BINGEN.
At some places on the Rhine the passengers go on board the steamers and
land from them in a small boat, as Mr. George and Rollo did at St. Goar.
At others there is a regular pier for a landing. At all the large towns
there is a pier,--in some there are two or three,--which belong
severally to the different companies which own the lines of steamers.
These piers are constructed in a very peculiar manner. They are made by
means of a large and heavy boat, which is anchored at a short distance
from the shore, and then a massive platform is built, extending from the
quay to this boat. The boat, being afloat, rises and falls with the
river; and thus the end of the platform which rests upon it is kept
always at the proper level for the landing of the passengers, so that,
whatever may be the state of the water, they go over on a level plank.
This is a very convenient arrangement for such a river as the Rhine,
which rises and falls considerably at different seasons, on account of
the variation in the quantity of rain, and in the melting of the snows,
on the mountains in Switzerland.
Bingen is one of the towns where there is a floating pier of this kind,
and Mr. George and Rollo were safely landed upon it about eight o'clock.
It was a very pleasant evening. As they approached the town, before they
landed, they both walked forward towards the bows of the vessel, to see
what sort of a place it was where they were going to spend the night.
"It is just like Coblenz," said Mr. George, "only on a small scale."
It was indeed very much like Coblenz in its situation, for it was built
on a point of land formed between the Rhine and the Nahe, a branch which
came in here from the westward, just as Coblenz was at the junction of
the Rhine and the Moselle. There was a bridge across the Moselle, you
recollect, just at the mouth of it, on the lower side of the town, which
bridge was made to accommodate the travellers going up and down the
Rhine on that side. There was just such a bridge across the mouth of the
Nahe. So that the situation of the town was in all respects very similar
to that of Coblenz.
Just below the town there was a small green island covered with
shrubbery, and on the upper end of the island was a high, square tower,
standing alone.
"That's must be Bishop Hatto's Tower," said Mr. George.
"Who was he?" asked Rollo.
"He was a man that was eaten up by the rats," said Mr. George, "because
he called the poor people rats, and burned up a great many of them in
his barn. The story is in the guide book. I will read it to you when we
get to the hotel."
By this time the boat had glided by the island, and the tower was out of
view; and very soon afterwards Mr. George and Rollo were landed on the
floating pier, as I have already said. There were very few people to
land, and the boat seemed merely to touch the pier and then to glide
away again.
There were several porters standing by, and they immediately took up the
passengers' baggage, and carried it away to the hotels, which were all
very near the river. Rollo and Mr. George were soon comfortably
established in a room with two beds in it, one in each corner, and a
large round table near one of the windows. Outside of the other window
was a balcony, and Rollo immediately went out there, to look at the
view.
"We have not got quite _out_ yet, uncle George," said he.
Rollo was right, for the bank of the river opposite Bingen was very
steep and high, and was terraced from top to bottom for vineyards. In
fact, this part of the river is more celebrated, perhaps, than any other
for the excellent quality of the grapes which it produces. It is here
that are situated the famous vineyards of Rudesheim and Johannisberg. In
fact, the whole country, for miles in extent, is one vast vineyard. The
separate fields are divided from one another by the terrace walls, which
run parallel to the river, and by paths formed sometimes by steps, and
sometimes by zigzags, which ascend and descend from the crest of the
hills above to the line of the shore. The only buildings to be seen
among all this vast expanse of walls and terraces are the little
watchtowers that are erected here and there at commanding points to
enable the vinegrowers to watch the fruit, when it comes to the time
of ripening. The laborers who till the fields, and dress the vines, and
gather the grapes in the season, live all of them in compact villages,
built at intervals along the shore.
While Rollo was looking at this scene, and wondering how such an immense
number of walls and terraces could ever have been built, his attention
was suddenly arrested by hearing a sweet and silvery voice, like that of
a girl, calling out,--
"Rollo."
Rollo turned in the direction of the sound, and found that it was Minnie
speaking to him. She was standing on another balcony, one which opened
from the chamber next to his. Rollo was very much pleased to see her. He
thought it very remarkable that he should meet her thus so many times;
but it was not. Travellers on the Rhine going in the same direction, and
stopping to see the same things, often meet each other in this way again
and again.
After talking with Minnie some little time from the balcony, Rollo asked
her if her mother was there.
"Yes," said Minnie.
"Ask her then," said Rollo, "if you may come down and take a walk with
me in the garden."
Minnie went in from the balcony, and in a moment returning, she said,
"Yes," and immediately disappeared again. So Rollo went down, and Minnie
presently came and met him in the garden.
[Illustration: MINNIE.]
The garden was a small piece of ground in front of the hotel, between
the hotel and the river. There was a large gate opening from it towards
the hotel, and another towards the river. The garden was full of shade
trees, with pleasant walks winding about among them, and here and there
a border, or a bed of flowers. There were several carved images placed
here and there, one of which amused Rollo and Minnie very much, for it
represented a monkey sitting on a pole and looking at himself in a hand
looking glass which he held before his face. In the other hand he had a
parasol.
In the front part of the garden, towards the river, were several tables
under the trees, where people might take coffee or ices, or they might
take their dinner there if they chose. In the front of the garden too,
at the corners, were two summer houses, with tables and chairs in them.
The sides of these houses that were turned towards the river, and also
those that were towards the gardens, were open. The other two sides of
each summer house had walls, on which were painted views of castles and
other scenery of the Rhine. Over one of the summer houses was a little
room for a lookout, where there was a very fine prospect up and down the
river.
Rollo and Minnie rambled about here for some time, examining every thing
with great attention. They chose one of the pleasantest tables, and sat
down before it.
"This is a nice place," said Minnie. "I propose that you and I come out
here to-morrow morning and have breakfast, all by ourselves."
"O, we can't do that very well," said Rollo.
"Yes we can," replied Minnie, "just as well as not. I'll plan it all."
Minnie then jumped up and led the way, Rollo following, through the open
gate towards the river. There was a sort of street outside, and Rollo
and Minnie stood here for a few minutes to see a steamer go by. Minnie
then proposed that they should get into a boat that was lying there, and
take a sail.
"You can row--can't you?" said she to Rollo.
"No," said Rollo, "not on such a river as this. See how swift the
current flows."
"Never mind," said Minnie, "I can. Let us jump into this boat, and have
a sail."
"No," said Rollo, "not for the world. We should be carried off down the
stream in spite of every thing."
"Never mind," said Minnie; "we should land somewhere, and they would
send down for us. We should have a great deal of fun."
How far Minnie would have persevered in urging her plan for a venture in
the boat on the river I do not know; but the conversation was here
interrupted by the appearance of Mr. George, who had come down through
the garden, and just at this instant joined the children on the quay.
[Illustration]