Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-11-12
a Sscnssa boat o. che laraad Canal
of yGNlcr.

A lively correspondent vi an English pa
per hus describes his voyage through II c
grand canal Of Venice in a steamboat:
"Apothcr whistle and another startled the
echoes cf the old palaces o. the gra@d canal.
whilst We gliici past them at our utmos'
speed, or shu. ID steam and put the helm
hard over to avoid COLLISION with some rash
gondola wh CHI crossed our bows. Then
there was an interchange Of compliments in
tho smooth Vcnstian dialect, between or
captain and the gondolicrs -suavc in NAM
ner, but strong in substance, and with rap>
ID strokes Of the screw. We glided on once
more. At the Ralto Ne we're delayed by
number Of laden ba-gcs, which had become
entangled in the narrow channel beneath
the bridge, and, rs VIC moved forward very
slowly We could hear comical watcr.car-
ricr interspers' & his regular cry with the
names Of his king and country Fresh va.
ter for Victor Emmanuel!' srrSah water
Tor uaited Italy = and ~ on through several
artistic variations. There vas . roar Of an.
pause ~ each addition to the song, although
prudsnce forbade them to Join, 40 they
would fsin have done.
THE steamboat produced no little scnsa-
ton IS she advanced upon her course.
What with shouts aud stoppsgcs. hair
breadth escapes from collision, and ironical
cheers from small boys. who ran BY the side
when there CHANGED to Be foot-path, We
iclt sure that Venice was aware Of our move
ments. Perhaps the gondolers were jesl>
ous VI their formidable rival. Perhaps they
took the matter phi!osophically. aud reneus-
bered that the railway viaduct would son
be reopened for general trsfEic, and ~ould
super:ede the present isrvy,ng to Mestre.-
Ce'sasn u Is that Ne had rscs across the
lagoon with three Gard goudola, and .
close race. too. Jealous or no. the men
struggled bard to keep their lead Of twenty
boats length Or thereabcuts; they made
their oars bend, and seemed - though they
would fell On their noses should anything
60 wrong. The steersman perched high up
on the pointed stern, with his whole figure
clearly visible, was . study Of graceful
strength and skill. How he stopped and
strained TO give force to his strokes. How
deity he combined guiding the others with
helping them on. They never locked back,
but they knew &c were close behind, for
our engine pulled loudly in token Of high
pressure, and our whistle was by no means
silent.
| ''On We went, and on they went vcsscls
were met and vessels we're overtaken. The
cus.o n-house. at ths entrance Of the Mestre
canal grew plainly visible. and The distance
between n lesssned betwee.. US At every
stroke. The custnm>house saved them. =
Thcy touched for an instant, sprane out,
speko . the officials, and were gone before
70 were even laid alongside. IT. vain did
steao hging ~ near them once NOR. % we
approached the fort Of Nalghsria. Bons and
muscle we're iAvosed By fortune, ier the nns
gle passenger II H. gondc!a had his pass
port quickly ezAaiasd. while Ne Steamboat
passengers Vsse Kept waiting until SEW
ant Of the empesos had aseestaiosd thas ~
wese ~ legally qush6sd y 60 ashoa s.,
woen M ssst q the canal had 6seo vor0rd,
End ws a!sived 1t Mestre, The three Condo
i'sss ct thsse vateAisg -. With broad grins
upon their supbusnt fscea.''