Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1850-09-27
HA M b u RG.

where the Elbe, coming down from
the mountains of Bohemia, through
the wild gaps ofSaxony and everlas-
ting plains of Prussia, pours its mud
dy waters into a long arm of the
Ne4' du Nord.
The new city, built over the ruins
of the fire, is elegant and almost Par
is-like; and out oft, one wanders,
before he is aware, into the narrow al
leys ofthe old Dutch gables; and
blackened cross-beams and overlap
ping roofs, and diamond panes, and
scores o. smart Dutch caps, are look
ing down on him as he wanders en-
tranced. 1t is the stangest contrast
of cities that can be seen in Europe.
One hour, you are in world that
has an old age of centuries;-pave-
ments, sideways, houses, every thing
old, and the smoke curling in an old
fashioned way out ofmonstrous chin
ney stacks, into the murky sky:-
five minutes walk will bring one
from the midst Of this into a region
where all is shockingly new;-Paris-
ian shops, with Parisian plate glass
in the windows--Parisian shopkeep-
ers, with Parisian gold in the till. The
contrastwas tormenting. Before the
smooth cut shops that are ranged
around the basin of the Alster, |
could not persuade myself that |
was in the quaint old Hanse town Of
Jew brokers, and storks' nests; that
L had come to see; or when wan
dered upon the quays that are lined
up and down with such true Dutch
looking houses, it seemed to me that
| was out of all reach Of the splendid
hotel Of the Crown Prince, and the
prim porter who sports his livery at
the door. The change was as quick
and unwelcome as that from pleas
ant dreams, to the realities Of morn
ing.
/ Quaint costumes may be seen all
over Hamburg:-chiefest among
them, are the short red skirts OF the
power-girls, and the broad brimmed
hats, with no crowns at all, set iaun.
tily on one side, a bright, smooth
mesh of dark brown hair, from which
braided tails go down half 10 their
feet behind They--the girls-wear
basket hung coquettisRly on one
arm, and with the other will offer
youroses, from the gardens thai look
down on the Aister, with an ali, that
IS so sure of success, one is ashamed
to disappoint it.
Strange and solemn looking mour-
ners in black, with white ruffles and
short swords, follow coffins through
the streets; and at times; when the
dead man has been renowned, or of
them with long trumpet, robed in
black, is perched in the belfry of st.
Michael's,-the highest of Hamburg
TO blow dirge. e.-Shrilly it pea!s
over the peaked gables, and mingles
with the mists that rise over the mea-
dows of Heligoland. The drosky-
men step, to let the prim mourners
into the shadows of the street, and
cross themselves, and for one little
moment look thoughtful;-the burgh
ers take off their hats as the black
pail goes dismally on. The dirge
dies in the tower; and for twelve
hours the body rests in the sepulchral
chapel, with a light burning at the
head and another at the feet. u
There would be feasting for a
commercial eye in the old Hanse
houses of Hamburg trade. There
are piles of folios. marked by centu-
ries, instead of years correspondent
ces in which grandsons have grown
old, and bequeathed letters to grand
children, As likely as not, the same
smoke-browned Office is tenanted by
the same respectable looking groups
of desk, and long-legged stools that
adorned it, when Frederic was stor-
ming over the South kingdoms
the same tall Dutch clock may be
ticking in the corner, that has ticked
off three or four generation past, and
that is now busy with the fifth; tick
ing and ticking and ticking on.
gE dareIsay that the snufftaking book
Keepers wear the, same wigs that
Their fathers wore; and as for the
snuff-boxes, and the spectacles, there
is not doubt but they have come
down with the ledgers, and the day
books, from an age that is utterly
gone. "a s,y,s 49,, asar. :.
) was. fortunate enough TO have
made a Dresden counselor my friend,
upon the little boat that came down
from Magdebourg; and the counse.