Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1851-12-03

; catch the earth that is carried down by the
l torrents. Higher up, the chamois skips
; from rock to rock and leaps the most ter
; rifle chasms, regardless of the bears that
, growl in the creyices of the rocks, or the
hunters that pursue, while still higher up
; is the region Of eternal snow.
But We approach Mount Gems. Lans
, lebourg is the name of the village at its
foot Extra horses are again attached to
the diligence, and it takes three hours and
, half to ascend the easy and well calcula-
ted Zig-zags of this principal mountain of
the route. Here and there along this
winding road are small houses called houses
of refuge, occupied by persons whose busi-
ness it is to take care of the road and assist
travellers All these houses are numbered,
and on the top Of the mountain sleds are
constantly kept to take travellers to the
foot, which is done in about five or six min.
utes when the snow is deep enough to
cover the inequalities of the mountain
This is about a 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, avalanches of snow
fall, carrying away everything before them,
and it is necessary to be very quiet in
passing those points. The bells are taken
off the horses, and travellers DO not even
Whisper because the least movement Of
air might bring a mountain of snow down
upon their heads, and make them turn
/ thousand somcrsets among tree tops and
over sharp edged precipices, precipitating
what Was left of them into the middle Of
river of cold snow water, i'll dark ravine
that the sun never shone into.
On Mount Gents there is hoYie fro
zen over six or seven months of the year
The lake is famous for its trout, but 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 corps of Sandman carabineers who
examine the passports of travellers and re-
ceive five franks per horse, which goes to
the repairing of the road. The other half
of the building is occupied By some Bene-
dictine Monks, who render assistance graf
uitously to the poorer class of travellers,
reserving two or 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 magni.
ficent mountain on the left called Roch-
neon. On its summit there is chapel
c,lled the Chapel Of Our Lady Of the
Shows. 1t was formcly much frequented
by pilgrims, but it is now abandoned,
owing to the danger of ascent. But be-
fore we commence ascending, We look
both ways at the prospect. Before US in
Piedmont are some of the magn fccnt
plains of Italy, and 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 ghastly
old ruins. But one can rot less admire
the colossal nature ofthese 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. Ma
poleon laid the plan of it Immediately af-
ter the battle of Marengo, and the object
Of it may be inferred from question he
put to the chief engineer: "When can
the cannon cross the Simplon: Z" The
Eaglishman, 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 thou
s1nd mer, six years, to complete it. 1t
has near seven hundred stone brid ges, and
Ike the route Of Mount Cents, is about
twenty-six feet wide, and bordered in
dangerous places on the lower side by al
wall three or four feet above the level of
the road. These two roads were the first
ever opened for carriages over the Western
Alps, and in the construction Of them, all
the known resources of art were brought
into requisltion to overcome the greatest
resistance of naturc. But We descend
through galleries cut in perpendicular
rocks and over chasms fsightful to look
inlo
Suse is little city near the foot of
Mount Gents, which is remarkable for its
antiquity, having been founded by Ro-
man colony under the reign os augustus.
The only thing in this place worthy Of
notice is a triumphal arch, erected about
o;pht wears befora fhe Christian ora IN |