Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-10-05

| now address from the highest hahialon
in Europe, and ON the day the mast Important 10 all
the lovers OF liberty throughout the world. NV
sister, brother, and SELF all the Americans IN
this establishment, although very Ear removed from
the possibility Of joining IN the usual patriotic en-
loymcntS of home on our native soil, feeling il
duty TO take some notice OF dav So glorious in
our annals, requested permission of the Prior, Il,
the breakfast table tins morning, rs we intended
parting before the dinner hour, to allow sentiment
suitable 10 the occasion 10 be given, when the fol-
lowing was offered:
May the Virtue, Liberty, and Independence,
of Our fellow citizens olhc United States, continue
forever rs unchanged and unchangiug as the noun
tain upon which we stand"
This VA, drunk by the worthy Prior and one OF
the superior monks, Two French, one German, and
one English gentleman, in the excellent wine oil
the Convent, seated-and by ourselves, standing.
IN a bumper OF cold water, as became members OF
the Temperance Society. All present drank the
toast with apparent perfect pleasure and sincerity,
aud ii seemed continuance Of the respectful feel
ing we have discovered every where, hothin Eng
land and on the continent, for America and its in
habtantS and We have been enabled, on very
many occasions, 10 see things, bv announcing our
country, where all inducements of other kinds had
failed Thu, occurred in England more than once,
continent, we're refused before our face.
This day IS one the ovclicst the sun ever shonc
upon. and feels, although cool, for the pond at the
side of the house is slightly frozen in part thai
was clear Of ice yesterday, Just like a Philadelphia
bland March dav.-Ihcrc is every side
Of tie convent filling the hollows, and making the
roads rather trcaeherouS but the birds singing,
and the beautiful Alpine violet blooming ON the
rocks, even above the house, and have gathered
some flowers from the very edge of the SHOW.
We arrived here yesterday, after a delightful
tour thro' England Holland, up the Rhine, by all
its >pIcudldscenerv, magnificent ruins, and superb
cities, to Switzerland, and then made divergence
from Berne To the charming valley lnterloeken,
where crossed the Wcngcrn Alps from Lauer-
brunncn 10 Grindewald, through that most mag
nihccnt amphitheare of mountains, formed by the
Silver Horn, lung Frau, Monch, and Eiecr You
are yourself b,Ooo feet HIGH on the APPS and these
stand around YOU in such close proXmit, that you
feel though You could touch them rising above
vour heads 5000 feet higher, and covered TO then
SUBMITS with eternal snow and ice. No words
can describe the beauty OF the scene; and the re-
collection OF the impressions received whilst eal-
ing upwards on their pure and cloudlcs, pnnacles,
to this moment gives a thrill. | arrived five min
utcs too late 10 see two ayaEinchcs that slipped
from r the summit Of the Iung Frau, and fell
but heard the thunder and saw the dust of snow
that is always thrown up a, such times | intend
ed the next dlyto have visited the summit of the
Faulhorn, the highest house (not habaton, for II
is only used IN summcr) in Europe, and crossed
the ShcIdeck mountain by the Glaciers of Grindc-
wald and Rosenlain, and the Wc,terhorn and had
the guide prepared, and breakfast ordered at 1 o
clock but alas when morning arrived, the sum
mls of all the hills, and every mountain path, even
the one travelled yesterday, was covered with
snow from one to three feet deep, and utterly i'm
pdSsable. fastened back to my party at Inter
locken, by the valley, and all returned to Berne
From there we went to Vcvav on the lake of Ge-
neva visited the Castle ChiIon Of Byron, and
saw the very pillar and ring to which Bonlvard
was attached; pucked some flowers for distant ro-
mantle friends from the walls of the moat, and
reached Martigncy, the nearest town of any size to
the foot OF ST. Bernard, and the passage over the
Col de Blaine, into the valley of Chamouny.
Here visited the church to sec a celebration of
service, accompanied by the platoon firing of
volunteer corps which stood at the door. We had
an opportunity OF verifying an account had often
heard of the multitude of Goitrcs or swenes in
the front OF the mex, in this part of tine world,
thrcc-tourlhs of the women present being thus de-
formed with tnmors from small egg in size thu,
of quart bowl. The men are less afflicted, which,
tucmcnt to the clos valley air.
We assembled the Great St. Bernard on mules,
wih d guide, passing along the very path Of Ma
pocon, upa valley with mountains many thousand
feet above us the road winding along the edge of
rCcpccs trightfnl To look down, whilst roaring
torrent swept the bottom. About five miles from
tine summit, past the last house belonging to the
low lands, hotel with the following words in Eng-
fish for sign: " Travellers received here with a
Swis, welcome Three miles from the top of the
pth side, stand two stone houses, for shelter for
the storm-ailacked traveller one Of which con-
tains many human boncS and the dried body of a
Savoyard, who WIS lost in the snow three years
since Our guide, then in the service Of the
Convent, found him after being covered by
the snow some DAYS. He is very like a mummy,
with the body bent exactly a, though he had sunk
on the ground from exhaustion. Oar couniryman,
Cooper, describes these two houses beautifully in
the ilcadsman.-The snow, as we approached the
top, became so deep and soft, that our party, male Il
female, were compelled to walk, as the mules were
unable to get througl with load. The Brethren
received us with much kindness, gave us IA good
plain supper and bed. | this morning attended
the morning service III the beautiful chapel, at six
O'clock and whilst | listened to the notes of the
full, dccp-toned organ, swelling through the dome,
and Witnessed the puro, exclusive devotion of the
good monks reflected upon the life they led, de-
privcd of all the ordinary enioymcnts of life, and
thought that nothing short of genuine religion could
ever keep such an establishment thus inhabited.
There are fourteen monks, and six dogs OF truly
noble size. There is a clever library and muscum,