The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-04-19
Torrtgm Correspondence.

In my last letter. left myself at on the d.
vidng line between the inspidiss ofths Rhine and its
beauties 1t had thus far proved dull and monolo
nous to an insoerablc degree ] was now about
TO enter upon that series interesting and picturesque
scenes which render the Rhine 50 celebrated for lis
beauties The greater part of this fine scenery lies
between Ringen Cat the mouth of the Nahe) and
Coblentz There remain to be only few miles
more of such scenery just above Bonn, and when the
traveller has these two portions of the Rhine Ga
sail of ten twelve hours in going down stream will
take him through the whole of it, ne has all Of
the Rhine that is worth seeing, unless, indeed, he
choose visit it at its source-at its glacier near the
ST. Gothard in Switzerland, and in It's course through
the awful gorge Of the Via Maa. The traveller who
wishes TO the Rhine to advantage, and enjoy
with complete satisfaction its unequaled beauties,
should go up instead of down, and make it voyage
of several days In descending the stream, swiftly
does the steamboat glide down with the current and
rapidly do the grand and striking objects of the pa
succeed each other, that il is difficult to follow
them with the eye. towering precipice, or a
ruined castle is hardly before vanishes from the
sight, and at the end of the magnificent picture, whose
rich scenes have followed each other and disappeared
in such rapid succession it is impossible to recall the
ideas distinctness and arrange them in the order of
the original. tbs sort of waking dream, made up
of pleasing images vivid though confused but not
the less beautiful for their confusion.
The morning rose rather unpropitously for the en-
joyment of all this fine scenery; denser fog never
obscured the vision of q vsxcd traveller. waited
until the departure Of second boat, and as the fog
was not less impenetrable than BEFORE hesita
ting whether to wait quietly for the sunshine, to
embark in spite of the fog taking the chances for its
disappearance, when received the comforting assu
rance from a feow-traveller, ho Professed to be
knowing in the meteorology of the country, that a
foggy morning on the Rhine, was the sure sign of a
clear day set out on the faith of this doubtful assu
rance though not without various misgivngs to the
result of the prediction. But the weasher-wse gen.
teman had prophesied correctly, and just at the
nent that the slopng and vine-covered banks began
to give way grand perspective of rocks and cas-
ties the mist sudden and revealed the anxiously
look ed for beauties which lay concealed beneath its
veil
The Rhine, you know, is famous for its wine as
for its scenery For many hundred miles of its
course from the mountains of Switzerland to the level
environs of Cologne, its banks, in every favorable
situation, are clothed with vines. But is May
ence that begins the region which is most celebrated
for the exceeDcy Of its wines; this is the Rhengau,
a land which flows with wine, instead of milk and
honey the "Bachanalian Paradise, as il has been
called, where the jolly god rules with undivided sway
From M ,yence to Blngen the Rhine flows nearly
and west, and its right bank, gradually sloping,
rises at length into the high hills of Mount Taurus
Thus disposed the soil receives the rays of the sun
almost perpendcuialy while its surface is screened
from the North wind by the heights which limit it in
that direction These natural advantages render the
Rheingau the best wine growing district on the
Rhine In its midst stands Prince Metternch's Cha
teau of Joha nnisberg which gives its name to the
most celebrated and Costly wine of the district. The
vineyard that produces this famous wine, contains not
more than sixty of ground and its annual pro-
duce is said to be worth about thirty thousand dol
lars Not far off is the village of Rudesheim name
| likewise famous in the catalogue of what call
"Hock" wines. The Duke of Nassau, within whose
dominions lies the district of the Rhengau, has
ceived the idea Of forming cabinet of Dines just in
Switzerland you collections of the st. GothaId
minerals or as we in seaside country form col
| lections of sea-shes. 1t is not bad idea of his
Hqhness but if all visiters his cabinet allowed
TO taste, as in other they allowed to see
il is to be feared hat his specimens must require
frequent renewal.
The more level slopes of the Rheingau affords ev.
cry facility for cultivation, every advantage of
| ,ural position. Lower down the river on the con-
rary where the banks become steep and precipitous
| al, do r.
cultivation, which had been denied by nature to tn.
wine grower. The billy banks have been cut int
terraces, which rise above another, like SO man,
steps of stair case from the waters edge up to th,
ridge of hills many hundred feet in height By h
means alone could the soil be retained in place. Their.
is place on the Rhine, | have heard, where vine
yard has been formed upon the perpendicular side O
naked precpce, the soil being Contained in baskets
which are placed in the crevices of the uneven rock
and better grapes thus produced in situation shell
tered from the wind than in many vineyards having
every advantage of surface and soil.
do not feel qualified to sing you the praises of the
Rhenish wines, because, in the first place, have nc
skill as faster, and secondly, my sojourn in the
Bacchanalian Paradise" too short to form the
intimate acquaintance of that vinous family. must
confess however, that the peculiar flavor which dis
tinguishes that whole class of wines pleased my pa
late exceedingly, and the agreeable impression which
it left, made the sudden return TO my pn ordnaire
rather unpleasant But enough of vineyards and
wines it is time that should tell you something Of
the visible beauties of the Rhine.
After flowing westward for some distance the
Rhine makes sudden turn at Bingen, and resumes
its northward course At this point it enters gorge
or chasm, bounded either hand by lofty and pre-
cipitous heights, through which it would seem f ge-