Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1853-08-18

one hundred thousand inhabitants, VINO derive
their main support from their manufactures Of
cotton and linen thread A thousand years ago
it was the first CITY on the continent and history
says, contained two hundred thousand nhabit-
ants They must have been packed away very
closely, for il is evident the city was never of
greater extent than at the present tune The
place to which first gave my attention was the
beautiful old gothic Town Hall, erected some
four hundred years since and to the room IN
which was concluded our last treaty Of Peace
with England A convent is also worthy of no.
tee, being constructed & sustained in peculiar
manner. The grounds are entirely surrounded
/ by water having but one bridge and a gateway
for entrance. In the centre is a large chapel,
and on one side hospital. The remainder of
the enclosure is built up with small tenements,
consisting Of more than two hundred separate
apartments They live in families until thirty
years of age, and after that, each one may have
a little home by herself or two or three live to-
gether. they all dress in black with white
capes and bonue,s. They are community Of
Sisters Of Charity 60 out as nurses, and are not
bound to remain there any longer than each one
chooses. There are said to be many females
having ample fortunes for their support who re-
side there for retirement and quiet, and give
employment to many of the poor sisters. There
are in all about nine hundred, and to see half Of
that number at vespers was an interesting sight.
! Brussels, the capital Of Belgium, is avery
pleasant city. The old portion retains much Of
The ancient style of building, and especially her
city hall is most beautiful specimen Of Gothic
Of the fifteenth century, and indeed the whole
market square is surrounded by buildings Of the
most grotesque. but elaborate workmanship
I The modern portion Of the city is very hand
somely built The Park within the city, tho
small, is one Of the most beautiful have seem
| The Royal Palace. the Palace of the Prince Of
Orange the Legislative Hall and many other
! fine buildings point out the Park. Several rows
Of trees are SO Trimmed and trained to form
most perfect arches, and present a most beaut-
iul appearance. The place is so quiet a person
might well suppose himself IN a country village
The Royal Palace IS very plain, but there is an
air Of comfort about il. The city is a iavorite
place of resort for the English and many Of
them have residences there. Waterloo, twelve
miles distant, hiss little besides its history %
make il worth visiting The only monument of
any note there is the mound Of the Bolgic Lion.
which consists simply ola mound of earth raised
about one hundred anu fifty feet high. in the
centre Of the battle field and aurmouncd by a
brozen Lion upon marble pedestal Much of
the uneyen ground in the immediate vicinity
was removed to construct The mound, still The
unduatng surface remains On the distance, and
the position and movements Of the comendng
armies were pointed out to me with much dis
unctness by one who resided within sight of the
field at the time. While gazed upon those
fields which are now covered with grain, as they
were then, and marked the stiffness around, my
Imagination was busy in coniunng up the ghost
" forms of the tens of thousands who persisted
there on one day, and whose earthly remains lie
slumbering together without distinction Of friend
or foe. A few hours only is required to pass by
railroad from Brussels to Cologne the usual
place for taking steamers to see the Rhine
The whole country bordering on the river be-
low Cologne and above Miyence is flat and I'M
interesting leaving only about an hundred miles
between those two cities as the desirable portion
To visit. The scenery has been so often describ
ed that viii not attelnpt TO enter INTO parlicu.
lars. Tbere Is little of TINT bold and rngsod
scenery which borders the Elbe. or our own
Hudson River There are none of those tower
ing cliffs which seem hanging over vonr Steamer
as Won pass. ready To fall upon YOU If but,ouched
by the wand of q powerful macicisn; bot few of
those barren rocks u9on which the powor of
man has no influence 10 mike fruitful. none of
those dark ana f,thomlcss ADVISES into which
the rays Of genial sun never penetrated: in
deed here is nothing to create awe or wonder.
but all is beautiful, yes, beautiful is the only
word know by which TO describe It. On either
side rise hills. or it more acceptable. call them
but thethgbest, believe, does not
exceed fifteen hundred feet, and that elevation
is by gradual ascent Tho sunny side ofau
those hills is covered with the vine and in the
highest state Of cultivation, while the northern
side aud all toe intervening valleys are covered