Search -
Camp life on the Weser, by H. Tomlinson and J. Powell
Camp life on the Weser by H Tomlinson and J Powell Author:Harry Tomlinson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Georg. 17 confirms all that we have said as to the originality of his character—" To-day Georg washed himself." Georg Washed Himself. We were destined t... more »o pass a third night on board the " Emma," but it was very early in the morning of the sixth day from Bremen, when we passed through the magnificent lock built to avoid the one weir on the river, and made fast to the quay beneath the fine suspension bridge at Hameln. Who has not heard of " Hameln Town on the Weser," and the terrible vengeance of the Pied Piper ? The word " Rattenfanger" meets one everywhere in the quaint old streets. " At the Ratcatcher " is one of the first signs that one sees, and even the Rathhaus sets forth in verse : " Im Jahre 1284 nach Christi Geburt Zu Hameln wurden ausgefahrt Hundert und dreissig kinder daselbst geboren Durch einen Pfeifer allda verloren." Hameln is, on the whole, an interesting and old- fashioned town, but a fine new church, the chain bridge, the large warehouses and other buildings, which have sprung up here and there, give too much of a bustling air to the place. As the "Emma" was proceeding no further, we launched our boat again, and, with one of the crew perched up on the luggage in the bows, in order to make room for the Guttemann's sixteen stone, rowed away from an appreciative crowd on Hameln bridge, en route for Bodenwerder. Our Schiffer was particularly pleased at being rowed along by his " Englander," and, as we passed barge after barge, he did not fail to call the attention of his friends (who seemed much amused and interested) to his position. His attempts at conversation with our crew were most laughable, owing to his anxiety to make use of the few words of English he had picked up, especially his favourite " al rite, eh !" He was most anxious to take...« less