The situation of Lowdersdorf is highly picturesque, and the surrounding hills are shaded with woods of great antiquity.  We here saw several rafts of timber of large dimensions, proceeding slowly down the stream.  At Linz, the landsturm were mustered to fire a volley, as the victory of Leipzig was celebrated for two or three days in most parts of Germany.  At Bonn, I witnessed further rejoicings, and the illuminations presented a highly pleasing effect when beheld from the river.  I was at this place invited to a ball and supper, where I remained until a late hour, enjoying the general festivity.

Bonn is a well built city, containing about 14,000 inhabitants, and was formerly the general residence of the electors of Cologne.  About a league above the city are the seven mountains, and near them is a beautiful island of considerable extent, in which is a large convent.

Here ends the picturesque scenery of the Rhine, which pursues the rest of its course through a flat country, until its waters are dispersed amongst the canals of Holland.  The river is here of great width, but not so deep as it is higher up.

Before Bonn we saw the remains of two merchant vessels which had been wrecked there a few days before.  Those who embark on the Rhine for pleasure, should here leave their boats, and pursue the rest of their journey by land, as the country ceases to be interesting, and the navigation is often difficult.

We set out with a favourable wind; but about a league from Cologne our boat was driven on the right bank of the Rhine by a violent gale; and as there appeared no immediate prospect of proceeding by water, most of the party determined on walking to the city.  We found the flying bridge had been damaged by the late storm, and were therefore obliged, to wait a long time for a boat of sufficient size to pass the river, which was greatly agitated, and which is here of great depth, although much narrower than at Mayence.  Few cities present a more imposing appearance than Cologne; a vast extent of buildings, a profusion of steeples, and a forest of masts, raise the expectations of the traveller.  The deception cannot be more justly or more emphatically described than in the words of Dr._Johnson:_ “Remotely we see nothing but spires of temples, and turrets of palaces, and imagine it the residence of splendour, grandeur, and magnificence; but when we have passed the gates, we find it perplexed with narrow passages, disgraced with despicable cottages, embarrassed with obstructions, and clouded with smoke.”

Cologne is one of the largest and most ancient cities in Germany; it was founded by Agrippa, and is above three miles in length; but the population is only between 40 and 50,000, which is very inconsiderable for its great extent.  From the number of its churches, which at one time amounted to 300, it has been called the Rome of Germany.  One of them (the Dome), although still unfinished, is one of the grandest efforts of architecture, and excites the admiration of all judges of that art.  The port owes its improvement to Buonaparte, and the quay is lined with ships of considerable size.