Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-09-24
A VISIT TO MOUNT ST. BERNARD.
ron ruE NATIONAL lsrrIllorNcEn.

August 4, 1858.
GENTLEMEN AS the following extract Of letter from
citizen of Washington, in Europe, may prove in
teresting many of your readers it is submitted to you
for publication. The letter from which the extract is
made bears date " Paris, August 10, 1855" ~
eve started from Domo ossoa, small town in Italy,
at three o'clock the morning of the Sd of August in
crowded diligence way the Pass Of the Simp
Ion. The route the Simplon the first Of the
wonderful carriage roads made the range Of the
western Alps and constructed by order Of Napo
leon after the battle Of Marengo, whilst the
brance of the difficulties he had to in his pas
sage the Great ST. Bernard was still fresh in his
memory 1t took six years to complete the work, from
1900 TO 1906 and it is estimated to have cost about
1000 per mile The summit of the Pass is 500 feet
high. The grey light of morning speedily overlook us
way and afterwards we beheld the rays Of
the rising sum gliding the peaks Of the Alpine ridges with
mantle Of purple glory. beautiful sight, indeed is
sunrise among the Alps
Before reaching Isea, small village tho Sandman
side of the Pass turned take our last view of the
beautiful land of Italy, with its lovely valleys, and trel
Used vines, and soft blue sky, and bid them all last
adeu entered the rough and barren region of grey
rocks aad foaming torrents that lay before We
afterwards reached the village of Condo in the Vaos,
and, after passing through the Gallery of Condo pas
sage six hundred feet long through the solid rock and
then along the gorge of the Condo of the
and wild of the gorgcs among the Alps arrived at
the village of Smpon, which gives its to the Pass.
We stopped here half hour, and took another break
fast. The diligence crowded, all the seats full and,
by way of relieving cramped legs frequently left
it and walked. As it hard pull for the horses all
the time, whilst ascending could easily keep up with
them indeed advance much faster Thousands Of
flowers covered the mountains and the road side which
hyf m hall
The next place of interest attained the plain Of
the summit 1t asrord Of picturesque beauty being
large open valley OF considerable extent surrounded by
clad peaks and SO barren as to give nourshment
alone to the hardy though dwarfed rhododendrons Here
is the ew Hospice large stone edice founded by Ma
poleon and about half mile beyond it the highest point
of the Pass is marked by plain wooden cross eight or
ten feet high, planted by the side Of the road
So far the day was spent in Of varied gran
deur and subhmy, passing along the preciptous sides
OF gorges by narrow shelf Of road from which the ira
weller gazes down timdly into the yawning depths be-
low through galleries chiseed in the solid mass of
rock or over heavy mbered bridges that spanned the
roaring torrents boiling and foaming along in fury
beneath their impeuous way to the valleys below 4
winding turn of the road brought into the of
the lovely valley of the Rhone, spread away in miles
fore u.s. with white scattered its lap
We dned Brieg. Descending into the valley we ar
rived about at the ancient OF Son which is
headquarters Of the prevailing maades Of the Alps
gotre and creinism; and we many hideous looking
victims of those disgusting diseases There is hospital
here for their relief.
stAbou hour after midnight we reached AIartgny
tired, cramped, and half sufocated, after twenty-five
hours imprisonment in the close dirty diligence. was
glad when left that coach. awoke the morning
after hours sound undsturbed Sleep fresh as
bird We determined to go to-day the summit of the
Pass OF the Great ST. Bernard, busted ourselves in
making the necessary arrangements. We engaged a
charabanc, with two mules and driver carry us as far
as the Canne de PROF. the terminus of the char
road, two leagues about six miles distant from the
Hospice which part Of the journey were to make on
the backs of the mules The chlr-a four wheel
vehicle. The body, which resembles a small lounge or
bench thence the name is placed sidewisc upon the
wheels, about twelve inches from the ground The en-
trance to it is by the sde and the whole vehicle is sur
rounded by leather curtains. 1t is sufficiently commo
dous for three small persons like ourselves with ease
The driver sits small detached box in front Our
party consisted Of x**%***% *#4#x#, and myself |
three lank individuals.
Having completed the necessary arrangements we
jumped into vehicle the hotel door, and were soon
rumbling through the stone Of Martigny hi pee
TO the tnkng music Of the bells around the necks Of the
mules Leaving town the road crosses and re-crosses
several times the river Drance whose is in the
lake on the summit Of this Pass aud follows for consd
cradle distance along its angry and impeuous
Passnga gallery cut through the rock afterwards
logged through the squad little town Of St. Branchier
and further through the lovely views Of the Val dEn
fremont where hundreds of small well cultivated fields
are spread over the lower slopes of the mountains on
either side while the Drance bounds foaminQ through the
middle Of the valley. These small regular fields cult
waited in squares about the size of town lots adjoining
each other in different tints produced by the various
Ahus OF grain tnat grow In them, or by the different
stages OF euuyaton golden with the rpened grain
others IN the varying garb Of luxurant verdure some
newly mown, with their Of stacks others brown
with recent hage, sort Of patch Of nature while
scattered around clusters Of and groups Swiss
cottages and all softened down by the mellow distance
form the most pleasing aspects Of the soft side Of Alpine
scenery and, carried away by enjoyment, the travel
Ter loses sight for the moment Of the lofty grey ridges
mountain heights that hem them in II is curious fact
that although the Alps covered with most uxuriant
and beautiful flowers and forests Of shady growth vet
the traveller rarely meets with bird to cheer him
with tone Of familiar sound 10 would seem that the
birds were alarmed at the stiffness Of mountain majesty
and had flown from the solitude of nature.
eve passed through 0rseres and by the forest Of St
Pierre where Napoleon had much difficulty in trans.
porting his cannon and arrived Lddes about half past
four o'clock. Here took hasty snack being in too
much OF hurry to wait for soup, and finding it would be
very late when arrived nj Hospice IL gave
al rest Of hour and half we hired three fresh mules
and set off again in the char banc with renewed fresh
Passing through the village St Pierre we arrived
about o'clock at the Cantne Leaving here our
char we mounted the mules and having two hours Of
oisome travel before proceeded silently per-
form it. large herd Of cows and goats with inkling
bells, feastng upon the rich pasurage. They find
shelter in this small plain, surrounded by the
oyerhanging Of mountain Soon after we passed
pasturagc with its chales, and the last house
Of refuge, TO which the domescs Of the Hospicc with
the dogs, always descend after snow storm or tour
mente in search for the wearied and lost traveller But
the gloom Of night closed in around and to add
TO its terrors in these Alpine sotudes the threatening
clouds that had been gathering during the afternoon now
exploded with bursts Of terrific thunder and despite our
top coats, drcnched to the skin by cold
and steady rain Through the rnin, and amid the fire.
quent flashes Of garng lightning which revealed in dag
zng earuness the huge abysses that gaped beside our
narrow rocky path and the dreadful thunder that made