Report of a Journey Around the \\ T orld. 109 



sculptor M. Dussart. These groups, which are 8 m. high, repre- 

 sent Truth unveiling to Science the forces of the world, and Pro- 

 gress coming to the aid of Humanity. 



The building is surmounted by an attic rising 77 m 9o above 

 the sea, and bounding an immense terrace 15 m. wide and 100 m. 

 long. A smaller terrace crowns the tower-like front which rises 

 82 m o7, and on this opens a room devoted to meteorological obser- 

 vations. The museum is entirely of stone from Turbie, a sec- 

 ondary limestone with a grain resembling lithographic stone, 

 except the columns of the facade and the interior, which come from 

 Brescia, but are of similar material. 



Even the door at the entrance is a work of art in forged iron, 

 but so long as it does not keep us outside we pass it by to walk 

 over a mosaic floor in the midst of which is the image of the yacht 

 Princesse- Alice in which so much has been gathered. Mosaic 

 fishes, waves, cephalopods, hint strongly to the visitor of the nature 

 of the place — sermons in stones! On either side are stairways to 

 the floor above ; on the right the porter with photographs for sale, 

 on the left a stairway to the basement which we used later, and 

 passing a large glazed door we entered what the French like to 

 call a "grand salon d'honneur" (Fig. 94), a square apartment 

 18X18 m. and 7 m. high. The appearance is well shown in the 

 illustration, but the artificial lighting (which we did not have the 

 pleasure of seeing) deserves a description, for in the centre hangs 

 a huge crystal Medusa, and in the corners crystal globes armed 

 with long spikes — charming enlargements of microscope marine 

 organisms of the group Radiolaria — all these designed by M. 

 Constant Roux. 



The statue of the Prince, by M. D. Puech of the Institut, 

 nobly presides. He is represented standing on the bridge of his 

 yacht scanning the horizon. This was a gift by subscription of 

 sovereigns and exalted personages of various countries. On either 

 side of the pedestal are bronze bas-reliefs by the sculptor, one 

 representing the chase of the whale, the other the reception of a 

 capture of smaller game on the deck. 



As we turn from the image of our noble host we see^on the 

 one side and the other through large glazed doors set in carved 

 wood frames, into a large hall 38 111. long and i3 ni 7o wide, and 



[257] 



