Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-12-24

LETTERS FROM EUROPE.
NO. LlV.


Emona of the Romans. At Laybach we left
the Diligence and took to cars. We had only
time to glance over the little city, which has
nothing striking except the fine old castle on
a hill in the middle of the Town, and looking
proudly down upon every part of it. Indeed,
the Town consists of only about $4,000 people,
who are clustered around the base of the Cas-
tie Hill. 1t is on the River Laybach, rapid
stream that, when swollen by its tributaries
from the mountains that rise Immediately
from the Town, has covered the plain to n
great extent with bed of barren gravel.
Circumstances have given to Laybach a
nominal immortality. Sir Humphrey Davy,
so deservedly eminent in Scientific Literature,
in his repeated journeys to these regions of
mountain purity in search of health, often
made this his resting place, and point of de-
parture on his little excursions for his favorite
sports of shooting and fishing and scientific
enquiry; and on one occasion he was detained
here several months by sickness. Here he
finished "The Last of the O'Donahoes, and
the second edition of " Salmona," on his
last excursion to these his favorite resorts.
only few months before he died
The great sights of Carniola are seen by
short trips from Laybach. which is the Cap
ital of the Province. The quicksilver mines
OF ldrla would have been exceedingly inter-
csting to me. from my memory of the beau
tliul specimens from that locality, with
which our old friend, the Baron Ledercr.
supplied his own and other cabinets
The Lake Of Neutrality-suspicious. Luqeus-
containing some ten or twelve square miles.
with settlements, villages, churches and cas-
ties on its shores, is remarkable only for the
fact, that ut irregular intervals. sometimes
once year and sometimes once in five years.
the Lake springs leak in the bottom, and
runs entirely dry, leaving its bottom to be
cultivated long enough for some short crops
to mature. and the people sometimes catch
ilsh one year and cut buckwhcat the next in
the same spot. 1t takes 8 OF weeks for the
water to run out, and often as long for
1t to return; but sometimes, after long
and copious rains, the water rushcs in
from below and fills the lake in a dav.
The mountains are all of cavernous lime
stone. and thsee sudden filings doubtless
arise from the overlooking of some higher
mountain lake communicating with this by
an immense subterranean sphon.
The grotto of kleinhausel which has been
explored for three miles, and out of which
river issues, is an Their of the local curiosi
ties, and the great grotto of Adelsburg, of
worldwide fame, and the grotto of Magda-
len. with its sluggish rivers and blind am
phlbious lizards-Protem Anguinus-are
also close by, but had no time to devote to
any of these subterranean lions They are
all full of dangers. The time has been when
| was bold for such excursions, but later
years have made me wiser and more timid. |
have mentioned my narrow escape at Tivoli
| can recall others. The travelling compan-
ion of Sir lIu nphrey in the grotto OF Corne-
ale, near Trieste, after he had descended
along by narrow, slippery paths and rotten
stairs or rather ladders to the flrtherest ex-
rl~--.:~..-, .e.--.ed 70 mako some sketches
and incautously rested upon a wooden hand
rail Placed there for protection, which gave
way and lie fell backward from rock to rock
twice heels over head, and landed with his
| head downwards and his feet in the air. on
the verge Of a smooth rock, beneath which
| a Inr n bla nh,-sS int Oh
his next fall must have plunged him. 1t was
some minutes before he could be extricated
and when he was restored to the upper air
the CHASTITY palcness Of his guides told al
most as plainly as their fearful shrek when
they saw him go, of the dreadful danger of
his fall. now avoid all such places.
Laybach has historical or diplomatic in
terest from the congress of the allied sover
eigns held here in lS20-2l and which pro-
claimed as incorporated into the public law
of Continental Europe the right of intervcn-
ton in the affairs of other nations. Russia,
Austria and Prussia united in it, but Eng
land refused to acquiesce. 1t was during
this Congress that the Emperor of Austria in
addressing the Professors ola College at Lay
bach directed them to be careful not to teach
their pupils too much, lie did not want, he
said, learned or scientific men, but obedient
subjects, and it was this Congress and those
which We're 50 frequent during the time Of
the Holy Alliance, which gave occasion to
one of Berangcr's satircs. The death Of
Christophe, the black and bloody tyrant of
Hayti, was made the nominal occasion of
the song called the "Death Of King Chris
tophe-or IL note presented by the nobility of
Hayti to the three great allies, December,
1920" must give you the first and last
stanzas.
chri'tophe est mort, ct du royaume
La Nobesse recours vous
Francois, Alexandra Guillaume,
Prenez aussi ptie nous.
Ce nest point pa limitrophe,
Mais lie NAL fait tant de progres
Vte un Congress
DeuT, trois, Congress
Quatre Congress
Cinq Congress Dix Congress
Princes, vengez CO bon Christophe,
Roi digne de tous vos regrets.
Don Quixottes de Parbitraire,
Allons, morbleu, de la valeur
&c Monarque etait votre frere;
Les rois sont de meme couleur.
EIploiter catastrophe,
Saccorde avec plans secrets.
Vite un Congress
Deux, trois, Congres
Quatre Congress
Cling Congress Dix Congress
Princes vengez ce bon Christophe,
Roi digne de tous vos regret