85 



PARIS. 



PARIS. 



of them are still more remarkable for the grand architectural effects 

 and rich decorations of their interiors than for their external appear- 

 ance. Besides those already named, are the churches of Notre-Dauie- 

 de-Lorette, at the end of the Rue-Lafitte, finished in 1823 ; the church 

 of St.-Eustache, one of the largest and handsomest ecclesiastical 

 structures in Paris, and celebrated for its musical services ; St.-Germain- 

 des-Pres ; St.-Roch ; the gothic church of St. -Herri in the Rue-St.- 

 Martin ; Notre-Dame-des-Victoires ; St--Nicolas-des-Champs, in the Rue- 

 St.-Martin; St.-Francois-d'Assiae ; and the church of St.-Vincent-de- 

 Paul, one of the handsomest structures in Paris, built a little north 

 of the prison of St.-Lazare on a height formerly occupied by a royal 

 lodge. 



Among the more modern structures of Paris, the termini of the 

 different railways deserve notice for their neatness and elegance. The 

 principal are those of the Strasbourg railway in the Rue-de-Strasbourg 

 in the Faubourg-St. -Martin ; the Great Northern in the Place-Roubaix ; 

 the Rouen and Havre terminus in the Rue-d' Amsterdam ; the termi- 

 nus of the Chartres railway in the Boulevard Mont-Parnasse ; the 

 Orleans terminus in the Boulevard-de-1'Hdpital ; and the Ly on terminus 

 in the new Boulevard Mams. 



The improvements effected in ParU since the accession of the 

 present emperor Napoleon III., not four years ago, are of a most im- 

 portant character ; and if the impulse thus given to architectural 

 amelioration is continued for a few years longer, Paris will be in every 

 respect, not only with regard to public buildings but also to street archi- 

 tecture, unrivalled among the great capitals of Europe. Anyone who 

 knew Paris even ten yean ago must remember the mass of unsightly 

 buildings which fronted the magnificent triumphal entrance to the 

 Tuileries on the Place-du-Carrousel and disfigured the approaches to 

 the Louvre. All these are now swept away, and the Tuileries and the 

 Louvre are united into one vast building, forming the greatest palace 

 in the world. This magnificent structure, just completed frpm designs 

 of the architect Viaconti, stands entirely alone, being surrounded on 

 every side by open spaces and magnificent perspectives. To the west 

 are the well-known and beautiful gardens of the Tuileries; on the 

 south the quays ; on the north is the Rue-de-Rivoli, the grandest street 

 in the world, which psnsra through a new square formed between the 

 Tuilerias and the Palais-Royal ; and on the cast is another large square 

 planted with shrubs and trees, and connecting the quays with the 

 Rue-de-Rivoli. The area inclosed by the palace buildings forms a 

 square unrivalled for extent and magnificence and large enough for 

 ths encampment of an army. The wing facing the river has been com- 

 pletely restored, and the opposite new wing, which forms a large part 

 of the Rue-de-Rivoli, is magnificently built The whole interior of the 

 Louvre has been restored and most gorgeously decorated, and all its 

 treasures have been re-arranged. 



From the Place-de-la-Concorde, which has been re-embellished, the 

 Rue-de-Rivoli extends on a perfect level and iu a straight line to the 

 HuU-l-de- Ville, a length of more than a mile and a half, with a width of 

 24 yards. The houses on each side are all built of white stone, six or 

 seven stories high, with ornamental balconies and sculptured work, 

 bat with such variations and differences of design as obviate the 

 monotony of uniformity. To clear the ground for the erection of 

 this noble street a great number of old houses and narrow streets, not 

 without many historical ssodtioas, have been swept away. The 

 houses too about the H6tel-de- Villa have been pulled down, and this 

 celebrated seat of municipal government now stands in the midst of 

 a large square, one aide of which is formed by an immense stone 

 palace, used as a barrack for troops. A wide street, running along 

 the qoays parallel to the Rne-de-Rivoli, forms another line of con- 

 nection between the palace and the Hotel-de-Ville and the barracks. 



From the square of the Hotel-de-Ville another magnificent street, a 

 mile long, planted on each side with trees, and lined with houses six 

 stories high all built of white stone, runs northward, crossing the 

 boulevards from the quays to the hAni~i terminus of the Stras- 

 bourg railway. This street, which is not yet completed, forms a most 

 sgrrtncent entrance to Paris. 



A railway is nearly finished completely encircling ParU, in order to 

 connect all the metropolitan lines of railway together, and to enable 

 companies to carry both psssungtiri and goods from one end of France 

 to the other across the metropolis without changing carriage. In 

 France railways have all the same gauge. 



In the Champs-Bysess, on the left of the Great Avenue leading 

 from the Place-de-la-Coooorde to the triumphal arch de-1'Etoile, a build- 

 ing intended for induntrial exhibitions, public ceremonies, and imperial 

 festivals is rapidly approaching completion. This noble hall is 900 

 feet long by 600 feet wide The exterior walls, built of stone, consist 

 of two stories of massive arched windows, rising one above the other 

 and nrnsmeated with sculptures emblematic of the principal cities of 

 France. Through these windows (which are painted) and the arched 

 roof, which is constructed of iron and ground glass, the bonding is 

 lighted. In the centre of each long side of the building are noble 

 projections to break the uniformity of the facades ; the projection on 

 the northern side contains the principal entrance under a noble arch 

 Banked by two lofty towers. This building /onus part of the Palais- 

 de-riixhuuie for the Univernal Exhibition of 1856 : several wings 

 sad gallerie extensions of the plan, arc connected with it. 



A very beautiful gothic church, of cathedral dimensions, surmounted 



by two lofty towers and lighted through windows of stained glass, is 

 built in the Faubourg St.-Germain near the Legislative Chamber. The 

 building of the Alma Bridge has been already mentioned. Among 

 other improvements we may enumerate the restoration and decoration 

 of Notre-Dame, the Palais-de- Justice and its Sainte-Chapelle, the 

 churches of St-Eustache, St.-Etienne-du-Mont, and St-Roch. The 

 dome of the Invalides has been regilt to make it more worthy of the 

 Tomb of Napoleon I., the most wonderful monument of Paris. The 

 quays have been completely finished and put iu order, aud several of 

 the oldest stone bridges rebuilt. The great central markets have been 

 constructed on a grand scale. The Boulevard Mazas, connecting the 

 bridge of Austerlitz with the Place-du-Trone, and passing the termi- 

 nus of the Lyon railway, has been completed, and a new boulevard 

 is being cut from the Madeleine to the Park of Monceaux. Finally a 

 free library, containing 200,000 volumes, has been opened near the 

 church of Sainte-Genevieve in a stone building of great architectural 

 merit, in the Italian style. The interior of this institution is remark- 

 able for its elegant and judicious arrangements. 



The population of Paris in 1791 was estimated to be above 610,000. 

 The first regular census was taken in (we believe) 1806, and the popula- 

 tion of the commune of Paris in the years named was officially given 

 as follows: In 1806,580,609; 1826, 890,431 ; 1836, 909,126; 1846, 

 945,721 ; 1851, 996,067. At the census of 1851 the population of the 

 arrondissement of Paris (a division of the department of Seine) was 

 1,053,262. But the population of Paris as bounded by the great 

 modern fortifications considerably exceeds this last number. 



The total number of births in Paris during the year 1851 was 

 32,324 (16,349 boys, 15,975 girls) : of this number 10,635 were born 

 out of marriage. The total number of deaths for the year was 27,585 

 (13,698 males, 13,887 females) : the number of bodies exposed at the 

 Morgue in the year was 335 (296 men, 39 women) ; the number of 

 deaths from smallpox amounted to 364. 



The following items of the consumption of Paris are taken from the 

 official return for the year 1851 : 



The students of various classes form a considerable part of the popu 

 lation of Paris, the total number reaching nearly to 18,000. There is 

 also a very numerous manufacturing population, which has been lately 

 estimated at 450,000 ; for in the variety and extent of its productions 

 of industry, Paris may vie with most cities of the world. The carpets 

 of the manufactory of La Savonnerie and the tapestry of the Gobelins 

 are well known. The two establishments -are now united at the 

 Gobelins. Cashemire, silk, and woollen shawls ; light woollens, cotton 

 goods, hosiery, gloves, hats, embroidery, lace, and other articles of 

 fashionable attire ; steam-machinery, jewellery, gold and silver plate, 

 and trinkets ; pens, clocks and watches, glass, and bronzes ; musical, 

 mathematical, and philosophical instruments ; paper-hangings, house- 

 hold furniture, carriages, saddlery, leather, glue, cutlery, fire-arm?, 

 liqueurs, and confectionary are manufactured. Dyeing, printing, engra- 

 ving, and lithography ; the manufacture of salts, acids, oxides, and other 

 chemicals ; the refining of sugar, tallow-melting, the distillation of spirits, 

 brewing, and the manufacture of starch, are carried on with activity. 

 The special exports of Paris according to official returns were valued 

 at 94 millions of francs hi 1837. In 1847 the value was 168,572,187 

 francs; in 1848, a year of great depression, the value of the exports 

 was 167 millions. In 1851 the exports had risen to 2194 millions, 

 and in 1852 to 2214 millions of francs (8,860,000/.), or nearly one- 

 seventh of the value of the total exports of France. It must bo borne 

 in mind however that many articles manufactured in other towns of 

 France are sent to Paris to be finished, and are included in the exports 

 of the capital The great manufacturers of Lyon, Rouen, and the 

 other chief manufacturing towns of the provinces, havo their agencies 

 and their depots at Paris. The Seine furnishes the principal means 

 of water-carriage. The Ourcq Canal, which opens a communication 

 with the country to the north-eastward, terminates in the basin of La- 

 Villette, just ouUide tho wall of Paris, on the north-east side of the 

 city ; and the canals of St-Martin and St-Denis open a communication 

 between the Ourcq Canal and the Seine. The canal of St.-Martin 

 enters the Seine in the very heart of Paris, opposite the island Louvier; 

 its termination toward the Seine is formed by the basin of the Arsenal. 

 The canal of St-Denis opens into the Seine at the town of St.-Dcuis, 

 a short distance north of Paris. Paris also has abundant facilities for 

 transport by means of railroads, which connect the capital with Lyon, 

 Troyes, Orleans, Nantes, Bordeaux, Bayonne, Strasbourg, St.-Quentin, 

 Lille, Dunkirk, Calais, Boulogne, Rouen, Havre, and Dieppe, besides 

 short lines to Corbeil, Versailles, Chartres, and Le-Mans. The western 

 railway now open to Le-Mans is part of a great trunk line in course of 

 construction to Brest, which is to be connected by branches with a 



