city, particularly as the next stretch of journey would involve a long day, probably the following night as well, and the great change of temperature added to the fatigue of the last two weeks had deprived me already of much of the valued stock of health imparted by the mountain air.

The "Park" of Savannah consists of some, perhaps sixty acres, laid out in grass and walks, thickly planted with pines and other evergreens; the whole surrounded by a very light and almost invisible iron railing. In the centre is a more substantial palisade around a circle of flower border which encloses a large basin of water, from which rises an extremely handsome stone fountain, in the form of two salver-shaped basins one above another, surmounted by a figure holding a jet. Four other figures of Neptune, each holding a jet, were rising from the water. The gardener, in a little skiff, was cleaning these jets. Roses, camellias, geraniums, verbenas, and other summer flowers were in bloom, over which gay butterflies and humming insects were hovering, as if they knew no winter, and thought it not worth while to die. The delicate tillansia, or "long moss," hung in festoons and tassels from the tall pine trees. A few ladies were strolling about, nurses with their young charges were sitting on the grass, soldiers from their adjoining encampment were leaning over the iron railing, in apparent enjoyment of the tranquillity of the scene. Flights of pigeons were whirling over head, violets and stellarias were sprouting

WINTER IN SAVANNAH.

229

beneath the feet, and such was the January of Savannah.

The private gardens belonging to the residences possessed even greater attractions than those of Charleston in the way of novelties. Giant ferns and tropical specimens indicated the taste of their owners. In passing along one of the private streets I was all at once arrested by a perfume; it was of no flower or fruit that I remembered ever to have inhaled, but of such peculiar fragrance, combining all that one could conceive of the most delicious odours, that one was feign to "sniff the air," and stop to seek the cause. On turning the corner of the wall, behold, there was an orange-tree laden with fruit; large, dark, rich fruit unlike what one had ever seen before, as also was the fragrance, so rich and full, that the remembrance of that first orange-tree, in its native soil, will be always associated with the charms of Savannah.

There is an exceedingly handsome and wellfinished monument standing in the centre of the street leading to the park. It is to the memory of Count Pulaski, one of the heroes of the last revolution. The inscription is as follows:

PULASKI,

THE HEROIC POLE,

Who fell mortally Wounded,

Fighting for American Liberty at the Siege of
Savannah,

9th OCTOBER, 1779;

ROBERT E. LANITZ,

New York, A.D., 1854.

The attitude and expression of the figure are strikingly beautiful. It is of white marble, a noble work of art, and one could but wonder that a people so full of admiration for liberty as those who designed and inaugurated this emblem, a liberty which has hitherto been the boast of the American Republic, should now be prosecuting with such savage fury, a war to quench that very freedom and independence, for which in their own case they fought so hard and long.

Savannah is built upon a bluff much above the level of the broad-stretching river. A wide street, bordered by a parade and grass walks under rows of trees, runs parallel with the river for a long distance. It commands a fine view of the wide-spreading rice lands on the opposite shore, where huge mills rise up on the flat plains like those great flour-mills of Richmond, making everything else small by comparison. That beautiful parade was now defaced by bristling cannon. In the distance one could just distinguish the position of Fort Pulaski. Under the cliff in the river lay Commodore Tatnall's fleet of gun-boats, and the Fingall that had just run the blockade; along the shore were extensive warehouses, wharfs, and docks, which, like those of Charleston, were now closed and useless, where was wont to flourish some of the busiest commerce of the world!

Everything in Savannah has relation to the Hero Pulaski. The best hotel is the Pulaski House. There are Pulaski streets, and a Pulaski county in Georgia.

My stay was too short to avail myself of introductory letters, and kind proffers of hospitality; and I set out on the tedious remainder of the Southern journey quite alone. We were leaving war behind us, and my fellow-travellers were few, not very prepossessing individuals.

CHAPTER X.

An Unexpected Friend-The Governor-A Solitary JourneyTen in Family.

More

FOR Some miles the road was of the same character as that between Savannah and Charleston. rice lands, swamps, cane brakes, and rivers to cross. Then our course lay westward; we entered pine woods, and remained in pine woods without variety or intermission, except when one stopped for a few minutes at the little wayside station, which generally consisted of a low rough shanty, with a broad overhanging roof, and a deep porch for shade. As the banks were for the most part high, you must mount an ample flight of wooden steps to reach this "station," around which was a plentiful litter of old casks and wooden cases, planks and prostrate trees, litter, sand, rubbish, and soldiers. Very barren, desolate-looking places.

By-and-by we stopped again at a shabby little village, and then a gentleman got into the car whom I remembered to have seen before, He was past middle-age, and looked like a Virginian. I was trying to recall where I could have seen this gen