The New York herald., 1871-02-12

hand OF winter. The engineering difficulties over
come In this splendid rail- way-hve German miles of
Wnicn cost 10, 100000 HORNS TO construct-are fam-
liar 10 evefybody but lew foreigners travel along
this road IN winter that It's glories az tas season
are unknown The loftest point OF the pass is some
tning less than mile IN height. but the way 10 n n
along series OF winding paths skirng the sldes ~
the mountains, and sometimes traversinq n yaney
In sncn manner tnat, after a stin ascent OF Ave "a
SIX hundred feet. the passenger finds himself rnmes
diately above village he left some half hour no.
FORE The gradient Is throughout very sieeo gene.
rally one In fo.ty and frosty slippery, weather tna
oscillation ana uncertain motion OF the carriages al
the very edge OF broken, overhanging precipice
hundreds OF feet In depth, are liable to embarras1
the timid traveller. For some six days before n
crossed no tickets for Trieste issued ut Vienna
the snow having so obstruced the line that II wag
mpassabe. ! found the roadway almost entirely
cleared. though number OF men hard at wo k
snow. Occasionally, too a troop OF grim miners as
black In visage ana expression In apparel would
start out from behind some snowy promonory, look
Ing like the hobg0bins who attend upon the demon
king In u Christmas pantOnne. Other strange
figures were to be seen, too, In the shape OF gigantic
icices, some eight or nine feet high, hanging from
every rocky projection sometimes split into the sem
bance OF mlsshapen arms and legs. then looking
for all the world ike huge snow men, hardened and
frightened into transparent Ice. Every now ami
then one caught glimpse OF a ruined castle on
some deserted height and Of two or three struggling
cottages lost in the waste OF white. Now the train
hurries through gallery, OF which there are 1l-
Teen IN about five miles; now It passes q
cllngs close to the mountain side and now il pIunges
into tunnel OF 5000 leet IN length. The variety in
Every turn III road which Is made up OF turns
offers different kind of view. But everywhere the
OF the grand scene. In one place 1t falls over the
soping ridges, as In some modern statues the folds
OF alabaster drapery clothe a marble figure;
ing all beneath 1t in Its cold embraces: here
II is broken BY the dark and jagged rocks,
here again 1t Is just lightly powdered the black
pines as though II had fallen from hand unwilling
TO hide their delicate design. The Semmering IL al
4 4 RI
and most lovely when clothed In snow.
The painter win be scarcely likely to pass Gratz.
second only to Prague IN the natural beauty OF ts
position; and the Syrian capital has much to In
terest even the hurried traveller The remainder or
the route IL full OF variety until the Karst is
reached-a desolate, stony region, bare and bleaN
This terrible region lasts 80 long that you begin "a
despair OF Its ever closing, wAen suddenly you fnd
you see your iron pathway traced IN zgzags until t
reaches ut your feet. far below, Trieste In the dis
tance the Julian Alps and the Enganean hills are all
covered with snow, and In the broad eXpanse be-
tween lay the blue waters OF the tdeless Adratic,
securely sleeping under the fu clear, constant gaze
OF an Italian sun.
And what do they say about the war In Triestep
nor do they give it thought; for, Though Trieste is
Austrian by law, it Is, / believe by nature, In
race hy snaes Iu hey roubs ars
about war between France ana PrussaS The
better stroll about the Campo Marco and the
In sanitary Investigations on the chdren's heads.
the men, too poor or too lazy even 10 SMOKE busy in
When they are tired Of the town cannot the nhapit-
ants wander up the promenade to Servola, where
smn smrs dynu T into the sea- THIS lovely view par.
ticuarly mention, because, though only half
an hour from the centre OF the town, IT. Is
unknown to many visitors, and because the bay
forms one OF the finest natural harbors have ever
seen. Strange TO say, tits deserted ana unused
cept for the hinge and handsome shlpbuldng work
or the Austrian IlOyds. Or tr the Trlestine is IN
clned drive he can reach In half an hour, having
the splendid sea for his companion all the way,
THE BEAUTIFUL CASTLE OF MlRAMAR.
erst the pet abode OF the Emperor Maximian OF
any dreams of activity he is surely no true ItalaE.
l have seen many more sumptuous palaces than
this, but none more beautiful and none that so COM
Dctev reflected the refined taste OF an
pished gentleman. The castle Is new just as 1t was
left by the unhappy monarch and his stu
both having nne views the TO the
Istran coast are fitted up like the comfortable
journey round the world In the howard, There Is
nothing osentatious or gaudy IN the whole building,
unless II DO In the portraits OF crowned heads.
conspicuous in almost every room, and In she rows
OF German emperors whom i was Maxlmllians
ambition equal in This trait in his cha
racter comes out, think In an admirably painted
emblematic apotheosls OF the House OF Hapsburg,
and observed particularly that In a map OF Europe
which occupies the centre OF picture Mexico was
represented as one the appanages OF the imperial
house. You doubtless remember the story Of how
Maximiliat's first exclamation, when he heard OF
sThen shall be Emperor was surprised to hear
that the banqueting han. in which Is the picture al
ludcd TO, Is now called the Coronation Hall; but
when questioned the servant about IL learned
that the room had only borne the name
the EmperOr's death. The palace IL superby
placed on promoDtory, commanding extensive
views on every stde having dminntve harbor
OF IT'S and hanging gardens and avenues
even now abundantly clothed with verdure,
'rhe unfortunate Arcllduke, when engaged in the
luckIess expedition where lie met his fate, must
often have thought regrctiuly OF his beautiful home
on the Adriatic, and must have longed TO behold
once more such a sunset US gladdene6 my eyes from
MS palace at MiraInar.
VENICE.
But we have not yet, although now In Italy, lost
sight OF the beautynR effects OF snow for all along
the line OF railway which goes by Udtne ana TrevsO.
from Trieste to Venice, skirt the Julian Alps,
which at this season rival in beauty, In their ampli-
tude OF 'pencilled valleys and shadowy dels," the
grander mountains of Switzerland proper. AS we
near Venice see, about Mestre boys sedging
about on the shallow waters OF the lagunes and
even as we enter the City OF the Sea, feel q
searching icness In the northeast wind But the
unsuled setting lrradates The golden facade Of
ST. Marks almost brilliant as In full summer; the
female maskers rattie their bells merrily under the
echo ng colonnades Of the Piazza, and the thickly
coming gondOlas, full ffeighted with pleasure seek
ers have lost all their customary funereai aspect in
their covering OF snow.