fe Ye ne prey Sie SAL InSb 4b oh sa ae oa cfr kA savas a UA rea Tae THE FR Qn TE art Ett ae ate reese 7‘) {No.6 A TRIP FROM THE THAMES TO BORDEAUX: 3 Thence through the South of France, into Italy, and Home again. BY THE HERMIT OF WESTMINSTER. la me “) Ss } on ~ : ; ei fh ‘ / i fi ff ‘ , ei P i, ‘ d : , Vv — Ot A he at yo) a are a” sa ff é LONDON: MARCHANT SINGER & CO., PRINTERS, 1 & 2, INGRAM COURT, E.C. 1879 ——— - Seg eae . A. Tae FROM THE THAMES TO BORDEAUX: Thence through the South of France, into Italy, and Home again. Ir is not usual, or was not usual in olden time, for Hermits to wander far from the caves in which they dwelt, but in these modern times of railways, telegraphs, tele- phones, and electric street-lighting, the rule is that all things are possible, in politics, war, civil engineering, and what is called Social Science ; and, disturbed by the new order of things, and inspired by a broader and less cynical spirit than that which animated Diogenes, the Hermit of Westminster, whose portrait is given on the opposite page, set out to see a little more of the “ Wide World” than is visible from Westminster Bridge. So, starting from his den one fine day in August last in a cab, he wended his way, by the Embankment, ' to St. Katharine’s Wharf, and thence went on board the General Steam Navigation Company’s steam-ship “ Kestrel,” bound for Bordeaux. The passage down the River and through the Channel was such as not to call for special notice, the weather being on the whole favourable, and the usually turbulent and boisterous Bay of Biscay was not rough enough to cause serious uneasiness to the internal organisations of the pas- sengers on board ship; but the latter part of the voyage, up the noble River Gironde, which was entered early on the morning of the third day, was such as to induce pleasurable excitement and expressions of grateful appreciation. The fine City of Bordeaux was reached at about noon time, but it was full an hour after the arrival of the ship alongside the wharf before communication with the shore could be effected, and the Hermit being alone, in the midst of a crowd on deck, silently observed the fuss, muddle, and entire absence of wholesome authority, pervading the whole business, and could not help contrasting it with the method, precision, and skill, uniformly displayed on the arrival of passenger steamers in English ports, where the voice of authority alone is heard, and at once mechanically obeyed. At Bordeaux all was confusion for at least an hour, while the patience of our Captain was sorely tried by the bungling and want of capacity of those in command on shore; the only pleasing feature being the smart way in which the Customs officers discharged their duty of inspection, and this was very satisfactory ; and having received from one of them the mystic chalk-mark, which was a kind of talismanic authority, to all whom it con- cerned, to allow the packages bearing it to pass over the ship’s side, the Hermit was then free to wander on the soil of Republican France, and bask in the sunshine of that City which was the scene of Gambetta’s energetic, legis- lative, and administrative labours in that provisional Parliament, which he caused to be assembled in the Theatre of Bordeaux, before peace had been secured as the final result of the terrible Franco-German war. Having taken up his quarters at the Hotel de France, and enjoyed the luxury of a wash and a bath, and refreshed the inner man by means of a lunch, our Hermit wandered forth into the City, and after stimulating his mental faculties by a cursory inspection of the buildings, streets, squares, and gardens of the central portion of it, he found his way back to the hotel and his dinner. The next day was given up to a more thorough explo- ration of the place; and the result was a conviction that Bordeaux, which ranks as the third seaport town of ae RPM RR TI Oa TERE TE ; 2 " as in | 5 France, may fairly be described as, a city of commercial palaces, built on the banks of a fine river 2000 feet wide, with facilities of a high order for the maintenance of an extensive commerce with the outer world. The rich wine-. growing country around affording abundant scope for profitable labour and the remunerative employment of capital; subject, however, to the now dreaded ravages of the Phylloxera. Having thus spent a day and a-half at Bordeaux, the traveller started early the next morning for Biarritz, which charming watering-place was reached at about noon; his resting place there being at the Hotel Grand Gardereres, and a very good hotel it is in every way, the appointments being luxurious, the creature comforts excellent, the attend- ance very satisfactory, and the charges reasonable. As regards “ Hotel charges,” about which so much vir- tuous indignation has been expended year after year ad nauseam in the columns of our London newspapers in the holiday season, the Hermit has no fault to find with them, either as to this one or any other; he has no sym- pathy with inferior hotel accommodation, nor with anything “ cheap and nasty,” but has a fixed idea that “ the best of everything is good enough,” even for a Hermit, and fancies that the best things should command the best prices. No doubt it does sometimes happen that extortionate charges are made by hotel keepers; this, however, is undoubtedly the exception, and by no means the rule; and this opinion will be confirmed by all travellers of mature age and experience, who know where to go, what to order, and how to behave; the first consideration with sensible people being, to secure good accommodation; the next, to avoid useless extravagance and senseless ostentation, and never to allow a stingy spirit to interfere with their own comfort and convenience, or with that of other people with whom they may have to do. Haying settled down for a few days at Biarritz, our 6 Hermit found time to fetch up some arrears of corre- spondence, and to examine the place and its environs, - which ‘nature has done so much for, and rendered so attractive. Not long ago it was an unimportant and secluded primitive kind of village, but now, thanks to the late Emperor of the French, and the Empress, whom misfortune has driven from the land of her adoption into exile, it is a highly fashionable resort; and, quite apart . from fashion, or the favour of the high or the mighty, it will undoubtedly hold its own, and be increasingly appreciated by tourists whose object is to refresh and re- invigorate impaired energies by a sojourn in pure air, with the surroundings of so much that is charming. The accommodation for sea bathing and the regulations regarding it are excellent, and adapted to the situation on the shore of the Bay of Biscay, where the sea commonly behaves in such a violent manner as to prevent the use of bathing machines of any kind, the waves rolling in with a force that would make sport of any moveable dressing- rooms; and to give an idea of the power of these mighty moving walls of translucent water, it is only necessary to refer to the fact that the late Emperor favoured the scheme of a French engineer to build a pier, with the view of forming a breakwater and harbour, and this was attempted to be effected, and considerable progress made towards its accomplishment, the pier being protected by hundreds of huge blocks of concrete, which were tipped over into the sea, outside the wall, to serve as a breast- work; but, notwithstanding all that French engineering skill could do, the attempt utterly failed, and the result of the undertaking, upon which £120,000 was fruitlessly _ expended, may be seen to-day; the pier partly washed away, and some of the huge blocks of concrete, weighing between 36 and 48 tons each, originally deposited outside, now lying inside the structure, having been lifted over it simply by the force of the waves—the height of the pier over which they were thus thrown being above 20 feet. a = — OCS. NG ee t So Biarritz has to be content with its very small harbour of refuge for its few small fishing boats; this has been formed by connecting some outlying rocks, which were isolated by the action of the sea, with blocks of artificial stone. It is curious to observe how these fossiliferous rocks are perforated, undermined, and detached from time to time, and stand or lie about over a large area in strange con- fusion, partly above water, pointing to periods of time remote beyond conception, when they became detached from the parent stock at present remaining as a barrier to the encroachment of the sea. The smartness of the shops of this little town, and the choice display of the luxuries of life in their windows, is a noticeable feature, and for the size of the place it is probably unequalled in this respect; suggesting the idea that an extra button to one’s pocket would be an improvement and tend slightly towards the maintenance of that “ metallic reserve,” which modern financial economists are always harping upon, and in the absence of which, great inconvenience is commonly experienced, stability then becoming an unknown quantity. But this consideration need not haye the effect of keeping economical visitors away from this natural beauty spot, because it is said to be a desirable winter place of residence, not only from its fine climate, but also on account of the cheapness of living from November till June. After being here two days our Hermit was discovered on a stone seat, enjoying the fine view from an clevated plateau, by some kind friends who had just arrived from London, vid Paris, whose first thought and care was to hunt him up, and their next anxiety to cheer him in his solitude. “Sweet is the fellowship of kindred minds.” The author does not know who said or wrote this old sentiment, but it suggests an argument in favour of hermits going into society now and then, and a justification for their occasional wanderings over the face of the earth, especially over the beautiful parts of its surface. The Spanish town of St. Sebastian being only about 30 miles from Biarritz, and as a bull fight was advertised to take place there on the fourth day after the Hermit’s arrival, it occurred to him that such an opportunity of seeing the national pastime, and of judging for himself of its true character, should not be lost; he therefore joined two friends similarly inspired, whose acquaintance he had made on board ship in the Bay of Biscay, and the three drove over to St. Sebastian to satisfy their natural curiosity. The journey was an exceedingly pleasant one, embracing magnificent scenery, and afforded a choice opportunity of seeing quaint old towns en route; places also of historic interest, and the manner of life of the country folk. The frontier of the two countries on this road being the River Bidassoa, crossed by the Bridge of Irun; one end of this bridge being in France and the other in Spain, so in time of war the sentry of one country, stationed at one end of the bridge, could, if so minded, conveniently exchange compliments with the rival sentry at the other end. Arrived at St. Sebastian, the little party drove to the Hétel de Londres, and having partaken of a substantial mid-day meal in a crowded coffee-room, all the world and his cousin being out for a holiday, they wandered about the streets and into the grand central square of the town, and there, on a quiet seat, saw the gay multitude of Spaniards en féte; and having thus taken stock of the people, wandered on to the grand centre of: attraction, the Amphitheatre, erected outside the town for bull fights, and found provision made therein for the accommodation of 10,000 spectators. Gradually the seats in this vast arena became filled, and to foreigners, it was an excellent opportunity of studying national characteristics. The excitement was great, and the manifestations of enjoyment of the fun were most ANS. - he PSL s, 9 exuberant, while all were looking forward to the time when the real work of the day was to begin; and presently an imposing cavalcade entered the arena, when the master of the ceremonies, at the head of his staff, mounted on his charger, in fine dress and accoutrements, made his bow to the president, who, from his elevated box, threw down to the grand official some significant token of his approval, after which the cavalcade retired, leaving only three or four officials in the arena; and immediately the sport began by the introduction of a fine bull, the floor having been covered by sand or sawdust, and just previously watered by a number of assistants. Immediately following the bull came a man on horseback, and on his riding towards the bull the animal made a rush at the horse and ripped him up, killing him in about a minute. The attention of the bull was then diverted by means of gaudily coloured flags, and the rider helped away, he having, before his horse fell, inflicted wounds on the bull with a spear on a pole or lance with which he was armed. Another and another such a scene followed, three horses having been thus killed in about twenty minutes, when the little party withdrew from the sickening spectacle, perfectly amazed that a vast multitude of human beings could derive enjoyment from such a debasing and brutalizing pastime. When will poor Spain produce a “ Martin” to organize a “society for the prevention of cruelty to animals”? And when will the time arrive for the abolition of this national school of terribly vicious instruction? When royal marriage festivities may be celebrated without the cowardly, and atrociously cruel exhibition, of leading horses blindfolded into an amphitheatre, purposely to be gored to death by a bull, which in its turn is to be punished by spearing on the shoulder as often as possible, and infuriated by darts stuck into its body by way of sport until death ends his torture. Well, having witnessed the commencement of the wretched exhibition, the trio returned to the Hétel de a ee EE Se 10 Londres, ordered their horses to be harnessed to the carriage, and set out on the return journey, having, both on coming out and going home, a relay of horses on the road. As regards the agriculture of the country between St. Sebastian and Biarritz it was such as to elicit favourable opinions, the land being well cultivated and kept clean and clear of weeds, the rule appearing to be to make as much as possible of a little, the farming being on a small scale, and the land tilled in small patches. The next day was devoted by the Hermit and his London friends to a visit to the antique town of Bayonne, with its quaint and narrow streets, and its ancient Cathedral, which latter is receiving similar kindly atten- tion to that which many other such venerable structures have been favoured with in these modern times. This curious old town has peculiar charms of its own, and the drive to it, of five miles or so, is so pretty that the family party agreed in a verdict of entire approval. unos other things for which Bayonne is celebrated are its hidnse; which are very fine in flavour and are highly esteemed; and thin slices of them broiled are simply delicious. After spending a quiet Sunday at Biarritz, and enjoying the following day there, having his portrait taken in the middle of the day by that Prince of Photographers, “ Disderi,” and being, at his own request, caricatured in the evening by a humourous artist, the Hermit started the following morning alone, on his travels in search of “ fresh woods and pastures new;” finding his way by rail from Bayonne, through Pau and Tarbes, to Toulouse, enjoying greatly, en route, the grand sight of the wonderful chain of the Pyrenees—beauties of a different character to those he had left behind at Biarritz; and after a long day’s ride, Toulouse was reached late in the evening. This day’s journey was marked by one disagreeable incident, not un- common to travellers in France, namely, the loss of his mR ee Alli enc 1] portmanteau, which, at Tarbes, he discovered by mere chance had been stupidly left at Pau by the guard of the train; however, he afterwards recovered it by means of proving its identity by a sketch of it in perspective, which he forwarded to the Station Master, who was thus satisfied, there being no address or name on it. The next day was devoted to wandering very slowly, on account of the excessive heat, about this town, which ranks as the seventh city in France, and is more commercial than anything else. It is not of an attractive character to strangers, but, on the whole, worth a short visit; the principal building in its spacious “Place du Capitole” or Market Place, is the Hotel de Ville, with its imposing front, and its eight fine columns of red Pyrenean marble. Having found the day quite long enough at Toulouse, but the railway trains not admitting of a convenient depar- ture before the next morning, the Hermit had to stay two nights there, and then left on the following morning for the flourishing town of Cette; famous for mosquitoes, scorpions, dirt, and manufactured wine,—that is to say, wine which cannot honestly be described as being natural. It is said, indeed, that at Cette, the art of mixing several nasty things, so as to produce an agreeable thing in the way of drink, has attained to such perfection that the artists who follow the pro- fession, can deceive the most knowing ones in the wine trade: however, let that be as it may, the Hermit wanted a dinner, on his road by rail between Toulouse and Marseilles, and Cette was the most convenient stopping place, and offered an agreeable opportunity of a quiet two hours’ study of its men and manners, and its commercial facilities; and, having effected all this, he started refreshed for a far more desirable resting place, 7.¢., the noble city of Marseilles. This grand city is said to be more than 2500 years old, and has justly been spoken of as the Liverpool of France, It is by far the most important port in the Mediterranean, and its commerce is very extensive. To give anything like an adequate description of it would involve writing a * 12 volume, which is out of the Hermit’s line, and beyond his power, for he does not sufficiently understand the art of padding ; besides which much has been written concerning Marseilles, and much more will be written, for it has made a great reputation, has an important place in history, and is destined to figure prominently in the annals of the country, both in commerce and politics. Unfortunately, with all its greatness and importance, socially and commercially, its political life has been marred with sad memories, the evidences of which remain, and may be seen on the stone walls of some of its principal buildings, defaced as they have been by shot; artillery having been brought to bear, when all other means of persuasion failed to subdue the fiery ardour, and diabolical measures, of the numerous enemies of order within its limits. And it is to be feared, that the spirit of evil, which in time past has manifested itself among the citizens, and given much trouble to the friends of order and the Government of the country for the time being, although repressed with a strong hand, is still smoldering, and may at any time be fanned into a flame by anarchical political adventurers; many of whom have a strange hold on a numerous class in all the large towns and cities of France, where excitement on public matters is easily produced, and when evoked it overcomes common sense. It may be that much of this has been brought about by past misgovernment, and, no doubt, many statesmen who are gone, are blameable for crops of mischief which have been reaped in recent times, from the seeds of evil which they scattered broadcast over the land. But whatever may have been the exciting cause, the present “ men of the time” must take things as they find them; and while it is obvious that a strong and a firm hand, will always be required to drive the Political Coach, it will remain true through all time, that “ righteousness exalteth a Nation,” and also that, in regard to masses of men as well as to individuals, it is true wisdom to “ overcome evil with good.” . H 13 And this is the true business of the Government of France of to-day. The task is not an easy one; recent politicdl manifestations at Bordeaux, Marseilles, and in Paris have furnished evidence that there is, under the surface, a serious leaven of discontent; and that in the large cities and towns there are many who would be, if they dared, open advocates of seditious doctrines; and would act out the spirit of those clap-trap demagogues who profess to believe that the rights of property are wrongs, to be re- dressed by an equal division of the stores of the rich among all, for the benefit of those who are now poor; and who would again be poor, as soon as they had expended the property of those from whom it might have been wrested by confiscation. But all reason is lost on such political quacks, and nothing remains but the application of wise measures, in the administration of the affairs of the country, for the good of all alike; the constant iteration of sound principles, the firm maintenance of order, and the prevention of mob rule. Meanwhile, Marseilles flourishes—notwithstanding the dangerous element it contains; and evidence of its pros~ perity and substantial character is afforded in the fact of 20,000 vessels of an aggregate burden of 2,000,000 tons entering and quitting its port annually. A large cathedral of a very pretentious architectural character is being built near the docks, and this will be an important addition to the many grand buildings for which Marseilles is famous. _ One very agreeable feature of the city has been effected by the free use of the Plane tree, which has been exten- sively planted on both sides of all the wide streets; most of these lines of trees have attained to goodly proportions, and afford a very agreeable shade, while they add much to the beauty of the place; not only so, they also are a source of profit to the Municipality, for, owing to their rapid growth they require to have their branches freely thinned out by pruning annually, and these prunings are equal to the supply of all the firewood required for the several hospitals of the city throughout the winter months, and this is distributed among them according to their need ; the green wood of one year being sacked, to dry, areny for use in the year following, in regular succession. Too much praise cannot be given to the great work achieved and exhibited in the water supply of this city, which is exceptionally good: the water is obtained from the river Durance, by means of an aqueduct unsurpassed by any work of the kind, ancient or modern. It pierces three mountain ranges, has 78 tunnels, of a united length of 15 miles, and about 500 artificial constructions, many , , of which are marvels of engineering skill. Its total length, is 51 miles, and its dimensions 30 feet wide at the top, 10 feet at the bottom, and 7 feet in depth. The fall in its course is 125 feet, and the delivery into a Grand Cascade, at the entrance to the Zoological Gardens, is a master- piece of hydraulic work, and the finest example of an artificial waterfall in Europe, for trade purposes. Eleven tons of water per second, supplied in a constant, perennial stream, falling 20 feet into a basin below, from which it is taken in siipes and distributed throughout the city. ‘The way in which the water is conveyed to, and received at, the point where it enters the distributory mains, b ‘ is such as to insure its being aerated or oxygenated, and so being in the best possible condition for use. The benefit which this magnificent work has conferred upon and secured to the city is beyond calculation or conception. By means of the great abundance of the supply, arid places of enormous extent have been converted into fertile pasture land; and the beneficial influence exerted upon the health and comfort of the citizens, is probably the greatest good of all; and, as a whole, the work is entitled to be considered as being second to nothing of the kind on the Continent. The hotel accommodation of Marseilles is very good in 15 point of style, convenience, and comfort; the Hermit paid his moderate bill, and left the Hétel de Louvre perfectly satisfied with his entertainment. One long day and two nights sufficed for Marseilles, and on the morning of the second day after his arrival, he took the train for Genoa. This line, nearly all the way, skirts the Mediterranean—the tideless blue sea; and it is difficult to imagine that any other railway journey can compare with this for beauty and loveliness; the beautiful blue Mediter- ranean, sparkling in sunshine, being on the traveller’s right as he leaves Marseilles, travelling face forwards, and the land on his left. | There are almost innumerable short tunnels in the rock through and on which the road lies, and as the train pro- ceeds the effect is magical on the vision of the passenger, who, emerging from these little tunnels, is continually feasting his eyes with bits of landscape—various as the changes in the kaleidescope; the sea mostly at his feet, so to speak, some 30, 40, or 50 feet below the line, washing the base of the rock on which the line may be laid, and at other times the line is almost on the sand of the sea shore; and on the other side there is, for by far the greater part of the entire distance, the most enchanting inland scenery, ever-varying, always choice; and on arriving at Cannes the Hermit was fairly captivated with the voluptuous love- liness of nature’s arrangements. The absence of sameness, look which way you will, the beauty of the shrubs and foilage in choicely-planted gardens, orange trees abounding with their | Bright golden orbs in leafy gloom, And grapes and flowers all around. A veritable Eden for natural sweetness; proving the soundness of the judgment of England’s great lawyer— Brougham—in establishing a second home there for a combined marine and rural retreat; and so leading the way for future generations to follow, either as settlers, or — sae. 16 visitors in search of an earthly paradise—for such is Cannes. ; A peep at Nice, Monaco, Mentone, and Monte Carlo, with all their well-known great attractions, followed in succession, and then came the frontier railway station, ‘‘ Ventimiglia,” dividing France from Italy, where luggage is looked at rather than examined, and your word as a gentleman taken as to whether you have anything liable to duty. Half-an-hour is allowed here for dinner, and you find, by a double-faced clock on the platform, that Paris time is indicated on that side towards France, and Roman time on that towards Italy, the difference being somewhere about 50 minutes. Then, on starting, the Hermit experienced the pleasant sensation of again being in sunny Italy, the land of which Minnie Hauk sweetly sings in the pretty opera of Mignon— “ Know’st thou a land the most beauteous of all, Where the azure of the sky is more vividly blue, Where the sun has more warmth, where the birds are more blithe, Where, in all seasons alike, the bee sips from the flowers, Where, ’neath the bright radiance of a cloudless heav’n, May, mid its roses, eternally reigns!” And we go on dreamily observing the landscape un- folding like a panorama, occasionally stopping at a station to take up and set down passengers, thus having agreeable opportunities of stock-taking en route, and bye and bye, after dark, we reach Genoa, to find a capacious railway terminus with a handsome and imposing marble front ; and in one of the best-appointed omnibuses the Hermit ever entered he was conveyed to the Hotel Isotta, where he found a sumptuous home, and soon retired to rest after a good wash and a refreshing tea. The next day being Sunday he found his way to morning service at the Scotch Church in the Via Romano, which was conducted by a young minister very much in the same way as if it had been in Edinburgh; the sermon eer tr 17 was a good one, and the congregation joined harmoniously in the singing, which was well led and supported by the minister’s wife who presided at the harmonium. After this the Hermit wandered into two large Roman Catholic churches, seeing something of the religious services at each; he then returned to his hotel to lunch, and afterwards strolled slowly, on account of the great heat, to a spot which commanded a view of the extensive and beautiful harbour and gulf of Genoa. Turning back into the heart of the City he found food for reflection in its extremely narrow and irregular streets, many of which are only a few feet wide; designed ap- parently, to exclude the light of the sun, for the sake of avoiding its heat, which, in summer, must be troublesome, even to the natives, and was just about as much as the Westminster Hermit could endure, while sauntering with his hat in his hand. Two things struck him forcibly, i.e., the density of the population and the terribly defective drainage of the City. The darkness of the middle ages seems to be the order of the day in hygienic matters; and the present state of things in Genoa offers a fine field for the exercise of our Dr. Richardson’s special talents in the way of sanitary reform. The next morning our Hermit set out for Pisa by the rail traversing the Eastern Riviera, the heat being something out of the way, and altogether too much for an American gentleman with whom he had a chat at the railway station, who had resolved to get into a cooler region as quickly as possible on account of the difficulty of keeping a dry thread on his back. Arrived at Pisa, his first anxiety was to see the Leaning Tower, which, indeed, he looked out for and caught a glimpse of from the railway train while traversing the level plain in which Pisa is situated; so, having deposited his luggage at an hotel, he went on in a cab or voiture to have a near view of what, in his boyish days, in the old City B lO FR arith NS SB ne 18 of Norwich, he had read of as the “seventh wonder of the world”; and applying his practical eye to the structure he came to the conclusion at once, that the idea of its having been built out of the perpendicular is pure nonsense ; and that its inclination of 14 feet is solely due to the subsidence of the foundation—just as many another tower, and many a tall chimney shaft has suffered, for the want of an adequate area of solid concrete on which to erect the superstructure. After a quict scrutiny of the Leaning Tower, and looking through and around the grand cathedral and. the baptistery—testing the uncommonly fine echo in the latter, and examining the marvellous fine solid bronze gates of both buildings—the Hermit returned to his hotel to dinner, and was not a little surprised to find, in conversation at the table d’héte, that in that part of the world not a drop of rain had fallen since the first week in May—a period of more than three months. After dinner he took a quiet walk alongside the cele- brated River Arno, which passes through the City, and, in contemplative mood, came to the conclusion that life in Pisa would be unendurable; the place being stupidly slow, unwholesome, and oppressive—a kind of “sleepy hollow.” Another unhygienic case for Dr. Richardson. The next morning the Hermit took the train for the fair City of Florence, arriving there in a little less than four hours, and on driving to the Anglo-American Hotel, where a friend had advised him to put up, he found the house closed for cleaning and repairs, nominally, but really to stop expenses by shutting up during the time when there are no visitors; and the season for visitors, when the Hermit arrived, had not commenced. It was the same with the other principal hotels; therefore, making a virtue of necessity, he drove to a second or third-rate house and did the best he could under the circumstances, and after lunch he obtained a carriage and a guide, and drove through SSR a eM ae 19 some of the principal streets to the King’s Palace, the show rooms of which he wandered through, and, driving back to his hotel, took two hours’ rest, in the middle of the day on account of the excessive heat. The carriage calling for him again at four o’clock, he took another drive, laid in a good stock of photographs to add to his collection, and then drove outside the city, up the road which encircles it, and, which when Florence was in its glory and radiant as the capital of Italy, had been formed at great cost; its length is said to exceed 20 miles, and from it Florence is seen lying serenely in the valley below —with its towers and other gems of Architecture. In the evening, after dinner, another drive was taken in the outskirts beside the Arno, under the shade of a fine avenue, to some public gardens a mile or two out of town; this is the resort of fashion in the season, when visitors are numerous; good horses and fine equipages being then displayed in great numbers by the fashionable and luxurious throng. Thus ended a day at far-famed Florence, and one could not help thinking of the vast amount of solid work the statesmen of Italy have to accomplish before a satisfactory state of things can be brought about. Glorious results as regards the unification and independence of the nation have been achieved; but the cost is a great burden in proportion to the resources of the people. And yet the national debt is being piled up year after year, mainly to keep up a large army, without the least prospect of a foreign foe to require its services; and to equip a navy with ships and guns, more powerful if possible than those of any other nation! at a time, when Italy no more wants ships of war than the sea wants water; and all for what? Why—so says one of her soldier statesmen—General Mezzacapo—to make their power felt in the councils of other nations. What a delusion! Poor Italy!—you are B2 ——Eor asked to make yourself weak by trying thus to make believe you are strong; while your Government Bank Notes, for five pence even, are declared on the face of them to be irredeemable; the simple truth being that your real strength will only increase by the method which holds good in regard to nations as surely as with individuals— that soundness and strength in finance can only be achieved by expenditure being less than income. From Florence the Hermit went by rail to Turin, arriving there in time for dinner, finding comfortable quarters at the Grand Hotel close by the station; a walk about the city in the cool of the evening was very enjoyable, and a comfortable night’s rest, in a well-appointed bed-room on the first floor, enabled him to rise in good form, temper, and spirits the next morning. When, on setting out, after a good breakfast, the first object of interest which attracted his attention was one of Aveling & Porter’s patent steam rollers, which was at work rolling down a newly metalled road in front of the railway station; this reminded him of Westminster, where they are almost always at work; and also of the supremacy of the practical mechanical skill of the engineers of Old England, which is appreciated even in Italy, not only for road-making machinery, but for ironclads and Armstrong guns. How strange it appears to the eye of common sense, that some of the nations of the civilized world should be so slow to learn the lesson which the English exponents of the doctrines of free trade have so long been teaching—that a free interchange, in all markets, of the manufactures and commodities which one or the other can produce most economically, is for the common good of all consumers ; and that the doctrine of “ protection of native industry,” really means taxing the many for the sole benefit of the favoured few. Passing by the steam roller, after thus soliloquizing on es ok ee ig eS LP a yf 21 political economy in the sunshine of Turin, the Hermit, finding it too warm for a walk, took a seat in a tram-car ; another modern and imported innovation, and in it he went whither it took him; and these cars, being open on both sides, with seats placed transversely, an excellent opportunity was afforded of thus seeing the city ; and on arriving at the terminus of the first tram line, he stepped into another car going in another direction, and so on in succession, he indulged in the cheap luxury of six tram- car rides, at the cost of a penny each; thus, in fact, seeing nearly all the city for sixpence! Having thus seen the streets and squares and all the build- ings en route he devoted his attention to special objects, and one of these was the Suspension Bridge over the River Arno; a picturesque object, which, when looked at from a distance, is very good, taking a view from either shore diagonally, which thus. gives a charming background to it—but it will not bear close inspection by an engineering eye ; considering its romantic situation it should be a work of high order of merit, but mistaken economy had too much weight with the engineer who designed it, and those who adopted it; and the consequence is, that the strains are uncomfortable ones, some suspending rods being slantingdicular instead of perpendicular; the wire rope coated with nasty tar instead of paint, and this being occasionally renewed, the sup- porting piers, which are of granite, and were intended to be ornamental, are splashed with it while the tar is being applied to the iron-work, as are also the granite coverings of the anchorages on either shore. This is not a case of spoiling a ship for want of a ha’porth o’ tar, but of introducing tar instead of good paint, on the cheap and nasty principle, sparing at the spigot and pouring out at the bung-hole. Not only so, the woodwork is of a very barbarous description, looking as if it had been chopped and adzed, instead of having been sawn and planed; a kind of wood-stack carpentering, more fit for a 22 common bridge on a farm than an ornamental one over a beautiful river, in a city which is an acknowledged home of refinement in art, and enjoys a reputation for natural attractions of a high order, and one, moreover, of imperish- able renown. On the following morning, Turin, with its luxuries and refinements, its art treasures, colossal and grand bronze statutes, and palatial buildings, was left behind as the railway train steamed out of the commodious station for Macon; and this ride deserves special mention, so far at least as that part of it extending from Turin to the Mont Cenis Tunnel, which involves a rise of 3,300 feet—that being the altitude of Dibardonecchia Station above Turin ; the Italian entrance to the tunnel being close by, from which the tunnel itself falls 400 feet to the French end of it. These figures, extracted from his brief notes, were ascertained by the Hermit’s pocket aneroid, which is his constant travelling companion. A good dinner at the railway station on the French side of the mountain, was an agreeable re-introduction to France; thence there followed a pleasant journey through valleys, with the road bounded by cultivated hills and plains, and mountain sides partly terraced, every foot of ground which would yield an increase and pay for hus- bandry, being made to contribute according to its cha- racter, maize or other corn, or olives, or grapes, or grass— in short everything that it could yield for the sustenance of man or beast, and Macon was reached in the evening. Little need be said about Macon, the Hermit’s only object in stopping there was for a night’s rest, instead of incurring the fatigue of travelling through from Turin to Paris direct, the town being about midway between the two places; it appeared to him to be a fair example of a respectable French provincial town, doing a fair amount of trade, partly by river and partly by road, with less impor- tant places than itself, and is indeed the centre of a - Darwen 23 considerable wine trade, the wine being grown in the arrondissement. Having, by an evening meal, somewhat restored his physical energies after the day’s journey, and enjoyed a short stroll along the river side, the Hermit retired to rest; and in the morning, after a good breakfast of broiled ham and eggs, he set out, in good health and well pre- pared, for a railway ride to Paris. Leaving Macon at about nine o'clock, he met with nothing remarkable in the way of scenery for some time, but, observing the produce of the country and the cha- racter of its husbandry as he went along, he mentally moralized on agricultural economy. Remembering that ten millions sterling are sent out of England annually to pay for butter, eggs, and poultry, imported chiefly from the country he was then travelling in, he endeavoured to com- prehend how such a state of things had been brought about, and why this drain of England’s wealth should continue. And he came to the conclusion, that the first cause, tending to the want of sufficient production of poultry, eggs, and butter at home, is to be found in the general want of attention to such produce on the part of small farmers, whose proper business it undoubtedly is; and this may be owing to the operation of various causes not far to seek. British farmers, before the introduction of railways, brought up their families to attend to industrial farming pursuits; and whatever the sons were required to do, the daughters were trained to look after the poultry and the dairy; and in those times of mutual self-help, the result of constant and interested supervision of the daily routine of duty connected with the homestead, was an important revenue from the sale of these products of the farm-yard, which went a long way towards the payment of the rent of the farm. The old rule being,—one hen to an acre, and 24 with proper management, under ordinary circumstances, this rule being observed, the eggs and poultry would nearly pay the rent. All this, however, is changed, and almost forgotten ; and notwithstanding that it would pay better now than formerly to produce butter, inasmuch as it sells for 1s. 6d. per pound instead of 1s., dairies are much fewer than ever they were, instead of keeping pace with the growth of the population,—one reason being, that dairy maids have become almost an extinct race, and farmers’ daughters know nothing of the business; the piano has taken the place of the churn, and butter has to be bought for the family, instead of being made and sold. The Hermit knows one village in Essex in which, some years ago, 21 cwt. of butter was regularly made weekly, and sent to market, the money for it coming home; whereas now there is not a single pound made in that village for sale, nor enough produced for home consumption, the supply being obtained from London. Surely this is a state of things which reflects grave discredit on the manners and customs of the age ; and it is difficult to escape from the conclusion, that there must be something wreng in modern farming, when ten millions of money are annually sent out of the country, for the impor- tation of produce which is notoriously of the most profit- able character for the small farmer to send to market. It is not imagined that the great agriculturist, who is a capitalist, and a kind of wholesale manufacturer of food for the nation, should be able to devote attention to such small fry as poultry, and eggs, and butter, as part of his business ; but it scarcely admits of a doubt, that the small farmer of late years has allowed a profitable source of revenue to slip between his fingers, and that the sooner he wakes up to the importance of it, the better for himself and the country generally. The only place between Macon and Paris which struck ———— 25 the Hermit as being of much importance was Dijon; and the recollection of its history, its ups and its downs, inspired a desire to stop and explore its many points of interest, but time did not permit; so after lunch at the railway station the journey was resumed, and late in the afternoon Modern Paris was duly reached, luggage ex- amined, and in the course of half-an-hour or so the Hermit found a room ready for him, at his hotel in the Avenue de Opera. A comfortable dinner was enjoyed, and in the evening an hour was spent at a concert in the Champs Elysée, with a very worthy member of the British House of Commons, “a good man and true,”—and then to bed. Next day, being Sunday, the Hermit and _ his legislative friend attended morning service at the English church, and a quiet afternoon in the Bois de Boulogne was enjoyed greatly; the wonder being that in so short a time after the disastrous war of 1870, order and beanty should have been restored, and made to exist in such perfection as they now are. The marvellous vitality of the country, and its Pheenix-like power, are certainly astonishing; all that is wanted, apparently, being the quality of stability, sober judgment, and the persistent efforts of wise statesmen, to secure continued prosperity and a great future for France. Two clear days spent in gay Paris, which George Augustus Sala has recently declared, in his new work, is ‘herself again,” completed the time which the Hermit had allowed himself for his holiday; and as he was then ex- pected to return to his cave, he bade adieu to the lively city, and set out for London, the greatest of all the cities of the world, the centre of commerce and civilization, the cradle of science, and the home of freedom. To return to the “land we live in,” with all its comforts and privileges, after visiting some of the fairest portions of the Continent, is to return to a home of which all true Britons may justly be proud, let those who are dissatisfied C 26 and cantankerous say what they will; and as for the Hermit, he never goes abroad for a holiday without finding pleasure, and to some extent renewing his energies; and never returns to his native land without feeling that his lot is cast in the best country in Europe, and grateful for the blessings of Constitutional Government, which are en- joyed in no other nation in an equal degree to that of Old England. 21, PartiaAmMEntT STREET, WESTMINSTER, October, 1879. a ee See ee ee ManrcHanrt Singer & Co., Printers, 1 & 2, Ingram Court, Fenchurch Street, E. C. PSS PE PP EI LTE a I A = | yas NVINVUATI ICI 40/0 4o3"* \ | [Pe THI ‘aan, 20D iam} uy NS 9A0q if NOGNO7 014% = 2299 S i N3YOT4 . Poy a7 oo" A. J ooeu0p b . 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