The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-09-06
-Pn&xHxEaf6pGa ~ sCsfrsspsxdsnes.S :
!, iY1xaslA. AUSTRIA, August 8. 1873. &
I had promised you 3 short desSrip,

I6uuueAIEG ApA0s d suofS$yS - SSfAN ao
more sipJ srestinE 70 gjve a, ,fsAins si
what u IEofice inSthe tourney here, and
to Aelsy symy yslettSs on The 'Ab6e uiitil my
return.
The first place We landed was the
old city Of Antwerp, or Anvers, where,
fer The ara. .;Eo, I realized that English
was not the only language in the world.
Ans.s1s :ish speaking man 10 Is rarity for
which yon have to pay very high, since
| they are all conan1isSionaires or interpret
ere, whose sole occupation is to swindls
English and more especially American
travellers. Any one who speaks even
the least bit Of French is perfectly in.
dependent OF them, because all the
natives understand and converse huently
in that language. A large portion Of
Antwerp is of recent build; the houses
are magnificent, especially on the boule-
wards, which are very wide and beauti.
fully shaded with trees. The old or
city proper is completely Rntersected
with canals and docks. Inthis part of
the city the houses are more squalid end
the streets narrower and dirtier. Seve.
raj parks, beautifully ornamented with
atatuary and miniature lakes, adorn the
city; but. its chief attraction is the Ca
thedrai, which is very old, but is kept
in such good state of repair that it
seems Of far more modern date than it
really is. The chimes are said to be one
of the finest in the world. The chin.
ing is done by figures which play upon
the bells with their hands and feet.
The interior of tho church, like all old
Catholic Cathodrals, is very massive.
The pulpit is Of one solid piece of oak.
most beautifully carved. Tho whole is
supported by four virgins, representing
Europe, Asia, Africa and America. In
front Of the main altar are two of Peter
Paul Rubin's finest paintings the ele-
vation Of the CROSS and the resurrection.
Here, too, is an old painting on ivory,
by Divinci, said to be the finest repre-.
sentation in Europe, but to my unap-
preciative eyes it seems too effeminate.
The old Dutch women hold their
markets in the open air in the middle of
the streets, where they sit the whole
day, some knitting, others sewing, while
they wait for custom. This city is
fortified with high embankments and q
moat, which, though very grand, and
even beautiful, would make very poor
show against modern warfare.
Brussels, or, as the Europeans call it,
SIAto L hI1Ss ID Iho IT'S lOSLoE uOIueFs
the most charming place on the conti-
nent. Every one speaks French, which
renders it very easy to wander through
the streets without getting lost. Belle
Vue, the finest hotel here, is built ad-
joining the Kings palace, which is q
massive old building, continually guard
ed by soldiers, although the King is at
present at Ems, with the German EN-.
peror. Opposite the palace, through a
magnificent old park, is tue Belgian
House OF Congress, which, like ours, is
divided into Senate and House OF Re-
presentatives. The building is large,
but nothing in comparison to ours.
They have decorated it very handsomely
with painting and sculpturing. The
celebrated painting of the battle of Wa
terloo is in one OF the principal COM
mittee rooms. The chambers of both
the House and Senate are arranged like
those Of the House of Parliament, only
fur more convenient. Here the King is
sworn into Office. Unlike other kings,
he is not Drowned, but takes on oath 81
milar to that of the President of the
United States. While here, we visited
one OF the largest lace manufactures in
Brussels. To describe the making of it,
HOuAO DO nS 1utIlCaC6 "a Ln6 lace lC6ell.
1 can only say, they sit with large
four-cornered cushion, literally covered
with pins, to which are attached the
thread for weaving the lace. The thread
is wound ON little sticks. These are
taken and thrown helter-sk kelter, and the
lace seems to form itself from the posi-
tion OF the pins; not ihe way in which
the bodkins are thrown. One of the
greatest objects Of interest in Brussels is
Wiertz's gallery. Wiertz. one Of Eu,
ropes best artists, WAS said to have been
deranged, and to have painted these
celebrated representations from his
vivid and disorderea Imagination.
Whether this be SO or not, his paintings
all show o certain wildness Of subject
and depth Of Imagination. but seldom
equalled and never surpassed. He hus
never sold any Of his works, but at his
death bequeathed them to the Govern
ment. His paintings are in largo room
| in the rear Of his house. On the walls,
in different positions, he has painted
some magnificent pictures, at which you
have to stop and examine closely to sec
whether they nre paintings or realities.
He seemed very fond of these surprises,
which moet you at every turn, and for
/