, Leghorn,
Constantinople, and Smyrna, the harbor being the finest in France, and
it has been prominent in its commercial connections for fully two
thousand years. Marseilles, with a population of four hundred thousand,
is remarkable for the number and excellence of its public institutions,
among which is a royal exchange, a national observatory, an academy of
sciences, a public library, a school of design, a deaf and dumb
institute, a museum of paintings and antiquities, etc. The Palace of
Longchamps, standing upon one of the most prominent spots in the city,
is a museum, geological school, library, and picture gallery combined.
It is a superb structure architecturally, and cost over seven millions
of dollars.

Overlooking the city of Marseilles is the hill of Notre Dame de la
Garde, a lofty eminence, which seen from the town appears to be hung in
the very clouds. Skilful engineering has made a winding road to the apex
accessible for vehicles. Once reached, this lofty spot affords one of
the most delightful and comprehensive views on the continent, embracing
a wide extent of sea and land. Immediately beneath the visitor's feet
lies the city, nearly encircled by vine-clad hills, interspersed by
chateaux, Swiss and English cottages, all assuming Lilliputian
proportions. The winding cliff-road looks like a silver thread, and the
blue Mediterranean, dotted here and there with sails and steamships,
glistens in the warm, soft sunshine. But the bird's-eye view of the city
is a marvel in its perfection and comprehensiveness. This hill is named
after the singular Roman Catholic chapel upon its cloud-capped summit.
It is visible for many leagues at sea, and is the subject of mysterious
veneration to sailors who navigate these inland waters. A large number
of curious articles from all parts of the world contributed by believing
sailors are to be seen within its walls, in the form of rich samples of
ores, shells, corals, and savage weapons from the far-away South Sea
Islands, forming a kind of religious museum.

From Marseilles we take the railway route to Nice, a distance of one
hundred and forty miles. This world-renowned sanitary resort is most
delightfully situated at the base of an amphitheatre of hills, which are
decked with villas, gardens, orange and olive groves. Roses bloom out of
doors all the year round, and fruit ripens on the trees in January. Nice
has a population of about sixty-five thousand. The foot-hills of the