tle of Solferino. It is a handsome brass gun, and from it the Austrians have already made a great many of a similar kind, and of a larger calibre. This French gun has six rifles, and did good execution at a distance of three miles, point blank. The arsenal is filled with a vast amount of artillery of every size and every improvement, besides huge stacks of rifles and muskets, enough to "put the world in arms." Then the artillery wagons, and the baggage wagons, and the camp wagons, all filling an immense inclosure around the arsenal, give to the place really a very warlike appearance. The wagons are made strong, but light, and their bodies consist of willow-osier work. I really envied the Austrian government the having so many of these light and handsome wagons, for I think I could put a few of them to far better uses than hauling gunpowder and cannon balls. I would put them to hauling sugar-cane, and fill their ample sides with swelling ears of Indian corn. "Peace has its conquests as well as war." I much prefer to fight crab-grass and cockle-burs, to mortal men of flesh and blood; and such modest unpretending tools as the plough, the hoe, and the spade, are much more congenial to my nature than broadswords, smooth-bores, and grape-shot.

Last night I went to the opera, and was much delighted at the fine music. The theatre or opera house is not so fine as that at Berlin; the music is, however, delightful, perhaps the very best in the world.

To-day being Sunday, I have spent in visiting the churches. I heard mass at St. Peter's. The singing was good, and the organ well played. At the church of the Capuchins lie the mortal remains of all of the House of Hapsburg. Here also reposes Napoleon II., Duke of Reichstadt, by the side of his mother Maria Louisa. An arrangement is already made by which the body of the young Napoleon will soon be taken to Paris, and placed by the side of his illustrious sire. The finest cathedral in Vienna, however, is St. Stephen's. It was begun as early as 1359, and completed in 1433. The steeple is 428 feet high, and the largest bell, cast out of 180 Turkish cannon, weighs 40,000 pounds! In this church is buried the celebrated Prince Eugene, the great general and companion-in-arms of the Duke of Marlborough. In the church of St. Augustine is a magnificent monument to the memory of the Duchess Christiana, by Canova. It represents an open tomb, with several figures (in marble) as large as life, walking into it. It is a most beautiful conception, and well worthy of the great artist. In this same church, in the Loretto chapel, are all the hearts of the members of the Hapsburg family, preserved in silver urns.

In this great capital there are hundreds of elegant palaces. Among them Prince Lichtenstein's, Prince Esterhazy's, Count Czernin's, and Count Schönborn's, are the principal. In all these palaces are fine galleries of paintings and statuary, costly jewels, and rare articles of virtu. The im

perial cabinets of antiquities and of minerals are the very best in existence. Here are the finest specimens of the various minerals that the earth and sea contain, and most tastefully arranged, with appropriate descriptions. Among them I noticed a pearl as large as my fist. It looked as if all the rays of the rainbow had been concentred in it. Here are precious stones of every description in the largest profusion, from Golconda's precious gems "of purest ray serene," to Ural's malachite, all "dressed in living green." Here is seen gold from " Afric's burning sands," and white granite from "Greenland's icy mountains."

To the student of nature, to the lover of the natural sciences, this imperial collection is a treat indeed. My companion, Dr. Smith, is a fine geologist, and naturally a great lover of its kindred science mineralogy. He lingered for hours and hours examining these fine specimens of nature's wealth; at last when compelled to leave, sighed to find that he could not stay longer. Around the city of Vienna are a great many places of amusement and attraction. The Prater is an immense inclosure, (the Hyde Park of Vienna,) and is well studded with fine shady trees, and interspersed with groups of shrubbery and nice resting-places for the million. Here are thousands of tame deer for the Imperial tables. In the suburbs, only a mile or two, is the palace of Schönbrun, the summer residence of the emperor. Napoleon lived here when he was master of Vienna, and here his son, the

Duke of Reichstadt, lived and died. The gardens attached to this palace are beautiful; they extend up the sides of the mountain on which is built "the Gloriette," a beautiful, airy, open summer-house, on the top of which is a promenade, commanding a most magnificent view of Vienna and its environs. Near this "Gloriette " is Hitteldorf, the emperor's grounds, inclosed by a high stone wall, and containing 3,000 wild boars; and here is the place where the Austrian aristocracy assemble every fall to amuse themselves in that time-honored German sport of "hunting the boar." With us matters are reversed; the bores hunt us, and generally succeed, much to our annoyance, in finding us!

I went this evening to hear the celebrated Straus, (pronounced Strows.) He plays with his band every Sunday evening at a fashionable establishment in the suburbs of Vienna. The music was truly magnificent, especially the waltzes and schottishes, for which Straus has so long been famous. There is a story here that Straus was once deep in love with a daughter of the archduke. His love was not appreciated or requited. On her wedding-day he was summoned to attend with his band, and play for the assembled guests, the bridal party. He did so, and composed expressly for the occasion a waltz which was played then, but has never been performed since. The blushing bride asked him to play one of his sweetest waltzes; immediately he obeyed. She took the floor with her partner. The music was splendid-on went the waltz-the

music was delicious-still the waltz went on-the music became ravishing-the waltz went on and on and on-sweeter and sweeter was the musicfaster and faster became the waltz, until the beautiful bride dropped dead upon the floor, a victim to the intoxicating influence of Straus's music! I do not know whether this story be true or not, but one thing I do know, that his waltzes are really charming; and if any thing in the shape of music could kill a man or a woman, Straus's waltzes would. I wish I could write you more about this great city, for to me it is the most agreeable and interesting of all the cities I have visited. The women here, notwithstanding the pouting Austrian lip, are beautiful, and exceedingly agreeable and kind to strangers. As a "looker on in Vienna," I have learned much in this imperial city, and shall always congratulate myself in having visited it. At present, the great drawback to Austrian prosperity is the wretched condition of her currency. This is 20 per cent. below par. She pays and feeds this day 600,000 soldiers! No wonder the nation is impoverished and the treasury bankrupt. Adieu,

Yours truly,

H. W. A.