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species of slate; and there is also a quarry, producing slate-pencils, in the neighbourhood. Altogether the trade in toys is supposed to produce 600,000 florins yearly.

chess-boards, and the endless variety | knives are prepared here out of a of articles for the amusement of children, which fill the toy shops of every quarter of the globe, and are commonly called Dutch toys. There are several manufactories of papier maché, to make dolls' heads and pipe heads: and one or two mills for grinding boys' marbles. Hones for sharpening

1 Neustadt. Inn, Der Halbe Mond.

1 Coburg. (In Route XCIII.).

427

SECTION VIII.

NASSAU.- FRANKFORT. - HESSE

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NISH BAVARIA. - BADEN. AND THE RHINE FROM MAYENCE TO BASLE.

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In Nassau, Baden, Darmstadt, Frankfort, &c., accounts are kept in Florins or Gulden. 1 Florin 1s. 8d., contains 60 kreutzers.

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3 kr. 1 d.

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The States of Southern and Western Germany, including Bavaria, Würtemberg, Baden, Hesse, and Frankfort, have recently combined to issue a uniform coinage.

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New Silver Coinage.

kr.

60 = 1s. 8d. = 2 Fr. Francs 15 Cents.

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10d.
5d.

Pieces of 6 kr., 3 kr. or batz, & 1 kr.

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(N. B. 21 zwanzigers make 1 florin).

Zwanziger Zwanziger Formerly the florin was an imaginary coin, and did not exist as a piece of money. The name zwanziger properly applies to Austria alone, where this coin goes for 20 kreutzers, and bears upon it the figure 20, the zwanziger or zehner for 10, and the for 5 kreutzers; while in Bavaria and Würtemberg they pass respectively for 24, 12, and 6 kr. Value of foreign coins in florins and kreutzers : —

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Brabant Dollars (originally struck by the Emperor of Austria in the Low Countries) are a very common coin, current without loss throughout Southern Germany. The table (E) at the beginning of this volume for reducing them into florins and kreutzers may be found useful.

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5 kr. for each horse

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The postmaster in Mayence is authorised to charge 521 kr. per post.

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N. B. The above charges for Baden are copied from the authorised post-book; yet 3 florins are regularly paid for 2 horses per post: no extra charge, how. is made for tolls. The usual rate of travelling is a post in 1 hour to 1 hour, when the road is not very hilly. The distances to all the adjoining post stations are hung up in front of every post-house.

ever,

Travellers usually pay the postillion 3 zwanzigers (1 fl. 12 kr. per post). Double the tariff is in most cases too much; on some roads, 1 fl. is quite enough when there are only 2 horses.

N. B. An extra charge of 30 kr. per post is made by the postmaster, when a postboy, driving only 2 horses, is obliged to ride, and cannot sit on the box of the carriage.

A light open carriage, holding 4 without heavy baggage, may be drawn by 2 horses: a heavy trunk counts as one person.

A postchaise or calèche costs from 50 kr. to 1 florin a post.

ROUTE XCV.

ROUTES.

THE BATHS AND BRUNNEN OF NASSAU.

COBLENZ TO FRANKFORT ON THE MAIN, BY EMS, SCHWALBACH, SCHLANGENBAD, AND WIESBADEN.

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14 Germ. miles, 60 Eng. miles. A Schnellpost makes the journey to and from Frankfort every day, in about 12 hours, including one hour, during which it stops at Schwalbach, Lohnkutscher (§ 34.) may be found in abundance at all the wateringplaces.

As soon as the Rhine is crossed by the bridge of boats at Coblenz (p. 247.), the road begins to wind round the back of Ehrenbreitstein, and afterwards ascends a high hill called the Rothe Hahn, or Ahrenberg.

Near its summit is the frontier line of Prussia and Nassau, and an extensive view is commanded from the top. Since the accession of Nassau to the Prussian league (§ 30.), the customhouse has been removed from this spot.

A steep descent, affording at every turn of the road prospects of great variety and beauty, into deep vine-and wood-covered valleys, leads to

2 EMS.-Inns and lodging-houses: The Ducal Bath House, called also the Kurhaus, is a huge rambling château, formerly the residence of the Duke, now converted into a lodginghouse: it contains more than 200 chambers, which are let, according to their size and situation, at from 48 kr. to 8 fl. a day. A very good room may be had for 1 fl. 30 kr.: the price of every room is painted on the door. There is a restaurateur attached to the house, and a daily table-d'hôte at 1, which, however, is not so good as that at some other inns, especially the H. de Russie.

Those who intend to take up their lodgings in the Bath-house, apply on

their arrival to the Bad-, or Hausmeister, a species of steward, who has the charge of the establishment, and of the letting of the rooms, and who gives every information respecting vacancies and prices. The rent of these rooms returns a considerable annual revenue to the Duke of Nassau.

Immediately under the Kurhaus rise two of the principal springs, the waters of which are used for drinking, and likewise supply the baths. The ground-floor of the building is a large vaulted gloomy hall, which serves at the same time as pump-room and place of promenade for the guests. During the season both sides are occupied by itinerant shop-keepers from all parts of the Continent, who here display their wares in a sort of bazaar. There are hardly any other shops in the place.

In the lower story of this building are also situated the baths. A bath costs 36 kr. There are other baths in several of the lodging-houses.

Persons not intending to make a long stay at Ems, will find it more lively and agreeable to take rooms in either the Die Vier Jahrzeiten, a new house, probably the best; Hôtel de Russie, very good, or the Englische Hof (Hôtel d'Angleterre), the two latter inns have also tablesd'hôte daily. A dinner costs 1 fl., which is somewhat less than at the Kurhaus, and a bottle of good tablewine 48 kr.

Das Mainzer Haus, on the left bank of the Lahn, is recommended as a quiet lodging-house, where visiters who seek retirement will meet with

obliging treatment. There are good

baths and accommodation in the Vier Thurmen (Four Towers).

The watering-place (§ 38.) Ems is very prettily situated on the Lahn, hemmed in between it and the cliffs of the Baederley, which recede from the water's edge only far enough to

It

allow room for a row of houses. is neither town nor village, but a collection of lodging-houses, with the Kurhaus in the midst. In front of them runs the high road, and between it and the river a long narrow strip of garden, forming a sort of terrace by the water side, and serving as a promenade for the guests. A band of music plays here morning and evening, to the tune of whose instruments the guests digest their potations of spa-water. Those who are ambitious to extend their walks beyond this, unless they confine themselves to the borders of the beautiful Lahn, must begin immediately to ascend, so near at hand are the hills.

Close to the little bridge of boats, and along both sides of the river, squadrons of donkeys are posted with their drivers, ever on the alert for employers. By their assistance every visiter, male or female, however feeble and lazy, has the means of scaling the wooded and vine-clad heights, and of exploring the really beautiful scenery with which the neighbourhood abounds. Every donkey is numbered, and on fine afternoons the asses of reputation, strength, and beauty, being in great request, are usually engaged beforehand, and quickly marched off the field. Many persons, therefore, retain a particular number, which they know to be good, for the period of their stay at the baths.

The author of "The Bubbles " passed through Ems without stopping, or he would probably not have dismissed it with so forbidding a description as he has given; the worst that can be said of the place is, that it is very hot in summer, from being so shut in with hills; but the woods around afford shade, and in a quarter of an hour the summits of the mountains may be scaled, whence the rambler may enjoy the purest breezes, and the most expanded views over the Rheinland.

The rich woods which cover the sides of the vale of the Lahn, and the

verdant pastures which form its banks, give Ems a more pleasing aspect, perhaps, than even Schwalbach, which is surrounded by naked round-backed hills, with few trees upon them.

Ems, it is true, cannot compete with Wiesbaden in gaiety, in the splendour of its assembly-rooms, and the extent of its public-walks; but the terrace at the side of the Lahn has been recently enlarged by encroaching upon the bed of the river, and the assembly-rooms will be rebuilt on a more extensive and handsome scale. The existing buildings are situated in the centre of the gardens, and contain a café, rouge et-noir tables, and a ball

room.

The waters of Ems were known as early as the time of the Romans, who called the place Amasis or Embasis. They are warm, and are furnished by 2 springs, having respectively a temperature of 230 and 37° Reaumur. They are agreeable to the palate and easy of digestion.

There are many other springs here besides those which supply the baths; some on the left bank of the Lahn, and others rise up in the middle of the Lahn itself, which at these places is used as a horse bath. Many jets of gas also emanate out of the bed of the stream; and one of them is so copious in carbonic vapours as to destroy life in animals held over it, in the same manner as the famous Grotto del Cane in Italy.

The waters are taken in the morning before breakfast, and after dinner. From 3 to 6 goblets in the early part of the day, and 1 or 2 in the afternoon, are the usual allowance.

Every body, from high to low, dines here at the table d'hôte: the dinner hour is 1 o'clock; after which the company adjourn and take coffee on the walks, listening to the music, or amusing themselves in walking or riding. Ems seems essentially a ladies' watering-place: it is much frequented by the fair sex, and its waters are considered peculiarly efficacious

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