Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-03-31
IN SOUTHERN FRANCE.
THE REMAINS OF AN ANCIENT AN
STATELY AoJeDucT.

a Canal on Stone Bed 1873 Feet p,o,,
King Rene's Castle on the Roc,xs P.s,,.
.he hhone- Busting Streets of Marae,,,as
a Cosmopolitan Population.
That partof the ancient provence which
IL no" called Les Bouches du Rhone is
a nat and barren estuary of that river
ana very desolate in appearance. The
nelghborhood Of Nismcs resembles the
roman campagna, uninhabited. drv and
waste, with small olive trees alone re-.
iieVihg the monotony, although projects
are on foot for irrigating the country as
lar as the Aiges Mortes, or dead farms
but little further south the real desert
begins, and more repellant section Of
country never saw, unless it were in
Arizona. The soil seems to consist of
mortar, and the broken rocks that int
from 1t resemble masses of ruined ma.
sonry.. Scrubby bushes and sage br1sh
scarcely enliven the scene. and Won
wonder who can live in the occasional
gray stone houses.
Across these desolate plains the indie
fatlgable Romans built aqueducts to con.
Vey water from the occasional whole
some springs to their various colonies
ana traces OF these waterways are found
IN all directions. The principal one was
twenty-five miles long, constructed prob-
ably by Agrippa, the general of Angus
tus, in order to bring water to Nismes
Ruined arches of this aaueduct remain
here and there along its course. but one
portion exists entire, and is, perhaps, the
MODEST Roman structure in the world
IL is called the Pont du Gard, extending
across the rocky valley Trough which
flows the little river Carbon. about tif
teen miles from Nismes. From this city
we visited it, taking the railroad as far as
Remoulins, and then walking two miles
across the quiet, desoIate campagna,
scarcely seeing living being by our
way The road, however, was perfect.
as all the highways are in France
hard, smooth and white across the gray
plain.
MAGNIFICENT RUINED ARCHES.
AS we approached the river the pros
pect was varied by low hills and yellow
aspen groves, and suddenly appeared be-
fore us across the valley we were de-
scendIng a gigantic screen of arches, one
above another. We drew near to it with
actual feelings of awe; it scarcely seemed
a work Of mortal hands, but rather as if
built for eternity by the old gods who
ruled the earth Of yore
The Pont has three tiers of arches. the
whole being $40 feet long and 1873 high.
The lowest row, where the river passes
bal fato ,,F Al.
one OF eleven of the same size, while
above these is a row of thirty five small
arches, on top of which is laid the water
way, a canal feet wide and of about
the same depth. This passage again is
covered with slabs of stone and was for
merly used by foot passengers when
crossing the river, but in the beginning
of the last century a bridge was added
to the lower part of the structure. The
blocks of stone of which the whole is
composed are about five feet in length
and two in depth, and are laid entirely
without cement.
We only passed few hours at Taras
con, threading our way among the old
Notifications and narrow, lofty streets as
if going through the passages in a gran
lite quarry, until we came to King Rene''
castle, standing on a rock beside the
Rhone. The castle, partly ruined, il
square and Of a stately height, but witt
no claim to grace or beauty of architec
tUre except a fine machiolated cornice
the towers being half buried in the walls
above which they do not rise, like thu
picture Of the Bastille The river, how
ever. is broad and imposing at this par
/ OF its career, and so smooth that ever,
stone was reflected from its bosom; anC
we were glad that the good king had ;
pleasanter prospect than that of his gra!
| little capital and that the maidens o
his court as they peeped from the slittet
windows of their bowers could see tn
ships go by, and perhaps drop rose nov
and then to some serenader in a boat
Certainly all the charms of music ant
romance would be needed to make sucl
adwelling place desirable.
LIFE IN THE STREETS.
At Marseiles we have come into tn
midst of southern climate and souther
outdoor life. Houses for any other tina
sleeping purposes seem suddenly to be a
4 a discount, and you can freely watc
the daily life Of tie people as you wal
through the crowded streets. Her
women are sitting in rows on benche
knitting or mending garments with thei
/ children round their feet; there they ar
roasting coffee or chestnuts or tryln
fish or doughnuts over little charco;
fires Men squat ON the pavement II
pairing fishing nets. cohbling or weavln
great baskets out of Manila rope-yer
useful articles apparently, from the
fiexibiity and strength. Both sexes al
engaged in selling everything tlat ca
te sold-the women who otler 70
flowers doing so often from pretty stall
exactly like booths in Il fancy Tau
while bargaining, wranglmg, chattih
and singing go on voclIerously all Ga
and almost all night.
The most lively part of the city ll'
around the port and the docks, and
stroll in that neighborhood would CIV
YOU a very good idea of the carnly
anywhere else The old port, SO calle'
is generally crowded with shipping a
though it can contain 1900 vessels
once, and as it is the center of Medlte
raneau trade all nations and Language
are represented in its waters and on l
wharves. Here you see the handson
Greeks and Albaniaus, the vlVaclo'
Italians. the burly Africans, Moors al
Arabs ina white burnoose, Lascars
loose red trousers and scarlet faz, VIM
now and then a neat Englshman push
his wov impatiently through the crow
Meanwhile the noise Is lhuS9cIIo''"le' Il
din being increased by the screams
mulGtudes OF parrots, one OF these OIL
seeming to hang in its cage from eve
l.. -, tr-rT n -f