THE SABBATH.

61 and that is the desecration of the Sabbath. One does not feel quite satisfied, brought up as we all were in the "land of steady habits," to spend it as we are in fact compelled to here. If we go to church we cannot understand the preacher, though we might tolerate the form, while that of the Catholic church here is so much more a matter of form than with us, that you cannot be pleased. Then the custom here of devoting part of the day to amusement, prevails not only in Catholic countries, but even where Lutheran and Greek are the established churches. Goods are displayed in their shops, and they spend the day and evening as I have described at the cafés, with their knitting and music. It seems to me nothing will give me a more joyful feeling on my return to America than the "sound of the church going bell." I was last night at one of the cafés, where all seemed so sociable and happy, that it made me feel very sad that I had not my friends around to chat to. To be sure we are five, but being always together, our topics are generally exhausted, and there is none of the novelty and excitement that there is attendant upon the meeting of one's friends and acquaintances. I sometimes feel that my letters afford you little satisfaction, and hardly repay you for reading through such intricate and puzzling writing—the descriptions I give, written in such haste, when ready to fall asleep with fatigue, fall so far short of the reality. It is now a month since we have had any letters, and we are anxious to reach Vienna, where they are awaiting us, and I trust with nought but good news; but there are always very anxious feelings among us antecedent to the receipt of our letters.

KONIGSTEIN-PRAGUE-BOHEMIA-SMOKERS-NOVEL RAILROAD-LINTZ-ISCHL-FETE DAY AT GMUNDEN-DRESS OF THE PEASANTRY-THE SALTSKAMMERGAT-LIFE AT THE BATHS-MARIA LOUISA-PRISON OF RICHARD CŒUR DE LION STRAUSS AND LANNA-NAVIGATION OF THE DANUBE.

We purpose on leaving here to go to Munich through some beautiful mountain scenery, that of Salzburg and the Styrian Alps, and after seeing Switzerland, direct our course through the northeastern part of Italy to Trieste, when we shall take passage for Greece, and after making some stay there, proceed to Constantinople. We left Dresden in a steamer up the Elbe; the scenery all the way is most enchanting, exceeding in beauty any river upon which we have sailed. The captain says he thinks it exceeds even that of the Rhine. After leaving Dresden, the Elbe passes through Saxon Switzerland, the high and rocky banks of which are celebrated for the quantity of half precious stones they contain. About two hours' sail brought us to an exceeding high mountain, Konigstein, or King's Rock, on whose summit is a natural fortification called the "Virgin Fortress," from its having never been taken. Even the walls at the top and the round and square towers at the angles are all natural, as if hewn out of the solid rock. It is capable of sustaining a very long siege the ground within the enclosure is sufficient to produce a vast quantity of provisions, and the vaults underneath are capacious enough to contain, and deep and cool enough to preserve a supply for a great length of time. At present they are living on provisions placed there in 1831.

BOHEMIA-BEAUTIES OF THE ELBE.

63

It is here that in troublesome times, the king sends all his regalia, pictures and other valuables. The banks of the Elbe are truly grand and magnificent; the time-worn rocks seem as if broken and indented by many a flood and deluge, and formed by them into all sorts of fantastic shapes-fortresses and castles high in air. Villages are planted in the gorges of the mountains, dark ravines extend farther than the eye can reach, while richly cultivated upland glades stretch far in the distance to the sky. After leaving Saxon Switzerland, we enter Bohemia, and see thickly scattered around the villages many a cross and shrine, the latter standing high upon some lofty mound, or almost hidden in some green and shady dell. The women, too, who are busy in the fields, are dressed very neat and gay, contrasting well with the rich bright green of the fields and trees, and adding much to the beauty of the landscape, while some are trudging along under the loaded baskets they carry on their backs. And such delicious fruits as we were tempted to buy

the landing, bright red apples and yellow apricots, purple and yellow plums of a delicious flavor! On our way, we passed some fine old castles, ruined and deserted, (save by some peasant or shepherd who tills the ground or watches his fold hard by,) perched upon some apparently inaccessible mountain, having an entire command of the river, which in some parts is very rapid. In one place there is such a descent as to cause a fall of some ten feet, which makes the upward navigation of the river very tedious. The crosses and crucifixes thickened as we proceeded farther into this Catholic country, (Bohemia.) Many of them are placed upon the highest peak of the mountains, and now and then a little chapel, and sometimes a small church, with its tapering spire, surmounted by a glittering cross, and low brown huts clustering around it, like chickens under the wing of the mother hen. We arrived at our place

of debarkation at three, A. M., and were roused to take our places in the omnibus that was to convey us twentytwo miles to Prague, where we arrived at half-past seven. Prague is delightfully situated on the river Moldau, surrounded on all sides by lovely scenery. Vineyards cover the hills along the bank of the river, which is crossed at the city by two fine bridges, one an iron suspension bridge, and the other stone, having upon it twenty-eight statues of the size of life. The cathedral contains a silver shrine in honor of the city's patron, St. John. It has seven figures, life size, and as many more half 'as large, besides many vases and other ornaments, all of pure silver. The dome or tower of this cathedral served as a target to Frederick the Great in his seven years' war, and still bears the marks of the balls, as well as some of the balls themselves, embedded in the walls of the tower, and in its battered and ruined sides. There are many fine palaces here, but all deserted by their princely owners, and many of them let out to poor people.

Prague is called one of the finest cities of Europe. It certainly shows many remains of former grandeur, but must be numbered with "the things that were," with its silent and grass-grown streets, its empty palaces—

"Their banquet halls deserted,

The lights all fled, the garlands dead,

And all their guests departed."

But with its mag.

In fact the glory of Prague is no more. nificent but dilapidated churches, its historical associations, its beautiful location, the lovely scenery of the river Moldau, on each side of which it is built, it forms altogether a picture not easily forgotten, upon which the memory will long love to dwell. We left at eight, A. M. in a travelling carriage, which our party and baggage contrived to fill. The day was oppressively warm; still we enjoyed the fine country, surrounded on all sides by high mountains, and found at

MOUNTAIN RAILROAD.

65

every step mementoes of Popery, in crosses, crucifixes, shrines and chapels.

Bohemia is called the "kettle land," from its being one continued plain, surrounded on all sides by mountains, with Prague in the middle. The people here have a dress pecu. liar to themselves-the female costume being a jacket, skirt, and apron, each of a different color, bright red stockings, short skirts to display their very thick ankles, and shawls tied over their heads, with the ends streaming out behind. The men have jackets of velvet, short leather breeches, (black or yellow,) Napoleon boots, and gay cockades stuck upon their hats-children the same. We find things in the most primitive style at our stopping places. The Germans and Bohemians are inveterate smokers; the men when they travel all wear, suspended by a string from a strap over their shoulders, a leather bag, calculated to contain tobacco for a month's jaunt, and their pipes suspended from a button of their coats. They ornament their horses in a singular manner, with peaked collars, at least a foot high, and large brass plates of different sizes strung along on the harness. After two days' travel from Prague, we reached Budwies at half-past eight, P. M.

We travelled to-day over a mountain on a rail-road, in a coach drawn by horses, the road winding in a zig-zag manner, (like the turnpike up the Catskills,) and through the most beautiful country imaginable. On reaching an elevation of 1400 feet above the level of Lintz (the capital of Upper Austria) our destination, we began to descend in a still more wandering and crooked manner, through a still more beautiful country. High mountains covered with dark forests, or cultivated and built upon to the very top; deep dark ravines and smiling valleys beneath and between-it certainly exceeded all the railroad travel of my experience. At six, P. M., from the side of this beautiful mountain, we