After dinner M. de Pina showed us some of his curios, which are interesting and very well arranged. One of the two merchants, I quite forget the name, has a beautiful villa on the Elbe, some little distance from Hamburg, and wants us very much to come and make them a visit. I was much tempted--it would be amusing to see a bit of German business life, and I think W. would not have minded if the invitation could be accepted at once--but we would have to remain on here for two days, as the gentleman is going somewhere else before he goes home, and really two days in these horrid little rooms would be impossible. M. de Pina told us the villas of some of these merchant princes are beautiful, with splendid gardens and all the luxe that money can give. He says they spend much more for their country houses than for their town establishments. We broke up about 10, as everyone was tired. It was a beautiful moonlight night, so we told our coachman to take us round by the great port. It was most curious. The water was black except just where the streak of moonlight fell on it, and there were thousands of ships of all kinds from all quarters of the globe--smoke coming out of the chimneys of some of the big steamers, evidently preparing for an early start to-morrow morning, and _millions_ of masts tapering up against the sky. Lights in every direction, some high, some low, and even at that hour of the night little boats flying about. One saw a dark object start off from the wharf--suddenly stand out well crossing the moonlight streak, and then disappear--there was a constant sound of oars and row-locks, and long creaking noises like pulleys, and heavy things being hoisted on board a ship. They say the animation, and noise, and dust, and _smells_ are extraordinary in the daytime--but at night-time all looked extremely picturesque. #Cologne Gare#, 10 o'clock Mercredi soir, 4 Juillet.