New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-08-08
CHANCES AT EUROPE. No. XXI.
SWITZERLAND

Of the 10th, via Railroad 20 Como. a, the foo. OF
the Lake oil the IKE name. which we reached IN
All hour and half thence taking the SWISS Gov
era,nen, Diligence for tins place, VIA the pass Oh
81 Go,hard Even before reaching Como, toniy
some twenty miles from Mian.) The spurs OF the
Alps had begun 70 gather around MS, and tne III
tie Lake itself Is completely eInDosoIned Dy lhe"i
Barely skiring the southern border. We cfosseu
the Swiss frontier and hade adieu TO the Passport
swindle ior season, crosseda ndge INTO the val
ky of Lake lugano. which we sklried Tor mo
thirds its length crossing 10y hne stone Drldge
near H. center. (All the SWISS lakes nave
seen are very barrow for good part OF their
length. Of a meenish blue color derived from the
mountain SHOWS, very Irregular IN their lorn' ne
mo shut in. narrowed and distorted by the poid
c,,ne wb,ch crowd them on ono side or on both,
often reducing them to crooked strait, resen-
hing the passage Of the Highlands 10y the Hud-
.ou) Threading the narrow streets of the pleas
ant Village OF LuganO, We struck boldly upthe NIL
10 the east and over Il into the valley OF me it'le
f,ver Tcino, which We reached al Beillnzona,
smart town of some five to ten thousand lnnaolt-
ants and followed the river thence TO It's source
IN the eternal snow, OF Mount 81. GOthard. All
this is, | believe. IN the center OF llclno' IN
which Italian is the common language, and OF
which Bellinzona is the Chief town
Although IN Switzerland, shut IN by steep
mountains. often snow-crowned which leave 1t
An average width of less than half mile TINS
valley is Italian IN many OF its natural character
.st,cs For twothlrds OF It's length, Wheat, In
dian Corn and the Vine are the chief objects OF
attention. and every little patch o. level ground
save the rocky bed of the lmpetuous mountain
torrent, Is labonously, carefully cultivated such
mere scraps Of earth do not admit OF efficient
husbandry. but are made to produce literally by
dint of patient effort should Judge that peck
Of corn IS about the average product of day
work through all this region. There is some
pasturare, mainly on the less abrupt decllvtles
far I'D the mountains but not one acre IN nifty OF
the canton Yields aught but It may be little fuel
ior the sustenance OF man. Nature Is mere a
rugged mother, exaotng mcessant toll OF her
children as the price Of the most frugal SuDslst-
ence, but under such skies, IN the presence of
30 much magnifcence, and in a lapd of equality
and freedom, mere life Is ~orfh working tor, ana
the CONDITION is accepted with hearty alacrlty
Men and women work together, and almost
equally, IN the fields; and here, where the ne
eesslty is so papably Of Natures creation, not
Mans, the spectacle Is far less revolving than on
the fertile plains OF Piedmont or Lombardy.
The little patch OF Wheat Is so carefully reaped
that scarcely grain is left. and children bear
the sheavcs on their backs 10 the allotted shell
ter, while mothers and maidens are digging up
the soil with the spade, and often pulling up the
stubbe with their hands, preparatory to another
crop Switzerland could not afford TO be King
dom,--the expense OF Court and Royal Family
would famsh halt her people Yet everywhere
are the signs Of frugal thrift and homely content
met only two beggars IN that long days nde
through sterile Switzerland, while in a similar
r,de through the fertile plains OF Italy should
have encountered hundreds, though there each
days labor produces a. much as three do here
II the Swiss only couid live at home, toy the ut
mos, industry and economy think they would
very seldom he found elsewhere, but IN truth
the land has long been peopled to the extent OF
ITS capacity for subslstmg, and the STEADY III
crease which Their pure morals and SIMPLE nab
Its ensure must drive of thousands IN search OF
the bread of homes, toll Hence their presence
elsewhere, in spite OF their passionate attach
ment to their free native hills
Mos, of the dwellings, through all tins region
~. built OF stone--tho>e of the poor very rudely,
az the toughest bouders, often land up with 1T
tic or no mortar The roofs are often OF split
stone The houses of the more fortunate class
are generally of hewn or at least toeraby square
ii nt N 81
and whitoned on the outside so as TO present
very neat appearance. Barns are few, and gen
crally of stone also The Vine Is quite extern
sIvely cultivated, and often trained on a rude
frame work of stakes and poles, SO as completely
to cover the ground and forbid all other cultlva-
ton Elsewhere they are trained to stakes
rarely 10 dwarf trees as IN Italy The Mulberry
holds It's ground for twothirdS of the way up the
valley, giving out little after the Vine and be
fore Indian Corn does So. Wheat gives place To
Rye about the same time, and the Potato, at first
comparatively rare, becomes universal As the
Mulberry gives out the Chestnut comes H. and
hourishes molly for some ten OF twenty miles
abou, midway from Belhn1ona to Airolo. Sus-
pect frsm the evident care taken OF II, that It's
product Is considerably relied on for food III
ually. as We gradually ascend, this also dl>ap'
pears. leaving Rye and the Potato to struggle
while longer, until at Alrolo, al the foot OF 81.
Go,har, where We stopped at 10 o'clock for the
night, though the valley forks and is consequent
IN Of some width, there remain only few slen-
der potato stalks, in Shiyeung expectation of I'M
timely frost, patch OF two OF headless oats,
with grass on the slopes, still tender and green
from the lately shelterng SHOWS and dwariish
hemlock ehnging to the steep activities and hid
ing from the fierce winds IN the deep ravines
which run up the mountains. Snow is IN sigh, ON
every side, and seems but mile OF distant
We, here are two petty villages and thirty forty