The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-07-10 00:00:00

THE PLEASURES AND ADVANTAGES OF

WEYMOUTH.

To the Editwa.

While the cstiona of Germany- and Italy are en-
gaged with Austria ma furious (mutest, which will
soon require the intervention of Russia and of owns
of England and France, to re-adjust the balance of
power, and prevent Germany being annexed to
either Prussia or Austria, let us turn our thoughts on
an Arcadian picture. While also our tourists are
debarred from doing the Rhine and the lakes of
Switzerland, let them tarn their steps to our own
watering.plaoes, and to our bey, which is worth that
of Naples, with Portland as Isobis. Weymouth,
indeed, is inferior to Naples in winter, but more
healthy and delightful in summer and autumn. Be-
sides, it has no lezzaroni. It is stamped with the
seal of gentility; there Pi no rag, no abject misery,
its esplanade seems to be the exclusive rendezvous of
wealth and fashion. Other watering-places are
larger and more bustling, but Weymouth is more
select. The chief claims of Weymouth as a water-
ing or bathing place are Its pure air, clear water, and
firm sands, and above all its strongly iodized atmos-
phere being impeded by no near trees. However,
there are beautiful trees within one mile or two from
Weymouth on the Wyke road, at Preston, Not-
tington and Upwey. The latter village is situated in
the compendium of a Swiss valley. Its trees are
truly magnificent, and being moistened by the little
river Wey, they are in some places even loftier and
more leafy than the finest tree* of Hyde Park and
Kensington. One of these last fine days, I was one
of a picnic party at Cpwey, that renowned fountain
bead of pure water, excellent trouta, beautiful
flowers, and luscious fruits. Except a cooling shower
or two, the weather was all that Raskin himself
could hays wished for in point of rain-bows, chisels.
oecuro, and colouring. There were, on the tame
day, several pic-nics or tea-parties The poet-office
itself had two. That Silvan post-office ensconced in
the middle of • thick Elysian grove, and being on
the very margin of the brook, could "apply us with
the beet trouts, is well as plenty of rows and straw-
berries. We drove beck, going round Broadway a
little before the setting of the sun, which was truly
magnificent, as is generally the case war our sea-
shore. The evening air was translucent and gave
stereoscopic releivos to every object. The distant
and undulating cliffs, then the Verne fort (a Gliral-
tar in miniature), then the Wylke Church tower,
' and the Hardy monument, all could be distinctly
seen, as if through a glass. Everywhere the grass
was more green, the rows more bright, the sky more
blue, and the sun more gold-like. Approaching
Weymouth through • succession of very picturesque
villas, the fair promenaders, as if vietng with the
beauties of Nature, looked more fair and clothed in
brighter colours than ever. This refining effect was
not produced by our frugal 00-4io, but simply by
Phobos °polio going to wed Thetis, with • galaxy
of sea nymphs, naiads and nereids, who, after
Doming out of the foaming brine, Venus-like in the
morn, had played at croquet, or drawn the sweet
bow in the afternoon like Diana, sod now were in-
haling health and beauty with both trews and
ribbons fluttering in the evening sea brews Well
then, these were all the bridesmaid', the sea the
bride, sad Sol the bridegroom. land my friends
felt elevated to the dignity of beet men! The setting
sun is, indeed, one of the beauties of Weymouth.
Turner must have found there his patterns and his
inspirations, his azure and pink skies, his trans.
parent fiery clouds. At last, when we resolrcl the
esplanade. the horizontal rays of the sun glittering
in the windows of the other part of the town,
looked like a wedding illumination, or rather that of
• victory; and, dear reader, this wedding, this via-
tory, this illumination takes place, every fine day,
besides excennons and pie-Pies, in • wore of roman.
tic place., either by sea or by land, around Weymouth
—tbat Napkin in mini,ture, only the Vesuvius is
wanting, for the burning cliff is extinct, but we have
plenty of inveterate smokers about..