New-York daily tribune., 1844-01-23

or-rr TO CHAMOUNlX.. ..EACURSiON ACkosS IRE lfh-
DE-GIACE.
rur narrowminded King of Sardinia throws
u,anv embarrassments in the way of strangers
.;.;sra Mont Blanc (Which is Unfortunately IN
Savoy, instead Of Switzerland as if they went
.bara to rob, instead of to enrich his subjects.
rb,ee endorsements OF your passport are neces-
s.rv before reaching it; first at Geneva, without
,rb;cb no one can enter his Majesty's domnlons.
.bnn at Annemasse, few miles farther, and in
an hour again at Bonneville. Near this place is
!, conmn to Carlo Felicc " himself, erected by
.be inhabitants in token Of their gratitude-a
feeling which the travelling visitors of the mon
arch are not likely to appreciate, or to share,
Other symptoms Of Italy begin now to appear,
both in the language Of the Uis6S, and in the
"Turn Insurance Company" plates, upon all
the houses, and you may begin to imagine what
a different region you will find beyond the snowy
barrier which rises higher and moro majestic as
you now approach It's base.
The road winds along the ARvE now petty
brook, but with wide border Of bare white
stones, which shows how broad and furious the
torrent is in spring when swellcd by the melting
SHOWS The mountains on each side of the river
grow higher and more abrupt and approach
nearer and nearer together, till at Ciuses they
almost meet, and the pass is completely filled up
BY this old town, which is literally overhung by
the cliffs. The only road winds through its lanes,
barely wide enough for the diligence to squeeze
III rough, and finally emerges, as if from cave,
;ro broader valley Looking back upon the
tall o Id houses you see It's inpregnable strength
and n, viect command of the pass, but you won
dor that even that consideration should be a
sufficiently strong inducement for the foundation
of town in such situation.
You continue to follow the valley of the Arve
beneath the lofty limestone mountains, whose
huge fragments strew the ground on each side of
you, reminding you that your Journey would be
soon ended if another should chance TO fall as
YOU passed. In the side of one nearly perpen-
dicular cliff, grotto enters at a hight of 800
feet, and though scarcely visible from below, has
a mouth large enough for carriage to drive in
lir one could get up to it, and penetrates into the
mountain more than third of q mile.
Farther on is waterfall, twelve hundred feet
high. 1t only wants one thing to be the greatest
cataract in the world; but that is the important
requisite Of water The scanty stream which
now falls is dissipated into vapor long before it
reaches the ground.
In ten hours from Geneva you reach 81. Mar
tins. The road beyond is impracticablc for
diIge nee, and you engage char-abanc for
CbamonW This national vehicle, peculiar to
The Swiss mountains, is like short sofa, covered
with a coach top. and set on pair four wheels,
YOU ride sideways, as in an Irish car, and see at
least one side Of tic country.
Seated in this vehicle you cross the Arve by a
stone bridge, and N its centre get your first
glimpse of Mont Bla nc. The majestic snowy
mountain seems almost within reach, and you
can scarcely credit that he /. at least twelve ies
distant in a straight line, as the crow mes
so deceptive is the clearness of he mountain a'
mosphere, and the immensely Of tn MASS o' '"o
giant. The neighboring SUBMITS a &c mere I'M,
locks by his side, and he looks from his 'o'os'i''
hight like the very Emperor of the world NUS
is the stauza Of Byron, win, ~ !, :
perfect in every line epthet, word and sylla, 'e'
and which aroused the admiration OF even
french felow-traveer for whom | repeated II IN
an eStempore prose translation
Mon, Blanc is the monarch OF mountains;
hey crowned him long ago.
On3 throne OF rocks, III a rote oi clouds,
With diadem of SNOW.
turning aside from the main road to Cha
noux, faint track leads you INTO an lndenation
IN the hills too narrow and too short to be called
valley. level strip of ground, mile long,
entered hya narrow pass, which a stranger would
tmnk mere fSsure in the mountain, and sur
rounded on each side by high steep cliffs, ends IN
a little talry-land of beauty high wall oi
rock rises abruptly at It's extremity, barring all
laFther progress, and down It's face falls uaR,-
nag cascade. In the sem-circular band, which
loFms the choir OF this cathedral oi nature, and
At the foot of the mountain, bubble up warm
medicinal springs. They are guarded by range |
'i pav,lons and arcades, surrounded by brilliant
lower gardens so unexpected and improbable
appear these beautiful creations of human labor
hat they seem to have dropped from the clouds,
or sprung from the earth by witchcrait They
seem perhaps peculiarly lovely from their startling
Contrast with the wild and savage rocks and
SHOWS which surround them, and from their
hermit-like seclusion from society. If you have
any friend, who wishes to live . the world forget
ting by the world forgot" send him here, to these
delicious &c Baths Of Saiat Gerpais," and he will
De gratifed to his hearts content; for here all
the world could not find him without a guide,
aof would he ever wish to leave this Happy
valley" 10 ind again the world.
st. C.errais is left by rhe road Of entrance, for