The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-05-26
The New European Gambling
Places.


two promcutories jutting ont into the
Mediterranean. On one Of these is 4
small town and large palace. on the
other there is hell Behind them the
mountains rise abruptly several thousand
feet; between them is harbor and an
olive grove. This is Monaco. The entire
area Of the country does not exceed 5000
acres, one-half Of which are barren rocks.
Here the Grimaldis have reigned as inde-
pendent sovereignS for centuries, They
formerly made very pretty thing out Of
piracy. bot they have adapted themselves
10 the spirit of the age. and derive a good
income from a gambling establishment.
They rule over the land Of the cypress
and myrtle" but If this vegetation really
Is an emblem Of deeds that are done in
their cline the less cline has Of them
the better, in moral point OF view. for
the cline. Some twenty FIVE years ago,
the furnishing town Of Mentone called
the Prince of Monaco its lord. but its in-
habi,anis one morning revol,ei. and an
nexed themselves 10 the then Kingdom Of
Sardinia Fortunately for him. France.
Italy and Austria fell ont, went to war and
settled their little differences at Solierinn.
Mentone was handed over to France and
the Prince uf Monaco while he still re-
tanned his sovereignty over his two prom
ontories and his olive grove was made i
Freucl Senator. and received a pension of
ES.000 per annum Tor renonnoing what he
called his rights over Menione. But for
tune bad still more in store for him The
gnsat Monsieur Blanc, the patron saint Of
Serene TransparencieS in Germany. hav-
ing cone to the conclusion that the field
Of his operations might with advantage be
extended to Italy, made him an offer of
ele.O00 per annum for the right TO start a
gambling establishment on one Of the
promontOries. With this offer the Prince
al once closed. and financially neither he
nor his subjects have reason to regret the
bargain. The palace has been tinkered up
and refurnished. The Prince drives up
and down his one road in a regal equipage;
he has two or three chamberlains. and has
even treated himself to the luxury Of a
Prime Minister. Anofieial Gazette weekly
informs the world on whom he has bestow-
ed an onier. and whom be has invited to
dinner The whole face OF the country
has been altered. The KurSaal and Kur-
saal Gardens cover several acres. 4 large
hotel, and several small ones, have been
opened; shops are springing up, and villas
are being built. A railroad to Nice has
been cut through the rocks. The whole
place is alive with the cheralisrS indus
fy-is. the French l0restsS. the hawks and
the pigeons. who flock TO gambling-house
Just as gold-seekers in California crowd to
new diggingS. Monaco Is now q paradise
inhabited BY people who are the reverse of
angels Before the kursaal, stretches q
terrace. filed with tropical trees and fow-
ers; hundred feet below it. the waves Of
the Mediterranean break against the
rocks: while landward, high up against
the horizsn, tower huge masses of hills.
clothed half way up with the dark foliage
Of olives, alternating with the bright green
of orange trees. As sat there this even
ing, drinking my coffee after dinner. l
could not help heing struck with the con-
traSt between nature and mau-the one so
peaceful and so beautiful. the other so
agitaied and so vile. Through the open
window of the hell could see the greedy
N4INu AAO SAEOu tAAAC tAolC- AAIN
every now and then the voice of the
c-oHpier, shouting out the winning color,
broke in upon the ripping noise of the
waves at my feet. That men should be
such fools as to stake their money against
a machine which. as long as two and two
make four. must, il they continue the un-
equal contest sufficiently long. eventually
ruin them. is an absurdity which it is diff
cult TO account for by the rules of common
sense. bat gamblers are uncalculating. and
seldom actuated by common sense. Still,
| should have thought that even their na-
lures would have felt something of the in
iuencss of local association. and that the
calm sea, tbs solemn mountains. the bright
moon. would have made them elevate their
minds for brief period beyond the faeti-
tious excitsment of gaming table. Rouge
st n0ir at Monaco is much Ike a horse
race in the garden of Ellen. or an Arcadian
shepherless dancing a cU can. = Cor.
London 1iBlss