The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-09-18
prisons are still used and possess nothing

churches, but with the limited. - time 81
our disposal only few claim attention
The Friara contains 6ne monuments to
Canova and Titan; Santa Maria della
Salute has one of the most graceful and
finely proportioned facades in Europe
and others have features of lesser In
terest.
The Grand Canal is crossed near the
centre of the city by the celebrated bridge
called the Rialto. It is single arch oi
"a feet span, 80 feet high and rests on
10000 piles. 1t was built in the 18th
century and contains three passage-ways
with q row of shops on each side of the
centre passage. The name Rialto, was
originally applied to the main island o1
the group, which has always been the
business as we'll as the geographical cen
tre of the city, and it is probably this tc
which SHAKESPEARE refers in the "Mer
chaut of Venice" when Shylock says:
"Signor Antonio, many time and of
In the Rialto you have rated me,
Even there where merchants most dc
congregate."
The Grand Canal by moonlightis justly
regarded as one of the most fascinating
sights in Europe. The palaces which
line its shores have many of them seer
their best days, and in the glare of the
MONDAY sun appeal: trihe "seedy" te
say the least; but tie glamor of the soft
moonlight throws charitable vail ovel
the dilapidation and evidences of decay
and the surroundings all combine to form
a scene of enchanting beauty.
The gondola, which forms the only
means of transportation in Venice, is 8
singular craft about 80 feet in length
with a sharply elevated PROV and seats
in the centre for the passengers. The
boatmen stand on q deck at the stern
and propel the gondola with a broad
flexible oar, literally pushing, with 8
peculiarly dextrous stroke, their way
through the water. Such perfect control
do they have over their boats that they
will turn square corner within an inch
of grazing it and even when going at full
speed will stop almost instantly.
|. Venice has been justly famous for bel
advancement of the arts. Here Galileo
invented the telescope. Here the first
newspaper was printed in the sixteenth
century and sold for coin called Ga.
zesta. Here the Order of Jesus, or Jes.
uits, was organized in 1886. The names
of Canoya, Tasso, Marco Polo and many
others illustrious in the annals of the
world are all associated with this city OF
the sea. @
We leave Venice with regret. Its pecu.
liar location. its wonderful history, the
evidences of its past greatness, all com.
bine to make it one of the most interest
ing cities of Europe to the American
traveller. When we compare our own
hundred years of national life with the
twelve centuries during, which this city
maintained an independent existence,
we feel that many of our faults and fol-
lies can be excused on the score of youth
and inexperience; but on the other hand,
when we compare the condition of the
American people with the best days OF
these old nations, we feel no reason to be
ashamed of our growth and civilization.
Leaving Venice in the early morning
we stop over one train at Verona, q city
of about 10000 population and about rs
miles from our starting point. We pass
through Padua and Vicenza and. as we
near the mountains at the foot of which
Verona is situated, We find the country
very fertile and highly cultivated. A
system of irrigation is carried on which
greatly increases the value Of the land,
and fine vineyards, fields of corn and
other grain, and extensive mulberry
orchards, the leaves from which support
the silk worms, surround US on every
side.
The great attraction of Verona is the
the old Roman amphitheatre built A. D.
80, and still in good preservation. Its
outer wall was thrown down by an earth
quake in the 18th century, but the seats
are almost perfect, and could Barnum or
Forepaugh secure lease of it they would
find in its broad arena ample space fol
the "Grestest Show on Earth" while an
audience of $4,000 could be accommo.
dated on the stone seats as we'll now as
in those old days when the Roman popu.
lace assembled to witness the bloody
work of the gladiators. In fact at the
time of our visit an itinerant rope walker
had been giving an entertainment there
and his rope was still stretched across
from the upper tiers of seats far above
the arena. But the amphitheatre is moi
the only point of interest in Verona. The
romantic and sentimental traveller will
find in the garden of an old Franciscan
monastery, near the Southern wall, an
old stone sarcophagus, likened by many
unappreciative minds to an old stone
horse trough, which is pointed out as the
only original tomb of Juliet. Although
the devoted Romeo ceased his attentions
some years ago, the fair Juliet has since
had many callers; as the bottom of the
sarcophagus is covered to depth of sew.
eral inches with visiting cards, represent.
ing all nationalities and all quarters ol
the globe. Nothing eau be less attractive
or romantic, but the beauty of Shake
spere's play draws thousands of visitors
here each year. The house Of the Capu
lets is in street near by and is now oe
cupied as hotel. Verona was one oi
the fortresses of the famous "Quadrilater.
al" the others being Peschiera, Mantua
and Legnago, but its military importance
is now thing of the past.
Shortly after leaving Verona we pass
Lake Garda, the largest of the Italian
lakes and possessing some fine scenery.
Near this lake is the famous battlefield
of Solferino, where the French and Ital,
ians, under the third Napoleon in 1859
struggled against the Austrian forces and
were finally successful. The fertile plain
through which the road passes is traversed
by numerous canals which are bordered
by long lines of tall Lombardy poplars,
giving very striking appearance to the
landscape. A ride Of about four hours
from Verona brings us to Milan, the
second city in size in Italy and one Of
the most prosperous of the entire king.
dom.
TRAVELLER.
In the Country.
Returned Prodigal-"Dear! Dear