Connecticut western news., 1872-01-19
OUR EUROPEAN
CoRRESPONDENCE.

ol SCOtC, an irving, or DayarQ 1aylOr, l should be able to satisfy myself, if no ono else, with description of what have seen for the last two or three days, for which now feel almost entirely made quate. write on the banks of the Meditcr- aEean sea, whose swelling waves are con- stan,ly breaking upon the beach and broken rocks, directly opposite to, and only a biscuit toss from our hotel, from which they are debarred only by narrow street and noble sea wall. Against this wall they break occasionally with the roar of Niagara. But am anticipating, and must make Paris the starting point, from whence l think l have already written to you. We'll, if you could have looked into one of the great station houses in one of the near environs of Paris on Tuesday last, the 18th inst, at II o'clock A. M. you might have seen social party of half dozen, awaiting the signal to enter an apartment of one of the Paris, Lyons and Marsallles Cos cars, for ride of over 500 miles, to the latter city, on the shores of this heauti- full sea. Our route for the first hundred miles, lay through the broad prairie like valleys of the Seine, the Saone and the Youne rivers, which, under the cultivation of centuries, present an aspect with which but very few places in our country can compare: Cultivation which is almost per lection. The route took us through such historical places as Fontainbleau, Dejon, Mulun, Lyons, &c., and through the prov ince of Burgundy also, so famous for it's mines. Here on the hlll sides of narrow CT valleys, we saw thousands of acres of vines, cultivated with the care of we'll kept gar dens. At the end of some hundred and fifty miles, night closed in upon us, and l think you would have been amused to see this party, about 10 o'clock, trying to arrange for rest during the night, in onr private compartment of the car. Hand bags, shawls, blankets, lunch baskets, &c., &c., were brought into requisition, each one trying to find comfortable position, twisting and turning in all manner of ways. until the whole thing became so rediculous, that the heartiest laughter we had enjoyed for week so aroused us, that midnight found one half the party trying to overcome the jeers and mirth of the other half. On the whole it was not night of glorious rest. The miserable inconvenience of Eng fish and French cars, is somewhat amelior- ated by placing as they do, two or three times in the night large oblong cylinders of hot water on the floors, which render the car, especially our feet, quite comfortable. In due time the morning broke, and we found ourselves within 15 or 20 miles of Marsailles. Our first sight of the Medite1. auean aud the city, some two or three hun. dred feet below us and on the sloping hill side, was just as the sun, rising over the Maratime Alps, was gliding scene with such glorious sunshine, as we had not seen for month. Our train rolled on for 8 mile or two more, on the brow of this hill, through groves of olive and almond trees. and among the jagged volcanic rocks, until we reached noble station, high up Tn the town, from whence we were rolled rapidly down into the quaint old city to hotel, replete with every accommodation for weary travellers, of which we soon availed ourselves. This ancient city, portion of which is still called the city of Julius Cea- ser, is quite remarkable, both in it's history and it's aspect. It lies on an easy slope for some distance from the harbor, and then rises more abruptly to the high land on which lies the railway. and where is the base of the awful and majestic Maratime Alps, huge masses of volcanic rock thrown thousands of feet into the air, and ponder ous as you can we'll conceive rocks to be. ln the midst of the city below, is one of these quaint upheavals, on base of perhaps fifty acres, with an apex that cannot exceed two acres, on which stands large and beautiful church some 300 or 400 feet above the sea. The tower of this church is sur mounted by gigantic gilded statue of the Virgin, with a child in her arms pointing heavenward, the figure of the child being actually l2 or l5 feet, and yet child like. Two sides of this hill may be ascended with carriages, and are covered with beau, uful villas, vines and olive trees. The other two sides are rocky cliffs, and around tue whole hi-l, a charming drive has been Two of the hill sides project into the sea, and are almost perpendicular, and high up in the cliff the road is gulley txcavated in the rock, from which you look down upon the waves breaking against the shore far below you. While the weary unes of our party were Testing from the nights fatigue, took our courier and d cab, and drove through celebrated Prado, >broad tree lined street) through No estate and around this famous hill, and am quite sure that no two hours drive that l ever took, was so full of interest. In due time the resideu of the party wit messed portion of this grand scenery, and other interesting portions of the city
 On the following morning, we entered the train again for one of the most remark able rides of l6O miles, that we have vet taken Tn any land. We passed immediately into the valleys and gorges of the Maratime
 
 shore of the Mediterranean thus far, and for the entire day were in the midst of the most and magnificent scenery that can will be imagined. Huge mountains of rock rising thousands of feet into the air, some near and others distant, everywhere as high as vegetation will grow, with the everlasting olive. Every where among these mountains, the valleys, whether broad or narrow, hillside or plain, are filled with orchards of olive and almond trees, interspersed in various places with he beautiful evergreen cork tree. The olive is also an evergreen, with leaves quite similar to our willow. The almond tree, ike the grapevine, drops its leaves.
 Concluded next week.
 THE ESTATE OF Cor. F1sK.-It is rumored