The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-05-14


in honor of his invention of the telegraph
The date is inscribed on the pedestal.
my memory serves me, this was a little be
fore Morses invention. l. would be re
markable that two men, at SO great dis
tance apart, should have invented the sam
wonderful instrument near the same time
But it is by no means impossible that Volt'
should have invented it, and put it in opera
ton on a small scale, without its being hearC
of in America. The question deserves in
vestigation.
There are two ways of writing of ones
travels; the one is to describe objects par
ticularly-the other is to speak Of them gen
orally, so as to present them to the reader
as Buds endestiqaa mOIes. Such
description of Lake Como, on which We EN-
barked in a steamer after dinner yesterday
as would give the reader an adeqeate idea
of its beauty, and subEmity, yo',ir &c I'm
practicable to the most graphic pen. The
lake is smooth as sea of glass, and winds its
crooked way among tall mountains, reach,
ing the height of upwards of five thousand
feet. Many of these mountains are covered
at the top with snow, falling on its sides in
irregular folds like mantle, or like great
sheet spread out to dry. The twistings
and turnings of the lake present the noun
tains in every conceivable aspect. In trav-
ersing the lake you can often see no outlet
for further progress. 1t looks as if you
were locked in among the mountains with
no hope of egress.
All along Lake Como there are pretty
villages and villas on the sides of the noun
tains and down to the waters edge. Hand
some dwellings and hotels, and small churches
are seen in all of them. If any one who
reads this, says the description gives little
idea of the lake and its scenery, I agree
with him entirely. 1t is regarded as one of
the beauties of the world, and must be seen
in order to comprehend it. We stopped for
che night at Bellaggio, just below the juno
ton of the little lake Lecco with Como
Our hotel, seven hundred feet above the vii
lage below, is a beautiful villa, the grounds
laid out with great taste, regard
less of expense. From this point we have a
fine view of the lake Lecco, which is min
iature presentment of Como. From this
village, after crossing the lake in row.
boat, we took carriage at village on the
opposite side, and drove over the widest
mountain region for two hours. Great
of rock piled on rock, and ledge
pm ledge for several thousand feet above
the lake, some Of their SUBMITS covered With
snow, to village at the head Of the lake
1agsDs, where SO again ,toS The s,e4ner,
and came to the village OF LugaDo. Here
we rest for the night. A description of one
of these lakes will do for the rest, except
that lake Como is much the most beautiful.
This is beautiful village, lying in the form
of crescent on the lake. ST. Salvador, a
tall mountain with a hotel on~the top, is in
full view. Majestic mountains rise all
around, one of them covered with snow. 1t
is remarkable that at the feet of all these
snowy mountains we have to hoist umbrel,
las on the lakes to protect us from the heat
of the sun. In front of our hotel is stat
ue of William Tell. Our hotel at Lugano
was monastery. So the Swiss government
has controversy with these institutions as
well as the Italians.
At the time when Victor Emanuel is
breaking up converts, or nunneries, and
all over Italy, as " Contra bOnOs
mOres," our people are regarding the multi
plication of them in the United States with
if not with favor. l would not
interfere with anybody's religion, but when
religion assumes such an aspect as to be iDju-
rious to public morals, its excrescenees ought
to be cut off by law. What can more diminish
the resources of the State, than to incorporate
a BODY of men in monasteries, so that they can
hold large wealth in mortmain? p? If they prefer
idlene8s to labor for their subsistence, it can
not be prevented, but no government facili-
ties should be afforded them. Suppose all the
other religious sects were to adopt the same
course, what check would it give to popu-
lation, and to the prosperity of the State!
Great improvements are in progress both
moral and physical all over Italy. Victor
Emanuel is constructing street and road
at Naples which has already eui5aCed the
value of property along its line more than a
hundred per cent. The traveller is struck
with the engineering skill displayed in the
we'll graded roads over high mountains, and
the hundreds of tunnels, many of them much
longer than our famous tunnel az hOcK-HSh
Gap. While write, steamer crowded
with passengers is passing under our win
dows. I am writing from the Hotel de
Palazzo, village Palazzo, on Lake MaggiOre.
This morning we spent several hours on the
lake, visiting the Boromean Islands. The
first is the Isle Giovanni, separated from
this hotel by narrow channel, the seat Of
a monastery of the same name, now disused
The second is La Madre owned by the mo-
ther of the Count. These are all very beau
tiful. The finest and largest is Isabella isle
where Count BorOmea spends six months o.
the year. This island comes nearer to my ides
Sc Do.oJ J;,o +baD opvtbino 7 ayar cow avoan