many. One or two hours on the railroad brought us from Frankfort to this old town, situated on the Neckar, and renowned for its Castle and University. Being surrounded on either side by lofty hills, Heidelberg is necessarily confined to a single street, nearly three miles in length, and containing about 14,000 inhabitants. The beauty of many places is much exaggerated, but that of Heidelberg cannot be too much extolled. From the ruins of the old Castle which overlooks the entire town and valley below, as far as the Rhine, a panorama is presented calculated to inspire genius, and make it a fit place for the student's home. As an edifice, the University, which was once the pride of Germany, is not remarkable. It is a plain and not very large house, situated in a small square near the centre of the town. The famous Palatine Library, carried off by the Bavarians during the thirty years' war, and restored by Pope Pius VII., now comprises only about 900 volumes, and the entire Library only 120,000 volumes. In the days of its prosperity this institution was overrun with students from all parts of Europe; but the desolating influences of war, time after time, have reduced it almost to ruin, and it at present numbers only three or four hundred students.

"To those fond of the antique, the Castle of Heidelberg presents many attractions. The building displays the work of various hands, the taste of different founders, and the styles of successive centuries; it is highly interesting for its varied fortunes, its picturesque situation, its vastness, and the relics of architectural magnificence which it displays after having been three times burnt, and having ten times. experienced the horrors of war." Aside from the Castle itself, many interesting relics of antiquity are shown to visitors, among which are several old wine casks of enormous dimensions.

In a cellar under the Castle is the famous Heidelberg Butt, constructed one hundred years ago; it is the largest wine cask in the world, thirty-six feet long and twenty-four feet high; being capable of holding 800 hogsheads or 283,200 bottles. In former days, when the tierce was filled with the produce of the vintage, it was usual to dance on the platform erected on the top of the tierce. It has, however, remained empty more than half a century, and is now preserved as one of the lions of Heidelberg, and as an evidence of the sumptuous modes of living in ancient times.

LETTER TWENTY-FIVE.

FALLS OF THE RHINE. Fashionable Watering Places in Germany-Detour to Strasburg-Cathedral at Freiburg— First Adventure on a Diligence-Customs-Cultivation of Tobacco and Indian Corn in Germany-Falls of the Rhine, etc.

HAVING heard a great deal of the fashionable summer resorts in Germany, and feeling a little curiosity to learn something about their way of doing things, and compare them with our own places of the same character, we made visits during the gay season, both to Wiesbaden and Baden Baden, two of the most celebrated watering places now in Europe. Wiesbaden is the capital of the Duchy of Nassau, and residence of the Duke. It is composed almost entirely of lodging houses, and contains a population exceeding twelve thousand. The celebrity of its baths and mineral waters is so great, that visitors in search of health and pleasure flock there from all quarters of the globe, to the amount of fifteen thousand annually. Situated in a kind of basin, formed by the contiguity of several hills, and being a regularly built town, it is necessarily devoid of many of the chief attractions that combine to render such a place pleasant; pure air, shady groves, and fragrant breezes, are out of the question; and all that one may expect to find, is strange tasting water, and extensive gaming at a saloon called the Kursaal, which forms the centre of attraction and gayety. The stranger's attention is soon attracted, as he walks along the streets, by the clouds of vapor arising on all sides out of the ground, produced as is supposed by the numerous boiling springs that abound there. Walking through a long avenue of little short trees, serving as a kind of promenade for the water drinkers, we found the principal spring called the Kochbrunnen (boiling spring) sending forth its heated vapor in volumes, greater than the escape from a steam enginegiving it more the appearance of a caldron in violent ebullition, than a spring of water fresh from the bowels of the earth. From five to eight in the morning, and from six to seven in the evening, are the hours for drinking the water; at which time, ladies and gentlemen from the various hotels and boarding houses repair to the spring, and receiving their portion boiling hot, walk about, glass in

hand, discussing its properties, until it is cool enough to be drunk. In taste, it is very much like chicken-broth--and if one did not know the fact, I believe they would not perceive the difference. In a bath, the water is covered with a greasy film or scum, which collects on the surface while cooling; and which, however uninviting it may appear, is the test of its being quite fresh, and not having been used before. The temperature of this water is said to be 156° Fahrenheit, and the volume is so great that after being used both for drinking and supplying the principal baths in the city, it runs over and escapes through the gutters and drains into the Rhine.

The Kursaal, alluded to above, is the most remarkable edifice in Wiesbaden—occupying the east side of a square, the north and south sides of which are lined with colonnades, filled with gay shops, serving as a promenade in wet weather, and a sort of bazaar during the whole of the season. It answers the fourfold purpose of banquet, ball, and gaming room; and forms, as a matter of course, the chief place of rendezvous for the lovers of pleasure. The establishment, however, of the same character at Baden Baden, called the Conversations Haus, is more extensive, and frequented usually by fashionable gamblers, who bet on a magnificent scale, and consider it a condescension to put down any thing smaller than a gold piece. "It is let out by the government of Baden to a company of speculators, who pay for the exclusive privilege of opening gambling tables £3,000 annually, and agree to spend in addition 250,000 florins on the walks and buildings." So you may form some idea from this, of the vast sum of money which must be lost every summer by the dupes who frequent this licensed gaming house. The building is very large, superbly furnished, and conducted on principles different from any thing of the kind either in Europe or our own country. In the afternoon, when dinner is over, the walking colonnades that adorn the front of the Conversations Haus become the fashionable resort, and are crowded with people, sipping coffee and ices, or smoking; the whole space is then covered with chairs and tables, and an excellent band of music is stationed close at hand to enliven the crowd and give zest to the occasion. After this they disperse; some go to their hotels, and others, who are fond of gaming, repair to the brilliant illuminated hall, containing the rouge-et-noir and roulette tables, which are open, and occupied day and night—but

more particularly in the evening, when the stakes become higher and the excitement more intense. Betting at these tables is not confined, as you might suppose, to the gentlemen; but females are often seen at them, and sometimes gamble higher than the men. As a matter of curiosity, we stood five hours one evening at the roulette table watching an old lady from Russia, who played with as much coolness and boldness as the most inveterate gamester. With snuff-box on one side, and rolls of gold on the other, she stood in a crowded room, risking five hundred francs on nearly every turn of the wheel, until she lost thirty thousand francs, a sum of money that would be considered a small fortune by many men even in Germany. One would suppose that after such heavy losses, she would be inclined to leave off for a time; but such was not the On the following evening, she was again at the table with her well-filled purse, and met with no better success—. -but on the contrary, not only lost largely at hazard, but had two thousand francs taken from her pocket by one of the light-fingered gentry who always frequent such places.

The situation of Baden Baden is far more beautiful and better suited for a summer residence than Wiesbaden. Embosomed among hills, forming an offset to the Black Forest range, and seated on the banks of the Oos-a stream which, though not magnificent in size, once formed the boundary line between the Franks and Allemanni -it affords a retreat for the denizens of European cities, that is truly grateful and invigorating. As places of fashion and elegance, neither of the German watering establishments can compare with Newport, Saratoga, or Cape May. The assembly rooms are poorly attended. The hotels are conducted on a small scale, and the visitors usually assort themselves into exclusive parties, which forbids any thing like sociability or gayety of any kind. The Conversations Haus, for those addicted to gaming, and the mineral waters for the invalids, seem to constitute the sole attraction.

Leaving Baden Baden, we made a detour across the Rhine, for the purpose of seeing the celebrated Cathedral at Strasburg-depositing our baggage at a little town called Kehl, on the Germar shore, to avoid examination and the annoyance of custom-house officers, who are usually more persevering in France than any other country. Soon after crossing on the bridge of boats, we came in

sight of the lofty spire of the Minster, which is several miles distant from the river, and situated in the centre of the city. At first we were disappointed in the height of the edifice, but as we drew nearer to it, and ascended the great flight of steps that lead to its summit, we were fully convinced there was no exaggeration, either as to its altitude or beauty. Like many cathedrals in Europe, it stands in an unfinished state; but to the lover of architectural symmetry, its perfect proportions and delicacy of workmanship cannot fail to create admiration. According to measurement, the spire rises four hundred and seventy-four feet above the pavement, twenty-four feet higher than the highest Pyramid of Egypt, and one hundred and forty feet higher than St. Paul's, in London. The view from its summit, although extensive, is wholly uninteresting; presenting nothing to the eye but barren plains and a multitude of rusty-colored tiled roofs, with three and sometimes four stories above the eaves. In the interior, we were shown a beautiful marigold window, the glass of which was painted in the fifteenth century; and the famous clock in one of the transepts, made by an artist of Strasburg, to replace the old one which had fallen to decay. The full mechanism is set in motion at twelve o'clock; at which time a number of ludicrous figures, made of wood, are exhibited, and required to perform by some invisible means various antics, better suited for a puppet-show than the church of God.

Returning to Kehl, where we left our baggage, we proceeded to Freiburg, per railway, which is also remarkable for its Minster. It is the only Gothic church in Germany which is finished, and which has escaped destruction from fire and the violence of war. In appearance, it resembles very strikingly the Cathedral at Strasburg, and is equally admired for the delicate symmetry of its proportions, and the good taste of its decorations. At Freiburg we passed the night, and were lulled to sleep by the exquisite strains of martial music in honor of the Prince of Russia, who had just arrived en route for Switzerland. The following morning we procured seats on the diligence for the Falls of the Rhine. Being our first adventure, we followed the advice of old stagers, and occupied what they call the Imperial, corresponding with the outside seat on our coaches. Three in number, we started off in high spirits, expecting a nice day's drive. The sky was cloudless, and every thing promised