AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL WAGNER, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



AT TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. 



Vol. VIII. 



SEPTEMBER, 187S, 



No. 3. 



Letters from Clias. Dadant. 



On Board of La Ville de Paris, 



July 21, 1872. 



My Dear Friends : — The first days of our 

 journey have been extremely agreeable, for the 

 sea was very calm. We left New York on the 

 13th, at 11 o'clock, A. M. Our vessel was the 

 fourth steamer that started from New York on 

 the same day. Two of these steamers, being- 

 only a few miles ahead of us, were soon outsailed, 

 but a boat (belonging to the new Liverpool 

 Steamship Company), the White Star, did not 

 seem disposed to allow us to beat her. This 

 boat had crossed the ocean in the fastest time 

 on record, seven days and fourteen hours. She 

 was consequently taking pride in keeping ahead 

 of us. The next morning she still was ahead, 

 almost out of sight. At noon we were by her 

 side gaining ground. In the evening she was 

 far behind and disappeared during the night. 

 We will be in Brest to-morrow, and at Havre on 

 Tuesday, after ten days sea travel. 



I suffered but little, although we had two days 

 of very rough weather ; but these two days I 

 spent in bed, and I could hear from my cabin 

 during the meals, the rattle of broken glass, 

 plates and bottles. My hive trunk was an ob- 

 ject of general curiosity. Many questions were 

 asked, and I had to recite volumes of bee-cul- 

 ture, which seemed to interest my hearers 

 greatly, although many of them had never heard 

 a word about bees. A brother-in-law of the 

 editor of V Esperance de Nancy, made me 

 promise to send him articles on beekeeping 

 for the paper. On the whole I am in good 

 health, but greatly tired of sea life. What 

 would it be, if instead of ten days we were to 

 remain fifty days on the sea, as of old? I see 

 around me many people who seem to amuse 

 themselves greatly, but how I ditfer from them ! 

 Family life is so sweet when compared to all that 

 noise, that one feels most the value of it when 

 it is wanting. 



Paris, July 25. 



I am in Paris. I did not write from Havre, 

 because I had no time. We arrived in this city 

 on the 23d, ten days after our departure from 



New York. You will easily imagine the emo- 

 tion that took possession of me when I again 

 viewed my native country after such a long ab- 

 sence. As soon as we arrived iu sight of the 

 French shores, a young Frenchman began to 

 sing the hymn : Vers les rives de France. "(Tow- 

 ards the shores of France.) He first sang alone, 

 then a little group was formed, and soon all the 

 passengers were gathered, singing this beautiful 

 song. When singing the last chorus : Voila, 

 Voila, la France * * * rivage beni. (There, 

 there is France. * * * blessed shore.) She 

 is really beautiful, our beautiful France ; so 

 beautiful, that it takes a big effort to leave her, 

 and that one cannot see her again, without an 

 immense thrill of pleasure ; so beautiful that all 

 like to see her and to inhabit her shores. They 

 say that the French are light minded. It is 

 true, but they are gay, and that is something, 

 for gayety is extremely attractive. In the train 

 from Havre to Paris, I found myself in com- 

 pany with two middle-aged French ladies and a 

 young English lady, accompanied by her hus- 

 band. The two French ladies were gay and as 

 playful, and kept up the interest by their re- 

 marks. But the English lady kept as cool and as 

 quiet as a Roman matron of the old ages. Be- 

 ing French by birth, I am probably a partial 

 judge, but I prefer the French character to the 

 English. 



Happily our American ladies have not inherited 

 the English character altogether. I find one 

 fault, however, with them ; that is, the size of 

 their chignons. 



Here in Paris, I can find none of the kilo- 

 grammes of rags with which some American 

 ladies overload their heads. Nor do I see any of 

 the pyramidal hats that are the pride of the 

 most eccentric. They are out of fashion in 

 Paris, and I hope they always will be. 



Having landed in Havre very late on Tuesday, 

 I started from that city the next day, in the 

 morning. Before my departure, I went to see 

 the boat agent to ascertain the cost of transpor- 

 tation of bees. 



I arrived in Paris yesterday evening at six 

 o'clock. I have been out on business since day- 

 light, and I am going to take my breakfast with 

 M. J. Pelletau, the editor of La Culture. 



I will write more at length from Italy. 



Ch. Dadant. 



