The Portland daily press., 1870-03-23
Terms $500 per annun,, in adrance.

snip on tneir heads, and BY q
suuoeh yerk diVest them OF their natural wear
ing apparel, and throw them down for another
female 10 relieve them of their feet and ;r,a-.
rlor arrangements. In this manner saw a
dozen dressed in, certainly think, les, than
three minutes; and the purchaser went off
win MS treasures still kicking, as though thew
| had not even had time to recover from thai
astonishment at their sudden transformation.
Another singularity about these people. IL
in the names which they attach to their
places of business; surprising in ludicrous-
ness, those in vogue with the New England
ers of the olden time. lunched one day at
the Cafe De7ina Proyvidenza, and was offer
ell at table wine called Lagrima Christi
tfears OF rist). On another occasion had
my boots repaired at the "St. John the Bap-
tist' shoe store! But enough on this score.
Leaving my baggage at Milan, 1 turned of
to Lake Como, two hours distant by rail.
The terminus ofthe railroad is at Carmerlata,
and you pas' down thence by a mountain
road, to the old town of Como, which con-
tains 10000 inhabitants, and one of the finest
marble cathedrals in Northern Italy. It Is
also famed as being the birthplace of the
younger Plny. In the afternoon took the
steamer up the lake.
Everybody has heard, or read, of the un-
rvalled beauties of Lake Como-its grand
mountain views, its picturesque promontories,
| Islands, villas and villages. Although the
| mountain tops were dimmed with whirling
snow, as though tempest were raving
among them, the weather below was COM
| fortably warm, the water calm, and the seem
cry softened By the semi-transparent mist,
which seems to be the peculiarity of the
Italian climate in winter; and I only wished
for some congenial mortal to divide with me
the satisfaction that felt, as scene after
scere of unrivalled beauty opened before me;
for as to the Italians on board fused to 1t per-
haps), they did not give it the least attention,
but took to their sour wine in the cabin, as
soon as the steamers got Off
We arrived at the beautiful watering place,
Bellagsio, about sunset. Here went on shore
and remained for the night, to be aroused next
morning by the sun peeping over the spow-
crowned mountain tops, through the window,
upon my pillow; and without rising could
look out upon the iar-reaching waters, which
bright as mirror, reflected every feature Of
crag, villa, wood, chapel, and ravine, in q
combination of the beautiful that completely
took me captive!
Time was precious; could not tarry here,
and petit barca, rowed by strong -limbed
Italian Under the inspiration of couple of
francs, carried me in an hour to Menageio, on
the opposite shore of the lake. Here took
the diligence for Lake Lugano. The road
thither winds by most circui.cus route
among mountains; the three hours consumed
in passing over it seemed all to brief, for they
scarcely gave me time to appreciate fully the
varied and ever varying views; and Iresolved,
1t ever passed over it again, it should be on
foot. -s
On arriving at Porlezza at the head of the
lake, was doomed to disappoint in not find
ing the expected steamer. The travel had 80
nearly ceased Tor the season that she had been
laid up.
However, the wild, mountain-girt Lugane
was in one Of her most tranquil moods, and
there was score of stalwart boatmen ready
with their petit barcas to continue me on. So
I selected couple of honest looking fellows,
anl taking seat in the bow of the boat face
forward, gave myself up 10 the enjoyment of
my surroundings.
The mountains on either side of the lake
rise directly from the water, and are so pre-
cptous that in many places It is impossible to
construct road along them; so that the trav-
ell from point to point is of necessity in boats.
Wilder aud more precipitous activities have
not yet seen than those that completely shut
! US in. often cloud-capped. and In some places
shattered down many hundreds OF feet per.
pendiculary, and the depth of the lake, close
by the shore, was so great, that the water was
"blue-black."
Yet on some accessible spots they had con-
trived to erect villages and plant grape vines;
and on heights almost inaccessible we're pret-
ty churches from whose towers waveied the
sounds oil the sweet toned bells, disposing me
to the luxury of dream-landl -
In all Roman Catholic countries they seem
to have a mania for belLrnging. Morning
and evening, midnight and high noon, you
hear their cansor; and in the cities, where
there are many churches, until you get used to
it, it is almost intoerab.e! But here, the toues,
mellowed by distance, lent charm to my sur
roundings which no other music could have
supplied. .aa-
At one point was aroused from my reveries,
by distant shout and down came q great
tree with a crash that aroused the echoes far
and near, and looking up some fifteen hum
| dred or two thousand feet. saw the wood.
| cutters at work on an activity that seemed
only accessible to the eagles.
A pull of five hours suffice1 to bring US to
the pretty town of Lugano, within the boaders
of Switzerland, and the largest place In the
canton of Ticino. Here found excellent &C.
commodations at the Hotel du Pare, and, un-
expectedly, quite number of visitors, mostly
English, with whom the locality is priced on
account OF its picturesque scenery, and Of Its
genial climate, which is so mild that the aloes
blooms in its season in the open air. In front
of the hotel was fine statue of William Tell;
and wandering up the road along the border
of the lake half mile, saw in a small open
temple in garden bust of Washington, with
the inscription beneath magnum saecu!orum
decus."
Next morning the diligence conveyed me to
Luino, over route of twenty miles possess.
| ing no particular interest.
Here again took TO steamer, on which
Travelled the whole length of Lake Maggiore,
and bad an opportunity of seeing all ITS far
famed scenery, its diversity Of Mountains and
glimpses of the distant Alps, its fertile slopes
and promontories, its beautiful islands-in-
cluding I0ole Deiie, which, Notwithstanding
that winter has bereft it of some oflts charms,)
with ivy-envelored grottoes, evergreen cypres-
ses and laurels, and picturesque structures, Is
sufficiently beautiful to satisfy any taste.
In due time we arrived at Arona, and tax
| ing the rail was back at Milan by night, a.
ter an absence of three days.
For the present, adieu. 8. B. B.
| Gossip and G,Scanings'
l.