The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-12-12
Partisan Sketches.

We have been permitted to peruse several pri-
vate letters received by late mails from France,
and have been so much interested in them, that
we have requested the favor of making a few
extracts. The writer speaks of what he saw, with
a freedom that we do not often find in print. and
his observations will be read with interest. The
first letter is dated
"LroSs, July 25. 1861.
. . "This is the second city Of France, with q
population Of nearly halfa million. and growing fast.
The city is situated ut the confluence of two rivers-the
Rhine and Saone. High hills tower all around the
CITY. From the summit Of these bills, the mountains
Of Switzerland can be seen. Last evening, I walked
upon the highest hill, and could see the whole city
spreading far and wide. and the slopes of mountains
or high hills cultivated with the vine-and | could
also see very distinctly Mount Blanc white with snow.
Lyons is a great, thriving city its slopes are splendid,
and its streets wide. Ii has several squares, some
fountains and stotues-among them, Louis the Great
and Napoleon the Great. Last evening | walked in
the great square of Louis the Great, and here were
many interesting things TO see, viz a crowd Of peo-
pie bent on pleasure, officers dressed in full and
bright uniforms, handsome women, the poor and
rich, walking or sitting under the trees, the band
playing, the fountains throwing their jets thirty feet
high, and swans and ducks swimming about under
meath. There are many bridges of stone and iron
| counted twenty-one. There are some fine public
buildings which l have visited my quality of for
eigner admits me TO places where 1t is denied TO a
citizen. For instance. yesterday L inquired of q
| Policeman sIhIlluR StuliN At AhN o. - Al Z
Bourse and Chamber of Commerce, if | could enter.
He shook his head at first, but upon learning I was a
foreigner, he not only allowed me to enter, but
politely showed me the way to go over this magnificent
structure. So it is generally| have found the
French people extremely polite and kind, especially
at Marseilles. l will except two or three cases Of
hotel or restaurant keepers only. People are very
we'll informed concerning the present condition of
affairs in the United States the merchants espe-
cially converse with great understanding on this
subject 1 think. generally, they are for the Govern
ment and Union"
"PARIs, Aug. Is, 1861.
= have hardly had agreeable quarters since
l left home, although l have put myself to a good deal
of trouble TO get quiet places ut least to sleep in. But
at Narcotics and Lyons the hackmen kept up their
noise all night under my windows, and the carriages
rolled by on the stone pavement. At Allies, the dogs
barked all night, the servants kept up a loud talk,
and the feas bit me so that the marks are on me yet.
At Lyons, although l happened to get into a fine
hotel, l found a mouse under my pillow end in my
bed. At Dejon, my room was dark and rather damp,
so that l caught cold. When l arrived Sere, | pro-
cured q boarding place as soon az possible, ild
selected a place which | thought very quiet, but |
found n stable directly under my window, and halfa