COPENHAGEN AND TIVOLI.
All the boats of the squadron came into line, each with the flag in
the bow and stern. They pulled along the water front of the city,
around a couple of Danish men-of-war, and of course created a
sensation. One by one the boats rowed up to the landing, and the
students went on shore, each crew securing its cutter at the wharf,
near the steps. The custom-house officers were on the alert; but as no
one had parcels of any kind, the students were not detained. Mr. and
Mrs. Kendall landed, and as they intended to spend a few days in the
city, they had a couple of valises, which the porters, who are always
in waiting at all the ports in Europe, conveyed into the custom-house.
The Toldbod, as this edifice is called by the Danes, is surrounded by
a high wall, which also encloses the entire landing-place, so that
none can visit the city from the sea without passing through its
gates.
One of the officers spoke English very well, and evidently took pride
in doing so, for he asked a great many questions so pleasantly, that
it was impossible to explain his object in any other way. He wished to
know whether the travellers had any clothing they had not worn, and
whether Mrs. Kendall had any tobacco or liquor. She protested that
she did not use tobacco or liquor; and the actual examination of the
baggage was a mere form. The man was so polite, that Paul at once
concluded he was only practising his English. A carriage was procured,
and Dr. Winstock and Captain Lincoln were invited to join the party.
The inquiring students deemed it a great privilege to be permitted to
go with the surgeon, for he was a walking encyclopaedia of every city
and country in Europe. As Paul Kendall had been before, Captain
Lincoln was now, the favorite of the doctor, and the little party were
to see the city together.
The carriage went out at the gate, and passed into Amaliegade. The
houses were plain and substantial, without much ornament. They were of
brick, but most of them were covered with stucco.
"What's this?" asked Paul, as the carriage entered an open space, with
an equestrian statue in the centre.
"Frederiksplads," replied the doctor; "and that is the statue of
Frederik V., who came to the throne in 1746, and in whose reign this
palace was erected."
The place was an octagon, surrounded on all sides by public buildings.
"This is the residence of the king on the left. On the other side is
the palace of the crown prince. There is the foreign office, and on
the other side lives the queen dowager."
"They are not very elegant buildings," said Captain Lincoln.
"No; there are no very fine buildings in Copenhagen, though the
Exchange is a very curious structure, and some are very large and
unwieldy. There's the Casino," added the doctor.
"What's a casino?" inquired the captain.
"Here it is a building for dancing, concerts, theatrical performances,
and similar amusements in the winter season. Everything is cheap here,
and the price of admission to the Casino, where one joins the dance or
sees a play, is two or three marks."
"How much is that? I haven't looked up the money yet," said Paul.
"A rigsbank dollar is the unit, worth about fifty-four cents of our
money. It is divided into six marks, of nine cents each, and a mark
into sixteen skillings, of about half a cent each. When the Italian
opera is at the Casino, the prices are only three or four marks. This
is Gothersgade," added Dr. Winstock, as the carriage turned into
another street. "In plain English, Gothic street."
"There's another equestrian statue," added Captain Lincoln, pointing
to a large, irregular space, surrounded by public buildings.
"The statue of Christian V. This is Kongens, or King's Square. There
are the Academy of Arts, the Royal Theatre, the Guard House, the New
Market--none of them very fine, as you can see for yourselves."
The carriage crossed this square, and came out at a canal, on the
other side of which was the vast palace of Christiansborg. A short
distance farther brought the party to the Royal Hotel. The carriage
stopped at the door in the arch, and the two landlords, the porter,
the waiters, and the clerk, half a score strong, turned out to
receive its occupants. All of them bowed low, and all of them led the
way up stairs. Paul took a parlor and chamber for himself and lady.
"Now, where's Joseph?" asked Dr. Winstock.
"Who's Joseph?" inquired the captain.
"He is the guide at this hotel, if he is still living."
Joseph was sent for, and soon made his appearance. He was an elderly
man, with gray hair and whiskers, neatly dressed in black. His manners
were very agreeable, and he exhibited a lively zeal to serve the
tourists. Mr. Lowington had been courteously waited upon by an officer
of the government, who had volunteered to have the various palaces,
museums, and other places of interest, opened during the afternoon and
the next day. Joseph had procured a two-horse carriage, and the party
at the hotel seated themselves in it, with the guide on the box with
the driver.
"That's the Slot," said Joseph, pointing across the canal.
"The what?" exclaimed Captain Lincoln.
"The Slot, or Palace of Christiansborg."
"Slot! What a name!"
"But not any worse than the German word _Schloss_," added Joseph,
laughing. "Do you speak German, sir?"
"Not much."
The guide uttered a few sentences in German, evidently for the purpose
of demonstrating that he spoke the language.
"The palace is on an island called Slotsholm, and is as big as it is
ugly. Shall we go there now?"
"No; we want a general view of the city first," replied Dr. Winstock.
"I think we had better ascend to the top of the Round Tower."
Joseph gave the order, and the carriage proceeded to the tower. The
canal in front of the hotel was filled with small craft, which had
brought pottery and various wares from other parts of Denmark, to
sell. The goods were arranged on the decks and on the shore of the
canal. Near were groups of women, who were selling fish, vegetables,
and other articles, around whom was a crowd of purchasers.
"I suppose you have heard of Andersen?" said Joseph to the captain.
"Heard of him! I have read all his books which have been translated
into English," replied Captain Lincoln.
"He has rooms in that building some of the time. Do you see that
sign--Melchoir?"
"Yes."
"This Melchoir is a very dear friend of Andersen, who lives with him a
portion of the time."
"Is it possible to see Hans Christian Andersen?" asked Mrs. Kendall.
"Quite possible, madam. I will see about it to-day. He is a very
agreeable man, and willing to meet all who wish to see him," answered
Joseph. "There's the Town Hall," he added, as the carriage passed a
large building, with an extensive colonnade in front.
"'_Med Lov skal man Land bygge_,'" said Lincoln, reading an
inscription on the front. "Those are my sentiments exactly."
"'With law must the land be built' is the English of that," laughed
Joseph. "All the Jutland laws begin with this phrase, which was
spoken by Waldemar II. We Danes believe in law, and everything that is
good. Copenhagen is a very fine city, and everything is remarkably
cheap here."
"What do you call your city in your own lingo, Joseph?"
"Kjoebenhavn; pronounce it Chep-en-ahn."
"Chepenahn," repeated Lincoln.
"Speak it a little quicker, and you will have it right. It was first
called simply the Haven; then in Danish, when many merchants carried
on business here, _Kaupmannahoefn_, or merchants' haven, from which it
was shortened into _chepenahn_. Here is the Round Tower," added
Joseph, as the carriage stopped.
The party alighted and entered the structure, which was the tower of
the Church of the Trinity.
"This used to be the watch tower, where men were kept to give the
alarm in case of fire; but the observatory has been moved to the tower
of St. Nicholas, and now we have a telegraphic fire alarm. Won't you
walk up to the top of this tower, where you can have a fine view of
the whole city? The ascent is very easy," continued Joseph.
There were no stairs, but an inclined plane, gradual in its rise,
permitted the tourists to ascend to the summit with very little labor.
"We might have driven up in the carriage," said Captain Lincoln.
"There would be no difficulty at all in doing so. In fact, Peter the
Great, when he was in Copenhagen, in 1716, drove to the top with the
Empress Catharine, in a coach and four."
"Is that so?" asked the captain.
"I can't remember so far back myself," chuckled Joseph, "for I'm not
much over a hundred years old; but everybody says it is true, and I
see no reason to doubt the story. Peter the Great liked to do strange
things, and you can see for yourself that a carriage would run very
well here."
"If he went up with a coach and four, of course he must have come
down, unless the carriage and horses are up there now. How did he turn
his team?"
"It is easier to ask some questions than to answer them," replied
Joseph. "History does not say that he drove down, only that he drove
up."
"Perhaps he backed down, which kings and emperors are sometimes
obliged to do, as well as common people," suggested Paul Kendall.
"Very likely he did; I don't see any other way for the team to
descend," added Joseph. "This tower was begun in 1639."
At the top of the structure the travellers took a general survey of
the city, and then proceeded to examine it in detail.
"Do you remember the latitude of Copenhagen, Captain Lincoln?" asked
Dr. Winstock.
"About fifty-five and a half."
"The same as the middle of Labrador. Quebec is about forty-seven, and
this is a long way farther north. What is the population of this city,
Joseph?" asked the doctor.
"One hundred and eighty-one thousand," replied the guide, giving the
census of 1870. "Formerly the city was a walled town, with ramparts
and moats. It was built partly on Seeland, and partly on the small
island of Amager. The channel between them is the harbor. You can see
where the old line of fortifications was. The old town lies nearest to
the sea, but the city is now spreading rapidly out into the country."
"What is that broad sheet of water, with two bridges over it?" asked
Lincoln, pointing to the land side.
"That is the reservoir. Formerly the water in the city was bad, but
now it has an excellent system of water-works. The water comes in from
the country, and is pumped up by steam before it is distributed.
Beyond that, for miles, the country is covered with beautiful villas
and country residences. You must ride out there, for the environs of
Copenhagen are as fine as anything in Europe."
"You are right, Joseph," added the doctor. "Some parts of the city are
not unlike Holland, you see. The Slotsholm canal gives that part of
the town a decidedly Dutch look."
"The part on Amager, called Christianshavn, is all cut up by canals,"
added the guide.
"Now, we will take a ride around the city," said Paul Kendall.
The party descended, and having driven through some of the principal
streets, and obtained a very good idea of the city, returned to the
hotel.
"Now you can dismiss the carriage, and we will go to some of the
museums and churches," suggested Joseph.
"We don't care to walk far; we will retain the carriage," replied
Paul.
"It will be much cheaper to walk, as you have to pay four marks an
hour for the carriage," pleaded the economical guide. "Thorwaldsen's
Museum and the Northern Antiquities are only a few steps from here."
"Very well; we will walk, then, if you insist upon it," laughed Paul.
"I thought these guides made you spend as much money as possible,"
said Captain Lincoln to the surgeon.
"I never found it so. I think they are a very useful class of men.
They charge here about two rigsdalers a day, and I remember that
Joseph would not let me throw away a single mark. They know the prices
for carriages and everything else, and it is for their interest not to
let any one cheat their employers. Perhaps it is not well to make
purchases with them, for they compel the merchant to pay them a
commission, which increases the price charged for the articles. But I
think, in many places, I have done better with a _commissionnaire_
than without one, in making purchases."
Joseph led the way across the bridge to Slotsholm, which was nearly
covered by the immense palace of Christiansborg and its dependencies.
The first building was Thorwaldsen's Museum, the outer walls of which
were covered with an Etruscan fresco of the arrival and debarkation of
the great sculptor and his goods, mostly works of art. The figures are
about life size, and the situation in which the pictures are placed is
novel and quaint. The work was done by inlaying cement of different
colors in the wall. Joseph described the various scenes. Thorwaldsen
is still held in the highest regard and veneration by all Denmark,
and especially by all Copenhagen; indeed, he seems to be the great
genius of the country. He was born in 1770, near the city. His father
was an Icelander, and a carver in wood--a calling in which the son
assisted him when he was only a dozen years old. At seventeen he
received the prize of a silver medal from the Academy of Arts, and at
twenty-three the grand prize, which carried with it a royal pension,
that enabled him to go abroad for the study of his art. He went to
Rome in 1796, where he had but little success, and was reduced almost
to despair, when his model of Jason and the Golden Fleece attracted
the attention of an English gentleman, who commissioned him to
complete the work in marble. This event was the dawn of success, and
orders continued to pour in upon him from the rich and the powerful,
including kings and emperors, until his fortune was made. His works
adorn many of the great cities of Europe, and Canova was his only
actual rival. His fame extended to every nation, and a visit to his
native land in 1819 was a triumphal progress through Italy and
Germany. In 1838 he returned to Copenhagen, to pass the remainder
of his days, in a frigate sent to Italy for his use by the Danish
government. On one side of his museum are depicted his arrival in this
ship, and his reception by the citizens; and on the other side, the
conveyance of his works from the ship to their final destination.
Thorwaldsen went to Rome again on a visit for his health, and died in
Copenhagen in 1844. He was a modest, generous, and amiable man. The
museum was erected by subscription, though the sculptor gave a
fourth part of the sum necessary for its erection, and in his will
bequeathed to it the works of art from his cunning brain, of which its
contents are almost entirely composed. His biography has been written
by Hans Christian Andersen.
After examining the frescoes on the outer wall, the party entered the
building. It is an oblong structure, with a court-yard in the middle.
It is two stories in height, with connected rooms extending entirely
around it. The works of art, and memorials of the sculptor, are
classified in these apartments, forty-two in number.
"That is the grave of Thorwaldsen," said Joseph, leading the way into
the court-yard. "His body lies there, surrounded by his works, as he
requested."
The grave is an oblong enclosure of polished granite, raised a few
inches above the ground, and covered over with ivy. At the foot of it
is a black cross, with the date of his death inscribed upon it.
The tourists walked through the various rooms, and examined the works
of the immortal genius, most of which were in plaster, being the
models of all his great achievements set up in marble in various parts
of Europe. His pictures, his library, his collections of coins, vases,
and antiquities, are placed in the museum. One room is fitted up with
his furniture, precisely as he used it, and various interesting
mementos of the man are to be seen there. Among the pictures are
some mere daubs, which are preserved only because they belonged to
Thorwaldsen; but they have an interest as an illustration of the
benevolent character of the great sculptor, who ordered many of them
merely to save the artists from starvation.
"Did you ever see Thorwaldsen?" asked Lincoln, as Joseph conducted
his charge from the building.
"Often," replied the guide. "He was a venerable-looking old man, with
long, white hair. He made a statue of himself, which is very like him.
He died suddenly in the theatre, and the king and royal family
followed his remains to the church."
The Museum of Northern Antiquities was in the old palace of a prince,
on the other side of the canal. On the front of the building were some
quaint carvings, which gave it a picturesque appearance. Joseph seemed
to be in his element at this museum. He spoke glibly and learnedly of
"the stone age," "the bronze age," and "the iron age," each designated
by the material of which the implements used for domestic purposes, in
war and agriculture, were composed. Numberless utensils of all kinds
are contained in the cabinets, classified with rare skill, and
arranged with excellent taste. All these objects were found below
ground, in various parts of Scandinavia. In Denmark the law requires
that all antiquities of metal shall belong to the government, which,
however, pays the full value of the articles to the finder. In 1847 a
pair of solid gold bracelets, very heavy, and elegantly wrought, were
dug up from the earth, and added to this collection. There is a great
variety of ornaments, in gold and silver, consisting of necklaces,
rings, bracelets, and similar trinkets. One necklace contains three
pounds of pure gold.
There are plenty of knives, arrow-heads, hatchets, hammers, chisels,
and other implements, skilfully made of stone. Runic writings, the
most valuable in the world, are collected here. Joseph said that
certain long pieces of wood, with signs carved upon them, were
Icelandic Calendars. The remains of a warrior, who had fought and died
in the ancient time, with the iron mail of his day, were examined with
interest, as were also a number of altars, coffers containing relics,
and some gold crosses, one of which is said to contain a splinter from
the true cross, which were exhibited as specimens of the Catholic form
of worship in remote times.
Recrossing the bridge over the canal, the party entered the great,
barn-like palace of Christiansborg. It consists of several connected
buildings, containing a theatre, riding-school, stables, coach-houses,
bake-house, and the usual royal apartments. In 1168 a castle was
erected on this spot, as a protection against pirates, which was
repeatedly demolished, rebuilt, altered, and enlarged, till it was
levelled to the ground in 1732, and a new palace erected, but was
destroyed by fire in 1784. It was rebuilt, in its present cumbrous
proportions, in 1828. The visitors entered the large court-yard,
passed through the picture gallery, the "Hall of the Knights," the
throne-room, looked into the riding-school,--which is a large, oblong
room, with an earth floor, where the royal family may practise
equestrianism,--the arsenal, the legislative chambers, and other
rooms, none of which were very striking to those who had visited the
palaces of Paris, London, Berlin, and St. Petersburg.
In front of the palace is a beautiful green, beyond which is the
Exchange, or Boersen, built by Christian IV. It is the most picturesque
edifice in the city, though the interior is entirely commonplace. It
is long and very narrow, and ornamented with a vast number of figures
cut in the stone, with elegantly-wrought portals at the entrances. But
the spire is the most remarkable portion of the building, and consists
of four dragons, the heads at the apex looking towards the four points
of the compass.
From the Exchange the party walked to the Fruekirke, or Church of our
Lady, which is interesting only on account of the works of Thorwaldsen
which it contains. Behind the altar is the majestic and beautiful
statue of Christ, which stretches out its wounded hands, as if he were
saying, "Come unto me, ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will
give you rest." On each side of the church are the figures of the
twelve apostles, placed against the walls at equal distances, so as to
include the whole extent. In the middle of the choir, in front of the
altar, is the figure of an angel, holding a baptismal font, in the
shape of a shell, which some call Thorwaldsen's masterpiece. In the
sacristy of the church are several other works of the great sculptor,
who was first interred in this place, before the museum was ready to
receive his remains.
Mrs. Kendall declared she had seen enough for one day, for
sight-seeing is the hardest work one can do when it is overdone. After
supper, when the lady was rested, she consented to visit Tivoli, where
the students were to spend the evening. This celebrated resort of the
Copenhageners is situated just outside of the old walls of the city,
near the arm of the sea which divides Amager from Seeland. One of the
two horse-railways, which the people in Europe generally persist in
calling "tramways," extends through the city, passing the gates of
this garden. Several of the officers and seamen of the ship came by
the cars, which hardly differ from those in use in the principal
cities of the United States; but all of them have accommodations for
passengers on the top.
Captain Lincoln--who had been on board of the ship since he left the
party with whom he had spent the afternoon--and Norwood were
passengers in a car; but though they could not speak a word of Norsk,
they were not disturbed by the situation. Presently the conductor
presented himself, which caused a general sounding of pockets among
the occupants of the car. He had a tin box, suspended by a strap,
which passed around his neck, to contain the money he received. In his
hand he held a compact little roll of yellow paper, an inch and a half
in width, across which was printed a succession of little tickets,
each with a number. The fare was four skillings, or two and one fourth
cents, and, as each person paid, the conductor handed him one of these
papers, torn from the roll. Captain Lincoln gave him a piece of money,
and held up two fingers, pointing to his companion at the same time,
to indicate that he paid for both. The man gave him his change, and
two of the yellow tickets.
[Illustration: Kjobenhavns
Sporvei.
4 Skilling.
904]
"What are these for?" asked Lincoln, glancing at the little papers.
"They are tickets, of course," replied Norwood.
"I don't think so," added the captain. "All the people seem to throw
them away, and the floor of the car is covered with them."
"O, I know now what they are!" exclaimed Norwood. "I have heard of
such things."
"I never did."
"I suppose you know what 'knocking down' means--don't you?" laughed
the second lieutenant.
"It means stealing."
"Precisely so. It is said that conductors and omnibus drivers at home
'knock down' a good deal, which is the technical name for taking a
portion of the fares. They use 'spotters' in our country to keep the
conductors and drivers honest."
"Spotters?"
"Yes, that's the name of them. They are men and women, whom the
conductors cannot distinguish from other passengers, employed by the
railway companies to ride in the cars, and report the number of
passengers on certain trips, so that the agents can tell whether the
fares are all paid over. These tickets are used for the same purpose."
"I don't see what good they do. They certainly can't keep the men
honest, for almost everybody throws away his ticket."
"They are called control-marks," said a gentleman next to the captain,
who had been listening with interest to the conversation, and who
spoke good English. "The man has to tear one of them off every time a
passenger pays him."
"They are all numbered, I see; mine is nine hundred and four," added
Lincoln.
"When the man gives up this roll at night, the next number will show
how many he has torn off. If he began at No. 200 this morning, he has
taken seven hundred and four fares."
"But he might neglect to tear off fifty or a hundred in the course of
a day," suggested Lincoln, "and put the money for them in his pocket."
"If he does so, everybody is watching him, and anybody may report him
to the agent. I am a share-owner of the company, and for aught the
conductor knows, there may be one in every car. If the man neglects
his duty, my interest would prompt me to look after him."
"I see; thank you, sir."
"Here is Tivoli," added the gentleman. "I suppose you are going
there."
"Yes, sir."
"It is a fine garden, and very cheap."
The young officers left the car, and bought tickets at the gate, for
which they paid one mark, or nine cents, each. Near the entrance they
found a man selling programmes of the evening's entertainment, at two
skillings each. Captain Lincoln bought one, for he carefully preserved
every handbill, ticket, or programme for future reference. He could
read a little of it. The performances were varied, and covered the
time from six o'clock till midnight. But the young officers preferred
to take a general view of the premises. It was an extensive garden,
prettily and tastefully laid out, with accommodations for concerts,
circus, and theatrical performances. In the centre was a "beer
garden," with table and seats, for little parties, who drank their
beer and chatted, while a band played in a kiosk. Near it was a
bazaar, where all kinds of fancy articles were arranged for sale, with
the attendant raffles and lotteries. Farther removed from the centre
was a theatre, consisting, however, of only the stage, the audience
seating themselves in the open air. The performance, from six to
seven, as the captain read in his programme, was
R1. 6. Entree gymnastique af Brodrene Hermann.
Or, in plain English, a gymnastic exhibition by the brothers Hermann.
In the circus there was a performance at half past seven, such as one
sees in the United States, and "Hr. Wallet" was clown. At half past
nine o'clock, another exhibition was given in an enclosed building, to
which an extra admission fee was charged. At the theatre, dancing by
some "celebrated sisters" was in progress at nine o'clock. A Russian
mountain was in operation during the whole evening. It was a railroad
down one inclined plane, and up another, and back over the same track,
a ride costing a few skillings. The concert was continued at intervals
during the entire evening. The "_cafe chantant_" was in full blast
after nine o'clock, in two places, one of which was a small hall, with
a bar, and the other the interior of a Swiss cottage, with a gallery
surrounding it. In each of these were tables, where the audience
seated themselves, and drank brandy, wine, beer, and milder beverages.
The singers, who are all females, stood upon a stage, and were
accompanied by a piano. After one or two songs had been sung, one of
the singers passed around among the audience with a plate to receive
their contributions, each person generally giving a small copper coin.
This order was continually repeated, and the money thus received is
the only salary of the performers, whose singing is villanously vile,
and whose character is worse than their singing. A canal, extending
from the sea, comes up to Tivoli, and passes around an island. Boats
are to let here; and, indeed, there is no end to the variety of
amusements, and "all for nine cents," as Joseph had said half a dozen
times during the afternoon to his party, and a dozen times more during
the evening. At half past ten the students returned to the squadron,
for by that time they had seen all they desired.