NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  EUROPE. 
is  seen,  with  the  vicinage  of  Marseilles  in  the  distance  ;  but  another  tun- 
nel of  1500  feet  is  passed  before  entering  the  land-locked  inlet  on  which 
Marseilles  lies.  The  view  of  the  city  and  harbor,  after  passing  this  tun- 
nel, is  very  fine,  with  the  church  Notre  Dame  De  la  Garde  crowning  the 
eminence  towards  the  sea,  looking  south-east. 
Marseilles  is  the  New  York  of  France,  and  the  centre  of  a  large  foreign 
trade.  Our  stay  at  this  city  was  very  brief,  and  no  opportunity  was 
afforded  to  look  after  the  olive  oil  and  castile  soap  industries.  A  walk 
along  the  quays  offered  many  objects  of  interest;  on  the  Quai  de  Napoleon, 
at  the  head  of  the  harbor,  various  shell-fish  and  sea  products  were 
offered  for  sale,  among  them  a  species  of  zoophite,  called  a  sea  violet, 
which  is  edible,  and  tastes  somewhat  like  an  oyster.  One  of  the  most 
striking  objects  was  wheat,  which  lay  in  great  heaps  directly  on  the  quay, 
without  shelter,  with  men  engaged  in  cleansing  it  by  means  of  wide 
shallow  sieves,  suspended  like  a  scale  pan  from  a  support  made  by  three 
poles.  The  operative,  by  a  few  dextrous  motions,  causes  the  sieve  to  do  its 
office,  and  then  tosses  the  contents  on  the  heap.  Certainly  this  primitive 
method  indicates  some  lack  of  enterprize.  Large  quantities  of  olive  oil 
in  huge  casks,  much  like  those  used  here  for  lamp  oil,  were  seen.  This 
great  staple  is  contributed  partly  by  the  neighboring  coast  trade,  but  more 
by  Mediterranean  commerce — Tunis,  and  doubtless  Algiers  contributing 
largely.  Casks  of  madder,  sacks  of  purging  cassia,  senna  and  various 
other  drugs,  piles  of  wine  and  oil  jars,  bales  of  cork  wood  and  numerous 
other  products  are  strewn  along,  either  just  landed,  or  about  to  be  ex- 
ported. 
Our  next  stopping  place  was  Nice,  to  which  a  railroad  extends.  The 
route  along  the  Mediterranean  possesses  much  interest;  the  sea  is  often  in 
sight  until  Toulon  is  passed,  when  the  road  leaves  the  coast,  proceeding 
north-east  along  the  high  ground  on  the  left  hand  (N.W.)  side  of  a  wide 
and  fertile  valley,  extensively  given  to  the  olive,  and  approaches  in  sight 
of  the  sea  at  Frejus,  noted  as  the  birth  place  of  Roscius,  the  Roman 
actor,  and  where  Napoleon  landed  from  Elba. 
In  approaching  Nice,  we  passed  through  Cannes,  and  within  a  few 
miles  of  Grasse,  both  celebrated  for  the  salubrity  of  their  climates,  and 
for  their  industrial  flower  gardens,  distilleries  of  perfumes  and  oils,  and 
their  manufacture  of  pomades.    From  these  districts  a  large  portion  of 
the  French  trade  in  perfumes  is  supplied.     All  along  the  route,  fig, 
mulberry,  olive,  and  almond  trees  are  abundant.  Many  olive  trees  were  of 
great  age,  appearing  like  old  apple  trees  with  irregular  contorted  branches, 
trunks  one  to  two  feet  in  diameter,  but  the  evergreen  foliage  is  so  entirely 
different  in  hue  and  shape,  that  they  will  never  be  mistaken  for  apple 
trees.  As  we  passed  along,  the  incipient  flower  stems  were  being  developed, 
but  many  weeks  must  elapse  before  they  bloom.      Near  Cannes  our 
route  lay  near  orange  groves,  which  perfumed  the  air,  and  their  fragrant 
blossoms  could  be  seen  peeping  out  from  the  rich  foliage. 
