LETTER IV.
From Paris to Lyons.—Burgundy and its wines.—Famous towns.—Lyons and its silk industries.—Weaving portraits.—Ampitheatre eighteen hundred years old.—Olive plantations and vineyards.—At Venice.—Genoa.—Statue of Columbus.—The cathedral of St. Lorenzo.—Chain that bound John the Baptist.—Turin.—Milan.—Cathedral of our blessed Lady, the grandest religious edifice in the world.—Attend high mass.—Arrive in Venice, the City of Waters.
Marseilles, France, December 23, 1872.
Editor Deseret News:
Our route from Paris to Lyons lies through a beautiful and interesting country, abounding in orchards and vineyards, many of the latter being very extensive. The district of Burgundy, so much celebrated for its excellent wines, embraces an area of two hundred and twenty-four thousand two hundred and twenty-three acres, all in vineyards. These vines are trained upon stakes three feet high, being more thickly set than is commonly practised elsewhere. Their yield differs according to the soil and quality of the vine, some yielding as high as one thousand gallons per acre. Immense quantities of these Burgundy wines are transported annually to foreign countries. They are highly prized by amateur consumers, being considered superior to most other wines in point of flavor and delicious quality. The price of the genuine Burgundy wines where they are manufactured will average about one dollar per gallon.
We passed many towns famous in history for memorable battles fought in their vicinity, or stirring events which have occurred within their walls. Fontainbleau, about forty miles from Paris, is remarkable for the great battle fought in February, 1814, in which the allies were signally beaten by the French under Napoleon. We stopped but a short time at this place.
We passed many elegant mansions, beautiful country seats, chateaux and towns—some of the latter very antique, embracing ancient castles and fortifications crumbling to pieces, or lying in ruins. We also passed many lovely vales, encircled in the distance by low ranges of picturesque hills covered with vineyards and olive orchards, the latter still clothed in rich green foliage. Among these romantic hills, here and there a beautiful villa appears, with its white chapel surmounted by a modest, graceful tower.
We reached Lyons on the evening of the 19th, distant from Paris about three hundred miles. Lyons is the second city in France, with a population of about three hundred and twenty-five thousand. It is celebrated for its silk manufactures; in quality and variety they are considered superior to any others in the world. In the city and vicinity there are over thirty-one thousand silk looms. Immense numbers of laborers are employed in the business. We visited some of these establishments and were amused and interested in witnessing the skill and ingenuity manifested. Portraits, groups of people, and also landscapes, were woven in silk with as much accuracy in delineation of face and figure as when done by the most skilful artist with paint and brush. We purchased a few specimens of their weaving, including exquisitely beautiful handkerchiefs, portraits of eminent personages, George Washington, M. Thiers and other distinguished individuals. We showed the proprietor of the establishment a photograph of President Brigham Young, and on his proffering to weave the portrait, President Smith made arrangement to have a supply in readiness on our return from Palestine.
We engaged carriages and drove through the principal streets, park and suburbs of the city. We saw remains of walls, fortifications and buildings constructed in past ages by the Romans, together with other objects of curiosity and historic interest. We had a splendid view of the hills of Savoy and also of Mont Blanc, one hundred miles distant, clothed in perpetual snows.
We arrived in Marseilles, about two hundred miles distant from Lyons, in the evening, stopping at the Hotel du Louvre et de le Paix—a very fine establishment. This city contains three hundred thousand inhabitants, and is considered the finest seaport in France. Its harbor is formed by an inlet of the sea, extending into the heart of the city, covering an extent of seventy acres, and will accommodate one thousand two hundred vessels. We found numerous objects of interest and attraction. No finer streets can be found in any city of Europe—they are broad and many of them bordered with ornamental trees. The park is extensive and the public gardens and promenades are romantic and enchanting to lovers of cultivated nature. To fully enjoy the smiling sun and balmy air of beautiful Marseilles, and also to avail ourselves of an opportunity for gratifying curiosity and gaining information, we perambulated the city. The gardens and parks were ornamented with rich and costly shrubbery, grass plats tastefully encircled with flowers, gravel walks with beautiful borders, ornamental trees trimmed into varied forms, flowers exhaling sweet fragrance around grottos, fountains and cascades.