The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1873-06-18
MONACO.
The Last Asylum of King Roulette.

the s~ea-coast on the Mediterranean be-
tween Nice and Genoa. Much has been
written about the peculiar charms OF
Nice, the city of everlasting spring, Of
balmy breezes and perennial flowers,
and OF the sombre magniticence of proud
old Genoa but all their extraordinary
beauties are far surpassed by those of
Monaco, with its incomparably pictur-
esque surroundings. In fact, a tour in
Italy is incomplete without a visit to
this little terrestrial paradise and the
tens of thousands of travellers who
flock to Monaco every year would not
stay away even if it were not, as it un-
fortunately is, the last asylum which
KING Roulette has found in Europe,
after his expulsion from the German
watering-places.
Leaving Nice by the fine highway
leading to Monaco, the traveller, no
matter what season it may be, but es-
pecially in the spring and summer
months, has before him a panorama as
grand and delightful as it is varying.
One n hand, the gulf, with the end
less expanse OF hat most beautiful of
sea8-the Mediterranean on the other.
the horizon, bordered by the snow-clad
peaks OF the Maritime Alps, whose
slopes are covered with the luxuriant
vegetation of the sunny land, amid
which here and there peep out curious
ly-shaped villas, while the space be-
tween the road and the ~sea-shore is
dotted with magnificent palaces, sur
rounded by most beautiful gardens.
At last a bend in the road brings You
IN full sight of Monaco. There is lies
on a naked, rugged rock, iutting into
the sea. At its foot lie some of the finest
mansions, buried in the most luxnri-
ant vegetation. Among the slender
paIm-trees thousands of light-red bios
SONS glow in the dark-greon geranium-
beds. Countless flowers, in the most
gorgeous %colors, cover the slope on the
Landslide tlke q splendid carpet. Gil
gantlc aloes and c]actuses stretch their
oddly-armed leaves and branches into
the air, and the cIimbing-roses are to be
seer among the ~light-colored foliage Of
the lime and orange trees.
On the right lies Italy; France
spreads its most beautiful Iandscapes
before MS, and in clear weather, it is
sald' we may espy from Monaco even
Corsica, with its rugged mountain
peaks, historical little EIba, as well as
the legendary islet of Monte Cristo.
Close by lies the sanitary station Men
tome and the charming Roceabruna, all
OF which the prince of Monaco has sold
to France for the sum of 1000 600
francs, r%eserving to himself only the
naked rock of Monte Carlo, with the
kurhaus, and the dimfnutive CAPITAL on
the cliff.
Old traditions say that Hercules was
the founder Of Monaco, and that it de-
rIved from him the name of Portus
Herculis Mon@cusr Among the an
clients Virgil, Lucanus, and others. men,
tlon the place. During. the earlier
periods of the middle ages it fell into
the hands of the Saracens. The FIN
peror Frederick Barbarossa presented
1t to the republic of Genoa. Shortly
afterward, and during the whole of the
terrible struggle between the GuelpEs
and Ghibellines, Monaco, rs well Ms
many other strong points on the coast
30 rich IN small bays and inlets, became
a stronghold of the daring pirates and
a terror to the honest navigators of the
Mediterranean. AT a later period the
and its surrounding districts fell
INTO the hands of the powerful Genoese
.amlly Of the Grimaldis-the deEeen.
innts of Pepin of Heristal. One of
hem wal assassinated here at the be-
ginning OF the 10th century by his own
brother, who fell, on his part. bv the
OF his nephew, Bartolomeo
Doria, a cousin of the ilIustrious An
Urea Doria. The French revolution
Incorporated the small prinoipality with
France but the Vienna congress, in f
.Sl4, restored it TO its former pronrie- I
The whole area of the prineipalitv 6
: the present time is only n square t
nile, and it has about 5000 inhabit- 1
nts. The prince, who is married to n 1
uchess of Hamilton, rules over his G
uhiects with al the arbitrariness of nm S
static despot and his power is limited C
My by the Difference he has to pay to S
l. Blanc, the French proprietor Of the |
lmlng-house, who pays him annually r
his privilege n large sum, the only "
loome OF his highness. Newspapers Il
nd liberty Of the press do not exist in il
Lonaco and only a small MarseiIIes 6
'urnal and the Paris Figaro, which nd if
'cates the necessity of public gaming y
buses, are admitted into the principaI- Il
=. The prince has, of course. like all CT
$ crowned brethren in Europe. tt
anding army, which, when on d war. fir
numbers 26, and, in times of in
ace, only IL men. The uniforms of b,
ese Monacan soldiers are more gor- to
ons than those Of any other troops in
e old world and it has been noticed as
at four military orders decorate the be
Of nearly all of them. dc
The kurhaus, with its magnificent Il
lis and saloons, is the finest structure aft
the place, and, during the whole year sa
thronged with an elegant crowd. th
loh, of course, finds in the suburb no
ning-rooms its greatest attraction. ev
Q princes palace, too, is worth n de
it; for it is filed with rare ouriosi. NJ
; and splendid works Of art. collected IN
h.