Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-09-15

| L made great eNertions TO climb over the
| moan tains and reach the lake, bat the fog
came up so thick I could not go on, and with
| difficulty found my way back i was without
| a guide, not persOn IN tire village having cou.
| rage enough 10 approach toward the scene OF
| terror. In fact, Sogreat WAS the fright, thar
| the first messenger who Was sent to know IL the
| lake Was entirely discharged, instead OF going
| TO the very spot TO ascertain The fact, peTched
| himself upon the top of mountain seveTa!
| miles OFT from which he spied with glass sh.
remains OF the glacier, and som" little water
| In tie lake, and immediately sent word that Il
| rept ti,ion of the same scene WAS TO be expect.
ed, in consequence OF which ali the Inhabitants
of NJ tgiy fed 10 the ncnntains, SO that p
found but "a single house Inhabited upon my
arrival there. second messenger was sent.
who had more courage than the first, and
brou .ht back account that the lake Was COM
pietr'y emptied, and thus quoted the alarms.
II hdd not been kept at Geneva, to attend
boy exhibition, ShUutd have had the salts
faction OF witnessing tins grand scene IN the
moment OF Its representation had L set out
onSnnuay morning, IS ihteHded, should have
reat he'd there exactly in time 10 have seen The
approach of this flood of wa,ers.I do not
Know OF any tuing which cOuid be more sub
lime than the rapid strides with which il adj
vanced, and i'ie giant force II exercised in
sweeping away the obstacles which resisted il.
would not have had il take place for nv
pleasure, b1t as 1t did taxa place. / would
have given the world to have beena spectator
-ot u, 1t IS melancholy to look upon the ruins
there IS uething grapder in natnrs than the
sight OF its march, white il is doing It's work
OF destruction Lots wife showed a natural
taste, when she looked back upon Sodom and
Gonnrrah.
This IS curious place, from which write TO
yon; sulphur spring was discovered here
some centuries ago, which has since had the
reputation OF great virtue in cnticular ,om.
plants; and on that account mueh resorted
10 during the summer, Notwithstanding the
rawness of the climate, .:Id The difficulty of
access; 1t lies 600o feet above the level of
| the sea in one OF the Casms of the Aims and in
| the immediate ueishborhood of some immense
glaciers, which make il extremely cold, even
| in midsummer. / would not have YOU think
1 have come here for my health /; | never was
better IN my life than HOW am; il is mon
| the route which leads from the ValaiS into
Inc Canton of Barne, and very near the pass
OF me Gemmi, which is my particular object
lsioptto have fair weather 10 reach this SHIN
mt, on account OF the grand view which il
commands. Bathing here is Noon a yerysOci-
al Establishment ali ages, ranks and sexes en-.
Ter me hath together, which very large
SUFFICIENT for a hundred or more AT a lime =
| the inValids spend half dozen hours in siav
| lnthem where ny the aid OF a little floating
| table, they receive breakfast, dinner. sc
which serves also for hooks, newspapers. wri.
unS implements, or any thing tieV NAV use 10
| divert or employ them. have been in this
| morning, but II was very early, / did not find
above nifty there, who received me very civiIly
and even politely, into their society, ia which
| troved all distinctions.
While have been writing, the clouds have
| begun to dispense, and have Vel twenty miles
over the mountains before i find another rest.
| lug place.
| m KANDERsTEG, 7PM
| Inc lair promises which the weather made
Just as was closing the foregoing part of my
| letter, all proved deceptive. / got away from
| the Baths al one, ard began 10 ascend the Gem
| uni III high spirits, all hopes being fixed upon
the magnificent view | should have of the
southern chains oiihe Alp, from Mount Blanc
10 Mount kosa.-Ater Toll of two honrs,
iouhu mySeif at the summit, prepared for the
highest extacies, when, TO nay great mor,ifica-
ton and disappointment, before had hardly
taken peep, boundiess field of fog came
driVipg over the mountains, and shnt every
Ihing from my view and the only pleasure
ihaVe since had, was To pursue my way by the
side OF d frozen lake, through miles Of snow,
IN as drenchiny rain as ever fell! With all
| these difficulties, walked the twenty miles
| In less than six hours and never felt better
| Than ITO at tile end of them.
! FROM THE FRANKLIN GAZETTE
! tatF1ct from .l0aTRa! !cTiiea ia tie Creek Ma.
| ton Of indians Conciuded.l
The indians have hat few ideas on the sub
| leCt OF religion; some of them have a vague
lndistinct notion OLA future state they how
ever give themselves very little trouble or
concern ON that head. Ii you ask the gene
| raii;y OF Indians about their religion thew
! VIII tell you II is. a thing they know nothing
| ABOUT. An !. ieiiigeni one willintorm you that
| he believes there Is great spirit above, who
rules the sun and moon, &c. and that to those
who behave III this world like good warriors,
! lie Will, alter death, give a country about ding
| III game; but IT they behave like old women
| they Will 90 to one where there is 10 game or
| land TO plant sorn. This is the whole of their
the0ioGy; there IS no such thing as praSer or
| worship among them. There is no prospect oil
their ever becoming. christians Christianity
| is too learned IA religion for their comprehen.
| siou, and the example OF the whites is not
| calculated TO make favorable impression
And IL is melancholy fact that all the efforts
OF the missionaries have merely implanted a.
| mong them SUI erstitiOus feelings about what
| they do not comprehend. of which wicked
men among them have availed themselves, and
| under the name OF prophets, OccaSioned all
! the wars that nave desoldted their and
There are white men to be found within tie
! Indian tribes, exhibiting the disgusting spec
| tacle of u retrOgrade from civilization: men
| who have abandoned their country and socie-
| ~, naturdlized Themselves AMONG the sava res
| adopted their manners AMI habits, and be-
| come generally more Iscious aud degraded
| than the Indians Themselves. But was happy
| to remark that this base dpgeneracy, although
| sometimes the effect OF choice, more ire
| quently The offspring Of crime or necessity.
| There is no greater Teproauh, and meiiiisy
| they so much dread, as the stigma If cowar-
| dice; Al Indian woman once called her nus
| band coward; he walked deliberately an TO
cliff ct one hundred feet high, jumped fror,
| II and fell INTO The river; by some extraOIdi.
| nary good fortune he reached tile shore MOI
| satisfied with This display of his intrepidity.
| he immediately assembled u second time. Jump
| Ell again from the cliff, fell into the Alabama
| and seen no more.
! PuShnatahaw, the faraOus Choctaw chief
| having heard HAT II white man had called him
| coward, lie went to the factory, bought "A
| barrel OF guupOwdcr, carried il to the village
! where lie maui resided, lighted a tirebrand
| and seating himself on the barrel challenged
| his accuSer to come and seat himself also, and
lie would blow them both up. The challenge
| was declined.