The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-06-12
s.,., f,,,-,cs,,,,oc,c, of the Richmond pspstoh.
nnr sautssern Long branch shc Fu-
,vro ouccu Of W ascrtng.Piaces.
WE On L EAN.
forposite Fortress Monroe), Wax

vUs On L'EAU.
to,,os;te Fortress Monroc), VA,S
'o'P' June Sth, 1872. }
,-,s in the good old city Of Norfolk To-
a., nsviny run down from home to look
aftcr some impcrtationS by the "hiian nne,
a a f,irnd asked me il did not want to
r;dc down TO Vuc dc rEaul "Wkeres" said
T for the name sounded new to my Virginia.,
oar. "To our new summer resort by the sea,
said my friend, where you viii see the finest
marine view in America and get the best hs',,
supper your 'up-countsy' lips ever ISL sa,
have come, have seen, a'sd l am col-
ouered, and i want all Richmond 10 htnm
the pleasure in store for those VINO Nisi. Gus
lovely spta. and hence sit down 10 WINE
description 10 the peoples Su'ae' 'ae ''ss-
patch" , IL, r. ,sSh, miles
thrnuob series of beautiful garden farms
redolent with ripened strawbsfrles, ana shaay
nine and oak groves, we reached sewers
point, a sandy peninsula juttinS out INTO
Hampton Roads between the mouth or
James river and Fortress Monroe. VA the
range of picturesque hills overlooking the
Grand roatlstsad stands tho splendid fue lie
Pau Hotel, erected by company Of enter
prisins g.nttssiien fora fashionable watering
place, -,
could hardly credit my senses when ]
remembered the bleak hills I had seen here
during the war, and contrasted them with the
tairy-iike scene now stretched out before me.
Imagine n beautiful farm OF three hundred
acres with dense forest in the background,
IN front fields of waving gf1in, luxuriant
orchards, extensive gardens of vegetables,
meadow land ripe for the scythe ana fhe
comfortable farmhouse asleep IN the shady
arbor of stately trees, Now bound this
farm on two sit.ss by water, u far-strctchlng
marine vista, losing the sight up the James
towards our loved Richmond, or up The
Chesapeake to big Baltimore, between the
farm and the river-lictue range OF sand
hills from thirty to sixty feet high, iEtnd-
soIncly graded, and the principal one turiCd
like the. r,utsIts of some well-kept fortress.
On this hin stands the fine hotel. am no
architect, and cannot tell you the style, but
.here Is happy combination Of the CON-
Portable and the beautiful. Capacsous Nesan-
das cover the whole front OF the house.
The bedrooms arc of good size and well
ventilated. The dihing-room is one OF the
largest in tho South, while the ballroom
equals in It's grand proportions any have.
ever seen, either here or in Europe; and
wouldn't our lovely Richmond girls make it
s,lrpassingly beautiful with one Of their
"gcrmans."
Thc hotel In its furnishing surIn,Sses any
thing we are acquainted with either ut Long
Branch or Newport, The floors arc covered
with line carr citing or cool and tasteful mat
ting. and the halls with oiIcloth. The tiir-
nitllre is walnut, and the beds are 81 the
most approved pattern, with hair mattresses.
indeed it seCns rs II tho company had been
eXt1avagant in their expenditures to make
their guests comfortable.
The hotel Is not to be formally opened
until Monday next, the 10th, when Il convcn-
ton of all the southern railroad superintend'
cn:s is to be held here; but we found ope-
rations had commenced, and that the taml-
lies of some of the officers of the steam fri
gate Powlatan, anchored in front Of the
house, were boarding here, and sontc gentle
men who had been attracted IN passing by
the beauty Of the place, II the house was
not formally opened the dining-room aras,
gctic superintendent, Joe Sam Brown, gives
any better suppers than the one have just
finished he should be presented by the next
grand jury for q" entto kill" The fish TO
have -nccn trcsher would have to have been
kicking on the table.
Speaking OF fish! What place this is for.
them; not only for eating but iqr catching
them Ike Walton should have thrown his
line OFT the Nuc de Pau Wharf and hauled
in Il slierpslicud before he died. But fish is
not ull the water gives us here for the table;
crabs, hard and soft, oysters and CLANS aud
tcuupns, are found in abundance,
But must bring you back TO my attempted
description of this place. Let us walk to
the southern end OF the sand hills on the
plank-walk promenade, laid down for the
convenience of pedestrians. Here We arc
at the pier, where all the steamers plying to
axg fro from Norfolk arc 10 stop after next
week, together with the stealncr Lota, which
is to ply regularly between Norfolk and Nuc
de Pau. At the shore end of the long
wharf is large restaurant, to he kept OH
the European plan, and with It we find
II billiard saloon aud bowling-alley. AT
this place, about quarter OF q mile
from the hotel. is the only bar allowed
OH the farm. This plecaution is taken tC
prevent any disturbance to guests Of the no,
tel by parties disposed 10 have Il frolic. AT
the pier boats, tshinS-tacklc, &C., IRE found
. for hire
Adjoining the restaurant the range of hills
ends, and we come to the i7lnge Of the old
Sewell's Point Battery, interesting for its his.
torical "reminiscences.
RetracinS our steps to the hotel, we follow
the hills TO the north, where they end In a
grove of surprising loneliness. Right down
upon the grand old bay IS this pine grove,
which has not its equal for pictuIesaunness
i'll the country. Here, separated 10y over hall
II mile from the gentlenen's restaurant, the
Indies may come and enjoy themselves. A
pretty saloon for their accommodation has
been. erected, with bowling.alICy, while
other sources of enjoyment attract on every
hand.
But perhaps tho greatest attraction here
even greater than the marine view, pro-
nounced by travellers unsurpassed in the
worlds the saltwater bathing, and for this
the company have made every arrangement
for their guests. The still water and the scri
can both be revelled in to the hearts con.
tent.
Before closing this letter, which can con.
Ney TO you but q faint idea of this Arcadia.
with its cver-changing panorama: now the
grand ocean steamer--now the TINY tug, here
the stltely full-rigsed brig, and there the
rakish schooner, ali moving to and fro--I
must speak of one important fact, and TINT is
the healthfulnesS of this place. However
much interested parties may try to create the
impression that the visitor will not enjoy
equally good health here as at Cape Nav or
Long Branch, one only has to visit the Mace
10 see 1t cannot but he rs healthy us those re.
sorts. These sand-hillS Were chosen for their
thorough susceptibility to drainage and the
pure alr that ever surrounds them, and one
must nnd here every requisite of u charming
and hcstlthful summer resort,
Yours, PowuArAS.