Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-03-08
Correspondents OF the Spy.
journal of n Traveller in EursPe.
NO. ".

ney through Italy, intending to revisit 1t on
our return We are spending the Sabbath at Di-
Jon, a large town, one hundred and ninety-six
miles southeast from Paris. The soldiers are
marching and parading in the streets, and shops
and markets are open, much the same as on other
days We went into the Cathedral, built more
than one thousand years since, venerable end an
tique in appearance; priests were plenty, IN
splendid robes, and hundreds of people, OLD and
Young, were on their knees, repeating their pray
ers.
We had delightful ride through beautiful
country, from Paris to Dion. Vineyards were
miles in extent in every direction, and the same
high cultivation prevailed as elsewhere noticed.
Tunnels, on many of the railways here, are
common, and some of them are very long. We
rode through one that was nearly four miles, and
another that was three miles long, and many
others, that were from half mile to mile and
half in length. All of them are fine specimens
Of engineering skill and workmanship, walled up
with brick or hewn stone, and neatly whitewash-
ed. On some OF the roads, where there are many
tunnels, the cars are lighted in the day time, the
same as they are in the night-the ride through
tunnels are also lighted.
Lyons, June 21st.-Our passage hence, from
Dion, was mostly in steamer, on the river Sa-
one. The banks of the river are lined with beau
tiful villas, with many high hills nearly naked of
everything but rocks; on the sides of which,
wherever there was any soil, even if not over
rod square, grape vines, or something else, was
planted. We sat on the steamers deck, the
whole passage, enjoying the ever changing scenes
which the crooked river was constantly opening to
cur view.
Lyons is large and beautiful city, of two hun
dred thousand inhabitants, and is celebrated for
its silk manufactures-much the largest in the
world. We visited some of the factories, and
saw the whole process. from the cocoon TO the
finished velvet, and satin, and fancy ribbon, and
were much interested in the curious and ingen-
iOus manner of weaving the various articles
The weaving is all done by hand labor, and the
sound of the looms is heard in nearly every part
of the city. The large quantities of beautiful
goods which they turn out are sent to all parts of
the world.
Immense numbers of mulberry trees are culti-
waited in this regions and being now stripped of
their leaves, for the purpose of feeding the silk
worms, they have avery desolate and singular ap-
pearance.
From the top of the Observatory, on the "Fou-
yier Hills" close by the city, and six hundred
feet above 1t, we had very fine view-ihs most
picturesque, panoramic one, we ever had any
where. The hills and valleys, for twenty or thir-
ty miles, IN every direction, were beautifully
green, and studded with handsome country seats
and pretty villages.
The Saone river here unites with the Rhone,
and Lyons is mostly situated on the point of land
between the two rivers. There are thirteen fine
bridges here, all Of them stone or iron, and per-
haps one third of mile in length. Numerous
large boats are fastened to the river sides, from
which are seen great numbers of women, washing
clothes; all the clothes washing, here, being
done in the cold river water, from the sides of the
boats.
Marseilles, June 24th.-We came to this city,
from Lyons, nearly the whole distance in Z steam
er, on the Rhone, almost two days journey
The sail down the river was highly interesting,
from the great number of pretty villages, end the
ruins of ancient castles and towers, in view all
mountains and hill sides. where there is sufficient
soil, cultivated to their tops with the vine; of
which we saw thousands of acres on the pas
sage.
The Rhone is noble river, perhaps half mile
wide with deep and crooked channel, and is
spanned by numerous very handsome suspension
bridges. The water, both of the Saone and
Rhone is very turbid: and the streams are so
rapid, that numerous floating grst.mills are an
chored in the middle of the rivers, opposite the
villages; the wheels of the mills being turned by
the current
The steamboats,, here, are numerous, and are
all long, narrow, dirty things, painted black and
would hardly be considered fit fer any use in
America, especially on rivers thronged with pas
sengers as the Saone and Rhone are.
Our first view of the Mediterranean, was two
or three hours distance from Marseilles and as
travelled along, near its celebrated shores, at
the close of of the lovellest days of the sea-
son. with the roadside bounded on either hand
with extensive vineyards, and orchards of the
orange and lemon, the olive and the almond, it
may well be imagined we were not uninterested
spectators of the scenes passing around US,
which we shall not soon forget.
The olive is very unsightly looking tree
somewhat like peach tree, but smaller; six to
ten feet high, with long, narrow, dusty looking
leaf, much resembling the leaf of the Shepardia.
The almond tree, at a short distance, would read
lily be taken for peach. The oil of the olive is
very commonly used in France and Italy, instead
of butter. for cooking purposes and is very pail
atable, when it is sweet. Green, half-grown al
monds, are served to us as a dessert at the din
ner-table, but they are not very good.
Marscilles is a large, stone-built, commercial
city, with population of near 100000 people
but there is not much to interest the tourist
here.
We went to the top of hill, near by, 400 feet
high, from which is fine view of the city, and of
the harbor, which is filled with vessels of all ma
tons. An ancient Catholic church, "Notre Dame
de la Garde," stands on the summit of the hill,
in which we were shown sundry curious relies.
Among other articles the canes and crutehes of
the many poor cripples, who have, with difficult
ty, hobbled up there, and after being cured Of
their malades, through the many devout prayers
of the priests, have gone their way rejoicing,
leaving their canes and crutches behind, having
no further use for them
II is much the better way for the traveller to
believe in full, all the marvellous stories told
him there's kind Of comfortable feeling about
IT, which the doubter never experiences but,
confess, my credulity is often severely taxed,
when IN Catholic churches and some other places
we visit