W ILEY AND PUTNAM’S
L IB R A R Y O FA M E R I C A N B O O K S .
T H E A L P S A N D T H E R H I N E .
F R O M T H E L I B R A R Y
OF T H E T ATE
Revd. QWEI? THC2ÎAS, D. D.
L I V E R P O O L .
PURCHAS ED AND PRESENTED
BY
M
b
WILLIAM THOMAS,
BOC
. 3 , LI V ER P OO L .
T O
T H E T H E O L O G I C A L C O L L E G E ,
TO
E . C. B E N E D I C T , E S Q . ,
O F N E W T O U R , T H E S E S K E T C H E S A R E A F F E C T I O N A T E L Y I N S C R I B E D B Y H I S F R I E N D A N D R E L A T I V E , T H E A U T H O R .M
C O N T E N T S .
P A O E
Introduction, ...vii
Chapter I.— Pass of the Simplon, Gorge of Gondo, . . . . 1
I I .— Passes of the Forclaz and Col de Balme, . . . 7
I I I .— A scent of the M ontanvertc, Vale of Chamouni, . . 13
IV .— Pass of the T ò te N o i r e , ... 19
V.— Baths of L e u k , ... 23
IV.— T h e Castle of Chillon. Geneva. Junction of the Rhone and A r v o , ... 26
V II.— Froybourg Organ and Bridges. Swiss Peculiarities, . 33 V III.— Interlachen, Pass of the W engern Alp, Byron’s Manfred, 39 IX .—T h e Grand Scheideck : an A valanche, . . . . 46
X.—V alley of Moyringen. Pass of Brunig, . . . . 51
X I.— Suwarrow’s Passage of the P r a g e l ,... 55
X II.— Macdonald’s Pass of the S p l u g e n , ... 60
X I II .— T h e Righi C u l m , ... 70
X IV .— Goldau— Fall of the R o s s b e r g , ...76
XV.— A valanches and Glaciers, their Formation and Movement, 81 X V I.— Pasturages, Chalets, and Alpine Passes, . . . . 86
X V II.— A Farewell to Switzerland— Basle, . . . . 90
X V III.— Strasbourg— T h e Rhine— Frankfort, . . . . 94
X IX .— A D ay in W i e s b a d e n , ...99
XX.— Schwalbach and S c h l a g e n b a d , ...106
X X I.— M ayence— T h e R h i n e , ...I l l X X II.— T h e Castellated Rhine, . . . . 1 1 5 X X III.— T h e Rhino from Coblentz to Cologne, . . . . 1 2 1 XXIV.— Rhine W ines, Cologne Cathedral, Louvain, Brussels, . 126 XXV.—Battle-field of W aterloo, . . . . . 131
I N T R O D U C T I O N .
In th e p re s e n t w o rk I h a v e n o t d e sig n e d to m a k e a book
o f trav els, b u t g iv e a series o f s k e tc h e s o f th e A lp in e p o rtio n
o f S w itz e r la n d , a n d th e s c e n e ry a lo n g th e R h in e . I n w ritin g
o f S w itz e r la n d , I h a v e o m itte d a lm o st a lto g e th e r n o tices o f th e c h a r a c te r o f th e people, e x c e p t o f th o s e o c c u p y in g th e
v alley s o f th e A lps. N e ith e r h a v e I s p o k e n o f th e c h ie f cities
a n d to w n s o f th e c o u n try , e x c e p t to m a k e a p a s s in g re m a rk . I e x c lu d e d a ll s u c h m a tte r , b e c a u se I w ish e d , if possible, to
g iv e a d efin ite id e a o f th e sc e n e ry o f th e A lps. H a v in g a n
u n c o n q u e ra b le d e sire fro m m y b o y h o o d to see th e la n d o f T e ll a n d W in k e lrie d , I h a d re a d e v e ry th in g I c o u ld la y h o ld of, t h a t w o u ld g iv e m e c le a r co n c e p tio n s o f th e w o n d e rfu l sc e n e ry it e m b ra c e s, y e t I fo u n d th a t m y im a g in a tio n h a d n e v e r a p p ro a c h e d th e re a lity .
H o p in g to do w h a t o th e rs h a d failed in a c c o m p lis h in g , I confess, w a s th e m o tiv e in m y a tte m p t in g th e s e sk e tc h e s. I t a lw a y s s e e m e d s tra n g e to m e, t h a t s u c h m a r k e d , s tri k in g fe a tu re s in n a t u r a l s c e n e r y co u ld fa il o f b e in g c a u g h t ^
a n d d escrib ed . S u c h bold o u tlin e s, a n d s u c h d is tin c t fig
ures, it se e m e d a m e re p a s tim e to rep ro d u ce b efore th e eye. A n d e v e n n o w , o f a ll th e d is tin c t th in g s m e m o ry recalls, n o n e a p p e a r m o re c le a r a n d d e fin ite t h a n th e sc e n e s o f
th e A lps. B u t, n o tw ith s ta n d in g a ll th is , I n e e d n o t a d d t h a t
I a m a s m u c h d issatisfied w ith m y o w n efforts a s w ith th o se
T H E A L P S A N D T H E R H I N E .
I.
P A S S O F T H E S IM P L O N , G O R G E O F G ONDO.
Co m in g from the w arm a ir o f the South, the first sight o f the
A lps gave a spring to m y blood it had not felt for y e a rs . E g y p t
and P alestine I had abandoned, and w eary and depressed, I tu r n
ed as a last resort to the A lps and th eir glorious scen ery . A s I
cam e on to L a k e M aggiore, I w as, as w e should sa y a t home,
“ down siclc.” A severe cold accom panied w ith fever rendered
me as indifferent to the scen ery the evening I a p p ro a c h e d as
i f I w ere on the confines o f a desert. B u t the m orning found me
m y se lf ag ain , and the c le a r la k e com ing from u n d er the feet o f the ev erlastin g A lps, and peeping out into the v alley as i f to see how the p lains o f L o m b ard y looked, w as as w elcom e as the face
o f a friend. Born m y se lf am id m ountains, I had loved them
from boyhood. I looked out from o u r c a rria g e on the B orrom ean Isles, te rra c e d up in the form o f a pyram id from the w ater, w ith
th e ir d a rk fringe o f cypresses, w ithout one w ish to visit them . I
did not c a re w h eth er th ey w ere a n “ espèce de création,” or “ a h u g e perigord pie stu ck round w ith woodcocks and p a rtrid g e s.” T h e soft a ir revived me, and the b reeze th a t stooped down from the snow sum m its o f the Alps, th a t glittered fa r up in the c le a r heavens before m e, w as like a new fountain o f blood opened in
m y system . I left the c a rria g e , and w andered oft" to the q u a rrie s
o f pink g ran ite am ong th e m ountains. A fte r listening aw hile to
the clin k o f the m in er’s ham m er, fa r up in the b reast o f the rock, and g a th erin g a few cry stals, I retu rn ed to the lak e, and passing d irectly u n d ern eath a m o u n tain o f stone, from whose sum m it
w orkm en w ere blasting rocks th a t fell w ith the noise o f th u n d er into the road, sending th eir h u g e fragm ents over into th e lak e,—
rejoined the c a rria g e a t a d irty inn. T h e cry stal-lik e clea rn ess
o f the w ater, and th e m ountains around, rem inded m e o f the w ild e r p arts o f the D elaw are, w here I had hooked m an y a tro u t, and th in k in g th ey ought to be found on such g ra v e lly bottoms, I en
quired o f the landlord i f I could h ave tro u t for dinner. H e r e
plied yes, and w hen the speckled fish w as b ro u g h t on the tab le, it
w as like the sight o f an old friend. T h e flesh, how ever, did not
have the freshness an d flavour o f those c a u g h t in o u r m ountain stream s. It m ay h ave been ow ing to the cooking, probably it w as. A fte r d in n er w e started up the n arro w v a lle y th a t lead s to the
foot o f the Sim plon. It w as as lovely an afternoon as e v er m ade
the e a rth sm ile. G ra y , b a rre n p y ram id s of rock pierced the clea r heavens on eith er side, w hile the deep q u iet o f the v alley w as broken only b y th e b raw lin g stream let th a t sp ark led through it. ■Here an d th ere w as a sm all m eadow spot from w hich the dw arf
ish p e a sa n try w ere h arv estin g the h a y . W om en perform ed the
office o f team and cart. A h u g e b ask et th a t w ould hold n e a rly
a s m uch as an o rd in a ry hay-cock, w as filled, w hen a w om an in serted h e rse lf into straps fastened to it, and tak in g it on h e r b ack ; w alked a w a y w ith it.
A s it tak es tw elve good hours to cross the Sim plon, trav ellers a re com pelled to stop over n ig h t a t Domo D ’Osola, the last village
before th e ascent com m ences. I w ill not describe the d irty tow n
w ith its sm ell o f g a rlic , nor the “ red -capped,” “ m ahogany-leg
g ed ,” la z y lazz aro n i th a t lounged through the street. O n ly one
th in g interested me in it. T h e re is a hill n e a r by called C a lv a ry , w ith sm all w hite buildings stationed at in terv als from the bottom
to the top. E a c h o f these is occupied w ith te rra -c o tta (earth en )
figures rep resen tin g o u r S aviour in th e different stages o f his suffer ings ;— from the tria l before P ilate, to the last agony on the cross. T h ro u g h a n iron g ra tin g I looked in upon the stran g e groups, am id w hich, on the earth-floor, w ere scattered cents and fifths o f
cents ;— throw n th ere b y the faithful. In one, the ceiling o f th e
building w as concave, and painted blue to rep resen t heaven. O n this angels w ere painted larg e as life, and represented as hovering over the suffering C hrist— w hile th ey h ad — babies an d a ll— w hite
handkerchiefs in th e ir hands, w hich th ey held to th e ir eyes quite
a la mode. It did not strike m e a t first as so odd th a t they should
use han d k erch iefs in heaven, as th a t such beggarly-looking a n gels could afford such nice w hite ones.
B u t the Sim plon. N a tu re , th a t wore the day before, h er loveli
est, had now put on h e r an g riest asp ect. A more glorious to-mor row w as n e v e r prom ised to m an, th an the sun uttered as he w ent
down a t evening am id the A lps. T h e re w as not a cloud to dim
his brightness, w hile the tra n sp a re n t atm osphere and the deep blue
sk y seem ed dream ing o f an y th in g but clouds and m ists. B u t
who c a n foretell the whim o f an A lpine sk y ! A s we entered the
m ountains the d ay g rew d ark , and from the deep gorge th a t p ierc ed th e ir h eart, the m ist boiled out like th e foam o f a w aterfall. Clouds veiled the g ian t p eak s around, and the ra in cam e down as
if th at w ere its solo business for the d ay . T h e to rren t h ad c a r
ried aw a y the road in some places, and we rolled slowly over the
bed o f the stream . A t length we entered th e gorge o f Gondo, one
o f the most sav ag e and aw ful in the A lps. T h is d ay it w as re n
dered doubly so by the black A lp in e storm th a t sw ept th ro u g h it. T h e road w as h ere squeezed into the n arro w est space, w hile the p erp en d icu lar rocks rose out o f sight into the rain-clouds on eith er side, and the fretting to rren t stru g g led th ro u g h its torn channel
far below. T h e g a lle ry o f Gondo, c u t 596 feet through th e solid
rock, opens like a cav ern over this gulf. Stand h ere a m inute
and look down the gorge. T hose p erp en d icu lar w alls o f n a tu re
pierce the h eavens so high, th a t but a narro w strip o f tossing clouds is visible, as the blast puffs aw a y for a m om ent the m ist
th a t w rapped them in such close em b race. A w aterfall is sound
in g in y o u r ears, covering the breast o f the hill w ith foam, and
fdling the cav ern with the sullen sound o f th u n d er. T o rre n ts
leaping from the m ountain tops, vanish in s p ra y before th e y strike
the bottom. T h e clouds roll th ro u g h the gorge, and knock ag ain st
the w alls th a t hem them in ; and then c atc h in g the down-sw eeping gust, spring over th e ir tops, rev ealin g for a m om ent the head o f a black c ra g far up w here you thought the sk y to be, and then dashing
over its face w rap it ag ain in deeper gloom. A ll around is hor
ribly w ild— the how l o f th e storm — the hissing o f th e blast around the cliffs— the ro a r o f countless c a ta ra c ts, and the hoarse voice o f
the distracted w aters th a t ru sh on, and the aw ful solitude and stren g th that hem you in— m ake the soul stag g er and sh rin k back
in unwonted fear and aw e. N a tu re and God seem one— Pow er
and Sublim ity th e ir only attributes, and tliese ev erlastin g peaks
th e ir only dw elling-place. I w ould let the c a rria g e , th a t looked
like a m ere toy am ong these g ian t forms o f n atu re, disappear am ong the rolling mist, and then stand on a beetling c ra g and listen. It w as the strangest, w ildest m usic m y soul ev er bowed to, and the voices th a t spoke so loudly around me had such a n accen t
and pow er th a t m y h eart stood still in m y bosom. I g rew n e r
vous there alone, and felt as if I had not room to b reathe. Ju s t
then, tu rn in g m y eye up the gorge, the clouds parted over a smootli snow-field th a t lay , w hite and calm , leag u es aw a y ag ain st the
h eavens. Oh, it w as a re lie f to know th ere w as one calm th in g
am id th a t distracted scene— one bosom the tem pest could not ru f fle : it told o f a D eity ru lin g serene and tra n q u il above his w orks and law s.
A s we approached the sum m it, the snow increased in depth. In one p lace the road passed d irectly through an old av ala n ch e
c u t out like a tunnel. T h ese av ala n ch es have paths th e y tra v e l
re g u la rly as deer. T h e shape o f the m ountains decides the d i
rection th ey shall take, and hence enables the tra v e lle r to know
w hen he is in d an g er. T h e y also a lw a y s give prem onitions o f
th eir fall. Before they sta rt th ere is a low hum m ing sound in
the a ir, w hich the practised e a r ca n detect in a m om ent. I f you
a re in the path o f av ala n ch es w hen this m ysterious w arn in g is pass in g through the atm osphere, you cannot m ake too good use o f y o u r
legs. A few d ays before we passed, the diligence w as broken
into fragm ents by one o f these descending m asses o f snow . A s
it w as stru g g lin g through the deep drifts rig h t in front o f one of those gorges w here av alan ch es fall, the d riv e r h eard this low rin g
ing sound in the hills above him . S p rin g in g from his seat, he
threw open the door, cry in g , “ R u n for y o u r life ! an av alan ch e ! a n avalanche !” and d raw in g his knife he severed the tra c e s o f the horses, and b ringing them a blow w ith his w hip, sprang ahead. A ll this w as the w ork o f a single m inute ; the next m inute the diligence w as in fragm ents, crushed and buried b y the headlong m ass.
T h e top o f the Sim plon is a d re a ry field o f snow and ice, g ird
ed round with d re a rie r rocks. T h e hospice is larg e and com
fortable, and does cred it to its founder, B onaparte ; and the P rio r
is a fat, v ery handsom e, and good-natured m an. I had a re g
u la r rom p w ith one o f the San B e rn a rd dogs, who would ru n and leap on me like a tiger, b ark in g furiously as he cam e, but h a rm
less as a kitten in his frolics. T o am use us, the P rio r let out four
o f them from th eir confinem ent. N o sooner did th ey find them
selves free, th an th ey dashed down the steps o f the hospice, and bounding into the snow, m ade the top o f the Sim plon rin g ag ain w ith
their furious barkings. A fter we had w andered over the build
ing aw hile, and m ade enquiries respecting lost trav ellers in w in ter, the good P rio r set before u s some bread and a bottle o f wine,
from w hich w e refreshed ourselves an d prep ared to depart. W e
had sc a rc e ly b egun to descend tow ards the V allais, w hen I dis covered, straig h t down through the gorge, a little village w ith its roofs and c h u rch spire, looking like a m in iatu re tow n th ere a t the
end and bottom o f the abyss. Confident th ere w as no tow n be
tw een the top o f the Sim plon and B rieg, ly in g n e a rly tw enty m iles distan t a t the base, and th in k in g this could not be th a t tow n, sunk th ere a p p aren tly w ithin 'rifle-shot o f w here I stood, I enquired o f the vetturino w hat place it w as. “ B rie g ,” he replied. “ B rie g 1?” I exclaim ed : “ w hy th a t is six h o u rs’ drive from h ere, and I can alm ost throw a stone in th a t p la c e .” “ Y ou w ill find it far enough bofore we get th e re ,” he replied, and w ith th a t w e trotted on. B ack w ard s and forw ards, now ru n n in g along th e edge o f a g u lf deep into the m ountains an d u n d er overhanging g laciers, till it grew n arro w enough to le t a bridge be throw n across ; and now shooting out on to some projecting point th a t looked dow n on sh u d dering depths, the road wound lik e a sn ak e in its difficult p as
sage am ong th e rocks. H ouses o f refuge o ccu r a t short in terv als
to su cco u r the sto rm -cau g h t tra v e lle r ; and over the road, as it cuts the breast o f some steep hill th a t show s a n unbroken sheet o f snow, up— up, till the sum m it seem s lost in the heavens, are throw n a rch es on w hich the av ala n ch es m a y slide over into the
g u lf below. O v er som e o f these a rch es to rren ts w ere now ro a r
ing from the m elting m ass above. C alm g laciers on high, and
G T H E V A L L A IS .
a c re s on distant m ountain-tops, and w recks o f avalanches, c ru s h ed a t the base o f the precipice on w hich you stand ; fill the m ind w ith a succession o f feelings th a t c a n n ev er be recalled or
expressed. It seem s as if n a tu re tried to overw helm the aw e
stru c k and hum bled m an in h e r presence, by crow ding scene a fter scene o f aw ful m agnificence upon him .
W e stopped a t B rieg all night in a most contem ptible inn. It w as some fete d ay or other o f the thousand and one C atholic saints, and the streets w ere strew ed with evergreens, while n e a rly ev ery second m an had a sprig in his hat. T h e streets w ere filled w ith p e a sa n try sau n terin g lazily about in the evening air, and I leaned from m y window and w atched them as su p p er w as cooking. T h e re a group w ent loitering about singing some careless song I could not u n derstand, w hile n e a re r by w ere two peasants, a y oung m an and m aiden, w ith their arm s around each o th er’s w aists, strolling silent ly along in the in creasin g tw ilight.
A t B rieg you en ter on the V allais an d follow the R hone on its
tra n q u il course for L a k e L em an . Its w a te rs w ere y e t turbid
from th eir long stru g g le in the m ountains, an d flowed heav ily
th ro u g h the v alley . A long this w e trotted a ll day, and stopped
a t n ig h t a t Sion. I f M ount Sion in Je ru sa le m is not a better
place th a n this, the A rab s a re w elcome to it. T h e falls o f
T o u rtem ag n e, w hich you pass on the road, are v ery beautiful, from the c u rv e and sw ing o f the descending w ater, caused by the p e c u lia r shape o f the rocks : and those o f S allcnchc g ran d and
striking. T h e long single leap o f the to rren t is 120 feet, and as
you stand u n d er it, the descending w a te r has the app earan ce o f
the falling fragm ents o f a rocket a fter it has burst. T h e sp ray
th at boils from its feet rises like a cloud, and drifting down the fields, passes like a fog over the road.
II.
PASSES OF THE FORCLAZ AND COL DE BALM.
Fr o m M artigny, w here w e a rriv e d a t noon from Sion, a m ule
path lead s over the F o rc la z , from w hich one c a n look back 011
the w hole valley o f the R hone, one o f the most p icturesque view s
in S w itzerlan d . A fte r following a w hile the route o f B o n ap arte’s
a rm y , 011 its m arcii from M artig n y across the San B ern ard , we
tu rn e d off to the right, and began to ascend the F o rc la z . H e re
I first tested the w orld-renow ned qualities o f the m ule, amid the A lpine passes ; and I m ust sa y I did not find the one I w as on
so v ery tru stw o rth y . P a ssin g along the b rin k o f a precipice, I
th ought he w ent u n n ecessarily n e a r the edge, but concluding he
knew his own business best, I let him ta k e his own w ay. S u d
denly his h in d er foot slipped over— ho fell back, struggled a mo m ent, w hile a c ry o f a la rm b u rst from m y com panions behind—
rallied, and passed on d em u rely as ever. F o r a few mom ents
it w as a question o f considerable doubt w h eth er I w as to have a roll w ith m y m ule some hundred feet into the to rren t below, with the fa ir prospect o f a broken n eck an d a m angled carcase, o r
cross the F o rc la z . I learn ed one lesson by it, how ever, n ev er to
su rre n d e r m y own ju d g m en t ag ain , not even lo a m ule. W e a t
len g th descended into the v ery sm all ham let o f T rie n t, nestled
down am ong the pines. A fter refresh in g ourselves after a most
prim itive fashion, w ith some plain w hite pine boards, nailed together som ething afte r the m a n n e r o f a w o rk m a n ’s bench for a table, I told
our guide I m ust cross the Col de B alm . H e replied it w as im pos
sible. “ N o one,” said he, “ has crossed it this y e a r except the
m ountaineer an d h u n ter. T h e path b y w hich trav ellers alw ays
8 A F E A R F U L G U ID E .
follow it ; besides, it rain ed last night, w hich has m ade the snow so soft, one w ould sink in leg-deep at ev ery step, and I cannot a t
tem pt it.” T h is w as a dam per, for I had thought m ore o f m aking
this pass th an a n y other in the A lps. Still, I w as fu lly resolved
to do it, i f it w as in the re a c h o f possibility, because from its su m
m it w as said to he one o f the finest view s in the w orld. So w a lk
ing around the ham let, I accosted a hardy-looking Sw iss, and
asked him i f lie could guide m e over the Col do B alm . H e r e
plied th at the o rd in a ry route w as im passable, being e n tire ly blocked w ith snow ■ hut th at th ere w as a gorge re ach in g n e a rly to the top o f the pass, now h a lf filled w ith the w recks o f av ala n ch es,
w hich he thought m ig h t he trav elled . A t least, said lie, I am
w illing to try , and i f we cannot succeed, w e can re tu rn . I took
him a t his word, and re tu rn in g , told m y friends th a t I w as going to cross the Col de B alm , hut th a t I w as unw illing to tak e the r e sponsibility o f u rg in g them to accom pany me, for 1 w as convinced
the passage would he one o f g re a t fatigue, i f not o f d an g er. I
then called the guide, and told him to m eet me w ith the m ules
about fifteen m iles ahead, a t A rg en tiere. H e looked a t m e a
mom ent, shook his head, and tu rn ed aw ay , say in g , “ J e vous con
seille de ne p a s aller.” “ J e vous conseille de ne p a s a lle r.” I hesitated a m om ent, for m y guide hook said, “ A lw ay s obey y o u r g u id e,” and fa rth e r on stated, th a t on this v ery pass a y o u n g G e r
m an lost his life by refu sin g to obey his. I did not w ant to be
rash , or expose m y se lf u n n ecessarily to d an g er, but one o f the finest view s in the world w as w orth an effort ; so stripping off m y coat and vest, I hade m y fearful guide good-bye, and tak in g a
pole in m y hand for a cane, started off. M y friends concluded to
follow. Im m ediately on leav in g the v alley we entered on the
debris o f av ala n ch es, w hich fo rtu n ately bore us. I t w as a stead y
pull, h our after hour, m ile a fte r m ile, up this pathless m ass o f snow, th a t seem ed to go like the roof o f a house, a t an u nbroken angle o f forty-five degrees, up and up, till the eye w earied w ith
the prospect. M y friends g av e out the first hour, w hile I, though
the w eakest o f the p a rty , seem ed to g ain stren g th the h ig h er I
ascended. T h e cold ra r e atm osphere acted like a pow erful
stim u lan t on m y sensitive n ervous system , ren d erin g me for the
my guide kept cautioning me to keep the centre o f the gorge, so that I could flee eith er to one side or the other should an avalanche
see fit to come down ju s t a t the tim e I saw fit to pass. I pressed
on, and soon lost sight o f ev ery liv in g thing. T h e silent snow ,
fields and lofty peaks w ere around me, and the deep blue heavens
bending b rig h tly over all. I thought I w as n e a r th e top, w hen
suddenly there rose rig h t in m y v ery face a cone covered w ith snow
o f virgin p u rity . I had ascended beyond the re a c h o f avalanches,
and stood on snow th a t la y as it had fallen. I confess I w as for
a m om ent discouraged and lonely. N e a r as this smooth, tra c k
less height appeared, a broad inclined plain o f soft snow w as to
be traversed before I could reach it. I sa t down in the yielding
m ass a n d hallooed to the guide. I could h e a r the faint rep ly ,
far, fa r dow n the b reast o f the m ountain, and a t length c a u g h t a glim pse o f his form bent alm ost double, and toiling like a black
insect up the w hite acclivity. I telegraphed to him to know i f I
w as to clim b th a t smooth peak. l i e answ ered yes, and th a t I
m ust keep to the rig h t. I m ust confess I could see no p a rtic u la r
choice in sides, but pressed on. T h e clean drifts h u n g along its
acclivities ju s t as the w in try storm had left them , and ev ery step
sunk me in m id-leg deep. T h is w as too m uch : I could not a s
cend the face o f th a t p eak o f snow, d ire c t ; it w as too steep ; and I w as com pelled to go b ack w ard s and forw ards in a zigzag di
rection to m ake a n y progress. A t length, exhausted and panting,
I fell on m y face, and pressed m y hot cheek to the cold snow . I felt as if I never could tak e an o th er step ; m y b reath cam e diffi cu lt and th ick , from the strain in g efforts I w as com pelled to put forth a t every step, w hile the perspiration stream ed in torrents
from m y face and body. B u t a cold sh iv er ju s t then passing
through m y fram e, adm onished m e I had a lre a d y lain too long ; so
w hipping up m y flagging spirits, I pushed on. A black spot a t
length appeared in the wide w aste o f snow . It w as the deserted
house o f refuge, and I hailed it w ith joy, for I knew I w as a t the
top. B ut, oh ! as I approached the thing, d re a ry enough a t best,
and found it em pty, the door broken down by the fierce storm , and the deserted room filled w ith snow -drifts, m y h e a rt died w ith
in me, and 1 g ave a double shiver. I crept to the w indw ard side
w hich sw ept by w ithout check, an d seem ed w holly unconscious th a t I had clothing on ; and crouched m eekly in th e sunbeam s. B u t as I looked up, about and beneath m e, w hat a wild, ruin o u s w orld o f peaks and cra g s, an d riv en m ountains, rose on m y w on d erin g vision !
F a rth e r on, and lo, the sw eet vale o f C ham ouni b u rs t on th e sight, ly in g in a n ir re g u la r w av in g line along the A rve, th a t g lit
tered like a silver chain in th e lig h t o f the sun. R ig h t out o f its
q u iet bosom tow ered aw a y in aw ful m ajesty th e form o f Mont
B lanc. Oh, w hat a chaos o f m ountain p eak s seem ed to te a r up
the v ery sky around him. T h e lofty “ needles,” inaccessible to
a n y th in g b u t the w ing o f th e eag le , shot up th eir piercin g tops over g la c ie rs th at, rolled into confusion, w ent stream ing, a n ice-
flood, into the plains below . H ow c a n I describe this scene. It
seem ed as if the D eity h ad once tak en the ch a in from his w ildest law s, to see w hat aw ful stren g th th ey could p u t forth, and w h at a
chaos o f m ountains th ey could tum ble together. H ig h over all,
w ith its smooth round top, stood Mont B lanc, like a m onarch w ith
his m ountain g u a rd around him . Y et how silent and m otionless
w ere th ey all, as if in th e ir holy S ab b ath rest. N o w onder Cole
ridge lifted his hym n in the V a le o f C ham ouni. Y et he should
have looked on it from this spot. F ro m no other point do you
g e t the relativ e height o f Mont B lan c. F ro m the v alley y ou look
up, and all the p eak s seem n e a rly o f a height : but h ere yo u look across and see how he stands like S a u l am ong the Israelites—
head and shoulders above a ll his b reth ren . T h e g reat difficulty
in stan d in g h ere is, the soul cannot expand to the m agnitude o f
the scene. It is crushed an d overw helm ed, and alm ost stu-
pified.
I p lu ck ed some flowers th a t lifted th e ir modest heads from the m arg in o f th e snow, and began to descend tow ards C ham ouni. B u t as I w ent leaping down the w hite slope w ith a shout, I su d denly found m y self han g in g by the arm s, w hile the dull sound o f a to rren t th at sw ept m y feet m ade a n y b u t pleasan t m usic in m y
e a r. 1 had broken through the snow crust, and catching by m y
arm s, w as left dan g lin g over a stream , the depili and b readth o f
w hich I had no desire to m easu re. T h e sudden change from m y
and m an n er w ith w hich I insinuated m y self a w a y from th a t u n pleasant neighbourhood, set m y com panions into convulsions o f lau g h ter.
A cloud th a t cam e drifting along the sk y c a u g h t on Mont
B lanc, and w rapped it from m y sight. A h, thought I, good night
to Mont B lanc ! B ut the sw eet v alley w as left basking in the
light o f the setting sun.
H a rk ! a low ru m b lin g sound rises on the air, sw elling to the
full-voiced th u n d e r. I tu rn ed , an d lo ! a precipice o f ice had
loosened itself from the m ountain, and falling over, plunged, w ith
a crash th a t shook th e hills, into the plain below. I stood aw e
stru ck and silent. It w as the first av ala n ch e I h ad heard, and its
deep voice echoing am id those m ountain solitudes aw oke stran g e
feelings w ith in m e. T h e m ass from w hich it had split w as o f a
p ale blue, contrasting b eau tifu lly w ith the du ll w hite o f the s u r rounding g lacier.
A t A rg en tiere I found the guide and m ules. M ounting, I rode
slow ly on, th inking o f th a t B eing who planned the globe, an d heaved on high all its strong m ountains, w hen a sudden c ry from the guide attracted m y attention. H e stood pointing to M ont B lan c. I looked up, an d to m y su rp rise, the cloud had rained itself aw ay , and the top o f the m ountain w as d raw n w ith its bold outline
ag ain st the c le a r heavens. T h e sun had set to me, b u t Mont
B lan c w as still looking dow n on his re tirin g light. A nd now over all its w hite form spread a pale rose colour, deepening g ra d u a lly into a pink— the peaks around ta k in g the sam e ru d d y glow, w hile th e g ian t shadow s stretched th e ir m isshapen, black proportions
over the v a st snow-fields betw een. T h e re th ey stood, a m ass of
rose-coloured snow m ountains, tow ering a w a y in th e h eav en s : th e y had suddenly lost th e ir m assive stren g th and w eight, and lig h t as frost w ork, and ap p a re n tly tra n sp a re n t a s a rose-tinted
shell, th ey seem ed the fit home o f sp iritu al beings. A nd th en
w h at seren ity an d silence over them all. T h e re w as none o f the
life and motion o f flashing sunbeam s ; none o f the g litte r o f light itself on m ountain sum m its, but a deep q u iet th a t seem ed alm ost holy, re stin g there, as i f th a t rose-tinted top w as bath ed in the mellow ra d ia n c e th a t one m ight dream o f as belonging to a su n
o f Mont B lan c till it rested on a w reath o f fir-trees, w hose deep g reen contrasted stra n g e ly with th at p u re rose-colour. I stood be
w ildered— it seem ed a m agic lan d . B u t the glorious vision, like
a ll b eau ty , w as as tran sien t as the h o u r th a t g av e it birth . F a in te r and fain ter ag a in g rew the tints till all passed aw a y , and M ont B lanc stood w hite and cold and ghost-like ag ain st the even
ing sky. T h is w as more th a n I expected to see, an d w h at few
tra v e lle rs do see. M ont B lan c is c h a ry o f su ch exhibitions o f
himself.
I la y down a t n ig h t w ith m y fancy too full o f wild im ages to
le t me sleep soundly. F ev erish an d restless ; a t m idnight I arose
and pushed open m y window. A ll w as silent as the g re a t sh a d
ows around, save the sound o f the to rren t th a t rolled its turbid
stream through the v alley . T h e moon w as han g in g h e r crescen t
over the top o f Mont B lan c, th a t stood like a model in the c le a r heavens, a fit throne for the sta rs th a t seem ed flashing from its top.
M O N T A N V E R T E V A L E O F C H A M O U N I. 13
m.
ASCENT OF THE MONTANVERTE, VALE OF
CHAMOUNI.
T h e day a fter I m ade the pass o f the Col de Balm o I ascended
the M ontanvcrte to the M e r de Glace. I w ill not w e a ry you
w ith a description o f this frequently described y e t e v er stran g ely
w ild scene. I m ention it only to show the sim ple process by
w hich an A lpine guide som etimes descends a m ountain. In clim b ing up o u r zig zag p ath in o u r previous ascent, I noticed a n in clined plane o f snow going straig h t up th e m ountain— the relics o f the tra c k o f av ala n ch es w hich had fallen d u rin g the w inter
and spring. In re tu rn in g , the p ath cam e close to the top o f this
inclined plane, w hich w ent in a d irect line to the p ath far below. A slide down this I saw w ould save n e a rly h a lf a mile, so I sp ran g on to it, expecting a long, rapid, though p erfectly safe de
scent down the m ountain. B u t the su rface w as h a rd e r than 1
supposed, and I no sooner s tru c k it th an I shot aw a y , like an a r
row from a bow. I kept m y feet for some tim e as I tack ed and
steered, o r ra th e r “ was tacked and steered ,” strain in g e v e ry m us cle to keep m y b alan c e, and strik in g m y A lpine stock now on the rig h t hand and now on the left ; till exhausted, I fell headlong down the declivity, and w ent rolling, over and over, till I finally landed, w ith dizzy h ead and bruised lim bs, amid broken rocks
a t the bottom. W h e n I had g ath ered up m y senses, I looked
round for m y com panions, and lo, th ere w as m y friend, an E n g lish gentlem an who had started a t the sam e tim e, about m id w ay o f
the slope. As he found him self shooting off so ra p id ly , he
14 B L I S T E R E D F E E T .
not sufficient, how ever, to a rre s t his progress, and ho cam e on
b ear fashion, though a t a slow er ra te . D espite m y bruises, I la y
am id the rocks an d lau g h ed . O u r guide stood a t the top, con
vulsed w ith lau g h ter, till he saw u s all safely landed, and then
leaped on the inclined plane him self. T h ro w in g one end o f his
A lpine stock behind him, lie lean ed alm ost his en tire w eight on
it. T h e iron spike sin k in g in the ice and snow, checked the r a
pidity o f his descent, and steered him a t the sam e tim e, and he
cam e to the bottom in a slow and gentle slide. So it is in this
world : th ere is no m an who cannot find those who will teach him on some points.
W h en I reach ed the E n g lish hotel ag ain I found I had over task ed m y self : I began to suspect as m u ch before I h ad h a lf
reached the top o f M ontanverte. A fter m y ex h au stin g tram p in
the soft snow over the Col de B alm e I should have lain b y a day, b u t m y toilsome d a y ’s w ork and w et feet both had not left m e a n y worse, but on the co n tra ry better— so I concluded to ta k e it
on foot up the M ontanverte. 1 believe 1 should h ave refused to
ride, w ell or sick, w hen I cam e to know how m atters stood about a guide and m ules. W e had hired a guide and m ules a t M artig n y by the day ; supposing, o f course, we could use them a t C ham ouni. A ctin g on this belief, m y com panions, who had resolved to ride, ordered out th eir m ules ; w hen, to th e ir astonishm ent, th e y w ere told th a t n eith er o u r guide nor o u r m ules could be perm itted to
ascend the m ountain. A Cliamouni m an an d Chamouni m ules
m ust go up th e M ontanverte o r none. T h is is one o f the m any
n ig g ard ly , petty contrivances one m eets a t e v ery tu rn in S w itzer lan d to w rin g m oney from th e pockets o f trav ellers.
I should have done b etter to h ave rode even on those conditions, for I w as com pletely fagged out at night, and w ith m ore bones
ach in g th a n I before supposed I c a rrie d in m e. B u t after tossing
aw hile on m y feverish couch, I a t length fell asleep. H ow long
I w as in the lan d o f oblivion I know not, b u t I awoke to recollec tion w ith the most vivid consciousness o f possessing ten toes.
S uch exquisite pain I n ev er before experienced. I turned and
tw isted on m y couch— g ath ered up m y legs like a p a tria rc h to die— held them in m y hands— but all in vain : I could think o f
to have been converted into a tap er, w hich had been lighted, and
w as slow ly b u rn in g aw a y . A t length I could end u re the agony
no longer, and ru n g the bell till I w aked up one o f the head s e r
v a n ts o f the house. A s he knocked a t the door I bade him come
in w ith an em phasis th a t only m ade his en tran ce more studied and
c a re fu l. “ W h a t is th e m atter, sir ?” he 'enquired in the most
provokingly quiet tone. “ M atter !” I exclaim ed, as I th ru st both
feet out o f the bed, “ I w ant you to tell me w h at is the m atter. Y ou know a ll the stran g e diseases o f this infam ous country, and I
w an t y ou to know w h at has got into m y feet.” H e looked a t
m y sw ollen, a n g ry toes a moment, and replied w ith a most bland sm ile, “ Oh, you have blistered y o u r feet— th ey a re snow blister
e d .” S ay in g this he left the room, and in a few m om ents re tu rn
ed w ith some b ran d y in a sa u c e r, into w hich he dropped sev eral drops o f tallow from his candle, and then rubbed m y feet w ith the
m ix tu re. In a few m inutes I w as relieved, and soon a fter fell
into a q u iet slum ber ; from w hich I aw oke to a half-dream y state,
w ith a dim consciousness th ere w as m usic around m e. A t length,
c le a r, m ellow notes o f a horn cam e sw elling on m y e a r. I s ta rt
ed up, and looking from m y window, saw a shepherd driving his
goats to th e ir m ountain p astu rag e. It w as e a rly daw n, and as
the A lpine strain he blew echoed up th e vale o f C ham ouni, I tu rn e d to m y pillow ag ain , w hile m y e a rly dream s o f the lan d of the Swiss, w ith all the distinctness and freshness o f th e ir sp rin g tim e, cam e b ack on m y m em ory.
1 have given the above p a rtic u la r account o f m y blistered feet, an d th e ir c u re, for the sak e o f those who m ay m ak e pedestrian
excursions in the A lps. W ith the first sym ptom s o f sore feet, the
application o f bran d y w ith tallow dropped in should be m ade, and m u ch suffering w ill be escaped.
T a k in g one evening a stroll down the vale o f C ham ouni, ju s t as the sun w as tinging the A lpine sum m its w ith his farew ell glories, I cam e upon one o f those u nfortunate beings from whom the light
o f reason h as fled. H e r h a t w as loaded down w ith wild flowers,
and g rass, an d sprigs o f e v ery description, w hile she w as toying
w ith a b unch o f flowers she held in h e r hand. A s I stood leaning
against a w all, she cam e up and offered me some, ta lk in g a t the sam e tim e in a patois m ade up a p p aren tly o f a h a lf dozen
lan-guagcs, sc a rc e ly a word o f w hich I could u nderstand. I declined h e r flowers a t first, but she pressed them on me till I took one, and placing it am ong m y collection, preserved it as a m em ento o f Cha- m ouni.
T h e reg ister o f the E n g lish H otel is loaded down w ith nam es interspersed w ith ev ery v ariety o f rem ark , in poetry and prose :
some g rav e, some g a y , some sentim ental, and some com ical. T h e
following description o f the ascent o f Mont B lan c pleased me so m uch I copied it.
T h e y ta lk o f H elvellyn, Ben Lomond : a ll stuff! Mont B lan c is the daisy for me su re enough, F o r next to the P eek, in the county Mayo, It bates all the m ountains or hills th a t I know . W h o ’d see Mont B lanc fa irly m ust m ake the ascent,
A lthough o w ld to look up was content :
I can tell owld T th at as I mounted higher,
F o r one aigle he saw , I found th ree L am m o rg ey er. I w as up on the top, w here, (I tell you no lie) I could count ev ery ra fte r th a t liowlds up the sky. I wish to tell tru th , and no m ore, tho’ no less, A nd its tirriblc height to corricthj express : I should say if I had but a com m on balloon, I could get in one h o u r with all aisc to the moon. I f ev er you wish on th a t trip to set out,
Y ou should start from the top of Mont B lan c w ithout doubt : Y o u ’d find the w ay sure, and the chapest to boot,
S ince y o u ’d m ak e such a dale o f the jo u rn e y on fo o t ; Y et w ith one good, or two m iddling spy-glasses,
Y ou could see from Mont B lan c e v ery action th at passes. I persaved the la st q u a rte r quite plain through a fog, G row ing out o f the fir s t like a g re a t m oving bog. In a co u n try so subject to change, I ’ll be hail, Some hints could he got o f a fa ir sliding scale ; T h a t Peel should th ere go to enquire, I advise, F o r I h eartily w ish him a flight to the skies. B u t ag ain to m y subject : I sa y and repaie it, Mont B lanc bates all things th a t w ere e v er created.
T H E L A K E R S . 17
A s I w as determ ined new w onders to seek, I w ent by a route th a t w as som ew hat unique : B y the g re a t sea o f ice, w here I saw the big hole W h e re C aptain Ross w intered not far from the pole: T h e T ro p ic o f C an cer first la y on one side
L ik e a terrib le crevice some forty feet w ide : F a rth e r on I saw G reenland, as g reen as owld D an, B u t “ J a r d in ,” the guides called it, all to a m an. I didn’t dispute, so we kept u n d er weigh, T ill w e come to the ind o f the g re a t icy say, W e saw the g re a t m ules “ th a t congealed in a pop,” W h e n S au ssu re and B elm et w ould ride to the top ; N ow nothing rem ains but the petrified bones, W h ic h mostly resem bles a p a ir o f big stones. I b rought m y barom eter, m ade by one ICayting, F o r fear the w eath er w ould w ant rigulating ; B u t the w eight o f the a ir a t the top so incrased, T h a t the m erc u ry su n k fourteen inches a t laste.
Thin the coivld w as so hot— tho’ we didn’t persp ire—
T h a t we m ade w ater boil w ithout a n y fire. W e fired off a g u n , but the sound w as so sm all, T h a t we doubted i f tru ly it sounded a t a ll ;
W h ic h sm allness w as cau sed (I towld m y friend H arriso n ) A lone by the size o f Mont B lan c in com parison.
B u t to describe all the sights w ould req u ire N ot pow ers like m ine, but genius far h ig h er : N ot B yron in verse, nor Scott in his prose, Could give th e laste notion o f B lan c and his snows. Indeed none should try it but one o f the “ L a k e rs ,” W ho, if not g re a t wits, are y e t g re a t undertakers : A nd then, o f all these, none could do it so w ell A s the w onderful au th o r o f g re a t P e te r Bell ; F o r lie to the sum m it could easily float
W ith o u t w alking a step— “ in his good little boat.” N e x t to him the g re a t Southey, whose m agical pow er P ain ts the fight o f the c a t in the aw ful m ice tow er ; W hose description in w ords o f sublim ity set, S a y s “ the sum m er and au tu m n had been so w e t.”
18 L A S T N I G H T I N C H A M O U N I.
’T is spirits like these who a re fit to attem pt T h e lab o u r from w hich such as I are exem pt.
Pa t’k McSw e e n y.
B u t the la st nig h t in C ham ouni cam e ; and as I stood and leaned out o f m y window in the moonlight, listening to the turbid A rveron rolling its swollen c u rre n t through the vale, suddenly a dull, h eavy sound, like the booming o f distant cannon, rose on the n ig h t air.
A n av ala n ch e had fallen fa r up am id the A lpine solitudes. N o th
ing can fill the soul w ith such stran g e, m ysterious feelings as the sound o f av alan ch es falling a t m idnight, and alone, am id the Alps.
IV.
PASS OF THE TETE NOIRE.
It m ay be from e a rly association, o r it m ay be th a t e v e ry one
has m ade a hero o f M ont B lanc, b u t th ere is som ething about th a t m ajestic form and those splintered pinnacles, standing like so m an y helm eted sentinels around him ; and all th a t prodigality o f snow-fields and g laciers, th a t has left its im press on m y m em ory and h e a rt for ever. A nd then th a t stra n g e ly silent, w hite, m yste rious sum m it, bending its beautiful outline so fa r in the heavens, seem s to be above the turm oil a t its base, and a p p aren tly
w rapped in its own m ajestic m usings. I would h ave given a n y
thing to have placed m y feet upon it and looked down on the world below, b u t it w as too e a rly in the season to th in k o f doing it— indeed, it could not be done even by the cham ois h u n ter, for
fresh snow had fallen e v e ry few d ays thro u g h o u t the season. A
F re n c h lad y , delicate an d pale, w ept in g rie f th a t she could not m ake the ascen t.
T h e afternoon w e m ounted o u r m ules for the T è te N oire w as d a rk and overcast, and th ere w as ev ery a p p earan ce o f a n A lpine
storm . W e had s c a rc e ly left the narro w v alley and entered the
m ule path am ong the m ountains, before the blast began to stveep b y in g u sts, till the fir trees rocked and ro ared over o u r heads. H av in g ascended a t length above the region o f trees, I tu rn ed to ca tc h a la s t view o f Mont B lan c and his glorious m ountain g u a rd before I en tered the gloom y pass. T h e re he stood w ith his snowy h elm et on, looking dow n on the vast g la c ie rs th a t w ent stream in g into the v alley below , an d on the silent snow-fields stretching aw ay in ev ery direction, an d around on the wild chaos o f m oun tains th a t n a tu re seem ed to h ave piled th ere in some aw ful h u rr y
aw akened had no fixed c h a ra c te r. A n object o f b e a u ty w ould
stand beside an object o f te rro r. A calm and soft snow-field th a t
looked in th e distance as i f it m ight be a slu m b erin g place for spirits, w ent creeping up to as sav ag e a cliff as ev er frowned over an abyss ; w hile the gentle mist, “ like children gone to th e ir even ing repose,” slept h ere an d th ere in chasm s th a t seem ed fit only as a place o f rendezvous for the storm . S tra n g e ly w ild and m ajes
tic towered a w a y those peaks on the vision. I g azed and gazed,
re lu c ta n t to say farew ell to the w ondrous scene.
Ju s t then, a body o f m ist riding the m ountain blast, sw ept over us, veiling ev ery thing in im penetrable gloom, w hile the ra in be
g an to descend in torrents. S h elterin g ourselves u n d e r the pro
jectin g roof o f a Sw iss h u t th a t stood a little rem oved from the path, w e w aited aw h ile for the show er to pass over, but it w as lik e w aiting for a riv e r to ru n by— the clouds condensed faster and faster, and the d ay g rew d a rk e r an d d a rk e r, till sudden n ig h t seem ed about to involve e v ery thing. A feeling o f dread crep t over me as we w heeled out ag ain into the rain, and tu rn ed the drooping
and dripping heads o f o u r m ules tow ards the pass. I felt as if
w e w ere on the threshold o f some gloom y fate, and I defy a n y one to keep up his spirits w hen han g in g along the cliffs o f an A l
pine pass in th e m idst o f a pelting A lpine storm . W e sp u rred
on, how ever ; now craw lin g over b a rre n and desolate rocks, now shooting out on to some projecting point th a t b alan c ed over a deep abyss filled w ith boiling mist, through w hich the to rren t stru g g led up w ith a muffled sound,— and now sinking into a black defile through w hich the baffled storm w ent how ling like a m adm an in
his cell. A s I stood on a ledge, and listened to the w a r o f the
elem ents around, suddenly through a defile th a t bent around a
distant m ountain, cam e a cloud as black as night. Its forehead
w as torn and re n t by its fierce encounter with the cliffs, and it
cam e sw eeping down as i f in h eren t w ith life and a w ill. I t bu rst
over us, d ren ch in g us w ith rain , w hile the redoubled th u n d er rolled and cracked am ong the cliffs like a thousand cannon-shot. E v e ry thing but m y m ule and the few feet o f rock I occupied w ould be hidden from m y sight, and then w ould come a flash o f lightning, rending the robe o f mist, as it shot a th w a rt the gloom, revealing a m om ent some black and heaven-high rock ; and then
leav in g all again as d a rk and im penetrable as ever. T h e path often led along the face o f the precipice, ju s t wide enough for m y m ule ; w hile the m ist th at w as tossing in the abyss below, by concealing
its depth ; added inconceivably to its m y stery and terro r. T h u s,
h o u r after hour, we toiled on, w ith e v e ry thing but the few feet o f rock we occupied shrouded in vapour, except when it now and
then rent over some c liff o r chasm . I w as g ettin g alto g eth er too
m uch o f sublim ity, and would have g lad ly exchanged m y certain ly wild enough p ath for th ree or four m iles o f fair trotting g round. B u t in spite o f m y drenched state, I could not but lau g h now and then as I saw m y th ree com panions and guide strag g lin g along in In d ian file, and ta k in g w ith su ch a m eek, resigned air, the rain on th e ir bowed shoulders.
A s w e advanced tow ards the la tte r end o f the pass, I w as
sta rtle d as though I had seen a n apparition. T h e mist, w hich for
a long tim e had enshrouded ev ery thing, suddenly parted over a distan t m ountain slope nigh up on th e fa rth e r side o f the gulf, and a sm all Sw iss ham let, sm iling am id the green p asturages, b u rst
on the vision. I had h ard ly tim e to u tter an exclam ation o f su r
prise before it closed ag ain as before, blotting out e v e ry thing
from view. I could h a rd ly believe m y own senses, so su ddenly
had the vision come and departed, and stood a long tim e w ait
ing its re -a p p earan ce. B ut it cam e no more— the stubborn mist
locked it in like the hand o f fate. T h a t little eagle-nested h am let, w ith its sw eet p asturages, cam e and went like a flash o f lig h t ning, y e t so distinct w as the im pression it m ade, th a t I could now alm ost p ain t it from m em ory.
R each in g the low er slope o f the m ountain, we passed a little
village u tte rly prostrate by an avalanche. T h e descending m ass
o f snow sw ept clea n over it, c a rry in g aw a y c h u rc h and all. It
looked as if some m ighty hand had been spread out over the dw ell
ings, and cru sh ed them w ith a single effort to the earth . It w as
one scene o f ru in and devastation, y e t stran g e to say, though the av ala n ch e fell in the night, only two or th ree persons w ere killed. In riding along it w as fearful to see w here an av ala n ch e had swept, bending down strong trees, as though th ey w ere reeds, in its passage.
gloomy path around the T ê te N o ire (b la c k h ead ) opened into d a y light ; and the blazing pine fire th a t w as soon kindled up in a d ry
room, w as a s w elcom e as the face o f a friend. T h e on ly relic I
brought aw a y from this pass w as a n A lpine rose, w hich m y guide plucked from am ong the rocks, w here it la y like a ru b y am id s u r rounding rubbish.
In looking over this description, I see I have u tte rly failed in
giving a n y adequate conception o f the scen ery . O ne w ould get
the im pression th a t th ere w as a single defile, d a rk and n arro w ,
and nothing m ore. B u t w hen it is rem em bered th a t we started
at nine, and em erged from th e d a rk forest o f T ê te N o ire a t th ree ; one c a n im agine the v a rie ty o f scen ery th a t opened like con
stan t su rp rises upon us. N ow w e w ould be clim bing a steep
m ountain— now p lu n g in g into a d a rk gorge filled w ith boiling m ist— now h a n g in g along a cliff, th a t in its tu rn h u n g over an a l m ost bottomless ch asm — now stretch in g across some sw eet p a stu ra g e — now following a to rre n t in its d esperate plunge th ro u g h the rocks, and now pick in g o u r c a re fu l w ay th ro u g h as gloom y a
forest as e v er enclosed a ro b b er’s den. I do not know how it
m ay ap p e a r in pleasan t w eather, but the pass o f the T ê te N oire in the m idst o f a n A lpine storm is not a p leasure ja u n t.
V.
B A T H S OF L E U K .
In com ing from the Sim plon up the V a lla is to G eneva, one passed
th e baths o f L e u k , a little rem oved from the R hone. T h is h am
let, elevated 4500 feet above th e level o f the sea, is sh u t in by a c ir c u la r precipice th a t su rro u n d s it lik e a m ig h ty w all, up w hich y o u a re com pelled to clim b in steps c u t in th e face o f the solid
ro ck . Its hot springs are visited d u rin g the su m m er m onths by
the F re n c h and Sw iss for th e ir healin g effects. It is som ething
o f a task, as one can w ell im agine, to g e t an invalid up to these
baths. T h e transportation is en tirely by hand, and the term s are
reg u lated by the d irecto r o f the baths. T h e se reg u latio n s a re
printed in F re n c h , and one re la tin g to co rp u len t persons stru c k u s so com ically th a t we give a tran slatio n o f it.
“ F o r a person over te n years of age four porters are necessary ; if he is above the ordinary w eight, six porters ; but if lie is of an e x tr a o r d in a r y w eight, and the commissary judges proper, two others m ay be added, but never more.”
T h e re a rc some dozen sp rin g s in all, the principal one o f w hich, the St. L a w re n c e , has a tem p eratu re o f 124 deg. F a h re n h e it. T h e mode o f bathing is en tirely unique, and m akes a n A m erican
open his eyes, a t first, in unfeigned astonishm ent. T h e patien t
begins by rem ain in g in the bath the short space o f one hour, and goes on in creasin g the tim e till he reach es eight hours ; four before
b reakfast and four a fte r dinner. A fte r each bath o f four h o u rs’
duration, the doctor req u ires one h o u r to be passed in bed. T h is
m akes in a ll ten h ours p er day to the poor patient, leav in g him
little tim e for an y th in g else. T o obviate the tediousness o f soak
together. A la rg e shed divided into four com partm ents, each capable o f holding about eighteen persons, constitutes the prin ci
pal bath house. A slight g a lle ry is built along the partitions
dividing the sev eral baths, for visitors to occupy who w ish to enjoy the com pany o f th e ir friends, w ithout the inconvenience o f ly in g
in th e w a te r. T h is is absolutely n ecessary , for if eigbt hours
a re to be passed in the bath an d two in bed, and the person en d u rin g all this is to be left alone in the m ean tim e, the life o f
an anchorite w ould be far p referab le to it. It is solitary confine
m ent in the pen iten tiary , w ith th e exception th a t the cell is a
watery one. A ll the bathers, o f both sexes and all ages and con ditions, are clothed in long woollen m antles w ith a tippet around th eir shoulders, an d sit on benches ranged round the bath, u n d e r
w a te r up to th e ir n ecks. Stroll into this la rg e bathing room
aw hile a fte r dinner, th e first thing th a t m eets y o u r ey e is some dozen or fifteen heads bobbing up and down, like buoys, on the
su rfa c e o f the steam ing w ater. T h e re , w ag g in g back w ard s and
forw ards, is the shaven crow n o f a fat old fria r. Close beside,
the glossy ringlets o f a fair m aiden, w hile betw een, perhaps, is
the m oustached face o f an invalid officer. In an o th er direction,
g ra y h airs a re “ floating on the tid e,” an d the w ithered faces o f
old dam es p eer “ over the flood.” B u t to sit and soak a whole
d ay , even in com pany, is no slight p en alty , and so to w hile aw a y the la z y hours, one is engaged in read in g a new spaper w hich he holds over his head, another in discussing a bit o f toast on a float ing table ; a third, in keeping a w ithered nosegay, like a w ater- lily , ju s t above the su rface, w hile it is hard to tell w hich looks
most dolorous, the w ithered flowers or h er face. In one corner
two persons a re engaged in p lay in g chess ; and in another, th ree or four m ore, w ith th eir chins ju s t out o f w ater, are enjoying a p leasan t “ tête-à-tête” about the delectability o f being u n d er w ater, seething a w a y a t a tem p eratu re o f n e a rly 120 deg., eight
hours per d ay . Persons m aking th e ir d a ily calls on th e ir friends
are e n terin g and leav in g the g a lle ry , or loaning over engaged in
earn est conversation w ith those below them . N ot m uch etiquette
is observed in leave-taking, for i f the patient should attem pt a
bow he w ould duck his h ead u n d er w ater. L a u g h a b le as th is
subm it to it except for h ealth, th a t boon for w hich the c irc le o f the world is m ade, th e to rtu res o f am putation endured, and the
w ealth o f the m illionaire sq u an d ered . T h e strictest decorum is
preserved, and ev ery b reach o f propriety punished by the w orthy bu rg o m aster w ith a fine o f two francs or th irty -sev en and a h a lf
cents. A set o f regulations is h u n g ag ain st the w alls specifying
the m an n er w ith w hich ev ery patient is to conduct h im self or h erself.— A s specim ens, we give a rtic le s 7 and 9, w hich w ill also be found in M r. M u rra y ’s guide book.
“ A rt. 7. Personne ne peut entrer dans les bains sans être revetue d’une chemise longue, et ample, d'une étoile grossière, sous peine de 2 fr. d’amende.” “ A rt. 9. L a m êm e peine sera encouir p ar ceux qui n ’en entreraient pas, ou n’en sortiraient pas d’une m anière décente.”
T r a n sla tio n . A rt. 7. No one is perm itted to enter these baths w ithout be ing clothed in a long, am ple, and thick “ chem ise,” under the penalty of a fine of 2 francs.
A rt. 9. T h e sam e penalty will be incurred by those who do not enter or d e p art in a becoming m anner.
G re a t ca re is taken th a t e v e ry tiling should be done “ decently and in o rd er,” and th ere is nothing to prevent people from b eh a ving them selves w hile sitting on benches under w ater as w ell as
above w ater.
A bout a m ile and a h a lf from these baths is the little village o f A lbinen, perched on the top o f the precipice th a t hems in the
v alley o f L e u k on e v ery side like a huge w all. T h e only direct
mode o f com m unication betw een the in h ab itan ts o f L e u k and this village is by a series o f n early a dozen lad d ers going up the face
o f the precipice. T h e y a re o f the rudest kind, and fastened to
th e rock w ith hooked sticks. Y et the peasants ascend and descend
them all tim es o f the day and n ig h t and a t all seasons o f the y e a r. T h e fem ales have added to th e ir u su al dress the pantaloons o f the
m en. T h is has becom e so u niversal, th a t in clim bing the m oun
tain s around, th ey tu c k up their dresses, and ap p ear a t a little
distance like boys. T h u s do these ru d e peasan try , following the
instincts o f n a tu re and m odesty, com bine convenience and pro priety, and retain th e ir fashions from one g eneration to another. It is said th a t p an talets h ad th e ir origin here.
VI.
THE CASTLE OF CHILLON. GENEVA. JUNC
TION OF THE RHONE AND ARVE.
T h e n ig h t a fte r w e left M artigny, w e slept on th e shores o f
L a k e G eneva, in close view o f Chillon. T h is C astle h as becom e
im m ortal by accident. In passing round L a k e G eneva, in 181G,
B yron got cau g h t in a rain-storm , and rem ained two d ays in the
little village o f O chy, in a m ere h u t o f an inn. H a v in g nothing
else to do, he w rote in the m ean tim e, “ T h e P riso n er o f C h illon,” the ch a ra c te rs o f w hich poem lived only in his own im agination. A t th a t tim e he w as even u n acq u ain ted w ith the story o f Bonni- v ard , w hich m ight have been m ade the basis o f a v e ry beautiful
poem. W hen he afterw ard s h eard o f it, he w rote a sonnet on the
noble prior o f V ictor, in w hich he say s : “ Chillon ! thy prison is a holy place,
A nd th y sad floor an altar ; for ’tw as trod U ntil its very steps have left a trace W orn, as if th y cold p av em en t w ere a sod, B y Bonnivard ! M ay none those m arks efface !
F o r they appeal from ty ran n y to God.”