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[Page 54]
army of men were employed at tremendous cost. More than 30,000 men were employed at one time & great loss of life was occasioned by sickness from the draining of the swamps. The system of fountains & lakes called for such a large supply of water, that the famous Machine de Marly was constructed in 1680 to conduct water from the Seine. The cost irrespective of unpaid labour has been computed at £ 14,880,000 in modern money. The building being closed we were unable to see the interior so after viewing the exterior we passed into the Park or more accurately the Gardens of Versailles, the work of Le Notre 1613-1708, the master of gardening who laid them out for Louis XIV. The Gardens are divided into many symetrical parts each having its own particular features. Fountains of various designs abound and statues & buildings each with its own history are scattered over the Park. Looking down from the Terrace one gazes over the Park, the limits of which cannot be seen. The Tapis Vert a green carpet (a long lawn) stretches down from the Chateau to the fountain of Chard Apollon, then commences the Grand
Canal over a mile long