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GIFT OF 
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ROUTE OF TOUR. 
 
^ 
 
 A Family Motor 
 
 Tour Through 
 
 Europe 
 
 BY 
 
 LEO HENDRIK BAEKELAND 
 
 :o:- 
 
 Published by 
 
 THE HORSELESS AGE 
 
 9-11 Murray Street 
 
 New York 
 
 1907 
 
_D\ 
 
 o<y 
 
 TO MY WIFE 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 DURING the last few years so-called "automo- 
 bile literature" has brought forth numerous 
 descriptions of motor trips to Europe. Some of them, 
 under the fascinating form of entertaining novels, 
 have succeeded in developing a new field in fiction 
 literature. Others, while giving some general de- 
 scription of a particular trip, have omitted much 
 useful information ; and in some instances the main 
 object of the publication has been to advertise one 
 special make of car. 
 
 While planning an automobile trip through 
 Europe during the summer of 1906 I found that I 
 was unable to obtain many very desirable data. 
 After returning home from my trip it occurred to 
 me that my fellow automobilists might be benefited 
 by the results of my own experience. With this aim 
 in view I have tried to describe my experience as 
 accurately as possible, and in a special chapter I 
 have added some generalities with the purpose of 
 thus condensing information or advice. 
 
 During my travels I have met automobile parties 
 of many descriptions, but I have not encountered 
 any who had undertaken a long trip accompanied 
 by young children, as we did. That this can be ac- 
 complished in all security and comfort is a fact 
 which I believe ought to convince and reassure 
 those who are skeptical or timid as to the possibil- 
 ities of automobilism. 
 
 ivi290635 
 
2 PREFACE. 
 
 In this period of extreme commercialism it may 
 not be out of place to state emphatically that what- 
 ever is contained in this series of articles has been 
 written entirely independent of any business consid- 
 eration. 
 
 If I succeed in inducing others to try a similar 
 trip, and by giving them the benefit of my own ex- 
 perience contribute to their happiness and comfort, 
 I shall feel amply rewarded. 
 
 L. H. B. 
 
 YoNKERS-ON-HuDSON, March, 1907. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 AT the beginning of 1899 I bought my first auto- 
 mobile and thus became one of the earliest, if 
 not the very first, motorists in my section of the coun- 
 try. I soon became aware of the fact that I had the 
 unenviable distinction of being considered by my 
 neighbors as an impertinent nuisance in general and 
 an aggravated object of malediction for horse own- 
 ers in particular. Among the latter some of the 
 more timid went so far as to telephone to each 
 other whenever I left town, so that they might 
 time their buggy drives behind their shy horses 
 with less risk of meeting the "gasoline devil." 
 
 My little car, one of the first made in the United 
 States, a two-cylinder touch-spark affair, made noise 
 enough to awaken a whole cemetery. I might write 
 a full-sized book describing all the harrowing trib- 
 ulations of my early career as a pioneer motorist. 
 At that time there were no garages, no chauffeurs, 
 no special machinists. Whenever anything went 
 wrong — and this happened every few miles — I had 
 to attend to it myself. After a while I began to ap- 
 preciate, as a matter of course, that on every ex- 
 cursion I should spend about as much time under- 
 neath the car as inside of it. 
 
 Very soon I engaged a machinist to help me. 
 The poor fellow was an Englishman who had had 
 varied experience with almost any kind of machin- 
 ery. The eager interest with which he took to his 
 new job was shown by the encouraging cheerful- 
 
4 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ness he displayed during the first breakdowns; but 
 somehow or other he was not prepared to cope with 
 all the **cussedness" which was stored up for him 
 in that innocent-looking vehicle. 
 
 Finally, overcome and distracted by too many 
 ever-recurring troubles, he took hopelessly to drink 
 and ran away; I have never seen him since, al- 
 though I have often been haunted in my nightmares 
 by his desperate-looking ghost. 
 
 I am afraid I owe it to nothing but my inborn 
 stubbornness that I did not drop then and there 
 the vexing sport of automobiling. But I perse- 
 vered, and by the time I had improved the sparking 
 plugs and the driving gear and was able to make 
 the thing run in what I then thought a tolerable 
 fashion, I found a better car, a steam buggy this 
 time. It looked so easy to handle, so silent, so 
 well behaved at first, that it took me several days to 
 find out that matters were not by any means so 
 perfect as they seemed to be at the demonstration, 
 on the success of which I had placed my order. 
 Burnt-out boilers, crushed bearings, uncalled-for 
 fireworks from the gasoline tank and other similar 
 peace-disturbing happenings made me return again 
 to the type of internal combustion car, which had 
 become much improved in the meantime. 
 
 I now purchased a car of French make, which 
 gave me considerably less trouble and less expense 
 for repairs ; from this time on I was able to under- 
 take trips of increased duration. 
 
 But this make of car was outrageously noisy, 
 and the vibration was such that an old lady whom 
 I had invited to travel with me ran away indig- 
 
INTRODUCTION. S 
 
 nantly when she became aware that trepidatioji had 
 caused her set of false teeth to drop out of her 
 mouth. 
 
 With my last two cars I have been considerably 
 more fortunate. Both were built in America, but 
 were very close copies of accepted French designs. 
 Some of my friends who have no or little knowl- 
 edge of machinery -and no experience in automobil- 
 ing, but are blessed with generous bank accounts, 
 purchased the most high-priced cars France could 
 produce. When something went wrong, which 
 happened once in a while, they blamed automobiles 
 in general and seemed satisfied with the belief that 
 matters would be worse with any but their own 
 machines. I myself had to be more cautious in my 
 expenses and had to use more discrimination before 
 purchasing. 
 
 At that time I was aware of at least four re- 
 liable American makes. In some details these do- 
 mestic cars may have been inferior to imported 
 ones ; in others they were undoubtedly superior. 
 
 Since then I have had plenty of opportunity to 
 compare performances of foreign cars with good 
 American cars. I have come to the conclusion that, 
 while for racing and very high power cars America 
 has not yet produced machines equal to those of 
 foreign make, many touring cars of moderate horse 
 power have been built during the last two years 
 which have proved to be at least as reliable as the 
 best high-priced foreign productions. 
 
 During the first struggling period of automobil- 
 ing the main effort was naturally directed toward 
 making sure that the cars "would go," but of late 
 
6 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 more attention has been paid to the question of com- 
 fort. There are many yet who imagine that goggles 
 and masks, together with an outfit resembling a 
 combination of a diver's suit with Esquimau dress, 
 are indispensable for motoring. I used to think so 
 myself, and whenever I invited friends I bundled 
 them up as if they were going to a German student 
 duel or upon a North Pole expedition. 
 
 And even then, after a few hours' trip, a general 
 scrubbing was very much needed. Swollen cheeks, 
 red noses and tired eyes were some of the draw- 
 backs which soon stampeded the enthusiasm, espe- 
 cially if ladies were of the party. . 
 
 Furthermore, the microbe-laden dust can scarcely 
 be called healthful or pleasant. 
 
 The front glass which acts as a shield and more 
 especially the limousine or landaulet type of automo- 
 bile bodies have improved all this. From my own 
 experience I dare say that whoever has tried long 
 distance touring in a well-designed limousine will 
 find an unprotected, open touring car a very objec- 
 tionable contrivance, as different as an open freight 
 car is from a well-appointed observation car. 
 
 A properly constructed limousine or landaulet 
 can be made as open as an open car, but can be 
 changed immediately so as to provide a perfect 
 shelter for all emergencies. . The roof protects 
 against the burning rays of the sun, as well as 
 against dust and rain. The rear is indispensable 
 as a dust shield, and the side windows can be 
 dropped partially or totally, according to the weather 
 conditions. A broad front window which can be 
 opened over its full width leaves a free outlook for 
 
INTRODUCTION. 7 
 
 the passengers, while the plate glass in front of the 
 driver protects against dust and flying insects, al- 
 though it does not obstruct the view and allows am- 
 ple ventilation even in hot weather. 
 
 It seems almost a paradox, but open cars are hot- 
 test in summer weather; then, indeed, the glaring 
 sun sends its burning rays on the heads of the 
 unsheltered occupants. I have noticed more than 
 once that during very hot days the- inside seats of a 
 limousine are cooler than the driving seat, which 
 is not so well sheltered against the radiation of the 
 superheated road. 
 
 While touring through Europe I found that al- 
 most all the better cars of modern make were of the 
 limousine or landaulet pattern, and I believe that 
 within the next few years unprotected touring cars 
 will become more and more the exception. 
 
 One of my friends is the owner of an open car. 
 One day, while he was driving, the front wheel of 
 the car came off on account of defective construc- 
 tion. My friend was thrown over the dashboard 
 into a ditch, and very luckily escaped without in- 
 juries. Since that time he cites this occurrence as 
 an argument against anything but open cars; he is 
 afraid that whenever he may again be pitched out 
 of a car the window will prove too much of an 
 obstacle. 
 
 A similar argument was advanced during the con- 
 struction of the first railroad carriages, which on 
 this account were made windowless. Even now in 
 Europe most railway cars are padded, and this 
 stuffy upholstery is the survival of a design inspired 
 by the former fears of collision. 
 
8 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 I believe that an automobile should be of a con- 
 struction sufficiently reliable to preclude the com- 
 ing off of a front wheel, and that, furthermore, it 
 should never be driven in such a way as to render 
 collisions possible. But even if reckless speeds are 
 indulged in all windows can be lowered, and in that 
 case the car is safer than an open one. 
 
 Some automobile constructors have tried to do 
 away with glass by using celluloid. This is a very 
 unsatisfactory substitute, of insufficient transparence 
 and rather dangerous on account of its pronounced 
 combustibility. That a cinder of a lighted cigar 
 may Set it ablaze will readily be believed by all who 
 know that the base of celluloid is nitro-cellulose or 
 gun cotton, a high explosive. 
 
 As may be inferred from the above, my own car 
 is of the limousine type. It is by no means the 
 most expensive car that can be bought, but as it is it 
 has proved very satisfactory and has rendered long 
 and faithful service. Built in 1904, it is now more 
 than two years old and is still in a condition which 
 leads me to expect many more years of good work. 
 The car is of American make, and I think I am 
 only doing justice to the makers by mentioning that 
 the chassis or machinery was built by the Peerless 
 Motor Car Company, of Cleveland, Ohio, while the 
 limousine body was built by Quinby & Co., Newark, 
 N.J. 
 
 The engine has four cylinders and is rated at only 
 24 horse power. This motor has never given me a 
 second's hesitation, although it has never been taken 
 apart nor examined a single time since the day 
 when it left the factory. I cannot say as much of 
 
INTRODUCTION. 9 
 
 the transmission, which has required some watch- 
 ing, the driving pinion having shown sometimes a 
 tendency to get out of adjustment. 
 
 For those who do not know this type of car I 
 may add that the motor has jump spark ignition 
 and the transmission is of the bevel gear type, with- 
 out chains. When I first bought the car it was 
 provided simply with a storage battery. My former 
 automobile had been equipped with an Apple dyna- 
 mo, and contrary to the advice of the makers I 
 adapted a similar dynamo to this car. The result 
 of this addition has corroborated my former satis- 
 factory experience. 
 
 On the dashboard a little volt- and ammeter shows 
 me at any time the condition of the source of cur- 
 rent used for both ignition and lighting. The whole 
 outfit weighs and costs scarcely more than an extra 
 storage battery, and I feel that the astonishing 
 regularity of my engine has been due very much to 
 this excellent addition. 
 
 I prefer a dynamo to a magneto because the 
 former also furnishes electric light for the lamps, 
 inside as well as outside. This dispenses with all 
 the bother of ordinary lamps, and furthermore af- 
 fords a safe and easy means for inspecting any part 
 of the machinery even in the darkest night, without 
 any danger of fire or explosion should there bCy^ 
 leak of the gasoline. A flexible cord, with its c^^ 
 nected lamp, is always and instantly available. ^^\ 
 
 Among several other minor additions to the chf ,^.,^' 
 I should mention a strong and reliable ''sprag,^'- 
 consisting of a steel rod about three-quarters of an 
 inch thick and pivoted at the upper end on the right 
 
10 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 side of the rear axle. At about six inches from the 
 loose or pointed extremity of this rod it is connected 
 by means of a good strong steel chain to the end of 
 the chassis. This chain is just long enough to pre- 
 vent the car from walking over the "sprag," in case 
 the latter enters too deeply in a soft roadbed. Most 
 "sprags" have no such chain and are in conse- 
 quence apt to become useless and even very 
 dangerous, as I know from personal experience. 
 For touring in a hilly or mountainous country I 
 consider a reliable "sprag" indispensable. Even if 
 not to be used as a last resort in case of defective 
 or improperly adjusted brakes it will allow more 
 ease and freedom in stopping or starting on heavy 
 inclines. 
 
 The roomy body of the car can seat five persons 
 inside and two on the outside. Sometimes we have 
 traveled with eight — three crowding on the front 
 seat or the chauffeur sitting on the side of the plat- 
 form. 
 
 The coach work is made of aluminum, wood 
 trimmed with mahogany, and upholstered with dark 
 green leather. The distance between the floor and 
 the ceiling is such as to make it very comfortable. 
 The plate windows are rather large, and when all 
 are open the view is no more obstructed than in 
 an open touring car with canopy top. A little ma- 
 hogany folding table about 14x24 inches can be 
 r- d or lowered instantly from the side. Two 
 li r^ lockers on the rear corners contain toilet 
 articles and refreshments. 
 
 On the upper part of the sides are hooks for 
 overcoats, and on the ceiling is a silk cord ar- 
 
INTRODUCTION. n 
 
 rangement for carrying half a dozen hats without 
 the necessity of boxing. 
 
 A bright electric lamp furnishes abundant light 
 for reading or writing in the evening and a heavy 
 brass pipe near the floor provides a foot rest as well 
 as a foot warmer for cold weather. Through this 
 pipe can be sent a portion of the exhaust gas of the 
 engine, making the car as comfortable in zero 
 weather as in summer. 
 
 Guides, plans, maps and note books are carried 
 in a readily accessible bag attached on the side wall, 
 while a little bookrack below offers room for a few ' 
 books. 
 
 Ample tool boxes and lockers for spare parts and 
 other accessories were provided, while the extra 
 tires were strapped on the roof toward the front. 
 
 The baggage was packed in ten leather dress suit 
 cases carried on top in the railing and one small 
 leather trunk carried on the rear. All this was 
 properly protected against dust and rain by means 
 of waterproof fabric. 
 
 The car, empty of passengers and without lug- 
 gage, but carrying spare tires, tools, water and gaso- 
 line, weighed 3,130 pounds. Weighed in Europe, 
 while touring with full equipment of trunks, three 
 adults and two children, it showed on the Govern- 
 ment scales 4,200 pounds. Sometimes this weight 
 w-as increased by three extra passengers, and it is 
 a very creditable performance for a car of 24 horse 
 power climbing with this weight, without hesita- 
 tion, the highest mountain roads over the Alps. 
 
 As to the tires, I used 34x4^ inch. While touring 
 England and Scotland, covering over 1,300 miles. 
 
12 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 I had only two punctures. In midsummer on the 
 hot roads of France I burst three tires in succession, 
 then went through the remainder of the trip and 
 through Italy without even the necessity of pumping 
 up. 
 
 I have tried several makes of American and Eng- 
 lish tires and have come to the conclusion that a 
 well-known make of French tire is the least bad. 
 I was told that this foremost French tire manufac- 
 turer had made 8,000,000 francs clear profit last 
 year. The fact that he has reduced the price to 
 $43 for new covers, 34x4^, shows that American 
 manufacturers at a price 50 per cent, higher should 
 be able to considerably improve their products. 
 
 Our tour, starting in London, included England, 
 Scotland, a small strip .of Belgium, the almost entire 
 length of France, the crossing of the Alps and 
 Italy, and ended at Naples, from where the car 
 was sent home. 
 
 Our party consisted of my wiit, my eleven-year- 
 old boy, my litle daughter, nine years old, myself 
 and my chauffeur Lewis. 
 
 As to the latter, he is an American who speaks 
 nothing but English and is a married man of steady 
 and temperate habits. An excellent coachman, he is 
 very observant of the rules of the road and makes a 
 good driver. As to his mechanical training, he ob- 
 tained it under my direction during the last years 
 of his service with me, and now understands thor- 
 oughly every part of the machinery of this par- 
 ticular make of car. 
 
 While I cannot boast of having broken speed 
 records, I put special stress upon the fact that never 
 
INTRODUCTION. 13 
 
 during the many years I have owned automobiles 
 have I caused injury to anybody; never have I had 
 an accident and never have I been arrested for 
 violating the automobile laws of any country. 
 
 While touring in Europe our aim was not so 
 much to make mileage by flying from one country 
 to another. We desired to enjoy whatever there was 
 interesting or agreeable along our route and thus 
 contribute to our own education as well as to that 
 of our children. Whether the latter enjoyed the 
 fact that they had some school books along, and 
 whenever we stopped anywhere for over a day 
 had their lessons under the tutorship of their able 
 mother, is a question which I am not prepared to 
 answer affirmatively. 
 
 But I know that our daily general discussion on 
 topics relative to the countries through which we 
 were traveling was of considerable educational 
 value to their youthful minds and never failed to 
 interest them immensely. 
 
 Not being pressed for time, we were able to 
 change our plans frequently, sometimes on the spur 
 of the moment. Whenever we found a place which 
 was sufficiently attractive we could conclude to 
 stop there for several days in succession. This we 
 were able to do because we carried an ample 
 supply of baggage and traveling requisites. 
 
 We avoided as much as possible the large cities 
 easily accessible by train, and preferred the smaller 
 places of interest situated more outside the big 
 arteries of travel and which, on this account, have 
 special attractions for the automobilist. 
 
 While planning our European tour I was fully 
 
14 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 aware of the importance of providing proper box- 
 ing for my car. Steamship companies will trans- 
 port automobiles only when boxed or crated. Aside 
 from this I desired to make sure that my car would 
 arrive in good condition. Furthermore, I wanted 
 to be able to pack and unpack quickly and in such 
 a way that the box itself could be knocked down 
 easily and be shipped to any point from which I 
 intended to sail back to the United States. Several 
 forwarding companies offered to attend to all these 
 matters for me, but, as I could spare the time and 
 attention, I concluded to have a box made to my 
 own specifications, and to supervise myself all mat- 
 ters connected with packing and shipping. In order 
 to avoid unforeseen delays in boxing and unboxing, 
 I made my chauffeur rehearse these operations in 
 my garden, so that when two days prior to sailing 
 we arrived at the steamship pier in New York with 
 our automobile he knew exactly how much time and 
 help was required for enclosing, the car in the 
 "knock-down" box which had arrived the day be- 
 fore. « 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 SHIPMENT was made per steamship Minnehaha, 
 of the Atlantic Transport Line, and about two 
 .weeks afterward, when we presented ourselves at 
 the Tilbury Docks near London, we were greeted 
 by the familiar sight of our box, standing near the 
 stone edge of the well-planned basins. 
 
 Liberal Great Britain, with its enlightened laws 
 of free trade, spared us all the vexations and red 
 tape of customs examination, and in about forty-five 
 minutes the car was unpacked, ready to run, and 
 we had only to store the ''knock-down," 
 
 As it is strictly forbidden to bring gasoline in- 
 side the docks, the car had to be pushed as far as 
 the gate, where it was provided with the necessary 
 supply of fuel and water. After this, the first turn 
 of the crank sent the motor oflf. 
 
 I was reminded of the fact that I was not allowed 
 to drive in England without a British license, the 
 penalty being arrest and fine. 
 
 Two days previo^isly I had written to the county 
 clerk for a license, but only that very morning had 
 I received the blanks to be returned and filled in, 
 duly signed and accompanied by ii ($5) for the 
 license number, and 5s. for the driver's license. 
 
 Not desiring to be delayed on this account, I 
 borrowed two number plates from an obliging auto- 
 mobile supply store, and, before starting off, mailed 
 the money and documents to the county clerk. 
 
 IS 
 
i6 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND 
 
 I trusted to good luck and to my borrowed num- 
 bers to escape arrest, and discounted the good sense 
 and courtesy of English policemen ; in case I should 
 be compelled to excuse my irregularity I intended 
 to mention that I w^s merely taking possession of 
 my car and would not use it further until my license 
 was obtained. 
 
 I had been under the impression that the steamer 
 would land my automobile, if not in the heart of 
 London, at least in close proximity. Therefore I 
 was somewhat astonished to find out that "Tilbury 
 Docks" was about 25 miles distant from the city. 
 
 My destination was Bromley, where we intended 
 to stay some days, to be near our children, who 
 were to remain for six weeks in a boarding school 
 at Chislehurst, until we were ready to go to the 
 Continent. 
 
 Not having had time to purchase the necessary 
 road maps I engaged a man who was well ac- 
 quainted with the route, and under his guidance we 
 drove on without hesitation. 
 
 I did the driving that' day, and was soon im- 
 pressed with the excellent surface of the road. No 
 "thank-you-ma'ams" nor bumps, as are so abundant 
 along the Hudson. I was still more astonished to 
 find that we could run over grade crossings without 
 noticing any jarring or jumping. I felt a little 
 awkward for the first few minutes when, according 
 to English custom, I had to take to the left in pass- 
 ing other vehicles ; but by the time we reached the 
 crowded streets of London I had fully acquired the 
 habit. 
 
 The slippery streets .of the city gave us an un- 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 17 
 
 pleasant tendency to *'skid," and I was about to 
 order the "chain grips" placed on the tires, when 
 the guide told me that we soon would be out of the 
 crowd and on dry surface again. In the meantime 
 he called out 'left, right," etc., directing what way 
 to take, when suddenly, before I knew it, we were 
 in some long, straight, narrow passage with a gentle 
 incline. "Blackwall Tunnel!" I heard him shout. 
 "Takes us under the Thames!" By some singular 
 acoustic effect all the combined noises of the ve- 
 hicles in the tunnel were amplified to a frightful ex- 
 tent, and conversation became almost impossible, 
 except by loud shouting. The humming of our 
 motor, which in the open air is quite moderate, be- 
 came a roaring thunder. The tunnel itself is a fine 
 piece of engineering; on account of its gentle slope 
 it is considerably longer than the width of the 
 river. It is well illuminated by rows of electric 
 lights, which reveal the immaculate whiteness of 
 the tile-lined walls. The road is just about wide 
 enough for two vehicles to pass, but the humid and 
 smooth surface played tricks with our unshod tires, 
 and it was a wonder that in our skidding dance 
 through that tunnel we did not strike anything 
 worse than the curbstone. I felt very glad when we 
 were again in full daylight, and resolved never 
 again to drive in London without anti-skidding 
 devices. 
 
 We now had entered less congested parts of the 
 city, and nearing the suburbs we noticed how motor 
 cars were driven at a speed which in New York 
 would surely land their drivers at the police station. 
 I \vas told that the speed limit all over England was 
 
i8 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 20 miles an hour, but that non-observance of the 
 right of way was as severely punished as reckless 
 driving. 
 
 Once in a while a heavy motor bus, with a shriek- 
 ing noise, came rushing along a row of buses, cabs, 
 trucks and other vehicles, and I had to admire the 
 skill of some of the begrimed motor-bus drivers, 
 who, while clearing their way through the crowded 
 
 "We drove into Bromley." 
 
 thoroughfares, found time to dash a pail of lubricat- 
 ing oil into their motor box. 
 
 We were nearing the country, and the traffic be- 
 came less dense; could open the throttle and give 
 more speed. The road became straighter and wider, 
 and the quieting appearance of the green landscape 
 was very welcome. Shortly afterward we drove into 
 Bromley, a trim little town where our motor was to 
 be garaged and cleaned up at the Bell Hotel, which 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 19 
 
 had been recommended to me as a convenient place 
 to stop, near Chislehurst. 
 
 We found this arrangement quite satisfactory. 
 We had good friends in Bromley whose children 
 were in the same school as ours. During that week, 
 in company of these friends or alone, several pleas- 
 ant motor trips were made into Kent and Surrey, 
 the most lovely neighboring country south of 
 London. 
 
 The vacation of our children was to begin at the 
 end of July, and we were only in the latter part of 
 June. This gave us a full month to leisurely tour 
 England and Scotland until, on our return, we 
 were to undertake, in company with the children, 
 our trip over the Continent. 
 
 A few days were spent in London, shopping and 
 purchasing maps, guidebooks, etc. On the 28th of 
 June we were ready to begin our trip northward. 
 
 Unfortunately the day started with heavy show- 
 ers, which seemed to run into a continuous per- 
 formance. About noontime we decided that, shel- 
 tered as we were inside the car, and our outside 
 baggage being well protected, we could take chances 
 and hope that the weather might improve before 
 we reached the other end of London, 
 
 This was precisely what happened, and by the 
 time we arrived near Richmond the sky had cleared. 
 It was now about noon, and while our driver had 
 to stop to replace a flattening tire, which had picked 
 up a mischievous nail, my wife and I used the op- 
 portunity for starting our lunch from the variety of 
 provisions we carried inside the car. 
 
 A friendly sun was now again smiling on us, and 
 
20 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 from the stately terraced park we could overlook 
 the restful landscape below ; everything seemed 
 flooded in a vaporous bath of light, the slow 
 Thames River winding its course through bright 
 green meadows, dotted here and there with big and 
 shady elm trees. 
 
 After our short stop at Richmond we passed 
 through Kew, crossed the Thames over Kew 
 Bridge and entered Ealing, by narrow and con- 
 gested streets. Shortly after, we branched off to 
 the wide Uxbridge road and driving became easier 
 and pleasant. Beyond High Wycombe we met a 
 long, stiff grade of about lo per cent, and overtook 
 an American steam touring car that was climbing 
 the hill, with the four occupants walking alongside 
 the empty vehicle, which was puffing laboriously 
 upward. 
 
 The farther we went away from London the bet- 
 ter became the roads. We were driving through a 
 lovely, rolling country, with a smooth highway and 
 green fields. Now and then we met a cheerful-look- 
 ing cottage, its stony fagade made lovelier by some 
 creeping tea roses. Carpet-like lawns, tastefully 
 laid-out gardens, with very old trees, and every- 
 thing cared for to perfection— all this gave us a 
 strong impression of pretty, rural England. The 
 excellent road invited us to speed on and yet the 
 sensation of loveliness was so predominant that we 
 preferred to stop frequently to better enjoy the 
 charmingly reposeful landscape. 
 
 Nevertheless, before we knew it, we had made 
 over 70 miles and were nearing Oxford, the end 
 of our day's trip. A last stretch of undulating coun- 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 21 
 
 try followed by a steady descent led us over the 
 bridge into the heart of the classic old university 
 town. 
 
 I was aware that there was an excellent modern 
 hotel, but we had concluded that we would prefer 
 the Clarendon, an older one, recommended by the 
 Automobile Club, and which seemed more in keep- 
 ing with the general spirit of old Oxford. 
 
 The extensive stables and garages showed that 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 1 
 
 "Into the heart of the classic old university town." 
 
 this inn was much patronized by motorists and 
 coaching parties, and the general appearance was 
 undoubtedly similar to what I suppose all good 
 hotels were at the beginning of the last century. 
 Our choice proved very good, and the only grudge 
 I had against the hotel was that for the first day 
 I could scarcely find my way. The sleeping rooms 
 were distributed along a sort of labyrinth, and, to 
 make matters more perplexing to my slow memory, 
 
22 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 they were not numbered, but each bore a name as : 
 "The Wellington," "The Napier," "The Sun," etc. 
 
 It so happened that all I could remember about 
 6ur room was that it had some astronomical name ; 
 while trying to find my quarters I had to be re- 
 buffed repeatedly by the occupants of "The Moon" 
 and "The Sun" before I finally dared to try my luck 
 at "The Star," where I met with better success. 
 
 This was not the best time for a visit to Oxford, 
 as it had been vacation for several weeks and all 
 college life was absent. Yet three delightful days 
 were spent- there. Whether visiting the old build- 
 ings of the many colleges or taking leisurely walks 
 through the meadows, or along the shaded Isis, we 
 incessantly felt the intense impression of the sweet, 
 musing atmosphere, which seemed to pervade every 
 part of the old town. I have not found any place 
 in England which, to my mind, represents so well 
 the spirit of the English nation as this incomparable 
 Oxford, with its old traditions, its conservatism, its 
 imposing quaintness and its dignity. 
 
 The last afternoon we took a run to Blenheim, 
 the castle of the Duke of Marlborough, a rather 
 gloomy and cheerless example of heavy and pre- 
 tentious architecture, surrounded by an extensive 
 park, its only redeeming feature. 
 
 The following day we were the expected guests 
 of some Scotch friends at Snitterfield, near Strat- 
 ford-on-Avon. 
 
 We left Oxford at about 1 1 in the morning. We 
 had some difficulty to imagine that we were in the 
 month of July, because the sun shone bleak and 
 wintery, and it was so cold that we felt very glad 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 23 
 
 'Along the shaded Isis." 
 
 "Its imposing quaintness and dignity. 
 
24 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 to have a closed car with a heating device. I drove 
 for a while, but soon found that, notwithstanding the 
 shielding front glass, my overcoat was an insuffi- 
 cient protection against the chill. 
 
 A gently undulating road of a perfect surface 
 enabled us to make good speed, until suddenly at a 
 bend in the highway we had td slow down before 
 three easy-going, well-fed, prosperous-looking cows. 
 
 As soon as we stopped they started to run, but 
 when we went on they stopped again and barred the 
 road, which was closely fenced on both sides. I 
 was fully aware of the possible result of a collision 
 between our car and these heavy masses of beef, 
 and for quite a time it was a game of run and stop, 
 until the realization of our ridiculous position 
 brought forth uncontrollable fits of laughter from 
 all of us. 
 
 Finally, after much dodging, one of the cows 
 dropped in a ditch, and this left us a small but suffi- 
 cient opening to wedge our way through. Trying 
 to offset our delay I pressed the accelerator and we 
 soon arrived at Stratford; a few miles further on 
 we reached Snitterfield, a small village surrounded 
 by a hilly and well-cultivated country. 
 
 A most hearty welcome awaited us at the house 
 of our friends, who, enthusiastic motorists them- 
 selves, had already prepared a special garage for 
 our car. 
 
 The main part of the house under the hospitable 
 roof of which we were going to stay had been built 
 in Shakespeare's time, in the quaint architecture of 
 that day, and the modern additions had been made 
 in tolerable conformity with the original style. 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 25 
 
 The ensemble, with the surrounding gardens and 
 lawns, made a delightful specimen of an English 
 country house. 
 
 The liberal supply of rain which makes the Brit- 
 ish climate so humid is also the main reason why, 
 in that country, it is possible to produce such well- 
 kept lawns, better than are to be found anywhere 
 else, and which look more like immense green 
 carpets. 
 
 There, the lawn extended to a sort of terrace, 
 with a green stairway, and reached out toward a 
 very tastefully arranged rose garden. Stately trees, 
 several of them many centuries old, were artisti- 
 cally grouped all over ; giant yew trees next to im- 
 posing cedars of the Lebanon ; exotic-looking arau- 
 carias in proximity to glossy-leaved hollies, the lat- 
 ter with trunks almost a foot in diameter. A shady 
 pathway lined by tree-like rhododendrons led 
 toward an old church. Everything was harmony 
 and every detail gave evidence of centuries of good 
 care and good taste. Yes, this is undoubtedly the 
 secret of these striking effects of English landscape 
 gardening, which seem so hard to imitate success- 
 fully. 
 
 The place just described is merely a representa- 
 tive of hundreds of others, some larger, some 
 smaller, but in all of them the landscape gardening 
 has been the result of a slow and well-studied proc- 
 ess, extending through many generations and car- 
 ried out by a succession of owners, the children being 
 able to follow the improvements which their fathers 
 planned, while determining by actual experience, 
 and not by haphazard selection, what species 
 
26 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 of trees and plants were best adaptable to the 
 country. 
 
 In the States we are apt to do the reverse. Usually ^ 
 we begin by destroying the largest number of the 
 trees, then we try to make a garden of the bare place 
 by planting new trees bought at random, and it 
 takes us a lifetime to find out that many of them 
 are unsuitable for their new surroundings. 
 
 In some of the English country places it took 
 centuries to obtain this experience, and we . can 
 hardly hope to acquire the same in a small number 
 of years. In the meantime we ought to put our 
 main faith in such trees as are indigenous to the 
 locality. 
 
 Good gardeners, at reasonable wages, seem to be 
 obtainable in England ; so are good house servants. 
 As to the latter, it is a mighty good thing for the 
 English country gentleman that well-trained and 
 faithful domestics are neither so scarce nor so ex- 
 pensive as in the United States; otherwise, the 
 average English country house, with its retinue of 
 dozens of servants, would soon become an impos- 
 sibility. As matters are now it would be hard to 
 find in any other country such attentive and well- 
 trained help as is the standard which has been set 
 by our English cousins. 
 
 It is true that in the United States our very limita- 
 tions in this matter have compelled us to adopt 
 many reforms in our home life. By necessity we 
 had to simplify our habits and introduce labor-sav- 
 ing devices. 
 
 The traditional English portable tub, which is 
 brought in the morning into your sleeping room. 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 27 
 
 'A few miles farther on we reached Snitterfield. 
 
 'The church where he (Shakespeare) lies buried." 
 
28 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 the running backward and forward with hot water 
 in shining brass pitchers, the many Httle open fires 
 in each room of the house, are all very quaint and 
 charming English customs, but they involve a tre- 
 mendous amount of extra work, which has been 
 rendered superfluous by our more modern house 
 installations. 
 
 During the week we stayed with our friends we 
 
 "At Ann Hatliaway's cottage." 
 
 drove to Stratford-on-Avon, Shakespeare's birth- 
 place. At Ann Hathaway 's cottage, as well as at 
 Shakespeare's house and the church where he lies 
 buried, we noticed, by the numerous American 
 names in the visitors' books, that transatlantic trav- 
 elers furnish the larger number of pilgrims to this 
 shrine of early literature. 
 
 Our friends had another treat in store for us 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 2y 
 
 when they announced we w^ere to witness the famous 
 "historical pageant" at Warwick Castle. 
 
 A few miles' drive brought us to the mediaeval- 
 looking town of Warwick; the place seemed much 
 astir in expectation of the coming event. The streets 
 were crowded \yith carriages and automobiles from 
 almost all parts of the country. On the big lawn 
 of the castle gardens, where the, performance was 
 to take place, had been erected an enormous wooden 
 stand, protected against sun and rain and provided 
 with ample seating capacity for thousands of spec- 
 tators. Although the better seats were sold at a 
 guinea apiece, every place seemed to be taken. 
 
 The performance itself was given on the spacious 
 lawn, admirably adapted for this purpose. It was 
 screened with a fitting background of fine trees 
 and shrubs and bordered on the left by the peaceful 
 River Avon. 
 
 All the performers were amateurs, and among 
 them many well-known people of the town or neigh- 
 borhood. 
 
 That these men and women knew how to ride a 
 horse gracefully was abundantly shown by their 
 imposing display as armored knights and ladies of 
 the ancient nobility. 
 
 The show was intended to represent a synopsis of 
 the history of the town of Warwick, from the early 
 times to the more modern periods. 
 
 The whole thing was certainly a great success, 
 and it was obvious that all the performers were 
 imbued with the spirit of the play. In fact, while 
 the pageant was repeated every day for about a 
 week, almost all regular trade or business in town 
 
30 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 was discontinued. Not only did the townspeople 
 have their heads full of their assumed roles, but 
 quite a few could hardly descend to trivial daily 
 occupations while their minds were filled with the 
 exalted characters they were impersonating. 
 
 After the representation was over, I was much 
 amused to see the streets of the town filled with 
 performers, who were hurrying home, in all com- 
 binations of historical and modern dress ; some iron- 
 clad knights were carrying their steel helmets on 
 their arms and had donned black derby hats ; others 
 showed their colored tights and spurred top-boots 
 below the latest fashion cravenette coats. The ladies 
 in waiting of Queen Elizabeth rushed away on bi- 
 cycles, furiously ringing their bells, their long, flow- 
 ing robes of every hue and color folded over the 
 frames of their machines so as to avoid unwelcome 
 complications with the revolving wheels or pedals. 
 
 Warwick town is like a dream of the Middle 
 Ages. The old gates and many houses of an early 
 period give it an unforgettable appearance. 
 
 We had eagerly accepted the kind invitation of 
 the canon of the Leicester Hospital to take tea at 
 his venerable institution. The canon himself, as 
 well as his daughter, had just returned from the 
 pageant, where they had been among the principal 
 performers. Their historical dress came out to good 
 effect while they were leading us through a tour 
 of inspection of these quaint old buildings, which, 
 ever since Leicester founded the hospital in 1^7 1, 
 have provided board and lodging for twelve poor 
 inmates or ''brothers." What is most remarkable 
 is that the half-timbered structure has been kept 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 31 
 
 'The performance was given on the spacious lawn." 
 
 "As to Warwi(.n. c<i=.i.^, it is imposing enough. 
 
32 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 with so much care that its well-painted woodwork 
 looks as if it might have been made but yesterday. 
 Among the curiosities shown us was a piece of 
 needlework made by Amy Robsart. 
 
 As to Warwick Castle, it is imposing enough, but 
 the place was now filled with visitors and we pre- 
 ferred to return some other day when quiet should 
 reign again around this gray old palace. 
 
 This we did two days later. We went away In the 
 afternoon, and passing through Warwick, first 
 drove to Kenilworth, which lies about five miles 
 further. 
 
 The majestic ruin of red sandstone dominates, 
 with an air of undying haughtiness, the surround- 
 ing green fields below. With the remembrance of 
 Walter's Scott's famous novel, our thoughts reverted 
 to the former days of splendor of this castle, when 
 Queen Elizabeth was festively entertained by the 
 unworthy favorite to whom she had made a royal 
 present of this baronial domain. 
 
 During our visit to Kenilworth we had the good 
 fortune to be accompanied by the parents of our 
 friends of Snitterfield, and a very interesting couple 
 they were. The gentleman was a retired colonel of 
 the British army, erect in bearing, with youthful 
 eyes, a neatly trimmed white beard and a ruddy 
 complexion. He was dressed in a very becoming 
 Norfolk suit and knickerbockers ; one could scarcely 
 imagine that this cheerful man with the boyish face 
 was a veteran of the Crimean War and the Indian 
 Mutiny. His wife, a splendid example of an Eng- 
 lish lady of culture and refinement, was an agree- 
 able conversationalist, bright, witty, and full of in- 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. M 
 
 The Leicester Hospital. 
 
 'Our thoughts reverted to the former dayc, ^. .,.....-._. „i this castle." 
 
34 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 terest in everything she saw. Her handsome white 
 hair imparted the dignity of age, and yet she 
 cHmbed the ruins vigorously, without any assist- 
 ance, just as well as any of us. 
 
 When we returned to Warwick Castle, we were 
 glad to find that we were almost the only visitors. 
 
 After paying an entrance fee at the porter's lodge, 
 we walked through the picturesque road, cut 
 straight through the rock, the sides forming two 
 perpendicular walls, covered with green moss and 
 creeping plants. 
 
 On arriving at the large outer court, this combi- 
 nation of green lawns and robust trees, with the 
 stern gray of the old Roman towers, gave me the 
 impression of youth intertwining with antiquity. 
 
 This same idea seemed to follow me when visit- 
 ing the beautiful apartments of the residential part 
 of the castle, where the cold and stiff decoration of 
 former days seemed to have been deftly touched up, 
 so as to bring it more into harmony with refined 
 modern taste. 
 
 A rather obsequious and pedantic guide took us 
 through the different rooms. Upon being shown a 
 set of Roman swords which looked as bright as 
 if they had been manufactured recently, I could 
 scarcely refrain from asking whether there was any 
 doubt as to their authenticity, to which, rather dis- 
 turbed and in a slow, drawling voice, he,' the guide, 
 answered : 
 
 "I — myself — tell — you — they — ARE — antique 
 Ro-man swords." 
 
 I did not make any further inquiries, nor ex- 
 press any doubt after this haughty rebuke, which 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 35 
 
 did not prevent our cicerone from meekly stretching 
 his palm for the customary tip when we left. 
 
 That the castle was not a "dead one," like so 
 many others of the kind, but was very much alive 
 and in running order, was impressed upon us while 
 we were being led through the many apartments; 
 in one of the splendid halls the flower-bedecked 
 table was being set for the entertainment of the 
 guests of the Countess. 
 
 The Countess of Warwick is noted for her great 
 beauty, and because in her writing and speeches she 
 has openly defended socialism. 
 
 All this, together with her lavish way of spending 
 money, has made quite a sensation in England. 
 
 As to the Earl of Warwick, I was told that he 
 enjoys more the hunting of big game in the African 
 jungle than staying in his castle, where he is seldom 
 to be seen. 
 
 I was told, also, that the friends of the family, in 
 order to prevent the breaking up of the estate, had 
 organized a limited liability company, and after 
 heavily insuring the lives of the present owners, 
 were paying to them an annuity of £5,000. 
 
 The following day we were to take leave of our 
 hospitable friends and continue our journey. 
 
 At the early morning breakfast, where, according 
 to delightful English custom, everybody helps him- 
 self from a well-provided side table, we were greeted 
 by the festive display of the intertwining flags of 
 Great Britain and the' United States. 
 
 Our hosts, by this delicate attention, reminded us 
 that this was the Fourth of July ; and a gloriously 
 fine day it was ! 
 
36 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 When the time of our departure drew near, our 
 friends, with their other guests, all assembled around 
 the car, which stood purring in the courtyard. Many 
 good-bys and an revoirs were exchanged; a last 
 handshake, a "honk-honk" of the horn, a rrrtch of 
 the clutch, and with a waving of the flags we were 
 off, bearing with us a thankful remembrance of our 
 enjoyable visit and our charming hosts. 
 
 Over pleasant country roads we drove, passnig 
 Henley-in-Arden and Sherley, and by and by we 
 noticed in the distance a dark haze, which seemed 
 to obscure the sky. After a while we could distin- 
 guish the straight lines of tall chimneys and build- 
 ings. The road, too, became dustier and more 
 traveled. We were nearing Birmingham, the great 
 manufacturing centre. 
 
 Following the tracks of the trolley cars, we passed 
 through agglomerations of houses, and shortly after- 
 ward found our way to the heart of the busy, smoky 
 city. Entering the bank district, I was reminded how 
 advisable it was^ while motor touring, to be always 
 provided with enough cash for unforeseen occur- 
 rences, so I stopped long enough to present my let- 
 ter of credit, after which we left the town, glad at 
 the thought of being again in the bright and cheer- 
 ful open country. 
 
 Somewhat bumpy during the first miles, the road 
 soon became excellent, and after passing Lichfield 
 the good and hard surface was almost level and very 
 suitable for speeding. 
 
 Burton-on-Trent was easily recognized by its all- 
 pervading odor of beer, malt and hops when we were 
 driving through the streets, lined with smoky brick 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 Z7 
 
 buildings, all parts of huge breweries, covering hun- 
 dreds of acres of land. 
 
 We next went through Derby, the county town 
 of Derbyshire ; then over a route of increasing pic- 
 turesqueness we passed Driffield, Helper and Mat- 
 lock liath. At the latter town the scenery became 
 so pretty that we concluded to stop there over night. 
 The remainder of the afternoon was employed jn 
 
 'We wend our way to the heart of the busy, smoky city. 
 
 walks around the town, which seemed to be a rather 
 popular resort. Crowds of visitors, arriving and 
 departing incessantly in ''traps" or "char-a-bancs," 
 take away the impression of quietude which would 
 better agree with this otherwise lovely little place. 
 
 The Derwent River has mined here an abrupt 
 gorge in the limestone cliffs, producing a rather 
 striking landscape effect. 
 
38 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 Several petrifying wells, which coat any object 
 suspended in the water with an incrustation of lime- 
 stone, are some of the curiosities of the place. 
 
 Instead of using the ordinary bathtub, we tried 
 the next morning the "tepid swimming bath fed by 
 a natural spring," as advertised. In the cellar of the 
 hotel we found indeed a sort of large cement tank, 
 fyied with bluish transparent water, which looked 
 very attractive, but the icy cold feeling after the 
 first plunge convinced me that the official tempera- 
 ture of 68° Fahr, should not be taken for granted. 
 A few minutes' swimming in that tank was enough 
 for me, yet the sensation was very invigorating. 
 After breakfast it was suggested to us that we 
 should go and see one of the several grottoes of 
 Matlock; we were persuaded to visit the Cumber- 
 land Cavern, which was said to be the most impor- 
 tant one. A hot climb over a little footpath on the 
 hill brought us to the entrance of the cave. At this 
 early hour we were the only visitors, and the guide 
 seemed somewhat disturbed at the idea of going 
 through the whole performance for only two cus- 
 tomers. 
 
 He gave us each a lighted tallow candle and bade 
 us follow him, he carrying a pack of candles, which 
 ,he lighted one by one and planted at intervals along 
 the dark and narrow passage in the rock. Our path 
 went twisting and winding, now between fallen 
 fragments of rocks, then again descending over 
 clumsily hewn stairs. Sometimes the passage be- 
 came so low that we were obliged to stoop to the 
 point of almost crouching on hands and feet, and we 
 fully realized the ridiculousness of our positions, 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 39 
 
 'The Derwent River has mined here an abrupt gorge in the limestone 
 cliffs." 
 
 'Our route followed the pretty Derwent, with rows of houses and 
 shops lining the way." 
 
40 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 because there was absolutely nothing remarkable in 
 this limestone cave — no stalactites, nor high-vaulted 
 chambers, nor any of the usual geological curiosities 
 which are so interesting in some other grottoes. 
 
 While we were crouching on and trying not to 
 bump our heads against protruding rocks nor bruise 
 our shins against sharp corners, the guide would 
 
 "Ve olde Kli/.abtthan liostLlrye, the Peacock Inn, 
 where we stopped." 
 
 now and then drop his natural voice and start ha- 
 ranguing as if we were an assembly of a hundred 
 persons. In a loud, preaching tone he would declaim 
 the wonders of this cave, while we were kept in 
 our stooped position, and then suddenly he would 
 resume his colloquial and meek English. 
 
 When, finally, we emerged, dirty and hot, from 
 that cave, the wiser for our experience, we noticed 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 41 
 
 a waiting group of newly arrived victims, who all 
 seemed very eagbr to go through the same ordeal. 
 
 l>y the time we returned to the hotel we found 
 our motor car waiting f(5r us, and our ride procured 
 us a very welcome rest. For the first two miles our 
 route followed the pretty Derwent, with rows of 
 houses and shops lining the way. A few miles fur- 
 ther on we arrived at Rowsley Station, from where 
 we intended to visit Haddon Hall and Chatsworth. 
 
 I knew of "ye olde Elizabethan hostelrye," the 
 Peacock Inn, where we stopped. A simple yet 
 excellent lunch, improved by a bracing glass of best 
 port wine, was just as much appreciated by us, mod- 
 ern automobilists, as it must have been by the long 
 departed travelers who visited the place in the time 
 of Shakespeare. 
 
 A further short drive brought us within sight of 
 Haddon Hall, that charming and well-preserved ex- 
 ample of a baronial manor of the Middle Ages. 
 Graceful to the extreme, with its parapeted towers, 
 it stands there as a picture of fairyland, surrounded 
 by smiling meadows, where the clear waters of the 
 little Wye run murmuring along, and some clusters 
 of old elm trees provide a shady shelter for groups 
 of lazy-looking cattle. 
 
 I felt as if I was suddenly transported to a world 
 several centuries older, when standing in that old 
 banqueting hall, where formerly the lord of the 
 manor, his family, friends and retainers dined in the 
 same room and listened to the songs of the min- 
 strels in the gallery above. 
 
 There was that significant iron handcuff fastened 
 to the wall, a punishment intended for whoever did 
 
42 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 not, in good grace, empty his massive bumper when 
 the health of the king was pledged. ''Dred God and 
 Honour the Kyng" is the family motto carved in the 
 wainscoted apartments. • 
 
 Of the Vernons, it was said that squire after 
 squire of this family strove to excel his predecessor 
 in old English hospitality. To the truth of this 
 statement, the spacious old kitchen, with its various 
 cooking utensils of former times, stands as a mute 
 yet convincing witness. 
 
 The romance of Dorothy Vernon has contributed, 
 in no little measure, to render the old castle interest- 
 ing to the never-ceasing pairs of lovers who delight 
 in visiting the scene of the story of Dorothy, the 
 beautiful youngest daughter of Sir George Vernon, 
 "whose magnificence was princely and hospitality 
 profuse." 
 
 There still is Dorothy's garden; there also is the 
 beautiful avenue known as Dorothy's Walk, while 
 the fine stone balustrade at Dorothy's door, shaded 
 by ivy and sycamore, seems to invite young couples 
 to repeat their whispers of love. 
 
 From this very door the heiress of Haddon stole 
 out in the moonlight to meet the man of her choice, 
 John Manners, a son of the Earl of Rutland. The 
 connection was very much opposed by her family, 
 and for this reason she was closely watched, kept 
 almost a prisoner, while her eldest sister was feasted 
 and honored as the affianced bride of the second son 
 of the Earl of Derby. 
 
 One festive night, when many guests thronged the 
 ballroom and while the instruments of the minstrels 
 were playing to the dancers, the young beauty of 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 43 
 
 'Graceful to the extreme, it stands there as a picture of fairyland. 
 
 that old banqueting hall.' 
 
44 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 Haddon Hall slipped away unobserved, into the 
 shadow of the big trees, where her lover, disguised 
 as a woodman, was waiting for her. Shortly after- 
 ward a fast pair of horses were flying with them, in 
 the moonlight, over the roads to Leicestershire, 
 where the next morning they were married. 
 
 In our times they might have used a motor car. 
 This was the very natural thought which came up 
 when we re-entered our limousine en route for 
 Chatsworth House, the seat of the Duke of Devon- 
 shire. The great size and splendor of this modern 
 palace made* a ^strong contrast with the quaintness 
 of Haddon Hall. 
 
 Its stately pleasure grounds, fountains, parks, im- 
 mense greenhouses and the style of the building 
 itself give it an imposing although somewhat stiff 
 appearance. 
 
 The spacious halls and apartments of the palace, 
 with their paintings, sculptures and other works of 
 art, produce more the impression of a state museum 
 than of a private residence. 
 
 The steady throng of visitors increases this feel- 
 ing. There, as at almost any place of interest in 
 England and Scotland, we found a continuous come 
 and go of sight-seeing, holiday crowds, arriving in 
 char-a-bancs filled to the limit. While driving 
 through the park grounds we had outdistanced some 
 of them, but when we reached the entrance we found 
 several of these vehicles that had arrived before, 
 their passengers waiting for admission. We were 
 divided in parties of about fifty each, and each group 
 was admitted at intervals and escorted by a guide. 
 
 Our guide was a woman about forty years ol^, 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 45 
 
 . into the sliadows of the big trees. 
 
 the fine stone balustrade at Dorothy's door. . . ." 
 
46 
 
 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 47 
 
 with a very decided growth of hair on her upper 
 Hp. While taking us through the different rooms 
 every motion she made, every word she spoke was 
 so mechanical as to remind us involuntarily of some 
 automaton. I suppose she had repeated her part so 
 often that it became her custom to use not a motion, 
 not a word, nor a gesture, if they could be avoided. 
 In each room visited she placed herself in the mid- 
 dle, and there, immobile as a statue, her eyes in 
 vacant stare, she waited until everybody had assem- 
 bled. Then, without moving a muscle, except her 
 lips, she started explaining in a most unusual way, 
 dropping her half sentences, one after another, as if 
 counting them. 
 
 "The old room state bedroom before 
 
 you coronation chair of George the Fourth 
 
 the other of Queen Adelaide-^ ," and thus she 
 
 kept on, while we were hurried from one room to 
 another. 
 
 After a less rapid visit through the gardens we 
 returned to our car and drove leisurely through the 
 large park grounds, with their herds of tame deer; 
 we drove back to Rowsley, and from there to Bake- 
 well. Here the road began to ascend for about 
 three miles, with grades ranging about 7 per cent. 
 This brought us to an altitude of 1,200 feet, in a 
 decidedly pretty but hilly landscape. 
 
 The fine road now allowed us a steady coasting 
 down for about two miles, then we had another 
 short climb, and arrived in Buxton. Our day had 
 been well filled and we felt rather tired ;. we were 
 glad to find that there was a very comfortable mod- 
 ern hotel, the Empire Hotel, but situated somewhat 
 
48 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 out of the town. The hotel advertises a garage, but 
 the latter is of entirely insufficient size, and we were 
 compelled, to our inconvenience, to send our car to 
 the other end of the town. 
 
 On the other hand, we found the hotel accommo- 
 dations excellent. We were very much in need of 
 a few days' rest, and we decided that they could be 
 found here better than any^yhere else. 
 
 Buxton is one of the three chief inland watering 
 places in England. The pretty little town is situated 
 at an altitude of about i,ooo feet, and is known for 
 its bracing climate. 
 
 Five days were spent here in leisurely succession. 
 One evening we went to the theatre to see "Ham- 
 let." The leading actors were excellent. The the- 
 atre was elegantly built and tastefully furnished, but 
 never have I seen such a wretched stage setting. 
 Even in little out-of-the-way playhouses in some 
 Western mining camps matters could not be wprse 
 or more rudimentary. 
 
 Another evening we attended a different play. In 
 both instances there was a very small attendance. I 
 do not know whether it was the English tempera- 
 ture, the result of the play or the general spirit of 
 the place, but every time we walked back to the 
 hotel fairly shivering. 
 
 The following day there was a surprise in store 
 for me at the garage. My chauffeur, in backing out 
 of the building, had touched a round watering tank 
 which stood almost in front of the barn door. The 
 tank was made of stone slabs cemented together. I 
 learned that similar accidents had happened before, 
 with the result that the slabs had become cracked 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 49 
 
 and recemented, but now they had become loose 
 again. 
 
 The manager, seeing a good chance to make a new 
 tank at my expense, had promptly put several men 
 to work before I was even informed of the matter, 
 and when I arrived I found they had made a mag- 
 nificent cement tank, and I was handed a bill for 
 $21. My gentle protest that I was willing to pay 
 for repairs, but not for erecting a new tank, drew 
 forth such an abundant flow of insolence that I pre- 
 pared to submit to extortion rather than to engage 
 in a contest of Billingsgate language, where I was 
 sure to be worsted. 
 
 The following day we left for Manchester. It 
 was raining for the first time since we left London. 
 This compelled us to close some of the windows, but 
 we found compensation in the thought that rain 
 would lay the dust, which, during the preceding dry 
 period, had kept increasing. 
 
 With our usual good luck we soon saw the 
 weather clearing just as we started to ascend a long 
 slope. A fine road brought us amidst a pretty land- 
 scape, with broad views, over distant hills, in many 
 directions. 
 
 The car took the climb at a nice gait, and after 
 we had reached an altitude of 1,500 feet we started 
 on a gentle downward grade for about five miles, 
 until we reached Whaley Bridge. At Hazelgrove 
 the excellent macadam road changed into pavement. 
 The latter was not so bad as we expected at the 
 beginning. 
 
 We now were entering the densely populated dis- 
 trict which surrounds Manchester for several miles. 
 
50 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 Increased traffic, trolley cars and slippery pavement 
 compelled us to drive cautiously. 
 
 A smoky haze, which gave a dark appearance to 
 all houses, increased all the time, and through Sal- 
 ford we entered Manchester. Having just left the 
 green and cheerful country, and now merging into 
 this smoky city on a hazy day, we could hardly re- 
 press a feeling of revulsion at the sight of the grimy 
 houses and sombre public buildings, which looked 
 as if they had all been coated with dull black paint. 
 We managed to squeeze our way between numerous 
 vehicles over the slippery, greasy pavement, reach- 
 ing thus the Midland Hotel, where we intended to 
 stay for several days. 
 
 I was very favorably impressed with this large 
 and well-appointed hotel, which is a side enterprise 
 of the Midland Railway. In many places in Great 
 Britain the railroads have taken the initiative in 
 providing model hotels in immediate proximity to 
 the station, thereby increasing the pleasure and com- 
 fort of traveling. 
 
 My only reason for staying in Manchester was to 
 participate in the annual meeting of a scientific so- 
 ciety. This gave me an excellent chance of becom- 
 ing acquainted with some of the admirable educa- 
 tional institutions of the big industrial city. A town 
 like Manchester, where seems to be concentrated the 
 ceaseless activity of England, cannot be expected to 
 present herself in Sunday clothes. From an aesthetic 
 standpoint, a place of toil and energy, where wealth 
 is made, cannot fail to be less attractive than a holi- 
 day resort like Paris, where money is spent. Never- 
 theless, we should bear in mind that just such cities 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 51 
 
 Situated at an altitude of about one thousand feet, and is known 
 for its bracing climate." 
 
 'Somebody has called it the 'Municipal Palace.' " 
 
52 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 as Manchester and Birmingham have always been 
 foremost for Hberal and modern ideas. 
 
 A not inconsiderable portion of England has a 
 tendency toward ''respectable/' easy-going, self- 
 satisfied, proud conservatism, and this may be one 
 of the reasons why, in some matters, Albion has not 
 been able to keep among nations that foremost place 
 it once occupied. Among other things, the English 
 system of higher and lower education has become 
 rather antiquated and insufficient for modern re- 
 quirements. 
 
 Oxford may have a venerable name and a proud 
 history, yet it is not this old town to which young 
 America travels, but to Germany, when post-graduate 
 education is wanted. On the other hand, Birming- 
 ham and Manchester have always by their own ini- 
 tiative tried to keep abreast of the times. 
 
 The Victoria University of Manchester may not 
 have the antiquity nor the mellowed traditions of 
 some older colleges of England, yet as a modern 
 institute of learning it is certainly better adapted for 
 its purposes. 
 
 The same can be said of the Municipal School of 
 Technology ; although I am fairly well acquainted 
 with the subject I am not aware that in any other 
 country has a more successful attempt been made 
 toward the practical study of sciences as' applied to 
 technical arts. 
 
 I purposely do not dwell upon the great archi- 
 tectural merits of the buildings, because in late 
 years, especially in America, the tendency of some 
 well-meaning but misinformed persons of often at- 
 taching too much importance to the architectural 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 53 
 
 features of educational institutions. Such people 
 overlook the fact that no amount of money spent 
 on buildings pr ornaments can compensate for the 
 want of the proper spirit or the lack of good teach- 
 ers in any school, however proudly may sound its 
 name. 
 
 At a reception of the Lord Mayor, a splendid and 
 elaborate function, we had a chance to admire the 
 exquisitely well-built town hall. This modest name 
 hardly conveys the idea of the magnificent propor- 
 tions and the tasteful interior decoration of this 
 striking achievement of modern architecture. Some- 
 body has called it, very appropriately, the "Munic- 
 ipal Palace." 
 
 Finally, the many days of visits, sightseeing, ban- 
 quets and receptions were over, and we left Manches- 
 ter in the early afternoon of the 14th of July. At 
 first we drove through what seemed to us an endless 
 succession of small industrial towns, with monoto- 
 nous rows of poorly kept workmen's houses. A 
 rather cheerless district, reminding one forcibly of 
 similar places near the coal mines of Pennsylvania. 
 
 Why is it that in all countries the neighborhood 
 of coal mines should give such a gloomy, poverty- 
 stricken appearance to villages or towns ? 
 
 I ask myself how people living in such doleful 
 surroundings can ever have a cheerful thought. No 
 wonder, also, that under such conditions man should 
 try to forget his monotonous existence and seek in 
 drink a deceitful impression of happiness. In such 
 places as these, as well as in the squalid quarters 
 of London, the "pubs," that curse of Great Britain, 
 are well patronized. 
 
54 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 The average ''beer saloon" of the States leaves 
 much room for improvement, but at least it is not 
 frequented by women, except, perhaps^ in some very 
 disreputable resorts. And what women ! Women 
 in rags, some old, some young; some accompanied 
 by children ; but the very appearance of all of them 
 showing the hopeless slovenliness of their existence. 
 What an example for their children, and what off- 
 spring will such creatures bear? 
 
 Usually the bar is entered by two different doors, 
 one the "private entrance," the other the "public 
 entrance." The former accommodates the custom- 
 ers who claim a certain degree of respectability, as 
 far as respectability goes among them; the latter 
 takes in the very flotsam and jetsam of the popula- 
 tion. 
 
 There stands a limping, unwashed tramp next to 
 a workman who has just left the mill and is now 
 spending his hard-earned money. He is elbowed by 
 a shabbily dressed old woman with glassj eyes and 
 a tired smile 6ver her wrinkled face. If her maudlin 
 talk did not show it, her unsteady gait would tell 
 you that she is already intoxicated, although she 
 asks for more. Everything is served at the same 
 counter; but the latter is separated by screens, so 
 that one compartment is not visible from the other. 
 Over this all presides the well-dressed, carefully 
 coiffured, smiling, yet stiff and business-like bar- 
 maid. Now and then she gives a short word in 
 answer to a question from a customer, intermingled 
 with a giggle and a smile to another frequenter of 
 the place. Always polite, always business-like, she 
 seems oblivious to the anomaly of her position. 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 55 
 
 It is strange to hear it affirmed, by people who 
 ought to know, that these young barmaids almost 
 all lead a correct life, and regard their situation as 
 if they were dispensing drugs in a drug store. 
 
 The sight of drunken women in the streets is not 
 uncommon all over Great Britain. In places like 
 Glasgow I have seen them unable to walk, so that 
 the policemen had to put them on a stretcher and 
 carry them to the next police station, while their 
 shrieks were heard at a great distance. All this is 
 certainly the darkest side in the life of Britain's 
 lower classes. It is a very sore spot in the develop- 
 ment of a country which in other tendencies shows 
 several conditions of superiority over other nations. 
 
 These were the ideas which forced themselves 
 upon me while we were leaving Manchester. They 
 disappeared as soon as I saw again the green coun- 
 try. Bolton and Horwick were passed, and over a 
 somewhat undulating road we reached Preston. 
 From here on our rotate improved still more and 
 the landscape became much prettier. After run- 
 ning through Garstang we had to drive cautiously 
 through the narrow and crowded streets of old 
 Lancaster. We next arrived at Kendal, a pretty 
 little town which bears evidences of its antique 
 origin. 
 
 There we could not withstand the temptation to 
 buy some fine-looking bananas which a fruit vendor 
 offered us. Only since a few years ago are bananas 
 obtainable in England. Now that the Elder-Demp- 
 ster Company has undertaken the regular importa- 
 tion of fruit from the West Indies, bananas are as 
 common in England as in the United States, and 
 
56 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 have rapidly become a very popular fruit. Neither 
 in France, nor Germany, nor Italy, nor any place 
 on the Continent, is it possible to buy bananas, ex- 
 cept as a rare curiosity, and at correspondingly high 
 prices. 
 
 Fruit in England is rather scarce, even in sum- 
 mer. Although the winters are very mild, the sum- 
 mers are too short and too cold to produce grapes or 
 similar fruit, which require a generous sun for 
 ripening. 
 
 Nevertheless, large, delicious English strawber- 
 ries, far superior to the less tasteful American vari- 
 eties, are obtainable at low cost in the early summer. 
 
 They are supplemented by fine big cherries and 
 other fruit imported from southern France, Italy 
 and Spain. Excellent Australian apples have lately 
 become a new and very acceptable addition to the 
 fruit supply of Great Britain. I should mention 
 that later in the summer there is no lack of home- 
 grown walnuts and hazelnuts. 
 
 Our road was now skirting the famous lake dis- 
 trict and a short deviation to the west would have 
 brought us in the very centre of it; but we knew 
 that our time in England was limited and that there 
 were many other things to see. We decided, there- 
 fore, to postpone our visit to this picturesque part 
 of England until some future occasion, when we 
 might be able to combine this trip with a tour 
 through equally interesting Cornwall and Wales. 
 
 Before us we now had a rapidly ascending road, 
 but the healthy purring of our excellent motor made 
 us feel that there would be no trouble in taking these 
 heights. The woodlands were soon left way below 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 57 
 
 and our view extended as far as the sea. We were 
 entering a region of extensive hills, barren of all 
 trees; the rocky surface was covered with bunchy 
 grass, interspersed with blooming heather. The 
 country bore a strong resemblance to the Scotch 
 Highlands. After reaching an altitude of 1,400 feet 
 we could give our engine a rest and descend by 
 gravity. 
 
 A small agglomeration of houses was the first 
 break in the solitude, after many miles. Then 
 again, about ten miles lower, we passed the ancient 
 little town of Penrith. This fine and unfrequented 
 road invited us to increased speed, and by the time 
 the sun was setting our car flew humming into Car- 
 lisle, where motor and passengers were soon housed 
 in the hotel. As there was nothing particularly in- 
 teresting to keep us in this town we left the follow- 
 ing morning. 
 
 It was a bright sunny day, but a strong breeze 
 was blowing and the air was crisp and cold. Al- 
 though we were now in midsummer, the weather 
 reminded me more of the dry, cold November days 
 of New York, and our Panama hats, strapped to the 
 ceiling of the limousine, looked very much out of 
 season. A perfect road, green fields, and neat white- 
 washed cottages made the combined impression we 
 received while speeding along. Gretna Green ! The 
 name reminded us that this was the first village over 
 the Scotch boundary line. Hither, in former times, 
 rushed the lovesick couples whose matrimonial aspi- 
 rations were objected to by their stern English 
 parents. There, also, did they undergo the Scotch 
 rites of civil marriage, the ceremony being per- 
 
58 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 formed by the local justice of the peace, who hap- 
 pened to be also the blacksmith of the village. 
 
 After about forty miles of an almost level stretch 
 we reached Moffat. A steady ascent for about seven 
 miles brought us again over uninhabited moorland, 
 covered with grass and heather. The only signs of 
 life were now and then a frightened grouse or part- 
 ridge, flying before the hum of our approaching 
 motor. Farther on, grazing sheep appeared like so 
 many tiny white specks on the otherwise uniformly 
 green surface of the hills. The road ran about ten 
 miles through this Icind of country. Cold and chilly 
 as it was, I could easily imagine what a picture of 
 gloom this must be on a rainy or foggy day. Almost 
 near the summit we reached a place called "The 
 Devil's Beef Tub," a steep precipice of about 500 
 feet below the road. By the time we began to de- 
 scend again I noticed that we were following a 
 quick-running little stream, which was burrowing 
 under the heather-covered rocks, and which I found 
 to be the humble beginning of the River Tweed. 
 The landscape changed by and by; an occasional 
 bunch of trees began to alter the monotony of the 
 hills; a few isolated farmhouses appeared, and 
 shortly afterward we stopped before a very inviting 
 inn, called Crook Hotel, The place felt warm and 
 comfortable after our cold drive over Tweed's Muir. 
 How we enjoyed our excellent hot tea ! 
 
 There, also, we made our first acquaintance with 
 Scotch cakes, a sort of crisp pancake, made without 
 yeast, and very similar to curly triangles of brittle 
 gray strawboard paper, but very toothsome for good 
 appetites. 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 59 
 
 'We were entering a region of extensive hills barren of all trees." 
 
 "A steady ascent for about seven miles brought us again over 
 uninhabited moorland." 
 
6o ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 The district into which we had entered reminded 
 me somewhat of some American landscapes along 
 the State road in Westchester County: a rolling 
 country adorned by pretty farms. We so passed 
 Broughton, Romana Bridge and Leadburn. Near 
 Penicuik, after coming down a hilly curve, we took 
 the wrong road, and before realizing our mistake 
 were on a side road, with a rapid succession of 
 sharp hilly turns ; but our trusty car took the heavy 
 inclines very gracefully and we did not care to re- 
 turn, because a few miles farther we would again 
 join the main road. At that point the latter became 
 very wide and straight, and we saw the mountainous 
 contour of Arthur Seat. 
 
 Almost at the same time we were greeted by the 
 faint yet distinct skyline of Edinburgh, a sight so 
 characteristic that whoever has seen it once will 
 never forget it. Our road descended straight to- 
 ward the city, which lay before us, its glorious ap- 
 pearance enhanced on the background of resplend- 
 ent light, as the yellow afternoon sun poured into 
 the- glistening bay beyond. 
 
 "Edina, Scotia's darling seat, 
 All hail, thy palaces and towers." 
 
 This was my third visit to Edinburgh, and in 
 every case have I been under the spell of this in- 
 comparable gem of the north. Paris may be gayer, 
 London more imposing, Rome more classical, but 
 I know of no other city which has the same aesthetic, 
 yet coldly aristocratic tone. 
 
 Look ! We are passing below that sturdy rock 
 from whence the old castle seems to throw a frown- ' 
 ing glance upon our new-fangled conveyance. There 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 6i 
 
 1 we stopped before a very inviting inn." 
 
 "At thai point we saw the mountainous contour of Arthur Seat. 
 
62 
 
 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 63 
 
 it was that King Edwin, by founding his "burgh," 
 laid the foundations of the future town. There, 
 also, the same Edwin, as far back as the seventh 
 century, dreamt of a United Kingdom, which was 
 only to be realized many hundreds of years after- 
 ward. Wars, treason, cruelty, persecution, fanat- 
 
 .\i,iii\ (M tiuin landmarks of old Edinburgh." 
 
 icism, all have left their bloody imprints on the his- 
 tory of the old burgh. 
 
 There was that same Grass Market, where, in 
 narrow-minded and stormy ages, heretics were 
 burned and Covenanters were hanged next to male- 
 factors. High street, with rows of tall houses, many 
 of them landmarks of old Edinburgh, led us as far 
 
64 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 as the North Bridge ; there, turning to the left, we 
 entered upon the more modern part of the town, and 
 now we stood before the entrance of the palatial 
 North British Hotel. In going to our rooms, it oc- 
 curred to me what a pity it is that an otherwise 
 well-equipped hotel should not have tried to provide 
 better illumination in its gloomy, half-dark hallways. 
 Two days were spent sightseeing in and around 
 Edinburgh, for which purpose the car was used to 
 good advantage. 
 
 On the afternoon of July 17 we started on our 
 return trip southward. We preferred to take the 
 less easy but more interesting road over Dalkeith, 
 and after passing through some villages we found 
 ourselves among the Lammermuir Hills. These had 
 the same general desolate aspect as the moors we 
 had encountered a few days before, on our way to 
 Edinburgh. Chilly weather and a fine drizzling rain 
 completed the impression of forlornness, which was 
 accentuated by the monotonous bleating of some 
 stray sheep. 
 
 Scotland has three kinds of weather: it is either 
 "raining," is "going to rain," or "has just finished 
 raining." I was rem.inded of the story of that for- 
 eign consul in Glasgow who had rented a house 
 which he tried to embellish by works of art. In the 
 entrance hall were four marble statues represent- 
 ing Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. One day the 
 consul, distracted by the hopelessness of the climate, 
 ordered umbrellas for each statue, "to bring them 
 more into conformity with the four Scotch seasons." 
 
 And yet this Scotch landscape, with its gray', mel- 
 ancholy appearance, has a charm of its own and gives 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 65 
 
 'Chilly weather and fine drizzling rain completed the impression of 
 forlornness." 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 'The viaduct over the little Leader River. 
 
(^ ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 an impression quite different from any other 
 country. 
 
 Our road was now winding its way downward 
 through more cultivated regions and the sky became 
 bright again. Well-kept farms were succeeding 
 each other, and by a succession of up and down 
 grades we passed Lauder and Earlston. Near 
 Leaderfoot, the viaduct over the little Leader River 
 reminded us of the fact that by a short detour we 
 might visit Melrose Abbey. 
 
 Reliable Baedeker calls this abbey "indisputably 
 the finest ruin in Scotland," and he ought to know. 
 I must say, however, that, crowded in between nar- 
 row streets and surrounded by houses, the ruin failed 
 entirely to make on us the impression which we 
 received two days later at our visit to Fountains 
 Abbey. 
 
 Abbotsford, the picturesque home of Sir Walter 
 Scott, was only two miles farther, but the day was 
 quite advanced by this time and we preferred not 
 to crowd in a too hurried visit, so we returned to 
 the main road by St. Boswell. On the "green" of 
 the village was being held the annual horse fair, and 
 all along the road we met people trying horses, and 
 farther up, near the village limits, encountered some 
 gipsy wagons and a gipsy camp. Gradually we 
 entered now upon a stretch of road so lovely as to 
 look almost like artistic stage scenery. Vigorous old 
 beech trees, with their moss-covered, silvery bark, 
 alternated with the dark green of giant coniferse. 
 
 We were so absorbed in the contemplation of this 
 scenic avenue that we scarcely knew when we were 
 entering Jedburgh. The quiet streets of the neat 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 67 
 
 I ^^^7^-- "X^^ 
 
 "Encountered some gipsy wagons and a gipsy camp. 
 
 m 
 
 
 The quiet streets of the neat little place hardly suggest the turbulent 
 period during the wars with England." 
 
68 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 little place hardly suggest the turbulent period 
 through which this old border town passed during 
 the wars with England. In those bloody times 
 "Jeddart justice," like "Lidford law," hanged the 
 man first and tried him afterward. 
 
 We were to rest here overnight at the "Spread 
 Eagle Inn," a name which sounded rather American. 
 The freshly painted fagade gave a very neat appear- 
 ance to the old hostelry. While we were finding 
 our way to our rooms by a labyrinth of nooks and 
 corners, our car was being garaged under a shed in 
 the courtyard. The soothing rusticity of our en- 
 vironment was in marked- contrast to yesterday's 
 elegance of Scotland's capital. 
 
 Our further purpose, for the following day, was 
 to leave early, after taking a glimpse at the ruins of 
 Jedburgh Abbey. The latter was only a few hun- 
 dred feet from the hotel. Leaving our car near the 
 entrance to the churchyard, we were walking toward 
 the old edifice when we were met by an elderly man 
 who was working in his garden. His flowing white 
 beard and intelligent dark eyes gave him a striking 
 appearance. He announced himself as the custodian 
 of the ruin. Leaving his work, he invited us to 
 come in,, but at the sight of our motor car he sud- 
 denly exclaimed : 
 
 "If you travel in a motor, then you surely are 
 much in a hurry and can't find time to enjoy my 
 Ruin." 
 
 We protested that we were not of the scorching- 
 a-mile-a-minute class, and were traveling not for 
 making mileage but for enjoying the country. *We 
 soon discovered that this man was unusually well 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 69 
 
 acquainted with the history and lore of his native 
 land. As an able archaeologist he retraced for us the 
 record of every detail of the old abbey, interspersing 
 his conversation now and then with verses from his 
 own poems. That our new acquaintance was a very 
 successful horticulturist, as well as a philosopher, 
 was proved by his elaborate rose garden, which had 
 
 "The landscape was a repetition of Tweed's Muir." 
 
 won him many and many a prize in floral exhibi- 
 tions. 
 
 Our morning had fled very fast and it was about 
 noon when we took leave of our interesting enter- 
 tainer and proceeded on our way. After a few miles 
 of pretty wood scenery, the Cheviot Hills loomed up 
 in the distance, and shortly afterward we were again 
 on a long climb over green moors. Flocks of beau- 
 tiful sheep with immaculate long, white fleece re- 
 minded us that this was the country where the fa- 
 mous Cheviot wool was obtained. The landscape 
 
70 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 was a repetition of Tweed's Muir and Lammermuir, 
 and, to make the similarity more complete, we were 
 again treated at intervals with fine drizzling rain. 
 By the time we began the descent near Carter Fell 
 the weather developed a chilling rain storm, ac- 
 companied by such a strong wind as to make me 
 wonder why our carriage was not blown from the 
 road. 
 
 We had to draw the weather-curtains over the 
 driver's seat, and if it had not been for our limou- 
 sine car this storm would surely have spoiled our 
 trip for the day. For miles and miles there was no 
 shelter in sight, not even a lonely tree to offer us 
 any refuge. But we kept on driving, while the furi- 
 ous storm beat the heavy rain against the plate win- 
 dows, and were snugly protected inside our comfort- 
 able car. 
 
 As on former occasions, the rain stopped when 
 we were nearing the lowlands, and now and then 
 the sun broke out through a gap in the gray clouds. 
 
 Noiselessly we coasted downward, until we reached 
 a little lake, and near the shore of it stood another 
 limousine. The owners were fishing, while the 
 chauffeur sat on the front of the car, his mind 
 entirely lost in the reading of some novel. The road 
 kept undulating, sometimes reaching an altitude of 
 more than a thousand feet, but the country was not 
 so desolate as the one we had just left, and showed, 
 here and there, some signs of habitation in the shape 
 of an occasional sheep farm. 
 
 We were just ascending a steep hill of about 7 per 
 cent, grade when we overtook a heavy traction en- 
 gine pulling two other wagons behind. The outfit 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. ^\ 
 
 seemed to have no trouble in taking the hill, al- 
 though it naturally went much slower than we did. 
 Such kind of machines are frequently met in all 
 parts of England, and several times I had occasion 
 to obtain direct information as to the practical opera- 
 tion of such commercial automobiles. Some of them 
 are driven by steam in about the same way as a 
 steam locomotive; others are built on the same 
 principle as the gasoline automobile. Heavy ve- 
 hicles of the electric class, as are often met in New 
 York, seem to be very scarce in Europe; probably 
 on account of the fact that their operation is very 
 expensive and that their scope of action is rather 
 limited. 
 
 Some well-conceived English traction engines 
 have the appearance and solidity of construction of 
 a railroad locomotive. I was told that some could 
 be purchased for prices ranging about $2,500. 
 From the fact that such vehicles had been in use for 
 several years and had given full satisfaction as to 
 the cost of operation, I believe that an immense de- 
 velopment of the automobile industry is possible in 
 that direction. The large fiat tires have a most 
 favorable result on the roads by improving the sur- 
 face, acting somewhat like steam rollers. If such 
 commercial vehicles can replace horse-drawn 
 wagons it will mean an immense economy in the 
 maintenance of roads, which now are so much 
 spoiled by the sharp hoofs of horses as well as by' 
 the tires of narrow wheels. 
 
 The profitable use of commercial automobiles 
 seems only possible in countries where good roads 
 exist; that is probably the reason why they are so 
 
72 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 numerous in England. In France I saw less of 
 them and almost none in Italy, although both coun- 
 tries seem to be very well adapted for this purpose. 
 
 We were nearing Newcastle, and met now and 
 then some stray agglomerations of houses, followed 
 by a closer succession of buildings, until about three 
 o'clock in the afternoon we entered the black, smoky 
 city. With its immense industrial activity, New- 
 castle looks even less attractive than Manchester or 
 Birmingham. We drove hastily through the town 
 and paid our toll at the entrance of the heavy High 
 Level Bridge. Underneath flows the muddy Tyne 
 River, lined on both shores with rows of gloomy 
 factory buildings, spouting clouds of black smoke 
 from hundreds of big chimneys. 
 
 Leaving the city, we were now traveling through 
 a dismal colliery district. The unpainted houses of 
 the badly kept villages and the black-faced miners 
 in the streets reminded us again of the neighbor- 
 hood of Manchester. 
 
 A little beyond Chester-le-Street, the distant out- 
 lines of the Durham Cathedral rose in sight. The 
 imposing building stands on a rocky promontory 
 above the whole surrounding country. Arriving 
 nearer, we were climbing the narrow streets of the 
 town of Durham, and so came in full view of what 
 is said to be the most beautiful Norman building in 
 the world. 
 
 On the same lofty retreat, and not far from the 
 stately cathedral, stands the ancient castle. Both 
 buildings, in their elevated position, seem to impress 
 their haughty domination upon the small town of 
 crooked, narrow streets and old-looking houses. 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. n 
 
 At Durham we wanted to buy souvenirs in one 
 of the many Httle shops, but were told that this was 
 Wednesday, the week holiday of the town, and that 
 stores were closed. 
 
 Each town or village "in England seems to keep 
 an extra holiday each week, occurring on a different 
 day according to the choice of the locality, so that 
 while traveling in an auto it is quite possible, as 
 had happened to us, to strike a holiday town on each 
 succeeding day of the week. 
 
 After having stilled our clamoring appetites at 
 'The Three Tuns," which Baedeker recommended 
 as "an old-fashioned but comfortable house," we 
 took to the road again. A stiff climb awaited us 
 near Ferry Hill, but then the surface became almost 
 level again and we made good time. Darlington 
 and Northallerton, two small towns of some im- 
 portance, were traversed hurriedly; then branching 
 off to the right we engaged in a succession of side 
 roads toward Ripon, our destination for the end of 
 the day. Side roads in England, although narrow, 
 are as good and sometimes better than the main 
 roads. Roads in England are seldom straight, as 
 they have been laid out without injuring the con- 
 venience of mighty landholders, who here, more 
 than in any other country, seem to have everything 
 their own way. 
 
 We were traveling on good, hard and smooth 
 surface and were all alone on the road. The setting 
 sun urged us to go faster and the r-r-r-r of our per- 
 fect engine was a merry tune to our ears. While 
 we were thus flying along we could hardly refrain 
 from making some remarks in praise of our reliable 
 
74 ENGI.AND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 machine. Day after day we had been traveling 
 without intermission, never delayed nor worried by 
 troubles with the machinery. What a change, since 
 my experience of a few years ago when I first tried 
 my hand at automobiling, etc. ! We might have 
 kept up this optimistic conversation much longer if 
 just at that time we had not been startled by a tchiss ! 
 — bang ! — ^bang ! — bang ! — tchiss ! — and the motor 
 stopped. The engine, which always started on the 
 very first touch of the crank, seemed lifeless now, 
 although voltmeter and sparking plugs showed the 
 excellent condition of the ignition system. Lewis 
 was positive that it could not be lack of gasoline, 
 because he had added some in Durham, but the 
 carburetor seemed empty, and therefore, notwith- 
 standing the assurances of Lewis that we had an 
 abundance of gasoline, we examined the tank and 
 found that every drop of fuel had disappeared. 
 Judging by our odometer, we were fully two 
 miles from Ripon, the nearest place to get a new 
 supply, and Lewis was sent out in search of the 
 much-needed liquid. A passing boy, on a bicycle, 
 was dispatched after him, with the promise of a 
 shilling if he could hurry the arrival of a can of 
 gasoline. It had become quite dark now, but, light- 
 ing the electric lamp in the car, we were enabled to 
 pass the time agreeably with reading. 
 
 After about an hour the gasoline arrived and the 
 motor was started without any trouble whatever. 
 While we were humming off the two last miles I 
 ventured to remark that it made quite some differ- 
 ence to our engine whether it had gasoline or not, 
 and that from now on we would never travel again 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 75 
 
 'The imposing building stands on a rocky promontory. 
 
 fitted together as a rare gem in an appropriate setting," 
 
76 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 without carrying an extra can of this indispensable 
 fluid, so that we could fall back on this reserve pro- 
 vision in case our regular supply gave out. ■ 
 
 The streets of Ripon appeared pitch dark to me, 
 but with some hesitation we found our way to the 
 Unicorn Hotel. We were rather surprised to find 
 this inn very crowded with visitors and found, to 
 
 "Our car was waiting outside." 
 
 our dismay, that all the neighborhood had flocked 
 to Ripon, to see an historical pageant which was to 
 take place next day — an event of much local im- 
 portance, because it was celebrated only at intervals 
 of many years. 
 
 The little place, otherwise so quiet, was now 
 stirred up by all the hustle and bustle of preparation. 
 This was quite different from what we expected. 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 77 
 
 and if it had not been so late we would certainly 
 have driven to the nearest quiet locality. 
 
 I have a horror of crowds, and foresaw that 
 Fountains Abbey, our sole object for coming here, 
 would lose all its charm if we were to meet there the 
 noisy hordes of the average holiday seekers. The 
 hotel itself made a good impression, and the land- 
 lady told us she could provide us with rooms for 
 one night, if we would promise her that they should 
 be vacated for the next day, as everything had been 
 engaged long ago for the full coming week. I went 
 to bed rather disappointed to see my plans so upset. 
 This visit to Fountains Abbey I had intended to 
 spring as a surprise upon my wife as a fitting climax 
 to our sightseeing journey through England. I had 
 almost made up my mind to leave the place without 
 even taking a look at the ruin, rather than to see it, 
 as in the circus performance, surrounded by crowds. 
 I must have felt very tired that evening. Luckily 
 I woke up next morning in a much more cheerful 
 mood, and it occurred to me that if the pageant was 
 to start in Ripon at ten, this would certainly draw 
 the bulk of the visitors. If we timed properly our 
 visit to the abbey we might manage to be there dur- 
 ing an interval when we should be alone. 
 
 To the astonishment of the attentive waiters, we 
 leisurely lingered over our daintily served breakfast, 
 while everybody else was much in a hurry to be in 
 time for the pageant. By now the quaint old market 
 place was filled with holiday crowds thronging be- 
 tween tally-hos, char-a-bancs and carriages of all 
 descriptions. The scarlet coats of the top-booted 
 postilions intermingled with the businesslike leather 
 
78 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 jackets of the chauffeurs. Traveling musicians and 
 gaily dressed clowns joined their noises with those 
 of the hoarse exclamations of peddlers or fruit ven- 
 ders. Flags and bunting everywhere added to the 
 festive picture of animation of the whole scene. 
 
 Our car was waiting outside, and a few minutes 
 before ten we managed to create a passage through 
 the dense crowd and drive off to the abbey. The 
 day could not have been finer. Two or three miles' 
 drive, along hedged country roads, took us through 
 Studley Village, at the entrance of Studley Park. 
 There a straight avenue, flanked by broad lawns, 
 brought us to a turn where we passed beneath the 
 canopy of verdure supported by mighty beech trees. 
 Close by was the gate, where we left our motor be- 
 hind. 
 
 Upon entering the enchanting park which guard- 
 ed the object of our visit, we were delighted to find 
 that our plan had worked well — we were entirely 
 alone. Whoever desires to behold a masterpiece of 
 classic English landscape gardening cannot select a 
 better place than this. The slow but dominating in- 
 fluence of time has raised there giant rhododendrons 
 and yew trees, and each of them must certainly have 
 been old even five centuries ago, when the abbey 
 was founded. How trivial looks a modern garden 
 compared to this imposing result of the combined 
 effect of age, good taste and culture. Enraptured 
 by our surroundings, we had almost forgotten that 
 we came to see the abbey, until our walk brought 
 us to a place where an open space in the shrubbery 
 suddenly unfolded to our eyes a magic view of the 
 distant ruin. The slender towers, so elegantly 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 79 
 
 placed on that velvety lawn, the serenely restful 
 water of the little creek and the surrounding sump- 
 tuous vegetation of those veteran trees fitted to- 
 gether as a rare gem in an appropriate setting. 
 
 I cannot imagine that the abbey, in its former full 
 architectural glory of centuries ago, when despotic 
 ecclesiastics dwelt there in all their might and 
 haughtiness, could ever have looked half as graceful 
 as the exquisite ruin, purified from its former sins 
 of intolerance and iniquity. 
 
 Hours had passed in the silent contemplation of 
 this sublime spot, and it was time to leave if we 
 desired to avoid • the unavoidable inrush of the 
 stream of visitors. • 
 
 When we again arrived in Ripon the pageant was 
 just over, and we had much trouble driving our car 
 through the crowded streets. 
 
 Interspersed in the thronging crowd could be 
 seen, here and there, the multi-colored costume of 
 some returning performer. Rounding a corner we 
 almost ran into the tin-bedecked horse of William 
 the Conqueror. The warlike lord in his suit of 
 armor had his own troubles trying to master his 
 rearing steed. Furious while readjusting his over- 
 turned helmet, he mumbled some forceful Anglo- 
 Saxon expressions aimed at our car. 
 
 We managed to leave the town without further 
 encounters with irate knights and were soon again 
 on our way to London. We might have turned first 
 toward the old city of York, formerly the Roman 
 Eboracum, twenty-four miles distant, but I was ex- 
 pected in London the next day, and therefore pre- 
 ferred to omit this side trip. Our itinerary took us 
 
8o ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 through Harrogate, an aristocratic-looking spa, pro- 
 vided with several large hotels. Then, further on 
 through Wetherby, Aberford, Ferrybridge and 
 Doncaster, we could indulge in some fast driving 
 over well-kept roads. Just beyond Tuxford I became 
 aware that one of our tires was flattening and Lewis 
 discovered a nail in the cover. This was only the 
 second puncture since we started our tour. While 
 a new tub^ was being put in some playing country 
 children came to look at the proceedings; I rather 
 liked their pleasant and polite behavior, in compari- 
 son with the rudeness of the average American 
 street boy, who certainly would have yelled, "Git a 
 horsd !" 
 
 A little conversation with them led to the avowal 
 that they were very glad when ''motors" had "break- 
 downs," because then the motors had to stop, and 
 something had to be done to the machine, and all 
 that was so interesting to look at. Sometimes the 
 machines could not go further, and then they had to 
 be pulled with " 'orses." This had " 'appened" last 
 week, but only " 'Arry" had the fun of it,^ because 
 the others were at school when all this occurred. 
 
 As soon as we were ready we made a thirty-five 
 mile dash toward Grantham. It was nearly even- 
 ing when we stopped there before the old "Angel 
 Inn," with its quaint ivy-clad fagade and stone tur- 
 reted bay windows. At the entrance of the porte- 
 cochere we were welcomed by the landlord and his 
 servants. While our baggage was being taken off 
 the car we were struck by the general antique ap- 
 pearance of the place. The buildings seemed divided 
 for their several purposes, as indicated by inscrip- 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 8i 
 
 tions. There was a "tap" for grooms, valets or 
 drivers, and a special building for lodging the help ; 
 as to the stable, it had been partially changed into a 
 ''garage." A glimpse of the roomy kitchen showed 
 us a well-arranged row of shining brass and copper 
 utensils. Everything was well kept and had a pros- 
 perous look. 
 
 Along one of the walls of the courtyard there was 
 
 
 ^^ 
 
 " . . . the old 'Angel Inn,' with its ivy-clad facade." 
 
 a row of swinging call bells, connected with as many 
 ropes to different apartments, the names of which 
 were inscribed above each. Whenever anyone rang 
 a waiter ran out to ascertain which bell was swing- 
 ing and hustled back to the room whence came the 
 call. 
 
 Our room was called "The Granby." With its 
 enormous antique mahogany bed, with four spiral 
 posts and everything clean and neat, it looked very 
 
82 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 cozy. I was told that it was here that Richard the 
 Third signed the death warrant of the Duke of 
 Buckingham. This was, in fact, one of the oldest 
 holstelries in England, and as such it had quite a 
 history. It had first been the property of the 
 Knights Templar, and in the thirteenth century 
 King John had held court there. We were quite 
 pleased with our experience, and our delight rose 
 to enthusiasm when we were invited down for sup- 
 per, where the waiter served us delicious "Sole- 
 meuniere," of staggering size and quality, rendered 
 still more palatable by a glass of excellent cham- 
 pagne. 
 
 That the good points of this country inn were 
 known by other automobilists was made evident by 
 the fact that three more motor cars entered the hotel 
 gate at this late hour of the evening. Just when I 
 was about to retire to our room I heard another car 
 drive in with a terrible noise. If it had been a thou- 
 sand horse power it could not have made a more 
 fearful racket. I quickly slipped outside to take a 
 look at the monster automobile, only to find a tiny 
 little French tonneau, driven by an immense stout 
 French chauffeur with a carmine face, his black 
 leather suit swollen to the point of bursting with its 
 fleshy contents. It was with some trouble that this 
 Goliath succeeded in extricating his massive form 
 from the overburdened little noisemaker. 
 
 When, the next morning, I went to the garage, I 
 beheld a busy scene. It looked very much like an 
 automobile factory. Every car excepting ours was 
 partly dismantled. One chauffeur was repairing his 
 magneto, another was hard at work with his engine, 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 83 
 
 while the third was getting warm taking out his 
 troublesome carburetor. As to the giant Frenchman, 
 he was lying down on his back, with his legs stick- 
 ing out between the front wheels, while his little car 
 seemed to rest like a toy on his rotund belly. 
 
 I could not see his face, but when I heard the 
 crisp, unsaintly French expressions which were 
 pouring forth from underneath yesterday's terror I 
 knew that he, too, had troubles of his own. 
 
 As a contrast to all this, I saw Lewis, in an easy- 
 going way, filling in oil and gasoline ; I could not 
 help concluding that our old car did not make such 
 a bad showing, next to three of the latest and best 
 known foreign makes. 
 
 At noontime we left Grantham and after passing 
 Stamford arrived at Alconbury Hill, where the road 
 divides and where we took the wrong turn over 
 Huntington instead of taking the shorter route to 
 the right. While inquiring about the way, a bicy- 
 cle rider came toward us and we were politely in- 
 formed that there were "motor traps" near the 
 town. He urged us to drive slowly so as not to be 
 arrested. A little further we were approached by 
 another bicyclist, who repeated the same warning. 
 This seems to be one of the ways by which English 
 motorists try to protect themselves against a too 
 strict enforcement of automobile laws. As soon as 
 we were out of the town and the roads were free 
 again, we threw in our high gear and kept spinning 
 onwards. Biggleswade, Hitchin, Welwyn, Hatfield 
 and Barnet were passed, and from now on a close 
 succession of well-kept country properties were the 
 first signs that we were nearing London. At the 
 
84 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 same time we met more bicycles and motor cars. 
 At Finchley we took to the right, along the Finch- 
 ley road. Large motor buses which rushed along 
 with a roar like so many wild animals, and the mul- 
 ti-colored omnibuses with their horses beating a 
 rhythmic thud on the wooden pavement, appeared 
 again as a familiar sight of the metropolis. There 
 now was Regent's Park and* before long we were 
 following the crowded but orderly procession of all 
 kinds of vehicles through Baker street, Oxford 
 street, along Trafalgar square, Whitehall, over 
 Westminster Bridge. 
 
 Once over the latter_, we entered other busy thor- 
 oughfares. After going through Lewisham we ar- 
 rived in Bromley, from where we went to Chisle- 
 hurst. There we were glad to find our children, 
 who had been patiently waiting for our return. 
 
 I was again very favorably impressed with their 
 schools, quite different from those enormous insti- 
 tutions where a child loses all its individuality. Both 
 the schools had a very limited number of pupils 
 and looked more like pretty villas with tastefully 
 laid out gardens. 
 
 After the car had driven us back to the hotel at 
 Bromley, I could not help patting it on the hood 
 of the motor. Our odometer showed 1,314 miles 
 since the car had arrived in England, and never 
 had it given us any trouble. 
 
 A pleasant room had been kept ready for us at 
 the hotel and we felt very much at home after our 
 long trip. Looking from our bow window the street 
 corner appeared very much like a theatrical scene. 
 There in the background was the little old church 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 85 
 
 with its walls of flint stone ; on each side was a row 
 of shops, leaving a triangular space for the inter- 
 section of several streets. People were going and 
 coming ; now and then a neatly dressed girl on a bi- 
 cycle crossed the street bent on some errand or 
 visit; then, again, an automobile rushed along. 
 While all this was going on some minstrels were 
 holding an improvised concert in the middle of the 
 place. On closer inspection this group formed an 
 odd combination. One of the performers was blind, 
 the other was one armed, while the third had no 
 arms at all. Lustily they sang their grand opera 
 repertoire, and afterward, while the blind and arm- 
 less men kept singing, the one-armed man went 
 around for the collection and gathered many a coin. 
 
 Bicycling is still very popular in England and 
 Scotland. Not only are the roads filled with people 
 who practise it as a sport, but persons of both sexes 
 and all ages use the wheel as a very convenient vehi- 
 cle for shopping and visiting. The well-kept roads 
 and proper accommodations everywhere have un- 
 doubtedly contributed much to keep alive a sport 
 which, unfortunately, has almost died out in the 
 United States since snobbism abandoned it. 
 
 The next days were spent in London at the 
 Carlton, a hotel which falls somewhat short of the 
 rather pretentious reputation which it tries to main- 
 tain. 
 
 Our time was strenuously divided between sight- 
 seeing and social functions, and after about a week 
 we began to sigh again for motor trips in the green 
 open country. Just then vacation time had arrived 
 and we could take the children from their schools. 
 
86 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 ■"While everything else was packed in the required number of dres- 
 suit cases and loaded upon our car." 
 
 All our belongings that were not required for our 
 trip through the Continent were stowed in two large 
 trunks, ready to ship to Naples, while everything 
 else was packed in the required number of dress suit 
 cases and loaded upon our car. Our friends in 
 Bromley, who had contributed so much to make our 
 stay in their town agreeable, bade us a last farewell. 
 
 Now, with our little family complete, we left be- 
 hind us green Chislehurst and its school memories. 
 My children showed me the villa where the last of 
 the Emperors of France died in exile, as a sad ex- 
 piation of a reckless career. 
 
 We skimmed over the lovely county of Kent, with 
 its land laid out like a garden, its trim hop fields 
 and well-kept country houses ; then all through Sur- 
 rey, where the road traverses again an increasing 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 87 
 
 succession of the prettiest well-cultivated rural dis- 
 tricts. The roads are bordered with well-trimmed 
 hedges and are kept as if they were garden lanes. 
 Prosperous-looking cottages and farmhouses add 
 their smiles to the general cheer of the surround- 
 ings. 
 
 Here, as in several other places of England where 
 of late motor traffic has become very dense, experi- 
 ments have been made by spreading over the roads 
 a thin layer of coal tar. This keeps the dust down 
 and hardens the surface. I was told that the farm- 
 ers themselves took the initiative of these experi- 
 ments after they found out that soft surface roads 
 caused sufficient dust to make the adjoining strips 
 of pasturage unavailable for cattle feeding. 
 
 We had passed Sidcup, Maidstone and Ash ford, 
 the road being a succession of undulating grades. 
 From the hill just before Hythe we saw the blue 
 sea in the distance. The route now ran almost par- 
 allel with the shore and we were entering the region 
 of the numerous sea resorts so popular along the 
 English southern coast. After Hythe, we passed 
 Sandgate and further on was pretty Folkestone, 
 with its white cliffs, green hills and pale blue water. 
 In this sunny summer weather the panorama re- 
 minded me somewhat of the Mediterranean. 
 
 We might have shipped the car from here to 
 Boulogne, but we had planned to visit Belgium. 
 Our destination was Ostend, and the easiest way 
 to get there with the car was to send it from J)over 
 to Calais and from there proceed to Belgium. Dover 
 is only ten miles from Folkestone, but the road 
 winds over very steep hills. 
 
88 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 A sharp ascent began shortly after leaving 
 Folkestone, and we kept climbing for almost two 
 miles. The splendid manner in which our heavily 
 loaded car accomplished this task made me feel 
 very confident of our future journey through the 
 mountains of the Continent. Near the summit we 
 met some khaki-dressed English soldiers who had 
 stopped manoeuvring; their purple faces gave evi- 
 dence that it was a very hot day for them. My 
 English friends are apt to make fun of the average 
 American who in winter lives in overheated houses, 
 but, on the other hand, I am led to believe that Eng- 
 lishmen, like most inhabitants of northern Europe, 
 are very helpless against hot weather. 
 
 A steady decline brought us into Dover. The 
 day boat for Calais had left in the morning, so the 
 car had to be sent by the night boat. Meanwhile, 
 my wife and children would take the Ostend boat, 
 which was to leave in about one hour. Lewis, speak- 
 ing nothing but English, would be rather helpless 
 in France, so I decided to accompany him and the 
 car to Calais. 
 
 I had still ample time to take tea with my little 
 family at the Lord Warden Hotel, see them off on 
 the Ostend boat, and afterward look on while my car 
 was being put on board the French steamer. The 
 auto was run on the quay alongside the mail steamer 
 and placed into a sort of wooden tray, to which the 
 wheels were fastened by means of strong ropes, 
 while wedges were braced against the tires so as to 
 keep everything in position. The tray was sus- 
 pended by four strong cables, which were kept 
 stretched apart by wooden cross-pieces, so as to 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 'Lifted by a powerful crane.' 
 
 sheltered by chalk-white cliffs. 
 
90 
 
 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 prevent the chains from touching the car and 
 scratching the top. 
 
 In less time than it takes to describe it the whole 
 was lifted by a powerful electric crane, which swung 
 
 deposited neatly on the deck of the steamer.' 
 
 the car gracefully in the air and deposited it neatly 
 on the deck of the steamer in the space reserved for 
 second-class passengers. The tray was pulled from 
 underneath the car and replaced with a sheet of 
 
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 91 
 
 tarpaulin, which was to take care of any leaking lu- 
 bricating oil. 
 
 It was but four o'clock in the afternoon and there 
 was plenty of time for sightseeing. Dover is an in- 
 teresting and busy little seaport of increasing im- 
 portance. It is sheltered by chalk-white cliffs, the 
 latter surmounted by an old castle which is still 
 used as a fort. Romans, Saxons and Normans 
 have all left their traces on the history of Dover. 
 The fine new harbor is intended to accommodate 
 British warships, and has become a stopping point 
 for several transatlantic lines. All this, together 
 with the sea bathing on the beach, the garrison and 
 the mail steamers to the Continent, gives a peculiar 
 animation to this otherwise small place. 
 
 I watched with much interest the manoeuvres of 
 the grim, black British battleships outside the port. 
 By evening most of them entered in procession into 
 the harbor, where they dropped anchor for the night. 
 
 Some time past eleven our French mail steamer 
 sailed away and about one hour later we arrived in 
 Calais. 
 
FRANCE AND BELGIUM. 
 
 AS the car could not be unloaded before the next 
 morning, I took a cab and drove directly to a 
 hotel supposed to be the best in Calais, but which 
 proved to be somewhat of a disappointment. Maybe 
 I had become accustomed to the clean and neat Eng- 
 lish hotels, where cooking is perhaps not so artfully 
 attended to as in France, but where everything 
 looks well cared for, even if otherwise simple. 
 
 All over France one still find many hotel keepers 
 who thing that a good meal, soft beds, a few electric 
 lights and a stray piece of statuary or an oil painting 
 are the only necessary qualifications for a good hotel, 
 and who seem to be unaware of the fact that the 
 modem, civilized traveler will sooner appreciate sim- 
 plicity if the latter is conducive to cleanliness. They 
 ignore the fact that a self-respecting tourist will 
 give scant consideration to pretentious or luxurious 
 furniture if the facilities which permit personal 
 cleanliness are insufficient or absent. 
 
 Bathing and similar facilities are often of a rudi- 
 mentary nature in French hotels ; sometimes they 
 are totally absent. The Touring Club of France is 
 doing excellent work by attending to the education 
 of such French "hoteliers" as have been living hith- 
 erto in blissful ignorance of these subjects. 
 
 As soon as I entered the town of Calais I became 
 disagreeably conscious of an all-pervading smell of 
 sewers. This unpleasant impression lasted as long 
 
 93 
 
94 FRANCE AND BELGIUM. 
 
 as I remained there. The inhabitants of the place 
 appear to be unaware of this condition, or seem to 
 think Hghtly of the matter. Unfortunately, the 
 olfactory sense of foreigners does not seem to have 
 become dulled to the same degree. 
 
 The next morning I hurried to the well-built 
 quay. There I found my car still standing on the 
 mail steamer, covered with a tarpaulin, while a lone- 
 ly sailor was scrubbing the deck. I was kept wait- 
 
 "The latter was lifted in about the same way as in Dover." 
 
 ing until ten o'clock, when the operator of the elec- 
 tric crane finally made his appearance. Then I had 
 to wait some more for the representative of the 
 ''Societe des Rouleurs." The latter is a variety of 
 trade union combined with a monopoly which seems 
 to have the exclusive concession for handling all 
 merchandise at the docks. Everybody was extreme- 
 ly polite to me, but everyone also took his own time 
 to attend to his job. A wooden tray was again slid 
 
FRANCE AND BELGIUM. 95 
 
 under the car and the latter was Hfted in about the 
 same way as in Dover. I admired the fine electric 
 crane which so neatly performed this work. The 
 total charges from Dover to Calais, including load- 
 ing and unloading, amounted to about $30 ; but after 
 the car was on the quay I was politely reminded that 
 every one of the workmen who, some way or an- 
 other, had helped unloading or helped looking on 
 expected a "pourboire." This made me distribute a 
 few francs among them. Accompanied by a "doua- 
 nier," we now could drive to the nearby custom 
 house. Under way, we picked up a customs broker 
 who for about two dollars attended to all formalities 
 and who sold us also some "essence" (that is what 
 they call gasoline in France) and lubricating oil. 
 The formalities were very simple and were con- 
 cluded in a few minutes. 
 
 I might have been delayed much longer had I not 
 previously applied to the Touring Club de France 
 for a "triptyque." I had written them from Eng- 
 land, sending a check for about $120, which money 
 was to be returned to me after leaving France. My 
 "triptyque" was a printed document, consisting of 
 three vouchers ; hence its name. This printed sheet 
 contained the full description of my car, with its 
 number of extra tires ; furthermore, it was pro- 
 vided with a small photograph of my automobile.^ 
 One voucher was filed at the custom house, while 
 the others were returned to me for further use. 
 
 The rough pave of Calais was an unwelcome 
 novelty, after the smooth macadam roads of Eng- 
 land. 
 
 It is a common mistake to believe that all roads 
 
96 FRANCE AND BELGIUM. 
 
 in France are excellent. If it is perfectly true that 
 some of the French ''routes nationales" are the best 
 roads possible, there are nevertheless several por- 
 tions of this country where the highway is poor, 
 if not actually bad. This is especially the case in 
 the northern provinces, where pave is quite com- 
 mon; also in other localities whenever the road 
 traverses a town. 
 
 The route toward Belgium is "pave" for sev- 
 eral miles and is lined with a double row of crooked 
 poplar trees. The country is extraordinarily flat and 
 cultivated everywhere. At the end of about fifteen 
 miles we arrived before the "remparts" of the little 
 fortified town of Gravelines. An old wooden draw- 
 bridge over a moat with green, stagnant water led 
 us inside the gates. The town had a neglected and 
 careless look. Some French soldiers, with faded red 
 pantaloons and slouching gait, were walking about. 
 
 Why is it that a nation famed for elegance should 
 have the most slovenly, worst dressed and worst 
 groomed soldiers? Wherever you see them they 
 look about the same. This is especially strange if 
 we consider that in France everybody is compelled 
 to become a soldier, so that the army is recruited 
 from all classes. I have seen more than one French- 
 man who dressed faultlessly as a civilian, but 
 changed entirely to an appearance of shabby untidi- 
 ness as soon as he donned 'his* soldier's uniform. As 
 to the unsightly red trousers, I am told that the 
 French Government introduced that color in the 
 army in order to encourage the culture of madder 
 plant, or "garance." I wonder how this still helps 
 agriculture, as a much cheaper and better dye is 
 
FRANCE AND BELGIUM. 
 
 97 
 
 Calais. 
 
 'The classic windmills.' 
 
98 FRANCE AND BELGIUM. 
 
 now produced chemically by "those terrible Ger- 
 mans." 
 
 We passed several places with "unFrench" sound- 
 ing names, like Maerdyk, Dunkerke and Zuydcoote. 
 The types of the inhabitants, as well as the general 
 appearance of the country, show unmistakably that 
 they are hot French but Flemish, although politic- 
 ally they belong to the French Republic. 
 
 A good macadamized road ran very close to one 
 of those straight canals so numerous in the Low 
 Countries. Even the classic windmills were there 
 to complete this picture of the Old Netherlands. At 
 Ghyvelde the polite French "douaniers" signed our 
 "triptyque," an indispensable formality for enabling 
 us to re-enter France with our motor car. We were 
 now in Belgian Flanders. Road and canal ran al- 
 ways side by side and the general aspect of the land- 
 scape had not changed. 
 
 At Adinkerke we were stopped by the Belgian 
 custom house. While in England I had at first not in- 
 tended to take my motor car to Belgium and there- 
 fore had omitted to send for a Belgian "triptyque," 
 and this now led to quite some complications. The 
 customs officer, although very courteous, insisted 
 firmly that I should deposit the sum of 1,700 francs 
 in none other than Belgian currency. I was amply 
 supplied with British gold, but this was not ac- 
 cepted, and it was impossible to exchange same be- 
 cause in this little place nobody seemed to know the 
 relative value of English money. After some de- 
 liberations I was directed to the local financier, a 
 kind of half peasant, half usurer. He was willing 
 to change the money provided I gave him fifty 
 
. FRANCE AND BELGIUM. 99 
 
 francs. At this absurd proposal I was ready to re- 
 turn to Dunkerke, where there was a bank and 
 where I might be able to obtain French gold, but 
 the receiver finally made up his mind to accept my 
 English sovereigns at the rate of twenty-five francs, 
 which certainly was favoring him with a neat com- 
 mission. Even then he had probably his misgivings, 
 because he asked me to let his clerk ride with our 
 car to the next town, where the money was ex- 
 changed at the local bank. 
 
 My baggage was passed unopened and unques- 
 tioned, but I was compelled to pay a franc for a 
 license number. This small sum procured me a 
 well-made, enameled number plate, which was to be 
 attached to my car. Afterward we passed Nieu- 
 poort. Some miles further the excellent macadam 
 changed again into stone pavement. From now on 
 we met many well-equipped, very modern limousines 
 and landaulets. This was the first sign that we were 
 approaching that most mundane and luxurious of all 
 European sea resorts, Ostend. 
 
 Not so very long ago this city was merely a small 
 fishing port. History made it famous for the Spar- 
 tan heroism displayed while the beleaguered popula- 
 tion stubbornly resisted the Spanish troops during 
 the war in the Netherlands. In the last century ij 
 has acquired an ever-increasing importance as a 
 bathing resort, until of late years it has outstripped 
 all its rivals by the number of its visitors from all 
 countries as well as by the opulence of its hotels 
 and the extravagance of its gay life. Fashionable 
 gambling, which was always one of the great attrac- 
 tions of Ostend, had been somewhat subdued for a 
 
100 FRANCE AND BELGIUM. . 
 
 short period and the prosperity of the place seemed 
 to be threatened seriously. But this year the Belgian 
 law courts had reversed former restrictive decisions. 
 The result was that now again the place was visited 
 more than ever, and at the same time the class of 
 women who are always to be found wherever gam- 
 bling flourishes had reappeared in increasing num- 
 bers. 
 
 The Shah of Persia, or some other Eastern 
 crowned head, was expected, and the gay season was 
 at its climax when I arrived there. Hotels were 
 filled beyond what seemed possible and shopkeepers 
 as well as hotel proprietors were reaping a golden 
 harvest. 
 
 On the spacious and cleanly tiled walk that forms 
 the top of a well-built, sloping stone wall thou- 
 sands of promenaders, dressed in gay summer 
 clothes, walked in the glaring sun. On this famous 
 "digue de mer" there is not a tree nor a shrub nor 
 a touch of green in sight; the only available shade 
 is provided by the massive row of substantial hotels 
 and villas. The latter offer the very characteristic 
 spectacle of their occupants all sitting before the 
 open windows or balconies, while the endless pro- 
 cession of walkers is moving leisurely on. On this 
 p;-omenade is the Kursaal,"a dome-shaped structure 
 with wide-open veranda and coated with a combina- 
 tion of pale blue and cream-colored enameled tiles. 
 Inside this building the very best of musical per- 
 formances was going on, while the listening crowd 
 was sipping its coffee or enjoying its afternoon 
 cigar, many women smoking cigarettes. 
 
 Ostend, like most of the bathing resorts of this 
 
FRANCE AND BELGIUM. 
 
 lOI 
 
 part of the northern coast, has an excellent .beach, 
 sandy and broad; but its muddy, yellowish-looking 
 water is a decided disappointment to anyone who is 
 accustomed to really clear and blue sea-water. Un- 
 like in England, but according to general Continen- 
 tal custom, both sexes bathe together. Ladies do 
 not wear stockings and several of the bathing cos- 
 
 liltlc woodi-u Luuai-s on wheels." 
 
 tumes are of the scantiest pattern. It is not an un- 
 usual sight to see women bathers carry their whole 
 bathing suit in a bag not larger than a good-sized 
 pocketbook. 
 
 The beach was literally black with bathers and 
 onlookers. The former are compelled to dress in 
 little wooden hot^ses on wheels, called "cabines." 
 After the candidate for a bath is ready a fisherman 
 
102 
 
 FRANCE AND BELGIUM. 
 
FRANCE AND BELGIUM. 
 
 103 
 
104 FRANCE AND BELGIUM. 
 
 driver with half-bare legs comes along, attaches his 
 stout horse to the vehicle and drives the outfit 
 toward the sea, until the rear steps touch the water. 
 After the bather returns from his bath he steps into 
 the same vehicle, which is pulled back on the dry 
 beach. 
 
 The number of visitors this year had increased 
 to such unprecedented proportions that sometimes 
 the bathers had to wait many hours before they 
 could be accommodated. It was a sight to see the 
 struggling crowd dispute with each other the tem- 
 porary possession of a bathing car as soon as it left 
 the water and long before the previous occupant 
 was through with his toilet. On the strength of the 
 tremendous success of Ostend, the whole Flemish 
 coast has become dotted with numerous smaller 
 bathing resorts; these have become patronized by 
 people of quieter tastes. 
 
 King Leopold, who in other fields, too, has earned 
 the reputation of a shrewd financier, has used his 
 influence to the fullest extent in obtaining for Ostend 
 and environs the many costly improvements that 
 have contributed so much to the development of the 
 place. The Belgian sovereign is one of the largest 
 landholders on the coast, and he has been no loser 
 by the extraordinary increase of land values in this 
 section of his realm. 
 
 As I was well acquainted with Ostend from 
 former visits, I concluded not to spend too much 
 time there, but to reach Bruges before evening. A 
 newly made macadamized road ends near the latter 
 town, and from there on everything becomes hor- 
 rible pavement. 
 
FRANCE AND BELGIUM. 105 
 
 Bruges, the ancient Flemish city which has in- 
 spired no less a poet than Longfellow, is an old ac- 
 quaintance of mine. But I had not been there since 
 long ago, and reminiscences of my youth came to 
 my mind when I drove into these silent streets, lined 
 with clean and pretty brick houses, where Flemish 
 step-gables follow each other in quaint succession. 
 The chimes of the ever stately Halletoren played 
 their old familiar tunes, as in friendlv welcome. I 
 
 "Bruges, the ancient Flemish city which has inspired no less 
 a poet than Longfellow." 
 
 was to Stay here one day, and we drove directly to 
 the little Hotel de Flandres, a clean and well-kept 
 hostelry, which I found fille'd with tourists from all 
 countries. 
 
 After supper I went out for a lonesome stroll 
 through the deserted streets. The all-pervading 
 silence was broken only by the noise of my own 
 loitering steps. The feeling of deathlike rest which 
 hung over the town was emphasized now and then 
 
io6 FRANCE AND BELGIUM. 
 
 by the clear ringing tunes from the watchful belfry. 
 
 These were the self-same chimes which rang their 
 
 rhythmic music in the fifteenth century, at a time 
 
 when Bruges was the proud residence of the rich 
 
 and mighty Counts of Flanders ; when the wealthy 
 
 Flemish inhabitants, traders and craftsmen, had 
 
 1 
 
 "The ever stately Halletoren." 
 
 brought their city unto the height of her glory and 
 had made her known all over the civilized world. 
 Envious Jeanne de Navarre, Queen of France, may 
 have listened to these bells the very day when, at 
 the sight of the better dressed wives and daughters 
 of the burghers of Bruges, she exclaimed, in angry 
 
FRANCE AND BELGIUM. 
 
 107 
 
 impatience, "I thought I was the only queen here, 
 but I see hundreds of them." 
 
 Things have changed very much indeed since 
 those times of splendor and prosperity. The popu- 
 lation, which once attained 200,000, has slowly 
 dwindled to barely 50,000 inhabitants, and of this 
 small number about 11,000 are supported by alms 
 or charity. The largest properties are held by con- 
 vents and numerous other Roman Catholic institu- 
 
 where Flemish step-gables follow each other in quaint 
 succession." 
 
 tions, which during centuries of greedy accumula- 
 tion have succeeded in hoarding up enormous 
 wealth. But this affluence, instead of stimulating 
 the spirit of enterprise, has merely been used for 
 keeping in bondage that portion of the population 
 that lives on charity, as a matter of course; even 
 worse, it had systematized the general torpor of this 
 old relic of the Middle Ages. 
 
 Some Britishers have discovered that Bruges, 
 
io8 FRANCE AND BELGIUM. 
 
 with its cheap rents, its close proximity to England, 
 cheap servants and inexpensive food products, al- 
 lows them to get along respectably on an income 
 which at home would be insufficient for living prop- 
 erly. The result has been the gradual formation of 
 a British colony, numbering thousands, mostly re- 
 tired officials or their pensioned families. A recently 
 built canal makes of Bruges an inland seaport, and 
 is expected to revive some of its former importance. 
 
 I went to bed and soon was heavily asleep, as if 
 imbued with the general narcotic tendency of the 
 town. In the early morning hours I was rudely 
 awakened by loud puffs of smoke which, close to 
 my open window^ shot up from the little steam 
 train that rolls noisily through the otherwise sleepy 
 streets of Bruges. Shortly afterward the heavy 
 rumble of an occasional milk-cart, driven by some 
 peasant woman, or the loud talking of some passers- 
 by, or again, the clatter of wooden shoes on the 
 stone pavement, seemed to concentrate all noise of 
 the town at a time when most people were still try- 
 ing to sleep. 
 
 Bruges was about as far in Belgium as I cared 
 to go with my motor car. There are many very 
 interesting places in that country^ famous for their 
 treasures of art, their unsurpassed examples of archi- 
 tecture, their industries or their commerce^ and 
 Brussels, the very elegant capital, has fitly been 
 named "Little Paris." But I was well acquainted 
 with all this; furthermore, the larger portion of 
 northern Belgium, including Flanders, has horrible 
 pavement ; only in the southeastern part, near the 
 Ardennes, are good macadamized roads to be found. 
 
FRANCE AND BELGIUM. 109 
 
 Under the circumstances I concluded to leave the 
 car in Bruges, under the care of Lewis, and to take 
 a local train to join my little family in Ghent. 
 
 A few days afterward we all returned from there 
 to Bruges, ready to continue our trip toward France. 
 That day I had invited a friend of mine, who was 
 to accompany us as far as Ostend, where, at his 
 villa, he intended to join his family. From previous 
 experience this friend had become rather skeptical 
 as to automobiles in general, and more particularly 
 so in regard to our intended tour through Europe. 
 But he had not been long with us when he began to 
 think it would be pleasant to try a somewhat longer 
 journey in what he complimentarily called our 
 "Salon-mobile." 
 
 Before he realized it we were past the Belgian 
 frontier, and some time afterward we arrived in 
 Calais, whence he had to return homewards by a 
 very different ride, in a hot and unpleasant railroad 
 car. The comparison of both ways of traveling 
 seems to have impressed him in such a manner as to 
 quite kindle his latent motor enthusiasm, and I shall 
 not be surprised if, one of these days, I receive from 
 him the news that he, too, has purchased an auto- 
 mobile. 
 
 Our road to Calais was the same we had used 
 for coming. Three days beforehand I had wired 
 to the Belgian custom-house officer at Adinkerke to 
 notify him of my intended return to France, when 
 I would reclaim the money I had left there on de- 
 posit. Although I had requested him to pay me back 
 in gold, I was compelled to accept Belgian paper, 
 the reason being that the banks in Belgium were 
 
no FRANCE. 
 
 not willing, on any payments, to give more gold 
 than a fraction of the total amount. As Belgian 
 banknotes are not accepted in France, I was obliged, 
 on arrival in the latter country, to change again, at 
 some loss, into French paper. 
 
 At the French custom house, where we stopped 
 a few minutes, while my French triptyque was being 
 vised, I noticed a flurry of excitement among the 
 people around the little building. Some smugglers 
 
 "At tlif iMfnch custom house where we stopped a few minutes." 
 
 had just been caught. Everywhere the floor was 
 covered with soldered flat boxes of sheet zinc, in 
 which tobacco had been hidden. The boxes had been 
 found attached underneath the flat-bottomed hull of 
 a canal boat, which was tied near the shore. The 
 officers seemed jubilant, because they were entitled 
 to a percentage of their find. Their behavior was a 
 great contrast to that of the abject-looking and fear- 
 stricken prisoners. Our car might have contained 
 
FRANCE. in 
 
 lots of tobacco, but the custom-house officers did not 
 even deem it worth while to examine it. I felt glad 
 to think that, to them, we looked sufficiently honest 
 and law-abiding to pass without further scrutiny. 
 
 When nearing Calais we were stopped again by 
 the "octroi," a sort of local custom house, established 
 near the entrance of each town or village in France, 
 and a most antiquated, cumbersome way of levying 
 taxes on food products and other merchandise, and 
 of providing revenue for local administration. It 
 looks much like a custom of the dark ages to see 
 uniformed officers at the entrance of every town, 
 however small, examine carefully each passerby, 
 look at each cart, each parcel or bundle, even poking' 
 into them with a long, pointed steel rod. All this 
 to ascertain if anyone tries to evade the payment of 
 a few centimes for "octroi." Gasoline, too, pays 
 about one "sou" per litre, but I soon learned that for 
 automobiles, especially when they have a foreign- 
 looking appearance, much leniency is shown. In 
 France ordinarily a "Rien a declarer!" is accepted 
 with a polite "Merci," and there is no further delay. 
 In some towns, where a little more hesitation seemed 
 to exist, I simply said, "Nous sommes seulement de 
 passage. Nous venons de New York et allons a 
 Naples." Everywhere, except in Paris, this state- 
 ment stopped all further formalities and often made 
 the astonished officer look at us as if we were freaks ; 
 he sometimes ended with a military salute and a 
 friendly smile, while he yelled out, "Passez! Bon 
 voyage !" 
 
 After Calais we went further over Guines, Mar- 
 quise, Wimille. The road began to be less monoto- 
 
112 FRANCE. 
 
 nous, and in some parts changed into a succession of 
 short incHnes, but the villages did not have that 
 aspect of tidiness nor the cultivated country that 
 appearance of trimness which made the landscape 
 of south England so pleasing to the eye. The roads 
 were mostly lined in dull uniformity with rows of 
 unvarying poplar trees. The same kind were to be 
 found along the ditches which separate the fields. 
 The latter, although well cultivated, seemed monot- 
 onously utilitarian. Neither did we meet the taste- 
 fully kept large country seats, as in England or 
 Scotland, nor the lovely, well-trimmed green lawns, 
 the pride of the British landscape. The pavement 
 indicated now that we were near Boulogne-sur-Mer. 
 We entered the town by an antique-looking tower 
 gate. 
 
 Happening to ask our way of bystanders, two lads, 
 in their eagerness to answer us, rushed at the same 
 time toward the two opposite foot steps of the car- 
 riage, and, poking their heads inward, started to reel 
 off a string of voluble explanations, talking, both at 
 the same time, very loudly and very fast, thus trying 
 to outcry one another, while gesticulating wildly, 
 with the result that we were unable to understand 
 either of our eager informants. 
 
 Two workingmen standing near by made matters 
 worse by excitedly joining in the general explana- 
 tions and gesticulations. I knew by experience that 
 in a similar case the best thing to do is to not inter- 
 pose a single word, but patiently wait until they are 
 all talked out; then, while they are gasping for a 
 new supply of breathy isolate'the most intelligent 
 one and ask him repeatedly one direct question, un- 
 
FRANCE. 
 
 113 
 
 'We entered the town by an amuiue-looking tower gate. 
 
 . . . possesses a picturesque background of steep 'falaises. 
 
114 FRANCE. 
 
 til he answers it in the same direct way, not giv- 
 ing him a chance to fall again into superposed and 
 endless explanations. 
 
 I succeeded in reaching the lower town, near the 
 sea, where the better hotels are situated. I was sorry 
 to discover that on account of the English bank holi- 
 days the hotels were all crowded with British tour- 
 ists, and this t^ompelled us to take whatever accom- 
 modation we could get, although finally we found 
 acceptable roctms at the Hotel du Louvre. It pos- 
 sessed a well-lighted garage of extraordinary size, 
 situated in the middle of the hotel and provided with 
 a pit for inspection. We were particularly glad to 
 be supplied again with excellent plain drinking 
 water, a commodity hard to find in the alluvial 
 regions along the northern coast of France. In Os- 
 tend and neighboring sea resorts the drinking water 
 is so positively bad as to become a serious danger 
 to the consumer, and a source of revenue for the 
 hotel-keeper, who thus finds ready opportunity to 
 sell mineral waters at his own price. 
 
 There was fine sea bathing at the wide beach, 
 which is incomparably less visited than Ostend, but 
 has the great advantage of cleaner-looking water. 
 Moreover, it possesses a picturesque background of 
 steep "falaises," somewhat similar to the cliffs of the 
 south coast of England. 
 
 Lewis reported to me that a large bolt had dropped 
 from the transmission box of our machine and that 
 we had none to replace it. I was reassured after- 
 ward on finding out that a new bolt could be made 
 to order at a small cost. I was somewhat surprised' 
 to discover that the local machinist was able to 
 
FRANCE. 115 
 
 duplicate this American thread on his French lathe, 
 ajthough the latter was made after the metric sys- 
 tem, which is not used in England or the United 
 States, but is the exclusive standard of weights and 
 measures accepted by all other civilized nations, and 
 much simpler and more rational than our antiquated 
 and cumbersome system, borrowed from the Eng- 
 lish. 
 
 Our night's rest at the hotel was unpleasantly in- 
 terrupted by the ceaseless whistling and puffing of 
 locomotives near our open windows. I cannot un- 
 derstand why the European continent does not abol- 
 ish that barbarous practice of the train men, who 
 make as much noise as possible. The slightest ma- 
 noeuvring of locomotives by night, as well as by day, 
 seems to them impossible without the nerve-racking 
 shriek of shrill steam whistles. Signaling with the 
 hand or the portable lantern, as practiced in the 
 States, seems to be totally unknown. 
 
 We left the hotel in the morning, first settling our 
 accounts and distributing the usual "pourboire" to 
 the garage men, porters and other employees of the 
 hotel. These poor fellows' have no other income 
 than their tips, and as the hotel bills are proportion- 
 ately much smaller than in the United States, I 
 never feel like begrudging this little extra outlay, 
 especially if it insures more careful service. Never- 
 theless, whenever J give a tip I feel as if I humili- 
 ated the man who receives it. And yet the re- 
 cipients seem to be quite willing to help me in dis- 
 pelling any scruples I may feel on this subject, and 
 the very eagerness with which they accept even 
 small tips leaves no room for doubt that if any 
 
ii6 FRANCE. 
 
 humiliating is to be done it will only be the result 
 of the absence of a tip or a too meagre contribution. 
 
 Some Americans are not aware of the fact that in 
 many hotels or restaurants of Europe servants re- 
 ceive little or no wages, and must live on tips. To 
 such it may be interesting to hear that in many of 
 the best-known hotels and restaurants the pro- 
 prietor, instead of paying wages, receives money 
 from his employees. For instance, the obsequious 
 head porter, with his gold-trimmed cap and uni- 
 form, has often to pay a considerable sum of money 
 to the proprietor of a large, well-established hotel, 
 and he has to recover his outlay through the daily 
 tips he receives. I know of several instances where 
 the increasing prosperity of the porter enabled him 
 to buy up the whole hotel with the gradual accu- 
 mulation of his "pourboires." 
 
 I should call this a contemptible system through- 
 out, but one which has received the sanction of time 
 and custom from the early days, when the tourist 
 was supposed to be a rich and important person and 
 when all the employees of the hotel were considered 
 to be his abject servants. This custom is un- 
 fortunately encroaching on our more democratic 
 country, and in New York and Chicago we have 
 come to the point where the untrained black or white 
 restaurant waiter expects a tip, even when he gives 
 nothing in return but clumsiness, aggravated by 
 boorish manners, and impudence. Let us hope we 
 may come to our senses and not further encourage 
 this imported anachronism. 
 
 We left Boulogne with the intention of buying 
 our supply of gasoline outside the town limits. 
 
FRANCE. H7 
 
 where the material is always less expensive, because 
 it has to pay no octroi tax. I found that for daily 
 consumption this made a regular economy of sev- 
 eral dollars. As in England, the gasoline is neatly 
 put up in tin cans, properly sealed and provided with 
 very practical devices for emptying quickly. The 
 empty cans are everywhere taken in exchange, or 
 their value is refunded at a uniform price, so that it 
 is possible to carry along full cans and deliver the 
 empty receptacles at any other store en route. Very 
 often the cans contain grit or pieces of solder; on 
 account of this a funnel provided with fine metallic 
 gauze is indispensable. 
 
 The lad who delivered us the "essence" at the 
 garage was about sixteen years old. On inquiry he 
 told me that his weekly wage was one franc and 
 seventy-five centimes, or about thirty-five cents ; he 
 added that similar wages would keep up as long as 
 he was "apprenti." When o.nce he had thoroughly 
 mastered his trade, he would become a full-fledged 
 '^ouvrier." From then on he could expect as much 
 as five to six dollars a week. The intelligent-looking 
 boy was very polite and made a good impression ; 
 he compared favorably with the average reckless, 
 impudent youngster found in almost any garage in 
 New York, who, as a starter, is paid from six to 
 eight dollars a week, while his main activity is 
 directed toward spoiling automobiles that are sent to 
 the garage for repairs, and whose damaging help his 
 employer sells to the victim at the rate of fifty or 
 sixty cents an hour. 
 
 If, at this stage of our tour, we had strictly fol- 
 lowed the requirements of the French automobile 
 
ii8 FRANCE. 
 
 laws we should have gone to Arras, the nearest 
 town, after our arrival in France, where we could 
 undergo the necessary examination, without which 
 no automobilist can obtain the prescribed driver's 
 license. But Arras lay quite outside of our itinerary, 
 and it was much more convenient to attend to these 
 formalities in Havre ; therefore, I concluded to take 
 chances with the law and trust to the proverbial 
 courtesy of French officials toward foreign tourists. 
 In the meantime my American, British and Belgian 
 numbers were dangling aft and forward on the car, 
 a rather bewildering sight for French gendarmes. 
 
 The road over Samer and Montreuil to Abbeville 
 is a "route nationale," very straight and well sur- 
 faced, with several strong but steady grades. Abbe- 
 ville, with its wooden gables, reminds one somewhat 
 of the architecture of English houses of the Eliza- 
 bethan period. It presented a more picturesque ap- 
 pearance than most French towns we had seen thus 
 far. We passed the Somme, and then the Bresle, 
 and ran through Eu, which formerly was the favor- 
 ite residence of Louis Philippe. The landscape be- 
 came more cheerful but more hilly, and now and 
 then we had a short glimpse of the nearby sea. We 
 had stopped en route to buy some supplies for lunch ; 
 these were eaten in the shady corner of a meadow, 
 where we took some rest while the children played 
 and romped about. 
 
 Later on, at about three in the afternoon, we 
 reached Dieppe. This seaport made a very pleasant 
 impression. The clear blue water in the well-kept 
 dock basins seemed to add to the general appearance 
 of cleanliness of the town. We just took the time 
 
FRANCE. 119 
 
 to run through the principal thoroughfares, and soon 
 afterward were again on the pretty country road. 
 
 From now on we began to meet well-kept farm- 
 houses, surrounded with high hedges of green trees. 
 For the first time since we were on the Continent 
 we passed along roads of which the borders were 
 trimmed just as carefully as in England. A sign on 
 one of the houses, "Cidre, Lait et Essence," made us 
 realize the fact that we were now in Normandy. The 
 three commodities, as advertised, were just what we 
 were looking for. Milk is an article which, in sum- 
 mer especially, seems difficult to obtain in France 
 and Italy, outside of breakfast hours. If restaurants 
 or cafes possess it at all, their supply seems to be 
 very scant and their charges extraordinarily high. 
 A small glass of milk costs generally more than a 
 glass of good wine. 
 
 We stopped; but my first acquaintance with the 
 famous "cidre de Normandie" was decidedly dis- 
 appointing. It was an awful beverage, tasting like 
 a mixture of vinegar and pine tar, which I refrained 
 wisely from touching further. As to the milk and 
 essence, the shopkeeper explained that his supply 
 was entirely exhausted. A few miles farther we 
 found all that we wanted at Veules-les-Roses, a very 
 busy little summer resort, where the streets were 
 crowded with incoming and outgoing automobiles. 
 
 Our road had now become decidedly pretty and 
 took us farther along the lovely coast of Nor- 
 mandy, with its white cliflfs. From now on there 
 was a succession of little fisher villages, and in the 
 summer time every one of them becomes a bathing 
 resort. The water everywhere is transparent and 
 
120 FRANCE. 
 
 blue; but the beach is generally slanting and cov- 
 ered with small flat pebbles which make walking 
 difficult. We passed St. Valery-en-Caux, with its 
 little harbor snugly hidden in a hollow between white 
 cliffs; then Veulettes ; then afterward the some- 
 what larger town of Fecamp, known principally by 
 the much-advertised liquor distillery of the Benedic- 
 tine monks. 
 
 In Normandy many roads are ballasted with flint 
 stones, and the numerous loose sharp fragments had 
 a very cutting effect on our rubber tires. This cir- 
 cumstance, together with the fact that the French 
 peasants wear shoes with hobnails, which get loose, 
 and thus scatter everywhere, made us feel some con- 
 cern about our tires and induced us to give them 
 frequent inspection. That day we picked five nails 
 out of our tire-covers, but fortunately none had 
 pierced the air-chamber. 
 
 Our car had again run exceedingly well, and if 
 we had made no better time this was due to frequent 
 stops. Sometimes we halted to allow us to do some 
 walking; then again to ascertain the direction of 
 the road. The French road signs are very complete 
 and very minute ; they indicate not only the different 
 localities but also the distance, in fractions of a kilo- 
 meter, as well as the grades of the road. Unfortu- 
 nately they are almost invisible except at close range. 
 They are made of cast iron, and the lettering, which 
 is too small, is rendered still less visible by an un- 
 fortunate choice of pale blue paint on a white back- 
 ground. After awhile the whole thing turns into a 
 uniform faded color, impossible to read except at 
 close distance. Private enterprise, represented by 
 
FRANCE. 121 
 
 the Touring Club de France, the Michelin Tire Com- 
 pany, the De Dion-Bouton Company, and others, 
 has improved very much on these official signs by 
 erecting here and there, at dangerous places, less 
 expensive but incomparably more readable direc- 
 tions. On account of hesitations as to the road, it 
 took us sometimes from twenty to thirty minutes 
 to get through small towns of many streets. 
 
 We were quite near the end of our day's trip, 
 pretty Etretat. From the hilly road the little place 
 made a charming picture. A sharp descent brought 
 us into narrow streets leading up to the Hotel Hau- 
 ville, where we stored our car next to several others 
 in a specially provided barn. 
 
 Etretat, small as it is, has the reputation of being 
 one of the most fashionable watering places on the 
 northern coast of France. The first impulse of suc- 
 cess of Etretat was brought about at a time when 
 some well-known Parisian artists and litterateurs 
 were attracted by its picturesque surroundings. I 
 doubt, however, whether the cramped and shingly 
 beach is really adapted for the ever-increasing num- 
 ber of visitors, who, by their very crowding, have 
 taken away the former quiet loveliness of this idyllic 
 retreat. Numerous villas and cottages surround the 
 town, and their pretty gardens remind one very 
 much of those which adorn small English country 
 residences. 
 
 My only reason for stopping at Etretat was that 
 one of my best friends had rented a villa, and with 
 his family was spending the summer there. 
 
 During my stay of a few days I took the neces- 
 sary time to drive to Havre, which is only 27 kilo- 
 
122 FRANCE. 
 
 meters away, and where I went to apply for my 
 French license. I knew that it was customary to first 
 make an appointment to meet the official who has 
 this matter in charge ; then to arrive prepared with 
 .small photographs of the applicants, as well as a 
 general description of the motor car, supplemented 
 by a blue print of the chassis, as furnished by the 
 automobile manufacturers. I possessed all the latter 
 documents when, in company with my friends, I 
 drove to the office of Monsieur I'lngenieur, who was 
 to grant me the license that was to bring me in con- 
 formity with the law. 
 
 I found a very friendly middle-aged gentleman. 
 I showed him my New York and British licenses, 
 together with my log-book and diary. After all this 
 abundant evidence that we were no green hands at 
 motor cars, and had never caused accidents, he told 
 me that he did not think it necessary to submit us 
 to a practical examination. He added that it would 
 take two or three weeks, perhaps more, before we 
 would receive from the French Government our 
 final license certificate, which would indicate at the 
 same time the number we must carry on our car. 
 However, he gave us a ''permis provisoire de circu-' 
 lation," and advised us to carry this document in the 
 car so as to show it in case the poHce should stop 
 us. In the meantime this would enable us to con- 
 tinue our voyage without risk of fine. He added, 
 jokingly, that touring Americans were ordinarily 
 such hustlers as to be flying through far-away coun- 
 tries or even to be back home before the final license 
 could reach them. This was precisely what hap- 
 pened to me, and never have I heard further about 
 
FRANCE. 
 
 123 
 
 "From the hilly road the little place made a charming picture. 
 
 p-.-«Q.-.-. 
 
 
 P 
 
 
 
 I'JSi 
 
 »s--n 
 
 
 were anraciea by us piciuresque surroundings. 
 
124 FRANCE. 
 
 the French license, .nor while I was in France was 
 I stopped by any policeman or asked about these 
 matters. 
 
 A few days 'later we all left Etretat in company 
 with my friend and his wife; they were to be our 
 companions as far as Rouen, whence they would 
 return by train. 
 
 Until now our plan had been to go over the Loire 
 district, then through Bordeaux to Biarritz, whence 
 we intended to make a short trip into Spain and re- 
 turn along the Pyrenees to enter Italy via'Nice. This 
 route into Italy avoids severe mountain passes and 
 has easy roads. However, on our way to Rouen I 
 happened to read in the New York Herald the de- 
 scription of the tribulations of an American party 
 who had just finished a motor trip through Spain. 
 On the report of their unpleasant experience I con- 
 cluded that it would be unwise to run the risk that 
 my wife and children should have to undergo similar 
 discomforts. We did not deliberate long before 
 changing our plans; just as simply as if we were in 
 a hired cab, with the intention of going to the sta- 
 tion and suddenly ordering the driver to proceed in 
 another direction, we now changed our whole itiner- 
 ary through France, preferring the more direct route 
 over the Haute Savoie and the Alpine passes into 
 Italy. This gives a striking illustration of the flexi- 
 bility and independence of motor touring. 
 
 We were coming down a steep incline when one 
 of our rear tires exploded. This was the second 
 burst tire in the last few days. Continued use and 
 wear had finally brought our old tires to a point 
 where the extra weight of two adults, in addition 
 
FRANCE. 125 
 
 to the former load of 4,200 pounds, proved too 
 much. 
 
 While Lewis was changing the tire, and as to 
 emphasize the fact that horse-vehicles, too, have 
 troubles of their own, a large heavily loaded wagon, 
 drawn by four horses, broke down just alongside our 
 car. The wagon had to be unloaded so as to permit 
 the replacement of a broken axle. By the time the 
 
 " . . . we noticed the odd 'bateau transbordeur.' " 
 
 teamsters were preparing to start their disagreeable 
 work we were already flying ahead along the road, 
 and shortly after we were cheerfully sitting before 
 a tasteful lunch at a little hotel in Yvetot. 
 
 When we were ready to start again the sky had 
 become covered with threatening dark clouds. Be- 
 fore long we were in a heavy rainstorm which would 
 have put any open car at a very unpleasant disad- 
 vantage. By the time the downpour had stopped we 
 
126 
 
 FRANCE. 
 
 were entering Rouen'. While passing along the busy 
 Seine we noticed the odd "bateau transbordeur," a 
 kind of ferryboat suspended by cables from a sort 
 of high suspension bridge. This made a rather un- 
 usual system for conveying passengers from one 
 
 "... the graceful architecture bears abundant witness of the 
 early historical importance." 
 
 bank of the river to the other, while allowing 
 vessels to pass uninterruptedly. We deviated our 
 course toward the centre of the city, and a few 
 minutes later stood before the Hotel de la Poste, of 
 inviting appearance, with a well-kept little flower 
 
FRANCE. 
 
 127 
 
 garden at the entrance. Too bad that, unhke most 
 French hotels, it had no shelter for automobiles ; 
 this compelled us to send the car to a far-off garage. 
 For quite some time we had not been in cities of over 
 ioo,cxx) inhabitants, and this made Rouen appear 
 
 pv ^ '"''^^ifl 
 
 'y^AMm JM 
 
 ftWl^^^m\^^M 
 
 ^KS\ jki -*i 
 
 |j:r'5S^g^---SB^P^^ 
 
 
 i^^^^fc^tit '^ 
 
 •^^fifll 
 
 
 ^ffll 
 
 "^4m: 
 
 "... who thus tried to advertise his uncommon skill on his 
 own gable." 
 
 quite important to us. Although it is a rather busy 
 town we were impressed with the general prevailing 
 cleanliness. We started to visit the many old build- 
 ings, of which the graceful architecture bears abund- 
 ant witness of the early historical importance of 
 
128 FRANCE. 
 
 Rouen. When, in the ninth century, the adventurous 
 Normans invaded France as far as here, they marked 
 the foundation of the city which later became the 
 capital of the duchy of Normandy. Many links were 
 to connect afterward the history of Normandy with 
 that of England. There, for instance, in a little 
 square we stood before the statue of valiant Joan of 
 Arc, a reminder of the stirring and bloody wars be- 
 tween England and France. 
 
 I was greatly surprised to read, in a local guide 
 book, that a certain Monsieur de Choussy has writ- 
 ten a special essay to demonstrate that "La Pucelle 
 d'Orleans" was never burnt alive at Rouen but was 
 saved by some devoted friends and married after- 
 ward to a squire of Lorraine. 
 
 By the same authority I was likewise informed 
 that the lovely house of Diane de Poitiers had never 
 been inhabited by that lady with the pretty name, but 
 was simply the dwelling of a successful wood- 
 carver, who thus tried to advertise his uncommon 
 skill by the remarkable work on his own gable. 
 
 Our sightseeing was interrupted when our friends 
 announced that the time had arrived for them to take 
 their train back to Etretat. We felt like pitying them 
 on account of this, because for us the word "train" 
 had become synonymous with noise, dust, discom- 
 fort and prose. 
 
 As to ourselves, we concluded that Rouen was 
 worth another day's stay. During our rambles over 
 the city we happened to find a bird store. My two 
 children are great lovers of animals, and if I let 
 them havp their own way their not too small collec- 
 tion of dogs, rabbits, cats, guinea pigs, birds, etc.. 
 
FRANCE. 129 
 
 would soon increase to the size of a little menagerie. 
 
 Many a time had I been reminded of my boy's two 
 trained cats which at home used to trot after him 
 everywhere, and even followed him if lie happened 
 to take the trolley car; or the tame canary birds of 
 my little daughter which at her approach would fly 
 out of their cage and sit confidently on her finger 
 or follow her around. Some of these pets were de- 
 cidedly missing in the daily life of the traveling 
 youngsters. The roomy limousine had induced re- 
 peated suggestions from them as to how nicely a 
 couple of white rabbits could be kept under the seats. 
 On other occasions the children gently intimated to 
 me how humane it would be to adopt one of the 
 many stray dogs or kittens that we happened to meet 
 on the streets ; but when I finally heard that my boy 
 had been bargaining for a live and healthy ferret 
 I decided that it now was time to compromise on 
 some gentler representative of the animal kingdom, 
 so I finally consented to the purchase of two tiny 
 Bengalese finches. Housed in a little cage, they were 
 from now on to become our traveling companions. 
 
 On the morning of August 18 we left toward 
 Paris. Macadamized for the larger part, the route 
 nationale was often interrupted by stretches of un- 
 pleasant pave. This occurred regularly near the ap- 
 proach of villages; under the circumstances the 
 warning to slow down to ten or twelve kilometers 
 per hour, under threat of arrest, was entirely super- 
 fluous. Fast driving on these horrible cobble stones 
 is almost out of the question. 
 
 We were fully acquainted with Paris, and ex- 
 perienced no desire whatever to spend any time in 
 
130 FRANCE. 
 
 the hot metropoHs. We preferred to stop at St. Ger- 
 main-en-Laye, a cahii and pretty suburban town just 
 outside Paris, famous as the former residence of the 
 kings of France and possessing two favorably 
 known hotels, surrounded with attractive gardens 
 and provided with garages. 
 
 But I had to buy new tires, guide books and maps 
 for our modified itinerary, so I left my wife and 
 daughter at the hotel and with my boy and my 
 chauffeur I drove to Paris. If we had been disap- 
 pointed by the increasingly bad condition of the road 
 while nearing St. Germain, we were horrified to find 
 now that we were on a continuous pave of such 
 shockingly defective condition that I could not but 
 wonder whether it was possible to reach the capital 
 without accidents. Deep pits in the sunken pave- 
 ment made driving a real torture. This, then, was 
 the route nationale to the capital of the country 
 which has the best roads in the world. 
 
 Neither were the surroundings very attractive. 
 The Seine, on this hot day, looked black and muddy 
 and emitted a very unpleasant odor. Yet I noticed 
 some people patiently holding their fishing rods, as 
 if they were expecting any fish to live in such 
 polluted water ; nay, I became fairly amazed when I 
 saw men contentedly swimming in this repulsive 
 liquid. The whole road looked dusty and was lined 
 with rows of shabby, ill-kept houses. 
 
 On the side path I saw some women bicyclists 
 riding their wheels astride. Wide baggy trousers, a 
 white shirtwaist and a large unpractical picture hat, 
 ornamented with the reddest of artificial roses and 
 the greenest of artificial leaves, seemed to be their 
 
FRANCE. 
 
 131 
 
 "The former residence of the kings of France. 
 
 St. Germain-en-Laye. 
 
132 FRANCE. 
 
 favorite costume. This, together with their purple- 
 red faces and their half-loose hair, made me con- 
 clude that sportive pursuits do not necessarily lend 
 grace to women. 
 
 Our road ran along the route of a little steam 
 train which does service between Paris and St. Ger- 
 main and takes one hour and a half for the distance 
 of thirteen miles. The rickety, noisy contrivance 
 kept on puffing and whistling while we were driving 
 alongside. Just as some boys were crossing the 
 rails, several hundred feet ahead, I heard the driver 
 yell out an exclamation ; then, throwing on suddenly 
 the brakes of his engine — the cars had no pneumatic 
 brakes — he made all the coaches bump together, 
 while the passengers were thrown off their seats. 
 The conductor, running forward, called out angrily : 
 "Voyons done, qu'est-ce qu'il y a de casse?" To 
 which the driver answered shaking his head: 
 "A-a-h! c'est les gosses!" The conductor now en- 
 tirely lost his temper ; "Nom d'un tonnerre ! . . . 
 C'est pas la peine de secouer les voyageurs ! 
 
 . . . En avant !" After which the shrill steam 
 whistle gave another blast and puff-puff-puff-rick- 
 ety-rickety-rick, the little string of ramshackle cars 
 went on again at the same gait. Owing to the 
 state of the road we could not drive much faster 
 than the train. I was certainly very glad to arrive, 
 finally, at the end of that awful pave and to again 
 find decent roads. 
 
 We were now at the Porte Maillot, before the 
 grated entrance by the octroi. The amount of gaso- 
 line in my car was calculated there by the officials 
 measuring the size of the tank and the depth of the 
 
FRANCE. 133 
 
 liquid ; after which I found I had to pay four francs 
 and seven centimes, get a receipt for same and go 
 through all this red tape, while other people were 
 waiting patiently to undergo the same formalities. 
 I was finally able to drive up through the Avenue de 
 la Grande Armee. 
 
 There I found the Touring Club de France estab- 
 lished in the palatial former residence of the no- 
 torious Humbert family. In the well-provided 
 library I was received by the most obliging and 
 courteous librarian, who promptly furnished me 
 with all the desired information as to my new 
 itinerary, also with maps. After some shopping we 
 returned by the Porte Maillot, where we had to 
 again go through the same octroi formalities and 
 where they refunded my money. Over the same 
 terrible pavement we managed to get back to our 
 hotel in St. Germain. 
 
 The following day was Sunday and was utilized 
 for walks and sightseeing. I had ascertained, in the 
 meantime, that there is a better road to Paris which 
 does not follow the route nationale, but which passes 
 Peck, Chatou, Rueil, the bridge of Suresnes, then 
 enters the Bois de Boulogne, follows the Route de 
 Madrid and emerges from the "Bois" at the Porte 
 Maillot. This roundabout way we took on the Mon- 
 day morning when we left. Through many narrow 
 and badly macadamized side streets we found our 
 way until we entered the Bois de Boulogne. 
 
 There the octroi subjected us once more to the 
 formalities, and I had to pay my few francs and odd 
 centimes, after which we could follow the fine and 
 broad avenue of the famous "Bois." Hot weather 
 
134 FRANCE. 
 
 and lack of rain had parched everything, and the 
 lawns looked dried out and yellow. Although it was 
 now eleven o'clock, we met almost no one until we 
 reached the exit near the Porte Maillot. After tak- 
 ing lunch at one of the restaurants nearby, we con- 
 tinued along the Avenue de la Grande Armee, at the 
 end of which we were greeted by the familiar sight 
 of the stately Arc de Triomphe. 
 
 Down the superb Avenue des Champs Elysees we 
 entered the Place de la Concorde ; then again along 
 the famous Boulevards, where we stopped long 
 enough to do' some shopping. Through an intricate 
 maze of busy streets we reached the Avenue d'ltalie. 
 At the Porte Choisy we had to wait our turn to have 
 our octroi money refunded. 
 
 The pave to Choisy-le-Roy was not too bad, but 
 when we arrived at Villeneuve St. George it 
 changed for the worse. Later on we had a mac- 
 adam road of very pitted surface and in bad repair. 
 Matters improved after we reached Melun, a little 
 town where the streets were crowded with soldiers. 
 
 From here on the roads become again truly ex- 
 cellent and worthy of their world reputation ; we 
 might go on speeding to our hearts' content, but we 
 all began to feel rather tired and, after some hesi- 
 tation, decided to stop at Montereau. 
 
 Baedeker and the Touring Club recommended the 
 Hotel du Grand Monarque, an unpretending but 
 entirely acceptable country inn, where our car was 
 put in the garage and where shortly afterward we 
 found the stable boy trying to blow out our electric 
 front lights, which had been inadvertently turned 
 on. One of the simple sleeping rooms bore a tablet : 
 
FRANCE. 
 
 135 
 
 after some hesitation decided to slop ai Montereau. 
 
 fr~:^irr?5s^iMK^m"^^;^'^s.::53 
 
 ■ I llfl 
 
 I 
 
 ^ 
 
 'The children now put their winged fellow passenger back in the 
 car. . , ." 
 
136 FRANCE. 
 
 "Chambre Empire." There it was that Napoleon 
 slept on the night before the battle of Montereau, 
 where he defeated the Wurtembergers. To the 
 stuffy historical room we preferred the larger and 
 better ventilated ones next to it. 
 
 The ghost of the "Little Corporal" must have 
 roused us to early activity, because the next morn- 
 ing we found ourselves ready before seven. The 
 bracing morning air, the fine roads and the healthy 
 throb of our engine induced me to go at maximum 
 speed. Rushing through the verdant country, we 
 had passed Sens and Rosoy in a very short time, 
 and I was just thinking that on straight and per- 
 fect roads like this and with nobody in sight it was 
 a pity that, on account of our low-geared transmis- 
 sions, we could not go much faster. Just at that 
 very moment, we were sfartled by a loud report 
 and the rear tire burst. The car, after some danger- 
 ous zigzagging, was brought to a standstill. This 
 was indeed a well-timed admonition against any 
 future speed mania. I have no doubt that if we had 
 been going faster we might have had a serious acci- 
 dent. Even at this speed, had it occurred on a 
 crowded thoroughfare, instead of on a broad, empty 
 and straight road, a collision would have been 
 probable. 
 
 The very hot gravel, together with the friction of 
 the fast running tires, had superheated the air con- 
 tained in them to a point where the much-increased 
 pressure ruptured the weakened rubber fabric. We 
 had stopped at a very appropriate spot near a 
 meadow and quite close to an immense oak tree. 
 Under its protecting shade we spread our napkins 
 
FRANCE. 137 
 
 and provisions for an early lunch, while Lewis be- 
 gan to change the tire. 
 
 As usual during stops, the children took their bird 
 cage out and put it in the cool grass. We were 
 just finishing our meal when we suddenly dis- 
 covered that one of the miniature birds had managed 
 to escape through the insufficiently narrow inter- 
 stices of the cage. We were soon all in hot pur- 
 suit after the little fugitive, who kept dodging us 
 over the broad meadows. Many a time, when he 
 was almost within grasp, he flew up again, to sit 
 down a little farther, until his pursuers were almost 
 exhausted. Then finally, when we were ready to 
 give up all hope, my boy caught the bird by drop- 
 ping his coat over him in the tall grass. The chil- 
 dren now put their winged fellow passengers back 
 in the car and we were soon traveling again. 
 
 By an old Gothic gateway we entered Villeneuve- 
 sur-Yonne, where we admired some well-preserved 
 houses of ancient architecture. We were looking 
 for a place to replenish our gasoline supply. Ordi- 
 narily the latter is to be found at the grocer's or the 
 hardware store, and a hand-painted sign displays, 
 very visibly, at what price this article is sold, also 
 the special trade name of the brand kept in stock. 
 Prices range from 30 to 45 centimes per litre, ac- 
 cording to locality. 
 
 Suddenly Lewis stopped the car and began to 
 prepare eagerly to fill his fuel tank, indicating to me 
 a conspicuous sign : "Vins, 20 centimes le litre." He 
 seemed rather disappointed when I translated to him 
 the inscription, which for everything else looked 
 very much like the ordinary gasoline sign. 
 
138 FRANCE. 
 
 Joigny was another cheerful-looking little town, 
 with some wooden Gothic houses, which we passed, 
 driving very slowly. At Auxerre we stopped long 
 enough to buy a new tire and some supplies, and 
 this gave us an opportunity to take a look at this 
 place, which seems to have possessed as many lives 
 as a cat and still keeps on existing cheerfully, after 
 it had been sacked and destroyed successively by the 
 
 "... with the result that they upset the pail, got 
 entirely drenched." 
 
 Huns, the Saracens, the Huguenots, and bombarded 
 by the Germans in 1870. 
 
 A few miles beyond Auxerre we found the route 
 nationale suddenly blocked by an improvised fence. 
 We were directed toward a very difficult side road, 
 scarcely wide enough to let us pass, and which 
 skirted the village of Vincelles. We did not know 
 what to make of all this until we emerged again at 
 the other end of the village. Beyond we saw the 
 principal street decorated with flags and bunting 
 
FRANCE. 
 
 139 
 
 and filled with peasants dressed in their best clothes. 
 On inquiry I found this was the "Fete of Saint 
 Roch," the patron saint of the village. The author- 
 ities had found- it the simplest plan to close up the 
 main street, so that their games and sports might 
 not be disturbed by passing vehicles. Just at that 
 moment all eyes were turned toward a rather sin- 
 o^iilar contest. From the windows of two opposing 
 
 "... we reached Avallon." 
 
 houses was stretched over the street a strong rope, in 
 the middle of which was suspended a large pail, 
 full of water and having a wooden ring on the 
 lower end. Peasants driven in carts and holding a 
 long pole were trying to enter the point of this 
 stick through the ring, with the result that they 
 upset the pail, got entirely drenched by the spilling 
 water and drew forth the roaring hilarity of the 
 assembled villagers. 
 
140 
 
 FRANCE. 
 
 About sixty kilometers farther, among vineyards 
 and green fields, we reached Avallon, and concluded 
 that this town would be a good place to stop. We 
 had not done much mileage for the day, but our trip 
 
 Fifteenth century house in Avallon. 
 
 had been very interesting. One of the reasons for 
 our choice was that the Hotel du Chapeau Rouge 
 was marked in the guide book of the Touring Club 
 as possessing the "chambres hygieniques," or "re- 
 form" sleeping rooms, to which the active Touring 
 
FRANCE. 141 
 
 Club is trying to convert French hotel-keepers. It 
 was indeed a great satisfaction, after our former ex- 
 perience, to be able to sleep in these neat yet simple 
 rooms. They had white enameled walls, properly 
 varnished woodwork, metallic bedsteads and wooden 
 floors without stuffy carpets. 
 
 The bath and sanitary arrangements were simple 
 but sufficient. It is to be hoped that the Touring 
 Club may succeed in extending its educational cam- 
 paign to all parts of France. It occurred to me 
 that, like many other European country hotels, this 
 one might be considerably improved by doing some- 
 thing to prevent the very objectionable smell of 
 nearby stables reaching the guests. 
 
 Late in the afternoon three more automobiles 
 arrived. The last machine shot down into the 
 garage with a roar. It was a high-powered touring 
 car, of well-known European make, and driven by 
 one of the best known professional French chauf- 
 feurs. The owners had just purchased the car and 
 were American — two elderly people, husband and 
 wife, and their son. 
 
 About an hour afterward I had occasion to go 
 to the garage to get a book that was left in our 
 car. I heard somebody talking excitedly as if quar- 
 reling. To my astonishment I discovered that it 
 was the French chauffeur cursing his car and call- 
 ing it a variety of hard names, while he was read- 
 justing his carburetor and pressure pump. How- 
 ever, he did not go so far as that other French 
 chauffeur, on a former occasion, who, in his uncon- 
 trollable anger, started vigorously kicking the front 
 tires of his machine. 
 
142 FRANCE. 
 
 The following morning we went off leisurely and, 
 as we were about to enter into a rather picturesque 
 region, saw no reason for hurrying. 
 
 With Avallon begins the district of the Morvand 
 — moderate-sized mountains covered with pastures 
 and woods, and very little known by foreign tolirists. 
 The rural inhabitants of the Morvand are said to 
 be descendants of those Huns who were left behind 
 after the invasion and retreat of Attila. Some of 
 the Morvandiaux, with their square, beardless faces, 
 flat noses and narrow eyes, seem to bear out the 
 correctness of this statement. 
 
 At the grocer's store of a small hamlet we 
 stopped, surrounded by the usual group of lookers- 
 on. While we were busily engaged with filling our 
 gasoline tank, suddenly we were startled by an ap- 
 proaching noise. There on the road came the tour- 
 ing car of the American party we had met at the 
 hotel in Avallon, fairly flying through space, with 
 the muffler cut-out wide open to insure better speed, 
 thus causing a continuous thunder. The begoggled 
 mask-and-veil covered occupants, looking like a 
 helpless lot, whisked through the air. 
 
 This, indeed, was a way of touring different from 
 ours. I wondered how automobiles under such 
 conditions could have any charm at all. It occurred 
 to me how much better off these people would be 
 if they had only selected a fast express train, where 
 with more comfort they would not be at the mercy 
 of a speed-mad chauffeur or the deadly possibilities 
 of a bursting tire. We preferred to go our peaceful, 
 moderate way and better enjoy the country, which 
 began to show a more and more southerly appear- 
 
FRANCE. 
 
 143 
 
 ance. At Saulieu we bought some luscious green- 
 gages, fresh hazel nuts and melons of delicate fra- 
 grance. Together with some dainty biscuits this 
 made the substance of a refreshing lunch, which, as 
 usual, was eaten at a shady place along the road. 
 
 We were scarcely going again when we met a 
 corpulent Roman Catholic priest, who, in the hot 
 sun, was courageously pedaling his bicycle, much 
 handicapped by his long black clerical robe. We 
 
 ". . . who, in the hot sun, was courageously i)i(laling." 
 
 drove through several unimportant villages and 
 finally touched Autun, but without entering the 
 town. The climbing road now took us through a 
 green forest, so refreshingly cool that we could not 
 resist the temptation to stop and lie down for ^ 
 while under the moss-covered beech trees. 
 
 This was the last shady spot for many a mile 
 afterward. As soon as we emerged from the woods 
 we entered a region of treeless hills, the grass upon 
 
144 FRANCE. 
 
 which was dried up by the fierce rays of the run. 
 This was the neighborhood of Le Creusot and Mon- 
 ceau-les-Mines, names which brought to my mem- 
 ory newspaper accounts of bloody riots of strikers, 
 fighting poHce and army. I noticed the same cheer- 
 less look of villages and inhabitants as I had before 
 seen in similar mining districts of England and 
 America. 
 
 On account of the long drought water was so 
 difficult to obtain that we could not find even enough 
 to refill our leaky radiator. I was beginning to think 
 of a fellow automobilist who, while in Normandy 
 during a period of drought, filled his cooler with in- 
 expensive cider. In this locality wine would have 
 been cheapest, but before we had occasion to adopt 
 this expedient we found a half dried-out, muddy 
 river which supplied our wants. 
 
 We had to cross the railroad tracks several times. 
 In France grade crossings are often under the care 
 of uniformed women guards, who announce the 
 coming of the train by means of a sort of tin fog- 
 horn. They pursue an ultra-conservative policy, 
 and close the gate ten or fifteen minutes before the 
 train is due; in fact, some of them never open the 
 gates except after long waiting. 
 
 We had acquired a very practical expedient of 
 asking about the way without stopping. Our method 
 consisted of leaning far enough out of the seat to 
 fix the attention of some nearing passerby, and then, 
 about twenty feet before passing him, yelling out 
 clearly and distinctly the name of the next large 
 town. By repeating the word two or three times he 
 either approved by a nod and we went on, or he 
 
FRANCE. 145 
 
 shook his head and then we asked explanations. 
 This method was quite successful with me, but did 
 not work so well with Lewis, who, to the bewilder- 
 ment of the inhabitants of the country, persisted in 
 pronouncing French names in his own way. His 
 repeated inquiries about "Mee'kun, Mee'kun," for 
 Macon (Mah-Kong), were about as useless as his 
 former exclamations Par'-ris (Pah-ree). 
 
 Near Mount St. Vincent we again came upon a 
 pleasant landscape. That winding road among green 
 wooded hills gave us the illusion of a well-kept park. 
 On descending we came into a charming corner of 
 the smiling Burgundy District. Some of the green 
 hills had the size of mountains, and their sunny 
 slopes were planted with broad stretches of grape 
 vines. Here and there, on the summit of a hill, and 
 surrounded by vineyards, was an old castle, evi- 
 dently one of the many "chateaux" that give their 
 names to the endless varieties of wine which are sent 
 from Burgundy all over the world. 
 
 The most expensive grades of Burgundy wine are 
 obtained a little more north, on the hills of the Cote 
 d'Or. The excellent "Bourgogne Mousseux," or 
 sparkling Burgundy, which has all the main char- 
 acteristics of champagne and sometimes a richer 
 "bouquet," is made from the lighter varieties of 
 white or red Burgundy wines. 
 
 Cozily situated between the hills in front of us 
 was the old town of Cluny. The modest little place 
 would now hardly suggest the fact that in the 
 Middle Ages it was known by the opulence of its 
 convents and the extravagant prodigality of the 
 Clunic monks. After the hot day's drive we felt a 
 
146 FRANCE. 
 
 sensation of pleasant coolness as we entered the 
 narrow streets, walled in between tall houses and 
 which remind us of similar towns in Italy. 
 
 We had yet to climb the ridge of the Maconnais 
 Mountains; this had to be done somewhat more 
 slowly, and by the time we again started the descent 
 the sun was sending out its last rays. It had be- 
 come quite dark when we finally arrived before the 
 barred octroi gates of Macon. We made the usual 
 statement and were allowed to pass. Dinner was 
 already far advanced when we entered the dining- 
 room of the Hotel de I'Europe. The hotel-keeper 
 had given us very pleasant and spacious rooms over- 
 looking the broad Saone River in front of us. 
 Everything would have been perfect but for the 
 fact that, as often happens in France, the hotel was 
 totally devoid of bathrooms, and for substitute we 
 were referred to a nearby bathing establishment. 
 
 The following morning, after a late breakfast, we 
 were preparing to leave when I made the acquaint- 
 ance of an American gentleman who was motoring 
 with his son and his nephew. They came from 
 Switzerland, and he told me of the petty annoy- 
 ances to which they had been subjected there; stone 
 throwing, arbitrary fines and display of bad-will 
 toward automobilists appear to be quite common 
 in that country. 
 
 I admired his well-equipped limousine, and no- 
 ticed that his French chauffeur had been giving 
 signs of impatience as if he wanted to get under 
 way. The owner then confided to me that he was 
 purposely delaying his man so as to make it impos- 
 sible for him to reach Paris the same dav. He told 
 
FRANCE. 147 
 
 me that ever since the beginning of his tour there 
 had been, on this subject, a constant struggle be- 
 tween himself and his driver. The latter always 
 wanted to break his own speed records and shoot 
 from one large city to another, while his employer 
 preferred to see the country, and for this purpose 
 take as much time as he thought suitable. 
 
 This reminded me of other similar instances. I 
 know of an automobile party in England who gave 
 up their hired auto in disgust because they could not 
 make their cockney chauffeur stop willingly at little 
 villages of their own liking, which their gasoline 
 lord designated sneeringly as "one-heyed places." 
 
 Another case, where an American family was 
 touring in the mountainous part of France, termi- 
 nated in the same way. They had hired a powerful 
 car and had a smart chauffeur who wanted 'to live 
 up to his reputation of race-winning exploits. As 
 he did not understand any English, most of the con- 
 versation between the chauffeur and his employers 
 had to be carried on by sign language and guess- 
 work, and when he thus received short instructions 
 to reach a certain place he carried them out accord- 
 ing to his own fancy, rushing along at top speedy 
 and with open muffler, flying through one village 
 after another, taking chances right and left, shoot- 
 ing up the mountain roads or rushing like mad along 
 abysmal ravines, until finally his terror-stricken pas- 
 sengers ceased the frightening sport by renouncing 
 their contract. 
 
 A rather perplexing occurrence happened to an 
 acquaintance of mine who likes automobiling very 
 much, but is totally ignorant of anything pertaining 
 
148 FRANCE. 
 
 to machinery or the general construction of a motor 
 car, and, therefore, Hke too many others, is abso- 
 lutely dependent on his chauffeur. On one of his 
 trips he was delayed a long time at a certain town. 
 Repeated breakdowns, followed by repairs, in- 
 volving much time, kept his car there for weeks 
 in succession. Whenever he thought the car was 
 ready something unforeseen caused further delay, 
 
 Saint-Rambert. 
 
 and the owner began to have a very dissatisfied 
 opinion of his auto. One day he discovered that his 
 chauffeur was much smitten with the charms of the 
 chambermaid of the hotel and contrived to "queer" 
 his machine to insure a longer stay. 
 
 It was past eleven o'clock when we drove out of 
 Macon. The first town of importance we met was 
 Bourg, where we did our usual shopping for the 
 
FRANCE. 
 
 149 
 
 family lunch, always a very interesting occupation, 
 because it brought us each time in closer touch with 
 the people of the country. While afterward we were 
 taking our meal, seated along the road beyond Pont 
 d'Ain, an automobile rushed along and, raising a 
 suffocating cloud of dust, made us understand why 
 motor cars are considered such a nuisance by the 
 man who is outside of them. 
 
 As far as Amberieu the road was very flat and 
 
 Thirsty motorists. 
 
 almost straight, but from there on the landscape 
 changed suddenly, and we entered the Jura Moun- 
 tains by the valley of the Alberine. This little river 
 rushes foaming down the gorge and furnishes motive 
 power for the several little towns along its course. 
 Saint-Rambert and Tenay have thus become of some 
 industrial importance, especially in silk weaving. 
 
 This was no longer a route nationale; yet the 
 road, although narrow, was splendidly engineered. 
 Now it was leading us along an almost perpendicular 
 
150 FRANCE. 
 
 wall of giant rocks of limestone, while farther on the 
 gorge became still more abrupt and made us cross 
 a bridge over the little river. From now on our 
 road parted company with the little Alberine and 
 went toward another valley. We were ascending a 
 new incline when suddenly our view included the 
 glittering snowy peaks of the far-away Mont Blanc. 
 Its well-defined profile emerged beyond the sinuous 
 lines of the range in front of us. Distant mountains, 
 the great altitude of which rendered them as visible 
 as if near by, surrounded us everywhere. We 
 stopped a few minutes to better admire what, to my 
 belief, was the most imposing landscape our eye had 
 met ever since we started our motor tour through 
 " Europe. 
 
 Another little river, flowing in a direction opposite 
 to the one we had just left, guided us through Viri- 
 eux-le-Grand, while the winding road changed al- 
 most every few miles, now and then undulating 
 over a landscape that reminded us very much of the 
 hilly pastures of Switzerland, then again becoming 
 almost dead level. Here it was the refreshing sight 
 of a slender but graceful waterfall, tumbling down 
 the steep rocks, or further on some old ruined castle, 
 which added to the ineffable charm of the beautiful 
 landscape. 
 
 Skirting the base of Mont Colombier we followed 
 a swamp and, arriving at Culoz, diverged suddenly 
 to the right and passed over a long bridge which 
 brought us over the wide but shallow Rhone, with 
 its many sandy islands. 
 
 At this point the bed of the river has made a wide 
 and flat valley, lined with green meadows and 
 
FRANCE. 
 
 iSi 
 
 flanked on both sides by distant mountains; this 
 makes a very sudden change in the general appear- 
 ance of the country. 
 
 We were entering here the Departement de la Sa- 
 
 "... found ourselves suddenly in a wild gorge." 
 
 voie. Soon we came near Ruffieux, which we left 
 to the right to follow the very level road parallel to 
 the Rhone, which leads to nearby Geneva. But in- 
 stead of continuing straight on toward the latter city 
 we turned to the right and found ourselves suddenly 
 
152 . FRANCE. 
 
 in a wild gorge, with the roaring waters of the im- 
 petuous Fier deep below us. A touch of loveliness 
 was given to all this by the abundance of bright 
 green vegetation. The white sinuous road, skill- 
 fully carved in the precipitous rock, tunneled in 
 places, followed the dashing streamlet in this rocky 
 defile. Slower we drove on, and many a time we 
 
 "... many a time we halted. . . ." 
 
 halted to enjoy more completely this splendid cor- 
 ner of admirable nature. 
 
 It was late in the afternoon when we arrived at 
 Rumilly. From here on the roads became quite in- 
 ferior, and the increasing ascent changed suddenly 
 into a few sharp and short zigzags until we reached 
 the top of the hill. Just at that moment the last rays 
 of the setting sun burst forth in many colors and 
 seemed to have transformed the whole landscape 
 
FRANCE. 153 
 
 into an enchanting region. The highest peaks were 
 glowing with incandescent ridges, and lower down 
 their phosphorescent red dissolved into the dark 
 purple blue of the mountain range, while the mass 
 of the Alps came out in marvelous contrast with the 
 radiant golden sky. Under this sudden flood of 
 color the surrounding woods and meadows had ac- 
 quired the most vivid hues, and this unusual light 
 effect imparted a bewitching aspect to everything. 
 
 This marked the glorious ending of a remarkable 
 day, and soon the heavy shades of night were creep- 
 ing over this feast of light. By the time we com- 
 menced the descent toward Annecy evening had 
 •advanced until the increasing obscurity made the 
 crooked road almost indistinct to our searching eyes. 
 
 At a sudden downward grade the inky darkness 
 was broken by a row of brilliant lights, which 
 marked the entrance street to Annecy. A few min- 
 utes later our motor car, whitened with dust, drove 
 into the garden of the Hotel d'Angleterre, a well- 
 equipped hostelry. The next day, in cheerful mood, 
 after a restful night and a refreshing bath, we under- 
 took an orientation stroll through Annecy. We liked 
 the place so well that we decided to make this our 
 headquarters until the beginning of September, 
 when we intended to start for Italy. 
 
 We were quite close to Geneva, and had planned 
 to visit Switzerland, and from that country to enter 
 Italy, but at the hotel we found other automobilists 
 who bitterly complained of their bad treatment in 
 the land of William Tell. Their tales of woe im- 
 pressed us so much that we finally decided not to 
 enter that country at all. 
 
154 FRANCE. 
 
 Our car had not been overhauled before we left 
 the States, but had been kept in almost uninterrupted 
 hard service. Since we had been touring Europe it 
 had never been idle long enough to receive a good 
 cleaning or tuning up. One of the rear wheels had 
 been running loose ever since the winter before, and 
 the cone needed an extra washer to permit it to be 
 tightened. These little matters had been postponed 
 over and over again, and here was an excellent 
 chance for Lewis to attend to all these details. 
 
 We spent the following days in sweet indolence, 
 sometimes strolling through the broad, shaded 
 arcades which give this picturesque town such an 
 Italian air; at other times we walked along the 
 azure lake, with its white swans and its mountain- 
 ous background of rugged peaks. 
 
 This former little capital of Savoy has none of the 
 mundane attractions of the average summer resort. 
 Its visitors are mostly people of quieter taste and 
 lovers of nature. 
 
 Everything in and around the town looked bliss- 
 fully serene and easygoing, and I know of no retreat 
 more lovely and restful. 
 
 These quiet days gave me a chance to renew my 
 long-interrupted correspondence with friends at 
 home. One of my friends, who resides on the Hud- 
 son, has become a strong enemy of automobiles, 
 probably on account of his great love for horses. He 
 believes motor cars to be most unreliable and very 
 objectionable contrivances — an invention inspired by 
 Satan to the greater injury of mankind in general 
 and to the personal worry of the automobilist him- 
 self. Many a time have I tried to cure my friend 
 
FRANCE. 
 
 155 
 
 the white sinuous road . . . tunneled in places. 
 
 Annecy. 
 
156 FRANCE. 
 
 of his erroneous belief, and not so many months ago 
 succeeded as far as inducing him to take a trip in 
 my auto to our club in New York. When inviting 
 him it did not even occur to me that we might have 
 the slightest delay or trouble, as I was accustomed 
 to see my car run with the regularity of a train. But 
 just that day, as luck goes, many things went wrong. 
 We punctured two tires, lost a petcock and had 
 many other causes of delay which never had oc- 
 curred before. It was late in the night when I finally 
 succeeded in bringing home my friend, who took 
 leave of me with a twinkle in his eye and an "I told 
 you so before." Since then he has made matters 
 worse by never sparing an opportunity to pictur- 
 esquely narrate to all my friends his tribulations in 
 my motor car. 
 
 Many a time while we were speeding through 
 various countries, comfortably self-confident in our 
 excellent machine, had I thus been thinking of my 
 skeptical friend. We had run more than 2,500 miles 
 over all kinds of roads without any stoppages, ex- 
 cept some due to punctured tires. How was that for 
 a performance, as compared to that memorable run 
 to the club and back ? 
 
 A handy illustrated postal card, with self-satisfied 
 remarks like the above, was mailed to my friend 
 on the Hudson. Just when I handed it to Lewis he 
 announced that the bearing of the wheel had been 
 tightened and that the machine was now ready for 
 service. The next day we were to use the car. 
 
 On trial I noticed that it ran very stiff, but I at- 
 tributed this to the brakes being too tight. As our 
 road was to take us into the heart of the mountains. 
 
FRANCE. 
 
 157 
 
 . the azure lake, with its white swans and its mountainous 
 background." 
 
 "Boat excursions made us acquainted with the hidden charms of the 
 lake." 
 
158 FRANCE. 
 
 with many lonely stretches, where in case of a break- 
 down repairs would be difficult, I desired to previ- 
 ously give the car a hard test. With this object in 
 view I threw in the clutch rather suddenly, with the 
 result that I heard a snapping noise, and on exam- 
 ination I found that the rear axle had collapsed. The 
 wheel had sagged down, and the whole break made 
 such a hopeless appearance that for a time I won- 
 dered whether we would be able to resume our trip 
 at all, and if, like many a stranded motorist, we 
 would have to resort to the railroad for shipping 
 our crippled car. A closer examination of the rear 
 axle and bearings showed me the cause of our trou- 
 ble. The defective bearings of the loose wheel had 
 worn down in a groove. As long as the wheel was 
 loose this did not matter much, and we might have 
 continued for many thousand miles farther without 
 serious inconvenience, but after Lewis had succeeded 
 in tightening the bearings the balls were caught in 
 the groove by the weight of the car and thus locked 
 the wheel. When the clutch was thrown in some- 
 thing had to give way, and the violent action of the 
 motor wrenched off the axle sleeve, thereby causing 
 everything to collapse. I was reassured on finding 
 that, beyond this, no damage was done to the gears 
 or the moving parts of the machinery, and I foresaw 
 that a blacksmith's' repair would soon put everything 
 in good condition. But the car could not be moved 
 as it was. The detachable boards of the flooring 
 were taken out, and with the assistance of some by- 
 standers we obtained two blocks of wood, which 
 were put crosswise over the frame. On to these we 
 tied, by means of a stout rope, the two loose ends 
 
FRANCE. 159 
 
 of the axle. By the use of wooden wedges we suc- 
 ceeded in tightening these ropes until the axles re- 
 sumed their horizontal position. A horse was now 
 obtained, and we succeeded in pulling the car over 
 the bumpy pavement to the nearest garage. There the 
 rear axle was taken out and, under my own direction, 
 a skillful local machinist, in his little shop, made a 
 steel forging which was securely bolted to the broken 
 parts, so that when everything was finished the car 
 was as strong as before. 
 
 When the mishap occurred I was not at all sure 
 how long we would be delayed by repairs, but wc 
 were by no means in a hurry to leave charming An- 
 necy. In fact, the children seemed glad at the pros- 
 pect of staying there a few days longer. In the 
 meantime I had discovered, just outside the town, 
 on the shore of the lake^ the Hotel Beau Rivage, in 
 an ideal spot, among quiet and beautiful surround- 
 ings, where we went to stay. Afterward, when 1 
 found that the repairs on the car would be quickly 
 finished, we had become so accustomed to our new 
 retreat that we had decided to stay some time 
 longer. 
 
 Our newly discovered hotel also had no bathroom, 
 but this only objection did not matter much now, 
 as the lake was near by. And what a delight it was, 
 in the stillness of the morning, to take a swim 
 through that placid sheet of water, as transparent as 
 crystal and as blue as lapis lazuli! It shone like a 
 magic mirror, in which the mountain scenery of iti^ 
 inspiring shore was reflected. 
 
 The children seemed to fully enjoy their new op- 
 portunities, and every available hour of the day they 
 
i6o .FRANCE. 
 
 spent along the lake, except when they had school 
 lessons with their mother. 
 
 Boat excursions made us acquainted with the hid- 
 den charms of the lake further up. There was 
 lovely Menthon, where Saint Bernard was born, also 
 the former residence and last resting place of Taine. 
 Close by on a sloping hill, like a picture of sunny 
 Italy, lies Talloires^ the birthplace of the celebrated 
 chemist Berthellot. The whole shore of the lake is 
 
 "Our numerous bundles of baggage were reloaded on the car. . . .* 
 
 a fairy vision of green and yellow, dotted with little 
 white houses ; beyond rise the Tournette, the Sem- 
 noz and other mountains, that seem to stand like the 
 giant guardians of this sweet abode of peace and 
 loveliness. 
 
 The days had fled away since we came to Annecy, 
 and it became time to continue our voyage. 
 
 One fine morning our numerous bundles of bag- 
 gage were reloaded on the car and we began our trip 
 
FRANCE. i6i 
 
 toward Italy. Two routes had been under considera- 
 tion — the first, over Albertville, Montiers, Bourg St. 
 Maurice, le Petit Saint-Bernard and Aosta ; the sec- 
 ond, over Aix-les-Bains, Chambery, Modane, Lans- 
 le-Bourg, Mont Cenis, Suza and Turin. After some 
 hesitation the latter was selected as being more di- 
 rect, in combination with our subsequent itinerary in 
 Italy. 
 
 After we left Annecy we entered upon an undu- 
 lating road that brought us over Alby and Albens, 
 into a wide and open valley, surrounded by receding 
 mountains. Below us lay the plain in which was 
 situated Aix-les-Bains, and to the right was the blue 
 water of le Lac-du-Bourget. Further in the distance 
 a succession of fantastically shaped mountains pro- 
 duced a very diversified background. 
 
 Aix-les-Bains, with its many hotels and well- 
 approvisioned shops, gave us the impression of a 
 very modernized, fashionable bathing resort, some- 
 thing very different from the plainer but more rest- 
 ful surroundings to which we had become accus- 
 tomed in Annecy. 
 
 A shady and pretty road, skirting the beautiful 
 lake, brought us into the streets of Chambery. This 
 old town seems to have retained some of the dignity 
 which it possessed when it was the capital of Savoy. 
 
 While doing our lunch-supply shopping we had a 
 hasty glimpse of some old buildings. We also saw a 
 large monumental column, supported by four life- 
 size bronze elephants. This was a monument in 
 honor of some French general who became rich in 
 the service of an Indian prince and made liberal 
 donations to the city of Chambery. 
 
1 62 
 
 FRANCE. 
 
 We left the town by following the tramway lines 
 and passed the shady gardens of hotels and villas at 
 a smaller spa called called Challes-les-Eaux. The 
 road skirted a rocky mountain, and at Montmelian 
 entered a wide and level plain, through which ran, 
 
 had a hasty glimpse of .-,uii,c oiJ buildings." 
 
 in a straight line, the s^ift and shallow Isere. This 
 wide stream looks more like a succession of rapids, 
 and the milky appearance of its waters bears witness 
 as to its origin from the glaciers in the mountains 
 further up. 
 
FRANCE. 
 
 163 
 
 . fantastically siuiiu-d niountams. 
 
 Chambery. 
 
i64 FRANCE. 
 
 Notwithstanding the immediate neighborhood of 
 this abundant supply of water, the surrounding 
 meadows appeared scorched and dried out, on ac- 
 count of long absence of rain. 
 
 Although we were nearing the principal mountain 
 region of Europe, our road was perfectly straight 
 and level. Were it not for the high peaks in the 
 distance this plain would be almost similar to what 
 one would expect in the flat northern part of France 
 or Germany. 
 
 At Chamousset we crossed the Isere, over a long, 
 narrow bridge, and entered upon a direct road, lined 
 on both sides with tall poplar trees. Parallel with 
 this, in a straight channel and very much like a 
 Dutch canal, ran the Arc, a tributary of the Isere. 
 •In a well-behaved manner this little mountain stream 
 here ends a preceding career of turbulence. By and 
 by the road became more closely crowded into a 
 narrowing gorge, and we reached Aiguebelle, of 
 squalid aspect, like many villages of the Haute 
 Savoie. 
 
 The recurring appearance of bunches of sumac 
 trees, such as we had not seen since we left the 
 States, gave the vegetation a touch of familiar ac- 
 quaintance. The valley widened again, and just 
 there, on a little rock along the road, we found a 
 delightful spot to spread the napkins for our lunch. 
 After an hour's rest we started again. The road was 
 almost level, so that we could steadily use the high 
 gear. 
 
 The mountains which enclosed the valley became 
 higher and higher, and the foaming little Arc 
 changed now into an impetuous torrent, that found 
 
FRANCE. i6s 
 
 its sinuous course between the rocks and boulders, 
 which tried to check its mad rush downward. 
 
 Further up, and in picturesque loneliness, stood 
 an old timeworn chapel, supported on a rocky prom- 
 ontory, against which the roaring rapids dashed 
 into spray. Every few miles we encountered some 
 odd-looking village, while the intervening stretches 
 were totally uninhabited. St. Jean-de-Maurienne 
 and St. Michel were thus passed. The pristine sim- 
 plicity of some of these villages has changed 
 since the recent erection of large power plants. 
 The mountain streams, which for thousands of 
 years had run wild and free, are now neatly har- 
 nessed into the service of mankind. Immense 
 steel pipes carried the current into modern water 
 wheels, called turbines, the latter, coupled to large 
 dynamos, generating electricity. This source of 
 energy for power, light and chemical processes has 
 attracted several industrial enterprises to this 
 formerly quiet region. 
 
 A short distance further along the road we beheld 
 an impressive example of the devastating power of 
 mountain streams. Only a few weeks earlier a land- 
 slide had been caused by a heavy rainfall. Every- 
 where we saw evidence of the havoc which had been 
 wrought by the uncontrolled torrent. Gangs of 
 workmen were still busily engaged in removing 
 debris and rebuilding the road. Near Fourneaux 
 matters appeared to have been at their worst, and 
 for quite a period the train service through Mont 
 Cenis tunnel had been entirely interrupted. 
 
 Modane is the town where the railroad emerges 
 from the famous tunnel. It is the first French sta- 
 
i66 
 
 FRANCE. 
 
 tion for passengers coming from Italy. If we had 
 felt inclined to stop here overnight we certainly 
 would have lost all desire to do so at the sight of tlie 
 dirty, noisy little place, filled with loitering soldiers, 
 and very different from what we had imagined it to 
 be. From here on the road began to ascend more 
 
 ■'We saw an impressive example of the devastating power of moun- 
 tain streams." 
 
 rapidly, and gave us a wide view over the range 
 of Alpine mountains. Deep below us, like a glisten- 
 ing snake in the green valley, ran the same little 
 river. Here and there, shelved on high rocky re- 
 cesses, lay half-hidden fortifications, everywhere 
 surrounded by bleak and grim-looking mountains. 
 We traversed the town of Termignon, naked and 
 
FRANCE. 
 
 167 
 
 a delightful spot to spread the napkins u 
 
 ... j^i^L-.: L.c^_^ ._..-.::.L^_ ^i-.d an old chapel. 
 
i68 FRANCE. 
 
 squalid, but crowded with well-fed soldiers. It was 
 as if I heard the ring of Longfellow's words: 
 "Were half the power that fills the world with terror, 
 Were half the wealth bestowed on camps and 
 courts, 
 Given to redeem the human mind from error. 
 There were no need for arsenal and forts." 
 
 I fear that it will take many years yet before all 
 nations will come to their senses and learn to ar- 
 range their differences by arbitration, as civilized in- 
 dividuals do, without resorting to brutal force. 
 
 We were now at a sudden bend in the road before 
 two zigzag ascents, which followed one above an- 
 other. After reaching the highest point, a gentle 
 slope brought us again alongside the gushing and 
 foaming litle Arc, which we followed for a few 
 miles, until at last we entered Lans-le-Bourg. 
 
 The little town lies snugly in the very bottom of 
 the valley. Irregularly built white houses, with 
 broad overhanging roofs of rough and heavy stone 
 slabs, stand huddled together around the pointed 
 tower of a little church. 
 
 Cut off from all railroad connections, and relying 
 solely on the diligence or mail coach for communica-. 
 tion with the outside world, Lans-le-Bourg has kept 
 the aspect and customs of the towns of the Haute 
 Savoie as they were before the advent of the loco- 
 motive. Strange to say, the squalor of the place 
 does not appear repulsive, but seems in harmony 
 with its rustic simplicity and unsophisticated good 
 naturedness. It is quite different in this respect from 
 Modane and Termignon. The sight of the snow- 
 clad mountains above the sombre pine forests, and. 
 
FRANCE. 
 
 169 
 
 Temiignon. 
 
 Street in Tennignon. 
 
170 FRANCE. 
 
 lower down, the bright green pastures, made us 
 greet with enthusiasm this spot, where we were 
 to stop before entering Italy. 
 
 Any misgivings we had about hotel accommoda- 
 tion were soon dispelled when we were received by 
 the courteous host of the Hotel Valloire. He showed 
 us simple but clean rooms, lighted by the electric 
 current generated from the little Arc, which swept 
 roaring below our windows. Six feet of chamber- 
 maid, clothed in the demure and old-fashioned look- 
 ing dress of the women of the Haute Savoie, added 
 much local color to our new surroundings. 
 
 The hotel was a kind of microcosmos for this 
 lonely region. All the town notabilities seemed to 
 gather there. The customs officials and the army 
 officers, after playing their ''partie de boules" in the 
 garden across the street, joined the other local 
 celebrities in their political debates or furnished their 
 quota of fish and hunting stories. At little tables, 
 outside in the street, sat two grumbling, dissatisfied 
 automobilists, who had outdistanced us in the after- 
 noon, and who were now compelled to wait until the 
 next day before their customs duties could be re- 
 funded, the officials having been notified too late to 
 provide themselves with the necessary cash. 
 
 An agreeable young Englishman, who was ap- 
 parently the star boarder at the hotel, and who 
 seemed very well acquainted with the country, told 
 us of the many possible interesting excursions in the 
 woods and over the mountains. It would have taken 
 us months to carry out his many suggestions, but 
 we intended to try a few of them and spend a day 
 longer in our newly discovered mountaineering 
 
FRANCE. 
 
 171 
 
 Lans-le-Bourg, 
 
 "The squalor of the place does not appear repul 
 
172 FRANCE. 
 
 centre. The same Englishman showed me how to 
 obviate the lack of a bathroom in the hotel by walk- 
 ing down to the washing shed and taking a short dip 
 in the roomy wooden tank, through which was flow- 
 ing continuously an abundant stream of clear and 
 pure but ice-cold mountain water. 
 
 Alpenstocks were purchased and the larger part 
 of a day was devoted to mountain climbing, a sport 
 in which the children eagerly joined. Lewis came 
 back from a nearby glacier with an armful of snow- 
 balls, which he carried in "his bundled coat until a 
 hidden customs officer stopped him on the lonely 
 rnountain trail, taking him for a smuggler, and was 
 very much amused after he discovered the real 
 nature of the contents of that suspicious-looking 
 bundle. 
 
ITALY. 
 
 THE next morning, while we were taking our 
 breakfast of cafe au lait and rolls at the little 
 tables in the street, Lewis was loading up our valises 
 and making preparations for our trip across the 
 Mont Cenis Pass. The custom house was almost op- 
 posite the hotel, and the French "receveur de dou- 
 ane" had been notified of our intended departure. 
 When we drove up to his office I presented the two 
 remaining vouchers of my French triptyque, and iie 
 put his signature on both, certifying that my car had 
 left France. One sheet he kept for himself, the other 
 was returned to me. The latter I mailed, by regis- 
 tered letter, to the Touring Club de France, advis- 
 ing them where to send me a check for the money 
 I had deposited with them. These simple formal- 
 ities ];ook but a few minutes, and about nine o'clock 
 we began our ascent. The English gentleman 
 whose acquaintance I had made at Lans-le-Bourg 
 accepted my invitation to accompany us for a few 
 miles. 
 
 At the beginning the road had such a gentle grade 
 that we could run on the direct drive or high gear. 
 Shortly after we arrived at a sudden curve, the first 
 of six superposed zigzags, each somewhat less than 
 a mile long. The road was easily wide enough to 
 allow three cars to pass each other, the curves were 
 ample and the dangerous portions were provided 
 with wooden balustrades. The surface was perfect 
 
 173 
 
174 
 
 ITALY. 
 
 The road had such a gentle grade that we could run on the direct 
 drive." 
 
 
 ^^^ 
 
 
 
 , . --.^m 
 
 % 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 
 ^^ 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 4 
 
 W -'- 
 
 < y^S^ v""A!. ^ 
 
 
 
 ki 
 
 
 ■ .-^is- ■ ■ ■ • • 
 
 
 
 
 
 'We stopped to enjoy the superb view. 
 
ITALY. 
 
 175 
 
 'On the right side of the road we noticed a small blue lake." 
 
 
 'A long, square, badly kept stone building called the Ospizio. 
 
176 ITALY. 
 
 and the grade probably did not exceed eight per 
 cent. I have never joined the numerous worshipers 
 of Napoleon, but I could not but admire this splendid 
 roadway, which his skillful engineers had con- 
 structed here, so as to allow him to send his heavy 
 artillery into Italy. The talented rascal, in the pre- 
 occupation of his insatiable ambition and murderous 
 vanity, could hardly have dreamed that, scarcely one 
 century later, this magnificent highway was to be 
 used by peaceful motor tourists from across the 
 ocean. 
 
 After ascending for a few miles through wooded 
 stretches we emerged above the timber line, and 
 vegetation became rather scarce. Barren rocks inter- 
 spersed with shrubs and bunches of turf, then higher 
 up a more scanty growth of grass, were the meagre 
 touches of green which offset the general bleakness 
 of these surroundings. We stopped to enjoy the 
 superb view over the lofty mountains, with their glit- 
 tering coat of snow, and Lans-le-Bourg, Termignon 
 and other "toy" villages, deep below us in the slop- 
 ing valley. A very narrow white zigzag line, broken 
 by curves here and there, showed us the road over 
 which we had traveled. At some points it was in- 
 tersected by the more irregular contortions of an- 
 other line ; this was the little river which had been 
 our steady companion as far as our last stopping 
 place. 
 
 At this altitude the rarefied air, aided by a blow- 
 ing wind, made us feel rather chilly. I had been 
 informed that sometimes the air current here is so 
 strong as to become rather dangerous for the un- 
 protected traveler. Except during the warmer 
 
ITALY. 177 
 
 months of the year matters are made worse by the 
 heavy snowfall. For this reason twenty-three small 
 stone houses have been built at intervals on the most 
 exposed parts of the road. These shelters are some- 
 times occupied by one or two soldiers, who act as 
 outposts near the boundary line of Italy, and also try 
 to prevent smuggling over the mountain passes. 
 
 After about ten kilometers of steady climbing we 
 found that we had reached the summit of the pass, 
 which marks also the boundary between France and 
 Italy. We were now on a sort of plateau, situated 
 about 6,800 feet above the ocean. On the right side 
 of the road we noticed a small blue lake, and before 
 us we saw some scattered small stone houses, most 
 of them being shelters. 
 
 I was just about to take a photograph when an 
 Italian gendarme turned up and made a sign to 
 stop. He addressed me in Italian, but as none of us 
 understood that language I tried French with good 
 success. He asked me whether I had other cameras 
 with me, and after I answered him that I had two in 
 all he told me to hand them over, as it was forbid- 
 den to take photographs in this region. Before 
 yielding to his 'request I inquired what he intended 
 to do with the cameras, and after receiving his as- 
 surance that he only purposed to seal them while we 
 were in the forbidden zone, I handed him the instru- 
 ments. He tied them up and secured the knots with 
 sealing wax, to which he applied a government seal. 
 He told me not to remove the seal before reaching 
 Susa, otherwise we would be liable to arrest and 
 imprisonment. All these precautions, he said, were 
 strictly enforced by the army authorities, so as to 
 
178 ITALY. 
 
 prevent spying into the surrounding fortifications. 
 The whole transaction was carried out in very poHte 
 but businessHke form. Still I felt considerably dis- 
 appointed at being thus forbidden to take photo- 
 graphs at a most interesting point of our trip. 
 
 If I had not been with my little family, and, there- 
 fore, unable to run the risk of getting them, too, into 
 trouble with the police, I certainly should have tried 
 to take some photographs of the imposing mountain 
 scenery we traversed that day. 
 
 After we were through with these formalities we 
 were very much astonished to find a clean-looking 
 hotel, where we decided to stop and take luncheon. 
 The latter was excellent and well served, and gave 
 us an opportunity to make the acquaintance of ex- 
 quisite ''Moscato Spumante," an Italian sparkling 
 wine, rather sweet and somewhat like champagne, 
 but considerably less expensive and almost non- 
 alcoholic. 
 
 We had been kept waiting an unreasonably long 
 time for our bill, until I made a motion as if we were 
 about to leave without paying, when the proprietor 
 came to beg me, with profuse politeness, to wait a 
 few seconds longer, as he wanted to photograph his 
 hotel, and it would be so nice to have an automobile 
 in front of it. I was astonished to find that although 
 we had been forbidden to take snap shots they al- 
 lowed him the use of a photographic apparatus. He 
 told me that the rules were more strictly enforced 
 with foreigners, especially if they enter from France. 
 This gave me some hope of buying some photo- 
 graphs of Mont Cenis Pass ; but although I could 
 find views of almost any place in Italy, I could not 
 
ITALY. 
 
 179 
 
 'On Mont Ccnis.' 
 
 At La Gran Croce the descent became quite stct p 
 
i8o ITALY. 
 
 obtain in any store the prints I desired. It was 
 merely by pure chance that, many weeks later, I suc- 
 ceeded in getting possession of some photos, made 
 by someone who had circumvented the watchful eyes 
 of the Italian Government, and which I publish here. 
 
 We were ready now to begin the descent ; the road 
 was gently sloping at first and led us through a high 
 walled enclosure, which surrounded a long, square, 
 badly kept stone building, called the Ospizio, and 
 which seemed to be a combination of church and 
 barracks. At La Gran Croce the descent became 
 quite steep, and the road narrower and much worse 
 on account of loose stones. The "tourniquets,"- as 
 they call here the zigzags or hairpin turns, were 
 much sharper than those on the French slope. As 
 we had a long descent before us I preferred not to 
 wear out the brakes, and, by throwing in the second 
 speed and switching off the spark, I was able to use 
 the compression of the engine as an effective brak- 
 ing device. We thus descended at a moderate and 
 regular pace. A sublime landscape stretched out 
 before us ; more than ever I regretted that I could 
 not use my camera. The view was even more im- 
 posing than on the French side. The vegetation, 
 too, was quite different on account of the southern 
 exposure, which maintained here a much milder 
 temperature. What first had seemed like a yawning 
 chasm now became a fertile valley, enclosed on both 
 sides by enormous mountains, extending as far as 
 the eye could reach. 
 
 From some of the high points to the left we heard 
 the noise of cannon shots reverberating in thunder- 
 ing echoes along the rocky heights. White puffs of 
 
ITALY. i8i 
 
 smoke enabled us to locate one of the numerous forts 
 which lie distributed here and there. Some artiller- 
 ists were probably doing shooting practice. 
 
 About six kilometers farther, at a place called Bard, 
 we were stopped again, this time by the custom- 
 house officers. I left the car in charge of Lewis and 
 
 "The zigzags were much sharper than on the French ^1-^., 
 
 entered the office to attend to the formalities. The 
 uniformed official was about to examine our bag- 
 gage. I did not relish the idea of having to go 
 through a general examination of our bundles and 
 boxes, as this would involve tedious unpacking and 
 reloading. I especially did not like the prospect of 
 
1 82 ITALY. 
 
 paying duty on some newly purchased French tires 
 which we carried on the roof of the car. 
 
 He soon saw that I could not speak Italian, al- 
 though I had tried my friendliest "buono giorno" on 
 him. While I handed my triptyque he asked in quick 
 succession : 
 
 ''Inglese? Franchese? Tedesco?" 
 
 To which I answered ''Americano," and at the 
 same time unfolded my American passport, with its 
 glaring red seal. At once his wondering eyes ac- 
 quired a friendly twinkle, and while I tried a few 
 sentences, half French, half Spanish, he became very 
 much interested in my car, and in our little party, 
 especially so after I had been able to make him 
 understand that we had come all the way from New 
 York, and intended to return there by way of 
 Naples. 
 
 He and his assistants seemed to be suddenly ani- 
 mated with the best of feeling toward us all. They 
 told us there were some more dangerous tourniquets 
 lower down; our baggage was left untouched, my 
 triptyque was promptly signed, even my mere state- 
 ment was accepted as to the amount of gasoline I 
 carried, and for which I had to pay thirteen lire of 
 duty. With a friendly "Addio ! Buono viaggio!" 
 from the little group of uniformed officials we went 
 on our way, while I felt almost sorry that I had not 
 displayed my awe-inspiring passport to the "carabi- 
 nieri" who had so sternly sealed my cameras. 
 
 The landscape now presented a decidedly Italian 
 aspect. Right and left we noticed little villages 
 formed of small clusters of stone houses, grouped 
 around a church with an unmistakable Italian 
 
ITALY. 183 
 
 steeple, while at the bottom of the valley ran the 
 Cenischia River, which emerged from the very 
 mountains through which we had been passing. 
 
 Near Molaretto and Giagione the road again be- 
 came difficult, and the hairpin turns were even 
 sharper than at La Gran Croce. 
 
 A few miles farther we were reminded by the 
 inscription "Dazio Comunal" that Italy, too, had an 
 antiquated octroi system, and that this was the 
 entrance of the town of Susa. With a "Niente !" we 
 waved away the octroi collector and passed into the 
 streets of Susa, a dusty, shabby-looking place of 
 little importance, where some barefooted street 
 urchins welcomed us into Italy by a volley of small 
 stones, which barely missed us. The way the little 
 rascals attended to their job made me suppose that 
 they had been trained by previous practice. As soon 
 as I stopped the car they all took to their heels; 
 but we found it safer to drive slowly whenever we 
 met any idle boys. At the same time we intently 
 watched their hands, and repeatedly saw them 
 meekly drop the small stones intended for us. After 
 this unpleasant occurrence we had no further moles- 
 tation while in Italy. 
 
 We were now on a rather dusty highway, much 
 inferior to the good French roads we had left that 
 morning. Our route ran almost straight and level 
 as far as Turin, fifty kilometers distant. 
 
 This was a wide, fertile plain, with now and then 
 a small town. As we neared Turin the road traffic 
 increased considerably, and I was much astonished 
 at the nonchalance of the careless cart drivers and 
 teamsters. Some of them were half dozing and 
 
i84 
 
 ITALY. 
 
ITALY. 185 
 
 others entirely asleep, while nearly all were lying 
 down in their carts, happy and confident under open 
 umbrellas to protect themselves against the blazing 
 sun. The situation was more complicated by the 
 fact that none of the drivers seemed to adhere to 
 any rules of the road. After reaching the trolley car 
 lines I saw a sign, "Tenere la sinistra," but I learned 
 afterward that keeping to the left was intended 
 only for the city of Turin, while in the open country 
 keeping to the right was supposed to be the rule, 
 although each city or town in Italy had its own code 
 and regulations in this regard. 
 
 Following the Strada di Rivoli we penetrated the 
 town by the Via Garibaldi ; how delightfully cool it 
 was after that hot drive in the unprotected country ! 
 I now understand the logic of the narrow but well- 
 paved Italian streets, with their two rows of tall 
 houses, which provide, in that way, a cool shelter 
 against the hot sun. 
 
 Here we were now at the fine-looking Piazza del 
 Castello, where the Grand Hotel d'Angleterre is sit- 
 uated. Large and cool rooms were assigned to us, 
 and we felt again surrounded by all the luxurious 
 comfort of modern hotel life. We concluded to stay 
 here at least two days, instead of one night, as had 
 been our original intention. 
 
 Turin, like Milan, represents the more modern 
 spirit of New Italy. The well-built city, with her 
 straight parallel streets and substantial houses, gives 
 an impression of finished settledness, so much lack- 
 ing in almost all American cities. The principal thor- 
 oughfares are lined on both sides with shady arcades, 
 providing agreeable walking space protected against 
 
i86 ITALY. 
 
 sun and rain, where the well-suppHed stores dis- 
 play their wares. I saw none of that noisy crowd 
 of hack drivers, peddlers or beggars that makes 
 southern cities in Italy so disagreeable. 
 
 Everything looked businesslike and well kept. The 
 people in the streets appeared serious, polite and 
 neatly dressed. As a strong contrast to France, the 
 sprightly soldiers, in trim and tidy uniforms, and 
 their well-groomed officers made a very favorable 
 impression, which was repeated in all other parts of 
 Italy where we happened to meet representatives of 
 the army or navy. 
 
 Two days were soon spent in sightseeing and 
 visiting places of interest. On the 6th of Septembei' 
 we were on our way to Genoa. We had enough 
 gasoline left to make half the distance. As in 
 France, this liquid is always less expensive outside 
 the cities, where no dazio or octroi has to be paid. 
 "Benzina," as they call it here, is ordinarily retailed 
 by pharmacists and druggists. After three con- 
 secutive attempts to obtain it at such stores, I found 
 that their whole stock would have filled our tank 
 only about one-tenth full. We finally succeeded in 
 discovering a bicycle store where a sufficient supply 
 was kept ou hand, and this acquainted us with the 
 primitive way this material is handled in Italy. The 
 "benzina" was poured from a large glass carbov, 
 similar to those in which acids are shipped. The 
 whole operation is clumsy and difficult. Straw and 
 fragments of the plaster-sealed stopper are liable 
 to get into the tank if no straining devices are 
 used. 
 
 "Benzina" is no longer sold by the litre, btit by 
 
ITALY. 187 
 
 the kilo, which is the itietric unit for weight. One 
 kilo of benzina is equal to about 1.400 litre, and in 
 order to determine the quantity sold the carboy is 
 weighed before and after the sale. 
 
 In different places in Italy I was charged from 90 
 centisimi to i.io lire per kilo, which would bring 
 the price from 47 to 60 cents per American gallon ! 
 
 The roads outside Turin were bumpy and dusty ; 
 not bad enough, however, to prevent us from mak- 
 ing fair speed. Later on the surface became more 
 dusty, until we concluded that during all our trip 
 in Europe we had encountered nothing of the kind. 
 Until now the front glass served tolerably well as a 
 protector, and we found some consolation in the 
 thought that we were not bothered by the pool of 
 mud which this road would make after heavy rains. 
 
 Passing Trofarello, Poirino, through a level 
 plain of uninteresting aspect, we entered the old 
 gate towers of Asti, a mediaeval-looking town, the 
 name of which sounded familiar to us, because it is 
 there that the famous Asti Spumante, a very light, 
 sparkling wine, is made. The extensive vineyards 
 of the adjoining country furnish abundant material 
 for this local industry. We had hoped that the dust 
 nuisance would decrease here, but after passing 
 Allessandria we found that the worst was yet to 
 come: 
 
 From now on traveling became almost a torture. 
 The wheels of our car sank deep into the light, 
 floury powder and threw up behind us a smok}' 
 streak, like the tail of a comet. Although by this 
 time we had closed all windows and apertures in 
 the car, a fine, impalpable nuisance entered every- 
 
i88 ITALY. 
 
 where, just as if it were sifioke, and on the front 
 seat it had gathered in a layer a quarter of an inch 
 deep. It accumulated on our clothing, our hands 
 and everywhere. I looked at Lewis, who was driv- 
 ing then, and his face was so covered as to make him 
 unrecognizable. 
 
 Some passing peasant women, seeing us arrive, 
 hastily threw towels over their heads. They shook 
 their fists at us, and their angry but eloquent 
 gestures indicated the thick cloud trailing behind us. 
 I was fully aware that to those good people we must 
 have appeared as an unjustifiable nuisance, yet little 
 did they know that we were half suffocating our- 
 selves and that our violent coughing and dust-sore 
 lungs made up our share of the trouble. 
 
 Anxiously looking for relief, we had tried to drive 
 at top speed, but this made conditions worse. 
 Finally, by driving very cautiously, matters im- 
 proved somewhat, and we found that slow speed 
 was our only hope of succor, although on a hot 
 road, without a single shady tree, this was in itself 
 very uncomfortable. 
 
 Under all these trying conditions our engine be- 
 haved well. Notwithstanding the fact that every 
 piece of machinery was heavily covered with dust, 
 the steady purr of the motor did not weaken for a 
 second. I think that if our car had been driven by 
 chains instead of a bevel gear the former would 
 have clogged up with dust. As it was, we found 
 that even our levers did not work freely, and we 
 had to stop twice to scratch the dust away from 
 between their fulcrum bearings, which had become 
 stiff. We had been looking eagerly for a cooling 
 
ITALY, 189 
 
 glass of water, but everything and every place 
 showed the same parchedness. At last we arrived 
 at a village where there was a drinking fountain, and 
 where we stopped to wash our dust-coated faces. 
 My wife and children, inside the carriage, had been 
 protected against the worst of the dust, but every- 
 where on the outside the car looked as if it just had 
 
 '•. . . where we stopped to wash our dust-coated faces." 
 
 been dug out of the ground. Our baggage was 
 covered with a layer of fine, whitish powder more 
 than an inch thick. 
 
 For the very first time since we began our Euro- 
 pean tour we thought automobiling a very disagree- 
 able sport; but the fact that we all felt tired and 
 hungry may have influenced our depressed mood. 
 Fortunately matters had improved considerably, for 
 
190 ITALY 
 
 we 
 
 finally located a shady corner far enough re- 
 moved from the road to escape the dust raised by 
 passing mule teams, which did, on a smaller scale, 
 what we had been so much guilty of doing in the 
 past weary miles. 
 
 Our meal this time appeared quite different from 
 the so many pleasant picnic lunches we had en- 
 joyed before. Yet fresh almonds, ripe figs and 
 
 "We entered upon an ascending grade." 
 
 biscuits were eagerly devoured, and as soon as our 
 raving hunger was satisfied good humor returned 
 to us all. 
 
 When I first saw our dust-covered automobile 
 standing lonely on the hot road, and the towering 
 load of baggage, which gave it such a businesslike 
 appearance, I asked myself how many more miles of 
 such wretched roads we were to encounter in Italy. 
 
ITALY. 191 
 
 Fortunately this was and remained the worst ex- 
 perience of our trip; although sometimes the other 
 roads became dusty, never did they attain the hope- 
 less condition of which we had been the victims that 
 day. We were not in a hurry to break up our 
 little camp, and preferred to lie down on the grass 
 and rest; however, on account of the advancing 
 afternoon it was time to go ahead if we desired to 
 be in Genoa before dark. 
 
 After passing Serravak there was no further dust, 
 and at Arquata the road became excellent. We 
 encountered here a mountainous landscape, and the 
 green wood-covered slopes were a very refreshing 
 sight after the dusty monotony of the former part 
 of the road. 
 
 Just after passing Isola we entered upon an 
 ascending grade. Some time before I had noticed 
 an irregular noise in the transmission, but I sup- 
 posed this was merely due to the dust-choked bear- 
 ings that required oiling. 
 
 We were not very far from Genoa, and as I 
 desired to avoid any further delays, which might 
 prevent us from arriving there before dark, I con- 
 cluded to postpone examination of the machinery. 
 
 At first the car took the grade very nicely on the 
 direct drive, but afterward I was compelled to throw 
 in the second speed. While shifting the lever I 
 heard a sharp and unwelcome noise as if something 
 had snapped. I stopped the car quickly, and after 
 examination we found that the driving pinion of the 
 bevel gear transmission was broken. 
 
 Fortunately, we had an extra gear in the tool box, 
 and, if need be, could replace the broken part on the 
 
192 ITALY. 
 
 road. But this might take some time, and the day 
 was pretty well advanced. I ascertained that the 
 next railroad station was but a little over half a 
 mile from where we stood. Under the circum- 
 stances I advised my wife and children to walk 
 ahead and be prepared to take the train to Genoa 
 or any other nearby place in case we met further 
 delay. They had left but a few minutes when I 
 saw a landaulet starting up the mountain road. It 
 was the first automobile we had met since leaving 
 Turin. It occurred to me that this was a good 
 chance to be quickly hauled to the nearest black- 
 smith shop, where it would have been easier to make 
 our little repair. The occupants of this motor car 
 were, besides the chauffeur, a gentleman and his 
 little daughter. I made a sign to stop, and, after 
 exchanging cards, explained my predicament. The 
 owner, a prominent Genoese lawyer, offered very 
 courteously to tow us to the next town, called 
 Ronco. I accepted his kind offer very eagerly, and 
 soon we were at Ronco, where I found a note from 
 my wife, telling me there was a hotel at the next 
 station, Bussala, where she would await me. She 
 added that, upon inquiry, she had found that there 
 were a garage and mecanicien at Ronco, and that 
 she had sent the latter to us. At this very moment 
 a new and well-kept motor car drove up, and after 
 making sure about my name the chauffeur tied a 
 rope to my car and proceeded to tow us through the 
 streets of Ronco. He stopped before a prosperous- 
 looking house, and put us inside a small but well- 
 kept garage, in which there was no other car but 
 an American Oldsmobile runabout. 
 
ITALY. 193 
 
 Everything looked so tidy and so different from 
 the usual disorderly repair shop that I felt rather 
 astonished. After awhile the young proprietor of 
 the garage came to see me, accompanied by three 
 of his friends. They all appeared to be cultured 
 people of refined manners. One of them spoke 
 French and the other English. I began to wonder 
 whether this young man, similar to some wealthy 
 American motorists of my acquaintance, had started 
 a repair shop as a business venture. I was still more 
 startled when these nice young men invited me to 
 take supper with them, and announced that after- 
 wards they would drive me in their own car to 
 Bussala, where my wife was expecting me. 
 
 As I preferred to take a bite in a hurry while 
 supervising the replacement of the broken gear, I 
 declined their invitation, and sat down in a little 
 restaurant near by. But it was getting dark now, 
 and even if we hurried it would take at least one 
 hour to finish the job. It would not be advisable 
 for us to travel at night over the unknown mountain 
 road to Genoa. So I thankfully accepted the offer to 
 drive to Bussala, and left Lewis behind at Ronco, 
 with instructions to have the car ready for the next 
 morning. My newly made acquaintances accom- 
 panied me on the nocturnal drive. The night was 
 pitch dark, but I knew we were going at a rapid 
 pace over a winding mountain road of which I could 
 distinguish nothing except when the glaring search- 
 lights happened to flash upon some object before us. 
 It did not take long to reach the hotel, and, after 
 a further exchange of courtesies my very polite 
 companions left me, and I concluded that these 
 
194 ITALY. 
 
 gentlemen garage keepers were very nice fellows, 
 indeed. 
 
 The little hotel where we were to stay over night 
 was much crowded with summer visitors from 
 Genoa, and it was with some difficulty that I ob- 
 tained accommodations for our little family. With 
 the station near by, and the horrid locomotives and 
 their shrill whistles just below our open windows, 
 sleep was almost impossible. It was quite a change, 
 indeed, from our excellent hotel in Turin, but we 
 were prepared to lead the "simple life" whenever 
 circumstances should demand it, so we took our new 
 experience with cheerful stoicism. 
 
 The next morning I returned to Ronco to see 
 how matters stood with my car. I found the meca- 
 nicien covered with oil and grease, while his helper 
 was scrupulously dusting the carriage. A pile of 
 dust lay heaped up on the floor of the garage. My 
 own chauffeur seemed to take matters rather easily 
 by superintending the operations. Only by this time 
 it dawned upon me that what I had taken for a pub- 
 lic repair shop was simply a private garage, and that 
 unwittingly I had caused a large amount of trouble 
 to a hospitable and courteous host. A direct ques- 
 tion to the mecanicien confirmed my belief. I has- 
 tened to pay a call to the house of my kind host to 
 thank him, and after a pleasant hour thus spent 
 took my car to Bussala, where my little family came 
 aboard. From there we continued our interrupted 
 trip to Genoa. An excellent road, winding grad- 
 ually upward through wooded mountains, brought 
 us to the highest point near Giovi. From there on 
 it began to descend rather suddenly in short tourni- 
 
ITALY. 
 
 195 
 
 'It was quite a change indeed from our excellent hotel in Turin. 
 
 "An excellent road winding gradually upward." 
 
196 ITALY. 
 
 quets. With the power shut off and the engine 
 under compression we coasted slowly down the hills. 
 From Pontedecimo on we were no longer sur- 
 rounded by pretty landscapes, but had to drive 
 through badly paved and closely inhabited sec- 
 tions. For about ten miles there was an almost un- 
 interrupted succession of unpleasant suburbs and 
 trolley car hnes. I began to think this was never 
 to end, when at San Pier d'Arena we beheld the 
 
 "The docks of the busiest seaport of Italy." 
 
 encouraging sight of the blue Mediterranean. There, 
 also, was the famous lighthouse of Genoa, which 
 we were approaching over muddy streets and in 
 line with a never-ending and slow-moving proces- 
 sion of every kind of wagons and other vehicles. 
 We finally entered the city gate, where we became 
 entangled among a lot of clumsy drivers until we 
 had passed the usual formalities of the Uifizio del 
 Dazio. 
 
ITALY. 197 
 
 Proceeding farther, we were now along the docks 
 of the busiest seaport of Italy. Before us lay the 
 graceful city, showing its fine buildings in terrace- 
 like distribution. Beyond were the rugged peaks of 
 the Ligurian Alps, while the broad sheet of blue 
 water was lined by the sinuous shore line of the 
 ever-beautiful Riviera di Levante. We were indeed 
 in a new climate, for there, near to us, was a square 
 
 "From there we drove to the nearby hotel." 
 
 with large healthy-looking palm trees, as well as 
 many other plants which can only thrive under mild 
 southern skies. I knew that a lot of mail was await- 
 ing us .in Genoa, at the office of the Hamburg- 
 American Line, where we went to obtain same. 
 From there we drove to the nearby Grand Hotel, 
 where the porter, in all his gold-laced glory, in a 
 uniform like an admiral, directed his brass-buttoned 
 underlings while they made an assault on our lug- 
 
198 ITALY. 
 
 gage-bedecked car. All the bundles, cases, valises 
 and trunks followed as trophies in the procession, 
 which was wound up by a valet bearing the bird 
 cage of the children and the bunch of alpenstocks. 
 
 When we went to find our bedrooms we were led 
 into something like a throne chamber, with a dome- 
 like affair for a ceiling. The clean mosaic floor gave 
 a refreshing impression of coolness after a hot day ; 
 abundance of electric lights and exquisite bathrooms 
 and other luxuries made us forget all about our 
 hotel experience of the day before. 
 
 This indeed is one of the great charjns of motor 
 touring. Every day brings new conditions, new 
 experiences. Some little unpleasantness is cheer- 
 fully accepted with the thought that better is soon 
 to follow, and whatever is agreeable is doubly so if 
 it happens after encountering some disappoint- 
 ments; no two days seem alike, and this rapid suc- 
 cession of varied impressions contributes, more than 
 anything el^e, to the sensation that this kind of 
 traveling is indeed real travel. 
 
 We had been in Genoa six years before, and were, 
 therefore, pretty well acquainted with the city. For 
 this reason our time was spent in leisurely walking 
 about the town. The next morning we got ready 
 without undue haste and drove off about ten o'clock, 
 while the whole rank and file of the Grand Hotel 
 was drawn up at attention, and all the shining 
 brass buttons bowed us a ceremonious goocfby. 
 
 In the Via Venti Settembre I could not resist the 
 temptation to stop the car to take a hasty snap shot 
 at one of the extraordinary Genoese policemen. My 
 specimen was a fine-looking six-footer, who, with his 
 
ITALY. 
 
 199 
 
 silk hat, long black robe and straight ebony cane, 
 presented very much the appearance of an athletic 
 reverend. 
 
 Following this well-paved street, we drove out by 
 the Porta Pila and entered upon a winding, mac- 
 adam road, which might have been very dusty but 
 for the fact that it had just been sprinkled. Our 
 
 one of the extraordinary Genoese policemen." 
 
 route was narrow and went up and down, following 
 the shore line of the Mediterranean. Very narrow 
 streets, through populous villages, made cautious 
 driving an imperious necessity. But we little de- 
 sired to go fast. Our intended day's trip was to be 
 but fifty-four kilometers, and were we not entering 
 upon this enchanting part of Italy, the Riviera di 
 Levante? Therefore, no haste to-day, so that we 
 
200 ITALY. 
 
 might longer enjoy the beautiful landscape awaiting 
 us. 
 
 Near Quinto we stopped long enough to read a 
 simple memorial proclaiming the fact that Gari- 
 baldi started from there with his little band of 
 enthusiastic followers on his expedition for the 
 unification of Italy. 
 
 At Nervi, with its gay villas and stately palm 
 trees, the country began to show still more the fes- 
 
 ". . . following the shore-line. . ." 
 
 tive climate. Date palms of aristocratic bearing, 
 next to fig trees and century plants, seemed to bask 
 in the generous sunshine, while the red tiles of the 
 flat-roofed houses brought out into stronger con- 
 trast the color of the sky. Whitewashed pergolas, 
 covered with giant grape vines, alternated with the 
 delicate red of blossoming oleanders, and a fitting 
 background was provided by the blue Mediter- 
 
ITALY. 201 
 
 ranean, whose little waves advanced, tiptoeing 
 towards the rocky shores. 
 
 • Decidedly this was not the place to rush along; 
 so, gently we kept moving, often coasting silently 
 whenever we were on the down grade. Thus we 
 arrived at pretty Recco. The main street was deco- 
 rated with garlands and little lamps, a preparation 
 for the evening illumination in honor of the feast 
 
 ". . the country began to show still more the festive element. . ." 
 
 of the Holy Madonna. All the church bells were 
 ringing, and the little place looked trim and 
 festive. We halted a while to purchase some of the 
 most attractive-looking figs I ever saw ; then driving 
 carefully through the narrow but well-paved passage 
 found ourselves leaving the town by a steep upward 
 road. I very well remembered this same hill, on 
 which six years before I had been pushing my 
 bicycle. With the burning sun shining above our 
 heads, I felt grateful that this time Mr. John D.'s 
 gasoline was doing the work. 
 
202 
 
 ITALY. 
 
 This reminded me also that upon this former 
 occasion we had been outrageously overcharged at 
 an innocent-looking inn at Ruta, where, in company- 
 with my wife, we had taken dinner. The spot on 
 the top of the hill is an ideal situation for a hotel, 
 and I was not astonished to learn now that a very 
 extensive residence hostelry was in course of con- 
 struction, called the Porto Fino Kulm. I was not 
 surprised either when the puffins^ of our approach- 
 
 "The main street was decorated with garlands." 
 
 ing car brought out the same English-speaking 
 landlady of former acquaintance, who from her un- 
 sophisticated-looking inn tried to ensnare us by the 
 same obsequious salutations and inviting smiles, but 
 ''experientia docet," and to her evident disappoint- 
 ment we did not stop even for the view, which I 
 knew we could better enjoy a little farther away. 
 
 The altitude here was less than a thousand feet, 
 yet the grandiose panorama embraces the shores of 
 
ITALY. 
 
 203 
 
204 ITALY. 
 
 the Mediterranean as far as the horizon reaches. 
 Big-peaked mountains in the distance, sloping down 
 into green hills, and dotted everywhere with little 
 white villages overlooking the blue sea. 
 
 The road was ever following the sinuous slope, 
 high enough to allow an unimpaired view, yet so 
 near as to see the blue and transparent water 
 splash into white foam on the rocks below. 
 
 We kept on descending steadily toward charni- 
 
 ". . . this lovely, restful place." 
 
 ing Rapallo, on a flat stretch of land close to the 
 sea. Its good-looking modern hotels reminded us 
 that it was lunch time, although we had been feast- 
 ing all the morning on grapes and figs, picked from 
 the bountiful trees along the road. A glass of Mos- 
 cato and a cup of cofifee were about all that we 
 cared for. This gave us a good pretext for sitting 
 down among the guests of one of the hotels at one 
 of the numerous tables along the sidewalks of the 
 shadv street. 
 
ITALY. 
 
 205 
 
 Had we not known that there was even a better 
 place farther up we would certainly have decided 
 to stop for a few days at this lovely, restful place. 
 
 the shadv street. 
 
 ■'ICvery few luindred yards we found one or another reason for 
 stopping." 
 
 Many of the pretty localities we had met that morn- 
 ing had suggested the same idea. The children 
 expressed their wish more bluntly by saying that 
 
2o6 ITALY. 
 
 it was a pity that the motor did not break down 
 somewhere, and thus compel us to stay longer. Yet 
 we rested here with the pleasant expectation that 
 more such agreeable corners were yet to come, and 
 after an hour or so we continued our enchanting 
 journey. 
 
 We started with a stiff climb -along the slopes 
 of a mountainous shore, now along precipices, then 
 
 ". . . . now along precipices, then following a ravine." 
 
 following a ravine, and all the time amidst a con- 
 tinuous succession of olive trees, blooming olean- 
 ders, fruit-laden grape vines and fig trees. Every 
 few hundred yards we found one or another reason 
 for stopping. It was either to take a photograph, 
 or again to pick some ripe figs or grapes, which 
 abounded everywhere, or to try the cool water 
 which came gushing from some fountain in the 
 rock. 
 
ITALY. 
 
 207 
 
 Now going down, then up again, then entering 
 a tunnel bored through the projecting rocks, the 
 landscape changed in kaleidoscopic variety. Just 
 now we seemed to be away inland, enclosed in reced- 
 ing mountains, with a solitary valley below, but 
 immediately afterwards the view changed, and after 
 
 ". . . then entering a tunnel bored through the projecting rock." 
 
 a sharp descent we were again in sight of the sheet 
 of water. 
 
 A steep down grade carried us to Zoagli, but as 
 soon as we had left the charming little town we 
 were climbing another hill, until finally a long glide 
 downward brought us to a low, flat stretch of coast 
 land on which is situated Chiavari. I saw a large 
 road sign, *'Spezia," with an arrow pointed toward 
 a side street, and before I realized it found that this 
 was a clever little dodge by which the inhabitants 
 prevented these dreadful automobiles from passing 
 
2o8 ITALY. 
 
 through the town on their way south. So we saw 
 nothing of the place, except a rapid ghmpse of a 
 pretty avenue of large-sized " oleander trees in full 
 bloom. We then came upon a flat stretch of dusty 
 road quite close to the water. We passed Lavagna 
 with its pile of roofing slate, and a few kilometers 
 further, Sestri di Levante, the object of our day's 
 trip, came in sight. 
 
 This picturesquely situated fishing village is not 
 much known by the average tourist. I had discov- 
 ered it some years ago, and on the strength of my 
 former experience had selected it for a few days' 
 sojourn. The friendly manager of the excellent 
 Hotel Jensch gave us the best rooms facing the bay. 
 The pretty palm garden which surrounds the hotel 
 and the lovely view from our comfortable balcony 
 added to the enjoyment of our quiet surroundings. 
 
 I had especially chosen this place because I knew 
 the hotel had an excellent private beach, sandy and 
 gently sloping. There, in unusually clean water 
 of pleasant temperature, most of our days were 
 spent. 
 
 The water of the Mediterranean holds in solution 
 about forty-one per cent, of salt, a considerably 
 higher proportion than is contained in the ocean. 
 Hence swimming is much easier, because the con- 
 centrated brine keeps the body floating without 
 any special effort. Years ago I had offered a stand- 
 ing reward of $2 for each of my children who 
 should be able to swim at least ten yards without 
 stopping. Thus far the prize had never been earned, 
 but the little rascals soon discovered that the in- 
 creased density of the water made things easy for 
 
ITALY. 
 
 209 
 
 a low, flat stretch of road on which is situated Chiavari. 
 
 we were again in sight of the azure sheet of water. 
 
210 ITALY. 
 
 them, and from the first day they were able to 
 claim the premium. We became so accustomed to 
 this agreeable spot that any of us would gladly have 
 stayed there for weeks more, but our trip could 
 not last forever, and after five enjoyable days we 
 decided to continue our tour. 
 
 On the day of leaving I was rather startled to 
 see that in the garage of the hotel our trusty motor 
 car had as an only companion a large black hearse, 
 v^ery elaborately trimmed with four immense 
 bunches of black feathers. Quite a suggestive con- 
 trast indeed ! This was rendered more impressive 
 by the fact that the sky had become obscured with 
 inky clouds, across which flashed at intervals sinuous 
 streaks of lightning, while the thunder rolled omi- 
 nously. It had been raining and storming all night, 
 and although our limousine would protect us against 
 the wet it was rather disappointing to think that 
 bad weather might spoil for us the enjoyment of the 
 day's itinerary, which was to take us into the heart 
 of picturesque mountain scenery. 
 
 If our car had been an open one it would cer- 
 tainly have been reckless to venture out in such 
 threatening weather, but, nicely sheltered as we 
 were, we decided to risk it. Our road ran first 
 through level country, parallel with the railroad; 
 then it began to climb, and we noticed that the 
 surface was so excellent that, although it had been 
 raining all night, there was, no sign of slipperiness. 
 
 We were winding our way upward over rocky 
 hills scantily covered with pines, oaks and other 
 small trees. The sky again presented a threatening 
 appearance, and lightning cleaved the black clouds 
 
ITALY. 
 
 few kilometers further, Sestri di Levante." 
 
 on the strength of my former experience had selected it 
 for a few days' sojourn." 
 
212 ITALY. 
 
 from mountain to mountain. Heavy rain drops 
 were falling, and we were resigned to bad weather. 
 But luck favored us ; after a while the rain stopped 
 and the sombre cloud curtain seemed to tear apart. 
 Through the widening aperture of the darkened 
 sky a beam of hazy sunlight managed to shoot out 
 and illuminate the whole landscape with a strange 
 flood of light. The contrast between the blue-black 
 clouds in the sky and the sea below, with the vivid 
 
 ". . . we went downward again between fig trees and grape vines." 
 
 green of the. wooded hills, gave to the whole a 
 startling aspect, enhanced by the utter loneliness 
 of the locality. Prrr — prrr — prrr — went our steady 
 motor, while we kept on climbing higher and higher 
 over Mount Bracco. 
 
 The view of the sea was shut off now, but we 
 beheld, instead, the whole range of the Appenines, 
 and shortly after we caught sight of the Apuan 
 Alps, the great storekeepers of the finest white 
 
ITALY. 213 
 
 marble of the world. On a level portion of the road 
 we came upon some dilapidated-looking houses, of 
 which one or two called themselves *'Osteria." 
 Further on we went down again between rows of 
 fig trees and grape vines. We passed Mattarana 
 and Carrodano, two small villages with gray little 
 houses huddled together, as if to find closer com- 
 pany in this out-of-the-way region. 
 
 Barefooted children ran after us, offering grapes, 
 for which we gave them a few soldi. Again the 
 road went down sharply; we crossed a little river, 
 and then started a short climb through woods, and 
 after passing a chapel another descent commenced. 
 Pogliasca, then Borghetto, came next, after which 
 the road took a turn to the right and skirted the 
 sandy bed of the half-filled and shallow Magra 
 River, with here and there a pool of water with a 
 color like indigo. Following the contortions of this 
 bluish stream for about ten kilometers on an almost 
 level stretch we struck again a gradual ascent. 
 Afterward this changed to a succession of strong 
 undulations. 
 
 We passed Ricco, another assemblage of ram- 
 shackle houses, took another short climb, and here, 
 at a point called La Foce, were suddenly stirred into 
 admiration by the beautiful sight of the Gulf of 
 Spezia. Below us white parallel lines made by the 
 streets of the town stretched out before the spacious 
 bay. Several grim-looking men-of-war, with their 
 sharp and well-defined outlines, stood out in strong 
 contrast with the blue water. Antique Porto Venere 
 and the island of Palmaria in the distance on the 
 right, and the rocky promontory of the Apuan Alps 
 
214 ITALY. 
 
 on the left, formed a trusty and picturesque shelter 
 for this fine harbor. 
 
 But our full attention was now required for the 
 steep descent which, zigzag-wise, took us along 
 some forts or barracks into the town. A short 
 halt for refreshments at some pastry store was all 
 the time we intended to spend in Spezia. We knew 
 the place from a former visit, and greeted its trim 
 palm-planted streets as old acquaintances. When 
 we reached the city limits the good pavement gave 
 place to wet and soft muddy roads, and in a few 
 minutes our car was entirely covered with splash- 
 ings. For this reason we were rather pleased to 
 find that we were entering upon a change of the 
 road, where it began to ascend rather abruptly along 
 a hilly slope. I was compelled to throw in the 
 lower gear, and to my terror heard the same 
 ominous snap of the machinery which had stalled us 
 at Ronco. 
 
 I dropped the sprag to keep the car from rolling 
 backward on the sharp incline, and after examina- 
 tion we were forced to the conclusion that our new 
 pinion was gone again. Fortunately, I stillhad a 
 spare one in reserve, and there was a trolley car 
 just below the hill, which enabled my wife and 
 children to return to town, while Lewis and myself 
 tried to mend matters. 
 
 Putting in a new pinion can be done much easier 
 in a garage than on the road, and as we were at 
 such a short distance from a repair shop I thought 
 it preferable to try to get our car back to Spezia. 
 The main trouble was to bring the auto down the 
 hill. It was standing on a steep incline, with an 
 
ITALY. 
 
 215 
 
 "Several grim-looking men of war 
 
 (I greeted its trim palm-planted streets as old acquaintances.' 
 
•216 ITALY. 
 
 abrupt embankment on one side and a deep gutter 
 on the other ; to make matters worse the road was 
 so narrow that we could not turn. While we were 
 adjusting the brakes, which were rather too loose 
 to keep the car from sliding backward, we were 
 discovered by a group of street boys. As soon as 
 they saw our stalled car they rushed toward us 
 with a whoop of delight and called the attention of 
 some other little fellows near by. Before we knew 
 it we were surrounded by about fifty unwashed, 
 raggy, barefooted and shrieking street urchins, 
 ranging in age from six to twelve years. Every 
 one of them seemed to take immense pleasure and 
 excitement at the sight of our predicament. They 
 all talked at the same time their voluble Italian in 
 shrill staccato voices, and the din and noise of their 
 rattle made our own conversation impossible. All 
 wanted to touch the car, the tires or the wheels. I 
 thought they were a real nuisance until I got the 
 inspiration to put their waste energy to good use 
 by putting them all against the car to prevent back- 
 sliding in case the brakes proved inadequate. I 
 mounted to the driver's seat, and steering the wheel 
 craned my neck backward, so as to see the road 
 below, while Lewis directed the crowd of dimin- 
 utive helpers by impressive yelling and by lifting 
 his arms up and down, according to whether they 
 should let go or hold on. After a while this newly 
 invented language seemed to work very effectively. 
 The scene reminded me very much of the story of 
 Gulliver while these Lilliputian Italians were trying 
 to hold back this heavily loaded motor car. 
 
 We succeeded in getting the carriage down to 
 
ITALY. 217 
 
 the level road, where it could be turned without 
 danger; at that moment a powerful shout of satis- 
 faction came from all of these little Italian throats. 
 But I soon realized that the worst was yet to come, 
 when I began to distribute pennies among these 
 youngsters. The whole lot suddenly turned into a 
 fighting, shrieking, hair-pulling mass, and I was 
 really afraid that some of the impetuous combatants 
 might become seriously hurt, so I put the money 
 back in my pocket and tried to let them come one 
 by one, isolating the paid ones from the others. But 
 the tricky little fellows were too quick for us. Some 
 got in several times in succession and nimbly appro- 
 priated what was intended for others who were 
 left behind and who got angry. Among the lot 
 was a little girl whose mother seemed to take a 
 very interested hand in the matter. I made up my 
 mind that this virago knew better than I how to 
 handle this little mob, so I gave fifty centisimi to her 
 daughter and handed a handful of coppers to her 
 with the direction to distribute the coins among 
 the unsatisfied lot. From that moment on she be- 
 came the butt of the onslaught, but acquitted her- 
 self of her task by administering some well-directed 
 slaps to the most aggressive ones, giving a few 
 coins to the meeker boys, and putting the remainder 
 of the money in her own pocket, while she reached 
 for a stick with which she drove the howling mob 
 away. 
 
 In the meantime I had found a laborer who spoke 
 some French, and with whom I arranged to obtain 
 two mules. • The mules were hitched to the front 
 axle, and I had the fun of photographing Lewis 
 
2i8 ITALY. 
 
 at the wheel while our procession entered into 
 Spezia. I know that some of my friends in America 
 would have had no end of merriment if they had 
 seen us, but, strange to say, none of the Italians 
 who met us either grinned or smiled at our seeming 
 discomfiture. 
 
 At the garage we found that the cause of our 
 break was exactly as I had surmised. The same 
 pinion had split again. Before leaving New York 
 
 the mules were hitched to the front axle. 
 
 I had changed the regular . pinion, as originally 
 used with the car, for a smaller one. This was 
 intended to make doubly sure that our heavily 
 loaded limousine would climb any mountains we 
 might encounter on our long tour. It was proved 
 now that this smaller pinion was too weak for the 
 strain of the engine, and so my very precautions 
 had inured to our disadvantage. 
 
 Luckily I ha^d kept the former size gear, and this 
 
ITALY. 
 
 219 
 
 could be put on again without hesitation, since our 
 experience over any kind of road with an over- 
 loaded car had removed all doubts as to the possi- 
 bility of taking easily any grade we might meet 
 on our tour. We left the car at the garage and the 
 larger pinion was promptly inserted, the whole 
 job costing only a few dollars. 
 
 The day was then far gone, and I knew that the 
 
 . after lunch we left . 
 
 Croce di Malta was a very comfortable hotel, well 
 situated near the bay, and we could not do much 
 better than to stop there until the next day and take 
 life easy in the meantime. The following day, after 
 lunch, we left the Croce di Malta, and a few minutes 
 afterward passed near the spot of our former mis- 
 hap. The man of the mules was there and gave us 
 a friendly nod of recognition. The same street 
 boys were there, and I guess that their smiles were 
 
220 
 
 ITALY. 
 
 probably fostered by the hope of seeing us stopped 
 again ; but the big pinion drove the car smoother 
 than ever, and we shot up the hill without difficulty. 
 Then the road took a very sudden turn to the 
 right and changed into zigzags. Just at this diffi- 
 cult point we were confronted with a balkV mule 
 team arriving from the opposite way and on the 
 wrong side of the road, but I was able to clear the 
 rather complicated situation, and from now on our 
 
 ". . . heavy carts carrying huge cubes of the valuable stone." 
 
 route began to descend toward a broad plain 
 enclosed by the Apuan Mountains. 
 
 As soon as we struck the level stretch we were 
 able to run at favorable speed. The atmosphere 
 was bright and sunny, and right before us in the 
 distance we could see very distinctly the mountains 
 which furnish the world-famed Carrara marble. 
 Some of the rock sides had been blasted away, and 
 in their immaculate whiteness they looked as if 
 covered with snow. 
 
ITALY: 221 
 
 That this was the white marble country was made 
 evident by the profuse display of this material 
 nearly everywhere. Road posts, windows, even door 
 sills of the commonest houses, were made of white 
 marble, and the same stone was used for capping 
 the walls of any enclosures or fences. We also met 
 many heavy carts carrying huge cubes of the 
 valuable stone. Some of these vehicles were drawn 
 
 ". . . grows abundantly in all marshy places to a very tall size." 
 
 by teams of fine white oxen numbering twelve 
 animals. 
 
 The whole section looked like a prosperous agri- 
 cultural country. That we were in a wine district 
 was shown by the abundance and fine quality of the 
 grape vines, as well as by the numerous ox carts 
 loaded with large casks of wine or carrying a heap- 
 ing bunch of "fiascos.' These bottles, of character- 
 istic shape, in which Italian wine is kept, are packed 
 
222 ITALY. 
 
 into a simple yet effective protection of basket- 
 woven reed leaves. The plant which furnishes 
 these leaves grows abundantly in all marshy places 
 and to a very tall size. 
 
 All this carting and driving makes the roads very 
 rutty, especially near Massa and Pisa. The team- 
 sters do not seem to be accustomed to automobiles 
 and become easily excited, even if their horses, 
 mules or oxen do not. When they thus lose their 
 heads they are apt to do the most foolish things. 
 Some of them simply whip their poor horses, but 
 others try to push the animal aside by twisting the 
 cart from behind, instead of using the reins. More 
 than once we were amused by the sight of some 
 short man, red with excitement, spluttering and 
 cursing, while pushing his back against the sides 
 of a slow and burly horse that did not know what 
 it all meant. Similar experiences we had all over 
 Italy, especially in the south. After a while we 
 knew how to humor these simple but excitable coun- 
 try people by driving very slowly until the imaginary 
 danger was past. 
 
 At Massa we entered into a statuary factory. 
 Here was one of those numerous workshops for 
 which Italy has been famous ever since the art was 
 introduced by the Greeks long before the Christian 
 era. In this "laboratorio" the white blocks of Car- 
 rara marble are turned into statuary of any descrip- 
 tion, from the antique gods of mythology to the 
 most approved modern saints. 
 
 The large room had a very busy appearance, with 
 its numerous workmen or artists chiseling, cutting 
 and polishing right and left. 
 
ITALY. 223 
 
 After this short visit we were soon on our way 
 again, but a few miles farther we stopped once 
 more to enter the courtyard of a farm and ask 
 permission to pick some of the alluring fruit with 
 which the numerous grape vines were so abundantly 
 laden. Before this we had disregarded these for- 
 malities, thinking the matter a mere trifle, but we 
 were told that there is a very severe law in Italy 
 which allows farmers to shoot anyone who attempts 
 to appropriate fruit along the road. 
 
 As in every other instance, we were cheerfully 
 helped to what we desired, and a few coppers 
 distributed among the children of the farm made 
 everybody beam with grateful satisfaction. 
 
 We had expected a very monotonous route, and 
 found on the contrary a much varied landscape, 
 with mountains almost always in sight. 
 
 Past Viareggio we entered upon a stretch of ex- 
 cellent road, which led us in a straight line through 
 an extensive pine forest. Healthy-looking trees of 
 considerable size, with fanlike tops, m^de an unusual 
 and unexpected picture. Just here we noticed in 
 the distance an approaching cloud of dust and 
 shortly afterward passed the first motor car we had 
 met since we left Sestri. 
 
 We had driven but a few miles farther when in 
 the glitter of the setting sun we noticed the unmis- 
 takable white forms of the Campanile and the lean- 
 ing Tower of Pisa. Not very long afterward we 
 entered the town, passing along the Battistero, and 
 a short distance farther on we all got out of the 
 car to take a look at that odd piece of architecture, 
 the leaning tower. 
 
224 ITALY. 
 
 My wife and I had visited Pisa before, and this 
 town, too, appeared to us like an acquaintance of 
 former days. Before we knew it some peddlers had 
 persuaded us to stock ourselves with a liberal supply 
 of miniature leaning towers of marble. The little 
 trinkets were stowed away in the motor car in com- 
 pany with all the formerly acquired curios. We saw 
 many inviting shops displaying marble statuary. 
 For some reason or other I have the feeling that 
 marble statuary and marble cutting harmonize well 
 with the very placidity of this town. After the vary- 
 ing impressions of this day's trip Pisa looked so 
 settled, so quiet and restful as to repeatedly suggest 
 to my imagination a city neatly chiseled out of one 
 gigantic block of marble. 
 
 We drove to the Hotel de Londres on the Lun- 
 garno, where we were the only guests, tourists being 
 rather scarce at that season. From our rooms we 
 looked down on the broad river, neatly encased in 
 its gray stone walls, separated by a wide paved street 
 from the varied succession of fagades of the two 
 rows of houses, and at intervals an arched stone 
 bridge connected the two shores. 
 
 The next morning found us ready for our trip to 
 Rome. I knew we had a long stretch before us, and 
 that the country through which we Were to travel 
 is scantily inhabited and offers few places to obtain 
 proper hotel accommodation. Furthermore, this 
 district is notoriously malarious, and although there 
 is a considerable difference of opinion as to the com- 
 parative danger of Italian malaria and the Ameri- 
 can illness of the same name, I thought it wiser 
 not to expose my wife and children to unsuitable 
 
ITALY. 
 
 225 
 
 we entered the town, passing along the Battistero." 
 
 an arched stone bridge connected the two shores.' 
 
226 ITALY. 
 
 shelter for the night. I had been unable to obtain 
 precise information as to hotels in Grosseto or Cor- 
 neto ; under the circumstances we had to reach either 
 Civita Vecchia or Rome the same day. Unfortu- 
 nately the weather threatened showers, but we sup- 
 posed that as on previous occasions we might suc- 
 ceed in outrunning the rainy zone. 
 
 About ten in the morning we left the city limits, 
 and after buying provisions and gasoline were soon 
 hurrying along the wide, level road. By this time 
 the weather had become decidedly chilly, and we 
 noticed that during the night the mountain peaks 
 had acquired a white coat of snow. Although we 
 were entering southern Italy I found that my sum- 
 mer clothing was an entirely insufficient protection 
 against the cold. It started to rain, and a cold wind 
 drove the wet against the driving seat and com- 
 pelled us to lower the storm curtains. 
 
 Our little party was snugly sheltered inside the 
 limousine and did not mind the weather. This made 
 me think again how, in an open car, a rain storm of 
 the kind would have spoiled the whole day's trip. 
 The country through which we were traveling was 
 hilly and sandy. The sloping hills were sparsely 
 covered with grass. This, with the rain and chill, 
 brought to my mind our similar experience in the 
 Scotch moors, and I could hardly realize that we 
 were in southern Italy and that at the beginning 
 of September. 
 
 The slippery road had made us skid a few times, 
 and this urged us to cautious driving, especially 
 in places where we were running along a steep 
 embankment. About noontime the weather began 
 
ITALY. 227 
 
 to clear up, the sun began to shine, and it became 
 so warm that we were forced to open all the win- 
 dows of the carriage. 
 
 We had passed Cecina and were traveling in the 
 Maremme country — a weird succession of forest 
 and swamp, sparsely cultivated here and there and 
 infested by malaria during the summertime. This 
 district extends for about 100 miles along the coast, 
 and is very scantily inhabited. Although history 
 tells us so, it is difficult to imagine that during the 
 Etruscan period this now lonely region was fertile 
 and inhabited to the point of possessing important 
 towns like Populonia, Vetulonia, Russellae and 
 Cosa. Some of thfe remains of these ancient settle- 
 ments still exist. In fact, the very road on which 
 our Michelins were rolling was the famous ancient 
 Via Aurelia. I was prepared to find a country 
 entirely devoid of scenic interest, and, therefore, was 
 quite astonished to now behold an almost continuous 
 succession of picturesque landscapes. We were 
 never far away from the sea, and once in a while 
 caught a glimpse of the blue water, while on both 
 sides of the horizon before us we saw the curved 
 crests of distant mountains. On our right we now 
 observed a mountainous island, which the map indi- 
 cated to be Elba, the involuntary abode of Napoleon 
 for about one year. Occasionally we passed a lonely 
 white or grayish-looking farmhouse with no sign 
 of life in or near it. Almost every one of these 
 buildings showed prominently on the gables the 
 glaringly emblazoned armorial ensign of some mem- 
 ber of the nobility who was the land owner. This 
 was ordinarily supplemented by a large black-let- 
 
228 ITALY. 
 
 tered inscription telling to whom the property be- 
 longed. These features seemed to be the only well- 
 cared for details of the whole place. It is a sad 
 comment on the inequity of insufficient taxation of 
 land values that just this malaria country might, 
 with a proper system of drainage and cultivation, 
 be changed into one of the most productive agricul- 
 tural sections of God's earth. But this district is 
 almost entirely in the hands of a few aristocratic 
 landholders, who have been able to keep it idle since 
 times immemorial, and may hold it almost in- 
 definitely unless the tax on unimproved lands be 
 increased. The proprietors are either too ignorant 
 or too unenterprising for devising means that would 
 make their lands more profitable. Neither are they 
 willing to sell or rent it at reasonable rates. In the 
 meantime the malaria scourge is perpetuating itself, 
 while Italian peasants, for lack of better opportu- 
 nity, try to wring from nature some of her products 
 of the soil by toilsome cultivation of small patches 
 of land on the almost barren rocks of the Riviera 
 or the Gulf of Salerno. Is it any wonder, then, that 
 under such conditions the younger generation of 
 Italian peasants find it more profitable to emigrate 
 and ofifer their labor in foreign countries? Under 
 better economic conditions this same labor might 
 find good emplo}'ment at home and contribute 
 toward general prosperity. 
 
 At about I p. M. we reached Grosseto, the first 
 town of any importance since we had left Pisa. 
 This is the capital of Maremme, and boasts of 6,000 
 inhabitants. The place did not make a bad impres- 
 sion, and it appears that we might have been able 
 
ITALY. 229 
 
 to stay there over night if circumstances had de- 
 manded it. 
 
 The arrival of a motor car, and a foreign one at 
 that, attracted considerable attention in the little 
 town. When we stopped at the drug store to get 
 some gasoline the whole place before the shop was 
 soon filled with curious onlookers. The druggist 
 also kept a pastry department and a baker's coun- 
 ter, so we found our lunch there at the same time. 
 
 •y^^ 
 
 ". . . attracted considerable attention." 
 
 To the delight of our children he possessed some 
 kind of a soda-water fountain from which he re- 
 tailed excellent raspberry juice. I was rather 
 amused by the sight of a glaring sign advertising 
 "Vermouth Americano." 
 
 By the time we left the drug store we found 
 trouble in pushing our way through the dense 
 
230 ITALY. 
 
 crowd which surrounded our carriage while Lewis 
 was emptying a huge glass carboy of "benzina." 
 
 I was rather startled to see that the streets of 
 this out-of-the-way place were provided with arc 
 lamps of the latest pattern. While I had become 
 accustomed to the sight of electric appliances in 
 all Italian places which possessed abundant water 
 power, I certainly would not have expected to find 
 this luxury here, in a flat country, rather distant 
 from the mountains, and where coal must be im- 
 ported from England at a very high cost. 
 
 When we left the town we took a boy aboard to 
 show us the way through the crooked streets. He 
 seemed to enjoy the ride as much as the few soldi he 
 got for his service. 
 
 Just as we were getting again into the open coun- 
 try we met another boy leading a fine black horse. 
 As soon as he saw our car approaching he became 
 so excited as to pull the horse wildly toward him, 
 with the result that the animal was frightened be- 
 yond control and started rearing and jumping in all 
 directions. As usual in such occurrences we 
 stopped. When the horse seemed to quiet down we 
 prepared to start again, but the animal resumed the 
 antics of a would-be flying machine. The boy clung 
 tenaciously to his horse, but shrieked and howled 
 while he was being dragged along. At this critical 
 moment Lewis, who is an excellent hand at horses, 
 jumped to the rescue and succeeded in quieting the 
 black Pegasus, while patting him on the back. He 
 motioned to me to advance while he held the trem- 
 bling horse, but scarcely was the car moving again 
 when Black Beauty compelled Lewis to execute a 
 
ITALY. 
 
 231 
 
 lively dance, and he was pulled along just as easily 
 as had been the Italian boy. In the meantime his 
 expression seemed to convey the thought that on an 
 occurrence like this one it is quite a different thing 
 to look at a frightened horse from inside a motor 
 car than to look at the machine with the frantic 
 animal tied to one's self. We tried to fasten the 
 horse to a telegraph pole, but as soon as the Italian 
 boy understood our intentions he set up such a 
 
 "... livestock raising seems to be almost the only kind of 
 enterprise." 
 
 terrific wail that we stopped short in our attempt. 
 Finally, by stopping the motor long enough and 
 giving time to the bewildered animal to quiet down, 
 Lewis succeeded, to the relief of everybody, in lead- 
 ing the horse quickly past the machine. Similar 
 incidents had occurred more than once before, but 
 we always succeeded in terminating them without 
 damage to anybody, by using a little diplomacy and 
 patience. 
 
 In this fever-stricken country livestock raising 
 
232 ITALY. 
 
 seems to be almost the only kind of enterprise that 
 is attempted. Herds of magnificent big white cattle, 
 with large horns, were met now and then. Most of 
 the time they were grazing in pastures, separated 
 only from the road by clumsy hedges made of 
 thistles and thorns, held together by barbed wire. 
 Quite often we were stopped by bunches of stray 
 oxen, steers or bulls which had managed to get out 
 of the inefficient enclosure. The humming of our 
 advancing car made little impression on them be- 
 
 "... a stupid look of astonishment." 
 
 yond producing a stupid look of astonishment. 
 Sometimes they took to easy running, only to stop 
 again a little farther and renew this process over 
 and over again. At other times they refused to 
 move at all and remained placidly in the road, com- 
 pelling us to crowd them aside while we drove 
 slowly and made all possible noise. 
 
 These animals seem to be left entirely to their 
 own care during the warm season. I was told that 
 as soon as the summer begins the cattle herders 
 
ITALY. 233 
 
 retreat to the mountains to escape the dreaded 
 malaria. We passed several abandoned houses, of 
 which the windows and all openings were covered 
 with rusty-looking wire netting, as an attempted 
 protection against malaria-breeding mosquito-bites. 
 Once in a while we saw some kind of shelter made 
 of a little straw hut perched on poles ten or twelve 
 feet above the ground, and the aperture of which 
 was closed by mosquito netting. These were the 
 retreats devised for such cattlemen or herders as 
 might be compelled to sleep in this unhealthful 
 country. 
 
 The cadaveric look of one or two men with whom 
 I talked reminded me of the story of the New 
 Yorker who kept bragging that he could determine, 
 at sight, the home State of any American who was 
 introduced to him, at which a sportive companion 
 induced him into a bet. The New Yorker was con- 
 fronted with several people. To the first one he 
 said: 
 
 "Why, man, you are a Kentuckian." 
 
 ''Right you are," came the answer. 
 
 "And you, you are a Californian." 
 
 "Well done again." 
 
 And he continued, successfully,^ to designate their 
 respective States, until, with a broad smile on his 
 face, he addressed the last man. 
 
 "You, my friend, are the easiest case of the lot. 
 VoH are from New Jersey." 
 
 "Now we've got you," was the rejoinder. "I can 
 prove to you that I was born in New York and have 
 always resided in that State, but I have been ill in 
 the hospital for the last six weeks." 
 
234 ITALY. 
 
 Our road ran suddenly down to a yellowish, 
 muddy-looking river, at the other shore of which 
 was a flat-bottomed boat, intended as a ferry. After 
 some delay and repeated yelling the lazy boatman 
 showed up and pulled the boat across along a 
 stretched rope. After some hesitation we managed 
 to get our car aboard this float and were pulled 
 to the other shore. Two lire and seventy-five 
 centisimi were exacted for this service. 
 
 The two men looked like dreary, weary malaria- 
 suffering individuals, and by their very taciturnity 
 they contrasted very much with the average talka- 
 tive Italians. 
 
 Somewhat further we arrived at another river, but 
 this one was blue and salty. On the opposite side 
 stood an old fortress, the crenelated parapets of 
 which gave a repressive look to the surroundings. 
 We were ferried across, but this time five lire were 
 asked. 
 
 I only hoped that we should not meet any more 
 rivers without bridges, because if this rate of fer- 
 riage was increasing in the same proportion I would 
 hardly possess any Italian money by the time we 
 should reach Rome. 
 
 I knew that formerly it was quite customary for 
 the lonely traveler to be held up by the bandits who 
 infested these desolate roads, and I was inclined to 
 think that the newer generation had adopted ferry 
 tolls as a less risky way of obtaining booty. 
 
 All these stoppages had made us lose much time, 
 and as the days had become quite short it was out 
 of the question to reach Rome before night. 
 Furthermore, we desired not to forego the pleasure 
 
ITALY. 235 
 
 of entering the classic city in full daylight. So we 
 concluded to stop over night at Civita Vecchia, 
 which we were told possessed one or two good 
 hotels. 
 
 . Our road was fair but rather undulating, com- 
 pelling us to make now and then some sharp 
 ascents, followed by corresponding declines. We 
 passed Albarese, Montalto di Castri and, about 
 twenty kilometers farther, skirted a sort of hilly 
 promontory, on which we saw a walled town with 
 numerous towers of very antique appearance. This 
 was Corneto or Corneto Tarquinia, the latter name 
 suggesting the fact that the Corneto of the Middle 
 Ages had been built on the site of the old Etruscan 
 Tarquinii. I know that this picturesque little place 
 had unusual attraction from an archaeological stand- 
 point, and that many interesting finds of antique ob- 
 jects had been made in the ancient Etruscan necrop- 
 olis. Much would I have liked to spend a few 
 hours there, but the sun was setting, and we had 
 still twenty kilometers to run before we should reach 
 Civita Vecchia. This suppressed visit to Corneto, 
 together with many others, had to be postponed 
 until some future tour in Italy. 
 
 We were hurrying now as much as we could. 
 The country seemed more and more deserted, and 
 the road was winding through a landscape which, 
 in the falling darkness, took on an increasingly 
 weird appearance. One instant we were on the top 
 of a hiir, the next in some valley hidden by crouch- 
 ing trees, and only a few moments later we were 
 again close to the rocky seacoast. 
 
 The whole district reminded me involuntarily of 
 
236 ITALY. 
 
 stories of brigandage, as I had read in my younger 
 years, and of which the scene was enacted in this 
 same stretch of country, so well adapted for such 
 nefarious purposes. It was not worth while to light 
 the acetylene searchlights for such a short time, but- 
 we turned on our electric lamps. Suddenly the road 
 took a sharp turn to the right, with a rapid incline 
 toward the sea, and it looked entirely as if we were 
 going to plunge into the dark Mediterranean. 
 There was no town, nor even a single light in sight ; 
 nothing but the inky darkness. We reduced our 
 speed somewhat, wondering whether we had again 
 lost our way, when all at once we perceived a flash 
 of light, followed by others at regular intervals ; 
 this brought us to the conclusion that it was the 
 lighthouse of Civita Vecchia. 
 
 We now passed under a dark brick archway that 
 seemed to line the seashore, and which I afterward 
 learned was an aqueduct. Then climbing the road 
 toward our left, we were able to distinguish, in the 
 general obscurity, the shadows of a barracks or 
 fortress. An officer of the Dazio halted us and 
 after we told him we had nothing to declare showed 
 us the way toward a very narrow street between 
 tall houses. This sort of alley was swarming with 
 people and we had to advance as slowly as pos- 
 sible to allow the crowd to retreat inside the door- 
 ways and shops that lined both sides of the 
 thoroughfare. As usual, this gave a chance to the 
 street boys to follow us in a bunch and to try to 
 hang on any projecting parts of our car. We 
 arrived at a little "piazza" where a military band 
 was playing; but a policeman came hurriedly 
 
ITALY.. 237 
 
 toward us, and as far as I could make out by his 
 excited talk and gesticulations, it was forbidden to 
 drive in that part of the town as long as the concert 
 lasted. An old man who spoke French offered his 
 services as an interpreter. 1 inquired for the 
 Albergo Italia, and after we took him aboard he 
 guided us up and down several streets, until we 
 finally came out on a kind of boulevard along the 
 seashore planted with trees on both sides. There 
 was our hotel, and the landlord received us with 
 pleasant greeting and gave us two spacious rooms 
 fronting the sea. 
 
 We had a well-prepared and nicely served supper, 
 and after that went to bed, thankful that at the end 
 of a hard day's run we obtained such accommoda- 
 tion where we had least expected to find it. 
 
 The next morning we were in no great hurry to 
 get away, and while Lewis was filling our gasoline 
 tank at the pharmacy we took a rapid look around 
 the little seaport. I had read that the harbor was 
 constructed by Trajan as the nearest haven to 
 Rome. However, the shipping trade of the place 
 seems to be of very little activity. With a scanty 
 population of 12,000 inhabitants, its well-stocked 
 garrison seems to give preponderant importance to 
 the soldier element. This impression is strength- 
 ened by the presence of a fort and a peculiar-look- 
 ing citadel built by Michael Angelo. 
 
 The country which we traversed that morning 
 was similar to the one through which we went the 
 previous night, but was provided with an excellent 
 road. The land was uncultivated and sparsely 
 settled, with only two or three small agglomera- 
 
238 ITALY. 
 
 tions of houses. As upon the day before, we some- 
 times met a soHtary cattleman on horseback. With 
 his lasso, spurred boots and leather pouch, he made 
 us think that an American cowboy might have a 
 similar appearance if he had purchased his outfit 
 and store clothes in Italy. 
 
 Now and then a marble road sign read : ''Via 
 Aurelia." The route was hilly in places but of 
 excellent surface. We were in no hurry at all, and 
 gave the children a chance to get out, and followed 
 them while they were chasing green lizards, which 
 abounded everywhere. But the nimble little animals 
 were too quick for their pursuers, who thus were 
 unable to further enrich their menagerie. 
 
 The monotony of the road in this uncultivated 
 country was accentuated sometimes by the sight of 
 a lonely ceinetery, surrounded with a patchy, square 
 white wall, above which protruded the dark green 
 tops of a straight row of cypress trees. Through 
 the gratings of the rusty iron gate we could look 
 inside on the neglected graves, planted with an 
 alternation of white marble and rusty iron crosses, 
 the whole place of desolation being overrun with 
 dried-out weeds. 
 
 Really, it was hard |:o imagine that we were so 
 near Rome. Thus far we had tried in vain to catch 
 a first glimpse of the ancient city, but finally, upon 
 reaching a hilly summit of the road, we saw in the 
 hazy distance the unmistakable outline of the dome 
 of St. Peter's. We again lost sight of it as soon as 
 the road bent downward. . The surrounding, roll- 
 ing land shut out any further view, and we went 
 on for many miles further before we reached an 
 
ITALY. 
 
 239 
 
 we found ourselves passing a huge colonnade. 
 
 a part of our very home transported into the midst of these 
 foreign countries." 
 
240 ITALY. 
 
 agglomeration of houses, at the end of which we 
 were stopped by an officer of the Dazio. On inquiry 
 as to how far we were from Rome he startled me 
 by saying that we were now in Rome, and that 
 this was the entrance to the Porta Cavallegieri. We 
 had hardly realized this fact before we found our- 
 selves passing a huge colonnade and were on the 
 Piazza di San Pietro, gazing at St. Peter's Church. 
 There, right in front of us, stood the Obelisk and 
 the two fountains and the ellipse of colonnades. 
 There, also, was the famous dome, and every detail 
 of the classic structure, which formerly had been 
 made familiar to us by photographs, was easily 
 recognized. We all dismounted. Here we were 
 thus in Rome ! That new impression was made so 
 much the more powerful by the very presence of 
 our trusty limousine, which could not fail to remind 
 us of our distant home on the other side of the 
 ocean. More than ever it appeared to me as if this 
 car, with all its bundles, trunks and other knick- 
 knacks, was a part of our very home transported 
 into the midst of these foreign countries. Never 
 more than at that very instant did I realize what 
 new possibilities had been introduced into the world 
 by the advent of the automobile. Here we were, 
 after thousands of miles of travel through many 
 lands, in a city which, since my boyhood days, had 
 enlivened my imagination, and yet the presence of 
 our little family and some of our household had 
 made me feel during the whole trip, as well as now, 
 as if we had carried something of our own home 
 along. 
 
 And what glorious weather ! It looked decidedly 
 
ITALY. 241 
 
 as if the very best of it had been reserved for this 
 day so as to make our entrance into the Eternal City 
 so much the more enjoyable. We started again, 
 driving slowly along the yellow Tiber. That old 
 tower in front of the first bridge was the Castle 
 of San Angelo ; a short distance farther we were 
 somewhat puzzled at the sight of a succession of 
 very new and modern buildings, among which was 
 the Palazzo di Justizia. But as soon as we had 
 
 stopped for a wiuie bciore tiie (Jbeiisk 01 the Piazza. 
 
 crossed the Tiber, by the Ponte Margherita, we 
 were again confronted by monuments of the past. 
 We stopped for a while before the Obelisk of the 
 Piazza del Populo, and while we were admiring the 
 antique fountain I saw Lewis filling his canvas pail 
 with water for his radiator. 
 
 I asked the way of two "carabinieri," and a boy, 
 whom we had picked up as a guide, accompanied 
 us up hill, along the Villa Borghese, to the Pincio, 
 where we finally arrived at the Eden Hotel. I was 
 
242 
 
 ITALY. 
 
 glad that a friend of mine had recommended the 
 place to me. This was indeed a healthy and pleas-, 
 ant situation, wherefrom we could reach rapidly 
 any part of the city. We found our quarters excel- 
 lent in every respect. I can now hardly think of 
 the place without being reminded of some exquisite 
 light sweet wine, called Est-Est. Alontefiascone, the 
 fiascos of which added nectar to the excellent table 
 d'hote. The only drawback was that the hotel had 
 
 "I asked the way of two carabinieri.' 
 
 no place to store automobiles and that our car had 
 to be sent to a well-equipped garage several blocks 
 away, where they charged us three lire daily, a small 
 sum, though, if compared to what is asked in the 
 States, yet it was the highest price I had been 
 obliged to pay since touring in Europe. 
 
 The same day we took a walk through the city to 
 get acquainted with the general layout. The re- 
 mainder of the week was spent in visiting museums 
 
it looks somewhat like an anachronism. 
 
244 ITALY. 
 
 and other places of interest. Under the guidance of 
 a courier we made some automobile excursions in 
 and around the city to such places as had prepon- 
 derant connection with old Roman history. 
 
 At first it looks somewhat like an anachronism 
 to see one's motor car standing near the Colosseum 
 or the Forum Romanum, or to drive along the 
 Appian Way, and yet one soon gets used to this 
 and finds it perfectly natural. I was pleased to 
 observe with what a keen interest my children went 
 to see these old witnesses of the pAst splendor of 
 ancient Rome. Their intelligent and eager ques- 
 tions made me believe that for them at least the 
 study of Roman history will be more captivating 
 and more useful than it was for me, at the time 
 when my teachers tried to push into my youthful 
 brain a lot of dry facts, the reality of which I had 
 not the slightest tangible evidence of ; for this reason 
 ancient history failed entirely to interest me until 
 I had reached the riper age of manhood. 
 
 The proverb says : "The nearer Rome the worse 
 Catholics." Whether this is really the case I am 
 not certain. Ill-assorted groups of countrified 
 French pilgrims, male and female, whom I met 
 everywhere, led by their village priests, seemed to 
 flock around every church. Their presence cer- 
 tainly did not help to add dignity to some of the 
 gaudily decorated chambers of the Vatican, where 
 these visitors seemed to feast on the sight of those 
 pamtings of suffering, blood and gore representing 
 the lives of the holy martyrs. I observed one 
 woman detaching some plaster from a wall on 
 which was painted the Child Christ, and she put the 
 
ITALY. 
 
 245 
 
 went to see old witnesses of the past splendor of Rome." 
 
 or to drive along the Appian Way . . ," 
 
246 ITALY. 
 
 fragments in her mouth, while with the other hand 
 she was crossing herself. I saw the same pilgrims 
 apply their lips to the kiss-worn toes at the foot of 
 Saint Peter's bronze statue in the church. These 
 are the customers on whom live the numerous shops 
 where blessed paper images of saints and miracu- 
 lous brass medals are sold in exchange for the 
 coin of the believers. Their undeveloped reason 
 evidently fails to make them see that there is no 
 difference in their kind of worship and the ancient 
 pagan's idolatry, to which they refer with undis- 
 guised scorn. Neither can I forget that cynical 
 and flippant monk who acted as our guide in the 
 Catacombs — a place full of the remembrance of the 
 heroic struggles and Spartanlike devotion of those 
 simple and honest early Christians. I fail to per- 
 ceive much difference between the beguiling priests 
 of antique religions and these modern monks, who, 
 among divers miraculous trinkets, retail brandy cor- 
 dials manufactured by their holy order. 
 
 Is there, then, a law which decides that for all 
 religions, in all times and in all lands, pure, higher 
 thoughts, too elevated for the base multitude, will, 
 in sordid and trivial brains, be interpreted in 
 accordance with the limitations of the latter, and 
 changed until they become more adapted to lower 
 developed souls, even to the point where the initial 
 sublime conception becomes well-nigh unrecogniz- 
 able? 
 
 These and similar reflections forced themselves 
 upon me again and again during that week while 
 we stayed in Rome. In that extraordinary city one 
 cannot help being confronted at every minute with 
 
ITALY. 
 
 247 
 
 Appian Way and tomb of Caecilia Metella. 
 
 'Confronted at every minute with a never-ceasing comparison of the 
 past and present." 
 
248 ITALY. 
 
 a never-ceasing comparison of the past and the 
 present. 
 
 Just on account of the very intensity of emotions 
 thus evoked, in Rome less than any other place, 
 sightseeing should not be overdone. Even if the 
 body can stand it the mind becomes congested after 
 being fed thus, day after day, on a concentrated 
 extract of the history of the most stirring times 
 of our own race. The most sensible thing to do is 
 either to make the stay in Rome a short one, with 
 the intention of returning later on, or to alternate 
 study and sightseeing with some days of absolute 
 rest at the hotel. In Rome more than elsewhere I 
 have seen worn-out and tired faces of traveling 
 Americans who wanted to "do" Rome in a few days 
 and not miss anything. 
 
 I really wonder how some persons can stand such 
 strain at all, if their whole mental feelings are 
 brought into play. Fortunately for most of them, 
 their aim and interest in what they see is not very 
 intense and does not reach beyond the mere passive 
 gratification of the bare desire of seeing with their 
 eyes and not with their soul ; for such people there 
 is not much danger of exhaustion outside of some 
 physical fatigue. 
 
 On the 19th of September we left Rome by the 
 Porta San Lorenzo instead of taking the direct 
 road to Naples by the Porta Maggiore. My idea in 
 doing this was to combine a visit to Tivoli with our 
 trip toward Naples. 
 
 As soon as we were outside the city limits the 
 road became rather bumpy and rutty on account of 
 the heavv traffic. To make matters worse, it was 
 
ITALY. 249 
 
 dusty, too; but after our experience near Allessan- 
 dria we did not mind a little dust as long as we 
 could breathe. We were now in the Campagna 
 Romana, made famous in history through song and 
 rhyme. In reality it is an extended plain, poorly 
 cultivated and showing the Alban Mountains and 
 the Sabine Hills in the distance, while still further 
 away the chain of the Appenines is visible. 
 
 At a place called Bagni Acque Albule we all be- 
 came aware, of a fetid smell, as if ''fresh laid" eggs 
 from the time of Julius Caesar were to be encoun- 
 tered. But we soon found that all the mischief was 
 due to an innocent-looking, swift-running little 
 stream, which drove a sawmill near by and which 
 gushed under a bridge across the street. This was 
 mineral water, charged by nature with sulphuretted 
 hydrogen, and which feeds the sulphur baths of 
 Acque Albule. The amount of sulphur gas is such 
 that the otherwise clear blue water, under the 
 oxidizing action of the air, deposits on all objects 
 with which it comes in contact a grayish-white coat 
 of sulphur. Further up, near the bridge that crosses 
 the Anio, we passed the well-preserved tomb of the 
 Plautii, a round tower, very much similar to the 
 tomb of Caecilia Metella on the Appian Way. 
 
 A narrow side road to the right had the sign 
 "Villa Adriana." This was one of the objects of 
 interest we intended to visit that day. We reached 
 there a few minutes afterward. I was not aware 
 that these ruins were so extensive, and it took us 
 more than two hours to make a rapid inspection of 
 the remains of what at one time was one of the 
 most pretentious and elaborate country villas in 
 
250 ITALY. 
 
 existence. Here, indeed, Emperor Adrian, at the 
 beginning of the second century, tried to repro- 
 duce and condense the principal marvels of land- 
 scape gardening and architectural display he had 
 seen in his many expeditions and travels through 
 foreign countries. After I had beheld these 
 enormous ruins I was no longer astonished that 
 this same Adrian should have ordered the con- 
 struction of that famous "Adrian's Wall" of 
 which I had seen traces near Carlisle, . and which 
 formerly extended from the Solway to the mouth 
 of the Tyne, as an intended protection of the 
 Roman provinces in England against the invasion 
 of the Picts and Scots. A similar work, called the 
 'Tfahlgraben," was carried out in Gennany, to 
 establish a line of defense against the attacks of the 
 barbarians. 
 
 While walking through the ruins I noticed that 
 in several places soldiers of the first French republic 
 had scribbled their names in red chalk on the ceil- 
 ing. Since that time new excavations had reduced 
 the level of the soil, thus causing these ceilings to 
 become inaccessible to the newer generations of 
 visitors, and accounting for the fact that the 
 century-old inscriptions appear as clear and distinct 
 as if they were made yesterday. 
 
 I was rather interested in some prettily designed 
 mosaic floors. Some portions were so well preserved 
 that they looked every bit as if they had been made 
 but lately by some New York member of the tile 
 setters' union. 
 
 This remark came so much more naturally be- 
 cause the design, the coloring and the general 
 
ITALY. 
 
 2SI 
 
 Roman wine cart. 
 
 at one time was one of the most pretentious and elaborate 
 country villas." 
 
252 ITALY. 
 
 appearance are astonishingly similar to the prevail- 
 ing style of work now so much in vogue in some 
 of the most modern American fireproof buildings. 
 
 Thus far our day's program had been progressing 
 very nicely, and we were driving further toward 
 Tivoli, when, upon changing gears at a steep hill, 
 our enthusiasm was frozen in our hearts by the 
 same sharp, snapping noise that had announced a 
 crippled car before. We were prepared for the 
 worst, but were glad to find that this time matters 
 were not so bad. One tooth of the pinion and two 
 teeth of the master gear had snapped. A more 
 thorough examination proved to us that this trouble, 
 as upon previous occasions, had been caused simply 
 by a detail which had been much overlooked ; if this 
 irregularity had been located sooner we might have 
 been saved much annoyance. A worn-out pin had 
 slid out of the shaft, allowing one of the ball bear- 
 ings to recede, thereby giving it undue play, so that 
 the pinion shaft, under an extraordinary strain, 
 lifted the teeth out of mesh, with the result that 
 something had to give way or break. In the first 
 instance the unusually small pinion snapped in two, 
 while in the latter case the regular and stronger 
 pinion had stood the strain, but one tooth broke off. 
 All this was bad enough, but I concluded that we 
 had a good chance to use the gear as it was for sev- 
 eral hundred miles, and this would allow us to post- 
 pone repairs until we were back in New York. 
 Lewis tightened the bearing as well as he could, 
 and we attempted to ascend the steep, winding road. 
 As long as we kept in the same gear matters went 
 well enough, but whenever we had to slide the lever 
 
ITALY. 253 
 
 we heard a violent noise, which seemed to crush the 
 remaining teeth as well as our hopes. We wondered 
 with distrust whether the transmission would hold 
 together until we were at the end of our climb. By 
 degrees we became accustomed to the situation to 
 the extent that we again began to pay attention to 
 the scenery around us. We were now among fine, 
 vigorous olive trees, of which the smallest seemed 
 at least several centuries old. Now and then, 
 through a clearing between the vegetation, we 
 obtained a magnificent -view over the Campagna 
 Romana, with the city of Rome in the dim distance. 
 
 We reached Tivoli without further trouble and 
 wound our way through the crooked, narrow streets. 
 Nowhere, except in Naples, were we bothered so 
 much by beggars, guides and postal card vendors. 
 We stopped at a very quaint-looking, easy-going 
 little hotel, of which the terrace ended abruptly over 
 a gorge. The latter was covered with abundant 
 vegetation, kept green by the steady spray of the 
 impetuous Anio, which here dashes through and 
 over the rocks in many waterfalls, boring grottoes 
 right and left. The picturesqueness of the ensemble 
 is much enhanced by the ruins of the Sibyl Temple, 
 of which the circular Corinthian colonnade graces 
 the opposite bluff. 
 
 This unusual scenery has made this place 
 famous since early historical times and has attracted 
 poets, philosophers and emperors of antiquity. It 
 is still considered one of the most interesting places 
 in the neighborhood of Rome. 
 
 Our little hotel was neatly kept and lighted by 
 electricity, and it certainly offered us better shelter 
 
254 
 
 ITALY. 
 
 than we expected tO| find on entering. Quite a 
 commotion occurred among our little party soon 
 after our arrival when the children found out that 
 
 'The picturesqueness of the ensemble was enhanced by the ruins 
 of the Sibyl Temple." 
 
 one of their Bengalee birds had again escaped. Half 
 an hour afterward we saw the little creature hidden 
 on an orange tree, and the usual chase followed. 
 The bird was almost captured, when it flew into the 
 
ITALY. 255 
 
 branches of an oleander, and from there into the 
 rainbow-covered chasm, whence it (Usappeared 
 among the grottoes surrounding the waterfalls. 
 That was the last we saw of our little traveling com- 
 panion; his little mate was brought safely to the 
 United States, after my children had provided it 
 with another fellow-bird of the same kind. 
 
 In and around Tivoli there were enough places 
 of interest to keep us very busy sightseeing for a 
 day, while Lewis made a careful examination of the 
 disabled transmission. A temporary repair might 
 probably have been made inside of a few hours, but 
 the car could be run as it was. 
 
 This was our last stretch to Naples, and the 
 service we expected from the car ended at the latter 
 city. The trip before us, however meant about 150 
 miles, with little or no chance of finding decent 
 hotels between the beginning and the end of the 
 journey. Besides, the country through which we 
 were to travel is a hotbed for malaria. If the 
 transmission became worse it might mean stoppage 
 at some unforeseen place until a repair could be 
 made. Quite naturally I concluded that it would be 
 safer for my wife and children to go by train, while 
 I intended to take chances and, accompanied by 
 Lewis, get to Naples by motor car or "bust." 
 
 The main baggage and some marble statuary pur- 
 chased in Rome were left to the automobile, while 
 some hand satchels were sent to the train. Our 
 little party thus separated, and I started off the next 
 morning with Lewis, prepared for the worst. Down 
 we drove by the^ same road as the day before, but 
 instead of returning to Rome we took a short cut 
 
256 ITALY. 
 
 over a side road toward the left, which, although 
 narrower than the main route, had a considerably 
 better surface. 
 
 After passing a village called Passerano we 
 should have taken the direct road to Valmontone. 
 But, as had occurred before, in a country of which 
 we did not speak the language and where road signs 
 were few and far between, we lost our way and, to 
 our disgust, realized it only after we had started to 
 climb a hairpin road toward Zagorola. Climbing 
 was exactly what we tried to avoid, because any 
 undue strain might mean trouble. As soon as our 
 ascent began the gear started its fearful r-r-r-rk — 
 r-r-r-rk, and I expected every moment to feel it 
 give out entirely. Yet we managed to climb into 
 this old village, nestled on top of a steep hill. 
 
 Judging from the commotion we caused I do not 
 think that the villagers had often seen automobiles. 
 The whole population flocked together to see us 
 pass, and I was wondering what an object of 
 further curiosity we would be if by chance our 
 gear gave out and we should thus be hung up right 
 then and there. Just when I was making these 
 reflections a big rat ran out before us through a 
 group of frightened women and children; then the 
 animal recrossed the street and jumped into a door- 
 way, underneath a robust woman, who with a 
 whoop jumped high in the air. These rapidly 
 succeeding happenings somewhat diverted the at- 
 tention of the populace and left us a clear passage 
 until we reached the exit gate. To my great relief 
 the pinion had stood the strain, and as the road went 
 downward we now could coast gently, until a few 
 
ITALY. 257 
 
 kilometers further we joined the main road to 
 Naples. 
 
 Immediately after we passed Valmontone. Mat- 
 ters looked very hopeful, although we had still 210 
 kilometers before us ; from here on we would never 
 be far from the railroad. In case of a breakdown 
 it would be possible to reach some place where re- 
 pairs could be made, and if the worst occurred we 
 
 At the fountain. 
 
 would do what so many motorists had done before 
 us — ship the car by rail. The latter possibility I 
 disliked very much, as I eagerly desired to finish 
 our long motor tour without such a disappointing 
 expedient. 
 
 With restored confidence I could now take my 
 exclusive attention from the road, which was excel- 
 lent and of easy grade, and I felt again inclined to 
 admire the very interesting landscape. We were in 
 
258 ITALY. 
 
 a flat and wide Talley, enclosed on both sides by a 
 range of mountains. Our route was so straight 
 that we could see a long distance ahead. There 
 were very few houses, and the villages were sit- 
 uated mostly on the slopes of the mountain range, 
 where it was healthier to live than in the valley. 
 
 In the distance before us we could see a detached 
 mountain, on top of which was situated a town, in 
 what I at first called ''a picturesque position." 
 Rather soon afterward I changed my opinion on 
 this subject, and I did not so much like the loca- 
 tion of the place after I found out on the map that 
 this was Ferentino, and that our route compelled us 
 to pass through it over the mountain. In fact, I 
 felt like doing some pretty hard criticising of the 
 unjustifiable selfishness of the Ferentinoese — I sup- 
 pose that's the name of these people — who compel 
 motor cars with tender transmissions to visit them 
 in their roosting haunts. But we were ''in for it" 
 and could not very well return. On a level road 
 our gear had given us no further unrest, and but 
 for a very slight unusual noise we hardly noticed 
 any difference at all, and the car was running nicely. 
 But as soon as we started climbing over the zigzag 
 road the same nerve-racking noise began. As usual, 
 we were soon discovered by some stray street boys, 
 who, seeing our approach from the lower windings 
 of the road, dashed ahead by a short cut and lost 
 no time in notifying the other boys in town, who 
 soon assembled like a band of yelling redskins. In 
 accordance with our principles of prudence we were 
 forced to go slowly. This gave a chance to the little 
 ragamuffins to hang on fenders, steps and rear 
 
ITALY. 259 
 
 trunks, and thus, to their visible dehght, steal an 
 eagerly coveted ride. I found that it was best to let 
 Lewis off, and while I drove slowly on he brandished 
 one of our alpenstocks and kept the boys at a re- 
 spectful distance. However, the main trouble was 
 to shake off these mischievous little rascals when 
 leaving the town. If I threw in the high gear 
 too suddenly I surely would have murder on my 
 conscience ; but we adopted a little trick which had 
 never failed before and repeatedly rendered us 
 service the same day. 
 
 Whenever we were read}' to dash ahead Lewis 
 would come aboard and lean out of the car as much 
 as possible by standing on the step while holding 
 the railing with one hand. Fie would then swing 
 the other arm, holding an Italian penny visibly 
 between his fingers. After thus drawing the atten- 
 tion of the little band of eager youngsters he would 
 wait for me to say "Go!" and throw the coin far 
 behind us. The ragged crowd w^ould immediately 
 dart for the coveted coin, and while they were 
 tumbling helter-skelter in a fighting heap I would 
 throw in the high gear and make off at full speed. 
 
 Ten kilometers farther, at Frosinone, we had to 
 pass through the same ordeal; climb to a thousand 
 feet of altitude, traverse the town, and shoot down 
 again. But our gear held good, and I now felt no 
 further hesitation. Matters were going well, in- 
 deed ; our engine, which had never been • taken 
 apart nor repaired during the two years it had been 
 running, seemed to go better than ever, and we were 
 making excellent time. I avoided using the foot 
 brake while coasting down hills to prevent too much 
 
26o ITALY. 
 
 strain on the sick pinion, and had to rely to a certain 
 extent on the Inih brake. 
 
 At a certain place, where the rapidly descending 
 road was empty and entirely free from obstructions, 
 we came down at a rather swift pace, when sud- 
 denly, at the most unforeseen spot, a huge black 
 pig jumped from out a hedge and ran in front of 
 us. I had the feeling that the next instant pig and 
 car would see their finish. Instinctively I threw in 
 both brakes with a terrific r-r-r-t-t-t. I thought I 
 heard the last of that pinion, but managed to stop 
 a few inches before striking the pig, a real "road 
 hog" this time, which, grunting, swung aside and 
 disappeared into the same hole of the hedge which 
 had sent out so much terror. I felt the ridiculous- 
 ness of our f)osition — a mere ill-behaved black pig 
 bringing our otherwise successful trip to an un- 
 timely and disgraceful end. 
 
 I had stopped the engine and examined the car, 
 and felt almost sure that something had given way. 
 But after Lewis started the motor and I threw in 
 the clutch very carefully the car began to move 
 slowly, as if nothing unusual had happened. In 
 fact, it seemed to run smoother than before. Im- 
 mensely relieved, we continued our way, very mind- 
 ful of any other black pigs or similar ill-mannered 
 animals. 
 
 The peasants we met were a picturesque lot, most 
 of thdm wearing the characteristic Italian country 
 costume. For the men a conical felt hat, a dark 
 blue jacket and short black breeches; as footwear, 
 a broad sole of buffalo hide to protect the feet, the 
 latter being first wrapped in a strip of linen, which 
 
ITALY. 
 
 261 
 
 Animals along the road. 
 
 Road hogs. 
 
262 ITALY. 
 
 was wound all over feet and calves, while crossed 
 buffalo straps, extending from the soles, kept the 
 material tightly around the legs. Sometimes the 
 latter were partially covered by a black knitted 
 affair resembling the upper part of a golf stocking. 
 
 The women had similar footwear and short skirts. 
 The black corset, laced in front, worn outside, was 
 low enough to show the upper part of a white 
 linen chemise underneath. A bright-colored hand- 
 kerchief or foulard was sometimes worn around 
 the otherwise bare neck, while their plaited, black 
 and glossy hair was arranged under a neatly folded, 
 square sheet of white linen or a light woolen 
 blanket. Big golden or coral earrings and a similar 
 brooch usually completed this striking costume. 
 
 Most women carried a pitcher, a basket or some 
 other object on their heads without touching it with 
 their hands, and their very erect posture added con- 
 siderably to their graceful appearance. All this 
 impressed me so much the more because this was 
 the only part of Italy, barring some painter models 
 in Rome, where I found the people wearing any- 
 thing resembling the old national dress of the 
 country. 
 
 In all the other sections we visited poor and rich 
 alike wore clothes of entirely modern style, which 
 varied from rags . and tatters to the best of cut 
 and material, according to the owner's financial 
 resources. 
 
 If I had not been hurried for time I might have 
 spent a day in this region, photographing all the 
 picturesque sights which presented themselves. Now 
 it was a girl with a large stone pitcher on her head. 
 
ITALY. 263 
 
 talking to another girl lifting water from an old- 
 fashioned well — a tableau worthy of the canvas of 
 a painter. Then again it was a group of fifty or 
 more women, young and old, of all ages, in pretty 
 national dress, sitting in the yard of a farm around 
 a pile of corn, while they were husking the ripe 
 ears. 
 
 Often ,we met those funny Italian carts called 
 "corricolo," which were once the exclusive means 
 of popular travel, and are still used extensively for 
 moving about in country districts. 
 
 They consist of the two-wheeled cart reduced to 
 its simplest expression : two high wheels and an 
 axle, on which rest a flat table and two front shafts, 
 one of which furnishes sitting accommodation for 
 the driver. The outside passengers sit all around 
 the edges of the table board, their legs dangling 
 along the cart, while their feet almost touch the 
 road. In their midst lie ordinarily one or more 
 passengers in half-sleeping postures. This happy- 
 go-lucky, overloaded vehicle is drawn by a dimin- 
 utive mule or a limping horse, sometimes helped 
 by a smaller animal, hopping along wearily outside 
 the shaft, while the driver marks the intervals dur- 
 ing which he is not sleeping by continuously plying 
 the whip on the sad-looking quadrupeds. Some of 
 the more pretentious vehicles of the kind have cross- 
 benches for sitting, or are painted and ornamented 
 in bright blue and red colors, and the harness of 
 the animals is surmounted with a very useless and 
 cumbersome ornament of nickel-plated brass that 
 looks very much like the handle of a large-sized 
 mandolin. 
 
264 ITALY. 
 
 I desired to photograph one of these carts filled 
 with peasant women, which was driven by a man 
 with a broad-brimmed slouch hat. Stopping our 
 machine, I jumped toward them with my camera in 
 hand and tried to make them understand as well as 
 I could that I desired them to stop. To my utter 
 
 and tried to make them understand that I desired them 
 % to stop." 
 
 surprise the driver yelled out in English, with a 
 decidedly familiar sounding twang in his nose: 
 
 "All right, gov'nor! Better give the girls some 
 pennies, too !" 
 
 I asked this unexpected sample of Italian driver- 
 ship how and where he had learned to speak Eng- 
 lish. He told me he was born in Canada, had lived 
 in upper New York State until he was fifteen years 
 old, and had now lived in Italy for seventeen years, 
 where he was running an emigrant agency in a 
 small village. 
 
ITALY. 265 
 
 We had scarcely started again when another inci- 
 dent occurred. A woman was walking in the middle 
 of the roadway, driving before her a little black 
 pig, guiding it now and then by touching it with a 
 twig. As soon as she saw our approaching car she 
 became so excited that she started furiously beating 
 the animal, which immediately dashed away, while 
 she ran after it, yelling and shrieking furiously. She 
 finally got hold of it by the hind leg and with the 
 other hand grabbed its liberal-sized ear, and the 
 duo, squealing and yelling in discordant notes, 
 jumped into a nearby ditch. The woman got more 
 angry with us than with her pig when she found 
 out that all her excitement had been unnecessary, 
 as we came on driving very slowly, so as to give 
 her more than ample opportunity to take care of her 
 noisy live stock. It was now well-nigh time to 
 eat something, so I selected a quiet stretch of the 
 road where we could lunch in rest on the provisions 
 we had taken along from Tivoli. However, we did 
 not delay long, and were soon running again at 
 top speed over the fine road. We passed through 
 Ceprano and skirted around the base of a mountain- 
 ous slope, on the side of which hung above us 
 the little town of Arce. 
 
 About thirty kilometers farther we came in sight 
 of a bald mountain, and on the top stood the mon- 
 astery of Monte Cassino, founded in the sixth 
 century. Below lay the ancient town of Cassino, 
 leaning against an abrupt rock, surmounted by a 
 gray-walled castle. Had my time not been so closely 
 measured I would have taken at least a few hours 
 to get better acquainted with this quiet and attract- 
 
266 ITALY. 
 
 ive little town. But on we must, so we followed 
 our road through the narrow street, which at one 
 corner shrunk to such a tight passage as to leave 
 us scarcely room to drive through. 
 
 About sixty kilometers farther we arrived before 
 the ramparts of the city of Capua. There, also, a 
 day might have been profitably spent in visiting the 
 ruins of the old amphitheatre, the former size of 
 which about equaled that of the Colosseum of Rome. 
 Capua has a very old and stormy history, and 
 archaeologists have found many beautiful works of 
 art in this neighborhood. The main road took us 
 in and out the ramparts of the town by a short cut. 
 From here on the country became very flat. 
 
 For the first time we caught a distant glimpse of 
 Vesuvius, easily recognized by its peculiar shape, 
 surmounted by a light tuft of smoke. At this point 
 the road had attained unusual width, but to very 
 short advantage, because we soon reached places 
 that were in very bad repair. Driving seemed to 
 be carried on here with utter disregard of the rules 
 of the road. The number of trucks, carts, wagons 
 and other vehicles going and coming pell-mell in- 
 creased all the time. In some pools along the adja- 
 cent fields farmers were retting hemp, thus pro- 
 ducing a characteristic and unpleasant odor over 
 the whole neighborhood. 
 
 Carts loaded topheavy with huge bunches of hemp 
 stalks took up much of the road, especially since 
 the available width of the latter was still much 
 restricted by dumps of rough-crushed stone, which 
 had been distributed without method or order under 
 the pretext of repairing the surface, and with the 
 
ITALY. 
 
 267 
 
 evident hope that sooner or later they would be 
 crushed down to proper size by passing vehicles. 
 
 1 found out — many days too late, however — that 
 there is a better and more interesting road from 
 Capua to Naples over Caserta and Maddaloni. But 
 as we were not aware of this at the proper time we 
 had to plow our way through deep ruts and thick 
 mud, alternating with sunken-in cobblestones. We 
 joined in the general confusion of the motley crowd 
 
 'Non sona Cristiani.' 
 
 of corricolos and vehicles of many descriptions, all 
 overloaded to the extreme and pulled along by some 
 lean horses that were kept in a limping trot under 
 the inhumane whipping of their swarthy drivers. 
 **Xon sona Cristiani," says the Neapolitan, in well- 
 meaning excuse of his inhumane treatment of ill 
 animals. In rapid succession we passed Teverola, 
 Aversa, Melito, Secondigliano and Capo de China, 
 all noisy and thickly populated suburbs, with rows 
 
268 ITALY. 
 
 of badly kept houses along dirty streets, crowded 
 with loafing men, women and children. All this at 
 its best was not a very inviting entrance into Naples. 
 
 Driving traffic became more and more congested 
 by the time we entered the gates of the city, and the 
 relentless beating of the poor exhausted horses be- 
 came shocking. In the seeming absence of any 
 rules of the road everybody did as he pleased, while 
 trolley cars had to be dodged right or left, accord- 
 ing to the impossible condition of the slippery road 
 or the whim of the savage-looking cart drivers. 
 
 The most unexpected sight in this pandemonium 
 was a man with an elegant gilt-buttoned white uni- 
 form and an officer's cap, on which I read some- 
 thing like ^'Societa per la Protezione di Animali." 
 
 The handsomely dressed officer seemed very 
 much satisfied with himself and quite occupied with 
 stroking his pointed mustache, but he was utterly 
 oblivious to any of the abuses all around him. 
 
 "Vedi Napoli e poi moiri !" (See Naples and then 
 die!) is the old saying of the Neapolitans, who in 
 other instances also show some of the bombastic 
 boastfulness in which their Greek ancestors were 
 so classically successful. 
 
 I thpught that if I were to drop dead at the sight 
 of Naples it would only be on account of the utter 
 disenchantment produced by this way of making the 
 acquaintance of this city. In the meantime I felt 
 as if I had to keep very much alive in this nerve- 
 racking turmoil. 
 
 Following the slippery pavement, we entered 
 what seemed to me an endless straight street, with 
 tall, dirty houses, and I began to wonder whether 
 
ITALY. 269 
 
 in all Naples there was really a single decent habita- 
 tion. • But shortly after I was startled to see, when 
 following another street, pretty stores and gentle- 
 manly looking people on the sidewalks. I certainly 
 did not expect to find here a city spread out over so 
 large a surface, and it took us several miles before 
 we reached the edge of a beautiful bay at the other 
 end of the town. There along the Via Partenope 
 I found a row of quietly situated hotels. In front 
 
 "... in the direction of the eastern shore was Mount Vesuvius." 
 
 • was the Mediterranean, with the isles of Capri and 
 Ischia looming up in the distance, while in the direc- 
 tion of the eastern shore was Mount Vesuvius with 
 its cloudy cap of smoke. 
 
 At the hotel I learned that we were ahead of the 
 train from Rome, and that my family could not be 
 expected to arrive for another hour. This gave us 
 time to send the car to a nearby garage, where 1 
 became initiated in the Neapolitan way of doing 
 business by bargaining as to cost. The manager in- 
 
270 
 
 ITALY. 
 
 tended to charge nie three Hre per day, but as soon 
 as 1 told him that 1 would look for other quarters 
 he immediately reduced his charges one-third. 
 
 I had a similar little transaction with the manager 
 of the Hotel Royale des Etrangers, and I certainly 
 would never have resorted to this, to me, repulsive 
 bargaining if my friends had not forewarned me 
 
 Transferring by rowboat. 
 
 that in Naples it was a custom to try to overcharge 
 anybody and everybody, always with the expecta- 
 tion of obtaining less than what is asked. 
 
 I must say, however, that otherwise I found the 
 hotel excellent, and that the charges upon which 
 we finally agreed were certainly moderate for the 
 good treatment we received. 
 
 Tt was almost time for supper when the hotel 
 
ITALY. 271 
 
 omnibus brought my wife and children from the 
 railroad station. They were somewhat astonished 
 to find me waiting for them, and started a long tale 
 of woe as to how inconvenient, clumsy and dirty a 
 train feels after one becomes accustomed to travel- 
 ing by motor limousine, and how much more tired 
 •they felt after a trip in railroad cars, where they 
 were shut up for many hours, not to speak of the 
 getting in and out at stations and the importunate 
 coachmen and porters everywhere. I was also made 
 acquainted with a very amusing incident — how the 
 station agent wanted to charge a first-class ticket 
 ■for the Bengalee finch of the ^children, and only 
 desisted from counting that miniature bird as a first- 
 class passenger after they smuggled it aboard 
 wrapped in brown paper. 
 
 The next morning I was informed at the Ham- 
 burg-American Line that they had not received any 
 news about the English merchant steamer that was 
 now overdue several days, and which was to bring 
 the packing box for my car. This was quite a dis- 
 appointment, because it prevented boxing the auto- 
 mobile. But there was nothing to do but wait and 
 hope. 
 
 In the meantime we went sightseeing, and so 
 happened to take a drive in a horse carriage to 
 Posilipo and Pozzuoli. But what a difference now ! 
 The garrulous driver, like all his Neapolitan breth- 
 ren, did not stop talking during the whole excursion, 
 notwithstanding our repeated entreaties to give us 
 some rest. 
 
 He timed his principal eruptions of polyglottic 
 discourse so as to gush them down upon us when- 
 
272 ITALY. 
 
 ever we had some beautiful landscape to admire. 
 By and by we had to make up our mind that we 
 could not possibly stop him unless I tried physical 
 violence, so we had to submit to his babble. We 
 found that to have the sight of the horses and 
 driver as the principal view before us had now be- 
 come unpleasant to us. Even the clatter of the 
 hoofs now seemed a disturbing noise, but this was 
 nothing to the feeling of pity we had for the poor 
 horses whenever they had to do hard pulling up 
 hill, which prompted us frequently to get out and 
 walk alongside the carriage. What is even stranger, 
 we got quite uneasy lest the carriage should collide 
 with others, or with the trolley cars, and whenever 
 it was running fast down hill it seemed to be beyond 
 control. We .came home from our drive with a 
 tired feeling. If I relate such minor incidents it is 
 merely to show how when one becomes accustomed 
 to automobiling the older ways of traveling lose 
 most of their former charms. 
 
 It was now September 24, and we were to sail 
 for New York on October 3. This left us about 
 ten days for visiting the places of interest in the 
 neighborhood. As soon as the box should arrive 
 the car was to be packed without further delay, and, 
 with Lewis in charge, everything was to be sent 
 ahead by the first available steamer, so as to have 
 it in New York before our arrival there. Under 
 the circumstances I did not try to utilize our auto- 
 mobile for sightseeing, but preferred to keep it at 
 the garage, ready for instant packing and shipping. 
 Furthermore, our planned excursions included a 
 visit of unknown duration to the island of Capri, 
 
ITALY. 
 
 ^Z 
 
 where motoring was out of the question. Thus it 
 was deemed advisable to make the trip to Sorrento 
 and Amalfi by chimsy "horsemobile" and return by 
 train via Pompeii, while Lewis would stay in Naples 
 and ship the car as soon as possible. 
 
 It was a fine morning when we boarded the little 
 steamer for Capri. Someone had wisely warned us 
 
 "Along a steep and narrow winding road." 
 
 not to take along anything but a strict minimum of 
 baggage, because transferring by rowboat and trav- 
 eling by carriage becomes very complicated if any- 
 thing but small parcels is carried; even then they 
 must be few in number. 
 
274 'ITALY. 
 
 As soon as we were out of the bay we noticed 
 that the Httle choppy waves increased in size; the 
 wind was in the wrong direction, and we were in- 
 formed that a visit to the ]jkie Grotto was impos- 
 sible that day. In this northern breeze landing at 
 the little wharf at Capri, by means of rowboats, was 
 far from being easy work. As soon as we had 
 landed we fled from the noisy peddlers of the lower 
 part of the island ; then we shook off the bidding 
 and urging carriage drivers by engaging the one 
 who made the least noise and had the best outfit. 
 We told him to drive up to Anacapri. Along a steep 
 and narrow winding road, hewn in the precipitous 
 rock, we crept higher and higher, while a sublime 
 panorama unfolded below us. By the time we had 
 reached the Eden Hotel everything was so attractive 
 and the view so exquisitely beautiful that instead 
 of simply taking lunch at the hotel, as we at first 
 intended, we concluded to stop at this ideal spot- 
 until the next afternoon. Our stay was made still 
 more agreeable by the kind attentions bestowed 
 upon us by the ''cavaliere" landlord. He was a 
 white-bearded gentleman, who after a long and suc- 
 cessful hotel-keeping career in Rome had sold his 
 interests there and had retired to this sort of villa- 
 hotel, dividing his attention between his guests and 
 his remarkable vineyards. 
 
 The next day we truly regretted to leave this 
 place, especially because the continuous northerly 
 winds rendered access to the Blue Grotto impos- 
 sible and we had to forego this interesting visit. 
 But our time was closely measured if we desired 
 to utilize the few remaining days before sailing, 
 
ITALY. 
 
 275 
 
 The landing. 
 
 The town ot C apri. 
 
276 ITALY. 
 
 to make our intended excursion along the Gulf of 
 Salerno. 
 
 So we took the afternoon boat to Sorrento. When 
 we arrived there our steamer was surrounded by 
 little rowboats, of which the rowers were repeatedly 
 calling out the names of the respective hotels they 
 represented, while one of them, in every boat, dis- 
 played a wooden board with the hotel's name painted 
 on it in large letters. We selected the Tramontano 
 'Hotel, part of which appears to have been at one 
 time the poet Tasso's home. We were again well 
 pleased with our quarters. 
 
 , The beautiful situation of Sorrento, which at- 
 tracts many visitors, is not the only source of in- 
 come to the inhabitants. In almost every street 
 there are several shops where inlaid olive wood 
 work is manufactured, and this local industry keeps 
 many people busily engaged. These wooden 
 articles can be purchased here at remarkably low 
 prices, and buying is made more pleasant because, 
 unlike as in Naples, bargaining or bidding down is 
 not absolutely necessary. 
 
 As an offset to this condition of affairs the public 
 coachmen seem to be, if anything, worse than in 
 Naples. I could not walk in the streets without 
 being immediately followed by two or three car- 
 riages, the drivers standing upright, while waving 
 their hands wildly to emphasize their clamorous 
 urgings ; each of them wanted to induce me to 
 undertake some particular excursion of his own 
 fancy. 
 
 I selected a man with a pair of better horses and 
 a carriage less shaky and more roomy than the 
 
ITALY. 
 
 277 
 
 'Our steamer was surrounded by little rowboats." 
 
 View from Anacapri. 
 
278 
 
 ITALY. 
 
 others. After we had agreed on the price I made 
 the hotel porter translate to the driver the following 
 rules : 
 
 A^t. I. The coachman would receive his so-called 
 "macaroni" only provided he abstained from whip- 
 
 Sorrento. ■ 
 
 ping his horses and from talking to us unless we 
 asked him questions. 
 
 Art. 2. If he broke this simple rule he would 
 forfeit his right to ''macaroni." 
 
 Art. 3. If he faithfully carried out Article i I 
 would increase his "macaroni" to a substantial tip. 
 
 He readily accepted my conditions, little knowing 
 to what an exceptional test of self-control all this 
 was going to put him. Indeed, we were scarcely 
 
ITALY. 
 
 279 
 
 gone half an hour when, after we had stopped to 
 admire the beautiful view from the heights, the 
 driver started using his horsewhip and at the same 
 time began to propose a bargain drive for the next 
 day. My son took away his whip, and I, putting 
 my finger on my lips, exclaimed: "No macaroni! 
 Xo macaroni!" This brought him instantly back 
 to the spirit of our contract, but the effort seemed 
 decidedly too much for him, for, looking sullenly 
 
 the beautiful view from the heights. 
 
 at his horse, he kept mumbling to the animal when- 
 ever the inside pressure of his volubility became too 
 strong. 
 
 Our perfect road was suspended above the blue 
 sea and followed the sinuosities of an abrupt slope 
 along a rocky mountain. At some places we 
 noticed ' caves of whimsical shape, lodged at odd 
 corners in the barren cliff. In some of them the 
 slow but continued action of dripping water, after 
 
28o 
 
 ITALY. 
 
 thousands of years, had produced stalactites, some 
 of which were as large as the size of a man. 
 
 On account of greater bareness the landscape 
 looked more stern than that of the Riviera di Le- 
 
 "... overlooking the landscape below." 
 
 vante, but otherwise it was in many respects very 
 similar. In the distance we came across the little 
 town of Positano, which seemed to hang on the 
 sloping shore. The whitewashed houses were spread 
 out in terraces toward the sea, and the flat, dome- 
 
ITALY. 
 
 281 
 
 'Our perfect road was suspended above the blue sea.' 
 
 'The whitewashed houses were spread out in terraces.' 
 
282 
 
 ITALY. 
 
 shaped roofs introduced to its a new style of archi- 
 tecture, decidedly Eastern in appearance, suggest- 
 ing the former influence of the Saracens in the 
 development of this part of the Mediterranean. 
 
 "At the bottom of the precipice the sea forms an inlet." 
 
 We stopped long enough at a little hotel called 
 "Margherita" to partake of a simple yet pleasant 
 lunch. As a dessert to our meal we went picking 
 ripe grape bunches in the pergola overlooking the 
 landscape below. 
 
ITALY. 283 
 
 After passing Vettica, Maggiore and Praiano, 
 we arrived at a bridge that spans a chasm between 
 two abrupt cHffs. 'Way below, at the bottom of 
 the precipice, the sea forms an inlet, and this snug 
 
 "This unusual hamlet is called Furore." 
 
 shelter had been utilized by some fishermen, who on 
 this spot had built their little houses near the water's 
 edge. There their boats were resting in safety on 
 their keels on the little sandy beach which formed 
 the bottom to this rocky indentation. This unusual 
 
284 ITALY. 
 
 hamlet is called Furore, and as far as I could make 
 out has only thirty-five unhabitants ; many of the 
 houses have become deserted, since most of their 
 former occupants departed to seek their fortunes 
 across the ocean. 
 
 Shortly afterward we beheld Amalfi, charmingly 
 situated near a cozy harbor. In the bright sunshine, 
 the town looked a vast amphitheatre, studded with 
 little houses of glaring white, and fastened, some 
 way or other, against the steep slope. The whole 
 ensemble is interspersed with pergolas, bits of green 
 vineyards and one or two churches of unusual de- 
 sign; but the striking appearance of the little town 
 is heightened by the mountainous background and 
 the curving shore line. I certainly believed that in 
 all our trip through Europe we had seen nothing as 
 pretty as this. I was reminded of Longfellow's 
 description : 
 
 "This is an enchanting land! 
 Round the headlands far away 
 Sweeps the blue Salernan Bay 
 With its sickle of white sand." 
 
 The old monastery, now doing service as a hotel, 
 was our stopping place. This long white building 
 sits perched two hundred feet high in the hollow of 
 a rock which rises straight up from the sea. The 
 waiting servants of the hotel took our bags and 
 bundles and preceded us up the long, zigzag stair- 
 way. When I began to pay for our drive the head 
 porter interfered and told me in English that the 
 driver had asked him to propose that in case I was 
 satisfied with his services he would like to stay with 
 us and drive us the next day as well; he offered 
 
ITALY. 
 
 'Shortly afterward we beheld Amalfi. 
 
 "Round the headlands far away 
 Sweeps the blue Salernan Bay." 
 
286 ITALY. 
 
 reasonable rates and at the same time made the 
 pledge not to whip his horses nor to babble. I 
 accepted his proposal and now followed our little 
 party climbing the many steps. We all spurned the 
 offer of the attendants to carry us up on a kind of 
 sitting contrivance especially constructed for this 
 purpose. 
 
 We were amply repaid for this little exertion as 
 soon as we stepped upon the terrace. There was 
 a long pergola of simple whitewashed columns, 
 supporting a vine arbor of which the graceful inter- 
 twinings formed a shady balcony, from which we 
 could feast our eyes on an extraordinarily beautiful 
 view. 
 
 The proprietor of the Cappuccini Hotel, an old 
 gentleman with an imposing white flowing beard, 
 greeted us most affably; before we had talked five 
 minutes I drew from him the story that he, too, at 
 one time had been a lay brother among the monks 
 of this very monastery, but somehow, when at last 
 he was about to take final vows, he had changed his 
 mind, married, lived happily afterward and had 
 many children and grandchildren. At some time 
 his former religious order had some trouble with the 
 Government, their building became for sale ; he 
 then purchased it, and ever since it has been used as" 
 a hotel. 
 
 Soon I was able to see that this man, although 
 having an eye for business, had displayed excellent 
 taste by keeping the old convent as much as possi- 
 ble in its former style, making only such minor 
 changes as were indispensable. Our sleeping rooms 
 were small, cleanly whitewashed monk cells, with 
 
ITALY. 
 
 "This long white building sets i)erciieii two iiundred feet high. 
 
 we could feast our eyes on an extraordinarily beautiful view. 
 
288 ITALY. 
 
 bright little windows opening towards the same 
 glorious view below. 
 
 The chapel, the dining-room and every part of the 
 old convent have been carefully preserved as they 
 existed when, instead of the joyful talk of the tour- 
 ist, these halls resounded with the sombre prayer 
 of the barefooted Capucines. 
 
 In the reading room, while I was looking at some 
 autographs which Millais and other well-known peo- 
 ple had left behind, I found one of the waiters of the 
 hotel busily engaged in correcting the Italian proofs 
 of a poem of Longfellow which he had translated. 
 I was told that in the early spring this place is 
 overrun with tourists to such an extent that it is 
 then almost impossible to find accommodation, un- 
 less rooms have been engaged long beforehand. 
 During that busy period most passing visitors have 
 to be satisfied with a hurried meal and a hasty visit 
 to the premises. 
 
 In September Amalfi, like all other places of 
 Italy, is very little visited by foreigners, who imagine 
 that it is too hot then — a very mistaken idea. I was 
 told also that in winter and early spring the weather 
 is often cold and very uncertain, even in the Gulf 
 of Salerno, which has a much milder climate than 
 other parts of Italy. 
 
 If we ever regretted that our time was too limited 
 for a longer stay, it was certainly at Amalfi. A 
 guide who spoke tolerably good English escorted 
 us all through the little town, and we finished our 
 walk with a visit to one of the numerous little 
 paper mills along the small stream which runs 
 through the narrow mill valley. Although I have 
 
ITALY. 
 
 Women at Amalfi. 
 
 In Amalfi. 
 
290 ITALY. 
 
 visited many paper mills, until that time I had 
 never been able to see a plant where paper w^s 
 made by the very primitive methods still in use 
 here and which, I had supposed, had entirely dis- 
 appeared because of the competition of better 
 modern processes. Unusually cheap labor and inex- 
 pensive rags obtained from the immediate neighbor- 
 hood and an incredibly rudimentary plant still 
 allowed the modest and thrifty owners to clear a 
 small profit on goods sold to the local trade, thereby 
 
 " . . hung up to dry in skeins." 
 
 saving all expenses of transportation or middle- 
 men. 
 
 We also had a chance to see a small installation 
 where macaroni was prepared. France and Italy 
 had rendered us somewhat accustomed to other 
 people's elastic conceptions of cleanliness. I ex- 
 pected that after this visit no one of our party would 
 ever again eat Italian macaroni. The approaches to 
 the place, a dark, shabby hallway, were very unin- 
 viting indeed. But as soon as we entered the room 
 where the material was manufactured I was pleas- 
 antly surprised to see that, although the place was 
 very bare, everything look well-kept and clean. 
 
ITALY. 291 
 
 Four barefooted men, naked to the waist and 
 wearing- nothing but a short pair of rolled-up trou- 
 sers, were sitting in a row upon the end of a long, 
 flexible, horizontal, wooden pole, which could swing 
 on both sides in quarter-circle fashion. This formed 
 a sort of lever, attached, on the opposite end, to a 
 fixed pivot, while the fulcrum was represented by a 
 hammer-like piece of bronze, intended to knead the 
 warm dough contained in a large mortar-shaped 
 stone. The dough itself is made from a special kind 
 of wheat, very rich in nutritious gluten. This wheat 
 flour is mixed with some hot water, so as to make 
 a hard paste. The men on the pole kept the latter 
 jerking up and down by a dancing motion of the 
 body, while at the same time they made the lever 
 advance by pressing the floor with the points of 
 their feet. The poor fellows had to stick to these 
 dancing gymnastics all day long. 
 
 In another part of the room was the macaroni 
 press, a rather simple contrivance, where the dough, 
 kneaded as described abov6, was placed in a metal- 
 He cylinder provided with a perforated bottom. The 
 cylinder was kept hot by means of a little oil lamp. 
 A long pole lever, swung by two or three men, 
 turned a large screw which pressed the paste 
 through numerous perforations of the cylinder's 
 bottom plate into as many little ropes of macaroni, 
 while another man kept cooling it rapidly by agitat- 
 ing a hand fan. Whenever the little ropes were 
 long enough the bunch was cut ofif and hung up 
 to dry, in skeins, on horizontal wooden sticks. 
 
 The whole manufacture is extremely simple and 
 provides the population with a very nutritious and 
 
292 ITALY. 
 
 palatable food. Macaroni has the immense advan- 
 tage over meat that it is very much cheaper and 
 that in dry condition it can be kept forever without 
 deterioration. No wonder then that this popular 
 food should have acquired a national importance. 
 In one of the grocery shops I saw an inferior grade 
 of macaroni retailed at the unusually low price of 
 seven centisimi per kilo, or about three-fifths of a 
 cent per pound. I knew that, just as in the paper 
 mill, a small tip was expected from me for the work- 
 men. Never in my life have I seen a dollar, in the 
 shape of five lire, or in any other form, produce 
 such a delightful look of intense gratitude. The 
 faces of these simple men beamed forth an expres- 
 sion as if some unusual happiness had befallen them ; 
 and yet I figured out that, by the time they would 
 have divided this tip among themselves, each one 
 would scarcely receive the value of six cents. 
 
 The poverty of the whole population in this part 
 of Italy is apparent everywhere. The active adver- 
 tising methods of steamship companies, helped by 
 the tangible evidence of prosperous returning emi- 
 grants, who have been successful in their own way, 
 has induced an ever-increasing exodus towards 
 North and South America, with the result of a 
 steady depopulation of many towns. I was told that 
 during late years the population of Amalfi, as well 
 as that of other small coast towns, had dwindled 
 down to below seventy per cent, of what it formerly 
 was. A large number of the able-bodied and enter- 
 prising younger men sail for America, leaving be- 
 hind them the old, the sickly, the women and the 
 children : some of those who remain at home follow 
 
ITALY. 293 
 
 later, after steady work has been secured by their 
 predecessors and after some money has been 
 saved up. 
 
 Quite a number of ItaHan emigrants return 
 periodically to their former homes ; they are able to 
 save enough money to pay their passage both ways 
 and spend the winter in their native land. There 
 they astonish their poor relations and friends by 
 the possession of a couple of hundred dollars; an 
 enormous sum for them especially if counted in 
 lire. They have been able to save this little capital 
 by their Spartan-like frugality, at wages which the 
 average spendthrift Irish or American workman 
 would deem totally insufficient for his wants. I 
 was quite astonished to detect that in Italian coast 
 towns the younger set is more apt to be able to 
 speak a few words of English than any other 
 foreign language, although the Anglo-Saxon tongue 
 is more difficult for them than either French or 
 Spanish. It has often been wrongly stated by 
 superficial writers and shallow observers that the 
 Italian is lazy and indolent. This is an immense 
 error. I know of no class of workingmen in any 
 other country who are more active, if proper oppor- 
 tunity and inducement is given to them to show 
 their qualities. Their main shortcoming is that, like 
 most European workmen, they lack initiative and 
 are ever waiting for a leader to direct them. Any 
 policeman in New York will tell you that a begging 
 Italian is as scarce as a white crow and that Italians 
 are seldom accused of stealing; their main offenses 
 against the law arise from lack of self-control, pas- 
 sion, quarrels among themselves, jealousy, hatred, 
 
294 ITALY. 
 
 or uncontrollable anger which sometimes leads them 
 to brawls and crime. 
 
 In the States all of them, notwithstanding their 
 very limited knowledge of English, manage to ob- 
 tain steady employment and save money. Compare 
 this same Italian, under the stimulating influence of 
 proper opportunities, with the loafing, shiftless, in- 
 dividual of southern Italy blamed for his "dolce far 
 niente." In their home country they are inactive, 
 because there they live in conditions desperately 
 depressing and have no chance to work. As to their 
 women, I have seen them strenuously busy at 
 any hard and unpleasant job. I have seen them 
 start their, day's work at five in the morning, in 
 energetic activity, scrubbing and washing their 
 laundry, while venting their happy cheerfulness by 
 lusty singing. I have seen them in New York, as 
 well as in Italy, carrying heavy burdens, at the same 
 time taking care of their many children. I have 
 seen them in their own country working as hod" 
 carriers and climbing steep wooden ladders to help 
 their husbands or brothers, who acted as brick- 
 layers. I have found these women, old and young, 
 always courageous and ever ready to show their 
 happy temperament at the first cheerful word 
 addressed to them. The only trouble with these 
 people is that they lack enterprise in the right 
 direction; furthermore they are not able to avail 
 themselves of their natural opportunities of their 
 own soil, much of which remains idle under incom- 
 petent ownership. In that country there seems to 
 be an absence of captains of industry who can show 
 the masses how to utilize their latent energies and 
 
ITALY. 295 
 
 how to avail themselves of the natural resources of 
 their native land. Yet I must say that during the 
 last fifteen years Italy has made rapid strides in the 
 development of new enterprises. The very bad 
 financial condition of former years has considerably 
 improved. The impulse given to industry by the 
 electrical development of water power is beginning 
 to counteract the lack of coal that always proved a 
 great hindrance to the profitable running of large 
 industrial plants. The Government might aid con- 
 siderably by modifying certain laws which are de- 
 cidedly not in accordance with a proper system 
 of economics, and by relieving industry and enter- 
 prise from the main burden of taxation, while unim- 
 proved land is insufficiently taxed. The census of a 
 few years ago has shown that, for a population of 
 about 30,000,000 inhabitants, there are only 1,500 
 persons in all Italy whose possessions, per individ- 
 ual, amount to $200,000 or more ; this probably 
 explains why many enterprises in Italy have been 
 carried on with foreign money and foreign inter- 
 vention. 
 
 I should not be astonished if, some day, Italy 
 manages to again direct her powerful latent energies 
 into a more modern channel and give the world 
 a new example of awakened prosperity. 
 
 She might thus return to that advanced position 
 among nations which many of the Italian states 
 acquired a few centuries ago. At that time some 
 of her brilliant sons had begun to rouse Christendom 
 from the narcotic condition into which it had been 
 drugged by a narrow-minded, bigoted and intolerant 
 Church. 
 
296 ITALY. 
 
 That commercialism may stimulate the higher 
 development of mankind has been abundantly 
 proved by the history of this very section of Italy, 
 Was it not here, along the Gulf of Salerno, that a 
 trading and seafaring people came into steady inter- 
 course with neighboring nations that had been ostra- 
 cised and anathematized by the Church of Rome? 
 A closer acquaintance with these scorned pagans 
 made the trading Christians realize that these people 
 were men of the same flesh and blood as them- 
 selves. If the Mohammedans had shortcomings, 
 they proved to be not any worse than their own. 
 Even these hated Saracens compelled recognition 
 from those who learned to know them personally 
 and who had to acknowledge their higher develop- 
 ment in art, science and handicraft. Nay, even the 
 least intellectual of these Christian traders could 
 not help envying or admiring the material prosperity 
 of their transmarine neighbors ; a prosperity which 
 their religious views forbade them to ascribe to the 
 God of Mahomet, and which they therefore were 
 more willing to attribute to their superior knowl- 
 edge. Little wonder, then, that they tried to 
 emulate these pagans by copying their very methods. 
 This people of traders of the Gulf of Salerno, even 
 against their own will, became liberal and progres- 
 sive. The time soon arrived when Mussulman or 
 Jew, whose life was not safe in other parts of 
 Europe excepting the Moorish Iberian Peninsula, 
 could live and trade in perfect security in the coast 
 towns around the Gulf of Salerno. 
 
 They went further ; they asked these very pagans 
 to teach them their science and instruct them in 
 
ITALY. 
 
 297 
 
 their arts. Did they not found, in this manner, that 
 famous Medical School of Salerno? At that time 
 it was probably the only institution in Europe where 
 science and the practice of medicine were taught 
 otherwise than by prayers or miraculous relics. Yes, 
 I may except some Moorish medical schools in 
 Spain; I may except also some centres of learning 
 in the south of France, where they had begun to 
 
 " . . at the entrance of our model little hotel." 
 
 adopt the methods of their progressive dark-skinned 
 neighbors whom they too had induced to settle in 
 their country and become teachers in their uni- 
 versities. Why should history not repeat itself? 
 Why should it be impossible, in this modern era, that 
 these humble, yet enterprising emigrants, who leave 
 for foreign shores, should, at some future time, 
 influence the destiny of their native country, to 
 whose memory they are tied by sentimental bonds 
 
298 
 
 ITALY. 
 
 with an intensity that is one of their national 
 characteristics ? 
 
 Someone had advised me while we were in 
 Amalfi not to omit a visit to nearby Ravello ; so 
 we conckided to take lunch at the latter place. Our 
 driver, who had been patiently waiting for us, took 
 
 "At Ravello." 
 
 US over a steeply curving road, along wooded hills, 
 partially terraced into vineyards and orange groves. 
 A slow climb of about two hours brought us into 
 Ravello, near a little ''piazza," whence we walked 
 towards the Hotel Bellevue, through a narrow and 
 steep passageway. 
 
ITALY. 
 
 299 
 
 Although very dilapidated in general appearance, 
 the little town everywhere presented reminders of 
 its former importance. Even at the entrance of our 
 modest little hotel the gate was ornamented with 
 two old marble columns taken from nearby ruins 
 of some Saracenic castle of bygone days. We were 
 
 rums c)i some .Saracenic castle. 
 
 received by the landlady, a young and intelligent- 
 looking woman, who excused herself, in fairly good 
 English, for the upturned condition of her house- 
 hold. This was the season when visitors very 
 seldom came, and she had to utilize it for making 
 some much-needed alteration and improvements to 
 the house. She added that the work ought to have 
 
300 ITALY. 
 
 been finished long ago, but for the impossibiHty of 
 finding the necessary workmen. Here, also, almost 
 all able-bodied inhabitants had left for the States. 
 
 Soon we were sitting on a little terrace before a 
 table covered with the finest spotless linen. The 
 clean dining" outfit, of a most approved modern Eng- 
 
 " . . reminders of its former importance." 
 
 lish pattern, was something which we never would 
 have expected in this isolated corner of the world. 
 But we were told that many visiting Americans and 
 Britishers patronized the place in the spring, which 
 is the busy season. 
 
 From where we sat eating our meal we could 
 contemplate the whole eastern part of the Gulf of 
 
ITALY. 301 
 
 Salerno, spread out before us like a magic land- 
 scape. 
 
 The adjacent garden, with its wealth of fruit- 
 laden grape vines clustering around the heavy 
 columns of a spacious pergola, was part of the old 
 ruined castle. Near the crumbling parapets of a 
 tower stood a little marble table. It had been im- 
 provised into domestic usefulness by posing a slab 
 of white marble on four legs made of the twisted 
 remnants of some antique Moorish columns; on 
 closer examination I found a chiseled inscription on 
 the table, which denoted its origin as the cover of 
 an early Christian grave. 
 
 Everything around us was so harmoniously peace- 
 ful and the landscape so serene with the freshness 
 of nature! Yet, wherever the eye wandered ruins 
 evoked visions of a fugitive splendor, which had 
 been in all its glory during ages long gone by, when 
 human ambitions and human might tried to rule 
 this enchanting corner of the world. Under such 
 impressions I had lost all notions of time and 1 
 was awakened from my dreams of mediaevalism by 
 our matter-of-fact guide, who came to find me to 
 announce that if we did not start soon our carriage 
 could hardly reach Cava before dark. 
 
 But we still took time to have a look at the inter- 
 esting process of wine making, in the arched caves 
 of the dilapidated castle, where the hotel proprietor 
 was supervising the work. We also paid a rapid 
 visit to some other old buildings in the town, and 
 when we came back to our carriage we found that 
 the courteous hotel proprietor had provided us with 
 a magnificent supply of assorted grapes. 
 
302 ITALY. 
 
 It .certainly was time now to drive on. Down we 
 went t^e steep windings until, we again arrived on 
 the main road along the rocky seashore. The 
 scenery was almost a repetition of that of the day 
 before. In rapid succession we passed two small 
 towns, Minori and Maiori. 
 
 Occasionally we saw some well-preserved speci- 
 mens of the old forts or watch towers, situated at 
 intervals on the water edge all along this coast. 
 
 " . . watch towers situated at intervals on the water edge." 
 
 These defenses were intended to repulse the attack- 
 ing enemy, as well as to serve as a safeguard against 
 the bold corsairs who at one time infested these 
 waters. 
 
 We drove through Vietri and very little farther 
 before us lay Salerno in dignified repose, as if con- 
 scious of its former importance as a centre of learn- 
 ing and culture. Much would we have liked to 
 become better acquainted with this ancient place, 
 but even a visit to Paestum, with its Greek temple, 
 
ITALY. 
 
 303 
 
 '. . . a safeguard against the bold corsairs. 
 
 we could contemplate the whole eastern part of the Gulf. 
 
304 ^ ITALY. 
 
 had to be omitted if we decided to see Pompeii 
 and return in time for our steamer. 
 
 A rather dusty road brought us to Cava just 
 before dark, and we stopped for the night at another 
 good hostelry, the Hotel de Londres. We might 
 have dismissed our driver at Vietri and have taken 
 the train from there to Pompeii, but this would have 
 compelled us to sleep at the latter place, and from 
 the general information I had obtained hotel accom- 
 modations there were of a questionable nature. 
 
 I was very well aware that from now on the 
 landscape would be very monotonous and that the 
 dusty road runs through thickly settled districts, 
 with shabby villages and similar towns. We de- 
 cided, however, that it might prove interesting to 
 avail ourselves further of the carriage, so as to ob- 
 serve more closely the sociological aspect of the 
 towns surrounding Vesuvius. 
 
 The next morning, when we thus drove away 
 from Cava, we entered upon a broad and dusty high- 
 way, bordered by big poplar trees, the latter acting 
 as supports for irregular and clustering grape vines. 
 A flat and cultivated plain was enclosed, in the far 
 distance, by a range of mountains on the right, 
 while on the left the famous volcano stood clearly 
 detached. 
 
 Now and then we traversed a small but populous 
 town, like Pagani and Angri, with narrow and 
 crowded streets without sidewalks, where the pas- 
 sers-by had to flatten themselves against the walls 
 to allow our vehicle to pass. About noon we reached 
 Pompeii, which presented a shabby and dusty 
 appearance. 
 
ITALY. 
 
 305 
 
 i^.mV^^ 
 
 a weird procession. 
 
 had embedded the houses, crushing some, filling in the 
 others." 
 
3o6 ITALY. 
 
 The fine, sand-like ashes from the last eruption 
 became more and more evident everywhere. We 
 drove on to Boscotrecasse^ so as to be near the scene 
 of the devastation caused by the lava streams of last 
 spring. On our way we met a funeral procession 
 and its usual escort of white-capped and masked 
 "penitentes," clad in white robes and carrying long, 
 
 as if the whole region had been filled in by a layer of gas 
 coke." 
 
 lighted wax candles — a weird procession for who- 
 ever sees it for the first time. 
 
 We had now reached a place where the street had 
 been shut ofif by a hardened black stream of lava, 
 the latter looking very much as if the whole region 
 had been filled in by a thick layer of gas coke. 
 This black lava has very much the appearance of 
 big fragments of coke. Similar to the latter sub- 
 stance, lava is porous, yet heavy and sonorous, and 
 it shows every evidence of a former half-molten 
 condition. 
 
ITALY. 
 
 307 
 
 In some places the black mass had embedded the 
 houses, crushing some, filling in the others. The 
 abandoned buildings, with their cracked walls, 
 looked very much as if they had remained in that 
 
 the black 
 
 ntirely filled a wide trench." 
 
 condition for many centuries, and yet all the dam- 
 age alx>ve described had happened only a few 
 months before our visit. 
 
 Some of the wrecked buildings were pompously 
 
3o8 ITALY. 
 
 called "palazzo." Although made of stone, brick and 
 mortar, they were of the same shabby and squalid 
 pattern that prevails everywhere in this locality. I 
 noticed some broken-off pine trees that had been 
 carried by the advancing mass ; some of them were 
 charred, others were almost intact and green. 
 
 Elsewhere the black lava stream had entirely filled 
 a wide trench, which had been the road of an elec- 
 
 Pompeii. 
 
 trie tram line. I was told that an approaching car 
 had thus been shut off by the advancing molten 
 mass, while the frightened motorman and pas- 
 sengers had to run to save their lives. Several men 
 and children seem to have found in this catastrophe 
 a new way of earning a livelihood, by acting as 
 guides, or by selling souvenirs of the eruption ; 
 among the latter I noticed sulphur-coated lava, 
 volcanic dust put up in glass bottles, molten coins 
 
ITALY. 300 
 
 or other metallic objects which showed the influence 
 of the hot volcanic mass. About that time some 
 rain drops began to fall, and I observed that in 
 many a place the surface of the lava gave off steam. 
 By trying to remove the upper layer of loose pieces 
 I became aware that the mass underneath was hot, 
 indeed very hot in some places, where, by some 
 further effort, I succeeded in prying out deeper- 
 laying fragments, the temperature of which was 
 such that I could not hold them in my hand without 
 risk of burning my fingers. This gave me a power- 
 ful impression of stern reality. I was told that 
 in several places the layer of lava was fifty feet 
 deep. At that rate it will take a long time before 
 the mass is entirely cooled down. 
 
 And yet the inhabitants seemed to concern them- 
 selves very little about all this. They had hastily 
 used the liberal supply of volcanic ashes to dump 
 them over the hardened lava stream and had thus 
 contrived to make a new crossroad over the former 
 highway, which had become obliterated and buried 
 under the thick and hardened black mass. As if 
 nothing had happened, on this dreary scene of 
 desolation coachmen and drivers of all kinds were 
 moving about, whipping their horses in the same 
 old heartless way. I was watching one of the 
 houses that had been half-embedded by lava and 
 found several workmen busily engaged in restoring 
 the cracked walls and otherwise adapting it again 
 for occupation. Just like some of their neighbors, 
 who had earlier completed their job, they wanted 
 to live again in the same house, precisely as in the 
 past, surrounded by the warning sight of black 
 
310 ITALY.- 
 
 lava everywhere and Mount Vesuvius near by 
 smoking steadily. And yet these people did only 
 what everyone in this world tries to do; i. e., they 
 clung tenaciously to their earthly possessions. In 
 this instance they could not sell, and for them it 
 meant either losing the bulk of their small property 
 or trying to accommodate themselves to a hard and 
 insecure lot. It is true that, although the last erup- 
 tion had caused much material damage by destroy- 
 ing wide tracts of land and many buildings, there 
 had been little or no loss of life. In this instance 
 the army had done excellent work by forcibly driv- 
 ing out all the inhabitants from the threatened sec- 
 tions before the eruption imperilled their lives. 
 
 There had been an inclined railroad, which led to 
 near walking distance of the crater, but all this was 
 now destroyed ; on this account approach to the 
 summit was possible only by a long and weary 
 tramp over endless stretches of volcanic mud. 
 
 A friend of mine, a scientist, who had been in- 
 duced to make the ascension since the last eruption, 
 warned me not to attempt it. He told me that 
 the sight of the crater was very disappointing in 
 proportion to the trying ordeal through which he 
 had to pass. 
 
 We drove back to Pompeii, where we took lunch 
 in a not too well-kept restaurant, although it was 
 supposed to be the best the place afforded. During 
 our meal we had to listen, as everywhere in or 
 around Naples, to our daily quota of ''Santa Luzzia" 
 and other Neapolitan songs and mandolin accom- 
 paniments. Always the same, yet always pleasant 
 to hear when the tawny performers intone their 
 
ITALY. 311 
 
 stanzas and accentuate the long-drawn cadences by 
 their appeaHng gestures, as if it were the very first 
 time in their Hves they were singing this sentimental 
 song. 
 
 After lunch we engaged an English-speaking 
 guide who took us through the ruins. Never shall 
 I forget the thoughts evoked by this visit. While 
 walking through those deserted streets, once the 
 lively scene of the daily occupations of human beings 
 like ourselves, who had preceded us by twenty 
 centuries in the fulfillment of their destiny, I was 
 emphatically reminded how short and insignificant 
 are our earthly ambitions. These ruined houses, 
 these shops, these palaces and temples, with every- 
 where a palpable reminder of the daily routine life 
 of the departed, inhabitants, clearly show that these 
 people lived their little lives with about the same 
 preoccupations, the same pleasures, the same suffer- 
 ings and the same ambitions as we little ants of 
 our own age. Their language may have been 
 nearer to pure Latin, their dress, their laws and 
 their customs somewhat unlike ours, but after all, 
 was there really much difference between them and 
 us as we exist to-day? The resemblance increases 
 further if we compare the condition of these van- 
 ished people of dead Pompeii with that of the aver- 
 age inhabitant of Naples or the neighborhood, just 
 as we find it in our present age. After so many 
 centuries the ways of living, the aspirations in life 
 of the modern Neapolitans seem to have varied as 
 little as their vices. 
 
 The squalor of the poorer houses of Pompeii, in 
 contrast with the artistic refinement of the palaces 
 
312 ITALY. 
 
 of the wealthy patricians, or the insolent splendor 
 displayed by the temples of worship for their 
 heathen gods, finds a counterpart in our own days 
 that can be seen by any thoughtful observer who 
 wanders through modern Naples or surrounding 
 towns. 
 
 If the average Neapolitan of today no longer 
 offers sacrifices to Jupiter or Mercurius, under the 
 ancient names, he has reared just as many costly edi- 
 fices in which he hangs his ex-votos before miracu- 
 lous statues and relics. In these modern temples, 
 with new names, his unchanged superstitious nature 
 now invokes the protection of a larger number of 
 saints than there were gods in the mythology of 
 antiquity. 
 
 The bestial pastimes of yore, and those feasts 
 where man killed man or where slave was given to 
 feed wild animals, have been abolished by better 
 civic laws, and the latter have proved stronger in- 
 struments for repression of inhuman acts than the 
 most fervid religious appeal to morals. But that 
 cruelty is still rampant in the hearts of the ignorant 
 masses is shown by the brutal behavior of teamsters 
 or drivers towards animals, their fellow-creatures. 
 Moreover, their churches, raised in the name of the 
 One whose command was love, pity and peace, are 
 ornamented with paintings in which blood, suffer- 
 ing, torture and carnage seem to be favorite sub- 
 jects. Their very cruelty of sentiment makes them 
 imagine a God whose ideas of revenge and punish- 
 ment include the most fiendishly refined atrocities 
 under the form of the tortures of hell. 
 
 During that drive through the populated quarters 
 
ITALY. 313 
 
 of Torre- Annunziata, Torre-del-Greco and Portici 
 I saw dense rows of houses for the poor. Dirty and 
 ill-kept, they alternated with half-hidden entrances 
 to luxurious abodes for the richer class, which 
 allowed a glance into their inner elegance of statues, 
 columns, porticos and fine gardens. Then, once in 
 a while, a church or chapel with the doors ajar, 
 showed a glimpse of lighted candles, silver, gold 
 and statuary. All this looked to me very much 
 indeed like a living Pompeii which modern trim- 
 mings had been unable to change much from its 
 antique prototype. Electric lamps here and there, 
 or some trolley cars, or the presence of a few loco- 
 motives, telephones or automobiles, do not consti- 
 tute civilization — neither in Naples nor in any other 
 part of the globe. The fact that some individuals 
 may be able to chisel a fine piece of sculpture or 
 use their artistic talent for making a remarkable 
 painting, or contrive to create some sense-soothing 
 music, or arrange elegantly some pretty sounding 
 rhymes, may be an indication of aesthetic tempera- 
 ment and artistic skill, but it does not necessarily 
 imply the possession of that impulse which should 
 guide us into higher life toward a more exalted 
 development of our race. If the strong feeling of 
 duty and equity is absent, if the true discrimination 
 between what is just and unjust is lacking, if the 
 ardent desire for truth has not entered the soul, 
 then indeed will mere artistic culture continue to be 
 nothing more than an epicurean gratification of the 
 senses. It will not succeed any better to elevate 
 mankind than joy-inspiring dinners, nor than 
 alcoholic beverages, which also, in their own way, 
 
314 ITALV. 
 
 may serve to excite the imagination. True, such a 
 one-sided art culture may have some advantage 
 over mere material stimulants through the fact 
 that, more epicurean in its refinement, it is less 
 likely to cause physical injury to the body. One- 
 sided culture of this kind is, I believe, the main 
 cause which brought older civilizations to discom- 
 fiture; it may become the possible reason why our 
 civilization in turn will fail should we continue to 
 lose sight of these fundamental principles. 
 
 Even the intellectual pursuits of science, which, 
 considerably more than the culture of fine arts, have 
 contributed to the happiness, betterment and wel- 
 fare of mankind, will not succeed in their divine 
 mission, will not produce a better and higher race, 
 unless in our search for knowledge we find initia- 
 tion into more elevated humane conceptions and an 
 inducement for leading a higher life. Let us hope, 
 for the destiny of our race, that science may not 
 be considered solely as a useful handmaid to provide 
 for our daily material wants, but may strive to fulfill 
 a higher mission and clear away the fog of ignorant 
 conceit that clouds the sublime teachings of Truth. 
 The religion of science is the worship of Truth, and 
 the worship of Truth is the worship of God. Any 
 deviation from this impulse will retard the advance- 
 ment of mankind toward the goal of greatest good. 
 
 What I take the liberty to write here is meant not 
 alone for the inhabitants of Naples, of Italy, or of 
 Europe, but applies alike to all nations and races 
 of the world, however intense may be their national 
 pride, whatever degree of material prosperity they 
 may have attained, or however numerous or costly 
 
ITALY. 315 
 
 and splendid may be their temples of religious 
 worship. 
 
 It was near evening when we again reached 
 Naples. To my great disappointment I found that 
 Lewis was still waiting for our long-delayed pack- 
 ing box. The very obliging manager of the freight 
 department of the steamship line promised me that 
 my uncrated car would be accepted on the steamer, 
 if I was willing to forego all claims for possible 
 damage. I was very glad to consent to this very 
 accommodating offer and made preparations accord- 
 ingly. 
 
 It had come to my knowledge that some Ameri- 
 can automobilists who had preceded me had been 
 compelled to forfeit the money they had deposited at 
 the custom house for the mere reason that they had 
 been unable to complete the formalities before the 
 ship left the docks. As the steamer arrives from 
 Genoa and remains only a few hours in the port 
 of Naples, I foresaw the possibility of meeting with 
 the same disappointment. Therefore, I concluded 
 to obtain some experience and, escorted by a 
 custom-house broker, I went from one office to an- 
 other, rehearsing the different formalities, so that 
 my chauffeur might be properly instructed on the 
 subject. 
 
 There was still one full day left before sailing, 
 and, as the weather was beautiful and the sea ex- 
 ceptionally calm, I concluded to utilize this last 
 chance of visiting the Blue Grotto, which had been 
 inaccessible on our former trip to Capri. I made 
 the excursion in company with my son. My wife 
 and little daughter were obliged to utilize the day 
 
3i6 ITALY. 
 
 for shopping on account of the non-arrival of our 
 trunks from England. 
 
 While the little Capri steamer was at anchor we 
 were again entertained by the lusty native swim- 
 mers who hover around any steamer that carries 
 foreign tourists. Like a lot of human porpoises 
 
 "Never do they miss a coin." 
 
 they dive and fight and struggle whenever a piece 
 of money is thrown into the water. Never do they 
 miss a coin, even if several are thrown at the same 
 time. Sometimes they remain under water so long 
 as to make one believe that the coin is lost, only 
 to appear on the surface a few moments later 
 triumphantly showing the penny in their hands, 
 then storing it with others in their mouth until 
 bulging cheeks make it almost impossible for them 
 
ITALY. 317 
 
 to articulate their words. And yet they keep on 
 yelHng and yclHng : "Moussiou ! Moussiou ! . . . 
 tro' nion' in t' wot' . . . Moussiou! monee 
 . . . monee . . . monee . . ." 
 
 By the time the httle steamer Hfted anchor 
 it was crowded with excursionists. Again some 
 mandoHn players and singers started their "Santa 
 Luzzia." In the intervals during which they were 
 not singing ''Adio, bella Napoli," smooth-tongued 
 peddlers, who spoke English as if they had learned 
 it near Bleecker street, tried to persuade the pas- 
 sengers to purchase coral necklaces or woodwork at 
 prices almost quadruple that for which they could 
 be bought at Naples or Sorrento. 
 
 Arriving near Capri, instead of landing at the 
 Piccolini Marina, as the last time, when the weather 
 was so rough, the steamer took us directly to the 
 Blue Grotto. There numerous little rowboats were 
 already waiting for us. Each boat accommodated 
 two passengers. We were rowed toward the en- 
 trance of the cave, which is almost entirely hidden 
 by the water. This leaves only a narrow opening 
 through which the boat has to be slid. We had 
 to lie down flat while the boatman gave a vigorous 
 pull with the oars, and by the time we sat up again 
 we were inside the dark cave, surrounded by the 
 brilliantly luminous water of a phosphorescent 
 azure blue. Every ripple seemed to glow in vivid 
 color and whenever the oars struck the surface they 
 produced two luminous streaks. This remarkable 
 optical effect is produced by the outside sunlight 
 that, before it meets the eye, traverses this unusually 
 clear and blue sea water. The boats traveled all 
 
3i8 
 
 ITALY. 
 
 in a procession around the cave, which seemed to 
 be about one hundred and fifty feet long and nearly 
 as wide. In some parts the rocky vault attains a 
 height of thirty feet. After we had become accus- 
 tomed to the semi-obscurity we began to distinguish 
 
 which dragged them with their bow tilted upward." 
 
 every detail of the rocky cants and corners, which 
 now showed a dim, pale greenish-blue color. 
 
 A boy, who seems to find here a way of making 
 a living, stood on a rock ready to dive for any coins 
 that might be thrown in the water ; unlike the divers 
 in the bay, he spurned anything but silver. 
 
ITALY. 319 
 
 The whole scene would have been infinitely more 
 imposing had the grotto not been crowded by the 
 noisy visitors. The boatmen increased the general 
 din by ever reminding the passengers of their ex- 
 pected tips and yelling, "Moussiou . . . mee- 
 sther . . . macaroni." If I ever again go to 
 Capri T shall certainly repeat this visit to the grotto, 
 but I intend to go there when no one else is in sight, 
 and if I cannot find a mute boatman I will take the 
 precaution to gag him first. 
 
 The steamer brought us back to the Piccolino 
 Marina, followed by a procession of rowboats, some 
 of them attached to the stern by ropes which 
 dragged them with their bows tilted upward over 
 the foaming wake of the ship. We had time until 
 four in the afternoon for taking lunch and strolling 
 along the beach into the town of Capri. 
 
 When the steamer brought us back to Naples it 
 was quite dark. The air was calm and Vesuvius 
 sent its slender column of smoke almost perpendicu- 
 larly towards the sky. Since the last fearful erup- 
 tion the volcano had become so well-behaved as to 
 emit very meagre puffs of smoke and it seemed 
 as if the dread mountain was at last becoming ex- 
 tinct. That night, however, everybody noticed that 
 the smoke assumed a light reddish glare as if it was 
 reflecting the glow of some fire below. This light 
 effect became more and more apparent and by the 
 time we reached the hotel it had developed to such 
 an extent that several people came out to. observe 
 the phenomenon. I began to feel glad that before 
 leaving Naples we had at least an opportunity to 
 see, even if in a minor degree, what a nocturnal 
 
320 ITALY. 
 
 eruption looks like. The dinner bell had twice 
 sounded in the hotel, but no one heeded it and all 
 remained outside looking eagerly towards Vesuvius. 
 Just then over the very top of the crater appeared 
 a bright, glowing mass of molten lava and we ex- 
 pected to see it run down/ when suddenly it affected 
 a rounded shape and — there was the full moon, 
 rising in all brilliancy exactly over the top of the 
 volcano. Of course everybody had a hearty laugh. 
 
 ". . an employee of the steamship line came rowing toward me . ." 
 
 The next day we patiently awaited the arrival 
 of our steamer and in the meantime took the motor 
 car, loaded with some antique Pompeian vases and 
 other similar purchases, to the custom house. After 
 more than an hour's trouble and hesitation, inter- 
 mingled, by an eruption of voluble Italian talk ac- 
 companied by unavoidable gesticulations, I finally 
 succeeded in having my triptyque signed by the 
 custom-house officers so that I could mail it to 
 
ITALY. 321 
 
 Paris and reclaim my money deposited with the 
 Touring. Club de France. 
 
 In the meantime the steamer had arrived. All 
 that was now needed was to run the car aboard the 
 lighter and empty the gasoline tank. But just at 
 that very moment an employee of the steamer line 
 came rowing toward me to announce the unwel- 
 come news that the captain of the ship could not 
 possibly take my car aboard. He had not been 
 advised of the matter in Genoa and his steamer was 
 filled with merchandise and emigrants to such an 
 extent that much other freight had to be left on 
 the quay. After vainly trying to make him change 
 his mind I became convinced that what I asked 
 from him was practically impossible, so I had to 
 resign myself to circumstances and leave the car 
 behind with Lewis, with the hope that the next 
 steamer would take them. 
 
 At the same instant I received the news that the 
 overdue English steamer with my crate box had; 
 just arrived in port. But my real troubles only be- 
 gan when I tried to persuade the custom officials to 
 re-accept my triptyque and let the car return to the 
 garage. These fossilized bureaucrats, in whom all 
 elasticity of intellect had long ago been destroyed 
 by an everlasting routine, became quite excited and 
 worked themselves up to anxious perspiration at 
 the thought of how a car could exist in the country 
 after officially it had left the country. I finally suc- 
 ceeded in making them understand that they had 
 nothing to lose as long as I trusted them with my 
 triptyque, of which they would only have to change 
 the date when the car was ready for shipment. 
 
322 ITALY. 
 
 Three days after we arrived in New York, Lewis, 
 who had followed by a steamer of another line, 
 joined us and told me that he had left the car prop- 
 erly packed on the lighter in Naples, to be shipped a 
 few days later. My triptyque I sent to Paris and a 
 few weeks later I received my check. But my 
 troubles were not at an end. I read a cable that a 
 strike had started in Naples and ships were unable 
 to load or unload merchandise. My car was kept 
 back that way for nearly six weeks. Finally I read 
 another cable that the docks were afire. As I was 
 insured against such occurrences, this excluded for 
 me any possibility of material loss. Upon inquiry I 
 learned that my car had been shipped a few hours 
 before the fire had started. It finally arrived in New 
 York, looking none the better for having been ex- 
 posed so many weeks on that lighter in Naples to the 
 damaging action of rain and sun. I furthermore 
 had a bill presented to me for demurrage, aside of 
 freight and other charges, for 1 50 lire, against which 
 I protested. In justice to the Hamburg- American 
 Line I must say that they refunded me this sum. 
 
 As to the customs formalities in New York, I was 
 helped by a competent and hustling broker. Al- 
 though everybody at the custom house was cour- 
 teous, active and businesslike, the incredible amount 
 of red tape I had to go through was fairly stag- 
 gering. This experience was in humiliating con- 
 trast to the simple and easy formalities deemed 
 sufficient in all European countries through which I 
 passed with my car. 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR 
 
 MOTOR TOURING IN 
 
 EUROPE. 
 
 SELECTION OF A MOTOR CAR. 
 
 The choice of a motor car is influenced by so 
 many conditions and circumstances that it would be 
 presumptuous to try to estabHsh hard and fast rules. 
 Therefore I will merely attempt to condense such 
 suggestions as I think I am able to offer, after 
 my personal experience, which extends from the 
 early times of the sport of automobiling until the 
 present day. The fact that repeated vacation trips 
 in Europe, previous to my 1906 tour, allowed me 
 to observe other motorists and compare my own 
 experience with that of my numerous acquaintances 
 in several countries has helped me considerably to 
 arrive at some general conclusions on the subject. 
 
 STYLE OF BODY. 
 
 I have classed below, in their order of merit, what 
 I believe to be the most desirable styles of bodies 
 for long distance touring. 
 
 I. Full limousine. Large, one-piece front win- 
 dow ; side windows and read window. All windows 
 as large as possible and made so that they can 
 be easily opened or closed. Construction such as 
 will admit the carrying of sufficient baggage. No 
 seats turned backward. Upholstery, dark-shaded 
 leather; no cloth. Electric lights optional. Attach- 
 ment for books, guides or maps ; easily accessible. 
 If possible, a locker for refreshments and one for 
 towels and toilet articles. Hat net and collapsible 
 table. 
 
 323 
 
324 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 2. Landaulet, with any or all of the above speci- 
 fications. 
 
 3. Semi-limousine. Other specifications as for 
 No. I. 
 
 4. Tonneau, with canopy top and movable front 
 plate glass. 
 
 5. Tonneau, with collapsible hood and movable 
 front plate glass. 
 
 6. Runabout, with collapsible hood. 
 
 As to wheel base, springs, suspension and similar 
 matters, it is very difficult to generalize, because they 
 depend very much on the individual characteristics 
 of each car. 
 
 MOTIVE POWER. 
 
 Thus far electric automobiles have not proved 
 suitable for long-sustained tours. Some steam cars 
 have shown beyond doubt that even tours of long 
 duration can be successfully undertaken with them ; 
 but the popular verdict has been overwhelmingly in 
 favor of internal combustion or gasoline motors. 
 The latter continue to outnumber very considerably 
 the existing steam cars. 
 
 The main question is to decide whether a motor 
 with two, four, six or even eight cylinders should 
 be preferred. Cars with six and eight cylinders 
 have been made lately, and run undoubtedly 
 smoother, but are more expensive than those pos- 
 sessing a smaller number of cylinders. 
 
 It is objected to six-cylinder cars that they con- 
 tain a large number of parts and that they require 
 the attention of a careful driver. Whether this 
 is really so time and more experience will show. 
 
 Four-cylinder cars have given good satisfaction, 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 325 
 
 and some manufacturers have been able to make 
 excellent two and three cylinder cars. As to large 
 one-cylinder cars, they are fast disappearing from 
 the market. On the other hand, there exist several 
 very successful light one-cylinder runabouts. 
 
 A much-mooted question is whether ''jump spark" 
 or "make and break spark" is to be preferred. I 
 have no hesitation in stating that both systems of 
 ignition are good, if properly carried out, and that 
 I know of excellent motors very successfully using 
 one or the other method. 
 
 Automobile constructors seem to have been rather 
 backward in knowledge as to the electrical equip- 
 ment of their machines, and on this account have 
 often misapplied a system which, in proper hands, 
 would never have failed to give satisfaction. How- 
 ever, it is more important that the electrical devices 
 should be self-generating, so as to make them inde- 
 pendent of batteries, always unreliable and capri- 
 cious. 
 
 For this purpose the motor should be provided 
 with a magneto, or better, a good dynamo; the 
 latter in conjunction with a small storage battery to 
 regulate the flow of electric current and to furnish 
 current when the dynamo is not running. 
 
 In long tours, especially through unknown dis- 
 tricts, batteries alone may cause more hesitation and 
 delay than tires or any other part of the machinery. 
 
 SIZE OF MOTOR. 
 
 A car should be driven by a motor strong enough 
 to pull it up any hill without any hesitation, , even 
 when loaded to excess. 
 
 Experience has proved that a good four-cvHnder 
 
326 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 motor rated at an "honest" 24 horse power and 
 not geared too high for speed will enable one to 
 accomplish this result with a good-sized touring 
 car weighing, in running order and everything in- 
 cluded, as much as 3,000 pounds. Even with seven 
 passengers added to this dead weight there ought 
 to be no trouble in going, on low gear, over any 
 steep grades as found on some highways. Such a 
 motor may still be able to run as fast as 25 to 28 
 miles on good level roads. 
 
 A motor car as described above must have 
 cylinder dimensions of at least 434 inches bore and 
 4^ inches stroke. Heavier cars will require corre- 
 spondingly higher powered motors. 
 
 Touring cars running at higher speeds than 25 
 to 30 miles an hour are unsafe. We have not yet 
 reached the point where tires or roads are suffi- 
 ciently perfect to allow us to exceed these limits 
 without imminent danger to passengers as well as 
 to other people on the highway. 
 
 Small light cars, carrying a light hood, may have 
 a correspondingly smaller motor, and several makes 
 of automobiles do irreproachable work at remark- 
 able speed with engines not over 8, 12 or 16 horse 
 power. A simple but safe rule for ascertaining the 
 required motive power is to count one horse power 
 for every 100 pounds of empty car. 
 
 BRAKES. 
 
 Excellent and powerful brakes, of easy inspec- 
 tion and simple adjustment, are more indispensable 
 thama large-sized motor. The brakes must be such 
 as to hold the car backward as well as forward on 
 the strongest inclines. 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 327 
 
 Of these brakes there should be a double set, 
 working independently, so that if one fails the other 
 will do the work. The construction of the brakes 
 must be of such a simple nature as to allow easy 
 replacement of any worn-out parts. 
 
 The brakes should be supplemented by a "sprag" 
 or any similar device which can hold the car from 
 running backward, even if all the brakes are out 
 of service. (See page 9.) 
 
 STEERING WHEEL. 
 
 This device must be so constructed as to preclude 
 any possibility of failing. Some cars, foreign as 
 well as American, have been built with a reckless 
 disregard of this essential condition. In some cases 
 the snapping of a small pin or the loss of a similar 
 accessory part has put the whole steering contriv- 
 ance out of operation. It is unnecessary to com- 
 ment on the perils involved in such defective con- 
 struction. Ample storage capacity for gasoline and 
 lubricants, as well as roomy boxes for tools and 
 spare parts, is very desirable. Everything pertain- 
 ing to the machinery must be easily accessible for 
 inspection or repairs. 
 
 TIRES. 
 
 I shall not try to recommend one make of tires 
 in favor of another. Generally speaking, I might 
 mention that lack of veracity has encouraged many 
 tire manufacturers in unwarranted boastfulness and 
 glaring misstatements. They have tried to hide 
 their shortcomings by expensive and noisy advertise- 
 ments, instead of giving more money and attention 
 to the manufacture of their products. 
 
 Not very long ago many tire manufacturers tried 
 
328 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 to save in cost by using "loaded" rubber composi- 
 tions. Many are using better rubber now, but seem 
 to be incompetent in the general construction of the 
 tire. They either use inferior woven material or 
 fail to utilize it properly. I have had some tires 
 made with the best of materials which gave way at 
 the rims long before the rubber began to show any 
 wear, simply because the edges were faultily con- 
 structed. The older French tire manufacturers have 
 acquired more experience in this new industry. This 
 is perhaps the main reason why their products give 
 better satisfaction. 
 
 On the other hand, the valves of French tires, as 
 well as of other European makes, are needlessly 
 complicated, and for this reason I have always re- 
 moved them from their inner tubes and replaced 
 them with simpler and more serviceable American 
 stems. 
 
 The size of tires should be sufficiently liberal to 
 correspond to the load of the car. Many variations 
 from this rule have been permitted. The cata- 
 logues of tire manufacturers indicate the sizes that 
 should be used for a given weight. Their tables 
 should be consulted before purchasing a car, other- 
 wise there will be no end of trouble from collaps- 
 ing tires. It is a wonder how little tire trouble is 
 encountered when the tires are sufficiently big, suffi- 
 ciently new and when automobiles are not driven 
 too fast. I went all through Italy with an over- 
 loaded car without the slightest puncture or other 
 trouble from the tires, although the roads were 
 sometimes rather bad. 
 
 A regrettable mistake has been made by most 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 329 
 
 constructors of modern cars in adopting for their 
 front wheels tires somewhat narrower than for the 
 rear ones. This construction may be excellent for 
 racing cars, because it allows easier steering. It 
 may also save a few dollars of the initial investment 
 for tires. On the other hand, it compels the tourist 
 to carry along two different sets of spare tires, 
 but, what is worse, it excludes the possibility of 
 using worn-out tires on the front wheels. 
 
 A rear tire showing considerable wear or one 
 having undergone a serious repair should never 
 again be used on the rear wheels unless with the 
 expectation of collapsing tires at the most inoppor- 
 tune moment, as, for instance, when an extra pas- 
 senger is taken in, or when going up grade, or 
 when the car is running very fast and a bursting 
 tire may mean death to the motorists. 
 
 With four wheels of the same diameter and the 
 same rims an old rear tire which has become worth- 
 less for such use may still render service of an 
 astonishingly long duration if transferred to the 
 lighter loaded front wheels. Adopting the latter 
 practice, it will be found at the end of the season 
 that fewer tire troubles may be combined with con- 
 siderable economy for renewals. 
 
 During the last two years a valuable innovation 
 has been introduced by the construction of remov- 
 able rims, which enables one to replace a defective 
 tire in two or three minutes by a new tire carried 
 along ready inflated on a full-sized rim. The rapid 
 unscrewing of four bolts is all that is required to 
 make the renewal. The system has shown emi- 
 nently practical results in races of long duration. I 
 
330 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 have seen it successfully used for touring purposes, 
 and it seems likely that all modern automobilists 
 will avail themselves of this great simplification as 
 soon as the invention is better known. 
 
 ANTI-SKIDDING DEVICES. 
 
 Side slip or "skidding" is one of the most danger- 
 ous happenings for a motorist. Therefore, the rear 
 tires should be provided with some device to prevent 
 this. Tires armored with riveted leather covers 
 are employed by many. I abandoned their use after 
 I found that they did not wear well on sandy coun- 
 try roads, and that they may produce "skidding" 
 in dry weather when striking the tracks of street 
 railways or very smooth pavements. I prefer to 
 use "Weed's chain grips," because they take almost 
 no room and can be put on and off in little or no 
 time, thus allowing them to be kept ready for emer- 
 gencies and in the meantime using the tires unshod. 
 I first expected to see these chain grips wear out the 
 tires very rapidly. However, I found this not to be 
 the case as long as the chains are kept in good con- 
 dition and proper precautions are taken to remove 
 any links that have become detached or have worn 
 to sharp edges. On the other hand, I have been 
 astonished to note that the cross chains wear out 
 very rapidly, and I have found it necessary to carry 
 a liberal provision of renewal links. But the latter 
 can be replaced in a few minutes. 
 
 CHAUFFEURS. 
 
 Persons who have a mechanical turn of mind can 
 quickly learn to understand everything about a 
 motor car, however intricate the machine may 
 appear, at first sight, to the uninitiated. Motoring 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 33i 
 
 becomes incomparably more pleasant if one is able 
 to drive one's own car. A good car will give little 
 or no serious trouble outside of an occasional adjust- 
 ment. If such little matters are not objected to a 
 chauffeur is not indispensable for touring. In fact, 
 his absence may sometimes simplify matters by 
 giving more independence. All this may contribute 
 to render a trip more pleasurable. As to filling in 
 gasoline or oil, or cleaning the car or handling bag- 
 gage, all these matters are readily attended to at any 
 hotel or garage, where men are purposely kept for 
 rendering these services and are very glad to find 
 an opportunity for thus earning extra tips. 
 
 The only unpleasant feature of motoring without 
 being accompanied by competent help is the dis- 
 agreeable work involved in changing tires in case of 
 punctures. For that purpose a man or groom can 
 be taken along who is able to attend to this matter 
 and make himself generally useful, even if he is not 
 a competent chauffeur. Such a man may be picked 
 up in any country and discharged whenever his 
 services are no longer required, provided an under- 
 standing to that effect has been agreed upon. 
 
 It is rather difficult to find a chauffeur who speaks 
 the several languages of the different countries in- 
 cluded in a tour. If such a man is found he will 
 often be at the same time a kind of a courier and 
 then he becomes very useful. 
 
 In France the higher paid chauffeur is a "meca- 
 nicien," who is a thoroughly trained machinist, able 
 to build a car himself if need be. Sometimes an 
 excellent machinist is not so good as a driver. 
 Furthermore, his skill is seldom of much use, be- 
 
332 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 cause in case of a repair he can do little without a 
 well-equipped machine shop. 
 
 The ordinary French chauffeur, who never 
 neglects the opportunity to style himself ''mecani- 
 cien," is a man who has acquired abundant practice 
 in the driving of a car and knows how to help 
 himself out of an average difficulty. If he be steady, 
 sober and honest he will make an excellent driver, 
 eager to please his employer and never minding 
 some extra work, provided he gets a good meal 
 and his bottle of light wine. To the latter every- 
 body in France is accustomed to such a degree that 
 to have to eat a meal without wine is almost con- 
 sidered a disgrace, even by a common laborer. 
 
 The English chauffeur, too, with his well-trained 
 way of doing things, will make a favorable compari- 
 son with many an American chauffeur. In our 
 country more than anywhere else are to be found 
 a class of persons who call themselves chauffeurs 
 and have fallen into their new occupation after 
 having failed at everything else. Their self-satis- 
 fied attitude and ill-trained manners, which tend 
 more to show their impudence and lack of breeding 
 than their independence, do not make them desirable 
 traveling companions. Of course, I am too well 
 aware that among American chauffeurs are also to 
 be found many level-headed and skillful men who 
 compare favorably with those of any other nation. 
 
 With modern, reliable motor cars it is less a 
 knowledge of machinery than a steady head, care- 
 fulness and experience in driving that are required 
 from a chauffeur. Any person of average intelli- 
 gence can quickly learn to make whatever small 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 33.3 
 
 adjustments may be necessary, and his main work 
 will soon reduce itself to a mere routine occupation. 
 Any serious repairs or alterations cannot be well 
 performed without such machinery as is found only 
 in machine shops, where, at the same time, a trained 
 machinist is always available. 
 
 COACHMEN AS CHAUFFEURS. 
 
 My personal experience, as well as that of several 
 of my friends, is that a good coachman whom you 
 train yourself makes the best chauffeur. If you 
 are not able to teach him, it is very easy to have him 
 trained by a competent man, who will succeed in 
 less than one or two weeks in bringing him to the 
 point where he can drive the car under all ordinary 
 conditions. A little more practice will soon give 
 him self-assurance. At that stage he will have some 
 great advantages over the slouchy, cigarette-smok- 
 ing, devil-may-care, half-machinist-chauflfeur who 
 has been reared in a greasy machine shop. He will 
 keep his machine cleaner and not neglect to wash 
 his expensive car as carefully as the less costly horse 
 vehicle. Neither will he dare to appear with soiled 
 clothing, a black face or oily hands. Being used 
 to the rules of the road, he will show some defer- 
 ence to the rights of other drivers. Furthermore, he 
 will not imagine that he lowers himself by being 
 polite to his employer. After the new chauffeur 
 has reached this desirable stage in his development 
 the automobile owner should inexorably insist upon 
 cautious driving and never in any way encourage 
 speeding. If you neglect these rules you will soon 
 spoil your man and make of him a reckless, boast- 
 ful scorcher, who will never feel satisfied if you do 
 
334 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 not own the fastest car on earth, and who will 
 become a menace to yourself, your family and your 
 friends. 
 
 In Europe charges in hotels for board of chauf- 
 feurs are very moderate. They vary somewhat 
 according to locality. During my tour in many 
 places in France and Italy the price, including 
 everything, even wine, did not exceed five or six 
 frances per day. The highest charges were in Edin- 
 burgh, where eight shillings was exacted. Strange 
 to say, it often occurred that in just the places where 
 charges were highest drivers were treated in the 
 most stinted way compared with most other hotels, 
 where they were very well taken care of. 
 
 I was told by people who know that if the chauf- 
 feur pays his own board charges are apt to be much 
 lower, and that is the reason why some chauffeurs 
 prefer to make such arrangement as to salary, so 
 that they pay their own hotel expenses. 
 
 An American friend of mine traveled all through 
 France and Italy with a very competent French 
 driver, who at the same time was an excellent 
 machinist, and came from the very shop where his 
 car was manufactured. His monthly wages were 
 sixty dollars, everything included, leaving the chauf- 
 feur to pay his own hotel expenses. 
 
 I know of European friends who made even more 
 favorable arrangements. On the other hand, the 
 passing tourist, being unacquainted with local con- 
 ditions, will, of course, be expected to pay more, 
 especially if he engages a chauffeur in a large city, 
 where higher wages prevail on account of a more 
 expensive way of living. 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 335 
 
 LANGUAGES. 
 
 An often repeated but very erroneous statement 
 induces many American travelers to believe that all 
 over Continental Europe it is possible to get along 
 with English alone. It is stated that everywhere 
 people are to be found who understand or speak 
 this language in some fashion or another. This 
 may be true in so far as some larger hotels in 
 tourist centres are concerned. Unfortunately, it is 
 not so in many smaller places. The motorist who 
 traverses the most hidden and remote corners of 
 one of these foreign countries and who does not 
 speak the current language is often embarrassed to 
 the point that he cannot make himself understood in 
 the simplest matters. Therefore, I advise the carry- 
 ing of a small dictionary. The Touring Club de 
 France, in one of its little annuals, published a very 
 useful .vocabulary in many languages especially 
 adapted for motorists and cyclists. 
 
 RENTING MOTOR CARS. 
 
 In late years several agencies have been started 
 here, as well as in Europe, whose purpose it is to 
 hire out to the intending American tourist a fully 
 equipped car, provide him with a chauffeur and 
 arrange the whole trip beforehand. Charges are 
 made at so much per day, per week or per month, 
 and prices include everything from gasoline, tires 
 and repairs to the wages and hotel expenses of the 
 chauffeur. 
 
 In such cases the main object is to find reliable 
 agents who do not send undesirable chauffeurs or 
 cars of doubtful quality. Charges vary consider- 
 ably, according to the locality, the duration of the 
 
336 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 trip and the value of the machine. It has come to 
 my knowledge that in some tourist centres of 
 Europe the hotelkeepers and garage men begin by 
 pocketing one-third of the price as commission for 
 bringing the unwary American travelers in rela- 
 tion with the owner of some automobile who wants 
 to make some extra money by loaning his car and 
 chauffeur. I know of some American friends who, 
 after discovering this dodge, were able to tour for 
 a week through Switzerland in a magnificent car at 
 the low rate of $20 per day. 
 
 Near Etretat there was an automobile company 
 that rented out good tonneaus, with room for four 
 passengers besides the driver, for 100 francs per 
 day, and only 80 francs if the car was taken for 
 several days in succession. For larger and com- 
 fortable limousines the price would be higher, but 
 all this depends on particular conditions. 
 
 A day's ride is ordinarily figured at 100 miles. 
 At this rate hiring an automobile becomes consider- 
 ably cheaper than touring in one's own car, if the 
 latter has to be shipped and reshipped and if a chauf- 
 feur is taken along from America. 
 
 Nevertheless, for the motorist who knows his own 
 car a hired car will no more bring him the same 
 enjoyment than will a hired cab to the lover of 
 horses who is accustomed to drive about in his own 
 carriage. 
 
 REPAIRS AND SPARE PARTS. 
 
 For an extended tour abroad it will be advisable 
 to carry along some spare parts, especially such as 
 cannot be purchased there or cannot be readily 
 made to order. Several automobile manufacturers 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 337 
 
 in the United States are willing to provide their 
 customers with a set of extra parts and refund 
 money for unused parts after the trip is over. 
 
 As to repairs in Europe, I found that the charges 
 were incomparably smaller than in New York; in 
 several cases I obtained parts, made entirely to 
 order, at lower prices than I have to pay at home 
 for the ready-made article. Besides, all along the 
 well-traveled highways of Europe it is possible to 
 find a competent man who can make good repairs. 
 
 As to tires, they can be found everywhere in 
 Europe and considerably cheaper than in' America. 
 In France excellent Michelin covers 34x4^ inches 
 cost only $43. Everywhere in Europe, even in Eng- 
 land, tire dimensions are given exclusively in metric 
 measures, for instance, 120x880 millimeters, instead 
 of the above mentioned size. 
 
 AFFILIATIONS WITH EUROPEAN AUTOMOBILE OR 
 TOURING CLUBS. 
 
 For anyone who undertakes a motor tour in 
 Europe it will be found of considerable advantage 
 to become a member of some active touring club or 
 automobile club, provided he is not already a mem- 
 ber of a similar organization at home affiliated with 
 European clubs. In the latter case reciprocal ex- 
 change of courtesies is expected, and he may be 
 able to avail himself, of European club facilities by 
 a simple letter of introduction. At the trifling ex- 
 pense of six francs per annum ($1.20) an American 
 tourist can become a member of the Touring Club 
 de France. All that he has to do is to apply for 
 membership to the central office of this club, which 
 has splendid headquarters in Paris, 65 Avenue de la 
 
338 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 Grande Armee. This touring club issues a monthly 
 journal — in French — and sells to its members 
 maps, guides and itineraries for all countries at re- 
 duced prices. A special committee furnishes all in- 
 formation and undertakes to provide "triptyques" for 
 simplifying customs formalities in the principal 
 countries of Europe. Furthermore, the club has made 
 contracts with many hotels in France and some 
 other European countries which insure uniform 
 prices to their members and often allow a discount 
 of 5 to lo per cent, on the hotel bill. In some in- 
 stances my bills were thus reduced fifty francs. The 
 ever-increasing number of members is now over 
 icx),ooo, and this club has acquired in France a 
 national importance strengthened by its influence in 
 other countries all over the world, where it en- 
 deavors to co-operate with other similar organiza- 
 tions. The directorate of the club includes some of 
 the most distinguished names of the French nation. 
 
 There is also the Automobile Club de France, 6 
 Place de la Concorde, Paris, a very important and 
 active association of motorists, to which admission 
 is somewhat more difficult and which, therefore, 
 does not number as many members as the more 
 popular Touring Club de France. 
 
 The following is a list of clubs in the different 
 countries, membership in which will be of value to 
 the tourist in these countries: 
 Great Britain: 
 
 Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland, 
 1 19 Piccadilly, London, W. 
 
 Motor Union of Great Britain and Ireland, i 
 Albemarle street, London, W. 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 339 
 
 Belgium : 
 
 Automobile Club de Belgique, 5 Place Royale, 
 Brussels. 
 Holland: 
 
 Nederlandsche Automobile Club, i B Nassati 
 Plein, The Hague, 
 Switzerland : 
 
 Automobile Club de Suisse, Hotel Grand Metro- 
 pole, Grand Quay, Geneva. 
 Germany : 
 
 Kaiserlicher Automobil Club, 9, Leipzigerplatz 
 16, Berlin W. 
 Austria : 
 
 Osterreichischer Automobil Club, 10 Karnthner- 
 ring, Vienna. 
 Hungary : 
 
 Magyar Automobile Club, 22 Esterhazy Uctza, 
 Budapest IV. 
 Italy : 
 
 Touring Club Italiano, Via Monte Napoleoni 14, 
 Milan. 
 
 Club Automobilisti Italiano, Via Plana, Turin. 
 
 GUIDES, MAPS, ETC. 
 
 The Touring Club de France sell, for the trifling 
 sum of about thirty cents each, four little volumes 
 containing itineraries, routes, hotels, police regula- 
 tions, customs laws, an automobile vocabulary in 
 six languages and much other useful information. 
 They also sell itineraries, printed on small separate 
 sheets, briefly describing any tourist route. These 
 little sheets are invaluable and cost but one cent 
 apiece. Excellent maps of France on a scale of 
 400,000:1 and -cut up in sections are published by 
 
340 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 this san;le club. They also furnish maps of other 
 European countries. 
 
 The different automobile clubs of France or Great 
 Britain render the same service to their members. 
 Similar guides and maps can be bought in any 
 country. They can be obtained through the principal 
 book stores in large cities like London, Edinburgh, 
 Paris, Berlin or Leipzig, but it is best to apply to 
 such stores as make a specialty of maps and guide 
 books. For Great Britain I should mention the 
 excellent maps of Gall & Inglis ; also Bartholomew's 
 reduced survey maps. Gall & Inglis (25 Paternoster 
 square, London). The latter publishers have 
 rendered a great service by printing a contour road 
 book of England and Scotland, in which they give 
 a condensed description of each road, together with 
 elevation plans. These neat little volumes allow 
 one to obtain rapidly information as to inclines and 
 other details of the road, which cannot be found' 
 on maps. 
 
 A similar set of three volumes is issued by the 
 Italian Touring Club under the title of "Guida 
 Itineraria del Touring Club Italiano, Strade di 
 Grande Comunicazione del Italia." It is a pity that 
 this otherwise very useful Italian publication does 
 not give, like the British contour books, a condensed 
 description of objects of interest along the route. 
 
 For Germany I used, a few years ago, special 
 contour maps published by Mittelbach (10 Czer- 
 maksgarten, Leipzig, Germany), under the name of 
 "Deutsche Strassenprofilkarte fiir Radfahrer." 
 These maps were conceived in a somewhat different 
 way, which made them eminently practical. 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 341 
 
 Carefully executed maps especially arranged for 
 cyclists and motorists are for sale in all European 
 countries. I refer to the special booksellers, who 
 can obtain them, or to the touring or automobile 
 clubs, who will readily supply further information 
 on this subject. Michelin and other tire manufac- 
 turers issue very useful guide books which are ob- 
 tainable everywhere free of charge from their 
 agents. 
 
 During my repeated travels in Europe I have 
 found Baedeker's excellent guide books an invalu- 
 able source of information ; in fact, I consider these 
 little volumes indispensable for supplementary ad- 
 vice which cannot be found in maps or road books. 
 I especially appreciated the accurate and unbiased 
 way in which these well-known handbooks for triav- 
 elers are written. 
 
 SELECTING AN ITINERARY OR PLANNING A TOUR. 
 
 Each tourist has his own preferences of certain 
 countries, for certain cities, or for certain ways of 
 traveling, and it would be unwise to presume that 
 any advice on the subject could be offered which 
 would meet with the approval of everybody. 
 
 I know of more than one person who, after de- 
 voting his life almost exclusively to the art of mak- 
 ing money, suddenly discovers on the day when he 
 undertakes a vacation trip that he has forgotten the 
 art of enjoying life. Such people may try to copy 
 the methods of happiness of their less wealthy 
 acquaintances and conclude that they themselves 
 find very little satisfaction in it. In fact, these un- , 
 fortunate beings may have reached the point where 
 
342 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 no real enjoyment exists for them anywhere aside 
 from their money-making occupations. As soon as 
 they leave business dreadful ennui stares them in 
 the face. If such people travel the first sensation 
 of novelty . is soon marred by rapidly succeeding 
 causes for dissatisfaction. They find that they 
 seldom meet the special conditions of living which 
 are in accordance with the habits they have con- 
 tracted in their one-sided routine life. Most of 
 the time they try to cajole themselves into the belief 
 that they are enjoying themselves, while in reality 
 they are merely spending money right and left in 
 increasing amounts without great satisfaction, or 
 they keep rushing from one country to another in 
 vain search of happiness. I have known such 
 people who from the mere fact of being in a certain 
 city were overcome by ennui, which caused them 
 to move to another place where their implacable tor- 
 mentor, ennui, followed them as fast as train or 
 automobile could carry them. Such people will 
 ordinarily finish by finding that two or three large 
 capitals in Europe, with very elaborately appointed 
 hotels, agree best with their perverted psychological 
 condition, and they will welcome the day of deliv- 
 erance which brings them back home to the occupa- 
 tions of an automatic and half-dizzy routine life. 
 
 Some ladies accustomed to an empty and super- 
 ficial life of ostentation and pleasure, not tempered 
 by serious responsibilities, may reach this same men- 
 tal unfitness for enjoying anything which does not 
 closely approach their narrow conceptions of liv- 
 ing. They, too, will soon seek in travel little else 
 but a succession of large cities and large hotels 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 343 
 
 where they can find an opportunity of exhibiting 
 their bewildering supply of stunning dresses. 
 
 I am afraid that for such tourists my suggestions 
 will be very much out of place. There are, however, 
 many other travelers who, like myself, have simpler 
 habits and look upon touring not only as an agree- 
 able pastime, but especially as a great intellectual 
 enjoyment. To the latter class of tourists I dare 
 try to give some general advice. 
 
 In the first place I would tell them not to crowd 
 too many miles into their tour, especially if their 
 time is limited. If they do they will soon acquire 
 that hunted feeling which will put them at par with 
 the belated commuter who makes his train connec- 
 tions watch in hand. 
 
 It is better to select an interesting itinerary than 
 a long one, and if you are in a lovely district stop 
 there for a few days and learn to better enjoy the 
 country while getting acquainted with it. Try to 
 cultivate that sentiment of repose which is so sadly 
 lacking in our overcrowded, strenuous life in Ameri- 
 can cities. Some people travel around with the 
 desire "to take it all in," resembling a hungry man 
 gorging himself to suffocation before an abundant 
 meal. Therefore, te very judicious in the selection 
 of your trip. 
 
 ATTRACTIVE TOURIN'G DISTRICTS. 
 
 England and Scotland alone are by themselves 
 interesting enough to fill a tour of one or two 
 months, and will prove especially enjoyable to such 
 travelers as are totally unacquainted with foreign 
 languages. If other countries are visited such 
 
344 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 itineraries should be preferred as include attractive 
 scenery ordinarily not so accessible by railroad. 
 
 I may mention, for instance, for France: 
 
 Brittany and the coast of Normandy, the French 
 Alps, the Jura, Savoy and Dauphine, the Vosges and 
 Alsace, the Rhone district, the Loire district, the 
 Pyrenees, the French Riviera. 
 
 Italy abounds with similar places and naming 
 them would be mentioning almost every district of 
 Italy. The Italian Riviera and the Gulf of Salerno 
 should be especially mentioned. Even Sicily affords 
 charming automobile trips. 
 
 Switzerland is sufficiently known for its imposing 
 picturesqueness, and the fact that good roads are to 
 be found almost everywhere would make it a para- 
 dise for the motorist but for the unpleasant hostility 
 which has been displayed by the inhabitants of some 
 sections in this country. 
 
 The Rhine country, the Black Forest and Bavaria 
 are generally accepted as the most picturesque parts 
 of Germany. 
 
 Austria offers Tyrol, which is very similar to 
 Switzerland, although not so extensively visited. 
 Also many less known but intensely interesting dis- 
 tricts toward the Adriatic, where the country begins 
 to savor somewhat of neighboring Eastern lands. 
 
 The south of Spain would be extremely interest- 
 ing were better accommodation obtainable and were 
 roads not in such a miserable condition. 
 
 Algiers, Tunis and Egypt have lately become 
 favorite touring resorts, especially for French 
 motorists, who report satisfactory conditions as to 
 hotels and excellent roads. 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 345 
 
 BEST SEASON FOR TOURS. 
 
 The season in which the tour is undertaken has 
 naturally a great bearing on the selection of the 
 route. In winter, early spring or late fall the south 
 of France, the Italian coast or Sicily may be visited, 
 but even then one is not sure of avoiding occasional 
 chilly or wet weather, although snow or frost is of 
 but rare occurrence. Algiers, Tunis and Egypt 
 offer a more sure, steady and mild climate during 
 the cold months of the year. 
 
 All other northern countries are very uninviting 
 during the cold season. There, when it is not rainy 
 and wet, the roads are covered with snow or ice. 
 
 The best time to visit the United Kingdom is in 
 spring or midsummer. During that time the weather 
 is ordinarily very agreeable and not too much 
 marred by an overabundance of rain. 
 
 Midsummer is also the best time for Switzerland 
 and the other high mountain resorts of Europe. 
 
 The main objection to the month of August is 
 that during that time all summer resorts are very 
 much overcrowded, especially along the seashore, 
 and, therefore, it is advisable to keep more inland, 
 where it is often cooler and certainly always more 
 comfortable. 
 
 An automobile, as long as it keeps in motion, will 
 make the hottest day cool and enjoyable. 
 
 ^ It is a capital mistake to believe that hot summer 
 months are not suitable for automobiling along the 
 Riviera or in Italy. Quite on the contrary, a hot 
 day is never more unbearable than in London, Paris 
 or Berlin, where houses and hotels are not con- 
 structed in view of abnormally hot weather, and 
 
346 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 where the customs and usages of northern people 
 sometimes make summer heat a very trying ordeal. 
 
 In southern countries, like Italy, everything is 
 arranged to assure comfort in hot weather, and it 
 is seldom that a good hotel does not possess cool 
 and spacious rooms. At that season southern hotels 
 are never overcrowded and offer the best accommo- 
 dation. In winter or early spring many southern 
 hotels are decidedly uncomfortable, because they 
 have no proper facilities for heating the rooms. 
 
 I ought to mention that in summer several marshy 
 parts of Italy are notoriously malarious. It is ad- 
 visable not to travel through them early in the morn- 
 ing or at night and to avoid mosquito bites. For 
 the latter purpose all good hotels in Italy provide 
 their beds with mosquito netting. Italian malaria, 
 similar to the American illness of the same name, 
 yields to quinine treatment. 
 
 The months of September and October are ex- 
 ceedingly well adapted for touring in the south of 
 France or Italy. Northern and middle France, 
 northern Belgium, Holland and northern Germany 
 offer, as a whole, a rather monotonous and flat land- 
 scape, but the tourist may desire to visit these coun- 
 tries on account of other objects of interest. 
 
 SUITABLE STARTING POINTS. 
 
 Several seaports may be selected from which J;o 
 start an automobile trip. In the United Kingdom a 
 tour may be commenced from London, Southamp- 
 ton, Liverpool or Glasgow. 
 
 For France and middle Europe or any trips south- 
 ward, Havre is certainly the best port. The car may 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 347 
 
 also be shipped directly to Marseilles, whence a trip 
 along the Mediterranean can be started. 
 
 For northern Europe the principal ports are Ham- 
 burg or Bremen, Amsterdam or Rotterdam and 
 Antwerp. 
 
 A tour in Great Britain may be arranged accord- 
 ing to the itinerary described by me, and may be 
 completed by side trips through Cornwall, Wales, 
 the lake district, the north of Scotland and Ireland, 
 with excellent roads almost everywhere. 
 
 In order to reach France from England the routes 
 Dover-Calais, Folkestone-Boulogne and Newhaven- 
 Dieppe may be used ; but the most practical route is 
 Southampton-Havre. Cars may be shipped also 
 from Liverpool to Marseilles. 
 
 Italy has only two available ports for automobiles 
 from the States, Genoa and Naples, but the latter 
 place is not as convenient as Genoa, because steam- 
 ers stop there only a few hours, and this makes 
 loading and unloading a rather uncertain matter 
 unless special arrangements are made with the 
 steamship companies. 
 
 From Havre almost all tours on the Continent 
 may be commenced. From there any part of France 
 can be conveniently reached. In the same way good 
 roads lead from Havre to southern Germany, Swit- 
 zerland, Tyrol, Austria, Spain and Italy. In ac- 
 cordance with these general indications special itin- 
 eraries can be planned, and in order to facilitate 
 matters advice can be asked of any of the touring 
 clubs in Europe, but the information contained in 
 the annuals issued by these associations will give 
 ample opportunity to make a judicious selection. 
 
348 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 BAGGAGE. 
 
 While touring do not overload yourself with more 
 baggage than is strictly necessary. Too much of it 
 is hard on the tires and may cramp even the room- 
 iest carriage. On the other hand, be liberal with 
 your provision of linen. Laundry work is slow and 
 of uncertain quality in many places, especially dur- 
 ing the busy season; and unreliable deliveries will 
 often cause irksome delays. Therefore, always have 
 linen enough on hand so as to be able to choose 
 such places where you feel sure that the laundry 
 will not upset your plans of leaving at a specified 
 time. 
 
 On a tour baggage is ever exposed to dust and 
 rain, and, therefore, should be properly protected by 
 means of dust- and waterproof coverings; the lat- 
 ter, when properly strapped, will at the same time 
 avoid unpleasant losses and prevent bundles from 
 falling off unnoticed while traveling at a good 
 speed. 
 
 HOTELS AND GARAGES. 
 
 Only in large cities or important summer or win- 
 ter resorts is it possible to find European hotels 
 which can compare in size and general organization 
 with the best establishments of the United States. 
 Most hostelries in Europe are much smaller. On 
 the other hand, more attention is given to the trav- 
 eler and the service is considerably better than in 
 the majority of American hotels. 
 
 In England or Scotland I have never heard of 
 even the simplest country inn which did not pos- 
 sess at least one bathroom. In France one still 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 349 
 
 meets with hotels which, otherwise good, do not 
 seem to consider the bathtub indispensable. In all 
 the Italian hotels I frequented I found sufficient 
 accommodation for bathing, and I have been rather 
 astonished to find that the average tourist hotel in 
 Italy is generally cleaner and gives better service 
 than many French hotels that cater to the same class 
 of travelers. 
 
 In most Continental hotels breakfast is of the sim- 
 plest kind, consisting simply of coffee and rolls, 
 while the two other meals are very substantial. To 
 obtain anything except boiled eggs is rather difficult, 
 and may become a pretext for considerably increased 
 charges. This is simply due to the fact that the 
 cook is not supposed to be at work before eleven in 
 the morning. 
 
 HOTEL CHARGES. 
 
 In Great Britain, on the contrary, breakfast is 
 very substantial, well served and well prepared. 
 Often it is the only tasteful meal of the day. Except 
 in Great Britain, soap is never provided in European 
 hotels, and the traveler is expected to bring his own 
 supply of this necessary article. 
 
 In Scotland, hotels are somewhat more expensive 
 than in England. In England, prices are apt to be 
 higher than in Germany, France or Italy. 
 
 As a rule charges of European hotels are lower 
 than in corresponding American hotels, even after 
 including liberal tips. The only exception to this 
 may be found in a few hotels, in large cities, which 
 are almost exclusively patronized by Americans; 
 also in gambling resorts, like Monte Carlo. 
 
350 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 ICE AND DRINKING WATER. 
 
 In some localities on the Continent, for instance, 
 Holland, Belgium and the northern part of France, 
 drinking water is decidedly bad, and is obtained 
 from defectively constructed wells. In hilly or 
 mountainous regions water is ordinarily of excellent 
 quality and can be relied upon. 
 
 For those who have any hesitation on this sub- 
 ject, I would advise inquiry as to the source of the 
 water supply. If it comes from a shallow well it is 
 advisable to reject it. Water from a spring is 
 ordinarily more reliable. If it is provided by the 
 city, and if the locality is a hilly one, it is ordinarily 
 safe to use it. 
 
 I might mention that England was the first coun- 
 try to give proper attention to the systematic purifi- 
 cation of the public water supply. The water of 
 Paris is considered to be rather defective in many 
 respects. 
 
 In some parts of Europe the water contains a 
 considerable amount of lime salts, which give it a 
 special taste. This "hardness," if not exaggerated, 
 is not objectionable. Most European hygienists be- 
 lieve that water should contain some Time salts. I 
 know some authorities who claim that the unusually 
 soft water that we drink in some of the Eastern 
 States is responsible for much of the dyspepsia 
 which is prevalent among us. 
 
 The odor, taste and color of drinking water are 
 very often valuable indications as to whether or not 
 it should be rejected. Odor and taste are com- 
 pletely masked after chilling water by the introduc- 
 tion of a lump of ice. This is one more reason 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 3S1 
 
 why ice should be used sparingly. In Europe 
 ice is almost always of doubtful quality. It is or- 
 dinarily collected in questionable localities, from 
 stagnant pools or sluggish rivers. Artificial ice 
 manufacturing is not yet carried on with the degree 
 of perfection it has attained in the States; ordi- 
 narily any available kind of water is used, while 
 distilled or otherwise purified water is seldom 
 resorted to for ice manufacturing. In Savoie, Swit- 
 zerland, Italy and Tyrol ice is often obtained from 
 the nearby glaciers, and is then of excellent quality. 
 
 UNCOOKED VEGETABLES. 
 
 I have very good reasons for warning all travelers 
 in Europe against eating uncooked vegetables, 
 excepting fruit or tomatoes. Few Americans are 
 aware of the fact that in most European countries 
 table vegetables are manured by means of fre- 
 quently renewed applications of that kind of ferti- 
 lizer which exists abundantly in localities where ele- 
 mentary sanitary contrivances are almost totally un- 
 known. The farmers have been using this disgust- 
 ing method of manuring since remote ages, and 
 people of their countries have been accustomed to 
 it since childhood. This is, I believe, the only 
 reason why no one seems to object to this repulsive 
 practice. I make it a rule while traveling in Europe 
 to refrain from touching any raw salad or celery, 
 however well washed it may be. Ordinary stable 
 manure, as used in the States, is bad enough, but 
 I draw the line against this European way of fer- 
 tilizing. If I did not protest from a hygienic stand- 
 point, I should do so for aesthetic considerations. I 
 ought to mention that in France and Italy many 
 
352 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 restaurants know how to prepare excellent stewed 
 salad or celery, or other similar cooked vegetables. 
 
 TIPS. 
 
 Almost all of the better country hotels, as well 
 as those situated in towns visited by tourists, are 
 nowadays provided with garages. Some make a 
 small charge, while at others you are merely ex- 
 pected to give a tip to the man who is in charge 
 of the garage. This tip varies from fifty centimes 
 to one shilling a day, according to whether you use 
 the garage only one day or several days in succes- 
 sion. If any special services have been rendered 
 the tip is supposed to be correspondingly higher. 
 In larger cities hotels with garages are rarer, and, 
 therefore, the cars are sent to garages that make it 
 a regular business. The charges here vary from 
 one to three shillings a day, and tips are expected if 
 special help has been given. 
 
 As to the general matter of tips, I have found 
 that when paying large bills about ten per cent, of 
 the total amount distributed among porter, boots, 
 chambermaid and waiter is usually considered 
 amply sufficient. For smaller bills this amount often 
 reaches fifteen per cent., while in restaurants or 
 cafes the smallest purchase means a minimum tip of 
 ten centimes, or one penny in England, and often 
 twice as much. 
 
 In England and Scotland some hotels still con- 
 tinue to make a separate charge for light and 
 attendance, although they expect you to tip the wait- 
 ers just the same. More modem hotels have stopped 
 this silly and antiquated custom. Not so long ago 
 most Continental hotels made supplementary charges 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 353 
 
 for light, under the heading "Bougie." I am glad 
 to state that the absurd practice is disappearing, and 
 in more modern hotels the room charges include 
 everything except the bath. 
 
 MONEY AND PASSPORTS. 
 
 When on a motor tour it is more than ever neces- 
 sary to be well provided with money, but carrying 
 large sums may be inconvenient, if not dangerous. 
 A circular letter of credit is the most practical way 
 to feel financially at ease. The only objection to 
 a letter of credit is that only once in a while is a 
 town met with a bank where money can be drawn. 
 I have always found it very convenient to carry, 
 besides my letter of credit, some American Express 
 checks in denominations of $io and $20, which are 
 readily accepted in almost all hotels or stores patron- 
 ized by American tourists. The fact that the rate 
 of exchange for all kinds of money is printed on 
 each slip has made these useful checks a sort of 
 international money system. One time when I 
 happened to be in the Republic of Colombia, in 
 South America, during one of the numerous revolu- 
 tions, I readily obtained 1,000 Colombian paper dol- 
 lars in exchange for a $20 American Express check ! 
 
 As to passports, I would advise every American 
 automobilist to obtain one before touring in foreign 
 countries. He may not need it at all, or he may be 
 very glad to have it availably at some critical time, 
 even if only as a document of identification at the 
 bank or post office. 
 
 SHIPPING THE MOTOR CAR. 
 
 The motor-car owner who desires to be relieved 
 from any preoccupation as to the shipping of his 
 
354 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 car should apply to some express company, or any 
 of the automobile companies that make a specialty 
 of this kind of business. This will cost somewhat 
 more than to deal directly with the steamship com- 
 panies and to have the box made to order. On the 
 other hand, the charges made by above-mentioned 
 companies include everything — loading and unload- 
 ing, as well as customs formalities. The cost of 
 transportation varies according to the bulk of the 
 crated car expressed in cubic feet. In Europe, 
 between England and France, cars are accepted on 
 steamers without crating. They are either se- 
 curely lashed on deck and covered with tarpaulins, 
 or are safely stowed away in the hold. The Auto- 
 mobile Club of America is trying to induce the 
 steamer companies on this side to adopt the same 
 methods. If they succeed an enormous simplifica- 
 tion in the problem of transatlantic transportation 
 of motor cars will be secured. That club might 
 go one step further and persuade the American cus- 
 tom-house officials to reduce their unnecessary red 
 tape for re-entering automobiles, and adopt a plan 
 similar to that of most European countries. 
 
 Although there is no duty on a machine built in 
 the United States and returning from a foreign 
 port, it is necessary to be provided with the original 
 shipping manifest from America to Europe. Also a 
 certified statement of the American consul, at the 
 European port whence the car is reshipped, that the 
 latter is of American make and while in Europe has 
 not undergone any changes or additions which have 
 increased its commercial value. In fact, in order 
 to avoid any controversy on the subject, it may be 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 355 
 
 well, before shipping the car to Europe, to have a 
 signed statement from an American custom-house 
 officer describing the automobile fully. 
 
 In the case of a foreign-built machine which has 
 already paid duty on its original entry into this 
 country no further duty is levied upon its re-entry 
 here, provided a certificate of registration is made 
 out before the car leaves these shores. For this 
 purpose the car has to be submitted for inspection 
 by the appraiser and a general inventory has to be 
 made up of tools, tires and spare parts. This in- 
 ventory must be presented to the custom house when 
 the car re-enters the country. We are still very far 
 from the simple and practical triptyque system as 
 adopted in Europe. 
 
 All the above-mentioned formalities should be 
 attended to by a custom-house broker, who knows 
 his way through the intricacy of all the surrounding 
 red tape. 
 
 CRATING. 
 
 A good crate or box can be made for $50 to $75, 
 according to the size of the car. As the box will 
 be required for the return trip, it will be well to 
 construct it in such a way that it can be easily taken 
 apart and assembled again. 
 
 WelUseasoned lumber will prevent the knocked- 
 down box during storage near the wharves ffom 
 shrinking or warping to such an extent that the dif- 
 ferent parts do not fit well when they are reassem- 
 bled for the return trip. It is well to mark and num- 
 ber all pieces to avoid confusion while assembling. 
 
 Before boxing the automobile a thin layer of thick 
 oil should be brushed over all finished iron or nickel- 
 
356 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 plated and brass parts to prevent rusting while the 
 machine is inside of the ship's damp hold. The 
 suspending springs should be blocked and tied, to 
 insure immovability of the body. All loose parts 
 should be fastened and the windows lowered and 
 made immovable to prevent breakage. Water and 
 gasoline tanks should be emptied and electric wires 
 disconnected to prevent short circuiting or self-dis- 
 charge of the cells. 
 
 The material for the box should be ordinary 
 tongue and groove pine boards, dressed on both 
 sides, four or five inches wide, and one inch thick. 
 The floor should be so constructed as to support the 
 whole weight of the car. For this purpose it should 
 be made of two skids 6x6 inches, and at least 
 two inches longer than the extreme length of the 
 auto. The beveled ends of the skids will allow of 
 the use of rollers for sliding the boxed car. The 
 skids should be placed so as to come directly under 
 the wheels, and thus support the main pressure of 
 the total weight. On the outside of each skid should 
 be spiked a piece 2x4 inches in such a way that its 
 top is level with that of the skid, and broadens the 
 top of the latter by two inches. 
 
 The floor must be at least two inches wider than 
 the extreme width of the car, the excess depending 
 on tlie thickness of the boards used. The boards of 
 the floor are nailed to the skids, and great care 
 should be taken to have the latter exactly parallel 
 and the boards square to them. 
 
 The car is run on this platform and put accurately 
 m position. Then the wheels are blocked by means 
 of eight wooden wedges, screwed to side boards and 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 357 
 
 to the floor of the box. But this does not prevent 
 trouble in case one of the tires deflates, which would 
 make the car sag and damage the axles. Therefore 
 the axles or the hubs should be supported by and 
 tied to four wooden or steel props, properly lined 
 
 Diagram of Crate for Shipping an Automobile to Europe. 
 
 on the supporting surface with leather, carivas or 
 cloth to prevent scratching. 
 
 The sides are built up on four uprights to each 
 side, of 2x4 inch material, the length of each being 
 the height of the car, with at least two inches clear- 
 ance, plus twice the thickness of the ceiling, plus 
 four inches. In this way each upright will lap down 
 
358 
 
 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 four inches on the side of the skid, where it is fast- 
 ened by a lag screw. 
 
 The boards for the sides should be cut shorter 
 than the length of the skid by twice their own 
 thickness, which allows the front and rear of the 
 box to set into a rabbet. The boards for the top 
 piece are likewise nailed to four cross-pieces, 2x4 
 inches. The length of these cross-pieces is equal 
 to the width of the floor, plus four inches. As to the 
 
 THE HORSELESS AGE 
 
 Blocking the Wheel in the Crate. 
 
 boards used for the top, their length is equal to 
 that of the floor. The front and rear ends are 
 similarly made, using three cross-pieces for each. 
 These cross-pieces are placed horizontally, while 
 the required boards are nailed so as to stand upright. 
 One cross-piece is in the centre, the other two are 
 at the top and bottom, the latter placed so as to 
 overlap at the top piece and at the floor by three 
 inches. This necessitates material 2x5 inches thick 
 and of a length equal to the full width of the floor, 
 plus four inches. The length of the boards is given 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 359 
 
 by the inside height of the box, plus the thickness of 
 one board. 
 
 For very large or very heavy cars it may be 
 necessary to strengthen the floor below by nailing 
 diagonal pieces between the skids; the outside of 
 the top can likewise be strengthened by running 
 along the edges a 2x4 piece, braced against the 
 cross-pieces. The latter precaution prevents the 
 collapse of the ceiling by the crushing action of the 
 chains or ropes, which might be used in a careless 
 manner, while hoisting the car to or from the ship. 
 The edges of the top part can be fastened to the 
 uprights of the sides with lag screws or secured 
 by angle irons and wood screws. Lag screws or 
 angle irons can be used in the same way for fasten- 
 ing the front and rear ends. Lag screws, if properly 
 applied, are entirely sufficient and allow prompter 
 packing and unpacking. 
 
 COST OF TOUR. 
 
 The cost of an automobile tour will vary consider- 
 ably, according to the localities visited, the kind and 
 size of the machine, the mileage and the duration of 
 the trip. In this matter I am only able to give the 
 result of my own experience, which is tabulated 
 below. I omit the wages of the chauffeur, the pas- 
 senger rates for steamship transportation and the 
 hotel bills. As to the latter, I can make a general 
 statement : 
 
 For our party, consisting of my wife, two chil- 
 dren, myself and chauffeur, the average daily hotel 
 bills, inclusive of garage charges and tips, varied 
 from $10 to $15. They were very seldom higher 
 than $15, except in some larger cities with expen- 
 
36o PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 sive hotels. In France and Italy, they ordinarily 
 were close to $12 per day. We stayed at thirty-three 
 different hotels. 
 
 Our trip covered about 3,300 miles overland, and 
 wore out almost all my old tires; the latter were 
 replaced by four new ones, which are all yet in 
 excellent condition. 
 England and Scotland — 
 
 1,344 miles. 
 
 188 ''imperial" gallons of gasoline $53.00 
 
 Belgium and France — 
 
 1,253 miles. 
 
 611 liters of gasoline 47.00 
 
 Italy— / 
 
 710 miles. 
 
 372 liters of gasoline 55-00 
 
 ^ Total for 'gasoline ._ $155.00 
 
 1 Total for lubricants 12 .00 
 
 '' Total cost of tire repairs and renewals 243.00 , 
 
 u- Repairs on machinery 49.00 
 
 • Cost of crate 71.00 
 
 . Transportation of crate to New York pier 9.00 
 
 Expenses of crating 9.00 
 
 Transportation from New York to Tilbury (Eng- 
 land) : 71.00 
 
 Extra expenses for wharfage, unloading, etc 19,00 
 
 Storage of knock-down box in Tilbury three months. 6.00 
 
 Shipping Dover-Calais and incidental charges 36.00 
 
 ".Transportation and handling the knock-down box 
 
 from Tilbury to Naples 33-00 
 
 Boxing the car in Naples, tips inclusive 24.00 
 
 ;i Transportation from Naples to New York 73.00 
 
 Charges for lighterage, hoisting, etc., in Naples... 31.00 
 .Custom brokerage and other expenses connected 
 
 with re-entry in New York 26.00 
 
 Total $867.00 
 
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 361 
 
 To these expenses should be added the cost of a 
 "floating" fire and marine insurance policy, as well 
 as insurance against accidents or casualties, board 
 and salary of chauffeur and the cost of his steam- 
 ship tickets. 
 
 Outlays for gasoline are stated separately for 
 each country, the price varying considerably. The 
 consumption of this article was rather large, on 
 account of the machine being "low geared." The 
 price of oil is almost the same everywhere, and for 
 that reason the total cost of this article has been 
 given. 
 
 Expenses for repairs include all repair bills while 
 traveling, but some small and inexpensive, voluntary 
 improvements, which I introduced while touring, are 
 not counted in. My boxed car measured about 
 9x7x14 feet. The cost of shipment would have been 
 much smaller had I returned from the same port at 
 which I landed the car. This would have saved the 
 transportation of the empty crate from England to 
 Italy. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Abbeville ii8 
 
 Abbotsford 66 
 
 Adriatic 344 
 
 Aiguebelle 164 
 
 Aix-les-Bains 161 
 
 Algiers 344 
 
 Allessandria 187 
 
 Alps ,..: 344 
 
 Alsace 344 
 
 Amalfi 284 
 
 Amberieu 149 
 
 Annecy 153 
 
 Anacapri 274 
 
 Asti 187 
 
 Austria 344 
 
 Automobile Clubs 337 
 
 Autun 143 
 
 Avallon 140 
 
 Auxerre 138 
 
 Baggage 11, 348 
 
 Bavaria 344 
 
 Belgium 98 
 
 Benzina 186 
 
 Birmingham 36, 52 
 
 Black Forest 344 
 
 Blackwall Tunnel 17 
 
 Blenheim 22 
 
 Boulogne-sur-Mer 112 
 
 Bourg 148 
 
 Boxing 14, 355 
 
 363 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Brakes 326 
 
 Bromley 16, 18, 84 
 
 Bruges 104 
 
 Burgundy 145 
 
 Burton-on-Trent 36 
 
 Bussala 194 
 
 Buxton 47 
 
 Campagna Romana.248, 253 
 
 Calais 93, 108 
 
 Capri 273, 316 
 
 Capua 266 
 
 Carriage Body 10, 323 
 
 Cassino 265 
 
 Cavia 304 
 
 Chambery 161 
 
 Chamousset 164 
 
 Chatsworth 44 
 
 Chauffeurs 146, 330 
 
 Cheviot Hills 69 
 
 Chislehurst.......i6, 84, 85 
 
 Civita Vecchia 236 
 
 Cluny • 14s 
 
 Corneto 235 
 
 Cornwall 56 
 
 Cost of Tour 359 
 
 Crating 355 
 
 Dauphine 344 
 
 Dazio 183 
 
 Dieppe 118 
 
364 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 • PAGE. 
 
 Dover 88 
 
 Drinking Water 350 
 
 Durham 72 
 
 Dynamo 9 
 
 Ealing 20 
 
 Edinburgh 60 
 
 Egypt 344 
 
 Emigration 292 
 
 England i5, 344 
 
 Engine 8, 324, 325 
 
 Essence 117 
 
 Engine 8 
 
 Expenses 349, 359 
 
 Fecamp 120 
 
 Ferentino 258 
 
 Fier 152 
 
 Folkestone 87 
 
 Fountains Abbey 67, ^7 
 
 France 93, 344 
 
 Frosinone 259 
 
 Garages 348 
 
 Geneva 151 
 
 Genoa 196 
 
 Germany 344 
 
 Gran Croce 183 
 
 Grantham 80 
 
 Gretna Green 57 
 
 Grosseto 228 
 
 Guides 339 
 
 Haddon Hall 41 
 
 Hotels 348 
 
 High Wycombe 20 
 
 Ignition 9 
 
 Insurance 361 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Introduction 3 
 
 Italy 173 
 
 Itinerary 341 
 
 Jedburgh 66 
 
 Joigny 138 
 
 Jura 149, 344 
 
 Kendal 55 
 
 Kenilworth 32 
 
 Kent 85 
 
 Kew 20 
 
 Lake District 56 
 
 Lammermuir 64 
 
 Languages •. . 335 
 
 Lans-le-Bourg 168 
 
 Licenses 15, 1 18, 122 
 
 Loire District 344 
 
 London 16, 19, 83 
 
 Macaroni 290 
 
 Macon 150 
 
 Malaria 224, 227, 228, 233 
 
 Manchester 49 
 
 Maps 339 
 
 Maremme 227 
 
 Massa 222 
 
 Matlock Bath 37 
 
 Melrose Abbey 67 
 
 Melun 134 
 
 Menthon 160 
 
 Medane 165 
 
 Moffat 58 
 
 Money 353 
 
 Mont Blanc 150 
 
 Mont Cenis 173 
 
 Montereau 134 
 
 Morvand 142 
 
INDEX. 
 
 365 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Motor 324, 325 
 
 Mount Bracco 212 
 
 Naples 266 
 
 Nervi 200 
 
 Newcastle 72 
 
 Normandy 119 
 
 Octroi Ill 
 
 Ostend 99 
 
 Oxford 20 
 
 Passports 353 
 
 Paris 129, 130 
 
 Pisa 223 
 
 Planning a Tour 
 
 34i» 343, 345 
 
 Pompeii 304 
 
 Porto Fino Kulm 202 
 
 Positana 280 
 
 Practical Suggestions . . 323 
 
 Preface i 
 
 Pyrenees 344 
 
 Rapallo 204 
 
 Ravello 298 
 
 Recco 201 
 
 Renting 335 
 
 Repairs 336 
 
 Rhine Country 344 
 
 Rhone District 344 
 
 Richmond 19 
 
 Ripon 76 
 
 Rome 238 
 
 Ronco 192 
 
 Rouen 126 
 
 Rowsley ." 41 
 
 Riviera di Levante, • 
 
 197, 199, 344 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Riviera (French) 344 
 
 Rumilly 152 
 
 Ruta 202 
 
 St. Boswell (:/^ 
 
 St. Germain-en-Laye... 130 
 
 Saint-Rambert 149 
 
 Salerno 296, 297, 302 
 
 Salerno (Gulf of 344 
 
 Savoie 151, 164, 344 
 
 Scotland 15, 57, 343 
 
 Seasons (Best) 345 
 
 Sestri di Levante 208 
 
 Shipping 353 
 
 Sicily 344 
 
 "Skidding" 330 
 
 Snitterfield 24 
 
 Sorrento 276 
 
 Spain 344 
 
 Spare Parts 336 
 
 Spezia 213, 218 
 
 Sprags 9 
 
 Starting Points 346 
 
 Steering Wheel 327 
 
 Stratford-on-Avon 24, 28 
 
 Studley Park 78 
 
 Surrey , 85 
 
 Susa 183 
 
 Switzerland 344 
 
 Talloires 160 
 
 Tenay 149 
 
 Termignon 166 
 
 Tilbury Docks 15, 16 
 
 Tips 115, 352 
 
 Tires 11, 329 
 
 Tivoli 253 
 
 Touring Clubs 337 
 
366 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 PAGE. PAGE. 
 
 lours 341 Vesuvius 310, 318 
 
 Traction Engines 71 Villeneuve 137 
 
 Triptyques, . Vosges 344 
 
 95, 98, no, 172, 182 
 
 Tunis 344 Wales 56 
 
 Turin 183 Warwick 29 
 
 Tweed's Muir 58 
 
 Tyrol 344 York 79 
 
 Valmontone 257 Zoagli 
 
 207 
 
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