The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-11-14

river. Mrs. NOrton's familiar poem, "a
soldier Of the legion lay dying in AL
giers,p has made Bingen famous. Above
here the character fthe country changes
very rapidly, the hills reeede from the
river, and we are in the finest grape and
wine country Of the Rhine. The famous
Johannesburg vineyard, of forty acres,
which produces the finest wine on the
river, is just above Bingen. IN its best
years it has given its owner "a revenue
of 81, 900 per acre.
Form Bonn to Biugen there are ruins
OF large number Of watch towers, Of
which we have made no mention.
These were generally built close to the
river aud We're usually circular The
vine is cultivated all along the Rhine
wherever there is a southern exposure,
aud the sudlenness with which the
vineyards change from one side Of the
river to the other, as the stream changes
its direction, is very noticeable To an
American. la many places the hillsides
are terraced up to the very top and
planted with the vine. This is particu-
larly the case with the great mountain
opposite Biugeu, where the expense of
preparing the ground, and there are sew
eral hundred acres Of il, must have been
thousands of dollars per acre. The
whole Rhine distinct shows long-contiu-
ued and careful cultivation.
The American naturally institutes a
comparison between the Rhine and the
Hudson, aud travellers are not at all
agreed in their preferences. There are
plain, practical men who look upon a
ruined castle merely as an old stone
pile, aud for whom the scenery aud the
legends have no charm. They cannot
see prosperous city or good farm
I from Bonn TO Bingeu, aud SO are loud
| in their denunciations Of the Rhine as
one OF the many swiudles to which trav-
eers are subjected IN foreign land, aud
/ profess they would enjoy ride along
. the Erie canal better. such men ought
not to waste their time and money
abroad and disgrace respectable Ameri-
cans in the eyes of foreigners. From
Bonn TO Biugen, ride up the river Of
some eight hours, the traveller is con-
stantly interested in the ever-changing
| picture before him. The narrow, wind
/ ing river, the steep hills rising often at
ruptly from the water, the scores Of
ruined castles nearly all with their
I legends, the watch towers and modern
castles, one or more OF which are ALMOST
constantly ia view, the quaint little
I German villages crowded in between
the hills and the river, and the strange
ness Of everything one sees, makes the
day up the Rhine one OF the most enjoy
able the traveller will have abroad. The
river is not So large as the Hudson, and
hence does not have that grand and
powerful sweep with which the Hudson
/ flows along. II the reader can imagine
some ninety miles of the river like the
/ Hudson along West Point and Stony
Point, every mile or so crown the high
est aud often the most inaccessible peaks
with ruined castles, scatter strange look
ing villages along the banks, cover the
steep mountain sides with little patches
of vines. or different kinds Of grain, aud
weave around the whole the aceumu-
lated history aud romance Of twenty
centuries, he will have something of an
impression Of the varied beauties of the
Rhine.
We well remember how one Of our
own party, "A straightforward business
man OF the greatest Intelligence and
good sense, aud without a particle OF
Sentimental gush" in his make up, sal
all day on the deck Of the steamer, tax
ing in the varied beauties of the river
and could not even be induced to go be-
low long enough to eat his dinner. Oul
second trip up the Rhine gave Us NOR,
pleasure even than the first, and it wa
with sincere regret that We left III,
steamer at Biebrich, aud went by car
riage 10 Wiesbaden.
o. r BURCHARD.