The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-12-23

tute-Surgery.
VENICE, ITALY, October 13, 1885.
Thou art the garden Of the world, the home
OF ell art Yields, and nature and decree;
Fen In thy desert, what 10 like TO thee2
Thy very weeds are beautiful, thy waste
More rich than other climes' fertility,
Thy wreck glory, and tn ruin graced
With an Immaculate charm which can not be
! defaced."
With such language does Byron de.
scribe the peninsula OF Italy. It was a
beautiful afternoon and the sun was
fast declining behind the famous Alps
when we awoke to the fact that Venice
would be our next stopping place. We
had been for months contemplating this
trip and had pictured in our minds al.
most every mile OF the country. We
were disappointed, but happily so, for
our dreams were more than realized.
Exclamation after exclamation of sur.
prise and satisfaction escaped the lips OF
more than one American, who stood
trans6xed at the window drinking in
the beautiful scenery through which we
passed.
While I could easily fill all the space
allotted to me in this issue with de.
scription of the country from Vienna to
Venice, will forbear and undertake a
more difficult task, viz. the description
of an
ITALIAN CITY.
Venice, tat Teaezia, lies in a shallow
part OF the Adriatic. is about twenty-five
miles in length and nine miles in width
it is two miles and a half from the main.
land; this is called the Lagune. Its
$4,000 houses and palaces are situated
on three large and Ia small islands,
formed by $50 canals, connected by 37s
bridges, and altogether about seven
miles in circumference. The popula.
ton will reach 10000 inhabitants, one.
fourth Of which are paupers.
Its reputation as commercial center
has been growing since the middle ol
the century, and Venice now is one o.
the greatest seaports on the Adriatic.
The lagoons are protected from the
open sea by sand-hills (lidi). which
again are strengthened by means OF bull
warks of solid masonry, averaging thirty
feet in height and forty and fifty in
width. On the side the lagune the bull
warks (murras-i) are perpendicular, while
towards the sea they descend in four
terraces: The lagune' are connected
with open sea by means of four en-
frances, Of which those of the Lido and
Malamoco alone are available for vessels
of heavy tonnage.
| TIE LAGOoNs
Are called either ldguna riva or lagunS
morti, about onc.half of them belonging
to each class. In the former the tide
rises and falls about two feet; the latter
shallower. and situated nearer the main
land, are unaffected by the tide. Ven
ice is situated on the laguna rira.
At high water innumerable stakes,
protruding from the water in groups o.
the most varied form, mark the situation
and shape of the low sand-islands which
surround the city on every side, forming
q complicated network of navigable
channels, most OF them accessible tc
small boats only.
Most OF the houses rise Immediately
from the canals (rii), or are separated
from them by narrow streets only called
cali, and paved with broad slabs o.
stone, or sometimes with brick or as
phalt. These lanes form labyrinth
from which we found it difficult to ex
tricate ourselves; none, however, but
walkers can form an adequate acquaint
ance with the picturesque hooks of the
city and the characteristics of its inhab
itants. Many of the sights can be visit
ed on foot, but all the principal build
ings may also be visited by boat. Con
dola-traveling rs very pleasant and is o
course far preferable to walking for ex
petitions OF any length.
The irst building OF interest pointet
out by our guide is the
PIAZZA OF sT. MARK.
i 1t is located in a square paved will
blocks of trachyte and marble, 1872 yard
in length and on the west side 81, an,
on the east 80 yards in breadth. o.
three sides It Is enclosed by imposin
structures which appear to form on
vast marble palace, blackened by ag
. and exposure to the weather. On tn
east it is bounded by the Church of 81
Mark and the Piazsetta. The palace
were once the residence Of the nine pr,
curatie. The Piazza of st. Mark is th
. grand focus OF attraction at Venice. o
, summer evenings after sunset all VII
,, desire to enjoy fresh air congrega'
J, there. The scene Is most animated I,
, wards 8 o'clock, especially on evening
!. : when the military band plays; and Il
!, Piazza is sometimes thronsed until aft