New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-07-22

me that the nIgnest price Tor g0od mower was
Que franc; the same man at ordinary farm work
received not more than twelve SOUS, and must pro-
vide bis own food. And how long is the working
day "From first light to last light" Another
said that the working-day began at o'clock IN
the morning and ended at in the evening, for this
time of year. When days are shorter and labor
less called for, wages are diminished. should ada
that my iniomants here quoted are emP'0yeTS'
They regretted that wages were 80 small, ou' uo-
clared they were all that the land cOu'd Dear.
Your readers may or may not know that rance
is a more beayily-taxed country than England
Whom vou consider that the prices which have
giyen are calculated for the longest day and the
busiest season Of the year. and that meat IS
rather higher than with us, you will easily under
stand that the laberer, if he have other mouths
| than his own to fill, must live poorly. Inc man
article Of food is coarse but nourishing bread,
with little butter or pork, this cond'ment Is
often enough omitted j then come the garden
vegetables in their season, and soup, very
strong. of onions and water This is not rich
diet but | fear that the quantity and not the
quality is most complained Of. God knows no"
these poor people manage to get through the WIN
ter. The French indeed benevolent people,
and the comfortable classes doubtless help the
lifted classes by individual charities and by ready
contributions to benevolent Institutions | notice
that the poor-boxes in the churches are never
dust-c overed. But more and better than all
these external aids is that almost indestructlole
goodness of human nature, moral and physical,
by virtue of which French peasants have their
moments of cheerfulness, and fair development
of bone and muscle. do not mean to say they
are "contented with their humble lot, and all
that sort Of thing. have met wonderfully patient
poverty, philosophical poverty, dumb, stupehed
poverty, in Europe and America but have not
vet found any hard working, ill-pad persons, who
had ANYTHING to say about their "lot," that ex-
pressed any sort of content with it, let it be never
so ragged and picturesque
The country as saw it, crossing this way and
that from Nancy to Metz, is, in the main, fertile
and well cultivated bearing wine and oil the lat
ter produced mainly from rape and poppy seedl
and the vegetable products of our Middle States
II has suffered but little from the long-contnu-d
rains of the last weeks, which had done serious
damage in the southeast parts Of France. The
4. o
need only state that rode one day twenty-five
miles in char Il bdnc ia clumsy wagon without
spripgs) with no fundamental discomfort. There
is nothing attractive in the country villages OF Lor-
rane, except distant objects in landscape. At
the entrance to nearly all of them, as of the large
towns is large lettered notice that mendlcity is
strictly forbidden-a sufficient proof gifts exist
ence and tendency to increase.
Immediately on entering the department of the
Mosele | thought | saw everywhere signs OF
greater comfort than in the department of la
Meurthe. Metz, its chief town, is situated in a
pleasant country is the best fortified town in
France much noted, and boosted of by French
men as virgin fortress; serves AS a sort OF finish
ing school in the art OF military engineering to
pupils from the Polytechnic School at Paris has
| Ii magnificent Gothic cathedral and lively, Paris
ian.like streets and promenades, much disigured
! by soldiers. Metz has population of $4,000 in
habtants, or souls, as they sometimes called
besides u garrison of H. 900 fighting bodies.
traveller might find entertainment here for several
days. but was longing to be among my German
friends again. Light haired children, German III
scriptions by the side Of the French, and German
names over the shop doors reminded me that
was near them, and hastenedme out of the Porte
des AHemands on my way toward Treves, the
second morning after my arrival From Metz 10
Treyes is twelve hours ride by diligence. Note-
When travelling by diligence, take a seat on the
6dnquete, from which you com nand good view
of the country,) and make friends with the
ductOr, who will point out what is especially
worth seeing, and answer questions with exem
plary patience and fair intelligence. We stopped
to dine at Luxembourg, a strongly fortified town
and strong by natural position being surrounded
on all sides but one by deep gorge through
which runs the little River Alzig. This town is
most completely conditioned. As frontlsr for
tress it belongs to the Ceramic Federation and is
garrsOned by 5000 Prussan troops. As the CAPT
tai Of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg it is under
the rule of the King of Holland, Prince ofOunge-
Nassau and Grand Duke of this Province. TIE
people speak both German and French, but neither
language in it's purity, often beginning sentence
il one tongue and closing it in another.
shall attempt no description of the Roman an
tiquities to be seen at Treyes, it would be but
copying from Bddeker outright but let none OF
your readers hereafter touring within DAYS
journey of Them in Eastern France or on the
Rhine, fail to make visit to these wonderful re-
mains of palaces and baths, and amphitheaters
and bridges, in this ancient semi-mperial city.
An inscription on the wall of one of its modern
hotels runs thus Ante Roman Stetn Treviris,
MCCC.-Treves existed thirteen hundred years
| before Rome. This is doubtless stretching point
but it is certain that it was hOurishing city of
the Gallo Belga long before the Emperor Augustus
made them the beginning of what afterward be-
came not too htn'be copy of Rome itself. 1t is
in its Cathedral which is in part the remains ofa
Roman edifce, that is preserved the Holy Coat
without seams, the exposition of which, few