The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1859-09-28
Inter sting Letter from SWitzer.
land.

I ~ n
We have. been kfadly favored with be-.
mission te'prbIsh the folbwing8 highly
interesting letter from Switzerland writ.
Htenbya citizepof Rapides, now srayelin,
in Europe:
! II ZuRIcH, Aug. %, 1859
fwrote you last, beiisse, from Paris. SIM.
thenI have been all over Switzerland eniov;n,
highly its beautiful scenery. When reached
Geneva was prepared to contest the claim 81
Europe to superiority for nolAitais beauty, as fev
things had surpassed the picture which M imac;u.
alton had formed from reading about them. and
most had not filed che bill, !, Z. .,.s #
/ The ronte, however, to the Vale Of Chameup
and tho FIRST view Of Mont Blanc caused mo IA
Sstrike my American colors, for it overwhelming,
surpassed all conceptions caused b descriptions d
Il. v G followed the course Of lstle river called
the Arve, wtiehis said to be the most violent Of
mountain torrents, through grrge alter gorge Of
indeseribable sasageness. The mountains belp,
composed Of a very destrnctible limestone, their
peaks had assumed form which bad never wit.
messed, shooting up like needles into the sky.
Suddenly and unexpectedly upon turning y bend
IN the valley, Mont Baa;, !" tie monsroh. Of NOM
statns appeared in view. !. His mass black ~
ink, aud all his top and summit covered with s,ox.
while from this diadem descended Hike soaring
iarks the mighty Glaciers grinding and pulse,ian.
isgrariteribs: The effect on'my n,iAdlras over.
Nhelhiirg, as amid these vast mountain masses and
narrow valleys all your notiopsAof distance and
size are upset. Although it took hours 10 reach
Mont Blane Capt Allen, maintained that he could
hit an object With y twelve. FOUNDER, and after
reaching his base to pass glacier which seemed
within u stones throw 2eald tire the patience uf
all thrparts
Another circumstance added to the charm Of the
region and fbat was 10 see every foot Of spase
which couldbe stood upon IN bigh state OF cuff.
yasioD. Far ID e moaniain sides on the verge
the snow you would see bright medows and
Swiss cottages, indeed at the very foo. Of he
sGaacier du. Bois The celebrated Mer de Glace)
descending from the top OF Mont Blanc 70 the rery
bottom Of the valley. having surface ofuearly 40
square miles and depth Of or 600 feet, is situated
a populers village and feress of trieit
and ereell,t see,ns almost to sustain. the mislay
mass. Tie valley OF Ghamoani is,s5a0 feet above,
the5ievel OF the sea and the mountain spftes
l22,DD from it, so straight up that in very iex
places can il be aseeadtti' directly bv s,iy thing.
The very summit can be plainly see,n iron the
Hotel. Ana scientific party ascenltd the nsauii.
tain the dag We arrived and would reach the top
the .nezt day AZ two, / determined again Ia club
meaptaln one Oh the opposite side Of tile
valley. about 5000 feet where not aulg eoud ys,
tne REV o. The whole range OF Mont Blame could
be obtained. This ,aonn,an by ziszagging upa
iHass Of debris lro,H the action of a to.rent non
dry, ahd b. scaling the jaw OF preeipice, can be
easily made upon mules tut Idete,auped to 90 il
Il foos as.isalshaagh iwas so used up by the ascent
TO fofsweer mountains ltchcer
ward, Twas fully repaid by tie glorious REV Of
the mountains, GLACIERS, ad valley, obtained from
thence, and lrala the pleasure Of seeing aitha.
powerful glass the party OF nineteen as they irs.
yessed the suow and stood upon the highest poili.
Of Europe
The uextday upon mule came through a pass
called he Eete Noir, $50 Wild and ssvsge IT'S toba,
to 4 town called Nasiigu,, il.onA
whence Napoleon commenced his passage, cs
~ n
by Veyay, the Castle u Chiffon, Iausanne. et..
etc. Honlthcucc, we made our way t,'roagh tic
iases of Neuichatei, Benne, Thou, BGerz;
Lungen and Aaf.en 10 Luc-rne, si,na.ed Ii eGe. :
eva at the foot OF the lake III tie same Msme, and
cipsteed ike il areaud the riverasit sulergcs from
and serves las its uutet.
As tbiss said by tourists 10 lie the.rnost beauts.
;ul lake in Europe, We laid over a DAY, andb b!
s,ea,nloat ascendedio Abort, where William Teih
saot the apple irom OF bis sons heaas
We hired j row boat to return SO that we coulds
visit Tells Chapel, situated upontbe spot wheres
tr.aitioasars shat he eaped iron TIT boat to es,
cape from, the tyrant Gessier. Again it would be,
useless 10 attempt to convey to @oaby description
neutrality-suspicious. Of this beautiful lake. Sathce iatos
SAY thatitpenetrateS thirty niles intosthe regoas
OF the highest Alps, and that it iss only in lev
places that there are spots eae the. shore where's
any thing can stand and they have been formed by
the torrents Bringing down pebb!esfroaa the Toun-
tains enough fill ny small positions Of the lakes
az elsewhere ia Switzerland the people seize nPor.
every foot thus formed. cover tho shinggle With,
an arti6risl soil andby meaua u manures force it
to produce crop.
The mountains spring il, sheer. precipices often
eserhai,gihg, or strsislh ont ofthe water.
Coming from above, as you approach Lacerne,
there stand two enormous heights. on either slds'
OF the lake, forming with ina gateaays'o the
mountainous region and surrounded. with lower
bills covered with the most iuxnr;an, regesat'oa'
indeed recoEeeted Ao.tlng Of aidefp ereenaSs
but Ireland.
Every fling about Iucerne, and indeed s'll ny
swiss eities, indicates high degree Of wealth. pros
perity and happiness. /. like. the people escee',
agls. Ne have. passed through ffeics'sahhV 9 az
hpi