The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-01


well. IA distinguished English art
i lat, took a barge trip through the
mountains of central Europe last
year. This seemingly absurd statement
is quite possible as there is an elaborate
system of canals that connect the
waterways Of Belgium. France. Switzer-
land and Germany Through this then
peaceful and picturesque country which
is now the theatre OF the greatest war
Of history Mr. Maxwell went with his
sketch book and has embodied the re-
suits Of the trip and others in volume
published by John Lane under the title
Of Adventures With Sketch Book"
This Is travel story. says the author.
which shall tell of the ups and downs
OF subterranean borrowings of a barge
on her mountain journey from the Bel
gian Ardennes through France and into
Germany and the Rhine by way OF the
Central Nosges.
1t Is wonderful barge ride
this. from the Mouse to the Rhine
first by romantic river route through
the Ardennes under steep cliff and
winding reaches at the foot of
forest covered slopes. Twice the
waterway disappears into the hills and
becomes river Of night, to emerge
again into daylight and pursue its way
until 1t joins the Moselle by means of a
canal Under a town and over a val
.ey To the fringe of the Nosges. again
burrowing and climbing laboriously into
romantic gorges to Strassburg and the
Rhine.
The valley of the Mouse tributary
streams is wild and rich in unexpected
rock scenery. l do not know anything
about geology, but the impression l
have retained of the district Is that a
large extent of undulatlng limestone
country has been worn down by streams
and rivers into deep clefts and that
during this wearing down process some
masses Of rock Of harder material than
the rest have been left in the form OF
pinnacles and walls, some of the most
striking examples of this being the
Aiguilles Of ChaleuN. At almost any
point a climb from these wild. jagged
valleys to a ridge that appears the sum
init of a mountain will show you that
you have arrived nearly at the edge of
a tract OF country which is far from
wild and evidently the original level of
the land.
A few days among the hills and I be-
gan to cast critical eyes on the barges
that lay along the shores near Bou-
vignes. My voyage to the Nosges must
be begun and a comfortable craft with
a hospitable skipper was the first neces-
sity. l liked the look Of the barge
Marie, a roomy wooden boat respondent
in a new coat of Stockholm tar and
with white cabin tops picked out with
green. Her skipper and mate looked
hopeful.
,l,ut ataI
children on board. as in many of the
craft. and this fact meant that they
would have accommoda ton for another
hand If they would let him sign on.
I noticed the cafe into which they
disappeared when they landed and soon
afterward went in myself. They were
Frenchmen, as I had observed from
their home port painted on the barge,
and so summoning up the accumulated
knowledge of my school days / raised
my glass and drank with them to the
entente cordiale. The uproarious, ADAM
doned and deafening jollity Of a me-
chanical orchestra with drums and Gym
balls which performed on the insertion
of a ten-cent piece aided and developed
my scheme, and by the time / had pre-
scented each of them with a sketch of
themselves and their barge firm
friendship had been established. /
could not gather exactly where they
were bound for, but they were going
far into France and somewhere into
the region of the Rhine Marine canal;
and. even though had to transship &C.
casionally to do the whole journey TO
the Vosges, their offer to take me with
them was a very good beginning wher-
ever it might lead.
They were intending to start early,
so l promised to be on board almost as
soon as it was light next morning. The
hotel porter, convinced that | had gone
out Of my mind, carried my bag down
TO the waterslde. | found them ready
for me, having prepared "A luxurious
cabin-I ought almost 20 say suite OF
rooms-spotlessly clean and daintily ar
ranged.
The river from Givet runs straight
fer about two miles. bordercd on the left
(ascending) by fields gently sloplng up
ward toward high country and on the
right by a ridge a few hundred feet in
height Most of This bank is quarried
to obtain black marble, and the huge
faces of rock, especially after rain. re-
fleet the sun and give curious gllttering
cliff scenery. The stratum Of the rock
runs almost ndicularly-slantlng
out as it falls toward the river-and
thus quarrying is made very easy
Working from cradles hurg from above
the men move upward detachlng piece
after piece OF marble to slide down the
steep smooth wall of rock.
A little beyond the last Of the quarries
the Meuse takes a sudden bend TO the