THE CITY OF CONSTANZ.

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a long curved arm, with a Iittlc lighthouse at tlie end,stretching far before tlie town. Ilere in the Hufen lie tlieConstanz steamers, the " Helvetia," and " Boden," and"Feiedeich," and "Stadt Constanz," and others, that aredaily engaged in traversing the lake or descending the Rhineto Schaffhausen. Within the harbour are one or two hoys,rigged like the Boulogne fishing-boats, and from the hold ofone of these they aro now hoisting up furniture on to thequay, which is already littered with tables, cnpboards, bed-steads, and chairs.

At the end of the haven by the shore, Stands thetemporary shed of the steam-boat office, and close beside itthe little guard-house-like Custom-house.*

The first impression of Constanz obtained from this point ofsight gives one the notion of its being a busy little town, withsomewhat the character of our own watering-places; while theimmense old palatial-looking building facing the harbour, withits tall dark roof, and peculiar deep valance of wood hangingstraight under its eaves, lias a half-imposing effect; thoughfor a long time the stranger is puzzled to teil whether it isan enormous Swiss barn, a town-hall, or a warehouse. Itturns out, however, to be the old Consilium's Saal in which

* Constanz is, despite the dulness of its streets, an agreeable-enougli halting-place—owing to the excellent quarters afforded by the "Hotel du Brächet"(German, Gasthof zum Hecht) — while making excursions round the lake.Indeed, the Brochet is one of the pleasantest and most reasonable Gasthofs in allGermany, and the attention and civility of the landlord, Herr Kepler, as well asIns general intelligence, render it an excellent home for the time being. HerrKepler, moreover, is an expert angler; indeed, you no sooner set foot in Inssalle ä manger than you become acquainted with the tastes of the landlord, forthe rjom is hung round with engravings of the several elasses of fish, as wellas large paintings of monster pike and trout caught by mine host himself.Here we stayed nearly a month, and experienced so much courtesy, as wellas derived so much Information from the landlord, that, dull as the town mightbe, we found the hotel so lively and comfortable that we were loth to leave it.