The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1872-08-29
(Our Foreign Correspondence
Hamburg, Hanover -,Berlin-POts.
dam, 1.-THE Rhine.-Domes &c.
HAMBURG, July 20, 1872.

LEAR ooUhNAh' ASofIhR LaIls, the
Country does not present SO fine an appear
ance, until about forty miles are passed, but
there one strikes most interesting locality.
The railroad runs up beautiful valley, sur
rounded by mountains, with numerous canals
crossing it, reminding one of the many rail-
roads in London, for they seem to run above
and below the track, one upon the other
Upon the surrounding mountains are grown
the vineyards which produce the delightful
wines of France, and it is principally from
these rocky peaks that the French govern
ment draws its millions to pay Germany. In
the vineyards are numbers of men, women
and children at work, and indeed: the wo-
men are more numerously employed in the
fields than men. Somewhat different from the
style of our colored aristocracy.
Strausburg was the first city stopped at
after leaving Paris, and very unpleasant
contrast it presented, being worry old and
ugly, nothing to be seen except the Cathe-
dral Dome, which is said to be the oldest
in the world. Wherever you go, you are
invited to stop and see "the Oldest and largest
dome in the world" and upon moderate
calculation there must be at least two hund-
red and fifty of them on the Rhine alone.
To me, they all look alike, and black and old
enough to rote if they were only in South
Carolina. I left Strausburg for trip up
the Rhine, which river, so psble and majes-
tic are its surroundings, am able to pro-
nounce grand
The scenery on the Hudson cannot COM
pare with it. The Rhine has numerous
bends in ii, formed by the current sweeping
round mountains sixteen or seventeen hund-
red feet in height, and before you reach them
you begin to to think that it is necessary to
run through the mountain, but as you ap-
proach, the rocky fcrtrssses rec cds and close
again as you pass on. The sun never reaches
these dark bends on account of the high
mountains on each side, and it seems that
you scarcely pass one before you arrive at
another of these many bends. Finally, the
"Seven Mountains" are reached, still higher
than any before reached, presenting scene
of grandeur and beauty which delights the
eye and kindles the imagination. Upon those
steep and seemingly barren rocky mountsins,
the man who'drinks tho lager has crept up
step by step, and planted the grape which
produces tho delicious Rhine Wines, the
finest that the world consumes. AS in Lon
don and Paris, so on tho steamer. I had the
good fortune to make acquaintances, one of
whom I have visited and was very much
pleased with his family. Arriving at Cologne,
my newly made friends at once proceeded to
visit the-Dome-of course, again the
largest and oldest in the world, and this
time the charge is true, for it is not yet fin
ished, has Thousands of turrsts and towers
and is the finest I have yet seen. But had
made up my mind never to look at another
dome and have kept my word, for when
ever afterwards arrived at new place and
was directed to bo certain and see "the
dome," I ran away and would not look at
one mile off. From Cologne I went to
Berlin The country through which we
passed, I cannot call pretty except portion
of Wcstphalia OF Berlin I have little to
say, as I have no liking for it, as it is the
ugliest and dirtiest city have ever seen.
The Beer Gardens and some other buildings
are handsome, but Potsdap, few miles
from Berlin, the summer residence of the
King and mobiles, is a beautiful place. Pots
dam is small city of ten thousand inhabi-
tants and is not in itself anything remark
able, but the palaces are situated in the
midst of glorious park. Nature and Art
together have mada it the richest looking
park have yet seen. You enter Fotsdam
on level ground, but very soon hills spring
up, growing to mountains, each one crested
with palace. "Sans Sou0i" where the
Queen resides, has the handsomest park of
them all and is approached by marble steps,
three hundred or more in number-Foun-
tains throwing their cooling spray into the
air, tropical trees and flowers, beautiful hills
and wales, birds fitting through the mir
rendering the place musical with their twit-
terings, combine to make the surroundings
of "Sans Souci" most delightful spectacle.
Potsdam seems to be real fairy land, so
numerous are the beautiful sights which
are to be seen. Every view is different, and
one is tempted to pronounce each one pref
tier than the last.
The obiect which most fanoied however