The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1863-02-27
From our Special Correspondent
A Trip Through Switzerland and
Southern Germany.
NO. w..
BY JOHN PHOENIX JR,

NO. w.
travelling, like everything else, has its sha.
u SIDE. In Switzerland there are three Ian.
...ges spoken, besile number of dialects
!. the east, French the south, Italian; and
IN the north, German. The dialects are so
.rferent, that, in many cases, the people OF
aeishboring villages cannot make themselves
mutually understood, or can only do so with
ti,ulry. A traveller, then, must have the
! ,' # Tongues or he IS likely to find himself
yr.y often in embarrassment. | knew very
n. tnat The German OF Switzerland is quite
!.rcnt from the pure Saxon, hut having
r,g7ed two or three German grammars by
a..r,, thought | could at least make myself
ea!cr>tood. My first attempt at speechify-
g which was at Soleure, showed me that
~y house was built on the sand. In visiting
,,glrch. remarked curious monument,
- asked a lady who was standing ear, what
? vas. AS she did not seem to understand,
r4prated the question, which was fashioned
cordIng to the most approved styles of sym
.lN, as laid down in the grammar Of DIR AL
.sgI,rE. she looked at me for moment.
a.. then replied in French, " French under
,'4nl not" 1t was only at Zurich that my
,ttkng trials and tribulations fairly COM
n~nced Here in the principal hotels and
p> English and French are generally spo-
,aa but it is a privilege that one must pay
-.r fer. went into shop and asked for
-,.er-paper, with small view of the town on
T.. Some ordinary paper was shown me, the
rar of which was sixty cents sheet. sup
)>r they smust have taken me for lord in
,Iuse. While waiting for the train, as |
N> about to leave Zurich, l went iulv Il
.-ghhoring restaurant to take luncheon.
..c eating room was large and we'll filed
son one of the walters, trim, rosy-cheeked
.r4>el approached. She may have made
me remark on the state of the weather, or
. ,ome other subject, to me it was all Choc-
/ ~, to which replied at every pause, yah,
4 f' When she was gone awaited anxious
= the result. Soon she reappeared with a
|eao.cr stream of Choctaw, a bottle of wine
|@t huge cake. Now instead of yah, l COM
HeaccI to cry nein, nein, and to speak Eng
.>l and French by turns,-it was her turn to
lear Choctaw To end the first scene of the
comedy, | left the poor girl in the greatest
.nUement, and made for the kitchen, where
~ means of signs succeeded in making my
~ understood During experience Of this
aGI, my conscience has sometimes troubled
@- little as have thought of the poor Ger
man peddlcrs, whose speeches amused me SC
mach when boy, and which have often
armed, in order to repeat them when they
were gone. At present know how to SYM
.'nize with all such unfort1nates.
The afternoon was we'll advanced when
.r't Zurich for Schatf hausen, which, by rail
,1o hours distant. A little way from S
W. come in sight of the Rhine, and little
.'rI, Get glimpse of the celebrated Falls
LIE Rhine is here beautiful stream, but this
' a7t the mCst interesting part Of it. We
ave not yet that Rhine where there is, as BY
SAYS:
ending Of all beauties; streams and dels,
'o.lage, crag.wood, ,cornfeld, mountain vine
Il 't"1' less castles. breathing stern farewels
L H -j,y but lcafy walls, where ruin greedy
4 .Ncl<"
>.a,ttaausen is a very old as we'll as pc
.r own. The houses are all built witt
Il)e-ends to the street. and the outside
many is ornamented with frescos, in tn,
r.I',on of which the artist has not spared
.' '.orN. The streets are clean but ill-pavel
:orm so many zigzags that one needs
apaSS in order to navigate them success
,..!. Inc ancient towers and walls still eX
- and give the town very picturesque ap
rance. Schaffh fhausen claims the honor o
."ag been the birthplace of Jean de Miller
II '-- II.ntO!Idll, ana IN lSoI, erected mOnu
en- TO his memory. In the tower Of tn
',t-craI is, perhaps the most celebrated bel
z.>tence, since it gave Schiller the idea o
1 ., wonderful poem, The Song of the Bell.
elrs the following inscription Vicu
i Noytuos p!ango. Fuigra trango.-
44'>embe the toll of the dead and ward O
"- ishtnirg.
My Investigations in the town were mostl
made by twilight, which is, perhaps, fortunat
''' '1e reader, as many things must have bee
.'N'el unno,iced.
Va the way to the Falls, which are som
w. niles from the town, the omnibus over
'-'% two English ladies who were spendin
'Ae days here. They had left the hotel i
VIZ morning for short walk of some twelv
\ .1F;een miles among the hills. AS | wa
4 ''''' ron my Choctaw experience, the SCUM
| " lie good old mother tongue fell like musi