sion of the city in 1689, ordered its inhabitants, under pain of death, to emigrate within six days. It was afterwards burned. It came into the possession of Bavaria in 1816, since which time much has been done for its improvement.

The Cathedral, which was spared in the destruction of the city, though the French attempted to destroy it with gunpowder, is perhaps the largest representative of the old Romanesque style in Europe. It was founded in 1027, on the site of a Roman temple of Venus. It is flanked by two pointed towers. The interior is chaste, and almost devoid of ornament. It contains some remarkable monuments. Eight German Emperors are buried within its walls. It has been restored within the last few years, and some fine paintings executed on the walls of the interior. There are no other public buildings worthy of particular notice. In 1529 the famous Diet was held at Spires, at which the Reformers presented the protest which originally conferred upon them the name of PROTESTANTS.

Leaving Spires we pass Germersheim, and following the Rhine, we pass several small stations to Lauterburg, the first town in Alsace. After several unimportant stations, we reach STRASBURG.

m., 2 m., 2.40 m. Luggage above 12 lbs., 20 pf. per package; more than two persons, about 1-5th

more.

Theatre five times a week. Music in the Broglie on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Post Office and Telegraph Office in the Schloss Platz.

This is a fortified city, and was the capital of the Department of the Bas Rhin. It is situated at the confluence of the Ill and the Brusche, and near the left bank of the Rhine. Strasburg was a city of the German Empire, before it was taken by the French in 1681, and the language and customs of a large proportion of the inhabitants are still German. The streets are, in general, irregular, and the houses oldfashioned and curious. There are several squares and extensive promenades.

The most celebrated building is the CATHEDRAL, one of the finest in Europe, founded in 504, and one of the best existing specimens of Gothic architecture. It is rich in sculpture, statues, and bas-reliefs.

The spire rises 468 feet above the pavement; it is 33 ft. higher than St Paul's, and is 24 ft. above the great pyramid of Egypt. Still, owing to the large dimensions of the entire building, and the light and graceful structure of the spire, it does not impress the observer as being of this extraordinary height. The nave of the church is 230 ft. high, and the round window at the end is 48 ft. in diameter. This wonderful structure was begun nearly 800 years ago. It has suffered very little from time, and the chiselled and carved material after so many centuries of exposure to the weather, retains the sharpness of outline which it had when first finished. It was intended to have two towers, like the Cathedrals at

York and Westminster Abbey; but, as the expense is enormous, it is probable that the existing tower will remain alone. This deficiency gives the Cathedral a disfigured appearance, especially as the unfinished tower, which is square, rises but half way. The spire can be ascended by a flight of 560 steps.

Externally, the Cathedral is distinguished by a light and airy gracefulness of structure and material; the sandstone is cut and carved into many varied forms, some of them extremely delicate and beautiful. The number of images that cluster around the portal, and adhere to its wall, is very great.

The magnificent rows of columns are very striking. The windows, on both sides, are filled with stained glass, commemorating the events of the Bible, and the characters and events in the lives of saints and martyrs.

There is in this Cathedral a wonderful astronomical clock, which has been substituted for an older one that has been removed. The present clock is about 50 feet high, and more than half that width. Among its many performances are the following:-It indicates the hours, half, and quarter hours, and the bells are struck by automaton figures. A youth strikes the quarter, a man the half hour, and an old man, as the figure of Time, the full hour. This clock tells also the times and seasons of ecclesiastical events, as far as they are associated with astronomical phenomena, the phases of the moon, and the equation of time. At noon, a cock, mounted on a pillar, crows thrice, when a procession of apostles comes out and passes in view of the Saviour. There is also a celestial circle or orrery that shows the motions of the heavenly bodies. The cathedral was

much damaged during the siege and bombardment of the city by the Germans. It is estimated that it was struck by shells and other projectiles nearly 1000 times. All the great windows except two were badly shattered, the organ was struck by a shell and was badly damaged, and some of the statues and carvings upon the exterior were broken. The entire damage to the structure is estimated at two millions of francs.

In the Lutheran Church of St Thomas is the interesting and beautiful monument of Marshal Saxe. It is an open tomb, a marble sarcophagus of large dimensions: the lid is raised, as if in preparation for a burial. At one end of the tomb was a skeleton, representing Death, with a robe thrown loosely over him, while he reclines his head upon the sarcophagus, and Hercules, with sorrowful expression, leans upon the other end of the tomb. On the right a bending female figure, personifying France in deep sorrow, raises her hand to prevent the voluntary descent of Marshal Saxe to the grave, and at the same time to arrest the advance of Death; the Marshal stands erect, with a calm demeanour, and with one foot advanced, as if he were about to seek his last resting-place. On his right are allegorical figures representing the nations over whose armies he had been victorious.

Among other notable structures which existed before the war were the Temple Neuf and the Theatre, both burned, but since rebuilt; Palace of Justice, and the Episcopal Palace. Public Library, rich in Incunabula, and containing over 160,000 volumes was totally destroyed.

The

The city was invested by the

Germans on August 10, 1870. The bombardment began on August 14. After a heroic resistance the place surrendered at 2 A.M. on September 28, 17,500 men and 400 officers laying down their arms. It is ascertained that during the siege 400 houses were burned down, 1700 civilians killed or wounded, and 8000 persons left roofless. Hardly a house in the whole city escaped without some damage. Since it became a part of Germany in 1871 it has recovered from the losses sustained by the war, and is now more than ever prosperous. The University, closed in 1794, was reopened in 1872. The new Library contains 500,000 volumes. The Germans entered Strasburg on the anniversity of its surrender to the French in 1681. It has a great variety of manufactures, comprising watches and clocks, leather, cottons, silks, and cutlery. It also supplies beer and provisions in considerable quantities to all parts of the continent, and is famous for the manufacture of "Pâtés de foie gras."

An excursion may be conveniently made from Strasburg by railway to Weissembourg, and thence to the battle fields of WOERTH and GRAVELOTTE-passengers by railway between Strasburg and Metz, by way of Haguenau and Bitsch, pass very near them. The battle of Woerth was fought on August 6, 1870, between the army of the Crown Prince of Prussia, 120,000 men, and that of Marshal MacMahon, 47,000 men, in which the latter was defeated with a loss of 20,000 killed and wounded, and 6000 prisoners. The battle of Gravelotte was fought on August 18, 1870, between the German army, 240,000 men, and the French under Bazaine, 210,000 men. The King commanded the German army. The French were defeated

miles),

EAVING Wiesbaden, we reach the Rhine at BIEBRICH (3 miles). We pass ELTVILLE (9 RUDESHEIM (19 miles), ST GOARHAUSEN (37 miles), and OBERLAHNSTEIN (54 miles), all of which have been described in Route 138. At this point our route leaves the main line to Coblenz. It is about one hour's journey from Oberlahnstein_ through a beautiful country to EMS (Hotels: see

"HOTEL LIST"). This agreeable watering-place is pleasantly situated on both banks of the Lahn. The Kursaal is a handsome building close to the river. It contains a cafe, concert room, and a ball-room, with a theatre for French plays and occasiona

concerts. Two of the chief springs are under the old Kurhaus the Kesselbrunnen and the Kranchen; the temperature of the former is 116 degrees Fahr. This building is connected with the Kursaal by a fine hall. There are baths in the Kurhaus, also in the Nassauer Hof, and in the Neue Badhaus, on the left bank. A covered suspension bridge connects the gardens with those on the right bank. There are also baths in the Vier Thurme.

“The waters generally are re

commended in bronchial and pulmonary affections, and in the dyspepsia of such as have only a tendency to phthisis.

"The action of the waters is that of a mild alterative, diuretic and laxative, and they are believed to favourably influence all catarrhal affections of the mucous membranes."-Tanner.

The interviews between the King of Prussia and the French envoy, which preceded the declaration of war between France and Prussia in July 1870, took place at Ems.

[About six miles from the Eltville station is SCHLANGENBAD (Hotels: see "HOTEL LIST"), to which diligences go several times daily in one hour. It is a little village surrounded by wooded hills, much resorted to for its baths. It has two bathhouses, the Old and New Badhaus, and has generally about 850 visitors in the season. The waters are efficacious in diseases of the skin. A band of music plays frequently in the grounds.

About four miles further on towards Wiesbaden, is LANGENSCHWALBACH (Hotels: see "HoTEL LIST"). Its mineral springs are, the Weinbrunnen, so-called from its fancied resemblance to wine, and the Stahlbrunnen, both of which contain iron, and rank among the best iron waters in

EAVING Frankfort we pass some unimportant places before reaching Gross-Karben, close to which station are the famous TAUNUS SPRINGS, the waters of which are sent in great quantities to England, America, and other countries, and are SO much esteemed. The springs are the property of M. Freidrich, the proprietor of the Hotel du Nord, at Cologne. FRIEDBERG (21 miles) (Hotel: Trapp). This curious old town is situated on a hill, and surrounded by walls. Within the precincts of the picturesque Castle is an old Gothic Church, and there are the ruins of another in the town. We cross a viaduct 70 ft. high, and proceed to NAUHEIM (23 miles) (Hotels: de l'Europe, Bellevue). Here is a famous hot salt spring of 95 degrees Fahr. The Kurhaus is a fine building, situated in a park. Previous to 1873 there were gaming tables here. Passing Butzbach (29 miles), we see the ruins of the Castles of Fetzberg and Gleiberg, before reaching GIESSEN (41 miles) (Hotel : Kuhne). It is beautifully situ ated on the Lahn. The University, founded in 1607, possesses a fine library. The celebrated Liebig was a professor here