The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1877-07-14
BEAUTIFUL VENICE.
4 PINORAN1 OF THE CRY or
1IiE VA TERS
Tho Canal and the oGondolas--Streets
and Churches Relics of Burbarisn--
The Famous Brolzes

Tho Canal and the Gondolas--Streets
and Churches Relics of Burbarisn--
The Famous BroMzos.
Correspondence Detroit Free Press.
When + left Venice four years AGO,
it seemed not only that T. was taking
final leave Of the beautiful city of
the waters, but that in few years
the eye Of man woulI behold it no
more. Yet here it stands, as woath~
CT beaten, cracked, crumbling and
disintcgratinG, but as beautiful,
unique and enchanting as ever !
They tell me that the piles on which
the palaces are built have been iu~
Spcctcd recently under many of them
and found almost as hard and solid
as stone. And good reason that
they should last, if ono of them,
which was discovered to be standing
upon twelve hundred piles of solid
ebony, may be taken as a specimo II
THE GRAND CANAL.
A Venetian chamber looking out
on the Grand Canal is as difficult u
place to write letter in as you can
well imagine. The attention is con-
tinualIy attracted by the novel
sights, although no sounds arrest
the ear. For the stiffness of tho
city always imprcsscs The stra1, ger
most forcibly. Here, ia it's very
heart, there is no rattlin4 of wheels
or gathering OF hoofs, 10 shouts of
peripatctic vondcrs, no pattcring of
footballs of racing children. A Sun
day-like calm and stiffness reigns
continually. And tho boats all mo We
with such noiseless, silent propul~
sion that, but for tho gondolicr's
long drawn cry of warning as he
rounds n corner, cautionipg any ap-
proaching craft to avoid II collision,
they might be Charon's beats ferry
ing spirits across the Sty%,
GoSDchAs.
Look at that swift gondola speed,
ing from tho railway station to the
hotel, rover in front and one in
rear, standing Oh tho light decks,
while, within, party Of tourists are
reclining luXuriously, with their
luggage scattered around them,
gazing with wonder on the strange
sights. Then comes an omnibus
boat; with it's long cabin and half
dozen rowers. Next, q private boat
of some aristocratic family, all in fu-
neral black like the others, but with
bright varnish, shining over the
paint, and polished brasses, laced
curtains, crimson cushions, or a tiny
lamp burning before the little shrine
in front Of the cabin and gondolicrs
in fanciful aquatic livery.
And alas there goes dashing
past, q steam launch from the Navy
Yard, and another from the English
yacht, and behind them laboring,
putting tug with her convoy of bar
ges, looking us out Of place here rs
the railway docs in Pompoii, break
ing tho Stiffness of tho air, and
dashing swells against the gondolas
and awakening feelings of umuttera-
Die wrath iii the bosoms Of tho gon.
doliers and Of all conservative and
right-thinking Venctians. I wish
they would all blow up, collide,
founder, OF get themselves otherwise
out Of tho way
TIE STREETS OF VENICE.
Venice has some handsome
business streets, smoothly paved
and kept perfectly clean, EcirG all
sidewalk, whore there is no horse or
vehicle to molcst or frightcn you,
but you can zig gag at will from the
shops or one side to those on tho
other these streets pass oyer the
canals by bridges the full width of
the street, and yoh can only tell
that you arc passing over by the
flights of steps on" either side, Tho