The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-08-06


is in a pretty good state Of preserva--
ton considering its age, and is, per-
haps, one Of the finest specimens in
existence of the magnificence and ex-
travagsnce of the feudal lords Of
former times. The building is COM
posed of different kinds of archl-
lecture, showing that it did
not assume it's present shape
in the same age. The old
tower, which Is supposed to be older
than the conquest, is the only part
which indicates the character Of the
ace of military despotism. About /
one hundred years ago this building I
was stripped of It's principal furniture, I
and has since, generally, been unIn- I
habited. 1t is said to have been built T
IN the eleventh century. 1t was the |
residence of Queen Elizabeth. The |
guide showed US an ancient bed and |
locking glass, said to have been used
by that Queen. The building is very
large, possesses many matters of
interest to the tourist We were
shown an old dining table in the ban
quoting hall, which was an old oaken
board about twenty feet long, three
feet wide and three inches thick,
which presents about as old an
appearance as you could i'm
agine. We assembled to the top Of the
tower, which trembled beneath our
feet as we walked. but We soon de-
seconded again, not specially desiring
the glory of being on the tower when
it fell. In the Chapel there arc sew
eral relies of the past, such as the
Hunters Horn, large pewter plates,
/ Il Al 20 r1f rrt-
land. In the reign Of Queen Ann, an
| Blackwell Saturday I0th) alter
noon, We took the train to MattocE
/ Bath, which is a favorite watering
place with the English, where we
spent the Sabbath. Matlcck Bath
is a small town situated on the Der
aCent River, and on the Midland Rail
road. 1t has about one thousand IN
habitanfs. The surrounding country
is very billy, and is only suited for
the purpose of grazing. The river
4 runs on two sides of the town, and Its
banks rise vertically about 260 feet
high. solid stone. The Midland Rail-
road is constructed In the side of this
precipice, about 40 feet above the
river, and 220 feet below the brow of
the cliff. Occasionally the train peeps
out over the river, but Immediately
darts again into its dark tunnel into
the side of the bluff. The scenery Of
this place is quite romantic. Many
people visit here in the Summer seas
on for health and pleasure. We were
told BY the citizens that not un-
frequently as many as 1000 visitors
J are there IN one day. There is no
business carried on in the town
which would indicate thriving farm
ing community around it; but the
houses are mostly dwellings,, bath
hotels, and toy stores, where pictures,
| stereosc0pic views and all kinds of
trinkets, carved from the petrefae-
4 tons of the place. are kept for sale.
This place has number of caves and
several wells, which are said to be
\ petrifyiglg t0ells, as places OF amuse-
ment, at each Of which one can easily
get rid Of a shilling. The livery
business is carried on quite ex-
u tensively at this place. The visitor
may 60 along Main Street at any time
of the day and see from a dozen to
twenty little donkeys about three feet
high, drawn up in front of a certain
bluff, which seems to be the rendez-
vous for livery donkeys. Each dom
key is eaparisoned with a formidable
, side-saddie and attended by his mas
ter, who is a boy from ten to fourteen
, years old, wearing a large metallic
plate on his arm, showing that he has
/ a license from the corporation to hire
ont has donkey, and that he acts from
authority. Both ladies and gentle
men ride on side-saddles. Your read
ers can easily imagine how a tall
American, who has invested three
pence for ride, and determined to
get the worth OF his money, would
| look, astride of saddle on one
Of these donkeys, while he makes an
acute angle of his legs at the knees,
and belabors the poor animal on the
thigh with his feet. The young mas
ter always runs behind the donkey,
holding to his tail with one hand,
while in the other he carries a CAD to
brighten up the donkey when the
efforts of the rider prove unavailing
When / refer to an American knight,
of course do not intend to person
ate any of our company.
On Monday morning, July 18th,
we left Matlock Bath and travelled IN
a cab to ChdtsU0rth, a distance of ten
! miles. This is truly a splendid man
sion. 1T was first erected in the reign
of William the Third, and for the
last three centuries it has been the
principal residence of the Cavendish
family. 1t is situated on the DerWent
River, In the midst of a large and
well numbered park, for this country.
The park is nearly eleven miles IN cir
conference, in which thousands OF
red and fallow deer may daily be seen
reposing or feeding on the hillsides.
The house and grounds are open to
visitors from eleven A. NJ. to four
O'Clock P. NJ. The visitor is led by a
: guide through a succession of rooms
! such as the sub hall, great hall, south
gallery, chapel, great oak staircase,
great draWing-rooms, library, ante
room, dining room, state apartments,
scarlet bedroom, state mushroom,
J state drawing state dining room,
J sculpture gallery and orangery, all
of which are richly and appropri-
ately furnished, amongst which
are hundreds Of choice paintings,
busts and castles. The scarlet
bedroom contains the bed on
which George the II died. The
/ Orangery contains some fine speci-
, mems of CaInellias, Rhododendrons
Oranges aud other exotics, as we'll as
7 group of statuary. The flower gar
T dens are the finest that / have seen in
England or Scotland. They were
! like most OF the fine gardens in Eng
:, land, laid out according to the plan
: OF the late Sir Joseph Paxton, who
seems In this instance to have blend
ed nature and art IN combining every
. beauty that trees. shrubs and flowers
] could supply. These gardens are
! snnnlied with water.wnrks- which