New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-12-28
LETTER IRON BAY4RD TAYLOR.
IrAIIAN VENICE.

Ro.zcn The sight Of vine, iiP, ana cypress
I.;,,,, c,r the olive and the umbrcla-pine. Inc
Galley of the Adige. however, ana inc lohs Alp'lo
i.,s which descend TO II from the East' anu NO''N
md West contain some OF the finest scenery "a
rurono tits a warmer and more picturesque o"lt@-
srlapd The mountain forms are more broken anu
-ioIo,t. tbc naked peaks Of dolomte cut the SKY
with pyramids and obeslls sharp that the >" SS
,io,is seem tame beside them while the pea Oh 'no
obef valley. broader than that of the Rhone Is VIII
dorness Of cultnre. The vines, trained on sioping
.1I;ses completely roof the earth with shade loi
,.o,ues together and but little space IS allowed Tor
nv other crop. In the gardens the fig medlar ana
romerranate are predominant; maize is cultivated
{, the bottoms which are too moist for the Vine out
-, d not allowed 10 descend from the high Alpine
Clio You have a vision now and then OF hay and
,oost fields far aloft: the fronts of the mountains
are walls of darkrcd porphyry, torn andspt as Il Dy
lightning and draped with savage foliage Above
and behind them lie the farms; below all IS vineyard
and garden. 4
n the junction of the roads to the passes of Fnster
,oinz and the Stelvio This is the place OF resort
for ipvolids. Consumptives come for the mild VIM
ter and others in September for the fam Gus grape
,re Over the stone-walls which bOIdered the road'
we looked under the green roofs of vine upon myladS
of hlue and alnber-colOrcd punches, which seelned
ready 10 drop with their ripe weight. The road was
SLED with teams, hauling immense tuns for tho new
vino or great tubs full of the mashed pulp, exhaling
d, ,pppont odor "a we passed. The wine produced
hero Is of excellent quality. All the varieties OF
1ramner 50 we'll known ON me hhe Is Iau' i'oi'
CRANES which came originally from TINS valley ,,
Meran was thlOnged with nyahas' AmOSt ee
first person we SAW was the MOldaVlan ladyi WIN
her aog on her arm , s1fp ren followed with an air
of respect and submission. The beauty OF
Tic place aud the inspiration OF the sur NJ
rounding scenery l suspect are quite rs
curative as the air, or the grapes OF the NheEi
and whatever other cure may be nactlced' VII
ot undertake to describe it, further than TO say lhat
fho features Of the landscape commence win o9Wels
of tamarsk and Italian laurel take IN nan q 9oAcH
medieval castles in the middle distance anu yer,
inmate with glaciers and snOw-peaks l%UUO leet
above the sea-level But advise all American tour
lists in Europe, who have leisure enough TO WISH INC
TyroL ,.-..-.4 r,.4.o, 4to +r,;r,
from the BrcnueT was again an hour behnd tihe'
The DELAY however enabled me TO attend 10 my
baggage before 1t arTved-alWayS an ahalI Vl an
bouT on tins road. There was delay everywhere,
after we started-why, nobody could tell by great
eXertion we made Trent by sunset, passed RoyeIedo
and Rlvol in the darkness and reached the Italian
frontier Passports were not demanded DuI tie
CustOm-hOuse officers either ala not Know "n J 70
10. or how 10 do it, Believing devoutIE IN 4htld
Huitd ] was determined to be pleased WIN every
thing but after being summoned hither ana tnither
Tor an hour, being Informed lpnVatelyl tnat q les
would pass my trunks and then having 5hen exam
u,mm0ned to consult whether eight cigars were 100
much and a child's doll being carefully inspected
60 ascertain whether 1t was new, began TO pray az
least that Italia Uuifa might have more intelligent
and practical servants. -
THO end was that it was nearly midnight before
va reached Verona. Here we saw the old sights over
lin even the saTcOpbagus Of Juliet-whiCh is so
pleasant fiction that like 1t about as wei as 4
tact-and set forth at noon for Venice. WIN us
went an old EngliShman who informed Inc tDat inc
,orcksfoes were driving him from Verona. Look
hcrev he exclaimed. removing his hat and display
ing forehead once falr but now covered WIN prom
iueDt red bosses, each the size OF nan cheIfy IL
js DREADFUL no cried again. / aIn slck-l have
fever from them. Look AZ me-feel my puiseF
tried 10 observe the landscape cooll{ Wlthout the
glamour of the names we passed, and the name a
glory i'm itself at tho end OF the Journey was
forced 10 acknowledge that without these names the
scenery would be very dull and undressing Rows
of mulberry trees, oyergrOWn WIN vines, 90 hot
make the mOnstTous levels picturesque ana TIE siug
gsh canals, hOrdcTed by rows OF pQpia- anu willow
frees hint Of Incidence and lever on sec some Diue
poiuted hills 10 tine southwark but Would scarcely
1--WE second glance at them did you not know thar
they are the Euganean hiiis OF FetIarch anu oh5-
3evI You cross o gTeensh turbid stream, the banks
II which are walled into absolute ugllness-DuJl ~ Is
tho Brenta Then YOU speed through heds OF maize,
willow swamps aud oozy tracts OF teathered reed;
labyrinth OF muddy channels succeels; leIlius 81
marshy weeds and brown grass, shadows Oored with
aecayine vegetation and sand-6anks gray with salty
acposits-but your blood tngles in every veln Tor
beyond this hideOus deSOlatlOn there IS a sheet OF
cleaning water, and over that water rises Venice!
No city ever possessed the fascination OF this, OF
everc9u i'm all future time Splendid and bad as Is
IT'S history one who knows Venice reads It, inyOlun-
taIily, without applying the Judgment with which he
would be swift 10 measure the annals o. other States
IL is only with an effort that the crime and fierce
ness and falsehOOd OF the Republic become repuls-
I've they take their place 50 naturally IN the mag
n1ceut pageant. So, looking on these palaces, 80
fresh in their wonderful beauty we see them as a
picture, aud neither ask nor care particularly
whether the red stain the balcony Is from time
blood. The wGteTy pavement hangs them IN the ar;
their colOrs are ever soft and luminous IN the glow
reelected from the wave; they exist in an atmosphere
of AT. which removes their chronicles nom the
severe realm Of History.
There were very few strangers when We arrived.
have twice been in Venice at the same season. but
never before found the city so lonely and deserted
n the evening 80 or 20 persons scattered under the
coOnnaCcs of ST. Marks Place, made no impression on
Che eye aud a. | remembered the former gay crowds,
the groups before the cafes the street singers and the
musicians, tine change seemed very remarkable. j
fld the same difference everywhere Throughout the
city. The crooked street OF the Mercera, leading 70
Tao Rlalto, being principal thOrOughfaTe, IS still
lively and animated but ia al the other streets, one
only meets person at long intervals Half the gOn-
dJas e IDLE 90 me pleIs the coastlng vessels along
tic EiVa del SchiavOni seem to have freight, and
the mariners do little except spread their sails TO dry
after "a shower.
have questioned several residents about the mat
ter and am told that the months Of August and Sep
TENDER were 50 extraordinarily hot that every one
Jeff Venice who was able; that the cholera which
has just ceased IT'S r3Va&es, drove away great many
more. and that, finally, the change OF Govern
stccts business. When put the direct question:
Has not the removal Of the Austrian garrison and
officials taken something from the cityP the answer
VAS The Austrian troops certainly spent more
money than ours. They were good customers. and
we had nothing against them as individuals, but we
should not want them back, If must take their
Government with them
This is 10 doubt true Austria. Of course was
Obliged to keep much larger garrison here than
Italy aud tie spirit and enterprise Of her CONNER
cal class must have had some iuiucnce on the trade
of Venice. The Italians have q great deal 10 learn,
and The first thing is 10 transform their drOnes into
workers. No land in Europe except Spain. has so
many drOnes, and such poor and proud ones Venice,
under the Austrian rule had more or less OF an cx-