New-York daily tribune., 1843-02-02

foremost suppose must give you what is called
a general description of the city. This dislike.
most of all things-6rst because it is indefinite;
second, because it is uninteresting. Genoa, as !
stated in my former letter, lies in the form of seq
men, Of circle, and rises like an amphith-atre
from the sea. The ground on which it rests sir
regular, and there is not zevel or straight
stree, in it. They wind and twist about like al
lcys in every direction. Hence stranger has pc
cslias sensations in first wandering the city.
Unable TO see out at either end Of the street, and
from the immense hight of the houses, rising 80 sr
80 feet either side, unable to getan upper view,
he feels at first if threading the Narrow passa-
gcs of some dungeon, expecting every moment his
path will opea into daylight and freedom, and yet
finds himself ever encompassed with dark gray
walls. One, however, very soen gets accustomed
to them, for they are tagged the whole width and
kept almost as clean as the halls of the palaces.
This is also true Of the larger streets that admit
carriages, and believe that Genoa may be called
one Of the cieancse cities in the world. In some
of these the sunlight never reaches the pave
mens, and in most of them the bats flying at
osr dinner hour, which is o'clock. Stradu, Bal
and lined with palaces almost the entire way
The wealth that built these won from the East
During the Crusades Genoa acquired extensive
possessions ana gained great Commercial advanta
ges there. She is called the City of Palaces
With the exception Of Venice there is probably no
city in the world superior to Genoa in its palaces
She, Venice and Pisa were three great Republics,
- oc ,bo eo1n bod
merce in the Mediterranean than, all Europe be-
sides. Successfully ravaged BY Mago, brother OF
Hannibal, the Goths, Saracens and Lombards, she
rose each time from her former ruins and though
her Commercial power is weakened and her inde
pendence is gone, she is still Genoa la superbd.
There is but public promenade, called the
Agna Sola. 1t lies en- the verge Of the city and is
beautiful place of resort. Itis elevated above
the surrounding streets, covering several acres
and looks out upon the Mountains of Pedmon,
and the Gulf of Genoa. The whole city is sur
reunaed by two walls. one circling the city propei
is elk miles ia circumference, the other going
the hills is thirteen miles long. The gates are
strongly fortified and constantly guarded. The
shops of tho town possess scarcely any beauty
the largest could well-agh be put in the bew-win-
dow of Broadway store The basement stories
Of magnificent palaces are let out for hetters'
shops, livery stables, and indeed every thing A
main entrance only is reserved. The upper rooms
alone are occupied. Genoa contains about l00,Oo0
inhabitants, one-seventh of whom are soldiers and
priests. The common people are generally INDUS
uious, and very few seem to want the recessaues
of life. They are called the Yankees OF Italy
Their great fault is they 1ciH cheat You cannot
trust them. 1t has passed inte proverb that it
takes sepen Jews to cheat one Gcnoese.'
OF the nobility cannot yet speak. They are
now all out Of the city. They leave in the Spring
for the country and return the eleventh of Noyem-
bcr. The females Of the ordinary classes wear no
bonnets in the street, but in their stead piece OF
muslin folded across the top of tie head, and de-
scending around the neck and over the shoulders IN
the form of shawl. With only this protectlon'
have seen them sunging along the streets when the
tramon,ane blowing fresh from the Alps made me
shiver with my cloak wrapped close around me
This tramontsne or north wind is very cold, ana
blows so uriously that ships lying in ports are com
PEELED to heave out both bow and stern anchor
But Notwithstanding this and the vicinity OF the
mountains and the high latitude OF Genoa, eeing
above 44o, they have no snow in Winter, and the
poorer classes do without fuel the year round
This is partly owing to its dearncss. Even the
little necessary for cooking is boarded with the
creates, care One day being in the country when
. strong Southwest wind was rolling heavy surf
on the shore, saw groups of persons along the
beach watching the approach of every wave and'
rushing after as it RETIRED snatch something from
the water. could not imagine what prize could
create so much interest. On approaching near l
saw that tho objects of their eager struggles were
small chips; some not bigger than hs!s your hand,
and small twigs the Sea was throwing ashore
These they were gathering for fuel. So scarce and
dear is it tina, none is used to heat water for wash
ing clothes. They take ell their garments out to
the fresh streams, and on pleasant day you VIII
see groups of women from fourto fifteen lining the
creek on every side of tho city They tuck 1he's
dresses up above the knees and kneeilng down
among the pebbles take one large smooth stone ioS
wash6oa~d, wrap It up in the article 10 oe
cleansed and then begin to knead IT. Although
there is great deal of wealth in Genoa, the poor
are but little the better for it.
The pay Of soldiers only few pence per day.
andeyen the officers, most of whom are poor no"
bles, receive but two francs two francs-ana-s-
half per day. Notwithstanding all these difficult
ties the common people seem contented and happy
There are no anxious brows as with US. Life and
its obligations seem to sit lightly on an Itaian,-
Each one being born into a rank, out of which II
n xi,lG / ptfo ~