. Tales of adventure and stories of travel of fifty years ago. ours, Angers, and Nantes ; with numerouschateaux and villages upon its banks, which are so richlycovered with vineyards, orchards, and cornfields that partsof this country have for ages been known as the Gardenof France. After receiving many tributaries, the chiefof which are the Allier and Vienne, this majestic riverreaches the Bay of Biscay, 600 miles from its source. Attimes it overflows its banks and causes much destruction,and after a hot and rainless summer the bed of the streambecomes very narrow and is covered with numerous
. Tales of adventure and stories of travel of fifty years ago. ours, Angers, and Nantes ; with numerouschateaux and villages upon its banks, which are so richlycovered with vineyards, orchards, and cornfields that partsof this country have for ages been known as the Gardenof France. After receiving many tributaries, the chiefof which are the Allier and Vienne, this majestic riverreaches the Bay of Biscay, 600 miles from its source. Attimes it overflows its banks and causes much destruction,and after a hot and rainless summer the bed of the streambecomes very narrow and is covered with numerous isletsand sand banks. At Tours it is very wide, and is spanned by a magnifi-cent bridge of fifteen arches. This city is a favouriteresort of English people, who find it more economical tolive there than at home. The cathedral is a very finebuilding, with a noble stained-glass window and a beauti-fully carved marble monument to the two children ofCharles VIII. and Anne of Brittany. The other importantbuildings are modern, for the city was wrecked at the time. N THE RIVER LOIRE AND THE CITY OF TOURS 181 of the Revolution, when the fine old Church of St. Martinof Tours, except the tower, was also destroyed. One of thechief places of interest is the establishment of Messrs*Mame, the celebrated printers and publishers of missalsand school books for the Church. Very different is it inits surroundings to the places of business of the Londonprinters. We enter through a gateway into an imposingquadrangle, in the middle of which is a fountain constantlyplaying ; round the paved courtyard are large boxes filledwith oleanders and orange-trees, and the general air ofpeace and quietness strikes the visitor. The interior ofthe building corresponds : everything is arranged with thegreatest care, and one envies even the clerks in the count-ing-house of this model workshop. The drawing from which Mr. R. Wallis made theaccompanying charming engraving was one of the series pro-duced in Turners An
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Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectvoyagesandtravels
