6-pence, 4-pence, 3-pence, 1-penny, and halfpenny pieces, sometimes farthings. The English pronounce the expressions 3-pence, 2-pence, half-penny-thripence, tupence, hap'nny, re

spectively.

In French currency, the franc=100 centimes ; a sou-one 5-centime piece; there are ten-centime pieces; the English sovereign gold piece= 25 francs 15 centimes, or practically 25 francs ; the napoleon=20 francs, or 15s. 9d. English, but if tourists are not guarded, the railway officials will allow only the value of one napoleon for one sovereign; observe the same precaution for halfnapoleons; the franc=20 cents, U. S., practically; 5 francs=$1. In German money, i mark=100 pfennigs; 1 English shilling=1 mark 4 pfennigs, practically mark; there are 1-pfennig, 5-pfennig, 10-pfennig, and 50-pfennig pieces; 20 shilling, English,=20 marks 40 pfennigs. In Italy, the English sovereign=27 lira; 1 lirè= 100 centimes=95% d. In Holland, I guilden=100 cents =1 florin=1s. 8d; 1, English,=12 guilden 2 cents. In Austria, I new florin = 100 kreutzers= IS. 111⁄2 d.; the £1= = silver florins, or, in currency, 12 florin 60 kreutzers.

VI.-Books and Study for Tourists.

Previous to entering on the tour it is desirable that the would-be-traveler should become as thoroughly acquainted as possible with the general history and present condition of the countries he intends to visit, with their geography, and their civil and political institutions; and, if any special line of investigation is to be pursued abroad, a study into its history, growth and present state is advisable. This kind of study is the more necessary because the guide books usually assume that the tourist already possesses a knowledge of all technical terms used in descriptions of architecture, of fortifications; of collections in cabinets, in museums, in galleries of paintings and sculpture; in curiosities of antiquity, of heraldry, of libraries, and the like. Such study is recommended in preference to what may be called the study of each particular locality as described in the guide books, which it is more profitable to study carefully when on the grounds and surrounded by the scenes which the books describe. It is desirable to read before starting what others have written of the places which are in mind to visit, to hear what is said of them by travelers, and to glean whatever knowledge is possible.

Of American publications, Harper's Guide Book, and Appleton's are valuable. Messrs. Cook, Son and Jenkins publish guide books and railway time-tables that are of worth. Books of travel, which will be profitable to consult, are

one or

issued from time to time for daily use of the tourist. When once over the ocean, the following books are almost indispensable—some more of them: Black's Guide Book to Scotland; Black's Picturesque Tourist of England; Black's London; Black's Ireland, and still others by this publisher; Murray's Guide Books and Railway Tables; Baedeker's Guide Books; Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, which is both a railway guide and a guide book; Bradshaw's Railway Guide for Great Britain; all these books are accompanied with excellent maps, and some one of them is a necessary aid to the tourist. When a number of tourists are traveling together, it is an excellent plan for one of them to purchase one author, another one to buy another author, and so on-then they can exchange with each other. Hardly any two authors give exactly the same description of any one place or object. It is well to be on the alert for occasional errors of statements, although the established guide books are mainly correct.

In addition to the above mentioned books, most of the cities and points of interest are written up in small guide books which will be found upon arrival at those places. Abel Heywood's penny guides with maps are especially valuable for places in England and Wales. Caution should be strictly taken that these local ones be genuine and complete, for there are many,which are unreliable, hawked about places of importance. It is better to purchase of the officials in attendance at these places, whenever possible. Good pocketmaps of the various countries can be readily found at any of the cities of note. They are on paper, and on cloth, and while the latter cost the

more at first, they are the more durable and valuable in the end.

If books and maps gradually accumulate upon the hands of the tourist, he can mail them to his home in the United States. The postage is one penny per two ounces from Great Britain, and packages weighing two pounds and under can be mailed. Or these books can be forwarded to the office of the steamship at the port of departure for home, or they can be left at any convenient place to be called for upon returning homeward.

Another matter of importance is that of language. An acquaintance with French and German, even though slight, will be a great gain. "To know the language is to have a double purse." The French suffices for Belgium, the Rhine District, Switzerland and Northern Italy. The Italian for Southern Italy is necessary. It will be an advantage to carry a small pocket-edition of some English-French, English-German, or English-Italian Dictionary, or according to the necessities in the case. The German assists one through Northern Switzerland. In all the leading Continental Hotels servants are employed who speak the English, as is said elsewhere in this volume.*

*NOTE. At the risk of digressing, I wish to note for travelers in America that Osgood's American Guide Books, comprising "New England," "The Middle States," "The Maritime Provinces,' and "The White Mountains," are very excellent books. The Taintor Brothers publish some small guide books. Cook's tourist books, charts and maps relating to the United States, as far as they go, are good. Some other books occasionally appear which aid in this matter of information regarding places of interest in the States.

PASSPORTS AND LETTERS OF INTRODUCTION. 25

VII.-Passports and Letters of Introduction.

Passports are not now required in most of the European countries, as in Great Britain, France, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy. Yet if one were going alone, a stranger, a passport might save him from some vexatious delays. Passports can be obtained on application at the State Department at Washington, and upon application and identification at the American Legations abroad. It is said that the presentation of a passport upon some occasions, particularly upon the Continent, will gain attentions and especial favors from officials that otherwise would be more difficult to secure, and that "a passport is the traveler's best protection against the ignorance or caprice of local officials, who have it in their power to make themselves disagreeable when they choose."

Letters of introduction to foreign public officers, or to our American representatives abroad, are valuable. They should be from public men of prominence. Letters of introduction to private gentlemen in Europe will be of service, and when used they should be delivered in person to the one to whom they are addressed. I would suggest that unless the traveler is a professional gentleman, or engaged in some special investigation, he needs but few letters of introduction, either special or general, to carry about with him. The advantage of having official papers of some kind is, that in cases of necessity he could command by means of them an attention towards himself that he would miss were the credentials wanting.