Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1882-01-26
FIR Ae Deacon.
Prom LOOuaratOwn to Washington.
(coNTTXrED.l

The next thing in order, we be-
lieve. and one which must not be
forgotten, is the Christmas dinner,
which was all that could be wish
ed for in the way of delicious eat
ables. The turkey-the most i'm
portant factor of course-which.
from its immense size, might have
been taken for the king of its spe-
cies, was prepared with great Gull
nary skill. One schoOled in the
m st sublImated ideas of CASTRO
homie law could not have found
fault with it. Enough of this.
Our time was about equally di-
vided between visiting public
places of attraction TO strangers
and visiting friends in different
parts Of the city. Our time will
: not permit us to expatiate upon
the latter; suffice it to say that we
We're everywhere cordially vel
coined and hospitality entertained;
that the social entertainments
hiwch we had the pleasure Of at
tending were highly enjoyable.
The Smithsonian Institute, stu
ated in a beautiful park in South
Washington. is place of particu-
lar interest to visitors and curiosi-
ty seekers. IL contains an almost
countless number of curious and
interesting objects descriptive of
animals, minerals, Of the arts and
sciences, and of disappearance,
manners, etc., efthe different races
of men. It's chief attractive fea-
ture is its collection Of animal spe-
cimens. Here may be found spe-
cimens of every species of animals
from the jungles of India TO the
prairies of America, and from the
equator to the poles. The speci-
mems consist, for the most part, of
the skins filled with substance
which gives them the natural form
and appearance of the animals
from which they were taken
There are some skeletons, andsa
few live specimens Of fishes and
snakes. Here also may be seen
meteOrites of solid iron, and me-
MORALS of ancient American civil
ization. showing to what a high
degree that civilization had at
tanned anterior to the period of
European discovery.
We next visited the capitol TO
get bird's-eye view of the city
and surrounding country from its
summit. This grand edifice stands
on beautiful terraced eminence
near the centre Of the city. As
cending the steps to the front Dor.
tico, the mail entrance to the
building, and: passing on short
distance one finds oneself i'm the
rotunda underthe dome. Its walls
are decorated with immense paint
ings, each illustrative of some pc
Rod in the country's history. AS
one stands here and looks up TO
the ceiling of the dome, some $50
feet above, the allegorical paint
Sngs with which tits decorated and
which represent the progress of
the United States i'm the arts.
sciences, commerce, war, etc., APP
pear strikingly clear and vivid.
Once on the upper outside gallery
of the dOme-this being as high as
visitors are allowed to COVE
were, as it were, paralized with
delight, for the view that meets
the eye is indescribably grand and
sublime. Below us Law. in piano.
ramic view, the city and adjacent
country. All the splendid public
buildings can be seen and distin-
guished from this height.
The Potomac, having here again
regained its wonted smoothness
after its fitful career over the falls
above Georgetown, flowed gently
and serenely by, continuing its
meandering course toward the
Southwest until it was lost TO view.
Its calm waters, baslIing in the
gorgeous sunshine Of that beauti.
full Spring-like evening, seemed
unwilling to be disturbed BY the
fitfnl freezes that played upon
their surface. On our descent, we