By ten o'clock got to the railroad Station. Outside the Porta Nova, which is the only Strada Ferrata in Italy and goes ten miles over a champagne country to Monza, where we arrived in about 20 minutes. A little town of 12,000 inhabitants - a university once imperial palace, the residence of the vicere in summer, jumping down from the cars of the prima classe. Immediately found a cicerone who though only employed him for a few hours, found to be a great rogue.

The palace is a handsome modern building nearly as large as Shonbrun, surrounded by an extensive park and garden. Escorted by the gardener, walked over the latter and was surprised to find a large & beautiful magnolia - as flourishing as on the banks of the Mississippi in Louisiana. As February is not the month even in Lombardy for seeing horticultural beauties, spent the remaining two hours in walking over the town and outskirts, where are several sumptuous villas owned by the nobility of Milan. The most conspicuous of which is the villa Archinta - with its beautiful marble gateway.

The Basilican church is very celebrated and ancient, being founded by Queen Theolinda in the 6th century and whose ashes repose in an urn near the alter. There are a number of historical paintings, illustrative of the pious actions of the queen and the treasury rich with her gifts, among which is preserved a curious antique comb adorned with gold and rubies - also a fan.

Here is also the iron crown, a venerable relic and used from time immemorial to crown the Kings of Italy with and lastly the emperor in 1838. Internally is a small circle of iron, said to be of a nail used in the crucifixion of the saviour. In the adjacent cemetery is shown the dried body of one of the dukes Visconti, who bled to death on horseback from a wound in 1413.

Mounted the belfry and had an interesting view of the surrounding country - the park of the palace and the Alps to the north, but of Milan the view was obscured by smoke and mist. Whirled back on the railroad in 16 minutes and in time for the promenade on the Corso of Milan -