National Republican., 1886-10-30
EN ROUTE TO SINGAPORE.
Interesting Account Of Experiences
Met with on the Journey.

interesting account Ol experiences
Met with on the Journey.
The following extracts from a letter
written by gentleman recently of Wash
ington on his way to Singapore, India, will
and inform some of them OF the life on
board ship. 1t is dated Marseilles, France,
Oct. g:
As you will see by the heading we are
here safely. Our voyage across the Atlantic
was most delightfuP with the exception Of
II couple Of days. There must be an eX.
ception, 1t seems to every enjoyment. We
passed a pleasant week In lovely, charming
Paris. Our steamer, Normandy, for Ilavre,
was a great thing, with every convenience
and comfort and as we were only forty one
first class passengers, we became Intimate
aud jolly and had nice time. Our umuse.
ments were all sorts Of games No place
like on board ship to get acquainted. Con
versation, singing, piano playing, shuttle
board, and, chief and sublime, our meals
Breakfast at o'clock, served in the state
rooms, consisting of cup Of coffee, or
chocolate, and biscuit or two. At 10,
regular breakfast. Lunch at /. Dinner
| $50. supper at $50, The menu was
superb. Every delicacy is carried the trip
only requiring niue days. Our dining hall
was beautiful, combining marble, red plush,
aud fortv-siX electric lamps. The entire
vessel is lighted in the same way. llavre has
pretty artificial harbor. and AS II
was dark on our arrival we had
to send up rockets to declare our national
cOlOrs red, white, and blue rockets. These,
together with the firing Of our guns, pro.
duced very pretty effect. \ special train
was waiting In llavre, which whrled us IN
four hours to Paris, stopping only once-at
ROuen. Well, We took the train
from Paris to come here at q o'clock IN the
evening" and arrived at 7 o'clock the next
evening a long journey Though the
| cars go as fast as our own, they are not so
| comfortable. The iirst-class carriages have
tignt seats, -four on either side, and the pas
/ sengers sit facing each other, The lovely
| country In view as We passed, however,
made up for all interior Inconvenience.
| Nearly tn entire way, on both sides, eX-
| tend ranges Of mountains, on the submits
/ of which, at intervals, are ruins Of castles OT
monasteres, while the hillsides themselves
are cut like steps and covered with grape
vines. All the small houses and large
/ houses, tOo-are built OF stone aud gray
with age, while some Of the castles, al
though the glory Of their former lords has
/ departed, still perfectly retain their ancient
I beauty ana grandeur, MifScllleS Is very
old city aud has about 100000 inhabitants
but the buildings are so lofty
aud In many cases the street,
so narrow that you wonder where the people
may be, and do not realize that the city 1.
so large as II indeed Is. Some of the streets
are cut into steps, ami the houses nearly
touch each other from side to side. They
are Of stone, the loOrs Of red tiles. w,
have neither seen "a brick building here MOI
Il new one. On high point Of grUunr
stands the old church Of NOtre Dame de- l.
Garde. How they ever built 1t up there
is a mystery, It can be seen for mite,
out at sea, aud 10 full Of offerings lett ther,
by sailors, among them one left by Chris
tupher Columbus, gentleman well know
IN America. The drive along the ocear
beach Is beautiful, with the chateau D'l
in the distance. This, you will remember
is the prison IN "MOnte Cristo,n frou
which Edmond Dantes escaped, w
went To the theater last night, where on
Of Oflenbach's operas was performed, 81
File du IumbOur Major "Ihe Daughte
Of the Drum Major" The orchestra wa
thirty strong aud excellent, aud the choru
had thirty male aud thirtI female voices
DRESSES magnificent In the last scene, tn
entry Of the French into Milan, 22O person
were on the stage at one time, SO you Gu
imagine how grand the spectacle.
GEO. BING.