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( 392 )
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liXVIIL—A STROLL THROUGH HAMBURGH.
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As I stand on the deck ofthe Hamburgh st...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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( 392 )
( 392 )
Lixviil—A Stroll Through Hamburgh.
liXVIIL—A STROLL THROUGH HAMBURGH .
As I Stand On The Deck Ofthe Hamburgh St...
As I stand on the deck ofthe Hamburgh steamer which is to convey me the first stage of , my northward journey , a short experience
is sufficient to convince me that I am not on one of the ordinary mere during tourist the voyage tracks . is The the onl little y obj island ect of of interest Heligoland which about is . passed two
, miles in circumference , of which a , glimpse is obtained as we approach the Elbe . This diminutive British possession is duly
endowed with governor and garrison , and though its name may be seldom mentioned in time o £ peace , when war breaks out
it is sure to be heard of as an : important little spot . Here , as elsewhere , the 5 ' men must work , " and do work , chiefly at the . same
the occupation " women as must Kingsley weep _' s ; famous ' . but if " three this ; is " their and special doubtless portion also
, they . are by no means exempted from bearing their full share of the labour also . They attend to . the agriculture of the island
while their husbands are absent on their fishing excursions . Though an area so very contracted , and whereon , too , neither tree nor shrub
is seen , would seem to offer few attractions to visitors , _Heligoland is resorted to as a watering-place during the summer by
Hamburghers , and occasionally even by the English ; the last time that I passed herea family of compatriotswho had been sojourning
therecame off to , . seek homeward passage , by the steamer . This Heilige , -land or Holy Island , is supposed to be the place where
was once the consecrated grove of the Goddess Hertha , or Mother Earthand whereaccording to Tacitusher sacred chariot was
to kep touch t , , covered . Whenever with , a veil an whi instinctive ch the priest , feeling alone intimated was permitted to the
Bacred functionary that his mistress was desirous of making a journey , cows were yoked to this hallowed car and it went forth
upon a progress , scattering blessings wherever it went . Its very earance was a proclamation of peace ; every conflict was stayed ,
every app hostile weapon put . aside wherever the divinity _apxDeared , and all was joy and festivity as long as her . unseen presence
gladdened any spot . When weary of journeying , the priest reconducted the chariot to the holy island . The washing of it
in a certain appointed lake was committed to slaves , who were swallowed up by the waters as soon as they had performed their
office , to prevent any revelation of what they had seen or not seen , when the mystic curtains of the car were raised- At
length the mouth of the Elbe is reached , Hanover on the one hand , and Holstein on the othereach stretching forth a dull ,
flatEssexlike shore ; and then comes , the tedious two or three hours' , delay at the Bara sandbank which stops all progress save at flow of tide
till . finall , y , at Blankenese , such humble beauties as this part of ,
the river can boast begin to unfold themselves , presenting however ,
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Citation
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English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), Feb. 2, 1863, page 392, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_02021863/page/32/
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