602 



FRANCE. 



of Pans are a remarkable series of subterranean galleries and caverns, extending several miles 

 under the city. They were originally quarries, from which the materials for the edifices of the 

 city were obtained ; but about 50 years ago, the bones often generations were collected, from 

 the different churches and burying-grounds of the capital, into these caverns, and the remains 

 of from 4 to 6 millions of human beings are here arranged along the walls. In this subterra- 

 nean city of the dead, you find mausoleums, altars, candelabras, &c., constructed of bones, 

 with festoons of skulls and thigh-bones, interspersed with numerous inscriptions. 



There are several places of historical interest in the neighborhood of Paris, which deserve 

 notice. St. Denis^ with 9,680 inhabitants, contains a celebrated abbey, in the church of which 

 have been deposited the remains of the long line of French kings. Vincennes, with 3,000 in- 

 habitants, a village of great antiquity, was long the residence of the kings of PVance, and con- 

 tains a castle, surrounded by a fine park. JVeuilly, with 5,600 inhabitants, is remarkable for its 

 magnificent bridge over the Seine, its superb gardens, and delightful views. At Boulogne, 

 with 5,400 inhabitants, near the wood or park of the same name, is a favorite promenade, called 

 Longchamps. 



Saint Cloud, in a picturesque situation on the Seine, is celebrated for its beautiful prospects, 

 and the splendid gardens and park attached to the royal palace here. It was the favorite resi- 

 dence of Napoleon, whence the imperial court was called the court of St. Cloud. Sevres is 

 famous for its beautiful porcelain. Versailles, about ten miles west of Paris, was, for upwards 

 of a hundred years, the residence of the French court ; and its sumptuous palace, park, and 

 gardens, display all the splendors of art. Statues, temples, pavilions, sheets of water, cascades, 

 and fountains, enchant the eye in every direction, and the splendid saloons are decorated with 

 paintings, gilded and marble columns, &c. There are also several other remarkable edifices at 



St. Germain-en- Laye, about the 

 same distance to the northwest of 

 Paris, with 10,600 inhabitants, is 

 pleasantly situated on the borders 

 of the forest of Laye, the largest 

 in France. Here is an ancient 

 palace, or hunting castle, of the 

 French kings. Rambouillet, 25 

 miles southwest of Paris, has a roy- 

 al chateau, with a fine park, and a 

 large forest attached to it. Here, 

 also, is the royal farm, the dairy of 

 which is entirely of white marble. 

 Population, 3,150. At Fontaine- 

 bleau, 30 miles south of Paris, 

 stands a royal chateau, in a pictu- 

 resque situation, in the centre of 

 the forest of Fontainebleau. It has 

 oeen the. scene of many important events. Population, 8,000. 



Lyons, the second city of France, is delightfully situated in the midst of a thickly peopjed 

 district, at the confluence of the Saone and the Rhone. Twenty quays, some of which are 

 adorned with handsome buildings, and planted with trees, line the banks of the rivers, and 10 

 bridges pass them In different directions. Ainong the 56 public places, or squares, that of 

 Bellecour is one of the most magnificent In Europe ; and the hotel de ville, or city hall, has no 

 superior, except that of Amsterdam. The commerce and manufactures of Lyons are exten- 

 sive, and numerous and extensive docks and warehouses facilitate the commercial operations of 

 the city. The most important article of manufacture is silk, which is raised in the vicinity, and 

 imported In great quantities from Italy and other parts of France. The silks of Lyons are 

 celebrated for their beauty and firmness. The manufacture of silk and cotton, and silk and 

 woolen stuffs, paper hangings, artificial flowers, jewelry, Sic, also employs many laborers. 

 Population of the city, 133,700. There are here numerous hospitals and churches, seveial 

 learned societies, and institutions for education, among which is a royal college, a fine public 

 library of 90,000 volumes, &c. 



St. Etienne, an active and flourishing manufacturing town, is connected with Lyons by a rail- 



Versailles, which now contains 28,500 inhabitants. 



Palace of Fontainebleau. 



