The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-12-26
OUR LETTER FROM ITALY.

The Pigeons Of yenice-Ita ian Money
sights and Impressions OF Twilight Ride
ON the Grand CanaI-The Venice Of Ro-
nance ReveaIed-Obser! ations of New
OrIeanian Abroad.
European Correspondence Of the Bulletin.l
VENICE, Nov, 1915.
Dear B,,uetin-After visiting the Palace of
the Doges, as described in my last letter, my
friends and l went out upon the Piazza of st.
Marc, and took seats at the front of the great
Campanile or bell tower and waited to see the
ceremony of feeding the pigeons that takes
place every day at 2 o'clock. The Venetians
certainly deserve credit for keeping up an
Gent customs and for honoring so faithfully
the traditions of the days of their own great
ness.
Centuries ago the edict was issued that ali
the gondolas should be painted black, and
black they remain to this day. Centuries
ago a carrier pigeon did the State signal SER
vice by conveying certain important mes
day onward grateful Venice has continued to
feed host of pigeons at the public expense
Centuries ago some saint delivered the city
from the cholera, SO tradition says and since
then Venice has never failed to make holi-
day in honor OF that saint when his part cular
day came round, and SO it goes. The scene
on the great square, when hundreds of fiut-
tering birds assemble punctually at the ap-
pointed hour, is certainly curious one. But
one can enjoy no public spectacle in this con-
founded country without being annoyed in
the midst of it by the attacks of beggars and
hawkers
There is a little vagabond who haunts that
piazza, and emboldened by slight knowledge
of English, he gives the forbearing stranger
no peace. Every time we appeared on the
square he assailed us with photographs, and
when at last we seated ourselves on the ledge
that projects around the base of the Campanile
he spied US in an instant and came charging
up with little cornucopias of grain which he
wished us to buy that we might help to feed
the "Pigione-e, as he called them. and
being encouraged by the guileless counte-
nance of Smith, he boldly opened that young
pentleman's hand and poured it full of corn.
Smith execrated him for his impudence, and
threw the corn away, and then the little
scoundrel demanded money, saying that
Smith had accepted the corn and thrown 1t to
the pigeons.
We had to laugh at this cunning trick, but
Smith was angry at being SO cleverly hum
bugged, and refused to reward the enterpris-
ing youth. There is a very curious clock in
tower fronting on the Piazza, which, besides
the usual dial plate, has a window on each
side in which panoramic array OF figures
revolve, showing the hour and minute for
every five minutes. At night these figures
are Illuminated and can be seen to consider
able distance. Above is an immense bell, by
the side of which stand two bronze Vulcans,
who strike the hours with their hammers.
The shops all around the square are very
gorgeous, being mostly occupied by dealers
in jewelry and fancy goods and by the pro-
prietors of cafes.
These latter have tablets set in front under
the spacious gallery that runs all along, as we
have it on Canal street in New Orleans. and
people may be seen taking refreshments there
at all hours of the day. We are well pleased
to find that in Italy our French gold goes at a
premium of seven per cent, so that when We
get few Napoleons changed, we feel that We
have made quite a speculation, and straight
vay commit some extravaganza on the
strength of it. By the way, think these nice
little Italian bank notes are much more con
yenient than ours in America, which are 81
large that one can never stow them in an or
binary pocket-book without folding. But tt
iudpe from a marginal inscription on the Ital
ian notes, it would appear that they are en-
prayed ana printed in America, as they bea
the we'll known title american National Banl
Note Company"
But now / shall pause for dinner ate
which we anticipate great pleasure from
twilight ride on the Grand Canal
Whatever Venice may be by day, it is certain
" paradise by night Last evening we TOOL
an open boat of the style known as barca
and for some hours enjoyed ourselves I'm
,narsa,v nc We clided smoothly along study