The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-09-04

you know, prevails here, and each OF
these distances of thousand metres
we saw was marked off by ten mum
bered stones at intervals of one hun
;dred metres.q nafego6 G9s 1870 ne5e
Vineyards did not appear until we
were nearing Paris. Soon after
reaching the region of vineyards, our
way struck upon the edge of the for
est of ST. Germain, emerging from
which we found ourselves in the
plain upon which is built the great
and gay city. Crossing again and
again the winding Seine, we presently
saw, a few miles in advance of us, a
mass of buildings with9a vast arch
rising in their midst. And there is
Paris, we exclaimed for there can be
no mistaking the Arch of Triumph.
A few minutes more of beautiful
suburbs,' and Of we'll built streets, and
we rolled into g the EN- bAkation of
the West otherwise 4 our railway
station--and were received by amin
gled crowd of welhdressed people and
blouses and gems d'armes. 9rfsIs3 9a5
i, GENERAL, DESCRIPTION OF PARIS.
We have not been long enough in
this, the most magnificent city of the
world to justify any attempt at de-
tailed account of it,from observation;
nevertheless we have seen enough to
justify a very general description.yozq
aFopographieallyg speaking, the city
lies upon nearly fiat surfaces too fat
one would think, for the best drainage
Victor Hugo in lies Miserables; has a
chapter setting forth at length the
Paris system of sewerage strange
theme to be discussed In ael,noyel,
showing that the system, is very elab6-
rate and yeryu complete; still the sur
face is fiat, and noisemei sexhalations
greet the senses ON some of the best
streets. The river Seine runs through
Paris much as the Thames runs
through London, only in the opposite
direction, from east to west 1t is
only about one-halfI as wide as the
Thames and, is crossed byltwiee as
many. bridges. Beautiful aquays on
either side, afford fine walks and
drives. --as-
The river itself is we'll nigh covered
with large floating houses, well
moored, used for washing and bathing
purposes. Passing along the quay,
you look down ON hundreds of washer
women in these houses, dipping and
pounding and wringing clothes. The
Seine divides In its passage through
the city, sending off small branch on
a southwestern circuit, forming small
island in the midst of the city. On
this are some of the large municipal
edi6ces, and some Of the noted
churches, as that of Notre Dame. In
the center of the city, stretching along
the north bank of the river, are the
palaces of the Louvre and of the Tu-
illeries-noW IS connected-the latter
being the town residence of the En-
perOr. s13a'1.iis iff GAAW~t
The Louvre is to the east of the
Tuilleries. West Of the latter, stretch
ing along the quay, are the beautiful
gardens of the Palace, opening west
ward on the Place de la Concorde, in
the center of which is the Obelisk of
Luxor, surrounded by fountains. Be
yond this, still westward, is a grand
avenue, mile long, leading, after
while, up a gentle ascent on the sum-
NIT of whichiis the Arch of Triumph.
neither side of the avenue, for half
a mile, as we go from the Place de la
Concorde, is a charming garden or
park, in which is the Palace of Indus
try and circus, and numerous cafes
and open air concert arrangements,
the whole constituting the famous
Champ Elysees, or Elysian Fields.
Returning to the Louvre, and going
westward along the river, we see little
of interest except rows of grand new
houses-improvements, effected by the
present Unprecedented we come to
the Hotel de Vile, an immense
building, the headquarters of the Pre-
feet of the Seine, and associating with
itself most of the prominent events
which have occurred in the history of
Paris The southern portion of the city
contains, toward the west, the H otel
des Invalides and the Camp de Mars.
IN the. center the Luxembourg Palace
and gardens, aud to the. southeast the
Garden of Plants, with its accom-
panying menagerie, Parallel with the
river on the north side, one street
back, is the Rue de Riyoli, famous for
ltsiareades and shops, and Its grand
hotels. fnoi -8e 'od EtqaA -EoHiaATo sGw
e little to the north Of the center
of the city is the Palais Royal, the
very center of attraction to the shop
ping community Then, making a
semi -circle from the northwest arouMd
to the northeast, or from the splendid
Column of the Bastile, are the finest
Boulevards-broad, shaded streets,
where beauty and fashion throng the
sidewalks, or glide along the cemented
and noiseless highway. Such is a
sort of skeleton view Of, Paris. When
the skeleton is furnished with its
rounded flesh aud active life, when
we fill it up with countless pal
soes a9d sh5rqhG and gardens SRd
IInQQ Of foil or,1 Al ~