The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1871-07-14

Rhine To- the other. From Bingen on,
the scenery Is truly grand. The green
mountains and rocky cliffs on either
side rise grandly up, and cast their
shadows on the waters. Almost ev-
cry one Of them IL crowned by some
old castle or fortress, from FIVE hun.
dred to a thousand years old, and these
castles and ruins are rich in historic
interest. Many have been the abode
Of poets, statesmen, warriors, kings
and emperors, and scarcely one of
them but has, as well, its strange le-
gend of the olden times. Everybody
this fair day il on deck and the inter.
est Of our party, made up from many
lands, 10 wonderful. "Wie shon, o!
vie schonp lHow fine, OF how fine)
exclaims German on our right, and a
pretty French girl chimes in "Magni-
fique, 0! lnagnifique r and even the
burly Englishman sitting by with his
eye-glass and pale ale, who seldom
finds anything bearable outside Of
England, grunts "ah, yes, fine, but
nothing to England"
Of the castles, thousand of which
sit like watchmen along the whole
length Of the Rhine, will mention
but two or three. Many of them are
only ruins made SO by the thirty years
war, while hundreds of others are re.
stored in style that il palatial. The
castle ofStolzenfcls, not far from Cob
lentz, built in A. D., 1850, Is one OF
the handsomest on the view. 1t is
immense in proportion and sits on q
rock 500 feet above the water. 1t is
filed with paintings by the old mas.
tiers, Reubens, Holbein, Van Dyck and
Rem brandt. 1t is the property, and
summer resort of the new emperor
William, Of Germany, and is refitted
at the trifing expense of million and
half Of francs. Not far below it is
the beautiful city Of Coblentz and its
wonderful fortress Of fEhreinbreitstein,
ten years in building, at cost Of eight
million dollars. Sitting at the juno
ton of the Moselle and Rhine it is a
German Gibralter. Il was never
taken by force of arms, and probably
could not be by any army, as it Is al.
most entlreiy fnacee2UUie.ss
From Coblentz we went to Bonn,
and were soon down close by the sew.
en- mountains, and under the old castle
Of Dragonfels, frowning down upon
| the Rhine with its burden of grapes
and corn. The legend tells how
Count Scigfricd, from the low coun.
tries, once slew mighty dragon here,
and having bathed in its blood be.
came invuinerable. The castle stands
on basaltic rock 9l0 feet above the
water, and commands one Of the fines,
views imaginable. 1t vivididly re
calls Byron's stirring lines.
The eas,ied eraigs Of ORA sonfels.
| rraNns o'~r the wide d winding Rhine,
who,e breast II waters broadly sweiis
Between the banks which bear TIE vine;
AID hills all r4eh With Liossoua'd trees.
And fields which promise corn and wips
And scattered cities erowHing there.
| Whose far. waits walls along then shine.
| Have strewed n scene uhich ,houId see
With double JOY vert hsH With me-
Many Of these castles, though grey
with centuries of time, are still vel
preserved, and their long walls and
battlements, and towers remain almos
! as good as new. Generations of mer
have come and gone, and war has raw
aged them by siege and storm, ant
yet they stand the eternal guardsmer
of the Rhine. Still numbers of then
are only ruins, with arches, towers
and broken gateways, covered witt
wild moss, and creeping vines remain
ing. Old crippled soldiers these, with
out even q pension, and like real ole
soldiers they toll many tale Of Low,
and war.
BY evening we reached the city o
Cologne, famous for its Cologne wa
ter, dirty streets, and wonderful Cath
edral. The latter attracts the admira
ton of everybody who visits the city
Though founded six centuries an,
more ago, it is not yet quite completed
and the scaffolds still cling tG it
lofty tower. It's proportions are in
deed grand, and the harmony of it
architecture complete. The body o
the church covers an area of som,
seventy thousand square feet, and al
idea of the cost Of the structure ma,
be had, when it is said the magnifcen
south portal, alone, which is 234 fee
high, cost not less than half a million
dollars of gold.
After short stay in Cologne, W,
took the same steamer, and returnin,
up the river, passed again The object
Of interest, and suppressed them NOR,
firmly in our fn1nds,-satisfed, too
| that thouoh fhora aro lonorar IN.