The morning call., 1890-09-28

to the life they bring into the town is added
during summer the animation caused by tour
lists who visit the place either for few days
or to spend several weeks in its excellent
hotels. The fresh, salnbrious air and some
mineral springs are the chief inducements
to long sojourn. Hugging the west bank
we proceeded on our voyage, and soon
passed in front of COlonnO, where there Is
fine Comoggia cascade, also the Sala and
Beccaria villas, and came to the island OF
Comacina-the only island the lake con-
tains-birthplace OF the celebrated Giorio
family. This island is now uninhabited,
but it formerly contained walled town, to
which, during the invasion OF barbarlans,
the mobiles of Cisalpine Gaul retreated after
their armies were defeated in the plains OF
L0mbardy.
In due time our steamboat reached Campo,
where it connected with a ferry-boat that
takes passengers to Lezzeno on the east
bank. This is lovely point, with fine for
eStS but it is badly exposed to the north
wind and is proyerbial for being without
moonlight in summer and without sunshine
in winter. 1t, however, produces the first
figs of the year, though they are in reality
fruit which during the preceding autumn
had not attained to maturity. The boat
now doubled the Lavedo PromontOry, an
old headland covered with green forests,
the extreme point of which is occupied
by the Villa Arconati, formerly, belong
ing, TO the Balbianello family, and
Dulll ny tdIullldl lung tuO
favorte abode of Silvio Pellieo. Our
next station was Lenno, where the eele-
brated evergreen bank known as the
TremeZzina' commences. 20 perpetuo
paradise, Cara stanza desli amor, Tremez.
Zina, eternO rso Dea sfavilla SUI tuoi flor"
is what an Italian poet has said of a spot
which, with the Riviera de Beliagio, forms
yeritable torrential Eden, and is the NEST
brilliant portion of Lake Como. The boat
stops at TremeZza, close to which village are
the villas Boliyiana, Giulina, Cramer and
Scarpioni, this last on a hilltop, where 1t
looks more like castle than villa. A mag
nlficent avenue, the Via del Paradise, Leads
from TremeZZo to Candanabbia, lonely
place where there are hne hotels and
beautiful promenades. About midway Is the
Villa Carlotta. which, though without any
remarkable exterior splendor. contains
many rich art treasures. 1t was formerly
known as the Villa Sommeriva, and was
built about the middle of the last century
by the Marquis Clerici. After the
death of the last of the SOmmeriyas, IN
1913, Princess Albrecht of Prussia pur-
chased the property for S135, 900. and in 1850
made it present to her daughter Car
lotta on the occasion of the latter's mar
rage to the hereditary Prince of Sake Mem
ingen. The marble hail. of the palace
contains a celebrated work by the Danish
sculptor Thorwaldsen, the triumphant en-
trance of Alexander the Great Into Baby
lon 1t is a small alto-relievo, and was
made to order by Napoleon |, who intended
it for the throne room OF the Qulrl-
nal. AS it was never delivered, Count
SommeriVa purchased it from the ar
list Tor $4,000. In the same room are
some excellent statues and busts. among
them Canova's psyche and Venus" ''Peni-
tent MagdaleDe." ''Palmades," and his
busts OF Paris and Venus In the billiard
room is a Feast of Bacchus," by ThOrwald-
sen, one OF the youthful works Of the sculp-
tor. In the Sale du Jardin are some good
PICTURES by Haiez and Vicar; also marble
relief by LaZzarIni, showing Bonaparte as
First Consul. From the balcony of the villa
there is Il superb view, while the botanist
cannot but be delighted with the garden, the
most splendid of all the gardens of Lake
Como in its wealth OF specimens OF the flora
of many lands 1t covers great deal of
ground, extending from TremeZzo to Cada-
nabbia The villa occupies the site of an
old moraine of the glacier och, and it Is
to this fact that is attributed the surprising
vitality Of the plants and trees that grow III
it. Among its finest specimens OF exotic
flora are trumpet trees, mimosa, dwarf
palms, sugar canes, yukkas, tea plants,
bananas, Chinese olive trees, laurel, oak,
etc.
After leaving Cadanabbia, the steamboat
turned its head toward the east bank and
made Tor the most frequented point OF The
lake, Bellaglb, where there is pretty Prot
eStant church in the Lombard style that was
only conseci ated TO divine service three years
ago. The Latin name OF Bellaglo was Blla-
Gus 1t is located at the extremity of
promnntory which divides the lake into
three branches, giving it the shape of an in
yeTted Y. The branch up which have been
coming is the left one, and IS known locally
as the Como branch; the right Is called the
Lecco branch, and the upper end OF the
lake the Colco branch. BellaglO Is without
exception the finest point of the lake, and is
the principal stopping place for most tour
lists Tho visit that part of Italy.
Our next stopping place was Menaggio,
town of 1900 inhabitants, surrounded with
villas aud charming gardens, which is adj
nirablv situated. AT this point a little
river, the SRnagra, flows into the lake, the
water of which is peculiar for its purity,
lightness and GOODNESS Along its banks
is found a white clav, with which the natives
make an excellent quality of majolica ware
We passed Varenna and Gittana and stop
ped at Bellano, quite manufacturing
town of 5000 inhabitants. 1t Was formerly
the summer residence OF the Bishops
of Milan, and boasts a fine cathedral
built in the Lombard style that dates from
the fourteenth century. The Pioverna tor
rent falls into the lake at this point, form
ing a magnificent cascade and giving the
place its manufacturing importance, as it
furnishes the power needed Tor its wooden,
silk and paper mills. Our next stop WIS at
RpZZenico, tine natal place of Pore Clement
Mi, where there Is a picturesque rum OF
an old castle that crowns the crest OF lofty
hill. The end of my trip came sooa after
we passed GravedOna, for the steamer pulled
up at Collco, ana there | took a train to
Chiayenna, whence | went by diligence up
and up and up until reached the Engadne.
----