beautiful than any we have hitherto seen on the route. It comprises every variety of landscape, being pleasingly diversified with groves of various kinds of trees and flowering shrubs. The prospect as we approach ARENZANA (114 miles) is magnificent. VOLTRI (1173 miles) is celebrated for its extensive paper manufactures. In the neighbourhood are sulphur springs of great reputation for the cure of cutaneous disorders. PEGLI (120 miles.) (Hotels, see HOTEL LIST), is a favourite winter residence. There are three fine villas here. The Villa Grimaldi has an interesting botanic garden; the Villa Doria was built by a wealthy Genoese merchant in the time of Charles V. The VILLA PALLAVICINI has beautiful gardens and pleasure - grounds, which should be visited from Genoa. (See Route 164.) An order is required, which can readily be obtained at the Palazzo Pallavicini, in the Strada Carlo Felice, or at the hotels. In the church of Mont' Oliveto, situated on a hill above the town, is a good picture by Francesco Zucchi, "The Descent from the Cross." SESTRI DE PONENTE (122 miles) is a town of about 6000 inhabitants. The hill of La Madonna del Gazo, behind the town, is surmounted by a chapel, with a statue of the Virgin. The gardens of the Villa Serra are beautifully laid out. In the principal church of SAN PIER D'ARENA (124 miles) are some fine paintings and frescoes. We next reach GENOA (126 miles). For a description of this city, see Route 166. ROUTE 84. PARIS TO VICHY. Distance 229 miles. Time 8 hours. Fares, first class, 44.95 francs; second, 33.55 francs. HE route as far as MORET, a few miles south of Fontainbleau, is described in Route 81. At Moret (42 miles) the line to Vichy leaves that to Lyons and Marseilles. At MONTARGIS (73 miles) a stop is made for refreshment. Stops are made at GIEN (97 miles) and at NEVERS (106 miles) (Hotel: de France). This town is at the junction of the Nièvre and the Loire, the last named river being crossed by the railway upon a long viaduct. It is an old seat of the pottery and china industry. The Cathedral of St Cyr, on a hill, is Romanesque, and has a remarkable doorway and spiral staircase. Passing Sancaize and Moulins-sur-Allier, we reach St Germain des Fosses (220 miles), from which place a branch line of six miles goes south to VICHY (Hotels: see "HOTEL LIST"). This fashionable watering-place is situated on the Allier, in a fine valley, surrounded by hills whose sides are clothed with vineyards and orchards. It is visited by many thousands of invalids and others from all parts of Europe. The season commences in the middle of May, and ends in October. The springs are both alkaline and acid. Their temperature ranges from 57° to 113° Fahr., but they vary very much in their qualities, and it is usual to con sult a medical man as to the waters and baths to be taken. The waters contain carbonate of soda, and are especially useful in diseases of the liver, stomach, and bladder. Many cures of gout and rheumatism are reported. The springs are much frequented by English and Ame ricans. The waters should be taken only under the advice of a medical man. Of the four chief springs, the waters are employed as follows:-Grande-Grille, diseases of the liver and all bilious affections; Hôpital, diseases of the stomach; Hauterive, affections of the stomach and urinary organs; Célestine, gravel and diseases of the bladder. The Casino contains reading and billiard rooms, and saloons for balls, concerts, and other entertainments. The Park, of 26 acres, affords an agreeable promenade. Several fragments of ancient marble baths and Roman coins have been found in Vichy and its neighbourhood, proving that the springs were resorted to during the Roman occupation of the country.] ENGLISH CHURCH in summer. ROUTE 85. PARIS TO ORLEANS AND BORDEAUX. From Paris to Bordeaux, 3631 miles; first class, 72·5 francs; second, 54.5 francs; third, 39-65 francs. HE Orleans station is in a remote quarter of Paris. A full hour is required to reach it from the English quarter. Leaving Paris, we proceed along the left bank of the Seine, and reach Choisy (6 miles), a flourishing town, with a population of 5360. Louis XV. built here a chateau for Madame de Pompadour, the only part remaining of which is now a manufactory of china. Here is the largest Morocco leather manufactory in France; also glass and porcelain works, sugar refinery, &c. Near Savigny (13 miles) is a fine chateau occupied by the Princess Dowager of Eckmuhl. We presently reach ETAMPES (31 miles), Hotel: du Bois de Vincennes), population 8350. It is situated near the confluence of the Juine, the Chatteoul and the Louette, which turn upwards of 50 mills in the neighbourhood. Of the ancient Chateau des Quatre Tours, erected in the 12th century, only the Tour Guinette remains. The Church of Notre Dame has a fine spire, and the interior is handsomely decorated. The town contains several fine mediæval houses. Passing some other stations, we reach ORLEANS (75 miles), (Hotels: see HOTEL LIST). This town is situated on the verge of a magnificent plain sloping towards the Loire, watered by the Loire and Loiret, and protected, on the land side, by a wall and dry ditches, on either side of which there are pleasantly shaded boulevards. Attila in 450. In the middle ages it was the occasional residence of the kings of France. It has been the seat of 11 church-councils, and has, since the middle of the 14th century, conferred the title of duke on the representatives of one branch of the Royal Family of France. In English history, it is chiefly known by the memorable siege which it sustained against the English in 1428, and in which the celebrated Joan of Arc acted so distinguished a part. On the 29th April 1429, she threw herself, with supplies, into Orleans, then closely besieged by the English, and from the 4th to the 8th of May, made successful sallies upon the besiegers, which resulted in their being compelled to raise the siege. It is built with tolerable regularity, the streets being in general straight, but narrow. There are four squares or open spaces in the town, of which one, near the centre of the city, the Place du Martroy, is spacious and handsome. The finest street, the Rue Royale, extends in a straight line north and south from the central square to the extremity of the bridge over the Loire, a fine structure consisting of 9 large arches. It is 354 yards long. The Rue Jeanne d'Arc, recently constructed, leading up to the west front of the cathedral, is also well built and handsome. The houses In French history Orleans is in the older parts of the city, further known for the siege susare chiefly of timber, and desti- tained by the Protestants against tute even of the picturesque effect the Catholics in 1563. This siege of medieval buildings. Among was remarkable for the death of the public edifices, the principal the Duke of Guise, the first and is the CATHEDRAL, one of the most celebrated of the name. It finest Gothic buildings in France. was taken by the Germans under It was commenced in 1601. It Von der Tann on October 11, is the only Gothic cathedral in 1870, retaken by the French on Europe erected since the middle November 5, and again taken by ages. Its general plan is that of the Germans on December 5, and a Latin cross, with an apsidal held until the close of the war. east end, the west end terminat- Leaving Orleans, we pass Meung ing in three portals with lofty (79 miles), and observe, on the flanking towers. The Hotel de la left, about 3 miles distant across Mairie, or Town-Hall, an edifice the Loire, the Church of Notre of the 15th century, has been re- Dame de Cléry, in which Louis cently restored, and is a very XI. was buried. It is mentioned handsome building. The Palais in Sir Walter Scott's "Quentin de Justice, the Mint, and the Durward." At Beaugency (843 Theatre, are also entitled to no- miles) a conspicuous object is the tice. There are public walks Donjon Tower, near the ancient along the ramparts and quays; castle, rising to a height of 115 but the most agreeable are along feet. It was erected in the 10th the banks of the river. In front or 11th century. Menars le Chaof the Mairie is placed a fine teau (98 miles) derives its name statue of the Maid of Orleans, from a château which belonged executed by the Princess Marie, to Madame de Pompadour. daughter of Louis Philippe. Orleans is a place of great antiquity, having been besieged by BLOIS (111 miles). (Hotel : d'Angleterre). The town has a remarkably fine situation on the slope of a hill, and is built chiefly on the right bank of the Loire, over which there is here a stone bridge of eleven arches, surmounted by an obelisk in the centre. The streets, for the most part, are crooked and narrow, but they are kept clean by water from the public fountains, which is supplied by an aqueduct, supposed to have been constructed by the Romans. The principal public buildings are the Cathedral, the Jesuits' College, and the Episcopal Palace. There is also a Botanic Garden, and a Public Library of 20,000 volumes. A fine quay lines each bank of the river. The Castle, richly decorated in its interior, is celebrated as the birthplace of the Prince of Orleans, afterwards Louis XII., and as the scene of the death of Catherine de Medicis, and of the assassination of the Duke of Guise and his brother the Cardinal. The next place of interest is TOURS (146 miles) (Hotels: see" HOTEL LIST.") It is situ ated in a delightful plain, on the south, or left bank of the Loire, a little above its junction with the Cher. It is of an oblong form, and lies parallel to the course of the Loire, across which is here thrown a magnificent bridge of 15 arches, 1400 feet in length. The Rue Neuve, or Rue Royale, is a street of great elegance, built on a uniform plan, and traversing the city in a line with the bridge. The Avenue-deGrammont and the great walk called the Mail are also attractive. The Cathedral, parts of which date from the thirteenth century, is remarkable for its lofty spires, its huge western window, its fine painted glass, its ingenious clock, and its library. The interior is 256 feet in length and 85 feet in height. The Hotel-de-Ville, a fine structure, has a library of 60,000 volumes. Among the books is a rare copy of the Gospels, in gold letters on vellum (eighth century), upon which the kings of France took the oaths as first canons of the Church of St Martin's. Two towers-the Tour de St Martin, or de l'Horloge, and the Tour de Charlemagne-conspicuous objects in the town, are the only remains of the once immense Cathedral of St Martin de Tours. The principal manufacture of Tours is silk, which was introduced here earlier than in any other town of France by Italian workmen in the 15th century. From September 18 to December 11, 1870, the French Government, of which Gambetta was the leading spirit, had its seat at Tours. About a mile to the west of the town is the castellated den of Plessis-les-Tours, of which an admirable description is given in Scott's "Quentin Durward." [From this point the tourist may conveniently reach NANTES (268 miles from Paris), (Hotels : see "HOTEL LIST.") A commercial city, about 27 miles from the mouth of the Loire, which is here crossed by a magnificent stone bridge, or rather a succession of bridges, extending in nearly a straight line for upwards of three miles. It possesses numerous striking and beautiful buildings, among which the Cathedral of St Pierre, containing the splendid monument of Francis II., the last Duke of Bretagne, and the old Castle, built in 938, the temporary residence of most of the Kings of France since Charles VIII., are the chief. There is a public library, a botanical garden, theatre, a museum of paintings, and a museum of natural history. Extending from the Erdre to the Loire is a fine promenade, planted with four rows of trees, bordered with lines of palatial houses, and ornamented with statues. The harbour, upwards of a mile in length, is capable of accommodating 200 vessels. The chief manufactures are cotton and linen fabrics, flannels, refined sugar, chemical products, cordage, &c. Nantes is noted for the famous edict issued there in 1598 by Henri IV. in favour of Protestants, and also for the cruel excesses practised towards thousands of innocent persons during the time that Robespierre and his infamous confederates were the guiding spirits of the French Revolution.] Passing Châtellerault (189 miles), the seat of one of the most considerable manufactories of arms in France, we reach POITIERS (209 miles), (Hotel: de France). The Cathedral, the Church of Notre Dame, and others, the Palais de Justice, and the remains of a Roman amphitheatre, are the chief objects of interest; but readers of history will remember Poitiers as the scene of the great battle, fought in 1386, between the French and English, when the latter, under Edward the Black Prince, gained a decisive victory, though their number was barely one-fourth of that of the enemy's forces. ANGOULEME (280 miles), (Hotel: de la Poste), is situated on a rocky eminence which rises to the height of 221 feet above the Charente, at its confluence with the Touvre. The heights of the town are ascended by several flights of steps; and the terrace, which occupies the place of the ancient ramparts, commands a beautiful prospect. The principal buildings are the Cathedral, a fine specimen of Roman architecture of the 12th century, the College, the Castle, the Chapel of St Gelais, and the It also pos Palais de Justice. [From Angoulême the tourist may conveniently reach COGNAC, about 32 miles distant by railway, well known as the principal seat of the brandy trade of France. It is an uninteresting town, with a population of about 13,700. It was the birth-place of Francis I. Continuing northward by the same line 76 miles, Rochefort may be reached. It is remarkable for its harbour, which is the third Port Militaire of France. It admits vessels of the largest tonnage. The streets are broad and very regular, though the houses are, for the most part, small and low. Its principal objects of interest are arsenal, cannon foundry, and barracks. Twenty miles further north is La Rochelle, a well-built town, with several fine squares. It has a fine Cathedral, Hotelde-Ville, and Exchange. The Government has here an arsenal and foundry. The population is 18,750. the Rochelle and Rochefort are more conveniently reached from Paris by way of Poitiers, from which latter place there is a direct line.] Leaving Angoulême, we presently pass La Couronne (285 miles), in the neighbourhood of which are numerous paper mills. At a short distance on the left are the ruins of the Abbaye de La Couronne. Coutras (331 miles) is celebrated for the battle fought in the neighbourhood, in 1587, |