A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE, IN 1851: IN A SERIES OF LETTERS, ADDRESSED TO THE EDITORS OF THE CHARLESTON COURIER. BY "A TRAVELLER." y. ■ Sr s CHARLESTON: WALKER AND JAMES. 1852. CHARLESTON: STEAM POWER-PRESS OF WALKER AND JAMES, 101, 103 and 105 East-Bay. PREFACE. Thf fob Letters, original!,, published in the Charleston Courier, in the course of the last Summer, it r,-w republished, at the request of some of the partial friends ot the wri f •*- ho are desirous of possessing them in a more convenient form than thai J ed in the columns of a newspaper. This request has been the mo' dily acceded to by him, in the hope that they might be founc. useful, in the way of reference, to other tourists who may have occasion to pass over the same route. A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE, LETTER I. MONDAY, April 14. On board Steamship Arctic, from New. York for Liverpool. It has occurred to me, Messrs. Editors, that a brief journal of the occurrences on board one of these splendid ships, on a voyage across the Atlantic, might not be uninteresting to your readers. I shall not attempt to give you a particular account or de- scription of this floating palace, for so she may be appropri- ately designated, as a full description of her was given when she made her first voyage last autumn ; but when it is known that the ships belonging to this line of American mail steam pack- ets are first fitted for sea at an expense of six hundred and fifty thousand dollars each, it will readily be conceived that they are made to combine every thing in which strength, ele- gance, convenience, and comfort are embraced. The ship's company of the Arctic, including officers, seamen, firemen, servants, &c, number one hundred and thirty persons ; and we have on board one hundred and twenty passengers — of this number only about twenty are ladies. Amongst the gentlemen, we have the Hon. C. B. Haddock, Charge d' Affaires of the United States to the Court of Lisbon. He takes out with him a treaty of amity between the two countries, ratified by the Senate at the close of the late session 6 a summer's tour m Europe. of Congress. Mr. H. is a gentleman of highly cultivated mind, is a nephew of Mr. Webster, Secretary of State, and is thought to resemble him very much in manner and personal appearance. We have also, in our list of passengers, the Hon. S. G. Goodrich, recently appointed Consul of the United States, to succeed Mr. Walsh at Paris. This latter gentleman has done much, during a long residence in France, both in a private and public capacity, to elevate and vindicate the American character and its institutions ; and we doubt not that his suc- cessor, carrying with him, as he does, a world-wide literary reputation, founded in some degree upon his writings under the well known name of " Peter Parley," will be enabled to do like good service to our country. There is also among our passengers, the Hon. G. W. Wright one of the members of Congress from California, a gentleman of indomitable energy and perseverance, who is said to have traversed, within the last two years, more of the mineral re- gions of that newly acquired territory, than perhaps any other American citizen. He has with him, it is understood, a most extensive cabinet of specimens of the rich minerals of that region, with which he expects to tempt the capitalists of Eng- land to unite more extensively in furnishing the necessary means for advantageously developing them. There are, besides these gentlemen already named, two gentlemen, who are bearers of despatches from the Depart- ment of State to our Ministers at the Courts of London and Paris — the Rev. Dr. Chowles, of the Baptist Church at New- port, Rhode Island, has the latter, and Mr. J. S. Cunningham those for London. Dr. C. has with him three or four inter- esting youths under his tuition, who, availing themselves of their vacation, are taking a short excursion to Europe. Mr, Cunningham has, in addition, a commission from the Govern A SUMMER S TOUR IN EUROPE. or of Virginia to observe and report to him the proceedings at the World's Fair in London. He is a native of your own city, his father himself held a situation in the office of the Courier for several years, and more recently conducted a paper at Portsmouth, Virginia, to which his son afterwards succeeded. The Arctic left New- York at noon on Wednesday, 2d inst. The day was dark and rainy, as was that of the following day ; but Friday and Saturday were two as beautiful days as ever shone out of the heavens, the sea quite calm, with a gentle breeze ahead, and the ship making her way nobly. At me- ridian, on the last named day, when exactly three days from port, a sad accident befel us. Many of the passengers had just taken their seats at table for lunch, when the engine was suddenly stopped — each one looked enquiringly to his neigh- bor as to the cause, and a moment after it was whispered along the table that a man had been killed by the engine. We left the table, and on enquiry ascertained that the intelli- gence was but too true. A young man of the name of Wil- liam Irwin, of New- York, an assistant engineer, who was engaged in oiling some part of the machinery, missed his hold, and in his fall was struck by a lever of the engine, and fell a lifeless corpse upon the floor of the engine room. It was un- derstood that he had left a young widow and an aged mother at home, dependent in a great degree upon his labors for their support. A meeting of the passengers was immediately con- vened in the cabin, and a subscription for their relief opened, which in a very short time amounted to between three and four hundred dollars, which was placed in the hands of Capt. Luce, to be thus applied when he should carry back to the bereaved ones the sad story of their loss. We have read, from time to time, affecting accounts of a burial at sea, but no one can appreciate the melancholy so- lemnity of such a scene, but those who have witnessed it. In 8 A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. this instance all the necessary preparations had been made, the body, sewed up in blankets, had been firmly lashed to a board, with a heavy weight attached to the feet, and placed upon the upper deck ; many of the passengers and crew were assembled to pay their last tribute of respect to a fellow-mortal, the engine was stopped, and the Kev. Mr. Coxe, of the Epis- copal Church, appeared dressed in his robes of white, and the service for the burial of the dead was commenced. On the Reverend Preacher's reaching the solemn words, " w 7 e con- sign his body to the deep," the remains were launched over the side into the sea, and no doubt soon reached the bottom of the ocean. What a solemn lesson to all present ! A young- man in the prime of life, who but an hour or two before was iu the full enjoyment of life, with all its alluring prospects before him, in an instant precipitated into eternity, and his remains thus consigned to the bottom of the ocean. On the following clay we had religious exercises on board, both morning and evening — in the morning by the Rev. Dr. Chowles, and in the evening by the Rev. Mr. Coxe, of the Episcopal Church in Hartford, Connecticut. On both occa- sions especial reference was made by the preachers to the sad event of the preceding day, and fervent prayers were sent up on high that we might be spared from any further calami- ty during our voyage, and that this sad dispensation might be hallowed to the immediate family of the deceased, and especially to a younger brother who is on board the ship in a subordinate capacity, and who was thus early called upon to drink of the cup of sorrow, to its dregs, by witnessing the mangled remains of an affectionate brother consigned to the deep. On Sunday we were also afforded an opportunity of view- ing, in all its splendor, one of those imposing, and at the same time appalling sights, an immense iceberg; it was in A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. 9 sight of us for several hours, and at one time within two or three miles of us. When the sun was shining upon it bright- ly, it had the appearance, of an immense castle or fortress. Near to it was another, which, from its retaining the same relative position whilst in sight, induced us to suppose that it might be attached to it by an intermediate body of floating ice. This last had a perpendicular elevation upon it resem- bling the slender steeple of a church. In the course of the following night, and on the morning of Monday, several oth- ers were observed, but we then lost sight of them, and saw no more during the remainder of the voyage. Our course, it appeared, had been rather further south than usual, in order to avoid these dangerous impediments to navigation, which were known to exist in large bodies in the more direct north- erly track across the Atlantic. In the course of Sunday and Monday we passed in sight of a number of vessels, mostly homeward bound ; but of the number there were two or three brigs, under French colors, bound on their annual fishing excursions to the Grand Banks. This trade is carried on by the French in much larger vessels than those used by the English and American fishermen, most of which are small schooners. On Tuesday and Wednesday we had strong gales from the north, and for the three following days equally strong ones from the east, which necessarily retarded our progress ; and being accompanied with much rain, consigned most of the passengers to the saloons, or to their state-rooms, and many to their couches, oppressed with that nausea with which old father Neptune is accustomed to visit nearly all who venture upon his domain. On Sunday, the 13th, we were favored with more moderate weather, and again had the pleasure of listening to the Rev. gentlemen who had ministered to us on the preceding Sab- 10 bath. In the forenoon, Mr. Coxe read for us the morning service of the Episcopal Church, and afterwards delivered a most interesting extemporaneous address ; and, in the eve- ning, Dr. Chowles commenced the service with prayer, and also addressed us in a most impressive practical discourse. In this, as on the former Sabbath, the pious devotions of the day were much aided by a numerous choir of amateur sing- ers, who not only on the Sabbath, but frequently in the early watches of the " stilly night," whiled away the lagging hours with their sweet voices. Shortly after the conclusion of the morning service, we made the high land of Mizen Head, to the westward of Cape Clear, and at four o'clock had passed that Cape, when w T e met the Cunard steamer Asia coming out from Liverpool, with a fine fair wind. The two vessels passed each other very quick- ly, but the usual courtesies were observed, of exchanging sig- nals ; and the Asia will, no doubt, have reported us thus near to our port of destination, a week earlier than our friends would otherwise have heard from us. The British steamer must have made the run from Liverpool to the Cape, two hundred and eighty -five miles, in about twenty-four hours. During the remainder of the afternoon and evening, we were running along the south coast of Ireland, reminding us, as it did, of many of our warm-hearted friends, natives of the Eme- rald Isle, whom we had left at our homes. Towards sunset we passed near to what is called the " Fastness Rock," upon which has been erected within the past year a neat little light- house, presenting, as it does, a pretty contrast in its white pro- portions, to the black sugar-loaf shaped rock, rising abruptly out of the water, upon which it is placed ; and before we retired to rest, we left the bright and beautiful light upon the Old Head of Kinsale far behind us. The weather was not sufficiently clear, during the afternoon, to distinguish very A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. 11 plainly the various mansions, situated upon the elevated land in sight ; but some of them were sufficiently large and con- spicuous to be readily discerned. At noon, to-day, we were off Holyhead, but the tide not serving, we cannot enter the Mersey until the evening. Our ship has thus made the run from New-York in twelve days — not so soon, indeed, as she has once before performed the voy- age, which was then completed in ten days and ten hours, on which occasion she made a run of three hundred and thirty miles in twenty-four hours. Our greatest speed during this passage gave us but two hundred and ninety-one miles, whilst one day, with a heavy head sea and strong head wind, we only accomplished two hundred and twenty miles. I have learned whilst on this voyage, what I was not before aware of, that a large portion of the fresh water used on board the sea steamers, is obtained, by a simple process of distilla- tion, from steam generated in the boilers from salt water. The steam is passed through pipes or worms to a jet of cold water thrown constantly upon them by the wheels, when the saline particles being separated, the fresh water becomes con- densed, and is passed into a tank for use. Whilst laying off the bar at the mouth of the Mersey, a meeting of the passengers was convened, and committees ap- pointed to prepare resolutions expressive of their high appro- bation of the skill and gentlemanly bearing of Captain Luce and of his officers, and their estimation of the safety, comfort, and elegance of his noble ship, which, when reported, were unanimously adopted. You will find a copy of these pro- ceedings at length in the papers which will reach you at the same time with this letter, and I shall be glad if you will give them a place, as I consider the important enterprise in which the company owning this splendid line of steamships 12 Las embarked, is eminently worthy of the encouragement of the American people and government. A Traveller. LETTER II. LONDON, Apeil 25. You may well imagine, Messrs. Editors, from what you see in the London papers which I send you by this steamer, that there is little else thought of here but the Great Ex- hibition, which now engrosses the attention of every one. I experienced, however, a feeling of disappointment at the first sight of the Crystal Palace — a feeling similar to that felt on approaching the Pyramids of Egypt ; but this feeling was succeeded by one of astonishment, on a nearer view of the exterior of the immense structure, and still more on entering it, and beholding its vast proportions and dazzling splendor. I shall not attempt a description of it, for no description can possibly come up to the reality. Its dimensions, however, are: Length, 1,848 feet; width, 408 feet; height, 66 feet; the transept, 108 feet high ; iron columns, 3,230 ; iron girders, 2,244; iron bearers, 1,128; 34 miles of gutter ; 900,000 feet of glass; gallery, 24 feet wide ; site, 18 acres. The contract is for £79,800, or £130,000 if the building be retained. Through the kindness of friends, I have been enabled to visit the building repeated!}', and although everything is in comparative confusion, and thousands of workmen busily engaged in completing and decorating the edifice, and in fitting up and arranging the multifarious objects intended 13 for exhibition, yet a very good opportunity is afforded to examine those massy ones, many of which are already in their places, that are likely to attract universal attention. It has been officially announced, within a few days, that the exhibition will be opened by her Majesty, the Queen, on the first day of May — the time originally named for the purpose ; and although there is a vast deal to be done to get everything in readiness, there is not the least doubt that this intention will be carried out. It is supposed that there may be some fifteen thousand persons present in the building to witness this imposing ceremony, admitted by tickets at two and three guineas each, which will alone furnish a handsome proportion of the expense of its erection. The subdivisons of the building have been judiciously made to accommodate all the various nations which have intimated their intention of submitting any of their works of art, manufactures, or products, at this great international fair. The western end of the palace is appropriated to the reception and display of the works of British artists and manufacturers ; the east end to those from the United States ; and the intermediate divisions to the nations of the East and of Europe. France and Germany are likely to take the lead in the beauty and elegance of their productions, whilst England will probably be but little, if any, behind them in this respect, and will most likely exceed them in the substantial value and dura- bility of many of their fabrics. It is not to be expected that our own country is at all prepared, at this early period, to compete with them in the finer descriptions of manufactures, or of objects of art ; but in many of the articles of domes- tic and general utility, I think we shall be able to compare advantageously with any of them. In agricultural imple- ments — the display of which will be large and imposing — we shall very far exceed any, and all, of them ; and in various 14 A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. other descriptions of manufactures, if we do no excel, we shall at least be enabled to compare very respectably with them, considering that our country is as yet but in its in- fancy, although that infancy is a herculean one. On my first visit to the exhibition, I naturally looked for those par- ticular objects which I knew had been sent from our own City and State ; and conspicuous among the number were the Cypress Canoe, and the little Pony Phaeton, which had obtained the premium at the Fair last autumn in Charleston ; and in a lot of bags of cotton from the South, the names of " W. Hampton" and " W. Seabrook," were conspicuous. It would fill a large volume, merely to enumerate the names of the various articles which will be oir exhibition ; and any attempt, therefore, to describe them in a letter, would be useless. The collection of statuary, in the department of arts, will be very large, and of the number there are many more beautiful than I have ever before seen, with some few rare exceptions. But the number of bronze figures will exceed beyond all comparison any which have heretofore been col- lected together for exhibition. Two or three are particularly good and imposing — one, a colossal lion, moulded in brass ; another, a bronze amazon, mounted upon a powerful horse, and attacked by a ferocious tiger, which has fastened itself upon the breast and neck of the noble animal, whilst the amazon is in the act of plunging a javelin into the head of the tiger. These are admitted, on all hands, to be amongst the most imposing and beautiful objects in the whole ex- hibition. The former is from Munich, the latter from Berlin. There are, likewise, in the same group, two bronze stags, as large as life, which are equally the objects of general admi- ration. But in the department of the arts, pre-eminent above all others will be found the marble statue of the A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. 15 Greek Slave, by our gifted countryman, Powers. It will probably be recollected, that the one exhibited in America was a copy by the same eminent artist, the original having been sold to an English gentleman, who kindly sends it to the exhibition. He values it so highly, that an offer of a very large sum, made to him by Prince Albert for it, has been declined. Foreigners admitted by privileged tickets to witness the development and arrangement of the various objects to be exhibited at the Fair, have hitherto been excluded from that portion of the building assigned to the subjects of Great Britain ; but to-day I was permitted to take a stroll through it. As might be expected, the exhibitors in this division are in a greater state of forwardness for the display, than those of other nations, many of whose articles have but very recently reached England, and they are indeed upon a very large and imposing scale. The most distinguished manu- facturing concerns throughout the three kingdoms, have fitted up the most showy stalls and subdivisions in the space allotted them, and decorated them in the handsomest man- ner, in which to display their various fabrics, and the effect will be to give them a decided advantage. The display of coaches and carriages is most extensive, embracing every description of vehicle, whether useful or ornamental, that has ever been seen ; and the various makers throughout the kingdom seem to have spared no labor or expense in pro- ducing the most substantial, as well as the most gaudy, vehicles that can well be conceived. The consequence is, that this department will exceed, in numbers at least, all that will be offered for inspection by all the other nations represented at the Fair. Their specimens, also, of locomotive engines and passenger cars, will be enabled to walk over the course, as I see none present from any other country. Those 16 A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. on exhibition of British fabric, are indeed beautiful specimens of the manufacturing art. The immense telescope of Lord Ross, will also adorn this division of the palace. It has been deemed, considering the immense number employed in the erection of this gigantic edifice, and the manner and mode in which it is constructed, necessarily ex- posing them to accidents, very fortunate that but two lives have been lost in the whole operation. The last of these fatal accidents occurred a day or two since. A man engaged in repairing some of the glass work of the roof, lost his balance, and falling through to the floor below, was almost in- stantly killed. Some difficulty has been experienced to keep the roof of the palace from leaking, the materials of which it is composed being so liable to contract and expand — the conse- quence is, that the goods are very liable to be damaged, and to prevent which, some of the exhibitors have erected over their respective divisions, a canopy of transparent oiled silk or paper, which serves not only to secure them from any falling drops of water, but from dust also. To remedy this difhculty/however, as well as to prevent the too strong rays of the sun upon the sloping roofs of the edifice, from creating too great a degree of heat within, the contractors yesterday commenced covering the entire roof with glazed white cloth, which will, no doubt, have the desired effect. The government and people generally, have evinced a commendable disposition to afford all the facilities possible to enable strangers to witness everything of an interesting character in and about London on this occasion; and the American Minister, who is called upon by most of our coun- trymen, on their arrival, is ever ready to extend his advice and assistance in any and every way in which he can afford them aid. The number yet arrived is not so great as was generally supposed would be present at the opening of the 17 Fair ; but there is very little doubt that we shall be fully represented before it is over. The official progamme of the ceremonies to be observed on the opening of the great exhibition, by her Majesty, will be found in the London papers of yesterday morning ; they will, no doubt, be of the most grand and imposing character, and the immense assemblage of fifteen thousand ladies and gen- tlemen, besides, I suppose, as many thousands of attendants, who will be admitted as exhibitors to the exhibition, and their assistants, all congregated under one immense roof, where a very large proportion of those will be able to see each other ; and the distinguished parties appertaining to the court, and to the diplomatic representatives of the various nations present, will exhibit a spectacle, I should suppose, unsurpassed by anything of the kind which has been before seen in the world. The ex-Queen of France, relict of Louis Philippe, with several members of her family, were present at the Crystal Palace yesterday, and, of course, attracted much observation. What a sad change in their destiny, from the period when she presided over the splendors of the palace of the Tuille- ries. The busy note of preparation is everywhere heard in mak- ing arrangements for opening the various places of exhi- bition and amusement, which are specially dedicated to what is here termed " the season," commencing with May day. It is predicted that the season this year will be a short one — that the nobility and gentry will be away to the country earlier than usual, to avoid the noise and bustle which London is expected to present when it shall be thronged with foreign visitors. Yours, &c, A Traveller. 18 A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. LETTER III. LONDON^Friday), May 2, 1851. May Day has come and gone, and with it has been accomplished the highly interesting and imposing ceremony of opening the great exhibition of the World's Fair, in the glass palace in Hyde Park. The day was mild and pleasant ; and although there was a slight fall of rain, just as the Queen left Buckingham Palace, it did not dampen the ardor of the hundreds of thousands of her loyal subjects who had assembled in, and almost covered the park, to cheer her on her way. The number of visitors congregated within the palace, was estimated, and I should think within bounds, at 25,000. It would be useless to attempt to number the immense collection in and around the park, and the adjoin- ing thoroughfares, which were all thronged with human beings, presenting the appearance of a sea of heads. The city and suburbs seemed to be entirely deserted during the morning hours ; and as the population of London and its immediate environs is now estimated at two and a half mil- lions, some idea may be formed of the great extent of the masses here congregated. As the procession from the Queen's palace was only composed of the royal carriages, and of those which conveyed the different branches of the royal family, it was not so imposing as it would have been had the trains of the foreign ambassadors joined in, as was done on the occasion of her coronation — these latter having previously arrived at the exhibition at such times as suited their own convenience. The Luke of Wellington, who now seems to be " the observed of all observers" in England, had also preceded her Majesty, and was hailed in the most enthu- siastic manner by the assembled multitude as he entered the A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. 19 palace, where he was observed for some time to be in close conversation with his distinguished associate on the field of Waterloo, the Marquis of Anglesey. The Queen, who is said to be remarkable for her punctuality in all her public engagements, entered the building precisely at twelve o'clock, and was received with the greatest enthusiasm. A tem- porary throne had been erected, composed of some of the most appropriate objects of art in the collection, on which her Majesty being seated, was surrounded by all the high officers of Church and State, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishops of Winchester and London, the Lord Chancellor, &c. The seats which on either side lined the nave, and the whole extent of the lower floor and galle- ries, had been reserved exclusively for the ladies ; and one standing in a central position would see, stretching from that point north and south, east and west, long lines of elegantly dressed women, whose animated countenances conveyed to the beholder a character of interest which no inanimate ob- jects, however beautiful, could supply. As her Majesty ascended the throne, one of the splendid organs which adorn the exhibition, struck up the national anthem of " God save the Queen," and an immense choir, collected for the occasion, accompanied the strain, and all seemed moved and excited by it. The Royal Commissioners now drew near the throne, and read to her Majesty a report of their proceedings, recapitu- lating the various means which had been resorted to for the construction and arrangement of the gigautic edifice, and the cordial assistance which they had received from all quarters, for carrying out the original design of its noble projector. They stated that the number of contributors, whose produc- tions it had been found possible to accommodate, were about 15,000, of which number nearly one half were British, and 20 that they had been arranged in four classes, viz : 1. Raw mate- rials ; 2. Machinery ; 3. Manufactures ; 4. Sculpture and the Fine Arts. To which her Majesty returned the following gracious answer : " I receive with the greatest satisfaction the address which you have presented to me on the opening of this exhibition. " I have observed, with a warm and increasing interest, the progress of your proceedings in the execution of the duties intrusted to you by the Royal Commission ; and it affords me sincere gratification to witness the successful result of your judicious and unremitting exertions in the splendid spectacle by which I am this day surrounded. " I cordially concur with you in the prayer, that, by God's blessing, this undertaking may conduce to the welfare of my people, and to the common interests of the human race, by encouraging the arts of peace and industry, strengthening the bonds of union among the nations of the earth, and promoting a friendly and honorable rivalry in the useful exercise of those faculties Avhich have been conferreel by a beneficent Providence for the good and happiness of man- kind." His Grace, the Archbishop of Canterbury, then approacheel the throne, and offered up a fervent prayer, invoking the blessing of the Almighty upon the undertaking, which was followed by the choir singing the Hallelujah Chorus ; and its effect may be easily imagined when it is stated, that the per- formers were selected from the Chapel Royal, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and St. George's Chapel, Windsor, assisted by many performers from the Royal Academy of Music, the Sacred Harmonic Society, and others, both foreign and English, A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. 21 The procession was then formed, and was of a very impos- ing character, in which were included Her Majesty, who led by the hand her son, the Prince of Wales, clad in the High- land costume, Prince Albert, with the little Princess Royal, all the members of the Court and high officers of State, the Foreign Ministers, Royal Commissioners, and commissioners from the various foreign nations represented on the occasion, the architects, contractors, &c, &c. As the procession ad- vanced, it was received everywhere with loud acclamations, and as it passed, each of the several organs, from Paris, from Erfurt, and that of British construction, in turn poured forth its powerful music, and this was followed by the bands of the Cold-Stream and Scotch Fusileer Guards, which as the procession rounded the eastern end of the building, enlivened the assembly by their spirit-stirring strains. Everywhere during the entire progress of the procession around the pa- lace, the cheering and waving of hats and handkerchiefs went on continuously, in which the numerous foreigners present seemed to vie with Her Majesty's most loyal subjects. These manifestations were most graciously responded to both by the Queen and Prince Albert. The Queen, it was thought, look- ed remarkably well, and bore the excitement of the occasion with her usual firmness and self-possession, but the Prince was evidently anxious, and exhibited considerable emotion when the ceremony was brought to a close ; which is easily accounted for when we remember that the project was one in which his name and reputation are to be forever hereafter as- sociated. The royal children were objects of much attention, especially the Prince of Wales, who was repeatedly cheered by the assemblage. When the procession had made the entire circuit of the im- mense edifice, and Her Majesty was again seated upon the throne, the Marquis of Breadalbane announced that the 22 Queen declared " the exhibition opened," — a flourish of trum- pets proclaimed the fact to the assembled multitude -within, which was repeated to the masses without by a salute of artil- lery at the Serpentine river. The royal family, with the court, then withdrew — the barriers which had separated the centre aisle of the building from the rest of the edifice, were now removed, and the twenty-five thousand visitors present were enabled to move about at pleasure. The papers which I send you by this conveyance, you will find filled with details of the. immense number of articles which were arranged in this great temple, for the inspection of all the world — and such an exhibition, I am persuaded, the world never before saw, and probably will never see again. .No one can obtain even a moderate knowledge of its con- tents, without days, if not weeks, of constant application — and if our own country has not furnished so large a portion of its contents as we could have wished, there are at least inven- tions of a useful character from the genius of Americans, of which they may well be proud ; and in the department of sculpture, the Greek Slave of Powers stands unrivalled. There is also to be seen in this collection, the statue, in purely white American marble, of a "Wounded Indian," executed by a youth of eighteen, who has never received any instruction in the art, which has attracted much notice, and promises for the youthful genius a lasting reputation, when he shall have been enabled, by study and experience, to execute some great work, of which this early evidence of his skill would seem to be the prelude. I have thus given you a hasty sketch of what occurred yes- terday at the opening of the World's Fair. If you have room for more extended details, the English papers will furnish you with them to any extent you may wish. Paris seems not disposed to be outdone by London in show 23 and parade, and we learn that the most extensive preparations have been made, and are now making, to celebrate, on Sun- day next, 4th instant, the anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic — military displays, fire-works of the most imposing character, and various other demonstra- tions are to be made, to give importance to the event. Some people appear to apprehend trouble on the occasion, and it is asserted that this fear has operated unfavorably upon the Stock Exchange in London. The subject of Protection is now most actively agitated throughout the kingdom, and very large and influential meet- ings of the party have been held within a few days at Edin- burgh and in London. The latter took place on Tuesday, at Drury Lane Theatre, which was so completely packed with people, as to render a supplementary meeting necessary to accommodate all who had come to attend it from both town and country. You will see in the London papers of the fol- lowing day, a very full account of it, with a long list of the nobility and members of Parliament who were in attendance. The Times, the most uncompromising free trade paper in the country, and which, as you know, exerts a potent influence in all matters of State policy, endeavors to break the force of those demonstrations by turning them into ridicule ; but it is very evident, I think, that public opinion is inclining at this moment in favor of Protection, and that if a new Parliament was to be elected, very considerable changes would be made in favor of the doctrine. A recent visit of a day or two into the agricultural districts of Wilts and Berkshire, satisfied me that complaints were loud and deep amongst the farmers, against the system of free trade which now prevails. Indeed it is confidently predicted that unless some relief is soon ex- tended to them, many of the substantial yeomen of England will emigrate either to the colonies or to the United States. 24 A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE, The weather for a fortnight past has been unusually cold for the season, and vegetation is consequently checked, which would otherwise have been very forward, as the winter was a remarkable one, there having been little or no snow or frost during the whole season. The city, as you may suppose, from the great influx of foreigners, and of people from the country, is now very full, and all the places of amusement consequently crowded. Two Italian Opera houses are in full blast, w'th strong rival com- panies ; Grisi and Mario at one, and Lablache and Sontag at the other. I am sorry to learn that this steamer will take out to you unfavorable accounts of the Cotton market at Liverpool, which has been much depressed of late. A Traveller. LETTER IV' PARIS, May 8. The journey from London to Paris is now performed with so much ease and expedition, as to induce hundreds to under- take it w T ho would never have thought of doing so under the old system of travelling by stage coaches and diligences. Now you can leave London at half-past ten in the morning by rail- road from the station at London bridge, reach Folkstone in about two hours, eighty-three miles, take the steamer at that place at half-past one, and make the run to Boulogne, twenty- nine miles, in about two hours more, arriving at Paris, one hundred and seventy miles, at half-past nine o'clock — eleven hours in all — so that you are enabled to take your breakfast in London at a very reasonable hour, and sup in Paris. A SUMMERS TOUR IN EUROPE-. 25 Most of the good people of Paris were sadly disappointed by the prevalence of a violent rain and hail storm on Sunday, the 4th instant, the anniversary of the proclaiming of the Re- public, by which all the preparations, upon which they had been weeks previously engaged, to welcome its return, were rendered of no avail. The fire-works were all ruined, the thousands of variegated lamps with which the Place de la Concord, the Champs d'Elysees, the garden of the Tuilleries, and various other places, had been festooned, were all either dimmed or extinguished — the innumerable flags prepared for the occasion, instead of floating in the breeze, were trailing to the ground ; and the hundreds of booths which had been erected in all directions, and in which the people had expect- ed to enjoy themselves with their accustomed sports and mer- riment, were, with their inmates, drenched by a cold and com- fortless rain-storm. There were many, however, who so far from regretting it, were rather disposed to rejoice at the dis- appointment of those who had, for political effect, made all those expensive preparations, and even reproached them with the remark, that the Almighty frowned upon their unhallow- ed work. The change which has come over Paris, since the expulsion of Louis Philippe, is more strikingly observed in the palace of the Tuilleries, than in anything else, which I have as yet ob- served. Here, where the royal family resided in all their state and splendor, where thousands were periodically enter- tained by the king, among whom our own countrymen were frequently the most numerous, is now all desolation and soli- tude ; a small tri-colored flag is indeed daily hoisted upon it, but all within is as silent as the grave, to which its late in- cumbent has recently descended. Tickets to admit strangers to view this deserted palace, can readily be obtained, and many out of curiosity avail themselves of the privilege. 3 26 A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. The galleries of trie Louvre are closed for the present, fof the purpose, as it is stated, of improving and renovating them, The public will, no doubt, be again admitted to them, as soon as this shall have been completed. The trees upon the Boulevards, which were cut down dur- ing the revolutionary struggle, have been re-planted, and now exhibit the appearance of a vigorous growth, and being gene- rally of a uniform size, and now nearly in full foliage, present a pleasing and uniform appearance. The stones with which the streets were formerly paved, and which were so effectually used in erecting the barricades, have been removed from the Boulevards, the Champs d'Elysees, the Rue de Rivoli, and some of the other principal streets of the city, and have beeu replaced by a M'Adamised pavement, which cannot be here- after resorted to for a similar purpose — and the familiar man- ner in which such an event is daily discussed, both in the national assemblies and in the public press, would seem to render such an event quite rjrobable ; although everything just now appears to be perfectly tranquil. The Palais Royal, the property of the family of Louis Phi- lippe, all the furniture and splendid decorations of which were destroyed when he was expelled from the throne, remains as was left by the infuriated mob, not a single article or orna- ment being left of the immense number of beautiful ones which adorned it, and with a sight of which the strangers in Paris were formerly regularly gratified one day in each week. The great painting by our talented countryman, Mr. Healy, the scene of which is laid in the Senate of the United States, when the important constitutional question was discussed by Mr. Webster and Gen. Hayne, is in a great state of forward- ness, and the artist expects to return home to the United States with it the ensuing autumn, when it will be exhibited in the principal cities of the Union. Of the most prominent A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. 2^ likenesses in the picture, that of our late distinguished states- man, Mr. Calhoun, is thought to be strikingly correct and life-like. The separate likeness of this great man, which has been painted by the same artist for the city of Charleston, is completed, and now at the annual exhibition, in London, for inspection, previous to its being sent home. I learn, also, that the national painting intended to fill the remaining niche in the Rotunda of the Capitol at Washing- ton, upon which our young countryman, Mr. Powell, has been two or three years steadily engaged, is fast approaching to completion. It represents, as you will remember, the first discovery of the Mississippi river, the great father of waters, by De Soto, the stirring history of whose early adventures in our western wilderness is familiar to all. Paris is now garrisoned by an army of sixty thousand men, who keep strict watch and ward over the free citizens of this great Republic, a very strong detachment of whom is posted in a portion of the palace of the Tuilleries, which has been converted into barracks for their accommodation. These sol- diers are daily drilled and pass their evolutions, by regi- ments, &c, and in the evening, when the duties of the day are over, throng the streets and avenues of the city in such numbers that nearly every other person you meet with in your walks is in uniform. I have been always very much struck by the uniformity in size and age which appears so generally to characterize the soldiers of France, and their uni- versally bronzed complexion renders them equally uniform in this respect. The relieving of guard every morning at the Tuilleries, is to us, strangers, who have apartments in the im- mediate neighborhood, quite an interesting sight. Complaints are made in the legitimate press of the city, that there is no one now to relieve the distressed hundreds who have been ruined by the expenses incurred by them in 28 the erecting of booths, and supplying them with the neces* sary comforts for the people, on the great fete of Sunday last, ■whose hopes of remuneration were destroyed by the inclem- ency of the weather on that occasion. Formerly, it is assert- ed, it was the custom of the queen, on such occasions, to send for a list of the unfortunate ones, and to make up their losses from her own private purse. The weather here, for the last two weeks, as well as in England, has been unusually cold for the season, which ne A cessarily detracts from the pleasures which strangers usually enjoy in Paris at this balmy season of the year. I shall be off, Messrs. Editors, in a day or two, for the inte- rior of France, and Italy, when you may perhaps hear from me again. A Traveller, LETTER V LYONS, Mat 17. The journey from Paris to Lyons, which formerly occupied four or five days by private conveyance, can now be per- formed in two ; and after the first of next month, when the railroad will be completed from Paris to Chalons, on the Saone, can be easily accomplished in one day. We placed our carriage upon a railroad car at Paris, at nine o'clock on the 15th instant, and in five hours were at Tonnerre, one hundred and twenty-three miles from Paris. Here we took post horses, and travelled to Dijon, about seventy-five miles, where we were again placed on the rails, and in two hours were at Chalons, forty-three miles ; from Chalons we ran down the Saone to Lyons, eighty-five miles, in about six hours — whole distance, three hundred and twenty-six miles. A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. 29 The journey, at this balmy season of the year, when every- thing is gikn. and beautiful, is a very interesting one ; the route, during the first part of the journey, is upon, or near, the banks of the Seine, and until you reach the Forest of Fontainbleau, passes over a widely-extended plain, covered with well-cultivated fields of wheat, oats, &c. Soon after which, more elevated lands are seen on either side of the river, the sides and summits of which are planted in vine- yards, which, at this time, the old vines having been re- moved, and the young ones only just beginning to spring up from their roots, make but a naked appearance, but present, notwithstanding, a very striking contrast to the beautiful variety and shades of green afforded by the other more for- ward productions of the soil. Not the least pleasing objects which present themselves to the view of the traveller upon this route, is the great number of fine old French towns and villages, which line the banks of the Seine, and through or near to which the railroad passes ; of these are Montereau, Sens, Joigny, and Tonnerre. That portion of the road not yet finished between the last-named town and Dijon, has been constructed in the most perfect and substantial manner, and in many parts of it undoubtedly at a very heavy expense. For some twenty miles before reaching Dijon, it passes along or through a ridge of rocky elevation, requiring a series of long and lofty stone viaducts and embankments, which com- pare favorably with the immense labors bestowed upon the apparently impassable barriers over which a portion of the Great Western Railroad between Boston and Albany passes* As we approached the city of Dijon, we passed the deserv- edly celebrated University, which is most delightfully situ- ated near to it, in the midst of beautiful walks, ornamented with rows of poplar and other shade trees, through which pass several streams of water. As we rode past this inte- 30 A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. resting seminary of learning, we observed an irregular but numerous procession of the tutors and students, taking one of their daily walks in the grounds, a portion of the latter playing upon various musical instruments for their amuse- ment. "We were much struck with the general appearance of Dijon, and with the beauty of its four or five churches, which are remarkable for the richness of their architectural decorations. The streets, too, are well paved, and the houses generally neat and commodious. It contains also the Pro- vincial Palace, the Houses of Assembly of the ancient par- liament of Burgundy, the palace of the former Dukes of Burgundy, and, at the gates of the palace, is the Chartreuse, where some of the members of that house are interred. It is, besides, a place in which manufactures in woolen, cotton, and silk, are carried on to a very considerable extent, which impart an air of life and activity to its inhabitants, who number, at this time, about 25,000. The route of the rail- road from Dijon to Chalons, contrasts very strikingly with that which enters Dijon from Tonnerre. There it passes over almost impassable ridges of rocky hills, as already described ; whilst, from Dijon to Chalons, the road is made upon a level plain, where very little expense could have been incurred in grading, and is lined on all sides by beautiful vineyards, and highly cultivated gardens and grounds, afford- ing most pleasing views to the passengers who travel by that route. The town of Chalons, the other terminus of this branch of the road, is very advantageously situated upon the river Saone, and is a place of considerable trade and activity, which will, no doubt, be much extended, now that it is placed in immediate communication with Paris by a direct railroad. The population at present only amounts to about 13,000. In descending the river to Lyons, we find the banks are, for the most part, flat, but well cultivated ; and in A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. 81 some parts the scenery is extremely pleasing, which increases in interest on approaching Lyons. And we are told by travellers, that the road between the two cities, and which runs nearly parallel with the river, passes over Mount d'Or, so called from the rich color of its vineyards in autumn, from the summit of which a charming prospect may be enjoyed of the rich plains of Burgundy on the one side, of the Lyonnois on the other, and of the snow-clad Alps of Dauphine in the distance. The Saone, between Chalons and Lyons, is crossed by some fifteen or twenty very handsome suspension iron bridges, of a very light, airy appearance, all of which have been con- structed within a few years. From Paris to Chalons we saw very few cattle, but numerous flocks of sheep ; but on the extensive meadows bordering the Saone, very large droves of horned cattle were to be seen, and it was remarked that they were nearly all white, or partially marked with yellow or brown spots. In the immediate vicinity of Lyons, the banks of the river are lofty and beautifully variegated, and highly ornamented with villas and country seats, presenting, alto- gether, a most interesting appearance. There are a great number of beautiful islands in the river, generally covered with a bright green sward, but with few or no trees or shrub- bery. There is one, however, called " LTsle Barbe," famed as being for a time the residence of Charlemagne, which is now the favorite resort of the citizens of Lyons in all their excursions of pleasure, and which has been embellished with, every description of tree and shrubbery of an ornamental character. Of the city of Lyons itself, it is quite unnecessary for me to attempt a description. It is well known to your readers as being the greatest manufacturing city in France, contain- ing a population of between one hundred and seventy and 32 A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. one hundred and eighty thousand inhabitants. It is situated very much like your own city, on a point of land formed by two noble rivers, the Rhone and the Saone ; and its public and private buildings are of a most massy and imposing character, many of the latter being from six to eight stories in height. The spacious stone houses upon the quays, front- ing the two rivers, are filled with the fabrications of the numerous artisans of whom the population of the city is so largely composed, although it is said at this time that great numbers of them are out of employment ; and this circum- stance, coupled with their restless and revolutionary character, renders it no easy matter for the government to keep them quiet. Red Republicanism and Socialism are here the order of the day ; and the masses will, no doubt, be found ready, on the first opportunity which may offer, to carry their own political principles into effect. To prevent anything of this kind, however, the city swarms with soldiers, and if they can be relied upon, there is not much chance of a revolutionary emeute being successful, certainly not until the next year, when the election for President of the Republic is to come off, and which seems to be looked to on all sides as likely to result in something of a very serious character, if the minds of the immense number who were disfranchised by the law of the 31st May of last year, is not quieted by a repeal of that law, or by some amendment of the constitution calcu- lated to do away with that disability. A Traveller. A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. LETTER VI. NICE, May 21. A day of rest at this pleasantly situated town, enables me, Messrs. Editors, to continue my communications, in accordance with the wishes expressed by you at our parting ; and I am the more readily inclined to fulfil my partial promise, as I feel persuaded that my unpretending notices will be received with indulgence both by you and your readers. The city from which I now address you, has become, of late years, the favorite resort of invalids from England during the winter months ; and although much the larger portion of them have already left for their homes, and others are preparing to do so, it must be with feelings akin to those which our low country planters experience when compelled to leave their plantations in May, with everything green and beautiful around them. The weather here, at this time, com- pares advantageously with even that which we have in Charleston at the same time ; and vegetation is still more in advance than with us. We had upon our table this morn- ing, fine ripe cherries, strawberries, and figs. New potatoes are already nearly to their full size ; whilst green peas, and all other garden vegetables, are in great perfection. The city is hemmed in on the land side by the summit of Mount Montalbo, the termination of the great Alpine range, which here may be said to overhang the Mediterranean Sea, presenting a bold and rugged frontier from Frejus in France, to Genoa in the kingdom of Sardinia. The old town has few attractions, but the new part of it is very handsome, 'built of a description of white stone with which the neighborhood abounds, presenting most imposing 34 A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. and massy blocks of buildings, of great architectural beauty. The pure healthy air, and great mildness of climate, attract- ing a large number of visitors, is, no doubt, one of the prin- cipal causes of the great improvements which have been made within the last few years. Its population is now com- puted at 35,000 ; and everything wears the appearance of activity and thrift. My last letter was dated at Lyons, on the lTth instant; and the journey from that city to Nice, which occupied three days, was one of much interest. Placing our carriage upon one of the singularly-constructed steamboats, which ply upon the Saone and the Rhone, Ave left Lyons at six o'clock in the morning of the 18th, and made the run to Avignon — a dis- tance of one hundred and sixty miles — in eleven hours. I have spoken of the singular shape of the steamers which ply upon these rivers, and I think you will agree with me, when I tell you, that they are from two hundred to two hundred and fifty feet in length, and only from twelve to fourteen feet in width ; and w T ere one of them to be fallen in with at sea, long, low, and black as they are, it would be very likely to be taken for the sea serpent. Although there is very little comfort to be found on board these boats, their charges for the freight of carriages and passengers are very high. We paid twenty-four dollars for our carriage, and four dollars for each one of our party, for a distance about the same as that between New York and Alban}', where the charge would not have much exceeded one-fourth of that amount. We did not, however, begrudge the expense ; the day was a lovely one, and the great number of objects of interest which pre- sented themselves to our view, during the entire voyage down, amply repaid us. At almost every turn, some old ruin or castled height presented itself, comparing not disad- vantageously with even those upon the far-famed banks of 35 the Rhine, although the latter may be more strongly imbued with historical recollections of both ancient and modern times. The numerous hills, covered with vineyards in many parts of it, particularly in the neighborhood of Macon, must ever be an object of great interest to our American travellers, who can witness nothing of the kind in their own country. The Castle of St. Peray, now in ruins, is situated upon a lofty height, the sides of which produce grapes, from which the wine bearing that name is made — a species of champagne much approved by some of our friends in the United States, and a sample of which we had an opportunity of tasting at Avignon. After taking dinner at this last named town, we ascended the heights which rise immediately beside it, next the river, which afforded us a most wide and interesting view of the surrounding country, and of the river above and below the town, rushing on as it does towards its entrance into the Mediterranean. Avignon is an old fashioned, dirty town, and everything which enters its gates for consumption, as is the case at Paris, must pay an octroi. After passing a very safe and comfortable night, locked up in this walled city, we took our departure at seven o'clock in the morning, by railroad, to Marseilles. As we were coming out of the gates, we met a considerable portion of a regiment of cavalry from Algeria, marching in ; and they, one and all, presented unmistakable evidence of having undergone pretty severe service in that African climate. The distance by railroad to Marseilles is seventy-six and three-fourth miles, which was performed in four hours, making a number of stoppages by the way ; and w T e were struck with the great regularity which was observed in all these stoppages, they being all fixed to a minute by their time tables, which were most strictly observed in every instance. The road, for a large portion of the way, passed over a level plain, at one point 36 A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. presenting us with a distant view of the Mediterranean, but as it approaches the city, it passes through a vast tunnel, three miles and a half in length, cut out of the solid rock — a work of immense labor. We had but a short time to notice this ancient city, more remarkable indeed for its great age than for its beauty, it being crowded, particularly the oldest part of it, into a most dense mass of confused narrow streets, and the shipping lying with their yards nearly touching the houses. The city is now said to contain two hundred thou- sand inhabitants. It was founded six hundred years before the Christian era, by a colony of Phoenicians ; and although, as I have said, the old town has nothing to recommend it, yet many of the more recently built parts of it, and the various public walks around, and handsome approaches to it, render it, in the view of many persons, a very desirable resi- dence. Its being the principal steam-packet station from Italy and the East, as well as its extensive foreign commerce, make it a place of great commercial importance. Summer appeared to have set in in good earnest after leaving Avig- non, for we found the farmers busily engaged in hay-making ; and it was here that we noticed, for the first time, extended orchards, if I may so term them, of the olive tree, and soon after passing Marseilles, began to meet occasionally with the cork tree, which grows to some extent on this part of the coast, though it does not appear to be considered of much value, judging from the little use which is made of it. I find an immense improvement in the roads in this part of France since I first travelled a portion of them, some thirty years since. Then they were generally paved in the centre with large square or round stones, leaving an unpaved track on either side, which was invariably used when prac- ticable ; but as it was frequently impassable in wet weather travellers were then compelled to take the rough paved road, SI which was ruinous to carriage wheels. Now these rough stones are removed, and nearly all the roads rendered beautp fully smooth by being M'Adamized — a great improvement on former times. Of this last description is a new road con- structed over a mountain pass between Marseilles and the village of Brignoles, where we stopped for the night. Leav* ing this place at an early hour on the morning of the 20th, we arrived at Frejus about one o'clock. This place is cele- brated as the point from which Napoleon took his departure, having landed a short distance from it when he escaped from Elba. It was from this place that he took up his line of march upon Paris, and from whence was dated his short reign of one hundred days, which was terminated by his disas- trous defeat at Waterloo. At Frejus, which is now but a very small village, we examined the remains of an extensive Roman aqueduct, some of the arches still remaining in a good state of preservation ; the water was brought from a neighboring mountain to supply what must then have been a very considerable city, as near to it there is also to be seen the remains of an extensive Roman amphitheatre. These relics of ancient times, and the fact of its having been so intimately connected with one of the most interesting events in the eventful life of Napoleon Bonaparte, caused us to -notice it more particularly than we otherwise should have done. Immediately on leaving Frejus, we commenced the ascent of one of the spurs from the great Apalachian chain of mountains, which terminate on the shore of this sea. The road, no doubt the work of ages, must have been con- structed with immense labor ; and after passing it one ceases to wonder even at the great work of Napoleon, in his cele- brated road over the Simplon. The ascent is of several miles ; and the descent, although less precipitous, is still longer in extent, before we again find ourselves down upon a 38 A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE* level with the Mediterranean. This we do on reaching the town of Cannes — a small seaport town, more noted of late from the circumstance that Lord Brougham, and some few others, have within a few years purchased estates in and adjoining it, and added very materially to its embellishment, his lordship being now engaged in making great additional improvements to the grounds attached to his elegant villa, surrounding it with highly ornamental ranges of stone walls of great extent, fronting upon the road which passes before it, the mansion overlooking and commanding an extensive view of the town road-stead, and surrounding shores. Im- mediately in front of the town, and at a distance of some two or three miles, lays the island of St. Margarita. Upon it is a strong fortification, in which are kept in close confine- ment some two or three hundred unfortunate Arab prisoners, taken with their leader, Abdel Kader, by the French, in the war which resulted in the final conquest of Algeria. Abdel Kader himself is no longer with them, having been removed at first to the Castle of Ham, and since that to some other stronghold in the south of France. You will have noticed, a short time since, in the English papers, a most interesting appeal made by Lord Castlereagh, to. Louis Napoleon, on the cruelty of keeping this brave man in such long continued and hopeless confinement, alluding in his letter to the Presi- dent's own confinement in the same castle. Louis's reply was, that he had not been unmindful of Abdel Kader's suf* ferings, and would be very willing to put an end to them when it could be done with safety to the State. These unfortunate captives, we are told, are frequently visited by strangers sojourning in the neighborhood, who extend to them such pecuniary assistance as to render their imprison- ment somewhat less galling. From Cannes we pass on a distance of some four or five miles to Antines — the last town A SUMMER^ TOUR IN EUROPE. 39 of any importance within the French territory, which, being a frontier town, is strongly fortified, surrounded by a high and massy wall, with deep moat, and is garrisoned by a strong detatchment of soldiers. This town would seem to be of some importance, as it has an artificial harbor, protected by an extensive mole extending a very considerable distance into the sea, upon the extreme end of which is erected a light-house ; and there were some twenty or thirty sail of vessels, such as usually navigate the Mediterranean, at anchor within it. Very shortly after leaving An tines, we reached a small stream which divides the territory of France from the kingdom of Sardinia, and having been subjected to a very slight examination, passed on without any detention, and in less than an hour after were at our very comfortable lodg- ings, the Victoria Hotel, not, however, without finding our- selves very much fatigued, having travelled a distance of eighty miles. But we are now, after a good night's rest, and the excellent viands which the hotel affords, quite ready to commence our journey afresh at an early hour to-morrow morning, and anticipate a most interesting ride from this place to Genoa, which will occupy us two days. A Traveller. LETTER VII. GENOA, Mat 27. I did not contemplate, Messrs. Editors, inflicting another letter upon you and your readers so soon, but T have found the two last days' journey from Nice, whence I last ad- dressed you, so full of interest, and so entirely unlike any 40 other of the same extent, that I have ever passed over, that I cannot refrain from attempting a hurried description of it. The distance is about one hundred and forty English miles, and the road runs most of the way either immediately along the margin of the Mediterranean, or within a very short dis- tance from it. It was commenced, as we are informed, by Napoleon, and was afterwards continued and completed by the King of Sardinia, within whose dominions it is. The entire expense must have been very large, as it is for many miles of the way cut out of the solid rock, and when that is not the case, one or both sides of it is built up of massy walls, and almost innumerable stone bridges are constructed over the gorges which make down from the mountain sides, and which it becomes necessary to follow Up and turn, when- ever they occur. As almost the entire road rests upon rock, and where that is not the case, is thoroughly M'Adamized, it is, as you may suppose, of the most firm and substantial cha- racter, and is throughout as smooth as a house floor. We travelled over it by post, at a rate of about seven miles per hour, some of the horses taking us fourteen or fifteen miles, and others not more than six or eight. "We left Nice at an early hour — about sunrise, — in order to ascend the mountain under which it is nestled, when the view down upon the city, and of the sea, is extremely beautiful. The immense olive groves which cover the level space along the banks of the little river which passes through the town into the sea, as well as those which line the sides of the mountains which enclose it, are not only beautiful to look upon, but furnish support to a very considerable portion of the people. From the top of this mountain we have what appears to be a very near view of that portion of the Alpine ridge which is covered with eternal snows, and with the bright morning sun shining upon them, present much the same appearance as the large 41 white fleecy clouds which frequently in the summer time may be seen in our Southern skies. We look down at the same time on the other side, upon the neat little haven of Villa Franca, which is considered as attached to the port of Nice, and to which were sent into quarantine all vessels arriving there with the cholera. Passing along this mountain ridge, we observe in the distance, at its foot, the small town of Monaco, the only one of any size in the little principality of that name, • said to be the smallest monarchy (if monarchy it can be called) in the world. The history of this principality seems to be involved in much obscurity, and the Prince himself, whose subjects amount only to some eighty thousand, acknowledges a certain degree of dependence on the King of Sardinia, and avails himself of his protection. He resides much of his time in Paris, where he spends a large portion of his income, which is principally derived from a rent in kind, levied upon the products of the soil, which consist mostly of olives, lemons, and oranges. It was here we first noticed the palm tree, re- minding us of our own palmetto, which it resembles in some degree, although the body of the tree is small in comparison with the palmetto. The people along this coast are a hardy race, nearly as dark as the North American Indians, which may be attributed to their constant exposure to the sun and weather, particularly those who are engaged upon the water as sailors or fishermen. The women perform most of the labor in the fields, and present a rough and unfeminine ap- pearance, and those at all advanced in life, both women and men, are extremely homely, arising, no doubt, from hard work and hard fare, from which, unlike our slaves in the South, even extreme old age does not appear to exempt them. We slept the first night at the small town of Oneglia, about half way between Nice and Genoa. This town was bombarded by the French in the year 1792. It is the birth-place of Andrea 4 42 A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. Doria, the celebrated Genoese Admiral, and it now has amongst its inhabitants great numbers of hardy mariners and fishermen. This may be said to be the case with a great number of small Italian towns which line this coast, in several of which, particularly Vorigane, where ship-building is carried on to a very considerable extent, there being some fifteen or twenty sail of small vessels upon the stocks when we passed it, most of them probably intended as traders from the port of Genoa. There are, also, in some of the towns through which we passed, various manufactures carried on to a very conside- rable extent, such as iron, tiles, potteries, &c. As we ap- proached within a few miles of Genoa, we passed through several galleries or tunnels, cut through some of the high promontories which make out into the sea. The mountain sides begin here to be covered with handsome country houses and villas, some of which are extremely beautiful, and stocked with trees and shrubs from every quarter of the world ; amongst which we observe those bearing the wild flowers of our own country, both North and South. One of these villas, which belongs to the family of Pallavacino, has within a few years been renovated and embellished, at a cost of many millions of francs — one million (about two hundred thou- sand dollars) having been expended upon it annually for several successive years. It stretches up from the main road on the seashore, to a lofty height on the mountain side. It occupied us two hours and a half to walk over it, and such was the interest excited by the never-ending objects of curiosi- ty with which the grounds, the grottos, the temples, statuary, &c, abound, that we were not sensible of fatigue. Near the top of the garden is a most intricate cave or grotto, artificial, indeed, but so inimitably resembling nature as to deceive the most close inspection, in the midst of which you come sud- denly upon an artificial lake, upon which you meet with A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. 43 several small boats, eacli rowed by a single boatman, into •which you enter, and are conveyed around it, passing several little islands upon which are erected various temples, Chi- nese, Turkish, &c, embellished with the most beautiful mar- ble figures, over which light and airy iron bridges are thrown, and over which the visitors are conducted, after being taken the rounds of the lake, all of which has the appearance of fairy-land. The water which supplies this lake is brought from a still higher range of the mountain than that upon the sides of which the garden is situated, and which after passing through the lake, serves to irrigate and fructify the never-ending variety of trees, plants, and shrubs, with which this enchanting spot abounds. The family to which it be- longs is immensely rich. It consists of three brothers, the eldest of whom is married, but has no children, the second is living in single blessedness, whilst the youngest is married, and is the father of several children. This beautiful villa is only occasionally visited by one of the family, a day or two at n time, but is open to the public daily, visitors being conduct- ed through it by guides, of which it is said there are some fifteen in constant attendance for that particular purpose; whilst the whole number of persons employed about the esta- blishment amounts to between two and three hundred. One of the most splendid palaces in the city belongs to the same family, in which one of the brothers resides, and where occa- sional balls and entertainments are given of the most gorgeous description. The city of Genoa abounds, as you are well aware, with the most costly edifices of this kind, whose own- ers spend their great revenues in an extravagant style of liv- ing, unknown to our more rational republican countrymen. The extremes of wealth and poverty are here to be seen at every step, and whilst strangers are thus occupied in viewing the magnificent abodes of the immensely rich, they are assail- 44 A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. ed at every step by the most importunate and wretched of beggars. Genoa, next to Rome, has several of the most costly and gaudy Churches in Italy — some of them built by the families who possess the imposing palaces with which the city abounds, and which are open at all times to the inspec- tion of the curious, as well as for the use of those who daily and hourly resort to them for spiritual consolation. The commerce of the port is quite extensive, it being the entrepot of the trade of Switzerland, Piedmont, Sardinia, and Lombar- dy. Most of the business appears to be carried on in Genoese vessels, there being very few present of any other nation — of the two or three hundred sail at this time in port, only one bears the American flag. The harbor is a very commodious one, but the vessels do not generally lay at the wharves, there not being room for them; they are moored side by side, in some four or five lines, and are boarded by boats, of which there are great numbers constantly in readiness for use. It is in the form of a crescent, and is pretty well protected from the sea by two long moles which extend out, from either side, leaving a convenient space between them for ingress and egress. The w T ater is of sufficient depth to admit the largest ships-of-war. No American can visit Genoa without feeling a deep interest in it, as the birth-place of the great discoverer of the American Continent, Christopher Columbus, whose memory is still deservedly held in high veneration by the Genoese people. The King of Sardinia resides at Turin, which is considered, from that circumstance, to be the capitol of his dominions. The Genoese have fitted up the royal palace here in truly regal style, in the hope, probably, of tempting the King to come and reside amongst them ; but it is said that Genoa being a place of great trade, can well dispense with the presence of the Court, whilst Turin, being deprived of this advantage, requires its jn'esence in order to sustain it. A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. 45 The weather, ever since we left Paris, has been most de- lightful. At mid-day, in the sun, it has been, at times, rather too warm for comfort ; but in the shade, and at night, as mild and balmy as could be desired. And the Mediterranean, whilst we have been upon its borders, has been indeed calm and unruffled as a summer sea. We take a Neapolitan steamer this afternoon for Leghorn and Naples, passing on our way the Islands of Corsica and Elba, the birth-place and the prison of Napoleon. After performing this cruise along the coast, you may hear from me again. A Traveller. LETTER VIII. Genoa, Leghorn, Civita Vecchia, to Naples.. NAPLES, June 2. When I last addressed you from the first named of the above places, I was quite in love with the Mediterranean, along whose shores we had been travelling some six or eight days, and which presented from the shore a most smooth and glossy appearance ; this tempted us, whilst at Genoa, so far to vary our original plan as to engage our passages on board the very good Neapolitan iron steamer Vesuvio, of 650 tons, built in London at a cost of twenty-five thousand pounds, bound for Naples, to touch at Leghorn and Civita Vecchia — but as ill luck would have it, when the hour for departure had arrived, a storm of wind and rain had set in, which ren- dered our first night on board the steamer anything but plea- sant to us. We left at half-past seven o'clock in the evening, and made the run in about eight hours and a half. Shortly 4 6 A SUMMERS TOUR IN EUROPE. after daylight, our courier came clown to announce to us that We were entering the port of Leghorn, and that we had just passed a small American squadron of ships-of-war at anchor in the outer road-stead, which we afterwards learned consisted of the frigate Independence and steamship Mississippi, under the command of Commodore Morgan. As they lay three or four miles from the harbor, I could not spare the time to visit them, which I should have been much pleased to do, as it would have afforded me an opportunity not only to walk the deck of one of our floating bulwarks, in this distant sea, but to have renewed an acquaintance of my earlier days with the veteran commander. We met at the landing an officer and boat's crew from the squadron, from whom we learnt that the frigate had been for some weeks at Leghorn, and was to de- part the next day on a cruise, but that the Mississippi had been but three or four days in port. The few hours we re- mained on shore were occupied in viewing the city, which we were pleased to find had a general air of improvement. The present Grand Duke, we were informed, pays much attention to it, and is expending a considerable portion of his revenue upon it. A new public square, surrounded by very handsome blocks of buildings, is being built, in which is placed a colossal statue of his father, which was thrown down and mutilated in the insurrection some few years since, when the Italians made an unsuccessful effort to free themselves from Austrian tyran- ny, and for which they are now suffering, being more closely watched and restricted than ever. Austrian soldiers, in their white uniforms, are to be met with at every step, and new and onerous exactions are constantly being imposed. Until within a few months, a tax of one franc only was required from each passenger on landing, which imposition has been increased to four francs. This goes towards supporting the soldiery, whose business it is to keep down the spirit of the 47 people, and to render them, if possible, still more humble and abject than they now are — a sorry sight to one accustomed to the enjoyment of the largest liberty, as we Americans are. After getting a comfortable dinner at the hotel San Marco, kept by that well known and almost universal character, " John Smith," we returned again on board our steamer, which was to have left at five o'clock in the afternoon, but which did not get underway until an hour later, owing to a strong gale which was setting directly into the harbor, and to the circumstance of there being two or three other steamers getting underway at the same time, all having to pass out through the same narrow channel, and two of them, an Eng- lish propeller for Malta, and a French steamer for Corsica, getting foul of each other, and causing considerable delay to the rest. We found that the number of steerage passengers had been greatly increased during our visit on shore, by the addition of some hundred or more of Swiss peasantry, all young men, who had been enlisted as soldiers in the Neapoli- tan service, and who were going to Naples to be drilled for that purpose — and we were informed that a like number, and for a like purpose, went down in almost every steamer to Naples. These recruits are found, no doubt, fit instruments for perpetuating the tyrannical power of the King of the Two Sicilies over his down-trodden subjects. We had another specimen of the treatment of the treacherous ocean, again, to-night, the wind blowing a strong gale, and creating a short chopping sea, which was particularly distressing to most of us. We reached the little harbor of Civita Vecchia about eight o'clock in the morning. Here we found the French infantry of the line with their red trowsers, instead of the soldiers of the Austrian army, with their white coats, whom we had left guarding the liberties of the people of Leghorn, engaged in a similar employment here. What a melancholy 48 picture is here presented of the distracted and divided condi- tion of the Italian States, and what an impressive lesson does it teach us Americans. It was at Civita Vecchia that the first detachment of the French army landed, consisting of some nine thousand men, from whence they advanced upon the Eternal City. They professed the greatest friendship for the cause of liberty on landing, planted the tree of liberty in the public square, and invited the people to join with them under the specious emblems of " Liberty, Equality, Fraternity," but no sooner were they in full possession of the town, than they threw off their disguise, disarmed the National Guards, and proceeded towards Rome — where, however, they met with a different reception, and only gained possession of it after some very hard fighting. We had on board the steamer with us, in addition to the recruits for the Neapolitan army, about twenty young soldiers, under the guidance of a superior officer from the principality of Parma, who have come on to Naples to be placed at a military academy, as cadets, to be perfected in their military education ; and as soon as our steamer dropped her anchor, the young Duke of Parma, who it appears is on a visit here to his connexion, the King, was alongside, in his boat, to welcome them on their arrival ; and so delighted did he appear at the sight of them, that it was difficult for him to avoid violating the laws of the port by jumping on board the steamer before the officers of the police should arrive to grant him permission ; but this he was con- strained to do for a considerable time, before these high dig- nitaries of the port arrived ; when they did come, however, some amends were made by these officers, who, with heads uncovered, and the most obsequious bows, ushered him on board. ' The officer who had these young men in charge, appeared to be of some order of nobility, as he wore a star upon his breast, and was most warmly embraced by the Duke A SUMMER S TOUR IK EUROPE* 49 at their meeting. This Prince has, we are told, a very respec- table, well-drilled little army of his own already, which he is actively engaged in increasing in numbers and efficiency, and which it is supposed he would be most happy to lead on to aid his brother-in-law, the Count de Chambord, (formerly Duke of Bordeaux,) to whose sister, a daughter of the Duchess de Berne, he was not long since married, to gain possession of the throne of France. We found on our arrival here, which was on the 30th ult., that it was the birth-day of the King, and the troops of the line were all under arms, in the course of the day, dressed in their gayest attire, in honor of the occasion. Of all these troops, the Swiss are evidently the most effective of the Nea- politan army. * They are dressed in red coats with white pan- taloons, like the British infantry, and we are informed that they now compose a body of some ten thousand men, are great favorites of the King, and having stood by him so faithfully in his recent conflict with his rebellious subjects in Sicily, they are, of course, in great favor, are well fed and well clothed. It is stated that of a regiment of twelve hundred Swiss soldiers, in garrison at Messina, when the revolt took place, but three hundred escaped being killed or wounded — but they finally succeeded in repulsing the assailants. An officer who com- manded a company on this occasion, was a passenger on board the steamer with us, having been home to Switzerland, on furlough, on a visit to his friends. Judging from what we learn, the King of the Two Sicilies must be a man of great energy and decision. In addition to a numerous and well appointed army, he has a most respectable naval force, there being now in this port eight or ten ships-of war and war- steamers, and there are, besides, an equal number of ships-of- war and steamers in other parts of the kingdom. The night of our arrival being the last night of the Opera 5 50 A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. season at the great theatre of San Carlo, and as it was the King's birth-day, and the house was to be illuminated with the addition of some eight hundred massy wax candles, we decided upon being present. The usual hour for the perform- ance to commence is eight o'clock, but it is the custom, it seems, on such extra illuminations, and when any of the royal family are expected to be present, to await their arrival before raising the curtain. On this occasion the audience were kept waiting until half-past nine o'clock, when none of the family making their appearance, the Opera was commenced, and the house certainly presented a most imposing appear- ance. The p>it is of great extent, and being very full, pre- sented the appearance of a sea of heads ; of these some two or three hundred were officers of the army and navy, seated together, dressed in rich uniforms, covered with gold and silver lace, of the most showy description. There are in the theatre six rows of boxes, and it holds altogether, comfortably seated, about five thousand persons. The operatic company was but of a second-rate character, and they elicited not the least applause from the audience. The ballet, which was to have followed the opera, was introduced at the conclusion of the first act of the latter, and after the ballet was over we were not tempted to remain to hear the last two acts of the opera, as it was then near midnight. The ballet dancers were no better than the opera singers, as compared with what we see and hear at Paris and London, although the former is got up with the advantage of beautiful scenery, good music, and numerous well dressed attendants and supernumeraries. There was one arrangement about the opera house which we have not noticed elsewhere — the doors leading to the various ranges of boxes are open to all well dressed persons, no ticket of admission being necessary. All who have taken boxes for the night can receive the visits of as many of their friends as 51 may choose to visit them in the course of the evening ; and as the boxes are very capacious, this mode of visiting is very common. In going and returning from the opera, we had an opportunity of viewing the illumination of the various public edifices, churches, hotels, &c, covered as they were with a great variety of colored lamps, so arranged as to represent numerous different objects and devices. We find that Naples has been thronged with strangers all the winter, mostly English and Americans, every one of the numerous hotels being crowded ; and although we are told that nearly all have now left, one would not suppose so, for the English Chapel, a handsome and capacious establishment, was very respectably attended on the Sunday after our arri- val. My sheet being full, and not wishing to trespass too much upon your columns, I will reserve any further observa- tions upon this interesting city and its vicinity, for another letter. A Traveller, LETTER IX. NAPLES, June 1. The unsurpassing beauties of the Bay of Naples, have ever been the enthusiastic theme of travellers ; and no one, I think, who visits it, will fail to subscribe to the truth of their statements in general, especially if afforded an opportu- nity of entering it on a beautiful summer's morning, be- tween daylight and sunrise, when its islands, its shores, and its surrounding mountains contrast so strikingly with its deep blue transparent waters. The commanders of the steam ships now so time their arrival, as to afford to passengers who are disposed to rise at this early hour, an opportunity to 52 a summer's tour in Europe". view the Bay and the City to the greatest possible advan-> tage. This was the case when we arrived here on the morn-' ing of the 30th lilt. Most of the passengers were on deck by four o'clock, when it was announced that we were approach- ing the Bay ; and from this time until the sun had mounted up, and broke out in full view through the column of smoke which enveloped the top of Mount Vesuvius, every eye was rivetted to the enchanting scene around us. The picturesque islands, the near and more distant shores, and the numerous beautiful towns and villages which are nestled along the margin of the Bay, or suspended, as many of them appear to be, upon the mountain's sides, each and all in their turn enchained the attention of the observant voyager ; and the full extent and imposing appearance of the Crescent City (for so it may most appropriately be called), bursts upon the eye, as the sun in all its splendor shines down upon it, in its whole extent, at this bright morning hour. A feeling of regret seemed to be experienced by all when the steamer passed into the closely crowded harbor, and was enveloped in the midst of the mass of shipping, shutting out from our sight all the beauties of this enchanting scene. The city of Naples has heretofore been estimated as con* taining four hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants, but it is now confidently believed, by those best qualified to judge, to contain at least half a million, exclusive of the great number of strangers who visit it during a portion of the year ; and one is very ready to believe it, when they see the dense crowds which fill its streets, and learn that every house is crowded to excess with people. Here, as in London and some other cities, the town is divided into two divisions or classes, so far as is to be observed in their out-door display of an afternoon. At the west end, from the king's town palace, along the front of the Bay, and the beautiful promen- A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. 53 ade of the Villa Reaie, and extending on to the entrance of the Grotto of Posillipo, an ancient Roman tunnel, which passes under the mountain, and over which is the tomb of Virgil, may be seen in full display, all the beauty, wealth, and elegance of the nobility and gentry of Naples ; long lines of open carriages, three or four abreast, extend for a distance of some two miles in length, whilst the public promenade of the Villa Reale, shaded by numerous hand- some rows of trees, is filled with well dressed ladies and gen- tlemen, enjoying the refreshing breeze from the Bay, along which this walk extends for about half a mile. This is a scene to be witnessed every evening in the week, but more especially so on a Sunday evening. At the same time that this interesting sight is presented to the view of the stranger, one no less interesting, at least so it appeared to me, is to be seen on the eastern front of the city, extending from the Navy Yard, or Arsenal, as it is called, and the Custom House, along the shore of the harbor, to the very extensive line of buildings erected by Murat, when king of the Two Sicilies, as cavalry barracks. It is in this quarter that the great mass of the inhabitants, and of the lower orders in particular, are to be found. This is the residence of the im- mense numbers who gain their livelihood by fishing, and whose strong and capacious fishing boats fill the shore in one continuous line, nearly the whole distance. Here was the scene of Massaniello's successful revolt (at least for a time) against the royal authority ; and it was these numerous fish- ermen and sturdy mariners, and others, who sustained him — a scene made quite familiar to all by the popular opera bear- ing his name. It is here, I say, where the people may be likened in numbers to a hive of bees when about to swarm, so thickly do they throng the streets, that a contrast is to be seen with that which is presented upon the other extreme of 54 A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. the city ; and such is the incessant noise, the interminable bustle and confusion of this exciting scene, that it is almost enough to craze the head of one unaccustomed to its din. The first visit of our party out of the city, was made to the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. To them it was a scene at once new and most interesting ; and to me, although I had before repeatedly visited the first named city, and spent much time in perambulating its streets, and contem- plating its temples and its tombs, they can never cease to be objects of absorbing interest and excitement. Several new streets, too, have been opened in Pompeii since I first visited it, and some of the most perfect remains of fresco paintings, and other objects of remote origin, have been uncovered, especially in the street which was explored in the presence of the Emperor of Russia, who visited Naples some four years since, and those still more recently brought to light whilst the Pope was an inmate of the king's palace at Portici, during his exile, some eighteen months since, from Rome. The transition from the ruins of the city of Pompeii to the Royal Museum of Naples, where are deposited the immense collection of objects of art, from its excavated streets, houses, temples, &c, is the natural desire of every visitor ; and we, consequently, spent the two following days in diligently ex- ploring the various halls of this extensive pile of buildings, examining and admiring the almost endless variety of arti- cles of art, of ornament, and of use, which have been so industriously collected, and so religiously preserved, in this receptacle of the remarkable works of ages, long since passed away. One thing which struck us most forcibly in this review was, that the models for almost everything which is to be seen in these our days, is to be found in this extensive museum, rescued from these ancient ruins, which would induce one to believe in the saying, that there is indeed A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. 55 " nothing new under the sun." The articles of food also found in the kitchens and baker's shops at Pompeii, in a won- derful state of preservation, such as bread, meat, rice, eggs, fruits of various kinds, &c, are not amongst the least won- derful objects in this great collection. Mount Vesuvius is at present in a rather quiescent state, sending up only occasionally clouds of smoke. The ascent to it has been rendered more easy of late, by the opening of a carriage road from the village of Eesina to the Hermitage — the resting-place near the foot of the crater, where the visitors generally repose themselves after the ascent. The king, too, has erected a house in this vicinity, for the accom- modation of such of his family, and distinguished friends, as may be desirous of ascending the mountain. This visit is, however, rather an expensive one to a large party, each lady being charged five dollars for the open sedan chair in which she is carried up the ascent, and the other numerous charges for horses, guides, &c, mount up to a pretty large sum. The excursion to the desolate ruins of Baiae, some twelve or fifteen miles to the southwest of the city, along the shore of the Bay, is one most generally taken by travellers who have time for it, and is considered particularly interesting from associations familiar to those versed in classic lore, who are enabled to understand and appreciate the various his- torical facts which are brought to their notice by those who undertake the part of guides on the occasion. Amongst other objects of interest connected with Scripture history, which are shown to you, is the precise spot where St. Paul is said to have placed his foot, where he stepped on shore at a small village on the Bay, when journeying towards Rome. The site where Baise once stood, now presents a great exam- ple of the mutability of human affairs. The men of those days have passed away — the magnificent edifices are destroy- 56 A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. ed — the soil presents nothing but broken blocks of ancient fabrics, palaces, and villas, once occupied by Marius, Caesar, Pompey, Nero, Adrian, and the other great men of those days, the foundations of many of whose dwellings are now covered by the waters of the Bay, under which they may be seen ; and here, where numerous fleets and armies were once congregated, all is now desolate and deserted. Another excursion of great interest is to view the gigantic temples at Pcestum, now in a deserted and desolate condition, though still in a wonderful state of preservation. It is, how- ever, a journey of two days, and to a region which is consid- ered insalubrious at this season of the year ; our party did not therefore undertake it. To visit the various Royal Palaces, and other public places which are thought to be worthy of attention, with the principal Churches, &c, requires of those whose time is limited, to be constantly on the alert. The King's Palace, in the centre of the city, which is his winter residence, has been almost entirely rebuilt or renovated within a few years, having been partially destroyed by lire some time previous. It is now r decorated with all that art and taste can furnish for its embellishment. It is at present unoccupied, the King, with his immediate family, passing the summer at his beautiful country palace, most romantically situated, some twenty miles from town, on the side of one of the mountains which terminate the Appe- nine range, and which has a beautiful and most extensive view of the bay, the city, the islands of Capri, of Ischia, and of Procida, and of all the surrounding country. There is, also, his stately palace and most extensive park of Capo de Monte, in the immediate suburbs on the north of the city, and from the front of which there is the best view anywhere to be had of the most densely populated part of it, and where the peo- ple, crowded together as they are in lofty houses and narrow A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. 57 streets and alleys, present the appearance of an immense ant- hill in constant commotion. We had a permit to visit this palace, but found on our arrival that every part of it was occu- pied. In addition to the two brothers of the King, there was also there, on a visit, we were informed, the Duke d'Aumale, son of Louis Philippe, with his family, and several others. We were, however, allowed to pass through the highly im- proved grounds of the park, which affords numerous shady drives of some five or six miles in extent, through seven or eight beautiful avenues, which diverge like the rays of the sun from the palace. The King has another fine palace at Portici, which was the temporary residence of the Pope, whilst at Naples, and numerous other stately establishments either for his own use or that of his adherents. The public buildings, indeed, in this city and its vicinity, are all upon the largest scale. The Poor House, whose* exte- rior looks much like a palace, is capable of accommodating six thousand inmates, but we are told is not more than half filled, beggars preferring to be at large, although obtaining a precarious support. There are also Hospitals upon a very large scale, in which the wants of the sick are attended to ; and two prisons, situated in the centre of the most thickly populated portion of the city, the largest of which, upon a public square, presents long rows of grated windows, where the prisoners are enabled to hail their passing acquaintances, or others, whom they may please to assail with their discord- ant and frequently insolent cries. The quarters for the soldiery are still more numerous, and are to be met with at every turn, the town seeming to be dotted all over with them. So much importance does the government attach to this means of sup- porting its authority, that every point is fortified, and we noticed yesterday a cannon mounted in the belfry of the Church of the Carmelites, in a position to rake one of the 58 A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. long narrow streets, where the people might be disposed to collect and make a stand in case of an emeute, as the French term it. This is in the immediate focus of Massaniello's men of former days, and where the materials are always at hand in abundance when an outbreak is contemplated. We yesterday paid a visit to the new Cemetery, a few miles out of the city, which, for the short time it has been in exist- ence, may be viewed as a wonderful work. Some are dis- posed to think it even now ranks before the far-famed one of Pere Lechaise, at Paris. The site, however, is not so favora- ble a one as that at Paris, the ground being rather too pre- cipitous ; but the number of beautiful chapels and temples, many of which are built in the form of, and resemble in ap- pearance, small churches, in which the dead are deposited, and the numerous beautifully executed tombs and monu- ments, some erected by individual families, others by the con- gregations of separate churches, and others again by associa- ted companies of individuals, in which the most elaborate work of art is employed on the most beautiful of marble, far exceed, in my estimation, anything of the kind of which Pere Lechaise can boast — and when we remember that all this has been accomplished in some twelve or fifteen years, and that there are at this time almost an equal number partially fin- ished, we cannot but marvel where the wealth comes from that accomplishes so much in so short a period of time. The practice which prevails at this Cemetery in disposing of the dead, is to bury the body in a grave either in or beside these temples or chapels, and at the end of eighteen months to re- move the remains to a niche in the temples themselves, in front of which the name is inscribed, generally in raised brass or bronze letters. Those who cannot afford to buy themselves such a resting place, may be interred by their friends, if they chance to have any, at the moderate expense of two dollars A SUMMER'S TOUR IN EUROPE. 59 for a grave for eigbteen months, at the end of which time the body is liable to be disturbed, unless a further sum is paid for its possession in perpetuity. In cases of the entirely destitute, the bodies are thrown into a series of pits, one of which is opened every month and then closed up for a year or eighteen months, when it is again opened for a similar purpose. The great mass of the lower orders in Naples live upon very moderate fare, mostly upon a coarse description of bread, with some vegetables and fruit. Both of the latter are abun- dant at this season of the year. Fish also enters largely into the consumption of those who follow the occupation of taking them, or who can afford to buy them, and they, from their abundance, may be had, too, for very little money. Meat is seldom used much, I apprehend, by the masses ; that and maccaroni, of which they are said to be remarkably fond, are only to be indulged in at times as a luxury. The street beggars have of late become so sturdy and im- portunate, that strangers have found it almost impossible to pass, especially in the vicinity of the churches, and other places of public resort, and their violence has been such as in some instances to take hold of ladies who were walking by themselves. This has had the effect to deter many who were heretofore willing to dispense their charity to those who ap- peared to be deserving of it, from doing so in future, and this may render it necessary for those who have heretofore been supported by the bounty of strangers, (for they seldom apply to one of their own people for charity,) to take refuge in the Poor Houses, and depend upon the authorities for support. In front of the hotel in which we lodge, the Victoria, and between that and the public promenade Villa Reale, which is immediately opposite to it, the government have been for some short time past engaged in boring for an artesian well. They have already penetrated three hundred feet through the 60 A SUMMER'8 TOUR IN EUROPE. solid rock, without coming to water, but are determined to persevere still further. The spot chosen is immediately upon the margin of the bay. I have thus, Messrs. Editors, given you a hasty sketch of my observations for a week past in and about Naples — to- morrow morning we start for Rome, where you may again hear from me. Yours, &c, A Traveller. LETTER X. ROME, June 12. Our party reached this ancient city, on the evening of the 10th instant, after a very pleasant journey of three days, — distance about one hundred and forty miles. We had sent our carriage forward on the afternoon of the 7th, and at eight o'clock the following mornino; took the rail road cars for Capua, some twenty miles, where it terminates. Our visit to Naples had been a very agreeable and interesting one, and we left it with regret. When a stranger arrives in that city, especially if he goes there by sea, and views the lofty, barren and serried volcanic mountains, by which it is surrounded, he is at a loss to account for the great abundance of vegetables, fruits, and flowers, with which its streets and market places abound, or from whence they come ; but his doubts on this subject are removed when he is afforded an opportunity of visiting the rich prolific vales with which the city is environed, and which extend in all directions between these lofty hills and mountains. The rail road over which we passed that morning, runs through one of the most extensive of these vales, which presented to our view wide-spread fields, covered a Summer's tour in europe;. 61 with a luxuriant growth of wheat, Indian corn, beans, hemp,