Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-07-19
consoline ourselves with the hope of another

Vlslt on some future occasion.
Leaving Paris at $50 P. NJ. we rode all
night without sleeping cars Of conrse)
and the next day through the great wine
vineyards of France, through Lyons, without
stopping, and arrived at Marseiles, the great
est seaport of France and of the Mediter-
ranean, about five o'clock the next evening
AS we were to leave in the morning, as soon
as We had finished our table d'hote, served at
~ with soup, fish and olive sauce, roast
meat ana potatoes, chicken and salad, meat
PIE, asparagus, pan cakes with jelly, fresh
dates, olives, cheese, pudding, strawberries,
cherries, oranges, &C., over dozen different
courses, washed down. if you choose, with
good claret, which it is customary to furnish
throughout France and Italy, with dinner,
we took voiture and drove out through Ave
nue. de Rome, splendid wide street over
arched with large trees, round by another
similar avenue to the sea beach several miles
from the port. Over the magnificent stone
road leading thence along the cliffs to the city
we had one Of the loveliest of rides, above our
heads lowered the immense rocks Through
the solid sides of which the road is cut COW
cred with summer villas, while beneath our
feet and far away stretched the beautiful blue
Mediterranean Sea. Back of US rose the
grand mountains of the coast, the Maratime
Alps. In front of us on a rocky Island few
miles distant stands the fortress where Mira
beau and the man with '!the Iron Mask were
confined. On a lofty hill, commanding the
entrance to the port trowns a fortress, within
and rising grandly above whose walls stands
the beautiful church Of No;re Dame De La
Garde. surrounded by a high tower, crowned
with large figure of the Virgin and con
tanning huge bell weighing ten tons. This
church and fertilization form, together, a
most striking and picturesque object. The
church itself can be seen far out to sea, and is
al object OF great veneration among the sail
ors OF the Mediterranean.
Marseilles is a beautiful city OF 800, 900 peo-
pie. 1t was first settled GOO years before
Christ by n powerful Greek colony from
Shocul. and was, and still is called Massiiil
by the Greeks. 1t was here that the world
renowned Marseilles Hymn was written, in
1872, by Rouget De Llsle, an officer Of En-
gineers. and, strangely enough, for a gang OF
galley slaves, sent thence to Paris, where
they committed fearful excuses during the
French Revolution. We found the large and
magnificent docks crowded with shipping
from all parts of the world.
| Leaving Marseiles the following morning
by railroad, we traversed the coast, getting
magnificent views Of the Mediterranean Sea
and the Maratime Alps, which come boldly
down to meet IT, and through whose rocky
bowels we frequently passed in long tunnels
We travelled all day through vineyards,
orange and lemon groves, among figs and
date palms, and millions of olive trees which
cover the hills and mountains, wherever the
ground is not cultivated, and furnish the finest
oil in the world About 10 o'clock at night
we reached the city of Genoa. having passed
through Toulon, where Napoleon Bonapartc
commenced his distinguished career AS
Lieutenant of Engineers, at the siege of that
in ba no, otto oh
upon the principal fort which led to the sur
render of the town by the English. 1t is now,
as then, the great naval stronghold of France.
We also passed through Nice, and soon after
over the river Var, mountain torrent in
winter, but now nearly dry Gas is the case
with most of the rivers on this coastO, form
ing the ancient and modern boundry between
France and Italy until 1860, when Nice was
ceded to France.
In Genoa. termed !ls superba" owing to its
beautiful marble palaces and grand situation.
rising as it does like a vast amphitheatre on
the mountains, we remained one day, visiting
several of its ancient churches and palaces
many Of which still preserve their beautiful
interiors, but have very rough agestained
appearance outside, In some of these we saw
paintings from one 10 six hundred years old,
by Rubens, Raphael, Michael Angelo, Van
Dyke and other of the old and new masters,
the cathedral Of ST. Lorenzo, said to have the
finest interior decorations of an. church in
the world, was built in the year 100. The
magnificent frescoes upon the ceiling were
painted, during residence within the church
ofl2 years, by an Italian artist, who out of ZEAL
ousy murdered another younger artist and fled
to this church Tor refuge. Everything bears
evidence of great antiquity within and about
this city. The buildings which appear to be
all fire proof, are of stone and brick cemented
on the outside, and painted and frescOed in
different colours, giving them very odd and
generally rather cheap appearance. The old
palaces are of immense height, I, s and even
stories, and bear evidence of former unparall-
elled splendor. Most of the streets are very
narrow, many too narrow to admit a carriage.
From opposite windows neighbors can often
shake hands. One of the finest things to be
seen is a white marble monument lately erect
ed to Columbus who was born in the village
| of Cagoleto not far away. The city, though
remarkable in most part for the past rather
than the present, shows considerable evidence
OF enterprise and increasing commercial i'm
portance. The Italian government has a ma
w yard here where several wooden ships of
American model are being built, also manu-
factories of war and naval materials, and in
dividual enterprise is doing much to make the
country independent of foreigners in the way
OF manufacturing engines anu railroad mater
ial. The recent completion OF the railroad to
the city has and no doubt will continue to
have very beneficial result. Hundreds of
women are employed in the government
works, We saw here in the shop windows
the famous Genoese gold and silver filagree
jewelry, most beautiful and elaborate in de-
sign and workmanship. But the finest thing
we saw the Villa Pallavicini, IL miles from
the city, owned by an ancient Genoese family
We took a carriage and had one of the most
enjoyable drives out and back, the road af-
fording magnificent views of the sea, the
mountains, the city, and the lofty hills above,
crowned with immense fortresses, which rem
der Genoa all but impregnable. OF all the
private gardens in the world, the Pallayicini
probably is the nearest to perfection. Here
million dollars was spent in ornamenting
the grounds, which are upon the lofty slopes
rising from the sea, and abound in grottoes
built of stalac;ite brought from the Alps, cas-
cades, ponds, fountains, marble summer
houses, and pavilions, and trees, shrubs and
flowers from every part of the world. among
which we saw several cork and camphor trees
and the California mansneta or Chinese aloe.
At the summit is a tower from whose top an
dad n la q. ~ Z