Remarks on the French army origin of the conscription: Robes- pierre: French soldiers: policy of the generals: military vanity: bulletins mode of attack: Rhenish confederation: act of imperial Imperial regulation necessary to be known: the director of the bureau des diligences par eau: singular adventure: a scrape: a stratagem: passage to Bonn: a discovery: excellent effect of brandy: the city of Bonn: the Mall: effect of black: present state of Bonn: the seven mountains: the monastery anecdote of the Empress Jose- Basalt mountains: Andernach: anecdote of General Hoche: Rhenish floats singular accident: French police: Neuweid: the Rhine boat tomb of General Marceau: anecdote of French heroism: Cob- lentz its surrender to the French arms: anecdote of French viva- city: the rock and fortress of Ehrenbreitstein: the griffon: stupen- The young conscript: singular French anecdote: St. Goar: its his tory: Oberwesel: the palatinate: a celebrated vineyard: a regale: Bacharach: Bacchus the Rhyngau song: Rudesheim: Roman derivations: the priory of Johannesberg: vineyards classed: grapes CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXVI. Beautiful village of Offenbach: bravery of the Hessians: anecdotes of - XV 457 TRAVELS, &c. &c. CHAPTER I. A CONFESSION-THE WAR-AN ADOPTION-CONFIDENCE IN FORTUNE SOMETIMES NECESSARY-HATEFUL CHARACTER OF A SPY-A MOTIVE FOR TRAVELLING A MORAL-ANECDOTE OF A ROYAL DESCRIPTION-MISERIES OF A DUTCH GALLIOT-CALVIN AND SERVETUS-RELIGION AND A ROPE'S END-DUTCH ANECDOTE OF FORTITUDE ANECDOTE OF A NEWFOUNDLAND DOG-APPEARANCE OF HOLLAND FROM THE SEA-ITS COAST-A DILEMMA-THE MAAS RIVER ANECDOTE OF NAPOLEON OF A DUTCH WOMAN-A DISASTER-ROTTERDAM DESCRIBED-LEANING HOUSES. THE public shall be my confessor.-In the summer of last year, whilst the larger portion of the civilized world was anxiously awaiting the result of our sincere negotiations for a peace, which, alas! the crafty ministers of Napoleon, never intended should be other than mere "romans politiques," the desire of contemplating a B a country, and a race of people to me entirely new, induced me to trespass upon their shore. I resolved upon visiting Holland, although in a state of reluctant war with my own country, of a war which yet permitted to her commerce a few stolen embraces with that of England, and which forced many a pursy Dutchman to lament the separation, and in the narcotic atmosphere of his consoling pipe, to wish for better times. In gratifying my wishes, I was guilty of assuming a character respected in every country, as well for its being most wisely and profitably at peace with all the world, as for its integrity and enterprize: I became an American, and by an act of temporary adoption, fixed upon Baltimore in North America as the place of my nativity. A fortunate correspondence in the personal description, except a slight variation, not easily discoverable, relating to my face and age, enabled a friend of mine, a legitimate American, to accommodate me with his passport, which after all I might as well have left behind me, so kindly are the Hollanders disposed towards us. I was promised by my friend a full description of the principal places in Baltimore, and of the adjacent country, that I might pass unsuspected through a cross ex |