Langerwehe. The castle and village of Merode (on the right) soon succeed; and then we have

Duren, where Charles V. was slain, during the siege of the place. A three-mile-long cutting through the ridge that separates the valleys of the basins of the Meuse and the Rhine, having been passed, we reach in succession the stations of

Buir, (a somewhat important place,) and

Horrem; and then passing through the long tunnel of Königsdorf, one of the longest in Germany, the stations of

Konigsdorf and

Mungersdorf succeed, and to the great satisfaction of the tourist who has been hours in the train, he finds from the windows of the carriage, a view of a wide country in which the lines of road are marked by rows of trees, and soon across this he may see rising, the massive form of the famed cathedral of Cologne,

Cologne.-Hotels: Hotel Rheinischer (facing the Rhine), good, but dear; Hotel Royal (good); Hotel Cologne (in the town), good, and moderate; Hotel Bellevue (at Deutz, across the Rhine, good, but dear.) The railway station is just outside the walls of the city, on the left bank of the Rhine. Baggage has here to be reclaimed; and the traveller, when he finds himself in the noise and jostle of the room where it is given up must remember what has been already said, that the numbers are called over in German, figure by figure. Number one hundred and twenty-three, for instance, being called-one, two, three. Omnibuses attend the station, and by these the traveller may reach any of the hotels. Fare, half a franc. They will carry the tourist, if he wishes, to the station of the Bonn railway, whence he can at once depart for that town. When there is much luggage, the omnibus conductor demands an extra half-franc.

RAILWAY ROUTES No. 2.
CALAIS TO COLOGNE.

(BY GHENT AND MALINES.)

Distance, 283 miles.-Time usually occupied, 23 hours.

From Ghent to COLOGNE same as in Route 1, pp. 11-21.

Along the French line of railway from Calais to Lille the country is flat and presents no great features of interest. The land is in places very much divided, and poorly drained. In many parts there is much worthless wood; willows, poplars, hazels, and aspens are abundant. The Englishman who has just crossed the Channel for the first time, will notice among the peculiarities of this line, how much more cheaply the small stations are constructed than in England; and how much better the second and third class carriages are fitted up than on the railways in England. The stations after leaving Calais, are reached in the following order—

The

None of which (in a Belgian hand-book) claim especial notice. first important place is

Lille, one of the largest French manufacturing towns. It is full of life and business, but many of the inhabitants are wretchedly poor and live in kitchens and cellars.

The line of rail from Lille is flat and uninteresting, and there is no object worthy of mention between this and the Belgian frontier town,

Mouscron, a rich village which has additional importance from its proximity to France The land around is fertile and in a high state of cultivation, producing hemp, corn, and vegetables in abundance. Large herds of cattle are pastured round about. The Belgian customhouse is at this station, and travellers must have their passports in readiness. From Mouscron the rail passes on the right the villages of Aelbeke and Rolleghem, and crosses twice the road from Courtray to Lille; the ground around is slightly undulating, and many windmills are seen on either side. The steeple of Wevelghem is visible on the left, and the land appears at every mile to be better cultivated. The line next makes a considerable slope to the left and arrives near the village of Marcke, which is on the right of the line; in the distance, on the left, is seen the church of Bisseghem. The line now bears slightly to the right, and passing along the bank of the river Lys, enters the station of

Courtray, where omnibuses await the arrival of each train.Hotels: Du Damier, Grande Place (good); Hotel du Lion d'Or, Grande Place; and Hotel des Armes de France, Rue de la Lys. The principal restaurants are, Au Saumon; Marché aux Grains; Au Savoyard, Grande Place.-Coffee Houses; Café Belge, and Café Savoyard, Grande Place. Post Office, Rue de Groveningne.-Cabs to be found on the Grande Place, and at this station, charge, 1 franc for each course, or by the hour, 1 franc 50 cents the first, and 1 franc for each subsequent hour. (See COURTRAY.) Leaving Courtray, a few minutes suffices to bring the train to another halt at

Haerlebeke, a commune with 4300 inhabitants, in the district of Courtray. It was formerly a fortified town, and is one of the most ancient in Flanders, and the residence of the first governors of the country. It was destroyed by the Normans in 882, rebuilt in 945, and burned by the inhabitants of Courtray in the year 988. The manufacture of linen cloths is the principal employment of the inhabitants. The town is watered by the Lys. In the church, which is remarkable for its architecture, there is a tomb to the memory of the famous forester Baldwin, surnamed Bras de fer. The carving of the pulpit is a masterpiece by Decreux of Tournay. On quitting this station, the line passes Beveren, Desselghem, the former containing 1600 inhabitants, and the latter 1900; and continues its route in a direct line parallel with the paved road, till it reaches

Waereghem, the name of which is derived from two Flemish words, Warren (trouble) Ghem (abode), is an ancient commune in the district of Courtray. It is watered by the river Slyppe; population about 7000 souls. The chief trade is in linen. In the year 1778, an earthenware vase was dug up a few feet beneath the surface; it was found to contain more than 200 coins of the reigns of the Emperors Antoninus, Adrian, Commodus, Nerva, Trajan, and others. After leaving the station, the train passes almost immediately the commune of Vive-Saint-Eloy, and enters East Flanders by crossing the Slyppe, which divides it from West Flanders, and after passing Zulte, reaches

Olsene, a commune with a population of 2100 inhabitants, in the district of Ghent; between this place and

Deynze, there is little worthy of notice; the railway passes successively Machelen and Peteghem, and enters the station. Deynze is on the river Lys, which at this point is crossed by a bridge on the left of the railroad; it is the chief town of a canton in the district of Ghent, and is of ancient origin. It was ravaged by the Normans in 880, and ransomed by Robert de Bethume, Count of Flanders; in 1625, Philip IV. of Spain, raised it to a Marquisate. The population is about 4000 souls. There are two churches; that of Notre Dame is an ancient building in the early gothic style, and contains a picture representing the birth of Christ, said to be by Jordaens. There are many distilleries in the immediate locality, and it has also an extensive trade in linen, corn, and cattle. At the station, there are coaches in correspondence with the trains to convey travellers to Thielt, and Oudenarde; the former is a very old town in the district of Bruges; it was fortified as early as the year 1172, and has now an important linen market. Thielt was the birth-place of Louis XI.'s celebrated barber, Olivier le Dain, (familiar to the readers of Walter Scott,) and who was executed by order of Charles VIII., in 1484. A trip to Oudenarde will amply repay the traveller who has leisure. The distance from Deynze to

this fine old town is fifteen miles. The town hall, built in 1525, is a fine gothic structure, and the fountain in front of the building is worthy of notice. The churches of St. Walburg and Notre Dame, contain much to interest the traveller; they are both of early date, and sustained considerable damage at the bombardment of the town in 1684. The portal of the council-chamber is a master-piece of wood-carving; it was executed by Paul Vander Schelder, in 1530. Margaret, Duchess of Parma, governess of the Low Countries under Philip II., was born in this town. A famous battle was fought under the walls of Oudenarde, in 1708, between the English and French, in which, as is well known, the former, under the Duke of Marlborough, were victorious. Indeed, all this tract of country has been again and again fought over.

Returning to our railway route, we start from the Deynze station, and pass on the line to

Nazareth, Artene, and the Castle of Odonck, a fine old building; it is flanked by five large towers, surrounded by a deep fosse, which is crossed by a drawbridge, and stands in a noble park. Farther on is Maria-Leeme, and Bachte. The Lys is on the left, and on the same side, the village of Deurle, after passing which the line runs over a plain, highly cultivated, but with little variation in the scenery, and liable to inundations. The commune of St. DenisWestrem is passed on the left, and, crossing the road from Ghent to Oudenarde, the line turns suddenly to the left, quitting the route to Dendermond, and enters the station of Ghent. (See GHENT.) The remainder of the route from Calais to Cologne is the same as in that from Ostend to Cologne, and will be found described in Route I., pages 11 to 21.

RAILWAY ROUTES-No. 3.

ANTWERP TO COLOGNE.

Distance, 150 miles.-Time usually occupied, 10 hours.

From Malines to COLOGNE, same as in Route 1, page 10 to 21.

Antwerp contains much to interest the traveller. (See ANTWERP.) An admirable plan is pursued by the custom-house at Antwerp. As soon as a steamer arrives, she is boarded by a number of customhouse officers, under a superintendent, and the whole of the passengers' luggage is speedily examined. By this means much delay

and expense, and more annoyance, are spared to the traveller who wishes to proceed rapidly on his journey. An agent from the passportoffice likewise attends on board. When the tourist leaves the steamboat, omnibuses will be found on the quay, ready to convey him to any of the hotels, or direct to the railway station. The charge for either is half a franc.-Hotels abound in Antwerp. They are generally good. The following will be found well suited to English taste: Hotel St. Antoine, Place Verte, where there is an ordinary daily at two and at half-past four o'clock; Hotel du Grand Laboureur, Place de Meir, where private dinners are well supplied; Hotel du Parc, Place Verte; Hotel des Pays Bas, Rue des Menuisiers; Hotel de l'Angleterre, Longue Rue Neuve.-The Restaurants are, Rocher de Cancale, Rue des Douze Mois; l'Union, Marché aux Souliers.Coffee-houses: Café Suisse, Français, and Militaire, all on the Place Verte; and the Café de l'Empereur, Place de Meir.-Post-office, Place Verte.-Hackney-coaches: fares, from the stand to any part of the town, 50 cents, or 1 franc 25 cents for the first, and 1 franc for every subsequent hour.

The Railway Station is near the Borgerhout Gate, outside the fortification. Here it will be necessary for the traveller to see his luggage weighed, and to take a ticket, which he will have to produce on arriving at his destination.

As the train moves from Antwerp station, the splendid steeple of the Cathedral of Notre Dame is seen to great advantage. The next attraction is the Château de Berchem, which dates back as far as the eleventh century. Next, we leave on the right the commune of Berchem, containing 3000 inhabitants. This place was the head quarters of the French army during the siege of Antwerp in 1832. It was likewise in the neighbourhood of this commune that Count Frederick de Merode was mortally wounded, fighting for his country, in 1830. After passing many neat country-seats, the train stops at

Vieux Dieu, a small hamlet on the right, so called after a Pagan idol worshipped in the locality before the introduction of Christianity. The artificial mound upon which the idol is said to have stood is still to be seen. The railway station is crossed by the road to Lierre. The village of Moortsel, a commune of about 1500 inhabitants, is close by. Leaving the station, the village of Edeghem is seen on the right. The land on either side the line is in a high state of cultivation. After passing several ancient châteaux, the

train arrives at

Contich, distant from Antwerp seven and a half miles; population, 3640. Between this place and

Duffel, which is on the river Nethe, the railway route offers nothing remarkable. From Duffel, omnibuses proceed to Lierre, on the arrival of each train. The train next crosses the Nethe by a