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The Upper Rhine : Mayence to the Lake of Constance
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330
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330

DOMESTIC MANNERS OF TUE PRÜSSIANS.

we inust call you so— to see a fire in any of the Germantowns? Wcre you ever roused from your slumbers in thedead of the night ty the " Nacht-wacht " who sits perched upin the ohurch-steeple, bellowing with his hörn through theair like some spectral bull ? Did you ever hear the watch-man, who ordinarily whistles the hour through the streets atnight time, roar " heraus" as he banged at the shutters of allthe houses in the street?—for in this most scientific countrythere are neither knockers nor bells to the doors; no ! nor anyfire-brigade connected with the town — every Citizen being com-pelled by law to assist at the extinetion of the flames.

Did you ever, at such a time, hasten to the burning house,and witness the lüönderful scientific attainments of these highly-educated Deutschers ? Have you seen them, as we have,bring the water in barreis from the river-side ? — the nation ofsavans having neither mains in the street nor cisterns in thehouses ? Have you ever heard of whole towns being destroyedowing to the defective appliances throughout Germany uponthese matters—as well as the utter ignorance of the peoplewhere to throw the thimblesful of water that they bring, oneby one, to the spot ? Did you ever read that it was an Englishengineer (Mr. Lindley) who extinguished the great fire atHamburg, after the poor, simple Germans, had let it burn onfor three days and nights, destroying nearly 2000 houses andupwards of 60 streets ?

Let us add, too, that at the time the Coblenz prison wason fire, it was the English chaplain who stayed the ravages ofthe flames, as was testified by the public thanks of the townvoted him in consequence. And we ourselves have been forcedto show these wiseacres how to act on a similar occasion.

In fine it may be said, without injustice to the nation, thatthe peculiar complexion of the German mind is of that childish