best material for roads and pavements, on which account it is extensively quarried. (1.) Apollinarisberg, a wooded height, surmounted by a church and convent, conspicuous for its white walls. It is named after a Saint, whose head is preserved here as a relic. The lower part of the interesting Gothic church dates from 1121. At the foot of the hill lies (1.) 23 Remagen. Inn: König von Preussen. The Rigomagum of the Romans is a town of 1400 inhabitants; it has nothing of interest to detain the traveller, except a curious carved gateway leading to the Pfarhof, close to the church, executed, probably, at the end of the xi. century, which may be seen while the horses are changing. During the construction of the high road, many Roman antiquities were dug up here. (rt.) Opposite Remagen rise the black basaltic precipices, 700 feet high, called Erpeler Lei. The ingenuity of man has converted these rocks, which would otherwise be barren, and are almost inaccessible from their steepness, into a productive vineyard. The vines are planted in baskets filled with mould, and inserted in crevices of the basalt. By this means alone is it possible to retain about their roots the earth, which would be washed away by every shower, were this precaution not taken. (rt.) The blackened walls of the ruined castle of Ockenfels. Below it lie's (rt.) Linz; an ancient fortified town, surrounded by walls of basalt, part of which are still standing; it has 2200 inhabitants. An Archbishop of Cologne built the tower still standing near the Rhine gate, to enforce the payment of tolls on the river, and to defend the place Irom the burghers of Andernach, who were engaged in almost perpetual feuds with him and the townspeople of Linz. The church on the height it behind commands a fine view ; contains some curious monuments of the noble families of the neigh bourhood, and one or two ancient pictures of the German school. (1.) The river Ahr issues into the Rhine opposite Linz. The very interesting excursion from Remagen, up the valley of the Ahr, is described in Route XXXIX. (1.) 1 Sinzig. Inn: Die Krone. At the distance of about a mile from the Rhine, but traversed by the high road, was the Sentiacum of the Romans. The parish church is an interesting Gothic building, in the style which marks the transition from the round to the pointed Gothic, dating probably from the beginning of the xiii. century. According to an obscure transition, it was near this spot, that the cross appeared in the sky to Constantine, on his march from Britain to Rome, and assured him of a victory, whose consequences were no less important than the establishment of Christianity and downfall of Paganism. There is a rude painting representing this event in the church; and in an adjoining chapel, a natural mummy, called the Holy Voght, carried to Paris by the French. (rt.) The château of Argenfels, the Stammhouse, or cradle of the family von der Ley, is seen in the distance behind the ancient village of Hönningen. (1.) The village of Niederbreisig (1.) The castle of Rheineck, consistingof a watch-tower and a castellated residence adjoining, has lately been rebuilt, at a lavish expense, by Professor Bethman Hollweg of Bonn. The design of the original edifice has been followed as far as possible in the restoration by the eminent architect Von Lassaulx. (1.) Brohl, a small village, with an inn affording tolerable accommodation, at the mouth of the stream and valley of Brohl. It possesses a papermill, and several others moved by the dernach, and the whole excursion may be made in one long day. About two miles up the glen is the interesting castle of Schweppenburg; higher up is the spring and convent of Tonistein; and further on, at the foot of the hill, whose cup-shaped interior is filled with the lake of Laach, lies Wassenach. (rt.) On the summit of a bold, black, precipitous rock stand the broken walls of Hammerstein castle. (1.) Namedy. 23 (1.) Andernach. Inns: Zur Lilie (The Lily), good; Kaiser von Russland, very good. streams of the Brohl-bach for grinding | direct road from Wassenach to Antuff-stone into trass (Dutch terrass); and there are very singular cave-like quarries of tuff-stone about a mile up the stream. From the resemblance of this rock to the tufa formed at the present day in the eruptions of Etna, Vesuvius, and other active volcanoes, geologists conjecture that the tufa of Brohl has been formed either by a torrent of volcanic mud discharged from the lips of some crater into the valley, or by showers of pumice and ashes, thrown up by one of the volcanoes of the Eifel, falling into a lake, mixing with the mud at the bottom of it, and now consolidated into a soft stone. This, when quarried and ground into powder, is called trass, and from the valuable property which it possesses of hardening under water is in great request as a cement. Large quantities are exported from this to distant countries, especially into Holland, where it is employed in the construction of the dykes. ancients made use of this kind of stone for coffins; and from its property of absorbing the moisture of the dead body, gave them the name of sarcophagi, i. e. flesh-consumers. Votive tablets, bearing Roman inscriptions, have actually been discovered in the quarries, proving at how early a period they were worked. Trunks The of trees, reduced to the condition of charcoal, and even land-shells of various species, are embedded in the substance of the rock. A mineral water, resembling the Seltzer, but even more highly effervescent, is obtained from a spring called Tonistein, a short way up the valley it is very palatable when mixed with Rhenish wine and sugar. The pleasant excursion to the lake of Laach, described at length in p. 270, may be made from Brohl. The travelling carriage should be sent on to Andernach, and the journey up the valley should be made on foot, or mules, or in the light cars of the country. In returning, there is a This is one of the oldest cities on the Rhine, and has 3000 inhabitants. It was called by the Romans Antoniacum, and originated in one of Drusus' camps pitched on the spot, Its massive ramparts, watch-towers, and vaulted portals, still give it an air of sombre antiquity. There are two articles of traffic peculiar to this spot: millstones obtained from very singular quarries near Nieder Mendig, and exported to England, Russia, the East and West Indies, and to other remote parts of the world. They were used by the Romans, and spoken of as Rhenish millstones by Latin authors. The stone is a species of basaltic lava. Another volcanic production is the trass, or cement, brought from the neighbouring quarries of Brohl, Kruft, and Bell. A species of pumice called Oven-stone, because, from its property of resisting heat, it is used for lining ovens, is also obtained from the same localities. The Parish church or Dome has four towers; those at the west end tall and much ornamented: it was built in the beginning of the XIIth century, in the round style. The interior is supported upon two tiers of arches of nearly equal height; beneath the upper tier runs a spacious gallery, intended for the male part of the congregation, and called manns haus: the women sit below. It contains some curious carvings, and a Roman tomb, erroneously said to be of Valentinian II. The picturesque Watch-tower, at the lower end of the town, by the water side; round below, and eightsided above, dates from 1520: the Crane, a little higher up, from 1554. Beneath the Rathaus is a Jew's bath, of considerable antiquity. The Jews were expelled from the town 1596, and have never since been allowed to settle here. (rt.) Neuwied. Inns: Zum Anker; Zur Brüder Gemeinde (The Society of the Moravian brothers). A town consisting of straight streets crossing each other at right angles. It contains 5200 inhabitants, and is the capital of the principality of Wied, now mediatized, and attached to the Prussian dominions. This neat and uniform town had no existence 100 years ago, having been founded in 1737 by a prince who invited colonists of all persuasions, from all parts, to come and settle, with the understanding and promise of perfect toleration. The wisdom of such liberality has been proved by the flourishing condition of the industious ma. The Gate leading out of the town to Coblenz is an elegant Gothic portal, not a Roman work, as is commonly reported. Adjoining it, on the right of the road, are the exten-nufacturing town which has sprung sive ruins of the castellated Palace of the Archbishops of Cologne, built about the end of the XVth century. The Palace of the Austrasian kings stood either on this spot or close to the river, near an old gateway, possibly of Roman origin. A short distance off, on the right of the road, are the ruins of the Abbey of St. Thomas, now turned into a very extensive tannery, and partly into an asylum for incurable lunatics. The architecture of St. Michael's chapel attached to it, is interesting: it was built in 1129. The excursions to the lake and abbey of Laach may be made in a carriage from hence, as a tolerable road leads directly thither and to Wassenach. At Andernach, the mountains on both sides of the Rhine again approach the water's edge, and form a majestic defile, somewhat like that between the Drachenfels and Rolandseck. (rt.) At the water's edge stands the ruined castle of Frederichstein, or the Devil's House, so called probably by the peasants or serfs, who were compelled to build it by forced labour. Behind it the small river Wied issues out into the Rhine. (rt.) An avenue of poplars unites the village of Irrlich with the town of up in consequence, and by the harmony in which Jews, Catholics, Protestants, and Hernnhuters, all live together. The traveller in search of amusement must judge for himself whether the objects here enumerated possess sufficient interest to reward him for turning out of his way to visit Neuwied. The Palace (Residenz Schloss) of the prince, overlooking the Rhine, possesses a collection of Roman antiquities discovered in this neighbourhood, and principally derived from the buried city of Victoria, near the village of Niederbiber, about two miles north of Neuwied. The destruction of this Roman settlement, which, from the antiquities preserved in it, may be considered as a sort of Northern Herculaneum, appears to have been occasioned by an attack of the barbarian Germans the remains of burnt beams, and of shattered and levelled walls, attesting the fury of their ravages. The objects brought to light comprise works in bronze and iron, armour, helmets, weapons, a ploughshare, locks and keys, tools of various trades, and a sacrificial knife, pottery in great abundance, tiles, hand-mills; bones of deer, pigs, dogs, and a large quantity of oystershells, proving that the garrison of a remote colony in the third century sent all the way to the sea for the luxuries of the table. Many tiles have been found stamped with the names and numbers of the legions quartered here. In a large collection of coins discovered here, none have come to light older than the time of Valentinian the elder, who died A. D. 375, a fact which serves to fix the date of the destruction of Victoria with an approach to precision. It is much to be regretted that the remains of the city from which all these curiosities were derived, should not have been permanently exposed; but owing to the value of the land for agricultural purposes, the excavations have been long since filled up, and few traces of Victoria are perceptible, since crops of corn and grass again wave above its scanty ruins. In the building called the Pheasantry (Fasanerie Gebaude) is the Museum of Natural History, principally remarkable for the collections made by Prince Maximilian of Neuwied during his travels in Brazil and North America. The Colony of Moravian Brothers, established here, exceeds 400 individuals: their establishment, church, school, and workshops are worth seeing. Their school for boys and girls, between 10 and 15 years old, under the direction of M. Merian, is attended by many English children, and is much to be recommended as affording sound religious instruction. The park and gardens of the château of Montrepos, situated between the Wied and the Rhine, six miles from Neuwied, form a pleasant excursion, and afford beautiful prospects. There is a flying bridge over the Rhine at Neuwied, and the steamers stop here to receive or let out passengers. From Andernach to Coblenz the scenery of the Rhine is uninteresting, and the banks flat. (1.) Weissenthurm (White Tower), a small village, through which the road passes, a little above Neuwied, on the opposite bank, is remarkable as the spot where the French crossed the Rhine in spite of the opposition of the Austrians, in 1797. On an eminence behind, to the right of the road, stands an obelisk, erected to the memory of the French general Hoche, who achieved this memorable exploit by throwing a bridge across to the island in the middle of the river. The monument bears the simple inscription, "L'Armée de Sambre et Meuse à son Général Hoche." Byron says of it, "This is all, and as it should be; Hoche was esteemed among the first of France's earlier generals, until Napoleon monopolised her triumphs. He was the destined commander of the invading army of Ireland.” Cæsar, when leading his army against the Sicambri, seventeen centuries before, crossed the Rhine at the same spot, and has described the very curious bridge which he constructed for the passage. (1.) Beyond Weissenthurm the road quits the side of the Rhine, and continues out of sight of it till near to Coblenz. (rt.) Engers, a small village, with an old-fashioned château facing the river; a short way above this, the remains of a Roman bridge, built B.C. 38, are discoverable in the bed of the river. (rt.) Mühlhofen, a village at the mouth of the river Sayn. (rt.) A good macadamised road strikes up the valley of Sayn behind the village of Bendorf. A little way from the mouth, about eight miles from Coblenz, stands the village and modern château of Sayn, belonging to Count Boos, overlooked by a picturesque old castle in ruins. Not far off are the Royal Cannon Foundry and Iron Works (Sayner Hütte), equal in extent to some of the most considerable establishments of the same kind in England: very pretty cast iron ornaments, similar to the black ware of Berlin, are made here. At the upper extremity of the valley is the castle of the counts of Ysenburg, whence they used to sally forth and plunder the merchants upon the Rhine. The whole valley is beautiful; the stream of the Sayn flowing through it gives it verdure; its woody sides afford a cool shelter even in summer, and are intersected with walks, and provided with seats and summerhouses. In fact, it possesses all the requisites for a pleasant day's excursion, and is therefore chosen as the scene of many a pic-nic by the people of Coblenz. An excellent carriage road has recently been made along it, which, when continued, is intended to open a short communinication between Berlin and the Rhine. (1.) Near Kesselheim are remains of the château of Schönbornlust, originally a palace of the Elector of Treves, and only remarkable because it was the residence of the emigrant Bourbon princes and their supporters who were exiled from France during the revolution. It became the headquarters of the army of the refugees and their allies, and their plans of invading France were here concocted. The part of the building now standing serves as an inn. (1.) Near the junction of the Mosel and Rhine, stands the "Monument of the young and lamented General Marceau, killed at the battle of Altenkirchen, in attempting to check the retreat of Jourdan, on the last day of the fourth year of the French republic." (Sept. 21. 1796.) "By Coblentz, on a rise of gentle ground, There is a small and simple pyramid, Crowning the summit of the verdant mound; Beneath its base are heroes' ashes hid, Our enemy's but let not that forbid Honour to Marceau! o'er whose early tomb Byron adds: "The inscriptions on his monument are rather too long, and not required: his name was enough. France adored, and her enemies admired; both wept over him. His funeral was attended by the generals and detachments from both armies." It was in allusion to the last circumstance, that the words of the Imperial captain, in whose arms Bayard breathed his last under nearly similar circumstances, were inscribed on the monument. "Je voudrais qu'il m'eut couté le quart de mon sang, et vous tinse en santé mon prisonnier! Quoique je sais, que l'Empereur mon maitre n'eut en ses guerres plus rude ni facheux ennemi."- Mémoires de Bayard. another side of the monument were inscribed the words, "Qui que tu sois, ami ou ennemi, de ce jeune héros respecte les cendres." On This injunction has not been exactly complied with. The monument originally stood on the spot now occupied by the fortress Kaiser Franz, but was pulled down in 1817, to make room for it. Hoche was buried in the grave with Marceau, though his monument is at Weissenthurm. Whether the bodies were removed or not, is not clearly ascertained; but some time after, the tomb was rebuilt at the command of the King of Prussia, in a field to the right of the road from Cologne to Coblenz. (1.) After passing under the works of the Fort Emperor Francis, which the French commenced, and called |
