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270

THE KHINE SLOPES AND THE THEEE CASTLES.

the chäteau, to be shown the several old cannon tliat had beentaken in battle from foreign powers. Piere was onc with theinitial " N " embossed upon the breech, and this had been car-ried off from Waterloo; another—a fine old piece of ordnance—was a trophy won from Gustavus of Sweden; while theothers were ancient German guns. And when we had finishedexamining these we were informed that here ended the seriesof curiosities to be seen at the interesting old Castle of Marks-burg—the only Rhine Castle, indeed, which is an unalteredtype of the mediasval stronghold.

§ 3.The BitOTnEK Castles — Liebenstein and Sternfels.

The well-made road by the river from Niederspay toBoppard runs so close alongside the Rhine, that, for the journeyto Liebenstein, it affords a pleasing change to the steamboatexcursions to return from Marksburg to the opposite shore—thence to continue the drive on to the ferry which faces thevillage of Kamp — and there to ascend on foot to the ruins ofthe twin-castles.

Betwecn Niederspay and Boppard the Rhine bends and re-bends so sharply round as to describe the figure of an 3,Marksburg being situate at the lower end, and Liebenstein atthe upper end of the letter. The mountain chain on the op-posite shore to Niederspay has once more drawn in close to theriver; and just beyond Marksburg the hüls are beautifullyrounded and detached, as if they were so many huge earthbladders. The Rhine land-bubbles are at this point exqui-