The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-07-02
From the Quaker C.ty-A Trip to
ncr entOwn.
PHILADELPHIA, June %. 1872.

sunny morning early in the month Of May.
when nature was carpetod and mautled
in lovliest green, and every leahet illly
developed, and the stately magnolia tlout-
ed in prolusion its delicate snow ball
costume, assuming an air as if to say, |
lead the van in early spring time, both in
beauty and magnitude, and challenge a
comparison in snowy plumage. The
warblog of the songsters of the air we're
waited over the waters from two common
wealths, producing both concord and dis
cord seem ngly. In brief all nature SEEM
ed to rejoice in the great creation, and
the still greater Creator. With such
surroundings, and such auspices, myself
and lady, stepped on board the swift sail
ing steamer Edwin Forrest whose
sharp prov soon horred the waters Of the
Delaware, to the ancient, but beautiful
city of Bordentown, on the Jersey
Shore" thrty.eight miles above the great
Quaker City," Famed from having
once been the residence Of the late Joseph
Bonaparte, at that time an ex-King Of
Spain, and an exile from the Spanish
Throne and Court. He was placed on
the throne of Spain by his brother the
great dictator" Napoleon the first.
During the commissions produced by the
wars waged by that monarch, that shook
the Eastern Continent nearly from Cen
ter to circumference After presiding
over the Spaiuards few years, an in-
surrection or Pronunciameute" created
necessity for the King to leave, he
came to America with something Of
retinue with him. After looking about
awhile, he made an effort to purchase an
island in the Delaware, situated about
equidistant from Burlington, \. j, and
Bristol Pa, containing some tive hundred
acres. most beautiful and charming
location, or would have been under the
improvements he would have made. Fail
ing 10 this project, he went to Borden
town, twelve miles Up the river and pur-
chased tract OF three hundred acres
just north of the town, slightly undulat-
ing, and situated about fifty feet above
the river. Running along on the river
front is high bluff which renders the
outlook from the grounds maguiicently
beautiful. AS you enter the grounds,
the first point of interest that ATTRACTS
the attention on the left, is a massive
stone or rough cast mansion, which was
the residence Of Princess Charlotte, and
another Princess attached to the royal
household. We entered and explored
the spacious rooms, stairways, balustrades,
fireplaces &c. Every thing appeared
strong and substantial. Only two or
three of the lower rooms are occupied,
most of them are nncumbercd with rub
bish. Found the occupant to be a son of
the Emerald Isle. He seemed to have but
little idea fhis "illustrious predecessors -
On the right, and opposite, stands another
substantial stone house, which was occu-
pied by Bonapartes coachman, aud other
employees, connected with which, is seen
the stone walls which constituted the
stables for the royal sieeds. A little
farther on is shown the site, where the
Kings mansion once it was partial
" burned. and the remainder moved and
incorporated into apother building on the
domain by another party. After Bona
part left for Europe, he called it the
Lake House" Immediately, aud close
ly in the rear Of the site is a rayino I OF
a mile 10 length, and say, 500 yards in
width, which was filled with water arti-
6cally, and contained all the rare fish oi
this country, and the old. | was told
that in the winter season when frozen
over, Bonaparte would occasionally buy
quautitie, of nuts OF various kinds, and
throw them broad cast on the Ice, nom
the rear porch of the mansion, and let the
children of the neil hborhood that had
been admitted on to the ice, scramble toI
them, much to their material qualification
and the Kings amusement
Bonaparte seemed to have had a strong
proclvity, or Partially for subterraneau
passage An arch.way from the
border Of where the lake was, still exists,
extending back about so feet over which
the mansion stood. My informant gave
as the use Of it, that when the ex King
alighted from his carriage from his daily
rides. that instead Of passing around and
to the rear Of the house, down n decliyity
to take a sail on the lake, he could pas
through the house, down stairway, anu
out through the arched tunnel to the skill.
A large ice house still exists in one por-
ton OF the arch-way. Running from this
tunnel, alongside the embankment Of the
lake, to the residence Of the Royal
Princesses, was a promenade, made by
cutting down the embankment nearly on
level with the lake, making nice and
wide gravelled walk, or tootway, Al
night it was brilliantly lighted, ii must
nave presented us beautiful an appear.
ance as could well be conceived. Passing
on, over one OF the old driveways { oil u
mile, we arrived at where bis large obsor-
vatory building once stood, on The con-
tinuarion of the bluff alluded to, some 81
feet above the river, and rather preeipi.
tous. Here We encountered another
tunnelled arch.way under where the
observatory formerly stood, opening out
and dozen feet below the the edge oil
the bluff Near this point We met three
"Buxom Jersey lasses," and / took the
liberty to ask them the purpose and use
of that subterranean passageway One
of them readily ard promptly replied il
was where "Bonaparte hid his army -
whether the spokesman, or spokeswomar
reckoned me to be "Verdant Yankee
or whether il was her consummate iguor.
ance that prompted such reply, an
not aware even at this writing, bat my
private opinion then was, aud now is
that it was the latter, as neither Of tn,
trio had the appearance Of being over
stocked with "iuiellectuai or historic
lore" l touched my beaver, and thank
ed the miss for the information impaired
| afterwards learned the purpose OF it
aud found it the same as the one describ'