Litchfield enquirer., 1851-10-23
GENOA. August 1851,

Dear-:-1 have just Finished a pedestrian tour through the Alps. and. as it was all so pleasant, have thought ySu might like to hear about it some of the fla cts may beof interest to oth- CTS.
 My tour commenced at Constance, and my plan was, to make nearly direct course to Genoa, through Switzerland ; but also to pass through the finest lake scenery of the land-to visit a peak, which gives perhaps the grandest pano- rama of the Alps to see characteristic Swiss towns, and to walk over noun tain pass, and upon one of the famous Alpine highways.
 know no feeling scarcely. more ex> hilerating, than that. with which good pedestrian in firm health. and free from care, starts upon morning walk through fine mountain scenery. Blu: when that scenery is in the Alps and when the pede ~ trian is g released prlsoner--so dpgyed and hunted, that he begins almost to think every man, who looks at him is a gems d'arna, or a spy. and only breath- ing free. as he steps over the limits of the:' Mountain Republic.' one may get some idea of how exhilerating that morn. ing walk was to me from Constance, towards Zurich. The massive snow covered mountains. looming up in the distance, the sparkling of lake Constance behind me, the rows of green vines in the valleys, all entered as parts, in scene which after all owed it's beauty and life quite as much to the fresh morning, the dew drop and sun light and shadow, as to these great objects. There were a thousand things to interest me on the way. The houses, the crops. the peas. ants with their broad brimmed hats, all which l had ever heard of, as being SaViss, and seemed impossible should ever really exist out of theatres and nov els. It struck me, as singular, however, that. what we call the genuine Swiss houses" mad occurred much more in Ba. varia, as l approached Switzerland, 'han here. One mode of building very common was quite curious, and as such as have never seen initiated. The whole is shingied with exceedingly small pointed shingles, perhaps four inches long and an inch and half broad ,>yery neat ly cut. The whole effect is. as of scales, aud on the whole. though it must be in- finite wo'k. it all makes very fine, elabo. rate appearance. as i! a great deal of labor had been spent on the houses.-- Despite the canons of our landscape ar tis.s, sOhste seemed to be an excee dingly common color, among the Swiss cottages, and these e gepeIaly considered models ia taste. 1t Is true. this color was never glazing, being usually much hidden by shrubbery, and lessened by the large dark roof. All this day, the scenery, though not equaling in g andeur the far- .her south, was interesting, and in the enthusiasm of the first days journey in Switzerland. l made 36 miles, without scarcely Knowing had accomplished any thing, beyond :he usual stage. There Is no sleep, like that of the pedestrian after a long days walk-and. on one of the nlce Swiss mattresses. with the linen sheets. which the poorest inn has here, was soon sleeping of the fatigue. At various times. l have tried almos. all different exercises" for the body, but 1 know off none, so thoroughly and heal thily exercising the frame, as walking among the mountain. You would be surpfised in Europe, 10 see the contrast between our genllemep and the English, in this respecl--of haoitual walking.- A Eng!ighmar tells you of something of interest three Or four miles away over the 6elds, and in moment. if you rare disposed. he will be off with you in his heavy nailed shoes. such as no one calling hiulself a gentleman" with us. would ever wear. as if no such thing us carriage ever existed. Ifully be- lieve. there is misplaced, unmanly habit in this matter, among the men of our country, such as does not exist in Europe, and especially in England. 1t would not be worth talking about--and certainly not, wasting indignation upon. If it were not, that 1t has its influence on that which is every day becoming more apparent as one of the defects ot our country---the national iN heclfh.-- There is no doubt, no one who sees other nations can question that we. on the whole. have q lsss healthy race, than any country in Europe.
 l However to return to my walk-I reached Zurich, in short time the next day, and after g brief stay there followed down the Lake in little steamboat as far as Horgen. and there struck across by land, intending to cline :he Rhigi, the celebrated peak of the Alps on the 1 side towards Zurich, and so come down l by the Lake Lucerne. But rain cam. on. and was obliged to lie by in Zug. and the weather was so cloudy the mex, I day that l walked directly over to Luce- rene, and took quarters there for a week during an incessant rain. which utterly put stop to all sight seeing among the ' .As.svr