate burden of two million tons, enter and quit Marseilles an- nually. FRUITS OF FRANCE. There is very fine fruit in this section of France, but not in that abundance ■which we find it at home. The quality of the fruit indicates that it can be exten sively grown, while the price asked for it plainly shows that it is only cultivated as a luxury. Peaches are to be had at the fruit-stores, large and luscious, at about five for a franc. Apricots are m uch larger than with us, and in much greater abun- dance and cheaper than the peaches, the former being fifteen sous and the latter two francs per pound. Greengages, green figs, and plums are large and luxurious, but still scarce and high. The only fruit that seems to be in abundance is cherries, and these are large and of fine flavor, both sweet and sour. As in Paris, all manner of vegetables and fruit are hawked about the streets by women and girls and sold at the curb-stone. Markets, as places in which the head of the family can pur- chase meat, vegetables, and fruits, are fast going into disuse in both England and Prance. The green-grocer alone at- tends the markets and Ijuys by the whole- sale, and those who huckster on the streets are his rivals in business. Thus it is that an Englishman or a Frenchman visiting Baltimore considers our market- houses so great a cviriosity. table-d'hote. There appears to be more demand for all manner of salads here than for fruits. At the table-d'hote everything i^ served up with some description of salad, satu- rated with oil, and it is really difficult to tell exactly what you are eating. You must have confidence to enjoy your din- ner, or shut your eyes and go it blind. The salads are of various kinds, some of them strongly resembling four-leaved clover, as insisted upon by one of the ladies of our party, — so we eat it for good luck. When we call for ice-water for dinner we are looked upon with astonish- ment, as wine is the only beverage which the Frenchman considers proper to imbibe whilst eating. A quart-bottle of claret stands by the side of each plate, which most of them manage to empty during the hour and a quarter it requii-es to dis- jjose of the numerous courses. If slow eating is conducive to health, Frenchmen ought to be very healthy. The manner of serving the dinner is said to be on gas- tronomic principles, the courses being so arranged as to be most conducive to diges- tion and to avoid astonishing the stomach by any violent changes in the matter to be deposited therein. We presume it is on the same principle as adopted by some of our scientific farmers in arranging the compost-heap. 188 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH TRIP ON THE MEDITERRANEAN. We sail to-morrow morning in the steamer Roi Jerome for Naples, and an- ticipate a very pleasant trip. AVe stup six hours at Genoa, six hours at Leghorn, and a few hours at Civita Vecchia, on the route, which is ample time to look over these unimportant places. We will be due at Naples on Sunday, the 13th. ITALY. GENOA. Steamer Roi Jerome, Bay of Genoa, July 12. On the morning of the 10th of July ■we embarked on board the steamer Roi Jerojne for Naples, anticipating a pleas- ant journey. We found the decks of the vessel wet and disagreeable, the cabin had a shocking odor, and we were almost tempted to return to the shore. A number of slouchy-looking Italian men and women were coming on board, and the second officer, whom we supposed at the time to be captain, received us as if we Avere in- truders upon his domain, disputed our right to the state-rooms which our tickets called for, and acted as if he was deter- mined to make us as uncomfortable as possible. We had paid our passage, about five hundred francs, for the trip, and were out in the stream, with our trunks in the hold, where this most disagreeable officer persisted in storing them. In a short time, however, the captain, Lotta, made his appearance, and proved to be the very reverse of his surly subordinate. The whole aspect of affairs was instantly changed, our baggage arranged and stowed to suit our convenience, and we had to deal with a polished Italian gentle- man, who seemed intent on securing the comfort of all on board. The rough pas- sengers were all sent forward, the cabin ventilated, and by the time we had cleared the harbor of Marseilles our anticipations of a pleasant journey were renewed. The table proved to be excellently supplied with provisions and fruit, and we caine to the conclusion, despite a little nausea which the short, quick Avaves of the Mediterranean imposed upon one of our party, that (wind and weather permit- ting) the trip would be a most gratifying one. THE MEDITERRANEAN. There is something peculiar about the motion of the waves of the Mediterranean. Before we had fully cleared the harbor of Marseilles several of the passengers were sick, and by the time we were five miles out, with the exception of our Neptune-proof party, but one of whom succumbed for a few moments, nearly all on board were affected. Still, the sea was as calm as the Chesapeake Bay, and the motion of the vessel so slight as to be scarcely perceptible to one who has had much sea-going experience. AVhen sea- sickness once commences, it is almost im- possible to shake it off, and we rather imagine that it is the rock-l)ound harbor of Marseilles and the eddy among its crags which cause a nausea on starting, for which the sea itself is not responsible. During our four days' trip along shore it has certainly behaved gently. The weather has been bright and beautiful, and we have not at all suffered from the heat. Passing down the Mediterranean, we kept very close to the Italian coast, af- fording a fine view. The appearance is that of barren mountains, with occa- sional towns and fishermen's huts at their base. The railroads pass along these shores, and have of course carried great changes south of it within a few years. Tlie three most interesting points on the Mediterranean, as connected with past history, are the Chateau d'lf, whei-e Mi- rabeau and the other state prisoners were confined, on a bai-ren rock near Mar- seilles ; the island of Elba, the prison of Napoleon ; and the island of Sainte- Marguerite, known in history in con- nection with the Man with the Iron Mask. THE CITY OF PALACES. At daylight on Thursday morning, after a run of twenty hours, we dropped anchor in the harbor of Genoa, in full view of that city of palaces, as well as one of the most prosperous commercial ports on the Italian coast of the Mediter- ranean. It has a population of nearly one hundred and fifty thousand, and is situated on the slopes of a mountain over five hundred feet high, from the top of which frown fortresses of considerable dimensions, mounting heavy guns, hav- ing a clear range of the whole bay. Looming up in the rear of the city are the Apennine Mountains, which during a portion of the year are covered with snow. The view of the city from the harbor, and the harbor itself, are very fine ; and, the captain having informed us that he would not sail until seven o'clock in « A ME R WAN SPE CTA CL ES. 189 the evening, we all made arrangements for spending the day on shore. To enter a strange city in this way is certainly to fall into the hands of the Philistines, and we had to run the gaunt- let in all shapes. We were plucked a little, but had the satisfaction of getting the worth of our money pretty generally. The railroad connecting;- Genoa with Mar- seilles, extending along the shores of the Mediterranean to Rome, Leghorn, and Naples, as well as connecting with Flor- ence and all the interior of Italy, has greatly improved Genoa during the past few years. In commerce the harbor pre- sented a thriving appearance, there being at least a dozen steamships loading or unloading, whilst a forest of masts of sailing-vessels loomed up in all directions. We took an omnibus upon landing, and coursed around the whole water-front of the city, which, like all Italian water- fronts, was crowded with carts, wagons, and donkeys. There being but four streets in Genoa on which wagons can be used, they are of course almost im- passable for pedestrians. We met with two or three of the old palaces, most of which have been put to the much better use of trade, but our ride proved a rough and by no means an attractive one. Re- turning, we stopped at the railroad depot, and, having obtained some fruit and re- freshments, engaged a cab to take iis around to view the most prominent scenes and sights in the city. We found the as- cents to the difierent levels to have been overcome with much skill, and whilst coursing through the beautiful streets we soon obtained an elevation from which we could look down upon the tall house- tops bordering the harbor. We found the interior of the city much more beau- tiful than we had anticipated, adorned with fountains, public squares, and monu- ments, and presenting the finest views imaginal)le in all directions. The palaces are certainly most magnificent structures, and, considering that they were erected in past ages, some of them are still in excel- lent condition, and still in the possession of the families whose ancestors con- structed them at a time when Genoa was a republic. Many are now used as ho- tels, others as cafes, and others as public buildings. Between these loftily-situated streets and piazzas a complete labyrinth of narrow streets and lanes, scarcely ten feet wide, occupied by seven- and eight- story houses, descends to the harbor. It was here that Columbus was born, and it was to the Genoese govei'nment that he first made application for aid to sail on his voyage of discovery. A mag- nificent monument to his memory, near the railroad depot, was erected in 18G2. It rests on a pedestal adorned with ships' prows. At the feet of the statue of Co- lumbus, which I'ests on an anchor, kneels a female figure representing America. The monument, which is entirely of white marble, is surrounded by allegor- ical figures, representing Religion, Geog- raphy, Force, and Wisdom. Between these are reliefs of scenes from the his- tory of Columbus, and the inscription of dedication. Opposite the monument is the Palace of Columbus, bearing the in- scription " Cristoforo Colombo, Genoaese, scopre I'America."' There is also another statue of Columbus on the main street of the harbor. The palaces of Genoa are certainly very grand structures. The entrances to the court-yards of some of them are fully forty feet high, and have over them the coat-of-arms of the families to which they belonged. The former opulence of the city is still evidenced by these numerous and magnificent emblems of the great- ness of a by-gone age. The streets are paved with slabs of marble, but many of them are so narrow, steep, and tortuous, as to be inaccessible to carriages. We of coui-se visited the cathedral and the churches, all of which are rich in decollations, statuary, and paintings. The Capuchin Church of L'Annunziuta, erected in 1487, with a most unsightly exterior, is the most sumptuous church in Genoa. The nave and aisles are sup- ported by twelve columns of white mar- ble, inlaid with red. The vault and dome are richly decorated with gilding, and frescoes by the old masters, representing scenes in Scripture history. The colors in these works of art are as bright as if just executed, and the paintings and decorations of the church are of the same rich description. THE PEOPLE OF GENOA. The people of Genoa are distinguished for their energy and industry, and our hasty drive through the city showed us as much activity as could be witnessed in the most stirring American city. The women are especially graceful and at- tractive in their appearance, dress, and carriage. The only head-covering worn by them is a white veil, which is very gracefully thrown over the head, and al- lowed to flow loosely over the shoulders, 199 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH fastened at the crown of the head with a silver arrow. At the Exchange or Bourse of Genoa there was a denser throng of business men than could be seen in Baltimore, and all seemed to be intent on trade and money-making. The sailors of Genoa are said to be superior to any on the Mediterranean, and have long retained their supremacy in this respect. LEGHORN AND PISA. Steamer Roi Jerome, CiviTA Vecchia, Saturday, July 18. We closed our last letter in the Bay of Genoa, after having visited its old palaces and penetrated into the more modern and beautiful sections of that mountain-side city. At daybreak next morning we were at anchor in the harbor of Leghorn, the city from whence come the fine straw bonnets which the ladies of Christendom formerly delighted to wear. Most of the passage from Genoa was made while we were asleep, though we had a fine view of the harbor as we passsed out about dusk, and also of the gloomy, rock-bound island of Elba, the old prison-house of Napoleon, and of its neighbor, the island of Corsica, on which he was born, and also the island of Sardinia. THE CITY OF LEGHORN. On landing at Leghorn Ave first felt the July heat of an Italian sun. Being ac- companied on shore by Captain Lotta, we were relieved from the annoying process of chaffering with boatmen, drivers, and custodians, and were enabled to stand and look coolly on while he disposed of them by paying Italian prices fur American travelers. These fellows evidently re- garded it as a regular swindle, depriving them of their lawful rights of plunder. We had but little opportunity of seeing Leghorn, except as we landed at the quay and drove through the town, but it seemed to have nothing of the appearances of commercial prosperity that distinguished Genoa. It is a very clean and well-built city, with finely-paved streets, the blocks being about fifteen inches by thirty, and laid diagonally. It has a population of one hundred thousand, and the people have a reputation for thrift and industry. The public and private buildings are use- ful but not ornamental, and its palazzo is ornamented with some fine statues of the former Grand Dukes, before Leghorn became a part of the domain of Victor Emmanuel. Close to the harbor is an ancient statue erected two hundred and eighty years ago, in honor of Ferdinand I., with four figures of Turkish slaves in bronze chained to the four corners of the pedestal, and looking with terror upon their conqueror. ROAD TO PISA. We took carriages at Leghorn for the railroad depot, and on the route stopped at the water reservoir of Leghorn, in a solid stone building, to which the water from several tine springs in the mountains is conducted. The reservoir covers about an acre, and the water is thirty feet deep, but so clear that several stone inscrip- tions upon the bottom can be distinctly read. All the fountains in the city are supplied from this reservoir. On return- ing to our carriages we were beset by a crowd of beggai-s. There could not have been less than twenty of them, men, women, and children, some blind and lame, but all wearing countenances indicating wretchedness and distress. As we dis- tributed among them all the change in our possession, the trembling eagerness with which the outstretched hand clutched the coin satisfied us that, although lazi- ness may be at the root of the evil, neces- sity was the controlling motive. We found a large and spacious depot, well arranged, and cars far superior to those on the English roads. The distance from Leghorn to Pisa is about ten miles, passing through a fine agricultural region in which there were fields of corn in tas- sel, and abundance of grapes. We ob- served quite a number of women working in the fields, and on one occasion a canal- boat being drawn by two women who were regularly yoked to the rope and seemed to be following their ordinary daily avocation. In Tuscany, however, everybody is expected to work, and al- though there are a few beggars, one scarcely ever sees even an idle child, the children being employed in making the fiimous Leghorn hats and bonnets. PISA AND ITS ATTRACTIONS. No one visits Italy without stopping a few hours at Pisa, and the passing trains between Florence and Leghorn always drop and take up returning passengers at this point. On passing out of the depot we were surrounded by a score of carriage- drivers, each of whom protested that he was the most honorable man in Pisa. These men, on the other hand, have the reputation of being the most dishonest scamps in creation. We referred them AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 191 to Captain Lotta, and they soon discov- ered that nothing but Italian prices must be expected for our party. A drive of about" twenty minutes through the town brouo-ht us to the cathedral, with its Leaning Tower, Baptistery, and the Cainpo Santo, all of which were com- menced in the years 1000 and 1100, dur- ing a period when Pisa was supreme over Corsica, Sardinia, Palermo, and the Ba- learic Islands. The cathedral is two hundred and ninety-two feet in length, with nave and double aisles, intercepted by a transept with aisles, and surmounted by an ellip- tical dome over the centre. The exterior is very fine, but the interior exceeds in artistic and costly ornamentation any cathedral we have ever entered. In statuary, paintings, mosaics, carvings, basso-relievos, by the greatest of ancient artists, it is profuse, and has several specimens of sculptui-e by Michael An- gelo. The interior is supported by sixty- eight columns, many of which are of Greek and Roman origin, having been captured by the Pisans in war. The twelve altars were also designed by Michael Angelo. One of the chapels contains an altar cased in chased silver-work, with gold ornamentation, the gift of Cosmo III. The silver is said to have alone cost, in- dependent of the work, one hundred and eighty thousand dollars. The Baptistery is a singular building, of white marble, rising to a dome from the ground one hundred and seventy-nine feet" high. The font, altar, and pulpit are of white marble, exquisitely carved, almost resembling lace. The great at- traction of this structure is its wonderful echo, a deep-chested custodian being in attendance, who sounds several notes, the echo continuing to reverberate for nearly a minute, returning with all the sweet- ness of an organ, and finally dying off in a whisper. THE LEANING TOWER Is a world-wide curiosity. We ascended it and stood upon the iron lialustrade, twenty feet above the bell-gallery, and had an extended view of the Apennine Mountains, and the great Valley of the Arno stretching out towards Florence, and the broad blue expanse of the Medi- terranean to the we'^t. The tower con- tains six bells, the heaviest one of them, weighing s'x tons, being suspended upon the side opposite to the overhanging side of the tower, which is twelve feet out of the perpendicular. Discussions have fre- quently arisen as to whether this pecu- liarity was intentional or accidental. The most probable solution is that the founda- tion settled during the progress of the structure, and that, to remedy the defect as much as possible, an attempt was made to give a vertical position to the upper portion. It has been built seven hundred years, and many of the columns which have shown evidences of decay have been removed and new ones inserted in their places, especially on the leaning side. THE CAMPO SANTO. The Campo Santo, or burial-ground, immediately adjoins the Baptistery. Arch- bishop Waldo, in 1188, after the loss of the Holy Land, had conveyed hither fifty-three ship-loads of earth from Mount Calvary, in order that the dead might repose in holy ground. It is surrounded by a heavy stone wall forty-three feet high, and is roofed towards the centre on the inside, where there is an open court-yard. The walls on the inside are covered with frescoes by eminent painters, represent- ing various scenes in Scripture history, as w^ell as imaginary scenes of the tor- ments of hell. There is a beautiful monu- ment of the singer Angelica Catalani, and a bust of Count Camillo Cavour. This is undoubtedly the most interesting of the four Pisan curiosities, if time could be given to examine it. It is said that the difference between the present time and formerly is this : formerly the dead were required to pay a fee on entering, but, as they never left it, of course nothing more could be demanded of them •, and so now the living enter free, but ai-e compelled to pay well before they are allowed to depart ! CIVITA VECCHIA. Having finished Pisa, we drove through the town back to the depot, and in less than an hour were on board the Roi Je- rome, steaming towards Civita Vecchia, which we reached at daybreak on Satur- day morning. Having a remembrance that fleas, beggars, and lazzaroni were its main attractions some twelve years ago, we did not go ashore, but could plainly perceive that it has vastly improved since it passed from the dominion of the pope to that of Victor Emmanuel. A large and powerful fort has been built to protect the harbor, which is regarded as the gate to Rome, and, from the number of new buildings being constructed, the city must have considerably increased in popula- tion. 192 ETJBOPE VIEWED THROUGH FLEAS AND BEGGAIPS. These are the two most annoying im- pediments to the enjoyment of travel in Italy. They both approach you in swarms, and it is useless to attempt to dodge or avoid them. You must calmly submit, or beat a retreat. The fleas come upon you unawares, and make th.eir ap- proaches to chosen portions of your body, reaching the least vulnerable position be- fore giving notice of their presence. They are most severe upon the ladies, who, in traveling, have few opportunities to expel and punish the invader. The pleasure of visiting strange scenes, and examining curiosities of nature and art, with a score of fleas tugging at your very vitals, is undoubtedly greatly marred. We are, however, assured that we will soon get used to them. The beggars are much easier disposed of, but it can only be done by giving them what they re- quire, otherwise they Avill cling to you with all the tenacity of their fellow-nui- sances. The fleas are equally rapacious with the natives, as it is a common scene to see them catching them on their chil- dren or one another. They have a mode of killing them much more expeditious than is adopted by strangers, which is said to be giving them a peculiar twist which breaks their backs. This morning a boa*man dropped his oars just under our cabin-window, pulled ofl' his stocking, and in a moment committed to watery graves three of these pests. He had evi- dently disabled their jumping capacity by some invisible process. The poor beg- gars are such God-forsaken-looking crea- tures, and seem so intent, as if starvation would 1)0 the result of failure, that we do not know whether it is not a real pleasure to give them temporary relief. Then they are satisfied with such a trifle, and shower such blessings upon you, that they almost convince you that you have done a good action, even if you feel in your heart that you have only encouraged vice and lazi- ness. TRAVEL ON THE MEDITERRANEAN. We have had a very pleasant journey upon the Roi Jerome. With the excep- ion of a few passengers who left us at Genoa, there have been but two other pas- sengers, and Captain Lotta has exerted himself to the utmost for our comfort and enjoyment. The weather has been de- lightful during our four days' trip, and the ocean as calm and smooth as could possibly be expected or desired, with a bright sun by day and a brilliant moon by night. An awning spread over the deck has enabled us to live in the open air, and notwithstanding the heat reported to us at home, here in sunny Italy we have not been for a moment uncomfort- able up to the middle of July. Within a few hours we will be in sight of Vesu- vius, and at eleven o'clock to-night will drop anchor in the beautiful Bay of Naples. ITALIAN COOKING. Our table has been spread, most of the time on deck, with all the luxuries of the Mediterranean, afresh variety having been daily procured at Genoa, Leghorn, and Civita Vecchia. Still, we cannot say that Italian dainties and Italian cooking are to our taste. At breakfast, for in- stance, the first course was three varieties of shell-fish, served in the shell (none of them larger than an English walnut), M'ith wine and bread and butter. Neither of tliese shell-fish were to our tastes pal- atai)le. The second course consisted of fried veal and toast, evidently fried in olive oil, and seasoned with some native herb. The third course was boiled lob- ster, dressed with native herbs. The fourth course was mutton-chops with fried potatoes. The fifth course was two kinds of cheese. The sixth course consisted of pears, plums, ripe figs, and green filberts. The seventh course M'as a cup of strong hot coff"ee. It Avas evidently a good break- fast for those who like it, but did not suit us as well as the breakfast served by our friend Colonel Coleman. On arising in the morning a cup of hot coffee is served to each passenger who desires it. Break- fast is served at ten o'clock in the morn- ing, and dinner at six o'clock in the even- ing. Breakfast and dinner are very much alike, and we are assured that no one is considered in good health who does not dispose of a pint-bottle of wine at each meal. CITY OF NAPLES. VESUVIUS TRANQUIL AND VESUVIUS IN ERUPTION. City of Naples, July, 1873. Leaving Civita Vecchia on Saturday afternoon, we found ourselves when we awoke on Sunday morning anchored in the harbor of Naples, Avith Mount A^esu- vius looming up to our right, enveloped AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 193 in a cloud of mist, except its pinnacle, which protruded above the dense fog which had settled on its sides. A lazily- moving stream of smoke, such as might be seen arising from a cottage chimney, was floating off from the mouth of the crater. Every vestige of the recent great eruption has apparently disappeared. After the smaller eruption in 1858 the lava continued to run in a small stream for nearly two years, but the old moun- tain seems to have completely exhausted itself for a time in its gi-and effort of 1871. OUR LANDING EFFECTED. About seven o'clock on Sunday morn- ing we disembarked, and found that we had less difficulty than anticipated with boatmen, custom-house officials, car- riage-drivers, and especially the usual crowd of volunteers, each one of whom seizes a piece of baggage and insists upon carrying it to your carriage. We dis- posed of the latter by giving a franc to the most prominent, with gesticulations to share it, leaving them to tight out the question of division among themselves. which they were warmly engaged in when we succeeded in getting our car- riage in motion. The boatman and car- riage-driver were satisfied with about one- half of Baltimore prices, which we ten- dered them, and subsequently found upon looking over the tariff of charges that we had paid about double legal rates 1 The price for a carriage holding four per- sons is thirty cents an hour for the first hour, and twenty cents for each subse- quent hour. The fact is that those who complain of extortion in Europe forget what the charges of travel are at home. Here the waiter or attendant receives little or no salary, and expects a trifle from the guests. He is satisfied with a few pennies, and only dissatisfied if he receives nothing. OUR LOCATION IN NAPLES. The season for visitors at Naples is over, and most of the hotels are entirely empty of guests. We finally located our- selves at the Palace of Prince Caramanico, now the Grand United States Hotel. It contains most of the heavy gilded furni- ture of its palatial days, fronts on the bay, and with Vesuvius on its left com- mands a fine view of the Villa Nazionale and the Villa Reale. We found upon in- quiry that we were the only guests in the extensive house, and that we could have a choice of rooms, with dinner at the 13 table-d' hote, for ten francs each per day. Our other meals are to be furnished to order or picked up wherever we may happen to be in our wanderings. We must not omit to add that we have at this price the use also of an elegant parlor, furnished in all the grandeur of gilt and velvet, fronting on the bay, adjoining our chambers, in which we are now writing. This certainly does not look like extor- tion, and we did not chaffer or dispute the prices. We have the advantage here of ordering what we want cooked in the way we want it, and have just disposed of a breakfast, d V Am^ricaiae, which suited us all better than anything we have eaten since we have left hoiue. NAPLES ox SUNDAY. There is little diffei-ence apparent here between Sunday and weekdays. As we drove from the custom-house before seven o'clock this morning through the lower part of the city, all the stores and shops were open, the market in full opera- tion, the vehicles of trade in motion, and mechanics at work at their avocations. The streets were thronged with donkeys almost covered up with loads of vegeta- bles ; women with hand-wagons crying their fruits; whilst priests, monks, and barefooted friars were intermixed among, wandering musicians with bagpipes and dancing-boys. Some persons appeared, however, to be intent on properly ob- serving the day, being arrayed in their best attire, and were moving towards the churches, having first visited the market to purchase bouquets to lay at the shrine of the Virgin. The better classes were also moving towards the churches in car- riages, each bearing a bouquet, and ap- parently intent on the religious duties of the day. SCENES FROM OCR WINDOWS. During the last hour a half-dozen sing- ing, dancing, and musical geniuses, all in rags and tatters, and apparently with their skins unwashed for a month of Sun- days, have followed in succession under our windows, a half-franc thrown to the first of the callers having apparently brought the whole crowd in pursuit of us. It was truly amusing to witness the wild enthusiasm of the party at so large a sum of money, equal to our ten-cent piece, they having gone on dancing and singing with renewed vigor and earnest- ness. The practice here is to throw them a small copper coin equal to about one- fourth of a cent. 194 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH In front of the Villa Reale, or public square, extending about half a mile on the bay, long stagings and bath-houses have been erected, and the scene from our •windows is equal to that at Cape May. There must be many thousands of boys and men floundering and swimming in the water. It is to be hoped that the dingy, dirty-looking men and boys still on the streets will also avail themselves of this free bathing, and, as cleanliness is akin to godliness, they could not better observe the Sabbath day. Among the lower classes of this immense city, nearly double the size of Baltimore, tilthiness is the rule and cleanliness the exception. A WALK ON THE TOLEDO. About twelve o'clock, desiring to see something of Sunday in the heart of the city, a portion of our party started for a walk, and moved towards the Toledo through the long net-work of narrow streets, too steep, if not too narrow, for a carriage to penetrate, with houses six to seven stories in height, in which the work- ing classes reside. We found them alive with people of all classes, some at work mending shoes or tailoring, all the stores open, the street-hucksters busy plying their vocation, wandering tinners mend- ing pans and kettles, and intermixed with them was a throng of well-dressed people returning from church. The only guide we had in reaching the Strada Toledo out of this intricate line of long and steep ascending or rapidly descend- ing thoroughfares was an occasional glimpse of Vesuvius on one side, or of the Castle of St. Elmo looming up in almost equal grandeur on the other side. We finally struck the Chiaja, and were soon in the moving mass of humanity on the Toledo. This is the main retail thoroughfare of Naples, and one of the few streets of the city through which vehicles can be driven. It is not as broad as Baltimore Street, but it is paved with blocks of granite, and the street forms as good a footpath as the sidewalk, which is kept scrupulously clean. The stores here were generally closed, with the ex- ception of tobacco-stores, cafes, restau- rants, and "lira stores" (a lira is twenty cents), which correspond with our " dollar- stores," the goods being of about the same quality and kind. They were thronged with purchasers, and were doing a brisk business. The " money-changers' " stalls upon the corners were open, and the vendors of lemonade were at every corner furnishing this cooling drink for the people, which appears to be a favorite beverage. It was evident from our observations during this walk that the people of Naples enjoy the largest liberty as to the ob- servance of Sunday, though it is apparent that the only stores that are closed are those that would not be likely to do much business on Sunday if they were open. A great many hat-stores were open, and some glove-stores, with a few jewelry- establishments. A volunteer military com- pany, with a full band, also passed along the Toledo just as the people were leaving the churches. THE NEAPOLITAN LADIES. The better classes of the ladies of Naples never walk on the streets, except to and from the church on Sunday ; the only promenade they enjoy being on their house-tops, where plants are cultivated and vines trailed upon arbors. Conse- quently, we had an excellent opportunity to see a large number of them during our walk to-day. We do not know when we have seen so many well-dressed ladies. They w'ere dressed with exquisite taste, in light gossamer materials, all gaudy inter- mixture of colors being avoided, and we particularlj'' noticed that not a single trailing dress was visible. Trails are worn here only in-doors, or whilst riding ; never on the streets, except by the lower classes and \J^ those who make no claims to respectability. The younger ladies here are undoubtedly handsome, most of them brunettes, though we passed many decided blondes. They wear very little jewelry on the streets except diamonds, and, although this is the great depot for coral jewelry, there was not a single set visible. It would be difficult to meet with finer-dressed gentlemen than were accompanying the ladies, and their chil- dren were arrayed in the same cool and light material as their mothers and sisters wore. AN EVENING DRIVE. Desirous of seeing as much as possible of the people of Naples on Sunday, we started in the afternoon for a drive, and soon found ourselves on the Chiaja in a double line of carriages, one passing up and the other down in regular review, in which were all the finest establishments in Naples, including a good many that were anything else but fine. They moved steadily on, presenting a democratic equality quite unexpected in this old capital of the defunct Bourbon dynasty. AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 195 The display of liveried footmen and finely- dressed ladies was very larj^e, whilst all the young bloods of the city were out with their fast horses. The fashional:>le drive appears to be a circle of the city formed by the Strada Toledo, the Chiaja, and the Palazzo, by which a course of a mile is obtained on tlie line of the bay. Most of the streets are so narrow, and the throng of pedestrians so great, constantly press- ing on the carriage-ways, that the scene presented was quite exciting. Later in the evening, after the more stately car- riages had withdrawn, the young bloods of all degrees took possession of the drive, and the crack of whips and the yells of the drivers indicated some spir- ited contests on the Chiaja in front of our hotel. All classes able to procure ve- hicles took part in this review, Avhich we learn is repeated every Sunday afternoon, weather permitting. NEAPOLITAN SCRAPS. The scenes we witnessed to-day all in- dicated that the people of Naples are bent on enjoying life and seem to be a good- hearted and kindly-disposed people. The number of street-beggars is in a great measure the fault of the people, as an appeal is seldom made to them in vain. The sums they give are small, but they toss them coppers as they walk or ride past them, especially on Sundays, with- out waiting for an appeal. The number of priests, monks, and friars on the streets is very great." They are in a variety of dresses, and we ob- served many riding in carriages on the grand promenade this afternoon. A very black man, apparently about thirty years of age, passed us arrayed in a monk's dress of thick, heavy, brown serge, with a rope around his waist, and bareheaded, with sandals on his feet. He was walk- ing with a brother of the same order. The weather here is warm, but not what we would call oppressive at home. Our rooms are within fifty feet of the bay, and we have a delightful breeze all day, whilst at night we sleep very comfortably with closed windows. If it were not for the fleas, which are very annoying to the ladies, our sojourn would be very pleas- ant. There is but one of the party, and he an inveterate smoker, whom they seem to shun. If they happen to alight upon him they soon jump off again, without making any depredations. This will be comforting to smokers who propose to visit Italy. The tramp of companies and regiments of soldiers is constant, and the police of the city weai' militai'y uniforms, carrying a sword in daytime, and both rifle and sword at night. There is evidently great military activity throughout Italy, and the drilling of recruits was going on as we passed through both Genoa and Leghorn. Sunday in Naples is regarded as a holi- day, and we learn that all who are re- quired to work upon that day are entitled to demand increased pay, the same as on all other holidays. City of Naples, July, 1873. HAPPINESS OF THE PEOPLE. Naples is full of life and animation. It is stirring, bright and beautiful on its principal thoroughfares, and even the denizens of its narrow alleys, with their tall houses, seem to think that they are in a paradise of bliss. The variety of smells that pervade these cracks of the city (Avhich are not more than twelve feet wide, six of which are taken up by the women and children, who mostly live on the streets) may possibly be calculated to conduce to a happy state of mind. They look happy, talk happy, and are a jovial people, in all grades of life, from the lazzaroni to the prince. It is difficult to conceive what makes some of them happy, but that they are gloriously happy no one who has spent a few days in Naples will undertake to dispute. In these contracted quarters one-half of the day is spent by the females in catching and killing fleas off themselves or their children, and whilst engaged in this de- lectable pursuit they will go on laughing and talking as if it were the most delight- ful employment that could possibly be undertaken. To be sure, we are here in the season of the year in which these pests are most numerous and active, but the old residents have become so accus- tomed to them that they scarcely notice them, and go through the operation of catching and killing without apparently knowing that they are engaged in what would be regarded as a terrible infliction by the rest of mankind. Our waiter to- day assured us that we were suffering from mosquito-bites, and actually pro- fessed not to know what a flea was. An American lady told me this morning that she had caught and killed thirty-four on her own person before dinner; and as to bites, it was difficult to find where they were not. Hence we propose to make our stay in Naples very short, and shall soon leave for Rome, though in doing so 196 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH we may probably be getting out of the frying-pan into the fire. VISIT TO THE MUSEUM. We spent most of to-day in the Museum of Pompeiian Curiosities, which are very interesting, but would be more so if there was a properly-prepared catalogue of the various articles for the use of visitors, who are necessarily compelled to make a hasty examination. The collection of articles taken from the rviins of Pompeii embraces everything in art that is excel- lent and wonderful, including both statu- ary and paintings, their two thousand years of interment in scoria and ashes having failed to mar their beauty or dim their colors. Some of the paintings taken from the walls of the houses are very lascivious, and some of them decidedly vulgar, but they are executed in a style of art and coloring that can scarcely be equaled at the present day. The statuary and busts are in the highest style of art, most of the latter being evidently likenesses of the prominent men and women of the city of Pompeii. The col- lection of finger-rings, bracelets, neck- laces, and ornaments for the hair is very extensive, all of pure gold, and the en- graved seals and cornelians are finely ex- ecuted. Then there are wheat, corn, and even loaves of bread found in an oven, black but in good shape, and every variety of pots and kettles that were used for culi- nary purposes. A large number of artists were engaged in making copies of the paintings, whilst others were making drawings of scroll-work and metal tables and urns, to have them reproduced, the models being superior to anything of the present age. Admission to the museum was formerly free, but the custodians managed to get two or three fees out of each visitor. Now the price of admission is one franc, and visitors are admonished to give the custodians nothing, and the custodians are commanded to receive nothing, under pain of dismissal. SHOPPING IN NAPLES. We spent our time yesterday in a gen- eral exploration of the city, whilst the ladies were engaged in the genial and pleasing occupation of shopping. They returned well versed in the value of kid gloves, coral jewelry, lava, amethysts, and cameos. They found these articles all astonishingly cheap. The finest gauntlet kids were but two and a half francs per pair, or about fifty cents, and ordinary party kids with three buttons, of all colors, from thirty to forty cents per pair. Gentlemen's black kids of the finest quality were but forty cents per pair. The ornamental goods were cor- - respondingly low. A set of medium light coral jewelry, breastpin and ear-rings, such as would cost from seventy-five dol- lars to one hundred dollars at home, could be had here at from twenty dollars to forty dollars, although prices have greatly ad- vanced within the past few years. A very elegant and elaborate set of coral, consisting of breastpin, ear-rings, bracelet and necklace, was purchased for ninety dollars. So also as to amethysts. Dia- monds were found to be surprisingly low, compared with prices at home, both for solitaires and clusters. The ladies of our party tested thoroughly the question as to whether they were being charged exorbitant prices, that is to say, prices in advance of what would be charged native purchasers, and found that charges were fixed, and that the dealersAvould not deviate one franc, even in articles valued at from fourteen to fifteen hundred francs. All they asked was that the ladies would come back again if not suited elsewhere, with the assurance that nobody in Naples could or would sell goods cheaper than they had ofl'ered them. On thoroughly searching the city it was found that such was the case. Hence the conclusion is that the dealers of Naples do not take ad- vantage of strangers, but have fixed prices for their goods, from which they cannot be induced to deviate. won't go HOME TILL MORNING. The streets of Naples show as much life and activity in daytime as those of Paris, and with the exception of one hour during the night, from half-past two to half-past three, the same moving pano- rama is to be witnessed. Carriages and vehicles are running all night, and the merry peals of laughter and cracking of whips during the small hours show that their occupants are seeking pleasure and enjoyment. When one class goes to bed the other gets up, and the clatter of don- keys, with an occasional bray, and the loud shouts of the drivers, keep up a per- petual din until the break of day, when the cries of the vendors of vegetables and fruits are added to the din. An hour later, and all the garrisons of the city, in- cluding the awkward squads, are marched down to the solid stone pavement lining the sea-wall of the bay, and here they are drilled until breakfast-time, their steady Ji AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 197 tramp as they march and countermarch directly under our windows being not in the least calculated to soothe to balmy sleep. The signs of a military govern- ment are everywhere visible, even the police being well-drilled men, armed with swords in daytime and a rifle by night. They are mostly very young men, but move about with a soldierly bearing that could only be acquired froni active service. When a stranger drops suddenly into an Italian community where all the active pursuits of life are in full progress, he imagines from the violent gesticulations and loud emphatic language that a gene- ral quarrel is in progress. Nothing could, however, do them more injustice than such an opinion. It is only their emphatic and earnest manner of expression that gives ground for the impression. Certain it is that a more orderly city than Naples we have not recently visited. The incident of two boys fighting in the street quickly brought around them a crowd of gentle- men to separate and pacify them. FRUITS OF NAPLES. There is evidently an abundance of fruits of excellent quality in the neigh- borhood of Naples, and, although the season is just commencing, they can be obtained from the fruit-stands at very reasonable prices. Good pears cost ten cents a dozen, and quite large and lus- cious peaches, equal to those at. home, cost twenty-five cents per dozen. At Mar- seilles we were charged for six peaches furnished at breakfast the enormous price of fifteen francs, — about three dollars in our money. Plums and greengages are very cheap and abundant, and of unusual size. The green figs are very large, but are not as palatable as those of Georgia and South Carolina. Most of the sale of fruits and vegetables by retail, as in Paris, is done by street-peddlers, princi- pally women. It seems like home to get where fruit is again plenty. There are also cantaloupes in the markets, looking very much like those of America, though not so palatable. The plums and green- gages are of the largest size, and are entirely free from worms. Cherries are about the size of our damsons, and very firm and luxurious. Peas, beans, lettuce, radishes, and all the garden vegetables grow to perfection here, and cucumbers attain fully twelve inches in length. HOW THE BABIES ARE NURSED. The ladies are terribly shocked at the apparent cruel treatment of babies, though, as far as we can observe, they are about as happy as most babies of other coun- tries. They are apparently strapped to boards, and wound up in sheets and band- ages, so as to look like little mummies. Their limbs, and indeed their whole bodies, from chin to toes, are covered up and pinned, leaving only their arms loose, and in some cases these seem to come in for a share of the general wrapping. Whether the object is to make them grow straight and erect, or to keep the fleas from getting access to their tender bodies, "it is difiicult to say, but the practice seems to be universal with all classes. How they are kept clean under such treatment is the question to be solved ; but most of the people here seem to have a difi"erent idea of cleanliness from the rest of mankind. Among the lower classes the babies, so soon as they can walk, are apparently turned loose to take care of themselves. In passing through the narrow streets, numbers of them can be seen toddling about with no one to look after them, their skin so grimed with dirt and filth that one can scarcely determine their original color. Other infants were in charge of children of slightly advanced age. By the time chil- dren reach eight years, they are put at work driving donkeys, carrying water, etc. The only attention the parents seem to give to the children, or at least all that we have yet discovered, is an oc- casional examination of their little bodies, the operation being interspersed by an occasional picking off of something which receives a mysterious twist between the thumb and forefinger and is then cast upon the ground. It seems to us that a Yankee baby would not stand such treatment as these Neapolitan brothers and sisters bear with equanimity and apparent satisfaction. Perhaps they have the best of it — who knows? THE FAITHFUL DONKEY. What would Naples do without its donkeys? This is a question that in- trudes itself every time we look out of the window or perambulate its streets. The little donkey is not much larger than a Newfoundland dog, but he is all muscle, and exhibits much strength and endur- ance. He can carry on his back as much as an ordinary horse, and then take on top of his load both his master and mis- tress, and, if necessary, the children of the household. He seems never to be over- loaded. No matter how much he is 198 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH beaten, he maintains his spirits and good nature, and will bray as loud as an ele- phant at every donkey acquaintance that may pass him. Every household has its donkey, and no household would know how to get along in the world without its donkey. Every youngster of good family has his donkey for saddle-pur- poses, and every huckster has his donkey for doing all the carrying that he may require. We see almost as many donkeys as men on the streets ; hence we ask, what would Naples do without its donkeys ? Naples, July, 1873. AYe will now proceed to narrate our visit to Pompeii, which, like Mount Vesu- vius, far exceeded our anticipations in all its characteristics. We expected to meet with nothing in Pompeii that would as- tonish or particularly interest us ; but it soon became evident that in grandeur and magnificence the buried city rivaled that of Rome, which was contemporaneously destroyed by the violence of man. We took an early breakfast, and our party, comprising six, started at eight o'clock in a large carriage, which we had engaged for three and a half piastres for the entire day, it being the standing rule of all travelers to ofi'er just half the price charged, though sometimes it is prudent to persist on paying only about one-fourth of the original demand. We proceeded at a brisk pace around the head of the bay, passing through the suburbs of Na- ples, the towns of Pasagno, Portici, Re- sina, Favorita, Torre del Greco, Rossi, and Torre dell' Annunziata, to the gates of Pompeii, in the rear of A'^esuvius, a dis- tance of fourteen miles, which was accom- plished in about two hours. The whole of this route through these towns, most of them being situated on the base and sides of Vesuvius, was like pass- ing through a continuous street of Naples, paved all the way, and all connecting with each other so closely that without a pre- vious study of the locality the change of corporate limits could not be discerned. The road coasts the eastern shore of the bay to the right, with Vesuvius to the left ; but it is so completely shut out from the sea by the dead walls of the numerous villas, overgrown palace-gardens, and large unornamented houses, which stretch in an almost unbroken line as far as Torre deir Annunziata, that it has more the character of a long, uninteresting, dusty street than of a high post-road. The crowds of villagers were interesting to look upon, as well as the wine-shops, macaroni-establishments, and other quaint spectacles to the eye of a stranger. EXCAVATIONS OF POMPEII. When we entered the Herculaneum Gate the first sight that met our view was perhaps a hundred boys, from twelve to fifteen years of age, each with baskets of earth upon his shoulders, marching out of the streets of Pompeii. They were engaged in the excavations now progress- ing under direction of government,— sixty thousand lire, or about twelve thousand dollars, being appropriated an- nually for the purpose. Some of the discoveries recently made are very inter- esting, and are being collected in a mu- seum built on the ruins, which we first entered. Here are the fossilized remains of four of the victims of Pompeii, just as they fell in their struggle with death. There are two, supposed to be a mother and daughter, their limbs entwined, both lying on their faces, the daughter's head leaning on her arm, and both having rings on their fingers. A third is that of a large man, believed to have been an African, who was found with a lamp in his hand and a bag of money strapped to his waist, and is supposed to have )>een intent upoft plunder when he lost his life. In this museum are also to be found the bones of horses and other domestic ani- mals, as well as the various metal cook- ing and household utensils, earthenware jars, and glass bottles, which have recently been excavated. HOW POMPEII WAS DESTROYED. Pliny the Younger, who was a resident of Pompeii at the time of its destruction, gives an interesting account in his well- known letters to Tacitus, describing the death of his uncle, the elder Pliny, dis- tinguished as a naturalist. He speaks of a cloud of vapor as having been seen over Vesuvius on the afternoon of the 24th of August in the year 79, which he likens in form to a pine-tree, ascending to a vast height and spreading out its branches. There had l)een for many days before some shocks of an earth- quake, which were not unusual, but they were so particularly violent that night that they not only shook everything, but seemed to threaten total destruction. In the morning the light was exceedingly faint and languid, the buildings all tot- tered, and the people resolved to quit the town. Having got to a considerable dis- tance, they stood still in the midst of a most dangerous and dreadful scene. The AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 199 chariots were so agitated backwards and forwards, though upon the most level ground, that they could not be kept steady even by supporting them with large stones. The sea seemed to roll back upon itself, and to be driven from its banks by the convulsive motion of the earth, leaving several sea-animals on the shore. On the other side a black and dreadful cloud, bursting with an igneous serpentine va- por, darted out a long train of fire, re- sembling flashes of lightning, but much larger. Soon after the cloud seemed to descend and cover the whole ocean. Im- mediately after,darkness overspread them, not like that of a cloudy night or when there is no moon, but of a room when it is shut up and all the lights are extinct. Nothing was to be heard but the shrieks of women, the screams of children, and the cries of men ; some calling for their children, others for their parents, and others for their husbands, and only dis- tinguishing each other by their voices ; one lamenting his own fate, another that of his family ; some wishing to die from the very fear of dying ; some lifting their hands to the gods, but the greater part imagining that the last and eternal night was come which was to destroy the gods and the world together. At length a glimmering light appeared, which they imagined to be rather the forerunner of an approaching burst of flames, as in truth it was, than the return of day. The fire, however, fell at a distance, and they were again immersed in thick darkness, with a heavy shower of ashes raining upon them, which they were obliged to shake off, otherwise they would have been crushed and buried in the heap. At last this dreadful darkness was dissipated by degrees, like a cloud of smoke ; the real day I'eturned, and even the sun appeared, though as under a partial eclipse. Every object which presented itself to their weakened eyes was covered over with white ashes, as with a deep snow. The mountain afterwards threw out deluges of heated water, charged with the dry light ashes which were suspended in the air. This water, as it reached the soil, carried with it in its course the cinders which had fallen, and thus deluged Pompeii with a soft pasty volcanic mud or alluvium, which penetrated into places where neither scoria nor ashes could have reached, and thus completed the work of destruction. This is the substance of the description given by an eye-witness, and is most valuable as affording reliable evidence of the character of the eruption. This eruption also overwhelmed Ilerculaneum with lava, some of the ruins of which have been discovered about a mile dis- tant. On account of the difiiculty of ex- cavating the lava, but one subterranean excavation has been made, exhibiting the interior of two or three houses and tem- ples. STREETS OF POMPEII. Having entered the area of the exca- vated ruins, we were greatly surprised to find them in so excellent a state of pre- servation. We found ourselves walking through long paved streets, just as they were when thronged with inhabitants eighteen centuries ago, with the ruins of rows of houses on both sides, closely built up in every direction. The streets are extremely narrow, and it is clear that not more than one vehicle could pass at a time in any but the principal thorough- fares. They are paved with irregular blocks of lava, closely fitted together, and bordered by a narrow pavement and curb- stone, elevated a foot or more above the carriage-way. The streets are about twelve feet wide, and even the principal thoroughfares are not more than twenty feet in width. Elevated stepping-stones, like those now used in Baltimore, are fre- quently seen in the middle of the streets for the convenience of foot-passengers in time of rain. Stones for mounting horses are also f lund at the side of the pave- ments, and rings are found in the curbs opposite the principal houses and shops, for fastening the halter. Of the streets that have been excavated, five may be considered as the principal thoroughfares of the city. The sidewalks are of bricks, and occasionally stuccoed. DECORATIONS OF THE HOUSES. The private houses are generally small and low, and deficient in all that would be considered comfort at the present day, though it is evident that the whole space within the walls of the city, which are two miles in circumference, was closely occupied by buildings. The ground- floors of the larger houses were generally occupied as shops. The walls and roof were often decorated with great splendor, and the pavement was always of marble or mosaics. In the centre of the space occupied by the smallest houses there is nearly always to be found a sort of court- yard for garden and flowers. The rooms generally would be considered as closets at the present day, the walls of which are 200 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH covered with rich frescoes and paintings, most of them in excellent preservation, and all evincing a state of gross immor- ality beyond any thing that can be con- ceived in the present age. No houses have, however, yet been discovered which can be regarded as having been the dwell- ings of the poor; and it remains to be proved by further excavations whether the lower orders were located in a sepa- rate quarter of the city, or whether Pom- peii was really free from any pauper popu- lation. SHOPS AND THEATRES. The shojis were very small, and when first excavated many of them had the names of their owners written over them, mostly in red paint ; others had signs to denote the trade that was carried on in them. Thus, a goat indicated a milk- shop or dairy ; two men carrying a large jug indicated a wine-shop ; tAvo men fighting indicated a gladiatorial school ; aman whipping a boy hoisted on another's back indicated a school-master ; and checkers denoted the door-post of the publican. The houses of bad repute were evidently marked by the authorities with an indelicate carved figure on the curb- stone, probably in order that no one should enter them without a knowledge of their character. The wine-shops seem to have been very numerous, and the marble counters, in which were built up large earthenware jars, each capable of holding nearly as much as a barrel, are still standing in good condition. These counters, with openings through their tops through which to dip up the wine, are generally square, with an open space in the middle, in which the vendor stood to supply his customers. There are two undoubted restaurants or cook-shops, M'here articles were cooked and sold across the counter. There is also a barber's shop, with a stone block in the centre, on which the Pom- peians sat to be shaved. The theatres and amphitheatres are on a most extensive scale, and are in an excel- lent state of preservation, though none of them are equal to the Coliseum at Rome. The interior of the great amphi- theatre was capable of seating ten thou- sand persons. The part now excavated is about one-fourth of the citj', and con- tains two forums, nine temples, two basil- icas, three piazzas, an amphitheatre, two theatres, a prison, several baths, nearly one hundred houses and shops, several villas, a considerable portion of the walls, seven gates, and about a dozen tombs. The tombs are outride of the walls, and are on a scale of great magnificence, the vaults under them having receptacles for urns to hold the ashes of the dead, the mode of burial among the Pompeians having l)een to burn the bodies and de- posit the ashes in funeral urns. The walls of the city are built of large blocks of lava, evincing fine workmanship. The upper courses, however, have been frequently broken and rudely repaired, showing the eflect of breaches, probably from the battering-rams of the enemy. The towers were square, and apparently have been of great height, having doubt- loss been overthrown by the earthquakes that preceded the destruction and burial of the city. VILLA OF DIOMEDE. The villa of Diomede, immediately out- side of the walls, judging from the ruins left, must have been a splendid establish- ment, decorated in the highest style of art, and embellished with statuary, paint- ings, fountain, bathing-room, and garden. Beneath the portico, and below the level of the gardens, was the wine-cellar, a long archway, not less than one hundred feet in length, in as perfect a state as when last occupied by its owner. A long row of wine-jars, each about four feet high, now stands in this vault, incrusted in lava against the wall. On the night of the eruption the owner of this splendid mansion appears to have lost the love of kindred in the eagerness to save life, for his skeleton was found, with that of an attendant, near the garden gate, the one still holding in his bony grasp the key of the villa, the other carrying a purse con- taining one hundred gold and silver coins, and some silver vases. While he was thus endeavoring to escape to the sea- shore, the members of his family, whom he had abandoned to their fate, took refuge in the wine-cellar, where seventeen of their skeletons were found near the door, as if they had endeavored to retrace their steps after finding that the place afi'orded no sufiicient shelter from the fiery tem- pest. From the gold bracelets on the necks and ai-ms of nearly all these skele- tons, it would appear that they were mostly females. Tavo were the skeletons of children, whose skulls still retained some portions of beautiful blonde hair. After they had perished, proliably from suffocation, the floor of the cellar was in- undated with a fine alluvium, which hard- ened on the bodies and took casts, not AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 201 only of their forms, but even of the most delicate texture of the linen they wore, and of the jewels which adorned their persons. One cast of a young girl, part of which we saw in the museum, with her skull, possessed exceeding elegance of form ; the neck and breast especially were perfect models of female beauty. " How sadly echoing to the stranger's tread These walls respond, like voices from the dead 1" We also examined the spot where the skeletons of a mother and three children were found, all closely folded in each other's arms, which were decked with gold ornaments, elaborately worked, and enriched with pendent pearls of great value. OTHER RUINS. The ruins of a tavern are quite inter- esting. It has numerous apartments in the rear, which served probaidy as drink- ing-rooms. as one of the walls contained announcements of the public festivals of the day. The shop itself contained a fur- nace, steps for displaying the glasses, and a marble counter which still exhibits the stains of the liquor and the marks of the glasses ! The figure of Mercury was painted on various parts of the house, and some of the walls are covered with proper names, scratched by the customers upon the plastering, which covered other names of previous scribblers. The house of the surgeon was found well supplied with surgical instruments, of forty different varieties. The public bake-house was also examined with great interest. It has four stone mills in it. The oven stands in a perfect condition still, and is precisely after the fashion of the ovens of bakers of the present day. It had, when opened, fuel in it, apparently jus(f ready for lighting. HOUSE OF SALLUST. The house of Sallust was no doubt one of the most magnificent of the private resi- dences within the walls. It seems to have had attached to it a real prototype of the Oriental harem, every part of it being most elaborately decorated. In the adjoining room was found the skeleton of a young female, supposed to be that of the fair being who was enshrined in this retreat with so much privacy and mag- nificence. She had four rings on one of her fingers, set with engraved stones ; fine gold bracelets, two ear-rings, and thirty- two pieces of money were lying near her. Close at hand were found the skeletons of three other females, supposed to have been her slaves. The public baths are very fine and still in an excellent state of preservation. One has a vaulted celling, richly painted red and blue, with a cold-water basin of white marble in the centre, twelve feet ten inches in diameter and two feet nine inches deep. The warm bath is entered from the disrobing-room, and nearly cor- responds with it in size. There is also a vapor bath, the walls and chambers being constructed hollow, so as to allow the steam to circulate freely from the fur- naces. The women's baths are at the other side of the furnaces, and are ar- ranged and decorated in the same manner as those for the men. No less than five hundred stone lamps were found in one corridor of this establishment. THE FORUM. The Forum is a spacious and imposing spot, surrounded by the Temple of Jupi- ter, the Temple of Venus, and the Senate Chamber. It was ornamented on three sides by a broad colonnade of Grecian- Doric architecture. The Senate Chamber, or Basilica, was two hundred and twenty feet long and eighty feet broad, and in a vault under its stairway, used for prisoners during the progress of trial, were found two skeletons with their ankles manacled. The Pantheon had also evidently been a most elegant structure, it having been used as a residence for the Augustales, as well as for religious purposes. The ruins of the House of Venus and Mars are distinguished for a famous well of pure water, said to possess great min- eral qualities, one hundred and twenty feet deep, not at all affected by the changes it has undergone. TEMPLE OF ISIS. That which attracted our attention most was the famous Temple of Isis. The court presents all the arrangements for that worship. In one end is the sacred well of lustral purification, to which there was a descent by steps. Near it is the altar, on which were found the burnt bones of human victims who had just been sacrificed. In a niche in the wall was a figure of Harpocrates, with his fin- gers on his lips to enjoin silence upon the worshipers in regard to the mysteries they might witness. In another part was a figure of Isis. in purple drapery, partly gilt, holding a bronze sistrum and a key. In one of the rooms a skeleton was found 202 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH holding a sacrificial axe, with which he had cut through two walls in the vain attempt to escape from destruction, but perished before he could penetrate the third. The subterranean passage and secret' stairs by which the priest could ol> tain access to the interior of the altar and deliver the oracles as if they pro- ceeded from the statue of Isis herself, we examined with great interest. RUINS OF THE BARRACKS. The barracks near the gate were un- doubtedly the great headquarters of the Pompeian troops. In the guard-room were found four skeletons with their legs fastened in iron stocks ; in the sleeping- apartments, numerous helmets of bronze and iron, with bolts, lances, swords, leather belts, etc. In the rooms of the officers above were found helmets of va- rious kinds, some of the most exquisite workmanship, with swords, and various articles of female dress and ornament of the richest kind, proving that the fami- lies of the officers lived in the barracks with them. Among the personal orna- ments found were two necklaces of mass- ive gold, one of which was set Avith twelve emeralds, several gold rings, ear-rings, and bracelets containing precious stones, gilt pins for the hair, and chests of fine linen and cloths of gold. One of these upper rooms contained eighteen skeletons of men, women, and children. The total number of skeletons found in the bar- racks was sixty-three, a remarkable proof of the discipline of the Roman soldier, who knew that it was his duty to die at his post, and whose death in this instance was shared by those who were dearer to him than life itself. RELICS FROM THE RUINS. But we have not time to carry the reader further through these interesting ruins, which abound everywhere in evi- dences of the highest interest in architec- ture, arts, sculpture, and painting, thou- sands of the first specimens of which are to be found in the Museo Borbonico, in Naples, contained in about one hundred rooms, which occupied a whole day in giving to them only a cursory examina- tion. The marble and bronze statuary exhibits a very high state of art, whilst statues of the heathen goddesses are re- markable for their historical interest. This museum has always been regarded as the most interesting in the world, as remarked by an English writer in a work on the subject, for here we find the furni- ture, the ornaments, the gods, the statues, the busts, the utensils, the paintings, of a great people, whose city was over- thrown and Ijuried under thick ashes almost two thousand years ago ; their books, their musical instruments, even their bread and their baked fruits, in their pristine form, only blackened by the ac- tion of fire, are to be seen. In contem- plating these, we retrace with a sort of fascination all their habits and customs, looking with double interest on such as assimilate with those of our own day, thus in idea connecting ourselves with them ; and we dwell upon the varied ob- jects presented to our view, all of which are curious and many beautiful, with sensations so lively, so real, that we feel as if the people all lived, still were among us. ASCENT OP VESUVIUS VIEW OF THE MOUNTAIN BY NIGHT. Naples, July, 1873. Having finished our examination of Pompeii about four o'clock, we passed out of the Herculaneum Gate, and were met by one of the Vesuvius guides, who proposed that we should make the ascent of the mountain, which we finally con- cluded to undertake, although consid- erably f\itigued by the excursions of the day. We will therefore, whilst the awful grandeur of the scene and the incidents of our excursion are fresh on the mind, endeavor to give some idea of this really indescribable and most interesting event of our wanderings in foreign lands. ascent of VESUVIUS. AVe think it may be safely asserted that no one who has not ascended Mount Ve- suvius can have the faintest idea of this wondrous mountain. Looking at it from Naples, reading all the numerous wbrks and descriptions that have been published, viewing it in engravings and paintings, or even standing near its base and scan- ning its mighty proportions, impress the mind with but a comparatively insignifi- cant estimation of the reality. Thus it was that, standing at the gates of Pompeii, we readily assented to the proposition of a guide to make the ascent, and, having bargained with him for horses and his services, we were soon in the sad- dle and prepared to start. A mountaineer accompanied each of the six horses, hold- ing on to their tails with one hand and jfoading them on with heavy sticks which they carried in the other. AVe had only engaged the services of one i AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 203 guide, and were rather surprised to find seven men with us, but concluded that they were accompanying us to attend to the horses. We moved along at a brisk gallop through the vineyards and villages on the side of the mountain for fully an hour, the air redolent with orange-blos- soms. Throngs of Italian villagers flocked out to see us pass, attracted by the yell- ing and screaming of the guides, with which they accompanied every stroke of their sticks on the b.acks of the horses. The ascent is now seldom made from the Pompeii side, which is the opposite to that which faces Naples, and our ap- pearance among these quiet villagers at this late hour in the evening appeared to be quite an event. We, however, desired to see the mountain at night, and, having only a foint conception of the reality of the undertaking, determined to push on to its accomplishment, though at the end of the first hour's ride we felt some fore- bodings of a rather unpleasant adven- ture. After riding an hour and a half, the distance being not less than eight miles, and the roads rather circuitous, we passed beyond the bounds of cultivation, and emerged on the barren desert of black ashes and lava that intervenes between the cone and the habitations of the vil- lagers. The speed of the horses was now checked to a rapid walk by the deepness of the ashes, which was like walking in snow a foot deep, but the men still goaded the beasts on and on up the base of the cone. The roughness of the road, and the irregular gait of the horses, added to the fatigues of the early part of the day, had rendered those of us who were unaccustomed to this species of locomo- tion in bad condition for the labors yet to be performed. VIEW FROM THE BASE OF THE CONE. When leaving Pompeii, with Vesuvius looming up immediately before us, we had no conception of the distance we really were from its summit. It seemed at the farthest not more than three miles, but after nearly two hours' hard riding we had only reached the base of the cone. True, the road we came was not direct, but it was evident that we had traveled fully five miles in a direct line, and were far from the accomplishment of our pur- pose. On looking upward, after dis- mounting from our horses, we were fully impressed with the magnitude of the un- dertaking, whilst a look in the direction over which we had traveled showed the immense altitude we had already attained. The sun was just setting, and the scene was most magnificent. On the right was spread out before us the beautiful bay of ]\aples, with the bleak mountains of the island of Capri looming up from its bosom, and the villages of Castellamare, Torre dell' Annunziata, and Sorrento, lin- ing its eastern shores. Directly in front of us were the ruins of Pompeii, and the villages and vineyards through which we had passed like so many JohnGilpins an hour before. To our left were the towns of Ottajano, Palma, and Somma, with a host of intervening villages, on all of which the setting sun was shedding its brightest rays, imparting a brilliant and glowing aspect to the whole land- scape. On the extreme right we gained a slight view of Naples, but it was dimmed by an immense thunder-cloud, which was then pouring out torrents of rain, whilst all was bright and beautiful in other quarters of the heavens. Immediately at our feet, and still throwing out strong fumes of sulphur and covering the ashes all around us with particles of brimstone, was the long-extinct crater that destroyed Pompeii and Ilerculaneum eighteen hun- dred years ago. It has been filled up long since with lava from the great craters above, but still has a vent for its hidden fires through this immense mass of ashes and scoria. W^hilst viewing the scene before us, it was necessary to breathe through our handkerchiefs to escape the stilling atmosphere by which we were surrounded. ASCENT OF THE CONE. Having arrived at the foot of the cone, the immense ascent yet to overcome, at least one mile up a steep bank of black ashes, resembling coarse sand, seemed a feat that we were scarcely competent to accomplish. It now became apparent why six men had accompanied us, hold- ing on to the tails of our horses. They now each drew forth ropes with nooses at the ends, and proposed to draw us up to the top of the crater for twelve carlini each. We refused their proposi- tion on account of its enormity, and started off, declaring our ability to do without their aid, when they commenced to lessen their demand, and we finally, when almost worn down, accepted their proposition at five carlini each (about forty cents). Fifty minutes of hard climbing, considerably assisted by the ropes of our guides, and by taking sev- 204 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH era! rests on lumps of lava encountered by the way, enabled us to reach the sum- mit of the mountain, so fatigued that some minutes' rest, occupied in viewing the magnificence of the scene spread be- fore us at every point of the compass, was necessary before approaching the crater. The mass of lava on which we were sitting, although only slightly warm to the touch, we found, by the insertion of a stick in a fissure at our feet, to be resting on a bed of molten fire. As soon as the stick was inserted to the depth of not over ten inches, a bright flame fol- lowed it up, the same as if it had been inserted in a coal-fire. We lit our cigars thus from the fire of the mountain, and then proceeded several hundred yards over a level but rugged plain of lava full of deep cracks and chasms glowing with fire, towards the smaller of the two cra- ters on its summit. THE CRATERS. "We almost despair of being able to convey to the reader any adequate idea of the scene which now engaged our at- tention. We walked on amid fumes of sulphur and heated air, for about fifty paces, when we reached the edge of the crater, from the far side of which a heavy volume of smoke was arising. On the side towards us we could look down about one hundred and fifty feet, beyond which the view was dimmed by the smoke. It was like looking down a deep precipice, the wall of that side of the crater being as smooth and horizontal as if built of stone. After viewing the scene for a few minutes we hurled down some large pieces of lava, which we could hear striking in their descent several seconds after they had disappeared from the line of vision. Immediately after a dense volume of smoke would arise, filling the whole cra- ter, evidently caused by the contact of these pieces of rock with the molten lava at its extreme depth. This crater is about a half-mile in circumference, though its extent is not discernible from either side, on account of the volume of smoke con- fetantly pouring out of it. About one hundred yards to the right we reached the largest crater, which, at its last measurement, was ascertained to be two miles in circumference, though the mountain is undergoing such changes from the effect of the volcanic action below,some- times upheaving its summit, and at other times enlarging or diminishing the area of the craters, that the precise measure- ment is not known at the present time. Owing to the dense clouds of smoke ris- ing, we could not obtain a full view of the awful depth, from which flashes of fire, visible through the vapor, became more and more distinct as the sun receded and darkness set in. We threw a large piece of lava into this crater also, which was instantly succeeded by a dense volume of black smoke, heavily charged with ashes, rising immediately in our faces, and involving us for a moment in almost utter darkness, compelling us to make a hasty retreat, the smoke following us with a rapidity that convinced us we were tampering with too mighty an en- gine of destruction to be trifled with. A NIGHT SCENE. Night having now fully set in, the aw- ful grandeur of the scene was momenta- rily increased. Through the fissures in the beds of lava under our feet the mol- ten fire was everywhere visible, whilst the gleams of light from the raging element at the bottom of the craters were reflected on the vapors rising above, having the appearance of emitting smoke and flame. Occasionally there were flashes resem- bling lightning, occasioned by the ignition of the gases constantly arising from its extreme depth. The elevation at which we were standing is four thousand feet above the level of the ocean, and with the moon brightly shining, and the sur- roundings that we have attempteil to describe, some faint idea of the reality may possibly be formed by those who may read this description. LAVA AND ASHES. The streams of lava and stones and ashes that have in years past been vom- ited forth from this mountain have caused the ocean to recede fully a mile from its ancient shore-line as defined in the days of Pompeii, whilst on the inland side there is no doubt that the whole sur- face of the earth is now thirty to fifty feet above the level of the streets of that unfortunate city, all being one mass of lava and cinders. The eruption of 1871 threw out a stream of lava half a mile in breadth and eighteen to thirty feet deep, which in eight days reached a dis- tance of nine miles from the point of issue. It swept through the richest vineyards, destroyed hundreds of acres of cultivated lands, and injured or destroyed about eight hundred houses. During a similar eruption in 1834, several persons were killed whilst venturing on the mountain, among whom was Charles Carroll Bayard, AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 205 a midshipman from on board the United .States frigate Independence, whose monu- ment we saw in the Protestant burying- ffi-ound. Some idea may also be had of the amount of ashes thrown out by these eru(itions by viewing the ruins of Pimipeii, which city was so thoroughly buried by ashes alone that its site was unknown for seventeen hundred years. During the eruption of 1707, the crater ejected over Naples, across the broad bay in- tervening, a shower of ashes of such density that the rays of the sun were intercepted and the city was involved in darkness like that of midnight. It was impossible to recognize either persons or objects in the streets, and those who ven- tured abroad without torches were obliged to return home. Every part of the city resounded Avith the shrieks of women and children. The magistrates and clergy carried the relics of St. Januarius in pro- cession to Porta Capuana, and all the churches were crowded with people who desired to spend a night of so much terror in devotion and supplication. The city and suburbs were covered with ashes to the depth of nearly three feet. It would pi'obably be no exaggeration to say that one slight eruption of a few days' dura- tion would furnish material sufficient to fill up the basin at Baltimore, from Light Street to Fort jMcIIenry, according to the plan of Dr. Buckler, without the use of pick or spade. THE DESCENT. It being now past eight o'clock, we concluded that it was time to commence our descent. Most fortunately, the moon was shining brightly. We approached the edge of the cone, each of us having hold of the arm of one of the guides, and commenced to move slowly down the steep declivity. We had made but a few steps before the steepness forced us to move with more rapiditj', and we flew down through the deep black ashes, planting our heels in it, and sliding along with a rapidity that astonished us. The w^hole descent to where our horses were stationed was not less than a mile, which was accomplished in less than five min- utes, where we arrived in a fume of perspiration and breathless from exertion. AVe have often laughed at the humorous lithographs in the windows representing the way this descent is accomplished, and thought they were exaggerations, but we are now prepared to vouch for the truthfulness and accuracy of the repre- sentation. When females are of the party the scene must be still more ludicrous, as they are sometimes carried up by the guides, but must always make their own descent. Crinoline must be a troublesome article in such an adventure. Our horses had remained where we left them on the bleak desert, each tied by a rope to a lump of lava, and after a few moments' rest we were again in our saddles, and a rapid drive through vil- lages, vineyards, and cottages brought us in an hour and a half to the town of Torre dell' xVnnunziata, where we had directed our carriage to proceed and wait for us. Here we settled with our guides, and, as usual with all Italians we have yet encountered, although paying them twenty-five per cent, more than the price agreed upon, all were dissatisfied, and grumbled, begged, and growled until we jumped into our carriage and left them jabbering away in Italian, pretend- ing to be in a state of tremendous ex- citement. A drive of an hour and a half brought us to our hotel in Naples, sore and weary, but highly delighted with our trip. We were soon wrapped too soundly in slumber to dream either of craters or chasms. We omitted to mention that on our way ddwn the mountain we stopped at one of the vil'ages and procured several bottles of wine, which, in our exhausted condi- tion, seemed to be the most delicious beverage that mortal ever partook of. As we drove off, a general cjuarrel broke out between several of our guides and the villagers, the former demanding part of the proceeds of the sale for bringing the fish to their net. Such a clatter of tongues, male and female, could scarcely be heard anywhere else than in Italy. VESUVIUS IN ERUPTION. Our first visit to Vesuvius was in the year 1859, when it was in partial erup- tion, with rather a steady stream of lava flowing from the side of the mountain at the base of the cone. As it was a most interesting spectacle, we here insert the account then given, in a letter to the Avierican^ of THE FLOWING LAVA. On a Saturday afternoon, being desirous of closely viewing the stream of lava which we had watched for several nights from our hotel-window as it flowed down the side of the mountain, looking like a torrent of fire," we joined a party who 206 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH were about making the ascent from the Naples side. We intended to stop at the Hermitage, but on reaching that point concluded to keep on to the crater, and view the lava after night had set in, on our return. AVe took horses at Resina, situated at the base of the mountain, at a quarter before three o'clock, and after a steady ride of three hours and a half over the fields of lava of former years, each of which was pointed out by our guide as we passed them, reached the base of the cone at a quarter-past six o'clock, when we commenced the ascent on foot. The ascent of the cone is at an angle of about fifty degrees, and its base is about seven miles in circumference. The time required to ascend, including two stoppages to rest of three or four minutes each, was fifty minutes, the ascent from the level where we left our horses being nearly one mile. It thus required nearly five hours to make the ascent on the Naples side, as we were compelled, on account of the lava having crossed the new carriage-road, to take the old horse-track, about two miles of which winds through a deep gorge in the old lava just wide enough to afford a footing for our horses in single file. SCENE ON THE SUMMIT. On reaching the summit our guide was in ecstasies, on account of the aspect of the craters, and assured us that we were most fortunate to have ascended at such a time. We, however, felt anything but ,o-i'atItied, and commenced to beat a hasty '^ ... « • ^ retreat, anticipating a general eruption. Large masses of rock were crumbling and falling into the crater from its sides, causing a noise like heavy thunder, and as each mass fell clouds of black smoke would arise, almost shutting out the light of day, mingled with gases and vapors, flying up a thousand feet over our heads, with a hissing nuise like the escape of steam from a boiler. The situation was terrific, but our guide assured us there was no danger, and finally persuaded us to approach through the clouds of sul- phurous smoke and look down into the awful chasm that j^awned at our feet, from which came terrific reports of sub- terranean thunder, which was declared by an English traveler who accompanied us to remind him of the Rev. Mr. Spur- geon's vivid description of the "gates of hell." The rocks were still crumbling and falling, and flashes of flame filled the whole area of the crater, at times render- ing the scene most emphatically diaboli- cal. The commotion at the bottom of the crater evidently had a decided effect on the whole top of the cone, which is nearly level, and about five miles in cir- cumference, though when viewed from Naples it has the appearance of termi- nating in a point. It caused the sulphu- rous fumes to pour forth with increased volume from the cracks and crevices in the broken lava on which we were walk- ing, looking into which, scarcely a foot under our feet, we could see the molten fire which sent up a brisk flame whenever we inserted the ends of our walking- staffs. We remained on the top of the moun- tain, roasting eggs in the crevices of the hardened lava, and partaking of wine and refreshments, until eight o'clock, Avhen, night having full}'- set in, we commenced our descent. It was an amusing scene to see some twenty or thirty persons slip- ping, sliding, and sometimes losing their foothold, rolling in the deep ashes that form the sides of the cone, all going down with a rapidity which accomplished in five minutes a distance that had taken us nearly an hour to ascend. At the foot of the cone our horses were waiting, and an hour's ride down through the dark heaps of lava, twisted and piled up in every conceivable shape, made to appear more desolate and dreary in the gloom of night, over which a horse unaccus- tomed to the track would have broken his own neck as well as that of his rider, brought us to the " Hermitage," Avhere we dismounted to view the running lava breaking out from the side of the moun- tain a few hundred yards above this rest- ing-place. A STARTLING ADVENTURE. Our horses were taken around about two miles below to meet us, and we started on foot over the fields of newly- formed lava, the surface of which had cooled, but through the cracks and chasms under our feet the stream of molten lava from the mountain could be distinctly seen moving slowly down, whilst at some points it passed up over the surface in a stream about a yard wide and thirty feet in length, and then disappeared again under the hard incrustation that had formed beyond. We stopped at one of these openings, and our guide, with the end of his staff, drew out some particles of the molten lava and pressed copper coins into it, which we preserved as me- mentos of our visit. A silver coin in- k AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 207 serted in the lava immediately melted, so great was its heat. Having had only a distant view of this flowing lava, we thought that it was only some fifteen feet thick, and the surface only a few hundred feet wide. Our sur- prise can, therefore, be imagined when we found the stream from a half to three- quarters of a niilo in width, and two miles in length, and its thickness vary- ing from thirty to two hundred feet, according to the inequalities of the sur- face. It had filled up and leveled moun- tain-gorges half a mile in width and from one hundred to two hundred feet in depth, and was gradually advancing in this great bulk about thirty feet every twenty-four hours. A FIERY EXPERIENCE. We followed our guide about two miles over the siu-face of this field of lava, •whilst under our feet the molten stream was flowing downward, amid a heated atmosphere in which it was difficult to exist, though there was an absence of the sulphurous smell that had almost stifled us at the crater. As we approached the terminus of the stream the heat became gradually more intense, so much so that we protested against proceeding any far- ther, and some of our party actually started back in horror at the scene before us. So great was the heat that our shoes and clothing were almost ready to ignite, whilst the temperature of the atmosphere was momentarily increasing in intensity, so that it became difficult to breathe. We were surrounded on every side by open- ings in the hardened and rugged lava, through Avhich the stream of molten fire was passing down to the terminus of the stream with increased velocity. We rated the guide soundly for leading us into such a dangerous and fearful local- ity, whilst he persisted that there was nothing to fear, and that it was the only route that he could take, urging us to fol- low him through it as rapidly as possible, and we would be off the lava in a few minutes. Not wishing to retrace our steps over such difficulties as our curiosity had already brought us into, we mustered up courage to follow, the heat being too intense for debate. On we went in In- dian file, following our guide over the rough and heated surface, at times with a stream of fire on each side of us, jump- ing from one rough and darkened surface to anoth(!r, and avoiding as best we could the chasms of fire that opened on every side. The end of the stream was really like a precipice of fire, fully thirty feet high, the fiery streams of molten lava oozing through from all parts of its hard- ened surface. Down this precipice we were compelled to descend, stepping care- fully to avoid touching the red-hot lava oozing out of every crevice on the sur- face. In a few minutes we had the grat- ification of once more standing on the solid rock of the mountain-side, whilst the head of the stream was immediately before us, moving steadily on into a deep mountain-gorge, in which a flourishing vineyard was gradually being swallowed up and buried a hundred feet under the advancing wall of fire. As we stood here and looked back over the path by which we had descended, we more fully appreciated the dangers we had encountered. We could distinctly perceive the moving mass of undercur- rent through the crevices, and I am sure that not one of us would have retraced his steps for any amount of money. At the terminus of the lava-stream we found our Irorses waiting for us, they having been taken around from the Her- mitage ; and, after a few moments spent in taking another look at the grand and impressive scene, we remounted and pro- ceeded to Resina, which we reached at eleven o'clock, after an hour's ride, hav- ing consumed more than eight hours in our excursion on the mountain. Here our carriage was waiting for us, and an hour's ride brought us to our hotel in Naples, in good condition for a sound night's sleep, though some of us were dis- turbed by dreams of no very pleasing character. CHARACTER OF THE LAVA-FLOW. In order that the reader may better understand the characteristics of this flow of lava, it may be proper to state that when the mouths of the large crater are so nari'owed by accumulated matter as to be unequal to the discharge of the lava collected in their central channels, lateral openings are formed, which, being nearer the source of heat, discharge the lava in a state of much greater liquidity than from the great craters. These lava-cu - rents have heretofore ceased to flow in twenty or thirty days, but the present one has flowed slowly but steadily for nearly a year. The cohesion of a lava-current, which exceeds that of any other sub- stance known, causes it to move slowly in the form of a tall ridge until it enters a mountain-gorge, which it fills up and passes on, occasionally diverging to the 208 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH right or left, and spreading over immense surfaces, but not exceeding twenty to thirty feet in thickness when it passes over a level or descending plain. The surface gradually loses its fluid state as it becomes cooled by the external air, cracks into innumerable heavy fragments, and this scoria, being a bad conductor of heat, enables the central portion of the mass to retain its fluid state, whilst at the same time it renders it possible to cross the current as it flows. Thus it was that we were enabled to perform this excursion over the flowing lava. It is a trip, however, that we would not fancy taking a second time. CASTLE OF ST. ELMO. We took a drive this evening to visit the Castle of St. Elmo, and the Carthusian monastery connected with it, which loom up almost from the heart of the city. They are erected on the top of a mountain which rises almost abruptly amidst the surrounding houses to the height of near- ly one thousand feet. The .view from the balcony of San Martino is of surpassing beauty, and is regarded as unrivaled, on account of the combination of natural at- tractions and historical associations. The eye embraces in one view the whole city of Naples, with the head of the bay, and Mounts Vesuvius and Somma in the dis- tance. On the right it follows the curve of the Bay of Naples to the Bays of Baia3 and Miseno, with Nisita, Pozzuoli, and the distant islands ; on the left it sweeps along the shore of Portici, Resina, Torre del Greco, and Torre dell' Annunziata at the base of Vesuvius. In another direc- tion we see Capodimonte and the rich plains of the Neapolitan Campagna, whilst in the distance may be recognized Monte Triafale, backed by the chain of the Ap- ennines, along which, as they advance towards the sea, may be distinguished the mountains of Gragnano, Vico, Sorrento, and Massa. The monastery was the place of refuge of the Pope during his exile from Rome in the year 1849. The Castle of St. Elmo stands immediately in front of it, from which, down under the city, a subterranean passage leads to the palace. On the top of the ridge, not far from the monastery, is the tomb of Virgil. THE EXAGGERATIONS OF ITALY. The observant traveler cannot fail to come to the conclusion that there is no country in the world which has reaped so much benefit from systematic exag- geration as Italy. Its " magnificent skies," its " beautiful women," its " glorious cli- mate," and its " indescribable landscapes" are nearly all to a consideraljle extent fictions of the imagination. English men, who are accustomed to look at the sky through a fog or a haze of smoke, write heme of the wondrous beauty of an Italian sky ; and artists, whose business it is to exaggerate and embel- lish, labor to invest this region of fine marble and ancient models of art with all the romance possible. But of all the descriptions with regard to Italy, that is most erroneous which claims beauty of form or feature, grace or dignity of car- riage, or any one of those characteristics which the rest of the world consider as essential to female beauty, for its women. The number of decidedly homely women in Italy is in reality unparalleled. Its old women are shriveled up like Mac- beth's witches ; the middle-aged women are wrinkled and shapeless ; and the young women have lost all traces of girl- hood at twenty. The female children are bright and handsome, but at eighteen you seldom see a youthful countenance. They have fine hair, sharp black eyes, and, when animated by mirth or conver- sation, expressive features ; but when in repose they have an angry and forbidding aspect. Some of them would make good- looking men if they had whiskers ; but there is an entire absence of that female modesty and sweetness which in America are regarded as essential to female beauty. In clear weather the sky is undoubt- edly beautiful, but not more so than in America. The sunsets are fine, and the rays of the moon reflected from the blue waters of the Mediterranean will at times attract the attention by their brilliancy, and are wonderful in the befogged eyes of the English traveler ; but seen through "American spectacles" there is nothing novel or unusual in the scene. They ad- mire these beauties of nature here as they do at home, but all who come here expecting to find a brighter sunshine, a more brilliant sky, or a moonlight more lovely than they have been accustomed to at home, will be sure to be disap- pointed. The mountain scenery is very fine, owing principally to the excessive verdure, and the cultivation and habitation of their rocky ledges, but the level portions of the country are the most dreary imaginable. The twenty-four miles between Salerno and Paestum are as uninteresting as a joui*- ney on an American prairie. The hun- dred and seventy miles between Rome AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 209 and Naples have a few fine spots ; but the plains are desert wastes, very inattractive to the eye, and the people the most dirty and squalid in appearance that the civil- ized world can produce. The towns through which we passed, with hut few exceptions, were noticeable only for their filth and stench, their beggars and their fleas. Nowhere in Southern Italy have we seen the neat country-houses, the clean and tidy children, or any of those evi- dences of rural comfort and happiness which are so usual among the agricultur- ists on our side of the Atlantic. Indeed, we had almost said that a woman or child with a clean face or clean clothing might be regarded as a curiosity outside of the cities of Rome and Naples, and even there they were rarities among those who labor in any way for a livelihood. Clean- liness, in brief, is not here regarded as akin to godliness, as those who are habitu- ally the most dirty seem to be the most strictly observant of religious duties, crowds of whom are to be found kneeling in the churches at all hours of the day. There is but little strong liquor drunk in Italy, and we have not seen a drunken man, or the drinking of anything stronger than wine. There are wine-shops in abundance, but no regular taverns with bars. The respectable portion of the popu- lation assemble in the coS"ee-houses, and smoke and drink wine and coffee in the evening, but are all very aljstemious. The lower classes have also places of similar resort, where they eat macaroni and boiled snails, and drink poor wine; but necessity compels moderation even in this light refreshment. Among the articles we saw for sale at one of the markets yesterday morning was a two-bushel-basket full of stumps of cigars, which are bought by the poorer classes for smoking-tobacco. Boys are engaged hunting around the streets night and day for these '' old soldiers,'' and at night they carry lamps with them to as- sist their vision. LIQUEFACTION OF THE BLOOD OF SAN GEN- NARO. The present lack of religious demon- strations in Naples is in striking contrast with the constant street ceremonials Avhich were in progress during our visit some twelve years ago, when we witnessed the following scene, as described in a letter to the Baltimore American at the time. Learning that the semi-annual miracle of the liquefaction of the blood of San Gennaro was to take place on Saturday, 14 being the last day of the octave of the demonstration, we repaired at an early hour in the morning to the Church of Santa Restituta. The crowd was so great that it was with difficulty we could gain an entrance. This ceremony of liquefaction is the greatest religious fes- tival in the kingdom, and such is the im- portance attached to it by the ardent Neapolitans that all the conquerors of the city have considered it a necessary piece of state policy to respect it. Before proceeding to give an account of the ceremony, we will explain what is meant by the liquefaction. In the right aisle of the Church of Santa Restituta is the Chapel of San Gennaro, in which are preserved two phials said to contain the blood of the saint. The ceremony of liquefaction takes place twice in a year, and is each time repeated for eight suc- cessive days. The tradition of the church represents that when St. Gennaro, or Januarius, as the name is sometimes given, was exposed to be devoured by lions in the amphitheatre of Pozzuoli, the ani- mals prostrated themselves before him and became tame. This miracle is said to have converted so many to Christianity that Dracontius ordered the saint to be decapitated, which sentence was executed at Solfatara in the year 305. The body was buried at Pozzuoli until the time of Constantine, when it was removed to Naples and deposited in the Church of San Gennaro. At the time of this re- moval a woman who is said to have col- lected the blood with a sponge at the period of the martyrdom, took it in two bottles to St. Severus, the bishop, in whose hands it is said to have immediately melted. The iron tabernacle which con- tains the phials is secured by two bolts, one key being kept by the municipal au- thorities, and the other by the archbishop, and is only opened in the presence of the people. The ceremony of the liquefaction com- menced on Saturday in the Church of Santa Chiara, from whence after mass an immense procession, with bands of music, bishops, priests, and soldiers, bearing cru- cifixes, banners, and candles, proceeded with the phials of blood to the cathedral. This procession was three-quarters of a mile long. In the line were soldiers bearing large silver statues of saints, and the whole scene was one of the most im- posing spectacles we ever witnessed. At the cathedral, some time before the ceremonies commenced, a number of old women of the lower orders, who claim 210 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH to be the descendants of Saint Januarius, collected around the balustrade of the altar, exhibiting the most wild and un- controllalile excitement. Some of these •women wore very old, with countenances shriveled and wrinkled beyond anything in the form of humanity. Immediately after the first mass was finished they commenced a fearful howl, repeating to the full ■extent of their lungs, in a hoarse and croaking voice, Paternosters, Aves, and Credos. When the saint delays the liquefaction too long, they even claim the right and often do heap imprecations with all the fervency that usually accompanies their prayers. The relics were exposed in one of the side-chapels, called the Chapel of St. Gennaro, which was magnificently deco- rated, the altar being brilliant with gold ornaments, diamonds, and precious stones. The face of the altar is of massive silver, ornamented with statues in bas-relief, re- presenting the history of Cardinal Ca- raffa's bringing back the head of the saint to Naples. All the dukes and princes were present in the robes of royalty ; and soldiers, with muskets and bayonets, were scattered throughout the immense edifice, their plumes waving over the heads of the people in every direction. The saint's head, with a rich mitre upon it, fixed on the statue of the saint, having an archbishop's mantle about the shoulders, and a rich collar of diamonds, and cross around the neck, was the first sight that attracted our at- tention. The bottles containing the blood, one of which appeared like pitch, clotted and hard in the glass, were then shown to the people, and turned upside down to prove that the blood in them was hard and solid. They were then placed at the side of the altar. One appeared like a smelling-bottle, and only had a mere stain of blood, whilst the other was larger, and seemed to hold enough to fill a wineglass. They were shovrn to the persons admitted within the balustrade, among Avhom were a considerable number of English Protestants. After being placed on the altar a glass case was put over them, through which they could be seen by all present. A series of masses was then commenced, at the conclusion of each of which the old women renewed their fearful and un- earthly howling, whilst the drums and trumpets joined in the discordant blast, until it was difficult to imagine such a horrible clamor to be intended for Chris- tian worship. These women seemed almost frantic with religious fervor, as also did the priests and a large portion of the people present, cries, screams, and sobbing pervading every part of the edifice. These masses were continued from nine o'clock in the morning until five o'clock in the afternoon, without ces- sation, except for another procession in the afternoon, during which thirty-five large solid silver statues of saints and martyrs were carried by the soldiers. At the conclusion of the procession the masses were again resumed with all the accompaniments of excitement and clamor that prevailed in the morning, without the desired liquefaction of the blood tak- ing place. At five o'clock the glass was again removed from the bottles, and the blood in the larger one was found to be as limpid as water, and was shown to the people amid the greatest rejoicing, the beating of drums, the clapping of hands, and the blasts of trumpets. The old women Avere perfectly wild with excite- ment, and many of them fell down ex- hausted, while the roar of cannon from the Castle of Elmo announced to the people outside that the miracle was con- summated. Wherever there was any number of English or Americans in the cathedral during the ceremony, soldiers were sta- tioned near them, with special instructions to allow no one to molest them. This rather surprised us, but on inquiry it was ascertained that on several occasions, when the liquefaction had not taken place as soon as was anticipated, the ignorant porti'on of the people had at- tacked the Protestants, under the belief that the presence of heretics had prevent- ed the accomplishment of the miracle. If the liquefaction takes place soon, it is re- garded as an evidence of happiness and prosperity to the country ; and if it is retarded, as indicative of trouble and evil to be anticipated. This miracle the Protestant spectators contend to be a piece of legerdemain, — that the bottles contain colored wax, to which heat is applied through the mai-ble altar-table on which they are placed dur- ing the progress of the masses. THE DEAD OF NAPLES. We spent an afternoon in visiting the great cemetery of Naples, in which the rich man and the poor man both find their last resting-places. The graves of the rich are distinguished by magnificent monuments, and a large number have miniature family chapels erected over the AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 211 remains of the dead, giving the ceme- tery at a distance the appearance of a beautiful country village. The poor, how- ever, are buried in as heathenish a manner as was ever practiced. There are three hundred and sixty-five vaults, each about twenty feet square, for the reception of the bodies of the poor. There is a chapel connected with these vaults, to which the dead poor are brouglit, where they are stripped of their clothing. At sunset they are brought out of the chapel, then stripped of every vestige of clothing, men, women, and children, the average being about thirty per day. The round slab fitting in the circular opening to the vault in use for the day is taken off, and the bodies dragged by the limbs to the aperture and thrown in head-foremost. They are lowered down by the heels, and swung backward and forward until a sufficient impetus is given to the bndy to make it fiiU into the corners of the vaults, where it strikes with a dull thud. We saw thirty-three bodies thus summarily disposed of, the clothing from wdiich was bundled np and carried off. Twelve months from this day this same vault Avill be opened again to receive a new deposit and more lime, and so on for every suc- cessive year, there being one vault for each day in the year. The custodian in attendance offered, for one carlino, to raise the stone from one of the vaults used the week previous, that wo might look in upon the horrid and brutal spectacle, — a favor which we decisively declined. These vaults, it is said, when opened on the second day after the bodies have been deposited in them, exhibit swarms of rats and other vermin devouring the flesh from the bones of the dead. THE FISHERMEN OF NAPLES. From daybreak in the morning until eight o'clock, the Bay of Naples is liter- ally covered with fishermen's boats, on- gaged in casting and drawing in their nets. We counted this morning over one hundred in front of our hotel. The fish they catch are small, and the number very limited, though the nets they put out are never less than a hundred feet in length. At eight o'clock they all disappear, but are again at their posts at sunset. They are an industrious, jolly set of men, but occasionally when the nets of one party get entangled with those of another the noise they make sounds very much like hard swearing. They are the lineal de- scendants of Masaniello, live on fish and macaroni, and carry themselves with the same careless ease and grace. P^STUM AND ITS RUINS ITALIAN SCENERY, ETC. Naples, July, 1873. The excursions around Naples are of the most attractive character, not only affording an opportunity to view the an- tiquities with which the country abounds, but to see the mode of living and the agricultural advancement of the Italian peasantry. There is no part of Italy that affords an equal.opportunity to judge of the claims of Italian scenery to the high encomiums which have been heaped upon it. EXCURSION TO AMALFI. On Thursday morning we started on a trip to Amalfi, which it had been arranged to visit in combination with Salerno and Passtum, the latter renowned over the world for its magnificent ruins. Taking the cars on the Naples and Salerno Rail- road, we arrived at La Cava, a flourishing town of thirteen thousand souls, and, proceeding to the Hotel de Londres, engaged a carriage to carry us direct to Amalfi. The railroad from Naples to La Cava passes mostly over a level plain along the sea-shore, abounding in towns and vil- lages, and mountains on the left of the road, including Vesuvius, which are cul- tivated in grapes, oranges, and lemons up as high as man can obtain a foothold. The line of villages along this road comprises a population of over one hundred thousand souls. Most of those nearest Naples are liable at any moment to be swept into non-existence by an eruption or an earth- quake ; but their proximity to the sea, the capital, and the rich lands that flank Vesuvius on all sides, must alwa3'^s attract a large population, notwithstanding its dangerous proximity. There is no land in Italy of equal fertility to the slopes of Vesuvius, the ashes and scoria, after a few years' exposure to the atmosphere, becoming decomposed, and formingadark, friable soil that is susceptible of the high- est cultivation. The people seem to have no fears ; they have been reared among the terrors of Vesuvius, and — " Wh(>re they dwell Their fathers dwelt nnd died, and shall awake; That love which binds Helvetia's niouiitiineer 'Mid rocks and Aliiiiie snows, glows in lava hero." ITALIAN SCENERY. On leaving La Cava we proceeded at a rapid rate for about two miles, Avhen the 212 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH turning of a precipitous point brought us directly on to the shores of the Mediterra- nean, -along which we proceeded for fifteen miles, over a turnpike road that has few equals in the world, considering the difficulties under which it has been con- structed and the substantial and scientific manner in which it has been engineered. A few years back there was no access to Amalfi except by pack-mules, as was the case with all the numerous towns and villages on the coast. The only site for a turnpike was along the sloj^es of the mountains which project into the sea; and here it has been hewn out of the solid rock, the bed of the road running from fifty to three hundred feet above the level of the sea, according as the projections of the mountain-gorges may have ren- dered it necessary. Throughout its entire length it is walled up with solid masonry on the sea-side, varying from ten to fifty feet in height, and forming a wall to the road about three feet above its bed. The mountains, which rise very precipi- tously from the sea, vary in height from seven hundred to one thousand feet, their bases projecting at times far out into the sea, and around these projections the road winds to such an extent that, though Amalfi is not more than seven miles from Sorrento in an air-line, the road is more than fifteen miles long. MOUNTAIN SCENERY. The attractions of a visit to Amalfi consist mainly in the magnificence of the mountain scenery along the entire route. The mountains tower five thousand feet overhead, and, although the ascent is so steep that they appear to the eye unap- proachable, their sides are dotted with white stone cottages, and the ledges al- most to their extreme summits are luxu- riant with orange- and lemon-groves and vineyards. Thus you have on one side the blue waves of the Mediterranean, and on the other, and sometimes down below the bed of the road, most vai-ied and at- tractive scenery, beautified with great skill and labor, and really startling the stranger at every turn ])y its varied at- tractions. The villages of the fishermen, some of them with several hundred in- habitants, dot every gorge in the moun- tain, every spot of land being brought into the richest cultivation around them. THE CITY OF AMALFI Amalfi, encircled and crowned by mountains, is at the mouth of a deep gorge, from which a torrent dashes into the ocean, driving numerous paper-mills, factories, etc., in its precipitous course through the town. Its churches, towers, and arcaded houses, grouped together in picturesque irregularity, are backed by precipices one thousand feet in height, of wild magnificence, justifying probably the assertion " that in no other nook of the earth's surface can the eye of man look upon a scene of more glorious natural beau- ties." On the extreme top of these preci- pices are located monasteries and churches, whilst the slopes of the contiguous moun- tains are terraced and cultivated as lemon- groves, the terraces being walled up in regular succession to an immense height. Every promontory on the road to Amalfi is made picturesque by the ruins of a mar- tello tower, at intervals of a quarter to a third of a mile apart ; every cove and beach is occupied by the boats and nets of fishermen, every ledge is covered with houses and vineyards, and every broader crag with a town. The town of Pasitano, perched on a pinnacle of rock, seven hundred feet above the ocean, is one of the most striking objects of the trip. After partaking of an excellent dinner, we returned in the cool of the evening to Sorrento, gladly availing ourselves of a second opportunity to view this most sin- gular and picturesque region of country. The people along the route seemed to be the most happy and prosperous that we have yet met with in Italy. There were but few soldiers to be seen, who are in such abundance everywhere else — very few beggars, and an absence of the dis- position to defraud and extort in their dealings with strangers that is a distin- guishing trait in other parts of Italy. The females looked healthy, and are hand- somer than the peasantry we have met with elsewhere, presenting, with their skirts barely reaching their knees, with neither stockings nor shoes, and loose bodices, a very novel appearance, especi- ally to the eyes of some of our bachelor companions. THE RUINS OF P^STUM. Returning from Amalfi, we stopped for the night in the city of Salerno, a pros- perous town on the Mediterranean, at the mouth of the Bay of Naples, with a popu- lation of thirty thousand souls. We spent a pleasant evening and night, and at seven o'clock on Friday morning started in a carriage for PjBstum, the distance being twenty-four miles, which was accomplished in less than three hours, so excellent are the roads and so AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 213 rapid tho driving in all parts of Italy. The road, however, passes for the greater part of the way through a barren and un- healthy country. Of all the excursions from Naples, there is none presenting such historical interest as a visit to the ruins of Psestum, which are well-pre- served monuments of antiquity, exceed- ing in interest any to be found in Italy. Indeed, a journey to Southern Italy is not considered complete unless Paestum has been visited. The ruins of Psestum date back to four hundred years before Christ. The walls of the city, part of which are still stand- ing, are nearly three miles in circumfer- ence, and in many places twelve feet high. The arch of the eastern gateway, nearly fifty feet high, stands entire. THE TEMPLES OF P^ESTCM. The three magnificent temples stand as a record of the taste and architectural skill of the Grecians. The Temple of Neptune, the middle one of the three, one hundred and ninety-five feet long and seventy-eight feet broad, with its massive columns and entablature, stands now as firmly on its foundations as when first erected, nearly two thousand three hundred years ago, and appears as if it would stand for many ages yet, notwith- standing the rocking of earthquakes to which it has so often been subjected. Solidity, combined with simplicity and grace, distinguishes it from the other buildings. Not a single column is want- ing, and the entablature and pediments are nearly entire. The Basilica, the second of these ancient temples, has fifty columns, nine in the fronts, and sixteen in the flanks, exclusive of the angles. The interior is divided into two parts by a range of columns par- allel to the sides, of which only three remain. This division leads to the sup- position that it was a temple probably dedicated to two divinities. Its length is one hundred and seventy-nine feet, its breadth eighty feet, height of columns twenty-one feet. The Temple of Vesta is the smallest, and is nearest to the Salerno Gate. It has thirty-four columns, of which six are in the front, and nine in each flank, ex- clusive of the angles. It is one hundred, and seven feet in length, and forty-seven in breadth. ''On entering the ruins of Paestum," says an English writer, " I felt all the re- ligion of the place ; I stood on the sacred ground ; I stood amazed at the long ob- scurity of its mighty ruins. Taking in view their immemorial antiquity, their astonishing preservation, their grandeur, their bold columnar elevation, at once massive and open, their severe simplicity of design, — taking, I say, all this into view, I do not hesitate to pronounce them the most impressive monuments that I ever beheld on earth." As you apiproach them from Salerno, passing over a wide expanse of level and dreai'y country, their huge dusky propor- tions can be seen two miles distant. Stand- ing alone amidst their mountain wilder- ness, without a vestige nigh of any power that could have reared them, they look absolutely supernatural. Their grandeur, their gloom, their majesty — there is noth- ing like them to be seen on this wide earth. We had prepared to partake of the lunch we had brought with us in the Temple of Neptune, but it commenced raining, and compelled us to retreat to the carriage. At three o'clock we started for La Cava, and arrived there at five o'clock in time to take the cars for Naples, thus, in an excursion of two days, visiting both Amalfi and Paestum. Naples, July, 1873. STREET-SCENES IN NAPLES. The Strada de Toledo is the principal street of Naples, and presents a medley of strange sights, which surprise all who pass for the first time through its tumultr uous confusion. Here is to be seen a miscellaneous throng of people whose life is spent in the open air and chiefly upon the streets. The scribe is seen busily in- diting letters at a table on the street- corners for the many persons who can neither read nor write ; by his side is a lemonade pagoda, and half the thorough- fare is occupied by the chestnut-roaster and the sausage-vendor, with their pans and dishes, frying their commodities over charcoal fires, — all combining to present a scene that has no equal elsewhere. The crowd on the Toledo is moving hither and thither without order or regularity, roll- ing up and down with its eddies and whirlpools, so that the stranger is lost in its confusion. In the midst of this vast concourse of horses, donkeys, and all grades of humanity, you are jostled against a money-changer's table, and tumbled over the bench of a shoemaker at work on the curb-stone, find yourself mixed up among the pots of a macaroni- stall, and escape behind the stench-emit- ting basket of a lazzarone. The street- 214 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH noises are unparalleled. The people are shouting at the top of their voices, the innumerable donkeys are braying and screeching, the drivers are cracking their whips and scolding each other, and confusion is worse confounded by the occasional movement of soldiers and horsemen through the thronged thorough- fare, or the approach of a Church proces- sion, when every one within seeing or hearing distance is expected to kneel down in the street. Fortunately, carriage-riding in Naples is very cheap, provided you know how to manage the drivers. They are like this fraternity elsewhere, apt to take advantage of strangers. An Italian will ride from any one portion of the city to another for two carlini, about sixteen cents, and pays no more if there are two or three in company than he would for one. His whole family, to the number of six, in a double carriage, will be con- veyed five miles for three carlini. It is therefore cheaper to ride than to walk, and a drive through the Toledo at the slow pace that a crowded thoroughfare renders necessary is rather interesting and amusing. Notwithstanding all this medley of sights and sounds, the Toledo is a great street. The topography of the city is such that it is necessary to drive through its whole length in order to reach any other section of the city, and it must of course be necessarily thronged. Tunnels and openings and graded pave- ments have been made through the moun- tain-spurs that thus divide the city, which now greatly relieve it. Another of the great features of Naples is its donkeys. They may be numbered by tens of thousands. Every family seems to have its donkey, using him as a kind of errand-boy, in carrying home marketing, bundles, packages, coal, and supplies of water, all of which for drink- ing-]iurposes has to be either bought or Ijrought from one of the distant fountains. The strength and power of endurance of the useful animals are wonderful. The majority of them are about the size of a six-months-old calf, and we have seen them carrying loads on their pack-saddles sufficient for a horse, with a full-grown man perched upon the top of the load. Tall, heavy men, with their feet within two inches of the ground, may be seen riding them Avith saddles, trotting briskly along, in all sections of the city, and tlieir shrill and screeching bray may be heard at all hours. Oranges and lemons are almost as cheap here as potatoes in Baltimore. We can get them at a carlino a dozen, being at the rate of about three for two cents, but, as double price is generally charged a stranger for everything, probably an Italian buys them at a much lower rate. They grow in the open air in all the yards of the citj^ on trees as large as our peach-trees, Avhich are so loaded with fruit that it is necessary to support their branches by an arbor. The " ciiain-gang" so often read of in romances and flash stories is a reality here to an extent that is really surpris- ing. Those condemned to it wear red jackets and black skull-caps, and have a heavy chain, each link about six inches in length, extending from an iron girdle around the waist to an iron collar around the left ankle, and sometimes they are chained together in coujiles. They seem to be used principally as pack-horses for the military, and may be seen drawing wagons through the streets at all hours, each wagon under military guard with fixed bayonets. THE CITY OF ROME. Rome, July 19, 1873. Here we are at last in the Holy City, after nine hours' travel in the cars from Naples, neither suffering from heat nor dust on the route. The railroad-route from Naples to Rome is not by the old Appian Way, but through an entirely new section of country, with the Alps looming up to the right and the Apennines to the left. We passed the mountain-towns of Caserta, Capua, San Gei-mano, Yelletri, and Albano, the latter near Rome. All these cities are quite large, but are located either on the tops of mountains or high up their sides. The sites of all Italian towns have been cho- sen with an eye to their capacity for de- fense, and each have their fortifications, and most of them are walled cities. They are so much alike that when one is vis- ited there is no necessity for exploring farther among their narrow courts and steep thoroughfares. The whole country through which we passed, bordering on the Pontine Marshes, was in the highest state of cultivation, the principal crops being Indian corn and the grape. Not a foot of land apjieared to have escaped cultivation, showing a decided improve- ment since we last passed through this AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 215 country. The railroad and Victor Em- manuel have done much for this section of Iialy, and certainly on God's green earth there existed no section of country in which there was more room for im- provement than this. THE ITALIANS AND THE PRIESTS. We have hitherto refrained from mak- ing any comment upon matters connected with religious affairs in Naples and along the line of the Mediterranean. It is, however, evident everywhere that the Roman Catholic clergy are no longer the rulers of Italy, and that were it not for the fear that they may possibly, by some shrewd management of the Jesuits, be able to regain their power, they would scarcely be tolerated. They are extremely humble, and scores of monks can be seen on the streets of Naples and Rome ])eg- ging for pennies. The men scowl upon them, but the women sympathize with theju, and aid them whenever they can. The shop-windows are filled with carica- tures of the Pope and cardinals, which the people seem to enjoy very much. One labeled "Progress" has a priest on horseback with his face towards the tail, by which appendage he is endeavoring to drive the animal. Another is Victor Em- manuel and the Pope walking arm-in- arm in Rome, with words signifying that he is taking the sick man out for an air- ing. The Italian papers, also, in speak- ing of the probable earl}' death of the Pope, and the election of his successor, contend that the new Pupe shall be of the same politics as Bismark. During our former visit to Naples, twelve years ago, Church ceremonials and processions on the street were encoun- tered at every turn. Everybody in sight was compelled to kneel. Now there is little of the kind to be seen, and the attend- ance at the churches is not only very light, but consists nearly altogether of women and old men. Whilst in a store at Naples a few days since, a mendicant priest, a man young enough and strong- enough to work for his living, came into beg. He was greeted by the storekeeper as a lazy vagabond, and ordered to go about his business in a manner more vig- orous than polite. To hear a Neapolitan thus address a priest startled us, but we were assured that they are no longer in favor, and are regarded as the leeches who have sucked the life-blood of the people. Their number in Naples, in- cluding monks and friars, is very great, certainly not less than ten to fifteen thou- sand, and it is evident that many of them could be spared without detriment to the Church. Here in Rome, with a popula- tion not one-fourth that of Naples, the numl)er is said to exceed twenty thou- sand ; and if the female religieuses be in- cluded, the number must be over thirty thousand, — verily a large army of non- productives for so small a city. We ob- serve a new caricature on the walls of the city to-day, which is attracting crowds of spectators, who seem to enjoy it very much. It is a number of females swim- ming in a lake, and they have got among them an old priest, whom they are busily engaged in ducking, whilst one of them has a large stone raised over the head of the priest, ready to hurl it upon him. An old man, whom we do not recognize, is perched up in the branches of a tree, and has two cords under the arms of one of the leading assailants. It is probably intended for Bismark. Another old priest is being dragged into the water by some of the Amazons. What it all means we are unable to determine, but the people seemed to understand and enjoy it. ITALIAN ANNOYANCES. There is nothing which the traveler in Italy has more cause to dread than the vexations and continual succession of jietty annoyances which he is doomed to encounter upon leaving a city or arriving at a new one. A clerical friend, the Rev. Mr. Barrett, of Jackson, Illinois, whom we met at the Naples depot, insists that it all grows out of pure cussedness, and a determination to do everything just the way in which nobody else would think of doing it. He says if they walk with a cane they persist in carrying the ferrule in their hand and the head on the ground. When you apply for a ticket you must have the exact change required, or expect none from the ticket-seller. The moment you reach the depot at least a dozen men rush at you, all in official garb, each one of whom will seize a separate article, one a shawl, one a cane, one an umbrella, and one a carpet-sack, and, if there is not enough to go around, the balance will run ahead to open the doors and make them- selves as annoying as possible. When you secure your ticket, and have your baggage weighed and registered, each one of these dozen semi-officials rushes at you for a. prohoi^ and if you give them a grano each they will want six, or if you give them one they will want two. On arriving at Rome we fought the whole gang off", carried our bundles to the om- 216 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH nibus, and escaped without much annoy- ance. They snatched our baggage several times, and we had to show fight to recover it, and they evidently thought we were regular Yankee guerillas. At Naples we paid the hotel-keeper for carrying us to the depot. On arriving there the omni- bus-man demanded the fare, and said that the hotel-keeper denied having received it. We paid a second time, and in a few moments after we detected the same man endeavoring to obtain from another of the party pay again, making, if he had ob- tained it, three payments for carrying us to the cars. FIRST DAT IN ROME. We found the weather was quite warm here, and in the sun excessively hot, but still not too warm to ride about and view the painting-galleries in the palaces of Rome. We visited the Palace Doria, the Palace Borghese, and the Palace Farnese, stopping on the way to look in at that grand old heathen temple, the Pantheon. There are some few paintings in these princely galleries, but the great majority of them would not be given wall-room in such a collection as that of William T. AValters, Esq., of Baltimore. The Pantheon, from the fact of its having been built before the birth of Christ as a temple to the heathen gods, gives it a historic interest that always attracts to its halls every vis- itor to Rome. It is now used as a Cath- olic church, and the niches in the walls, built for statues of Jupiter, Mars, etc., arc now occupied by those of the apostles. We spent the afternoon in the Vatican palace, the home of the Pope, in which he persists in regarding himself as a prisoner. The paintings and statuary in these galleries are all of the highest order, and are so numerous as to require several hours even merely to stroll by them. Among the statuary the Apollo Belvedere and the Laocoon claim pre-eminence. The frescoes and paintings, principally by Raphael, Perugino, and Murillo, are con- sidered their masterpieces. Scores of artists are always at work in these gal- leries, making copies of the great masters. Since the occupation of Rome by Victor Emmanuel, the Pope has charged two francs admission to the Vatican. WATER AND WINE. An American traveling in Italy in summer will find greater difficulty in ob- taining a cool glass of water than any- thing else. If he drinks water at his meals he is regarded as a lunatic, and if he calls for ice-water and should succeed in obtaining it, he will find it in his bill when he comes to settle. Water is re- garded as unhealthy, and is as costly in this country as wine, provided you desire to have it cool and palatable. You are expected to drink wine for breakfast, wine for dinner, and wine for supper. From one to two bottles of wine per day is regarded as essential to health, and even the beggar in the street must have his modicum of wine. They have a great reverence for fountains, and like to look at cascades, or bold jets of the crys- tal fluid, but when it has performed this function the Italian regards it as having served its purpose. Latterly, in Naples, the institution of bath-houses all around the bay by Victor Emmanuel has induced the Italians to regard water as valuable for purposes of ablution, and thousands of them are all the time luxuriating in their salt-baths. It is to be hoped that this will induce them to have more re- spect for water. His next movement for the elevation of Italy should be the in- troduction of soap by the encouragement of its manufacture. It is a singular fact that among the lower classes, and in the agricultural regions, the use of soap is almost unknown, and the article is re- garded as a luxury only to be enjoyed by the rich. If the traveler does not carry a supply with him he will never find any in the hotels, and will often be unable to procure it at any price. THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. In every Italian city a majority of the hotels now have American names, the object being to attract American travel- ers, under the supposition that they Avill find English spoken. So also with the cafes ; but it is almost universally a fraud. In a cafe to-day we asked a waiter if he could speak English. The answer was, "we, we." We then told him to bring some sugar. He returned in a few mo- ments with a wineglass full of toothpicks. We then asked him in French to bring us Sucre, but the fellow could speak nothing but Italian, and he brought a pot of mustard. The stores all over Europe have a notice in their windows that Eng- lish is spoken, and in nine cases out of ten they cannot understand you, nor can you understand them. They send for some neighbor who knows a few words of English, but you have generally to work your way through by signs and motions and the few words you may have picked up in your travels. AMERICAN SPECTACLES 217 VISIT TO ST. PETER S. We devoted Sunday to a visit to St. Peter's, and spent about three hours in viewina; its vast interior and magnificent decorations. It is a good phxce in which to spend a hot day, as you are never too warm within its walls, and a cool draught of air is always sweeping through its broad and lofty interior. Everybody has an idea that this church is immense in size, but their conceptions of its magni- tude always fall short of the reality. Let those who desire to conceive its real size draw a cross and set down as the length of its upright six hundred and thirteen feet. Then put down as the length of the arms of the cross four hun- dred and forty-six and a half feet. Over the centre of this cross is the great dome, the interior diameter of which is one hun- dred and thirty-nine feet, and the exte- rior one hundred and ninety-five and a half. The front of the cathedral is three hundred and seventy-nine feet long and one hundred and forty-eight and a half feet in height. The height of the dome from the pavement to the base of the lantern is four hundred and five feet, and to the top of the cross four hundred and forty-eight feet, or more than double the height of our Wash- ington Monument. There are five doors in the front which admit to the ves- tibule, which is itself much larger than any ordinary church. This vesti- bule is three hundred and sixty-eight feet long, sixty-six feet high, and fifty feet wide. It is of this great structure that the poet exclaimed, — " Enter! its grandeur overwhelms thee not; And whj'? it is not lessened, but thy mind, Expnnded by the genius of the spot. Has grown colossal, and can only find A fit abode wherein appear enshrined Thy hopes of immortality." Whatever idea may thus be learned as to its interior, its ornamentation is be- yond conception. The whole of its vast walls, railings, columns, corridors, ves- tibules, arches, massive piers, and numer- ous altars, are glittering with gold, and ornamented and decorated with statuary, paintings, bas-reliefs, and rich and rare gems and mottoes. The tombs and monu- ments of nearly all the Popes are here, and of many kings. The high altar, di- rectly under the dome, and over the tomb of St. Peter, Avith its bronze canopy, is too magnificent to attempt a description. This alone is estimated to have cost nearly nine millions of dollars. The number of altars in this vast structure cannot be less than thirty, and service is said to be perpetual within the walls of St. Petei-'s, so that any one stepping In, night or day, can always find the service of mass in progress. Whilst we were there, mass was being said constantly : the moment it ceased at one altar, a bell announced its commencement at another. There were about one hundred persons kneeling at each of the altars whilst the masses were in progress. The Italian soldiers, now in possession of the city, throng St. Peter's, as well as all the prominent places of interest. Most of them were probably never in Rome before. They are a fine-looking set of men, both soldierly and gentle- manly in their deportment, and finely uniformed. The open court in front of St. Peter's, with its massive colonnades, surmounted by statuary, is worthy of so immense a structure, though it is too large for the front of the building, and gives to the stranger a wrong impression as to its vastness. The colonnades inclose a space of seven hundred and eighty-seven feet in diameter, and are connected with the facade, or front of the church, by two galleries two hundred and ninety-six feet m length. The facade is three hundred and seventy-nine feet long, and one hun- dred and forty-eight and one-half feet high. The doors are approached by a flight of stone steps, the whole length of the cathedral. What is most to be admired about St. Peter's, inside and out, is that it is always kept clean, bright, and beau- tiful. The cost of keeping it clean and in good repair is said to be over fifty thousand dollars per annum. THE DOME OF ST. PETER's. We spent an hour on the roof and in ascending the dome of St. Peter's Cathe- dral. The ascent to the summit is the only means by which a proper idea can be formed of the immensity of the struc- ture, and it then presents one of the most extraordinary spectacles in the world. A broad, paved, spiral ascent, without steps, leads to the roof by so gentle a rise that a horse might mount it. On the walls are tablets recording the names of members of the reigning houses of Europe who have accomplished the ascent, including that of the Prince of Wales, who passed up in 1869. The roof is so immense that it requires a half-hour to walk round It, and the workmen who are constantly employed in repairing it and keeping it in order have houses here, in 218 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH which they live with their families. Al- most all the roof is of brick, set in Roman cement as hard and solid as a rock. A long series of passages and staircases car- ried us from the roof to the different stages of the dome, winding between its , double walls and opening on the internal galleries. From the upper of these gal- leries, looking down on the altar and floor of the cathedral below, at a height of about four iiundred feet, the people scarcely look like human beings, and the mosaics of the dome, which look from below like finely-executed paintings, are found to be coarsely executed in the only style which could produce such an effect at such a distance. The staircases from this point lead directly to the top of the interior dome. Another flight of about thirty steps carried us up into the ball at the base of the cross, which from the front of the building looks not larger than a bomb-shell, but we found it to be capable of easily holding eighteen per- sons. Six were in it at the time we entered, but the heat was so oppressive that we were soon compelled to retreat. The view from the balcony below the ball is one of the finest in Europe. The whole of Rome is spread out like a map in the foreground, bounded on one side by' the Mediterranean and on the other by the chain of the Apennines. MIRACULOUS RELICS. Whilst viewing the churches and clois- ters of Rome, many miraculous things were pointed out by our guide which rather startled our credulity. In the cloister of St. John Lateran, an altar- table of white marble, about two inches thick, with a small hole through it, and a round yellow spot on the marble up- right which sustained it, we were assured came there by a miracle. A priest who did not believe that the wafer was the real body of Christ was officiating at the altar, and, laying down the wafer, it passed immediately through the stone, and the yellow spot underneath was where it struck in its descent. Then we were shown a long flight of steps, covered with wood, about twelve feet broad, and rising about thirty feet, which we were assured were the identical steps, brought from Pilate's house at Jerusalem, which Christ passed down on his way to be crucified. No good Catholic, we were informed, would pass up or down these steps except on his knees. Then pieces of the veritable cross were in possession, and the place was pointed out to us in which the veritable heads of St. Peter and St. Paul are kept, — all of which may be so ; but we also licard of several pieces of the veritable cross in San Domingo, and have heard of parts of St. Peter and St. Paul being in so many places, that we are rather inclined to agree with Mark Twain, that there must be several ship- loads of this sacred material scattered over the world, and that the bones of the saints have been much scattered. Another great relic is deposited in a small chapel underneath the high altar of Santa Maria Maggiore. It professes to be the boards of the manger in which the Saviour lay after his birth. A solemn ceremony and procession on Christmas Eve commemorate this subject. Five boards of the manger compose the cradle in which the Saviour was deposited at his nativity. An urn of silver and ci-ystal incloses these relics, on the top of which is the figure of the holy child. At St. Peter's the handkerchief which lay over the face of Christ, and tlie spear with which his side was pierced, are only ex- hibited from the high balcony during Holy Week. The chain by which St. Peter was manacled is also kept in one of the churches. We also saw one of these chains at Cologne. There is some reason to believe that the Jerusalem steps are genuine, or at least that there is a very plausible reason given that they are the veritable steps over which Christ passed in going to and from the trial-chamber in Pilate's house. Bae- deker says that they were brought to Rome three hundred years after the death of Christ, having been taken from Pilate's house, and were those that led to the trial- chamber. They are of whit'C marble ; but as they became so greatly worn by the crowds of Christian worshipers who sought the opportunity of going over them on their knees, it was deemed ad- visable to cover them with boards, in Avhich condition they now are, presenting the appearance of a board staircase. On Sunday thousands of peasants were crawl- ing over these stairs all day, and apply- ing for indulgences, which a notice over the door announced would 1)e granted for " the living or the dead," — price, five francs. This rather staggered our faith in the exhibition. DOWN AMONG THE ANCIENTS. There is nothing so destructive of the sentiment of romance which envelops the ruins of the ancient Romans as to wander over the hot bricks and cement AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 219 during a heated term like the present. The explanations and ovations of your j^uide, in such horrible En hundred thousand souls. She was the centre of the commerce of the world, and was admired and respected by all Europe. Her fall began in the sixteenth century, by the discovery of the new way to India via the Cape of Good Hope, when nearly all her commerce passed into the hands of the Portuguese. She con- tinued steadily to decline, until she re- ceived her greatest blow from the ascend- ency which the Turks obtained in Europe and Asia, and between the years 1509 and 1540 lost all her possessions. It was then that Venice lost her im- portance in history. She remained neu- tral in the great wars which succeeded, and her power became less and less. At the beginning of the French Revolution she opposed the opinions of the socialists, but when the French were victorious in their wars, Venice tried to maintain a neutral position, declining the alliance of Bonaparte. This irritated him, and he broke the negotiations and occupied the city on the IGth of May, 1797. Under the French government the city became poorer and poorer, and the Venetian pop- ulation was finally reduced to ninety-six thousand souls. In subsequent wars Venice was given to Austria, and then to Italy, and finally, in 1814, passed again to the possession of Austria. In 1848 Venice revolted from the Aus- trians, and proclaimed a republic; but after a heroic defense, and a siege of fifteen months, suifering famine and the other misfortunes of a siege, and the ravages of cholera in its most malignant form, she was compelled to capitulate again to the Austrians. The war of 1859, broken by the peace of Villafranca, left Venice to the Austrians, but the one of 1866 gave her to the kingdom of Italy, in consequence of the united votes of the people, which took place in October of the same year. The city is again pros- pering under the Italian government, and the people appear to be happy. Per- fect i-eligious freedom is enjoyed, and Venice now hopes to go on improving anil prospering under the reign of peace. THE ISLANDS AND CANALS. Before proceeding further, it will be necessary to convey to the reader some idea of the character of the territory upon which Venice is built. In the first place, it must be borne in mind that the city is built upon one hundred and fourteen little islands, the streams running between them, with the excejjtion of the Grand Canal, being seldom more than twenty feet in width. The tide from the sea rises and falls and flows through these canals, which are to the number of three hundred and forty-one, keeping the water always A MEBICAN SPECTA GL ES. 235 pure and healthy. Indeed, many of the lateral canals are scarcely more than twelve feet in width. Out of these canals the houses all rise abruptly, and their prin- cipal front and entrance always faces the canal, visitors stepping from the boat on to the door-sill. The houses of Venice have no yards, side-alleys, or any vacant ground connected with them. One end is on a canal, and the other on a narrow lane, or perhaps backed up solid against a neighbor's house. The city is " finished," because there is scarcely room left large enough to erect a lime-shed, except on the distant outlying islands. It is compact and solid, with the exception of some small squares or court-yards left near the churches. THE STREETS OF VENICE. Those who suppose that Venice cannot be thoroughly explored by the pedestrian without resort to the gondolas and the canals are equally mistaken. It is pro- vided with bridges, most of them very elegant little structures, of white marble or iron, to the enormous number of three himdred and seventy-eight. They are all arched bridges, springing up to the centre, so as to afford free passage under them for the gondolas. There is no street, or rather lane or alley, in Venice, which leads to a canal, that is not provided with a bridge, so that those who know how to find their way can make as much speed from pi lint to point as if using a gondola. Both the streets and canals, with the ex- ception of the Grand Canal, are so crooked that one hundred yards ahead can seldom be seen on either; indeed, fifty yards would be nearer the mark. They both turn and twist with equal facility, and it would require a long time for any one to become thoroughly familiar with them. The canals all intersect each other, and thus it becomes necessary to lay out the streets so as to meet the turnings of the canals. THE PIAZZA or ST. MARK. The great central attraction of Venice is St. Mark's Square, and, although it presents an irregular quadrangle, it is undoubtedly the finest square in all the world for the elegant magnificence of surrounding structures. Across the east end of the square the Cathedral of St. Mark stands out as the most prominent feature, with its three domes and numer- ous steeples. In the left corner of the square, facing the cathedral, stands the Campanile, or bell-tower, which rises to the height of three hundred feet, its base being thirty-eight feet wide, and its width at the top thirty-five feet. The base of this tower is very beautiful, and is finely ornamented with sculpture and statuary. On the south side of the square are the old City Hall and Clock Tower, on the west the Doge's palace, and on the north side the new City Hall and one side of the Old Library. These buildings all, with the exception of the cathedral, stand together in close order and con- stitute the outlines of the square. The lower story of all forms a continuous colonnade, similar to that around the in- terior of the Palais Royal at Paris, and like it, also, this story is occupied by stores and cafes on the three sides of the square. The entire square is paved with smooth blocks of granite interspersed with iron pillars, bearing clusters of gas- jets, whilst another line of illumination extends along the entire fronts. The buildings fi'onting the square are all of white marble, four stories high, and adorned with an abundance of statuary. The entire length of the square is five hundred and forty feet, and the width two hundred and forty-six feet, whilst the Piazzetta leading past the palace of the Doges and the Old Library, which is really a portion of the square, is three hundred and eleven feet long by one hundred and forty -six in width, extending down to the water's edge, at the mouth of the Grand Canal. Directly in front of the cathedral, at the distance of about fifty feet, there stand three flag-staffs, each about one hundred feet in height, the lower part to the height of about ten feet being en- cased in elaborately ornamented bronze bases. From these three staffs there were suspended on Sunday three immense Italian national flags, each not less than thirty feet in length, which were raised at the commencement and lowered at the termination of the cathedral services for the day. On the Piazzetta, immediately facing the Grand Canal, are two majestic pillars of Oriental granite, not less in diameter than those before the Pantheon at Home. These grand columns were brought to Venice in the year 1127 by Doge Michael, who found them lying on an island in the Grecian Archipelago, on his return from the Holy Land. There were origi- nally three of them, but one was lost overboard in debarkation. They lay for forty-four years on their sides, after their arrival, no one being found to undertake 236 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH the putting of them up. In the year 1371, a man named Niccolu undertook to {)ut them on the bases prepared for them. le was called " barattier" (a man who cheats in gaming), and exacted for his ser- vices the privilege of keeping a gaming- table between them. This was allowed for nearly two hundred years, but the permission was rescinded in the year 1529, and the wooden shops were broken On the top of one of these ancient pil- lars, which doubtless antedate the birth of Christ, is the famous winged lion of St. Mark's Church, which was carried to Paris by Napoleon, and on the other the stone statue of St. Theodore, the ancient spiritual protector of Venice, before he was deposed by St. Mark. ST. mark's on SUNDAY. Sunday was an excessively warm day, even in the shade, but in the rays of the sun it was almost beyond human endur- ance. Whilst strolling through the city, we stopped on every bridge to catch a breath of cool air as it swept up these water-thnroughfares from the Adriatic. Those of the inhabitants whose dwellings faced on the canal could get along very well, but the denizens of the narrow streets had a hard time of it. Many of these streets are so narrow that we found on trial that we could stand in the middle and lay the palms of our hands upon both walls. The people were protruding their heads from the windows of their tall four-story houses, and anxiously waiting for the setting sun and their evening promenade and music in the Square of St. Mark. As early as six o'clock in the evening they commenced to pour in, all classes commingling, and by eight o'clock this vast space, as well as what is called the Piazzetta, or Little Square, running towards the Grand Ca- nal, were thronged to their utmost capa- city. Soon after a fine military band took position in the centre of the square, and the grand promenade commenced, whilst thousands were partaking of ice-cream and lemonade, seated at the caf^s on the side of the squai-e. The music was kept up until nearly eleven o'clock, when the people slowly, and apparently with great reluctance, commenced to retire to their homes. Along the front of the Doge's palace, and near the Bridge of Sighs, the throng of people remained enjoying the cool air from the sea until after mid- night. No such scene as this Sunday even- ing gathering in the Square of St. Mark can be seen anywhere else in Europe, the whole space being brilliantly illumi- nated by hundreds of gas-jets. Of course all the strangers in the city were here also, and the number at this warm season is truly surprising. During our afternoon stroll we found the interior canals swarming with boys and men swimming, all wearing swim- ming-clothes, as required by law. They were diving out of their front doors and windows, and off the bridges, like so many amphibious animals, whilst the gondolas were flying along and gliding past them, mostly with parties of ladies taking their evening airing. Tourists, both ladies and gentlemen, traveling in Europe, become familiarized with the sight of half-nude men and boys, and are generally thankful when it is no worse. THE CRIES OF VENICE. The street-cries of Venice are very nu- merous, and the voices of the vendors ring with a peculiar shrillness through the quiet streets. There being neither carts, horses, nor vehicles of any kind in the city, it has none of the usual noises of other communities, but the gondoliers, as they glide along under our window, give out their cries with an earnestness that is at times quite startling. Among others are men carrying demijohns of water, with lime-juice, which they sell at two centimes, or less than half a cent, a glass. Others sell candied fruits, and various articles not usually found in the stores. The cries of these people are of course in Italian, a language peculiarly fitted for shrill but smooth flowing notes. THE VENICE CANALS. The Grand Canal winds through the city of Venice, being traced on the map in the shape of the letter S. It varies somewhat, but is probably about one hundred and twenty-five feet in width for most of its length. It has but two bridges across it, the Rialto and the Ponte di Ferro, the first being of stone, and the latter a modern iron structure. The main canal is not navigable for vessels drawing more than six feet of Avater, ex- cept at its immediate mouth. All the com- mercial business of the city was formerly kept at deep water along the city front east of the Doge's palace, which is in reality the open sea, and the Grand Canal was the favorite location for the palaces of the great men of the nation. Now, how- AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 237 ever, these old palaces are for the main part given up to business, or are used as hotels. We are now writing in an old palace, and much of the gilded furniture of its day of greatness is scattered through the house. Barges and lighters now pass up the Grand Canal, and load and un- load at the doors of what were formerly palaces. In all the other canals nothing larger than a gondola is allowed to en- ter. Many of these are of course devoted to the business of carrying, and do the work of our carts and wagons. STORES OF VENICE. The jewelry and fancy stores which sur- round the extensive Piazza of St. Mark will compare favorably for their fine dis- ■olay and their stocks of valuable goods with those of Vienna. So also in many of the stores in its narrow thoroughfares leading from the Piazza. All the fine mosaics of Italy, including the Florentine, Roman, and Byzantine, as well as corals and diamonds, can be purchased in Venice as cheap as anywhere else in Europe, pro- vided the purchaser will bear in mind that the first price named is always fully one- third more than they will be willing to sell at. The best plan is to select what you want, ascertain the price, and then offer one-third less. You will then be told that if you pay in gold you can have them at this "ruinous rate." Put on your hat and propose to leave, and Italian paper money, which is twenty-two per cent, below gold, will be accepted. They make it a rule never to allow a purchaser to leave their establishments. In some of these narrow thoroughfiires, where more than three persons would find it diflScult to walk abreast, there are also many very fine dry-goods establishments, grocery and furniture stores, but the ma- jority of them are for the sale of pro- visions and fruits, coSee, or confectionery, or are beer-saloons. There are here, as elsewhere on the Continent, very few places where intoxicating liquors can be had, — no gin-palaces or i-um-shops. In- deed, beer and wine are not drunk to any great extent in public, and beer can only be had at the restaurants where meals are furnished. The principal thorough- fares were thronged on Sunday with peo- ple of all classes, and many ladies were passing and repassing on their way to and from church with veils over their heads, a lady never going to church in Venice with a bonnet on. On their way home they would stop to do their shop- ping, and then move on. FEEDING THE PIGEONS. The pigeons of Venice, of which there are thousands, have not only the freedom of the city, but are fed at two o'clock every afternoon in the Square of St. INIark at the public expense. They are the pets of the people, and to injure or throw a stone at one of them would cause the per- petrator to be sent to the guard-house. They not only make their nests among the statuary and the ornamental portions of St. Mark's Cathedral and the eaves of the elegant structures surrounding the square, but the windows of the lofts of these buildings are left open and free access is given to them. Thus they have multiplied to many thousands, and have scattered all over the city, making their nests among the statuary of all the old churches. At two o'clock yesterday afternoon we repaired to the square to witness the pro- cess of feeding. At the moment the bronze man on the town-clock struck the first blow announcing two o'clock, they came in by thousands, and swept up the square towards the window from which they are daily fed, and hundreds of them even entered the room. The man who does the feeding was entirely hidden from view, and the scramble of the bii'ds indi- cated that the strongest fared best. A few minutes before the window was opened a boy placed a little paper of corn in the hands of one of our party. On throwing some of it on the pavement, the pigeons literally swarmed over us, and partook of the food from our hands. As to the meaning of this care for the pigeons, there is no settled theory. It is said by some that on one occasion during the Venetian wars, whilst Admiral Dan- dolo was besieging Candia, at the com- mencement of the thirteenth century, a carrier-pigeon brought him important in- formation from the islands. It has been a custom for centuries thus to feed them, and the old chroniclers differ as to its origin. One says that on Palm-Sunday it was the custom to loose pigeons, many of which repaired for shelter to St. Mark's, and, multiplying with time, they remained around the square as the best place for obtaining food. The practice of main- taining pigeons at public expense is very general in Russia and Persia, as well as among the Arabs, and the custom might easily have been carried thither by Vene- tian merchants. Other authors assert that, although the city is credited with feeding the pigeons, they are in reality 238 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH fed and cared for by the liberality of an old lady, who left a large amount to be expended for this purpose. The stained and blackened condition of the marble structures on this square is in a great measure due to the pigeons. Venice, July 10, 1873. THE SURROUNDINGS OP VENICE. The population of Venice is now one hundred and thirty-seven thousand, it having largely increased and improved since it passed out of the hands of Aus- tria and became a part of the dominion of Italy under Victor Emmanuel. It is only separated from the mainland of Italy by a swamp or lagoon, the depth of the water between the nearest of the islands and the shore being only from two to five or six feet, mainly covered with reeds and water-plants. The outer of the islands, comprising Venice, has a bridge nearly two miles in length (twelve thousand feet) and thirty feet in breadth, which crosses the lagoon over which the Lom- bardo-Venetian Railroad run their cars to the depot in Venice. This bridge is formed of two large earthworks, one in Venice and the other on the mainland, five expansions, of which a large one is in the middle, as well as two hundred and twenty-two arches, with one hundred and eighty isolated and thirty-six united pil- lars of Italian marble. The traveler arriving at Venice from Italy or France is thus landed in the city. On the sea- ward side of the one hundred and fourteen little islands which comprise the heart of Venice there are about twenty other islands, too distant to be united by bridges, which also constitute part of Venice. The principal of these islands are called Giudecca, San Giorgio Mag- giore, San Servilio, San Lazzaro, San Vec- chio. Lido, San Andrea, La Certosa, Santa Elena, San Clemente, La Grazia, San Spirito, Poveglia, Malamocco, Sotto Ma- rino, San Michele, Murano, Mazzorbo, Burano, and Tonello. La Giudecca is divided from the city by a broad canal, and is itself subdivided by seven small canals, bridged as are those of Venice, and is really eight small islands. It has three thousand inhabit- ants, and two of the finest and largest churches of the city are located here, as well as a number of the most elegant pal- aces, it having been the favorite resort of the nobility. On this island are the brick-yards which furnish Venice. The greatest Church festival of the year takes place at the Church del Redentore, on which occasion it is united to the mainland by two temporary bridges of boats. Tlie principal festivities of the day usually take place in the evening, on the water, when a multitude of gondolas, all deco- rated with flowers and colored lamps, pass and repass from shore to shore. The people feast and sing, and every hour swells the mirth of a naturally joyous race, the festivities lasting until the dawn of day. San Giorgio IMaggiore is opposite the Doge's palace, a separate island, on which is now located the custom-house, though it was until the year 1806 in the pos- session of the Benedictine monks. The finest church in the city, that of San Gi- orgio, is on this island, facing the mouth of the Grand Canal. Another of these islands, San Servilio, is occupied by an insane asylum and a hospital for chronic diseases. San Lazzaro is used as a hos- pital for the leprous. San Vecchio, at the mouth of the harbor, contains the lazaretto. Lido is the fortification, and has on it extensive facilities for sea-bath- ing. Other of these islands have on them the navy-yards, powder-mills and maga- zines, barracks for troops, etc. Others are cultivated as kitchen-gardens, from which a supply of vegetables is obtained for the city, and others are used for sea-bath- ing and summer resorts, which are reached from the Piazzetta hourly by steamers. All of these islands are within a mile from St. Mark's, and most of them are not five hundred yards distant from what may be regarded as the mainland of Venice. They all have some population, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand, but are only accessible by water. Chioggia, which consists of ten small islands, with a population of thirty thou- sand, mostly fishermen and sailors, is a second Venice. It is connected with the Lido of Brondolo by means of a bridge two thousand five hundred feet long, on fifty-three piers, and is thus accessible from the mainland on foot. San Michele is the burial-place of all the Catholics of Venice. The burial-place of the Protes- tants is now at the eastern end of this island. The island of Murano has a popu- lation of five thousand, whose principal means of livelihood is the manufacture of glass, etc. The mirrors and glass-ware of Bohemia, France, and England have so excelled them that the manufacture of mirrors has been abandoned, and a spe- cialty is now made of the manufacture of glass beads. There are at Murano a fine cathedral and several famous churches. AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 239 ST. MARK S CATHEDRAL. This great central attraction of Venice no one would expect to find, with its ad- joining spacious square, in a city of such peculiar characteristics. The cathedral stands at the head of the square, with a front of one hundred and tifty-six feet. It is divided into five arches, and has five entrances. Its length is two hundred and forty-one feet, and the width at the cross one hundred and eighty-eight feet. The style of architecture is Byzantine. It was built some six hundred years ago, and the columns that have been used, from their varied styles and colors, are believed to have been taken from the most ancient edifices of Greece, and from the destroyed cities of Erachea and Altino. Standing in the centre of the square and looking at it, three domes and about a dozen small steeples are visible rising above its roof. The five lofty arches over the door- ways each form a half-dome, the ceilings of which are ornamented with mosaic representations of the embarkation of the body of St. Mark in Alexandria and its debarkation at Venice, with other inci- dents connected with the life of this patron saint of Venice. The central arch has a plain blue field, with stars, executed in mo- saic. Over the doorway in the centre are the four famous bronze horses, which once ornamented Nero's triumphal arch. They were stolen by Constantine the Great, and carried to Constantinople, just one thou- sand years ago. When the crusaders took Constantinople, in 1205, the horses were brought to Venice by one Marino Zeno, and placed in their present position. When Napoleon I. took Venice, in the year 1797, they were again stolen and sent to Paris. In 1815 the Emperor Francis the Fii'st caused them to be sent back to Venice, where they were replaced in their former and present position. They are thus historical horses, and, although not rampant, are fine specimens of the ani- mal, and, by the way, the only horses in Venice. INTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL. The interior of the cathedral is won- derful for the richness and profusion of its Oriental marble, and for its carvings, both of the ancient and middle ages and its bronzes and mosaics, from the tenth to the eighteenth century. Even the form and style of this ancient church are taken from the Church of the Mother of God, in Constantinople. The interiors of the large and small domes are also brilliant with mosaics, as also the hundreds of niches in the walls, each representing some event' in Scripture history. The interior is one mass of mosaics, executed from the car- toons of the greatest painters of past ages. Everything in the interior is on a grand scale. The high altar is especially im- posing. The tabernacle and the semi- circular arches are supported by four col- umns of Greek marble, covered all over with bas-reliefs, a work of the fourteenth century. There are six small marble figures upon the frame of the tribune. Behind the altar, sustained by marble bases, is the famous golden altar-piece. It is a wonder- ful and very rich piece of workmanship, studded with pearls and precious stones, measuring eleven feet in breadth and five and a half feet in height. It has the form of a rectangle, divided into two larger horizontal divisions and subdivided into eighty-three smaller ones. The value of the metal and precious stones, not count- ing the workmanship, is calculated at three millions of pounds sterling. Indeed, there is no better evidence of the great wealth of Venice in past ages than this Cathedral of St. Mark. Church-build- ers in those days went foraging around the world for pillars and columns and bas- reliefs, and St. Mark's is a museum of re- mote antiquity as well as of the middle ages. The Museum of St. Mark has many ancient relics, most of which are truly interesting. We regretted, however, to see among them a golden shrine in a silver gilt case, containing, as was indi- cated, " the blood which issued from an image of the cross at Bernit in the year 320." The Campanile, or bell-tower, stands in front of the left side of the cathedral, and has a highly ornamental base. The first two hundred feet above the base is of brick, and was erected some eight hundred years ago. Above this is a spire, making the whole height of the tower three hundred feet. The width of the tower at the base is thirty-eight feet. In former times there was a scaffold on the side about one hun- dred and fifty feet from the ground, from which there was an iron cage hanging, in which condemned priests were con- fined. Bread and water were lowered to them by a string. This shameful punish- ment was totally abolished in the year 1750, at least so we are informed by the chronicler of Venice, and the platform and cage were removed. The tower con- tains a clock and a fine chime of bells, and can be ascended, by those who have ambition in that way, as far as the bells. 240 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH THE FEMALE WATER-CARRIERS. Venice is poorly supplied with water for drinking and cooking purposes. The entire supply is from wells, the water being obtained by lowering buckets with a rope. The supply being very small, the wells are only opened at certain hours during the day, after which they are closed and locked by the authorities. During the time they are opened it is necessary that every one should procure a supply sufficient to last until they are open again. This has led to the em- ployment of female water-carriers, who have with them ropes and two copper buckets. The two buckets being filled, they suspend them on the ends of a hickory rod, curved to fit the shoulders, and during the times the wells are open they can be seen flying in every direction with their buckets, furnishing their cus- tomers with their supply. Among them are many very handsome girls, and they seem, notwithstanding their heavy labor, a light-hearted and jovial class. THE GHETTO, OR JEWS' QUARTER. Entering a gondola this afternoon, we requested to be taken to the Ghetto, or Jews' quarter of the city, and were landed near the mouth of a large canal, which intersects with the Grand Canal near the Academy of Fine Arts. We had scarcely landed wheii we were taken charge of by two men and a throng of barefooted and almost bare-backed boys, who led us into a covered court, when they informed us this was the entrance to the famous Ghetto. Here was pointed out to us a marble tablet, which was inserted there centuries ago, forbidding any converted Jew from ever passing or entering that quarter of the city. So soon as we entered the court-yard, a crowd of old women, men, and boys surrounded us, begging for money. We scattered around some change among a few of the oldest of them, which brought a new supply of supplicants, from whom we escaped by entering one of the synagogues near the entrance, which was fitted up in the most costly manner, in strange contrast to the squalid poverty by which it was sur- rounded. From thence we passed down through the street, the houses on either side of which were eight stories high, and finally entered a broad court-yard, at one end of which was a building de- voted to manufacturing rugs and carpets, established to give employment to the poor of that quarter. Here men, women, and boys were at work. This court ex- tends down to a canal, over which is an iron bridge, which, before the French occupation in 1808, had a gate that was closed by the authorities at sundown, and there was a similar gate at the entrance of the quarter. It appears that Bonaparte suspended this cruel edict, and gave them the same liberty as other citizens, which is recorded on a block of marble at the foot of a flag-stafi" in the centre of the court-yard, alongside of which is a larger tablet recording the granting of lilierty and equality by A'^ictor Emmanuel in 1858. On returning, the crowd of beggars had been reinforced, and our voluntary guides had increased to a half-dozen. We then entered another synagogue, much hand- somer than the first, which had been built by a bequest of ninety thousand florins by some wealthy Hebrew. After paying our guides, and emptying our purses among the poor destitute crea- tures, we were followed to the gondola by another throng of anxious supplicants, and felt that we had a safe deliverance when it glided out into the stream. We give the account of this visit pre- cisely as it occurred, and hope that it may have the effect of calling the atten- tion of some of our wealthy Israelites to the relief of these poor people. They have got synagogues enough ; what they want is bread and meat, or work where- with to obtain the means of securing it. The whole number of Jews in Venice is less than four thousand, and they have eleven synagogues, but no bread at the Ghetto. The wealthy Israelites of Venice are, it appears, Germans, who have no sympathy or affiliation Avith the Italian Jews who occupy the Ghetto. There was no mistaking the fact that these peo- ple were in want. There were among them old men and women who seemed to be tottering to the grave, whose anxious countenances betokened that they were really suffering for food. THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS. There is nothing which the stranger visiting Venice looks to with more interest than the Bridge of Sighs, which Lord Byron has made famous in the fourth canto of Childe Harold. As some of our readers have not seen photographs of it, we will endeavor to make them see it as we saw it. Let them suppose that the Baltimore Court -House is the Doge's palace, and that the St. Clair Hotel is the prison of Venice, whilst Court-IIouse Lane is a canal. Having mastered this idea of AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 241 location, let them imagine a beautiful covered white marble arched bridge, springing from the second-story window of the hotel over to the wall of Judge Dobbin's court-room; This bridge is open sculptured work, highly ornamented. It is closed at the top and sides, the light entering through this open-work. The court-house being in the Doge's palace, this bridge was used to convey prisoners back and forth for trial. The interior of the bridge is divided into two passages, each with its own means of ingress and egress, and entirely independent of one another. By these passages, thus con- necting the prison and the palace, the accused were brought before their judges without causing public disturbance, it being thirty-three feet above the canal. The name, the "Bridge of Sighs," is one of those expressive appellations so common in Italy, and, it is asserted, has no reference to the administrative system . of the old republic. It was built at the end of the sixteenth century, and the chroniclers of Venice protest that it was never used except for criminal prisoners and common offenders, awaiting their generally merited fate. Hence Byron is accused of using a poetical license un- warranted by the facts in his refei-ence to the structure. A bridge crosses the canal just below, and another just above, the Doge's palace, from which a fine view of the Bridge of Sighs can be obtained, whilst the gondoliers generally take their customers through the canal under it. It has been imnwrtalized by Byron in the fourth canto of Childe Harold, thus : "I stood in Venicp, on tho Bridge of Sighs, A palace and a [irisiin on eacli hand; I saw fi-om out the waves lier striutiiros rise As from the stroke of some enchanter's wand. A thousand years their cloudy wings expand -J , ' Around me, and a dying glory smiles / 1 O'er the far times when many a suhject-land '(yiX'iAyl^ •• Looked to the winged island s' marble piles, "Where Venice sat in stafe, throned on her hundred isles." A REMARKABLE CITT. The stranger who has never visited Venice is apt to regard it as a city of ruins, a great city that has gone to decay. But a few days' sojourn will satisfy him that Venice is still a great and remarka- ble city. Its palaces and churches are old, but they are built of enduring stone that will last forever. They are stained with the dust of ages, but stand as firm on their watery foundations as if built but yesterday, and most of them, as specimens of architecture, will com- Dare favorably with the best productions 16 of the present day. Some of the old palaces on the Grand Canal show that they were built regardless of expense, and the churches were reared apparently as specimens of the architectural rivalry which prevailed at the time of their con- struction. Expense appears to have been no consideration, and we find few churches at the present day in the construction of which there has been such lavish expend- iture. If it were not for the pride of antiquity which prevails in all these old countries, and that the stains and cob- webs of age are regarded as adding to the attractions of architecture, Venice might, with a little rubbing and scrub- bing, be made a very beautiful city. In order that the reader may fully under- stand this, it will be necessary to give some idea of the character of these build- THE CHURCHES OF VENICE. In what we have described as the heart of Venice there are precisely one hun- dred Catholic churches, besides the great Cathedral of St. Mark. Each and all of these churches have in front of them a small court-yard, most of them not more than from sixty to one hundred feet square, in the centre of which is a well.. These court-yards are mainly to allow a full view of the architecture of the front of the buildings, and of the statuary with which they are so extensively orna- mented. There are no plain churches, and no two of them that resemble one another in their style or ornamentation. There are more churches here than at Rome, and the ornamentation and em- bellishment of them are more elaborate and expensive. It would be difficult to say wiiy they are so numerous, or how they are all maintained. In one section of the city there are six of these large churches within five minutes' walk, and several of them so close that even in this closely-packed city the spires of most of them can be seen from one stand-point. They are the Churches of San Andrea, the Visitation, Gesuiti, the Holy Spirit, San- ta Eufemia, and the Redeemer. The most of them were built about three hun- dred years ago, the present generation or their predecessors having had nothing in this line left for them to do. To build a church in Venice at the present day would be the supreme of folly. We find service generally progressing in them, and seldom more than a dozen old per- sons present and participating. The interiors of all these churches are 242 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH well supplied with paintings and statuary, and some of their altars are rich in rare stones and sparklino; gems. It may seem singular how foundations could be ob- tained for these massive buildings, many of Avhich border on the canals ; but this may be explained by an account of the building of the Church of Our Lady, which says, " The foundation-stone was laid in 1G31, and one million two hundred thou- sand piles Avere used to make its founda- tions." An account of the construction of the Rialto bridge says that "it rests upon twelve thousand piles of elm." But, independent of these one hundred churches in the heart of the city, there are fully forty more on the outer islands, most of which will vie in architectural grandeur with the best of them. Indeed, several of the finest churches of Venice are on these islands. There are also nu- merous monasteries and nunneries, but most of them have their large establish- ments on the contiguous islands. The number of priests connected with the churches of Venice exceeds one thou- sand, being about one for every twenty inhabitants. We notice this fact, that if there is a scarcity of them in any part of the world, it would be an act of .charity to relieve suffering Venice. THE VENETIAN PALACES. The whole number of old palaces reaches nearly one hundred and fifty in all the islands, of which one hundred and three are mostly on the Grand Canal and in the central part of the city. They are called by the names of their founders, and many of them are still in the posses- sion of and occupied by their impoverished descendants. Some of them have old painting-galleries, museums of antiquities, etc., which are exhibited for a small fee to the curious. Many of the others stand in silent grandeur, apparently empty ; whilst others are converted into store- houses or made use of as public build- ings. From a list of these palaces I extract the following curious note ap- pended to the account of Palazzo Gius- tiniani : " The Giustiniani family is said to have descended from Justinian, Emperor of Constantinople. This noble family was, in the year 1160, near being extin- guished, all the males having died in the battle against Emanuel Comneno. In order to maintain it, one Niccolo Gius- tiniani was taken out of a monastery, and, having been absolved from the vow of chastity, married the daughter of Doge Vitalmichiel II., and, after having had off- spring, and thus secured the succession, re-entered the cloister." So it will be seen that P^re Ilyacinthe is not the first married priest who has had an offspring christened. It also appears that the title of nobility in old Venice was a merchant- able commodity, and that the price to be paid for it was one hundred thousand du- cats. Quite a number of the founders of these palaces are recorded as having thus purchased their honors, having contrib- uted to the state one hundred thousand ducats when they were " elevated to the Venetian nobility." In our day the hav- 1 ing a bank-account of a few hundred thousand ducats gives a man all the emi- nence in social life that he may desire. THE RIALTO BRIDGE. Every one who has perused the old Italian romances has heard of the Eialto, the famous stone bridge of Venice, which has been also invested by Byron with a romantic interest. It is a massive stone structure, spanning the Grand Canal, being neither suggestive of poetry nor romance. Considering that it was built three hundred years ago, and is still as ponderous and solid as it was when the last stone was laid, it is well worthy of inspection as a sample of the durable work of that age. It is about one hun- dred feet long, consisting of a single arch, and seventy feet broad. There being no vehicles or horses in Venice, it is simply for pedestrians, and is divided into three parts, the centre having the greatest breadth, and is lined with stores or "booths built of stone along its entire length. These booths are in reality a part of the bridge, there being clear footways on each side as well as between them in the cen- tre of the bridge, its great width furnish- ing ample room. The height of the arch above the water is twenty-two feet, and to the top of the balustrade about thirty- two feet. It is in reality a bridge with houses on it, and is always thronged with pedestrians passing and repassing or stopping at the booths. The Rialto al- ways presents a lively aspect, especially in the morning, as the approaches to it on both sides of the canal are used as a market-place for the sale of vegetables and fruits. As we passed under it in a gondola yesterday we were startled by seeing several swimmers jump from the balustrade into the water, a crowd being assembled on the banks of the canal to witness the feat. The abutments of the arch are built out in the water about fifteen feet from the edge of the canal on AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 243 either side, and the rise to the bridge is made by a succession of about one dozen long and massive stone steps built into the abutments. VENICE BY GAS-LIGHT. Last evening we made a general round through the Grand Canal, to see Venice by gas-light. The gondolier, as we moved slowly along the Grand Canal, called out the names of the palaces we were passing, most of which seemed to be deserted. They were broad and massive stone and marble buildings from four to five stories in height, stained and blackened by the hand of time. We passed in our trip of two miles nearly fifty of these structures, none of which had been erected less than three hundred years. The impression con- stantly forced upon us in this trip was that we were sailing through the streets of a flooded city, and the vision of Harrison Street on several memorable occasions when Jones's Falls was not in an amiable mood rose to the imagination. Many of the gondolas exhibited lights, whilst the lights from the houses and the city gas- lamps tended to give life and animation to the scene. At most of the openings of the streets the splash made by the boys who were diving into the canal and swimming could be heard. It may fairly be presumed that in so finely a watered city the children take to water like young ducks. Returning from our trip about nine o'clock in the evening, our gondolier brought us back through the narrow canals, passing through the heart of the city, and under dozens of bridges, over which the people were moving to and fro. The houses all loomed up five stories above us, in which could be heard the sound of pianos, and, with the exception of the openings where the bridges crossed, it was one unbroken line of stone and mortar. We passed a large number of gondoliers in this part of our excursion, and it seemed strange that in so narrow a channel there were no collisions. The shouts of a gondolier on turning a corner are peculiar, and most necessary in such darkness, viz., 17m t, a boat ahead ; preme, pass to the right ; sta li, pass to the left, etc. THE LADIES OF VENICE. The better class of ladies of Venice dress with considerable taste, mostly in light gossamer material, and in the evening a large number are visiting the stores, or reclining with their children and friends in their gondolas on the Grand Canal. The great evening resort is an island called Toledo, to the left of the city, on which bath-houses are in successful opera- tion, and sea-bathing is enjoyed to its fullest extent. Two steamers make hourly trips to Toledo during the afternoon. On the streets the ladies are remarkable for their- grace and dignity of carriage, and our female critics pronounce them deci- dedly handsome. The water-girls and the flower-girls are also a feature of Venice. The former supply customers with water carried in copper buckets from the arte- sian wells. What is singular, most of the former are decidedly good-looking, and always wear a cheerful countenance and seem overflowing with vivacity. The flower-girls are handsome and modest in deportment, and all do a thriving busi- ness. THEATRES OF VENICE. Venice has no less than seven theatres, all of them quite fine establishments, though not so large as with us. The thea- tre La Fenice is one of the most elegant little establishments conceivable. It is quite aged, having been in use more than a hundred years. Four of them are now open, and giving nightly performances to crowded houses. We must not omit to mention that in our wanderings yesterday we found that Venice has a very elegant botanical gar- den, covering five or six acres of ground, whose beautiful and interesting avenues are but little visited. What here more particularly attracts northern visitors is the growth of small European shrubs to a great height. The plants are mostly exotics, and between the avenues of the trees the vacant ground is devoted to vari- ous scientific objects. The number of the different species of plants is more than seven thousand. There is the greatest collection of cacti in the garden to be found anywhere in the world, some of them from fourteen to twenty-four feet high. Venice also has an academy of fine arts, containing over seven hundred fine paintings, mostly of the Venetian school. These paintings are principally those that have been brought hither after the demo- lition and devotion of churches to other objects. These have been enlarged by considerable gifts and purchases, until it is now a richly-stocked gallery, filling twenty separate halls. VENICE FICTIONS. The guides here point out the old pal- ace now occupied as the New York Hotel 244 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH as having been the veritable house of Desdemona, from whence she eloped with the tawny Moor. The house of the Moor is also said to be still standing, as well as that of lago. The same entertaining gondoliers point out the residence of Shy- lock, who was so terribly hard on the Merchant of Venice. As these characters are all fictitious, it is about as well that the fiction should continue. At Verona they go so far towards verifying the truth of Shakspeare's Romeo and Juliet as to point out the balcony on which the fair Juliet listened to the wooing of Romeo, and, to make the matter more certain, carry their visitors to the grave of Juliet. LOVE OF MUSIC. In the evening, whilst floating quietly down the canals of Venice, the ear is fre- quently startled by the sounds of most skillfully-executed music on the piano, accompanied at times by female voices of great volume and sweetness. The sounds would come from the window of a build- ing the outside appearance of which would be suggestive of anything but re- finement. Occasionally, from a balcony high up on these bleak and desolate-look- ing walls, ladies would be sitting, war- bling operatic airs, and the sound of mer- riment and song amid the stillness of the night, undisturbed by the rattling of wheels and the clatter of hoofs or the or- dinary street noises, was peculiarly dis- tinct and pleasing. So also in strolling through the narrowest of the streets, there seemed to be a piano in every house, and, judging from the sounds, were being manipulated by skillful hands. The gon- doliers of the Grand Canal, all of whom have good voices, are frequently heard at night warbling Italian melodies, whilst many musical associations go alaout at night serenading. On the three evenings of the week when the military bands ap- pear on the Piazza of St. Mark, the whole population turn out, and the attendance usually ranges from ten to fifteen thou- sand. Aquatic parties also frequently charter one of the small steamers, and with a band of music, accompanied by voices, cruise about in front of the Doge's palace and along the city front. GOOD-BT, VENICE, We leave Venice to-night, after spend- ing several days very pleasantly within its water-bound walls. Whether we have succeeded in giving our readers any idea of what Venice really is, we shall proba- bly never know, but we hope that all will have a better appreciation of the place than heretofore. We would, however, advise all to see Venice for themselves, when opportunity serves. VERONA AND ITS ROMANCE. Verona, Italy, July 28, 1873. We left Venice, the city of extensive water-privileges, yesterday afternoon, and although we had no dust to shake from our feet, we did endeavor to leave behind as many of the animated atoms as pos- sible which had so greatly annoyed us during our sojourn. It was there that the Merchant of Venice coined his wealth, and the remorseless Shy lock demanded his pound of flesh, and there that the gentle Jessica slipped out the front door and glided off with her lover in his gay gondola. Well, whatever may be said of the others, we think she did right, espe- cially if she was compelled to live in the Ghetto, the Jews' quarter, which was un- doubtedly a good place to run from. ROMEO AND JULIET. We reached Verona, the reputed home of Shakspeare's Two Gentlemen of Ve- rona, as we all know it to have been the native town of the gentle Juliet and her loving Romeo. Here are the tombs of the Capulets and Montagues, and in the garden of the Orfanotrofio is the tomb of Juliet. It, however, does but little jus- tice to her memory, and the government proposes to erect a more suitable monu- ment to the fair heroine, over whose trials and tribulations and sad death the world will con inue to shed tears until the end of time. It has been proven by a strict inquiry into the history of Verona that all the circumstances, characters, and in- cidents of the story were faithfully re- tained by Shakspeare in writing his great play, and that Juliet was indeed most beautiful, fully warranting the exclama- tion of Romeo, when, looking up to her balcony, the counterpart of which every house in town seems to be provided with, he exclaimed : " But, soft ! what light through yonder window breaks ? it is the east, and Juliet is the sun I Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief That thou her maid art far more fair than she. . , Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven. Having some liusiness, do entreat her eyes To twinkle in their spheres till they return. I AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 245 What if her eyes were there, they in her head ? The brigUtuess of her cheek wouIJ shame those stiirs, As davlight doth a lamp ; her eye in heaven Would through the airy region stream so bright, That birds would sing, and think it were not night." The narrow but lofty house of Juliet's parents, in the street of San Sebastiano, now a tavern, still bears the hat over the entrance to the court, which was the dis- tinctive emblem in the armorial bearings of the family, and the memorable veranda under which Romeo poured into the will- ing ear of Juliet his passion, and the balustrade over which the lovely Juliet plighted her troth, are still preserved. Verona appears to have been famous for its development of the tender passion, for here it was that the Roman poet Catullus, eighty-six years before the birth of Christ, in speaking of his Lesbia and how many of her kisses would satisfy him, declared '' that he desired as many as there were grains of sand in the desert of Libya and stars in the heavens." What wonder, then, that such a town should have pro- duced a Romeo and a Juliet fifteen hun- dred years after ? THE CITY OF VERONA. Verona has a population of about seventy thousand. The rapid-running river Adige flows directly through the , town, the flow of the current being suffi- cient to drive the wheels of large num- bers of floating grist-mills anchored in the stream. It is distinguished as one of the most industrious cities of Italy, its people being largely engaged in the weav- ing of silk, linen, and woolen fabrics. The climate is healthy, but a little keen in winter, on account of its near approach to the Alps. ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE. We were surprised to find in Verona so many and such perfect specimens of old Roman architecture. One of the most im- portant objects of interest which first at- tracts the attention of the stranger, and is the great glory of Verona, are the ruins of the old Roman amphitheatre, which stands in the centre of the city. It is almost equal in size, and in a far better state of preser- vation, than the Coliseum at Rome, being regarded as the finest specimen now in ex- istence of Roman architecture. It presents a most imposing appearance, the interior having suffered but little, owing to the great care that has been taken to pre- serve it, though most of the outer circle of the arches were nearly all destroyed by an earthquake some six hundred years ago. The height of the building when perfect exceeded one hundred and twenty feet. It is elliptical in form, the extreme length of its diameters to the outer walls being five hundred and ten and five hundred and twelve feet. The cor- ridors, stairs, and stone seats are in a remarkable state of preservation. There are forty successive tiers of granite seats, each row being eighteen inches high and the same in breadth, the whole number being equal to the accommodation of twen- ty-five thousand persons. There is no authentic information as to the founders of this great work, though it is supposed to have been built between the reigns of Titus and Trajan. It was used for the exhibition of shows and sports in the middle ages, and sometimes as an arena for judicial combats. A wooden theatre is now erected in the arena, and the arches of the old building are rented out for stores by the city. There are various other monuments of antiquity in Verona deserving of notice, in a fine state of preservation. The an- cient double gallery, composed of mai'ble, built under Gallienus, in memory of Avhom it is named, stands surviving the abrasion of the weather, its walls now, after sixteen hundred years of exposure, being as perfect as if erected yesterday. The fortifications of Verona are most extensive, and surround the whole city, as well as frown from the top of every hill. They are attributed to Charlemagne. The locality has been the scene of many se- vere battles in both ancient and modern times, and the city has been alternately in the possession of the Austrians, French, and Italians. Like all the rest of Italy, it has vastly improved under the reign of Victor Emmanuel. CHURCHES AND CATHEDRALS. We have visited most of the old churches and cathedrals of Italy, but have alluded to but very few of them in these letters. They are interesting as showing how the people have been starved and impoverished to build and ornament vast structures, most of which were neither needed for the worship of God nor the service of man. Most of them are in a dilapidated condition, which gives promise that the age for such need- less expenditure has nearly passed. But few of them have been constructed within the past three hundred years, with the exception of St. Paul's outside th^ walls of Rome, which has been restored since 246 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH its destruction by fire, in 1823, on a scale of 2;raDdeur that when completed prom- ises to eclipse St. Peter's. It is located a mile and a half outside of the walls of Rome, in the midst of a sparsely-settled country, and is only attended by a few strolling peasants. Once a year it is visited by the Pope in great state, and the balance of the year is devoted to making preparations for the great occa- sion by tne, colony of clergymen who are here quartered. This church has cost more money than all the churches of Bal- timore combined, including the cathedral, one altar and chapel alone in it having cost ten millions of dollars. The money for its construction and ornamentation has been charged to the " Peter's pence" fund. It is an attempt to re-establish the magnificent folly of an age that is past and gone, and which, now that Rome belongs to free Italy, will never return. It may be deemed heretical to say so, but it seems to us that they have been erected and ornamented more for the glory of their founders than the worship of God, and that the same amount of labor and treasure expended in the education and improvement of the people would have been more acceptable and praiseworthy. THE ALPS. We are making haste to get under the shadow of the Alps, and hence make a brief stay at Verona, intending to stop at Milan to-nit;ht. MILAN. THE FINEST CITY IN ITALY. Milan, July 29, 1873. We arrived here last evening after a warm ride from Verona, passing through a most beautiful and interesting country on our route. The numerous towns and cities we found as usual extensively for- tified, and the view from the cars was most picturesque and attractive. Along the road from Brescia to Mantua, a dis- tance of fifteen miles, we passed the field upon which the battle of Solferino was fought, which is as level as one of our Western prairies. We also had a fine view of the magnificent Lake of Garda, which is thirty-seven miles in length, and at one point fourteen miles in width, hav- ing a depth in some places of one thou- sand feet. The greater part of this fine sheet of water lies within the kingdom of Italy, the northern extremity only be- longing to Austria. The whole distance from Verona to Milan, one hundred miles, presents a scene of the most luxuriant vegetation to be found anywhere in the world, and the cultivation of the soil is most thorough and systematic. A great deal of it is ir- rigated from the Mincio, a rapid-running stream of clear and sparkling water. The grape, corn, and grasses are the principal products. CITY OF MILAN. As we progress northward, the appear- ances of Italian cities undergo a change, and, instead of the narrow streets of Southern Italy, we have at Milan broad, well-ventilated thoroughfares, and evi- dently a higher state of civilization and progress among the people. Milan is undoubtedly one of the very finest cities in Italy, and indeed there are few cities in any country that can excel it in appear- ance and attractiveness. Like most an- cient cities, it is very irregularly laid out, but it is one of the most interesting in Europe, full of activity and wealth. It has some noble thoroughfares, and is rap- idly improving, the buildings going up in its suburbs being of a very superior class to the old sections of the city. It is a walled city, but the interior side of the wall is laid out with gardens and planted with trees, an arrangement which sur- rounds the whole city with a park. MILAN ON SUNDAY. Sunday in Milan is a good day to see the city and its people. As is the case in all Catholic countries, the day is ob- served both as a day of worship and of pleasure-seeking. Before twelve o'clock everybody is intent on their religious du- ties, and after that hour the pursuit of recreation and pleasure is the universal rule. The thousands of cafes were in full blast, each surrounded by as many cus- tomers as could be furnished with seats and tables to partake of their refi-esh- ments. Gentlemen with their wives and families could be seen everywhere in fes tive gatherings, partaking of creams, lemonade, and in some cases beer and wine. Carriages were driving to and fro thronged with ladies and children, and the omnibuses were packed to their ut- most capacity. The public grounds around the city were filled with people, and here the cafes were supplying them with re- freshments. Good order and quiet were, however, observable everywhere until AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 247 midnight, when there was a simulta- neous outbreak of noisy revelers all over the city, and for an hour or more the singing of songs, with stirring choruses, resounded in every direction. CATHEDRAL OF MILAN. Every stranger who comes to Milan of course desires to see the world-renowned cathedral, the dome and spires of wdiich are the iirst things visible in approaching from any direction. It certainly is a most wonderful structure, and if its architects desired to leave a building that will never be excelled in its ornamentation, they have, ver}' likely, been successful. It is a perfect forest of marble pinnacles, with life-size statues peeping out from every niche in its walls. Wherever you cast your eye on any part of the exterior walls, your gaze is returned by a throng of those " stone men and women" who. Father Barrett protests, are the main pro- duction of Italy. The number of these statues is variously estimated by different authors, but they are certainly so numer- ous that it would be folly to attempt to count them. Dr. S. I. Prime, author of " Travels in Europe and the East," affirms that there are already seven thousand, and places for three thousand more. Mur- ray says four thousand four hundred, which is probably more nearly correct. The central tower and spire is especially beautiful, and, surrounded as it is by a throng of smaller spires, each surmounted by a statue, presents a combination of rare elegance almost impossible to de- scribe. Then the wilderness of tracery in beautiful white marble which sur- rounds the I'oof, delicately marked against the sky, gives to the whole structure, large and massive as it is, the appearance of being as light and fragile as if the first gust of heavy wind might be expected to topple it over. The entire length of the cathedral, which is in the form of a Latin cross, is four hundred and ninety feet, breadth one hundred and eighty feet, height to top of the statue three hundred and fifty-four feet, length of the transept two hundred and eighty-four feet, and height of the nave one hundred and fifty- two feet. As a monument of ornamental architecture it will probably stand forever unrivaled, as the taste of the present age does not run in the same direction. The interior of the cathedral is still more grand and imposing than the exterior. Its double aisles and clustei-ed pillars, its lofty arches, the lustre of its walls, its numberless niches filled with noble fig- ures, and its monuments, combine to give a grandeur and solidity to its appearance much more efiective than the exter'or view. It was commenced over five hun- dred years' ago, and was nearly a century in the course of construction. The scene in the interior, with the morning sun shining through its magnificent stained windows, is most strikingly beautiful. From the roof, looking down on the fine marble tracery and the forest of spires, a better idea is obtained of the vastness of the structure than from any other point. The Alps, Avith Mont Blanc in the dis- tance, are distinctly visible from this ele- vated position. THE STREETS OF MILAN. All the cities of Europe are considerably ahead of the United States in the paving of streets, but we think that Milan is the best-paved city in Europe. There are no curb-stones, and no gutters, even in streets as broad as say Baltimore Street, all being smooth, from house to house, with a slight depression in the centre, Avhere there are openings, narrow slits, in the stone carriage-way, to allow the rain to pass off into the sewers underneath. The drainage from the houses passes di- rectly into the sewers by pipes, and there is nothing to provide for in the drainage of the streets except rain. The foot-paths next to the houses are about six feet in width, of smooth granite. There are also two lines of granite for the wheels of ve- hicles to run upon in the centre of the street, by which means an omnibus with two horses can draw as many passengers as a street-railway car, rendering the lat- ter unnecessai'y in a city so perfectly level as Milan. The balance of the street is paved with small round stones, which are laid in cement, and form an excellent pavement, smooth and solid. The smooth granite blocks, which form the whole bed of the streets in Naples, Florence, and Rome, are very hard upon the horses, al- most one-half of which wear leather caps on their knees to protect the knee-joint from damage in case of falling, as they are apt to do if moving with any speed. The pavements of Milan afford excellent looting for the horse, even better than our rough pavements, whilst the wheels glide over them Avith but little resistance. It is Avonderful where so many stones of the right size can be obtained, but they appear as if having been through a sieve, and all rejected that exceed the standard size. If the pavements are croAvded, as is constantly the case, people readily step 248 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH upon them to pass, without the slightest inconvenience. The streets are carefully swept and washed at nlj^ht, and at day- light there is not a particle of dust or dirt to be seen. This is the case not only in the better parts of the city, but like clean- liness is observable everywhere. Men also go about all day with small hand- carts and brooms, carefully sweeping and sprinkling to prevent dust. THE LADIES OF MILAN. By visiting the cathedral and the churches at an early hour in the morning we have had a good opportunity to see the ladies of Milan in their simple and elegant attire, the only covering for their heads being light gossamer veils. The younger females are quite handsome, but they evidently lose their beauty at an early period. A handsome elderly or middle-aged lady is seldom seen in Italy, and those that are very old become wrin- kled and sallow to an extent that is not seen in any other country. The children, with their large, dark, arid piercing eyes, are very handsome, and full of brightness and vivacity. The younger ladies wear their dresses very low in the neck in front, but high up on the shoulders. They have very small feet, and take care to show them. SHOPPING IN MILAN. The storekeepers of Milan are very sharp at a bargain, and charge foreign- ers enormous prices for everything they may purchase. They will, however, on being pushed, readily strike off one-third from the asking price, even though at first they may have told you that they had but one price. The stores are very elegant, but not as numerous as those of Naples. The Gal- leria Vittorlo Emanuele forms the central point for the traffic of Milan, and is be- ing largely extended and beautified. It is an immense arcade, roofed in with glass, the roof having at the central point of the cross which it forms an elevation of one hundred and eighty feet. The lower story is devoted to fancy and jewelry stores, of which there are fully one hundred and fifty. The building is adorned with twenty- four statues of famous Italians. It is lighted in the evening by two thousand gas-jets, independent of the light from the stores, and presents a gay scene. There are several large cafes in this great establishment for the sale of ices and con- fectionery, in front of which seats and tables are arranged. The avenues are fifty feet wide, the flooring being of finely- executed mosaics of difi'erent coloi's. There are other arcades in different sec- tions of the city, but none equal to this. The rays of the sun are so fierce here that ladies who are out shopping naturally seek these shaded stores in preference to those upon the open streets. A VOYAGE ON LAKE COMO. THE BEAUTIES OF ^HE LAKE AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. ■ CoLico, Italy, July 30, 1873. We left Milan at nine o'clock this morn- ing, anxious to get to a cooler climate, and at four o'clock reached Colico, at the head of Lake Como, the point of departure for the diligence through the Splligen Pass of the Alps, which are here looming up before us nine thousand feet in mid-air, capped with snow, rapidly melting under the rays of the summer sun. FAREWELL TO ITALY, We are by no means sorry that our tour in Italy is completed. There is no coun- try in Europe more replete with interest and instruction to the tourist, but the modern Italians are not a pleasant people to dwell among. They make great claims to refinement and progress in science and the arts, but by so doing they only invite more attention to the degeneracy which has brought them down from the high position attained by their masters. Syd- ney Smith summed up his experience in Italy by asserting that whilst the old Italians were all Jupiters, the present race were all jew-peters. But, adepts as they now are in all their little schemes to take advantage of strangers, they have greatly improved for the better during the past few years. Both the country and its people have improved, and there is every reason to hope that the efforts of Victor Emmanuel to regenerate Italy will be suc- cessful. The only drawbacks seem to be the soldiers and the priests. Every fifth man you meet is a soldier, and every twentieth man a priest or a friar. The latter may be all very good people, but there are too many non-producers in the country. The people do not evince any excess of piety on account of this great excess of ecclesiastics, and it is very evi- dent that most of them are better fitted to work in the vineyards on the hills than in the vineyard of the Lord. The soldiers AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 249 are everywhere, and we must say they are the best-disciplined and the finest-uni- formed men of the fighting order that we have yet met witli. FROM MILAN TO COMO. The railway from Milan to Como tra- verses a fertile plain, luxuriantly clothed with vineyards, mulberry plantations, and fields of corn, intersected by numerous canals and cuttings for purposes of navi- gation. The route also passes numerous country residences, and the towns of Monza, Lecco, Bellaggio, Seregno, Canzo, and Camerlata. The old towers, for- tresses, and cathedrals, towering up over the luxuriant verdure of the fields, render the view very picturesque. The trains stop at Camerlata, and a diligence con- veys passengers to the town of Como, which has over twenty thousand inhab- itants. Here was the birthplace of the elder Pliny, and of the experimental phi- losopher Volta. It consists of but two or three sti'eets, and is about a mile and a half in length, having all the usual pecu- liarities of Italian towns. The only attrac- tion about it is the old cathedral, which was commenced in 1396 and completed in 1521, said to be one of the best struc- tures in North Italy. Indeed, there are very few churches in Italy that are less than three hundred yeai's old. There are extensive silk-weaving factories at Como. THE L.IKE OF COMO. We were driven in the diligence direct to the wharf, and soon found ourselves, with a number of passengers, some of whom were Americans, on board the steamer Unione, On the famous Lake Como. Everybody who has seen the play of the Lady of Lyons has had im- pressed upon their mind the idea that Lake Como is the Paradise of Europe ; and, whatever it may be as a place of res- idence, it is certainly magnificent to the eye. The views from every part of this lovely sheet of water constantly charm and startle the beholder. Bulwer makes Claude Melnotte speak of Como, in de- scribing to Pauline his fictitious palace, as " A deep vale, shut out by Alpine hills from the wide world, margined by fruits of gold and whispering myrtles, glassing softer skies, cloudless save with rare and r > eate shadows," and his palace " as lift- ing to eternal heaven its marbled walls from out a glassy bower of coolest foliage musical with birds." The scene from the deck of the steamer on Lake Como is sublime. The lake is so closely shut in by the surrounding moun- tains that it is difticult to discover the outlet. On turning the quay of C(/mo, and passing the first promontor}'-, the great beauty of the lake is brought to view, and during the whole trip to Colico, requiring some four hours, the scene is one of almost unbroken beauty and gran- deur. Those who speak of the scenery of Lake George or the Hudson as equally picturesque as Lake Como have certainly never seen the latter, especially at this season of the year, when its mountain- sides are clothed with verdure, and many of their tops, seven thousand feet high in the air, are glistening with perpetual snow. For the first ten or fifteen miles after leaving Como, numerous bright and gay villas of the Milanese aristocracy, sur- rounded by luxuriant gardens and vine- yards, are scattered along the hillsides of the lake, and there are also many ham- lets and villages far up the mountain- sides. In the forests beyond, the brilliant green of the chestnut and walnut con- trasts strongly with the grayish tints of the olive, which to the unaccustomed eye bears a strong resemblance to the willow. The mountain-peaks rise mostly to the height of over seven thousand feet above the surface of the lake, the depth of which, at some points, is over two thou- sand feet, the water being as clear and beautifully blue as the Bay of Naples. The lake winds and t-urns among the mountains, and at no time can one see more than half a mile ahead of the boat. Along the lake-shores are a large number of palaces of the royal and aristocratic families of Italy, and various hotels for summer resorts, at which a large number of passengers stop to spend a few days, to escape from the heat of Milan. The mountain-sides for the whole dis- tance of thirty miles, from Como to Co- lico, are largely inhabited, and every spot of land is under cultivation. The moun- tain-sides are terraced, and mostly planted with grapes up to the elevation of over a thousand feet. To the eye, the houses and even villages high up on the precip- itous sides of these mountains look as if they would topple over into the lake. The churches and monasteries on the sides of the mountains are very numerous, and can always be recognized by their steeples and belfries. At one point nine could be counted, and not more than two or three hundred cottages within two miles of them. When about half-way wp the lake the atmosphere rapidly changed as the 250 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH snow-clad mountains loomed in the dis- tance. At first shawls and thickei- coats were in requisition, but before we reached Colico overcoats, waterproofs, and every sort of wrap we could command, were necessary to comfort, — a rapid change in temperature, when it is remembered that when we left Milan in the morning the thermometer was at ninety. The same evening at Colico, with winter cloth- ing, a fire would have been decidedly com- fortable. BEAUTIES OF THE LAKE. Lake Como cannot be so described as to do justice to its varied attractions. Its width is not more than three or four miles, and the shore on each side is always visible from the deck of the steamer. The private villas are painted in bright colors, gleaming amid gardens and groves of lemon-, orange-, and citron- trees. Every establishment of any pre- tension has its fountain, and all have solid granite Avails built up out of the water, with water-gates supplied with steps for landing and embarkation. The little steamer Unione glided from side to side of the lake, stopping at the villages, and landing or taking off passengers, giving us full opportunity to view all points of interest. Byron's description of the lake is certainly by no means ex- aggerated : " Sublime, but neither bleak nor bare Nor misty are the mountains there — Softly sublime — profusely fair; Up to tlicir summits clothed in green, And fruitful as the vales between, Tliey lightly rise, And scale the skies, And groves and gardens still abound; For where no shoot Could else take root, The peaks are shelved and terraced round. Earthward appear, in mingled growth, The mulberrj' and maize; above The trellis'd vine extends to both The leafy shade they love. Looks out the white-wall'd cottage here, The lowly chapel rises near; Far down the foot must roam to reach The lovely lake and bending beach; ■While chestnut green and olive gray Checker the steep and winding way." But, notwithstanding all these romantic surroundings, the people here have a practical turn of mind. The streams which come down from the snow-clad mountains in the rear are availed of for milling-purposes, and there are numerous manufacturing villages on their banks, most of them being for the manufacture of silk. Oil the eastern shore of the lake a turnpike, with walled bank, fre- quently tfnineling its way through the mountain-spurs, extends the whole dis- tance from Como to Colico, connecting with the Splugen Pass across the Alps. We reached Colico at four o'clock, and, having secured a pretty good dinner, prepared to take our departure in the diligence which leaves at half-past eight o'clock for Chur, in Switzerland, crossing the Alps at Splugen Pass, SWITZERLAND. Chub, Switzerland, August 1, 1873. CROSSING THE ALPS. We arrived here last evening at five o'clock, having been for twenty hours, since half-past eight o'clock on Tuesday night, confined to a diligence crossing the Alps in the midst of a furious storm of thunder, lightning, and rain, which by no means added to the pleasures of the trip. The whole distance from Milan, consuming over thirty-two hours, was made without rest, a pretty severe ordeal for the ladies of the party, espe- cially when the numerous incidents of this stormy night are taken into consid- eration. To cross the Alps has never been an accomplishment of which we were very ambitious, being always in- clined to dodge them by taking to the Mediterranean or passing under them at Mont Cenis, and we shall certainly never undertake to cross them again during a thunder-storm. A FEARFUL NIGHT ON THE ALPS. Starting at nine o'clock, we moved off into impenetrable darkness, amid a rap- idly-falling rain, which, as we progressed up the foot-hills of the mountain, increased to a storm-, accompanied with lightning and thunder, that echoed and re-echoed among the mountains like the explosion of a thousand pieces of artillery. Sud- denly the diligence stopped, and a not very prepossessing countenance, with lan- tern in hand, opened the door and told us we must all alight. At least this was all we could make out of his mixture of German and Italian. We obeyed orders, and found that the torrent coming down from the mountain had swept away the bed of the road for a long distance, and that some planks had been laid on the rocks for the passengers to cross. The water was still rushing down in great vol- ume, but we were enabled to get over with dry feet, and then the vehicle was some- how dragged over the chasm, bouncing AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 251 and jumping in a way that would not have made its occupancy at the time very pleas- ant. AVe were soon in and off again, and in two hours reached Chiavenna, a town of about three thousand inhabitants, at the foot of the chief ascent. On the route the roaring of the swollen mountain- streams was equal in sound to that of Niagara, and, although we could not see, indicated close proximity to a cataract of rushing water. At Chiavenna, at midnight, we were again invited to get out and take seats in another diligence, a portion of the passen- gers in which had left to cross by another route. We were all crowded in, with scarcely room to move our limbs, com- pelled to carry both baskets and bundles in our laps, and soon the lumbering vehi- cle was crawling slowly up the mountain- ascent. The road was smooth, as all Italian turnpikes are, and must have been constructed at immense coast, being mostly walled to the height of five to ten feet, and having many stone bridges thrown across the mountain-streams. Where the ascent is very rapid it is accomplished by a succession of zigzag roads, and at break of day we could count six or seven road-beds in sight from below, over which we had passed in our winding course. At some points of the road we passed through tunnels cut through the solid rock, and on all sides of us were beds of snow filling the ravines, where it had accumulated during the past winter, and thus far resisted the warmth of the summer sun. The atmosphere was cold and chilly, and the rain continued to pour down in torrents, causing numerous cata- racts of water, tearing and roaring down the mountain-sides, the peaks of which towered thousands of feet above our heads. STORM ON THE ALPS. It was truly a grand spectacle; but it requires energy and enthusiasm to make the enjoyment counterbalance the annoy- ances and fatigue of Alpine journeying. We had not gone far after daybreak before the diligence was stopped by in- formation that the road a short distanc«e ahead of us was washed out by a cataract, and it would be impossible to pass. In a few minutes we reached the point of the disaster, and found a mountain-stream of great volume pouring down, bringing with it boulders and rocks, and had already washed out the bed of the road to the depth of about six feet. The rain was still falling in torrents, and the volume of the stream momentarily enlarg- ing. To get the diligence over tJiis break was an impossibility; but in the course of a half-hour another arrived on the opposite side of the breach, when it was determined to change passengers. Some boards were fixed across the chasm, and the men were compelled to find their way over as best they could, though the dili- gence-men did their best to aid the ladies, in some cases lifting them bodily. We finally all got seated and ready for moving on again, pretty well soaked with rain and splashed with mud. Among the pas- sengers with whom we exchanged vehicles were a number of ladies and children. ACROSS THE SPLUGEN PASS. At eight o'clock we reached the highest point of the Splugen, and were much pleased to see the mountain-streams re- versing their course. There was, how- ever, no cessation in the rain, and the roaring and dashing torrents were still sweeping madly past us. Every moun- tain-peak that we passed had a miniature cataract pouring down from crag to crag, all tending to swell the rush of water below. We of course moved down the mountain at a much more rapid rate than we ascended, and at ten o'clock, after passing at Piannaco a miniature waterfall of nearly eight hundred feet, reached the town of Splugen, near the source of the Rhine, where it is simply an insignificant mountain-stream, now swollen consider- ably, and tumbling in wild confusion in its steep descent over its rocky bed. At Spliigen we were among the Swiss, and found a capital hotel, where we obtained the best breakfast we had par- taken of for three weeks, and enjoyed it with an appetite sharpened by our night's travel. The cooking of everything in olive oil, which is the practice in Italy, is not very palatable to Americans, espe- cially as the aforesaid oil, in most places, is quite rancid ; and to get where good butter was substituted was quite a treat. Then the cleanliness of everything about gave assurance that we would not take back to the diligence any more fleas than we had brought across the mountains with us in our clothing. This was quite a comforting reflection, especially to the ladies, who do not expect to be whole again in flesh for a week to come. THE VIA MALA. After leaving Spliigen the turnpike follows close to the banks of the Rhine, with towering and almost perpendicular mountains on either side. In fact, at 252 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH various points of the road the Rhine winds its way through upright walls of rock from twelve to thirty feet apart, and BIX hundred feet below the turnpike. The river, now swollen and enlarged in vol- ume by the torrents coming down from the mountains, presented a wild rushing avalanche of muddy water of a deep choc- olate color. Even when coursing along over the rocks, with a hundred feet of channel, it dashed its spray high in the air, and when forced through these narrow chasms roared so wildly as almost to make the rocks tremble with its force. These narrow chasms are called by the Swiss the Via Mala. Thousands of tour- ists are attracted here to view the Rhine forcing its way through these rocky gorges. The chasms at some points are a half-mile in length, and the scene is a grand one where this mighty torrent breaks away again into a wider bed and sweeps on, only again to be forced and compressed through what might almost be considered a crevice in the rocks. The heavy rain still falling and numerous mountain-torrents pouring into the river rendered the scene as we viewed it im- pressively grand. The storm was the greatest one that had occurred for years, bringing down from the mountains rocks weighing in some instances a half-ton, and sweeping away a turnpike and its bridges that had stood undisturbed amid the rag- ing of the elements for forty years or more. MORE DISASTERS. At several points on the route the turn- pike was found to be badly washed by the mountain-sti-eams, but we were en- abled to drag along through them until we arrived near the village of Andrea, when we were again stopped by a stream that had not only torn away the stone turnpike bridge, but had piled up on either side of the road-bed about ten feet of mud and rock, the former of the con- sistency of very soft mortar, as a number of the passengers found upon venturing to walk over it to view the stream of mud and rock still pouring down from the mountain and losing itself in the rushing waters of the wild and turbulent Rhine. Here we found a number of men belong- ing to the diligence-company at work making preparations to carry the pas- sengers and baggage across the chasm, which was finally accomplished by laying new boards over the mud and over the bed of the torrent rapidly subsiding, as the rain had ceased to fall for about an hour. The ladies of course got their skirts muddy and their feet wet again, but after the experiences of the night they had learned to regard this as a slight matter, and we were soon off once more on our way through the magnificent valley of the Rhine, with its towering mountains, some of them rising six thousand feet above us, and all with their sides and foot-hills terraced and cultivated wherever vegeta- tion could be made to take root. HEAD OF THE RHINE. It was interesting, as we coursed our way along the banks of the Rhine, to no- tice its gradual increase in volume, swollen by various tributaries, and as it was on this occasion by thousands of mountain- torrents. Long before we reached Chur it had increased from an insignificant stream to a wide and rushing river, hurled along with wonderful impetuosity. At Chur its bed is half a mile in width, and its current indicates that it is still rapidly and madly coursing its way down towards the falls, where it takes a tumble over one hundred feet, and thenceforth becomes a quiet, respectable, staid, and navigable river, distinguished throughout its course for the magnificence of its scenery and the beauty of the castles and palaces on its banks, as well as the verdure and su- perior cultivation of the bordering land. Switzerland is a land of mountains and lakes, a land of valleys teeming with vege- tation, a land of glaciers, torrents, and waterfalls. It is a famous summer resort for the whole world, and now here at Chur all the hotels, at least a dozen in number, are thronged with strangers, and every train brings a new supply. This is the point from which excursions are made to view the famous A^ia Mala, and as we came down the turnpike yesterday we passed scores of tourists, with their guide-books and glasses in hand. There were also a considerable number visible at all the hotels on the route, and this morning we witnessed the departure of a half-dozen more loaded diligences, with ladies and gentlemen of all nationalities. ATTRACTIONS OF SWITZERLAND. The whole of Switzerland is not as large as the State of New York. The Alps di- vide it from Germany on the east, and Italy on the south and southwest. It is a glorious little republic, situated in the very heart of Europe, and the love of the people for independence, and their intense affection for their native land, have taught the surrounding monarchies that they can- not bring it into subjection. The great AMEBIC AX SPECTACLES. charm of Switzerland, next to its natural scenery, is the air of well-being, the neat- ness, the sense of propriety imprinted on the people, their dwellings, and their plots of land. They generally own their home- steads, and are always building, repairing, altering, or improving something about their tenements. In the agricultural re- gions everybody works, men, women, and children, and even the cows have their allotted task, whilst the land is cultivated almost entirely by hand- or garden-labor. The female, although not exempt from out-door work, undei-takes the thinking and managing departments in the family affairs, and the husband is but the execu- tive officer. The wife is, in fact, very re- markably superior in manners, hal)its, tact, and intelligence to the husband in almost every family in the middle and lower classes of Switzerland. The hotels of Switzerland are the best in Europe, and some travelers go so far as to assert that they are the best in the world. They are neat and clean and comfortable, and the food is prepared in a plain but substantial manner, which is peculiarly palatal)le to those who have been sojourning in Italy or France and eating they scarcely know what. You see snails in market in Italy and imagine that the pdMs have one or two coiled up in their depths. The meat is first boiled to make your soup, and then served up as roast meat. Of all things detestable to spend an hour over is an Italian table- d'hote, with its incomprehensible succes- sion of dishes and its scarcity of every- thing that is palatable. They feed one hundred persons at a dollar per head off of ten dollars' worth of provisions, and then boil the bones and whatever is left to make the soup for the next meal. With this kind of feed it does not cost us as much to live as it does at home, but we imagine that our hotel-keepers would soon become millionaires if they could econ- omize food as it is done in an Italian hotel. Zurich, Switzerland, August 2, 1873. We remained over a day longer than we anticipated in the Swiss town ofCoire (pronounced Chur), in order to enjoy the delicious climate, view the town and its surroundings, and visit the famous springs of Pfaffers, at the village of Ragatz, about fifteen miles distant, which is regarded as one of the most singular spots in Europe. THE TOWN OF COIRE. Coire is situated on the river Plessur, which a short distance below empties into the Rhine. It is the capital of the Grisons, and contains about seven thousand in- habitants. It owes its importance to the trade of the SplUgen and Bernardin Passes of the Alps, which have attracted to it all the railroads of Switzerland whose ter- mini are here. All travel across the Alps by either of these passes concentrates at Coire, and a half-dozen diligences leave here daily with excursionists and travel- ers. Those who desire to see all that is beautiful and wonderful in the Alps with- out crossing them come here to make an excursion to Splugen, which can be reached by diligence in about four hours. A seat on the top of the diligence gives a fine view of the whole country, as well as of the roaring Rhine on its passage through the Via Mala. THE SPRINGS OF PFAFFERS. The scenery around Ragatz is wild and romantic. Plere, too, a mountain-stream comes tearing down the clefts of a rock like the Via Mala, and were it not so near the Via Mala it would be considered a great wonder. The rush of water is as great, the roar as loud, but the width of the cleft through which the river is forced is much narrower, though equally as deep from the surface. There were large numbers of visitors arriving on every train to view the springs and the scenery, and at least one hundred carriages with visitors from neighboring resorts arrived during our stay. As we approach the village of Ragatz the precipitous sides of the foot-hills be- yond are seen to have a break or divide in the middle, forming a deep ravine, through which the Tamina River flows, or rather seethes and surges between a nar- row cleft in the rocks with an impetuosity equal to that of the Rhine among the Alps. A carriage-road so narrow that turn-out places have been made at certain points, and which barely admits of a car- riage- and foot-way, has been constructed high up on one side of this ravine, at great expense. The sides of this carton rise precipitously to a height of six hun- dred to eight hundred feet, in some places overhanging the path and shutting out a view of the lofty mountains which hem it in. Trees here and there hang over the edge of the cliffs as if just ready to fall and close the gorge with their own wrecks. It seems sometimes almost as if the walls of the rocky cliffs had met in front and swallowed the intruding road which crept within its jaws ; but over embankments and grooves, in the sheer upright rocks, 254 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH and cuts not large or long enough to de- serve the name of tunnels, the road dodges as it were the difficulties and works its tortuous way along for two and a half miles to the Bath House and Hotel Pfaffers, which extend across the entire width of the ravine. It is through this house that you enter the great gorge, which might rather be termed a crack in the mountain. The sides here are but a few feet apart, rising perpendicularly from the foaming waters far below and almost meeting overhead, so far above you that you cannot dis- tinguish the exact outlines of the over- hanging cliifs, from the edges of which small rivulets drop their tiny streams to mingle with the noisy torrent below. The only path through this part is a wooden balcony fastened or suspended to the rock on one side, with the rushing river far below and a glimmering light overhead. Following this fragile pathway, with um- brella raised, for six or eight hundred feet, you come to the source of the Hot Springs in a chamber cut into the solid rock, whence a steam continually issues, and where, by the aid of a lamp, you see the hot water pouring into a large tank, from which it is conveyed in wooden pipes to the bath-house for use. The temperature of the water is 100° Fahrenheit. It is re- markably pure, but tasteless. Returning, j'ou note the crowd of vis- itors, for this is no unusual day, who fill the route. During our brief visit of two or three hours there must have been three hundred visitors, of whom two hun- dred walked to and from the railroad sta- tion. In one procession were twelve carriages, each with its driver walking and cracking his whip to give warning to pedestrians of his approaching team. It was curious to note the difference in the several nationalities who there made a display of their good or bad breeding. The Germans invariably bowed and often removed the hat, the French said a spark- ling "Bon-jour," but the Americans and English passed on without a sign, unless, indeed, the turn of the head for one last look after passing generally distinguished the American from his English cousin. THE SWISS RAILROADS. We left Coire this morning by railroad for Zurich, which is about one hundred miles distant. On entering the cars we found them, for the first time in Europe, constructed on the American plan, except that they have a partition at one end for ladies who are traveling alone. They have conductors the same as our roads, who pass through the cars and collect the tickets. They carry a silver whistle, with which they signal to the engineer to go ahead ; he responds with the steam- whistle, and the train moves ofl". There are three classes and three rates of fare, the only difference in the cars being that the higher rates have better upholstering than the lower rates. BEAUTY OF SWITZERLAND. The country which we passed, although very mountainous, was through a broad valley, and most of the mountains being of very gradual ascent were cultivated to their very summits. The vegetation is very luxuriant, and the cottages and farm- houses bright and beautiful, with all the evidences around them of thrift and in- dustry. We passed a large number of ruins of old castles, with their towers and battlements, which are left standing as a reminder of the days when they were the strongholds of a tyranny now passed away forever. There are no palaces in Switzer- land except those reared by industry, the homes of men who have carved out their own fortunes by the sweat of the brow. Royalty has no home here, and the people have allowed everything that pertained to it to go to ruin. Well would it be if some of their neighbors would follow their example. There are no soldiers of any account here, no standing army, very few fortifications, no extensive garrisons or military structures. The people are all producers, .and the country is prosper- ous. Every man is, however, accustomed to arms, and ready to do battle for his country at a moment's notice. The great mass of the people through the section of Switzerland we are now traverisng are Protestants, though in the rural and mountainous districts the ma- jority are Catholics. It is estimated that three-fifths of the whole population of the country are Protestants, and two-fifths Catholics. ON "fair Zurich's waters." This, if we remember right, was the title of a sentimental love-song, or it may have been " By the Margin of Fair Zu- rich's Waters," which the young ladies of America a long time ago delighted to sing to their admirers. Well, here we are on Lake Zurich, and a fairer or more beautiful sheet of water it would be difficult to find anywhere. On reaching Rapperschwyl on the railroad, which is at the head of navigation of the lake, we left AMERICAN SPECTACLES. 255 the cars and took passage on the steam- boat St.Gothard for Zurich, in order to view the scenery on the route. On both sides of the lake there are large and stirring towns, the houses presenting a neat ap- pearance with their white walls and green shutters. Here there are numerous manu- facturing villages, the silk-mills being run by the mountain-streams, and many of them by steam. The distance to Zurich on the lake is about twenty miles, but, as the boat stopped for passengers at many of the towns, first on one side and then on the other, the distance run was fully thirty miles. The lake is five miles wide at its broadest point, but the general average width is only about three miles. The mountains bordering Lake Zurich are not more than fifteen hundred feet high, and are not as bleak and bold as those around Lake Como. Their ascent is so gradual that they are cultivated mostly to their tops, the dark green of the mulberry-trees and the lighter shade of the newly-mown fields presenting a charm- ing contrast. The neat cottages and farm- honses, all pure white, present from the lake a most attractive picture. Lake Como is for the most part adorned with gay villas and hotels for the accommoda- tion of pleasure-seekers, with summer palaces for royal retirement ; but Lake Zurich presents everywhere a scene of busy life and of industry. Steamers were plying upon it, towing rafts and lighters, whilst other gay and handsome crafts were conveying passengers to and fro. We passed before reaching Zurich prob- ably thirty towns, ranging from two thousand to ten thousand inhabitants, the buildings generally being from four to five stories, all painted white, with the never-failing green shutters. The red- tiled roofs of Italy give way here to slate and cedar shingles, and we can almost imagine that we are passing the towns on one of our Western rivers, even the German names on the houses which greet our vision as we stop at the wharves serv- ing to increase the illusion. As we approach Zurich the mountains become less elevated, and towns and cottages and manufacturing establish- ments more numerous. Gay villas and country-seats of the solid men of Zurich are also interspersed among the cottages, some of which have their towers and parapets in imitation of the olden time when Switzerland was an appendage of Austria, and l)efore she had secured and maintained her independence from roy- alty and kingcraft. Perhaps some of them are the remnants of those da.ys, now in possession of the sturdy republicans who have labored to prove to the nations of Europe the capacity of man for self- government. Most of the manufactories on the banks of Lake Zurich are for silk and velvets, for the hills are covered with mulberry- trees. The large buildings standing high up on the hills, all of them white, check- ered with black, are the cocooneries, where the worms are fed that supply these immense establishments with the raw material. As we approach Zurich, towards the easternmost end of the lake, the grape is also largely cultivated, at some points scarcely anything else appear- ing in the fields. Although Zurich has three times the number of inhabitants that Como has, it has not one-third the number of churches. What there are of them are bright and beautiful and new, with steeples and clocks, and have the merit of having been erected by the present generation, instead of having come as heirlooms from remote ancestors. Zurich, Switzerland, August 4, 1873. THE CITY OF ZURICH. The city of Zurich is situated at the northern extremity of the lake, the river Limmat passing through it. This is a stream of considerable volume, and its waters are so clear that the pebbles can be seen at a depth of some twelve or fifteen feet. The population of Zurich, including the suburbs, is about forty-six thousand, and its location on the banks of the lake is one of surpassing beauty. The hills which surround it are green to the summit, gemmed with lovely villages and beautifulvillas, whilst the snow-capped towers of the Alpine region fill up south- ward the distant view. Turning as it were their swords into pruning-hooks, the ram- parts which formerly surrounded Zurich have been changed into delightful prome- nades and flower-gardens, the scene from which about sunset is perfectly enchant- ing- The inhabitants of Zurich are distin- guished for their spirit and enterprise, and the numerous institutions for the cultivation of leai'ning in the town have given it the name of the literary capital of Protestant Switzerland. They are quite puritanical, however, in their no- tions, so much so that there are no theatres allowed here, and to give a private ball special permission must be asked of the authorities. 256 EUROPE VIEWED THROUGH THE PEOPLE OF ZURICH. There is probably less intoxicating liquor or even beer consumed in Zurich than in any city of its size in the world. Taverns or drinking-houses are very scarce, and these are confined mostly to the sale of beer and wine. Drunkenness is said to 1)6 almost unknown, and many other vices that prosper elsewhere have no ex- istence here. There are no corner loun- gers, everybody appearing to have some- thing to do and being intent upon doing it. We have not in three days met a beggar, or any of the usual sharpers who dog the steps of strangers in other cities on the Continent. The streets of the city are elegantly paved and are kept scrupulously clean. The stone blocks used for paving are all Erecisely one size, cut for the purpose, eing about four by two and a half inches upon the surface. The drives around Zurich are neither very extensive nor attractive, and the chief source of amusement therefore is sailing and boating on the lakes. A great many ladies can be seen every evening out with their friends handling the oars as grace- fully as a Spanish lady would her fan. The boys all have their neat little boats with oar-blades tipped with crimson, and take great pride in keeping them bright and beautiful. We have already mentioned that the dogs and cows are made to work here. We saw to-day quite a number of cows draw- ing wagons. They were very large white animals, and one of them had evidently brought her milk with her from the country, for a woman was milking her as she stood with the yoke around her neck. The dogs also work, and appear as happy