New-York tribune., 1868-01-03
BAYARD TAYLOR'S LETTERS.
STETCT LIFE IN VENICE.

Of duh and rather chilly days tas brought many Of
the citizens uack from The mountains, and the events
in the Roman States are leginnng to arouse people
OF all classes from morning ill night the cry of
the newshnys, woc.ainine their extraordinary sup-
pleinents" i, heard in all the streetstho said sup
plements rarely containing any authentic news.
have no doubt tlai yuu know as well, every morn
ing. what las really happened in Italy the day be-
fore as We. here. with all the journals of Florence
and Venice and the gossip OF the cafes. shall not,
therefore. white Of the insuIrccton further than it
affects the temper OF tie pcopic-at least. until |
move nearer tie field Of action.
The cholera las r0nc il is tlue but seems TO have
left behind il a dull. morbid atmosphere have lost
q week by illness. and not one Of my family has es-
capped thc w!na.,hy influence. When the sun shines
it is with a sljry heat which must be avoided while
the damp Shade chills on the other hand. But in
Venice one cai rot lie penncd in house while lie has
strength 10 walk or sii upright in a gOndOla and 50
have been wandering day by day. through the
CITY, seeing il thoroughly by land. as have before
seen it by wafer There is TO hoHse. Ibelicye which
may not be reached foot but the system of canals
and bridges is 50 irregular that the labyrinth OF
streets caunot he Threaded without both skill and
patience. In these excursions, however, there is quite
as much that is lcturSGne and peculiarly Venetian.
as in Tie 81 ut. mysterious heating which IS sup
posed to lc the c'liet feature Of life here.
Every wall, in fact. a series Of surprises There
are only tiice mai, ihorouglfares which neither
broader nor o,r distinctly marked than the Others.
bat the autioiirs have placed signs. either IN the
pavrnepls or on the corner horses. 10y which the
people may fu1 thci. way. They lead TO the Railway
Station, to tic Iost-Oiace, aud 20 the Riao. Else
where you Caa lHr!iy guess your whereabouts by
noticing what OlafT OF the city yOu are ~. a large
proportion 0i ic streets are barely wide enough ior
two persons to pass cath other. There are Said 10
have been both WrlS aud scdan-chairs IN Venice. In
TIE odcn TIME brt their routes must have been very
limited. The stlrct may be six, eight, or even ten
feet wiiic i uiH ed Yards OF sO tleu corner Is
suddenly ttr,c and an alley, or rather cert sue
CestS-a dark tiuUg.i. hlcd with perpetual SHADOW.
between hoi.srS which tOppie together overhead.
There Is no llau no direction anywhere; You can
neither steer by the sun nor the stars, and oven
comp - is If 40 use.
started ~ random the other day, turning ir'O the
fIst alley wAcI lc,l nOfhwaws from the ldya After
two tutiiinLs came upon the Campo san Zaccarla,
little opru square with church and superb beliry
side. he only persons TO be seen were two
bows, Roasting cOlirc over a furnace on the open
pavement. There was nothing at all Venetian III the
scene: il might have been ut adua or Parma After
two more ziezacs passed under an arch and found
myself on u small canal with grand old palace OF
the Gothic period IN iiont-pointed arches, with
Ouatrtfuls tie windows, carved balconies, and
all that exquisite dclicaCy OF ornament which seems
lost to architecture. The dark-red color OF the walls
haunOuizvd ciarnlngly with TIE gray OF Inc scuip-
tnltd stone and along the basement, where the
moisture had eaten away the succo, there were green
and golden stains. It was picture complete and
beautiful. hut douot think 1t has ever been painted.
Sill advancing al gauaoui reached larger canal,
looking down which saw tall. graceful befy,
Gothic palace and several terraces Of greeneIy,
perchcd alOlt like the hanging gardens of Babylon.
But the narrow fOHdGmcRid tpieil soon ceased, and
was led into cold. winding creVceS between the
houses for such lcugth Of time that began to long
for daylight. boy carrying some new window
shutters on his head emerged from side alley aDd
followed hiU mechanically until my steps were arr
rested by a splendid Byzatine gateway, staIigIue
alone in a mass of modern plaster and vliltew8sh 4
do not remember any notice of this relic in}{nskinis
work When ! looked mp again the bow mad disa1-
peared but the next ,grqing Showed re glilnm.r Of
water between long high walls. the t0gceso of which
almost touched. When ! reached tLe extremity
there was a universal fash in the air. such as one
T,ppdr,,t Nnor on, fhe ne; cave cave, wa On ,ilc
fore me the SHINING snTiacf of the lagunes the float
Ing bouses emu '9Tfis y Miirano and far away, the
Nothing. OF e0nsc can sIrpass the views along the
Grand Canal, l"r General elect; but much OF the
choie~t anu mos interesting architecture of Venice
Is scalteiI ,yhrOUgh the byways tor rather by
WateIsl Oh pe city. | have mentioned tins one eX-
cHIsion a Iaudo, because it indicates the character
OF SCOTS OF Others. One cannot so aIniSs. Inc
mus canals turn at such angles that every bridge
Yves an entirely new picture, with different elect
of light and shade; While Inc camPoS, or open sqaIes
vary as regularly IN shape HLe' auu aion.ect'Iai @
surroundings. One feature, only Is common 10 every
view-rich mellow and harmonious color Neny'
they ONLY half see Venice who see 1t from the water.
The characters meets IN the streets-the life OF
the people spent IN the open air whenever IL Is posi-
ble-is not less interesting should guess that the
ovocafion most generally followed is the selling of
roasted pumpkins (Ruskln calls them roasted ddter-
,aSionS They are cut in thick slices and completely
bake1 resembling pumpkin pie without the crust, and
the venders cry continually, IN piercing but mclo
dious voice On how beautifup Next in order is
the sale of roasted eestnuts ana then 10lows eheap
the Ia latter % 'D pTocians: beautiful -Seautifq Oeaqt
fol- better than almondsW 1t Is astonishing what
quantities of these articles eaten by the people
Large boat loads of pumpkins continually arrive
from the mainland and the roasting, IN little pora
Die iron furnaces, goes on from morning tOnlgDt, al
over the city. To the Venetian gdnin the pumpkin
both gingerbread and peanuts.
In St. Mark splace, the trades which thrive on for
eigners have driven away Oil others. never cross
tie snuare (which do hafa-dOZen times every day.
without AT least five venders Of she'll necklaces
rushing in advance and thrustlng thelr wares under
nv nose. That have not bought, and shall not buy
ANYTHING of them. makes difference. If stop to
look for the hundredth time, at the eyer-fair and
glorious portal of 81. Marks, lede-pace sprIngs
from behind one Of the masts crying: MoosoOF
Til, re is fOrda tiOweT-womanl- IA hideous, brazen
creature whom have felt tempted TO slap. When
refuse her two withered flowers TIED on suck, she
gives whirl expressive OF great contempt, and
eiacuIates an " "Ahr-T-r-r!' worthy of BTowDlngs
Spanish monk. But there are two beggars to whom
Intend giving aims before leave Venice One is
handsome fellow with one leg, who simply takes oil
his hat aud smiles the other Is mlsshaIen creature
on the Ponte della Pagliaa spder-like abortion of
man, with big head, no body, and long, twsted
arms and legs 1t is difficult to tell whether he Is
eight years old, or eighty Ills mouth reaches nom
ear to ear yet is always spread in cOntented grin,
his eyes have happy twinkle, and the poor creature
crawls TO his post, with rs gay an ar as IL he were
All AdOnis and lived III tue Doges Palace ~.
The other beggaTs through the city are mostly
women. unnecessarily dirty and frowzy. They re-
pei rather than attract charity. which shows thar
they are lazy rather than cunning Considering that
mendicy is not prohibited the class IS not large,
and by no means fierce and aggressive as In Rome
The number of ifinerant yenders OF Shells bees,
soap matches and candled fruits Is however, very
much in advance of the demand for those articles.
One sees all sides the evidence of dislike Tor
solid labor This class of course seeks TO increase
the scanty profit IN every possible way ana becomes
more To be depended upon. The gOndOleTs for eX-