Part 1

Produced by Marius Masi, Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

Transcriber's note:

The following typographical errors have been corrected:

Page 58: "From street to street we pass, viewing the wretched tenements, and more wretched inmates huddling together over a faint spark of fire ..." 'tenements' amended from 'temements'.

Page 167: "I am quite anxious to capture, by camera, not by force of arms, some of these rare types of strength and beauty, and observing two pretty young girls standing in the doorway of one of the houses, both perfect specimens of physical health, I think this an opportunity not to be neglected." 'two' amended from 'too'.

Page 290: "A halo of romance surrounds this region, and in the many excursions from this point, the lover of the weird and visionary will find his every step accompanied by imaginary maidens of rare grace and beauty, brave knights, crafty priests, wild huntsmen, cruel dragons, super-human heroes, and all the wonderful personages of legendary lore." 'weird' amended from 'wierd'.

Page 296: "Just below are Rhoendorf, Honnef, Rheinbreitbach, Unkel, and Erpel ..." 'Rhoendorf' amended from 'Rhondoerf'.

Odd Bits of Travel

with

Brush and Camera

by

CHARLES M. TAYLOR, JR.

Author of "Vacation Days in Hawaii and Japan" and "The British Isles Through an Opera Glass," Etc., Etc.

Profusely Illustrated by the Author

Philadelphia

GEORGE W. JACOBS & CO.

103 and 105 South Fifteenth Street

Copyright, 1900, by GEORGE W. JACOBS & CO

TO MY WIFE

Preface.

In almost every walk of life, even among artists and photographers, we find those who are enthusiasts, and who work with such ardor and perseverance as to overcome all difficulties; while there are others who seem to desire the hard and rough places smoothed down, and the obstacles removed from their pathways. In writing this volume, it has been my purpose to enlist the attention of both of these classes, and to bring before the ardent worker as well as the ease-loving, but no less interested, follower of art, places and scenes that afford unusual attractions for the brush and camera.

It might truthfully be said that in one's city may be found innumerable subjects of interest to both the amateur and professional artist; but change of food, scene and atmosphere is beneficial to both mind and body, and it is ofttimes wise to pass to new scenes and broader fields of observation.

The places described herein are not linked together by proximity of location and follow no regular line of travel; but are selected from various lands and from among widely differing peoples, for the sole purpose of locating scenes that teem with paintable and photographic subjects. I have endeavored to select nooks and corners where the artist and photographer will have suitable accommodations, and where the country with its fresh, pure air, and wholesome food may build up the health, while at the same time an opportunity is afforded for filling the portfolio with delightful bits of scenery and characteristic figure studies. It has also been my aim to tell of countries and places comparatively easy of access, and where those of limited means may find satisfactory accommodations.

At times I digress in my pictorial descriptions and offer some Bits of personal experience that have befallen me upon my journeys, which I trust may prove of interest and perhaps be of service to others travelling through the same places. It is with these purposes in view that the following pages have been written, and my hope is that they may serve to guide other lovers of the beautiful to some of the attractive spots and fascinating views which I have attempted to describe in these ODD BITS OF TRAVEL.

_Philadelphia, 1900._ C. M. T., JR.

CONTENTS

PAGE SCENES OF THE PRESENT AND RELICS OF THE PAST

Passing Vessels--The Ocean--Sudden Changes--Taking Photographs--The Landing-Stage at Liverpool--New Brighton--In the Country--Liverpool by Night--Salvationists--Old Taverns--Chester--An English Home--Relics--The Cathedral--The River Dee--Leamington--The River Leam--Warwick Castle--An Old Mill--Through Kenilworth, Coventry and Stoneleigh--"The King's Arms"--Nature's Pictures 15

LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LONDON LIFE

The Shadow Side--The Slums--The City by Night--Vice and Misery--"Chinese Johnson's" Opium Den--The "Bunco" Man--An English Guard--"The Grand Old Man"--Caution to Tourists--Great Cities by Night--The Seven Dials--Derby Day--The Tally-Ho--Old Robin Hood Inn--Epsom Hill--The Races--Exciting Scenes--Side Shows--The Close of the Day 57

SCENES IN THE GAY CAPITAL

Dover to Calais--Paris---The Gay Capital by Night--Boulevards--Life in the Streets--Champs Elysees--Place de la Concorde--Arc d'Etoile--Place Vendome--Louvre--Opera House--Palais Royal--Church of the Invalides--Versailles--Notre Dame--Jardin Mabille--The Madeleine--The Pantheon--The Banks of the Seine--French Funeral Ceremonies--La Morgue--Pere Lachaise 83

ANTWERP AND THE CITY OF WINDMILLS

From Paris to Antwerp--Along the Route--Thrifty Farmers--Antwerp--Dogs in Harness--The River--Old Churches--Chimes--An Inappreciative Listener--Steen Museum--Instruments of Torture--Lace Industry--Living Expenses--Hospitality--The City of Windmills--Watery Highways--A City of Canals--The Maas River--The Houses on the Canals--Travel by Boat--Novel Scenes--Costly Headgear--Dutch Costumes--Powerful Draught Horses--No Bonbons--Chocolate Candy--In the Market-Place--The Belle of the Market--Photographs--Wooden Shoes--Drawbridges--Blowing the Horn--Ancient Relics--The Sword of Columbus 101

A CITY OF MANY ISLANDS

Amsterdam--The People of Holland--Amstel River--Merry Excursionists--Interesting Institutions--Origin of the City--Source of Prosperity--A Cousin to Venice--Ninety Islands--Beams and Gables--Block and Tackle--Old Salesmen--Street Markets--Haarlem--Railway Travel at Home and Abroad--Ancient Buildings--Historic Associations--In the Canal--Groote Kerk--The Great Organ--Picturesque Subjects--Zandvoort--Eau de Cologne--The Beach--Dutch Sail Boats--Seamen--Hooded Chairs--Peddlers--Music in Holland and Germany--Gypsies--We Meet an Artist--Hospitality--A Banquet 127

EXCURSIONS TO BROEK AND THE ISLAND OF MARKEN

A Charming Journey--Fellow-Passengers--National Costumes--The Children--A Lovely Landscape--Holstein Cattle--Windmills--Irrigation--Farmers--A Typical Dutch Village--Washing-Day--The Red, White and Blue--Suppose a Bull Should Appear--A Brilliant Picture--Drawing the Canal Boat--Honesty and Cleanliness--A Thrifty and Industrious People--Farming and Cheese-making--As Evening Falls--Scenes for an Artist--Dead Cities of Holland--Monnikendam--Behind the Age--City Lamps--Houses and People--The Island of Marken--An Isolated Wonderland--First Impressions--Rare Holidays--The Family Doctor--Absence of the Men--The Fishing--Healthy and Industrious Population--The Women of Marken--Pretty Girls--They Will not be Taken--A Valuable Experience--Photographs 149

THE ANCIENT TOWN OF MONNIKENDAM

Marken Homes--Beds in the Wall--Family Heirlooms--An Ancient Clock--Precious Treasures--Quaint Customs--Betrothed Couples--The Hotel--Its Interior--A Lack of Patrons--Costumes of a By-gone Age--Farewell to Marken--Remote Districts--Monnikendam--Ancient Houses--Hotel de Posthoorn--The Postman of the Past--A Difficult Stairway--We Stroll about the Town--Our Retinue--In Front of the Hotel--Such Curious Children--Supper--We Visit the Shops--Pantomime--A Novel Experience--They Cannot Understand--No Candles--We Attract a Crowd--The Clothing Store--A Marken Suit--"Too High"--Bargaining--A Stranger to the Rescue 177

OLD CUSTOMS AND QUAINT PICTURES

Segars and Tobacco--Row Boats--"Gooden Morgen"--The Zuyder Zee--By Candle Light--Total Darkness--The Town by Night--Women and Girls--Shoes and Stockings--The Shuffling Man--Streets and Sidewalks--The Town Crier--The Daily News--A Message to the People--Draught Dogs--Milkmaids--The Barber Shop--Drug Stores--Horretje--A Street Auction--Selling Curios--They Leave their Shoes at the Door--An Old Grist Mill--The Holland Draught Girl 205

A DUTCH CHEESE-MAKING DISTRICT

A Cheese-making Country--Edam Cheese--A Picturesque Inn--An Interesting Interior--A Thrifty Farmer--At Sunrise--In the Cow Stable--The Pretty Maid--Stall and Parlor--The Cheese Room--The Process of Making Cheese--"I Have Listened and Listened"--A Trip to Volendam--A Fine Country Road--A Charming Day--Muzzled Dogs--The Only Street--A Multitude of Children--Gay Decorations--A United People--As a Hen and Her Brood--Their Wealth is Their Health--In Sunday Dress--Stalwart Men and Sturdy Women--A Higher Type--"I Have Enough"--Fishermen--The Anchorage--A Volendam Suit 233

VOLENDAM SIGHTS, AND THE OLDEST TOWN ON THE RHINE

Church is Out--The Promenade--"Every Man is a Volume"--An Old Suit--His Sunday Clothes--"Let Him Have It"--An Obedient Son--The Silver Buttons--The Last Straw--An Uncommon Action--The Hotel--An Artist's Resort--An Unfinished Painting--Good-bye--The Ancient City of Cologne--The Cathedral--Within the "Dom"--A Wonderful Collection--Foundation of the Town--History--Vicissitudes--Public Gardens--Eau de Cologne--The Palace of Bruehl 255

ALONG THE BANKS OF THE RHINE

Bonn--The Birthplace of Beethoven--The Museum--Monument--A Famous Restaurant--College Students--Beer Mugs--Special Tables--Affairs of Honor--Koenigswinter--Magnificent Views--Drachenfels--The Castle--The Dombruch--Siegfried and the Dragon--A Desecrated Ruin--The Splendor of the Mountains--Many Visitors--View from the Summit--The Students' Chorus--German Life--A German Breakfast--The Camera--Old Castles and Lofty Mountains--Legends of the Rhine--The Waters of the Rhine--Vineyards 283

FROM BINGEN ON THE RHINE TO FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN

Vast Vineyards--Bingen--The Hotel--The Down Quilt--A German Maid--Taverns--The Mouse Tower--Ruedesheim--Niederwald--The Rheingau--The National Monument--The Castle of Niederburg--Wine Vaults--The River--Street Musicians--A Misunderstanding--Frankfort-on-the-Main--The Crossing of the Ford--A Free City--Monument of Goethe--History--A Convocation of Bishops--The City Monument of Gutenberg--The House in which Rothschild was Born--Luther 313

A PRUSSIAN CAPITAL AND A FASHIONABLE RESORT

We Start for Berlin--Mountain and Valley--Harvesters--Villages--A Great City--Unter den Linden--Kroll Theatre and Garden--The City Streets--The Brandenburg Gate--Potsdam--The Old Palace--Sans Souci--Ostend--A Fashionable Watering-Place--The Promenade--The Kursaal--On the Beach--Bathing Machines--Studies for an Artist--The Race-Course--Sunday--The Winning Horse--Fickle Dame Fortune--The English Channel--A Bureau of Information--Queenstown--An Irish Lass--The Last Stop--The End of the Journey 333

List of Illustrations.

PAGE Canal at Monnikendam (_Frontispiece_)

We feel the heart throbs of old Neptune 17

She proves to be a Barkentine under full sail 22

The sailors in the rigging are swaying to and fro 26

Amongst these are two typical products of the British Isles, 30

This is a fine field for the student of human nature 35

Wayside Inn, New Brighton 39

Typical English houses with their massive thatched roofs 43

Suburban residence 48

White Hall Horse Guards' Barracks 65

A short run of an hour 74

The chalky cliffs of Dover 79

The largest and handsomest Gothic church in the Netherlands 106

The place is intersected everywhere by canals 112

In many cases the balconies of residences overhang the water 117

The belle of the market 123

The Amstel River 132

Wicker chairs offer rest to the weary pedestrian 141

The flat landscape is varied by herds of cattle 152

Most of the houses have a canal at the back 156

The blue stream finds its outlet in the river 161

All persuasions accomplish naught 165

One old woman is fascinated with the camera 170

We walk along the narrow streets 176

Sheep, grazing upon the green pasture lands, form a homelike scene 182

Hotel de Posthoorn 187

De Hooflstraat, Monnikendam 193

There is a young man whose walk is all his own 200

The streets and sidewalks are kept scrupulously clean 204

The whole place is a succession of quaint and picturesque houses 208

A street auction 213

At the farthest end of the street stands an old windmill 217

A beautifully shaded walk just outside the town 221

Land and water 228

A good road for the bicycle 232

This strange looking highway runs lengthwise through the town 241

The houses are roofed with red tiles 245

The delicate lace caps frame smiling faces 254

As the congregation draws nearer we halt before the foremost group 258

Every man is a volume if you know how to read him 263

Goeden dag. Tot weerziens 267

Palace of Bruehl 276

Lovely walks, and bowery avenues 282

Not far off stands the statue of the artist 287

The great peak known as the Drachenfels, or Dragon Rock 293

How noble and defiant is the appearance of these venerable fortresses 302

Every turn of the river presents a different view 306

Now we behold the little church surrounded by picturesque houses 311

Approaching Bingen we see vineyards covering the mountain side 315

Thousands of fashionably dressed people appear upon this promenade 338

There are many odd and fantastic sights here 342

One's portfolio might soon be filled with interesting subjects 346

Many typical Irish characters come aboard our vessel 350

Several small boats are floating at our side 355

Beyond is all abyss, Eternity, whose end no eye can reach 359

Scenes of the Present and Relics of the Past.

_Scenes of the Present and Relics of the Past._

Passing Vessels--The Ocean--Sudden Changes--Taking Photographs--The Landing Stage at Liverpool--New Brighton--In the Country--Liverpool by Night--Salvationists--Old Taverns--Chester--An English Home--Relics--The Cathedral--The River Dee--Leamington--The River Leam--Warwick Castle--An Old Mill--Through Kenilworth, Coventry and Stoneleigh--"The King's Arms"--Nature's Pictures.

We sight a steamer on our leeward side. A passing vessel is a great excitement on an ocean voyage. From the time when she first appears, a tiny speck on the distant horizon, every one is on deck watching her as she slowly climbs into full view, then draws nearer and nearer to our floating palace. How companionable she seems in the vast waste around us. We wonder to which line she belongs; what is her name; her speed, and whither she is bound: and now that she is within hailing distance, we await eagerly the result of the usual interchange of questions and answers by means of small flags and a certain code of signals, well understood throughout the nautical world. The following are some of the questions asked: "To what line do you belong?" "What is your port?" "Have you seen any icebergs?" "Met any wrecks?" "Are you a tramp?" and so on, until both sides are satisfied, then away she speeds on her course, while the passengers and sailors on both ships gaze at one another through their glasses until they are lost in the distance. The excitement is over, and we all return to our former occupations, or stand looking idly out to sea until once more there is a cry: "A sail! A sail!" and we begin to hope that she too is coming our way. Straining our eyes through the powerful field-glasses, we perceive that she is coming toward us, and will probably cross our line. Larger and larger she appears as she steadily advances, until she attracts the attention of every one on deck. She is now quite close to us, and proves to be a Barkentine under full sail. We shout a greeting to the crew, and wave our handkerchiefs as she passes, and the sailors smile in return and take off their caps.

The ocean air is delightful and invigorating, the sky a perfect azure, and the translucent waves with their foamy edges stretch away in long beautiful curves. We feel the heart throbs of old Neptune, as the waters plash softly over the steamer's sides, and we speed steadily forward, with the rush and swish of the sea sounding in our ears with a wild sweet melody all its own. To fall asleep on deck amid these charming conditions is delightful indeed. But how quickly the scene changes. Suddenly a shrill whistle from the Quartermaster summons all hands to the deck. Orders are rapidly given in quick sharp tones: "Aloft. Take sail in." "Aye, aye, sir," is the swift response, in a twinkling the sure-footed sailors are up among the yards, perched in seemingly impossible places, reefing the flapping sails in preparation for the coming storm. Dark clouds above are reflected in gloomy waves below, and heaving billows surround us, uniting with a furious wind that seems bent on the destruction of our noble ship. The sailors in the rigging are swaying to and fro, and the panic-stricken passengers in the cabins are telling each other with pale faces that belie their words that they are not afraid, for there is no danger; yet they listen anxiously for every sound from above, and will not allow their dear ones to move beyond reach of their hands. There is no music now in the rushing of the waves or the flapping of the sails. Old Neptune in his angry moods is not a desirable companion. But nothing lasts forever, and from storm and night and black despair the flower of hope arises, for there comes a lull, followed by a furious blinding onslaught, and then the spirit of the hurricane calls his followers and flies up, away, somewhere beyond our ken: the captain's face relaxes from its tense expression, and he looks proudly around his good ship which has come out victor in the struggle with the elements. One by one, the passengers appear on deck, the purple clouds, after a final frown of disapproval at things in general, break into smiles, life on shipboard resumes its everyday attitude, and all goes "merry as a marriage bell." Life is full of contrasts. This is a picture for which neither brush nor camera is ready. He who would paint it must draw it from its recess in his memory, or from some sheltered nook on shore, and be cool and calm enough to follow his favorite occupation in spite of the consciousness that life and death are struggling for mastery in yonder thrilling scene that will make him famous if he can but truly portray it upon his canvas.

But there are many tableaux and picturesque situations here, very tempting to the traveller who carries with him his sketch book or camera, and I entertain my companions as well as myself by photographing many a little group both comical and interesting in the world around us. I invite our friends to the lower deck, where I wish to take pictures of some of the steerage passengers. Amongst these are two typical products of the British Isles--one a robust Irishman of shillalah fame, and the other a bonny boy from Scotland. I make known to them my desire to have their photographs, whereupon the quick witted Irishman, without doubt knowing the quality of his face, which is one of the ugliest I have ever seen, begins at once to bargain with me for the privilege of transferring it to my camera. It is true I could have stolen a march on him by a snap shot, and he been all unconscious of the act, but wishing to keep up the comedy I asked at what price he values his face. He replies that if I will take up a collection from the passengers around us, he will accept that as full pay. My friends of the cabin enter into the spirit of the play, and quite a goodly sum finds its way into the horny hand of the Hibernian athlete, who now, with a broad smile of satisfaction, intimates that he is ready to be "taken."

These pictures too join the gallery of our yesterdays. Swift has truly said: "It is the talent of human nature to run from one extreme to another." The long voyage is over, and all hearts rejoice in the sight of land, and now we are upon the landing stage at Liverpool, amidst the throng of excited passengers, all moving hither and thither in search of baggage which seems hopelessly lost in the confusion of trunks, porters, policemen, drays and ubiquitous small boys. This is a fine field for the student of human nature. Here are groups of inexperienced travellers looking anxiously about them, wondering how it is possible to extricate their belongings from the indistinguishable mass before them, and laboring under the dread that when found, a fierce and merciless custom-house official will seize upon trunks and boxes, and deaf to all protestations, dump the contents, from a shoe to a hat, upon the floor, to the everlasting confusion of the owners and the amusement of the spectators. The cool indifference of those who have crossed the ocean many times is in marked contrast to these panic-stricken, and really pitiable creatures.