St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-02-13


walls takes the place of the ordinary
stairs. The height of the campanile is
az feet, and from its lofty galleries
glorious view is had of Venice and its
watery surroundings. 1 ascended also
the dome of the church of San Giorgio
MaggIore, but the view from the cam
panile of st. Marks is much finer.
GoNDOLAs AND GoNDoLIERs.
when the visitor desires to go out in
venice, for business or pleasure, or for
sightseeing, he does not request the
motel PORTER to call cab, for there are
no cabs, but gondola, and that useful
onclal will probably find one at the
uoor fastened to the queer pointed posts
which rise from the water like -four
isning (and certainly well irrigated)
crop of BARRIERS poles. A gondola car
rylng from one to four passengers, with
4 single barcajuOlo, or oarsman, costs
Ira (twenty cents) for the first hour,
and fifty centessimi, or half Ira (ten
cents) for each subsequent hour. OF
course the gondolier expects a buono
mano at the end of the voyage. Every
body expects that in Italy. Then there
are gOndOlas, or barcaS with two men
to prOpel them, and the still larger ON
nibus boats, fashioned like the smaller
craft. These latter ply mainly between
the railway stations and the hotels, to
the steamers, or else to a central point
on the Grand Canal near the Rialto.
The gondola is long, black, lakish
looking boat, pointed at both ends with
a queer little metallic blade, OF series of
blades, running up from the prov.
This, l believe, has something to do
with balancing the boat, for the Condo
lier propels his craft while standing on
a deck at the other extremity, using a
single oar which is held by high and
peculiarly curved row-lock on one side.
The propelling power is gained by
pushing the oar and not by pulling it
through the water. The rapidity with
which a gondola is made to shoot
through the water, and the ease with
which it is turned to the right or left,
or at sharp angle, to avoid collision,
excites the admiration of the passenger,
who, l had forgotten to say, is seated
beneath a canopy or awning in the
centre.
On Sunday evening, a barge, gaily
decorated with lanterns and flags, and
containing a band of music, was pro-
PEELED through the Grand Canal by
sailors, and an hundred gondolas fol-
1t was grand procession. / was awak-
ened in the middle of the night by music
on the water. 1t was party OF Condo
Reri, or some of their joyous passengers,
singing the well-known barcaroIle, 'La
mdndOlindtd.n From the window the
scene was beautiful. In the canal be-
low, the red lights of the gondolas
danced and fitted about like UiU- the
tcispS, while pathway of silvery sheen
led across the broadening waters toward
the Adriatic, whence the great round
moon had risen. The beautiful church
of Santa Maria della Salute, across the
Grand Canal seemed in the refulgent
light lovelier than ever, and the swarm
of marble saints who people IT'S roof and
capaciOus dome seemed us if famed into
life by the gentle western breeze.
ETCETERA.
| had intended to write of my visits
to the Academia dele Belle Arti the
PesarO Palace the gorgeous church of
Gil Scalzi, OF the Barefooted Monks !;
the Ton,bs of Titan and Canova in
the church of Santa Maria del Frari
the mosaic manufactures the Armeni-
an Mechitarist Monastery out on the
Island of st. Lazzaro; of a brilliant fair
held in the Giardino Reale for the suf-
terers by the inundations on the Po; of
one of our own Publications; and much
else; but my letter is already long and
| will desist. ATHENIAN.