Its form is triangular, and the entire city is enclosed by a bastioned line of ramparts and several outworks.
There are seven entrance gates, and on the east side is a strong pentagonal or five-sided tower.
There is a network of sluices, by which the surrounding country can be inundated. Strasbourg is one of the most important fortresses and arsenals of France, besides being its principal depot of artillery. It is pleasantly situated, but most of its streets are narrow, with lofty eaves-drooping houses.
The boys were surprised to hear its inhabitants speaking German instead of French, but learned that the town was originally German, and was ceded to France in one of the Louis XIV. wars, when it became the capital of _Bas Rhin_, a division of France, on the eastern frontier.
In many of the streets of Strasbourg are little wooden bridges, similar to canal bridges. These are built over the Ill, which intersects the city in all directions.
When Eric and Johnny took their stroll, it was market-day, and, even at that early hour, the streets presented a lively scene.
Carts and drays were the stalls in the open street, and people were buying and selling at a great rate.
The fish stalls were surrounded by storks; but the people seemed to mind them no more than the birds minded the people. These storks are great favorites with Germans. In Strasbourg they are as tame as our domestic hens, and it is very comical to see them strutting importantly about, as if they had as good a right to the sidewalk as the other citizens.
The boys returned to the hotel with ravenous appetites, but, hungry as they were, could not appreciate the described daintiness of a most apparently unpalatable pie, called _pâté de foie gras_; so they were obliged to content themselves with other edibles and fragrant French coffee.
"Now for the minster!" said Eric, as they arose from the table.
"The _minister_?" exclaimed Johnny; "what for?"
"Not _minister_, but _minster_. A minster is a cathedral church."
"I don't care much about the minster, then," said Johnny, running up stairs on all fours. "I've seen cathedrals till I'm sick of them. But this clock _is_ curious, and I'm anxious to see it."
"Johnny," expostulated Eric, "walk properly. You ought to have been a monkey.--And that reminds me," he added, "I must feed Froll and fasten her, that she may do no mischief while we're at the cathedral."