372 SECOND JOURNEY IN EUROPE. [1850, 



and must now to bed, as we have to finish Ghent to- 

 morrow before dinner, and go on to Antwerp after- 

 wards, thence to Cologne. I think we shall cut 

 Brussels. 



At Ghent saw the Belfry and the strange old Town 

 Hall. ... I went to the Botanic Garden (did not 

 find Professor Kickx), hardly as large as ours at 

 Cambridge, and by no means so rich or half so well 

 kept, though said to be the best in Belgium ; explored 

 the university library, and strolled through the 

 streets and along the canals. . . . 



Antwerp. - - Imagine us settled comfortably at Hotel 

 du Pare, Wednesday evening, overlooking the Place 

 Verte, our windows commanding a near and most ad- 

 vantageous view of the finest cathedral in Belgium, 

 with light enough still to see pretty well against the 

 sky the graceful outlines and much of the light 

 tracery and Gothic work of this gem of a steeple, one 

 of the loftiest in the world (403 feet, 7 inches) and 

 probably unsurpassed by any for lightness, grace, and 

 the elaborateness of the carved work. Napoleon com- 

 pared it to Mechlin lace. And such sweet chimes, 

 every fifteen minutes ! The chime at the beginning 

 of the hour still rings in our ears. We have never 

 tired of listening to it. ... 



BONN, July 22. 



We drove through the city (Cologne) to the station 

 of the Bonn railroad. But on the way the driver, of 

 his own motion, stopped at the door of the cathedral. 

 Finding that we had time enough to take a good look 

 before the train left, we could not resist, and saw this 

 wonder and masterpiece of true Gothic architecture ; 

 which by the united efforts of most North German 

 powers is going on toward completion, in the style and 



