Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1851-11-14

tie in which he lost part of the rear guard Of
his army This place il famous also Tor battle
which the duke Don Philip Of Parma, at the
head of the French and Spaniards, had with the
trnons of the King of Sardinia. la looking back
frem Aiguebelle towards Chamberi, this city
seems placed at your feet; you can trace the
road YOU have passed over and the streams you
have crossed, which look like threads of silver
ia the vast landscape. On the spurs of the
mountains YOU see the ruins of ancient towers
and castles which formerly served for the de-
fence of the passes, underneath which may be
seen cultivated spots, hemmed IN by enormous
masses of fallen rocks, that serve to prevent the
earth from washing away. This IS the region
cf the High Alps. The mountains are sleeper,
and at every turn one sees over his head enor
mons rocks that the torrents have detached from
the mountain. The inhabitants, male and fe-
male, are nearly all deformed with the gotre,
which many attribute TO the crude nature OF the
snow water, the ordinary drink OF the lnhabl-
tants Others believe that the disease Is heredI-
tarv or caused by the habits of the people.
Among the Alps there is another race OF people
called the Crctons, who besides having the goI-
ire and being otherwise deformed, are nearly
all idiots. Most of the mountains are barren
and destitute of trees, hut one cannot IAN 10 ao-
mire the industry of the inhabitants, who leave
not foot of land uncuItYated. 1t Is no uhco'n-
mon thing to see small gardens on the sunny sloe
of the mountains made in places that one "ouIu
think cat could scarcely chmo 10, ana tneSe
made too upon the barren rocks, oy means OF
strong walls " hich serve to eaten the earth thdt
is carried down by the torrents HlSher up,
the chomois skips from rock to rock ana leaps
the most terrific chasms, regardless oil the pears
that groWI in the crevices OF the rocks, or the
hunters that pursue, while still higher up IS the
region of eternal snow. But we approach Mount
Gems. Lanslebourg is the name oi the VlliaSe al
its foot Extra horses are again attached 10 the
diH;eence and it takes three hours and hall to
ascend the easy and we'll calculated ZIS-Zags OF
this principal mountain of the route Here ana
there along this winding road are small houses
called houses of refuge, occupied by persons
whose business 1t is to take care oi 'he lodu anu
assist travellers. All these houses are numbered,
ora on the ton of the mountain sleds are con-
stantly kept TO take travellers to the foot, which
is done in about five or SIX minutes When the
snow is deep enough to cover the lnequaIltes OF
the mountain This is about perpendicular
descent of two thousand feet, but there IS no
danger if one trusts to the experience OF the
man who guides the sled. At certain points
along this mountain, aYalanches OF snow TALL
carving away every thing before them, and 1t Is
necessary to be very quiet IN passing thost
points The bells are taken oil the horses ana
travellers do not even whisper, because the
least movement of the air might bring noun
tain of snow down upon their beads, and make
them turn a thousand somersets among tree tops
and over sharp edged precIplccs, PrecipltatlnS
what was left of them into the middle OF
river of cold snow water, in Il dark raElne mat
the sun never shone into. On Mount Gems
there is hoSpice frozen over six or seven months
of the year The lake is famous Tor Its trout,
hut they belong to the monks. The hospital
was founded by Charlemagne, who, IN the 9th
century, crossed Mount Gents with his army
The house in actual use, was built by Napoleon
The half of it is now used by 4 corps OF SardIn-
ian carabiueers who examine the passports OF
Gra horse
which goes to the repairing of the road The
other half Of the building is occupied by some
Benedictine Monks, who render assistance graf
uitously to the poorer class OF travellers, re-
serving two three better rooms for those that
can afford TO pay. The limits OF Piedmont are
in the middle Of the next plain beyond this
mountain. On leaving the plain, one sees
magnificent mountain on the left called Roch-
melon On its summit there is a chapel called
the chapel of Our Lady Of the Shows. 1t was
formerly much frequented by pilgrims, but 1t IS
now abandoned, owing to the danger OF ascent.
But before commence ascending, we look
both ways at the prospects. Before US IN Pied
mont are some of the magnificent plains OF Italy,
aud hundreds of villages with their shining, tin
covered steeples, and behind US are the plains OF
SAVOY between two range of mountains, from
which spurs extend into the next valley, and on
every spur there are some CHASTITY old ruins
But one cannot less admire the colossal nature
Of these bridges, galleries, walls and terraces
They correspond with the colossal nature OF
the scenery and the genius that planned them
The route of the Simplon, north of this one,
was still a greater undertaking. Napoleon laid
the plan of it Immediately after the battle of
Marengo, and the object of 1t may be inferred
from a question he put to the chief engineer
When can the cannon cross the SimlpIon." The
Englishman, Sir James Macintosh, SAID that OF
all useful works the route of the Simplon across
the Alps is the greatest and most marvellous
1t took thirty thousand men six years to com
piete it. II has near seven hundred stone
brdges and like the route of Mount Gents, is
about twenty six feet wide, and bordered IN
dangerous places the lower side by wall
three or four feet above the level OF the road -
These two roads were the first ever opened LOT
carriages over the Western Alps, and IN the
construction of them, all the known resources oil
art were brought into requisiton to overcome
the greatest resistance of nature. But we de-
scend through galleries cut in perpendicular
rocks and over chasms frightful to look INTO
Suse is little city near the foot OF MountC Gems,
which is remarkable for its antiquity; having
been founded by a Roman Colony, under the
reign of Augustus. The only thing in this
place, worthy of notice is trumphal arch,
erected about eight years before the christian
era in honor Of Augustus. On leaving TINS
city. our course lies along the river Dolre,
through a wide valley of the same name, when
il all one orchard but the view IS saddened by
the nakedness Of the plain adjoining, which is
covered with pebbles and stones washed down
by mountain torrent. We pass through a
poverty stricken village Of five thousand nhabI-
tants. on the borders of this desert plain. 1t
contains the ruins of an ancient gothic castle
and a great many idle priests and lmportuhate
beggars. Lazzaroni in red caps and bare legs
the color of old mahogany, multitude of priests
in long black gowns and broad brlmmed hats,
and women in wells and mantillas, are what dis
tipguish the population of an Italian city or a
-"oN I'll. ,bo ropulatiopS