The Cathedral is a very fine building, and its interior handsomely fitted up.
The packet arrived at half-past two o'clock: I took my departure for Dusseldorf, and passed by Cologne, where, I imagine, there must have been several thousand people assembled on the harbour and bridge.
We now changed packets for one of less dimensions and splendour, and arrived at Dusseldorf about half-past ten o'clock. The scenery from Cologne to Dusseldorf was flat, and but little varied; in short Bonn is the termination of picturesque scenery.
At Dusseldorf, I had but little difficulty in finding a hotel, as they were not so much crowded as at Bonn.
Sept. 21st. Started at six o'clock, a. m. for prince Salm-Dyck's Château, which is situated about ten miles from Dusseldorf, on the opposite side of the Rhine, which is crossed in a flat barge, and passes through the ancient town of Neuss, at which place Buonaparte's design of connecting the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse, is nearly completed.
The suburbs of Neuss abound in numerous vegetable gardens, enclosed with well clipt hedges. The ground in this part of the country, is a strong rich looking yellowish loam, and produces strong crops of corn, clover, and potatoes. The road however leading through a part of this country to the prince's palace, is very much out of repair, and appeared to have been neglected for a considerable time.
On arriving at the palace, I immediately found out M. Funck, the prince's gardener, and delivered to him my letters of introduction from the prince, and from M. Otto, of Berlin. The garden ground attached to this residence, contains one hundred and eighty German acres; the surface is considerably varied, and consists of numerous fine trees and shrubs grouped together on the lawn, the rising ground being judiciously planted with the loftiest growing sorts, and kept towards the extremity of the arboretum; amongst these I observed some very fine specimens of beeches and oaks; the beeches were particularly fine.
I saw here the Gleditschia tricantha, 50 feet high, and the Populus Canadensis eleven feet in circumference, by about sixty in height; also a fine specimen of Acer dasycarpum. The trees in this arboretum are arranged according to the system of Jussieu; there is likewise a natural arrangement of herbaceous plants nearer to the palace and green houses. I here observed a good collection of Pæonias, but the prince excels most in the Succulent tribe of plants, such as the Cacteæ, Mesembryanthemum, and Aloes.
Although the Cacteæ are very numerous they were not such fine specimens as in the Berlin garden. A sheet of water encloses, in a manner, the greater part of the palace and its offices, and from the windows it has a very fine effect, with its bold sweeping banks extending along the arboretum, where a pretty wooden bridge appears in view. The hothouses are rather in a decayed state; but M. Funck informed me that the prince intended re-building them. In the greenhouse are some very rare specimens of Yuccas and Aloes. I understood from M. Funck that Mr. Hitchen, of Norwich, had the greater part of his celebrated collection from this garden, whence I also anticipate receiving, ere long, not a few rarities.
In going through the interior of the palace I saw a number of very old paintings, many of which represented former princes of Salm-dyck, but they are not in a good state of preservation; the rooms and furniture are of antique appearance, as well as the exterior of the palace. After spending several hours in inspecting the plants and grounds, I returned to Dusseldorf, to see the botanic garden belonging to that town, which is certainly neither difficult to get over, nor to see its contents, the space of ground being very contracted, and the plants also few in number.