Notes from my travels

April 13 we rode along the Elbe River admiring the green timber on the hills right and left, and the large limestone quarries overlooking the peaceful river and green valley. Big rafts of logs were being floated down the river, and boatloads of planed lumber. Large lumberyards employing many laborers are situated near the railroad and river. Many large vineyards and orchards extended far up the hillsides where they faced the sun's warmest rays. We passed many small villages, and towns. In some of them the ruins of large stone castles protruded from the hillsides.

The scenery altogether reminded me of that on the Rhine. It was in the evening when we reached our objective point---Prague. Prague is the ancient capital of Bohemia, picturesquely situated on the hills near the Moldan River. Two thirds of the people are Bohemians and the Germans are very unpopular. But we obtained a lodging in a German hotel and after a short walk and a light supper we retired to our rooms. The sky was cloudy and the gaslights of the city looked dim from our window. We felt quite assured that the following day would be a stormy one.

One, who is traveling, especially if he be a student, finds no time, nor does he find money, to throw away in the interesting-and also expensive towns of the Austria, Hungarian Monarchy. So we are taking what protection from rain we had wended our way through the wet narrow irregular streets of Prague. The condition of the atmosphere on this stormy day impressed us more deeply than the air of finer days would have done. It is here that Jerome and Huss struggled to established the reformation and where many became martyrs to the cause. A rust eaten iron basket in which many of the reformer's heads were exposed graces one of Prague's most dignified streets. The Charles Bridge with 16 arches on one of which statues of the saints crosses the Moldau. We, Bro. Robinson and I, passed over this bridge and ascended to the heights of the hill to the great Imperial Palace which contains portraits, ancient halls, and the council chambers from which the imperial councilors were thrown, causing the Thirty Year's War, which resulted in the liberation of the Protestants from the Roman pope. We guided ourselves to other places of interest. One very noted place is the large clock found here