The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-12-07
THE DISONIAN
FROM ONE or OUR EUROPEAN con-
RESPONDENTS.


talented Young vrginian, who has been residing
at Paris the last year or two for the purpose Of
completing his professional studies. HIS letters
in our possession were dated at Paris, after his
return from an excursion in Germany, and his
recent rambles form the subject OF his episte
We would here remark thai many of l.. 5. is
letters published last year in literary paper. IN
neighborng city, which the editor OF this pa
uer conducted, elected much admiration by their
faithful descriptions Of men and places. and tn,
free and familiar style in which they were writ
ten
PARIS, Oct. 29th, 1871.
NV last letter, If recolect Alright, left me on the
quay at Mayence, making arrangements Tor hi'ie
excursion to Frankfort. My companion and myself
determining TO continue our journey win as u''ie
trouble and expense as possible we fiTsi nd our
selves of all supeIfuous effects and sent our trunks
straight ON to Rotterdam. travelling.bag for him,
and nv Swiss knspsack for myself suficed to contain
our whole supply of necessaries for the ten days II
wonld take US 10 reach Rotterdam. So, shouldering
each his baggage we started the bridge to the
railroad station, whence we al once to set out
attention was struck by something entirely new to me
in its way; this was little phaanI OF mills anchored
in the Iyer and in by the force Of hecur
rent, They extended in a line from the quay nearly
halfway the stream, being placed side by side,
and seeming 10 hold fast each other for mutual sup
port, while their sluggish wheels all made desperate
efforts to out paddle their neghbors but the current
was not rapid enough 10 quicken their movements and
more feeble langushing set of mills Il Is impossible
10 imagine What is the employment Of this singu-
lar array of floating machinery, was unable TO dir
cover, but whatever il be, they make provokingly
slow business of il.
said that the bridge al Mayence bridge Of
boats Did you ever see one Of those BRIDGES
never did until saw tie Rhine, and believe there
are none Of the kind be the United States
All the bridges across The Rhine below Basic at least
are made Of boats unless include in the
ton what called flying bridges (ponfs roians)
which are in fac, not bridges at ALL The chief recon-
mendaon of the bridge Of boats TO be, the ease
with which it be destroyed in Of war; and the
equal ease with which il be reconstructed at the
return Of peace The importance Of these considcra
lions readily understood when applied to the Rhine
river that throughout the greater part Gifts
constitutes great military and geographical beunda-
~. At points the Rhine, as at Strasburg for
example half of the boats forming tho bridge be-
long to one State and the other half 10 it's neigh
Dor, and the boats each side distinguished by
differences Of shape Ia order TO form perfect IDEA
of bridge Of boats, you have only to fancy 10 your
self line Of seops arranged side by side and extend
ing across The river with common deck formed Of
;l.d ch .id m nh
structure being kept in place by anchors When
steamboat passes two three of these boats and the
portion of the bridge which they support, turned
out side by means of very simple continuance,
and few minutes suffice to set all things right again
Attic eastern end Of the bridge which crosses the
Rhine at Mayence liule village called Cassel, and
n strong fertilization, sort Of castle, manned by
Austrian and Prussian soldiers for, though tn bank
Of the Rhine belongs to the Duke Of Nassau the de-
fence OF Il costs him no expense or trouble the whole
matter being undertaken 10y his more powerful con-
federaes OF Austria and Prussia. Mayence, Frank
fort, and all the important points in the little States
Along the Rhine also guarded by the soldiers of the
same powers, acting the forces Of the Germanc
Confederacy. While my Fienchman and myself
were strolng about the forifcations cycling tho var
of Mayence and the Rhine, whom should we meet
but our Russian friend who had been our companion
nj Mannheim and Heidelberg. We were not sorry to
meet with him again. for he proved TO be most agree
able travelling companion. One Is never so glad to
see an acquaintance in a strange land where to be-
alone, is the most miserable of feelings and is
desoating than the solitude Of wilderness; especi-
ally to q wandercr like myself who has great tact
at making friends, sometimes travelling hundred
miles without exchanging word with my fellow ira
,elers --particulariy 0they Be Engishmen II twas
a lucky circumstances for me that met with my
Partisan friend at Baden. He has precisely that sort
of exhaustlcss vivacty which chnracerzes his
,rymen, and makes them such agreeable companions
From the moment that we yoked together travel
ling fortunes never knew what it was to be alone
He was always the alert TO gain information about
the interesting objects which lay our route, and
laid every body around him under contribution to sa
iisy his curiosity and enven the some lines dreary
hours of the journey. The rapidity with which he
made acquain,ances was really surprising. By the
lime that had broken he ice with passen-
gers, and asked question about this castle or that
church. he would make the round Of the whole deck
Of the steamboat and open conversation with every
gentleman that spoke French, and not unfrequenty
with some OF the ladies, especially when there were
children in the case, through which 10 find his way
10 the mothers good groces Hardly day passed
that he did exchange half dozen cards. and re-
relvcd many promises of future visits at Paris -
Our Russian friend was scarcely lie communicative
and during the half hour occupied in going Frank
fort, they excellent terms with every body in
the The road from Mayence TO Frankfort run,
along the north bank OF the river Main, through .
fertile and highly cultivated district, which produce.
excellent grapes, and some of the famous of tn,
Rhine wines are made in this neg hborhood Among
them is the variety called Hook, which is made at /