218 FIRST JOURNEY IN EUROPE. [1839, 



and in the afternoon and early part of the evening I 

 called with Endlicher upon Mr. Fenzl, 1 the aide- 

 naturaliste in the botanical department, who is con- 

 fined to his bed by some affection of one of his 

 legs. He is engaged in a monograph of Alsinea?, 

 which I think will be very faithfully done, and we 

 looked over several collections by his bedside. I made 

 a bundle of all I wished to examine, which are sent 

 to my lodgings for the purpose, and which will give 

 me occupation for the evening. He introduced me 

 to his frau, a regular German lassie, and we managed 

 to converse altogether for some time in a curious mix- 

 ture of French, German, and English. 



ON THE DANUBE, on board the Dampschiff 

 (steamboat) Maria-Anna, bound for Linz, 5th June. 



Schonbrunn, the Versailles of Austria, is much 

 like Versailles itself on a smaller scale, but much less 

 magnificent. I visited the grounds with Endlicher, 

 and also visited the botanic garden attached, under 

 the care of M. Schott. 2 The garden is very finely ar- 

 ranged, but all that is particularly worth seeing is the 

 conservatories and the large collection of exotics, many 

 of them very old like those of Kew. It is richer than 

 Kew in Palms, Aroideae, etc., but in other things it 

 seems not quite equal. As we passed by the palace, 

 the emperor was pointed out to me, through the open 

 windows of his cabinet. I am told privately that he 

 is scarcely compos mentis, and that all government 

 affairs are managed by a regency of which Metternich 

 and Archduke Charles are chief. We went next to 



1 Edward Fenzl, 1807-1879 ; professor of botany and director of 

 the Botanic Garden at Vienna. 



2 Dr. Heinrich Schott, 1794-1865 ; director of the Imperial Gardens, 

 Schonbrunn. " He was the highest authority on Aroidese " [A. G.]. 



