The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-31 00:00:00

Miscellaneous Foreizn News.

(From Correspondents of the Anglo-American Times.)
PARIS, August 29.
I'll put a girdle round about the earth in forty minuSPEARE.tes.
SHAK

Had friend Puck lived in the present day his
boast would have been rendered comparatively easy
of execution by a simple visit to the Universal
Exposition, where he would have found all the
countries of the earth brought together to hi 3 hand,

as in like manner the seven-leagued boots, which
another friend of our early years found so

efficacious, would be now comparatively valueless.
I commence my resume this week with a somewhat
hazardous undertaking, viz.—by taking the reader
out from under the shelter and shadow of the

American flag where I left him last week, and that,
too, on one of the very hottest days I have yet
experienced at Paris, the domes of the Egyptian and

Turkish kiosks glowing in the sun's rays like cover-
ings of molten lava, and the universal locomotion

•
going on on every side giving one the vertigo. A
little way down a division of the dragoons of the
guard are bathing their horses in the Seine, and it
is curious to behold the discipline preserved alike by
the human automaton as well as by the quadrupeds,

as drawn up in square they deploy into line, and
wind round the Abrevoir, a watering-place, falling
again into square or column as they issue from the
water, whilst moored in mid-stream lies an English
merchant schooner, with the inscription Old
English Ale painted on the side of the cool-
looking awning stretched out between decks,
but she lies out in the middle of the river

with no soul apparently moving on board, so that
the succes4 of any attempt on the aforesaid ale ap-
pears more than problematical. But I must not
linger—pass we along the enceinte, encountering
the exquisitely-fitted pavilion of the Emperor,
around which the motley throng are permitted to
pass with full power of peeping in at the windows,
the Kiosks of the Bible Society, where those un-

wearied labourers in the vineyard are distributing
gratuitously in every known language the Word in
little miniature books. I got myself a diamond
edition of St. Luke's Gospel in French, as I was
curious to see the character of the work distributed,
which I shall take care to preserve as one of the
most pleasing souvenirs of the Exposition. The
distributors themselves were worthy of remark, the
one especially who handed me the little cadeau in
question, dressed entirely in black, and under the
middle height. Though wiry, one could trace
easily in the sharp, attenuated face, and quick, restless
dark eye, the features of one performing a duty
which was at the same time a passion and enthu-
siasm—one of such men as always do their work
well, from the days of the Puritans of old even down
to our time. Passing the plain and unassuming
Kiosk of the Cross we come upon the gorgeous
palace of the Crescent, belonging to his Highness
the Bey of Tuuis, and a fac-simile, it is said, of the
original so far away. Next comes a gigantic erec-
tion, purporting to be an ancient Mexican Temple
of sacrifice, guarded by three slender-looking
greasers in full Mexican costume, two clad in the
rich velvet jacket and calzoneros, or short full
trousers and legging of velvet, ornamented with
myriads of shining buttons ; the third wearing the
costume in buff leather of a vaguero, who demand,
however, the sum of 25 centimes for entrance. We
pass on, for the sight of a stone of sacrifice merely,
is not worth 25 centimes, and the remembrance of
the recent cold-blooded one with which all Europe
rings, induces us to pass the treacherous-looking
brigand with disgust, though not without casting
one glance of commiseration at the wretched-looking
little army tent, which an inscription informs the
passer-by to have been the refuge of the unfortunate
Empress Charlotte, amidst the ruins of Xochitlan,
ou the night of the memorable sth of February.
But the heat is intolerable. Let us turn this angle
of shrubbery, where a ruined tower, spouting forth
sheets of water from the moss enveloped roots
embedded in its green base, gives one a picture
of some similar castellated ruin in Germany,
a sketch which Bulwer might introduce with effect
in the " Pilgrims of the Rhine," the whole being
completed by a little miniature lake, which receives
the various streams of water, and conveys them
underground to another part of the park, and reach
that long, low, neatly-thatched building, with
wings and dependencies to match. That is one of
the most complete, as well as the most interesting
of the various buildings which fill up in much ad-
mired confusion the interior of the park. That is
a zuivelbcerderig (I am thankful that I have only
to write the word), or model of a Dutch dairy farm
sent over by the Agricultural Society of Holland.
It was intended that the requisite complement of
cows should accompany the building, but in conse-
quence of the bovine peste, which was then prevalent,
their importation was interdicted by the French
Government. This proves a sad loss to the visitor,
who would otherwise have had an opportunity of
seeing the farm house in full activity, whereas at
present—

No one now
Dwells in tha Halls of Ivor.
The next cow house, with its various appendages
for milking and drainage, even down to the minute
arrangement of a cord fastened by each rack to tie
up the hind leg of any refractory milky wether is
alas empty, whilst in the dairy itself the quaintly-
dressed brazen milk-canner, burnished to the hue
of gold ; the new buckets, hooped with bright
copper ; the cheese presses ; the various apparatus
too numerous to mention, even down to the
huge, old-fashioned Dutch dishes of blue delf,
were on the chimney piece, are all inactive,
and the visitor may only guess at the scene
that would have presented itself had the whole been
in full operation, when it would have required no
great additional stretch of the imagination to have
figured the massive table, covered with a snow-
white cloth, and the various rural delicacies of eggs,
butter, ham, bacono, dough-nuts, &c., &c., which a
Dutch pastoral menage affords. Mynheer Wyde-
breeken, himself smoking his huge pipe in a corner,
and dictating his orders to the various stalwart
boers in his employ ; his good-looking Fronw,
adorned with her immense gold earrings, here,
there, and everywhere, keeping the maids in order ;
and, in short, producing in its full perfection that
managing industry of which one at present only
sees the implements. There is nothing remarkable
in the summer parlour, but in the winter one the
bedplaces arc built in the wall, with sliding wooden
shutters, and resemble the berths on shipboard. In
all points, however, the .'Metairie hollandaise is most
complete and perfect, and is an exhibition a visit to
which will well reward the voyageur. But we have
come a long way to-day. We have brought our
worthy reader from America to Mexico, from
Mexico to Tunis, and thence to Holland, where we
will leave him for the present, beneath the shadow
of the thatched Dutch roof, to recruit his energies
after the fatigues of his excursion.
Considering the immense number of persons of
all countries finding their way in Paris without
possessing the slightest knowledge whatever either
of the French language or customs, it is a wonder
to me that instances of imposture are not of far
more frequent occurrence, and nothing but the ex-
traordinary activity of the police and detectives
averts this. I happened myself to be passing a few
days since through the Rue St. Lazare, when, find-
ing myself in need of some refreshment, I entered
the first restaurant at hand. Scarcely had I com-
menced my repast when my attention was at-
tracted by the singular conduct of a respect-
able-looking elderly gentleman, having the ap-
pearance of a retired tradesman, or captain of
a merchant vessel, who, with his wife, was
seated at the next table, and who was en-
deavouring to convey by signs and gesti-
culations the most emphatic his wants to the
attendant garcon, the latter not only gesticulating
as furiously, but raising his voice in the manner one
would address a deaf person, and evidently drawing
out his customer for the amusement of the other
guests. My friend had succeeded in obtaining a
ragout, a salad, and some tea, and there was an addi-
tional requirement which it was utterly beyond his
power to make the waiter comprehend. At this
point I interfered, offering my services as interpreter,
which were gladly accepted, when I found my new
friend was an American, that the article he required
was milk, of which only he drank, but which he had