ambles were confined to the section
intervening between the palace and the Bassin d'Apollon, which is at the
nearer end of the Grand Canal. The fountains and jets in this section,
north and south of the Allee du Tapis Vert (green lawn), are almost
innumerable. They do not all play at the same time, so the crowd can
follow them from basin to basin until Neptune with his numerous jets, the
last and the greatest of them all, is reached. The Terrasse du Chateau
with Silenus, Antinous, Apollo and Bacchus, after the antique, lies next
to the palace. Immediately below is the Parterre d'Eau, upon whose border
repose twenty-four magnificent groups in bronze, namely, eight groups of
children, eight nymphs and the four principal rivers of France, with their
tributaries. Toward the left of this lies the Parterre du Midi, and still
further south, along the palace, lies the Orangerie. A flight of 103 steps
lead down to an iron gate on the road to Brest.

Parterre de Latone lies in advance of Parterre d'Eau, which two paterres
(pits) the Allee du Tapis Vert (green carpet) and the Grand Canal, lie in
a straight line and present a charming view nearly a mile and a quarter in
length. Bassin Latone is surrounded by a semi-circular terrace crowned
with yew-trees and a range of statues and groups in marble. (It would
require the space of a volume to describe all the fine statuary of this
garden). This fountain consists of five circular basins rising one above
the other in the form of a pyramid, surmounted by a group of Latona with
Apollo and Diana. "The goddess implores the vengeance of Jupiter against
the peasants of Libya, who refused her water, and the peasants, already
metamorphosed, some half, and others entirely, into frogs and tortoises,
are placed on the edge of the different tablets, and throw forth water
upon Latona in every direction, thus forming liquid arches of the most
beautiful effect." Walking down the green velvet lawn, we came to the
Bassin d'Apollon. Apollo, the God of Day, is emerging from the water in a
chariot drawn by four horses, and surrounded by a throng of sea-monsters.
Several other fountains represent the seasons. Spring is represented by
Flora and Summer by Ceres. Winter appears in a group representing Saturn
surrounded by children; and Bacchus, reclining upon grapes and surrounded
by infant satyrs, represents Autumn. Near the Tapis Vert, in the midst of
a dense grove, is a magnificent rotunda composed of 32 mar