Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-01-13
LETTER OF A TRAVELLER.


LETTER OF A TRAVELLER.
CHAnouNY Oct. 8.
have just arrived here from visit 10
the celebrated Mount st Bernard 1T IS
scarcely possible to form an idea of the
iorri,i wildness of this scene. You be-
hold moustcous crags heaped upon each o.
Their in sucn confusion, and projecting so
territically, that the first impression 1pon
tie mind il, that the mountain WI! in
stantly give way and cover the whole king
dom with its ruins. The second, aud
scarcely less terrific feature is It's barren
ness. Upon the whole surface of the
mountain there is not sufficient earth to
cover the miserable bodies of those, who
perish iii the grow they are laid in a
small building Constructed far the purpose,
within few yards of the convent, where
they are exposed in every stage Of decay
and horror to the Travellers eye. We
saw among others, the body Of a woman
who had persisted In the snow oniv two
days before, yet here, in the midst OF eter-
nal sno@s. and upon nearly the most ele.
"ated spot in Europe, forty human beings
have freely chosen their residence for life.
This was he only convent which escaped
the French Revelation. Bonaparte gcart-
ed 1t several privileges aud comfortable
means of subsistence for the monks. Up
on reaching the top, we found she monas-
tery almost literally buried in snow tine
cold was intense, though the heat in The
valley from which we assembled was as
great &C had ever felt the transition was
equally psinfuI to the body and fr;ght.d!
to the imagination one sunposes hi,n=eI
transported in a few hours from the g.l!a-
tor to the Pole. We were received with
the greatest Kindness by the monks, and
Idlned and supped with III IN with as much
pleasure rs we had ever done in our lives.
There aia persons, who travel over Eu-
rope, begging aims in the name of this
monastery, some Of whom [ have seen in
England, and who obtain considerable
SIMS of money in this way we were told
that these persons were all impostors.-
this monastery, we were Informed by one
of the monks, was built by st. Be nard out
OF the ruins of temple of Jupiter, which
stood nearly upon the same spot. The
mountain itself was called Mons Jovis.-
we were shown the spot upon which the
temple stood ;nOt the slightest ycstige OF itJ
remains Etinr. psriere rR'nae. Ia explur-
ing, however, 10 aconsiaerabie depth amGsig
the rocks, q great number Of medals, snail
images, and yotive plates have been disco
Vered at different times the usN / inscrip-
hon was PRO itg ct reditu; several of these
were shown TO US by the monks: among
others the plates, FROM which it is inferred
tlat this was TIE pass by which Hannibal
entered Italy. The Inscription is .Ioci
Paenino lin some Peniao,) from which it is
inferred, that the oijeri1g was made by
This howe, en-, is no very
strong evidence in the absence Of any in
scripton in the Carthagenian language it.
self. In the chapel ot the monastery there
Is very beautiful monument erected to
the memory of the French General, Des-
sal2. The statue of Dessaix Is extremely
well executed Is far as could distinguish,
from the darkness of the weather in this
dreary spot, anu the height al which i, is
placed. He is Represented in the act Of fall
ing from MS horse into the arms of : gren-
adler, and epeatuc the well k9own wo ds
8 GtteS dire an Premier Consul" &.c-I
The Inscription IS amply " 4 Dsssaies MORT
Il te batiaittP dc .HaTeaS0.' The body was
brought here fran Milan by order of Bona
parte and the monument conveyed from l.
ally to Paris, Cor the purpose ofGeing seen
~ him. previous to its erection where ii
low stands.
We have spent seven or eight days in
seeing Mont5Ianc, the Glaciers. the Vale
Ut Chamou ~, ai4d other wonders ofnn-
ture, with which this spot ahopnd, ard up-
~ which travellers have so frequently ex-
Iausted their imaginatinns, aud their fee.
lngs. Perhaps TIE most curinus 1i,iect oil
III. IS the Album kept al the inn, i'm which
every traveller records his sensations after
visiting the mountain. 1t is the most Gu
rous OF all the m!scelahies have ever
80. Nonsense. aud the spleen, are how
eyer, eminently predominant Madame
lie Steal passed here 'ew weeks before
With her daughter, JB their way to f.au.an
e,whcre Mademni.ele was, understood.
10 bestow her hand GrOn the Duke de Bro
lie, son or nephew Of the general of that
name, who figured at the opening of the
Fir 'nch revolution. I have cnpicd from
the Album the record left by Madame lie
ba'onne. 1t is, 1 think, unique IN It's
<,Hd.
"Si les passions NJ auneautissaient Ia
sensibilitie do ceur OH verrait les hom-
mes $ abstsnir DIES chooses impures ct que
lie sentiment eprOuve.--Mais Z anne inc |
linee vers sa perfection ne sauralt compo- |
ser avec DIES principles ct letter dams Ia |
vie une antre vie que cOnduissait un ave-
80 az ma