Part 20 (1/2)

I was so much pleased with him that I spent two days in his society

I have rarely met with acoination, which threw a light upon every subject that he touched

It was delightful to see the perfect ine factory under his superintendence, and to observe the pride which he took in the accuracy of the work turned out by his excellent nificent and intricate iron castings produced there

As M Rosine spoke English fluently, we had discussions on a vast variety of topics, not only relating to technical subjects, but on otherHe was one of the few men I have met who had in perfection the happy acco with true artistic spirit any object that he desired to bring before you His pencil far outstripped language in conveying distinct ideas on constructive and material objects The ti reatly to hear of his premature death about two years after the date of my visit He must have been a sad loss to his deeply attached friends, as well as to the nation whom he so faith fully served

On non to Nisht of the exquisite Roman temple, the Maison Carree It is al of the Ronificent Arand specimen of architecture, as well as the old temples, cathedrals, and castles, I felt that we randeur, sublimity

It appears to me that one of the chief causes of the inferiority and defects of Modern Architecture is, that our designers are so anxious to display their taste in ornan the exterior, and then fit into it the interior of their building

The purpose of the building is thus regarded as a secondary consideration In short, they utilise orna utility--total inversion, as it appears to overn all classes of architectural structures

This is, unfortunately, too evident in s

See, for instance, our ne Courts

One thing I was especially struck with at Nisht issue, without hindrance, froes radiate froress of an i out of any modern theatre or church in case of alar is renesian limestone

[footnote

I believe Doloical term This fine material abounds in this part of France, and has materially contributed to the durability of the Roman mason work

have been selected So; they roof over the corridors; yet they still retain the marks of the Roman chisel Every individual chip is as crisp as on the day on which it was made; even the delicate ”scribe” o lined out his work on the blocks of stone he was about to chip into its required form, are still perfectly distinct

This wonderfully durable stone is of the sanesian, it is of a different quality fro our Houses of Parliament

As this was carefully selected, the latter was carelessly unselected

It was quarried at randonorant way; soh all sorts of nostru will cure the radical defect This, however, is a wide digression from my subject of the adht e that superb arena and the other Ros at Nismes

I proceeded to Marseilles, where I had some business to transact with Philip Taylor and Co firreatly added to the enjoyment of my visit to that remarkable city From Marseilles I proceeded to Toulon, the last of the marine dockyards I had to visit There was no railway between the places at that ti the usual road In the course of h the Pass of Col d'Ollioulles

It fully ihty cleft between two mountains; the result of some convulsion of Nature

There was only rooe road to pass between the cliffs

The ruins of a Saracenic castle stood on the heights to guard the passage It was certainly thedown into the deep cleft below me, at the botto which our carriage was to pass And then suddenly I eht of the Mediterranean, with the cal over the deep blue sea There were palroves The fields were full of tulips and narcissuses, and the rocks by the roadside were covered with boxwood and lavender Everything gave evidence of the sunny South I had got a glimpse of the Mediterranean a few days before; but now I saw it in its glory

I arrived in due ti in itself It is surrounded by an anesian lietation

This it is which gives so arid an aspect to this part of the coast

Facing the south, the sun's rays, reflected from the bare surface of the rocks, place one atmirror, and send every one in quest of shade This intense temperature has its due effect upon the workers in the dockyard I found the place far inferior to the others which I had visited The heat seeender a sort of listlessness over the entire place The people seeh we coreat incentive to work Even our east wind is an invigorator; it braces us up, and strengthens our nerves and muscles

It is quite possible that the worky provided an occasion arose to call forth their dory But without the aid of an al tools in this sleepy establish machinery, the spell of indolence that see like continuous and effective industry or useful results

The docks looked like one vast knacker's yard of broken-down obsolete shi+ps and wretched old paraphernalia--unfortunately a characteristic of other establishofficers of this vast dockyard I returned to Marseilles There I found letters requiring me to proceed to Naples, in order to coely rejoiced to have an opportunity of visiting the south of Italy I set out at once

A fine new steaeries Imperiales, the Ercolano, was ready to sail from the harbour I took ines had been made by Maudsley Sons and Field; they were of their latest improved double-cylinder construction

When I went down into the engine-rooines brought to one by

We steamed out of the harbour, and passed in succession the beautiful little islands which gest others, the isle of If, crowned by its castle, once a State prison, and the Chateau d'If, ine, Ratoneau, and other islands We were now on the deep blue Mediterranean, watching the graceful curves of the coast as we steaht of the snow-cappedwas cal I awoke in the harbour of Genoa, with a splendid panoralorious sight of that clear brightas I live