Year: 1866

| ~ JeSs interesting. III was 10 the harbOT


and town Of Vile Franche. or Villa Franca


as 1t is sometimes called. part of the
walk was ill the same direction as vester


day, down under the hills more, and upon


the borders of the sea My object was t.


visit the United States ship Colorado (be.


longing to the Mediterranean squadron


now at anchor here 1t was pleasant ia
see the stars and stripes once more and to


meet with officers who kindly waited upon


me in examining the noble ship. On Christ


mas day'l met the Chaplain, :hc Rev Mr.
Hale, clergyman of our church, with


whom had often met in Philadelphia The
presence of one of our vessels, indicating
Ill this distant land, the protecting power
OF our government, gave new SENSE Of
security. We meet abroad in all lands,
| some OF her public servants, who are kind
and attentive to her citizens in the absence
from nome and we find how greatly our
| country is respected. | shall soon write to
! you from other scenes of interest, if life
and health are spared Your friend and
Pastor G D.M
GENOA.


My last letter was dated from Nice.
am now writing from Genoa, which we all
remember in our early study of Geography,
as the birth place of Christopher Columbus,
| the discoverer of the new world | have
seen much to remind me Of him to-day-a
fine monument, surrounded by statue on
the pedestal of which are four bas relitfs.
| indicating as many different circumstances
III his life. The whole is of white marble.
and does honor to his native city. ,Iso
saw some manuscript letters preserved with
great Ca % in glass cover, and bearing the
date Of 1928. These are kept in the city
Hall, as we would call it, f rmerIy roval
palace. There is also bust of Columbus
IN the great room of this building where
the official meetings are held. As All Amer
lean | looked upon these things with great
interest


Genoa, is above 100 miles from Nice
There is a very fine road, but IL takes the
stage or Diligence" as they call it here
two days to travel it, while families with
a private carriage sometimes take four
days. | came in one day by sea, on the
steamboat Espresso" And | was not sor-
ry, for besides saving time and money,
had ii fine view of the mountains, and the
entire coast from Nice to Genoa, passing
many towns and villages and single houses
on the hillsidcs. In the afternoon the sun
came out a little, and the snow covered
Alps, and distant Apprentices gIstenrd in
his beams. In these short days we could
not accomplish the journey until after dark,
but the lights of the city, were visible for
a long distance. The sight on entering the
harbor is very fine. The city makes a semi
circle and rises like ampbitheater and
when lighted up at night is very pictur-
n al
and the masts of the vessels looked very
thick as we entered in the dark The
steamboat could not get to the pier and 30
we had to land by means Of small boats,
which came swarming around, each eager
to get his share Of patronage. | felt Il lit
tie uncomfortable in "a strange land -arriv-
ing in the night, and had found but one
person on board who spoke English, and he
was German who seemed to be well ac-
quainted with the route and could give me
much information concerning the places
which we passed. | kept by him until we
got safe on shore and then | had the inspec-
tion of the custom house officer who look
ed into my baggage, but was quite civil
and let me off very easily. | had now set
my foot upon the kingdom of Italy, and
came under the government Of Victor En-
manuel


Genoa has been called "La Superba," or
the superb city, on account of its many
palaces. To-day | obtained the assistance
of guide who took me to various places
of interest among which were three or four
Of these old palaces. Two Of them were
very fine. You enter large doorway and
hall with a marble stairway and go to the
top Of the house Here are large rooms,
the walls of which are hung some with
damask or silk tapestry, and some with
rare paintings Of the old masters. Many
of the floors are marble of a great variety
of marbles curiously inlaid, and with their
rich furniture of all kinds and adorned with
sculpture and paintings These buildings
show us how the great men of Genoa have
lived in former times, while much of the
style is continued to the present day. The
building in which am now staying-used
as public house and called Hotel D'Ital-
ie' was formerly the residence of Cardinal
Laurentious Raggus, whose mural monu-
ment is said to be i'll one of the rooms. Il
have not seen it In the lower vestibule
stands the omnibus which goes to the rail
way station Estrada Ferrate as it il called
in ltalian) and at the head of the first flight
of steps | saw, as | ascended, the statue of
Scipio Africanus. The window of my room
looks out upon the sea The floor is of
marble in mosaic, and the concave ceiling
is painted in fresco. All the stairways are
stone and some Of the flo ,rs are tiled The
dining room il the same fhat must have
been osed for tbs purpose "hen The honsc
was occupied hy lis tirst owners, and many
brilliant company has ptohatty assembled
there.


My last day al Nice, occupied partly
with morning walk, to see the Villa Ar
son, with its terraced gardens and groves
of orange trees, bending beneath their
abundant fruit, with ts fine view of the
town and the sea beyond. To-day, Satur-
day, Jan 9th, my last Sightseeing day in
Genoa have been by railway few miles
to the Villa Pallsrieini belonging to a mar
quis of that name | had read of it in my
guide book, and had been urged by an
American friend not fail of seeing it. 1t
is entered by obtaining printed permit
with your name inserted The permit ia
given to all who apply, and then you have
to give your attendant fee for showing
you through the grounds Twas amply re-
paid for going The morning was dull and
rainy, and feared that | should have to