Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-09-09
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VENICE (!
(FROM NOTES ABROAD

The sea in the broad, the narrow streets.
Ebbing and flowing; and the salt seaweed
Ciings to the marble of her palaces"
My impressions Of this magnificent city are
exceedingly various, and they are also very con-
ficting, aod even now, after [ have seen it.,
lived in one of its marble ralaces," looked
upon its beauty, reflected upon his history, to
night, while offer my public tribute to her
memory my ideas are ildefned, and I cannot
with any clearness or conciseness tell you which
idea, which impression will be the most promi-
nent-the most lasting in my memory.
Not that love Venice more,
But those canals much less
Dear reader after arriving at this ''city of
the Doges," the novelty and romance of Condo
las and gondoliers soon became too matter of
fact, and | did not by any means remain in
full sympathy with these peculiar institutions
that once had existed SO brilliantly, SO delight
fully, SO romantically in the imagination of nv
earlier youth, for often | have rapturousy
read and re-read with ever-increasiug delight
and pleasure Of glorious Venice, of her splen.
did palaces, Of her grand canals, of her proud
old Doges, and that special inse separable feat
ure SO closely connected and identified with the
entire history of this city in the sea-, that is
SO truthiully. If not POLITICALLY expressed by a
great poet 1t is a.
'Long covered boat that's common here.
Carved at the PROV, built lightly, but compactly,
Rowed by two rowers, each called gondolier
1t glides along the water looking blackly,
Just like coffin clapt in a canoe,
Where none can make out what you say or do"
Byron.
This is most graphic and beautiful descrip-
tion Of the gondolas, and as for the gondoliers,
| found them to be a set of contemplate ras-
Gals. say 'conterDptible rascals," because
their meanness was practiced so successfully
upon small scale. They do not possess en-
terprlse or genius enough, and there is not
sufficient field of action to develop great ras-
Gals or ros ues | think it quite doubtful if
they would succeed 10 large transactions. I
did not once hear Of a gondolier attempting to
rob bank, take government contract, brbe
a senator, Or avail hImselves of the Bankrupt
law, and as to beiag President of an Insurance
Company such an honor has never once enter
ed into his widest dreams of earthly glory
such an exhibition OF vaunting ambition has
not yet crept into his untutored brain.
Now have described the gondolas and told
you about the gondoliers. Perhaps when you
go to Venice, these indispensable appendages
will impress you more favorably than they did
myself. Apart from these inevitable concomi-
tants Of this siogularly located city, I was most
favorably impressed with all that | saw that
related to the grandeur and elegance of this
noble old place.
The student of History and Geography will
feel and exhibit only natural interest to know
something Of the population, the age and loca
ton of this old and famous city of Venetia-
I will tell him briefly that there are between
130, 900 and 100000 souls to about $4,000
houses Ii is some 400 years old, l. since
il was first begun during ''the ravages of Ala
ric and Attila. 1t is built upon series or sue
cession OF small islands, some six or seven in
number, and about 15O canals cut up the city
into still smaller islands. The largest canal is
called ''cauale grande." It is crossed by the Ri
alto bridge, through the city in the form of an
S, and nearly all the other water streets run
into it from every direction. Venice is outside
of the lagoon, at the mouth of the Brenta.-
This lagoon, 5 miles long and broad. is shut
in from the Mediterranean sea by tongue of
land called the Lido, which has three fortified
entrances. Now, my dear student you must
consult your map for farther information. 1t
is not my province to tell you any more here.
There is not another city in Europe that pre-
sents such curious spectacle to the traveller
who sees it for the first tine. with its marble
palaces, buildings and spires rising out of the
water. 1t might be proper here for me to tell
you bit of its history, for suppose you are
already wondering how and why it was so
strangely located and built
[ refer TO my notes and | see that | have
made men,, stating that it was begun In
this manner when the ravages of Alaric and
Attila (407-62) made the people fly from Aq-
uiIia, Padua, etc., on the maitland (which was
called Venetia, and settle here, round church
built Oh the Riva alta or Rialto.
There are few narrow quays and dry alleys
between tall dark houses, where you may walk
on foot and where shops for meat, vegetables.
fruit dealers, jewellers. etc., are found, but
consequently you do not see vehicles of any
kind drawn by horses or mules-they are not
used at all. [ did not see horse, mule or any
kind of carriages during my visit. When you
wish to go to any point in the city for visiting
or shopping, upon business or pleasure, you
summon gondolier with his gondola and then
step out Of your front door into that ''long COW
cred boat that's common here,' and tell the
rover to what place you wish to go. IF at times
you get tired of being rowed about and the ar
rangement becomes monOtOnous and you think
and feel that your limbs need some exercise,
and begin to fear that you will forget how to
walk-after you have returned home, you can
step out of your back door and possibly 60 the
length Of several squares, without intruding
yourself, into numerous alleys and entrances
and be compelled to about. face and walk back
to the street that you have only left few min
utes before. This was my experience every
time | attempted sightseeing on foot. I sup
pose that I would have liked this novel place
admirably after getting accustomed to it. But
alas this was one, at least of the many situa-
tons and circumstances in life that my selfish,
exacting nature would never be altogether
adapted and reconcied to.
The architectural beauty of Venice cannot be
surpassed; in fact, it has no equal either in re-
gard to the beautiful styles Of all its superb,
elegant, grand structures, as we'll as their great
number. There are Italian cities, each posses
s;no some n;oht or ten interesting and nromi-