Washington sentinel., 1853-12-21

watch them, and then to look away up to the
summit of the mountains around me, rejoicing
in the manifestations which the King of Kings
was making Of himself in this dwelling-place
among the munitions of rocks. With these
thoughts full on me, as | rode along the verge
of the tremendous ravine that separates the
Wengern Alp from the Jungfrau, we reached a
small inn, on the brow of the ravine, where
large parties, chiefly English people, were ra-
vening for dinner. This house has been plant
ed here in the Jungfrau, that travellers may
rest themselves in its beauty, and watch for the
ayalanches that now and then come thunder.
ing down its precipitous sides. Streams of
water are in some places pouring down, the
music of the fall is constantly heard, and every
five or ten minutes the roar of snow slide
thunders on the ear. Few Of them are seen.
They break away from crags that are out of
sight, and plunge into dark abysses where the
eve of man does not follow them. But this is
Just the time Of day when we might look for
one, for it is past noon when the suns power is
the greatest, and if that great topping mass,
which seems to be holding on with difficulty,
would but Just let go its cold death grasp and
come headlong into this mighty grave at the
base Of the mountain, itwould be sight worth
coming to Switzerland to see.
We watched and wished, aud the more we
watched, the more it would not come. During
the half hour we had sat wrapped up in our
blankets, gazing at the cold snow hills, and
shivering in the bleak winds the dinner had
been in preparation, and despairing of getting
something to see, we determined, like sensible
people, to have something to eat. The long
table was filled with hungry travellers, and all
had forgotten in the enjoyment of dinner the
wonders of the Alps, when suddenly the alarm
was given, "ldpinen," the "dcdldnche." Ser
wants dropped the dishes and ran, gentlemen
and ladies following them, rushed from the table,
over chairs and each other, crowding for the
doors and windows and had there been danger
Of sudden overwhelming in the house, and the
destruction of all the inhabitants, we could
not have fled in greater haste and confusion
than we now did to see the descending "thunder-
bolt Of snow" All eyes were fixed upon one
point, where stream ike powdered marble was
pouring from one of the gullies far up the
Jungfrau and lodging on a ledge. 1t differed
in no respect from q stream of snow, nor in
deed from one of water, which is perfectly
white in the distance, when small cascade is
dangling from the rocks. Yet are told, and
there is no reason to doubt, that this stream is
made up Of vast blocks Of ice and masses of
snow, dashed constantly into smaller fragments
as it comes "rushing amain down. but still
weighing cdcH VI tHcil iuduy IoHS, duu CsaPdpic
Of dealing destruction to forests and villages if
they stood in its path. We looked on in silenc,
and with disappointment mingled withawe. The
stream that had rested fora while on one ledge
now began to flow again, and the roar of the
torrent increased every instant, filing the air
with its reverberations, which were caught by
distant mountains and sent back in sharp
echoes, and again in deep toned voices that
seemed to shake the sky. But was disap-
pointed. 1t was just what did not expect,
although I had read enough of them to be pre-
pared for what was to come. This was said to
be one of the grandest scenes this season! Of
course we believed it, and report it accordingly.
Grand indeed it was, and when we consider
that at least four miles are between us and the
hill side down which it is rushing, it is not sur
prising that the masses of ice should be ben-
ded into steady and liquid stream. Certainly
prefer to see such torrent at distance, to
being sufficiently near it to run any risk Of
being buried alive in an icy grave.
IRENEUS.