and strap it; so he could not come to Rollo to show him the route, but
was obliged to describe it.

"Have you found Paris?" said he.

"Yes," said Rollo; "I have got my finger on it."

"In the first place, then," said Mr. George, "there is a railway that
goes east from Paris a hundred miles across France to Strasbourg on the
Rhine. See if you can find Strasbourg on the Rhine."

"Yes," said Rollo; "here it is."

"Then," said Mr. George, "we take another railway and go south, up the
Rhine, towards Switzerland."

"_Down_ the Rhine," said Rollo, correcting his uncle; "it is _down_."

"No," rejoined Mr. George. "It is down on the map; that is, it is down
the page; but it is really _up_ the river. The Rhine flows to the north.
It collects the waters of a hundred glaciers in Switzerland and carries
them north into the North Sea."

"Well," said Rollo.

"This railway," continued Mr. George, "will take us up from Strasbourg,
along the bank of the Rhine, to Basle, which is in Switzerland, just
across the frontier. It is there, I suppose, that we shall have to show
our passports; and then we shall know if you got them stamped right."

"I did get them stamped right, I am very sure," said Rollo.

"Boys are generally very sure that what they do is done right," rejoined
Mr. George.

Soon after this Mr. George and Rollo took their seats in the carriage,
which had been for some time standing ready for them in the court yard
of the inn, and drove to the Strasbourg station.

Rollo was greatly interested and excited, when he arrived at the
Strasbourg station, to see how extensive and magnificent it was. The
carriage entered, with a train of other carriages, through a great iron
gate and drew up at the front of a very spacious and grand-looking
building. Porters, dressed in a sort of uniform, which gave them in some
degree the appearance of soldiers, were ready to take the two trunks and
carry them in. The young gentlemen followed the porters, and they soon
found themselves ushered into an immense hall, very neatly and prettily
arranged, with great maps of the various railways painted on the walls
between the windows on the front side, and openings on the back side
leading to ticket offices or waiting rooms. There were seats along the
sides of this hall, with groups of neatly-dressed travellers sitting
upon them. Other travellers were walking about, attending to their
baggage or making inquiries of the porter or policemen. Ot