PROFESSOR SILLIMAIr'S VISIT TO EUROPE. ° Two circumstances give attraction to

this journey over a tho- roughly beaten field,—the author's habits of scientific precision; and the comparison which the reminiscences of nearly half a cen- tury enable him to institute. Every one must have observed how clearly a well-trained craftsman, whether mechanical or mental, presents the points of a thing which is brought before him in his own pursuit. In such a case, how much is rejected as of little or no account, which seemed important ; how matters really im- portant have been overlooked, and how each feature is reduced in order to its proper place, till the whole is exhibited distinctly and clear to the apprehension, though, may be, deficient in animation. The perhaps lifelong habit of teaching, and even more than teach- ing, the editorship of the well-known American Journal of Science and Arts, have induced in Professor Silliman a power of observa- tion, with a method and precision in recording what is observed, that often presents old things in a new light. Rapid as was the tour of the Professor and his party, a few days only being given to important towns, sometimes only one day, and some five months sufficing for England, France, Italy, including part of Sicily and Etna, Switzerland, Germany, the Rhine, Belgium, with France and England a second time, it is astonishing how much he saw, and how much of solid information he has collected. It is true ihat he looked with learned eyes on many things both in nature and art; but even in matters more out of his way, the faculty of analysis—of classifying everything and regarding only essential points—enables the traveller to form clear and mostly just conclusions, as well as to present the ontological 1,,A Visit to Europe, in 1851. By Professor Benjamin Silliman. of Yale College. In two volumes, with Illustrations. Published by Low and Son, London. characteristics of things to the reader's mind. Much of what the traveller sees and says will, however, have more substantial novelty for Americans than Englishmen, unless the Americans read all our travels and guidebooks. A greater interest,.though a less extensive subject, will be found in the comparisons which the author's experience enables him to draw. His (boyish) memory of public events begins with the meeting of the States-General in 1789; and he has since paid a close attention to all public matters. In 1805-'6 he passed up- wards of a year in Great Britain, and he published on his re- turn. to America an account of his observations, in three vo- lumes. The contrast between what he then saw in our great towns, in the country, and even in manners, is one of the most remarkable features of the book. It has oftener than once been observed in this journal, that the growth of new buildings and the rise in the value of property are not more remarkable in the new States of America than round London ; and Mr. Silliman applies the same remark to Liverpool and Birmingham.

"Our three days in Liverpool were very industriously employed in seeing the city and some of its principal lions. Good carriages and excellent streets eve great facilities for locomotion ; and, short as the time was, it proved suffi- cient to stereotype this great and opulent city in our minds, so that its linea- ments will never be effaced. To myself, who retained the most distinct re- collection of its aspect forty-six years ago, and could refer to my own record of its appearance then the present review was indeed most interesting ; and I have endeavoured to describe some of the changes that have intervened. They have been scarcely exceeded by those of our American, unless we ex- cept some of the Western cities. The population of Liverpool has been more than quadrupled in less than half a century, and its buildings, public and private, its fleets of merchant-ships, the immense docks to receive them, the commerce which they bring, and the wealth accumulated both by sea and by those great internal arteries of trade, railroads and canals—all these, and with them good institutions of every name, have increased in the same pro- portion ; and the city which was once stigmatized by a wicked traffic [the slave-trade] now holds the proud preeminence of being the queen of lawful sea-going commerce. * "Having, when in England in 1805, made a rapid transit through Bir- mingham, it was with very great reluctance that I was compelled to leave it again without taking time to look into its manufactories, which, as all the world knows, are of high importance, especially in the metals. "Our plan of visiting Italy required the utmost economy of time ; and there- fore we were constrained to take an early departure, after enjoying an ex- tensive drive in open carriages, on a fine morning, through the most inte- resting part of this great city—a great city indeed—and what a contrast! In May 1805, when I was here for a few hours, Birmingham contained 78,000 people, now 300,000! We can hardly tell of greater increase in our towns in the United States ; and everywhere, as far as we have hitherto gone, all things tell of progress, of advancement in art, wealth, population, and general prosperity,—a degree of prosperity, however, which does not pre- vent extreme poverty among the masses, but this does not, to the general traveller, appear on the surface of things, except in particular cases, as al- ready observed at Liverpool.

"Even to our rapid and superficial observation, in the few hours remain- ing at our disposal, it was obvious that Birmingham is not, as many suppose, merely a dusky smoky town of workshops and manufactories. These do in- deed abound, but we drove through numerous fine streets, wide, clean, and quiet, adorned with stately private dwellings and public edifices of magni- tude and importance. Birmingham is situated in the heart of the kingdom, in the midst of a splendid country, and its manufactures are transmitted to all the regions of the earth."

In London the traveller noticed changes as great; though at- tendance upon friends and societies, and visits to sights, confined his sphere of observation to part of the Western and Southern suburbs. In his youth, he had spent a week at Clapham Common with Mr. Thornton and Wilberforce. Now, he found the then rural village of Clapham was only a suburb of London, the intervening miles being covered by houses. In the North, building has been yet more extensive. The rural hamlets or manors of Hoxton, Shepperton, Haggerstone, Homerton, Dalston, Highbury, the villages of Hackney, Kingsland, Holloway, Camden Town, and other places, in 1805 were fields or surrounded by fields. They are now covered with bricks and mortar, as well as the celebrated Spa Fields within half a mile of Holborn, and the country beyond, which, less than forty years ago, stretched away towards High- gate uninterruptedly except by a few streets in the neighbourhood of Pentonville. All these fields are now nearly covered by houses, as far beyond the site of the new cattle-market as London about half a century ago was beyond Smithfield. In less niaterial mat- ters Professor Sillimom found as great changes ; and he even rises to a simile to illustrate them.

"Indeed, while opening my eyes again upon England, I seem to myself to have been awakened, like Rip Van Winkle, from a long oblivion, from a sleep of more than twice twenty years ; or to have returned like the genii of Ara- bian tales, after a still longer lapse of time, and to find such changes that in many places I should not suspect that I had ever been there before. "In my own comparatively young country, rapid and great changes are of course to be expected ; but in this old country, which has been civilized for a thousand years, we might with more probability expect to find all things to continue as they were. It is, however, not so ; science and art have in this age and in this country given a wonderful impulse to the human mind ; and their results, joined with those of a higher moral, intellectual, and philanthropic character, are already such as no human sagacity could have foreseen, nor can we even now discern the extent of the career of progress which may be coming. A more extended observation, both in England and in other countries, may enable me to judge more correctly on this sub- ject; but for the present I will illustrate my positions by only a few instances.

" Courtesy of Manners in Public Places.—In 1805, and long after, an admir- able system of travelling by stage-coaches and post-chaises was in full opera- tion over excellent roads. Civility from the servants was generally pur- chased, however, by gratuities, unpleasant in the recollection, and annoying from a conviction that you could never do enough to &eddy the expectant, while the regular native traveller often felt that you had done too much.

"But now that railroads areintroduced all over these kingdoms, the modes of travelling on the great thoroughfares are totally changed. "After mentioning the vast superiority of railroad travelling, as regards speed and convenience, nothiag strikes one more than the attention paid to the traveller's safety and comfort by the agents upon these roads. They are

very vigilant to prevent the mistakes into which a traveller is liable to fall— to protect his baggage as well as his person, and in every way to promote his comfort ; and all this with the most courteous and respectful manners, with- out the usual mercenary motives of servants who expect a reward. This they are, by the most stringent regulations, (everywhere painted in white letters on black boards, and posted up in full view.) prevented from receiving, and the traveller is earnestly enjoined not to offer them any gratuity whatever. That the stranger may more readily know whom to call upon, these men are moreover distinguished by a blue areas, trimmed usually with white or red lace. On arriving at your stopping place, one of the officials procures a car- riage for you, will see that your baggage is committed to proper persons, and that you are not imposed upon in the price you are to pay the coachman. " Change of Treatment at the British Museum—Formerly the Museum was not open to the public, and it was not easy to obtain admittance at all. It was necessary to apply beforehand through some influential friend, and to have your name entered in advance; and even when admitted, after such in- convenient formality, you were hurried through with impatient haste, as only two hours were allotted for all the rooms, and you were hardly allowed to realize your interest in something that had attracted your attention, be- fore you were reminded by your guide, and not always very courteously, that the time for that particular room was up, and you must hasten on to another, and still another, until your two hours were exhausted. If there were twelve rooms, (and I believe there were more,) you could have only ten minutes to a room, and you were not permitted, except by special favour, to

linger where you found most to interest v Being on one occasion in the Museum with a late eminent Professor of Botany in Harvard University, and he being not one of the most patient although he was one of the most intel- ligent of men, was so much chafed by these narrow rules that he uttered no very cordial blessing upon John Bull. Were he now, however, here, he would find everything changed. The Museum, with all its treasures, is thrown wide open to the public, which includes all well dressed and decent people, whether British subjects or strangers. All come and go as they please; and all the officers are courteous and attentive to make everything agreeable and useful. The visits may be repeated at pleasure; and the ob- server may linger as long as he pleases in any department."

The contrast of the present with the past, which these passages exhibit, applies chiefly but not wholly to England, especially in re- lation to public events. The personal character of the author is frequently a prominent feature. Here is a hint how to ascend Vesuvius at seventy-two.

" In a few minutes, the ladies, seated in rough arm-chairs fitted on poles, and sustained on stout shoulders, were seen climbing on proxy feet over the rough lava. In the mean time our young gentlemen, with ardour not yet tempered by experience, though often cautioned by me to adopt the Latin rule, festina lente,' and to stop frequently, were seen panting with prema- ture fatigue and short breathing. "For myself, adventures in mountains were not new to me, and although nearly fourteen years had elapsed since I last ascended a very high moun- tain, I had no hesitation in attempting the ascent of Vesuvius. Leaving my younger friends to take their own course, I selected a vigorous young mountaineer, who buckled a st rip over his shoulder, while I took hold of a loop fitted for one hand, and with the other I grasped an iron-shod pike. My mountaineer, not being accustomed to moderation, proceeded at first so rapidly through the deep volcanic sand that 1 soon began to pant ; when An- tonio made him understand that he must ascend very slowly, and stop when- ever I gave the word.

I am thus particular, because it may be of use to others. The great secret of ascending mountains is to proceed very slowly, and to atop and all down frequently, unta the natural quiet respiration and circulation of the blood and tone or the muscles are recovered : by proceeding in this manner even high mountains may be scaled without exhaustion. "We at first ascended during three minutes by the watch, and then rested for two minutes. Soon I began to gain, and usually went on four to five minutes, and rested on a block of lava one or two minutes; thus I econo- mized my: power, and found it increasing to the end. We soon left the line of volcanic sand and ashes which form a distinct stream down the cone, and took to the rough pointed lava, most of which is in detached fragments, large and small. By placing our feet with care among these ragged masses, we usually obtained a firm foot-hold, and rarely slipped backward, although the angle of the slope of ascent was, I suppose, at least forty-five degrees.

"The party were at the top in the usual time of an hour of very laborious effort. I was fifteen or twenty minutes later, but arrived fresh and without exhaustion."

Of course, nothing which has a bearing on science escaped the Professor's eye. This is a refined way of refining. The scene is Genoa.

"Refining of Wine in Hog-skins.—In returning to the city, we again ob- served a practice which is common in this part of Europe. The wines of the country are enclosed in hog-skins, all the apertures being duly secured ; they are filled quite full of wine and are hung out in great numbers on the sunny fronts of the houses and shops, to ripen the wine; the bristles are sometimes on the inside. However revolting this may seem to us in America, it ap- pears to be only an Oriental custom extended into Europe : such practices are often alluded to in the Scriptures, and are still observed in the East by

modern Oriental travellers. • • • "Chemists know that weak alcohol suspended in a bladder grows stronger by the evaporation of the water on the surface of the membrane, the alcohol not escaping. Such is, no doubt, measurably the effect of exposing wine in hog-skins, and is probably what is meant by ripening."

The following from Lyons is a curious description of mechanical art.

"From these silk-looms we went to the pattern-makers; who, having the pattern to enlarge, put the picture into a sort of magic-lantern case and pro- ject its shadow on the wall, having first placed some ruled paper, such as is used for Berlin worsted patterns, in the focus. Then with a pencil they trace the outline, and afterwards colour it. It is now in a condition to be read. This is done by having as many threads or twine strings as correspond to the number of squares on the pattern : they are arranged in such a man- ner, with a sort of needle threaded on them, that if any one is pushed back it gives an impetus to the needle to move a bit of iron, which just fills up the perforations upon a steel die that is used in cutting the cards. This die has a certain number of lines of holes, and when these are used another is taken, and the cirds that are cut by them are all numbered. The picture of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, with the young Prince of Wales, took forty thousand of these cards to make the pattern. This was woven in shades of black and white to correspond to an engraving, and at a short distance it

could not be distinguished fedm one. • • •

"The artist, a phi n man, who exhibited to us this optical process, refused money which I efiered ; and his manner evinced a feeling almost of dis- pleasure that I should suppose he would receive a reward for an exhibition which was really very curious and cost him some time and trouble. "This was the only instance of the kind which we met with in any coun- try of Europe."

The Professor marked at the Gobelins how little satisfaction the eye received from the visible labour—how little the mind could follow the work. It was the same with mosaic work.

"Nothing of modern art in Rome, and especially in St. Peter's, creates so much surprise in the mind of a stranger as the exuberant display of mosaics.

"We have visited the shops of the Vatican, and also of some of the most celebrated private mosaic artists, and have seen them at their work. Like the Gobeliu tapestry in Paris, the mosaic of Rome is mysterious. We see, indeed, the wonderful result, we see also the materials as yet uncombined, and we see the artist lift the infinitesimal portions of coloured glass and place them side by side with their fellows; and still we are as far as ever from comprehending how his eye measures the shades, how his hand selects with precision the exact colour which will answer his purpose, and how his mind can conceive of the picture in its new creation and fix it there in beautiful perfection."

Of the savans of Great Britain and the Continent Mr. Silliman saw a good many, but for the most part briefly, and as it were publicly. This is his sketch of Humboldt.

"His mansion is a plain edifice, situated in a retired part of the city ; and he would not have been now at home had not the King gone to Konigsberg ; for his residence is generally with the King, at Potsdam, who keeps him near his person, as his father did before him, not only for his society and con- versation, but, no doubt, also as a councillor, wise from his many years and Isis large experience in the world. We passed through his library, which fills, on all sides, a room of considerable size ; and he issued from a door on the remote side of the apartment, opening apparently from his private room. He met us with great kindness and perfect frankness, and with a pleasant rebuke for my having hesitated to call on him, (I had written a note, asking permission to call,) implying that he was not ignorant of my position and

efforts at Lome. I then introduced my son and Mr. Brush ; and we were at once placed perfectly at our ease. His bright countenance expresses great benevolence ; and from the fountain of his immense stores of knowledge a stream, almost constant, flowed for nearly an hour. He was not engrossing, but yielded to our promptings, whenever we suggested an inquiry or allu- ded to any particular topic ; for we did not wish to occupy the time with our own remarks any further than to draw him out. He has a perfect com- mand of the best English, and speaks the language quite agreeably. There is no stateliness or reserve about him ; and he is as affable as if he had no claims to superiority. His voice is exceedingly musical, and he is so ani- mated and amiable that you feel at once as if he were an old friend. His person is not much above the middle size : he is not unlike in form to the late Colonel Trumbull. He stoops a little, but less than most men at the age of eighty-two. He has no appearance of decrepitude ; his eyes are bril- liant, his complexion light ; his features and person are round, although not fat ; his hair thin and white ; his mind very active, and his language bril- liant, and sparkling with bright thoughts. He alluded in a flattering man- ner to our progress in knowledge in the United States, and to the effect which the American Journal of Science and Arts had produced in promoting it. He showed himself perfectly acquainted with the progress of physical science and general improvement in our country ; and particularly commended the labours of Colonel Fremont in the Far West, of Professor Bache in the coast survey, and of Lieutenant Maury in navigation. Bringing out his maps, and tracing his lines without glasses, he pointed out a channel of communi- cation across the Isthmus of Darien, which he had observed and described more than forty years ago, and to which his attention had been recalled by a paper of Captain Fitzroy's in the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society. He showed us that there are no mountains in the course that he indicated, which is more Southern than any of the existing routes, and that it possessed several important advantages. I alluded to his brief visit in the United States in 1804, when he travelled no further North than Philadelphia. He told us that he passed three weeks at Monticello, with the late Mr. Jefferson ;. who entertained him with an extraordinary project of his inventive but often visionary mind, regarding the ultimate division of the American continent into three great Republics, involving the conquest of Mexico and of the South American States. He discussed many topics regarding the United States. The discovery of gold in California furnished him a fertile theme ; our to- pography, climates, productions, institutions, and even political controversies, were all familiar to him.

"Baron Humboldt, although associated intimately with kings, is evidently . a friend to human liberty, and rejoices in the prosperity of our country. He • made some very interesting remarks on the present state of Europe, and on the impossibility of keeping down moral power by physical force. * * * * "At the time of our visit he was engaged in the preparation of a new pro- duction on the Outline Form of Mountain Peaks, in which he was working up original observations and drawings made during the course of his various wanderings. Ile assured us that the greater part of his literary labour was of necessity performed when others slept, as the hours of usual labour were with him consumed by the demands of the King. He added, that he early made the discovery that he could get on very well with four hours of sleep. This, as has been often remarked, accounts for his prodigious performances in literary labour."