Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-08-30
ECHOES FROM FATHERLAND.
A Robertson County Tourist in
Germany.
Incidents of the Voyage FEOm New
York = DisPutaffOus Nuisances =
Through the English Channel Into
the North Sea-Hamburg and what
Ia


To the Union and American:
HAMBURG, PRUSSIA, Aug. 10, 1ST4.-
To note all the incidents OF a voyage across
the Atlantic in detail would be to disgust
the majority of your readers, for it is a sub
ject that has been so much dwelt upon by
newspaper correspondents in general, that
it has become stereOtyped and hackneyed
in the extreme; and as so many Of your
readers have, themselves, made the voyage
in these days Of universal travel, L will
touch but gently on the subject.
The good ship s.POmmerlnia" belongs to
the Hamburg-American line. She is the
newest ship of the above mentioned compa-
nv, and is commanded by Schwenson, the
Commodore Of the line. This was his one
hundredth round trip, making two hun
dred voyages altogether across the briny
Atlantic.
On all European bound steamers there
are usually 20 be found at least two stu
dents, graduates Of some of our colleges,
who are going TO Germany 10 attend for a
year or so some Of the German universe
ties. These students usually wear black
travelling caps and glasses, in order 10 APP
pear Germanized even before reaching the
Faterland. We were beginning to cOngrat-
ulate ourselves that such would not be the
case on this voyage rs we had heard no ar
gumentative discourse going on, that being
the unfailing evidence Of the class Of indi-
yiduals referred to being present; but, the
second day out, We were attracted by loud
and excited argument and, sure enough,
the two students turned up, and third
also i'm the shape Of most unprepOssessing
female of some two and twenty summers,
who was going TO Zurich to attend a course
of medical lectures. The three constituted
themselves into debating society during
the entire voyage, when well enough, for
tLey were all very sick; but an argument
-Ould be gotten up at any time by attack
ing their respective politics. The passen-
gers amused themselves by getting these in
dividuals into a heated discussion, when
they were seemingly sickest. The two
male students would lie on a bench,
with feet to feet, under the shelter
of a lfe-bOat, in a condition of lethagy
aad languor known only to those who have
suffered from that terrible illness. A pas
senger would approach and say something
tospring an argument, and slowly but surely
they would begin TO rise from reeumbent
position, the one pitted against the other in
argument, first leaning on the elbows then
becoming more upright, until, eventually,
they were on their feet, glaring at each
other and talking loudly and excitedly, and
gesticulating in the most violent manner.
The doctreSs in embryo would be near,
swathed in blankets and shawls, so sick,
but as the argument advanced, she, too,
would rouse from her lethargy and, throw
ing her mummy-like wTappings aside,
would join IN the war OF words,
forgetting even that she had been
sick Entire nous, the roommate
of the dOctress, an oval faced, Olive-com-
plexicn. Polish Jewess with great large
lustTOus brow. almOnd-shaped eyes and
ruby lips, half disclosing pearly teeth-a
RebecCzl Of q wOman-tOld me that the doc
treSs not only slept in her clothes, shoes
and all u inferred that her object was to
be ready, in the event Of disaSter,) but
that she had not cOmbed her hair since
leaving New York. As she aspires to cure
mankind. she should begin with setting an
example Of hygiene, in reality the prime
law Of medicine.
We touch by night, after a voyage Of ten
days, at Plymouth. We see the glitterins
light on shore, the grateful OdOr Of land
reaches us, after days Of watery waste. The
following morning the bristling fOrtifca-
tions Of CherboUTg appear, the sloping
hills Of La Belle France, the glittering
spires of churches. and the white walls Of
houses clustering with vines. We dis
charge. among universal leaye-taking and
hear felt regrets, many Of our passengers,
and once more pursue our way along the
English Channel.
The weather has become beautifully
clear, and Is we sail along in the middle of
the channel we can see perfectly well the
objects on both the French and English
shores. Dover and Calais, FOlkestOne and
BOlOgne, appear succeSsively, and in such
wonderful distinctness that We can see the
inhabitants Of either country by the aid Of
marine or opera glasses.
Out Of the channel into the North
sea or German Ocean, and at
three o'clock in the morning we find our
selves far up the Elbe. Leaving
our ship, we take a tug which
conveyed us 10 Hamburg, along the green
| turfed shores of the river with here and
there a beautiful suburban seat with a
| highly cultivated and interesting country
beyond, now and then a windmill with its
air of great antiquity. After two hours
| run. our destination is reached. Amid the
| rreatest confusion and want of system,
| with luggage secured and thrown into a
| ..drozky' Ga species Of two seated carriage,
/ behind a frame Of horse, so attenuated
/ that wers the philanthrOpic Bergh TO see
| him. his very heart would bleed) We start
| from the wharf or piers and rattle along the
| cobble-stoned pavements in the narrow
/ streets, and look wondering at the
/ 81 F.eHsnrraI Grrl H. ma =
| ed, dingy houses, and vainly
| endeavor to read the signs which are all
/ aDutch' 10 us. "HOtel de LEurOpe,'
sings out the cabman. We get out OF our
cab and modern Hamburg bursts upon us.
| What a metamOrphOsis from the dlnSy,
/ dirty streets that we have meandered
through from our ship landing. The
Alster is the pride and joy Of Hamburg
and we'll may the Hamburgers be proud OF
their enchanting, their charming Alster-
! which is an immense and beautiful lake IN
the very heart of the city. have wandered
a little in foreign lands and at home, but
never have l seen anything which IS exactly
like the AlSter. \ large, beautiful clear,
limpid lake, divided into two parts by
| light, graceful why bridge, it has splendid
! hotels. magnificent castellated private res
licences all along its shores, ornate gar
dens slOpiug down to the water:
edge, rare e1otics laving themselvs in the
crystal water. the air laden with their swee
perfumes, fOWery walks along the banks
multitudinous caf,.s, in which the pleasure
loving population is slipping coffee an6
drinking beer. Ferry boats in miniature
capable of containing not more than nifty
people, dash here and there with the shriel
of a whistle, which seems more a toy thar
ANYTHING else. Nothing can be more beau
tiful than these vari- colOred boats, painted
in white, blue and green, which convey yOJ
for sum of two cents to any part OF tn
lake. LOng-necked, graceful swans hoa
about on its placid bosom; white-wln9e'
saiLboais fit like swallows across It, a
a short distance from the shore beautiful
trees, luxuriOusly leafed, arch over inviting
prom menades, along which the rosy-eheeke'
German women lei surely walk.
Hamburg resembles more in its busy
commercial aspect an American than al
European city. We must not infer from
its Aister and other places Of amusemen
that. like Paris, it is solely city OF pleas
ure. The city is wholly and essentiall
cosmopolitan in almost every particular
its people. from the merchant prince to IN
small tradesman, speaking iuently seyera
foreign languages.
one of the features Of the place is th'
geological Garden, one of the finest In Eu