The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-08-25
Summer Tour in Europe.

i
of rest to travellers,--an sill our associ.
ations and authorities too, it would al
most seem, give the impression Of that as
a Swiss Mountain. 1t seems, however,
that the national sovereignty of the AL
pine region is divided even upon the
South West, and that Savoy, an original
portion of the present Kingdom Of Ssr.
dinia, embraces most distinguished sec
tion of the Alps, The length Of the cen
trail Alpine chain, beginning in France
aud terminating in Austria, is 600 miles,
the highest peaks rising from 10000 to
$4,000 feet, of which Mont Blanc is the
chief, ten miles from the southwestern
border of Switzerland. The highest peaks
occur along the South and East frontier
line of Switzerland, including Mont Blanc,
the Matterhorn, and Monte Rosa The
Bernese chain runs more centrally along
the southern border Of the canton OF
Berne till it meets the former or Pennne
chain at St. Gothard, the centre Of the
great Swiss watershed of Europe, and in
cludes the Jungfrau, Wetterhorn, Faul-
horn and other peaks, and has prefer
ence given It in poetry. perhaps, from its
association with the expanded more open
country to the North, in which the beau
tiful valleys and lakes of Switzerland ex-
tend. The name Of Alp indicates h
mountain pasture, and it is this idea which
has attached the simple and grateful as.
sociations Of a pastoral people. The
Jura Mountains, passing for nearly 300
miles within the northwestern border
Of Switzerland, not rising to a great
height, offer beautiful views Of the Ber-
nese range at from sixty to eighty miles
distance.-The Swiss Cantons, twenty i've
in number, embrace an area of $4,000
square miles, with population Of 2. $780,
900. These constitute the Republican
stronghold of people, ingenious, brave
and resolute, contented, fortunately not
aspiring, but Independent even of the
moral power of their neighbors. Having
touched upon the beauties and sublmitics
of scenery met with in the journey, one
of our travellers says--"I love Switzcr-
land and l like its people; well 1 may.
for they love Americans and treat them
with all possible courtesy"
AK LA CHAPELLE, July II, '58.
Your very welcome letter was received
yesterday at Cologne, with another from
an old friend. I've had there the third
budget Of letters we have received.
Since | wrote you last at Geneva, we
have had perfectly delightful journey
among the snow-clad hills and beautiful
lakes and valleys Of Switzerland. We
went up Lake Geneva to the old castle Of
Chillon, and heard the music of the
FLASHING waves from the dark dungeon Of
Byrons Prisoner Of Chillon The
spot is most romantic, and when you read
the passage, you may remember that
have seen the
Seven columns, N assy and gIaJ,
Dim with dull, imprisoned ray,
A sunbeam which hath lost its way :"
and the
"-Smsll green lsle, il seeInd no more
Scarce broader than my dungeon floor
And on IL there were three tall trees,
And Ger 1t blew the mountain breeze
And on II there were young flowers growing,
Of gentle breath and hue"
We spent few hours there, and then
went in little steamer TO Lausanne,
beautiful village on the north shore of
the Lake, where We spent the night, and
then by cars to Yverdon, north about
thirty miles, where we took steamer and
went through Lakes Neuchatel and Bi.
enne to Nidan. fifty miles, perhaps, north
east, and by cars to Berne, in the same
canton. This is the principal town in
Switzerland, where the General Assembly
meet, the Federal Diet of all the cantons.
We went in while the body were in ses-
sion, and heard several animated speech
es, but unfortunately they were in Ger
man, They have very handsome build.
ing, quite new, You know Berne is quite
famous for its bears, from which the town
derives its name, an enormous one having
been slain here by BErcHToLp, its found.
er. on the day when the togn was com.
menced. They regard them with the
greatest fsndness and veneration 1t is
the emblem OF their country as the Eagle
is of ours. They have large circular
trench built for their accommodation, a.
bout twenty feet deep, and walled around
with solid and elegant masonry, and for
centuries they have been maintained by
the government. They have four now.
We spent some time watching their gam
| bols At Berne we attended fine Ger