FROM PARIS TO FRANKFORT ON THE MAINE. 55 



lentz. Daylight lasted but three and a half hours, so I saw but 

 few of the villages through which wc passed. There are inai;iy 

 stonc-quarrics on the way between Coblentz and Paris. From 

 these quarries the stone is transported to Paris cither by rail, riv- 

 er, or canal. 



In this district the soil is much richer than in Dijon, but the 

 wine is not celebrated, as the ground is entirely planted with grain, 

 and the laborers raise only enough grapes for their own use. 



I noticed that a great deal of hemp is cultivated in this part. 

 It looks very well, as also do the clover-fields, which one and all 

 are in splendid condition. Poplar-trees are planted in great pro- 

 fusion, and afford a fine shade. The grape-vines on the hill-sides 

 looked very luxuriant, and were devoid of the red spots which I 

 noticed in the districts of Dijon and Beaune. We went too rap- 

 idly to judge as to the quality of the crop. 



We passed village after village till dark, when we composed 

 ourselves quietly for a nap, but an undisturbed slumber was not 

 attained. No sooner had I fixed myself comfortably, and was al- 

 ready in my first doze, when a stentorian voice demanded " les 

 billets^ Arousing myself with difiiculty, I fumbled in every pock- 

 et, until, by chance, I reached the right one which contained the 

 tickets, which the conductor glanced at and returned. This pro- 

 cess was renewed every hour, till finally I was worked up almost 

 to desperation. But fortunately this, as all troubles, had an end, 

 and we reached Cologne, where we changed cars for Coblentz. I 

 forgot to say that, upon reaching the Prussian borders, we were 

 hustled out into the Custom-house, where we were very civilly 

 treated by the officers, only going through a pretense of examina- 

 tion. 



August 18. — I took a carriage, and went to Ems with my fam- 

 ily. The road leading there winds along the banks of the river, 

 and is at the foot of the mountains, which •are all planted with 

 vines ; but the whole mountain being nothing but slate, every few 

 rods there are high rock walls which form a sort of platform, and 

 on these are planted vines, which look well, but the wine is infe- 

 rior, as the soil is slate-rock and sand. We passed several large 

 iron factories on the road -to Ems, where we arrived at half past 

 nine o'clock. 



Ems is the property of the Duke of Nassau, and yields him an 

 annual income of two millions of dollars. Every thing is very 

 finely arranged, and not costly for a bathing-place. 



