New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-12-30

sacred one o. the seven wonders VI lu0 NoIiu
1t is sixty-fve feet high and twenty wide, and
is covered with dials and figures indicating all
the astronomical cpochs with wonderful precision
II predicts ecEpses of the sun and moon, and re-
cords their risings, settings, conjunctions and
oppostions. 1t represents the complicated astro-
nomcal periods of the Equation Of the centre,
the Erection, the Variation, &c. and shows on
another dial the Golden number, the Epacts, and
the other elements Of the movable teasts Of the
church. To crafty the tastes of the common l.
atty, at every hour angels ride around and strike
the bells, while the twelve apostles come out and
bow to their Lord, and cock flaps his wings
and crows most Justify three times IN memory Of
Peter.
The Suasburg pates de toies gras are sent to
all parts of the world, and are well known In our
own city, though most carefully to be eschswed
by all who fear the horrors of dyspepsia. The
geese of whose lvers they are made, are shut up
in narrow coops in dark and cool cellars, and
fed twice day with maize seasoned with sui
phur and garlic to give them an appetite. They
thus get the fashionable oliver complaint, and
that organ increases to an enormous SIZE, and
sometimes attains weight Of two or three
pounds. When their livers are highly seasoned,
intermi1ed with truffies, covered with lard anG
put into earthen pots, they constitute the famous
pdtes Formerly the poor birds were nailed by
the feet to board and kept before a steady fire,
till in the course of some months they slowly
roasted to death; and French epicure asserts
that instead of pain, they felt pride and glory
in the thought that after such martyrdom they
would be transformed into the noble and mimi
table pdt6s de foies gras.
A Railway of ninety miles over very level
country, but at the foot Of the Vosges mountains,
each of which is crowoed with a castle, and
hallowed by a legend about the Rhine, conveys
you at leisurely pace to St. Louis, still in
France, but only two miles from Basic. Leaving
ST. Louis, you see beside the road sort of lamp
post bearing sign on which you read France"
AS you pass it, and look around, you see " Suit
serland" on the other side; and thus easily have
YOU changed your country without any passport
or customhouse annoyance, and in striking con-
trast to the parade and for1nalities Of entering
Prussia and France. This republican simplicity
seem lust what it should be in this ancient
land of liberty, and enthusiastic fellow ira
Weller threw up his hat and shouted Hurrah for
Switzerlandn' He changed his note however
the next morning, on finding himself extrava-
gantly feeced by his Saciss innkeeper race
who have the reputation of being the most extor-
tomato in Europe, and who seem determined to
verify the sarcastic provcrb of the French :" no
money, no Swiss"
Basic is finely situated on the Rhine, which
here rushes beneath it in broad clear and gilt
tering flood, overlooked by the quaint old Cathe-
dral with its roof Of many-colored tiles The
terrace, darkly shaded by the sombre horse chcs-
nut commands a romantic prospect; and the
ancient tower delights the stranger by the
abundance of its fountains, which adorn eve
ry vacant spot and spout forth constant jets
from lofty columns, each surmounted by a
statue and standing in large marble basn.-
But here, as in most continental towns, the sharp
stones of the streets show that they were paved
before democracy came into fashion. There are
no sidewalks and he who walks on foot must
hobble along as best he can, and esteem himself
lucky if he escape with lame feet, and be not
run over by the carriage of his arstocratc neigh.
Dor. This is one of the things which perpetu-
ally remind the American in Europe of the time
when every thing was arranged for the exclusive
comfort and benefit of the tyrannlcal few, and
when the interests OF the many were unthought Of
Some progress is making even here, but even
vet the rulers scarcely realize that the poor null
titudc have rights as men and citizens, lndepen-
dent of property, and may wait to receive some
severe and bitter lessons from the exasperated
people rising in their might, before they will
learn that the true motto of all governm ent IS
"the greatest happiness of the greatest number
The Munster Thai, or valley Of the Birs,
through which lies the road from Basic to Berne,
is a worthy portal to the gracdeur of Switzerland
On each side of the narrow ravlne which the
stream has worn out oritself, shoot up blae and
bare rocks to the hight of many hundred feet
leaving barely room between them for the Birs
and for the road which hangs upon them. An
earthquake seems to have split the mountain
asunder and left between It's sides this narrow and
tortuous cleft. The rocks often overhang the
road and the foaming torrent below seems to un-
dermine it till it has left only narrow shelf,
supported by slabs, brackets and needles of rock.
At length, mounting steep ascent, the pas
SAGE over the Jura seems blocked up by wall
of rock extending across it; but through this Is
natural archroy through which you drive. This
striking natural bridge is called the Pierre Per
tu;s. On the north side II bears defaced Ro