Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-04-15
Correspondence Of the Free Press.
LETTERS FROM EUROPE.

NO. LXV.


dlvcrslned ny 80 much tnnt Is STRIKING III It's
novelty as we'll ms its beauty, that shall not
attempt to give the details. The rocky and
pent-up banks Of the M)ldau, the magnif-
cent plain into which they subside, like an
amrhitheatrc. and which they seem to en-
circle like breast-work, coming near to the
river, again almost shutting it in, and then
sweeping out into another plain, then this
plain breaking up into hillocks and peaks
some surmountcd with clstlcs--in the distance
one peak apparently l.j0o to 1000 feet high
cultivated to the top, the only object on its
top cross 100 feet high, visible to all the
country round (pcrhaps, at appointed hours
all that eoe il bneel before it), and all this
country finely cultivated these can only be
hintod ut without any attempt at description.
noticed, on that journey, what seemed
to me IL clear case of what I should call
architectural development. Somewhere
about midway between tine two clpi-
tails, humble population seemed to
predominant, dwelling in cottages Of the
most simple and rustic character, with roofs
often matched and always steep. Through
these the light was admitted by little
horizontal elllptcal portfolios for win.
dows, seeming to have been punched through
and then pryed little wider, and looking
for all the world like eyes in the rool-twu
being the usual number. Aswo approached
nearer to Dresden this rounded form gave
place to two narrow panas Of glass arranged
horizontally. Soon four arranged in Il
square made their appearance, and at last a
triangular top with roof completed the
REG lar dJrmer window Of higher civilization,
and more architectural perfection. So the
trunk of the tree became u cJlumn--so the
basket Of acdnthus became the Corinthidn
Capital as the story says--so the arches OF
the interlcing branches of the grove Of lofty
elms suggcste the sharp gothic arches, and
the sounding asles Of the dim wood" Gods
first temples were developed by art and
taste ami genius into the columns and cano-
pies and groincd vaults and spacious aisles Of
the lofty cathedral.
The houcs of middling sort are painted in
two and sometimes more colors-red and
white, and maroon and blue &c. being used
on different portions of the same building
| The frame timbers Of Of the house are visible
externally. The outside boards--thc clap
boards or other sidng-do not cross or cover
the timbers-what is the use Of putting a board
on the outside OF Il sJlil timber-the timbers OF
the house orc more numerous and lighter and
differently arranged than they with us and
the people seem to b. proud and ostentatious
of the timbers of the house, for they are
usually painted IN some strong and striking
color quite d Ir.rent from the adjacent boards
- Ns to he quite visible at considerable dis
lance, We noticed in me locality, that not
only the houses and out-houses, but the
fences and bridges were painted and led
quite ostentatiously in two Of these colors
and by Il sudden transition two other collrs
were qniteas ostcntatoasly displayed, and on
enquirng we were tod that The line Of trans
ition was the boundary line between Austria
and Saxony, and that the collrs on the diff
fcrent sides Of the line were respectively the
national colors Of those kingdoms.
he interesting an peculiar region known
IS the Saxon Switzerland" lies between
the Bjhlmi.n frontier and Dresden, reaching
to within eight or ten miles Of that city.
Our journey still lay through it along the
vclley Of the Elbo, on both sid Of which are
cliffs of sandstone stretching in various Irec.
lions, and Of hugo cyclopcan columnar s.ruc-
lures, somo times rising up ike the wall of
some immense castle,-some times like a col
lonade of lofty pllars,-somc times a bridge
ofthis rock still unitos two or more Of these
columns like great cntlbhture,- some
time single column stands like a column OF
of triumph. Often tho appearance is that
of n vast and widespread ruin Of castles and
towers-hcre pyramid and there an inycrt-
ed pyramid, and, strangely, two truncated
pyramids seemed to stand with the trun-
Gated apex of the one resting upon that of
the other-now apparently long wall of
hewn stone and now another OF hoAry brick,
and all this the work of disintcgraton Of the
rocky cliffs, EXCEPT that here and there Il real
castle or fortrese, centuries old, mngling its
real ruins with these imaginary ones and is
in singular keeping and harmony with them.
The E,he is here naygahlc, and the river
with littledouble-headeds ailcralt so to rs feet
long and to 10 wide, most agreably diver
sf this singular view, which reaches some
80 to 40 miles. y largo portion Of the Sax
on Switzerland is inaccessible except on foot,
AMI we therefore contented ourselves with
what was visible from tho higher points of
our route. Perhaps the most interesting
portior--cortainly the most interesting of
what we sIw-wds the Blstci or Blstien,
which rises abruptly from the Elbc. | shall
copy from Murray brief description of
view which is obtained only by wenrisome
and dangerous climbing, that we would not
undertake The Blstei from which is obtained
by far the finest viewsin hewholo district. is
the name given TO one Of the largest masses Of
rocS which rise close to the river ON tho right !
bank, One narrow block ON theycry 7ummit.
projects into the air. Pcrchcd ON this YOU
can view prospect which, in its kind, is
unique in Europe. You hover on the pinna- |
Gle at m elevation Of more than COO feet.
above the Ebe, which sweeps around the !
bottom Of the precipicc, Behind, and up
along the winding river, on the same bank,
rise similar precipitous cliff, cut and inter-
sected, like those already described From
the farther bank the plain gradually eleyatcs
itself into regular amphitheatrc terminated