St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-04-10
From Prague, Germany.
Extracts from , Private Letter. !

Extracts from Private Letter.
Tuesday morning, the 4th inst,
opened bright and sunny, and Curt, one
of the servants, said that he had or
dered the weather especially for us
that day. 1t had not been pleasant for
several days before. Johanna and Mr..
Gilbert went to the station TO bid us
goodbye, the latter secretly putting
into Owens hands packet ''for the
l:.stesn which proved to be punches of
violets, which we received as very
modest, pretty adieu.
Our company of six Americans, four
ladies and two gentlemen, left Leipsic
at 9 o'clock that morning, for little
excursion of Il few weeks through Italy
and the eastern Alps, going by Dres-
den, Vienna, and Venice OF the beau
tiful country between Leipsic and
Dresden we have spoken in a previous
letter, as also of many wonders that
may be seen in that "FlOrence" of
Germany. The natural scenery along
our way north of Dresden, was very
fine. Our road followed the river
Elbe, only up the stream of course
which winds and curves and doubles
back on itself, almost as much as the
st. Johnsbury s. Lake Champlain rail
road does. Little valleys opened up
every now and then among the hills,
giving extended views of scenery far
away in the splendid distances" and
often tiny little village appeared AS
if peeping up among the hill-tops for
more light.
AS we passed between sharp high
cliffs along the diminishing" river,
eXclaiming with admiration every mo-
ment at some new beauty, or grandeur,
OF witching lOveliness, one tower of
jagged rocks Cd the left attracted our
particular notice. The immense mass
was crowned with frownihg wall
bearing marks of age. A sudden turn
in the road brought that hill to our
right, and gave to us another, opposed
to it on our left, and we recognized the
world-renOwned stronghold of KOnig-
stein. The village of the same name
stands close to the foot of the hill
Leaving the train at the station and
passing in "Indian file" through the
N Strant tha limo nf
which might be called pave
ment, to our hotel, We rested a few mo-
ments, and, with our eyes, took the
and bearings of things gener-
orally, but especially of the village far
around to the left, the wee river in
front and Lilienstein to the right, and
then started up the funny foOt-path to
the top of that formidable heap of
rocks.
The ascent is easy along the open
fields and the paths good, starting from
any place on the north. The view, as
we assembled, arose from beauty to
grandeur, extending wider and taking
in greater variety. Passing three sets
of iron gates, and ways more difficult
than to the citadel of Quebec, we
reached the top of the hill. 500 feet
above the Elbe, which flows along at
It's base.
The day was fine, yet not so clear as
could have been desired, for we could
not see the city of Dresden, which is
visible when the air and sky
are clear. But hills and mountains,
rivers, valleys and villages, near and
FAR, were included in the wonderful
inc view which we had from that
queer old eminence, and we all had |
1ne expression, "This is the scenery
which | have been SO hungry for all
he time in Leipsic."
Here is the celebrated well which |
supplies the garrison with water. 1t
IS twelve feet in diameter and 600 feet !
leep, cut the whole depth in the solid
rock. Some accounts say 900 feet to
the water and 60 feet of water, making
500 feet for the depth of the well. 1t
is surrounded by fence and over it is |
for raising the water, and
for use in case anything should fall
into the well. A light was placed upon
the side of it, and some water poured
into it, and in seventeen seconds we
heard it strike the well water. (WhO |
will tell the distance that water fell p
The wall which surrounds the top of
the hill was built to protect soldiers
who might be stationed there and to
defend the people who might flee there
for safety when the country might be
taken by her enemies.
The guide showed US place on the
outside of the wall, Overbanging a
steep bank of rock, where a man laid
down to sleep at night, so drunk that
he mistook it for his bed inside the
wall. He was discovered while asleep,
bound with ropes, awakened by music
and drawn up over the wall safely
from his strange bed, where, had he
turned in his sleep, lie wOnld have
fallen hundreds of feet to tile rocks
below. This fortress was bHilt 800
years ago, and was used many times
III the wars of the past. Now it is
constantly by a garrison OF
Saxon soldiers, whose commander is
appointed by the king of Germany ac-
cording to the constitution Of 1871. A
few prisoners are kept there, but not
many. Twenty-four families are now